X3: Terran Conflict 2.5 has arrived!

[sndle9]

@ Smyde & ThommoHawk
I also had a heavy performance drop after applying the new patch while 2.1 was fine.

Don't know if it will help you, but re-enabling the >2Gb switch seems to have put mine back to it's 2.1 performance. It was disabled in 2.5 because it was causing some systems problems, but mine was fine with it before and still is.

PS Egosoft,
Great patch; Ambivalent on the boarding changes so far but maybe I'll get used to needing boarding pods instead of just me and my crack marine team in my Hyperion. Definitely appreciate the rest of the changes.

Dave.

[ThommoHawk]

Hi Sndle9, how did you do that? the info about the 2.5 release says the the higher memory allocation (or whatever) was set back to 2gb.... I'd like to know where the 'switch' is so I can try increasing it too.

[sndle9]

Hi Sndle9, how did you do that? the info about the 2.5 release says the the higher memory allocation (or whatever) was set back to 2gb.... I'd like to know where the 'switch' is so I can try increasing it too.

You need CFF Explorer to modify the main X3-TC executable after applying the 2.5 patch.

Note that this worked for me, it may not work for you. Make a backup first!

0. Backup your X3TC.exe first!
1. Download and install CFF Explorer from the link above.
2. Run the main CFF Explorer executable under "Explorer Suite" in your Start menu.
3. Use "File" -> "Open" and select your X3TC.exe from the top game directory.
4. Navigate through the tree to "File: X3TC.exe" -> "Nt Headers" -> "File Header".
5. Click on the blue "Click Here" box at the bottom of the "Meaning" column on the "Characteristics" row.
6. Set the "App can handle >2Gb address space" checkbox on and select OK.
7. From the main screen, select "File" -> "Save". Then exit.

I'd suggest that you do not fiddle with any other settings that CFF Explorer gives you and I hope it helps on your system.

Dave.

[Graphil]

24" monitor with everything set to high here and no problems at all with performance or quality post patch.

[Tycow]

I would be happy with everything except for whatever Egosof have done with the graphics engine. Despite other posts heaping praise regarding frame rate improvement, I think it may come at the cost at some dodgy comprimises with the quality. I have been able to run version 2.1 quite happily on my 24 inch high res monitor on the highest settings, (8x AA and 16x Antisropic) with incredibly detailed and smooth rendering, without AQC. Now with TC version 2.5 it is *poo*, gross jagged rendering even at the highest settings, with or without AQC.

Maybe this is only noticable for folks lucky/unlucky enough to have large monitors and high end graphic cards. I'd love to know if anyone else has noticed this. So sadly, I am going to ditch 2.5. Egosoft has obviously come up against a brick wall regarding some seriouse defects in their programming becuase they have been working on this problem for so long, and in the end it is all just compromise.

Edit. Like Smyde, I have also noticed the juddering effect. It. is. jerky. shame, egosoft.

Try turning AA and AF off in the X3TC options, and forcing it on at the driver level. People have reported better performance this way.

EDIT: Just a thought, try posting a DXDiag over in the TC Tech Support forum; there may be an issue elsewhere.

[Terradoct]

I would be happy with everything except for whatever Egosof have done with the graphics engine. Despite other posts heaping praise regarding frame rate improvement, I think it may come at the cost at some dodgy comprimises with the quality. I have been able to run version 2.1 quite happily on my 24 inch high res monitor on the highest settings, (8x AA and 16x Antisropic) with incredibly detailed and smooth rendering, without AQC. Now with TC version 2.5 it is *poo*, gross jagged rendering even at the highest settings, with or without AQC.

Maybe this is only noticable for folks lucky/unlucky enough to have large monitors and high end graphic cards. I'd love to know if anyone else has noticed this. So sadly, I am going to ditch 2.5. Egosoft has obviously come up against a brick wall regarding some seriouse defects in their programming becuase they have been working on this problem for so long, and in the end it is all just compromise.

Edit. Like Smyde, I have also noticed the juddering effect. It. is. jerky. shame, egosoft.

I have same problem now, befor 2,5 patch it was smooth and clean play, now it's every 10-15 seconds in battle or when there are many ships in sector, game freez for several seconds, and HHD working like enging of bike on high rpm.

