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Posts posted by Lemon_King
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I mention using a batchfile for the windows boot process so its up and ready to go before you start the launcher.
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Worked great for me.
Thanks for the tip.
+1 to you.
Welcome. ^_^
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Not a problem when it is this fast. ^^ And ill just replace them with newer stuff late this year. Or whenever revodrive 4x2 comes out.
I'm running 2 revoerdrives 3x2's in stripe atm. Works great but was a ***** to setup. Though down side is I need to leave computer logged out and on for garbage collection until trim support is enabled for native scsi
Thats quite the setup there.
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I have 6g/s sequential read write.
I don't have any issues, my windows is on this setup.
You're still loading the data twice from the harddrive.
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Thanks for posting this. I have 8GB ram and I'll try this out and see what it does.
Which do you prefer? I don't mind using the CLI.
CLI is best, and I'm quite possibly going to be switching to it sometime tomorrow.
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Yes, I believe all of those promo screenshots were taken on an internal build at Bioware that used high res graphics and anti-aliasing.
High Res screencapture function located in Remote Renderer.
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From this point forward instead of junction I will say symlink. I was doing this in unix long before doing it in windows.
Windows install is SSD, I install all of my programs to my hdd, then move to the SSD/symlink on the HDD the ones I want on my SSD. I know that having windows on your SSD will shorten it's life but it makes up for it in performance and I'm willing to accept that my drive will fail sooner because of it.
Slightly different setup from mine.
Windows is a standard HDD, along with my Applications drive.
My SSD is reserved for things like WoW and SWTOR.
Due to SWTOR slamming my SSD (before and after the junction/symlink) by moving and deleting data so much during gameplay I looked into setting up an Ramdrive.
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Really? I've not noticed too many hitches on my rig but I'll give it a shot for the hell of it, worst case it does nothing and I revert back to the way I was before, best case YAY free performance.
You have to remember even if you have the game installed on an SSD the buffer files are still on the windows install drive unless you junction the folder. (Junctioning the files wont work due to the engine deleting them after its done with them.)
But once DiskCacheArena becomes full due to normal gameplay the engine will try flushing data to make room for the new data slowing down gameplay and causing massive hitching, even on an SSD.
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Batty, I have an SSD and even with it you'll still get the performance drops.
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Lets talk about increasing SWTOR Performance by working around Engine Bottlenecks!
Right now this focuses on placing DiskCacheArena and 2 buffer files DiskCacheStatic / DiskCacheStream on a RamDrive.
The increase in performance I've seen during my test for the past few days was quite nice, resolved 2 issues with the engine.
The First being a performance drop once DiskCacheArena starts becoming full where data needs to be flushed during gameplay, causing severe hitching* even on an SSD.
Second is for Static and Stream, simple buffers that work wonders in a RamDrive but will slow performance anytime they are on disk; the performance drop remains even if Arena is in a RamDrive.
*Hitching is caused by the engine pausing to flush data in DiskCacheArena then creating data to save there once freed up, including Atlas Texture Generation for Dynamic Models.
Now why is this a bottleneck? - Click Spoiler to see
When the game is started, it mounts the MYP/TOR files in ..\Assets\ loads the data from there by streaming with the Static and Stream files into DiskCacheArena. Once there it can be loaded by the engine for use in General Gameplay. Its a pretty slow method but it does work for now.
A better solution would be to mount the data and have the game pull from that as one large LRC, with all data created by the engine and downloaded from the server to go into DiskCacheArena; giving it proper priority over the mounted data.
Another solution would be to make use of MemoryMan.dll and spawna third process to act as a light RamDrive for DiskCacheArena with the write buffers for machines with enough ram - a simple toggle could be added in the launcher.
Setting up a RamDrive
You will need 6 Gigs or more of Ram, a 64bit version of Windows, and some software, your other solution is to hunt down some Hardware to bypass OS limits.
Software you will need
- ImDisk Virtual Disk Driver
Fast, Primitive GUI, CLI Solution for Setup on System Boot, no RamDrive size limits
ImDisk Virtual Disk Setup
imdisk -a -s 1500M -m T: -p "/fs:ntfs /q /y"
If you are having issues, change 1500M to 2G.
Creating Folder Junctions
- Find our where your SWTOR is located, As an example my install is located on S:\Applications\Star Wars-The Old Republic\
- Open your Start Panel click Run and type in %userprofile%\AppData\Local
- Scrolling down you should see a folder called SWTOR, open it and Copy the settings folder to <SWTOR Install Location>\Star Wars-The Old Republic\SWTOR\retailclient\
- Delete DiskCacheArena if it exists in <SWTOR Install Location>\Star Wars - The Old Republic\SWTOR\
- RENAME the SWTOR folder in Local to SWTOR_Original
- Run cmd with Admin Rights change <SWTOR Install Location> to your SWTOR Install Location.
mkdir T:\SWTOR\swtor mklink /J "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\SWTOR" "T:\SWTOR\" mklink /J "T:\SWTOR\swtor\settings" "<SWTOR Install Location>\Star Wars - The Old Republic\SWTOR\retailclient\settings" mklink "<SWTOR Install Location>\Star Wars - The Old Republic\SWTOR\DiskCacheArena" "T:\DiskCacheArena"
What to do on a Reboot with IMDrive?
