Is this a joke? performance disaster...

[Tomcon]

I just instaled Barbarian Invasion on my pc. Set highest settings, choose historical battle and... performance ar crap. At zoomeout FRAPS shows me around 25fps while zoomed around 50. I play at 1280x1024. My pc is Phenom II x4 3,2GHz, HD5850 1GB OC, 4gb ram ddr 3. What the hell? It isn't supports multi core cpus? Damn you CA! Cant you learn to optimize games? Rome is obviously first, Shogun 2 second(you will not play shogun 2 at ultra even at 2015...) .

[empr guy]

the rome total set of games is nearl a decade old, I highly doubt it's optimized for more then one core. CA also doesn't support a game after the next two have been released, and Rome was several games ago.

Although I don't understand how 50fps is crap preformance, I was under the impression more then 30 made it look smooth like a video or something, at like 50-60 I don't know how you would tell the difference. You also have fraps on though, so of course it will run a bit slower.

[Savoyard]

You also have fraps on though, so of course it will run a bit slower.

FRAPS doesn't magically kill frames when it's not recording.

[Brusilov]

FRAPS doesn't magically kill frames when it's not recording.

The trick to reduce the impact on the frame rate when recoridng a movie is to record onto a disc drive other than the one that the game is on.

I've added a solid state drive (SSD) to my PC that is only used to store screen shots and movies and the drop is significantly reduced when recording movies.

I'd suggest if you don't have a SSD to hand (they are expensive and I got mine from a PC that I scrapped) then a second internal hard drive would be almost as good. Don't use an external drive.

[Tomcon]

50 when you zoom in, and thats SOMETIMES. When camera is zoomed out I have around 22-25fps and when fight began 12-19... . Its unplayable. Worst perf than Shogun 2 which uses also 1 core... .

[Chris Death]

omg - that's like hopping into a P51D Mustang and then complaining you can't fly at mach speed.

Although i have to admit that on my pc it runs in 1920x1200 with everything set at highest available
and it works like a charm but to be honest it needs some kind'a luck to get a new pc being able
running it that way without problems - be happy at all that your pc can run RTW - others weren't
that lucky even with rigs where the guys from NASA are getting jealous when watching their specs.

It's an old game and it has been made for hardware being around at times of release + let's
say 3 years.

One could now argue that they could patch that afterwards but that's a no-go since the production
costs won't fit into their calculations as a 6/7 years old game won't be expected to reach gold-status
again.

~S~ CD

[Tomcon]

So you all have such a crap perf? IF it iss... well. Jessus! Its not the age fault, but CA. I played many old games and they run way more better than this(maybe not so fast as should be- around 200-250 fps, but "only" 70-90). Newest shogun is same as Rome obviously. When Rome was released there were no pc to handle it on high settings, same as shogun 2 this tames. After years there is still no pc to handle it(same will be with shogun 2 and any other game), because CA can't optimize it well. Games like this should take crap out of cpu to make them do calculations, but they isnt.

[Chris Death]

So you all have such a crap perf? IF it iss... well. Jessus! Its not the age fault, but CA. I played many old games and they run way more better than this(maybe not so fast as should be- around 200-250 fps, but "only" 70-90). Newest shogun is same as Rome obviously. When Rome was released there were no pc to handle it on high settings, same as shogun 2 this tames. After years there is still no pc to handle it(same will be with shogun 2 and any other game), because CA can optimize it well. Games like this should take crap out of cpu to make them do calculations, but they isnt.

Nope - i said i have really really excellent performance in best graphicals settings one could ever imagine.

You'd better blame it on "the freedom of choice" of which pc + components you are able to put together.

~S~ CD

[Vindictus]

I run Fraps with RTW and I see no problem. I suspect you are accustomed to lagless PCs and huge fps? I use Fraps and get like ~ 90 fps. RTW Is nearly a decade old, as noted above.

[Tomcon]

CS Source is also nearly decade old and runs great, even before dual core patch. Rome in other way is UNPLAYABLE. So what, i wasted my money? CA cheated me again giving me requirements on the back of box?

