Pre-ordering NS2

Smokaz

<div class="IPBDescription">Confused Individual needs your attention</div>Hi there,

I was looking to purchase Natural Selection 2, but the whole paysite got me a bit confused...
I assume that if you pre-order (as in buy the game now) you gain permanent access to the beta?
Which in turn implies you can play the beta until it is closed for the public?

Now, if this is true (I hope it is) I want to support the developers by pre-ordering, but before I do this I need to know if my laptop is good enough for the beta. I know that there exists minimum specs, but from experience these estimates can be improved by asking gamers with similar specs.

These are my current specs:

-Acer Notebook w/ Windows 7 OS
-GT540 Nvidia
-4gb DDR RAM
-Intel i5-2410m (2.3Ghz)
-802.11b/g/n network card

Will I be able to enjoy the beta? And on what settings?

Alchemda

You can run the beta, just fine on medium, and once they optimize the engine, possibly on high. You'd probably get about 20-30 FPS on medium with that rig.

As far as preordering

<a href="http://www.naturalselection2.com/buy" target="_blank">http://www.naturalselection2.com/buy</a>

GO there, click the standard, you'll be taken to pay pal. Buy it and put in your email address. They will email you the CD key, and instructions how to get it into STEAM. Then download and you have the game for the rest of the life of the game in beta and after release.

Cygone

If you pre-order now, you will get access to the beta, (not a beta in the way Blizzard do them tho), this is more like an Alpha or Beta play test, bugs are galore, but its still fun to play.

Your lappy will play it, admitably with lower detail. once the engire is tuned as previously said, you will get better fps

Kouji_San

To fully answer your pre-order question, when you buy now you buy access to the game. Meaning you can play the current beta and any version after beta :)

Techercizer

Based off of my own limited experience with NS2 and Rigs, I think you'll be able to play the game on that, but not at its best. You may find yourself hunting around for FPS fixes/tweaks when they pop up. That being said, some of the pro players here play on rigs that get 10-20 FPS in combat, so you if you don't mind that, it can be overcome with time.

Smokaz

Thank you all for your wonderful help so far.
What FPS would you estimate if I played the game on the very lowest settings possible?

TrC

what!? 2.3G does not run NS2 atm?

If your lucky you'll get 30fps and 10 in combat.

My 2.1G couldnt even run the game although it was alpha.

Kouji_San

2.4Ghz doesn't dip bellow 15-17* in 185 though, but that is my rig...


On some servers some where 10FPS is all over the playerlist it does of course go to 10FPS...

Obraxis

Honestly, you wont know your FPS till you try it. People with Higher specs than me get worse fps than I do.

You should expect around 30 FPS I would say, maybe 40 actually. You wont really know till you try. The good things on your side is you have an i5, and a GF 540. Good combo.

Smoleg

I don't get what's wrong y'alls rigs. I have 4GB Ram, 3.3Ghz AMD Phenom II Quad Core, and a Radeon HD 6790 1GB. I hardly lag on this game except for the occasional loading stutter.

Techercizer

<!--quoteo(post=1876460:date=Sep 22 2011, 09:24 PM:name=Smoleg)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Smoleg @ Sep 22 2011, 09:24 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1876460"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't get what's wrong y'alls rigs. I have 4GB Ram, 3.3Ghz AMD Phenom II Quad Core, and a Radeon HD 6790 1GB. I hardly lag on this game except for the occasional loading stutter.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
lag != low FPS, though sudden FPS drops are sometimes mistaken as lag.

Nemausus

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->-Acer Notebook w/ Windows 7 OS
-GT540 Nvidia
-4gb DDR RAM
-Intel i5-2410m (2.3Ghz)
-802.11b/g/n network card<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

This is almost exactly the same as my laptop right now. The game will run fine on medium settings, how good the server is will be the main factor influencing the smoothness of the game play, although expect around 40 FPS.

I can only speak from personal experience but if you liked NS1 you will love NS2, I myself have racked up 140 hours in the three months since I purchased NS2.

ScardyBob

It'll run it, but you'll probably want to do a little tweaking (see <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=114428&hl=" target="_blank">this thread</a>) to get a consistent 20 fps min in combat.