What causes the low framerates ?

[Sorciaa]

This is just a general question, but what is causing some frame rates to be so low? is it purely the fact that all of the content is user created and simply not optimized ? I am wondering as I seem to get similar framerates regardless of the PC i use. for instance I have a laptop that I think Cesar had when he crossed the Rubicon and a well equipped desktop and I seem to get between 20 and 30 FPS on a semi crowded sim and anywhere from 80 to 100 at my semi empty home.

 I understand the rubberbanding is simply a server/bandwith issue and not so much graphics.

[Rolig Loon]

34 minutes ago, Sorciaa said:

I seem to get between 20 and 30 FPS on a semi crowded sim and anywhere from 80 to 100 at my semi empty home. 

That's great. You're getting about what you should expect to get.  And yes,

35 minutes ago, Sorciaa said:

is it purely the fact that all of the content is user created and simply not optimized ?

that's the largest single reason in general. On a crowded region, avatars and all the baggage that they wear cause by far the greatest load.  You are seeing the difference between a MMORG that's created by professionals and Second Life, which is largely created by amateurs.  It's the price we pay for being creative.  Not a bad deal unless you have an older computer or one that is not designed for the environment.

[Sorciaa]

ok, its what I was thinking, i could never find a solid answer to it.

[cykarushb]

Unoptimized content mixed with an engine that isn't good at utilizing hardware. 

But rebuilding the game engine would probably break a lot of things and limiting the complexity and detail of creations in game would restrict the whole "create anything" and freedom SL has.

There are chair models in this game I've seen with a higher triangle count than the entirety of some of the skyscrapers in GTA V as a comparison. Loading that one chair isn't an issue but when there's like two dozen of them and more equally detailed objects in one area it's extremely hard on the PC.

[Chic Aeon]

Mostly mesh that is not made as "game assets" as in low poly (often times downloaded from websites where it was made to look pretty for a photograph rather than be a part of an interactive game).  Computers DO make a difference too of course.

If it is something that you are noticing more the last few months (maybe only two - I am vague on the timeline), many of us have also. There are several threads here about why things are running so much slower -- for pretty much everyone. In THAT case it has nothing to do with the mesh and textures on the sim as many people adding comments to those threads have their own sims and haven't made changes --- so in theory things "should" be working as they have historically.  No one has found an answer, but the folks in those threads seem to believe it "isn't them" at all :D.   While I haven't taken part in those conversations, I concur based on my experience with my sim.    

So at least two different issues.    For example I used to get over 200fps sometimes on my building pad (more often 175 ish) and now I get 75 or 80.  Nothing up there usually but me and a few pieces of optimized mesh. There shouldn't be  changes like that. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by Chic Aeon
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[Nalates Urriah]

There are some gotchas in SL performance. Draw Distance (DD) is the biggest.

Consider the avatar being at the center of a region (128/128). At any DD setting >128 your communicating with 9 regions. This varies with which way you face, whether you look one direction only... etc., etc... but worst case 9. Bump that up to 512 and it is about 25, another bump and 49 and 81... lots of servers to talk to. 

As your Interest List (the stuff in your field of view) grows with the DD there is lots of stuff to download and render. Plus, all the avatars in the field of viewer generate a constant stream of update information.