I have noticed a very similar thing too.
Here's how playing online goes for me:
Load game and join server, pick aircraft and hit "Create". Frame-rates instantly plummet to near zero as the cockpit and landscapes load; cockpit detail goes from cartoonish to full detail, plane skins start out white and after a few changes they hit full resolution. Once all graphical details have loaded my fps runs a steady 50-60 fps.
First flight very few stutters, occasionally when a player joins server, and sometimes when looking around; buildings and trees seem to be the instigator on the latter issue. I fly for 20-40 minutes and head back to land, start to get stutters on final approach for landing and begin to notice large 3-6 second freezes. Looking around while on the ground causes more freezing.
Exit plane and create second flight, stutters begin half way through takeoff and continue until sky becomes the majority of my view; sky seems to be the easiest on frame-rates. Stutters now happen periodically while looking around and become an issue when other planes are in the vicinity. Attacking a formation of bombers during my second flight on a server becomes dangerous as these lockups tend to lead to mid-air collisions. Landing flight two usually experiences 5-8 second freezes and most often ends with a rough landing or destroyed aircraft due to course deviation caused by visual freezing.
Exit plane and create third flight, this doesn't end well. Flight three usually ends in "Launcher has stopped responding", black screen or crash to desktop.
Pentium i5 @ 2.6
ATI HD6950
4 Gig Ram
Last edited by ATAG_Keller; 10-13-2011 at 02:17 PM.
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