Graphics of Warzone 2100 -- return to old rendering?

[Tiger]

I don't know what sort of graphics WZ2100 used to have (Software Rendering or Direct3d -- either of which my comp can do), but OpenGL is, if you remember me from months ago, an epic fail, thanks to my Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (such a cool sounding name for a horrible graphics card).

Is there any chance of WZ2100 -- with all of its new features -- being released in a build that can be run using software rendering (or whatever the hell ran WZ2100 before the 2.1 build)? Or have you guys stuck yourselves on OpenGL now?

[Raem_Lylar]

I don't know what sort of graphics WZ2100 used to have (Software Rendering or Direct3d -- either of which my comp can do), but OpenGL is, if you remember me from months ago, an epic fail, thanks to my Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (such a cool sounding name for a horrible graphics card).

Is there any chance of WZ2100 -- with all of its new features -- being released in a build that can be run using software rendering (or whatever the hell ran WZ2100 before the 2.1 build)? Or have you guys stuck yourselves on OpenGL now?

I too use Intel Graphics Media Accelerator, but i unlike you experience no slow downs, stutter or lag.

Something else must be causing your problem.
Try buying a new RAM module and using it along side the one your already using for more RAM than you will ever need...

Open and run warzone. Then Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to bring up the task manager, then go to the Performance tab and check your PC's condition. If it looks bad then you most likely will need an additional RAM module.

[HolyDragoon]

I too use Intel Graphics Media Accelerator, but i unlike you experience no slow downs, stutter or lag.

Something else must be causing your problem.
Try buying a new RAM module and using it along side the one your already using for more RAM than you will ever need...

Open and run warzone. Then Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to bring up the task manager, then go to the Performance tab and check your PC's condition. If it looks bad then you most likely will need an additional RAM module.

Same here. Check your ram, I have 512 mb and lag a little, if i'm running FF and IE at the same time. (gotta get a new module, but finding modules for DDR DIMM... arr.)

[EvilGuru]

Is there any chance of WZ2100 -- with all of its new features -- being released in a build that can be run using software rendering (or whatever the hell ran WZ2100 before the 2.1 build)? Or have you guys stuck yourselves on OpenGL now?

The number of people whose hardware does not support OpenGL is at most 0.5% of our userbase. Furthermore, there is a trend towards increased OpenGL in graphics hardware, even integrated chipsets. (This is thanks largely in part to Windows Vista.)

So it would be a misappropriation of developer time to re-write the software renderer and bring it to a usable state. Unless, of course someone else wishes to write one and work on getting it committed. However, this is on none of the current developers roadmaps.

Finally, 2.0 did not use software rendering, it used OpenGL. 2.1 just uses a few more features.

Regards, Freddie.

[Zi-Chan]

I don't know, but isn't the Sense of "GlideWrappers" to make OpenGL useable? I play Diablo 2 with OpenGL (3dfx Glide Wrapper) and it works perfectly - so much better (especially faster) than 3d - with 3d this Game totally lags at me. So somebody could just write a GlideWrapper for Warzone and then you can select it in the Options?

Correct me, if i'm totally wrong.

If yes, i vote for a Re-Write of the Software Renderer (but wouldn't the FPS and some Effects suffer under this?). We must stick together!

@ Raem_Lylar
Problem might be just, that the OnBoard-Chip is just too slow. Mine has 300 Mhz and 128 MB only. My Mother's new PC has an Onboard-Solution too, but faster and can use up to 512 MB - by far enough for Warzone. Problem might be more the Speed of the Chip, than the RAM. But well, Tiger didn't tell his Specifications though.

[cybersphinx]

I don't know, but isn't the Sense of "GlideWrappers" to make OpenGL useable?

The various Glide wrappers are used to run Glide games on systems without a 3dfx card, by translating the Voodoo instructions into OpenGL instructions. That would work for the original Warzone with the Glide renderer, but the WRP versions use only OpenGL.

