Graphics and soft effect. - Guild Wars Forums

Aniscape · May 05, 2005, 02:59 PM // 14:59

Hello all, This is really my first pc game I have ever owned or played so there might be some things I am missing or am not aware of. So here goes.

I have been playing GW for about a week, off and on, and I have noticed that the soft effect you see in screen shots or online preview movies doesn't seem to be in my copy. everything looks crisp and solid not soft at all. I meet or excede the recomended requirements. I have a 2.4 gig Proc. the over 500 megs of ram. Also an Nvidea 64 meg graphic card. I am pretty sure I have current version of directx i clicked on the link on download CD for it. Is there a setting I am not aware of that turns to soft focus on or off? Also in towns or wilderness the character seems a bit choppy at times. If anyone knows how i can fix these with my current hardware please let me know. Or if there is something I need to get? Like I said never used PC for gaming before so please use lamens terms

Thanks.

Chubz · May 05, 2005, 03:04 PM // 15:04

Either you're looking for the wrong effect or your video card cannot process the correct effect(s)...

Check on the box to make sure that it is a video card compatable with Guild Wars. (Should be on the bottom of the box)

Also, do this:
-Click Start
-Click RUN
-Type "dxdiag" (without the quotations) in the dialog box and click OK
-In the new window that pops up, click the DISPLAY tab
-Tell us what the exact name of the video card is... I'll bet you it's a Geforce4 MX 440 (most people seem to have this one if they aren't sure), which may or may not be compatable.

Targon · May 05, 2005, 03:17 PM // 15:17

I have the same issue... my vid card is the ATi Radeon 9600 Pro 128... What can I do to give me the best graphics possible?

Talus · May 05, 2005, 03:18 PM // 15:18

Hit F11 for options, then hit the 'Advanced Options' under graphics section. The effect is likely turned off there. The game auto-detects your hardware and sets everything based on what it thinks will make your system run best. If your card simply cannot do the effect, then you either won't be able to turn it on, or when you do, it will make no difference.

Chubz · May 05, 2005, 03:20 PM // 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talus

Hit F11 for options, then hit the 'Advanced Options' under graphics section. The effect is likely turned off there. The game auto-detects your hardware and sets everything based on what it thinks will make your system run best. If your card simply cannot do the effect, then you either won't be able to turn it on, or when you do, it will make no difference.

Very true about the advanced graphics options... just make sure that everything is turned up - especially make sure that the graphics slider is all the way over to the right if you want the best graphics possible.

Dumahim Ashenbane · May 05, 2005, 03:20 PM // 15:20

I may be wrong, but I don't know if that card has Pixel shader 2.0. That would cetainly have an effect on the looks of the water and tar. As far as the original poster goes, a 64 MB Nvidia card is either pretty old or an MX card. Neither of which is going to have the current features to render everything as good as the game can be.

Sideways · May 05, 2005, 03:23 PM // 15:23

Yeah, probably your vidcard, but you can change the settings to show it... beware of slowdown.

I run a P4 2.6ghz with 1024 DDR RAM and an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256meg card... and I still note some slowdown when I try to run with all settings pumped to the max.

it's a pretty graphics-intensive game!

Oh Chubz... your avatar makes me smile! Radiohead!!!

Soul Monarch · May 05, 2005, 03:27 PM // 15:27

Hey, folks. If you aren't getting the nice "blur" effect, you need to make sure post-processing is ON. Hit F11, pick advance options, and make sure the post-process effect is enabled.

Gaussian Blur, Bloom, etc. are all applied after the rendering is done. Not all GPU's can handle those effects, but my outdated Radeon 9600 chews Guild Wars graphics up and spits 'em back out pretty.

I run 1280x1024 - settings maxed, and the game runs just about flawlessly for me.

(If that doesn't work, check your GPU control panel, these effects can enabled/disabled there as well.)

Hope it helps.

