Optional Models

[Karawasa]

There is a way to make effect models (impact, projectile, ability etc.) optional. What this means is that the engine will automatically determine whether to display them based on the user's performance. This could go a long way towards decreasing lag.

So, what's optional?

[WindStrike]

Things that are must haves:

• Tower models (duh, lol)
• Tower projectiles
  • That said, and this just reminded me, you should probably bring back runic tower's projectile, even if it's just firing thin darts.
• Ability impact

Projectile impact doesn't seem too necessary, definitely adds some flare and flashiness, though there are a good number of towers that can provoke good amounts of lag with that. Vapor would still need to be visible though just because it doesn't have a projectile to start with. Ability debuffs... it'd probably be the last thing to go, but it's not entirely necessary either.

There should probably be options on the builder that allow you to manually control the level of in-game graphics, as well messages that pop up whenever you decide to (or automatically) change what's visible.

Could you give a full list of things that can be disabled/enabled? Twould help with seeing what can be optimized in general.

[Karawasa]

There should probably be options on the builder that allow you to manually control the level of in-game graphics, as well messages that pop up whenever you decide to (or automatically) change what's visible.

The optional flag would be predefined so that isn't possible.

Could you give a full list of things that can be disabled/enabled? Twould help with seeing what can be optimized in general.

Anything can be set to optional. But it's the engine that decides whether to show it or not.

[ender]

isn't this similar to playing on very low? or i am wrong? i thought low settings disable some important effects that eat up resources.

in the end i don't think that animations brake computers i say that simulations does. at least so i see for my pc.

eg i can handle 200 obliteration towers or quake, or some other towers, but i can't handle even 25-30 lasers, runic, flamethrower. so there are towers who because of they re mechanics/or something weird they brake the pc.

[Twilice]

^Same here, but that's probably because my computers graphics card is both newer and more expensive than my processor.

Is it possible to put the water as optional? Since it's actually one thing that reduces my fps by quite more than I think it should.

[ender]

i hope this is the right place to post this.

i don't know if this is already common knowledge but i have discovered a way to reduce low fps when alot of towers are on the map, or if your pc brakes quickly.

at least for me if i use laser tower and i have 30-40 it start getting under 12 fps(12 fps is the limit from witch your eyes can see the lag, and max is 70 fps after witch your eyes can't notice a difference).

so for what i have tested i got 120 lasers with 25-50 fps by moving my camera to an empty player slot and zooming in, far from my space where all the graph brake the pc(for multiplayer i guess you can find an empty spot or use the space at middle of map where the creators/help mobs are).

this works even in your space, if you use max zoom in for your map it will decrease your pc load and you will see an increase in fps(again this only when you have so many towers that your pc gets under 12 fps)

anyway the use for this i can see only for end levels, or levels where you need no micro like selling/ building/ targeting, this will help to prevent a fatal error due to system load witch you get when too many fruits and towers are on the screen in games(multiplayer) or reduce lag/low fps so you won't miss damage on fruits.

from what i have tested, having high latency or low fps affects your effective dmg(don't really know how and why but it does), so avoiding it will help you get 100% dmg of your towers in case your pc can't handle looking at all the stuff on the screen with max zoom out.

also about the tests with low fps/high latency, if you have in game "game time" activated you will see that that clock will start to move slower at low fps(i suppose and i see it for <12 fps it maybe even higher), also if you have a certain build that will kill all fruits of a given level at a certain point (tested with max level fruits) with no lag no low fps, and then try the same with low fps or lag, you will see that the last fruit will die later in the maze, so late it maybe leak or considerable distance difference, suggesting that tower damage is tied to your latency and fps(witch affect it if they are not at good parameters like 350 ms max, 12 fps min just an estimate).

so short version for all to use in eletd if they have latency/fps issues or crash at fruits levels, use max zoom in for the camera, and focus on an empty player spot or center of the map(or you can zoom-in in your own player spot but with less efficiency).

so not focusing the camera on the action will greatly increase performance.