Hello all

Ok so I've just purchased 2.06 and installed. I have set most of the graphics options fairly high but my framerates are pretty poor-single figures when there is any sort of action going on. I assumed that I would be able to run this sim ok on my pc (see specs in my signature). I am a 4 year veteran of IL2/FB and can run that either on 'perfect' or 'excellent' (which I actually prefer). So, is there a good on line guide to getting the best performance, or can someone suggest some basic settings which make a big difference? I really want to get in to this sim this time around so any advice would be gratefully received.

Many thanks

Tommo

One setting I recall being an issue is Particle Density - make sure it is no higher than medium otherwise you will run very slowly.

Hi Tommo and welcome to BoB2.

Yes, as Kadiir says absolutely do not set Particle Density above Medium, even with a very strong PC system. The PD engine was designed - even for very strong PCs of today - at medium and set above that you can have serious FPS hits in busy explosion scenarios, it also looks great at medium.

HIGH weather and High water are big performance hitters, most especially high weather in "poor" and "inclement" weather missions. Based on your PC specs, it should be able to run with these on high OK, as well as most other settings (except PD). Start with generally lower GFX options levels and one by one increase them to see effects on FPS.

Do not get overly caught up on Max FPS, its not nearly so important in this single player game as it is in IL2. Even with a strong PC, most people generally have lower FPS levels with BoB2 than other games. Try to achieve smooth gameplay with consistent FPS in the 20-30 range. Its not unusual in the busy, big action settings for me to at times drop into the teens in FPS but even then the gameplay still seems smooth to me.

BoB2 is VERY CPU intensive, it LOVES the new Intel Dual core CPUs as its code is multi-threaded (very far sighted move by the original designers). For anyone considering a major PC upgrade I strongly recommend one of these dual cores.

It is very important to know that Anti-aliasing and Vertical Sync are NOT in-game GFX settings, they must be set outside the game environment in your video drivers settings. Enabling these make a big difference in the graphics eye candy quality. This thread gives you more info on that:
Are you getting the MOST out of BoB2?

See
To the new guys (and some "vets" too)

After install in the programs shortcuts should be links to the manual and key card PDFs. If you install to the default location on your hard drive they are also located at:
C:\Battle of Britain II\Docs

If you have Track IR, the BoB2 specific TIR info starts on page 67 of the manual.

The Padlock System and use of the "S" Key.

The field of view option ranges in BoB2 are larger than those in IL2. BoB2's default FOV levels however are a little narrow IMO. A lot of people never mess with those settings and are surprised at the improvements/changes when they finally do. You may want to try my FOV settings, as a fair number of people seem to like them. You can adjust these either in the Options>>>Advanced>>>Field of View menus (page 61 of the manual) OR in the BDG.txt file (See Appendix A). My FOV settings are:

FOV_SMALL = 70.000000
FOV_MEDIUM = 95.000000
FOV_LARGE = 110.000000
FOV_TOGGLE_SMALL = 70.000000
FOV_TOGGLE_LARGE = 110.000000
FOV_INITIAL = 110.000000
FOV_MINIMAL = 25.000000
FOV_MAXIMAL = 110.000000

(Max FOV in IL2 is 90, if you are really accustomed to that and find BoB2 is too "wide" with the above settings, try changing the values above that are 110 to 100 or 90).

I very strongly recommend you install Bader's terrain mod based heavily on Cellinsky's work. IMHO it is vastly superior to the current stock terrain and with a few more refinements is likely to be the official terrain in 2.07. It is an easy and simple install and can be obtained HERE.

And finally, my message to the new people who are IL2 veterans

If you need any additional assistance just post here or at Shockwave.

PS: Sorry to bombard you with info here but all of this is good for a new player to take a look at.

