Shadows Graphic Glitch

[spaztom]

Just started Rift a few weeks ago (holy crap what a great game...wish I'd tried it sooner) and am really enjoying it. I have an Nvidia GTX570 and quad core I5-something OC'd to 4.3GHz. 8 Gigs RAM...blah blah blah. Not top of the line but not too shabby either. Anyway, I can go ultra graphics setting in RIFT with playable FPS. However, the shadows look like ABSOLUTE crap. I've had to turn them off. I've looked at some Youtube videos of RIFT gameplay and their shadows look fine. Mine...not so much. If I'm standing still, they look fine. When I move, it's hard to describe, they don't stay constant...it's as though they almost glitter in and out....very odd. At the moment, I've just turned all shadows off.

I really don't want to go crazy with trying a bazillion drivers and tweaks only to discover that this is a known issue between the engine/driver...the game..etc etc. I did check Rift's Technical Support forums and there was one post that kind of talked about this but nothing too much.

So, anyone else have this issue?

[Azuri]

Just started Rift a few weeks ago (holy crap what a great game...wish I'd tried it sooner) and am really enjoying it. I have an Nvidia GTX570 and quad core I5-something OC'd to 4.3GHz. 8 Gigs RAM...blah blah blah. Not top of the line but not too shabby either. Anyway, I can go ultra graphics setting in RIFT with playable FPS. However, the shadows look like ABSOLUTE crap. I've had to turn them off. I've looked at some Youtube videos of RIFT gameplay and their shadows look fine. Mine...not so much. If I'm standing still, they look fine. When I move, it's hard to describe, they don't stay constant...it's as though they almost glitter in and out....very odd. At the moment, I've just turned all shadows off.

I really don't want to go crazy with trying a bazillion drivers and tweaks only to discover that this is a known issue between the engine/driver...the game..etc etc. I did check Rift's Technical Support forums and there was one post that kind of talked about this but nothing too much.

So, anyone else have this issue?

Are you using the 3.10xx driver version? Shadows are really nice on my GTX 680 I use environment only btw.

[spaztom]

I've not installed the ones Nvidia just released a few days ago if that's what you're referring to. I was using the previous ones to them.

[Acquiesce of Telara]

So, anyone else have this issue?

I've either never had any issues with shadows, or never paid enough attention. Like Azuri, I only use Environmental shadows, anything more and quality suffers for it.

You explained your shadows issue well enough, but I honestly can't picture the type of visuals you're experiencing. Rift has a lot of ambient lighting, but not so much as to distort your perception of how your shadow should be reacting, so it's not just some common-sense virtual physics thing you're misinterpreting.

Only two things I can suggest is that 1. you completely uninstall your video drivers, reboot and install the newest one, and 2. Load Rift, turn every single setting down to minimum and then manually raise everything up to absolute top settings (don't choose 'ultra', you want custom, well beyond 'ultra'.

Your framerate will suck, but see if your shadows behave properly. If they do, start turning down your other settings until you find the right blend that suits you.

[spaztom]

I've either never had any issues with shadows, or never paid enough attention. Like Azuri, I only use Environmental shadows, anything more and quality suffers for it.

You explained your shadows issue well enough, but I honestly can't picture the type of visuals you're experiencing. Rift has a lot of ambient lighting, but not so much as to distort your perception of how your shadow should be reacting, so it's not just some common-sense virtual physics thing you're misinterpreting.

Only two things I can suggest is that 1. you completely uninstall your video drivers, reboot and install the newest one, and 2. Load Rift, turn every single setting down to minimum and then manually raise everything up to absolute top settings (don't choose 'ultra', you want custom, well beyond 'ultra'.

Your framerate will suck, but see if your shadows behave properly. If they do, start turning down your other settings until you find the right blend that suits you.

My mistake...I've done that. Everything IS on the max...with every bell and whistle turned on. I realized ultra didn't actually turn everything to their max setting. It's playable for me...FPS doesn't suffer too badly.

When I get home in the next hour or so I'll see if I can get a youtube video of what I'm talking about. First, I'll get the latest driver and give it a whirl. I have a sneaking suspicion it won't do diddly. Reason being is because I remember something similar in LOTRO (I think) and one of the games updates fixed it...whether intentionally or not I have no idea.

[dezzick]

Are you talking about movement in the shadows kind of? When I walk the shadows move/flicker a bit. It happened on my old system - HD 5850, i7 950 and it now happens on my hd 7970 and i5-3570k. I have no clue what makes it do that.

[spaztom]

Yeah, flickering...exactly! I posted a little Youtube video of what I'm talking about. It's not that good but it gets the point across. Look on the hill above my character. Those are shadows and they flicker a good bit...when I move they flicker a ton. So much so that it's distracting and I have to turn them off. Do others see this too? I'm also playing 2560x1600 monitor so maybe the resolution really picks up on it. Link is here: http://youtu.be/W451W45uixI

Oh, I downloaded the new drivers and turned everything on and off in game and in Nvidia control panel...the flickering still didn't go away.

And go figure, it doesn't show up that well in the video...sumbitch. Make sure you have it set to 720HD or you won't see it at all.

[dezzick]

Yeah, flickering...exactly! I posted a little Youtube video of what I'm talking about. It's not that good but it gets the point across. Look on the hill above my character. Those are shadows and they flicker a good bit...when I move they flicker a ton. So much so that it's distracting and I have to turn them off. Do others see this too? I'm also playing 2560x1600 monitor so maybe the resolution really picks up on it. Link is here: http://youtu.be/W451W45uixI

Oh, I downloaded the new drivers and turned everything on and off in game and in Nvidia control panel...the flickering still didn't go away.

And go figure, it doesn't show up that well in the video...sumbitch. Make sure you have it set to 720HD or you won't see it at all.

I have that issue, video doesn't show the flickering well but that is what I have.

[Trialtm]

I have the exact same card and mine did it too. I just turned them off. You dont miss them really after a day.

[Onorvele]

I'm running a passively cooled GeForce GT 640 - not ultra graphics, but solid. The shadows graphics glitch that happens when I've been playing for a while is definitely tied to card temperature - I use SpeedFan to chart card temp, and there's a direct correlation. Cleared up when I modified the case circulation.

Taking a look at your video, your problem is not at all close to what I'm seeing. In my case, the shadows disappear and reappear several times a second. In your case, it looks like the shadow shapes are changing slightly while you're looking at them - something I always associated with the fact the trees sway, so they cast moving shadows.

[theWocky]

Just started Rift a few weeks ago (holy crap what a great game...wish I'd tried it sooner) and am really enjoying it. I have an Nvidia GTX570 and quad core I5-something OC'd to 4.3GHz. 8 Gigs RAM...blah blah blah. Not top of the line but not too shabby either. Anyway, I can go ultra graphics setting in RIFT with playable FPS. However, the shadows look like ABSOLUTE crap. I've had to turn them off. I've looked at some Youtube videos of RIFT gameplay and their shadows look fine. Mine...not so much. If I'm standing still, they look fine. When I move, it's hard to describe, they don't stay constant...it's as though they almost glitter in and out....very odd. At the moment, I've just turned all shadows off.

I really don't want to go crazy with trying a bazillion drivers and tweaks only to discover that this is a known issue between the engine/driver...the game..etc etc. I did check Rift's Technical Support forums and there was one post that kind of talked about this but nothing too much.

So, anyone else have this issue?

Switch off "ambient occlusion" as that feature gets on my tits. Causes weird rings / solar flare type effect in some light conditions.
I realize this is supposed to do what it's doing, but I still don't like it.

I've never had problems with shadows, however. I do use the latest drivers. I use a 660ti.