AMAZING TWEAK -Floating Zone & FPS

[atom22 0]

WOw, I always loved this series, and hated how hard it was to get framerates out of it. I am currently running this on a dual core 6600 with 2GB of memory and an Nvidia 8800GTS. And am never happy with performance .

For those of you who have never tried this, take a look at the floating zone adjustment. This controls the rifle drift and how much mouse movement you need to apply BEFORE you start rotating about the waist axis of your player.

I have to say, I never toyed with this. On a hunch, I did some experimentation.

My realization- while adjusting this will not improve frame rates, it will make a huge difference in percieved jerkiness that it inherent within character movement. I though I was having mouse lag all that time !

This may sound simple, but I have owned every FPS ever made, and never even knon of this adjustable variable. Give it a shot with fraps on and take a look. If you can hit the 30fps sweet spot on a single mission, start playing with the drift zone, and it immediately improves

[NeMeSiS 11]

I though I was having mouse lag all that time !

Pretty big chance you have: If you have an nVidia card: Check the classic control panel (not avaible on Vista) and set 'render frames ahead' to 0. (You may need to get coolbits first, google it)

If you have an Ati card, set 'flip queu size' to 0, you may need to get Ati tray tools (google it).

In fact, this was the first thing i did when i got the game last year, i found the game to be unplayable with those settings on default.

EDIT: forcing vsync on or off may also have a good effect

[Daniel 0]

I can't find Render Frames Ahead, I've got a GeForce 7900 GS.

[NeMeSiS 11]

Daniel @ June 18 2007,00:56)]I can't find Render Frames Ahead, I've got a GeForce 7900 GS.

Quote[/b] ]If you have an nVidia card: Check the classic control panel (not avaible on Vista) and set 'render frames ahead' to 0. (You may need to get coolbits first, google it)

[KDog35 0]

Could you explain that again. I can make an adjustment on my card through the control panel?

[NeMeSiS 11]

I cant acces my nVidia PC right now, but if you havent figured it out yet tomorrow ill make a screenshot then. (iirc coolbits is a requirement)

[KDog35 0]

ok, i have an ati card and looked through my settings, any advice on what to set for better performance..?

thanks.

[Mogley 0]

The adjust he made is in arma in the conrols for the mouse and its called floating zone. It is not a video card adjustment.

I have said this before and I will say it again everyone needs to try to adjust the floating zone and find a setting they like It is being perceived by the casual gamer as lag or mouse lag and all along its the way the game handles the mouse input. It makes it hard for some to aim. When set all the way down your character in game will perform like it does in all other first person shooters. There are post about players even clan members giving up on arma because it felt wierd. All along it was the floating zone for the mouse. It was even stated in that thread that BIS should make this setting easier to find. People see a floating zone setting and have no idea what its for. It was even suggested they turn it down before the US release. Reason being is when its turned down your character now will move just like a character from call of duty, americas army, battlfield, counter strike, etc.

This one setting makes this game feel different to new people who arent old school OFPers. Also so you know I have played operation flashpoint before its release. I played the demo over and over. Just that one mission. Then I had the Euro release. Then I bought the US release when it came out here in the states. So yes I am old school.

[john_mcclane 0]

The adjust he made is in arma in the conrols for the mouse and its called floating zone. It is not a video card adjustment.

I have said this before and I will say it again everyone needs to try to adjust the floating zone and find a setting they like It is being perceived by the casual gamer as lag or mouse lag and all along its the way the game handles the mouse input. It makes it hard for some to aim. When set all the way down your character in game will perform like it does in all other first person shooters. There are post about players even clan members giving up on arma because it felt wierd. All along it was the floating zone for the mouse. It was even stated in that thread that BIS should make this setting easier to find. People see a floating zone setting and have no idea what its for. It was even suggested they turn it down before the US release. Reason being is when its turned down your character now will move just like a character from call of duty, americas army, battlfield, counter strike, etc.

This one setting makes this game feel different to new people who arent old school OFPers. Also so you know I have played operation flashpoint before its release. I played the demo over and over. Just that one mission. Then I had the Euro release. Then I bought the US release when it came out here in the states. So yes I am old school.

