ATTN: Jeffrey Morris (re performance)

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Author Topic:   ATTN: Jeffrey Morris (re performance)

LocustOfChiron posted 04-10-99 05:01 PM ET
My system is a Pentium 200 with 80 megs of ram. My accelerator, if it matters, is a Creative Labs Voodoo2. Mys system meets the minimum system requirements very nicely. Any ideas?
(previous message)
I am having continuing problems with Alpha Centauri's preformance. The animation runs VERY slowly, even after installing new video drivers and the 3.0 patch. In addition, my primary display does not support 3D acceleration. Is there a way to make the primary display support 3D, or make Alpha Centauri use the secondary display driver?
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS posted 04-10-99 06:14 PM ET
There are various tweaks listed in the readme.txt file to improve performance. I'd start there.
jkm
firaxis games
LocustOfChiron posted 04-11-99 02:27 PM ET
The tweaks in the readme helped, but it still doesn't preform that well. If it helps, this problem did not occur in the demo at all, though it begins well before the 100'th turn in the full game. Anything else?
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS posted 04-11-99 03:16 PM ET
The only other thing I can think of is that you disabled directdraw in the alpha centauri.ini file and then are running the game in 16 bit or higher. Without directdraw enabled, it won't manually switch to 8 bit (the only color depth it will ever use), and running at 16 bit will signifigantly slow it down. Manually switching your desktop 8bit would solve this.
jkm
firaxis games
LocustOfChiron posted 04-13-99 11:01 PM ET
Nope. If this helps, it happens on all install levels. I have one meg of standard vdeo RAM, and my computer is a modified Compaq Presario 9548. Is there any specific hardware or software that might cause this problem?
axe posted 04-14-99 12:16 PM ET
Having only one meg of video ram would hurt too..Nothing really cane be stored in the video ram so it has to recreate it all the time...Which will really slow things down..
Travathian posted 04-14-99 06:58 PM ET
You have 1 meg of onboard video, 80 megs of ram, and a Voodo 2 card, and you wonder why it doesnt work right?
Shoulda bought a Banshee dude, you need more than 1 meg of 2D video memory. I have 4 and it runs somewhat smoothly. Buy a new 2D/3d card and disable your onboard
LocustOfChiron posted 04-19-99 01:57 PM ET
I finally fixed it!!! For anyone else who is having this problem (horrible preformance):
1. Included on the CD is a folder called Alternative Art. Open it.
2. Inside Alternative Art is a folder called Low Res Caviar. Open that.
3. Copy the contents of Low Res Caviar (all of it) into the main Alpha Centauri folder. You will have to tell it to replace the existing files.
4. Watch the preformance increase exponentially.
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Author	Topic: ATTN: Jeffrey Morris (re performance)
LocustOfChiron	posted 04-10-99 05:01 PM ET My system is a Pentium 200 with 80 megs of ram. My accelerator, if it matters, is a Creative Labs Voodoo2. Mys system meets the minimum system requirements very nicely. Any ideas? (previous message) I am having continuing problems with Alpha Centauri's preformance. The animation runs VERY slowly, even after installing new video drivers and the 3.0 patch. In addition, my primary display does not support 3D acceleration. Is there a way to make the primary display support 3D, or make Alpha Centauri use the secondary display driver?
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS	posted 04-10-99 06:14 PM ET There are various tweaks listed in the readme.txt file to improve performance. I'd start there. jkm firaxis games
LocustOfChiron	posted 04-11-99 02:27 PM ET The tweaks in the readme helped, but it still doesn't preform that well. If it helps, this problem did not occur in the demo at all, though it begins well before the 100'th turn in the full game. Anything else?
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS	posted 04-11-99 03:16 PM ET The only other thing I can think of is that you disabled directdraw in the alpha centauri.ini file and then are running the game in 16 bit or higher. Without directdraw enabled, it won't manually switch to 8 bit (the only color depth it will ever use), and running at 16 bit will signifigantly slow it down. Manually switching your desktop 8bit would solve this. jkm firaxis games
LocustOfChiron	posted 04-13-99 11:01 PM ET Nope. If this helps, it happens on all install levels. I have one meg of standard vdeo RAM, and my computer is a modified Compaq Presario 9548. Is there any specific hardware or software that might cause this problem?
axe	posted 04-14-99 12:16 PM ET Having only one meg of video ram would hurt too..Nothing really cane be stored in the video ram so it has to recreate it all the time...Which will really slow things down..
Travathian	posted 04-14-99 06:58 PM ET You have 1 meg of onboard video, 80 megs of ram, and a Voodo 2 card, and you wonder why it doesnt work right? Shoulda bought a Banshee dude, you need more than 1 meg of 2D video memory. I have 4 and it runs somewhat smoothly. Buy a new 2D/3d card and disable your onboard
LocustOfChiron	posted 04-19-99 01:57 PM ET I finally fixed it!!! For anyone else who is having this problem (horrible preformance): 1. Included on the CD is a folder called Alternative Art. Open it. 2. Inside Alternative Art is a folder called Low Res Caviar. Open that. 3. Copy the contents of Low Res Caviar (all of it) into the main Alpha Centauri folder. You will have to tell it to replace the existing files. 4. Watch the preformance increase exponentially.