Manor Lords Performance Soars: DLSS and Optimization Patch Delivers Stunning Visuals and Smoother Gameplay By Darius Lore, XenGamer.

By Darius Lore, XenGamer.com Senior PC Hardware Analyst

Manor Lords, the ambitious city-builder/strategy title from developer Slavic Magic and published by Hooded Horse, has garnered significant attention for its commitment to realism and its intricate blend of city management and tactical combat. However, the game's initial release, while promising, was plagued by performance issues that hindered the experience for many players. Fortunately, the latest patch has arrived, bringing with it a suite of graphical updates and performance improvements, most notably the inclusion of NVIDIA DLSS support. We've put the patch through its paces to see if it truly delivers on its promise.

Addressing the Performance Bottleneck

Prior to this patch, Manor Lords was known to be a demanding title, even on relatively powerful hardware. Frame rates could plummet, particularly in densely populated settlements or during large-scale battles. This stuttering and slowdown detracted significantly from the immersive experience that Slavic Magic was aiming for. The culprit? A combination of factors, including unoptimized rendering techniques, high polygon counts, and complex simulation calculations.

The new patch tackles these issues head-on with a multipronged approach. Firstly, it introduces significant optimizations to the game's rendering engine, allowing it to more efficiently process and display the detailed environments. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, it adds support for NVIDIA's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology.

DLSS: A Game Changer for Visual Fidelity and Performance

DLSS leverages the power of NVIDIA's Tensor Cores, found in RTX series graphics cards, to render the game at a lower resolution and then use AI-powered upscaling to reconstruct the image at a higher resolution. This results in a significant performance boost with minimal visual degradation, allowing players to enjoy smoother frame rates without sacrificing graphical fidelity.

In our testing, the performance gains with DLSS enabled were substantial. On a system equipped with an RTX 3070, we saw frame rates increase by an average of 30-40% at 1440p resolution with "Quality" DLSS mode. Even more impressive, the visual difference between native resolution and DLSS-upscaled resolution was often negligible, especially during gameplay.

However, it is essential to note that DLSS is exclusive to NVIDIA RTX cards. AMD users will need to rely on the general optimization improvements included in the patch, which, while not as dramatic as DLSS, still offer a noticeable boost in performance.

Beyond DLSS: Other Graphical Enhancements

The patch goes beyond just DLSS support, also incorporating several other graphical improvements. These include:

• Improved Texture Resolution: Many of the game's textures have been updated with higher-resolution versions, resulting in sharper and more detailed environments.
• Enhanced Lighting Effects: The lighting system has been refined, creating more realistic and atmospheric visuals. Shadows are more accurate, and light sources cast more believable illumination.
• Optimized Particle Effects: Particle effects, such as smoke and fire, have been optimized to reduce their impact on performance.
• Better Anti-Aliasing: While DLSS handles anti-aliasing for RTX users, the patch also includes improvements to the game's built-in anti-aliasing solutions, resulting in smoother edges and reduced shimmering.

The Impact on Realism and Immersion

Manor Lords' dedication to historical accuracy and realism is a core part of its appeal. The improved visuals and smoother performance afforded by this patch directly enhance this aspect.

Imagine meticulously planning your medieval settlement, constructing realistic buildings, and managing resources with historical accuracy. Now, picture doing all of this with significantly improved visuals, where the textures of the buildings are crisp, the lighting is realistic, and the frame rates are smooth. The immersion is deepened significantly, allowing you to truly feel like you are managing a medieval manor.

Moreover, the improved performance makes the tactical combat more enjoyable. Leading your troops into battle is far more engaging when the action is smooth and responsive. The higher frame rates allow you to react quickly to changing situations and make tactical decisions with greater precision.

Pre and Post-Patch Performance: A Comparison

To provide a clearer picture of the performance improvements, here's a comparison of our test results on a system with an Intel Core i7-10700K, 32GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA RTX 3070, running at 1440p resolution with high settings:

Pre-Patch:

• Average FPS: 45-55 fps
• Minimum FPS: 30-40 fps
• Occasional Stuttering

Post-Patch (DLSS Quality):

• Average FPS: 70-85 fps
• Minimum FPS: 55-65 fps
• Significantly Reduced Stuttering

These numbers clearly demonstrate the significant performance gains achieved with the new patch and DLSS enabled. While results will vary depending on your specific hardware configuration, the overall trend is undeniable: Manor Lords now runs significantly smoother and looks better than ever before.

Optimizing Your Settings for Peak Performance

Even with the performance improvements, it's still crucial to optimize your in-game settings for the best possible experience. Here are a few tips:

• Experiment with DLSS Modes: If you have an RTX card, experiment with the different DLSS modes (Quality, Balanced, Performance, Ultra Performance) to find the best balance between visual fidelity and frame rate.
• Adjust Shadow Quality: Shadows can be a significant performance drain. Try reducing the shadow quality setting to see if it improves your frame rate.
• Lower Ambient Occlusion: Ambient occlusion adds depth and realism to the visuals, but it can also impact performance. Lowering this setting can provide a noticeable boost.
• Disable Unnecessary Effects: Disable any visual effects that you don't find essential, such as motion blur or chromatic aberration.

Conclusion: A Major Step Forward for Manor Lords

The latest patch for Manor Lords is a significant step forward for the game. The inclusion of DLSS support, combined with the other graphical improvements and optimizations, has resulted in a vastly improved experience. The game now runs significantly smoother, looks better than ever before, and truly delivers on its promise of immersive medieval city-building and tactical combat.

While the benefits of DLSS are exclusive to NVIDIA RTX users, the general optimization improvements will benefit all players. If you were previously hesitant to play Manor Lords due to performance concerns, now is the perfect time to jump in and experience this ambitious and rewarding title. Slavic Magic and Hooded Horse have demonstrated their commitment to supporting the game and delivering a polished experience, and this patch is a testament to that dedication.

The combination of historical accuracy, intricate gameplay, and now, vastly improved performance and visuals, makes Manor Lords a must-play for any fan of city-builders and strategy games. This patch elevates Manor Lords from a promising early access title to a truly exceptional experience, well worth the investment for PC gaming enthusiasts seeking a deep and rewarding challenge.