The "Would my PC be able to run M2TW?" thread (all such queries here pls)

[ToranagaSama]

Hello all,

I believe that this thread would be more useful to everyone and particularly the developers if we all adopt some useful disciplines when posting.

First, everyone should run Fraps when playing the demo, Fraps is software that will show your Frames Per Second when playing.

http://www.fraps.com/

Just saying the game runs fine or smooth really doesn't provide much info. We all need to know what average FPS you're getting on your system to do a good comparative.

Second, everyone needs to post their system specs: Operating System (and version) and of course, CPU, GPU, RAM, etc.

Third, we need to know your game Option settings. Without this everything is meaningless. If you go into the Demo folder and open the file, "medieval2.preference.cfg" with your text editor---Notepad will do---scroll down to the heading: [video]. These are your game option settings. Please copy and post this info.

One thing in particular that is important to know is your "battle resolution". Your resolution will have a significant effect on your FPS. This is one reason why some people are running the game fine and others are not---not everyone is using the same resolution.

It's also quite important whether your monitor is an LCD or CRT. Most LCDs will inhibit the resolution you can play at and your FPS as well. Some of the newer *quality* monitors do a much better job for games that require a high FPS.

Here are my settings:

[video]
anisotropic_level = 0
anti_alias_mode = off
antialiasing = 0
assassination_movies = 1
autodetect = 0
battle_resolution = 1024 768
bloom = 0
building_detail = low
campaign_resolution = 1024 768
depth_shadows = 0
depth_shadows_resolution = 0
effect_quality = normal
event_movies = 1
gamma = 99
infiltration_movies = 1
no_background_fmv = 0
reflection = 0
sabotage_movies = 1
shader = 2
show_banners = 1
show_package_litter = 0
skip_mip_levels = 0
splashes = 1
subtitles = 0
terrain_quality = custom
texture_filtering = 1
unit_detail = higher
vegetation = 1
vegetation_quality = low
vsync = 0
widescreen = 0

Here is my system:

Abit IC7-G
Pentium 2.4c (12x250 1:1)
Thermalright XP-94 (Vantec Tornardo 92mm ~3000rpm)
ATI Radeon 9700 pro (357/343.5)
2x512 MB Corsair XMS 3200XL (2.5-3-3-5)
Addtronics 7890A (modified by www.coolcases.com)
Cornerstone p1700 (21")
Win2000pro SP4

For playing games, I usually overclock (though I didn't have to for RTW). With my first go round with the demo I did not overclock. Above are my normal overlcock settings (for Far Cry, I may pump up the settings for the GPU and RAM a wee tad). For those of you not familiar with overclocking, running my CPU at 12x250 1:1 equates to 3.0 Ghz. I can push it to about 3.3; with better cooling (and a bit of RAM tweaking) it can go to about 3.8.

As I said for the Demo, I did not overclock, running my CPU and GPU at their normal speeds. Normal speed for my RAM is 2-2-2-5. Also, I believe, Windoze is controlling my Swap File.

To get the Demo to run fairly smooth, I had to drop the resolution from 1600x1200 to 1280x1024 and finally to 1024x728 and put most things to low.

texture_filtering = 1
unit_detail = higher

I did not run Fraps, so I can't give a FPS average. The game was very playable and fairly smooth. Though, I had a bit of an issue scrolling the screen with the mouse. Using the keypad wasn't a problem. Might be a code issue, not sure.

Later tonight I'll run overclocked as above, and I'll use Fraps and report back.

My goal will be to get an average FPS between 30 and 60 (and hopefully with FEW drops below 30). I want to do this with the game options, generally at Medium settings, except Unit Detail which *must* be at highest; and Textures at high, along with Trilinear filtering. I'm fairly confident I can do it. I used to run Far Cry at virtually the highest settings with similar frame rates.

I'll also run with a 1 gig Swap File, defragged and on a separate drive from the game drive. Earlier nothing was defragged and my drives are horribly fragmented. If I have time I'll defrag my game drive and Windows drive (both separate), but that might have to wait. Oh, yeah, I also ran the demo with a ridiculous number of Processes in the background. Tonight I'll run with a minimum number.

With quality parts and a ***cool*** running system, along with the right tweaks, you'll be surprised how far performance can be stretched.

It's also a good idea to check your CPU and GPU temperatures while actually playing the game (post these as well). If these temps are too high you will suffer slows downs (and even crashes). You can have the faster CPU and GPU, but if your system is running hot, its all for naught!

Many of you with newer systems than mine will have temperature monitoring software from your motherboard maker and GPU maker. If you can, set it to monitor and record your temps over at least a 20 minute period, recording the High, Low and Average temperatures for a 20 minute period.

If you're software can't do this and/or if you have an older system w/o such software, then you can try Motherboard Monitor. It is excellent and what I use:

http://mbm.livewiredev.com/

Luck!

~TS

[Zimfan40]

Thanks for the link to the fraps site, ToranagaSama. I downloaded it and, sadly, even the lowest of the low settings my measly Nvidia 6150 LE never made it to 20fps, and most frequently stayed in the low 10s.

Good thing I'll be getting a new card this year. Preferably after the next gen of cards has come out, so the current gen will be cheaper.

[econ21]

My goal will be to get an average FPS between 30 and 60 (and hopefully with FEW drops below 30). I want to do this with the game options, generally at Medium settings, except Unit Detail which *must* be at highest; ...

