Fallout 3: Better graphics with ini Tuning

[Monkeywoman]

" Fallout 3: Better graphics with ini Tuning - The FALLOUT.ini
You can find the configuration file in the following folders:

• Windows Vista: C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Games\Fallout3
• Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents\My Games\Fallout3

Open the FALLOUT.ini with the Windows editor. The following lines are the interesting ones.

• uGridsToLoad=5 (A higher value increases the visibility range and the distance of object visualization)
• uNumDepthGrids=1 (Set value to 3 if uGridsToLoad is bigger than 9)
• iMinGrassSize=80 (A lower value makes the grass denser)
• fGrassFadeRange=6000.0 (Distance to which grass is displayed)
• bForceFullLOD=0 (1 improves the LOD display)
• iTreeClonesAllowed=1 (0 allows unique trees only)
• iShadowMapResolution=256 (2048 for best graphics)
• iShadowFilter=0 (2 for shadow edges)
• iActorShadowExtMax=10 (A higher value increases the number of shadows in outside levels)
• iActorShadowIntMax=10 (A higher value increases the number of shadows in inside levels)
• bShadowsOnGrass=0 (1 for shadows on grass)


For our screenshots we mainly increased the quality of LOD, objects and the gras density (uGridsToLoad=19 and iMinGrassSize=40 as well as fGrassFadeRange=120000). On our test system (E8500 @ 3.6 GHz, 4 GiB DDR2-800, HD 4870 1,024 MiB) the performance was drastically decreased at 1,920 x 1,200 with 4x FSAA/16:1 AF - it dropped noticeably below 20 fps in some parts. It's hard to give a general statement about the performance - just experiment yourself a little. "

the results are night and day, screen shots after the jump http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,...cs_with_ini_Tuning_-_comparative_screenshots/

 

[AsRock]

There's a mod that increases the monster detail too and a few other things.

I had seen it with a bunch of other on fileplanet
http://www.fileplanet.com/194521/190000/fileinfo/Fallout-3---Fileplanet-Addon-Pack-v1.0

This is a collection of all Fallout 3 addons and mods on Fileplanet for one simple download. It includes files that improve the original game with improved game music, characters, weapons, skins, and essential gameplay mods. Pick and choose the mods or addons you want. Here is a quick list of some of the addons available because there are just too many to list.


* Mod removing Level Cap at 20 and Skill cap at 100.
* EXP and level up reducing mods.
* Pip3000 UI mods and different colored skin models.
* Weapons and character stat balancing mods.
* Exciting Power Armor skins.
* Cool characters like Chuck Norris and Doomsday Wasteland Queen.
* New weapons and weapon reskins.
* Hi-Res monster re-skins.
* Different uniforms and outfits.
* New game music

 

[newtekie1]

Increasing the view distance definitely makes the game look wonderful, I think I'll try that. Increase the grass kind of takes away from the "wasteland" feel of the game, IMO.

 

[Darknova]

Increasing the view distance definitely makes the game look wonderful, I think I'll try that. Increase the grass kind of takes away from the "wasteland" feel of the game, IMO.

I agree, I wouldn't expect to see that much "grass" in a wasteland.

Must say I'm impressed by what the tweaks accomplish, and disappointed about how poor stock "max" looks...never noticed before.

 

[newconroer]

Yes Dark, though Oblivion was much the same. The promotional screenshots very rarely gave you a glimpse of LOD or ranged ground textures, objects and etc. and that was done on purpose. The game looked pretty awful, in that regard, and it was magnified because of the high resolution up close being in stark contrast with the low resolution in the distance.


And much like Oblivion, messing with the U grids is not the way to go. Many of us, and Koroush would tell you the same, run into graphic anomalies when increasing grids with the Gamebryo engine; as well as immediate and noticeable loss in performance, for a minimal gain in image quality.

Forcing the LOD factor to 0 is a viable and acceptable option, and so is increasing the grass density(though as you pointed out, it doesn't make sense with Fallout's theme).


Adjustments to the engine or .ini file should only be done for performance gains, not IQ, unless you're trying to achieve a certain level of IQ within a performance spectrum, i.e. 'tuning.'

The only way to properly increase Fallout 3's visuals, is for someone to release texture packs as well as LOD scaling packs, as they did with Oblivion.

Until that point, we're kinda stuck with the way it is.

This is a shame, as by the time such mods are released, people will have finished the game, possibly twice over... Oblivion suffered the same fate; people were well done with it by the time good content was released. I see it as very poor development, to take a game and build it off the same exact engine as a program from years before, and about the only thing changed was the photo-imaging plastered over the 3d objects. Nothing about Gamebryo has made a step forward in terms of IQ, and now they've released a half-assed product, which will only reach it's full potential months and months later, and at the hands of third party / independent persons, who aren't even getting paid for it.

Fallout 3 is a really neat game, but this lack of attention to detail or hind-sight by Bethseda has made them come down a notch for me. It also makes one sigh in dis-belief, wondering how much better Fallout 3 could have been, had they not just done a recycle project.


Note: I'm also put off by PCGH, as once again, they seem to have no idea what they are doing, and release absurd contrasting results such as the screenshots found on this page:
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,..._ini_Tuning_-_comparative_screenshots/?page=2

The first 'default' 'vanilla' picture, is NOT maximum settings. The distance from the character to that road forward and to the left a bit, is probably a football field length, give or take a bit? Yet just beyond that houses will POP up? No, not at max settings...not for me anyways.

