Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: monteman on May 24, 2009, 04:12:13 pm

Title: How to maximize graphics?
Post by: monteman on May 24, 2009, 04:12:13 pm

Hello everyone  :)

I am new to the community (FSO) but not new to FS. I have played FS when it originally came out both 1 and 2. I was feeling nostalgic the other day and wanted to test FS2 on Win 7 x64 RC so I wiped off the CD's and installed it. With no issues I simply wanted to update the version and stumbled across this site. Wow am I glad I did. I just installed the FSO 3_6_10 RC2 and my current rig is infinitely better then the old pentium I played the original on so I wanted to maximize the graphics.

My question is in this new launcher there are some options I am confused about to maximize the graphics.

I understand D3D 32 bit mode is unstable? Is there a known reason for this?
What under the graphics settings actually makes it worse? ie "disable motion debris" or "stops fog intersect hull" or how about "use specular alpha for env mapping" listed under experimental.

I am running 1680x1050 32 bit trilinear 16x 16x hi res pack but it doesn't seem that much better if at all then when I played it many years ago. Or do I just have a bad memory? lol

Is 60 fps the max? I never get more or less...

Sorry for all the questions I tired the search but I really couldn't narrow much down.

Cheers!

Title: Re: How to maximize graphics?
Post by: General Battuta on May 24, 2009, 04:14:26 pm

Heheheheheh. You're in for a shock.

1. You can't run in D3D anymore. In fact, it's a lie: when you select D3D it's just running in OpenGL. OpenGL is quite stable.

2. You don't have any of the graphical upgrades yet. Go to the Freespace Upgrade Project forum, download all the MediaVPs (MV_Complete), place MV_complete in a folder in your FS2 directory called 'mediavps', and select that folder as a mod in the launcher.

Check everything under 'graphics' in the launcher except for disable scale to windows for movies, I believe.

Title: Re: How to maximize graphics?
Post by: Spoon on May 24, 2009, 04:15:44 pm

If you disable Vsync the frame rate will be up to 120

Title: Re: How to maximize graphics?
Post by: General Battuta on May 24, 2009, 04:18:01 pm

Yes, but that's not noticeably different from 60, and it can lead to some disorienting framerate changes. Better to lock it at 60, in my personal opinion.

Title: Re: How to maximize graphics?
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on May 24, 2009, 04:19:36 pm

How to get the most graphics-wise out of FSO (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,53294.0.html)

Title: Re: How to maximize graphics?
Post by: Wanderer on May 24, 2009, 04:23:46 pm

Also try using your graphics cards direct settings for AA & AF instead of using the ones found from the launcher.

Title: Re: How to maximize graphics?
Post by: monteman on May 24, 2009, 04:34:33 pm

Wow quick responses!

Thank you all.

I had RC1 and 3_6_9 - so I can remove all of them from the folder now and just replace them with the new stuff.

Gonna go play with the insane amount of content packs now... Babylon 5 ... man I loved that show! :)

Thanks again!