Low end computers...My rant.

[SectorNine50]

No matter what happens, graphics are going to get better and better and the requirements are going to get higher and higher.

EVE Online's Premium Graphics is already using Shader Model 3.0, they decided to upgrade the "Classic Graphics" using Shader Model 2.0 so that laptops can still play.  In the future the game will shift completely to Shader Model 3.0 which will render my desktop useless, but understand that this is inevitable.

The graphics requirements of EVE Online are far higher than this game, the reason you don't notice it as much if your FPS drops is because it's not "twitch based."

Anyway, all I'm saying is expect things to need to be replaced and upgraded.  Your paying monthly for a game (instead of just once and you keep it) so it's going to evolve, if you can't afford to upgrade (I know I certainly can't right now) then there isn't much you can do.

[Wingnutt]

About 2 years ago I bought a new computer with plenty of memory, hard drive, blah blah.  Put a higher end video card (factory of course had an onboard) and was doing very well.  Then, lightning hit the tower that my broadband was on.  They tried to fix it for about a week, then decided that they didn't make enough income off the people who were on that tower and decided to decommission it.  That was the only broadband in my area, and still is.  I now play the game with a sprint card, which is only slightly better than dial up.

My point--

Sometimes it is not the CPU one has, but what one has to connect it with HTC.  Should I move?  My kids really like their school and friends, but sometimes eye candy is more important I guess.

graphics don't have en effect on your internet ping/lag, just because it looks prettier on the user ends doesent mean it needs more data being sent to the server to keep track of you.

[AKDogg]

graphics don't have en effect on your internet ping/lag, just because it looks prettier on the user ends doesent mean it needs more data being sent to the server to keep track of you.

Yes and no.  If the computer can't process the graphics well enough/fast enough, it can create lag.  Won't effect ping time, just lag as the information from the internet has to wait for the processor to finish processing everything else that was ahead of it. To put it in simple terms for the computer illiterate people, there is a waiting line and as we know, when in a line, u have to wait ur turn.  Now give it that the new computers have 2,3 and even 4 cores (processors), things can be done alot quicker or at sametime.

[Wingnutt]

Yes and no.  If the computer can't process the graphics well enough/fast enough, it can create lag.  Won't effect ping time, just lag as the information from the internet has to wait for the processor to finish processing everything else that was ahead of it. To put it in simple terms for the computer illiterate people, there is a waiting line and as we know, when in a line, u have to wait ur turn.  Now give it that the new computers have 2,3 and even 4 cores (processors), things can be done alot quicker or at sametime.

right  right,  but what dunrite was getting at was that if the game's graphics get upgraded his current internet connection will no longer be sufficient, asserting that better graphics = more bandwidth which is not the case.

[Bruv119]

i'm going to selfishly stand with the I want more eye candy brigade.   

I know it's morally wrong for the poor guy not being able to play etc but I can't wait to see the new update with the water and terrain and  some nice explosions fire effects.  they are what 6 years old?

Its time to get with the programme and quite literally blow all the competition out of the water,  we know AH is best but it will be fantastic to see that it looks best too   

[Speed55]

2 dollars aday and you can build a brand new top end system...far less if your computer is upgradable....

Better yet, make it 1 dollar a day for 3 years, and you have $1095 to build an entirely new system from scratch, which like you said most likely won't be needed if you can upgrade individual components.

[Crash Orange]

What is the heart of what makes AH2 fun, the cool, state-of-the-art graphics or the other players?

Take care of what's most important first, and worry about everything else only to the extent it doesn't interfere with what's really important.

Too many businesses ignore this truth at their peril.  

Also, this newestlatestbiggestfastestbes test regardless of whether you really need it mentality is what's gotten this country in debt up to its eyeballs and in such a horrible mess these days.   It's called "planned obsolescence" and most consumers used to be intelligent enough to dislike it. Moore's Law says processing power will double every 18 months, but Crash's corollary is that 99% of that improvement will be wasted on useless chrome and you'll need all the extra power just to do the same things you did before without a degradation in performance. Suckers.  

