TheHeretic
Banned
Broadbandito said:
Based on what i've read medium settings?
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Age of Conan (PC MMO) - Launch Thread
- Thread starter Wollan
- Start date
Based on what i've read medium settings?
Broadbandito
Member
TheHeretic said:
guess ill have to put my direct EVGA discount to work soon
link: http://forums.ageofconan.com/showthread.php?t=13390&highlight=optimization
GUIDE: How to improve your performance and play in AoC
Computer Basics
I'm assuming that some of you have at least a bare minimum of computer knowledge handy to perform some of the tasks to follow. If you don't, just ask away and I'm sure someone can assist you with them.
RAM, Virtual Memory, and Readyboost
32-bit operating systems, Windows-XP, Vista-32 bit, support up to 4 GB of RAM but this is very misleading. Depending on your motherboard and the BIOS, much of this is allocated for other areas. Therefore, you'll actually only get to use up to 3.2 GB of RAM because the remainder is already allocated for something else. Most people experience using between 2 and 3.2 GB of actual RAM with the rest being allocated elsewhere. In 64-bit system environments you can utilize the full 4 GB and depending on the type of software you purchased (Vista Ultimate for instance) can allow up to 128 GB of RAM to be usable.
So, the bottom line is most people here (a bulk of us) use either 4 GB of RAM or less, or operate on a 32-bit system environment. So, virtual memory is an important step to assisting with initial performance problems regarding memory usage.
The ideal situation for virtual memory usage is to move the page file to a completely different drive than the one that is being used by the system. Some of you may remember the swap file terminology that was present with older Windows environments. Windows XP and beyond uses page files now.
If you move the page file to a separate drive you cause the virtual memory to be cached/usable without interfering with system performance on the main drive. This is extremely valuable when gaming. If you need that extra bit of performance, it's utilizing resources away from the running environment!
If you purchased a "very small" but extremely fast 10,000 RPM+ drive to use as a resource drive, you could move the page file over there "first" and then utilize the drive for storage of files only.
But, what if you don't have another drive to utilize?
Well, if you are operating Windows Vista 32-bit+, there's a nice feature called Readyboost. Readyboost simply allows you to take a normal flash memory drive (one of those 2.0 USB flash drives you can buy for next to nothing in a local store) and "caches" that drive when it needs more memory. Keep in mind that Vista allocates 95% of "all" of the free space on a flash memory key when you use Readyboost. So, you won't be able to use that drive to store files on. In fact, you definitely want to make sure that the drive is free and empty. There are a lot of new flash memory keys out there that already support Readyboost and are specifically made for it. You can ask any one at your local store to find out if the flash memory key supports it.
But, what if you don't have another drive, or windows vista, or a flash memory key. What then?
You simply optimize your virtual memory. One of the fundamental flaws that I see people do over and over again, is to allow Windows to decide how much of the virtual memory to use. Also, the virtual memory is set dynamically rather than statically which creates a few issues that I'll explain in a moment.
First, a dynamic page file is one that has a minimum and no default maximum. It can continue to grow. The first problem with dynamic page files, as with any page file, is that you cannot deframent them. Page files by default are unmovable resources. Therefore, they can't be defragmented. However, dynamic page files can become fragmented. And, they can become "largely" fragmented.
By working with static page files you define a minimum and a maximum value that are the same, thus keeping the page file from becoming fragmented at all. This is an important thing to understand.
So, how do we do all of this?
RAM: For AoC, I recommend making sure you have a minimum of 2 GB installed and if you can afford it, go to 4 GB. If you have the capability of upgrading to Windows Vista 64-bit (requires a 64-bit processor as well) - that's the better thing to do. Otherwise, go with 2 GB minimum.
Virtual Memory: Depending on your OS, visit the following links:
Windows XP Link
Windows Vista Link
Keep the following in mind. In the minimum and maximum memory boxes for either link, make sure you set them statically. The formula is generally observed as (1.5 x Current Ram) but I tend to go higher (2.0 x Current Ram). So, if you have 2 GB of RAM you would place 4000 in both the minimum and maximum boxes.
If you have 4 GB you would place 8000 in both boxes for Vista-64 Bit only. For 32-bit you would still only use 4000.
If you have an additional drive to use, the drive maps will be listed and you would delete the page files from the "master" drive where the operating system is being used, and instead put the minimum / maximum static values on the secondary drive instead.
As an example of this, let's say I have two drives:
C:\ is my main
F:\ is my secondary
I would put the 4000 MB minimum and 4000 MB maximum on the F:\ drive and make sure no other drives have page files in use.
Readyboost: See the following link:
Readyboost Link
CHKDSK and Defragmenting Your Computer
Most people remember the old Scandisk tool for cleaning up your file allocation tables and checking the drive and system integrity of your system. However, Scandisk became obsolete during the emergence of Windows XP and beyond. What we use now is CHKDSK or (Check Disk).
