Guild Wars 2

Hey folks, not new to the game, but I don’t post in the forums often as I am usually in game, enjoying it. I do apologize if this has been posted before, but I used the search function and found this issue to be brought up mainly for WvWvW and not PvE, so again, I apologize if this is a “repeat” post in some way.

“Culling” is a word that is actually very new to me and have always known it to be, in layman’s terms, “rendering issues”. I have searched through the posts, and while I can say that I am one of the lucky ones who has not experienced this in WvWvW, this is something that I have been experiencing since day 1 of fractals, in the level that I believe is called “Charr Invasion”. The one where you play as Charr.

My character, my companions and the friendly NPC’s will not load up for me in the first 20 seconds or so of the event. At about the 20 second mark (I’ve timed it, and this is about average), friendly NPC and my fellow adventurers names will show up, about 10 seconds later their actually digital “bodies” will begin to show, as well as my own.

Due to this, I try not to “PUG” Fractals, since I consider myself to be a liability when and if this level comes up. Again, this is the only area that it happens to me in the whole game.

I will usually run this with guild members only, or if a guild member is in a “PUG” with me, since they can see me and give me verbal commands that help in that level, such as “Okay, we’re moving in this direction. Okay, stop. Turn here.” etc. until everything loads in.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this in this level, and if so, if they have fixed it. What options did they change to help render better. etc.

Also, is this a “widespread” issue, and is this something that will be addressed along with the “culling” issue that has been brought up as being looked into for WvWvW? Is it a game engine issue, or could it be something on my end?

I don’t want to post my complete DxDiag here, but in short I am running W7x64, 8GB of Ram and a GTX295 (in Sli mode), with an older Q6600 Quad-core (not over-clockled) at DX11.

All drivers have been fully updated, the game runs beautifully on my system, it’s just this one issue that I am experiencing and am looking for feedback from other players, as well as anyone on the staff that may have some information regarding this issue.

Yup, it’s pretty much the same deal. Mobs that have stealth capabilities (skelk, skill challenges, mesmer boss in TA) all suffer from culling problems in the same way as players do.

Fletch and Auesis, thank you both for the quick replies. I guess that answers my questions, regarding if others are experiencing this in PvE as well. I appreciate the answers, and can only hope that this will be part of the “culling” fix I have been hearing about for WvW, and have it be an engine wide fix.

By “culling” you mean the lag protection thing, where your mob view radius gets shorter for the more things moving around you? Without it, you’d have lag.

With about 40 mobs fighting or dead near you it gets hard to play, cause you can’t see what’s killing you.

Just pickup on dead mobs so they evaporate. Try to stay away 15m from the dense part of the mobs and players. The less moving things and dead around you the farther you can see the mob coming from.

Hey Yocto, Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, this is not an area where this option is available to me, since it happens at the start/load point. I will post a link to video of the area to better explain the area where I am experiencing it.

At about the 8 second mark, in the video, is where my issue usually begins. Right where everyone is loading in. In this video it looks like the party is loading in just fine, and immediately. Unfortunately, I’m not having that luck and am experiencing the half minute, or so, issue that I posted about in my original post.

As for the area’s, or rather, examples posted by the other responders, I have been lucky enough not to experience it in the area’s they have mentioned. Just in this one area.

Thanks again, for your response. All feedback is appreciated.

hmm…I don’t experience cullying on that map until I’m at the gate, and I can always see my group.

Until they fix the map, maybe use the mini map party dots to make sure you stay near your group. Maybe warn the group you wont be able to see them and have them draw and ping where they are on the mini map.

My computers are slower than yours. Q9300 and E5200, Radeon 4850 and GeForce 9600, 8 or 4gb, Win7-64b. My internet is very good though.

Yeah, my internet isn’t too shabby either (50/5Mb), for some reason this is just my annoyance area. I’ve tried using the dots, and while they do help, since I can’t see myself, I seem to get “stuck” behind objects then have to race across the wall and hope to lose whatever spotted me along the way.

You should fraps that. I’ve never not seen myself or my party group that’s near me.
Youtube it or by support tickets which have a 20mb limit on uploads.

Sounds like a plan, I’ll just have to get my guild to want to run Fractals again. Most people in my guild are just burnt out on them. I may just join a party to see if I get this level specifically to record the issue and let what happen, happen… though I may come out with some angry folks.

Anyone who participated in the Lost Shores finale should be all too familiar with how annoyingly devastating culling issues can impact PvE. Nothing like an event-full of players advancing quickly through the Karka nest thinking the ramp is empty, only for everyone to start dying as the non-rendered Karka army starts to finally appear all around them.

I saw many complete wipes happen this way. And it impacts everyone because it’s an issue on ArenaNet’s side, and not at all based on how snazzy your machine/internet connection is.

Yes i experience it a lot things fade in fade out way to close, needs to be much further away and on a larger scale..

On the 2 RP servers, Divinity’s Reach experiences a lot of culling due to the large amount of people. Not sure if it’s still the case though.