ATI Anti-Aliasing. Will it be fixed?

[Mulletproof]

I just thought I'd ask the question outright since i haven't actually seen it answered yet. If we can get some assurance that yeah hey, it's in the que, then I think most of us could abide... Instead of simply being an ambiguous "known issue" which could mean anything from 'we're working on it' to 'there's nothing we can do about it'.

2. Anti-aliasing is provided through NVidia’s FXAA shader solution. This is a complex shader and will not compile on all graphics cards. If the shader will not compile, the option is greyed out.

I will assume that erasure of this thread or non-answer is the same as the latter response.
A screen shot of the affliction[i262.photobucket.com]

[Ал-забдани]

I think they will do an update about it but I have an ati card and anti alliasing is greyed out. But this is the first game that ATI cards cant support but still they need to update this.

[sas.moondust]

Same, I can't count how many games have working AA with my ATI. Maybe we're waiting for an AMD update to make their cards compatible with such a shader.

I know Worms Revolotion is using OpenGL though, I heard it's a bit more complicated to add AA with OpenGL (I may be wrong) which could explain why it seems to be the only game without working AA for everyone (most of other games are DX9 10 11).

+ we can't use FXAA post-process injector as a workaround, it only works with DX games.

So question is; are we waiting for an AMD update or a Team17 patch ?

[sas.moondust]

There is now a workaround for ATI users using downsampling, it's a heavy AA but working on my 6950HD Radeon.

See there: http://steamcommunity.com/app/200170/discussions/0/864948300017639888/

Thanks to K2Core for this fix ! :)

[Mulletproof]

I appreciate K2Core's efforts, but we shouldn't have to juggle screen resolutions like some 1980s DOS game just to get it to work properly. I'm hoping for a real, legitimate answer from Team 17 on this issue.

[QueniX]

Probably, an update will fix the issue.

[Mulletproof]

I'm not betting on probably. In lieu of actual communication, I've posted a request for refund directly to Team 17.

When purchasing a software product, the consumer has a reasonable expectation of compatibility with the world's two leading graphics card producers: Nvidia and ATI. When this software fails to perform a simple operation due to negligence and oversight, especially when said compatibility is assured in the listed hardware specifications, the expectation of a refund is likewise reasonable.

Known Issues:
2. Anti-aliasing is provided through NVidia’s FXAA shader solution. This is a complex shader and will not compile on all graphics cards. If the shader will not compile, the option is greyed out.

In other words, most ATI cards will be afflicted by this issue including my own. It is not something an updated driver, direct X or even the purchase of a superior ATI brand graphics card will fix as evidenced by forum conversations. Due to the overwhelming lack of communication regarding any sort of patch, fix or even discussion of a fix via your offical and Steam forums, I am requesting a full refund of my software purchase. In spite of assured compatibility, graphical artifacts run rampant due to a "complex shader solution" I have zero control over or possible foreknowledge of.

If some form of assurance concerning a reasonable timetable to fix this issue can be communicated, I would be happy to rescind this request. Assuming no information is forthcoming, I formally request the aforementioned refund and have likewise cc'd you support email if this request has been misrouted. Below are my billing details via Steam.

[Darkspark88]

Panzercat - Please let us know how you get on. I feel like getting a refund too. There was no mention that they work implementing a version of AA that doesn't work on at least 40% of cards in the world.

[LePirateCrow]

Yeah this is really annoying me also, the jaggies are really getting me down. I should of got it on 360 as it actually looks better due to at least a little bit of AA going on.

[Alienasa]

+1 vote for fix

[cpugeek13]

I'm sorry, but what kind of person asks a refund just because of the lack of a graphics option in a game? AA or not, the game isn't bad looking, and besides, isn't gameplay more important than graphics? Don't be ridiculous, people.

That said, I have an ati card and really hope this gets fixed in a patch. If its not, I'll still enjoy the game just as much though.

[QueniX]

I think everyone has to have a right to demand a refund if not satisfied with the product. It may be gameplay, it may be graphics even the sound. We live in 2012 not 80's.

[Mulletproof]

@cpugeek

Your comment immeditely tells me that you haven't seen the screens this failure produces. Wander your eyeballs back up to the my first post, open the link I posted with a screen shot and then tell me you want to play a game filled with nonstop noise and graphical artifacts. This isn't simply a problem that produces a less pretty game. It creates graphical tears throughout terrain and ugly, pixelated jaggies. Gameplay only pushes your product so far when its presentation fails.

