I only have an AMD K6-2 500 and 192MB ram, so if anyone has any ideas, please post, because i think NS is a great game, but when i start at the marine base, i only get 6 fps at best. So please help!
After playing Everquest and WW2 Online for years, two of the most resource-intensive games ever, I've picked up some tricks to increase performance. There are quite a few things that affect FPS in online games. They range from the basic to the advanced.
Basic:
Hard drive maintenance: Scandisk, and Defrag. Open "my computer", right click on the drive letter, properties, tools, scan/defrag.
BIOS updates (motherboard): Not likely for a K2 series board
DRIVERS: Right click on "my computer" and select properties. Select "device manager", highlight the card and get its properties. Check the date on the driver info. Go online and look for a more recent one.
System memory: The more the merrier, but 192MB should be enough for HL.
Video card: Nothing you can do unless you're willing to expend money.
Connection method (56k, DSL, cable...): While critical on virtual worlds, it's not a big deal on "room" based games. HL is optimized for 56k I believe, but faster connection can't harm.
Win updates: Check them. Get critical updates only.
Background programs (virus scan/firewall): Programs like Black Ice, and Zone Alarm are famous for sapping FPS. Disable while playing. Close your ICQ and any IM programs.
Advanced:
Overclocking: Dip switch based for K2's. Leave it alone!!
Memory settings (CAS): Do not try it!
Video card settings: Newer cards come loaded with options like "texture and lighting", "anisotropic filtering", "anti aliasing" and the such. A lot of these are NOT supported on games that are based on old versions of DirectX (pre 8.0) Try disabling some of these options. NOTE: If you DO play post DX8.0 games, don't disable T&L. For card settings right click anywhere on the desktop, properties, settings, advanced.
Display settings: You could be taxing your card to much. Try lowering your "bit" count and lowering your resolution. Right click anywhere on the desktop, properties, settings.
Sound acceleration settings: A lot of games run MUCH better with minimal acceleration. Type "dxdiag" on start/run, go to sound, and try lowering it.
Virtual memory settings: If you hear your hard drive grinding away as you play, it's because your virtual memory is too small, and the system has to access the HD constantly. This is set through the system settings interface, but I'd think twice about messing with it unless you know what you're doing.
System/Registry maintenance: You'd be amazed at how much crap may be in your registry. Every time you install/uninstall something, the registry gets updated. File fragments, and invalid registry entries sap performance. Go to www.iolo.com and download their free trial for the "system mechanic", and run a full system maintenance (yeah, and you though your system was tight ;b)
The best advice I can give you, is to take it easy when you're changing system settings. Never change more than one thing at a time. Check for stability after each tweak (reboot, play). Tweaking a system is dangerous, and installing multiple patches at the same sitting can back fire on you. Beware.
Good Luck!!
***EDIT***
Here's the URL to a great tweaks site. While the site is mainly concerned with WW2OL optimization, it is filled with great system tweaks. On the left you'll see a list of topics. Check out "benchmarking", "the basics", "drivers" & "advanced"
"Sound acceleration settings: A lot of games run MUCH better with minimal acceleration. Type "dxdiag" on start/run, go to sound, and try lowering it."
I wondering how the sound will sound like. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
I'm not sure what video card you have, but I had a Monster Fusion, and I saw a dramatic increase in performance using Wicked3D drivers on my old computer....
<!--QuoteBegin--Bolter+Dec 19 2002, 12:58 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Bolter @ Dec 19 2002, 12:58 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Background programs (virus scan/firewall): Programs like Black Ice, and Zone Alarm are famous for sapping FPS. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> I use Zone Alarm , I always have it on when I play . I've often been told that Zone Alarm doesn't affect your computer when you play Half-Life at all.<!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> I will try without it to see.
Trini, I hear you. It is not every game that is affected by this. I depends on the net code I guess. For example, I could play Everquest with the personal firewall enabled for PCillin, but WW2 Online would not play at all, and Dark Age of Camelot ran badly. Likewise, third-party voice com utilities like Teamspeak, Teamsound and Rogerwilco run poorly, if at all, through software firewalls. I found that the best way to go, is to buy a hardware firewall/router, and be done with compatibility problems. I picked one up at a computer show for 50 bucks, and never looked back. The only down-side, is that you have to have broad-band to get a router/firewall, as I've never seen one for dial-up.
I know that there are games that don't work with a firewall and others that do work. But really the question is , does a firewall affect Natural Selection or not ? Even if it only affects a very little bit I wanna know . I also play Day of Defeat and other mods and it works well . But these days I've been having several lagg problems and I need to know if it's because of the Firewallor not. Thx Trini
Only one way to find out. Join a server and check FPS. Exit, disable firewall, rejoin same server and check FPS. I think Flayra did a great job with the netcode, so I doubt that you'll see any great difference. Cheers!
