The A2A Simulations Community

Hi.
Just bought this game and thought I'd see if it would run on my laptop (i3 370m / 6GB DDR3 but only intel hd graphics (integrated?)). Anyway, it ran quite well until I added patch 2.11 and (if I did it right) the windows 7 fix (home premium 64). Now it's no go - pre history graphics and unplayable (re-boot to clear). Is there anything to be done or does 2.11 just require more than the graphics can provide (looked ok when just loaded from the dvd / unpatched)? Not a major prob, as have a more powerful desk top (core 2 duo / 4GB DDR / 896MB GTX 260 graphics) - however this is also win 7 64 home premium so wondered if there is anyone who can advise re the laptop, but more so the best way to install the game to my desk top. Know I could just load it up, but thought it best to try to get it right first time (I deffo no pc tech king!)
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks,
DoctorW.

BOBII will run fine on you desktop with win 7 64 which is what most of run.

We have never got BOBII to run well on anyones integrated graphics. BOBII requires a good gamers PC with a strong video card and processor to run on max settings and then some PCs will stll slow down on the 200+ A/C missions.

The 2.11 update does take more video and processor power than the 2.06 or 2.03 versions that come on the BOBII CDs but 2.11 is 20 times better than 2.03 with many more features and options.

When you install on the desktop just do the following:

First, in Options->Adv->Game , Be sure skip in-game videos is checked (if you get to the Menu screens).

Did you make the windows 7 fix (must be re-done when you re-install, NOTE: I assume you are running Win 7)?

Note6: Windows Vista and Window 7 users. All Vista and Windows 7 users will need to apply the 'Vista/Windows 7 fix' to your desktop shortcut as a fresh 2.11 install will overwrite the previous shortcut.
Right click on shortcut and go to properties. Go to the compatibility tab. Check "disable desktop composition" and check the privilege level, run this program as an administrator.

If you have a wide screen monitor then do the following:

First, set you "windows" resolution (in windows) to your monitors native resolution.

Set in options->GFX use Windows Desktop Resolution (Recommended)=OFF

Then manually select the resolution (in game) as close as possible to your monitors native resolution from the pull down list of resolution options.

Also BOBII requires a screen print size of 96. If you have change your DPI to a higher number (example 120 DPI or medium) then BOBII will crash to disk on a Menu Screen. To change your DPI to 96 in windows7 in desktop right click. Select screen Resolution and at the bottom click on "Make Text or Other Items larger or smaller". Then select smaller 100% (default).

Last, have you updated the directX 9c? Rmember you PC supports Direct x 11, 10. and 9c which are all seperate. BOBII needs directx 9c updated to the latest directX.

Here is a web installer link for you to use for the DirectX 9c update (the Direct X web installer will update only what is needed to get you up to date).

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... aspx?id=35

_________________
Buddye

Intel I7 920 processor (2.66GHz, 8MB cache), 6GB DDR3 Triple Channel @1333MHz, 1.8GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295, Sound Blaster X-Fi PCI Sound Card, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit , CH Fighter Stick & Pedals ,TrackIR4 Pro thanks to BobII crew.

Buddye is right and as you discovered, 2.11 doesn't run on a laptop.

2.09 with multiskin on the other hand does. I've a couple of videos on the board done on a laptop. It's very useful if travelling, to just take joystick and external mouse and a quick half hour in an instant action mission can kill the boredom of travelling.

Two things; 1/ 2.09 is no longer supported and not recommended. 2/ Laptop cooling is a consideration.Too long and they overheat with disastrous consequences.

Lastly, frame rates can be an issue depending on the power of your machine.

For me v2.09 on a laptop is great and v2.11 and 12 when it arrives, loaded onto the gaming machine with other flight sims.

_________________
POTR
"Only birds and fools fly and even the birds don't fly at night"

There are two things which will load down the graphics card, post 2.09. One is the higher res
landscape tiles. This can be circumvented as noted in the release notes:

"Note5: If you have a low end system and experience a crash once into 3D, go to your bdg.txt file
and set LANDSCAPE_TEXTURE_SIZE = 1024 (the default is 2048). This will reduce the landscape
texture resolution by a factor of 4 and should help users with low system memory."

Well, not just if you have a crash. If your machine seems to struggle to get the graphics rendered,
this will lighten the load considerably.

The second item is the increased number of ground objects.

Some of these are "BF" - battlefield objects, which are part of the strategic game, and vulnerable
to damage, impacting the scoring system, so they can't be altered, but there aren't really a lot
of these. The rest are "Object Adds" items, which are ghosts - they can't be damaged, they're just
there for their lovely eye candy. These are called by the files in the Object Adds folder, and the
number generated can be reduced by knocking down the setting of "Ground Object Density" in
Options>More GFX, which decreases the number generally across the board, or by moving files out
of the Object Adds folder, so no objects from that file are generated. Going by the filenames,
you may select things you can live without, but realize that they are geographically sorted,
so you will only be removing items from a single location (roughly) per file. You can also remove
all the files from Object Adds, which will really lighten the rendering load for low powered cards.

Of course, multiskin off goes without saying if you are in this situation, or as I mention in the
lighting thread, there are a few tricks for mostly removing multiskin but still getting some
features from it.

I would expect that making these adjustments should result in 2.11 being playable on any machine
that can manage 2.09 . I can't think at the moment what else would get in the way...

Just want to add (correct me if wrong) that if you reduce "ground object density", you should also switch ground collisions to "off" or you'll collide with invisible objects

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POTR
"Only birds and fools fly and even the birds don't fly at night"

If that's true then I'm misunderstanding "Ground Object Density", as
you can't collide with "Object Adds" objects. But even BF objects are
either placed and rendered, or not placed at all, I would think. Collision
with invisible objects may just be collision with large hit boxes on nearby
visible objects, something we are actively tracking down and correcting for 2.12
(though in most cases these are caused by new 2.12 objects, so shouldn't
have caused problems for 2.11, but maybe a few got by us before...)

