SF2 Europe Harrier Highway Strips

[Helmut_AUT 0]

Hi all

 

I know we have the Highway Strip "improvised Air Fields" working in NF4+, but the whole NF4+ install

 

1) still gives me quite low framerate even on new system

 

2) takes a massive 5GB chunk out of my 128GB SSD and

 

3) I really don't need all those aircraft

 

Is it possible to get just the Highway Strips for use in the normal campaign with normal terrain, or would I also need the Four-Seasons Terrain to go with it?

 

I know I would have to edit the Campaign Files for the default campaign to get the Harrier Squadrons relocated, but that might be the easiest part.

 

Thanks for helping.

[+Soulfreak 6,524]

-DL NF4+

-DL the original Higway mod for Gen1

look what files are needet for the mod.

copy the needet files from NF4+ to your add on folder????

[xclusiv8 35]

I cant understand why the NF4+ mod takes so much resources from a high end PC.

[Helmut_AUT 0]

Soulfreak, sounds like a workable way to find the required files. Thanks!

 

Still, maybe it might be worth it to release the Highway mod as separate download.

 

Xclusiv8, the answer can only be "because the base game is not very optimized". I get a constant 60 avg. Framerate in First Eagles, but as low as 30 in default SF2E. With NF4+ it can get even more brutal.

 

I think there are just too many objects and textures loaded, which is a poor man's way to generate a nice looking landscape. Engines like "Rise of Flight" for example offload much of the geometry work to the GPU, but in Thirdwire it seems a lot of stuff still happens brute-force on the CPU.

 

Besides, even if the framerate was great, I just don't want to spend 5GB of my HD on the super-complete plane collection if I'm only flying three or four with any regularity.

[xclusiv8 35]

Soulfreak, sounds like a workable way to find the required files. Thanks!

 

Still, maybe it might be worth it to release the Highway mod as separate download.

 

Xclusiv8, the answer can only be "because the base game is not very optimized". I get a constant 60 avg. Framerate in First Eagles, but as low as 30 in default SF2E. With NF4+ it can get even more brutal.

 

I think there are just too many objects and textures loaded, which is a poor man's way to generate a nice looking landscape. Engines like "Rise of Flight" for example offload much of the geometry work to the GPU, but in Thirdwire it seems a lot of stuff still happens brute-force on the CPU.

 

Besides, even if the framerate was great, I just don't want to spend 5GB of my HD on the super-complete plane collection if I'm only flying three or four with any regularity.

 

Yeah but i think TK worked on that in the new SF2I series cause there i easily get 60fps with verticalsync on. So whenever he releases the patch to upgrade all the older games we will all be happy

[FastCargo 412]

Let me be clear here.

 

When TK releases that patch, it will break your NF4+ install...so don't be getting all giddy yet.

 

FC

Edited November 27, 2009 by FastCargo

[xclusiv8 35]

Let me be clear here.

 

When TK releases that patch, it will break your NF4+ install...so don't be getting all giddy yet.

 

FC

 

yes but i bet Dave will release an update aswell :yes:

[Fubar512 1,350]

 

 

Xclusiv8, the answer can only be "because the base game is not very optimized". I get a constant 60 avg. Framerate in First Eagles, but as low as 30 in default SF2E. With NF4+ it can get even more brutal.

 

 

 

First Eagles is faster because of its limited terrain distance, and simpler object models. Set the terrain distance in any of the other titles to "Near" or "Normal", and you will see a bump in frame rates. BTW, horizon distance is limited by CPU speed. The other issue is terrain object and ground object complexity/detail level. 3rd party models (as used in NF4+) tend to have higher poly counts, and use larger, more detailed textures.

 

A minimum of 30 FPS is actually good. Flight sims are not first person shooters. They remain playable right down into the high teens. Keep in mind that the old Graphsim Hornet series was limited to 20 FPS.

[xclusiv8 35]

First Eagles is faster because of its limited terrain distance, and simpler object models. Set the terrain distance in any of the other titles to "Near" or "Normal", and you will see a bump in frame rates. BTW, horizon distance is limited by CPU speed. The other issue is terrain object and ground object complexity/detail level. 3rd party models (as used in NF4+) tend to have higher poly counts, and use larger, more detailed textures.

