Having problems with wipeoutXL PC with slowdown/network patch

[Xenphor]

Hello,

I followed these steps down here exactly:


Have your game installed and ready to use.
Download the network patch (http://www.wipeoutzone.com/user_files.php?user_id=295) and extract it. Copy the contents of the 295~24101 folder to the wipeoutxl folder of the game. When asked about duplicate files, overwrite with the new file(s).
Download the speed patch (http://www.wipeoutzone.com/user_files.php?user_id=1421) and extract it. Copy the contents of the woxl_patch folder inside the 1421~44169 folder to the wipeoutxl folder of the game. When asked about duplicate files, overwrite with the new file(s).
Rename the game folder (The whole game) to wobble, and move it to C:\
Launch the executable. You can make a shortcut somewhere else.
Have fun!

(The instructions didn't say anything about actually installing the Network Patch after extracting it so I did it anyway. And I'm not sure what the deal is with making a directory called "wobble" because the game seems to run fine out of the default directory with the patches applied.)

Now first I should say some things about how the game runs without any patches at all. I find that it does run fast at the menus and at the beginnings of races; however, once the race starts the game will be in a state of flux, where it runs fast but then also slows down a bit. It seems that when I angle my ship towards the walls of the track, the game runs fast, but when I'm moving down the track, the game runs somewhat slower. So I'm not sure if this is the type of "warp speed" behavior as mentioned by others.

The problem is that, while the patches do slow the game down, they don't seem to help with the fluctuation in speed that I noticed. So the game definitely runs slower, but it is nowhere near as smooth as would like it. I would be happy even if it was just a consistent 30 FPS like on the Playstation. As it is now, the game appears to actually run worse than on the Playstation, even though the framerate might jump sometimes above the PSX version. Overall it is just really inconsistent and in the end highly annoying.

Does anyone else have this problem or know what I might do to fix it?

[miljoneir]

I know a way to slow the things down,
Have you ever heard about fraps (http://www.fraps.com/)?
It's a desktop recorder but it also has the function to limit the fps while recording. It's in the MOVIES tab. (see the attachment)
This will of course save a huge video file on your hdd.
This can be fixed by "buying" the full version, it has a cache function which means that by pressing the "record" button for a little longer (until the color of the fps counter turns purple), fraps will record only the last 10 seconds constantly, and saved it only until you press the button again.
This will prevent the hdd from spinning all the time (my pc is too slow so recording makes the game stutter, pretty pathetic because the recorded video does not).

Hope this helps

[rdmx]

Actually if you want to limit fps, rather than recording a video with fraps, the free trial of Dxtory has a frame limiter without recording.

http://dxtory.com/

[Xenphor]

I am now using just the Network patch and nothing else.

I got Dxtroy and set the limit to 30fps. It actually seems to do a pretty good job. According to the onscreen display, the framerate is locked at 30fps, whereas before it would be at 60 then jump down to 30-40.

I have another question now. It seems that I don't get sound effects at all. This was a problem before but I forgot to mention it. I turned up the SFX slider all the way and still can't hear anything. Is this a problem for anyone else? The music plays fine; it's just I can't hear any sound effects.

I also don't seem to get the blue engine trail effects as seen on the playstation version. Are these supposed to be present in the PC version? Anyway I could fix that?

[penske]

Honestly, the best way to experience woxl on the pC is to forget the PC CD-ROM version and just get ePSxe and emulate it....it is way smoother and play/looks vastly better.

[Xenphor]

Well I think it looks pretty nice on the PC. I mostly just want to know if other people have these problems (no sound effects/blue engine trails) or if there's something I can do to fix them. If there's nothing I can do then ya I'll just play the playstation version.

[miljoneir]

Be sure that the volume slider in windows is all the way up (open Volume Control and change 'Wave')
Their is a bug in the game that changes it all the way down after the game closes.

[Xenphor]

Actually I think I do get sound effects, it's just that they are all incredibly muffled and distorted so I can barely make them out.

[Xenphor]

Well I figured something out. I had to choose mono instead of stereo in the startup options to get sound effects.