PhysX Problem Gehn.4 Live!

[Ron Landry]

I have installed Gehn.4 Live! yesterday. Problem: after starting the Launcher I get the messagebox "PhysX is not installed, or an older version is installed. Install new version? Game will exit, if you click No". I have declined that, 'cause Uru Live works fine with the installed PhysX Version 2.6.0.

Question: Does Gehn.4 Live! really needs a newer PhysX Engine? How can I avoid this?

I'm afraid, that after an update, neither Gehn.4 live will run, nor Uru Live will start any longer. So what can I do?

[Branan]

Yes, Gehn needs an updated PhysX runtime. The version of PhysX used by Cyan is not publicly available, and as such we can't target it.

The PhysX runtimes are fully backwards compatible, and updating for Gehn will cause no problems with Cyan's shard. I run MOULa and Gehn side-by-side using the latest runtime from NVIDIA every single day. I've seen lots of posts on the MOUL forums (and you've probably seen them too, since you're concerned) telling people they shouldn't update, and this is simply wrong. It's an unfortunately common misconception.

[janaba]

I'd like to confirm this as a non programmer/coder and average explorer lol ... I've just updated
my NVIDIA and thus PhysX drivers around the 28th with PhysX being 9.12 and something now and
the Gehn shard as well as MOULa are working smoothly and everything looks just awesome ...

[Ron Landry]

@Branan
Thanks for your answer! So I'd take the risk and updated PhysX. After that I have not detected any problems with Gehn.4 Live!, and not with Uru Live! All works fine. It seems, as if you are quite right:

I've seen lots of posts on the MOUL forums (and you've probably seen them too, since you're concerned) telling people they shouldn't update, and this is simply wrong. It's an unfortunately common misconception.

@janaba
Well janaba, I'm not amused. Your opinion may be a little bit half-cooked.

-- Firstly I'd just tried to be careful. I'm using an old Geoforce4, which is not supported from Nvidia any longer. So I have to use an old Nvidia Driver (in fact, the "newest", which supports Geoforce4), also. But it works fine with Uru live, Revelation an other Myst Games.
-- Secondly, this Forum gives the opportunity to ASK. So, why I should not use this chance?
-- Thirdly, how can you be sure, that this posting may NOT be helpful for any other users at sometime? Especially as Branan has written: there are a couple of people out there, who have doubts also.

In addition, I have nothing said about the operation system or the hardware, which I am using. How can you be sure, that, under special circumstances, the PhysX version may NOT be meaningful?

[Tsar Hoikas]

We've told you that there will be no problem. If our users carry our good news with their own assurance, I see no point in your attacking them.

[Annabelle]

WOW the 4th post by Ron!!! ...and he is already attacking someone

Janaba wrote

I'd like to confirm this as a non programmer/coder and average explorer lol ... I've just updated
my NVIDIA and thus PhysX drivers around the 28th with PhysX being 9.12 and something now and
the Gehn shard as well as MOULa are working smoothly and everything looks just awesome ...

/me makes deep analysis of Janaba's wording...let see...oh there it is! She used a rude and bad word: "awesome".

Janaba, next time you're writing on a forum, please avoid the word "awesome" it can make someone angry

[D'Lanor]

In addition, I have nothing said about the operation system or the hardware, which I am using. How can you be sure, that, under special circumstances, the PhysX version may NOT be meaningful?

Because PhysX maintains backwards compatibility by installing ALL its previously released drivers in a folder structure. Each program simply picks the driver it needs from the matching folder.

This is why the MOULa PhysX 2.6.0. installation package will not work for Gehn: The newer 2.6.4 folder does not exists. If however you install version 2.6.4 or later it includes the older 2.6.0 driver.


Edit: Section in red added.

[Ron Landry]

I've gathered some additional informations.

PhysX was initially an accelerator card build by chip manufacturer Ageia. These card was on market during the time, MOUL was developed. For systems without this card, PhysX runs by software emulation on the CPU. The differences where detected by the PhysX driver, which emulates the functions or path it on to the Ageia accelerator card.

In 2008 nVidia take over Ageia completely, including their technology and integrated it into nVidia's own computing engine, called CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture), used for nVidias GPUs. Newer PhysX engines, developed by nVidia (v2.7.3 and newer, as far as I can see), will detect nVidia CUDA cards and will switch to hardware acceleration, using nVidia's GPU-driven functions.

If I don't misunderstood D'Lanors posting, Gehn use PhysX v.2.6.4, which is an "old PhysX" engine, developed by Ageia, not by nVidia. That implies, the PhysX engine for MOUL and for Gehn MUST run software emulation in any case, despite of the used graphic card - also on the newest nVidia cards, because these old PhysX engine can't detect or use CUDA-Technology.

That corresponces to Branans Posting rather perfectly!

@Annabelle
My intension to share this forum is not only to get help using Gehn, but also to help finding and locate problems, that means to help making Gehn better! I think it's quite normal, reaching NOT this goal in my very first postings. This in concern, I've got a really unfriendly posting from Janaba, so I have explained my question. From YOU I've learned now, that doing so is "attacking". Thanks so lot. That's a great diagnosis!

[Luna]

Uhm, I think there is a language issue here, but really Janaba was not being unfriendly to you. She is the friendliest. most cheerful person I have so far encountered in the Uru community. She is never unfriendly to /anyone/ and her post is not meant to be unfriendly.

[janaba]

Awww ... thank you, Luna and everybody here, for your kind explanatory comments ... Hoikas described
my real and only intention short and to the point and everybody else in his/her special way as well ...

Now I embrace you all in Love and Light, esp. Ron Landry (if you accept this gift, this hand and good will),
to remove all remnant energies of this misconception ... Thanks again, and now let's have a great weekend ...