If you're saying the shader-only options should work without shaders on, I support this.
They require hardware with vertex shaders capable of doing it, so even if the option stayed on it wouldn't make a difference. Without the hardware it's not possible.
Any GPU that supports model 2.0+ shader features can run them, so you're talking about trying to make hardware from over 10 year ago do something it's not physically capable of.
I think the problem was the strain it put on processing power (or whatever people who actually know what they are talking about call it) of weaker, more puny computers. I doubt the issue is that he can't physically use the option, just that it might melt his computer into a pool of molten silicon, plastic and glass on his desk or that it is too laggy for any real gameplay experience with it.
But I personally can't see why this option would be at all useful or important other than for the select few with blood fetishes who can't afford a powerful enough computer for shaders.
Any GPU that supports model 2.0+ shader features can run them, so you're talking about trying to make hardware from over 10 year ago do something it's not physically capable of.
This makes me suddenly feel alot worse thinking of my shader model 0.0
But woudnt it be possible that we still got our ugly blood but that it stays on the ground?
Right now the blood comes out, falls down, lies on 1 spot for a while and dissapear.
So would it be possible to let it stay on the ground instead of just very short.
I don't think you'd need shaders for that.