If it helps track a problem, i'll be more specific. In v2.11 with ground object density set to medium,i was colliding with something behind the hangars at Tangmere. I set it to full and no longer had the problem. As to what was causing it, i haven't the foggiest, i just know that changing object density solved it.

_________________
POTR
"Only birds and fools fly and even the birds don't fly at night"

Thanks for all replies guys. Seems best bet is 2.09 on laptop and then load the full monty onto desktop. Any tips re uninstall / reinstall on laptop please or just usual add / remove program and start again but patch just to 2.09? Will use mostly on desktop so lappy is just a bonus lol. Thx again
DoctorW.

If you need to do a very fresh install of BOBII. Here is the install procedure that I recommend (Hopefully then, you will have the same install on your PC that I have on my PC):

Each Step is Important (Note- do not worry about the MultiSkin for now as you can install it later)

1. download and unpack the 2.11 self installer or re-download the 2.11 just in case you had a corrupted download the first time
2. Uninstall old version or BoBII
3. Delete all files from the BoBII folder (leave none). [IMPORTANT: These old files left by the uninstaller can cause issues with the new EXE.]
4. Run a registry cleaner (like CC cleaner - a free program) as you had an old install of BobII (Important to cleanup)
5. Reinstall BoBII game CD or Download version that you purchased
6. Run (execute) the 2.11 Update that you downloaded

Re-do the following Windows 7 fix as you had a new install:

Right click on shortcut and go to properties. Go to the compatibility tab. Check "disable desktop composition" and check the privilege level, run this program as an administrator.

_________________
Buddye

Intel I7 920 processor (2.66GHz, 8MB cache), 6GB DDR3 Triple Channel @1333MHz, 1.8GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295, Sound Blaster X-Fi PCI Sound Card, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit , CH Fighter Stick & Pedals ,TrackIR4 Pro thanks to BobII crew.

I would jump on this, except that I know we are reworking a number of airfields,
Tangmere among them, and I'm not familiar with the details, so it may be that the
region you refer to will be reworked for v2.12 anyway. Stickman may have something
to say about it...

Phantom,



I find this hard to believe. Mainly because Object Density only effects objects that are placed using the ObjectAdds method.
Objects placed using the ObjectAdds method have no hit boxes that cause damage. They are not "real" objects. A player's aircraft can taxi through them without a crash.

That said.. some REAL objects at air fields may have over-sized hit boxes that may extend out to 50 feet or more! OUCH!
It may be that you ran into one of these BIG hit boxes whilst taxiing around Tangmere "behind the hangars".
May also be said, that aircraft are not supposed to drive around behind the hangars into the Staff and Stores area like trucks.

-----

With the new RAF airfields under v2.12 development, some hit boxes for these new airfield objects have HUGE boxes!
We are trying to get these HIT BOXES under control, so that a landing RAF fighter can taxi up to the FRONT of a hangar, about 10-20 feet without getting BLOWN UP.

I cannot change hit boxes. Another object creator BDG man can, that is more talented than I.
However, last month I did learn how to change Squadron Takeoff and Landing patterns at RAF airfields.
So far I've greatly improved these patterns at Biggin Hill, Exeter and Gravesend.
Lot of more fields to do, and I am rolling on this project full time (when I don't have to fix things, real life, at the oil refinery, where I get well paid for fixing broken things)
and these RAF airfields currently hold my utmost attention, when off-work time permits.

I do try to improve my little world, in any small fashion that my capability can do.

_________________
"Toto! I don't think we are in Kansas anymore!" Dorothy, OZ
"sniff.. sniff.. Snort! ARF! GGRRRR! ARF! (Tod der stinkenden republikanischen Partei, diesem ignoranten religiösen Monstrum.)" Toto

Hi stickman,

You should know me by now, i push the envelope by following the philosophy "rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men" !

So maybe we're not supposed to drive spitfires like trucks, but i do When v2.11 came out i drove behind the hangars and all the way along the country lane past the postbox and pub to the farm with the stone wall. I was impressed with the scenery although two pubs in the same area with the same name wasn't too clever Admittedly the other one is a long way away but yours truly taxied all the way and parked between the pub and shops to jump into my green MG. It was a little tight between the pub and the church but squeezed through with inches to spare.
It was only after landing and taxiing between control tower and the hangar and then turning left to follow the narrow taxiway that i lost my wings for no apparent reason.
Anyway you should be pleased that somebody has a drive around to have a close look at all your hard work...and appreciates it.

_________________
POTR
"Only birds and fools fly and even the birds don't fly at night"

Running BOBII on laptop.

I have two lappies. Neither are Uber gaming rigs.

Intel Core II, 500MB gfx (Nvidia I think), 2GB ram: can run 2.09 with multiskin no problem, 2.11 on 'medium' settings

Intel i7, 2GB gfx Nvidia, 4 GB ram: all runs sweet as a nut

H

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Looking for BOB missions, campaigns, and historical resources?

http://bobgamehub.blogspot.com

Ok, capt useless here.
Have downloaded 2.11 but totally unsure if it's been applied. How do I tell.
Cheers,

DoctorW

On the main Menu you should see the 2.11 in the right hand bottom of the screen.

You can also look at the BOBII EXE in the BOBII folder.

_________________
Buddye

Intel I7 920 processor (2.66GHz, 8MB cache), 6GB DDR3 Triple Channel @1333MHz, 1.8GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295, Sound Blaster X-Fi PCI Sound Card, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit , CH Fighter Stick & Pedals ,TrackIR4 Pro thanks to BobII crew.