[DuncanF]

Was wondering what people were using with different video cards and why.  I'm currently running OpenGL on a radeon 9800 pro with the most recent omega drivers, i find it looks better than the D3D, and seems to be more stable with the most recent CVS build.

[karajorma]

I think you'll find that most people who know the SCP well use OpenGL unless a bug forces them to use D3D. I know I certainly do. Haven't even run D3D in nearly 6 months.

[Ferret]

Yeah after installing the Omega drivers they fixed every problem I had with OpenGL, and now it's a billion times better than using Direct 3D.

[taylor]

Some of the textures for the hi-poly asteroids in the MediaVPs aren't power-of-2 so the DDS loader barfs on them.  It didn't used to, but now it does since non-power-of-2 DDS textures were crashing for many people.  I resized the textures I use a long time ago, but I don't remember exactly which ones were causing the problem (I think there were only 2 though).

If you use GIMP or Photoshop (or somthing similar) then you should just be able to open those problem files (they should start with ast*) and resize them to the next power-of-2 dimensions and then it should start working.  Or someone could just post the fixed files (I'll do it if I can figure out which ones it was).

[neoterran]

There are problems for some people with freezing with the most recent builds.

My suggestion is to try using an older build, but you may have to use the 3.6.7 media vps.

If you have issues, you can always temporarily use 3.6.7 release and 3.6.7mediavps until the issues with
the most recent builds have been sorted out; I'm not sure anyone is aware just yet but there are several reports of 'freezing' now in the mediavps thread so i'm sure someone will notice sooner or later.

I found out about this whole project last week and since then i've built a folder with the 2 media vp sets, 3.6.7 patched up and the release and 3.6.8, so no matter what I can play.

[Flipside]

I find specular etc looks a lot nicer on OpenGL, but I have a slight speed difference between the two, Direct3D is smoother than OGL. That's on an NVidia 6600.

[Ferret]

For some reason, when I play the Derelect SCP with voices campaign, it sometimes freezes in mission. I have an Athlon 64 3200+ processor and I am using an optimized build from 3/6/06. It froze also when I used a starndard build.

That's funny, I'm recieving the exact same problem with Derelict, with the exact same processor and the exact same build.
The game like completely locks up doesn't it? And doesn't even let you minimise? It's well weird. But I've managed to play through it now at least.

[DuncanF]

Yeah I had lockup problems like that in general until I switched to using OpenGL, I have yet to lock up and i'm using the 3/6/06 build.

Edit: Oh yeah, and knock on wood.

[starfox]

I too have the same problem with Derelict SCP Edition, the game simply and completely locks up, though this happens only sometimes and more usually under heavy firefight. I'm using Athlon XP 3400 +, wonder if it has any relation to "3200 lockup"

Can't remember if this happened during OGL or D3D though...
 

[bonusbartus]

must be the same problem, I got it too, ati9800xt, AMD3200+ not64....
Using media vps .8  and tried all the latest builds, setting the -nomusic flag fixed it for me in the standard campaign, derelict keeps hanging....
I already opened a bug-thread in mantis..... a while ago

[Flipside]

Odd that the -nomusic tag fixed it though, I'm assuming the error occurs in derelict even with the -nomusic tag?

[bonusbartus]

yep...
but not really fixed, just less lockups...
it's not a memory problem... I've never less than 40mb free....
but still.. I cant finish the last mission from the original campaign and I cant get past a specific mission in derelict due to the lockups

[DuncanF]

Have you tried switching to OpenGl or if you are using that switching to D3D?

[bonusbartus]

just tried, d3d doesnt run very well here... thats why I always use OpenGl, but... same crash..

[CP5670]

I have been using OGL exclusively for the last few months. I was previously only using D3D in the old 9/17 build that had working environmental mapping, but the newer FRED versions save in a format that build can't recognize (but have some newer features I need), so I use newer builds only these days, in which OGL works better than D3D in every way.

[Flipside]

Are you using an AC97 internal card or something? It might actually be the sound settings that are causing the crash? It's just a guess, but I know from experience that X3 doesn't like onboard sound cards, and cuases similar freezes.

[DuncanF]

I personally have a nvidia nforce 2 onboard soundcard, and it has never given me any problems.

[neoterran]

The sound is not the problem for recent lockups. It's not a crash issue where Freespace 2 crashes, it's just that the machine randomly (sometimes after several successful missions) completely locks up, ala freezes. This only happens for me in recent CVS, i've gotten it to occur as far back as november. But it NEVER happens when i'm using the 3.6.7 release builds. I have no idea what could be causing this issue.

[bonusbartus]

I found the problem here, removing the .8 delta version mv_effects.vp did the trick.... I'm going to try and find the exact problem...

btw I have a SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 platinum, with latest drivers, never given me any problems

[DaBrain]

The only advantage D3D has left it Environment Mapping.

ATM I'm really working blindly. I'm adding alpha channels to all textures I work with, but I'm not sure if they'll look right. SoL doesn't work in D3D mode... so I've a problem.

I'd also like to know how Env mapping will look in OpenGL. Will it look different?


I prefer OpenGL atm. It's faster and the shine mapping looks better, but I'd also like to see some more advanced features in the future.