Scalability - someone can explain better?

[civmod19]

Hey, it's working people, but is not Civ4, but AoE3.

Minimum System Requirements for Age of Empires III
Microsoft® Windows® XP
PC with 1.4 Ghz equivalent or higher processor that supports SSE
256 MB of system RAM
2.0 GB available hard disk space
32x speed or faster CD-ROM drive
64 MB video card with HT&L
Sound card with speakers or headphones
Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
56.6 Kbps or better modem for online play
DirectX 9.0c or above

HT&L is Hardware Transform & Lightning. As I already stated, I use an IGP graphic card, and IGP graphic cards dont have Hardware T&L.

But, see some screenshots. This, I think, is what is called scalability. The game is playable, except on naval battles - naval battles are too much slow because of the visual effects. Too much cannons in the camp slow the game too, but not so much as in naval battles.

What is wrong with Civ4, really? The game has worst graphics than AoE3 but dont works. AoE3 needs T&L, as stated above, and the game is working here, no crashes, no black terrain.

 

[1c0n]

1. ram.. need atleat 512, would say 1024... 2nd. your HD is small, i have a 2GB pagefile... clear some space or get a new drive. 3 what make is your video card. if ati do some searching on here, it is stickied. 4 if your gonna post pics on a civ 4 forum posting pics of another game, isnt gonna help, you say AoE works we dont need proof, but some pics of whats wrong with your civ may

 

[Rodatam]

indeed, age 3 runs MUCH better than civ4....
and without st.st...stuttering

 

[JasonX]

HT&L is Hardware Transform & Lightning. As I already stated, I use an IGP graphic card, and IGP graphic cards dont have Hardware T&L.

Actually, there are IGPs that do support T&L. I know for sure the newer intel IGPs support and i know there are some ATI IGPs with T&L.

What is wrong with Civ4, really? The game has worst graphics than AoE3 but dont works. AoE3 needs T&L, as stated above, and the game is working here, no crashes, no black terrain.

There is ALOT more then graphics that affect performance. The A.I. being one of the biggest, the more AI's in the game and the more each of those AIs have to do, the slower the game. Map sizes also effect performance. Are you trying to play Civ4 with a ton of other civs on a large or bigger map using below min specs? The min specs should basically be taken as the minimal requirements to play Civ4 on the smallest map with the recommended number of AIs on the lowest detail possible.

Just because you were able to play another game without TnL means nothing, it's not the same game. It's hit and miss, their's a chance you might be able to play below spec but chances are you won't. It's not fraxis fault that you didn't make sure you meet min requirements before buying the game. The min requirements is a disclaimer basically, "if you don't meet these requirements, don't bother calling tech support as there is nothing we can do." Complaining that you can't play a game you don't meet min requirements is like complaining to the dealership that the car you bought doesn't do 200mph when it is clearly advertised that it does 120mph.

Fraxis however did drop the ball with people who aren't able to play the game even though they meet min and/or recommended requirements.

This, I think, is what is called scalability.

If it was scalability, the min requirements would be much lower since the game would be able to scale back for lower performance computers. It's actually called luck, you lucked out and were able to get a game to run on a computer with lower specs which is possible but it should not be a big shock to you when it doesn't.