Tweaks

(Quick Reference Note:  Some Neat Tricks –

Force anti-aliasing

/r_aa_blit 1

via the in-game command (this must be typed once per session, and will use the settings you specify in the video card’s control panel — if you adjust your video card’s settings while running the game, you must exit the game and then open the program again, in order for this command to see the changes.)  Anisotropic filtering (sharpening of ground textures and distant textures) is supported if you have enabled it in your video card’s control panel, and needs no command to be activated.

Force super-dense ground coverage and flora:

/r_flora_density_scale X

- where X equals any number from 1-100 (or higher, but 100 is a ’safe’ cap for high-end systems.)

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Okay, onto the post:

IN a nutshell -

Complex Shaders at 35
Environment Textures = Maximum
Character Textures = High
LOD = Medium

Lighting Quality = High
Specular Enabled
Specular Light Sources = 3
Maximum Lights = 9

• Additionally I have my contrast set at x.250 and gamma at x.250 and that makes the colors rich like they are in the screenies.  But adjust to your own taste.  Some find it too dark for comfort.  In that case, simply reduce the contrast … things will lighten but look more washed out … however attempting to use the Brighten will make things TOO bright with such high contrast … so you have to find that happy middle area.

Particle quality = High
Particle Sliders set to center
Max Spell Results = 2

Model Detail bias sliders all set about 3/4 to right
High Detail Models = 10
Low Detail Model slider is all the way to the left

Animation sliders set to just left of center

Cloaks disbaled (this is more personal choice as I prefer to see armor over cloaks — but during raids disabling cloaks can give a nice FPS boost)

Cloth Sim Off  (only noticeable if you have Particle Bias set to very far, anyway)

No Flora
No Atmospheric Effects (except for screenshots)

Hardware-forced anti-aliasing (via Nvidia control panel, select EQ2 from dropdown and adjust AA) set to 2x

• I don’t find that, at such a high resolution, anti-aliasing is really much more noticeable beyond 2x … as for anisotrpic filtering … if you enable it, choose at least 4x, and then turn down Environment Textures to High or Medium … the AF will usually make up for lack of high quality textures … but different video cards react to the performance hit in different ways.  You can try Max Textures and 4x AF but the visual discrepancy will be rather unnoticeable while still taking a performance hit.

Resolution is Widescreen 1440 x 900

TIPS:

• Turning Complex Shaders to {-1} disables all lighting and bump map effects.  Great for a quick “fix” to sluggish performance in crowded situations.
• Max Spell Results = 0 will only show YOUR spell effects, and only 1 at a time (i.e. you will not see 3 spell effects linger while you cast your fourth, etc. — each new spell graphic overwrites the old spell graphic being displayed).
• Spell Quality = Minimum will get rid of the Dirge/Troubador “music notes” floaty effect in groups/raids which can be quite annoying after 10 minutes let alone several hours.
• Model Detail settings control how far you see objects like boulders, rocks, shrubs, houses, and NPC armors.  Model Detail settings control the pop-up effect on some objects and creatures, like orcs in Faydark, for exmaple.  The further to the right you have the sliders, the less pop-up you get, traded for possibly slower rendering or stuttering game play.
• Particle Detail settings control how far you see spell effects and “shinies” as well as some things like certain bridges, and ‘false’ objects (tree branches are a good example) i.e. things made to look like polygonal objects but in fact nothing more than particle effects.
• LOD textures control the size of the textures that will be stored/swapped in memory for far away objects and NPC’s.  It is most noticeable with large trees and NPC’s in cities.  Since 10 is the maximum of Characters that can be rendered in High Detail, no matter what, you will notice a change.  However setting it to High can make them look more pleasant, overall.  But beware – this can be an extremely intensive use of resources depending on your video card and RAM.  I find medium to be just fine.