Performance Beta Update Available!

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Erik Rutins
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Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by Erik Rutins »

Hello everyone,

Koisworks has been working hard on an update to improve performance for those of you suffering from lag issues and also to add a variety of other enhancements. We are interested in getting this beta update out to as many of you as possible who are willing to give us some feedback this weekend on whether it resolves your performance issues or not. This will give you new options for texture quality that allowed me in testing here to get Julius Caesar running lightning-fast on a 32Mb GeForce 2MX video card on a 800MHz processor.

Please e-mail me at erikr@matrixgames.com and I will e-mail the update to you. Post here with your feedback on whether the update helps your performance and whether you experience any problems with it. Thanks!

Regards,

- Erik
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC


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z1812
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by z1812 »

Hi Erik,

Wonderful!! My mouse and scrolling issues are repaired. I would not say it is 100% but it is certainly a 95% improvement. Which in my view is excellent. I have tried it at all graphic levels and it works extremely well.

For what it is worth, In my view, you at Matrix Games increase your credibility and reliabilty everytime I deal with you. It is a pleasure to encounter such great customer service.

Thanks Again! I will enjoy the game even more now.

Regards John
pahom
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by pahom »

Hi,

The performance is much improved. The mouse lag is gone. I am glad to see the 1280X1024 resolution was added.

No problems after one battle.

Thanks for the patch!
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HobbesACW
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by HobbesACW »

Thanks for helping me to get it installed Erik. Not too sure what to say about the improvement. It certainly seems less laggy - but not 100% better.

I don't see any new options on the resolution menu though which seems strange.
Am I actually running the new version or imagining things? :)

The .exe and .dll in my JC directory are definitely the new ones (13/05/05).
Chris
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6971grunt
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by 6971grunt »

ORIGINAL: hobbes

Thanks for helping me to get it installed Erik. Not too sure what to say about the improvement. It certainly seems less laggy - but not 100% better.

I don't see any new options on the resolution menu though which seems strange.
Am I actually running the new version or imagining things? :)

The .exe and .dll in my JC directory are definitely the new ones (13/05/05).
Chris
Downloaded the Beta update, but saw little if any difference in preformance. The mouse performed great the first turn, but into the Reaction phase of turn 2 onward I encountered the same slow mouse response. I did notice some imporvement around the Roman flag but when you moved away from the flag is got really laggie. Running a Gateway GeMax 200 on a 1.3 Ghz video - is this the problem?
"Over?! It's not over until we say it's over. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!" John Blutarsky from the Movie "Animal House"
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Erik Rutins
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by Erik Rutins »

Hobbes, Grunt,

On the initial Resolution Configuration screen in the new version, you can choose whether textures are Low, Medium or High. The previous versions were equal to High. Please try Medium and Low with the lowest resolution and color depth (1024 x 768 x 16 bit) that it will allow and let me know your results. Also, be sure to turn off Shadows in the in-game Options to see if that helps.

Keep in mind that the minimum spec listed for Julius Caesar is a 64Mb DirectX 9 compatible video card. Nevertheless, I have it running smoothly here with no mouse lag on the Medium, 1024 x 768 x 16 bit, No Shadows setting with a 800MHz computer with a 32Mb GeForce 2MX card. If I can get it running on that, then more powerful machines should have no problem and anything minimum spec or above should be great.

If you try all of the above and it's still not showing an improvement (and you've confirmed that you installed the new version in the right place and are using it and not the old one), please e-mail me your DxDiag file if you haven't already. Thanks.

Regards,

- Erik
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC


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HobbesACW
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by HobbesACW »

I've tried it on all settings now. I always use the Belgian scenario on turn 2 as a test.
It makes no difference whether I have every setting on high or low the mouse lag is the same - even though I think there is some improvement with this version, especially when there are many units on screen.

The trouble is when using a mouse cursor - like using one's own hand - if it only moves at 85% of the speed you expect it to it just doesn't feel right. Imagine trying to play a game of tennis or golf when your hand only moves at 85% of the speed you expect.
It's like trying to do something underwater.

A cursor should always move at the same speed as it's what we are all used to - whether in a game, email, web site etc.
I don't understand why, if I am not attempting to scroll the map - why the cursor should be affected by the game graphics.
It's a static screen. The RTW strategic screen seems to have been programmed in the same way.
I have some problems scrolling the screen in Gary Grigsby's World at War at highest resolution, I undertand why this is - but there is
no problem with cursor speed.

Thanks for your efforts though, could be I will just have to wait for a new PC (Or NVIDIA drivers)
Cheers, Chris






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Erik Rutins
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by Erik Rutins »

Chris,
ORIGINAL: hobbes
The trouble is when using a mouse cursor - like using one's own hand - if it only moves at 85% of the speed you expect it to it just doesn't feel right. Imagine trying to play a game of tennis or golf when your hand only moves at 85% of the speed you expect. It's like trying to do something underwater.

I understand the problem and I can duplicate it here only on a below minimum spec 32Mb Video Card machine and then only if I run it on the High texture setting with the new update. The fact that you are seeing this at all settings does make me wonder if there are other issues at work in your particular configuration.

Regards,

- Erik
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC


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Erik Rutins
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by Erik Rutins »

Hobbes,

Have you posted a DxDiag file for us? I looked around and could not find one for you, but I recall you were having problems with the default nVidia driver installation, which really makes me wonder what's going on in your system. I saw you post your basic hardware specs, which should be more than enough to run this game with no lag.

Regards,

- Erik
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HobbesACW
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by HobbesACW »

Erik, DxDiag just posted to you - I am currently running a beta 76.10 NVIDIA driver to try and get round the problem - as per similar problem in RTW forum. If you want me to try the regular current NVIDIA driver I'll give it a go tomorrow (getting late here)

Thanks
Chris
offbase
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by offbase »

Erik, I returned the msg requesting the beta ... thanks to you, Kiois & Matrix for such diligent, hard work on this!!!
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z1812
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by z1812 »

Hi Erik,

Now that I have been using the fix for a few days i must say that it still sometimes is not so good. My system is a 2.8 p4 with 512 ram and ATI radeon 9000. It still is not working as well as it should. However the "fix" has improved performance.

Regards John
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Erik Rutins
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by Erik Rutins »

John.

Can you be more specific? What situations or battles seem to cause the most issues for you?

Regards,

- Erik
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC


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offbase
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by offbase »

Major improvement, Eric! Way to go! It IS still wavy, jerky and slow, but it WORKS! Also, the mouse problem has improved somewhat. Thank you very much!!!! Whatever you guys did, you're obviously going in the right direction. Please let us know if there will be further improvements ... I will say, though, that so far (the non-working scenario and now beginning the Vercingetorix seige scenario) the bigger ones are somewhat wavy/jerky with the video frames as the screen scrolls, and it seems to move/process a bit slowly, but it IS workable. As long as it performs at least this good the rest of the way through, I can live with it. Thanks again!
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z1812
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by z1812 »

Hi Erik,

At 1024 x 768, 60 frames, and 16 bit, the map is still a bit wavy at times but there is no more stuttering. The mouse lag does occur now and again, but not often. If I go to higher specs the problem is quite pronounced and the map scrolling stutter is evident. Also the mouse returns to its slow and laggy movement.

However with your patch and low settings the game is quite playable. Perhaps there will be more improvement in the future. Thanks for your attention to this problem.

Regards John
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Erik Rutins
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RE: Performance Beta Update Available!

Post by Erik Rutins »

Please note, the official v1.1 Update has been released and can be downloaded from the Games section for Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar. The beta is no longer available. Thanks.

Regards,

- Erik
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC


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For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

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