NOTE: You MUST enlarge the image to see the dots properly.
As you can see, some units (especially Terran) and scenery items (especially asteroids) exhibit teeny white dots along their straight edges. It's much more noticeable when the game is moving, because the dots shift and move around on the surface of the object, change as I zoom in and out, etc.
This happens on other units and scenery items too but it's most prominent in the things I've pictured, and also asteroid fields (not pictured).
A bit of technical data: I have two NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS GPUs w/SLi bridge, 4 (3 free in XP 32-bit) gigs of DDR2 RAM, a 3.0 GHz AMD dual core processor, and a fairly powerful motherboard. My NVidia and sound drivers are up to date, and my system is quite clean. Monitor is an HP w2007 widescreen LCD with DVI-D cable, clear as crystal. Can run Crysis and Fallout 3 on high settings and 60 FPS, etc.
EDIT: Ah, and also, every graphics setting in my SINS is cranked as high as it will go. Highest everything, all options checked, AA x4, etc. (and no forced settings in the Control Panel, just standard globals).
Not sure if there's a way to fix this with NVidia Control Panel, the game's config files, driver rollback, or what... or if this is how the game is for everyone (I sure hope not). I just started playing SoaSE again after a 6-month hiatus and being obsessive-compulsive, I'm pretty sure I didn't see this when I first got the game.
If someone can help me get this fixed, or even make a helpful suggestion, there will certainly be some karma going around because it would be a great relief.
Same here
Windows 7, NVidia GTS8800 640 MB, Core2duo, Sins, Entrenchment, Diplomacy.
White dots in every setting involving AA.
I think using a supersampling algorithm might get rid of the problem, but this would kill my performance.
The problem is bad enough in vanilla, yet with any mod that really makes use of more detailled ships this problem is huge!
Please dev, fix this.
I don't think the Supersampling thing will work...well, I dunno, doesn't work for me.
Supersampling doesn't do it for me either, problem is still there...
It seems that as you increase the anti aliasing setting, the dots start to decrease, but they are still there even when my settings are at 8xQ. Then my performance sucks in huge battles.
After testing I ca confirm that this bug does not exist with supersampling. (to test, download nHancer and try one of the supersampling modes - though be warned, the performance and RAM hit is very high)
So we must suspect this problem lies with NVidias implementation of multisampling as I've only heard complaints from NVidia users.
@BellGoRing and PatMAXXX8xQ is no supersampling mode. NVidia ceased support of SS for the series 8GPU some site ago. It can only e activated by the likes of nHancer (and some say by using rivatuner)
I understand that 8xQ is not a supersampling mode, it is a way of smoothing out transparent objects, like chain link fences. Multisampling does the same thing, but without as much quality, and less of a performance hit. 8xQ is a high quality anti aliasing mode. I suspect that the problem might be game related, since users with ATI cards are having the same issue, but I could be incorrect.
Well NVIDIA told me its most likely a game issue when I was getting help from them as well...so...not sure what the deal is since Stardock and NVIDIA is having trouble with this...
Good to know it's not only us NVidia users having this problem. Might get the Devs to do something about it!
In the meantime, we can get by using 2x2 supersampling using nHancer... well, sort of, unless we got some huge battles going on, then it is a slideshow.
I'll just stick with having AA turned off for right now, lol.
Tobiwahn, does turning on 2x2 supersampling eliminate the artifacts?
Yes it does! Actually, there are no Artifacts in the normal (no AA) version, so supersampling cannot produce them (it just renders the picture at 4 times the size and downsamples it to screensize)
But the way the samples for MSAA are choosen and blend seem to produce the artifacts. No Idea why, though.
So for now stick with NoAA or SSAA (2x2 should be sufficient, as 4x4 is way too slow)
I don't even think SSAA works for me...
Ill check that out and report back, that would be sweet if it works
Why not? What kind of graphics hardware have you got?
NVIDIA GeForce 9500, I've tried messing with the settings on the CP and couldn't find a better solution than the turning off AA.
As I said, you need to install nHancer (search google for nHancer) to activate SSAA. But I'm not sure your 9500 can handle it...
I guess I could try it out...I have an ok computer spec-wise so, yeah. I'll try anything to get rid of those annoying white dots.
I've had these white dots with AA enabled also, I'm using ATI Radeon 4800 series. I've had them with all versions of sins and with every driver update come and gone. I've tried all tweaks and settings to no avail. I have tried playing without AA but jaggies on lazers and stuff look nasty
No joy for me, nhancer with supersampling doesnt fix the problem. As stated before I have this problem with an 8800 GT AND a GTX 260m mobile card, on XP and windows 7. I was lucky and got to skip vista so I dont know if the artifacts might not be present with that OS, although I doubt it matters, they probably would be.
Well, I can report that I do no longer have those artifacts using just supersampling (you need to disable ingame AA!) using win7 on my 8800GTS 640MB (uses g80 chip if that might make a difference)
I hope Stardock is still working on this...lol. I miss AA.
Yeah, I would wish for MSAA to work too. It's much more convenient to play with that AA mode.
...Ugh, this thread needs to be REVIVED!!! I hope they didn't just forget about this thing!
IRONCLAD!!!
Are you still with us? Or are you satisfied with the amount of boxes you've sold so you just abandon us? We are still here waiting for an answer.
And, btw, I think you could give us an outlook if anything related to sins is planned for. Sins expansion? Sins 2? No more? Opensource the sourcecode? (please please please! I know it's kinda unrealistic, but still...) 64 bit version? (most desperately needed - ask microsoft for funding, will sell more win7 versions )
Eh, I understand if they have slightly bigger issues on their plates than a very minor graphics quirk on a game they're largely done with.
I do hope they figured out whatever it was so it doesn't appear in Sins 2, which I really hope they're working on.
i am running on an ati 5450 and it only goes away if i disable aa in-game which makes a lot of things look like crap. it's really annoying. i've tried changing the aa settings in the ati control program and nothing happens.
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