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.
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:
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