Catalyst 3.4

I'm sure the lindens already know about this, but I thought I'd post it for others... ATI's newest Catalyst 3.4 drivers still don't work right with SL.

Thats why we have Nvidia backpacks and not ATI.

Yes I was just testing them out too (I hadn't read this post yet)... and found the same thing. All of the glitches are still there from the 3.2 drivers. Textures turning black / multi-colored, geometry disappearing, fog wonkiness.

Disappointing...
Back to 3.1 I go

YIKES! You look like a frosting covered strawberry poptart!

Thanks for the warning casval, I greatly appreciate it.

I didn't even know Cat 3.4s were out lol.

They are indeed. This concerns me greatly, as LL'ers were saying in a different thread that the Catalyst 3.3 drivers (not 3.4, I will grant them) were supposed to fix the problem. If this game is going to require me to get a specifics graphic card in order to enjoy the experience properly, this troubles me deeply. Ever since they removed that Texture Quality slider, my IW experience has been almost entirely miserable.

Let me make this perfectly clear to all, including LLers: I do not have this level of texture problems with ANY other game I am working with, including some very modern, current beta testing games. This ONLY occurs with SL. So Ama, I have to disagree with you. While some other games have minor artifacting issues, NONE of them have the blatant texture issues SL is experiencing.

What is most unfortunate is that it entirely ruins my IW experience. To me, people look even more odd than Casval's image--to me they look like dark, partially transparent, multiple-polygon-missing models...something you would see like in the technology demo area in the DVD Extras section of any 3D-Model'ed movie like Shrek or Toy Story. While the sounds are the same and the landscape seems to work just fine for some reason, people and objects are textured entirely incorrectly, making it difficult to tell what you are looking at.

Further, I can confirm that it is just not my machine, as I have an ATI 9000 card in a second machine experiencing almost the same exact issues (looks more like Casval's image).

Knowing what I know about video cards, drivers, and troubleshooting/diagnostic procedures, I am having a really tough time seeing how this is all the drivers fault--especially when no other game past or present experiences anything close to this kind of issue.

Wow! I didn't even comment on this thread Zan! Obviously something is wrong with SL vs the Drivers. I don't have or use ATI so I was just gonna let all you people who do talk about it.

I know Ama. You commented on my other thread about Two issues with 0.7.0.

I was just responding to that. That's all.

And yes I also am aware that nVidia people should roll back driver versions for better performance, but even in the latest version they can see things as they are supposed to be.

Actually, I heard that in most Nvidia cards, using the latest drivers screws up avatars' joints, so Nvidia users are in the same boat we are.

Oh, and you see the Nvidia logo on those backpacks because LL just happens to be using Nvidia cards in their computers, and Nvidia obviously saw it as another way to market their products. I'm sure LL is being compensated in some small way for officially advocating the use of Nvidia cards. It could've just as easily been the ATI logo on those things.

Also, I, too, have a 9000, and with the 3.1 drivers, my game looks fine. I would prefer to use the latest ones for other gaming purposes, but since SL is what I play the most currently, I'm fine with it until it's fixed. And chances are, it's NOT just a driver issue. LL has stated several times that they're working with ATI to correct this, so obviously it's a combination of problems from both ATI and LL.

Having said that, I also heard awhile ago that 3.4 was supposed to be the fix, but that's apparently not the case, as seen in my previous post. In fact, that's the whole reason I posted this, just to let others who may also have heard that info know that it's not yet fixed.

So, BOTH cards have problems, BOTH cards are incompatible with SL while using the latest drivers... I don't see anything to fight about here, so please, PLEASE keep this thread from turning into an Nvidia vs. ATI flame-fest, or an "LL loves this company more" thread.

Apparently the statement made by any Lindens who were talking about the Cat drivers was more technically:

"We hope to have the problem solved in the Cat 3.4 drivers."

And their hopes have failed.

However there is somthing to note here. They made this statement during the Cat 3.2 era, and were openly admitting that the 3.3 would not have the fix. Yet, if you check out the ATi site, you'll notice that the Cat 3.3 drivers were "cancelled", so in essense, the 3.4 drivers are more or less 3.3 drivers "in disguise" if you will. I think our problems may infact be solved in the 3.5 drivers rather than the, supposed, 3.4 drivers.

Just an idea...

If I use the latest nvidia drivers AVs shoulders are all torn and see through. Nvidia users of less than new cards have to roll back to 41.09, which is 2 official versions ago (44.03 current, 43.45 was before that).

And yes I do know of a couple (that is 2) games that are having trouble with ATI drivers, or were when I was playing them. They may be better now, <shrug>. That doesn't mean its a not a problem on SLs end, just that they aren't the only ones having difficulty. And I do believe both of the other games were using openGL, not directX. That may be the difference.

So what is it you were disagreeing with? That nvidia users also have to roll back drivers? That other games are having trouble with ATI cards? That it is annoying? Or just with me in general?

Easy big fellas!

Hey guys, I was not trying to agitate anyone about anything. Nor was I trying to get into the ATI vs. nVidia urination contest. (Personally, I think both makers have their strong and weak spots/products). I was trying to point out what I saw was a problem with SL and ATI specifically and was really asking the question of "Is it really all the driver's fault?" I based that question on my very recent experience with a lot of other reasonably current games.

I was going to get into details on where I was coming from, but after reading it, I could only see it agitating people further, which is 100% contrary to what I am trying to accomplish here.

People, I am just trying to do what BETA testers are supposed to do: raise issues, provide specific and detailed feedback on those issues, and try to get the devs to look at the issues (whether they want to or not) and see if there is something THEY can do to make the experience better for the users. I am attempting to do this in the most non-controversial, non-confrontational, up-front, direct approach I can come up with. Apparently I'm failing on that front.

I do not want to be considered the disturber of excrement or a rabid ATI or nVidia fanboi or anything like that. I just want to raise the issue a notch--especially since I know that the devs have (had) the power to make the problem go away by putting that second slider back until "ATI gets their act together".