SL Combat Settings - Boost Your Fighting Skills

Hello all!

After my vacation period, i'm slowly getting back to the busy SL world and while i wait for my new computer to arrive and get back to the fully blogging i wanted to make a quick post with some tips to boost up your fighting skills. For some of you these tips below are no news but this article might be handy in the future and of course with time i will update it as the new SL versions come out. If there is anything i missed, feel free to comment below or just contact me inworld. Bookmark this page for anytime you want to consult or you can easily find it on the right hand side of my blog under "Gor Combat" links.

Step 1 - Your Computer

Your computer plays, of course, a major role in your online fighting skills. If you have a average computer with average internet connection your fighting will be average as well. If you boost it up by changing some of the settings, it can make a difference in your skills.

In my personal experience, a good Desktop with Ethernet connection (Ethernet Definition HERE) is how you can be one of the best and hit the best FPS levels (FPS/Frames Per Second Definition HERE). If you enemy has 10 more FPS then you, you will likely loose a one-on-one dual.

Alienware is probably the number 1 computer pick for all gaming geeks and if you ever choose to get one of these, get ready to spend a pretty penny.

Step 2 - The Viewer

The choice of the viewer is very important as well. For most of the sl fighters some will tell you that Firestorm, Singularity or Exodus are the best viewers out there for the combat purpose. I personally enjoy Singularity because this viewer is the most basic of them all making my avatar move better in extreme lag situations however sometimes it lacks on details.

Feel free to consult the entire list here of Third Party Viewers available for SL HERE.

Also visit this article i published about SL Third Party Viewers back in 2012, HERE. 

Do not use any RLV functions, this will cause lag.

Step 3 - Viewer Settings

Here all the fun begins. Follow the steps below and your FPS will improve drastically making you a better fighter!

Singularity: Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio & Video 

Firestorm: Avatar Preferences > Sound & Media > General Tab

Make sure streaming  music, media and voice chat are all unchecked.
Then click apply.

Singularity: Go to Edit > Preferences > Network

Firestorm: Avatar Preferences > Network & Cache

Disk Cache Size: Turn your cache size all the way up. The more textures you have in your cache the less time your computer needs to download them. Do not clear your cache  unless you are experiencing bad loading problems. Contrary to popular belief a large cache is not a bad thing. This is stored information that your viewer can  quickly load and rez your textures for you, so you don't have to wait.

Bandwidth: If you have an old computer DO NOT crank your bandwidth above 550, but to To find out what is best for you, go to speedtest.net and test your connection to a server in San Fransisco since that is the closest ones to linden labs servers and you will get your best result there. Look for your UPLOAD speed. NOT your download. For every 0.5 mbps that set  your bandwith 500 kbps. 

Per example: 0.5 mbps = 500 kbps, 1.0 mbps = 1000,
1.5 mbps = 1500 kbps. 1500 being the highest you should ever set it. even if you have  10trillion mbps upload as secondlife has it hardcapped and 1500 will be the
max you will ever get out of it.

Hit Apply.

Singularity: Go to Edit > Preferences > Graphics

Firestorm: Avatar Preferences > Graphics > General

Quality & Performance: Move Slider all the way to LOW. 

Draw Distance: Try to stay between 75-180 for fighting. No higher then 260.

Shaders: All Unchecked.

Terrain Scale: Low.

Shadows: Disable. 

Water Reflections: Minimal.

Max Particle Count: 0.  

Max Non-Impostors: Between 3 and 10. This makes only the closest  amount of people to given number look like a full 3d avatar. the rest will look  like a photo cutout. This helps you not have to render everyone fully when not needed.

Post Process Quality: Low.

Water Reflections: Minimal.

Objects & Sculpts LOD: Low in Singularity or between 0.75 and 2 in Firestorm. 

Flexiprims: Low in Singularity or 0 in Firestorm. 

Trees: Low in Singularity or 0 in Firestorm. 

Avatars: Low in Singularity or 0 in Firestorm. 

Terrain: Low in Singularity or 1 unless you are mainly a sniper then set to 2 in Firestorm. 

Avatar Physics: Off.

Singularity: Go to Edit > Preferences > Graphics > Hardware

Firestorm: Avatar Preferences > Graphics > Hardware Settings

OpenGL Vertex Buffer Objects: This options should be the only one checked.

Singularity: Go to Advanced > Rending > Info Displays > Glow

Firestorm: Avatar Preferences > Graphics > Rendering

Uncheck glow.

 On the top of your viewer go to World > Show More and uncheck ban lines, beacons, property lines and land owners.

All the above settings will be unchanged every time you log in. The following ones will have to be disabled in each time you log back into SL.

