I'm just wondering... does anyone here have a typical framerate in, say, the fall forest (the Rift) area or that one area with all the geysers, that's smooth? Mine's always, always choppy and sluggish in these areas and although I'm well aware of the saved data file size-related problem, I've got to wonder if this is truly the cause, if these areas simply are too much, or if the PS3 version simply is poorly optimized, in general, and not just in regards to saved memory and cache managing. At the moment, the Tundra area is, for example, quite smooth, still, but I can barely stand most areas I've been to outside of the Tundra. Does anyone at any point with any saved data file size ever get a smooth experience in either of the areas I mentioned?

yes. this is true. i have an 6 mb savedata and its really laggy but in the tundra its just fine, guess there is not so much things to load of?

Actually, most of the time, I get a smooth experience in the dungeons, there was one cave that I lagged in but that was about it. I lag everywhere else though, especially whiterun.

This is my experience except for the Whiterun part and with the exception of the tundra. Most dungeons and interiors are fine, Whiterun is still okay, for me (although not nearly as smooth as it was when I first started the game, to my disappointment), and the Tundra is still good, but everywhere else is crap... seemingly never getting above 25 fps. I hate fighting dragons and trying to enjoy the beautiful gameworld under these conditions and I can guarantee the 360 version isn't having these issues. Maybe they shouldn't be so adamant on forcing V-sync at all times on the PS3 version and should do what they're doing with the 360 version... allowing V-sync to selectively disable itself in order to maintain a smoother framerate.

mine just seems to choose when it wants to lag i can be in and out of a few areas with it being really smooth not a problem then go back and all of a sudden it starts to lag real bad but then i go back and it will be gone again :/

I know, fighting dragons is bad. You're right, it's beautiful, we just can't experience it the way we should be able to. Well unless they fix it, which I honestly have no idea on whether or not they will. The 360 doesn't, they only have the texture issue which truthfully I'm not entirely sure is all about, but I'm pretty sure they can still play the game fine. What makes me so mad is that the fact that the 360 version is better. Yes, the 360 has a bigger fanbase, I'm not afraid to admit that. I personally chose the ps3 because all my friends have one, and so far, i've been satisfied. I don't like most of the 360 exclusives (Mass effect I, Halo, Gears of War, I know, I'm crazy), and the ps3 hardware is better, considering I've had my ps3 for over a year now and I haven't had to send it in or anything. It's unfair and wrong to make a game that works great on one system, and that barely works on another. Just because less people own, or at least play on, a ps3 doesn't mean we don't deserve the same quality. I hate when people argue about which system's better-they each have their advantages and disadvantages. You chose the system you wanted because you preferred it, it doesn't make it better. We shouldn't have to buy an Xbox to play an amazing game and have better quality games because we prefer to have a ps3. Plus I don't really want to and can't spend another $300 on a gaming console right now.

Guys/Gals... please, I keep seeing the sporadic person saying they experience no lag, yet are you sure your fall forest and/or geyser areas are running smoothly? The continual slowdown effect has affected my game to some degree, but anything but the Tundra and mountains run poorly and at a non enjoyable, sluggish fps, for me, and I get the impression that that's not the saved data file bug at work... at least not fully. Is this normal even without the saved data file bug? Are these areas running smoothly for anyone?

Yeah the FPS in this game is really bad. Sometimes its unpredictable though: a small dungeon with smoke / fog effects might have a very very choppy / low FPS whereas a huge dungeon with even more smoke / fog could be very smooth!

Yes the fall (autumn ) tree areas are amongst the worst FPS wise, as are bigger towns like solitude. Really immersion breaking, but acceptable, unlike the GODDAMNED STUTTERING

I think the geyser area and the swamps before Solitude are laggy on all systems. (so its not the ps3 save bug) Its the fog... unfortunatly I dont think this is something that can be fixed by a patch, not unless they lower the amount of fog.

Let's just face it. This game was not meant to run on this system.

I would love to be proved wrong. But I won't.

Before mine took a dump the geysers area with all the dead mammoths and hot springs type of stuff was fine. Once the save game bloated though...