[gpwurzel]

To an extent I'd agree with that Crash - whilst I have a machine that will run AH maxed out, its the people in the game that keep me coming back - so I wouldnt like to see them leave due to not being able to upgrade.

Progress however is inevitable, and the expectation that a 5 year old machine that is creaking along running the game currently will be able to do so indefinitely is unfortunately incorrect.

Basically, i'd love to see new graphics (planes, scenery, water whatever), but would also like to see the people remain ingame. I'm so glad thats not my decision, so c'mon guys, leave it to HTC to decide.


<S>

Wurzel

[Sonicblu]

I can't afford a new system so my wife volunteered to sell herself on the streets so I can keep playing.

I owe my own bussiness and it has been very tough latley. If I can't afford it I just won't play. I agree just don't whine about it. Id like to see the best graphics we can get.

I started 3 yrs ago on a laptop that got an amazing 7fps. We had no additional money for me to build another puter.  So I asked my wife if I could work weekends to make up the difference. So that is what I did. I didn't play for months until I upgraded my system.

S all
 I know it is tough times out there but lets help stimulate the economy by building faster puters and playing AH

[dkff49]

I appreciate your reply. Im the same way with my computer I wont upgrade mine because of other priority's...  ( wife and four children so i understand that end of it) My main point was.....those that  bring it up every time HTC does something or when someone else post a suggestion or something they would like to see....

Also I would think that YES HTC wants to keep currant customers... In my business it takes 3 dollars a customer to keep one and 68 dollars to get a new customer.

Mabye im just out of touch with reality.. but Is it petty to complain about my frame rates and such not do anything about it. and interject it into conversation all the time.  At the same time hope that HTC gives us more candy....



<S>

I get what you are saying about expecting people to stop whining when they have means to fix the problem themselves and in no way do I or most peopleexpect HT to hold things up and potentially harm their business to keep things playable for us. Each person needs to decide for themselves what is the right measurewhether it be stop playing or get upgrades to system.

As far as people posting about the future graphic upgrades by HT I feel that asking how it was going to effect the lower end guys was a legit question, one I was certainly interested to get an answer to. I may have jumped the gun on you a little at first but every time someone asked the question some soul would jump in and attempt to explain again about how HT needs to make the game grow. This started to get on my nerves a little and to me was similaar to someone talking down their nose to those asking a legit question. I myself understood that concept from the begining and I am sure that almost everyone else did after the first 10 times someone tried to explain it again. Now I could have let the thread go but I kept reading it to see if HT would respond back with an answer,which he did do in a different thread, thankfully.


I appologize if I came off a little hard, I really meant nothing personal.

Sonic how much she charge and how far can I go.

[ColKLink]

So what your saying is, .........if I bought my computer in 2000........it's old?????? Geezzz......

[Anodizer]

If one does not have the disposable income to spend at least $200-$300 on a new/upgraded system, perhaps it would be logical to spend those
$15.00 elsewhere..   
To be honest, I've been on here when times where tight and I have a wife and two kids(one kid at the time)..  However, as I told my wife, she needs to pick one addiction
I can have whether it be AH, Heroin, Coke, booze, women, whatever..  I must have that one thing that is all mine and no one can take away and any tools used to maintain that
addiction must be maintained as well..  The kids be damned, let 'em eat bagged cereal and boxed mac-n-cheese 3 times a day..  I need my AH!!!
Perhaps it's a personality flaw...??  





























My attempt at humor...  Forgive me if this was in bad taste...

[Max]

Bad taste doesn't begin to describe that image.

[ScatterFire]

I've gone blind......

[RTHolmes]

Crash's corollary is that 99% of that improvement will be wasted on useless chrome and you'll need all the extra power just to do the same things you did before without a degradation in performance.

Crash's corollary nice