SeaVee, where did you learn to be so intuitive? In reading over your 'suggestions' I see where I screwed up so many times. This fangs out hair on fire approach did not, & still doesn't, do well for me. It's a case of make haste slowly! Trust me on that one! The unlearning of bad habits is a killer for an in your face type of person such as myself. Now, back to the basics & read some more DIRECTIONS!!!!!!
FWIW,
Good Hunting!

PS. I'm still finding that bob & weave a bit of a killer, especially when the excitement mounts, which happens a LOT in this more sim than game, game!

I too learned the hard way and thought I might help others from all my mistakes on game set up.

Also its from time on the boards trying to answer questions and helping with compilation of the manuals.

When I first got BoB2 a couple years ago, I found alot of it complex and frustrating or initially thought some feature was poorly implemented - only to learn after taking time on the boards or the manual that I was wrong or it could be adjusted to my taste.

The root of this with me and with most others was the mistake that thinking that since I was an avid gamer, very familiar with other flight sims or games, and somewhat of a PC geek that just a quick gloss over the manual and a few menu settings adjustments and voila!. Very wrong approach and to do so can make one incorrectly conclude a game is bad and/or miss out on sometimes enormously powerful features. This game is pretty complex and there are a great many user-adjustable features and nuances. I guess these issues apply to most any complex game.

BoB2 still has its warts (like any game) but the "good" IMO far outweighs the "bad". The community here and at Shockwave is also fantastic and quite refreshing to be around. Maybe thats due to the demographics of most of the users - a bit older, more mature and interested in not just the gameplay but the important historical events the game is trying to re-create.

Amen!!!!
FWIW,
Good Hunting!

Hi Tommo,

A second big welcome to BOBII.

I think your system will be good enough for BOBII. Your CPU is getting a bit long in the tooth by todays standards. FPS in BobII are very different that IL2 (I own and play it as well).

Just do not get hung up on watching FPS (our shift-F is our counter). Set your game up carefully so that you get between high 20's to low 30's with smooth game play. Do not worry about the short periods where the FPS may drop a bit during heavy action as long as your game play is smooth.

I hope you can afford the time to learn BOBII options and features. The Game Manual and key card is a big help. It is in your BOBII folder in the docs folder.

Hope you enjoy and let us know how it goes.

Hi Tommo ; Let me echo the others here, and say welcome ( back, as you hint you've tried this before.... ). SeaVee has some excellent posts and advice, and the manual is extremely well done. Lots of info there on the settings and what they are for, as well as a 'ton' of other useful information.

I run IL2 at Perfect, Water at 3, Vsync On, FSAA at 4, and use Anisotropic Filtering in IL2 setup with the following system:

P4 3.73 EE CPU
2 Gig PC 5300 DDR running Dual Channel
Nvidia 7800 GTX
TIR 4

and get frames averaging between 40 and 85 for the most part. Not always, of course....but for smooth play, I need at least 40+.

With BoBII 2.06, I run between 20 and 40 fps ( mostly 20-30 ) and the gameplay is ultra smooth. The main difference for me is the Particle Density.....I run at Medium, but at Low, get a bit better frames. The visuals are just as stunning, so start there. I can squeeze a bit more by turning Weather or Water down a notch from High, but the difference isn't significant, and it's just as smooth at 20 as it is at 30, 40, or higher ( at 20, IL2 for me starts to become a stutter-fest ).

Single digits will happen, especially for me during ground explosions ( same happens to me in IL2 ); it's brief, and yes, a bit off-putting, but setting PD to Low may help with that.

Hope you find this sim as enjoyable as we do ; it is as much a classic in it's own way as IL2 is, and I am sure SOW from Oleg will be. We will all try to help as much as we can. Again, Welcome, and enjoy!

Thanks all

I'll spend some time looking at the settings you have mentioned, as well as generally trying different combos and report back with progress. If I have any issues I'll post again if you don't mind. Just finished reading 'First Light' so definitely in the mood for some home grown action over the South Coast.

Tommo

Super book, yes. Really gets you in the mood.