A fix for lag and bad performance on newer systems

[tms]

Unfortunately, this game seems to have a lot of lag and performance problems on newer systems. The most widespread solution seems to be placing a modified d3d8.dll file from some random link in the game's folder. Although this solution works, it is never a desirable solution to put some random dll on our system. In this case it is not clear how it works and where does it comes from (I tried searching on Google the author or the original source but no luck).

Another solution for the bad performance is to use the DxWrapper project, available in https://github.com/elishacloud/dxwrapper. This projects allows converting Direct3D 8 to Direct3D 9, which will solve the performance issues of this game. To install it, download DxWrapper.zip from https://github.com/elishacloud/dxwrapper/releases, and put the files dxwrapper.dll, dxwrapper.ini, and d3d8.dll inside the game's folder. Open the file dxwrapper.ini and change the option "D3d8to9" from 0 to 1 to enable the conversion of Direct3D 8 to 9. Now you can launch the game and it should be running fine.

I searched about this solution for this game on Google and found nothing, so I'm leaving my two cents here. Hope it helps.

[Sebasta]

Originally posted by Antonino pane e vino:

Originally posted by Sebasta:

Hi, no worries. Glad to help.

Have you downloaded the DxWrapper files? You can enable windowed mode there.

Another method is to enable it with the preferences.txt file in the preferences folder. Look for something called 'windowed' and change the parameter by writing TRUE instead of FALSE.

Third method: go to launch option in your steam library and add -ne. This makes the game being played in windowed borderless mode.

Let me know if any of this works for you.

Thank you! Did it by switching to 1 only those two
EnableWindowMode = 1
WindowModeBorder = 1

Edit: not true indeed, when i go into the campaign map the pointer duplicates and whenever i press something in the game the same thing happens in the desktop, well nvm

Make sure you have the same resolution for the campaign map and the battle map. This can be checked in the preferences.txt file.

[StolenEagle]

dxwrapper solution worked great for me, after I unzipped the latest release of dxwrapper, and copied in the files, I found game ran smoothly, but I was missing projectiles and flames.

After several hours of trying to get flames to work, I found dxwrapper relies on other projects, I found I had to search for d3d8.dll and find a more recent version of the file, which I found here https://github.com/crosire/d3d8to9/releases.

Thanks to the tips for dxwrapper from others on here, and switching with version 1.11.0 of d3d8.dll, I am up and running Rome Total War on my Windows 10 PC.

[Sebasta]

Originally posted by StolenEagle:

dxwrapper solution worked great for me, after I unzipped the latest release of dxwrapper, and copied in the files, I found game ran smoothly, but I was missing projectiles and flames.

After several hours of trying to get flames to work, I found dxwrapper relies on other projects, I found I had to search for d3d8.dll and find a more recent version of the file, which I found here https://github.com/crosire/d3d8to9/releases.

Thanks to the tips for dxwrapper from others on here, and switching with version 1.11.0 of d3d8.dll, I am up and running Rome Total War on my Windows 10 PC.

Glad it worked! It is a common issue that projectiles and flames disappear, and also that grass does not appear correctly. I just learned to deal with it.

But are you saying now that you fixed this by downloading an updated d3d8 file? I hope you can confirm this, because this would be great news indeed!

[StolenEagle]

Yep I can confirm after messing around for over 3 hours with all kinds of settings, I simply downloaded version 1.11.0 of d3d8.dll and swapped it out with the one in 'stub' folder of dxwrapper and yes... I have flaming arrows and fireballs being seen in game.

That worked me with my graphics card anyway.

My dxwapper.ini has [COMPATIBILITY] D3d8to9 = 1 and...
[d3d9]
AntiAliasing = 0
EnableVSync = 0
EnableWindowMode = 1
FullscreenWindowMode = 1
WindowModeBorder = 1

There the only things I changed from the default, along with the newer DLL.

Hope that helps.

[Sebasta]

Originally posted by StolenEagle:

Yep I can confirm after messing around for over 3 hours with all kinds of settings, I simply downloaded version 1.11.0 of d3d8.dll and swapped it out with the one in 'stub' folder of dxwrapper and yes... I have flaming arrows and fireballs being seen in game.

That worked me with my graphics card anyway.

My dxwapper.ini has [COMPATIBILITY] D3d8to9 = 1 and...
[d3d9]
AntiAliasing = 0
EnableVSync = 0
EnableWindowMode = 1
FullscreenWindowMode = 1
WindowModeBorder = 1

There the only things I changed from the default, along with the newer DLL.

