Anyone know what types of niagara fx causes lag spikes? Like what settings, sizes, sprite life etc. I notice some effects that have multiple particles and effects cause no lag but then 1 simple torch stream will lag the server down a ton. Like things you would expect lag from, doesn’t but the simplest niagara effect bogs the server down so much that everything slows gameplay tremendously. I would love if others can expand on this
Translucency and physics are the main ones. Anything translucent that is close to the camera will require the scene behind to render again through the particle, and that’s for every particle.
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But most vfx require translucency in order for them to look as intended. Fire being the biggest one. Plus some things don’t cause lag spikes until it is a live island which is weird and hard to calculate unless you publish every test.
Well pick your poison. If you want to use translucency, you also have to find ways for the player not to place their camera directly on the vfx and kill their performance. Some games tend to blur the effect when close to the camera for that reason, or switch it to a masked equivalent. I just avoid translucency to be safe, until I find a good alternative or the vfx is small and fast and cant be made the object of focus.
Okay, what about when the camera doesn’t even focus in the direction of the vfx. Or the player isn’t even looking at it and faced in the opposite direction. It still causes a huge lag spike. Is there a specific way the vfx was made that causes this? Cause if i knew the exact causes for these types of lag spikes, I can find ways around it. I completely understand what you are saying, but that is also meaning that the player is either in front of/ near it or even looking at it… Most of my vfx are level and enemy based and not on the player. For example my dragon blows a torch from his mouth. It causes a major lag spike whether or not the player is looking in its’ direction or not. I think it has more to do with the initial call to the vfx. If the vfx is constantly running, there is only lag at the beginning. For example a fire that just appeared and then continues to burn. Do you know what i am saying? Like maybe there is a way to preload the vfx so it doesn’t cause a lag spike when it does appear?
Are you sure niagara is causing this? Do you have wildlife or Guards in your map? Cause navmesh also causes lagging.
Yes I am positive, it is part of my final boss fight. By the time you get to the Bosses all the guards and wild life have been dispatched.
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