Turning off shadows

**SPRINGBREAK87** · October 29, 2006, 03:46 PM

I ran the demo of MTW2 with the specs recommended by the game's diagnosis of my computer. It was essentially a little higher than default medium setting, but the game ran so slow it was unplayable. I turned off only shadows and now the demo blazes. Why would this one visual component of the game create such a huge problem? Seems strange.

My relevant computer specs:

VooDoo Hexx
AMD Athlon 3000 overclocked by VooDoo (2.1 Ghz, but tests closer to 3 Ghz)
1 GB of RAM
ATI Radeon X1300 256 :hmmm:

**General Dissaray** · October 29, 2006, 03:57 PM

It could have some thing to do with the way the shadows are renderd. If you think about it a shadow is just like the thing it is the shadow of, same shape and size you know? So if you have one soldier and his shadow on screen you have to track the movement of both of them so it is twice the work than just having one unit with not shadow on.

**Sgt Gul** · October 29, 2006, 04:01 PM

did you noticed any difference in the graphics? i mean was it less nice then it was whit schadows on?

**Legione** · October 29, 2006, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Sgt Gul

did you noticed any difference in the graphics? i mean was it less nice then it was whit schadows on?

shadows are just what they sound like: shadows. Turning off shadows means no shadows at all, shadows on lowest mean shadows on trees and buildings but not on units, shadows on low are shadows on buildings and shadows on units but very poor quality. It doesn't affect graphics other than shadows...

**General Dissaray** · October 29, 2006, 04:23 PM

It dose make a diferance in fps. I turned the shadows off on my game and I got way better fps, like 3 times better.

**SPRINGBREAK87** · October 29, 2006, 04:23 PM

Legione is right. The unit detail was set to high and did not suffer from turning off shadows. Not having shadows is noticeable, but the speed I gained FAR outweighs the deficit to aesthetics. I was considering not purchasing the game until I tried this trick. I've already annihilated the French a half-dozen times with King Henry's indestructible bowmen. Never gets old!

**Gaius Julius** · October 29, 2006, 04:37 PM

SHadows kill me in just about every game. I basically never have them enabled.

**General Dissaray** · October 29, 2006, 06:34 PM

To be very honest I don't notice a diferance visualy with or with out the shadows. May be I am just imgening them or some thing when they are not turned on.

**Lord Janos** · October 29, 2006, 06:46 PM

Yeah I have a similar "problem". The game runs like an absolute dream with shadows turned off. All settings on high... and I have an old banger of a machine compared to what most people have nowadays.

**Candelarius** · October 29, 2006, 08:19 PM

I notice the same thing in many games, like what Gaius Julius says. I have them on "high" right now, but, I'm probably going to turn them to low or off with the full game, as I prefer to play on Huge unit sizes.