Using chkdsk is very easy. Simply click Start > Run > type "cmd" and hit enter. This will drop you to a DOS command prompt.
Type chkdsk /f and hit enter.
This command will then prompt you on whether or not you want to perform chkdsk and automatically fix errors after the next reboot. Simply say yes. Then, type exit and go through the motions of rebooting your machine.
On the reboot, the system will automatically go into chkdsk and perform a 3-phase verification process. If anything is wrong with your drive or your system, it will automatically be repaired. This is, unless of course, you have a physical drive issue with your hard drive. If that were to happen, you'd want to replace the drive.
Defragmenting Your Computer
If you followed the first steps with virtual memory allocation on a "separate" drive, defragmenting will be a lot nicer for you. This is because there will be a much smaller block of unmovable data.
Why should I defragment my system and when?
Files become fragmented when you install applications, uninstall applications, or through everyday use. After installing Age of Conan, a 21 GB installation, it's important to perform a defrag.
What should I do before I defrag my system? What should I prepare in advance?
The first thing I like to do is re-visit my currently installed applications. You'll be amazed at how many applications you might have installed that you don't use anymore. If you don't need them, remove them. Basic cleanup is great for your system.
You should also use a system cleanup utility such as "Disk Cleanup". By default, it's in the system tools area of accessories for your OS (Vista may differ). Cleanup Temporary Internet Files, Temp files, and anything else that you aren't using or need.
Once you are finished with the initial prep, perform your defrag overnight. Sometimes it can take up to 3 or 4 hours, depending on how fragmented your drive is and how large it is. I tend to do mine overnight to make it easier.
Performing these two steps will help you immensely with your performance issues.
Windows Processes and Cleaning
People ask me all of the time, how do you determine what windows processes are really necessary? And, if they aren't necessary, what's the best method of stopping/removing them?
Thankfully, there's numerous sites out there that can be used to determine whether or not you need to use some of those processes running on your machine.
The first thing you should do is open up "msconfig". Go to start > run > type msconfig and hit enter.
Click the startup tab.
Each startup item is listed under the Startup Item column. While you have this open, open up a browser and go to the following URL:
http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/index.html
Neuber is a great utility site that can tell you what each process is that you are running, and it even has user comments that tell you what their take is on the subject and whether or not it's necessary.
You may just find out that you have some malicious windows processes running or just some aggravating announcement processes running that you don't need. If you determine that you don't need the process, uncheck it and click APPLY and OK.
For processes that you may or may not understand what detrimental effects they will have, you may want to reboot just to make sure everything is okay. Or, if it's something that leans along the critical possibility level and you feel it may still be necessary or needed, don't do anything with it at all.
There are some simple processes listed that don't need to be used.
Once you've made all necessary changes and rebooted, those processes will no longer run at startup. This will help you to alleviate any extra resource issues that other applications might be taking up and help you to move those vital resources to your gaming and other usages.
AV, Spyware Removal
One of the biggest reasons for bandwidth consumptions and performance issues on a machine is due to trojans - malware/spyware, and an infected machine. Without using a good solid AV program and checking things thoroughly, you will find that this may indeed be one of the major reasons you are experiencing adverse performance issues.
I recommend the following two AV software packages with the topmost being the one I recommend most:
Kaspersky (recommended for 32-bit systems)
Bitdefender (recommended for 64-bit systems)
Kaspersky is stronger than Bitdefender because of its default rootkit detection mechanisms. Both of the AV software packages are rock solid, however Bitdefender has way too many false positives present. If it detects any type of UPX compression, it goes batty sometimes. Both are consistent and offer the fastest AV definition upgrades. This means they keep your system up to date and clean 24/7.
Other software that I recommend are:
Registrybooster 2 : Allows you to clean and defragment your "registry". It is the best registry cleaning software on the market and well worth the price of having. Most people might tell you that registry cleaners don't work. This one does! And, it's also rock solid.
Rootkit Unhooker: This is by far the best rootkit detector ever created and it's free. I'd get it just so you can have it to detect rootkits on your machine. Keep in mind that it will detect KIS (Kaspersky) in the rootkits but that's because kaspersky installs itself into the roots to find unwanted applications. Rootkit trojans are malware that infests itself into the roots of your system core, allowing the ability to control your system to some extent, generally wreaking havoc in the process.
Hijackthis (latest version) : Hijackthis is a great utility for looking over anything on your system and you can post the results to numerous sites to receive feedback on what negative things might be occurring on your system. I recommend this for those of you who have AV/Anti-spyware software loaded but still run into strange bandwidth or performance issues. Post your logs to the correct sites and get some help!
Spyware Blaster : This is just a simple browser layering application that layers your browsers preventing sites that could cause problems to be reached. It's free and a good software to use.
