Lag monster...

[Guest]

3. Run Diablo 2 in a window. Looks good, and my FPS is usually in the 80s (100 with stash open!).

Unless I've missunderstood, making DII use windowed mode automatically switches to software rendering. So you can get the same performance in full-screen by switching settings with D2VidTst.exe (DII directory).

[ldw]

If you use WinXP there was (is??) a bad bug within the graphic subsystem.
If you selected a refresh rate for your video card within windows it still used defaults for 800x600 (or any other resolution) when switching to a game (like D2). This could potentially shave off about 10-50% of your FPS score if the defaults were low on your system.
Newer Nvidia drivers addressed this and there are ways to force better refresh for those stuck with old drivers for one reason or another.

In better news Blizzard seems to have fixed the bad "Lister load lag" with 1.10... well at least I dont get it :)

[Omni]

In better news Blizzard seems to have fixed the bad "Lister load lag" with 1.10... well at least I dont get it :)

I don't get Lister lag any more, but now I freeze up before every pack of Baal's minions. T_T

[JustAGuy]

Unless I've missunderstood, making DII use windowed mode automatically switches to software rendering. So you can get the same performance in full-screen by switching settings with D2VidTst.exe (DII directory).

It does indeed switch to software rendering, but I've noticed a very pronounced difference, both performance wise, and presentation wise, when running Diablo 2 in a window. The colours in full-screen mode looks a bit washed out, despite the gamma correction and brightness options. In a window, you can't even use these options, so it might look a bit dark, but still looks good. As far as performance goes, there shouldn't be any difference, but in my case, and in my experience, there definitely is. On both of my machines, the game is much more consistent (smooth) when being drawn in a window.

My desktop refresh rate is going 100 Hz, so that's why my diablo *can* reach 100 fps (it usually doesn't, though). Usually when you're in full-screen mode, you're stuck at 60 fps (usually).

[Vandiablo]

3. Run Diablo 2 in a window. Looks good, and my FPS is usually in the 80s (100 with stash open!). Can't complain. I usually resize my desktop to 800x600 when I play, so the window fits the whole screen. The bottom of the window cuts off a bit, but it's no biggie.

Hi,

for me D2 crashed a lot until I ran it in a window. After a couple months, I realized why: running in the window is 2D, while I had 3D selected in full-screen. Eventually, I got better drivers, and I think I can do 3D no prob these days, but I still prefer the windder. Dunno why. I guess if I can see the clock at the bottom of the screen I might realize how late it is.

So, be warned, if you switch to window you may lose some special moose effects.

-Van

ps. You know, a moose once bit my sister... [mpq]

[Occhidiangela]

When you get a chance, drop into the RB games on West. We'd love to see ya there. :) We also promise that the games are politics free zones. :)

[Vandiablo]

Sorry, I missed Adamantine's post above. Mea culpa.

Doctor: No, you patient; me doctor.

[can't stop the mpqin']

[Vandiablo]

RB games? I'm no variant scum. I'm just scum.

Most of my chars are on East. The ones on West only go up to about L35ish. But maybe I'll make up a story and start a new one... thx for the invite.

-V

[NeoLunar]

How do i run Diablo II in a window?

[Obi2Kenobi]

Put a link to Diablo 2 somewhere (like your desktop), right click on it. Chose "properties." Then put -w after the quotes of your file directory, with a space separating it from the rest.

[D2Player69]

...and on a Mac, simply hit <cmd-M> at any time to toggle between full-screen and window mode.

[shavenlunatic]

oh.. one thing ive found that i helped 56kers with was the following

In you connection settings, add your ISP's proxy address into there. I obviously dont know what ISP you have or what proxy they may use.. for as an example:

If your ISP was BT then:

Right click on internet explorer > Properties > Connection > Settings (i think) when your connection is highlighted (or it may be LAN settings, please forgive me but I'm VERY hungover)

Then enter proxy.btopenworld.co.uk (or something along those lines, it may have changed but it can be found on their website)



If you look around on your ISP's website it should give you some more information on how to set-up that proxy address. I have known this to speed up online gaming in the past so it may be worth a shot.



Hope this helps

[Guest]

On both of my machines, the game is much more consistent (smooth) when being drawn in a window.

I'm not sure what the term is for this, but if you view something (okay, talking moving things) in smaller size, it will always look smoother.

My desktop refresh rate is going 100 Hz, so that's why my diablo *can* reach 100 fps (it usually doesn't, though). Usually when you're in full-screen mode, you're stuck at 60 fps (usually).

Feel free to not believe me, but the only single thing which changes with 25> fps is the cursor movement, nothing else.


But then again, windowed could indeed work better.

[JustAGuy]

I'm not sure what the term is for this, but if you view something (okay, talking moving things) in smaller size, it will always look smoother.

While that is true, this is not the case here. I mentioned in an earlier post that I resize my desktop area to 800x600. The viewable area of the window is cut down by the height of the top bar (20 pixels?). It's not a big deal, as all skills and descriptions, and belt contents, are still viewable, but the effect is noticeable. So, when I play in a window, it's on an 800x600 desktop, of which the Diablo 2 window covers everything, except for a 2 or 3 pixel high row at the bottom of the screen (I move the window up a bit).

I see what you mean, though; the refresh rate of the game is on a set timer. The fact that my fps is so high just means that the game dips below the hard-coded cut-off point (the in-game 25 fps limitation) far less than it does in full-screen. When I say "smoother", I mean less dropped frames, and less jittering due to hard drive loading, cd-loading etc., not that there are more frames per second in character animations or anything like that. The game stays at it's set 25 fps (or whatever it is) more of the time. It's odd that the window reports 85 fps+ when it really makes no difference in the actual animation smoothness. The 85 fps just means that the machine is drawing the same thing over again a whole lot.

There is a noticeable difference between windowed performance and full screen performance, though. I experience it whenever I go to full-screen mode as the majority of my game-time is played in a window. Of course, the fps goes down with the map on, and all sorts of effects appearing on screen (fire, ice, etc. The thing still bogs down to 0 fps when shenk dies), but for most areas, the game maintains 60+ fps in a window. Without the map on, standing in town act 1, I get 85 fps. It's not always super high, but it's mostly high, and the fact that it CAN get to 85 (even 100) means that it's churning out these graphics far better than I can ever get full screen, ergo it's smoother in window.

This is my performance. On both of my machines here (and the ones I have at work... Don't tell anyone from my job that I know this), windowed performance has always been better than full screen. There's actually an irritating bug with my Diablo on my second home machine -- it keeps crashing at then end of acts. ACCESS_VIOLATION whenever the bugger finishes an act (all acts! Not related to cinematics though, as Windowed diablo doesn't try to play them). Must be a bug with my video card diver (it's very crappy and old).

Edit: Removed two pictures -- my hosting is pure CRAP. I also changed the wording of a few things since they referenced the pictures that no longer exist.