Issues running Reflex on PC

[mcm2boys]

I recently had a problem with Reflex on my desktop, which I have managed to fix so thought that i'd start this thread for similar problems/fixes.

[mcm2boys]

My desktop has an ATI integrated graphics processor (IGP) which could just about run Reflex but i was getting the slow-mo problem a lot of people reported. I decided to upgrade to a dedicated ATI 6970 card, but when i fired up Reflex i could get to the menu's, but as soon as i selected a menu with any 3D rendering (not just 2D menu screens) like track selection screen it would crash to desktop. I played with different settings and screen sizes but always the same result. I finally found a fix by deleting the savegame.bxml file. This means setting your game option settings completely from scratch, for me not a big deal since i'm not a big tweaker. But now the game runs on my desktop as expected with the 6970 with no slow-mo.

You will find the savegame.bxml in the steam folder, under 'X:\Program Files\Steam\userdata\30654059\55140\remote\' where X: is the drive that you Steam installed. Just rename it or delete it and restart. Reflex will start with the intro and tutorials as if you had just installed the game for the first time. There is no going back once you have made a new savegame.bxml, it will not recognise any previous savegame.bxml files - at least it wouldn't for me - and will simply overwrite the file again and you will start from scratch again.

This says to me that the savegame.bxml is in someway linked to the hardware that you use, so you might have a similar problem if you change hardware on your machine, and this might be a fix for that or other problems with Reflex as well, but use with caution since you will start again from scratch with your option settings.

Hope this helps someone else.
Laurie

[Xtrem]

  Does anyone know if the GPU driver information is kept in this file?   I know several people that have recently had reflex decide it cant run on their computers anymore...   after they have 100+ hours of the game played.....    Maybe deleting this file will "refreash" or clear some kind of cache that the game uses for the rendering.   I was getting really crappy frames under 20 FPS on some of the Supercross tracks with a full gate of AI and after i deleted this file my frame rate went back to around 30 FPS.    Strange indeed.

[VRT_JPRLisbon_]

All the game is a Issue..................................   

[mcm2boys]

Xtrem i can't see anything that mentions the GPU or CPU in the savegame.bxml, but the game worked on my old card and wouldn't when i changed it until i deleted the file. That isn't absolute proof that there is something in there that keeps track of the card, but it's a real strong suggestion that there is.

The only thing i could find that might be something to do with it, is a section called player settings. This is just a list of 1 number = another number, about 15 numbers. My guess is that's where it's at.

I have tried writing my own savegame file, but the game just deletes it and starts again with a new one - losing most of the settings. However, some settings do come back so i think that some info is saved on the Steam cloud, and it checks to see if it matches. I tried backing up a working savegame and then after a new one was created replacing that with the back up, but it still overwrote that with a new one. So it doesn't even like files it made itself as replacements. At the moment i don't think we will ever be able to write our own savegame files. But that has the benefit that no one can change the savegame settings to cheat with..

JPR ah come on, it's not that bad, once it's running well on your machine it's way better than the titles that came before..

Laurie

[Xtrem]

   I look forward to the day when somone finally finds out how to "tweak" the game files for preformance.    Im truely greatful for all the work going into the compiler and skinning (even though ive heard rumors thats come to a halt) but i fear the game is doomed unless the community coms up with something to allow the game to run on a lower grade machine.

[Bulldog]

   I look forward to the day when somone finally finds out how to "tweak" the game files for preformance.    Im truely greatful for all the work going into the compiler and skinning (even though ive heard rumors thats come to a halt) but i fear the game is doomed unless the community coms up with something to allow the game to run on a lower grade machine.

I can tell you this, I have stopped playing it because I can't run most of the national tracks on my machine.  And I have no desire to learn all the new stuff to build tracks since I don't enjoy playing the game on my system.   

[mcm2boys]

I'll keep an eye out for anything that might help it to run on slower machines, but i think Xtem you're right when you say that user tracks will run more smoothly because they will have fewer objects/animations.

My work hasn't stopped on this, it's just slowed right down recently because i have lot of other stuff going on but i hope to get more time over the summer to crack on with more on the compiler and an editor.

[DirtTwister]

I have an old computer by today's standards with  a marginal video card by today's standards (AMD 6400 X2 and an 8800 GTS with 384MB of memory).  It plays the game fine and the only time that I have an issue is in a full room network game on Headlands and Grasslands.  It still plays fine just not at the FPS that I want.

These are the settings that I use.  First it appears to me that the game does 1280x720 and scales to other screen sizes. 

1. Resolution (1270x720 @ 60hz).  If I go bigger my frame rate drops and if I go smaller my frame rate drops.  1280x720 full screen yields the best performance for me.

2. Motion Blur - disabled

3. Texture Quality - High  (changing this has no effect on me as far as frame rate)

4. Shadow Quality - High (changing this has no effect on my system, although I do know others are affected by this setting).

5. Anti-Aliasing - None  ( I really haven't experimented with this other then turning it off and it didn't seem to really change the image quality).

6. Vsync - off  (I normally have this on, because I like a consistent frame rate, but this game seems to knock your frame rate down in chunks if you have this enabled ie if you can't do 30 you'll get close to 20 instead).