So, what web browser should I be using?
I would use mozilla firefox. Internet Explorer is one of the least secure web browsers in the market. Most people get infections from using unsecure browsers. Firefox is a solid secure browser that offers a lot of rich features in the process.
Remember to stay current on your AV software, your registry cleaners, and your browser security and you will not have very many infections ever reach your machine.
Game Mechanics - Setting Resources
"this is a portion of the guide that may continually become outdated and require change. So, take from it what works for you, and notify me if something changes so I can update it"
"Currently a work in progress"
Audio Options
-- Not Implemented Yet
Video Options
Default Resolution: The higher the resolution, the more performance hit you will encounter. Using windowed mode, and lowering your resolution slightly will improve performance greatly.
From my own numbers, decreasing resolution to "half" of your normal value will increase your FPS by 20 to 25 frames.
Also, for those of you using dual view versus horizontal span for your system video cards, there is another adverse hit for dual view users. I've seen a 5 to 10 FPS positive difference using horizontal span versus dual view. This really only applies to those of you with 2 monitors. I'm pretty certain this has to do with the drawing mechanism in place between monitors.
Overall Quality
If you click on Low, Medium, or High, it will completely erase any custom settings you make. Therefore, you should set one of these to start with before making custom changes.
If you are on a low-end system or medium-system, start with Low and work your way up through the custom settings.
If you are on a very high end system, go with Medium and work your way up through the custom settings.
High should only be used if your system can truly handle it. You'll know right away when you enter the game and find that you are showing 5 FPS, then you will want to change this. If you set this to high and go in and find yourself averaging 20 FPS, you are doing "GOOD" but you may want to lower via custom and increase your FPS to 35 FPS which is a very playable state.
Anti-Alias Quality (Recommended none or 2x)
Controls the jagged appearance around objects. You can set this to none, 2x, or 4x. The higher the setting the better visually the game will appear, but you will be hit with 5 to 7 FPS decrease per setting. This may differ on your system.
View Ranges (recommended: 2000m)
Controls how far you can view in the game. If you increase this greatly, it will decrease performance. This is something you will have to tailor for yourself. I personally think 2000 m is a good start. Work your way downwards/upwards depending.
Advanced Video Options
Global
DirectX 9 vs. 10: I can't offer any huge differences in performance in this section as of yet. They appear to either a) be the same and not implemented, or b) offer no negative performance hit either way.
Shader Model Version: This one has me a bit perplexed. Shader Models by default were set with the type of directX you were using. So, anyone who used 9.0c were set to 3.0 by default. However, there is a "CONSIDERABLE" difference between using 3.0 and 2.0. If you set to 2.0, Framerate is substantially different. However, due to the autodetect method in place, anytime you make further custom changes, it automatically forces it back to 3.0. So, for my system, I force it to 2.0 at the end of altering custom settings. Again, I'd like to hear some more perspective from the technical team regarding this implementation and why it's so adverse on framerate.
Shadows
Shadow Quality: Decides how the shadows are mapped. Shadows can be mapped from everything, or from the character. If you are having extreme issues with FPS, disabling this feature will definitely improve performance. Changing this to "from the character" will not offer a lot of improvement. Therefore, I don't recommend using this setting.
Shadow Resolution: Changes the quality of the shadow resolution (Recommended Low for most low to mid-end systems, Medium for high-end systems).
3D ambient occlusion quality: Adds realism to local reflection models. Recommended (LOW)
View Ranges
High quality view distance: Controls the density texture pixels on the machine. Recommended (1-5% for low end machines, 6-30% for mid end machines, 31%+ for high end machines)
Low quality view distance: (Recommended: 2048m) Determines the cut-off point for rendering. Regardless of performance, you want to keep this "maxed". If you lower this setting then you will see "painting" or mesh like areas that feel like they are being painted as you walk. This causes a lot of visual trouble and can be quite disturbing.
Particle view distance : IMPORTANT : This setting controls how far particles can be rendered. It includes the spell particles and spell effects that surround you via auras. This control can greatly "reduce" FPS if set to anything above 0. Yes, 0. Setting this to any mid to high settings will cause up to 15 to 20 FPS drop just by itself. If you are having severe problems, set this to 0. Unfortunately, it may interfere with the glowing effects around objects like loot, mining ore, tradeskills, etc. So, set this to a very low setting if you can't live without it.
NPC view distance : Controls how far away you can see NPCs and monsters. I recommend setting this to mid range (250ish) for low to mid end systems and max for high end systems. Luckily, this does not create huge FPS issues and can be set pretty much the way you want.
NPC high quality view distance : controls the high quality LODS for NPCs. Recommended to keep this set to MAX. I would not decrease this unless absolutely necessary, regardless of FPS issue. It does not have a huge effect on FPS but does on playability and viewpoint.
