FPS 125 vs 250 (Read 1,397 times)

[FunkyFlava]

The option for 250 has been out long enough that I'm sure a few of you have been using it.  To those currently using 250 fps, did you find it actually helped?  More than a placebo effect?  In what ways did you find it helped your game?  I've heard there's a problem hearing footsteps, is this true?  I tried using 250 fps when it first became an option and I found my fps was flickering from around 220-250 iirc.  Is it better to have a stable 125 than a flickering 250?  I also like to see all the bells and whistles, I have my graphics cranked to the max.  Just wondering if 250 is worth looking into again.

Thanks

[squidd]

It is absolutely better to have a stable frame rate. However, if your monitor's refresh rate is 60hz, then you won't actually see a frame drop unless it is below 60fps. But if that's true then why does it matter if the frame rate is stable or not if its above 60fps?

Well, I run a steady 250fps on QL because it gives me better input accuracy via less input lag. This is because not just the visuals run at 250fps, but the game itself runs at 250fps. And when I say "less" input lag, I mean super small fractions of a second less. If you do the math:

A game running internally at 60fps will read input every 1/60 second, or one frame per 0.016666667 seconds.
A game running internally at 125fps will read input every 1/125 second, or one frame per 0.008 seconds.
A game running internally at 250fps will read input every 1/250 second, or one frame per 0.004 seconds.

The accuracy gained at that point seems so minuscule that it hardly seems worth it. Your monitor wouldn't even display images that quickly unless you bought one with a 250hz refresh rate! (Hint, 144hz monitors are those 3D-enabled ones that are much more costly.) However, if we shot each other with rails at what looked like exactly the same time, a more accurate input may help a better reaction time reach its target before the enemy does. I may have shot my rail on the 8th frame of some second at 250fps, while my enemy may have fired on the 2nd frame of that same second at 60fps. Technically, I fired my rail (0.03333 - 0.032 = ) 0.001333 seconds faster according to the game engine. But the game will still display visuals at 60hz, or the refresh rates of our monitors. So when the game is to draw the next frame, it knows that I fired my rail first.

Although, consider how rare situations like this occur. Nobody has good enough reactions fully take advantage of the frame rate increase. Especially in a fast-paced game like Quake. Especially considering that latency on an online game does not fool the game engine, but fools our eyes and our reactions. It almost completely nullifies this accuracy. Furthermore, dropping frames will mean that your input will not be registered until the next frame that is drawn. So if you are quite used to your frame rate, you may find that frame drops goof with your input accuracy. In fact, they goof with your inputs MUCH more than a higher frame rate would help. A stable frame rate is absolutely more important. Also, 125fps is super accurate as it is. I mean, competitive fighting games run at 60fps..

I've never actually heard of the 250fps cap in QL giving anyone issues with hearing footsteps or anything like that.. The only issue I have is when teammates use the Keel or Tank Jr. models and make the same footstep sound as my enemies.. 

[terrorj]

ITS always better to have Stable fps,i would stay on 125 as the game and engine was designed for That.and yes theres a soundbug with footsteps at 250 fps dont know of they fixed it .you could also set it on 200fps for example to get. Stable fps just try for yourself which gives you better accuracy 125/200fps...i tried 250 a Few months and gone back to 125.also Some configs use 126 and something around 150 i thought has to do something with The calculation above .

[lowlife]

It was either Lorfa or Yakumo that that explained best in a past QL Post. I have and always will use a CRT. I have tried 250 (my CRT only does 120) and it was just to smooth for me. Even 120 was also. I guess since I have used  between 75 and 85 forever, that is where my Brain is set at?   

[deathstarg]

I like to use 250 for the placebo smoothness (my monitor can only handle 60 hz). To be honest, it's not the most stable setting, so at times I like to lock fps to 144 (which is almost always stable). I think I got that from Yakumo's info post on the QL Forums...

[triopted]

i think it was lorfa that explained about getting the most recent update from the server with higher fps

the way i understood his post was that the higher the frame rate update the more accurate the position of the real hitbox to model sync, so even with unstable -wobbly- fps like 220-250 you're getting more correctly positioned characters than with a lower fps 125


the server side fps is locked at 125? 

my crt goes to 160hz and i run 250fps most maps, but i see a lot of warping players/micro stuttering


i find dodging to be easier at higher fps because player directional facing seems cleaner and leaning