Erratic rate of fire

[ObZen]

Why do some weapons not "track" all my mouse clicks very well when firing? The worst seems to be the Plasma Rifle - sometimes I can click 4-5 times (just now had 8-9 times) before it actually fires again. It's really annoying when there's a ghoul ripping my face open and a gun just doesn't fire. I know the Plasma Rifle has a lower rate of fire than, for example Laser Rifle. But this problem seems to happen to some extent with all weapons. It's like I can't rely on the character pulling the trigger when I tell him to, lol!

 

I sometimes get the feeling that if FPS is lower than normal at the moment, these misclicks become more probable. Is this a game engine or performance issue, or something more fixable?

[Klipperken]

Well, I think you got confused with the "Slow Motion" after a valid kill.

Then to take in account is the RoF (Rate of Fire).

 

I do not think you have a problem, just that you have this Slow Motion a lot?

 

One way to figure it out is to fire upon bottles, for example.

If that works out just fine, my theory will be confirmed. ;)

[ObZen]

No, nothing to do with the slow motion kill cam, nor with enemies whatsoever. Just firing weapons in general. I was even shooting up toward the sky just to be sure. I'll rephrase:

 

I try fire as rapidly as possible with, for example, Plasma Rifle. I keeping clicking the mouse fast, and the gun fires about every 2-3 clicks, which is correct because that's about as fast as the Plasma Rifle's rate of fire is approximately. Now the problem: sometimes after a shot the gun suddenly won't fire again, and the next shot comes only after like 4-8 clicks. All this without actually hitting anything, no enemies. Just walls or sky. Weapon in good normal condition (even my mouse is new...)

[Klipperken]

What system do you have, and what graphic detail?

 

COULD be your mouse has a dirty button (sweat or so)?

Put the attack button to your keyboard, and retry.

This is the fastest way to exclude mouse problems.

Edited June 13, 2011 by Klipperken

[ObZen]

What system do you have, and what graphic detail?

 

COULD be your mouse has a dirty button (sweat or so)?

Put the attack button to your keyboard, and retry.

This is the fastest way to exclude mouse problems.

 

Great idea, I'll try on the keyboard.

The mouse isn't dirty, I just got it today. :)

[ObZen]

It seems to be a FPS-related issue. I mapped Fire to a keyboard button, and it was quite okay, but the mouse was okay as well at this time (location was around Novac). Then, I went to the REPCONN Facility where I noticed this issue for the first time (FPS is lower there, it seems to be a resource-heavy area). I quickly counted while testing and at worst I had 29 clicks before the next shot :D Suddenly though, the FPS raised up to much better for some unseen reason, and I was firing normally again. 2-3 clicks per shot.

 

I'm playing on an Acer laptop, Texture size Large and some AA, and the specs are:

 

AMD Athlon II X2 P340 2.2 GHz

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 1GB

4 GB DDR3

 

I'm going to test this on my main desktop computer too, see if there's a difference. I'll also try around with the keyboard a bit more.

[Klipperken]

Ok, I didn't know the mouse is a new one.

Are Keyboard and Mouse cordless?

Sometimes (read in many cases) cordless mouse and/or keyboard dare to make delays.

 

If that is not the case, lower the video settings.

If that works, then it is video card related (try new drivers, or keep lower settings).

 

Also: you will notice "increasingly worst performance" when nearing a hefty populated area.

Sometimes CPU's cannot handle many active NPC's (Graphically, intelligence-wise (talking, eating, stuff like this all at the same time over many different NPC's)).

If THIS is your problem, then a better CPU would be in order.

You know this once you reach areas like the Legion Camp where Ceasar resides, or where you see MANY people stuck in a "small" area.

I suggest Intel (I always said AMD is "a wuss-tech wannabe a CPU kinda calculator" item, but I am slightly biassed towards Intel, LOL).

 

Last point that might cause it: floptop (my name for laptops, ignore) can have heat related problems, insufficient cooling, with other words.

Not sure how to solve that one...

I am no floptop wiz, you see.... XD

[BloXboX]

I noticed this too. When i use rifles such as Assault Carbine it will do that. Sometimes it skips sounds and almost crashes the game .. Its the game engine that is for sure. And its annoying. Sometimes it doesnt track all of your shots.

 

Infact sometimes it doesnt even respond and causing other problems. Could be your FPS? But i doubt it. I run about 80 - 90 Constantly and i have this problem. So i play with mods that dont have high rate of fire.

[drakeelvin]

I have this happen regularly when using full auto weapons and I'd say it is the game engine gets behind the eight ball trying to render stuff when there are a lot of creatures about. I'll hear a dead silence followed by a huge crash of static when all the lagging gunfire noise comes through in one burst, but the graphics engine doesn't necessarily freeze.

 

For me its a reminder to take a pause and do a new full save just in case, though I've never noticed any significant instance of crashes when this happens, its just annoying to me.

 

How long since you defragged your hard drive?

[BloXboX]

I have this happen regularly when using full auto weapons and I'd say it is the game engine gets behind the eight ball trying to render stuff when there are a lot of creatures about. I'll hear a dead silence followed by a huge crash of static when all the lagging gunfire noise comes through in one burst, but the graphics engine doesn't necessarily freeze.

 

For me its a reminder to take a pause and do a new full save just in case, though I've never noticed any significant instance of crashes when this happens, its just annoying to me.

 

How long since you defragged your hard drive?

 

I defragged my like a month ago.

 

because i THOUGHT this would work, Turns out it didn't. When using Full Auto weapons and if there is like a lot of NPC's around you and YOU shoot. The rate of fire is so high the game eventualy starts to NOT EVEN play the sound. After that the game often crashes or freezes for a LARGE amount of time.

 

I am so tired of it..