Grass view distance : Decides how far grass is rendered initially. Unfortunately, even if you have grass turned off, this setting still affects gameplay, visibility, and FPS. If you set to minimum, heavily populated grass areas will spring to life and pop up when you are right on top of the areas. This has a very disturbing effect on the eyes and makes playing at minimum settings horrible. Recommend to set it outwards at 75m and you should be fine for low end. Medium and high end systems set as you will.
Grass density : Set this to the exact same value you set for Grass view distance. Rendering is less eratic when set to similar values.
Ground quality view distance : Decides how far high resolution ground will be rendered. If you set this too low, it will be disturbing depending how far out your camera viewpoints are set. I recommend setting this to a minimum of 75m for low end systems and 100m for medium.
Textures
System memory texture cache size : Determines the amount of system memory to use for texture caching. This was designed for laptops that use shared memory with their video. Recommended for desktops to be set at 0 MB. However, I'd like an official response from anyone on this particular setting. I've heard folks say that with Pentium R type chips and ATI cards, setting this to max has helped. Anyone want to offer clarification on this setting?
Texture filtering quality : Determines the filtering type used to find out the best color to place in the pixel area and where it's centered. Depending on the type used, blockiness, artifacts, and shimmering could occur. Recommended (Anisotropic) Bilinear and Trilinear are lesser filter qualities but both create a blurriness of objects depending on the type of angle they are rendered and viewed from. Anisotropic is the standard for most of your 3d viewing in games today and therefore, even if you are encountering FPS issues, you should keep this set to Anisotropic.
Texture Resolution : Recommended (LOW) for low to mid end systems.
Anisotropic filtering quality : Only applies if you are using Anisotropic filtering, which you should. Determines the overall quality of the texture. Recommended (1-3) low end systems, (4-10) mid end systems, (11 - 16) high end systems.
Enable parallax mapping : Determines how deep and real the default textures look (i.e. walls look more real and visual) This may or may not have a negative impact on your FPS. You should test this for your own system as each video card may or may not handle the setting differently.
Enable advanced transparency : This only works if you have anti-aliasing on. I'm not quite sure what this feature does and have not used it. Therefore I cannot commend on it's performance.
Remove foliage around character : Recommended (checked for low end systems) and unchecked for mid to high end systems.
GUIDE: How to improve your performance and play in AoC
Computer Basics
I'm assuming that some of you have at least a bare minimum of computer knowledge handy to perform some of the tasks to follow. If you don't, just ask away and I'm sure someone can assist you with them.
RAM, Virtual Memory, and Readyboost
32-bit operating systems, Windows-XP, Vista-32 bit, support up to 4 GB of RAM but this is very misleading. Depending on your motherboard and the BIOS, much of this is allocated for other areas. Therefore, you'll actually only get to use up to 3.2 GB of RAM because the remainder is already allocated for something else. Most people experience using between 2 and 3.2 GB of actual RAM with the rest being allocated elsewhere. In 64-bit system environments you can utilize the full 4 GB and depending on the type of software you purchased (Vista Ultimate for instance) can allow up to 128 GB of RAM to be usable.
So, the bottom line is most people here (a bulk of us) use either 4 GB of RAM or less, or operate on a 32-bit system environment. So, virtual memory is an important step to assisting with initial performance problems regarding memory usage.
The ideal situation for virtual memory usage is to move the page file to a completely different drive than the one that is being used by the system. Some of you may remember the swap file terminology that was present with older Windows environments. Windows XP and beyond uses page files now.
If you move the page file to a separate drive you cause the virtual memory to be cached/usable without interfering with system performance on the main drive. This is extremely valuable when gaming. If you need that extra bit of performance, it's utilizing resources away from the running environment!
If you purchased a "very small" but extremely fast 10,000 RPM+ drive to use as a resource drive, you could move the page file over there "first" and then utilize the drive for storage of files only.
But, what if you don't have another drive to utilize?
Well, if you are operating Windows Vista 32-bit+, there's a nice feature called Readyboost. Readyboost simply allows you to take a normal flash memory drive (one of those 2.0 USB flash drives you can buy for next to nothing in a local store) and "caches" that drive when it needs more memory. Keep in mind that Vista allocates 95% of "all" of the free space on a flash memory key when you use Readyboost. So, you won't be able to use that drive to store files on. In fact, you definitely want to make sure that the drive is free and empty. There are a lot of new flash memory keys out there that already support Readyboost and are specifically made for it. You can ask any one at your local store to find out if the flash memory key supports it.
But, what if you don't have another drive, or windows vista, or a flash memory key. What then?
You simply optimize your virtual memory. One of the fundamental flaws that I see people do over and over again, is to allow Windows to decide how much of the virtual memory to use. Also, the virtual memory is set dynamically rather than statically which creates a few issues that I'll explain in a moment.