I agree 30 FPS is a sweet spot. But people are say unit detail at high gives you as good close-ups as you are going to get, so I may go down to that. Highest just changes the distance at which the game switches to sprites and zoomed out, I don't bother too much about unit graphics.

[AlJabberwock]

Jagger !

Sorry no one got back to you dude! Here's the deal with Semprons and SSE2.
Typically if you have a non 64-bit AMD like Sempron or Atholn XP, you will have to determine whether its an A-Socket or anything else like a 754 (in some cases even an AM2 or 939/940). If you have a socket-"A", you're out of luck my friend, but only for the Demo because it requires SSE2 which is not on the socket-"A" versions of these chips. Word is the full game will not require SSE2, so if you're a socket-A type (like three of the machines in my house!) hang tough till November 14 when the full game is out, and there will be joy (at least in SP mode... MP may or may not function satisfactorily since CA appears to be saying they will not at this time probably support these in MP). If you have a Sempron tht is non-"A" type, raise the flag! You can probably play the demo too! I have two Athlon XPs and a Sempron all in the A socket version. Fortunately we also have a 754 and an AM2 for the Dual 64.

Econ21 is right, it makes little sense to use "highest" detail settings for the units unless you are just testing out your card or plan on publishing some screenies... or your system just doesn't notice the difference between highest and lowest!

Thanks ToranagaSama for the fraps link. I use this myself, but I don't have it on all the machines we use so its nice to have it somewehere convenient.

Just an opinion, but probably the link and the comment regarding standards for reporting should be added in the thread about thoughts on the demo rather than this one ('will my rig run M2TW...')

Cheers!

Al Jabberwock

[Jagger]

Jagger !

Sorry no one got back to you dude! Here's the deal with Semprons and SSE2.
Typically if you have a non 64-bit AMD like Sempron or Atholn XP, you will have to determine whether its an A-Socket or anything else like a 754 (in some cases even an AM2 or 939/940). If you have a socket-"A", you're out of luck my friend, but only for the Demo because it requires SSE2 which is not on the socket-"A" versions of these chips. Word is the full game will not require SSE2, so if you're a socket-A type (like three of the machines in my house!) hang tough till November 14 when the full game is out, and there will be joy (at least in SP mode... MP may or may not function satisfactorily since CA appears to be saying they will not at this time probably support these in MP). If you have a Sempron tht is non-"A" type, raise the flag! You can probably play the demo too! I have two Athlon XPs and a Sempron all in the A socket version. Fortunately we also have a 754 and an AM2 for the Dual 64.

Econ21 is right, it makes little sense to use "highest" detail settings for the units unless you are just testing out your card or plan on publishing some screenies... or your system just doesn't notice the difference between highest and lowest!

Thanks ToranagaSama for the fraps link. I use this myself, but I don't have it on all the machines we use so its nice to have it somewehere convenient.

Just an opinion, but probably the link and the comment regarding standards for reporting should be added in the thread about thoughts on the demo rather than this one ('will my rig run M2TW...')

Cheers!

Al Jabberwock

Thanks, Jabberwock! I can wait till middle of November as I can't download the demo anyway. I am stuck in a hotel room for at least another month with a 24Kb connection. Although I bought Barbarian Invasions which will keep me busy till them. Too bad, I can't download the BI patch though.

[AlJabberwock]

Thanks, Jabberwock! I can wait till middle of November as I can't download the demo anyway. I am stuck in a hotel room for at least another month with a 24Kb connection. Although I bought Barbarian Invasions which will keep me busy till them. Too bad, I can't download the BI patch though.

Doh! As a hotel guy, that is pure torture to me. The horror!
No patching because of the connection... Um, if you are in a decent sized town, I would seriously consider going to the library to see if they have a high speed connection, or if there are any 'hotspots' if you have a wireless card. otherwise, go to a cyber cafe and GET THAT PATCH! Look, if I was trapped in a hotel room somewhere for a _month_, even if I wasn't in a large town, I would either beg the hotel staff to find me a high speed connection for the ten minutes I would need or I would rent a car and DRIVE to the nearest place that had one! LOL Jagger, I feel your pain!!!
At least I hope it isn't snowing where you are!

Cheers,

Al Jabberwock

[Jagger]

Doh! As a hotel guy, that is pure torture to me. The horror!
No patching because of the connection... Um, if you are in a decent sized town, I would seriously consider going to the library to see if they have a high speed connection, or if there are any 'hotspots' if you have a wireless card. otherwise, go to a cyber cafe and GET THAT PATCH! Look, if I was trapped in a hotel room somewhere for a _month_, even if I wasn't in a large town, I would either beg the hotel staff to find me a high speed connection for the ten minutes I would need or I would rent a car and DRIVE to the nearest place that had one! LOL Jagger, I feel your pain!!!
At least I hope it isn't snowing where you are!

Cheers,

Al Jabberwock

Actually I have been in this hotel room since the middle of July. I am going a bit stir crazy. I am doing a contract in the Monterrey Bay area, Ca...so no snow thank goodness. Beautiful area but too much work to really enjoy. Fortunately it wraps up shortly...about the time MTW2 comes out. Thank goodness.

[Yggdrasill]

Just a quick question. What kind of a graphics card do I need to rum MTW2 smoothly (medium graphics settings, maximum number of soldiers per unit)?

This is providing the rest of the rig is strong enough (2 gigs of ram, Core duop or Core 2 duo processor).