Chubz · May 05, 2005, 03:28 PM // 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sideways

Oh Chubz... your avatar makes me smile! Radiohead!!!

Yup. Radiohead owns.

"Noone loves the no surprises...."

Sideways · May 05, 2005, 03:33 PM // 15:33

umm... no no nO NO NO NO!!!!!

:P

"No alarms and no surprises... no alarms and no surprises please..."

Sorry, but you're speaking to one of the biggest Radiohead fans alive... :P

Aniscape · May 05, 2005, 03:34 PM // 15:34

Thanks all... Unfortunatly I am at work now

... I will check these out when I get home tonight and will post with results. One reason why I had reservations on picking up a PC game.

there is always something you need better. On a console what you see is what you get so I guess I am a bit spoiled.

Soul Monarch · May 05, 2005, 03:36 PM // 15:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniscape

Thanks all... Unfortunatly I am at work now

... I will check these out when I get home tonight and will post with results. One reason why I had reservations on picking up a PC game.

there is always something you need better. On a console what you see is what you get so I guess I am a bit spoiled.

This is partially true.

But some of us geeks enjoy building our own computer and tweaking it to make it run well, so it's a constant source of fun for us.

Principa Discordia · May 05, 2005, 03:41 PM // 15:41

To get "official screenshot" quality graphics in Guild Wars you need a graphics card with full support for DirectX 9.0c and one which is powerful enough to enable 4x anti-aliasing (smoothing) the "bloom" feature (enhanced lighting), and pixel/vertex shading (water/sky/texture/particle effects).

I'm not sure what the minimum required card is for these features, but from personal experience I can tell you that the Radeon X700/X800 and Geforce 6600/6800 graphics chipsets support them to "official screenshot" quality.

Cerixus · May 05, 2005, 03:53 PM // 15:53

I'm running a Radeon 9600 as well. I found that if I turn shadows completely I can turn everything else all the way up.

BTW, I believe the blur effect is the "post processing effect" checkbox in the advanced graphics options.

Principa Discordia · May 05, 2005, 03:54 PM // 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerixus

BTW, I believe the blur effect is the "post processing effect" checkbox in the advanced graphics options.

You would be correct. The "post-processing effects" option is responsible for a whole bunch of nice DirectX effects, most noticeably bloom.

Sideways · May 05, 2005, 03:54 PM // 15:54

You don't need a ridiculous card (in the range of $600 or $700 dollars) to get excellent quality out of your games, but the graphics card IS the integral part of your system for gaming.

You said you have a 2.4 gig processor, with over 500 megs of ram (so I assume you have a 512 chip in there)... so your machine is already prepared to handle high-end games, now go out and get yourself a really nice video card (at least 128 meg, go to 256 if you feel like spending the cash) and you will notice a MASSIVE difference.

IF you really want to get into PC gaming, I'd suggest checking the type of RAM you have, and popping another 512 chip in there.

The two biggest upgrades (in terms of overall & gaming performance) that I have done to my computer were:

Going from 512 SD, to 1024 DDR Ram (my motherboard supports both types, for whatever reason)
Going from a GeForce 64 meg card, to the Radeon 9800 Pro 256 meg card.

I don't think there are any 64 meg cards that fully support DirectX 9.0... so that's why you are missing some of the glow and lighting effects. I could be wrong...

Soul Monarch · May 05, 2005, 04:00 PM // 16:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sideways

IF you really want to get into PC gaming, I'd suggest checking the type of RAM you have, and popping another 512 chip in there.

He has a point there. 90% of the time more (or better) RAM is the single best upgrade you can get to speed up your games. If you've got 1Gb of RAM or more, you'll be blazing through most games pretty good.

Of course my P4 3.2Ghz HT, 800Mhz FSB processor is always nice. But most definitely not necessary.

Principa Discordia · May 05, 2005, 04:07 PM // 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soul Monarch

He has a point there. 90% of the time more (or better) RAM is the single best upgrade you can get to speed up your games. If you've got 1Gb of RAM or more, you'll be blazing through most games pretty good.

