World of Warcraft DX12 optimizations

[Kenrou]

Finally MAYBE a reason to switch to Win10 ?

https://www.wowhead.com/news=287727...ations-coming-in-patch-8-1-tides-of-vengeance

"Compared to the normal DirectX 12 results, the multithread settings provide an average 25% improvement to frames per second and 23% improvement over DirectX 11 results. These results are an amazing increase and should help players with 120Hz or 144Hz refresh frequency monitors reach much higher frame rates."

https://www.wowhead.com/news=289041/nvidia-driver-optimizations-for-patch-8-1-tides-of-vengeance

"Warning, users are reporting issues with these drivers with GTX 1050 and 1060, might be worth waiting for a driver fix if you see issues."

"...players using Nvidia cards should see even more improvements, as their most recent driver update (December 3rd) includes further optimizations, adding another 5% or so improvement to frame rate values. It is important to note that all these optimizations are available only for users using DirectX 12 (Windows) or Metal (macOS) graphic APIs."

 

[freakdiablo]

Wow I'm surprised there is enough of a membership base that Blizz deemed it worth the effort. I mean it launched almost 15 years ago, I played it in highschool on an old T40 thinkpad, complete with 1.5ghz Pentium M and ATi 7500m. Seems like any updates now would be like putting an air freshener in a car up on cinderblocks

 

[Kenrou]

??? The game has been receiving graphical/tech updates with every expansion (the current one is number 8) since it came online, and it still has 4-5 million subscribers at the moment, with numbers swelling to ~8m and dwindling to ~2m depending on how well new content is received. New servers are supposed to open in the next few months to house the original 0-60 version of the game - the one we call vanilla - and we have a huge patch of current content incoming next week and then again in January, so it's going to swell again. WoW is nowhere near dead as people seem to think [emoji23]

 

[mackerel]

As an active player of probably the 2nd biggest MMO (FFXIV) I'm not surprised that WoW is still worth developing. It's hard to find numbers. Now, I just wish they updated the game engine of FFXIV but it was limited by PS3 support, and is now limited by PS4 support.

 

[freakdiablo]

Yeah, down from what, 12+ million at peak? And we're talking about an FPS increase and DX12 implementation to a game that was playable on lower end mobile hardware at launch, which is what I was getting at. Even with a little spit and polish I wouldn't be surprised if modern low to midrange HW can brute force it to >60hz/1080p already, unless one of those tech updates included a complete graphics engine overhaul from the ground up.

 

[Kenrou]

FPS has never really been an issue except on poorly coded or heavily phased (multi layered) areas, I'm 1080p 75fps locked everywhere except big cities and a couple areas on a fx4300+660ti on level 7 quality - 1-10, 7 used to be max 3 expansions ago, limit was raised for uber setups with 8700k/2700+1080ti/SLI. DX12 has been in the game for a couple years now but so far the results have been... less then optimal... so everyone still uses DX11.

I think maximum we ever had online was ~11million (good expansion), but this is for example at the start of the expansion, numbers dwindle after a couple months when we pretty much finished everything there is to do in PvE and are waiting for new content.

EDIT: Link talks about frame rates at 4K not 1080p, and just because a tablet can play it doesn't mean it's enjoyable at lowest quality settings FPS only really drops like i said in heavily populated/phased areas but it drops hard - my 8370 goes from 100+ to 55+), but is somewhat expected since even in a room with 1000 players you will almost never see 2 "dressed" the same - customization has it's drawbacks. Add MSAA/shadows/particles because players don't learn that maximum quality = lower FPS and you can see the problem here.

2 expansions ago Blizzard start updating all the player/NPC/monsters models (literally hundreds of them) to MUCH higher polygon count so that also added to the "OMG IT'S SLOW" hysteria going around especially at 4K.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Interesting...

 

[EarthDog]

Wow... so glad I played the 10 hour trial and put it down... I would imagine myself to be a 300lbs single man and $15 /month short since if I played this game.

Glad to see it is still getting updates.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Wow... so glad I played the 10 hour trial and put it down... I would imagine myself to be a 300lbs single man and $15 /month short since if I played this game.

Glad to see it is still getting updates.

But....but....I'm not 300lbs!

 

[EarthDog]

Well, you aren't me... (though I'm 100 lbs away from being 300 lbs at 6' ). I'd get sucked in and laaaaaaaaaazy.

I was simply implying that I would have plugged a ton of hours into this at the detriment of my health and relationships, LOL!

 

[GTXJackBauer]

I was simply implying that I would have plugged a ton of hours into this at the detriment of my health and relationships, LOL!

I got you unfortunately beat there. Used to pull in 18 hrs hardcore playing and raiding back in Vanilla and BC. Still play but very casually and cautiously. lol

 

[Kenrou]

Used to pull in 18 hrs hardcore playing and raiding back in Vanilla and BC.

Aerie Peak US in Vanilla then had to start over in Wrath when i switched to a EU server (lost my mini-Diablo pet)

Well i made the change and i can say i like the results, i went from choppy 55fps+ in phased areas/big cities to a very smooth 70fps+ and 30fps+ everywhere else on my 8370 (will only matter to people with 144fps monitors i suppose), all cores being much more used then before. Less gains on the 4300 but still decent for a driver change - used 417.22 because i read the latest 417.35 are causing problems, remember that you have to have Windows 10/DX12 to make full use of these optimizations. No bad points so far. Overall very much approved

 

[Alaric]

This really is tempting me to get back in to it, I miss the gaming sessions with my daughter. Unfortunately, she has a chronic case of Dumb A** at the moment and I find him annoying. LOL

 

[DaPoets]

WoW is one of those games that I played at launch day one (Tauren Druid) and as it's been years since I have played it it's always in the back of my mind wondering if I should get back in for a month or so...

 

[Kenrou]

WoW is one of those games that I played at launch day one (Tauren Druid) and as it's been years since I have played it it's always in the back of my mind wondering if I should get back in for a month or so...

2 new races coming out in the next week or so in patch 8.1.5 (and a new raid just opened), good time to join