PSA - OSX users: check cloth simulation

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by eli, Mar 16, 2018.

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  1. eli

    eli Avatar

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    I've had cloth simulation disabled since historically having it enabled was pretty bad for my performance on OSX. I had been playing in 1024x768 on fastest but still getting frame stutter.

    Since all the updates, i decided to experiment with turning up to 4K, higher quality, and checking all the boxes. Much to my surprise, the game ran slightly faster. Bizarre, i unchecked things to see what happened and, to my amazement before long i had the game running smoothly at 4K.

    Now with only anti-aliasing, cloth simulation, and depth of field enabled, i am running on fastest at 4K with significantly better performance than I was previously getting at 1024x768. that is crazy, it is drawing over 10x as many pixels, faster.

    so i thought I would post this in hopes that it saves some other poor soul who's had cloth simulation disabled like me.
     
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  2. that_shawn_guy

    that_shawn_guy Bug Hunter

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    are you running with the "-force-metal" launch argument?
     
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  3. Jens_T

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    Could you please post sour specs?
    Are you running this on a Retina display?
     
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  4. eli

    eli Avatar

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    not yet, can you do that with the steam client?
    Sure, I have the 2013 mac pro (quad core Xeon E5, 12GB RAM) with two D700 (each has 6GB gddr5 vram, 2048 stream processors, 264GB/s memory bandwidth, 3.5 teraflops)
    I'm using a 60hz 4k monitor over DP1.3 interlink using janky hacked display configuration
     
  5. Alley Oop

    Alley Oop Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

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    metal is the default now, no need to force it.

     
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  6. eli

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    whatever it is using now, i hope it stays :) or at least stays as a config option. I've never enjoyed the game quite like this
     
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  7. Black Tortoise

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    try right clicking the game title in your steam menu, select "Properties", and under the "General" tab, select "SET LAUNCH OPTIONS..."

    not exactly sure waht to do there, but try just adding -force-metal and then check your running processes to see if it worked?

    Also, did you used to be named Gowron? That name was great! :p
     
  8. eli

    eli Avatar

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    No not mine :)

    At one point i tried to make a klingon guild in Brittany Wharfs (dad joke)

    my main is wandering healer

    Kerpla!
     
  9. Black Tortoise

    Black Tortoise Avatar

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    /kneeslap

    Ok, Im confusing you with someone from another form with a very similar avatar named Gowron

    them bug eyes are so funny!
     
  10. Undone

    Undone Trap Master Moderator SOTA Developer

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    this is no longer necessary as METAL is the default graphics API since R51. If you want to use opengl you now have to use "-force-glcore" as a launch argument.
     
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  11. Floors

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    For me it doesn't save the graphics settings properly on a 2017 iMac retina 5k. It always goes to the max resolution and I have to manually set it to 1440p to run it properly. Same on QA.

    Also, users do not have control over the graphics drivers on macOS. It's part of the operating system. So there's no upgrading drivers.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2018
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  12. Elwyn

    Elwyn Avatar

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    FYI, I think Metal first appeared in 10.11, so you have to be running at least that for it to work.
    That's a problem on Windows as well.
     
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  13. Widsith [MGT]

    Widsith [MGT] Avatar

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    I've started playing with video modes again (on my late-2015 iMac) since it looks like whatever's in current QA is what we'll have to live with. I haven't observed any notable speedup, but I does appear that setting the game resolution to an even factor of the native resolution does help modestly with speed. I'm at default res on my Retina display (4096x2304). SotA can't push pixels fast enough to get a any sort of frame rate there, but if I set game resolution to 2048x1152 - exactly half - then I get performane about the same as if I set 1920x1080 (makes a bit of sesne considering how scaling must work). Still a pretty poor frame rate, but currently the best compromise between visual quality and playability.

    I note that any change of Quality Level to other than Auto will result in an ALTAIR9000 error (at least there's a warning). Changing shadows will do the same thing, without any warning. Haven't tried any other manual options as yet.
     
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  14. Arcanoxer

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    So the game is running by default with Metal on a mac but not with Vulkan on Linux?
     
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