 

A minimum of 30 FPS is actually good. Flight sims are not first person shooters. They remain playable right down into the high teens. Keep in mind that the old Graphsim Hornet series was limited to 20 FPS.

 

That is true but that does not change that the game isnt optimized that good. Just try the new shaders and ull understand what i mean. Going from 30fps in Germany map to 120 shows that something was broken in the earlier installments.

[+Dave 2,322]

yes but i bet Dave will release an update aswell :yes:

Never assume anything. The amount of stuff that would have to be fixed is staggering. I am also busy playing other games and haven't flown the sim in weeks. Just don't have any interest right now.

[FastCargo 412]

That is true but that does not change that the game isnt optimized that good. Just try the new shaders and ull understand what i mean. Going from 30fps in Germany map to 120 shows that something was broken in the earlier installments.

 

You are confusing 'broken' with 'not implemented'.

 

If you look at the history of the TW sim series, CPU, GPU, and DirectX evolution, you can see exactly what happened, and why the newest edition (SF2I) is so much faster than the older versions.

 

FC

 

PS Dave, I know how you feel my friend...

Edited November 27, 2009 by FastCargo

[Fubar512 1,350]

That is true but that does not change that the game isnt optimized that good. Just try the new shaders and ull understand what i mean. Going from 30fps in Germany map to 120 shows that something was broken in the earlier installments.

 

 

Yep, ThirdWire has a massive team of devs working with an unlimited budget....

 

As Harold says, nothing was really "broken". Until recently, the 2nd generation titles eeked by on a mish-mash of DX9 and DX10 shaders. The latter were essentially place holders, until "activated" by the last two patches.

 

I run the series on an XP system, and it runs buttery smooth under DX9. Dave runs the series on a Win 7 system, has applied my settings, and guess what? It also runs buttery smooth, under DX10.

[Helmut_AUT 0]

Sorry to spoil the performance discussion ;)

 

I tried to get the Highway Strips into my SF2E, but failed. If JSF_Argie wants to upload them as separate mod it would be really sweet.

 

...to get back to performance issues:

 

Fubar, what you write sounds like an explanation why the ENBSeries mod might speed up performance.

[Fubar512 1,350]

Sorry to spoil the performance discussion ;)

 

I tried to get the Highway Strips into my SF2E, but failed. If JSF_Argie wants to upload them as separate mod it would be really sweet.

 

 

He did....about three years ago. Dig through the downloads section, and you'll find it.

[Helmut_AUT 0]

Fubar, that's for SF1 Wings over Europe, for the NF+ mod he updated the files to SF2E and it would be nice to get those files in a neat and simple package for those who don't want to do the full NF+ install.

[Fubar512 1,350]

It's not difficult to port them over to SF2E....mostly a matter of .ini editing. But in all fairness, perhaps a PM to JSF_Aggie asking him to release an SF2E version might be in order.

[+JSF_Aggie 1,291]

For the highway airfields, I have the bare minimum of files tar'ed up on my desktop from NF4. Let me make sure TK hasn't tweaked the _targets.ini & _types.ini files with the last two patches, and I'll upload them tonight to the SF2 area.

 

I also have the hi-res runway tiles modified to run with SF2 series runway .lod's, including the RED airfields. I just haven't had a chance to upload them yet. I'll try and get them uploaded tonight as well.

 

Youth bball has started again, and I got "drafted" to coach my daughter's 6th grade team as well. Ohh the horror.....

[TurtleHawk 6]

 

What a geat dad you are!

I'd say you have your priorities correct.

 

I'll also look forward to the uploads.

[+JSF_Aggie 1,291]

Uploaded to the SF2 Add On Terrains section, awaiting approval.

[Helmut_AUT 0]

Really appreciate it (and I'm sure others will too)

 

Thanks Aggie.

[Helmut_AUT 0]

Loaded them up yesterday, it's really amazing what a "simple" change of airfield can do for the immersion of flying the Harrier.

 

One note: I tried a few based from the readme in the campaign, and one of them makes the game crash to desktop. I didn't find time to pinpoint which one that was (I was testing three at the same time) but it's one from the middle of the list in the readme.

 

Really excellent addon you made here, Aggie.