Shader 3.0 completely disabled?!?!?!?!

[TralanaEQ]

<p>as per patch notes today...</p><hr /><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shader 3.0 has been disabled.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our implementation of Shader 3.0 has had a spotty history since its debut last year. To be frank, it’s cool in some areas and it’s an eyesore in others. Worse, it occasionally crashes users completely. It’s going to take us quite a while to make it work they way it should, and until we get that work done, we don’t want users to be crashing while using it. So we are <span style="color: #ffffff;">disabling</span> this feature for now. We have every intention of bringing it back (or some version of a graphics shader improvement that’s even better than this one), but it won’t be soon. <strong><span style="color: #ffffff;">EQII still looks fantastic with the original shaders, and in fact, it often looks far better than when using Shader 3.0, so we hope this inconvenience will be very minor for you.</span></strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><hr /><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I SERIOUSLY beg to differ on this bolded statment. While EQ2 looks pretty good with the original shader it NEVER looks far better than when using 3.0. Not only does 3.0 look better it provides a significant performance bump to the original shader especially when running multiple clients on a single PC that improvment can be the difference between running settings that look pleasing to the eye, or having to turn performance down just to get reasonable framerates.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I completely understand you guys  not having the resources to fix this right away. But disabling it should NOT be the answer. I know what zones are problematic for me (Drunder) and turn it off if I venture into them. The rest (majority) of my time spent in game I keep it on and enjoy improved graphics and a better frame rate.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Please give us the option back and re enable them. Have it noted that it is causing issues along with the note that you need to restart the client and you are working on them but it will not be fixed anytime soon. But for the love of god do NOT eliminate it entirely. The difference between 1.0 and 3.0 on a PC running 4 clients is just too significant. Having to turn them on and off for specific zones is not a deal breaker. Not having the option at all is.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you,</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">T</span></span></p>

[genetix]

<p>Got to agree on there SM3.0 looks much better than game original ones, but the missing shadow effects and EQ2 uber failure to use GPU features is just sad. Also the original hyped 'point light shadows' is even bigger failure wonder when do they put that on ice too.</p><p>I know that SM3.0 was crashing a lot reported couple bugs myself in it.</p><p>Something I actually would like to see would be an .ini configuration of how manu CPU threads to use and close the memory leaks which game is making because of its design. O and yeah an 64-bit native executable would be nice, if you guys think using 'report freezed cannot utilize 3069MB RAM' messages down at x64 OS.</p>

[Gyee]

<p>Don't worry they're using all that delicious stations cash sale's money to good use to get it fixed. Just how long is the question. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Josgar]

<p>Shader 1.0 is barftastic. They shouldn't disable shaders 3.0. In all honesty, they shouldn't be touching it without releasing information on its replacement. Shader 1.0 is flat and ugly.</p><p>Makes me kinda wish I hadn't started playing again.</p>

[Valphine]

<p>DOnt agree, original graphic looks best, imo and without bugs.</p>

[TralanaEQ]

<p>DOnt agree, original graphic looks best, imo and without bugs.</p><p><hr /></p><p>That is wonderful for you that you think the original graphics look best... no one ever took away that option... use what you like, don't force others to use an old muddy shader that has 50% of the frame rate. Not only are the old shaders worse, but you have to lower the graphics settings even further to get similar frame rates.</p><p>I understand that shader 3.0 is buggy. Buggy however is NOT unusable. Give us the option back and fix them when you fix them.</p>

[TSR-JoshuaM]

<p>We do apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you but to clarify the Technical Support department is not responsible for changes to the game itself.  That falls on the dev team.  As these are the tech support forums your concerns may not be viewed by the appropriate parties.  I do recommend taking this to a general discussion forum outside of support.</p>

[TralanaEQ]

<hr /><p>We do apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you but to clarify the Technical Support department is not responsible for changes to the game itself.  That falls on the dev team.  As these are the tech support forums your concerns may not be viewed by the appropriate parties.  I do recommend taking this to a general discussion forum outside of support.</p><p><hr /></p><p>Can you move the thread then please Joshua? or can I just cut and paste into a new thread? Don't want to be accused of double posting.</p>