Of course my P4 3.2Ghz HT, 800Mhz FSB processor is always nice. But most definitely not necessary.

It depends... Having 1Gb of the newest RAM isn't going to help much if you bottleneck the rest of the system with an old graphics processor.

I always reccommend a Geforce 6600GT for a cost-effective modern gaming system, even before upgrading from 512mB RAM. They're roughly the same price as a Radeon 9800 Pro and at least twice as poweful, with better support for newer and shinier DirectX features.

Sideways · May 05, 2005, 04:09 PM // 16:09

Oh yeah, no doubt that the OP's graphics card is the FIRST thing to upgrade.

However, after that, getting more RAM will help with performance all-around.

That's all we were saying.

Principa Discordia · May 05, 2005, 04:11 PM // 16:11

Ah yes, I agree with that completely. All I'm saying is that after upgrading his graphics card he might find that more RAM won't be neccessary.

Would be a nice money-saver overall.

May 05, 2005, 02:59 PM // 14:59	#1
Aniscape Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Mar 2005	Graphics and soft effect. Hello all, This is really my first pc game I have ever owned or played so there might be some things I am missing or am not aware of. So here goes. I have been playing GW for about a week, off and on, and I have noticed that the soft effect you see in screen shots or online preview movies doesn't seem to be in my copy. everything looks crisp and solid not soft at all. I meet or excede the recomended requirements. I have a 2.4 gig Proc. the over 500 megs of ram. Also an Nvidea 64 meg graphic card. I am pretty sure I have current version of directx i clicked on the link on download CD for it. Is there a setting I am not aware of that turns to soft focus on or off? Also in towns or wilderness the character seems a bit choppy at times. If anyone knows how i can fix these with my current hardware please let me know. Or if there is something I need to get? Like I said never used PC for gaming before so please use lamens terms Thanks.

May 05, 2005, 03:04 PM // 15:04	#2
Chubz Ascalonian Squire Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia, USA	Either you're looking for the wrong effect or your video card cannot process the correct effect(s)... Check on the box to make sure that it is a video card compatable with Guild Wars. (Should be on the bottom of the box) Also, do this: -Click Start -Click RUN -Type "dxdiag" (without the quotations) in the dialog box and click OK -In the new window that pops up, click the DISPLAY tab -Tell us what the exact name of the video card is... I'll bet you it's a Geforce4 MX 440 (most people seem to have this one if they aren't sure), which may or may not be compatable.

May 05, 2005, 03:17 PM // 15:17	#3
Targon Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Oregon	I have the same issue... my vid card is the ATi Radeon 9600 Pro 128... What can I do to give me the best graphics possible?

May 05, 2005, 03:18 PM // 15:18	#4
Talus Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Hamilton, ON Profession: E/Me	Hit F11 for options, then hit the 'Advanced Options' under graphics section. The effect is likely turned off there. The game auto-detects your hardware and sets everything based on what it thinks will make your system run best. If your card simply cannot do the effect, then you either won't be able to turn it on, or when you do, it will make no difference.

May 05, 2005, 03:20 PM // 15:20	#6
Dumahim Ashenbane Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Guild: Steel Horse Men Profession: R/E	I may be wrong, but I don't know if that card has Pixel shader 2.0. That would cetainly have an effect on the looks of the water and tar. As far as the original poster goes, a 64 MB Nvidia card is either pretty old or an MX card. Neither of which is going to have the current features to render everything as good as the game can be.

May 05, 2005, 03:23 PM // 15:23	#7
Sideways Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Location: Calgary, AB - Soviet Canuckistan	Yeah, probably your vidcard, but you can change the settings to show it... beware of slowdown. I run a P4 2.6ghz with 1024 DDR RAM and an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256meg card... and I still note some slowdown when I try to run with all settings pumped to the max. it's a pretty graphics-intensive game! Oh Chubz... your avatar makes me smile! Radiohead!!!

