Using the Steam Cloud

[OldProf]

When I launched Steam and then RW today, a message box regarding Steam Cloud popped up. It informed me that my files on the Steam Cloud and those on my current computer did not match and asked whether I wanted to download the cloud contents to my computer or upload my current computer's RW setup to the Cloud. I chose the latter, but now I'm wondering whether that was the wiser choice. I vaguely remember activating Steam Cloud storage on my U.S. computer, but don't recall what was stored.

All of that as preamble to a quite simple question: where can I find more information about the Steam Cloud, including how to manage it?

Thanks!

[P.s.: Yes, in view of a more favorable exchange rate and the fact that Microsoft will be discontinuing support for XP in 2014, I decided to purchase a new computer here in Italy and selected one that would (in theory, at least) run RW. What I'm finding somewhat strange is that regardless of the RW settings I use the internal frame counter reports 14 FPS in the 3D screen and 15-16 in the 2D map screen. Since someone is bound to ask: Acer Aspire X3990, Intel Core i-3-2120 CPU @ 3.30 GHz, 4 GB ram, Windows 7 (64 bit), NVIDIA GeForce 605 1 GB.]

[Machinist]

About Steam Cloud:

http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/ov_cloud.php

http://www.steamcloud.org/

Internal fpsmeter doesn't show less than 14fps, is that are you finding odd? Maybe you are running at 10-12fps in 3D, and (higher) 15-16fps in Map View. I use FRAPS to see fps.

More (and faster) RAM will help a lot, with 4MB you are very close to the limit in many routes (with only 4MB you even can't play WCML or NSAND, for example).

Cheers,
Doc.

Edited later:
If you computer is new (as well the RW3 installation) I guess you should have chose the first option: download data from Steam Cloud, supposedly updated with fresh information from last time you played the game. Too late, eh? It stores, for example, shots taken whit the built-in feature of TS2012 (I changed my hotkey to Shift+10, so I can't recall which the default was).

[bwfer]

About Steam Cloud:

http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/ov_cloud.php

http://www.steamcloud.org/

Internal fpsmeter doesn't show less than 14fps, is that are you finding odd? Maybe you are running at 10-12fps in 3D, and (higher) 15-16fps in Map View. I use FRAPS to see fps.

More (and faster) RAM will help a lot, with 4MB you are very close to the limit in many routes (with only 4MB you even can't play WCML or NSAND, for example).

Cheers,
Doc.

Not quite so Fast (No pun intended)...

I have both SECML and WCML and both work quite well on my system. Brief system specs: Intel Core Duo E5300 @2.6GHZ, 4mb DDR2 NVIDIA GeForce 9500GT w/1GB, TS2012 resides on its own 240GB SATA 3 SSD With TSX disabled and Shadows turned off I get 10-20FPS(Using FRAPS). All other graphics are at thewir highest settings.Performance is usuaklly quite smooth in my perception.

[Machinist]

Not quite so Fast (No pun intended)...

I have both SECML and WCML and both work quite well on my system. Brief system specs: Intel Core Duo E5300 @2.6GHZ, 4mb DDR2 NVIDIA GeForce 9500GT w/1GB, TS2012 resides on its own 240GB SATA 3 SSD With TSX disabled and Shadows turned off I get 10-20FPS(Using FRAPS). All other graphics are at thewir highest settings.Performance is usuaklly quite smooth in my perception.

Not quite so fast, then... no problem.

Of course I'm talking about using TSX on (enabled), WCML was updated to hold the lighting new feature of TS2012. With the TSX off is like running RW2 compatible mode (aka legacy mode), any route runs nice with TSX off, but that's not TS2012 (RW3) game.

I had I rig exactly like yours, and with only 4MB DDR2 I never got to load (or load and play) any WCML scenario (after couple minutes I was ouf of RAM and SBHH), only when I updated to 8GB I started to get load and play, but at too much low fps (5-6) so unplayable in fact. Now I have a very nice rig, but didn't have time to try it out.

Even with TSX on, turnning "off" Shadows Quality is never a good option once all the lighting source of game (mainly headlights of engines) stop to cast shadows causing weirds effects: litghts crossing vehicles like if they were glass maden, litghting up terrain under the bridges or through (and beyond)buildings, vegetation in general doesn't "project" shadows etc. Yes, the performance is smoother, but just because you are not correctly casting shadows when TSX is on.

The differences are:
TSX off: you have no projecting lights.
TSX on, and if you have set Shadows Quality to "Off": you have projecting lights but they don't cast shadows (only advisable as last resource when the question is resumed to play or not to play with TSX on).