[Tiger]

Okay, I understand perfectly the complexities of writing the program. I wasn't asking you guys to rewrite it. And just for reference, I have a much worse problem than slowdown or performance issues (here is the link to my post months ago): viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1878

This is the sort of problem I'm having:





Once again, I wasn't sure what change was instituted since your newer releases were made, but I can run everything before 2.1 without any messups at all. Here are my specs (I've gotten more memory since before):

-Vista Home Basic
-Intel Celeron M Processor 440 (1.86ghz, 533 MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache)
-Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
-1536 MB DDR2

And my GLView results are as follows:

Code: Select all

Renderer: Intel 945GM
Vendor: Intel
Memory: 224 MB
Version: 1.4.0 - Build 7.14.10.1114
Shading language version: N/A
Max number of light sources: 16
Max viewport size: 2048 x 2048
Max texture size: 2048 x 2048
Max anisotropy: 4
Max samples: 0
Max draw buffers: 0
Max texture coordinates: 8
Max vertex texture image units: 0


Extensions: 56

GL_3DFX_texture_compression_FXT1
GL_ARB_depth_texture
GL_ARB_fragment_program
GL_ARB_multitexture
GL_ARB_point_parameters
GL_ARB_shadow
GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp
GL_ARB_texture_compression
GL_ARB_texture_cube_map
GL_ARB_texture_env_add
GL_ARB_texture_env_combine
GL_ARB_texture_env_crossbar
GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3
GL_ARB_transpose_matrix
GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object
GL_ARB_vertex_program
GL_ARB_window_pos
GL_EXT_abgr
GL_EXT_bgra
GL_EXT_blend_color
GL_EXT_blend_func_separate
GL_EXT_blend_minmax
GL_EXT_blend_subtract
GL_EXT_clip_volume_hint
GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array
GL_EXT_cull_vertex
GL_EXT_draw_range_elements
GL_EXT_fog_coord
GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays
GL_EXT_packed_pixels
GL_EXT_rescale_normal
GL_EXT_secondary_color
GL_EXT_separate_specular_color
GL_EXT_shadow_funcs
GL_EXT_stencil_two_side
GL_EXT_stencil_wrap
GL_EXT_texture3D
GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc
GL_EXT_texture_env_add
GL_EXT_texture_env_combine
GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic
GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias
GL_IBM_texture_mirrored_repeat
GL_NV_blend_square
GL_NV_texgen_reflection
GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap
GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp
GL_SGIS_texture_lod
GL_WIN_swap_hint
WGL_ARB_buffer_region
WGL_ARB_extensions_string
WGL_ARB_make_current_read
WGL_ARB_pbuffer
WGL_ARB_pixel_format
WGL_EXT_extensions_string
WGL_EXT_swap_control

Core features
v1.1 (100 % - 7/7)
v1.2 (100 % - 8/8)
v1.3 (100 % - 9/9)
v1.4 (100 % - 15/15)
v1.5 (66 % - 2/3)
v2.0 (10 % - 1/10)
v2.1 (0 % - 0/3)

OpenGL driver version check (Current: 1.4.0 - Build 7.14.10.1114, Latest known: 6.14.10.4436):
Outdated version of display drivers detected
According the database, you are might be not using the latest version of display drivers for your video card.

No ICD registry entry
The current OpenGL driver doesn't expose the SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows (NT)/CurrentVersion/OpenGLDrivers registry entry. Unable to detect the driver version, driver revision name and filename.

Compiled vertex array support
This feature improves OpenGL performance by using video memory to cache transformed vertices.

Multitexture support
This feature accelerates complex rendering such as lightmaps or environment mapping.

Secondary color support
This feature provides an alternate method of coloring specular highlights on polygons.

S3TC compression support
This feature improves texture mapping performance in some applications by using lossy compression.

Texture edge clamp support
This feature improves texturing quality by adding clamping control to edge texel filtering.

Vertex program support
This feature enables a wide variety of effects via flexible vertex programming (equivalent to DX8 Vertex Shader.)

Fragment program support
This feature enables a wide variety of effects via per pixel programming (equivalent to DX9 Pixel Shader.)

Texture anisotropic filtering support
This feature improves the quality of texture mapping on oblique surfaces.

No OpenGL Shading Language support
This may break compatibility for applications using per pixel shading.

No Frame buffer object support
This may break compatibility for applications using render to texture functions.