[Xenon_Slayer]

No aspects of the graphics engine has been changed since 2.1. Perhaps going to Tech Support and giving us more information about your system can help.

[Cycrow]

im getting costs of almost a mil credit 2 train marines at advanced levels

the cost of training is still the same. The advanced course cost alot more before its a bigger course, its the equivlant of 5 training courses in one go.

the "quick" option is exactly the same as the original training from 2.1, both in price and time

you can either keep using the quick training, or spend alittle more and select the long training.

[BeidAmmikon]

the cost of training is still the same. The advanced course cost alot more before its a bigger course, its the equivlant of 5 training courses in one go.

the "quick" option is exactly the same as the original training from 2.1, both in price and time

you can either keep using the quick training, or spend alittle more and select the long training.

All well, but as an example of weirdness in prices - I don't understand why I have to pay 45,000 for the last stage in (Quick) training for Hacking (while Mechanical and Engineering are both at 100 points), and I have to pay 700,000+ for Advanced All Skills, when all that's to improve is Hacking - on the same Marine, of course. On top of that, I'll have to wait a geologic era to improve just the Hacking level if I choose "Advanced".
What's the big idea here?

[perkint]

the board ship command when used on an m7m will keep at distance shadowing the target ship until the shields are down and launchs the pods rather than moving in close to attack

It'll do what now???

Woo Hoo!!!!! I love that. That'll make atmos lifters much easier Thanks for the info Cycrow. Additional question tho, if you (or anyone) can help. How many pods will it fire? Is it as many as there are marines on board and will fit on the target ship (he says, hopefully)!

I'll have to wait a geologic era to improve just the Hacking level if I choose "Advanced".
What's the big idea here?

The timing has not changed. The amount of time is the same as it was previously, it just feels longer because you have to wait for them all in one go.

Tim

[Doc Quixotic]

Also, I think it trains them 'from the ground up'. It doesn't seem to take previously acquired skills into account.

[Mazz]

Really like the patch so far getting some nice frame rates in crowded sectors. Have not tried boarding anything yet but I think a few more boarding pods launched should do the trick from what I hear.

However, I have a feeling that doing mobile mining OOS still causes a near infinite supply of minerals. Can anyone confirm this? My 50 or so mobile miners in Hatikla's Faith are still in the same spot Its gonna take a few game years to clear that sector lol

[Cycrow]

the cost of training is still the same. The advanced course cost alot more before its a bigger course, its the equivlant of 5 training courses in one go.

the "quick" option is exactly the same as the original training from 2.1, both in price and time

you can either keep using the quick training, or spend alittle more and select the long training.

All well, but as an example of weirdness in prices - I don't understand why I have to pay 45,000 for the last stage in (Quick) training for Hacking (while Mechanical and Engineering are both at 100 points), and I have to pay 700,000+ for Advanced All Skills, when all that's to improve is Hacking - on the same Marine, of course. On top of that, I'll have to wait a geologic era to improve just the Hacking level if I choose "Advanced".
What's the big idea here?

the course is the same regardless of what skills the marines already have. If they only need training in 1 skill, then y would you be using the all skills option to train ?

if they only need 1 course to max out, only send them on 1 course (quick) not 5 courses (Advanced)

perkint, it depends on a few things, if using the piracy command, it depends how many marines you tell to go, but the command will launch multiple pods in one go if you have them and have marines to fill them

it will also limit the amount so you dont send more than can fit on the target ship

[BeidAmmikon]

If they only need training in 1 skill, then y would you be using the all skills option to train ?
if they only need 1 course to max out, only send them on 1 course (quick) not 5 courses (Advanced)

Because that menu entry with Advanced, below the Quick entry for only one skill, gets me confused, that's why. If i THINK about it, that menu entry should not be present at all, or at least it should be disabled. It offers me the option, which I took indeed just to see what happens ("boarding changes" - can more than 100 points be possible? - I don't really know, I'm still waiting), to train one single skill with the price for improving in fact ALL skills from 0 stars up.
IMO, as a programmer who has to implement fool-proof options (which I myself seem to have been fallen a victim to), the least sensible thing to change about that menu entry is to change the text to "Advanced re-training for all skills/this skill" or something similar, or leave the Quick-Normal-Advanced menu for each skill, where's less than three of them to train.

