Game Guides Archive
Thread: Graphics Options Guide
Karquile
Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:18 am
#27
I know what you are trying to tell us Erebor, but no matter how many settings you've tweaked, the question remains this: Does your hard drive access LED light up (and/or do you hear the sound of your hard drive being accessed) when your SWG lags? If it does, that's your problem - see my recommended fixes above.
Atobusarragra
Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:19 am
#28
Tiggs,
Can we have a printable version of this made please?
Ato
MajorXP
Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:28 am
#32
xUnkarNokataki wrote:
Good Guide, but still I don't know why I can't move the Brightness/Contrast/Gamma slider... I have a GF FX 5200 64Mb with 512 DDR, any idea? :/
because you are running in windowed mode
Starx
Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:59 am
#33
Sorry, but the official guide needs better descriptions.
SWG loves a fast CPU as well. I recently upgraded to a 3.4GHz P4, and using my old graphics card I was able to crank up the resolution and the detail. I didn't expect to be able to do this until I upgraded my graphics card, I'm still using a GeForce 2 Ultra. 
Bermag
Tue Nov 16, 2004 10:38 am
#34
Sorry to say it, but I think this guide is pretty useless. Why describe how to pull the slider on every description and not describe what each option do to performance etc? That is not much more information than the online help
DeQuosaek
Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:28 pm
#35
Check out the link I posted in my post up there...
Bermag wrote:
Sorry to say it, but I think this guide is pretty useless. Why describe how to pull the slider on every description and not describe what each option do to performance etc? That is not much more information than the online help
I expanded on some of their descriptions for everyone. (I hope they don't mind too much)
Message Edited by DeQuosaek on 11-16-2004 11:35 AM
DeQuosaek
Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:33 pm
#36
Thanks for the tips. I upgraded my system to a RAID-0 array (2x WD 120GBSE) a while ago to try and improve performance, but one key thing I didn't do is install Windows on a separate disk. So you recommend having SWG and the Windows swap file on the RAIDed drives and the operating system on a separate drive? That should do the trick. Reformat time.
aradz wrote:
I will tell you right now, that I RARELY if EVER have lag problems, other than delayed server commands. The game runs smooth as silk, usually 25+FPS, and I'm running at 1280x1024. How you ask?
Simple, I run it on the fastest set of hard drives I have available to it.
DeQuosaek
Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:15 pm
#37
I hope I don't get into too much trouble for copying and editing the page, but take a look at this if you want to see a more detailed description of things. It's crude and doesn't fit the frame as well as the original, but it's a little more descriptive. I suppose I could have expanded the definitions below like they did, but I agree that it needs a little more depth.
WolfwoodCross wrote:
Forgive me if I come across as brash, for that is not my intent. I do however have to say that I did not find the guide terribly helpful. It simply does not have the information I need to make an educated decision about my graphic options.
For example - the World Detail Bias section simply states "World Detail Bias(slider): Static Object Details(buildings, POIs, etc)." It tells me which button moves the slider, and how to move it to the left and the right. However, it does not tell me why I need to do this.
Another good example is the simple graphics options of brightness, contrast, and gamma. The guide tells me that the sliders increase/decrease these values, and how to do so, but it does not tell me what these values control. The lamen's description of howand why everything works is what is needed for this to be a complete guide.
Assume your reader has no knowledge of computer graphics whatsoever, as I would believe that is the audience your guide is targetting in the first place.
DeQuosaek
Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:25 pm
#38
Erebor wrote:
I am trying to tell you guys, SWG is not the only online game I play... also in SWG my ping is almost always lower than 20.... it is not about my connection nor my computer or SWGs settings, I only run SWG, heck when I play I even reduce windows' resolution to 640x480 with 8bit colors (I know its crazy), but still nada... I have even tried third party memory clearing and Harddrive programs, nada... alt+tab, ctrl+alt+del and check my memory and cpu enough memory and Cpu resources... I major in CSI and I become so good at tweaking to get better performance I can write an A+ paper on but still there is that lag haunting me...
I hear ya, but you're only gonna squeeze so much out of a 2GHz processor and the 64M GeForce card. Is it a GeForce MX by any chance? If it is, then that is probably the weak link that is killing your performance. What you are experiencing is not really lag, but more like graphical choppiness from an outdated video card that cannot keep up with the amount of rendering and detail that SWG is throwing at it. Just because you meet the minimum requirements for the game that does not guarantee the game will run smoothly.
If you have a GeForce 4Ti (Titanium)then the problem may be something else, but many gamers buy a GeForce 4 MX thinking it is a GeForce 4 and must be good, but the MX line of cards are very very low-end and are actually based on the GeForce 2 line of video cards. (and pretty much a shameless ploy by nVidia to trick their customers)