Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

[Oct 05, 2011, 2:57 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

An article on GeForce offers a guide to how users with at least 1.5GB of VRAM can unlock higher resolution textures in RAGE, id Software's new first-person shooter, and users with a video cards with at least 3GB of VRAM, can unlock even higher resolution textures. This applies to both ATI and NVIDIA GPUs, and they offer screenshots to show the difference these changes make. They indicate that the reason tweaking is necessary to force these texture improvements seems to be the result of errors in the auto-balancer that's supposed to handle this stuff automatically:

Based on our observations there does appear to be an error or two with the Auto-Balancer - though disabled for the screenshots, the on-screen frame rate display never moved below Rage’s sixty frames per second cap with 8k textures enabled, so why does the Auto-Balancer need to utilize lower-resolution assets? Perhaps it's overly-conservative to ensure that the frame rate never fluctuates? Regardless of the reason, the lack of detal is especially noticeable on the speed limit sign to the right and the ‘Loft Finder’ billboard above the collapsed building.

As mentioned, we visited other areas of the game also, primarily to judge the veracity of our results and observations. In outdoor areas packed with detail the results were identical, but in enclosed areas, such as the Mayor’s office in Wellspring, there was absolutely no difference between any of the three detail levels. In larger enclosed areas there was a difference in visual fidelity, albeit to a far lesser extent.

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75 Replies. 4 pages. Viewing page 1.
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75.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 7, 2011, 10:28

The Pyro

I'm guessing that the 60 fps target framerate is not just for aesthetics; the physics engine may perform poorly, particularly in the racing portions of the game, if the framerate drops significantly below 60 fps. It appears that the greatest strength of the megatexture technology is also its greatest weakness. The artists feel liberated, of course, since they can paint unique textures over every square inch without worrying about memory constraints. But the technology doesn't magically increase available VRAM, so when the volume of texture data grows large they must rely on the technology falling back on low-res textures as needed. When artists are forced to deal with memory constraints up front then they can make artistic decisions about how to reduce memory usage. They could intelligently decide, "Yeah, we probably need to reuse or repeat some textures here," or perhaps, "This element of scenery looks nice but we don't have the memory budget for it, so let's cut it out." But when these decisions are given to the cold, unfeeling algorithms of the megatexture engine then the results aren't always up to modern standards of visual quality.

74.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 6, 2011, 12:49

KilrathiAce

Too bad there is no tweak to make the game actually good as in worth $60 bucks.




"On 2646.215 I myself attacked & destroyed TCS Tiger's Claw in my Jalthi heavy fighter" Bakhtosh Redclaw Nar Kiranka

73.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 6, 2011, 05:33

vermin

Fibrocyte wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 20:44: You're really bad with computers, aren't you? what? nope. you're a steam only pc gamer aren't you?

72.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 22:43

eRe4s3r

Now if there only be a way to disable the auto performance tuning entirely , because i'd rather play on 30 FPS than in a blurry brown mess

71.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 22:17

Creston

frag.machine wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 20:18: Maybe you don't have all controls in a fancy GUI to play around, but at least you still have the option to tweak it thru a config file, so the game is not completely a half baked console port. That said, I agree that after all this troubled launch and harsh reviews the game falls far behind my expectations, too. If they release a demo I'll surely try it (and may even buy it in the future), but until then... I'll pass. Yes, and I'm glad I do, because with all the tweaks I've been doing over the past two days, the game FINALLY looks like what id has been promising for the past six years. (And has been showcasing in all those youtube trailers.) That said, the entire decision to let the game auto-configure your graphics options was utterly fucking retarded from the start. This is the PC. It's ALWAYS been about choice. If I want to have a better looking game that runs slower, I should be able to set that from the menu. I personally don't give a rat's ass about 60 fps. 30fps is fine for me, and I usually crank games up further and play at 20fps. Carmack's insistence on 60fps, every other consideration be damned, was just plain stupid. But again, it now looks mostly frakking AWESOME (all the blurry 4x4 textures ignored), AND it still runs smoothly, so also kudos to Carmack for at least having THIS game hidden somewhere under the low res texture shit and the 400 different cvars I've had to change to get it. Creston

70.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 22:13

Creston

Tried this, and it works fine. Runs fine on my 1GB 5850, though I did one or two tiny little stutters (that may or may not have been there when I played yesterday.) So if you have a 1GB card, give it a try. In most areas it's not really noticeable unless you make screenshots, but there's definitely a difference. And then in some areas it looks quite a bit better. Creston

69.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 22:04

MisterBenn

If you're gonna introduce auto-adjusting graphics quality then at least do it correctly. OK compatability with all systems upon release has been as shaky as most other games, that I can just about understand.

