system requirements/graphics card reqs?

[alabamaangyl]

Hello there! forgive me if this has been asked before...

I have never played before, and am awaiting the new update with anticipation! However, I had some questions about the system requirements. Is there any way to run this game with what I've got going on? I have a Intel 1.8Ghz Pentium 4 upgraded to 1 gig of RAM. My sound and graphics are onboard and basically worthless. I can run things like the Sims 2 Nightlife (Can I say that name here?  hehe) and some 3d graphics heavy progs, while others just randomly don't seem to work.

I appreciate the help! And sorry again if this has been pre-posted or whatnot. 

[Karyuu]

Onboard graphics are pretty bad - you might be able to load the game, but you won't have a perfect experience by far, and a lot of people have just found it impossible. You really need a real graphics card for intensive 3D games like this.

[alabamaangyl]

Yeah, I was afraid of that

In fact, I've been finding an increasingly large number of games are unplayable by me, not due to any other system requirement except the graphics card one. Methinks I need to update the 'old dragon', eh?

Alas, that is about two months away, at best. (oh well, I can always hope it plays for me, right? )

[LigH]

One of the most important requirements for PlaneShift is a full featured OpenGL driver.

The fact that such heavy games like "Sims 2" run properly shows that you may have a good 3D GPU. Some of such games, which are often made for Windows only, may use the Direct3D interface and be happy that DirectX is installed.

But PlaneShift is a cross-platform game, it shall work under Windows, Linux, and MacOS. DirectX is not available under Linux and MacOS, of course. So PlaneShift needs to use a cross-platform 3D interface -- OpenGL.

Unfortunately, Windows ships only drivers which do not yet support OpenGL completely, including 3D accelleration. You will have to get current drivers for your specific on-board controller, most probably from the website of your mainboard manufacturer.

Try to find out which graphic chip (GPU) you have exactly. A tool like "Everest" may help you, if the system and driver details don't tell you enough (see the Device Manager).

[LARAGORN]

I have crappy on board-video as well, but with the latest drivers, I have no major issues.
Mine is an ASUS P4R800-VM with built in Radion 9100 IGP
With tweaking things here and there i get a somewhat smooth playing game.
Ligh summed things up very well

[LigH]

The question is not "on-board or separate", but "which generation of graphic chip"!

You might have e.g. an nForce chipset with nVidia "FX-class" GPU: Great, I am jealous! GeForce2 GTS here, separate card -- but much worse. I would not be able to play Sims 2...

[alabamaangyl]

According to my device manager, I have an Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller. I'm not if it can be updated, tho. I'll go see what I can dig up!

[Ahriman]

Intel =\ Usually when I hear of intel GPUs I hear of problems with 3d games like this...

[alabamaangyl]

Well, I'll hope for the best! Cause it's gonna be about two months (probably more) before I can get a graphics card. The properties said it has 64MB of Ram, but I have 1gig of ram in this pc (I upgraded from about 256mb) and the onboard graphics are openGL capable.

(Edit: I was able to upgrade the drivers, tho! One came out just last year, in fact. Dunno what kind of change that'll make tho.)

[StarsAndBars_1018]

Looks like testing with my backup comp is out, then.

32MB RAM, ATI Rage 215GP Pro

[Waylander]

That 64MB may just be the amount shared for the graphics.
You could probably run PS on any of the Geforce 6ks which shouldn't be all that expensive...


On another note...you think you can run two 7950X2s together...because...daaaaamn

[alabamaangyl]

I'm not sure what you mean, waylander? (...you think you can run two 7950X2s together...)

 I know very little about graphics cards. I'm somewhat at a disadvantage here, because I have one pci and one agp slot available... I keep getting conflicting reports about what graphics card to get, whether it be agp or pci.

I am leaning towards agp, even tho people say it is going out of style, because my pci bus is slightly loaded right now. I'm aiming for something cheap right now, as long as it works. I'm thinking ATI All-in-wonder Pro with 128 mb of ram. That should get me by for the next few months til I can just get a whole new pc. (Mine is stretching it's limits of upgradability)