[fireslide]

No aspects of the graphics engine has been changed since 2.1. Perhaps going to Tech Support and giving us more information about your system can help.

Any way I can get the nice pre 2.1 efffects back?

[perkint]

perkint, it depends on a few things, if using the piracy command, it depends how many marines you tell to go, but the command will launch multiple pods in one go if you have them and have marines to fill them

it will also limit the amount so you dont send more than can fit on the target ship

Brilliant! Thanks for explaining. That will certainly make boarding easier when using another ship. Which is what I do with the atmos lifters, since I prefer to do the firing myself (instead of drones) and an M7M's missiles don't give you the level of control you need for such a lowly shielded beast

Any way I can get the nice pre 2.1 efffects back?

The point is there is no difference between v2.1 or v2.5 for the graphics engine. If you are seeing differences it may be because something has got corrupted on the update. As has been suggested, try posting the DX Diag output in the tech support forum.

Tim

[BeidAmmikon]

As per 2 posts above:
I've used the option "Advanced All Skills" on a Marine with no stars, except 4 in fighting. This costed me 474,000 credits.
And he got 1 (one) single star in Mechanical, Engineering and Hacking.
Another time I payed 900,000+ credits, to train on Advanced a Marine who already had 5 stars (100 points) in everything but Hacking; now I wait for it to complete training to see how much stars he's gotten, and for what exactly.
SO:
1 star skill on Advanced = 474,000/3 trained skills = 158,000 credits a star.
In the past, the trickle of credits to train a Marine looked like this:
7,000 -> 9,000 -> 11,000 -> 13,000 -> 15,000 ->17,000 = 72,000 and he's already gotten a star by reaching this sum, but in v2.5 it is still counting, to get the same star.
Would anyone in the know explain what that menu entry will do exactly (not what is supposed/assumed to), and what's the formula to get that unique star for 474,000 credits?
Please explain like for noobs in (X-)mathematics - there are plenty here, I suppose, including myself.

[Cycrow]

As per 2 posts above:
I've used the option "Advanced All Skills" on a Marine with no stars, except 4 in fighting. This costed me 474,000 credits.
And he got 1 (one) single star in Mechanical, Engineering and Hacking.
Another time I payed 900,000+ credits, to train on Advanced a Marine who already had 5 stars (100 points) in everything but Hacking; now I wait for it to complete training to see how much stars he's gotten, and for what exactly.
SO:
1 star skill on Advanced = 474,000/3 trained skills = 158,000 credits a star.
In the past, the trickle of credits to train a Marine looked like this:
7,000 -> 9,000 -> 11,000 -> 13,000 -> 15,000 ->17,000 = 72,000 and he's already gotten a star by reaching this sum, but in v2.5 it is still counting, to get the same star.
Would anyone in the know explain what that menu entry will do exactly (not what is supposed/assumed to), and what's the formula to get that unique star for 474,000 credits?
Please explain like for noobs in (X-)mathematics - there are plenty here, I suppose, including myself.

you seem to be miss understanding how the training works
the training options dont train to a number of stars, as with previous versions, u could do several training sessions before getting the next star. The internal values are what matters, the stars just reprosent a rough guide to thier skill level. Each training session also has a random amount that they increase.

the "quick" training is exactly the same as the training from 2.1. There is no difference. Advanced training is the same as doing quick 5 times, 1 after the other.

the amount it costs, like with the previous training, is based on what skills they already have.

if they already have 5 stars in 2 skills and u choose advanced all skills, then u are still paying for 5 courses in each skill

[BeidAmmikon]

@Cycrow: Thanks, this explanation should have been posted somewhere visible, in the changelog or something.

So, the training fee is increasing along with the "starting" level of the marines, like the payment after you accomplish missions at high trade ranks and reputation.

[fireslide]

Any way I can get the nice pre 2.1 efffects back?

The point is there is no difference between v2.1 or v2.5 for the graphics engine. If you are seeing differences it may be because something has got corrupted on the update. As has been suggested, try posting the DX Diag output in the tech support forum.

Tim

Thanks for answering, but please read what i asked next time