Pulseaudio fail.

See the package to install in this bug.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/hedgewars/+bug/454879

You can also test by turning off sound.

Most likely the sound thing, but...
One other issue, if you've done that, is too many compiz effects.

Disable compiz.

Final resort for really wimpy computers.
Enable Reduce Quality

Compiz seems to be a killer, even though I'm gettting around 900 fps with my nvidia 8800 gts 640mB card there is a huge amount of tearing. Playing shoppa becomes unbearable. Disable compiz and everything is fine.

This wasn't an issue with Ubuntu 9.04, although I haven't noticed it in any other games in 9.10 either except for hedgewars.

Installing libsdl1.2-debian-pulseaudio and removing libsdl1.2-debian-alsa fixed the issues I had with the choppy sound (at least on my desktop, my laptop is still choppy and/or then goes out), though it seems about maybe every fifth game or so I'll lose sound completely at some point in the game. The round continues to play seemingly normal otherwise but once it's over or if I try to quit then the hwengine will lock up and I'll have to kill it in the process manager.

It doesn't seem to happen as often if I turn just the music off. Or at all with the both music and sound effects off but I gotta at least have the sound effects on.

I probably should've just stayed with 9.04

Random loss of sound has been a continuous problem with me since switching to pulseaudio. And not just with Hedgewars.

Audio card unchanged, video card, two different nvidia ones (switched to a more powerful one recently), but problems were with both.

Disabling compiz seems to resolve that for me. I imagine disabling pulseaudio would too. If they don't get their act together, I may have to undertake that.

Hmm seems to run ok in wine though :p

*shrug* that doesn't mean much, that unfortunately only widens list of culprits.

Test with both sound and music off, and see if you can get any reproduction at all. If you can't, that IMO gives us a clear fix on the culprit.

i have the same problem. (ubuntu 9.10)
* with NO sound i reach more than 100 fps.
* with SOUND and libsdl1.2-debian-pulseaudio 30-40 fps (too slow)
* with SOUND and libsdl1.2-debian-alsa 1-5 fps! :S

why libsdl1.2-debian-pulseaudio slow me down too much?

Ask them, not us.

Maybe a bug or a too complicated software mixer or whatever?

WHY PULSEAUDIO, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO ANNOYING!?

first thing I did after upgrading my ubuntu was to uninstall pulseaudio, threads like this make me remember me why

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