Atomic Systems

My system is positively antique the spec being (I think - I am no computer geek) as follows: HP a6130.me, intel Core(TM)2 CPU, 4400 @ 2.0GHz, 2047MB RAM, Vista 32-bit operating system. NVIDEA GeForce 8500GT. (Does this mean anything to anyone??). When I followed some advice off this forum and looked at my Windows Experience Index ratings I found I failed miserably (Processor = 4.9, should be >5.9; Memory = 4.8, should be >5.5; Graphics = 5.5 & Gaming Graphics = 5.3, both should be >5.9) hence I should be looking at a complete system replacement.

There is no way I can afford to upgrade at the moment and hence I am strongly considering abandoning the hobby, either temporarily until I can afford a new system or, possibly, permanently.

I have been messing around with settings for a few days now and its all pretty useless - the best I can achieve anything like runnable is with TSX off, Scenery Detail at 10, Shader Quality and Water Quality at High Detail with all other settings at the lowest possible, Low Detail Shader ticked and Procedural Flora, Adaptive Bloom and Depth of Field all unticked.

I cant see any improvement at all and the changes seem to be negative ones. It now takes 6 minutes to load a route and scenario, I am averaging 14fps with along track elastic banding, much of the scenery is blank until I am well within sighting distance when the features suddenly appear (its almost like Macbeth when the forest I placed suddenly pops into being in front of me Dunsinane Woods-like!!) and my time has dilated, it takes 13 seconds in real life for the clock in the game to advance 10 - if I turn up the graphics settings even with TSX off this can stretch out to 17 seconds and it totally unplayable.

I haven't managed to work out what the new features are supposed to be - is there any sort of manual for this or do we have to guess how to activate these new features - how do I get this cab sway business to work for example.

Any ideas, anyone because this "upgrade" has just about stuffed it for me?

The 8500GT is indeed a rather weak GPU. Until the Adaptive Bloom bug is fixed, why not try turning down the screen resolution to reduce the load on it?

I have just tried that, Kromaatikse - all I get is a Runtime Error

In case anyone was wondering my name is Phil, just to be more personal

I don't know if this effects just the legacy mode or not but I seem to be getting the odd flash up of distance scenery and terrain up close. Sometimes you get a quick shot of underground then it returns to the normal viewing. It only lasts for a split second, enough to give you a wake up call when you're driving.
I seem to be getting it more with empty terrain. The instance a piece of distant scenery popped up I was about 3/4 to a mile away from it but it pooped up directly infront of the cab window. Strange eh?
Bob (Hertsbob) report back to me that he'd been getting the same effect and seen other reporting the same thing.

I thought it was the boundary tiles at first but I don't think it is.

I logged a report to RSC on Wed 5/10.

PWHolmes wrote:I have just tried that, Kromaatikse - all I get is a Runtime Error

Try a different resolution, then. Perhaps you chose one that is not properly supported by your hardware, but a nearby one might be better.

If all else fails, go all the way down to 800x600.

I had come to the conclusion that the AA was so bad in TSX even at SSAA 2x2 that I would go back to legacy and at least not feel my blood boil every time I had to look at the gantrys..

So tried it and discovered the lighting is so mucked up you now actually seem to be simulating a nuclear holocaust..

The issue I have noticed the most with legacy mode is the stuttering sound.

When I run legacy mode with settings of Low in both the launcher and in-game, I get about the same frame-rates as running RW2 with 0 anti-aliasing and settings of High in-game. However, in RW2 I get smooth sounds, whereas in legacy mode the sound stutters a lot and even cuts out for a second or so at a time.

Bob.

I just hate the orange tint and its fuzzy


Regards



John

As I mentioned in my previous post I have been having some sound problems. It is worse with Steam Engines.
Kind regards James.

partyspiritz wrote:I just hate the orange tint and its fuzzy


Regards



John

I also get this fuzziness...possible the adaptive bloom bug?

Kromaatikse wrote:The 8500GT is indeed a rather weak GPU. Until the Adaptive Bloom bug is fixed, why not try turning down the screen resolution to reduce the load on it?

I'm not so sure what you're seeing is bloom. I can say with 100% certainty that the bloom post processing effect is turned off in legacy, looking at the code and testing it. What you're likely seeing is a trick with mip mapping to give the effect of light glow at long distances. Post a screenshot of what you see, so I can verify this.

Why does (as an example) Barstow look like its had a whitewash in Legacy mode? We keep being told it should be the same as RW2 .. The fact is its not and its a mess..(or is it just me that sees this)

As I mentioned in my previous post I have been having some sound problems. It is worse with Steam Engines.

Now you mention it, I started a scenario on the Paddington to Oxford route which features double headed class 37's. The sound kept fading in an out, particularly on increasing the power controller.

I have just tried to load a scenario on the same route starting at Old Oak Common and had a SBHH before the scenario had even finished loading! It is getting a little frustrating.

I will email support tomorrow and see if they have any ideas!

I get some sound issues with the HSTs using Richard Armstrong's sounds. The 'hiss' of the breaks tend to stick on after using them a fair bit (approach to stations/signals). The horns also cut out and only play for a fraction, rather than as long as you hold your finger down. The only way for me to fix it is completely exit RW and restart it. I'm sure though, this has been about since day one but i'm not sure if it's just my setup, the sounds or Railworks.

Not 100% sure if this is something to do with Legacy mode or the new game engine in general...

But if I place locomotives back to back, or front to front, in double formation, they seem to push towards/pull apart from eachother, as if the reverser is working on both engines, but in opposite directions, if that makes sence?