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Motocross Madness 2 Tweak Guide (Page 3/4)

Posted: July 22, 2000
Written by: Dan "Tweak Monkey" Kennedy

In-Game Graphics Tweaks

Once you are in a game of Motocross Madness 2, hit f on the keyboard to show the frame rate. Watch these nunmbers as you play the game. If the numbers stay over 30 most of the time, the game is plenty smooth enough and the graphics probably don't need to be tweaked (for performance). In MCM2, actually, 25 FPS or so seems rather smooth. Still, the graphics can be adjusted for more detail as long as the frame rate stays consistent. Any time the frame rate drops below 30 or so, the human eye will notice it is not as smooth as it should be. So if the frame rate is too low, decrease the detail in a scene in hopes of increasing the frame rate.

A couple in-game options will not affect the performance of the game, but they can still be handy. Hit F4 during a game to turn on or off visual cues. These are the arrows or other directions that assist you. The F5, F6, and F7 keys turn on or off radar, the stats, and the instruments.

-Sky - Hit F8 to toggle the detailed sky. When enabled, the sky will look detailed, but the game may run slightly slower. Here's a visual comparison:

Sky on:

-Particles - The F9 key toggles particles. If enabled, smoke and dirt are displayed. This can be costly for performance but produces a great effect. The performance hit seems to be about one to three FPS (frames per second). Here is a comparison:

Particles off:

-Shadows - The F10 key toggles shadows. If enabled, all 3D objects will cast shadows. This looks somewhat unrealistic and can affect performance by about 10%, so it can be disabled on slower PCs. Here is a comparison:

Shadows off:

-Overall Graphics Quality - The F11 and F12 keys can increase or decrease the graphics quality. This changes a variety of options, including the detail levels of objects and the distance to which they stay detailed. Adjust this until the frame rate is greater than 30 and you are satisfied with the visual quality. F11 decreases quality, while F12 increases quality. Here is a comparison:

Quality = 10:

Notice that detailed buildings lose shape and sharpness, and the horizon moves closer as the quality drops.

Remember to check your frame rate as you change these settings. Pay attention to the average as you move around and encounter different objects in the game.