Any update on the NPC popping yet? (dev reply wanted )

[BaaaaL44]

Any update on the NPC popping yet? (dev reply wanted )

Hey! I have been in touch with support, who requested that I send them my saves, so they can investigate why people are getting atrocious NPC popping after 1.04. On the other hand, I have read on the PS4 forums a few days back, that the devs are working on optimizing NPC load distances and times on both PC and consoles, and that the issue is acknowledged, and being worked on. I have also made several related topics on GoG and steam, but have yet to receive proper official word. If any devs are around, please give us some feedback: Is the NPC popping issue officially known, acknowledged, and being worked on? The game is awesome, and you guys have put a lot of effort into patching out the launch problems, but we need to know whether our problem will indeed be addressed in patches, or we have to find a solution ourselves. Thank you!

 

[Faltus]

Agreed, official word on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BaaaaL44]

Indeed. There was another post, also made by me, where I summarized all that is currently known about the circumstances and characteristics of the pop-in issue. So far, there has been no new information about it. I have seen people claim that they do not experience the problem, but I do not believe them. Many are having issues, and it is a hundred percent NOT hardware/driver related. I had absolutely no problems prior to 1.03, and 1.04 only worsened the issue. That is where the lod bias was introduced. I'm otherwise satisfied with the improvements made by the patches, and had no negative impact on performance for me, but this single issue still keeps bugging me,and hundreds of other players. Please, give us some feedback, or confirmation that you are working on the issue. It is extremely immersion-breaking to play the game like this, and I would like to know if it will be patched, so that I can postpone my walkthrough until then

 

[Faltus]

Just for reference - I'm playing on an i7 Titan X SLI setup with everything cranked to ultra (with no extra INI adjustments/tweaks for the time being) and still occasionally encounter NPCs popping up out of nothing 2 meters in front of Geralt. Both while in full gallop on Roach or while casually strolling through a village.

 

[gamadeus]

I tried a lot of ini tweaking but it did not help. At the moment I am avoiding populated areas because I do not want to experience that immersion kill. However it also happens regularly with bandits and other enemies

Please CDPR fix this with the next patch!

 

[BaaaaL44]

Still no reply. Starting to get somewhat annoyed The game is awesome, and they are probably doing their best, but I REALLY want to know if it will be fixed

 

[Canuckodile]

We've had a ton of these threads, a few also requesting dev responses...

Have we gotten any response yet? Nope! They're being moronic again. Just like how they didn't even say a word on the downgrade issue until days after its release, and left tons of people pissed off for months. I have no idea how they think this is good PR. We haven't gotten a single word on the patch 1.04 issues at all. Numerous unrelated bug threads are getting responses but they're completely ignoring this.

 

[BaaaaL44]

Please, not this again. Let me summarize. There was NO DOWNGRADE. The video people keep referring to was before the release, and with those graphics, the game would not have worked on anything but a Titan X SLI system. I have a single gtx 980, and can't turn on hairworks, as it kills framerate. How can you downgrade something which is not even released yet? Please, keep the discussion related to the pop-in issues, and do not siderail the thread. Also: The pop-in was introduced in 1.03, 1.04 did not make it worse by much, if any.

As I have said, I have seen a single dev response to this issue in the PS4 section, claiming that "'they are working on optimizing NPC load times both on PC and consoles" Apart from this, complete silence. I assume they are focused on correcting gamebreaking quest bugs, as those bug people more. Nonetheless, I still would like a dev confirmation.

 

[Canuckodile]

Please, not this again. Let me summarize. There was NO DOWNGRADE. The video people keep referring to was before the release, and with those graphics, the game would not have worked on anything but a Titan X SLI system. I have a single gtx 980, and can't turn on hairworks, as it kills framerate. How can you downgrade something which is not even released yet? Please, keep the discussion related to the pop-in issues, and do not siderail the thread. Also: The pop-in was introduced in 1.03, 1.04 did not make it worse by much, if any.

As I have said, I have seen a single dev response to this issue in the PS4 section, claiming that "'they are working on optimizing NPC load times both on PC and consoles" Apart from this, complete silence. I assume they are focused on correcting gamebreaking quest bugs, as those bug people more. Nonetheless, I still would like a dev confirmation.

Please re-read my comment and tell me where I said there was a downgrade. I'd rather you not waste unnecessary breath. I never derailed it talking about a downgrade because I never talked about the downgrade. I talked about the "requesting dev response" aspect of your OP.

