GPU Shadow Maps Disappearing Problem

Discussion in 'Players Supporting Players' started by Classified, Dec 6, 2014.

  1. Danejasho Member

    Seeing it this evening in Freeport, on the main drag for cryin' out loud. Very distracting SOE. Very distracting.
  2. Xabbu Member

    Just thought I'd add (if it helps any) that I can get the issue to occur with on screen objects as well. Was standing next to a rock (onscreen object) in Sundered Frontier and could get the shadow cast by the rock to disappear/reappear by moving camera angle.
    Danejasho likes this.
  3. Wurm Well-Known Member

    It is the shadows.

    Setting: Extreme Quality Default

    Shadows turned on:
    [IMG]

    Shadows Turned Off:

    [IMG]

    Shame really, they add so much to the game, but until SOE finds a way to fix this I'm leaving them off.
    Danejasho likes this.
  4. NrthnStar5 Well-Known Member

    What's also really disappointing is the shadows prevent me from using certain mounts. For example, the Griffin mount with the dark shadowing effect (I believe a CE mount) and the Griffin mount encased in flames - The shadows create a very visible border around these particle effects, like straight lines around how far the particle effect goes. I refuse to use these mounts because of how bad it looks. It also ruins the Icy Pegasus mount due to the same effect happening around the mounts feet and tail.
    Danejasho likes this.
  5. NrthnStar5 Well-Known Member

    I find shadow's Disappearing/Glitching less common in the AOM zones. However, there seem to be strange lighting issues. For example, on the docks in Phantom Sea, where the brazier's are around the circle with merchants, the lights flicker when I move about. Not sure if that's related to the shadows or not but I'll have to play around more.
    Danejasho likes this.
  6. randomforumname New Member

    Having this problem as well - fresh install as of last night, after being away for a good 3 years. I can say I don't remember this ever being an issue prior. Performance optimizations are certainly well appreciated though (thanks devs!). Now if we can get the shadows working right that would be a plus.

    Nvidia drivers 340.52
  7. NrthnStar5 Well-Known Member

    Yes, I love seeing performance optimizations (and it's nice to see Sun Shafts working again). I also agree that I don't recall the shadows being this bad. They were never perfect, but it definitely seems like they have gotten worse recently.
  8. Xabbu Member

    Just thought I'd add another data point (in case the bug fixers are reading this). I built a new box over the weekend and used the old graphics card (GTX660) in it. The game would black screen after about 10 min with shadows turned on (only piece of software that did this on the system). Shadows off: ran like a champ. Checked the the temp. and such...no problems, never got above about 65C. directx: ok. drivers: ok.

    I found that by underclocking the card by a bit, the game ran fine with shadows on. No more black screen after 8hr test run. (for a while, I thought that the transparent mobs and shadow popping had been fixed too, but they were still there....wishful thinking)
  9. Danejasho Member

    Are you saying the shadows were working without any glitchiness when you downclocked? I'm curious what you would experience in gfay, which is one of the worst shadow-glitch areas (they still work, just popping in and out constantly).
  10. Xabbu Member

    Alas, no :( When I first started the test, I didn't get any glitchiness, but then it began appearing again. I tested mostly in new halas (which has been glitchy for me in the past) but all the regular glitches still started popping up. Just figured if they were (hopefully) working on the shadows I'd let them know that that setting alone had been causing me to black screen, and how it was fixed for my machine at least. Maybe that would give them an idea on how to fix the popping in and out? As I said, just a data point.

    Figured there's enough stuff going on for them to work on it...this thread points to shadow problems, the thread on the translucent mobs points to them, and there's a thread here about white outlines around objects which I haven't posted in, but (in my case at least) is fixed completely by turning shadows off.
    Danejasho likes this.
  11. Danejasho Member

    It's quite amazing how many issues are fixed when shadows are disabled. Very sad. Especially when the other mmog's I play out there have really decent shadowing now.
  12. NrthnStar5 Well-Known Member

    Transparent ground/hills in G-Fay due to shadows:

    [IMG]

    [IMG]

    [IMG]
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  13. Xabbu Member

    ^^^
    yeppers, experience the same thing. shadows off, everything looks great...shadows on, that ^
    Danejasho likes this.
  14. dreamer New Member

    So, any dev answer to this? I just started playing again after several years and now also have this problem....I honestly don't think I will keep playing unless I can find a way to fix this, it's terribly annoying and distracting :/
    Danejasho likes this.
  15. Danejasho Member

    I reached out to an EQ2 producer via their work e-mail, and was assured it would be looked at by a graphics programmer (this was Jan 14th). I pointed them to this forum post and another, and all the youtube vids that have been uploaded demonstrating the problem. They mentioned that they've had trouble reproducing the issue in-house o_O

    Have heard nothing since, not that I necessarily expected to.
    NrthnStar5 likes this.
  16. Nahid New Member

    Please add me to this list. Disabling Shadows allows my AO to work as well as my lighting to render beautifully. For me the Shadows give off almost a halo effect around anything with particles; a mount, weapon or spells and they get completely cut off within certain angles. When Shadows are enabled, my Ambient Occlusion is simply messed up, almost a blurred effect an all grass disappears and lighting becomes muted. This happens simply standing in Freeport.

    I am running an ATI R9-270 with all settings maxed and updated drivers. I also tried rolling back to different drivers. My CPU is and AMD 6 Core with 16Gigs of RAM.

    I therefore am running with Shadows off which is a shame because this game can be so beautiful with them on. Was headed here to post about it but was glad to see a thread was already up and going. :)
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  17. Danejasho Member

    I was knocking around in Lesser Faydark last night, and I thought that I had found a zone where shadows worked perfectly. Finally proved to not be true, but it's definitely not nearly as buggy as other zones.
    NrthnStar5 likes this.
  18. NrthnStar5 Well-Known Member


    Interesting to hear that it allows your AO to work. I've recently kept my AO off due to it flickering at times (very much like the GPU shadows), however I tried turning it on and it doesn't seem to be working, both with shadows off or on.

    I've also found the GPU shadows to cause unpleasant effects on my new Aerakyn wings when he's standing in shadowed areas. The list keeps growing and unfortunately, the temptation to just turn them off is growing.
    Danejasho likes this.
  19. Danejasho Member

    Yep, I've noticed that too. Lots of strange outlines that go away with shadows off.
  20. NrthnStar5 Well-Known Member

    [IMG]

    What this image doesn't capture is the flickering weirdness that happens to the glitch seen on the right wing, bottom left corner.