1 Topic by Stroganoff (edited by Stroganoff 2008-03-06 03:46:09)

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Topic: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

Hello there,

in order to get the most out of yourself, you should optimize the technical specs of your game play. This guide may offend you in some parts. Be assured that I am right nonetheless. yikes


0. "High Details" off

Just because high details are quite sloppy on my pc (1.4Ghz, 512mb, GF2mx) and certainly still not fluid enough on faster computers.


1. Screen refresh rate

OK, now you get your >100fps, but Teewars still locks the refresh rate at 60Hz.
Step 1: You should find out the maximal refresh rate of your screen. LCD screens run at 60 or up to 75Hz but CRTs (even cheap ones) are often able to run 100Hz in 1024*768 or below. If you have a cheap CRT and can't find the correct drivers, open the Display Control Panel -> Settings. Set the slider to the resolution you want to use in Teewars -> Advanced -> Monitor and uncheck "Hide modes..." ("Modi ausblenden" for the german fellas). Now raise the refresh rate and click "Apply" until the screen goes blank, then press N and stay on the last working refresh rate. If it is below 100 you should consider lowering the resolution. Note that Teewars looks still fine in 800*600. Fast rates are more important than non-existing details in this game.
Step 2: Open up the config file of Teewars ("default.cfg") in Notepad, go to line 82 and change "gfx_refresh_rate" to the appropriate value.


2. Mouse refresh rate

Yeah that's right. Mice have refresh rates, too. This determines, how often the PS/2 or USB port checks the mouse for new information. Not to be confused with the optical sampling rate, measured in dpi.
If you're smart*, you have a cheap Logitech PS/2 mouse with the Logitech drivers installed so you are able to raise the refresh rate in the control panel. If you're on USB you can use USB Mouserate Switcher 1.1 to change the rate inside the USB drivers (default is 125Hz). This tweak is safe and can be undone.
This article tells that the mouse rate can't be higher than the display rate, but I don't find that true. I'm running my display and 100Hz, if I change the mouse rate in the Logitech panel from 100 to 200Hz movement instantly feels smoother, both in Windows and Teewars. Tried the same at some gaming friends, they were amazed and felt it too. Note that you mouse rate should sync with your refresh rate as explained in the above link.
* It's not smart to use wireless mice for those have a higher latency and are quite intertial. Same goes for those fancy half expensive mouse with additional nonsensical weights.


3. Mouse acceleration (Control Panel)

Turn it off.* You may have gotten used to it over the last years because it's the default setting in most cased but you'll never be as good with that quirky pseudo exponential crap as with a straight movement pattern.
* Use this registry tweak (including backup) to turn it off completely. Google for "SmoothMouseXCurve" for more info.


4. Mouse sensitivity (both in Control Panel as in Teewars)

Should be as high as possible while not being too high. Explanation: It's not too high, if you are still able to move the cursor/crosshair just exactly one pixel onscreen. So find the value that maximizes your agility without compromising your precision.


Interlude:

http://www.abload.de/img/mousesm1w.gif


5. Clean your Windows, pal
This tool being an alternative to "msconfig" is THE utility for cleaning that whole rotten pile of startup programs. All of them are obsolete, redundant or just plain useless. You may think "but application X or driver Y installed this so it's gotta need this". That thought is as logic as it is fault, sadly. Sole exceptions may be WLAN, antivirus, laptop hotkey/battery tools and your messenger, preferably Miranda IM.


Now let's play some serious CTF. Use your rope all the time. Be able to shoot in one direction while roping into the other.

Long story short:
1. Be aware of the agility of your mouse. Slowness is bad. The quirky "acceleration" mode is bad.
2. Change the hard locked display refresh rate of Teewars: Just double click on "config_directory.bat" to find the config file "default.cfg" and set "gfx_refresh_rate" to the most your screen is able to supply.

Tools:
Logitech MouseWare:
http://logitech-louk.navisite.net/web/f … 791enu.exe
USB Mouserate Switcher:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/USB_Mouserate … d4469.html (German mirror) (source)
Mouse Acceleration Fix:
http://home.arcor.de/stroganoff/mouse-accel-fix.zip (including backup)
Startup Run Configuration:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/strun.html

2 Reply by jeppo (edited by jeppo 2008-03-05 08:30:51)

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

4. Mouse sensitivity (both in Control Panel as in Teewars)
Should be as high as possible

for highsenser correctly for lowsenser false


!!! play with fun more importantly as play with skill !!!

