Performance Warnings - how common?

[LateWhiteRabbit]

This is honestly the only thing keeping me from jumping into RenPy feet first. I keep thinking I'll use it for a project (I love coding in Python), but I always run into my HD art being too heavy for solid framerates, even with me optimizing all I can. Renpy is really more ideal for the TYPE of game I'm making, but I need an engine like Unity that can use a GPU to do some heavy lifting. I keep getting surprised by how little it takes to bog the software renderer down in Renpy when it comes to HD sprites and backgrounds.

I'm confused.

Ren'Py has been using the GPU for years, now - to the point where I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of the fallback, so I can add features that depend on the GPU.

Apparently from Nyaatraps post and yours I've been running the thing in software mode this whole time. Chalk that one up to a 'duh' moment. Well, I guess that illustrates another point in and of itself ... with two options someone is going to use the stupid one.....

[TrickWithAKnife]

@Nyaatrap:
Thanks. I'll have to try it out at another time. My computer is out of commission at the moment.

[papillon]

From the comments on Heartstring Bugs there seem to be a number of people who're having issues with the graphics not showing up and needing to switch to software rendering to make it work. No error messages given, just graphics missing completely (not all, but a few specific ones).

I know we had at least a couple of people who had similar problems with two of the entries in the Adversity Comp. So I guess some specific bits of code are unreliable in GL mode on some graphics cards?

[SundownKid]

Ren'py lags like crazy when I try to use large image animations or particle effects. If it really worked like Unity, that wouldn't be an issue - there is definitely something causing it to slow down and lag. I have an Nvidia GTX680 that can play most modern games on high quality and it can't even handle an animation.

[nyaatrap]

I didn't investigate particles so I don't know if it's using GPU. But I can move over 4000px images without any lags with my 250$ cheap laptop (other than image loading time). If you get delays on large images, the problem is GPU setting or your code. Though I noticed the current Ren'py's image loading system isn't optimized for ATL yet. If you state image loading and ATL moving at the same time, it causes an animation skip on early frames.

[SundownKid]

I'd love to be able to use particle effects without lag, but how would I go about fixing the problem?

[AxemRed]

'particles' is a pretty wide concept, hard to say what's the limiting factor without getting extremely specific. If you're able to create a standalone program with performance problems it'd be much easier to help you.