Save the code below as a batch file and follow this guide here: Windows Vista / 7 UAC Launch on Startup
Allowing the Ramdrive to startup and be prepped for SWTOR without having to manually run the batch file everytime.
imdisk -a -s 1500M -m T: -p "/fs:ntfs /q /y" mkdir T:\SWTOR\swtor mklink /J "T:\SWTOR\swtor\settings" "<SWTOR Install Location>\Star Wars - The Old Republic\SWTOR\retailclient\settings"
Removing ImDrive & Junctions
Run this batchfile and it should remove all links to the Ramdrive, Restart your PC and uninstall ImDrive.
del "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\SWTOR" rename "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\SWTOR_Original" SWTOR del "<SWTOR Install Location>\Star Wars - The Old Republic\SWTOR\DiskCacheArena"
Be sure to change <SWTOR Install Location> to your SWTOR Location!
Simple All-In-One Boot Batchfiles
- All-In-One Batch File for RamDrive Setup & Use by _ocmer
http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=2892331
Experimental Stuff
Using Junctions to move Dynamic Player Data to your a Ramdrive (Requires a 4gig Ramdrive)
Post: http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=2577689
Other Software to Help Improve Performance
- Superspeed 5 (RETAIL)
SuperCache breaks the disk I/O bottleneck by using the computer's RAM to hold or contain the most frequently used disk data. As a program sends and receives disk data, the most frequently used data is read from and written to RAM – not the hard drive – thus accelerating the program's performance.
WARNING: Do not use Write/Defer Write without a UPS Backup! - Fancy Cache (BETA SOFTWARE) (RETAIL)
FancyCache is a supplementary software caching scheme that cooperates with system memory to provide data caching for volumes/disks. It improves system performance by transparently storing data into memory such that future requests for that data can be served faster.
Currently Free due to Beta.
WARNING: Do not use Write/Defer Write without a UPS Backup!
Common Hardware Performance Issues
First, make sure you have Direct X 9 Updated / Windows Vista/7 Framerate Issue
If you're on Vista / 7 and you have NOT installed the DirectX 9 Runtime from Microsoft I highly suggest you do so.
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=35
Q: I have a Computer with a CPU slower than an i5 and I'm still having Studdering/FPS Issues!
A: Its time to upgrade that Computer.
Q: I have an i5 or higher and I'm still having Studdering/FPS Lag!
A: Then check your videocard; If its slower than GeForce 550 or a Radeon 6600 or 6700 series you might want to upgrade your videocard - or just turn off Shadows ingame.
Q: I have done all of the above and my performance is still terrible - or I don't have the Cash to Upgrade.
A: See this Thread - Run your patcher, go into ../Assets/ and rename swtor_main_art_fx_1.tor to swtor_main_art_fx_1_Backup.tor and then launch SWTOR.
You will get a FPS increase, but loose pretty much every fancy particle effect and sfx tied to it.
TODO: Expand on Fancy Cache/Super Speed 5 for those that are interested
- ImDisk Virtual Disk Driver
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Mastercraft is an artifact item crafted with a critical success. This grants it an augment slot. Any lower quality item than artifact (green or blue colors) that gets a critical success would have the [Exceptional] tag after it, I believe.
Close, Mastercraft seems to be T2 with bonus stats and an Augment Slot.
Exceptional is any item with an Augment Slot.
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Preview window is a MipMap Bias issue, you can force that with some Video Tweaking.
Dynamic Models (Player / NPC) ingame are being forcibly downsampled by 50%.
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Crosspost from the PTS Forum:
Well, forcing MipMaps fixes the Muddy PaperDoll issues in the UI. But fails to fix the player object ingame.
Seems like they're forcefully rendering the player objects at a lower resolution.
e: Sitting in the city with a ton of players around I'm only using up about 35% - 40% of my Video Memory.
Should be able to handle Players and NPCs at Full Resolution.
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Work around right now would be to use Nvidia Inspector, set MipMap Bias to -2 and Clamp MipMaps.
Should force players to 0, and NPCs with MipMaps at 2 to 0.
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Side with Jadus when the time comes and you can kill her.
You can't romance her.
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This is just the first Tier for gear, wait until we see the next then it might be worth while to complain.
Although the whole intergalactic space ninja gear Agents get is kinda neat.
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HK-51 might be tied to the Legacy system considering every single quest in the line is marked as NF: http://www.torhead.com/search/NF -
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The only Hutt that wears a Towel as a Cape.
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If your having trouble with the MGGS, try jumping right as it pulls you in.
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385k - 31/5/5
In the end its more about watching the battlefield, and the action going on around you.
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I wonder who posted that.he saw something on the SA forums and linking us a picture -
A full video walkthrough of it:
Don't mean to step on your toes Lemon Linked to your written guide from the video thread . Didn't even know you'd posted one when we made this
I have no problem with the video and glad one is out.
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That's the thing, it only takes one guy to find them, post how to get them, then everyone gets them. No skill needed, just the ability to use a search button on a fan site.
When my guild completed the challenge on the 30th, everyone wanted me to post a guide on how to do it.
So I did.
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I went to that junk dealer, and there was no chest in his tent and the only key to buy from him is the Key to that Space Chest with the Datacron in it which gives +4 Aim.
So i guess your on to something atleast. Since it appears it despawn and spawn again etc. To get that modded part by a Jawa.
Mind posting the name of that part ?
Its not a droid part, its a Matrix Cube Disassembler: http://www.torhead.com/item/7rZB1LN
Just allows lower level players to acquire it without going to tat.
[HOWTO - RAMDRIVE] Increasing SWTOR System Performance
in General Discussion
Posted · Edited by Lemon_King
That is correct, sorry about making this a tad cryptic.