World of Warcraft Forum

Ok.. Installed WoW thru Crossover Games.

Yep, brand new install from the DVDs.
Left the CXGames defaults as they were for the bottles, etc.
Install and patch updates went well.
I logged in, and there I was.... at 4 fps!!

So, now with the suggested fixes. One at a time, accumulating, and then log back in after each one.

added: SET gxApi "opengl"

• no difference.

SET ffxDeath "0"
SET ffxGlow "0"

• the "Death" line was already in there, as is. The "Glow" line was added. No difference.

Changing:
SET gxApi "OpenGL"
to
SET gxApi "d3d"

Makes the cursor run more smoothly, but now I'm down to 1 fps, and my system keeps on locking up.

Took out the "d3d" line. Did NOT put the "OpenGL" line back in.
Lock ups at the login screen.

Placed the "OpenGL" line back in.
Cursor seems jumpy, and fps is still at 4-5.

My System

OS: Linux Mint 6, Gnome desktop
Dual monitors, NVidia driver, Twinview
(NO 3D desktop effects are turned on. Yes, they do work fine when turned on)
P4, 1.7mhz. 1 gig RAM

syrinx@Temples / $ glxinfo | more
name of display: :0.0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
server glx version string: 1.4

I've been working on this since Linux Mint 5. I was hoping the upgrade, and specifically using CXGames would help. It runs fine on WinXP, and other than the framerate issue, it does run in Linux. I just hate having to reboot to play and would really like to get this resolved.

Can anyone provide some insight?

Thanks!

p.s. If you don't know about Linux Mint, it's based on the newest version of Ubuntu and it comes with all the codecs installed, and is a very slick OS. I love it!
I've actually got things to run on this, that I couldn't on Ubuntu. This is the first attempt at WoW, so I can't make that judgment there.

What framerate do you get from glxgears

Jeremy wrote:

What framerate do you get from glxgears

syrinx@Temples / $ glxgears
4164 frames in 5.0 seconds = 832.712 FPS
4752 frames in 5.0 seconds = 950.249 FPS
8570 frames in 5.0 seconds = 1713.950 FPS
10270 frames in 5.0 seconds = 2053.940 FPS
9832 frames in 5.0 seconds = 1966.255 FPS
9238 frames in 5.0 seconds = 1847.471 FPS
9344 frames in 5.0 seconds = 1868.725 FPS
8607 frames in 5.0 seconds = 1721.329 FPS
9224 frames in 5.0 seconds = 1844.770 FPS

Have you adjusted all of your in-game settings down to very minimal to see if there is one specific setting you are having problems with? On my old setup, I could not get Shadows to work without dropping the framerate considerably.

Ok, went into the video options of the game....

Resolution: 2880x900 (wide)

• Clicking on the dropdown cause a 'reset' in the game's resolution. Now my menu/options/loading screens are squished in the center of the screen.
  However, that resolution is my only choice.

Multisampling: 24 bit color
Refresh: 50hz
UI scale: unchecked
Vertical Sync: checked
Windowed Mode: checked
Triple Buff: unchecked
Maximized: checked
Hardware Cursor: greyed out
Disable Resize: unchecked
Reduce Input Lag: checked
Use desktop gamma: checked/greyed out
Gamma slider: in the middle

In the Effects screen:
The options were at various settings. I have shifted EVERYTHING to low, and unchecked the lighting, death, and glow.

FPS: 3-4

Are you running dual 1440x900 monitors? If not, adjust it in the config.wtf to a standard resolution supported by your monitor. In fact, I would run a test of running in windowed mode at 1024x768 (which will cause lower than expected results, for some reason windowed mode ALWAYS does).

Also ensure these settings are in the config.wtf

SET gxApi "opengl"
SET ffxDeath "0"
SET gxMultisampleQuality "0.000000"
SET gxFixLag "0"
SET fullAlpha "1"
SET lodDist "100.000000"
SET SmallCull "0.070000"
SET DistCull "500.000000"
SET farclip "477"
SET particleDensity "1.000000"
SET unitDrawDist "300.000000"
SET gxCursor "0"
SET baseMip "1"
SET spellEffectLevel "0"
SET weatherDensity "0"
SET pixelShaders "0"
SET ffxGlow "0"

(Taken from the Tips & Tricks for the original World of Warcraft compatibility)

Jeremy wrote:

Are you running dual 1440x900 monitors? If not, adjust it in the
config.wtf to a standard resolution supported by your monitor. In
fact, I would run a test of running in windowed mode at 1024x768
(which will cause lower than expected results, for some reason
windowed mode ALWAYS does).

Yes, they are dual 1440x900, and the desktop is treated as one wide screen. Part of me always thought the uber-high-res for the game was some part of the issue.

