linux system : random issues with sound on some (5%) of mission maps?

[shortguy on indom]

Running linux mint, latest kernel.

 

So, on redside ouro arc missions, relatively few in number... out of 40 or so in last month.... about 5 or so are giving me strange audio issues.

 

It appears to at random times during the mission, comes and goes, or other times lasts the entire length of the mission from entry to exit.

 

When I exit mission door, it always goes back to normal.

 

The issues:  sound feedback, looping, distortion and garbled sound.

It gets so bad, that I mute the speaker on my laptop at times.

 

What i have tried so far to remedy:

• adjust sound settings in menu/options for the levels and such within the game...  (does not help).
• adjusted laptop audio settings with the levels...  (does not help).

 

Any ideas would be appreciated.  Thanks.

 

 

 

 

[uninventive]

My first question: /graphfps 7, and try to run that where you seem to have problems.  Does the repeat, stall or distortion occur when the CPU is redlining?  If so, your audio drivers may be fine, Wine is at it's limit because the CPU is at 100%.  If that's the case:

• Close other apps.  City of Heroes may be a one-app show for that system.  Or run "top" on a Terminal Window (with COH also windowed) and see if another process/app is running the CPU hard that can be shut off.
• Laptop: ensure you are plugged in.  Power management on Laptops and gaming doesn't mix.  Keep AC power plugged in (or if the Laptop can use it, plug in a USB-PD Battery pack to keep it at 100% longer.)
• You may need to turn graphics down, either by FPS or Resolution.  1080/60 is a fair goal post for anything made since 2018, but some laptops do better with 720/60 or 720/30.  4K is going to hurt on any laptop without discrete graphics support (AMD Radeon that isn't Vega or Navi, NVidia, Intel Arc, etc.)

If the CPU is normal or yellow (not peaking out), are you able to change from PulseAudio to ALSA (or vice versa) and see if there's a difference?  Generalized advice is here: https://devicetests.com/change-wine-audio-alsa-better-sound -- You might not notice a difference, in which case, I'd see if there's a backport of audio driver for your chipset to try.  If ALSA works, you can keep it on there, or troubleshoot why PulseAudio is wigging out.  (Search Wine forums for PulseAudio troubleshooting in OpenGL games.)

[shortguy on indom]

Awesome reply.  Thank you for your kind suggestions/fixes.  Will do as per above, think you nailed it.  Older laptop being overworked for sure.