First, a dynamic page file is one that has a minimum and no default maximum. It can continue to grow. The first problem with dynamic page files, as with any page file, is that you cannot deframent them. Page files by default are unmovable resources. Therefore, they can't be defragmented. However, dynamic page files can become fragmented. And, they can become "largely" fragmented.
By working with static page files you define a minimum and a maximum value that are the same, thus keeping the page file from becoming fragmented at all. This is an important thing to understand.
So, how do we do all of this?
RAM: For AoC, I recommend making sure you have a minimum of 2 GB installed and if you can afford it, go to 4 GB. If you have the capability of upgrading to Windows Vista 64-bit (requires a 64-bit processor as well) - that's the better thing to do. Otherwise, go with 2 GB minimum.
Virtual Memory: Depending on your OS, visit the following links:
Windows XP Link
Windows Vista Link
Keep the following in mind. In the minimum and maximum memory boxes for either link, make sure you set them statically. The formula is generally observed as (1.5 x Current Ram) but I tend to go higher (2.0 x Current Ram). So, if you have 2 GB of RAM you would place 4000 in both the minimum and maximum boxes.
If you have 4 GB you would place 8000 in both boxes for Vista-64 Bit only. For 32-bit you would still only use 4000.
If you have an additional drive to use, the drive maps will be listed and you would delete the page files from the "master" drive where the operating system is being used, and instead put the minimum / maximum static values on the secondary drive instead.
As an example of this, let's say I have two drives:
C:\ is my main
F:\ is my secondary
I would put the 4000 MB minimum and 4000 MB maximum on the F:\ drive and make sure no other drives have page files in use.
Readyboost: See the following link:
Readyboost Link
CHKDSK and Defragmenting Your Computer
Most people remember the old Scandisk tool for cleaning up your file allocation tables and checking the drive and system integrity of your system. However, Scandisk became obsolete during the emergence of Windows XP and beyond. What we use now is CHKDSK or (Check Disk).
Using chkdsk is very easy. Simply click Start > Run > type "cmd" and hit enter. This will drop you to a DOS command prompt.
Type chkdsk /f and hit enter.
This command will then prompt you on whether or not you want to perform chkdsk and automatically fix errors after the next reboot. Simply say yes. Then, type exit and go through the motions of rebooting your machine.
On the reboot, the system will automatically go into chkdsk and perform a 3-phase verification process. If anything is wrong with your drive or your system, it will automatically be repaired. This is, unless of course, you have a physical drive issue with your hard drive. If that were to happen, you'd want to replace the drive.
Defragmenting Your Computer
If you followed the first steps with virtual memory allocation on a "separate" drive, defragmenting will be a lot nicer for you. This is because there will be a much smaller block of unmovable data.
Why should I defragment my system and when?
Files become fragmented when you install applications, uninstall applications, or through everyday use. After installing Age of Conan, a 21 GB installation, it's important to perform a defrag.
What should I do before I defrag my system? What should I prepare in advance?
The first thing I like to do is re-visit my currently installed applications. You'll be amazed at how many applications you might have installed that you don't use anymore. If you don't need them, remove them. Basic cleanup is great for your system.
You should also use a system cleanup utility such as "Disk Cleanup". By default, it's in the system tools area of accessories for your OS (Vista may differ). Cleanup Temporary Internet Files, Temp files, and anything else that you aren't using or need.
Once you are finished with the initial prep, perform your defrag overnight. Sometimes it can take up to 3 or 4 hours, depending on how fragmented your drive is and how large it is. I tend to do mine overnight to make it easier.
Performing these two steps will help you immensely with your performance issues.
Windows Processes and Cleaning
People ask me all of the time, how do you determine what windows processes are really necessary? And, if they aren't necessary, what's the best method of stopping/removing them?
Thankfully, there's numerous sites out there that can be used to determine whether or not you need to use some of those processes running on your machine.
The first thing you should do is open up "msconfig". Go to start > run > type msconfig and hit enter.
Click the startup tab.
Each startup item is listed under the Startup Item column. While you have this open, open up a browser and go to the following URL:
http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/index.html
Neuber is a great utility site that can tell you what each process is that you are running, and it even has user comments that tell you what their take is on the subject and whether or not it's necessary.
You may just find out that you have some malicious windows processes running or just some aggravating announcement processes running that you don't need. If you determine that you don't need the process, uncheck it and click APPLY and OK.
For processes that you may or may not understand what detrimental effects they will have, you may want to reboot just to make sure everything is okay. Or, if it's something that leans along the critical possibility level and you feel it may still be necessary or needed, don't do anything with it at all.
There are some simple processes listed that don't need to be used.
