Black & White 2: good FPS performance tweak

Patchy games, and Application help.

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Black & White 2: good FPS performance tweak

Postby Zep on Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:27 pm

This really helped me so here ya go:

If, like me, you started the game and got major low FPS with a decent graphics card, you should check out this post to fix the problem or just boost your average frames per second.

There have been several topics where a graphics card does not run the game at a playable frame rate, despite being a 6600 for example. They have set the graphics to the lowest possible setting and still got low FPS. This is because the game, depending on your graphics card, decides whether to enable bump mapping, real-time shadows and the 2.0 Microsoft Shaders. There are probably more options that I'm not aware of but still. These options are not removed by setting the graphics to low, thus still having low FPS despite changing the setting. And so, which ever graphic settings you set it to, in game setting that is, you will still see the real-time shadows etc.

IMO, the game decides these complex options too high for the graphics card. Thus resulting in low FPS despite altering the in-game video options. So, to turn the complex options off, you have to find and edit the graphics configuration file. This is found in the B&W2 program files. For example:

Program Files>Lionhead Studios>B&W2>Data

In the data folder, you should see a config file called 'Graphics'. Open this up in Notepad. At the top of the text file, you should see 3 main options, with the meanings of 1,2 and 3 next to them. Find your graphics card in the list, then alter the 3 numbers next to it. With the important one to change being the shaders number. Once you have turned the shader number down, the complex options should be removed and give you good FPS. The Res and Detail options could potentially be turned up, depending on your card. This is much simpler to understand when you view the config file for yourself.

I can guarantee that this method will boost your FPS, and disable the shaders that your graphics card can not handle (although the game thinks it can). The game will still use fur and vegation effects, just using the down-graded shader versions. You will not see bump mapping on rocks for example or real-time shadows. Hopefully, there will be a proper config file like ones used in Doom 3 or HL2, then, you should be able to alter individual options instead of a collective amount. Until then though, try this method and tell me what you think. Feel free to ask me any questions. Thanks for reading.


http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmes ... c=23972863
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Postby Silverhaze on Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:56 am

Zep do you get a bad frame rate constantly or just every now and then like i do?

Mine seems to play smooth for like 10-20mins or more then all of a sudden it stops for a second, then starts, stops, starts this goes on for a few minutes and then it goes away and plays smooth again for another while.

Ive changed the settings and it makes no difference so I just left it on max with no AA because i find it makes the game look a bit blurry.
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Postby Zep on Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:09 pm

I get your stoping problem and general random drop in FPS. That tweak helped a little bit, but I think it maybe a RAM issue. I have 512MB which is the minimum. Sometimes when I quit the game I get that little yellow triangle in the windows tray :(
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Postby Silverhaze on Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:21 pm

Wow man it must really eat up the RAM something rotten then!!!

Well Im glad in a way that I get the same stopping problem as you. Other than that I get full speed.

I wish there was a way to adjust the sensitivity of the scroll wheel.


Oh yeah Zep!!! I found out how to use mouse gestures!!

Apparently you have to trace a spiral on the ground with the LMB clicked. I cant remember if its a spiral in or out but try both and you'll see.
Once thats done it opens the mouse gestures thing and you then trace the gesture for the spell you want.
All a bit long winded, gimmie a hotkey any day.
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Postby were on Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:05 am

remember when the first came out,it took alot of computer resources to even start it?

Im just curious the kind of power-houeses those guys who made it have..must be freaking powerful :D
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Postby Silverhaze on Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:19 am

Yeah I'd like to know too.

I thought console games were make on dedicated games making machines with silly specs. Characters and levels designed in Maya or 3D Max and then simplified and imported into the graphics engine for the game but I dont know a thing about it really.

Hire God of War and look at 'The making of' DVD vids that are on the disc and they might help in showing the process.

I dont know about PC games but i'd assume it was a similar process. Designed on much more powerful dedicated machines and then the detail level scaled down or made scalable in the case of PC games.
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