 

[BaaaaL44]

You may be right, I assumed from the general tone of your comment that you agree with the vocal minority who QQ about the "downgrade". If that's not the intended message, I apologize for the misunderstanding. I agree that many threads are getting dev responses all around, mostly related to quest issues and bugs related to game mechanics, yet, no response to our problems. It is indeed concerning, but I have faith that it will be sorted out eventually. Until then, a dev response to this thread would make a world of difference. If I get a reply from support, I will share their answer, hoping that it helps people. I have been trying to get the popping issue solved from the moment I first noticed it, so hopefully it will soon come to fruitition.

 

[Canuckodile]

No problem, it happens. It was just in reference to the controversy itself, not necessarily the actual downgrade, or, well, what people hypothesize about it.

I'd like a dev response as well. Let's pray.

 

[hob82]

I have a save point where the NPC pop-in is immediatly apparent in about 30 seconds. Starting from a village (the village where you discover keira's whereabouts), past a swamp and into a niflgardian camp in the east, and you get a floating torch. Go near 2m from it and the character will pop-in. It's just 1 character, sure, but it happens ALL the time, no exceptions, with every setting.
If it can be useful for debugging i'll gladly send it to CDPR support.
Hoping for a swift solution for this, i really can't play the game this way.

 

[BaaaaL44]

I have numerous saves, and I have already sent them for diagnosis, but no answer so far. In the worst case, it will turn out to be tied to the engine, and left unpatched.

---------- Updated at 08:26 PM ----------

BUMP. Still hoping to get official word

 

[BaaaaL44]

Bump again. Do forgive me, I'm not doing it out of impatience, or insolence, but out of the firm belief that this problem is AT LEAST as important as the countless reports of crafting bugs, and stuff that DO get dev responses. Thanks again for your help in advance

---------- Updated at 11:18 AM ----------

Please. I see quest related issues being answered all around, yet, many people suffer from the obnoxious pop-in since 1.03, and still no answer. I am aware that devs are working and doing their best, but some assurance that it is being worked on would make a world of difference for the hundreds of people getting this problem.

 

[gamadeus]

I have a save point where the NPC pop-in is immediatly apparent in about 30 seconds. Starting from a village (the village where you discover keira's whereabouts), past a swamp and into a niflgardian camp in the east, and you get a floating torch. Go near 2m from it and the character will pop-in. It's just 1 character, sure, but it happens ALL the time, no exceptions, with every setting.
If it can be useful for debugging i'll gladly send it to CDPR support.
Hoping for a swift solution for this, i really can't play the game this way.

Yea that Nilfgardian Camp really has some of the worst pop ins that I have experienced so far. First time I came there I thought the camp was deserted, then POP more and more ppl started popping in as I went around the camp. So it seems that this is very much depended on the NPCs / locations. Of course when you save and load there are no pop ins but who wants to do that each time you discover a new location?

 

[BaaaaL44]

Oreton down south is also extremely obnoxious. GOing along the wooden walkway that composes the main structure of the village, there are NPCs popping in every second.

 

[Faltus]

Oreton down south is also extremely obnoxious. GOing along the wooden walkway that composes the main structure of the village, there are NPCs popping in every second.

Yep, the trader there is a prime example for the issue. Always looks like he isn't there from afar, but when you keep walking up to his stand to just one or two more steps he suddenly pops in.

 

[BaaaaL44]

As said before: reloading solves the issue at the particular area, as does getting there by fast travel. It is a hundred percent related to texture streaming. It is not a LOD issue. Stuff that pops in close up due to LOD being small disappears when you back away slowly, yet, NPCs stay in place once they have popped in, and are visible from afar. I assume the game uses a system similar to Skyrim, where areas are divided into cells, and the new cell loads once you enter it. NPCs are somehoe exempt from this, it seems, the game can't catch up with itself. I have also seen people claim that the game uses less VRAM than it used to before the patches. This would indicate (without insinuating anyone) that we got shafted so that some people with 460s and stuff can start the game at least. I hope our pleas will be heeded, I want to enjoy this masterpiece as fully as possible. Definitely GOTY, except for this small issue

 

[Miaou69]

I have the same problem since the patch 1.04.

Often in a village, pnj pop-up very close to me. I didn't notice this before the patch.

Specs : i5 4590 - r9 280x - 8gb - Windows 8.1 64 - All details on High

 

[Guest 3825552]

I get this issue also, but is less frequent as I run on SSD. I do get allot of low quality texture popin issues, but they are not too noticeable and do go away.