May 05, 2005, 03:27 PM // 15:27	#8
Soul Monarch Krytan Explorer Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: In the between. Guild: Heros Etc. Profession: Me/N	Hey, folks. If you aren't getting the nice "blur" effect, you need to make sure post-processing is ON. Hit F11, pick advance options, and make sure the post-process effect is enabled. Gaussian Blur, Bloom, etc. are all applied after the rendering is done. Not all GPU's can handle those effects, but my outdated Radeon 9600 chews Guild Wars graphics up and spits 'em back out pretty. I run 1280x1024 - settings maxed, and the game runs just about flawlessly for me. (If that doesn't work, check your GPU control panel, these effects can enabled/disabled there as well.) Hope it helps.

May 05, 2005, 03:33 PM // 15:33	#10
Sideways Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Location: Calgary, AB - Soviet Canuckistan	umm... no no nO NO NO NO!!!!! :P "No alarms and no surprises... no alarms and no surprises please..." Sorry, but you're speaking to one of the biggest Radiohead fans alive... :P

May 05, 2005, 03:34 PM // 15:34	#11
Aniscape Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Mar 2005	Thanks all... Unfortunatly I am at work now ... I will check these out when I get home tonight and will post with results. One reason why I had reservations on picking up a PC game. there is always something you need better. On a console what you see is what you get so I guess I am a bit spoiled.

May 05, 2005, 03:41 PM // 15:41	#13
Principa Discordia Site Contributor Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: England.	To get "official screenshot" quality graphics in Guild Wars you need a graphics card with full support for DirectX 9.0c and one which is powerful enough to enable 4x anti-aliasing (smoothing) the "bloom" feature (enhanced lighting), and pixel/vertex shading (water/sky/texture/particle effects). I'm not sure what the minimum required card is for these features, but from personal experience I can tell you that the Radeon X700/X800 and Geforce 6600/6800 graphics chipsets support them to "official screenshot" quality.

May 05, 2005, 03:53 PM // 15:53	#14
Cerixus Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Guild: The Kaotic Order Profession: W/Mo	I'm running a Radeon 9600 as well. I found that if I turn shadows completely I can turn everything else all the way up. BTW, I believe the blur effect is the "post processing effect" checkbox in the advanced graphics options.

May 05, 2005, 03:54 PM // 15:54	#16
Sideways Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Location: Calgary, AB - Soviet Canuckistan	You don't need a ridiculous card (in the range of $600 or $700 dollars) to get excellent quality out of your games, but the graphics card IS the integral part of your system for gaming. You said you have a 2.4 gig processor, with over 500 megs of ram (so I assume you have a 512 chip in there)... so your machine is already prepared to handle high-end games, now go out and get yourself a really nice video card (at least 128 meg, go to 256 if you feel like spending the cash) and you will notice a MASSIVE difference. IF you really want to get into PC gaming, I'd suggest checking the type of RAM you have, and popping another 512 chip in there. The two biggest upgrades (in terms of overall & gaming performance) that I have done to my computer were: Going from 512 SD, to 1024 DDR Ram (my motherboard supports both types, for whatever reason) Going from a GeForce 64 meg card, to the Radeon 9800 Pro 256 meg card. I don't think there are any 64 meg cards that fully support DirectX 9.0... so that's why you are missing some of the glow and lighting effects. I could be wrong...

May 05, 2005, 04:09 PM // 16:09	#19
Sideways Academy Page Join Date: May 2005 Location: Calgary, AB - Soviet Canuckistan	Oh yeah, no doubt that the OP's graphics card is the FIRST thing to upgrade. However, after that, getting more RAM will help with performance all-around. That's all we were saying.

May 05, 2005, 04:11 PM // 16:11	#20
Principa Discordia Site Contributor Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: England.	Ah yes, I agree with that completely. All I'm saying is that after upgrading his graphics card he might find that more RAM won't be neccessary. Would be a nice money-saver overall.