Redux & W7...

[Axalon]

I recently installed Windows 7 pro (64bit) and to my big surprise it just works brilliantly with MTW-Redux (while raw MTW crashes in no time). Thus I can now fully confirm that Redux certainly do and can run on W7pro, 64bit-version. Very, very well actually...

Ironically W7pro works significantly better then XP sp3 (32bit) and can even seriously compete with the superior loading times of specialized old hardware and Win2000 drives (GFX-cards like ATI 9800 pro or X800-series with pre 2005 drivers). Loading times on the v.1.1 is down to about 2-5 sec while (yet again ironically) the VI/v.2.01-version is actually somewhat slower - about 3-4 seconds more then v.1.1. Overall, these times are either about the same or even faster then I get using the specialized old hardware and Win2000.

My hardware is one out of two Sapphire ATI HD5830 cards (crossfire disabled, otherwise chaos) and Catalyst 11.8 drives for W7 64bit (default settings and DX11 installed). The processor is an Intel E8400 and I have 8 GB in ram. No fuss about the ram what so ever anywhere - in VI it has by default 2034 MB enabled for the game (pyrotechnics set at 100). SFX seems even fully functional on high settings! No lag anywhere. I have never been able to play with such audio settings before without getting some annoying lag in battle as a direct result - until now. So that certainly works very well too (VI/v.2.01 or v.1.1. no matter). Depending on what limitations your monitors have - I still recommend people to use 1280x1024 or possibly 1600x1200 if the monitor can cope with it. Personally I used 1280x1024 and that looks just fine to me.

The only flaw I have been able to find so far are that the arrows, bushes, shrubberies, war machines and castles in battles are rendered slightly off (sort of an extra contour applied to them, presenting them slightly wrong in-game. In the case of castles it looks rather bad with the pinkish stuff - but I can fix those files for a RXB1003 release. I think all the other stuff is tolerable, all things considered). Other then that, no other issues found. Note that I had the exact same rendering-issues while I was using XP-drives (32bit) on my GFX-cards so my guess is it has actually little to do with W7. In this limited regard the old specialized hardware and stuff remains better as there is no such issues with that.


All this means that Redux certainly can run on at least some fairly modern hardware using W7 and still it is possible play the game as it was supposed too. As in a fast and fluent game experience, steady under 10 sec loading-times and as much stability as the MTW-engine allows (VI is still more stable then v.1.1. but somewhat slower). It seems like it is now matter of hardware and drivers....

Any other information on W7 and Redux, fire away folks...

- A

[Axalon]

I have created a hotfix for RXB1002 to lessen the impact of the previous "pinkish" rendering anomalies that might happen on some newer hardware - using GFX-drivers for W7 64bit (for instance). It will not make the problem disappear but it will make things more tolerable as the pink will now turn black instead - which is much better and less annoying...

Full instructions etc. is available in included "readme" and this hotfix works on ALL versions of Redux. Remember, this has to be installed last of all things to have effect. Here is the link...

Removed...


If need be, I can upload it to Game Front as well - just let me know...

- A

[Axalon]

Well folks, I found another anomaly - that might happen - while using W7 (but I'm guessing GFX-drivers to be the actual culprit here). Obviously, this is not how it is supposed to look - your average psychedelic-scull out of screwed-up-istan. Anyway, I fear the worst on this one but I will all the same attempt fix it - assuming that it is indeed possible somehow to do so (I don't know for sure yet). Thankfully, it is rather nominal on the game-experience as we have already lost the game/campaign when this pic show up....




Anything else?

- A

[Lord of the Pies]

Hi Axalon, its me! I was poking around in the MTW folder and saw some interesting doohickies in some text files. What caught my attention was Texram, Textures, Vidram, ZTexmax etc etc., and I was wondering if I edited the values inside and set to the right amounts would it be possible to play MTW in all its glory in a resolution higher than 800x600?

here's how the Texram file looks:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Total -33259520 = 8192Mb, Free -35369472
Loaded Textures\Men\CUSTOM9\CUSTOM9.BIF, New Free -173781504 (62884.305 Pages), Just Used 138412032

By the looks of it the value 8192 is obviously my systems ram amount, has anyone ever tried anything like this? I would do the msconfig thing, but restarting every-time i switch and the extreme slowdown of the game itself when its played with the lesser amount of ram is such a hassle.

Your's truly,

LotP

[Axalon]

Hi Pies, good to see you here, and welcome to this Redux-Area - ORG-style basically. As you can see the facilities (at least) are somewhat bigger here for Redux…

As for the specific files you mention - I am afraid I have little to offer you on that note…. Essentially, you are probably better off leaving them files alone – they are constantly changed/updated every time you have a battle and manually changing them might very well cause the game to screw up. Obviously I have W7 as well, and I have zero problems with resolutions on RXB1003 (and usually play at 1280x1024 due to limitations of my monitor. On the VI/v.2.01- engine I have 2034MB set by default in game-options - it works just fine) - so I am inclined to say that your problems are due to GFX-cards and drivers – not W7. Other then the MSconfig-stuff and changing drivers for your GFX-card - I am fresh out of suggestions here. The alternatives are either to try that again, buy a new GFX-card, or somehow conjure up some other solution to all this that I don’t know about. Redux was not intended to be played at 800x600. If the hassle (read MSconfig etc.) works at all for you, I suggest you do it anyways, because then it is worth it I think. Sorry, but there it is...


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Anyhow, here is copy of Just Learnin’s post for future reference - for all you players that might still have use for it…

I had the same problem in both Vista and Win 7 of only having 800 x 600 in the Strategy map and 640 x 480 in the Battle map.

A fix I found that worked with a GTX 280, GTX 295 and an HD 4870 X2 is:

Got to All Programs open the Accessories folder click on Run type MSCONFIG in the pop up window and click OK. If Windows asks for permission click Continue. In the new pop up window select the Boot tab and click on the Advanced options... button and in the new little pop up window click the tiny box by Maximum memory: Whatever the number in the box here change it to 2560 then click OK. Click Apply on the remaining window then a small pop up asking you to restart PC should remain, click Yes. You should now be able to play both Shogun Total War and Medieval Total War with all resolutions available.

To revert your system to normal you have to uncheck the box in the Advanced options... , Maximum Memory: click OK then select the General tab and click the little round button beside Normal startup Load all device drivers and services then click Apply and then click Yes when asked to restart the system.

What you are doing here is only allowing the system to let the games software see an amount of RAM it is programmed to understand, or so I believe, thus preventing it from defaulting to minimum specs. If the number 2560 does not work for you in the Maximum memory box try 2048. I just found on my rigs 2560 was the highest amount I could go and still get all the resolutions.

I also found that with the HD 4870 X2 I had to disable AI in the ATI Catalyst Control center or I was getting a split screen effect.

Good Luck!

- A

[Dellathane]

Hi there,
Never played Redux myself but I've been looking at it with curiosity for a while.
Anyway with reference to the resolution problem there is a fix that's just been posted in the main hall that worked very nicely for me (I have win 7 x64 and HD4850).
I don't know exactly how much Redux changes but it will hopefully work for you.

Here's the link

Axalon I'm curious, I thought medieval had a problem with any system that has more than 2GB, yet you seem to be playing with 8GB on 1280x1024, is that due to some config file modding or has that always been a menu option for you? I've only ever had the minimum option unless I do the MSConfig jazz