Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: OpenGL difficulties?  (Read 919 times)

arocoun

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
OpenGL difficulties?
« on: May 13, 2007, 06:20:00 pm »

I had heard many good things about Dwarf Fortress, so I decided to give it a try.  And from what I've seen of adventure mode, it's absolutely amazing, both by what is already there, and by how much potential it has!

Unfortunately, the game runs as slow as all hell--I ain't even going to try dwarf mode until I can get things running a little better.  And adventure mode has me waiting a second for each little command, AND often accepts one keypress as two (even if I tap the keys really quickly).  Meaning, for example, if I want to take one step right, there's a 3/4 chance I'll take two steps instead.

From what I've read around here, the problem seems to be my video driver/card being incompatible with OpenGL.  And yet, I can't find a compatible driver.  Turning off sound, allowing black space, going full screen, etc. seem to help, but in the end I'm still getting approx. less than 1 FPS.

I've even tried running DF with my Knoppix CD and Wine, hoping Knoppix would have a compatible driver.  Doesn't work--says it can't open an OpenGL window.

I'm still going to mess around in adventure mode, because it's worth the tediousness IMO, but I'd like to solve this problem.

Know of any better driver, or have any suggestions?  My computer's a tad outdated to say the least, but I'm thinking DF should work fine if I can solve the OpenGL problem.  Stupid 3D Rage Pro...

I'm using Windows XP, Service Pack 2; Intel Pentium III, 498 MHz, 384 MB RAM; ATI's 3D RAGE PRO APG 2X, Driver version 5.1.2001.0. from Microsoft.  Thanks a lot in advance for any help!

Logged

Heliopios

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2007, 06:56:00 pm »

quote:
ATI's 3D RAGE PRO APG 2X,

Ewwww

Logged

Toady One

  • The Great
    • View Profile
    • http://www.bay12games.com
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2007, 07:00:00 pm »

I don't know much about graphics cards, but yeah, it definitely sounds like the card/drivers.  Hopefully somebody has some experience with this one?
Logged
The Toad, a Natural Resource:  Preserve yours today!

Katawa

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2007, 07:11:00 pm »

I'd suggest turning off weather in the init file.
Logged
att has been attacked by a dead and still annoying acquaintance lately.

Mover#005

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2007, 07:12:00 pm »

Although the game demands OpenGL it shouldn't be much of a problem to get it to run under Windows OR under Wine.

I've had it run under Wine with an Nvidia Riva TNT 2 32mb agp graphics card (waiting for a replacement, for my other card which bit the dust) and had an decent framerate, limited to about 100 FPS.

You should install reference-drivers from ATI for your Graphicard-chipset, the Windows-builtin Drivers are probably the problem here. Unfortunately I have no idea about ATIs set of drivers. try to google for it.

[ May 13, 2007: Message edited by: Mover#005 ]

Logged

arocoun

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2007, 07:27:00 pm »

Damn right, "ewwww."

Change of weather didn't help.  Changing KEY_HOLD_MS to 500 got rid of double-move problem, however, so yay for that!

Installed an OpenGL compatible driver (for 3d rage pro turbo, which (from what I've read) is just another name for 3d rage pro), didn't work.  I think I'll try another driver...

Maybe my computer just sucks horribly?

Logged

Veroule

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2007, 10:19:00 pm »

I had major problems with my ATI based card too.  So far the best thing I found for both stability and performance is the Omega drivers.  You should be able to find loads of info by searching "Omega ATI drivers".  Just make sure you read up on which are tested for that card, and also make sure you uninstall existing drivers first.
Logged
"Please, spare us additional torture; and just euthanise yourselves."
Delivered by Tim Curry of Clue as a parody of the lead ass from American Idol in the show Psych.

Jaqie Fox

  • Bay Watcher
  • Genuine Girl Techie!
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2007, 10:31:00 pm »

quote:
I'm using Windows XP, Service Pack 2; Intel Pentium III, 498 MHz, 384 MB RAM; ATI's 3D RAGE PRO APG 2X

Oh my lord...
Step 1: get 20# sledge.
Step 2: apply sledge liberally to computer.
Step 3: get a PC that can actually run games before you ever try running DF again.