Hope that helps.

I use the same settings. Haven't tried downloading the new d3d8 file yet. Will do this later. Thanks, that would be great news. It is quite annoying thar you can't see the flaming projectiles.

So, to be sure, you also see grass now? No white patches and the like?

[StolenEagle]

Originally posted by Sebasta:

Originally posted by StolenEagle:

Yep I can confirm after messing around for over 3 hours with all kinds of settings, I simply downloaded version 1.11.0 of d3d8.dll and swapped it out with the one in 'stub' folder of dxwrapper and yes... I have flaming arrows and fireballs being seen in game.

That worked me with my graphics card anyway.

My dxwapper.ini has [COMPATIBILITY] D3d8to9 = 1 and...
[d3d9]
AntiAliasing = 0
EnableVSync = 0
EnableWindowMode = 1
FullscreenWindowMode = 1
WindowModeBorder = 1

There the only things I changed from the default, along with the newer DLL.

Hope that helps.

I use the same settings. Haven't tried downloading the new d3d8 file yet. Will do this later. Thanks, that would be great news. It is quite annoying thar you can't see the flaming projectiles.

So, to be sure, you also see grass now? No white patches and the like?

Yep, I see blades of grass moving when in battle too.

[Sebasta]

Originally posted by StolenEagle:

Originally posted by Sebasta:

I use the same settings. Haven't tried downloading the new d3d8 file yet. Will do this later. Thanks, that would be great news. It is quite annoying thar you can't see the flaming projectiles.

So, to be sure, you also see grass now? No white patches and the like?

Yep, I see blades of grass moving when in battle too.

Niceee. Thanks again for the discovery.

[M E G A D E T H]

i made a guide on steam guide list pretty much based on this thread. i mentioned all the people that gave advice on fixes, i hope you guys don't mind.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2070719194

[Sebasta]

Originally posted by M E G A D E T H:

i made a guide on steam guide list pretty much based on this thread. i mentioned all the people that gave advice on fixes, i hope you guys don't mind.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2070719194

Looks like a good guide for everyone who experiences this. Easy, yet with all the info you need.

[M E G A D E T H]

thanks. im just regurgitating every tip that was posted on this thread, since unfortunately this thread isn't a sticky; it should be.

[Red Spot]

I'd start by saying it is mostly useful for the poor Intel users and not AMD users. :)

[M E G A D E T H]

Originally posted by Red Spot:

I'd start by saying it is mostly useful for the poor Intel users and not AMD users. :)

i don't follow. does intel CPU's have some sort of issues with RTW?

[Red Spot]

I have not seen anybody confirm the 'fix' has any positive impact when using an AMD machine. Seems to be all Intel users.

[Sebasta]

Originally posted by Red Spot:

I have not seen anybody confirm the 'fix' has any positive impact when using an AMD machine. Seems to be all Intel users.

Yes, it is probably only worth the shot for Intel processors, just like mine.

Originally posted by StolenEagle:

Yep I can confirm after messing around for over 3 hours with all kinds of settings, I simply downloaded version 1.11.0 of d3d8.dll and swapped it out with the one in 'stub' folder of dxwrapper and yes... I have flaming arrows and fireballs being seen in game.

That worked me with my graphics card anyway.

My dxwapper.ini has [COMPATIBILITY] D3d8to9 = 1 and...
[d3d9]
AntiAliasing = 0
EnableVSync = 0
EnableWindowMode = 1
FullscreenWindowMode = 1
WindowModeBorder = 1

There the only things I changed from the default, along with the newer DLL.

Hope that helps.

Hmm. I tried using the updated d3d8 file. Somehow, the wrapper does not recognise it. I do not see a logfile, and the whole game is a bit laggy. Nothing serious, but not quite the performance I wanted. It's the dxwrapper-rometw file that I am talking about. How did you get this to work?

[StolenEagle]

Sorry I can't vouch for AMD machines, I'm using an i7 processor with an NVIDIA graphics card.

I found that when I installed RTW and starting playing, it was very laggy, even on lowest graphics settings. After applying the fix of putting the d3d8.dll file into the RTW folder, game play went to full speed with all graphics on high settings.

Originally posted by M E G A D E T H:

i made a guide on steam guide list pretty much based on this thread. i mentioned all the people that gave advice on fixes, i hope you guys don't mind.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2070719194

Don't mind at all.... happy to be a small piece of the solution laid out by others.