Severe game lag, coupled with high CPU usage.

Hey there, folks! Been a while since I posted last, but here I am again.

I've started a new playthrough recently, and ran into a problem just today. In Hardin's Pass, my game suddenly started chugging slowly. The clock indicating loading began flashing rapidly, and slowed the game to 1-2 FPS. It does not persist continually, but only stops for 2-3 seconds, before starting again. Simultaneously, the game shows 12.5% CPU usage (half a core, or exactly one thread). I've tried using -doublebuffer and/or -no3d, as well as running the game at lower resolutions in windowed mode. Nothing helps. At first, I thought it was all the animal corpses in Hardin's Pass causing the lag, but after a lot of struggle, I left the pass, and traveled for 3-4 days to ensure the corpses despawned. That didn't stop the lag, even out in the wilderness.

 

Is the loading clock flashing continually? If so it sounds similar to a bug I had a while back (thread here) whereby if you visit the locations you have been to most recently eventually the problem stops (solution courtesy of Muro of course).

 

This happened pretty much smack dab in the middle of Hardin's Pass. Funnily enough, it seems like the lag subsides more often while in the Pass, compared to while outside of it. I ran back and forth in the area, without much effect. Also, it seems like your problem didn't bring your game down to 1 FPS, even though it's very similar (only affects that character).

Wish there was a way to debug this issue by delving a bit deeper into the character save file, but I dunno how. Hex editors reveal mumbo-jumbo.

 

I once googled "arcanum bug" trying to figure out why a certain character wasn't present in Tarant (turns out he doesn't show up until I've completed amount of the main quest) and I found a thread describing a bug in which save files become corrupted and suffer from incessant unfixable lag. Now I might have a good enough memory to remember reading this, but I definitely couldn't find the thread just now and I don't have the patience to continue searching... but here is my suggestion:

---- In this order ----
a) Try loading a much older save file, or starting a new game and seeing if the lag disappears.
b) If that doesn't work, manually remove the lagging save file and loading the next most recent save file, repeatedly removing each save file until you find the newest one without lag.
c) If that doesn't work, backup your save files and reinstall. Add your save files back to whatever directory they're supposed to be in and see if that works.
d) If the game doesn't work after you've replaced the save files, then maybe reinstall the game and, without loading the old save files, try starting a new game and see if it lags at the zeppelin crash site.

While I can't shed any light on the reason that this lag is occurring, this method of trouble shooting should ensure that you retain your most recently created save file.

 

Thing is, I only have one save file for my playthrough. Teaches me right, not having backups. I already confirmed that the bug only persists on this character, and disappears if I create a new one. I guess my save file is irreparably corrupted, then. Ah well. Time to make a different character.