I'm not trying to insult you.  I'm trying to say that there is no way you're going to get that system to run DF well. ever.
That sounds like my older laptop... right down to the video card.

If you want to run games (like DF) faster, spend $200ish on something at least this powerful (even if it's used)
P3-S 1Ghz or higher (this does *NOT* include celerons or P4s until they reach 2.5Ghz or higher), or Athlon XP or higher
512MB RAM or more
GeForce 6000 series or higher, or ATI 9800 pro or higher (including their x series such as x300).

Honestly, computers and parts are rock-bottom price anymore, and even me, an X computer tech barely scraping by on disability has a couple athlon 64s to play stuff on.

[ May 13, 2007: Message edited by: Jaqie Fox ]

Logged

arocoun

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2007, 11:01:00 pm »

Thanks for the advice, Veroule; I'll try that some time.

And thank you for your advice, Jaqie; unfortunately, I don't have a hammer at the moment.  Will a 2nd story window do the job?

Logged

DDouble

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2007, 11:53:00 pm »

This is hilarious that an ASCII game is bringing your machine to a halt.

The Apollo missions to the moon were launched with slide-rules (white man's abacus), enormous vacuum tube mainframes, and liberal amounts of crossed fingers. But mankind has not been able to play DF smoothly until the past couple years. This game truly is a monument to human ingenuity.

Logged

Jaqie Fox

  • Bay Watcher
  • Genuine Girl Techie!
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2007, 01:22:00 am »

quote:
I don't have a hammer at the moment. Will a 2nd story window do the job?

That's why I said get  :)

DDouble:
If DF was made efficiently, it would run very well on even a P3 500 like listed above, unfortunately, Toady is not great at programming efficiently.  That is not the point though, gameplay is way more important then being technically superior - the faster PCs get the more true this becomes.
A good example would be Halo for PC. it's not very efficient (as the XBOX is just a mutant celeron 733) it's a great game because of the playability. Same with DF.

Logged

Devastator

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2007, 10:29:00 am »

Umm.. Jaqui, wrong on two counts.

Still, I have no idea how "efficiently" it is programmed, becuause I don't have access to the code.. however DF seems to have to calculate a fair number of things each frame...

Logged

Sean Mirrsen

  • Bay Watcher
  • Bearer of the Psionic Flame
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2007, 11:55:00 am »

Yes, I would say DF has more going on in the background than most current RPG games, that with the temperature transition, moods, water, plus whatever else there is. Even my PC, though feeble by current standarts (P4 2.0, 512MB RAM, GF5500@AGP4x), but not quite archaic yet, has moderate problems running DF adventure mode smoothly. It has more to do with processing power than graphics.
Logged
Multiworld Madness Archive:
Game One, Discontinued at World 3.
Game Two, Discontinued at World 1.

"Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe's problems are the world's problems, but the world's problems are not Europe's problems."
- Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, India

Jaqie Fox

  • Bay Watcher
  • Genuine Girl Techie!
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2007, 01:24:00 pm »

quote:
Umm.. Jaqui, wrong on two counts.

Still, I have no idea how "efficiently" it is programmed, becuause I don't have access to the code.. however DF seems to have to calculate a fair number of things each frame...


You say I am wrong and then say soething supportive of what I said. You are making absolutely zero sense.  I suggest you watch the link in my signature.

Logged

Jaqie Fox

  • Bay Watcher
  • Genuine Girl Techie!
    • View Profile
Re: OpenGL difficulties?
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2007, 01:27:00 pm »

quote:
Yes, I would say DF has more going on in the background than most current RPG games, that with the temperature transition, moods, water, plus whatever else there is. Even my PC, though feeble by current standarts (P4 2.0, 512MB RAM, GF5500@AGP4x), but not quite archaic yet, has moderate problems running DF adventure mode smoothly. It has more to do with processing power than graphics.

That is why I recommended what I did. Did you even read my post? You have a system just a little under what I recommended to this person, so exactly what are you trying to say?

Also, as many have already said, DF has major performance problems when a videocard that has issues with OpenGL performance is used, that is precisely why I am recommending low end, well designed gamer cards.

Logged
Pages: [1] 2