Fantasy Grounds Not Responding.

[similarly]

I get NR from time to time, and last week, I was mostly fine, but suddenly today, a few hours before my game, FGU is spending half it's time in Not Responding Mode.

I was trying to edit a story entry and it was going SO slowly that every time I typed, it would freeze for ten seconds.
Currently: CPU is at 40% but MEMORY is at a whopping 96%.

I have 16gm ram. My entire folder in AppData is 11gb? Is it too many modules loaded?

Windows 11
AMD Ryzen 7 2700x
16gb ram
NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070
Approx Total Memory: 16187 mb
Display memory (vram): 8031
Shared memory: 8156

[Moon Wizard]

It probably likely that you are reaching application memory limits; and memory is being paged to disk by the OS (which is a very slow operation). Each application is typically only allowed to use up to 4GB; regardless of how much is available in the machine.

You should definitely reduce the amount of data you have loaded; and that should help.

Regards,
JPG

[Valyar]

I have 16gm ram. My entire folder in AppData is 11gb? Is it too many modules loaded?

The size of AppData folder on your file system does not mean that you are using that amount of memory. This is data that programs store for your user profile on the computer. This way the general locations where binaries are stored (Program Files) and global configs ProgramData are clean and controlled. You probably have too many programs opened while working with FGU or some application is playing rogue and eating a lot of memory or doing memory leaks.

Also, Windows nowadays is too hungry and blank OS needs a lot of GB to properly function, and this does not for antivirus and other things you run on top. Things add up.

It will help if you share a screenshot of your Task Manager > Performance tab sorted by memory.

[similarly]

53499
53500
53501

This is the task manager and resource manager.

I obviously have too many modules loaded. My concern is what happens to my data in my campaign when I unload them, and do I want to spend game time loading and unloading things every time I need to ad-lib an enemy, or let my players buy something, or throw down a battle map. I suppose I can try.

[Zacchaeus]

No, closing modules doesn't lose you data.

But the question is just how many modules do you have open - and why do you have them open. I can understand when prepping that you'd want a few modules open, but when running a game you don't need anything except the module you are running. So some details of the ruleset you are using and what modules you have open might help us give you some guidance.

[Valyar]

Yeah, you have many many modules loaded similarly. And I can understand why you do that - in FGU loading a module during play is very slow. I had to load Monsters of Multicverse, DMG and MM for a specific scene that my players decided unexpectedly to do, and this took a lot of time, leading to FGU not responding for a moment. Until there is solution to the uber slow module load compared to Classic, you will have to keep some "hygene" in module usage and load only what you need or - copy resources from the modules you need in your campaign. I found that this helps a lot.

Unless you need the reference manuals, then there is not much choice.

[similarly]

Yeah, I know I don't "lose" the data, but I don't have access to it. When a module has items, spells, feats, npcs, etc. and I close the module, it's no longer indexed, so I don't have access to it.

There's a LOT I could close, but then when the players level up, they need feats, spells, etc. If they stop at a store, they need equipment. I'm afraid that if I close the RobTwohy Effects Coding or the Grim Press Automatic Effects modules, then I may lose that functionality, even if the spells still show on NPCs or PCs action tab. And I have a lot of NPC modules and dungeon dressing stuff.

I guess there IS a lot I can simply close down. I guess I have to overcome my hoarder mentality "But I might need that!"

I'm curious: if you have a sourcebook with new NPCs or monsters, do you just copy the monsters you need to a new location and then shut the book? Is that how I'm supposed to do it? EDIT: Sorry, Valyar, I just realized that was exactly your advice. Thank you.

[Zacchaeus]

You don't need anything open at all which relates to players levelling up - unless of course you are doing the levelling up. Your players will need whatever they need open to level up but you don't need it. So you can close any of the effects packages or any of that other stuff that's specifically going to be used by players levelling up.

I don't use any of those packages so I don't know what effect they have on NPCs. Having said that I'd be preparing NPCs during preparation and wouldn't need them during an actual session. Of course I'm running a module and you may be running homebrew stuff; but typically all I have open when I'm running a game is the module that I'm running plus the PHB and DMG. I may have a few open when I'm preparing a session but I don't need them during actual play. Of course YMMV. If your players are apt to go shopping (mine don't) or if you do things like random encounters or allow players to do stuff you haven't prepared for then you might need some more modules open. But realistically you are not going to need dozens of modules open and to be using the kind of memory that you are using you must have hundreds of modules open. It's a long time since I tested this but even having every major 5e reference module open doesn't use up the kind of memory that you are using.

[similarly]

Thank you. That's very helpful to know. I'm currently unloading a bunch of modules now.

[LordEntrails]

So here's something of a summary of what I do. This is for a long (3+ year) running campaign that uses both purchased adventures and lots of homebrew.

In my play campaign I have open a few things typically:
- DMG, module for current adventure (see below), current adventure modifications module (see below), campaign preparation module (see below), PHB (for generic items)

The current adventure module might be something I purchased (LMOP,TftYP, etc) or might be something I created in a different development campaign (so I can re-use it later, such as escape from myth drannor, undermountain, kruthik hive, etc).

Adventure modification module: if I'm running a purchased adventure and want to make substantial modifications to it (such as Dragon Heist), I make a development campaign, load the purchased module in there, then copy and modify all the stuff I want to modify. For instance I did this for creating Alexandrian Remix of Dragon Heist.

Campaign preparation module. This is another module I create from it's own development campaign. The purpose of this is to record and access all sorts of things. Like house rules around character creation, custom magic items and NPCs. It's also wher eI prep re-usabe content such as generic devil encounters, forest maps, small dungeons or things that come from re-usable preparation (see blogs about don't prep plots, lazy dm, etc) such as NPC or tavern generators etc. Since I have the prepared random/re-usable encounters here, I also have copies of NPCs and items etc that I might need to give to the characters at a moments notice. And, as the campaign develops, I update this. Such as the re-usable encounters I had for tier 1 & 2 I have since deleted now that the party is tier 4, and I've deleted those NPCs I don't use anymore too.

By doing all of this, especially the campaign prep module, it gives me ready access to some easily accessible stuff, like NPCs and maps for when the players go off the rails. But also means that I don't have to keep open things like all my hundred or thousands of NPC from numerous references that would cause my play campaign performance to suffer.

[similarly]

Thank you! That's the kind of practical advice that I need. I've already closed a lot of resources, so next, I'll follow your advice and just copy over some things I need.

[Lo Zeno]

I'm afraid that if I close the RobTwohy Effects Coding or the Grim Press Automatic Effects modules, then I may lose that functionality, even if the spells still show on NPCs or PCs action tab.
I can guarantee you that you won't lose the functionalities of either Rob Twohy's effects or the Automatic Effects modules; as long as PCs and NPCs have the spells and effects on their action tab, they effectively have a completely working copy of those effects and don't need the original module. Automatic Effects might need the "Equipped Effects" extension loaded, depending on how you are using them, but you can unload those modules once you have added the appropriate effects to your PCs and NPCs - I use both, and I do unload the respective modules when I run a game, then I reload the modules when levelling up my characters or creating new NPCs.

[similarly]

I can guarantee you that you won't lose the functionalities of either Rob Twohy's effects or the Automatic Effects modules; as long as PCs and NPCs have the spells and effects on their action tab, they effectively have a completely working copy of those effects and don't need the original module. Automatic Effects might need the "Equipped Effects" extension loaded, depending on how you are using them, but you can unload those modules once you have added the appropriate effects to your PCs and NPCs - I use both, and I do unload the respective modules when I run a game, then I reload the modules when levelling up my characters or creating new NPCs.

Thank you! That's helpful to know.