I would like to figure out how to "dumb down" as many settings/files/etc. as possible to make for the fastest possible gameplay. I have a brand new and very powerful computer way beyond the suggested requirements, but my Warlords games STILL run at a snail's pace. So I'm going for the optimal environment for performance.

I have seen a number of helpful comments scattered about on these forums, but very few specific to Warlords. Many of the tips are not compatible with Warlords.

So, what are your tips regarding things such as:
1. In-game settings
2. INI file settings
3. Direct3D / DirectX / video card / hardware acceleration / etc. settings
4. Mods with lower-quality graphics files
5. Other things I haven't thought of

Many thanks!

Have you try blue marble project? IIRC, its low resolution will use less computing power. It might speed up a bit.

Regards,
Arto.