Patch 82

[Bruv119]

beautiful screenshots Blade!   

[Puck]

So you could not download the full release of "Patch 82", but you could download the full release of "Patch 81"?  As they are both just files, I have no answer as to why you could download one and not the other.  There is no logic to it.

What video card does your computer have in it (manufacturer nvidia or ati? model? amount of physical video ram?)?

I hear that, SCSI!  No idea why one wouldn't work (in or out of game, two different machines/OSs/etc) other than I ended up rebooting my DSL modem last night, which is a common point of failure.  Fixed the firewall rules so I can traceroute to HTC while I was at it, but none of the intervening hops respond well to ICMP.

I'll get a DXDIAG when I get home, but it's not a game machine.  Optiplex 9010 mini with a 1G Radeon card, 16GB RAM, and a pair of SSDs (one for the OS, one for data/games).  Screaming fast with AH2, pretty slow with AH3.  No way to put a better video card in; the power supply would whine and there's not a lot of space in there.  I haven't done a ton of AH3 testing simply because it's a bit painful to run it.

[hitech]

Thanks, I'll do a clean install tonight and see if that fixes it.

Nope. Using a clean Full install of Alpha p82 on dxdiag.

The TE (and OE) reports patch 82.

I didn't try the TG waypoints tonight.

Easy will you unzip this dll file into your alpha folder? And then test the roads/beaches again?

I suspect you may have a slightly older version of Directx and the compile of a shader is failing. I some how messed up shipping the compiled version.

HiTech

[Ratsy]

Capture the Flag arena.  Base A8.

Launched from RWY 9, flew left base, landed RWY 27.  Taxied to rearm pad at the left end of 27.  Killed the engine and tried to end sortie.  "You must be stopped to end sortie."  Restarted engine, taxied out to the runway and shut down again.  Can't seem to exit the sortie.  Went to external view and took this screenshot.  It appears that the aircraft might be below ground level.

In other news.  Downloads were about the same as Shrike.  PDQ. 

With everything but shadows turned on I was looking at 60-80 FPS in all regimes.

I still can't get over the improvements to to the graphics.  I see more detail, not less, over time.  I hope I never get used to it.

Still testing.

 

[Easyscor]

Easy will you unzip this dll file into your alpha folder? And then test the roads/beaches again?

I suspect you may have a slightly older version of Directx and the compile of a shader is failing. I some how messed up shipping the compiled version.

HiTech

That didn't work either but here's what I have:
That shows as D3DCompiler_43.dll and now I have that plus the D3DX9_43.dll in the C:\Hitech Creations\Aces High Alpha Game folder.

I imagine I wouldn't be having this problem on my gaming rig at home but I was still able to upload the new version of avafinru and it's running in the alpha AvA atm.

[Puck]

If I turn textures back to 1024, disable everything, and run all the sliders to "Wimpy System" I can fly along in my Lavochkin at 29-32 FPS.  That's with nobody else around, but it beats the heck out of 13. 

<opinions deleted>

DxDiag Attached

[Chilli]

Puck,

Thanks for attaching dxdiag.  Try a lower screen resolution.  I believe that will buy you some extra fps.  Also, note that this is alpha and it is good to give this info to HTC.

Don't be discouraged, I get pretty smooth gameplay even when I am getting 20s - 30s fps.

[Greebo]

I have some issues with the alpha skin viewer. The "Diffuse Only" button actually shows the normal map's effects and the "Normal" button appears to show all the effects combined. Currently there is no way of viewing just the diffuse map. I think the "Normal" button should be renamed something like "Combined Effects", calling it normal is confusing given there is a normal map. the "Diffuse Only" button should be renamed to "Normal Only" and a new "Diffuse Only" button added to show just that map.

[Skuzzy]

If I turn textures back to 1024, disable everything, and run all the sliders to "Wimpy System" I can fly along in my Lavochkin at 29-32 FPS.  That's with nobody else around, but it beats the heck out of 13. 

<opinions deleted>

DxDiag Attached

Are you running with Crossfire enabled?  Disable it, if you are.  If you are not running two video cards, then your DirectX installation is corrupt as it thinks you have two 7570 cards.

