Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Mac User #001 · Nov 30, 2007, 11:35 AM

I got Vista and Crysis.

As most people seemed to have, there were hardware and software issues with Vista. Mostly, I just had to download new drivers for everything, but I did have to buy a new wireless card.

Then I took a shot at Crysis. Its the first game I haven't been able to play with all settings maxed.

I can play with everything on very high, but its really jerky. High settings only lag every once in a while, which I can live with. And let me tell you, the games graphics are amazing. Beats any other game I've owned ten times over.

I only have one problem with it. Anti-Aliasing. Even with every setting at its lowest and resolution lower than my native, I can't turn on AA to even 2x. Its incredibly laggy. I don't see why its like this, because with every other game I've turned it to 8x and even 16x.

Actually, there's also the problem of this one area I get to where things are choppy no matter what setting I'm on. And its not like anything is really happening.

Other than that, It's one of the best games I've had yet.

slpdLoad · Nov 30, 2007, 05:48 PM

What are your computer's specs?

Before it was released I thought they said an 8800GTX Ultra would be able to run the game maxed out.

Mac User #001 · Dec 1, 2007, 02:17 AM

Dual Core 3.2 GHZ
2 GB RAM
GeForce 8600 GTS

But I've got two more GB's of RAM coming and I'll be borrowing another 8600 from a friend to SLI, and then I'll try that.

PaperNotes · Dec 1, 2007, 09:13 AM

Haha. I told you 001 that the Crysis engine is very badly optimised. Compared to the Unreal 3 Engine it really sucks. The only thing is does is render plants and lights well on a very high end machine (like a 32 core Nehalem IV).

Play COD4 and UT3 and your socks will explode. That's how to write optimised code.

Mac User #001 · Dec 2, 2007, 02:47 PM

I don't think its badly optimized. I really think its just that good. Playing Crysis on the lowest settings is still better than any other game I have on the highest settings. I just can't wait until I can rack everything up to very high with 16xQ AA and full resolution.

Actually, it could have better scalability for slower machines. Anyways, I'm just as excited about COD 4 and UT 3, so theirs no point in arguing.

svtcontour · Dec 2, 2007, 10:10 PM

Played the UT3 demo on as high a detail as I could take it and IMO its dissapointing. Marginally more interesting in appearance than UT2003. Barely anything to write home about. Crysis is ahead of its time, thats the only problem...although not really a problem for me since I went to a not so expensive 8800GT card.

Originally Posted by PaperNotes

Haha. I told you 001 that the Crysis engine is very badly optimised. Compared to the Unreal 3 Engine it really sucks. The only thing is does is render plants and lights well on a very high end machine (like a 32 core Nehalem IV).

Play COD4 and UT3 and your socks will explode. That's how to write optimised code.

Mac User #001 · Dec 3, 2007, 12:06 AM

I've finished Crysis

Man, I don't want to say anything, but... awesome.

PaperNotes · Dec 3, 2007, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by Mac User #001

I don't think its badly optimized. I really think its just that good. Playing Crysis on the lowest settings is still better than any other game I have on the highest settings.

Crytek has admitted it is not very well optimized and will release a patch soon. On medium settings it doesn't look as good as BioShock or Call of Duty 4. Those games are much more attractive and faster on a wider range of hardware. UT3 and Gears of War are better optimized too and don't suffer from shadow and texture clipping that Crysis does on mid to low settings.

Mac User #001 · Dec 3, 2007, 11:48 AM

That sounds awesome then. Maybe I'll be able to kick up the settings a little more

Mac User #001 · Dec 3, 2007, 12:47 PM

Hey, does anybody know how well Crysis would play on a MacBook Pro? I wouldn't mind even the lowest settings, because they're still awesome, but I would really prefer medium. Do you think it could handle it?

PaperNotes · Dec 4, 2007, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Mac User #001

Hey, does anybody know how well Crysis would play on a MacBook Pro? I wouldn't mind even the lowest settings, because they're still awesome, but I would really prefer medium. Do you think it could handle it?

It's playable on a mix of settings. On just about any of the games coming out these days it is the shadow detail settings that tax the GPU most. Lower the shadow quality and you can keep the rest of the details on a mix of medium and high.

Mac User #001 · Dec 4, 2007, 11:57 AM

Excellent, thanks.

Didn't know that shadows took so much. I'm going to try lowering the quality on my desktop then too.

PaperNotes · Dec 4, 2007, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Mac User #001

Excellent, thanks.

Didn't know that shadows took so much. I'm going to try lowering the quality on my desktop then too.

Yeah there's a lot of maths going on there to calculate how shadows fall especially for soft shadows. I turned down shadows to medium quality in Colin McRae DiRT and game flew after that with everything else on high settings. Call of Duty 4 is the best I have seen at doing HDR and soft shadows without taxing a MacBook Pro. Damn game looks like I'm watching Black Hawk Down at times.

What is really sweet is that I'm going to replay all these games next year on a quad core MacBook Pro and 9 series NVidia with all settings turned up to max

Then I can see Crysis and Pro Street in their full glory without caring about optimized patches and updates.

Mac User #001 · Dec 4, 2007, 11:34 PM

Perhaps by then I'll actually have a MacBook Pro...

Until then, my iBook is still kicking and screaming while I try and use it for far more than its capable of.

Though I do have my PC, which is more than capable of handling itself.

And though you wont have to worry about optimized patches or updates for Crysis or Pro Street, you will for the next generation of games of that time.