Bruce

[Xtrem]

Well my 5870 has started its path to destruction i think....   Im getting this message now....  "the driver file amdkpdap as stopped responding and has been recovered"   Well its never recovered... and actually every game this happends in crashes or stops responding..... reflex is the worst...  where this happens usually about 30 seconds after the gate drops.   Bad Company 2...... same thing.....  i can hear the game still running.... hear guns shooting..... hear vehicles.... hear my buddies talking on team speak..... but im looking at a blank screen.   Im not the only one..... many people with these cards have had this same problem.

   Ive tried everything.....  clean the driver with driver sweep in safe mode.... remove the hardware in my device list....  i even formated.....  reinstalled a fresh copy of my OS and started with the original driver i used before the problem started......  no help.   I finally resorted back to my old 8800GTS 640MB card and just as expected..... the problem was gone.  I can play for hours on end of all my games with no driver crash.....   Oh well.....   XFX has a lifetime warrenty.....  so ill be sending it back very soon.

   If anyone knows something i dont about these cards that will fix this please let me know......   and please...  its not a driver version..... ive tried them ALL.


 

[mcm2boys]

sorry to hear that Xtrm, you'd need to be the hardware developer to know more, but it sounds like a heat problem. I'm guessing you can run your desktop 2D all day long,  but when the hard work and heat kicks in the problems start. So it could be a problem with the cooling, fan becoming less efficient (dusty) or failing,  a bad contact somewhere that gets worse with heat. These things do use a lot power (the 5870 probably more than the GTS) so it could be related to a failing power supply if you're using anywhere near the top end of the power it can generate.

The driver error is probably a red herring, since if the GPU locks then the driver will error if it doesn't get the response that it's expecting - or no response at all. But i'm no expert.

Hope you get it sorted out soon.

Laurie

[DirtTwister]

XTrem, I personally always had ATI cards until I started running into driver problems.  That is why I switched to NVidia. 

Your problem definitely sounds like either a heat problem or a conflict.  Does your mother board have builtin video?  If it does, you should disable it in your BIOS and not depend on it auto detecting it.

[Crashnburn11]

I'm having the "Slow Motion Bug"

Is there any fixes to it, or do I just need to upgrade hardware?  My CPU was at about 80% while racing.

I have a 2.6 ghz dual core intel with 4gb ram and Nvidia G210 w/512 mb

Not a new and/or good gaming setup, haven't been into much PC gaming besides MCM2 in the last few years

Also, I'm a little out of the loop, is there any really active forums about anymore?

[al167]

sounds like the 210 graphics card is on its limit. download fraps (google it) to check your frames per second. You want about 60 for good reliable game play. Try turning down your resolution or turning off the other riders.  but if you want to run this in 1080p and enjoy the hd visuals you will definately need a new graphics card.   there is alot of talk in the forums at www.mxvsatv.com about graphics cards ect for reflex. there is also a fix for the 30 fps cap whilst in multiplayer. but this only fixes online play. i think there is a youtube vid on how to remove the cap.

you can also download custom tracks for reflex at www.mvamaniacs.com/index.php

cheers allan.

[RKipker]

XTrem, I personally always had ATI cards until I started running into driver problems.  That is why I switched to NVidia. 

Your problem definitely sounds like either a heat problem or a conflict.  Does your mother board have builtin video?  If it does, you should disable it in your BIOS and not depend on it auto detecting it.

Well Hallelujah...!  Wow... you are right Bruce.   Just installed my new GTX 560 OC after removing two ATi HD5770 cards in crossfire on my new PC I bought back in Feb. when Reflex came onto PC.  If you guys remember I was all stoked until BAM... could not run it.  My older PC struggled too!  Well; not no more!

The new GTX 560 1GB card runs Reflex at max settings and VSync... flawlessly!  So I'm digging up batteries to use my controller and get the thumbs working in Sync as well.  Now I need to catch up on all that has been done.  Problem is I leave for ND tomorrow morning for two weeks no gaming 

[Xtrem]

Well i have since gone to a GTX580 and have no issues in anygames with drivers or anything.   The 5870 is just fried.... and when i tried to get it RMAed ..... oh god that was a nightmare.... i will never go with XFX agian.    Bought an MSI Twin Frozr II and havent looked back since.   


   Ive shoved reflex to the side for Mx Simulator untill a better track making tool is released along with possible skinning. 

[frank333]

hey, i just recently bought this game for pc and it doesnt run right, just slow mo all the time, i messed about with settings but didnt do any good, i am using a laptop which runs simulator perfect, anyone have any ideas?

[al167]

you probably already know this and have tried them but ill go through what id do.

First try updating graphics drivers and also ensure you are not runnig other programs in the background.
also try rebooting your pc.
if no luck there then try adjusting your graphics settings in your install folder by running MXSettings. it should be here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\mx vs atv reflex\MXSettings
first, ensure your graphics card is selected.
try turning off vsinc, motion blur and also lowering texture/shadow quality, also try lowering the sreen resolution.
you will find a combination that your pc likes.


cheers al