[Josgar]

<p>I created a thread in look and feel last night i think.</p>

[TralanaEQ]

<p>Thanks,</p><p>Copied and pasted my original comments to there. Hopefully someone actually looks and gives us back the option even if it's just through an .ini switch.</p><p>T</p>

[TSR-JoshuaM]

<p><cite>TralanaEQ wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><hr /><p>We do apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you but to clarify the Technical Support department is not responsible for changes to the game itself.  That falls on the dev team.  As these are the tech support forums your concerns may not be viewed by the appropriate parties.  I do recommend taking this to a general discussion forum outside of support.</p><hr /><p>Can you move the thread then please Joshua? or can I just cut and paste into a new thread? Don't want to be accused of double posting.</p></blockquote><p>I can't.  I'm not a moderator here, just a tech representative.  I can lock and sticky! <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Peogia]

<p>I hope they implement shader 5 or higher</p><p>shader 3 was an eye soar with mega crashes blue screens driver crashes bugs and unfinished not to mention it wasn't truly shader 3 it was a hybrid of the original shader 1 mix not full 3</p>

[Ziplock9k]

<p><cite>Peogia wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I hope they implement shader 5 or higher</p><p>shader 3 was an eye soar with mega crashes blue screens driver crashes bugs and unfinished not to mention it wasn't truly shader 3 it was a hybrid of the original shader 1 mix not full 3</p></blockquote><p> BSODs can only be caused by bad drivers or drivers that are incorrectly assuming something. As far as shaders 3 is concerned, some people liked them, some hated them.. so /meh, neither is 'right'. Don't be suprised if we never see anything beyond shader 1.0 again as all new resources are geared toward Everquest Next.</p>

[genetix]

<p><cite>Ziplock9k wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Peogia wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I hope they implement shader 5 or higher</p><p>shader 3 was an eye soar with mega crashes blue screens driver crashes bugs and unfinished not to mention it wasn't truly shader 3 it was a hybrid of the original shader 1 mix not full 3</p></blockquote><p> BSODs can only be caused by bad drivers or drivers that are incorrectly assuming something. As far as shaders 3 is concerned, some people liked them, some hated them.. so /meh, neither is 'right'. Don't be suprised if we never see anything beyond shader 1.0 again as all new resources are geared toward Everquest Next.</p></blockquote><p>Yeah agree with this one totally.</p><p>We will never see SM3.0 again. Since they want to make money and best way to make it to make next EQ game or expansions for people to buy and to make expansion doesn't make sense to correct all earlier data with it so only way to actually get something to engine done is to build totally new engine and config that and try to tell people this is the new big thing.</p><p>The comment:</p><p><span ><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(or some version of a graphics shader improvement that’s even better than this one)</span></span></span></p><p>is also a fishing pole. Since A. you do not have resources to build anything greater and B. even if you would have resources you would never EVER build next model to current engine, heh.</p>

[Valphine]

<p><cite>TralanaEQ wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>DOnt agree, original graphic looks best, imo and without bugs.</p><hr /><p>That is wonderful for you that you think the original graphics look best... no one ever took away that option... use what you like, don't force others to use an old muddy shader that has 50% of the frame rate. Not only are the old shaders worse, but you have to lower the graphics settings even further to get similar frame rates.</p><p>I understand that shader 3.0 is buggy. Buggy however is NOT unusable. Give us the option back and fix them when you fix them.</p></blockquote><p>Errm "lol" I dont force anyone, I just had my opinion.</p>

[TralanaEQ]

<hr /><p>Errm "lol" I dont force anyone, I just had my opinion.</p><hr /><p>The don't force others comment wasnt directed at you. The thing is though if you prefer 1.0 you always could use it, even when they introduced 3.0. Now however there is no choice. There is only muddy old 1.0</p>