[Pyro MX]

Hi,

I recently changed my computer, it's a AMD64 3400+ with an on-board Geforce 6150 LE video card.

I installed FS2 (retail version), upraded it to v1.2 then I downloaded FS2-Open 3.6.7, P4/AMD optimised. However, even if I have all the media VPs (in a mediavps folder), the patches (except patch 3) and that I have checked all the features, no improvements seems to have taken place in game. The menus are all pixelated and no noticeable upgraded visual effects are there (I saw FS2 Open on an another computer before, and I remember it was looking way better).

I even tryed the standard non-P4 optimized build and it changed nothing. By the way, I only have the choice between DirectX8, DirectX5 and OpenG. DirectX5 doesn't work and DirectX9/OpenGL are pretty much the same. But I have Direct 9.0c. Odd isn't it?

Now I ask, could it be that the onboard video card I have doesn't support the features in FSOpen? Or it's just odd and I should give up finding the problem (like I'm pretty much screwed up)?

Here are some screenies...

[Mars]

This is a really unhelpful thing to say... but have you the latest drivers?

Is your hardware acceleration turned up?

[Pyro MX]

Yes, I have the latest NVidia drivers, and yes, hardware acceleration is turned on.

[Mars]

Then screw it and buy a Radeon 

Good luck. 

[neoterran]

you have to load the mediavps folder as a mod in order to get the effects.

In other campaigns, such as say, Derelict, you need a mod.ini that loads the mediavps in the secondrylist and then you load Derelect as the mod and it will also load the mediavps.

Besides, you should be using 3.6.8 Zeta + the alpha patches in the thread (the latest ones) and the most recent build from CVS, not 3.6.7 which is way out of date now and will have problems with the latest builds.

Also, you should be running the latest launcher (at least launcher 5.4, not 5.3 it's very buggy) and you should ALWAYS run in OpenGL, not DirectX, which isn't really supported anymore and it doesn't look or perform anywhere near as good.

[Pyro MX]

Well uh I'll try to load the mediavps folder as a mod first (I don't think I know how, I'll try to figure it out... cant be too difficult lol).

"you should ALWAYS run in OpenGL, not DirectX, which isn't really supported anymore and it doesn't look or perform anywhere near as good."

I tryed OpenGl, but the refresh rate is horrible - not mentionning the scanlines.

I'll try out the CVS builds and new patches too. (altho I don't know how to use this either. A little help would be nice lol)

I won't get an ATI, I have Linux on my computer (I dual boot with windows is only for my scanner and my games).

[neoterran]

Downloads

You'll need to two things to get FS2_Open working.

Launcher v5.4
FS2_Open 3.6.9 Release Candidate 5 (actually use the latest CVS, since RC5 has a shield problem)

This stuff is optional but if you don't have it you'll not get the prettier graphics and models I told you about.
(these are the patches to the 3.6.8zeta mediavps)

http://fs2source.warpcore.org/mediavp/mp-710_adveffects.rar
http://fs2source.warpcore.org/mediavp/mp-710_effects.rar
http://fs2source.warpcore.org/mediavp/mp-710_models.rar

(mv_zpack)
(this is the 3.6.8zeta mediavps)

Setting Up

Unpack the first two items to your main FS2 folder. Make a new folder called mediavps and unpack the other stuff in there. You can now follow the instructions here to finish off the setting up.

Have fun

I cut and pasted that from Karajorma's thread posting... you can search for it, not all the links came along 

you can load the mediavps as a mod via the launcher. simply select the mediavps folder in the mod tab.

I don't know what you mean by "scanlines" in OpenGL. Make sure you keep VSYNC "on" in your drivers.

As for the refresh rate, I don't have any refreshrate problems on my computer, on an nvidia 5600 ultra. I usually override the refresh rate to 100hz so my FPS stay up around there most of the time.

[Pyro MX]

Downloaded this:
Optimized Builds
CVS as of 7/21/06

And got Launcher 5.4, but not the test build. I hope I'm all set  ! Well, I got the effects back by loading the mediavps folder, now I'm gonna try the new build. Thx a lot for the help! I'll get back here to tell you the results!

[Pyro MX]

Latest CVs build gave me tons of errors!

[neoterran]

you have to use the 3.6.8Zeta mediavps PLUS the patches with the latest CVS. You're probably trying to use it with the 3.6.7 Mediavps.

[Pyro MX]

Schweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! Now, the only thing that isn't working is smoke. I see black boxes instead of smoke lol!

[neoterran]

  USE THE PATCHES 

[Kon]

Why did you get such a good processor, but such a bad video card?

That said, I think you should be able to run the latest MediaVPs fine, but I wouldn't hold out for the fancy beams or shockwaves. I think everything else has already been said.

[Pyro MX]

USE THE PATCHES

I have the patches don't shout at me!

If you speak of the alpha patches from 3.6.9 RC5 release, I got em. Now I just realized they went into the mediavps folder, not FS2 folder. It fixed the thing

By the way, mv_zpack, which i got right here, came with "mv_effects", which I put in the mediavps folder. But I got also mp-710_adveffects and mp-710_effects on the main FS2 folder. Shoud I delete mv_effects from the mediavps folder?

Everything now works fine. Sorry for being such a pain in the butt. 'Noticed that the cutscenes went back. That's cool! I installed openal for the sounds and it worked. I don't have ambiant music but I hink it's because there's none in the training.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

[neoterran]

You don't have to delete anything, because the patches will load first. But in the future, you might have to remove some vps if there are newer vps that override older ones.. that's generally the rule. Of course, by then, you'll have more instructions on what exactly to do. 

[Pyro MX]

Okay! And hey, the sound works great, even the music.

Whew... t'was a bit bumpy ride, but it worked! Heh last time I tryed SCP, it was in Linux with 3.6.5 and HOTU. It wasn't very successfull lol so I got the full retail version and installed it in Windows.

"Why did you get such a good processor, but such a bad video card?"

Well I didn't buy this computer for gaming. I wanted one where I could do my work on + Red Faction and FreeSpace 2 lol. It's a Compaq (don't remember the model tho). I know that on-board stuff isn't the best, but it does just the right job for me. I still don't have the best refresh rate in-game, but it's not noticeable except on the splash screen so it will be just fine.

I might get a new video card tho, it will free some ram and surely fix that odd GIMP layer mode problem. But that's another story lol!

Thx again for the help, I'll bookmark this !

Edit: I might try the multiplayer soon. If I have any problem with it I'll come in this thread so everything will be in it if I have to install again.