3 Reply by Somerunce

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

Play with skills make it funnier smile

Nice guide/tutorial/whatever, Stroganoff.

4 Reply by nikoPSK

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

Hehe, my mouse is a ball one right now, as my wireless one died. sad

No, that is not me; it's just a figment of your imagination.

5 Reply by Stroganoff

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

jeppo wrote:

for highsenser correctly for lowsenser false

Are "lowsensers" the ones with heavy mouses and default settings who can't turn 180° in less than two seconds so they have to rely on AWP camping or similar? Thesis: Those will never be able to play Teewars at full force. cool

6 Reply by jeppo (edited by jeppo 2008-03-05 19:48:02)

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

false im an lowsenser and im no camper played doom, quake-quake4, ut-ut3 all lowsense

ok im not multi duper highskill wink

7 Reply by Stroganoff

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

So I trust you posess quite a large mousepad. I'd like to play 1on1 with you some time.
Until then: what's your stand on USB refresh rate? Did you know? Have you tried?

8 Reply by jeppo (edited by jeppo 2008-03-05 22:18:41)

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

i use linux my mouse refresh rate is 1000Hz (razer copperhead)

i dont play, train much like in former times (family and work proceed) so im only a fun player now

9 Reply by nikoPSK

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

I wish I had your mouse... big_smile I train alot too, but try to have a game once in awhile, won one this morning with around 8 people, and it makes me happy. Congrats for Linux.

No, that is not me; it's just a figment of your imagination.

10 Reply by airen

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

0. "High Details" ON.
For the first time in my life I actually play an internet multiplayer game with high details ^^. The idea is that its easier for my subconscious to quickly locate my position on the map. It also feels easier on my eyes (blue background is BLUE) and looks prettier lol xP.

1. Didn't know this, very nice yikes. And I've always wondered why teewars blacked out my screen as if it was changing resolution...

2. Nice again, but couldn't download the USB file. Not sure it matters that much for usb users, but ps2 mice people should be aware as the standard setting back in the old days usually was at 20hz or 40hz, which ain't very good.

3. Agree lol, but it's personal thing. However, you didn't point out that if you use xp you won't be able to fully disable mouse acceleration from the control panel. You have to go into the registry and mess with things. Search the google about "mouse acceleration", (sorry have no link for this one xP).

4. My sense is so high that I can't hit all the pixels on my screen. Nonetheless, I don't see why high mouse sense is necessary in teewars? I mean after all, unlike regular 3d fps games where you actually have to move your mouse twice the distance in order to make a 180 turn instead of a 90 turn (ignoring acceleration), there is no such thing in teewars. You can turn 180 degrees by moving your mouse just two pixels, that should be fairly easy even with low sense? xP. Ofc that might not give you the same amount of precision though, but it's not THAT important.

no more comments x). lengthy post is loooong.

aka kiwi

11 Reply by Stroganoff

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

airen wrote:

2. Nice again, but couldn't download the USB file.

Thanks for the heads up. The download link at the original source is broken. Use the mirror at MajorGeeks.

airen wrote:

3. Agree lol, but it's personal thing. However, you didn't point out that if you use xp you won't be able to fully disable mouse acceleration from the control panel. You have to go into the registry and mess with things.

OH SHI-
I did not know that.
Now I googled some bit and came up with this link:
http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/wi … ration-Fix
Now here's the whole fix in form of a click-able *.reg file, including backup:
http://home.arcor.de/stroganoff/mouse-accel-fix.zip

12 Reply by JB4

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

Can i just say now, that the "crappy" mouse is a very good one?

<JB4> hehe <3 matricks (not in a gay way though) <matricks> awww sad <JB4> thats wrong I'm friggen 15... <matricks> thats legal here in sweden big_smile

13 Reply by bullet

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Re: Technical foundation for maximizing your skill

I once had a MX700 (one of the first cordless mouses I think) and playing ego shooters with lowsense was quite possible.