This is not the first topic where reference to game performance or lack there of related to game play ability i.e. meter jumpy / jerky / stuttering.
I read a lot of them and I thought how is that possible? Not sure since I have no clue how the game is coded in relation to friend list, but at 1 point I had over 150 friends on list. Began to have minor issue with game but nothing to big, figured what the heck see if this holds water because I did not have it when I first started to play when I had zero players on list. When the list was below 100 the issues stopped, had less then 20 at that point so I began adding friends just to test it out the more I added after 50 on list back came issues again, deleted list back down to all most 20 all issues vanished as fast as the list did.
Maybe it is game / Maybe it is just the game play / Maybe it is all in my head - the only thing I do know is when list stays at or near 20 on friend list game is great, get above 40 game turns in to an ugly monster to play.