Major changes in graphics rendering to improve performance and appearance...
Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:19 pm
Due to some performance issues occuring on older/slower systems (which have, ironically, resurfaced in Windows Vista on fast systems), I have been reworking much of the rendering system used in AC and EA 2.0. Symptoms of these performance problems include the mouse pointer gradually slowing down in response to input, very low framerates when a lot of text is on the screen, and some non-performance related problems such as misaligned console/menu options in certain resolutions. To resolve these problems, I am in the process of removing the existing 2D text/graphics system and introducing a new 3D rendering system for such graphics (so virtually all graphics will be rendered as part of the 3D scene, no more layering with 2D and 3D graphics). This is a major project and it has consumed much of my coding time over the last several weeks. But the end result has proven to be very effective at resolving these problems. I'll review an outline of the changes below along with a timeline for when the new system will be adopted by each game.
The dedicated server program for EA 2.0 was the first to receive an update to use the new 3D system. Since it's release, it has performed far better than the 2D version (up 300% or more on some systems) and I've received positive feedback on the appearance of the new 'futuristic' font used. There is a softening of the edges of the text, due to the 3D rendering, but this has received more positive feedback than negative... most players seem to prefer the new softer appearance since it's less pixelated and is now subject to custom rendering settings such as anisotropic filtering and anti-aliasing.
The next to receive the update was Arvoch Conflict. Version 1.428 is available for download now and this update will likely go 'live' in about a week or two. Performance gains have also been extremely positive, often 300% or better on some systems. It may not cure all performance problems on all systems, but it has helped significantly on systems with limited video memory, slow/old 3D video systems, and/or slow/old CPU's. Menu options now also align much better in all tested resolutions.
The next to receive the update is Evochron Alliance 2.0. The process will likely take some time, but will hopefully be ready within a few weeks. The change will likely resolve console alignment problems (navigation entry fields for example) and performance problems at the same time.
Now to answer a few quick (somewhat common) concerns:
Compatibility? Yes, the new versions of the games are just as compatible as before. They will still be compatible with Windows 98 (currently more widely used than Vista anyway), XP, and Vista.
System requirements? The changes will not increase system requirements. If anything, the games will now run on slower systems that may have struggled with them before.
Change in appearance? Yes, the new font is different than the 'Arial' font used before. It's now more futuristic looking and is rendering in 3D. The edges of the text are softened and may blur substantially in lower resolutions. So it is recommended that the games be played in at least 1024X768 or higher resolution (which apparently about 98% or more of you already do). Lower resolutions will still work just fine, but the text quality may be lower. Text is now rendered as part of the 3D scene, you can apply display settings in your device's control panel to enhance the appearance of text in the same way you can enhance the appearance of the scene overall as desired.
The dedicated server program for EA 2.0 was the first to receive an update to use the new 3D system. Since it's release, it has performed far better than the 2D version (up 300% or more on some systems) and I've received positive feedback on the appearance of the new 'futuristic' font used. There is a softening of the edges of the text, due to the 3D rendering, but this has received more positive feedback than negative... most players seem to prefer the new softer appearance since it's less pixelated and is now subject to custom rendering settings such as anisotropic filtering and anti-aliasing.
The next to receive the update was Arvoch Conflict. Version 1.428 is available for download now and this update will likely go 'live' in about a week or two. Performance gains have also been extremely positive, often 300% or better on some systems. It may not cure all performance problems on all systems, but it has helped significantly on systems with limited video memory, slow/old 3D video systems, and/or slow/old CPU's. Menu options now also align much better in all tested resolutions.
The next to receive the update is Evochron Alliance 2.0. The process will likely take some time, but will hopefully be ready within a few weeks. The change will likely resolve console alignment problems (navigation entry fields for example) and performance problems at the same time.
Now to answer a few quick (somewhat common) concerns:
Compatibility? Yes, the new versions of the games are just as compatible as before. They will still be compatible with Windows 98 (currently more widely used than Vista anyway), XP, and Vista.
System requirements? The changes will not increase system requirements. If anything, the games will now run on slower systems that may have struggled with them before.
Change in appearance? Yes, the new font is different than the 'Arial' font used before. It's now more futuristic looking and is rendering in 3D. The edges of the text are softened and may blur substantially in lower resolutions. So it is recommended that the games be played in at least 1024X768 or higher resolution (which apparently about 98% or more of you already do). Lower resolutions will still work just fine, but the text quality may be lower. Text is now rendered as part of the 3D scene, you can apply display settings in your device's control panel to enhance the appearance of text in the same way you can enhance the appearance of the scene overall as desired.
