Idea to improve lag and lower spec for massive MP

[Orda Khan]

I know they are 2D and IMO that is all that was needed to be said but without the eye test add on

.....Orda

[Aelwyn]

Unrelated, but I also noticed since the patch that when I close out of M2TW the process sometimes still runs in the background. In task manager medieval2.exe is running using about 90-100 k of memory. So I think there are some memory issues, not sure if this same type of error is occuring in MP, with memory not being properly released...or however you want to word it.

[sapi]

Back to the topic at hand (and orda, i'm sorry if i offended you, but the issue seems rather obvious to me), it'd seem to me that something along the lines of the 'desyncronise animations' option in reverse could be useful - drop out all the individual fighting that goes on during the 3d rendering and replace it with just a group fighting animation like in the earlier games.

To be honest, i'm not sure how much it would help, but it couldn't hurt, and serious mp players wouldnt' mind the loss of graphics, because, as has been said, games aren't played zoomed in anyway.

Another way to go would be to completely iconise the map (like in the upcoming supreme commander's tac map view) but it think that would go too far for many players

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

I am puzzled about the lag.

To be honest, when looking from far, there is really nothing great about MTW2 graphics, whether it's 2D or 3D, or nothing that shiny that makes it so much better than VI.



That's usually what I see when I wander above the battlefield.






If that is difficult to display, then, really...

My game gets laggy at 3v3 normal size, powerpoint slideshow at 4v4.

Louis,

[Brighdaasa]

I personally don't think the lag is a gfx problem. Even playing the demo i noticed that like 4k men on the battlefield standing still is rendering without much problems on the highest settings on my higher mid range pc, but when they're moving or fighting the game turned into a slide show. Which to me suggest that it's a cpu problem (probably what they announced as individual soldier ai straining your cpu, or pathfinding or unit cohesion). That coupled with obviously sloppy network protocols and multiplayer optimization code, would cause the lag. I have to admit that i don't know if the lag persists in lan battles.

I'm fairly sure it's not graphics lag, but either cpu or networking protocols lag. Which is just plain wrong of CA to release a game in such a state. CA can come and prove me wrong in this any time, but it's not your hardware that's causing lag, it's bad programming.

[ElmarkOFear]

Louis is right. After zooming out to the level necessary for MP play, there isn't much difference in the graphics. I have been saying that ever since RTW, and it is one of the reasons I could never understand why RTW MP players thought RTW to be superior to MTW/VI, nor why SP campaign players liked the battle better, since to look at the battle close-up, you lost the ability to manage your army. I guess the judicious use of the PAUSE button was what made it playable.

[ElmarkOFear]

Oh: Puzz: When do you guys play Samurai Wars (in Eastern Standard Time)? Also, how many are currently playing it regularly?

Lastly, I wonder if there would be enough interest in an MTW Shogun MP campaign? I always wanted to give that one another shot, since I am now more familiar with making the map and have a streamlined set of rules.

[sapi]

Louis is right. After zooming out to the level necessary for MP play, there isn't much difference in the graphics. I have been saying that ever since RTW, and it is one of the reasons I could never understand why RTW MP players thought RTW to be superior to MTW/VI, nor why SP campaign players liked the battle better, since to look at the battle close-up, you lost the ability to manage your army. I guess the judicious use of the PAUSE button was what made it playable.

I find that if you have situational awareness you rarely need to zoom out to view the battle fully.

I only play sp, so there is a difference, but i've never had to use the mini-map (and i have it hidden)