If you take away the manual settings for quality your own algorithm had better be amazing! The evidence is it's failed at that, some have been lucky and are happy with the results out of the box but there are so many complaints too. Poor textures, pop-in, and now it seems the highest res textures are not selected when they should be.

In any other game you have a graphics settings page to set things how you want them with all your own hardware factors and personal preferences in mind. In this game you have no such luxury, you fix it by dropping out the game and performing a mixture of researching the internet, using global driver settings and using config files to try and put things right. I think this auto-adjust experiment has proven a bit of a clanger, it smacks of laziness in porting and it's a step backwards on the PC.




Playing: Path of Exile, Distant Worlds, Trials Gold.

68.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:52

ZeroCougar

Back on to the topic of an Auto-balancer for graphics settings.

I don't mind the idea of it, in terms of say, Auto-detect. Where it attempts to detect the best settings it thinks it can set.

But I think its super important to allow for user customization after that. Or before that. Or the option not to hit the Auto-Detect graphics capabilities to begin with.

Auto-balancer should be an option, not a requirement.




- That's a very nice everything you have there... ssssssssSSSSSSSSSSS -

67.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:44

Fibrocyte

Razorclaw wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 20:10: Darks wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 17:36: You know what cracks me up Dmitri_M, is that people are pissing and moaning over the textures in this game bitching and whining about indie games. But, they will spend hours playing Minecraft and not utter one word about how shitty those textures are. well, for one the textures in minecraft aren't shitty. they are extremely low resolution. if they were shitty they would be washed out to the point of primary colour as rage is. and yeah. you understand the tradeoff made between graphics and gameplay immediately as you play minecraft. you can root up the entire world and rebuild, add a shit ton of different crafted stuff all in online co-op multiplayer. what has rage got going for it? oh right. a couple of long tunnels to drive a car through. corridor levels so locked down with invisible walls you can hardly fucking move and enemies that spawn in around you. congratulations rage, you've made a crippling graphical tradeoff to be just another fucking shitty jack of a couple of trades master of nothing console turd. the movement and shooting isn't even good. what the fuck have they been doing for 8 years. rage is a bigger disaster as a game than fucking duke nukem forever honestly. fuck id. You're really bad with computers, aren't you?

66.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:29

vermin

Quboid wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 20:17: Textures being extremely low resolution doesn't make them shitty? Isn't that the main accusation being levelled at Rage? eh, no. the textures in rage are compressed. minecraft textures are exactly as intended.

65.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:25

Mad Max RW

Quboid wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 20:17: Textures being extremely low resolution doesn't make them shitty? Isn't that the main accusation being levelled at Rage? You can have good looking low resolution textures, but it's best on fictional things where your imagination fills in the rest. What they did here was take high resolution real world images, downscaled to many times smaller than their original size, and added a blur filter hiding the horrible aliasing that resulted from such down-scaling. When you have things based on real world objects it's very noticeable because you know what it's supposed to look like and that wide gap can break your suspension of disbelief. That was ok in the 90's, but not so much today.

64.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:24

^Drag0n^

Yeah, I just posted that under OotB :/ major loss of an influential mind, regardless of how you feel about Apple & Pixar products.

Godspeed, Steve.




"Never start a fight, but always finish it."

63.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:23

Agent.X7

Fion wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 20:05:
Agent.X7 wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 19:41:

It's breathtaking all right. Breathtakingly horrible. Even with all the fixes, low rez textures abound. Sure, the mountains look great, whoopty doo. So does the sky, until you realize it's a static painting that has 0 moving parts. Whoo! Everything surrounding you as you play is low rez shit. Ridiculous for a game released in 2011.

You need to your old CRT monitor and get some glasses. Cause clearly we are seeing two different games.

Clearly you have low standards and assume like an ass. 27" Dell Ultrasharp, and my vision is better than 20/20 in both eyes.