KoreaN, defrag programs are to optimize the way data is stored on your hard drive, not to recover corrupted installations from scratched CDs. If you got a corrupted installation of software, simply uninstall it, reboot, and try it again. CDs act flaky, no only because of scratches, but sometimes, because of ingrained dirt in those scratches. Breathing on them and then rubbing them on your sleeve may not be enough to clean them. Spray windex or some other multi-purpose cleaner (that doesn't eat plastic) on the CD, let it sit for a bit, then rub it away in a circular pattern untill it's dry. Attempt to reinstall your software then, maybe you'l have better luck them. If it becomes aparent that the CD is too far gone. Do yourself a favor and try and get another one. I've seen many a gizmo that promised to repair scratched CDs, but I've yet to see any results from them. Good luck!
Comments
Basic:
Hard drive maintenance: Scandisk, and Defrag. Open "my computer", right click on the drive letter, properties, tools, scan/defrag.
BIOS updates (motherboard): Not likely for a K2 series board
DRIVERS: Right click on "my computer" and select properties. Select "device manager", highlight the card and get its properties. Check the date on the driver info. Go online and look for a more recent one.
System memory: The more the merrier, but 192MB should be enough for HL.
Video card: Nothing you can do unless you're willing to expend money.
Connection method (56k, DSL, cable...): While critical on virtual worlds, it's not a big deal on "room" based games. HL is optimized for 56k I believe, but faster connection can't harm.
Win updates: Check them. Get critical updates only.
Background programs (virus scan/firewall): Programs like Black Ice, and Zone Alarm are famous for sapping FPS. Disable while playing. Close your ICQ and any IM programs.
Advanced:
Overclocking: Dip switch based for K2's. Leave it alone!!
Memory settings (CAS): Do not try it!
Video card settings: Newer cards come loaded with options like "texture and lighting", "anisotropic filtering", "anti aliasing" and the such. A lot of these are NOT supported on games that are based on old versions of DirectX (pre 8.0) Try disabling some of these options. NOTE: If you DO play post DX8.0 games, don't disable T&L. For card settings right click anywhere on the desktop, properties, settings, advanced.
Display settings: You could be taxing your card to much. Try lowering your "bit" count and lowering your resolution. Right click anywhere on the desktop, properties, settings.
Sound acceleration settings: A lot of games run MUCH better with minimal acceleration. Type "dxdiag" on start/run, go to sound, and try lowering it.
Virtual memory settings: If you hear your hard drive grinding away as you play, it's because your virtual memory is too small, and the system has to access the HD constantly. This is set through the system settings interface, but I'd think twice about messing with it unless you know what you're doing.
System/Registry maintenance: You'd be amazed at how much crap may be in your registry. Every time you install/uninstall something, the registry gets updated. File fragments, and invalid registry entries sap performance. Go to www.iolo.com and download their free trial for the "system mechanic", and run a full system maintenance (yeah, and you though your system was tight ;b)
The best advice I can give you, is to take it easy when you're changing system settings. Never change more than one thing at a time. Check for stability after each tweak (reboot, play). Tweaking a system is dangerous, and installing multiple patches at the same sitting can back fire on you. Beware.
Good Luck!!
***EDIT***
Here's the URL to a great tweaks site. While the site is mainly concerned with WW2OL optimization, it is filled with great system tweaks. On the left you'll see a list of topics. Check out "benchmarking", "the basics", "drivers" & "advanced"
<a href='http://avondell.com/ww2ol/main.html' target='_blank'>http://avondell.com/ww2ol/main.html</a>
***EDIT***
I wondering how the sound will sound like. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Do yourself a favor and look for them.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I use Zone Alarm , I always have it on when I play . I've often been told that Zone Alarm doesn't affect your computer when you play Half-Life at all.<!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
I will try without it to see.
BTW nice tips <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
But really the question is , does a firewall affect Natural Selection or not ? Even if it only affects a very little bit I wanna know . I also play Day of Defeat and other mods and it works well . But these days I've been having several lagg problems and I need to know if it's because of the Firewallor not.
Thx
Trini
I think Flayra did a great job with the netcode, so I doubt that you'll see any great difference. Cheers!
If you got a corrupted installation of software, simply uninstall it, reboot, and try it again. CDs act flaky, no only because of scratches, but sometimes, because of ingrained dirt in those scratches. Breathing on them and then rubbing them on your sleeve may not be enough to clean them. Spray windex or some other multi-purpose cleaner (that doesn't eat plastic) on the CD, let it sit for a bit, then rub it away in a circular pattern untill it's dry. Attempt to reinstall your software then, maybe you'l have better luck them.
If it becomes aparent that the CD is too far gone. Do yourself a favor and try and get another one. I've seen many a gizmo that promised to repair scratched CDs, but I've yet to see any results from them. Good luck!
And mess around with the settings.