Is it my computer or the game

[Beskar]

I have a fairly decent computer, with a 1.5 GB graphics card, 8 GB of RAM and 4 quad 3.2 GB processors, so i thought my computer would be able to handle the game no problem.
But i have to keep the graphics on a low medium setting to stop everything flickering , but even then on the odd battle the shadow effects flicker so much its hard to see whats going on. It also crashs from time to time. I know there are issues with the game, but surely ishould be able to have the graphics on a relativly high setting or at least handle medium with little problem.

I got the same processor, the same ram, though I have a 8800GTX 756mb card.

I am running the game on Ultra, all max settings with no lag (bar the usual game taking its time at the end of turn waiting for the AI to make its move.)

So it is most likely you not dealing with your drivers and other computer side stuff.



Since you got Vista, I recommend this as well - http://www.auslogics.com/disk-defrag
It's a very good free disk-defrag, since Vista doesn't actually have one. (Well, it has one that says it is working, but does nothing at all.) Though, it might not be a issue with the lack of defragmenting, but its a free tip for you, as if you harddrive is really fragmented, that would slow your computer down like crazy too.

[Veresov]

Come on guys. Refer him to the technical forum on the company website so that he can see that there are dozens of people with his problem. Empire has a lot of hardware issues. Drivers, defragmenting, performance tips, are just the usual knee-jerk reaction solve all problems type answer. It isn't going to do anything to help him.

[Barkhorn1x]

Come on guys. Refer him to the technical forum on the company website so that he can see that there are dozens of people with his problem. Empire has a lot of hardware issues. Drivers, defragmenting, performance tips, are just the usual knee-jerk reaction solve all problems type answer. It isn't going to do anything to help him.

Don't doubt that what you state in terms of dozens of people having issues is accurate. But it is odd that this guy has a killer box and he can only play on low/medium and I have a low end box:

- AMD Althon 64 3500+ single core (really a 2.5 Ghz CPU) - although AMD is faster :)
- 4 Gigs of DDR2 RAM
- 9800GT 1G GPU

...and I can play on medium/high with units on Ultra. (Admittedly, I don't check all of the effects boxes except Hardware Shadows). - and I play at my monitors native rez 1280x1024.

Just odd.

[Eusebius86]

Come on guys. Refer him to the technical forum on the company website so that he can see that there are dozens of people with his problem. Empire has a lot of hardware issues. Drivers, defragmenting, performance tips, are just the usual knee-jerk reaction solve all problems type answer. It isn't going to do anything to help him.

Not true. When I purchased Splinter Cell Double Agent I couldn't enable shadows because I had an old driver... Once I updated the driver the game ran much smoother and stopped crashing. Also, defragging through auslogics caused the AI end turns to go 2x faster for me (dropped from 40 seconds to 20).

[Lord of the Isles]

As for drivers, the CA advice is not to use the most recent public release: 182.08

Instead try older ones: 182.06 or 181.22 or, if you feel lucky, the newest beta: 182.46.

Mind you, as Veresov says, lots of us are having CTD problems, and better hardware doesn't make you immune. Check the Technical Help forum for some suggested workarounds, and/or wait for the next emergency patch from CA.

[pevergreen]

4 quad 3.2 GB processor

Is that even possible?

Intel core2 quad extreme only goes up to like 2.8

i7's are around 3.0 max...

[johnhughthom]

I have lower specs than the OP, dual core AMD 5000+, 4 gig RAM and an HD 4650, play on High across the board and Ultra unit settings with a very smooth experience. Definately sounds like something is wrong there.

[Grumfoss]

4 quad 3.2 GB processor

Is that even possible?

Intel core2 quad extreme only goes up to like 2.8

i7's are around 3.0 max...

Na.. I have a Quad core Q6600 stock speed is 2.4 per core, mine is overclocked and running stable at 3.0. It is quite easy to do as long as your careful about voltage and the cooling (My rig is Liquid cooled) you can even overclock your GPU as well it really can make a difference so I would say 3.2 is very doable

but I would say 4 quad cores is a little much more like one quad core

[Beskar]

Come on guys. Refer him to the technical forum on the company website so that he can see that there are dozens of people with his problem. Empire has a lot of hardware issues. Drivers, defragmenting, performance tips, are just the usual knee-jerk reaction solve all problems type answer. It isn't going to do anything to help him.

Yet if everyone did that, there would be far less complaints. That is why Tech support staff can appear annoying as they regularly deal with people who don't know their hard drive from their floppy drive.

[CanCritter]

sounds like the game or a setting and or driver...your system should be eatin this game up....
am running 2.2 amd athlon and 1gb vid card and 2 gb of ram or memory? at 800mhz...game runs fine ..although full armies can lag on MP....

am comp novice myself for most part buy am sorting out hardware finally...would look at upgradeing memorey if its slow or lacking....belive the higher the mhz on the memory the faster it gos...on hindsight passed up 2gbs of 1300+mhz for the 800...

[Daithi MacGuillaCathair]

thanks for the help.

sorry not 4 quad, i have 2, but i dont see the difference between 1 quad and 2, makes no difference i can see.

yeah i updated my drivers , except my mothboard one i forgot that as always, updated and now the game dont work :(

it either crashs or the game starts up as a window and i cant move around the campaign map.
that could have something to do with the fact that its dial booted and the new apple OS update has crashed the apple OS , so it no longer works at all.

aah computers, what can one do?

im off to dig out my old box of risk from the attic, but not before i tie my computer to the back of my car and drive around town.

[satchef1]

What is a 1.5GB graphics card? There's a huge difference between a GTX-295 with 1.5GB VRAM and an 8400GT with 1.5GB VRAM. The first would fly, the second would explain the settings :)

Also, can you screenshot a DXDiag and post it up here? Start -> Run -> Type "DxDiag" SS the first two tabs and upload here.

[tgi01]

Hmm can this be as simple as a power supply issue as you experience crashes too ( gtx 295 for example requires at least 680 W )... would be nice to know what graphic card you got ..

TGI

[AussieGiant]

I got the same processor, the same ram, though I have a 8800GTX 756mb card.

I am running the game on Ultra, all max settings with no lag (bar the usual game taking its time at the end of turn waiting for the AI to make its move.)

So it is most likely you not dealing with your drivers and other computer side stuff.

TiberiusBeskar!!

I have the same card and just followed your advise!! It just blew my head off!! I was playing on High setting with 4xAA and 16xAF and just one check box.

Now I've dropped back to 2xAA and 2xAF and switched to Ultra settings and it rocks!!

What are your exact settings?

I'm running an overclocked 3.4Ghz Dual Core, a 150GB Raptor 10000rpm HDD and have 2Gigs of 800Mhz Ram.

I'd really like to know...if possible what setting you have in the Nvidia Control Panel also.

My advise to everyone is turn off AA and AF, uncheck all your boxes, run fraps, run the same preset battle over and over, find how high you can set things (ie low, medium, high, ultra) and then slowly turn on AA and AF in small amounts and then some check box options until you are running at 30 fps as an average.