0.711 particles crash game sometimes

[Tharg]

Once again, I have low specs :

Win98,
TNT2 64,
256 RAM,
500 MHz (or whatever the unit is).

Enabling particles works fine for a while, and looks great. There's no significant hit to the fps. But inevitably I'm sent back to the desktop eventually, usually after 2 or 3 battles. When this happens I have to reboot, because explorer will crash also if I try to do anything. (I used to get explorer crashing in this same way on exiting the game every time with 0.632, but now after exiting normally I can do stuff that doesn't involve the graphics card too much just fine.)

I could accept that my system just can't cope with it if it crashed all the time with particles enabled but the odd inconsistency makes me think that maybe it could be fixed. I don't know if it's relevant but I can get particle effects fine in other games.

 

[Archonsod]

What your seeing is likely just the graphics card becoming overloaded.

If your not already running with everything at minimum, it may be possible to leave the particle effects at the expense of something else.

One problem here is that the amount of particles isn't constant. It may be fine while they're only there in low numbers, but the problem occurs when they reach mid to high level.

You could try searching google for TNT 2 optimisation guides, it may be possible to get a little extra performance and stability by tweaking BIOS\driver settings.

 

[Tharg]

Ah, ok. I have everything on very low or off already.

I seem to recall a thread where someone with a decent system got a crash when he hit someone very hard with a modded lance, and there was a huge blood spray, so I guess you are probably right.

If this is the case, could I humbly suggest that we be given an option to limit the particles while leaving them enabled, Mr armagan, sir?

Edit : I have tweeked the card to pretty much its max already. I'm running slightly old drivers because newer ones mess up another game I play. But these newer ones are aimed at newer cards and the one I have seems to work fine with everythign else.

 

[Archonsod]

Definitely agree on limiting particles. Sometimes I can headshot a bandit and be unable to see the rest of the battlefield due to the spray.

I would think the new blood effects would still appear, it would just be the dust and blood spray your missing. Dust is nice, but to be honest the blood spray as it stands just isn't to my taste.

 

[Tharg]

Yeah, I get the new blood effects fine in 0.711 (in 0.710 they did cause a crash). It's just the spurts and dust clouds I get with the particles enabled, and which cause the game to crash to desktop in 0.711.