Test Update 02/16/2024 - Patch Notes and Discussions

Thank you!

Memory.ini differences (will have to make a copy of the file and reference it in eqclient.ini to check change on live), =original => patch:

[MemoryMode0] (aka least)
TextureLoadsPerFrame=5 => 3
BitmapsPerFrame=250 => 9
DownsamplesPerFrame=1 => 2
MaxHighQualityTextureMem=40 => 48
DownsampleTextureMem=0 => 16

[MemoryMode1] (aka balanced)
TextureLoadsPerFrame=6 => 4
AnimationLoadsPerFrame=4 => 3
BitmapsPerFrame=250 => 6
UpsamplesPerFrame=3 => 1
MaxHighQualityTextureMem=70 => 96
DownsampleTextureMem=30 => 80

[MemoryMode2] (aka most)
TextureLoadsPerFrame=10 => 5
AnimationLoadsPerFrame=6 => 4
BitmapsPerFrame=250 => 3 (lower than original recommendation)
UpsamplesPerFrame=5 => 1
MaxHighQualityTextureMem=100 => 512 (matches original recommendation)
DownsampleTextureMem=60 => 496 (higher than original recommendation)

Hitching and stuttering are nearly gone. Noticing a small improvement in framerate. 99% lows are still pretty bad.

Graphics performance is still worse than prior to Dx11 patch and stuttering is still present. FPS is terrible compared to pre dx11. When boxing, lag is almost unbearable even though I am using a high end PC. Please fix the performance of the game. You are going to lose players and this supposed fix is worthless

For the simple minded folks like me, so... what do I have to do? On test I checked and sure enough those numbers are the new ones in that memory.ini file. But do I change something in the game itself? Does this have to do with RAM and the amount of RAM I have? I have 32GB and have it set to BALANCED in my game settings which should be memory mode 1. If I want less stutter I use memory mode 0 or mode 2?
What is the trdeoff? I noted that when I log in on test now, all the chars around me are gray and then pop for a second or two and then they all appear with their normal models. Then I can turn around smoothly. So looks or feels better for me at least.

Now I tried using my Necro to kill 4 mobs and then used Wake the Dead AA. As each mob rises to attack my new target, everything freezes for 1 second for each corpse that rises. I have never experienced that before. Just noting that now.

Use Memory Mode 2 (Most Memory Usage) for less stutter.

Open EverQuest Launcher > Advanced Options > Game Configuration. Enable MipMapping. Disable Texture Caching (It's deprecated, no longer used). Disable Texture Compression. Texture Quality: High.

FWIW, my EQ Test PC is an i7-870, GTX 470, 8GB RAM (FAR, FAR below "minimum specs") running Windows 10. It runs like a champ. Better than my 5950X, 3090, 64GB RAM, Windows 11 on Live. Go figure.

Many thanks as usual. Just did that right now. Seems smoother indeed. Going to do some more testing on err... TEST.

On a side note, I doubt you remember me, but back in 2023 you helped me build a new system and I went with a Ryzen 7800X3D with your suggestions and again thank you! Amazing system but bloody heck... my old Intel i7-2700K and a GTX 580 3GB, runs EQ better. All other games on the new system of course rock.... but for some reason, the old girl just runs like a champ for EQ. And lastly I thought I was the only person left with a i7-870. I bought that what seems like a century ago off Ebay, and an ES at at that. STILL works and is in my media centre to this day. Cheers.

I do remember! I've helped point quite a few folks with computer questions over the years. So glad your new system is working out!

The DX11 changeover has been far less smooth than any of us would have hoped. DX9 > DX11 is a paradigm shift in graphics API. Stack on top of that the innumerable (and likely undocumented) workarounds done on EQ graphics engine over the years and it's a perfect storm.

I am REALLY encouraged by the work Cairbrae has done so far on squashing graphics bugs and addressing performance in DX11. The good news here is DX11 really can only get better. We were maxed out on DX9. DX11 has a lot of performance headroom left to leverage.

I am looking forward to what's next!

I am very happy to be able to swap personas again.

Alt-TAB behavior has changed, and I don't understand why. (I am testing on a Win11 desktop with an RTX 3090, current Win updates and current Nvidia driver.) I always play fullscreen. Previously, if i alt-TAB'ed out of the focused client, for any reason, it would reduce to a window, and when I wanted to re-enter I could just click in the window space and it would immediately restore to fullscreen. This is standard behavior for games and most other Windows apps. Now when I click the window, it does nothing other than set the desktop's focus. I have to press alt-ENTER to return to fullscreen, and oddly, I have to do that not once, but twice. The client reacts to the first one by cancelling my character's focus, if it had one, and closing all my open bags. Only after the second alt-ENTER does it actually return to fullscreen.

I do not always box on this PC, but when I do, I have always enjoyed the convenience of switching clients with one simple process. This modified behavior, while workable, is uncomfortable.

The improvement doesn't make it look better, at least not for me. Prior to the DX11 update, I had issues where I would enter zones, especially the guild lobby and PoK, and they would be filled with white polygons for several seconds before all the textures were loaded and displayed. Currently on Live, that issue is gone, and has been since the DX11 update. It's now back on Test. I haven't noticed a performance improvement--I have always had a lot of stalling as my hard drive thrashes while loading that stuff. I'm currently planning on using patch time to re-install EQ on a different hard drive to see if that will help. By default it installed on the operating system hard drive.

Check your Advanced setting on the Display tab of the Options window. What you're describing is exactly what happens when you have your memory usuage set to Least. Should be set to Balanced or higher.

Just checked. It is and has been set to balanced. Well, it's set to balanced on live where there's no issue. I'll have to peek on Test and see if Test is running different settings for some reason.

Additional edit: Confirmed that it's "balanced" on both. My past experience was definitely that this went away with the DX11 patch, and has now returned on Test, but not Live.

I'm hoping that the "walk back" of the Scarlet Cheetah Fang change that was in the 2/13 Patch is just an accident and not intended.

All the mana return changes (Druid, Enchanter, Ranger, Wizard) from the original Test patch this cycle were reverted back to pre-patch.

Is this intentional or was this patch just working off a forked code base and the Live patch will still include these changes?

I'm past blue in the face saying the same thing. I stopped paying for a broken game.. Devs won't fix issues because they don't understand that the game's graphics engine has reached it's max and should have stopped at that point. It ran flawless (Pre-DX-11 debacle,, I mean patch) and should have concentrated on content or created a whole different game with its own, newer platform or whatever.. not destroy the game to an unplayable mess... I'll check back from time to time but won't pay another red cent until they REVERT!

That is the same problem I am having,,, use to switch clients full screen to full screen flawlessly but not after the patch debacle...by the time I get back in game, it's a TPW.. (Total party wipeout).
Very uncomfortable...

I've given up maybe my wallet can talk louder.

Cancelled alt account over lack of support for full screen. Maybe that and the Cancellation survey will get them to fix dx11.

Please try Most (2) memory usage. You have to zone each time you change this option for it to take effect.

I feel your plight.