Once you've made all necessary changes and rebooted, those processes will no longer run at startup. This will help you to alleviate any extra resource issues that other applications might be taking up and help you to move those vital resources to your gaming and other usages.
AV, Spyware Removal
One of the biggest reasons for bandwidth consumptions and performance issues on a machine is due to trojans - malware/spyware, and an infected machine. Without using a good solid AV program and checking things thoroughly, you will find that this may indeed be one of the major reasons you are experiencing adverse performance issues.
I recommend the following two AV software packages with the topmost being the one I recommend most:
Kaspersky (recommended for 32-bit systems)
Bitdefender (recommended for 64-bit systems)
Kaspersky is stronger than Bitdefender because of its default rootkit detection mechanisms. Both of the AV software packages are rock solid, however Bitdefender has way too many false positives present. If it detects any type of UPX compression, it goes batty sometimes. Both are consistent and offer the fastest AV definition upgrades. This means they keep your system up to date and clean 24/7.
Other software that I recommend are:
Registrybooster 2 : Allows you to clean and defragment your "registry". It is the best registry cleaning software on the market and well worth the price of having. Most people might tell you that registry cleaners don't work. This one does! And, it's also rock solid.
Rootkit Unhooker: This is by far the best rootkit detector ever created and it's free. I'd get it just so you can have it to detect rootkits on your machine. Keep in mind that it will detect KIS (Kaspersky) in the rootkits but that's because kaspersky installs itself into the roots to find unwanted applications. Rootkit trojans are malware that infests itself into the roots of your system core, allowing the ability to control your system to some extent, generally wreaking havoc in the process.
Hijackthis (latest version) : Hijackthis is a great utility for looking over anything on your system and you can post the results to numerous sites to receive feedback on what negative things might be occurring on your system. I recommend this for those of you who have AV/Anti-spyware software loaded but still run into strange bandwidth or performance issues. Post your logs to the correct sites and get some help!
Spyware Blaster : This is just a simple browser layering application that layers your browsers preventing sites that could cause problems to be reached. It's free and a good software to use.
So, what web browser should I be using?
I would use mozilla firefox. Internet Explorer is one of the least secure web browsers in the market. Most people get infections from using unsecure browsers. Firefox is a solid secure browser that offers a lot of rich features in the process.
Remember to stay current on your AV software, your registry cleaners, and your browser security and you will not have very many infections ever reach your machine.
Game Mechanics - Setting Resources
"this is a portion of the guide that may continually become outdated and require change. So, take from it what works for you, and notify me if something changes so I can update it"
"Currently a work in progress"
Audio Options
-- Not Implemented Yet
Video Options
Default Resolution: The higher the resolution, the more performance hit you will encounter. Using windowed mode, and lowering your resolution slightly will improve performance greatly.
From my own numbers, decreasing resolution to "half" of your normal value will increase your FPS by 20 to 25 frames.
Also, for those of you using dual view versus horizontal span for your system video cards, there is another adverse hit for dual view users. I've seen a 5 to 10 FPS positive difference using horizontal span versus dual view. This really only applies to those of you with 2 monitors. I'm pretty certain this has to do with the drawing mechanism in place between monitors.
Overall Quality
If you click on Low, Medium, or High, it will completely erase any custom settings you make. Therefore, you should set one of these to start with before making custom changes.
If you are on a low-end system or medium-system, start with Low and work your way up through the custom settings.
If you are on a very high end system, go with Medium and work your way up through the custom settings.
High should only be used if your system can truly handle it. You'll know right away when you enter the game and find that you are showing 5 FPS, then you will want to change this. If you set this to high and go in and find yourself averaging 20 FPS, you are doing "GOOD" but you may want to lower via custom and increase your FPS to 35 FPS which is a very playable state.
Anti-Alias Quality (Recommended none or 2x)
Controls the jagged appearance around objects. You can set this to none, 2x, or 4x. The higher the setting the better visually the game will appear, but you will be hit with 5 to 7 FPS decrease per setting. This may differ on your system.
View Ranges (recommended: 2000m)
Controls how far you can view in the game. If you increase this greatly, it will decrease performance. This is something you will have to tailor for yourself. I personally think 2000 m is a good start. Work your way downwards/upwards depending.
Advanced Video Options
Global
DirectX 9 vs. 10: I can't offer any huge differences in performance in this section as of yet. They appear to either a) be the same and not implemented, or b) offer no negative performance hit either way.
Shader Model Version: This one has me a bit perplexed. Shader Models by default were set with the type of directX you were using. So, anyone who used 9.0c were set to 3.0 by default. However, there is a "CONSIDERABLE" difference between using 3.0 and 2.0. If you set to 2.0, Framerate is substantially different. However, due to the autodetect method in place, anytime you make further custom changes, it automatically forces it back to 3.0. So, for my system, I force it to 2.0 at the end of altering custom settings. Again, I'd like to hear some more perspective from the technical team regarding this implementation and why it's so adverse on framerate.