Extension verification: 
GL_ARB_imaging was not found, but has the entry point glBlendEquation 
GL_ARB_occlusion_query was not found, but has the entry point glBeginQueryARB 
GL_ARB_occlusion_query was not found, but has the entry point glDeleteQueriesARB 
GL_ARB_occlusion_query was not found, but has the entry point glEndQueryARB 
GL_ARB_occlusion_query was not found, but has the entry point glGenQueriesARB 
GL_ARB_occlusion_query was not found, but has the entry point glGetQueryObjectivARB 
GL_ARB_occlusion_query was not found, but has the entry point glGetQueryObjectuivARB 
GL_ARB_occlusion_query was not found, but has the entry point glGetQueryivARB 
GL_ARB_occlusion_query was not found, but has the entry point glIsQueryARB

Make of that what you will.

Back to 2.0.10, I guess...

[Skrim]

@Tiger,

I had the exact same problem with v2.1. I have a Core 2 Duo at 2 GHz with 2 GB of RAM, and Windows Vista Home Premium. But thanks to Intel GMA 950, 2.1 got screwed up massively.

So I continued on with 2.0.10. As it is, 2.1 doesn't have the FMVs(which I downloaded and watched anyway), and supposedly has broken crap like useless AA guns and crazy buffed Tank Killers, useless Scourge Missiles, etc. So I stuck with 2.0.10. I'll only bother to upgrade once a new version that's actually worth upgrading to comes out.

[EvilGuru]

@Tiger,

I had the exact same problem with v2.1. I have a Core 2 Duo at 2 GHz with 2 GB of RAM, and Windows Vista Home Premium. But thanks to Intel GMA 950, 2.1 got screwed up massively.

So I continued on with 2.0.10. As it is, 2.1 doesn't have the FMVs(which I downloaded and watched anyway), and supposedly has broken crap like useless AA guns and crazy buffed Tank Killers, useless Scourge Missiles, etc. So I stuck with 2.0.10. I'll only bother to upgrade once a new version that's actually worth upgrading to comes out.

That is due the same time you get some hardware worth supporting

Regards, Freddie.

[fisk0]

@Tiger,

I had the exact same problem with v2.1. I have a Core 2 Duo at 2 GHz with 2 GB of RAM, and Windows Vista Home Premium. But thanks to Intel GMA 950, 2.1 got screwed up massively.

So I continued on with 2.0.10. As it is, 2.1 doesn't have the FMVs(which I downloaded and watched anyway), and supposedly has broken crap like useless AA guns and crazy buffed Tank Killers, useless Scourge Missiles, etc. So I stuck with 2.0.10. I'll only bother to upgrade once a new version that's actually worth upgrading to comes out.

strange, my computer is older than the wheel, but the latest Warzone 2100 builds works fine on it, except for some occasional sound bugs, strange hangs when you shift-click stuff and general problems with an failing hard drive.
I've never had any graphics problems though. I'd say you should stay as far away as possibly from any integrated stuff though.

[Per]

I'd say you should stay as far away as possibly from any integrated stuff though.

Too true

[Thyranim]

This is the sort of problem I'm having:

I've had the exact same problem with WarZone 2100 v 1.09 !
Solved by deinstalling graphic-drivers, rebooting and installing the newest ones

[Tiger]

Solved by deinstalling graphic-drivers, rebooting and installing the newest ones

This solved my problem. I then DLed Beta 5, because I wanted to play with Multi-Turrets. Despite your guys' mutterings, they work just fine. Then again, I primarily use them with artillery (Dual Hellshaker ftw -- raining death).

[Skrim]

I found the problem with my "Mobile Intel GM965 Express Chipset" today:

This was found on Intel's website. I tried downloading and installing a driver from Intel, but:

Graphics2.jpg (10.17 KiB) Viewed 11028 times

So I'm stuck with the useless pre-installed driver for my Sony VAIO FZ-160E's messed-up version of the already pathetic GM965. That, and Windows Vista. Oh well, I guess I'll stick to 2.0.10 until March, and then get a new GPU installed altogether.

Unless there's something that can be done to this one. Which I doubt.

[EvilGuru]

I think that there is a way to force Vista to install a specific device driver even if it has not passed MS approval.

Don't know any more than that, I'm afraid.

Regards, Freddie.