I totally agree. The setting can make a HUGE difference. I think it takes care of most, if not all of the mouse control issues that many people have been complaining about.

Adjusting the in-game floating zone & mouse sensitivity, and the video card "max frames to render ahead" setting (if you're able to change it) can really make a difference. All of them can drastically improve the mouse movement.

[chipper 0]

Damn you just found that out!

[Spokesperson 0]

Left/Right, at what pos does it get turned off?

[Spindry69 0]

Left/Right, at what pos does it get turned off?

Moving it all the way left turns it off.

[fasad 1]

This may sound simple, but I have owned every FPS ever made, and never even knon of this adjustable variable.

Except Operation Flashpoint?

The floating zone is one of OFP/ArmA's best features in my opinion. I guess a side benefit is helping make low FPS more playable.

[john_mcclane 0]

This may sound simple, but I have owned every FPS ever made, and never even knon of this adjustable variable.

Except Operation Flashpoint?

The floating zone is one of OFP/ArmA's best features in my opinion. I guess a side benefit is helping make low FPS more playable.

I'm glad that the floating zone can be adjusted via a slider in ArmA. OFP did not offer that option.

[Maddmatt 1]

I don't notice any difference in 'mouse lag' when turning the floating zone off. The only thing that seems to effect it for me is the 'render frames ahead' setting, which I use Rivatuner to adjust (I set it to 0).

I like having floating zone turned on a bit.

[Spokesperson 0]

Why is it adjustable, and what are the benefits of having it off/on?

[Maddmatt 1]

Why is it adjustable, and what are the benefits of having it off/on?

Personal preferance. Try it out and find a setting you like.

[CameronMcDonald 146]

Minimise it for that happy corridor FPS feeling, or max it out for I can-point-my-gun-independently-of-where-I-look-OFP feeling.

I have it maxed, but that's just me.

[ck-claw 1]

i've always had it min!

but just for fun maxed it and it's alot better,can look about without the movement!

[fish44 0]

This one setting makes this game feel different to new people who arent old school OFPers.

Just like to add a point. OPF has a 'lookView' system which allows the user, on the press of a key, to move his view independent of his movement or the direction of his cursor (gun).

The floating zone in ArmA is completely different. ArmA behaves the same as OPF when this floating zone is removed (set to zero).

In most FPS, u got one movement, the environment. Shooter turns left right, looks up down, an the scene adjusts. gun is always there.  GUN-SCENE

OPF introduced a system where you could run and point the gun (and shoot) in a direction independent of where you looked.  GUN-SCENE, HEAD-SCENE

ArmA has refined this further, by allowing another degree of freedom, where the gun can be moved quite independently of both the sccenery, and the shooter. How much the gun can move before 'dragging' the shooter's view in that direction, is determined by the size of the 'floating zone'

GUN-SCENE, GUN-HEAD, HEAD-SCENE

Nice thing is, depending on you settings, TIR, and software, you can set the game up to work in any of these there modes.

[fish44 0]

sorry forgot to track this

[xmongx 0]

This tweak is a lot less AMAZING than i expected.

I like mine at 75%

[andersson 285]

The only thing that seems to effect it for me is the 'render frames ahead' setting, which I use Rivatuner to adjust (I set it to 0).

I use Rivatuner but I cant find that setting. Can you help me to the right tab, please?

[Maddmatt 1]

The only thing that seems to effect it for me is the 'render frames ahead' setting, which I use Rivatuner to adjust (I set it to 0).

I use Rivatuner but I cant find that setting. Can you help me to the right tab, please?

"Driver setting"..click "customise",

then click "Directdraw and Direct3D settings",

then the "Vsync" tab, and you will see it there.

Set it to 0, or 1 if that gives you problems.

Make sure you got the latest version of Rivatuner.

[Spindry69 0]

The only thing that seems to effect it for me is the 'render frames ahead' setting, which I use Rivatuner to adjust (I set it to 0).

I use Rivatuner but I cant find that setting. Can you help me to the right tab, please?

"Driver setting"..click "customise",

then click "Directdraw and Direct3D settings",

then the "Vsync" tab, and you will see it there.

Set it to 0, or 1 if that gives you problems.

Make sure you got the latest version of Rivatuner.

I tried this but it crashes my game at the start every time.