biggest map my pc can handle

from Sins Forums
Right my pc is fairly basic atm, its got:

2.1ghz AMD X2 cpu
2gb DDR2 ram
graphics is sum ATI card that only has 64megs itself but apparantly leaches more off the ram
if need to know anything else let me know

whats the biggest map you think this pc can handle as is? (from the default maps with their default player numbers)
I keep starting a game and then a few minutes in i suddenly think "hows this gonna run when more planets and large fleets start entering the mix"
I like my large scale maps and huge fleet battles so i would like to know what in your opinion is the biggest this pc could get away with running without major performance issues popping up later on


Edit: I should probably have mentioned that am running the games details at mostly meduin with a few options like building detail and planet models at low

Thanks

(p.s in the next couple of months I'm upgading to a Geforce 8600 or a 9600 512mb if I can afford it and a 3ghz X2 cpu so if u wanna give your opinion on those specs go for it but atm more interested on the above)
technical
3,821 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Should be mostly ok, but the integrated graphics could be an issue. In any case though, the only way to tell for sure is to just play the game through and see for yourself. :)
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
true ,,, but on the larger maps it could be a very big downer to be half way through conquering the map and find I gotta wait till i get my next upgrades to finish it off :(
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
Then try medium first. Mileage varies.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Its hard to say since a large map with small fleets on it may actually perform better than a small/medium map where everyone has 2000 points of ships and then decide to meet to battle it out...
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
You'd have to experiment, but I have roughly the same system as you and I went nuts and created a several hundred star "galaxy" with 10 players and it ran fine. Note I said star, each star had from 2 to 60 "planets". However dunno if it would be feasable to play it when the races actually started meeting each other. I had them scattered all over so the likelyhood of such happenening wouldn't be for a very LONG time. My computer could handle it fine (though it did get this weird lockup/pause once after about 3-4 hours play time, where I had to tab out of the game (took a long time) do something else on the system and then back in.) I did this mostly to save at that point, but it played fine for another few hours. What I mean is advanced game you'd be hit on so many fronts (and doing your own attacks) that I think it would become extremely chaotic to play for YOU, the computer I think can handle it. :)

Here is an example of what I mean I did a smaller scale. I played I think it was Gateway (scenario), has only 6 players and I control roughly half of the first galaxy (err star) and there are only 2 computer opponets left now, one has roughly half as well and the third is barely hanging on (controls only 2 systems). No one owns any systems in the second galaxy (err star) yet as I've been blocking the gateways system. The big problem I'm having with that game atm is between my "expansion" and the computers expansion there are SO many systems needing attention that it is becoming problematic to manage them all. So what tends to happens is I excel where I'm Focused and lose ground where I'm not, then I stablize my focus area and go back and make up where I lost ground and so on. Late game it's becoming very tedious. lol

Anyway, my long winded post is, find out, but I think you'll find you can handle much more then you can manage, your system will, you on the other hand.... ;)

Oh one thing, I have a nVidia 8600GTS (256mb) and I play with everything set to maximum at 1600x1200 with an FSAA of 2, runs fine. :)