To point, I can play the new XCOM Enemy Unknown title- a game with substantially more demanding graphics -not see a studder. Ironically, XCOM was a Microprose franchise itself back when as well.

Still no word from anybody concerning this issue.

[Mulletproof]

Team 17's offical response thus far:

If you are experiencing issues can you please let us know what they are and send us a copy of your DxDiag.



1. Hold down the Windows Key and press R

2. The Run dialog should appear. Type dxdiag in the available text field.

3. Click OK

4. Click Save All Information

5. Set the Save as type to Text File (*.txt)

6. Save the file DxDiag.txt to your Desktop so it is easy to find.

7. Attach the DXdiag.txt file in a reply to this e-mail.

We are unable to process refunds ourselves since the game is purchased via the Steam mechanism. Refund requests have to be made directly to steam support. http://support.steampowered.com

Thanks
Team17 Support

In otherwords, a big f*you.
My response:

Thank you for your reply. I do not, however, appreciate the evasion of my reasonable request for a refund.

First; as a developer you already know Steam will not entertain or process a refund per their EULA. Passing the buck in such a blatant manner is neither professional nor acceptable. The software and its issues are those of the creator, not the distributor. Given its obviousness, I severely doubt that this issue was completely unknown prior to release which falls on Team 17 and Team 17 alone.

Second; per your trouble shooting guide, this is a 'known issue'. You also obviously have examples of the failure which makes my dxdiag not only unnecessary and redundant, but your reply still contains no assurance this issue is even being worked on, time frames etc. Lacking any such assurances after requesting them in the previous email, I will still require a refund.

Third, as much as I appreciate canned cut and paste emails in response, I would think it would be painfully obvious after directly quoting your official troubling guide that I have read everything you have to offer on the topic, which is in a word, nothing. If your troubleshooting guide contained any useful information, I wouldn't need to contact Team 17 directly.

Once again, I request a refund as I have no desire to play a game that fails the very basics of quality assurance. Until either some assurances are communicated via official channels or a refund is received, I will unfortunately continue to advise others to avoid your title via broader channels with increase visibility.

[Mulletproof]

Originally posted by Team 17:

Hi Robert,

Without seeing your DxDiag we cannot ascertain whether your computer meets our minimum requirements or whether or not your drivers are up to date and therefore we cannot offer you technical support unless you provide that information to us.

As we have already stated, we are unable to process refunds ourselves since the game is purchased via the Steam mechanism. Refund requests have to be made directly to steam support: http://support.steampowered.com

Thanks
Team17 Support

Seriously. This a freaking ANTI-ALIASING. It's only been around for twenty years. I could have a LightBite installed on my motherboard for graphics processing and it would probably still do a better job what this game is doing.

I am running the new Xcom right now and it is flawless, but an overdressed artillery game won't? I'm seriously doubting competency at this point, let alone trying to pin this on drivers and minimum hardware specs.

/Sigh. But anyway, my response.

Originally posted by Me:

As your game seems not to meet the hardware specifications of many ATI users with adequate hardware requirements- including myself -this is hardly an isolated issue that requires my specific hardware information. This is a "known issue" right? What more do you need to know? It's obviously known enough to make a special note concerning the failure.

Once again this is a quality control issue with Team 17, not a point of sale issue with Steam. Your organization is being purposely evasive by referring me back to Steam, knowing their EULA will prohibit said refund. We both know they will not support a refund any more than Best Buy would in taking your physical software back to a retail store, especially when this failure is yours, not theirs. This dodge is completely lacking in integrity and professionalism.

Since I am hardly the only example of this problem, I ask again: Is there any sort of fix in the works as the only minimum requirement I apparently don't meet is that I don't have an Nvidia gfx card. Because frankly, I'm seriously doubting there will be any trouble shooting of any sort given Team 17s stellar history at patching bugs in a timely manner.

As it is apparently company policy to be purposely evasive and circumspect concerning a well documented and "known" issue that should have never made it out of beta, I will continue to warn potentially afflicted users away from your products; and given your track record of buggy releases, future productions as well via the most visible outlets possible. Youtube. Amazon. Steam reviews. Etc. Hopefully a word to your profit margin will work where reason and requests have failed.

Thank you for your time.

Seriously, this is dumb. For a known issue they have surprisingly little to say about it.

[scowie]

Those artifacts in your screenshot have absolutely nothing to do with any lack of antialiasing. As an ATI-user I have no such artifacts whatsoever. Whatever the cause of the problem is I am quite sure that anti-aliasing would do absolutely nothing to alleviate it.