[SavageFeat]

I get 10-20 FPS on rtw so dont go bing on how you get 20-25 FPS. my computer is sooo bad I cant play medieval 2

[Rex Romanorum]

I get 10-20 FPS on rtw so dont go bing on how you get 20-25 FPS. my computer is sooo bad I cant play medieval 2

same here buddy. my pc really SUCKS, I get 20 fps on rome with low settings LOL

[MortenJessen]

Well, if I can make some poor people (OP) happy, I can tell him that even with my SLI 580 I can not make more than 50-55 fps when zoomed. Strangely enough, my old laptop using a 330M has better performance.....
And, no. RTW does not support neither multible CPUs or GPUs. It is simply too old. But enjoy it anyway. RTW can never be a waste of money.

[Tomcon]

I just lovered unit detail from ultra to high, rest options very high. Huge fps increase to around 40-45, its still low, but finally i can play it normally.
Other thing. I don't know i will keep playing it. Cav power is to low(even from behind) comparing to the shogun 2(or even medieval?) and units move too fast. What I like about it is alley fighting in the cities or castles. I miss it at shogun 2.

[MortenJessen]

Cavalry useless ???
No, not at all. You need to remember that warfare was, with exeptions, based on infantry and auxillary troops, with cavalry as support. Especially when it comes to the Roman factions. The factions that has its focus on cavalry as the battlewinners, do have the needed heavy cavalry, like cataphracts and Companions and even Rome has decent heavy cavalry after the reforms. Besides, there are plenty of other types of cavalry in various roles and specializations, like horse archers, elephants and chariots. Find the right way to use them and cavalry is far from usesless.
If you by chance refer to the early light cavalry available to the Romans, the Equites, it is a medium cavalry best used as such; to fight off enemy skirmishers, misile cavalry and to hunt down routers and smash into wavering enemy units ti have them break.
But this is only a very rude describtion. There are plenty of variety.

[Tomcon]

Iam not saying they are useless, but less efective while charge. I checked only this kinds from historical battles so far. At Shogun charging even with bow cavalry, an infantry unit, specialy from behind make attacked unit to "fly" atleast of 1/3 soldiers.

[MortenJessen]

Heavy cavalry will do you that. Remember, as I said, with some exeptions, cavalry warfare was limited, both in effects and in use, due to technological, social/economical and resource-limitations. It was elite units both in military and social aspects. Units like Companions, Sacred Band Cavaly and Cataphracts, some of the most powerfull cavalry units, reflects that. But all three of them can send most infantry into a rout on contact if used right. And that leads to my next point: Attacking the right target.
Did you by chance charge into a spear, or worse, a pike unit ?? If so, that might explain you lack of succes with cavalry........
Edit: Why Equites (and equivalents) are awesome in campaign..

[Tomcon]

Did you by chance charge into a spear, or worse, a pike unit ?? If so, that might explain you lack of succes with cavalry........
Edit: Why Equites (and equivalents) are awesome in campaign..

Why not? At Rome there are many "spear kind" units and charging them from behind should break them like bowls

[MortenJessen]

Yes, attacking from behind can do wonders against such units, but I get the impression that you leave your cavalry behind in a prolonged melee.... Against spear and pike units (actually against most heavy infantry, but spears are the worst), that is a sure way to kill off your own cavalry.
Charge --> Retreat. Charge again --> Retreat. That is the way.
Edit: Actually, very few but the most heavy cavalry, can survive a direct frontal charge against heavy infantry. Just an aside....

[caesar_37th]

Hmm, try using wedge.

Whenever I see the words cavalry and useless in the same sentence I realise why so many people complain about urbans or spartans. When used correctly, cavalry is without a doubt the best unit in the game. Hell, I've used two companions and 6 greek cav to kill 6 praetorian cav and 5 urbans in 2 minutes.

Frankly, on my 5 year old laptop, I can play a full sized battle on Huge with perfectly fine performance.