Currently Dragon Nest Classic for SEA region is using the old DirectX 9 instead of the better DX11.
That said, ‘better’ can be debated here because some people do think DX9 is better. Probably having less features in DX9 reduces the cpu workload.
And I have seen ‘optimization’ tips suggesting to use DX9 to help with FPS—for example in Apex Legends a few years back, when it was still supported, by adding the -dxlevel95 command.
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Anyway, below is a youtube video comparing DirectX 9 and 11. DX11 is the clear winner here with a big gap.
Let's hope in the near future, the developers give the option to choose to use DX11 as they did with the original non-classic Dragon Nest.
Some methods to improve fps
But before that,
Often, people go for low settings for better performance. Have you tried higher graphics settings? Or what if playing fullscreen can help stabilize the game and less fps dips, instead of windowed mode? You might get lower FPS but a smoother gaming experience, who knows.
Note: These methods are not guaranteed to improve your FPS. I am just sharing what I tried.
1. Using dxvk
DXVK is a free, open-source tool that translates DirectX 9/10/11 games on Windows into Vulkan in real time for possibly improved performance.
There are 2 types of DXVK: the standard DXVK and the DXVK-Async (not official). For games with anticheat like Dragon Nest, use the standard version as it is generally safer. Avoid DXVK-Async because it uses extra hacks.
Again, there is still a risk of triggering the anti-cheat. I contacted Dragon Nest Classic SEA to ask about this and they said this:
It's a grey area:
- They didn't say "forbidden" or "you'll be banned."
- Risk exists: "Might get detected" = possible future anticheat flag → account at risk.
How to use dxvk for Dragon Nest Classic
Choose which version you want to use. On the download page ("Assets" section) you will see something like dxvk-X.X.tar.gz.
- Download that and extract.
- After extracting, you will see 2 folders: x32 and x64. For Dragon Nest Classic, open the x64 folder.
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In the x64 folder, copy d3d9.dll. Paste this in the same location as
dragonnest_reborn.exe.
However, don't expect some crazy FPS boost. You might not even see any. In my experience, I see an improvement but small, probably because my CPU is just too weak and old.
Below is an example video of how to install dxvk.
2. Using Lossless Scaling
The 2nd method is by using a paid app called Lossless Scaling (Steam store). This is a crazy software that actually gives you a free FPS boost of 2x, 3x or even more, using frame generation.
To be honest, I don't know how the anti-cheat reacts to this app. People are saying it is like using OBS (reddit comment, steam comment).
It was great but you are forced to play at fullscreen. I tried it long ago so I am not sure how much it has improved today.
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3. Using steam launcher
Why do this? This way, you can change the CPU affinity of Dragon Nest. For some reason, you cannot do this directly to the game itself. Probably has something to do with the anti-cheat preventing any changes.
Adjusting the CPU affinity might help the game stabilize, reducing potential FPS dips or random stutters. But don't take my word for this, it is probably just a placebo. Still, worth trying though.
How to change CPU affinity for Dragon Nest Classic
- Launch Steam. Then open Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc).
- Go to Details tab and search for steam.exe.
- Right click steam.exe and select Set affinity.
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Set the affinity to your preference. For example, if you don't want
hyperthreading, disable/uncheck CPU 1, 3, 5,... Click OK.
- Now Steam is running with the CPU affinity you selected.
- Add DN Launcher to Steam. Start DN Launcher from steam. It will follow steam's CPU affinity.
These are just a few things you can try. Some might help, some might do nothing at all since the game is still stuck on DX9 and has its own limits. If you try any of this, just know some methods might be risky. Do it at your own risk.