Seven Star Gaming - Sayre, PA

62.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:20

Dirwulf

Way off topic Steve Jobs has died. RIP

61.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:18

frag.machine

Creston wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 17:46: StingingVelvet wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 17:27: Yeah, rocking the AF, larger FOV, mouse smoothing removal and 8k texture config and OMG, this game is now awesome. Enjoying it very much. Aren't you glad John Carmack decided FOR YOU what was the better way to play it? After all, that's what PCs are all about! Having your choices made for you. Great work, Carmack. Creston Maybe you don't have all controls in a fancy GUI to play around, but at least you still have the option to tweak it thru a config file, so the game is not completely a half baked console port. That said, I agree that after all this troubled launch and harsh reviews the game falls far behind my expectations, too. If they release a demo I'll surely try it (and may even buy it in the future), but until then... I'll pass.

60.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:17

Quboid

Razorclaw wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 20:10:
Darks wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 17:36:
You know what cracks me up Dmitri_M, is that people are pissing and moaning over the textures in this game bitching and whining about indie games. But, they will spend hours playing Minecraft and not utter one word about how shitty those textures are.
well, for one the textures in minecraft aren't shitty. they are extremely low resolution. if they were shitty they would be washed out to the point of primary colour as rage is.

Textures being extremely low resolution doesn't make them shitty? Isn't that the main accusation being levelled at Rage?




- Quboid

59.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:16

{PH}88fingers

Razorclaw wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 20:10: Darks wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 17:36: You know what cracks me up Dmitri_M, is that people are pissing and moaning over the textures in this game bitching and whining about indie games. But, they will spend hours playing Minecraft and not utter one word about how shitty those textures are. well, for one the textures in minecraft aren't shitty. they are extremely low resolution. if they were shitty they would be washed out to the point of primary colour as rage is. and yeah. you understand the tradeoff made between graphics and gameplay immediately as you play minecraft. you can root up the entire world and rebuild, add a shit ton of different crafted stuff all in online co-op multiplayer. what has rage got going for it? oh right. a couple of long tunnels to drive a car through. corridor levels so locked down with invisible walls you can hardly fucking move and enemies that spawn in around you. congratulations rage, you've made a crippling graphical tradeoff to be just another fucking shitty jack of a couple of trades master of nothing console turd. the movement and shooting isn't even good. what the fuck have they been doing for 8 years. rage is a bigger disaster as a game than fucking duke nukem forever honestly. fuck id. Rage much?

58.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:10

vermin

Darks wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 17:36: You know what cracks me up Dmitri_M, is that people are pissing and moaning over the textures in this game bitching and whining about indie games. But, they will spend hours playing Minecraft and not utter one word about how shitty those textures are. well, for one the textures in minecraft aren't shitty. they are extremely low resolution. if they were shitty they would be washed out to the point of primary colour as rage is. and yeah. you understand the tradeoff made between graphics and gameplay immediately as you play minecraft. you can root up the entire world and rebuild, add a shit ton of different crafted stuff all in online co-op multiplayer. what has rage got going for it? oh right. a couple of long tunnels to drive a car through. corridor levels so locked down with invisible walls you can hardly fucking move and enemies that spawn in around you. congratulations rage, you've made a crippling graphical tradeoff to be just another fucking shitty jack of a couple of trades master of nothing console turd. the movement and shooting isn't even good. what the fuck have they been doing for 8 years. rage is a bigger disaster as a game than fucking duke nukem forever honestly. fuck id.

57.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:05

Fion

Agent.X7 wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 19:41: It's breathtaking all right. Breathtakingly horrible. Even with all the fixes, low rez textures abound. Sure, the mountains look great, whoopty doo. So does the sky, until you realize it's a static painting that has 0 moving parts. Whoo! Everything surrounding you as you play is low rez shit. Ridiculous for a game released in 2011. You need to your old CRT monitor and get some glasses. Cause clearly we are seeing two different games.

56.

Re: Unlock RAGE Hi-Rez Textures

Oct 5, 2011, 20:04

frag.machine

^Drag0n^ wrote on Oct 5, 2011, 16:13: As for direct hardware access...sigh...the never ending battle between speed and security :/ More like the never ending battle between speed and portability IMHO.

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