How I Got Windows 8 to run SOW

[SJDI]

How I Got Windows 8 to run SOW

DRAFT

**The SOW manual talks about having the hardware horsepower to run the game.**
I use Win 8.1 on a HP Lap Top I bought for about $400. (I don’t have a video card, it’s built into my Lap Top)

Compatibility Mode:
SOW: Run in WIN XP Service Pack 3
GCM: Run in WIN XP Service Pack 3

Power Options:
Set to High Performance. (In my case I found that my CPU needs to be at least 2ghz )

Graphics Settings:
Turned off unnecessarily high graphics settings.
Turned off Antialiasing
Turned off Anisotropic filtering

Free Up Memory & the CPU:
Closed web browser before starting MP game.
Closed unnecessary programs before starting MP game.
Desktop set to solid color & no sounds.
Play SOW in full screen, windows will give SOW priority.
Changed the “Performance Options”:
Visual Effects “Adjust for best performance”.
Advanced “Processor Scheduling Adjust for best performance of: Programs”.
Data Execution Prevention “Turn on DEP for essential program and services only”.

Disable Unnecessary Services: (Be careful & can be time consuming).
Palmer mentioned using “Auto Runs” to disable unnecessary services. It worked for the obvious services. But the other services( I feel are junk) that I disabled (changed to manual start) were harder to find, try this web page:

http://www.blackviper.com/service-confi ... gurations/

Connection Issues:
Set Windows Updater to:
Check for updates but let me chose whether to download and install them.

Close the GCM launcher, when you go to play online. (It checks for updates while you’re in game)

Firewalls:
Some do require that you open up for the game. (NORTON: make sure you “allow” SOW & GCM programs not “auto”, also run Norton in silent mode)

Disable All Win 8 Tiles:
(Also helps Memory & CPU)
Win 8 has a lot of ( I feel are junk ) programs (the tiles) updating themselves over the internet, I turned them all off. To make sure you have all of them turned off go to Task Manager ” App History then reset the history and keep an eye out for apps that weren’t disabled.

My Router:
I use a hard wired connection. (Found wireless causing me to drop)
I have reserved an LAN IP address on my router.
Set the MTU to 1464 from the recommended 1500. (Computer as well, helps with packet fragmentation)

Used SG TCP Optimizer
(Be careful, helped fine tune connection)

http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

Router over load:
Others running Netflix will cause obvious issues

SOW Game Settings:
My settings( I could lower a few more)
(The SOW manual discusses the game performance with game settings Pg. 46-50)

Uniform Quality: Low
Sprite Ratio: 0 (0 will default to 4 sprites)
Show all dead bodies: unchecked
Display Rife Smoke: checked
Display Artillery Explosions: checked
Hide Flag Icons: unchecked
Show road Path Icons: checked
Display Target List: checked

Foliage:
Percent Tees Showing 10% (I have used the KS settings of 75% and had good luck, I use 10% for GCM games).
Display off map trees: unchecked.
Max Transparent Trees: 80 Yards
Make walls transparent with trees: unchecked

Terrain:
Max Terrain draw distance: Best
Show Map Objects: High
Show Off Map Terrain: unchecked
Max Arty Hit Decals: 20
Max Draw Units Draw Distance: 1000 (You can still see unit flags over 1000)
Max Trees Draw Distance: 1000 (This setting affected the walls draw distance as well???)
Max Objects Draw Distance: 1000

Sounds:
Play Map Sounds: unchecked
Play Marching Music: unchecked

Camera:
All speeds are at 50.

In the “sowgb.ini” file under [Initialization]:
AntiA=0
Anso=0

GCM Mods:
GCM Terrain 4 is optional
GCM Sounds are optional

Mods Other:
Don’t Use Bugles and Flags mod for GCM Games* I would like to try and test with someone from KS*
Bloodbath mod is optional

Thoughts:
Some of the numbers that are mod able might be tooo abstract

Example:
Misfire as a percentage: 17.03843404 %
Better at 17.04 %

[born2see]

Thanks! This will be a big help for anyone trying to get GB running on W8 or any other low powered machine.

B

[Little Powell]

Great info, stickied.

[SJDI]

Update
Bought new ASUS laptop windows 8.1. It came over clocked out of the box.

I had to do the same as listed in the previous post, with the addition of the following:
Overclocked settings

**WARNING IF DON’T KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH OVERCLOCKING DO NOT TRY THIS. **

The overclocked settings it came with passed stress testing, I discovered the stress testing software was not stressful enough for SOW.

Discovered That SOW does not like the Throttling limiters (Power limit, Current limit Thermal limit) that are built into the hardware. It was causing hiccups.

If Norb comes out with a multi-threading version, I would anticipate additional fine tuning on my end.

In my case I had to fine tune these settings.
1. Increased all voltages (Core, Cache, Graphics and System) a TINY amount.
2. Increased the turboboost wattage limiter by 2 watts.
3. Increased the Processor Current Limit by 5 amps
4. Lowered the CPU Multiplier from 35x to34x
5. Processor Cache Multiplier from 35x to34x (happens by default)
6. Fine-tuned the memory timings.

After my fine tuning my FPS improved. And I had no more hiccups.

If Norb comes out with a multi-threading version, I would anticipate additional fine tuning on my end.

Discovered that setting the Aicount at 200 was causing performance issues with my set up, but the game did stay stable.

Discovered NVidia trying to update itself during online games causing crashes. I disabled updating completely, now I just check for updates manually.

I bought a new router and still hard wired.

Set the Quality of Service settings to prioritize my Computer and SOW.

No more telling house hold members to abstain from using the internet.

Discovered some additional Registry tweaks that improved overall SOW performance.

**WARNING IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH THE REGISTRY DON’T TRY IT**

Not all the tweaks were applicable to my system

http://www.speedguide.net/articles/gaming-tweaks-5812