Technical Problems!

[Scott Lucas]

My game runs very poorly on my computer. It takes 5-10 seconds some times for a command to get proccessed. How can I configure my game to fx this. I dont care how bad the sound gets-even if its gone and the graphics arent that important.

Please Help!

[Mitro Jellywadder]

Did you try all of the helpful hints listed on the thread that you asked this same question?

Try taking off a few of the extra (waste of time) visuals and your game should pick up speed. I always take off the weather (who cares about rain, etc.) and all the un-needed sounds. Footsteps would qualify. There is a bunch of nonsense sounds that eat up your processing speed. Try taking some of the ambient (sp?) sounds out. It should take out some of the jerking. Cut down on your path searches. I have to set my configuration at less than anything close to what my computer can run at. If I don't, I get the same jerky motion that you are talking about.

[andrewas]

first, turn off the 3d card.
second, move the slider to the slot below the one your computer should be run at (these things are always to optimistic)

if your game still dosent work properly, then post your computer specs so the geniuses on this board can point out that BG dosent like particular hardware or something.

[Scott Lucas]

Link please???

[Mourn Yauntyyr]

I had to turn my settings down to those for a "minimum system", even though my computer is well above average. Maybe you have to do the same.

[oaxaca_dan]

yeah, i have to do the same - I've found that by turning off almost all of the sounds, especially the ambient sounds, and the battle crys, etc., makes a huge difference. I usually just leave on character sounds and sound effects. I originally had most of the graphics off too, but have recently turned them on, so i could actually enjoy some some of the features that look real cool (plus it sometimes helps me recognize spells as they're being cast). Its kinda of a shame, cause i would really like to enjoy the game as it was meant to be enjoyed (i remember being really impressed when i first played BG1, and hearing a psuedo-surround-sound version of a thunderstorm)

Now i have the specs setting at or just below what my system actually is - i've noticed that the characters walk much faster that way

but i've also found that after i play for awhile, the game will get really laggy (for example, playing straight through from the begining, it gets really bad when i finally reach the copper coronet) - i just exit the game and restart - in my dim conceptualization of the mechanics of the BG system, i imagine it has something to do with cache filling up - thus, it probably has nothing to do with that... so i increased my cache size anyway

sorry, i'm through rambling
have a good one
oaxaca_Dan

[banzai]

Have you activated DMA access for your harddisk ???
Otherwise your harddisk works in the slow PIO mode - this sped up the game on my system A LOT !!!

[oaxaca_dan]

hehe, i'm sorry man, but i don't think i'm the computer systems kinda guy like alot of people around here - can you explain what that means, specifically the acronyms? DMA? PIO? - thanks for tolerating my ignorance

oaxaca_dan

[banzai]

I´m sorry - no offense meant ...

DMA is the Windows *term* for the ATA standard known in its current incarnations as Ultra ATA xxx. By default this is deactivated under Windows OS but if you have a quite new machine it should be no problem to activate it.

At the moment I´m at work where I don´t have any Windows 9x systems at my disposal but as far as I remember go to your system control panel and open the system applet. In the listing of your hardware components open you harddisk controller´s properties. There´s a checkbox labeled *DMA*. If it´s not checked check it, close all dialogs with the OK buttons and restart your system.

I´ve done this on quite a lot of Windows 9x installations and never had any problems - BUT remember this is Windows so don´t blame me if something goes wrong.
If your system isn´t DMA compatible this *DMA* checkbox should be grayed out. If it isn´t but the checkbox is nevertheless enabled (remember we´re on Windows) and you check it the restart should take quite a lot of time after which the checkbox should be *dechecked* again without further adversary effects.

Hope this helps