Shadows
Shadow Quality: Decides how the shadows are mapped. Shadows can be mapped from everything, or from the character. If you are having extreme issues with FPS, disabling this feature will definitely improve performance. Changing this to "from the character" will not offer a lot of improvement. Therefore, I don't recommend using this setting.
Shadow Resolution: Changes the quality of the shadow resolution (Recommended Low for most low to mid-end systems, Medium for high-end systems).
3D ambient occlusion quality: Adds realism to local reflection models. Recommended (LOW)
View Ranges
High quality view distance: Controls the density texture pixels on the machine. Recommended (1-5% for low end machines, 6-30% for mid end machines, 31%+ for high end machines)
Low quality view distance: (Recommended: 2048m) Determines the cut-off point for rendering. Regardless of performance, you want to keep this "maxed". If you lower this setting then you will see "painting" or mesh like areas that feel like they are being painted as you walk. This causes a lot of visual trouble and can be quite disturbing.
Particle view distance : IMPORTANT : This setting controls how far particles can be rendered. It includes the spell particles and spell effects that surround you via auras. This control can greatly "reduce" FPS if set to anything above 0. Yes, 0. Setting this to any mid to high settings will cause up to 15 to 20 FPS drop just by itself. If you are having severe problems, set this to 0. Unfortunately, it may interfere with the glowing effects around objects like loot, mining ore, tradeskills, etc. So, set this to a very low setting if you can't live without it.
NPC view distance : Controls how far away you can see NPCs and monsters. I recommend setting this to mid range (250ish) for low to mid end systems and max for high end systems. Luckily, this does not create huge FPS issues and can be set pretty much the way you want.
NPC high quality view distance : controls the high quality LODS for NPCs. Recommended to keep this set to MAX. I would not decrease this unless absolutely necessary, regardless of FPS issue. It does not have a huge effect on FPS but does on playability and viewpoint.
Grass view distance : Decides how far grass is rendered initially. Unfortunately, even if you have grass turned off, this setting still affects gameplay, visibility, and FPS. If you set to minimum, heavily populated grass areas will spring to life and pop up when you are right on top of the areas. This has a very disturbing effect on the eyes and makes playing at minimum settings horrible. Recommend to set it outwards at 75m and you should be fine for low end. Medium and high end systems set as you will.
Grass density : Set this to the exact same value you set for Grass view distance. Rendering is less eratic when set to similar values.
Ground quality view distance : Decides how far high resolution ground will be rendered. If you set this too low, it will be disturbing depending how far out your camera viewpoints are set. I recommend setting this to a minimum of 75m for low end systems and 100m for medium.
Textures
System memory texture cache size : Determines the amount of system memory to use for texture caching. This was designed for laptops that use shared memory with their video. Recommended for desktops to be set at 0 MB. However, I'd like an official response from anyone on this particular setting. I've heard folks say that with Pentium R type chips and ATI cards, setting this to max has helped. Anyone want to offer clarification on this setting?
Texture filtering quality : Determines the filtering type used to find out the best color to place in the pixel area and where it's centered. Depending on the type used, blockiness, artifacts, and shimmering could occur. Recommended (Anisotropic) Bilinear and Trilinear are lesser filter qualities but both create a blurriness of objects depending on the type of angle they are rendered and viewed from. Anisotropic is the standard for most of your 3d viewing in games today and therefore, even if you are encountering FPS issues, you should keep this set to Anisotropic.
Texture Resolution : Recommended (LOW) for low to mid end systems.
Anisotropic filtering quality : Only applies if you are using Anisotropic filtering, which you should. Determines the overall quality of the texture. Recommended (1-3) low end systems, (4-10) mid end systems, (11 - 16) high end systems.
Enable parallax mapping : Determines how deep and real the default textures look (i.e. walls look more real and visual) This may or may not have a negative impact on your FPS. You should test this for your own system as each video card may or may not handle the setting differently.
Enable advanced transparency : This only works if you have anti-aliasing on. I'm not quite sure what this feature does and have not used it. Therefore I cannot commend on it's performance.
Remove foliage around character : Recommended (checked for low end systems) and unchecked for mid to high end systems.
MickeyKnox
Member
Either this game is selling really well or they undershipped cause it's sold out in quite a few stores in Manhattan. Gonna try and pick it up on my way home from work.
Geh, so it makes you feel like you are "trapped" in the world instead of having the ability to really get out there...?
From all the previews I noticed these amazing environments and stuff. So if there is a giant wooded area I cannot go explore it if I want...? Or is there a "gateway" i have to go through to get there?
From all the previews I noticed these amazing environments and stuff. So if there is a giant wooded area I cannot go explore it if I want...? Or is there a "gateway" i have to go through to get there?