That video card is just a tick faster than the baseline NVidia 9800GTX card we are using for a minimum video card in the Alpha.  Yes, you need to check all the "disable" options in Options->Graphics Detail, as well as setting the "Environment" slider to "None".

The bandwidth of the video card is below the 9800GTX spec, so you also need to reduce the "Maximum Texture" size to 1024, or so, in the "Video Settings".

[Puck]

Don't be discouraged, I get pretty smooth gameplay even when I am getting 20s - 30s fps.

Heh.  Not even remotely discouraged; there are no bad outcomes here. 

Spent a few minutes earlier in AH2 at a classic furball over some green field; waves of red aircraft with just enough green to keep it more or less even and no shortage of villains upping GVs into a campground.  Nobody trying too hard to bring down any hangers...just prototypical AH gameplay with minimal whining, maximal contact, and in general a good time had by all.

In AH3 that would be nearly impossible; not because of the frame rate, but because of the lighting.  Very realistic, but when you can't see ground targets because of sun flare on the edge of your armored glass, or the contrast is so high a large airfield is invisible at 10k, the visuals distract from the intent.  There was no way to see field ack unless it was shooting at you; I did manage to find one gun on the ground during a strafing run, and that was mostly luck.  The lighting rocks...until you try to play the game in it.  Granted some of that might have been my "everything at minimum" graphic settings, but when I can't see anything for the sunlight reflecting on scratches in the canopy it's great for the realism, not so great for an air combat game.  It's the eye-candy equivalent to making people adjust all six controls needed to properly change throttle on an La5FN; realism at the expense of game play.  Hence the deleted opinion; my guess is that decision was made a couple years before the alpha release.
 
Utterly phenomenal what they've managed to do with the graphics.  That'll put a cork in some of the squeakers.

Skuzzy, it is a dual monitor card, and I'm running dual monitors (I actually have four, but only plugged two into this machine).  Max Texture is 1024, frame rate is acceptable at this point, but as you say, minimal graphics for the new engine.

<edit>
     For a native Angrish speaker sometimes my grammar is so bad I wonder if I'm translating from German (or worse; Russian)
     <re-edit>
          Never mind.  I just remembered HiTech.  At least I SPEAK Angrish...   
     </re-edit>
</edit>

[hitech]

I have some issues with the alpha skin viewer. The "Diffuse Only" button actually shows the normal map's effects and the "Normal" button appears to show all the effects combined. Currently there is no way of viewing just the diffuse map. I think the "Normal" button should be renamed something like "Combined Effects", calling it normal is confusing given there is a normal map. the "Diffuse Only" button should be renamed to "Normal Only" and a new "Diffuse Only" button added to show just that map.

Changed Normal to All Lighting ,added a No Lighting to display the diffuse texture only.

HiTech

[BowHTR]

Im recieving an error when trying to update to Patch 82 from Patch 81. Im trying to use the download link in the other thread. When trying to use the auto downloader through the game, it says its going to take up to 30mins.

Screenshot:
http://files.blackwidows.co/data/public/7f8eb0

[Skuzzy]

Im recieving an error when trying to update to Patch 82 from Patch 81. Im trying to use the download link in the other thread. When trying to use the auto downloader through the game, it says its going to take up to 30mins.

Screenshot:
http://files.blackwidows.co/data/public/7f8eb0

What version is actually showing in the game you are running?  It sounds like you are on "Patch 80" as the patch from 80 to 81 was about 140MB.  The 81 to 82 patch is pretty small.

[Greebo]

Changed Normal to All Lighting ,added a No Lighting to display the diffuse texture only.

HiTech

Thanks for that, that will be a lot clearer. I'm assuming you also changed the current diffuse button to "Normal Only" but forgot to mention it.

BTW did you see my other skin viewer-related post in the Skinner Team forum?

[BowHTR]

What version is actually showing in the game you are running?  It sounds like you are on "Patch 80" as the patch from 80 to 81 was about 140MB.  The 81 to 82 patch is pretty small.

That was it! Apparently I wasnt paying attention! Thanks!