performance

Hi, I'm running a slightly older computer and weaker graph card.  What settings should I choose to best speed up the game?

 

Also, I tried running the tutorial but it pauses every three seconds (breaking the speech) and is driving me nuts... anything I can do about that?

3,219 views 5 replies
Reply #1 Top

Please open your debug.err file in notepad, and copy/paste the contents into a post here. This will give us some technical information that can help troubleshoot your problem. The location you'll find the debug.err in varies depending on which game you're playing:

Dread Lords: My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2
Dark Avatar: My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar
Twilight of the Arnor: My Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor

Reply #2 Top

Debug Message:  Version v1.80g Dark Avatar last updated on: Wed Dec 19 15:10:23 2007
Debug Message:  Checking DX Version.
Debug Message:  *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 5/1/2009, 17:09:40
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: S_G_C
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
System Model: Dimension 4600              
BIOS: Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A03
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Physical Memory: 1024MB RAM
Page File: 401MB used, 2061MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: NVIDIA GeForce 6200
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip Type: GeForce 6200
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0221&SUBSYS_21521682&REV_A1
Display Memory: 256.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution: 1600,1200
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.8265
Driver Date: 7/24/2006 22:33:08
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes
 


Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: SoundMAX Digital Audio
Default Sound Playback
Default Voice Playback
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_24D5&SUBSYS_01551028&REV_02
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: smwdm.sys
Provider: Analog Devices
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.3555
Driver Date: 2/28/2003 09:17:18
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
 


Debug Message:  *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message:  Entering WinMain
Debug Message:  ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message:  Going Fullscreen
Debug Message:  Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message:  Using hardware vertex processing
Debug Message:  Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_4_SAMPLES
Debug Message:  Attempting to create D3DDevice at resolution 1024 x 768, Windowed: 0, Multisample: 4
Debug Message:  Game Resolution: 1024 x 768
Debug Message:  Running fullscreen.
Debug Message:  HAL (hw vp): NVIDIA GeForce 6200
Debug Message:  D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message:  Refresh rate: 60
Debug Message:  Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message:  *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message:  A full-color cursor is supported in hardware at high resolution modes.
Debug Message:  RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message:  Now Fullscreen
Debug Message:  Shell initialization complete
Debug Message:  GalCiv2 is activated.
Debug Message:  ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message:  Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message:  Initializing sound card.
Debug Message:  initailizing bink
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask Movies\techs\*.bik
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Sean G Carroll\My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar\Gfx\Movies\*.bik
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Sean G Carroll\My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar\sfx\*.wav
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Sean G Carroll\My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar\Music\*.mp3
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Sean G Carroll\My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar\Event Music\*.mp3
Debug Message:  Create setup screens.
Debug Message:  Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message:  Clear influence.
Debug Message:  Clear up laws.
Debug Message:  Clear first time events.
Debug Message:  Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message:  Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message:  Set mouse.
Debug Message:  Set update timer.
Debug Message:  Clear data definitions.
Debug Message:  Killing ship styles:
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Sean G Carroll\My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar\ships\*.xml
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Sean G Carroll\My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar\shiptemplates\*.xml
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Sean G Carroll\My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar\ShipStyles\*.xml
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask ./Data/\FleetFormations\*.fleet
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask Gfx\Planets\C0*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/1SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/1SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/1SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/1SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/2SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/2SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/2SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/2SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/3SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/3SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/3SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/3SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/4SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/4SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/4SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/4SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Sean G Carroll\My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar\ships\*.shipcfg
Debug Message:  Reading Star Names
Debug Message:  Reading Star Names... Done
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask ./Data/English/Tutorials/*.xml
Debug Message:  Error loading mission 16 from C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2/./Data/English/Campaigns/Dread Lords Campaign.gc2campaign
Debug Message:  TitleWnd: Quit Button.
Debug Message:  Posting WM_CLOSE message.
Debug Message:  WM_CLOSE message received.
Debug Message:  GameUninitialize start
Debug Message:  Killing Galaxy
Debug Message:  Killing threads.
Debug Message:  Kiling civs.
Debug Message:  Killing ships.
Debug Message:  Killing rallypoints.
Debug Message:  Killing misc objects.
Debug Message:  Killing stars.
Debug Message:  Killing anomalies.
Debug Message:  Killing asteroid fields.
Debug Message:  Killing asteroid field mining bases.
Debug Message:  Killing space resources.
Debug Message:  Killing colonies and planets.
Debug Message:  killing scenario.
Debug Message:  Clearing Turn Event Log
Debug Message:  Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message:  Clear influence.
Debug Message:  Clear up laws.
Debug Message:  Clear first time events.
Debug Message:  Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message:  Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message:  Clear data definitions.
Debug Message:  Killing ship styles:
Debug Message:  Killing Galaxy: Completed
Debug Message:  Shutting down sound system.
Debug Message:  Clearing sound and music handles.
Debug Message:  GameUninitialize end
Debug Message:  Device not cleared. 1 counts left.
Debug Message:  D3D not cleared. 1 counts left.
Debug Message:  Destroying Window.
Debug Message:  Main Shell terminating normally

Reply #3 Top

Turning off Antialiasing/setting Multisample to 0 should solve the video issue and boost your framerate a fair bit. Low end cards like that are not really well suited for doing AA at all.

Reply #4 Top

4XAA on a 6200, ouchie!