Here is my current Config.wtf file. The bold lines are what you suggested below:

SET locale "enUS"
SET portal "us"
SET realmList "us.logon.worldofwarcraft.com"
SET patchlist "us.version.worldofwarcraft.com"
SET coresDetected "1"
SET hwDetect "0"
SET gxApi "OpenGL"
SET gxWindow "1"
SET gxMaximize "1"
SET gxColorBits "24"
SET gxDepthBits "24"
SET gxResolution "2880x900"
SET gxRefresh "50"
SET gxMultisampleQuality "0.000000"
SET videoOptionsVersion "1"
SET accountName "***"
SET movie "0"
SET expansionMovie "0"
SET mouseSpeed "1"
SET Gamma "1.000000"
SET readTOS "1"
SET readEULA "1"
SET showToolsUI "1"
SET Sound_VoiceChatInputDriverName "System Default"
SET Sound_VoiceChatOutputDriverName "System Default"
SET Sound_OutputDriverName "System Default"
SET ChatMusicVolume "0.29999998211861"
SET ChatSoundVolume "0.39999997615814"
SET ChatAmbienceVolume "0.29999998211861"
SET Sound_MusicVolume "0.40000000596046"
SET Sound_AmbienceVolume "0.60000002384186"
SET farclip "177"* (different value)
SET particleDensity "1.000000"
SET ffxDeath "0"
SET ffxGlow "0"
SET realmName "Gnomeregan"
SET gameTip "44"
SET VoiceActivationSensitivity "0.39999997615814"
SET Sound_MasterVolume "0.10000000149012"
SET readScanning "-1"
SET readContest "-1"
SET readTerminationWithoutNotice "-1"
SET installType "Retail"
SET checkAddonVersion "0"
SET textureFilteringMode "0"
SET baseMip "1"
SET spellEffectLevel "0"**
SET environmentDetail "0.5"
SET weatherDensity "0"

So... I should add the missing lines, and change the 'SET gxResolution "2880x900"'?

I would do multiple things as a trial, but try each thing 1 step at a time until you've narrowed down what is causing the problem(s).

First off, take it out of full screen windowed mode and use windowed mode and set the resolution to say 1024x768. This can be re-adjusted later of course, back to your preference.

Second, add/adjust the following.
SET gxFixLag "0"
SET fullAlpha "1"
SET lodDist "100.000000"
SET SmallCull "0.070000"
SET DistCull "500.000000"
SET unitDrawDist "300.000000"
SET gxCursor "0"
SET pixelShaders "0"

Please note that FarClip sets detailed draw distance and sets the fog distance. Your lower value is beneficial in this setup as it would take far more video memory to store and map out the textures for a greater terrain distance.

Post your results for each of those two tests. :)

TEST 1

Unchecked Maximized (Windowed Mode is still checked), and edited the file to SET gxResolution "1024x768".
NOTE: The resolution choices in the game still only gave me the 2990.

FPS: 5-6

TEST 2

Keeping the above settings, and adding to the Config.wtf file.

FPS: 5-6

What video card do you have? (Be specific ie: lspci | grep -i vga, and what the box it came in reads)

Are you running Compiz or any other 3D application while attempting to run WoW?

Also, where in WoW are you standing when you log in? Try a different zone if possible, especially if you are standing in Dalaran.

Also, please ensure you have disabled all addons before attempting this test, in fact, I would remove the WTF/<Account Name> and WDB folders. Notice; unlike Blizzard - I am recommending keeping WTF/Config.wtf.

1) Log in to a character in a low population zone, like a starting zone. Avoid major cities.
2) Hit <CTRL-R> to see the realtime FPS display.
3) Type /timetest, then fly to a distant flight point. If you fly over a major city, take note of what the realtime FPS indicates as you do so.

At the end of the flight your low fps, high fps and average fps will be displayed. This should give a good indication as to whether or not it's serious server side latency or even just asking too much out of your video card at that time.

Jeremy wrote:

What video card do you have? (Be specific ie: lspci | grep -i vga,
and what the box it came in reads)

syrinx@Temples ~ $ lspci | grep -i vga
02:09.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV44A [GeForce 6200] (rev a1)

BOX:
Nvidia GFORCE 6200 OC
250 MB
PCI/Dual

Are you running Compiz or any other 3D application while attempting
to run WoW?

No, I keep these off. But, I can run these.

Also, where in WoW are you standing when you log in? Try a different
zone if possible, especially if you are standing in Dalaran.

I have a couple different characters, on different servers. The one I use for this testing is a low-level, that's still questing in Northshire Abbey (where the beginning area is for Human Alliance). My main, on another server, is currently in Outland.

Jeremy wrote:

Also, please ensure you have disabled all addons before attempting
this test, in fact, I would remove the WTF/<Account Name> and WDB
folders. Notice; unlike Blizzard - I am recommending keeping
WTF/Config.wtf.

I didn't do this, because this is a brand new install with just the updates. No third-party addons have been added. No tweaks except for what's listed above.

1) Log in to a character in a low population zone, like a starting
zone. Avoid major cities.

Since I needed one with flightpaths acquired, and to keep it relatively low, I used my mid-level character. He was currently in Southshore.

2) Hit <CTRL-R> to see the realtime FPS display.