You can disable these objects by using the keys or using the Advanced Menu (Activate it by hitting CTRL + ALT + D) > Rendering > Uncheck all unwanted objects (everything except UI and Flexible Objects)

ctrl + alt + shift + 2     Alpha
ctrl + alt + shift + 3     Tree
ctrl + alt + shift + 7     Water
ctrl + alt + shift + 8     Ground
ctrl + alt + shift + 0     Grass
ctrl + alt + shift + -      Clouds
ctrl + alt + shift + =    Particles
ctrl + alt + shift + \      Bump

ctrl + alt + F5    Foot Shadows
ctrl + alt + F6    Fog
ctrl + alt + F9    Flexible Objects

Step 4 - Other Tips

Go to World > Environment Settings > Environment Editor > Advanced Sky > Lightning Tab
Enter  the following settings and save as a new preset
SUN / MOON COLOR
R   86
G   86
B   86
I    86

AMBIENT
R   68
G  64
B  63
I   68

SUN / MOON POSITION
0.170 (or what makes you feel comfortable)

EAST ANGLE
0.16

SUN GLOW
FOCUS   0.10
SIZE    1.75

SCENE GAMMA
between  1.11

When done select  NEW and SAVE  it will prompt you for a name call it *COMBAT (yes with the little *)

Now whenever there is incoming or you need to fight, go to: world - environmentsettings - advanced sky - select dropdown menu select *COMBAT and close the window.

 Go to Advanced > Rending > Info Displays > Select Lights > Deselect Lights.

You now will not see text on your meter, you will not see your own meter above your avi, you will not see the meters on other avi's until, you get your first hit by a weapon. The icing on the cake.... You will see the meter tag from the attacking party enlarge and you will be able to see their health from great distances.

  

If you enjoy sniping, its good to zoom in up close.

Hit Ctrl + 0 to Zoom In

Hit Ctrl + 8 to Zoom Out

Default View: Ctrl 9 

Singularity: Go to Edit > Preferences > Input & Camera

Firestorm: Avatar Preferences > Input & Camera.
Mouse Sensitivity: This slider should be all the way to the right.

www.gamebooster.com is a excellent free program to pair out with your Second Life and stop unwanted processes in your computer.

Step 5 - Debug Settings

  If you followed the steps above, some of these debug settings below might be already matching your needs.

All Viewers:
Go to Advanced > Debug Settings: (CTRL/ALT/SHIFT/S)

CloseSnapshotOnKeep->FALSE
HighResSnapshot->TRUE
Snapshotquality->100
DisableCameraConstraints->TRUE
DisableVerticalSync->TRUE
DoubleClickAutoPilot->FALSE
DoubleClickTeleport->FALSE
PlayTypingAnim->FALSE
RenderUnloadedAvatar->TRUE
RunMultipleThreads->TRUE

If you want voice on sl off:
CmdLineDisableVoice->TRUE
EnableVoiceCall->FALSE
EnableVoiceChat->FALSE

If not all mesh is loading:
Meshmaxconcurrentrequests->64 (or higher if needed)
(BEWARE: too high may cause yourself to lag/crash!)

If texture's are loading slow (command not in all viewers):
RenderMaxTextureIndex->32 (or higher if needed)
(BEWARE: too high may cause yourself to lag/crash!)

To remove Library from showing, thus reducing items to fetch in inventory:
NoInventoryLibrary->TRUE

To have your cache clean itself each time you login.
Helps with processing:
PurgeCacheOnStartup->TRUE
(not as good as manually deleting the cache)

Exodus Viewer
Chat stuff:
ExodusChatAsYou->FALSE
ExodusChatItalics->TRUE
ExodusChatRadar->TRUE
ExodusChatSeconds->TRUE     (Gives chat seconds in local, not in IM)
ToastFadingTime->1

See others look-at,and hide yours:
ExoduslookAtDebug->TRUE
ExodusLookAtDebugSelf->FALSE
ExodusLookAtLines->TRUE
ExodusLookAtLocalPrivate->TRUE
ExodusLookAtNames->TRUE
ExodusLookAtPrivate->TRUE

Render Stuff:
ExodusRenderClouds->FALSE
ExodusRenderFog->FALSE
ExodusRenderFootShadows->FALSE
ExodusRenderGrass->FALSE
ExodusRenderTrees->FALSE
ExodusMouselookPosition->FALSE

Camera stuff:
ExodusCameraIgnoreConstraints->TRUE
ExodusCameraZoomInUnrestricted->TRUE
ExodusCameraZoomOutUnrestricted->TRUE

If Textures are taking a long time to load:
RenderMaxTextureIndex->32 (or higher if needed)
(BEWARE: too high will cause yourself to lag!)

Firestorm Viewer
FSDisableMinZoomDist->True
FSRenderFarClipStepping->True
FSSecondsinChatTimestamps->True

To Hide look-at and see others:
DebugLookAt->1
DebugLookAtHideOwn->TRUE
DebugLookAtShowNames->1
FSDisableAvatarTrackerAtCloseIn->True
PrivateLocalLookAtTarget->True
PrivateLookAtTarget-True
PrivatePointAtTarget-True

Hitting WASD affects movement, not start local chat.
LetterKeysFocusChatBar->0

Know when someone enters/leaves region:
RadarReportSimRangeEnter->True
RadarReportSimRangeLeave->True

Singularity Viewer
RadarAlertChatRange->TRUE
RadarAlertSim->TRUE
RadarChatAlerts->TRUE
RadarKeepOpen->TRUE
SpeedRez->TRUE
SpeedRezInterval->5

I hope you find this article helpful, for more information about this topic look to your right hand side and under "Gor Combat" you will find other links of this kind.
Thank you to all that allow me to use their notecards to put this together <3