Warnen
Don't pass gaas, it is your Destiny!
I broke down and ordered a desktop stuff today.
Highlights include:
Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9300 (4x 2.5GHz/6MB L2 Cache/1333FSB)
4 gigs of ram
2 NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX 512MB
Dell 22 inch Wide Screen Flat Panel Display with 2000:1 Image Contrast Ratio and 2ms responce time.
Should all be here by the end of next week, then Conan will be my bitch!
Highlights include:
Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9300 (4x 2.5GHz/6MB L2 Cache/1333FSB)
4 gigs of ram
2 NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX 512MB
Dell 22 inch Wide Screen Flat Panel Display with 2000:1 Image Contrast Ratio and 2ms responce time.
Should all be here by the end of next week, then Conan will be my bitch!
Broadbandito
Member
Warnen said:
jealous
DarkAngelYuna
Banned
Should have ditched one of those video cards to upgrade the monitor..Warnen said:
Woo-Fu
Banned
Warnen said:
Then you should drop the SLI as you won't need it with that display. Spend the money somewhere else. You're just adding headaches and headroom you won't need. If your response to that is that you might buy a higher res monitor in the future, my answer would be that there will be faster single card solutions in the future as well.
I'd also go with a dual core with higher core speeds than the quad core you picked, but that is probably because gaming is the primary activity on my PC.
cartoon_soldier
Member
As more people hit the level 30+ marks, more issues are coming up, I hope they fix stuff quickly.
If you unlearn your fear points, you also unlearn your gathering/crafting professions and can't learn them back.
The Fields of the Dead area, important for leveling 28+ is causing lots of crashes and slowdowns to users.
Some Traders are not useable. I can't talk to any Fine Armor merchant in my Homeland right now...
Bank/AH/Mail is not useable.
I hope they release some patches soon, and also release patch notes for those patches.
If you unlearn your fear points, you also unlearn your gathering/crafting professions and can't learn them back.
The Fields of the Dead area, important for leveling 28+ is causing lots of crashes and slowdowns to users.
Some Traders are not useable. I can't talk to any Fine Armor merchant in my Homeland right now...
Bank/AH/Mail is not useable.
I hope they release some patches soon, and also release patch notes for those patches.
kairu said:
Hold your mouse over the latency readout at the bottom of the HUD.
I found that increasing the "virtual memory" setting from 0 to 50 megs increases performance for me dramatically. This is on a P4 3.4 ghz hyperthread 2 gigs of RAM GTS8800 384 meg XP system.
Ehh with that setup he should have:_tetsuo_ said:
SAMSUNG XL30 Black 30" 6ms(GTG) Widescreen LED backlight LCD Monitor 200 cd/m2 1000:1
Resolution: 2560 x 1600
.hacked
Member
Woo-Fu said:
wow
PC gamers are a picky lot.
He got himself a great system for what he spent, he went with a monitor that he has had excellent experience with and knew it would not disappoint.
I think this is what sucks about PC gaming, there is always something just a little bit better or a little bit cheaper. It could drive a person mad trying to keep up with it all.
Woo-Fu
Banned
.hacked said:
It is called having options, and yes you can spin having options as being a bad thing, particularly if you're coming from a console point of view.
Most of the comments are from people who are a) trying to help him get more for his money, or b) not spend money for horsepower he isn't going to use.
Warnen
Don't pass gaas, it is your Destiny!
4k for a monitor! Wow, it will go good with the keyboard my brother wanted me to buy, Optimus Maximus, only $1200! Anyone know a good mouse? Maybe jewel encrusted? :lol
Biff Hardbody
Member
Been reading this trhead with a lot of enjoyment, thanks guys. Getting kind of tired of wow, but I love pvp. Big fan of the Conan universe as well. Some of the videos and pictures look great to me, but others not so much and I'm unsure if I could get into the combat. If anyone still has a buddy key so I could try the game out, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks and keep the impressions coming.
Ferrio said:You know, even with the wide open zones I still feel trapped. Hate zones
I guess that's personal experience.
The zones are big enough, and i don't see the difference between the sky turning purple from orange as you enter a totally different zone (through only one entrance and one exit) in wow than looking at a quick loading screen when entering a zone (through only one exit) and leaving a zone (through one only exit) in conan.
in WOW you're still trapped in that area, with only two or three exit points. Conan is not different.
You can only leave the main orc area, in wow, through the front door, by bat or down that instance down there. You can only leave the Cimmerian city through a boat, a door or another door.
What's the difference?
j-wood said:
They probably won't be for a while, as it seems like they don't want to have to buy new servers to host all the trial people, then be left with sparsely populated servers once they leave. Expect them out in a week or two.
I caved and bought the game. How are the priest classes at non-healing aspects of combat?