This did not do anything, other than make my computer freeze for a bit.

3) Type /timetest, then fly to a distant flight point. If you fly
over a major city, take note of what the realtime FPS indicates as
you do so.

From Southshore to Darkshire. AVG: 12-15fps. PEAK: 16fps Flying over IronForge & Stormwind: 6fps

Reading from the log:
Taxi time test results:
Min FPS: 4.291
Max FPS: 46.485
Avg FPS: 12.962

At the end of the flight your low fps, high fps and average fps will be displayed. This should give a good indication as to whether or not it's serious server side latency or even just asking too much out of your video card at that time.[/quote]

From my test bench I was able to obtain 40 FPS average in Ubuntu 8.10 using a GeForce 6600 using minimal settings. I would like you to be aware however, that an overclocked 6200 pales in comparison to even a cheap, stock 6600, especially that NV44A chip, which is proven to be rather weak. You may not be able to get decent FPS with that 6200 and WoW's 3.0 graphical engine updates.

In your Xorg config file (usually /etc/X11/xorg.conf) under a Device section, look for 'Identifier "NVIDIA Corporation*"' and add/modify this line: Option "RenderAccel" "false"

Check your FPS after that modification. Several forums suggest that the nVidia drivers can and have conflicted with the X11.org Render Acceleration.

Jeremy wrote:

In your Xorg config file (usually /etc/X11/xorg.conf) under a Device
section, look for 'Identifier "NVIDIA Corporation*"' and add/modify
this line: Option "RenderAccel" "false"

Here is my current xorg settings (well, the DEVICE section anyways)

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 6200"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection

I got to be honest here, I'm a little weary about doing stuff in here. Just because I want to make sure I get a graphical UI when I reboot. Mainly thanks to Ubuntu, there's been too many times where I've suffered the video card driver fail.

So, I'll wait for your assurance, but you did spark a thought:

If I were to just upgrade my video card, would that solve a lot of these issues? I don't want to just say "Well, it works on Windows", because I do understand that it's being emulated on top a non-native OS, etc. That, and there's been some times in XP, where I would be playing for hours - and then I would Hearth, or go into a populated area, and it would buzz and freeze. Usually it comes back fine, but other times, it has rebooted the system.

So, you know my system - and I want to stick with NVidia, with support for a dual display. What would you recommend?
Also, it would just be a matter of putting in the card, boot up, and re-run EnvyNG...correct?

You can rest assure that any change to the config file can be reverted, however there will be times when reverting such changes would have to be done in a different run level of the operating system. This change just disables X11 render acceleration.

As for the second part to your question, absolutely you would notice a significant performance boost from upgrading your video card. That particular one is 4 generations old now. While briefly looking around NewEgg, I found quite a few 9xxx video cards between $50-$100 price range which would offer quite a few additional 3d features, most of which aren't used in WoW however. I would at minimum purchase a 96xx. What you would notice in WoW is a much higher frame rate than previously experienced, as the GPU is faster, it is able to output more information faster. Same basic principal to replacing the CPU.

I didn't realize you are using EnvyNG. (If somebody has more experience to the differences in Envy and nVidia's distributed drivers, please feel free to post them.) While this may be based on the nVidia distributed drivers, I would trust nothing less than the drivers directly from nVidia's site.

Hey - sorry for the lapse of time here. I was afraid that you would think I did something to the xorg and I haven't been able to get online or something. No... just haven't had a chance to do anything since the last time.

Jeremy wrote:

You can rest assure that any change to the config file can be
reverted, however there will be times when reverting such changes
would have to be done in a different run level of the operating
system. This change just disables X11 render acceleration.

Ok, so in my case, I just need to ADD that line in the Device section, right?

As for the second part to your question, absolutely you would notice
a significant performance boost from upgrading your video card. That
particular one is 4 generations old now. While briefly looking
around NewEgg, I found quite a few 9xxx video cards between $50-$100
price range which would offer quite a few additional 3d features,
most of which aren't used in WoW however. I would at minimum
purchase a 96xx. What you would notice in WoW is a much higher frame
rate than previously experienced, as the GPU is faster, it is able
to output more information faster. Same basic principal to replacing
the CPU.

Well, my system is a few years old. It's a Dell Dimension 4400. The upgrades are pretty much at a standstill; for instance, my RAM is already capped at 1 gig. To make the video card even more difficult, I need one that is for a PCI slot...that supports dual monitors. So, the 6200 was the only one that I could fine at the time, and it was an upgrade to what I originally had.

Honestly, other than this, there hasn't been any reason to look for another one (because I am looking to get a whole new system at some point).

I didn't realize you are using EnvyNG. (If somebody has more
experience to the differences in Envy and nVidia's distributed
drivers, please feel free to post them.) While this may be based on
the nVidia distributed drivers, I would trust nothing less than the
drivers directly from nVidia's site.

That was the preferred way for Mint. You click on the icon, and it does it thing. Reboot, and go into the nvidia-settings to set the Twinview. Write to X, and done.
No video driver/kernel mismatch.