Another example :
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,..._ini_Tuning_-_comparative_screenshots/?page=3

From that distance, I see the detail on the bridge to the right of the screen. I don't need 19 uGrids.

And another:
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,..._ini_Tuning_-_comparative_screenshots/?page=4

Look at the far left of the screen, where dirt meets water on the shore area. It's shaped like a block of missing texture(s). ????? I have not seen that at all.

It's like they have it on low IQ settings and are calling it 'max.'

These are also the people that managed to get an AVERAGE frame rate of 73 in FarCry2 with everything set to "Ultra" and 4XAA....so, better find a big grain of salt - rock...salt.

 

[Darknova]

I remember that when tweaking Oblivion I got the best performance/IQ with the ugrids by using 6 to Load and 2 to DepthGrid, and never got any graphic anomalies.

TBH though, Oblivion never looked great IMO. Everything seemed "exaggerated" and "polished/shiny".

 

[newconroer]

Right, but moving to a grid of 6 was withing a performance spectrum, not a pure IQ spectrum.

What they are attempting to do, is get seriously high amounts of detail beyond what even the human eye would see.

A setting of 7 grids in Fallout 3 will result in flickering and anomalies.


Anyways, back to some more Fallout 3. 100xp to level 20, and I haven't even listened to Dad's holotapes yet...sheesh.

Visual spoiler for some below.
That's me making a pit stop at Underworld to drop off some scrap metal, with Charon my bodyguard in tow wearing full Power Armor.

 

[Darknova]

Fair enough. I get that they are trying for something too high. I'd never have set that above 10 (if I didn't know what I was doing).

I never made it to Underworld, couldn't find it

 

[NinkobEi]

This game reminds me so much of "The Dark Tower" series, its unreal...has anyone else made this comparison?

 

[newtekie1]

DO NOT MESS WITH THE UGRIDSTOLOAD SETTING

It seriously screws up your game saves. If you set it to a number, you can not lower it. If you try to lower it, when you load your save, the game will crash.

I set mine to 9, and I was running around inside Megaton and everything was fine. But when I went outside, the performance hit was unbearable, the framerate was down to 15FPS and noticeably lagging compared to the default setting, with very little actual IQ improvement. So I exited the game, and changed the setting back to 5. None of my saves, that I created after changing uGridtoLoad to 9, work.

Appearently it is a known issue:

uGridsToLoad=5 - Increasing the uGridsToLoad value (always in odd steps of 5,7,9,11 etc.) will increase the number of grids around the character in which full texture and object data will be loaded up and visible as they wander around. This improves overall visual quality by increasing graphical detail on more distant game world elements. Indeed certain objects and structures which were otherwise not visible before will now be visible. The higher the value, the more you will see of the game world in return for a sharp drop in framerate, and noticeably longer loading times. There may even be more prominent stuttering as well, not to mention the possibility of visual glitches and the greater likelihood of crashes due to the extra memory usage. Unlike Oblivion, in my testing using a value of =11 I didn't see any visual glitches in Fallout 3 at all, however my performance fell by more than half, and I eventually experienced a crash to desktop. As you increase the uGridsToLoad value, you may want to also increase the uExterior Cell Buffer value to accommodate the greater cell data and prevent crashes and stuttering. Note: It appears that if you save a game with a higher value for this variable, you cannot then lower the value again as your saved game will no longer load properly. So on balance the default value of 5 for uGridstoLoad is a good compromise between visual detail, performance and loading pauses, though high-end machines can try higher values, but make sure your system can handle it in a range of areas before committing to it by saving your game (Fallout.ini).

Edit: I found a fix for anyone that might want to go back to a lower UGridsToLoad numder.

1) Do this, go into your game with the highered ugridstoload.
2) Alt+Tab, then open up Fallout.ini in your "My Documents\My Games\Fallout3" (in XP) folder, and change the value of uGridsToLoad to the default 5. Save the ini file.
3) Alt+Tab back into your game, then press ~ to open up console, and type 'refini' to refresh your ini file. Save your game. Not sure if you should change areas first and then save your game, but try it.

Turn off the game, and turn it back on. It should load with uGridsToLoad at 5 now.

 

[Darknova]

Interesting read, thanks for that newtekie1.

 

[Skywalker12345]

how do you get to the underworld?

 

[newconroer]

Lucas:

Museum of History. Once you enter the building, head straight(around the lobby desk) and you'll see two animal exhibits in the next room and at the far end, a big stone skull above a doorway. That leads to the Underworld.

You know you're in the right place, because after entering, you can turn around and see the banners on the walls (though I'd imagine you'd already know you're actually in the Underworld at that point )

 

[Skywalker12345]

oo sweet ok thanks.


anything good in there?

 

[farlex85]

oo sweet ok thanks.


anything good in there?

A couple of quests, Reily's Rangers and You Gotta Shoot Em in the Head (the ladder gives you the best armor in the game, at least I think it's the best armor, unrepairable though) start there. Some decent traders as well and it's possible to purchase a bodyguard there. Bunch of ghouls.

 

[Skywalker12345]

how do you pickpocket i can nver fingure it out!

 

[Skywalker12345]

and where the ranger people im suppose to shoot in the underworld?

 

[Skywalker12345]

bump