Antialiasing - recommended or not?

In my default settings (when i click on auto-detect in the video settings) Antialiasing is disabled.
My question is, is it intended to play like this?

I know im a total noob regarding Pc/software stuff - so sorry if this sounds like a stupid question - and i dont know now how the setting was in EB1 - after a PC new installation i only have EB2.01 on it.

But compared to EB1 the shapes are definitely more pixelated. So i see marvelous units and surroundings but this is disturbed by pixelated shapes. Specially visible in straight lines like the Sarisses of the soldiers or the horizon.

Only now i tried to start some test-battles with Antialiasing enabled - first with 4x and then with 8x the maximum at least in my settings.
And in these test-Battles until now i do not encounter any performance setbacks. And all shapes look much better. Definitely all looks more enjoyable.
However, some straight lines still look very sharp and not so realistic as in EB1... like the sea horizons. With this release this Horizon looks just like drawn with a sharp pencil while in EB1 it looked more realistic.

So is it anyway recommended to enable Antialiasing and even at 8x?
(I wonder because with auto-detect this is disabled.)

thanks,
Kleitos

I think most computers do the antialiasing from windows directly, so Its a waste of processing energy to make the game use It as well. It doubles It up I think. I never use It at least...

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Originally Posted by Christianus

I think most computers do the antialiasing from windows directly, so Its a waste of processing energy to make the game use It as well. It doubles It up I think. I never use It at least...

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Err, no. That only happens if you specifically configure your graphics card to use Anti-Aliasing by default in its control panel and set it to override the Anti-Aliasing of individual programs...

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Originally Posted by Harkon

Err, no. That only happens if you specifically configure your graphics card to use Anti-Aliasing by default in its control panel and set it to override the Anti-Aliasing of individual programs...

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Yes and it's better to see it manually for best quality/performance ratio.

@Tux: to see it manually - what you mean by that? (some english expressions - still dont get them ;-)
you mean better to set it in Games/Options/Video Settings? ...and i dont know how it looks with other better engines/graphicCards - in my Games/Options/Video Settings i can choose between Antialiasing x2, x4 and x8 - you folks have the same here or more?
I tested so far in some Battles and it works with x8 as good as without Antialiasing (i.e. the Speed of the Game) - The View of course is much better with Antialiasing now - especially details like the Sarissas or Spears in general. ...so it seems in EB1 i had Antialiasing set by default and didnt know that.
Still wonder why the auto detect recommends it without - and why in the M2TWpreference.cfg it was set at off.

Like you did in-game. :)

ok - thanks Tux
..then i will play with Antialiasing x8 from now on

You can as someone mention specify settings in your graphics card control panel per game eg NVidia

well, i played since then with Antialiasing x8 and it works perfectly.:yes: ...i wonder if in EB 1 this was set as default 'cause i never bothered for Antialiasing and there were no pixelated shapes.
i just still wonder why, when i click on "auto-detect" in the video settings it becomes disabled.:shrug: ..so with hindsight, i was unsure about it for no actual reason.