I have an Athlon quad-core, 4 GB RAM, and an ATI Radeon HD4200 graphics driver. So we know where the weak link is. Here are my findings and questions:
1. The 4200 is a DX10 card, and DX10/11 is all I can play. The game crashes when loading DX9. Did I do something wrong in the setup?
2. The settings default to AA "off" in every game. I've played with it off and on 2x, but didn't notice a difference. Should I?
3. I have all other settings on high and... it looks shockingly good. The AA is okay, and everything has that nice soft look except for the clouds (little movement, hex edges visible) and rivers (solid blue line). I can see bird flying, fish jumping, whitecaps shifting slowly. Would the game look better on a lower setting, given my card?
4. Maybe OT, but on strategic view the scrolling is locked down precise, the way I want it. On 3D view I'm having a harder time controlling it - hitting the brakes, so to speak. Is this because I'm used to a trackpad and handicapped to boot? Or is there a system/settings answer?
5. I was playing on a huge map with max civs, by the way. Even in the early stages, there was a 20-second or so lag when the AI moved.