How to optimize NPCs?

[nanoxax]

I have a level that requires a lot of npcs walking around like a city. I do not know how to create this without lag and I assume that extra coding will be required to do this. I've tried every console command that I could find and I can't have over 40 npcs without a significant loss in fps. My computer can definitely handle this because I've done it in Garry's Mod and gotten 100 npcs without any loss in fps. They were all in motion also.

I'm running my mod with source 2007 and regular citizen models. When I toggle "+show_budget" the Client_Animation bar is full showing that the lag is caused by Client_Animation from the NPCs.

There might also be a way to optimize this in Hammer but I'm not sure of it right now.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Major Banter]

The mod NMRiH has had a few issues with this, and while I can't tell you much about it (literally - I'm no coder) I know significant steps were made in reducing the CPU pressure caused by those animations. There is definitely a way to do it, but it won't reside in Hammer I'm afraid, end of story.

[stoopdapoop]

well, lets start from the very basics.

You assume there's extra coding involved, but do you have any programming experience? have you ever compiled source?

And I assume you're trying to do this for a mod, and not an existing game, as you can't run your own binaries with existing games.

This is just a shot in the dark, but I know that most NPC's use Inverse kinematics (IK) to line up the npc's feet with the ground, and speaking generally, this can be very expensive. Maybe there's a console command to allow you to disable the IK and maybe result in faster animations.

[ErikKiller]

I believe Valve stated that there's at most 30 NPCs on-screen in L4D games. So if even they are limiting them, then maybe you shouldn't push it?

[zombie@computer]

if the npc's are just walking around you might be able to reduce the load in hammer by scripting generic npcs instead of their fully-functional counterparts. I doubt it'll help much in the animation load though, but you can always stop the npcs from moving once they leave the players' fov.

[TechieUK]

I remember a video of the mod Triage that had 80 rebels charging at a Helicopter. It said somewhere that they used "cheap" rebels, so maybe you could use lower poly versions of those characters?