Farcry Patch Gets Nvidia Shader Engine Boost

An anonymous reader writes "Anandtech has posted a detailed article on good-looking PC FPS Farcry's forthcoming 1.2 patch which takes advantage of Nvidia's Shader Model 3.0 engine. The patch is supposed to boost Farcry performance for all video cards, but with Nvidia [supposedly] getting the biggest boost from SM3. (Further details on Nvidia's SM3 engine can be found via HardOCP) Benchmarks are included in the Anandtech article." The article also notes: "ATI assures us that they have also been working with CryTek on their efforts. Since we have seen a performance improvement with the latest driver and new 1.2 patch, we don't have any reason to think that anything extraordinarily fishy is going on behind the scenes between NVIDIA and CryTek."

Comments

Um, don't get too excited about that 15%

[stoneymonster]

The 15% speed boost is in "run" speed, i.e. the speed with which your character places one foot in front of another while fleeing drooling monsters, not a 15% FPS boost on your video card. The poster is confusicated.

Re:Um, don't get too excited about that 15%

[Marc_Hawke]

Probably not. You have an 'endurance' meter. You can 'sprint' (ie extra speed burst).

In the article is said there was a 15% run speed increase, and a 30% run duration increase. So, I'm guessing they are just talking about sprinting. That means normal movement is probably unaffected.

Or if you don't have a 6800

[Cornflake917]

The patch only takes advantage of the Geforce 6800. And if you look at the benchmark's it adds about 2 fps. Not something I would spend 400 bucks on.

6800

[vehn23]

I picked up a GEForce 6800 "nu" last week after doing some research etc. The couple games I tried I was very happy with. And then.. I try to install Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, which came free with the card - and it tells me it doesn't support the card even after patching. Awesome.

Um, poster was right. Maybe you check facts too?

[Vaevictis666]

Actually no, he's right. Check out link number 3 (the actual benchmark) and go to one of the tests.

For example, on the "Level Analysis: research" page, at 1600x1200 no AA/AF:

Card SM2 SM3 Increase
GF6800 Ultra Extreme 76.4 87.9 17.4%
GF6800 Ultra 67.9 77.6 14.3%
GF6800 GT 60.9 70.0 14.9%
GF6800 39.0 47.9 22.8%
Radeon x800 XT Plat 69.6 69.6 0%
Radeon X800 XT 64.9 64.9 0%
Radeon X800 Pro 49.8 49.8 0%

I'd say that looks like a 15% or more increase for nvidia cards...

Re:Online?

[Poseidon88]

Every PC FPS worth a crap has competitive multiplayer.

That's a broad and categorically false statement. The Thief series, Morrowind, System Shock 2, Deus Ex... All wildly popular FPS games that had no multiplayer at all, but instead focused on making an excellent single-player game.

But to answer the original question, yes Far Cry has competetive multiplayer modes, including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Assault. Assault is the most fun. One team is on attack and the other is on defense. The attacking team has to capture control points one at a time, while the defending team tries to hold them off. Engineers on the defensive side can use pre-placed crates to construct walls and emplaced weapons. Attacking engineers can blow them up with explosives, or build bridges to allow vehicles to cross water.

Re:Online?

[Pluvius]

That's a broad and categorically false statement. The Thief series, Morrowind, System Shock 2, Deus Ex

The only one of those that's an FPS is Thief, and even that's being a bit loose with the definition of "FPS" (your general objective is to sneak, not to shoot). The others are FPRPGs.

Rob

Dynamic branching on ATI cards

[unassimilatible]

HardOCP also reports on dynamic branching by non-PS 3.0 cards. Pic here and downloadable demo link here.