A tip to play with "normal" lighting (casting shadows, this is why TSX exists for) is set Shader Quality to "Low", fps will not vary too much but game will run smoother.

I guess you are not playing nighty scenarios, otherwise you would have noticed that.

Cheers,
Doc.

[OldProf]

About Steam Cloud:

http://www.steampowered.com/steamworks/ov_cloud.php

http://www.steamcloud.org/

Internal fpsmeter doesn't show less than 14fps, is that are you finding odd? Maybe you are running at 10-12fps in 3D, and (higher) 15-16fps in Map View. I use FRAPS to see fps.

More (and faster) RAM will help a lot, with 4MB you are very close to the limit in many routes (with only 4MB you even can't play WCML or NSAND, for example).

Cheers,
Doc.

Edited later:
If you computer is new (as well the RW3 installation) I guess you should have chose the first option: download data from Steam Cloud, supposedly updated with fresh information from last time you played the game. Too late, eh? It stores, for example, shots taken whit the built-in feature of TS2012 (I changed my hotkey to Shift+10, so I can't recall which the default was).

First, thanks for the links, although neither one explains whether or how the steam cloud can be accessed. For example, I use the Windows Live Cloud to store files, which I can then access from any of my computers. I'd like to know whether a user can do something similar with the Steam Cloud.

Second, I chose the second option mostly because I guessed (correctly, as it turned out) that Steam had sent me a working version of the "Dash9 Locomotive Pack" and I didn't want to risk losing that update due to a overwrite from the cloud.

I haven't gotten around to installing FRAPS here yet, but it's on my to-do list, which is right over ... oops! Well, it was there yesterday!

[Machinist]

Ciao Tom,

Prego. I have some guesses, I'm not sure about them. Let's see...

What you have installed from Steam is logged in your machine (not only TS2012, but any other game), once you have an update of an existing add-on (or bought a new product) Steam will update (or install) once and never more. I'm saying this because I have two computers with Steam installed. The first time I started the desktop the Dash9 pack was updated, but not again further. When I started in the laptop the Dash9 pack was updated also.

So, it looks like the log of what you have is stored/updated in each machine. This means, somewhat, that Steam has a control's log of your products, and this explains why Steam says you already own a add-on if you try to buy it again. But this, I guess, is not exactly the Steam Cloud. Steam Cloud is a quite recent tool/feature (2009? 2010?) and I use Steam since 2004, ate least.

I have also the Windows Live Cloud, I know how it works. Steam Cloud works in the same any, but it do the "store-and-share in cloud" job quite automatically once you have checked the Steam Cloud option (Steam | Settings | Download + Cloud tab on main menu for any game youw own, not only TS2012). Not all games use Steam Cloud, and the use of it varies from game to game (some chare maps, groups' missions/activities etc.). In the case of TS2012 it stores pics you have captured using the defaul hotkey F12 (I guess), maybe your achievements.... less important things to be shared like that.

You can live or survive without Steam Cloud, unchecking its option as I mentioned above. My Steam Cloud is disabled since a long time ago, it has nothing to do with playing on-line, or to have or not to have files updated. To play or not to play on-line is another question (feature), independent of Steam Cloud. Of course if you are playing TS2012 in off-line mode the Steam Cloud will not be updated until you play on-line again.

Cheers,
Doc.

[Cardinal51]

once and never more, but it installed on two computers. So that is twice, or am I misunderstanding you ?

[Machinist]

once and never more, but it installed on two computers. So that is twice, or am I misunderstanding you ?

That's my English, maybe once and never more on each machine you own, then in my case was installed twice (cuz I have two machines). In fact I have Steam installed in three machines, but one of them doesn't have TS2012, only other games. I rarely use it (the rig has very low performance - for TS2012).

[OldProf]

Thanks to Machinist for reminding me that RW's internal fps counter doesn't know any numbers below 14 ... I'd forgotten that. So, I installed FRAPS and now I know that the actual fps rate I'm getting is 5-6 with only TSX checked and 6-7 with MultiCore also checked. What intrigues me about this is that I get these numbers regardless of the route and scenario I've selected. There's some stuttering going on, but it really isn't enough to be annoying, and both the F4 HUD and the keyboard controls work smoothly without delays. Example 1, the 2nd scenario of HSC (the one with the burning tower): I remember barely being able to run this at all with my old computer in the U.S., but with this new Italian computer it runs quite well. Example 2, WCML, which many folks have said cannot be run on a system that falls below the supernatural: I selected one of the short, frieght-based scenarios and, again, it ran fairly smoothly. As Alice would say, "Curiouser and curiouser".