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Mwo Settings Guide And User.cfg

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#1 MrVaad

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 01:24 AM

A few months ago, i started playing MWO (being an old mechwarior 2/3 fan Posted Image
I was a little disappointed with the performance of the game, but i liked the mechs so i delved into the CryEngine settings, hoping to improve the current state. It was way more complicated than i thought (doing this in my spare time), but I think i have obtained some good results.

I've used the following tools:
  • The cryengine SDK 3.4.4 and 3.4.5 (with editor)
  • Amazon lumberyard code 1.9.0.2
  • Crytek online manual and various forums.
  • Tools to measure performance (reshade, msi afterburner, intel graphic performance analysers)

Quote

I have released a config file and some documents on github :https://github.com/M...Tweaks/releases


You will find :
  • a user.cfg and tuning.cfg to copy in your install directory
  • two emptied .pak cache files (optional)
  • some documents on MWO in the document directory
The documents :
  • MWO - InGame Settings Explained.txt : A guide explaining what changes are applied by the game when you change settings in game.
  • MWO - CryEngine Variables values set by InGame Settings.xlsx: Values applied to CryEngine variables when you change settings in game
  • MWO - CryEngine Variables List.txt: List of every cryengine variables available in MWO
  • LOCKED - List of variables locked by MWO.txt: List of variables I have found to be locked by the game or the server ( for user.cfg tweakers)
If you have a strong system you can :
Spoiler



If you have performance problems, you can :
Spoiler



The main things done in this first release (user.cfg)
  • Improve the physics engine and the jobs system performance
  • Disabled most of the preload/precache features
  • Enable shader compilation in parralel (improves stuttering)
  • Disabled some GPU heavy effects (SSAO and SSDO, see explanations in the user.cfg)
  • Tweaked occlusion detection (objects hidden by others)
I found a lot of things on MWO and the cryEngine during my research, but I don't want to make this post too long, so don't hesitate if you have questions.

I hope it will improve your game Posted Image

Quote

TLDR:
I have made a config file for MWO, it's made to improve the performance of the game. User.cfg is authorized by MWO Code of Conduct.
Files and instructions are here : https://github.com/M...Tweaks/releases
This is a first release, i'm sure there's a lot to improve in explanations, instructions etc.


Edited by MrVaad, 16 February 2021 - 02:57 PM.


#2 Feral Clown

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 10:29 AM

I thought messing with this file could get you into trouble.

#3 Vxheous

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 10:30 AM

View PostFeral Clown, on 29 May 2019 - 10:29 AM, said:

I thought messing with this file could get you into trouble.


user.cfg tweaks are allowed. Changing .pak files could get you into trouble

#4 MrVaad

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 10:54 AM

Don't worry, User.cfg is allowed by the code of conduct https://mwomercs.com/conduct

As for the pak files, they are entirely optional. It's two empty zip files renamed as .pak
They replace the initial shader cache shipped with the game.
I'll remove them if there is any problem with that.

Edited by MrVaad, 29 May 2019 - 10:55 AM.


#5 Akira Shindeiru

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 12:26 PM

So does this actually improve performance?
Got an i9 9900K and a GTX1080ti and struggling to achieve a decent average framerate (and ofc the stuttering when looking around.
Just hope that MW5 will be properly optimized.

#6 MrVaad

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 12:58 PM

Well so far, i have only three people who gave me some good feedback.

I've been using it for a few months with a ryzen 2600 and GTX 1080. Sadly, there's still a few situations that i can't solve without editing MWO ressources (which is not allowed).

Anyway,it's a 5mn test, copy the two files and delete them if you find them not usefull.

Edited by MrVaad, 29 May 2019 - 01:01 PM.


#7 The6thMessenger

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 01:30 PM

What's up with the shader cache?

#8 MrVaad

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 01:36 PM

Some stutters in game are due to shader compilation/activation.

I have set some variables in the user.cfg that mostly solve the problem (by minimizing the use of those .pak cache).
But replacing those cache files (at least the big one) with empty files improve things a little more.
It seems faster to read the shaders files created on your PC than accessing this big file.

That's why it's optional Posted Image

Edited by MrVaad, 29 May 2019 - 01:46 PM.


#9 Tarogato

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 02:08 PM

View PostMrVaad, on 29 May 2019 - 01:36 PM, said:

Some stutters in game are due to shader compilation/activation.

I have set some variables in the user.cfg that mostly solve the problem (by minimizing the use of those .pak cache).
But replacing those cache files (at least the big one) with empty files improve things a little more.
It seems faster to read the shaders files created on your PC than accessing this big file.

That's why it's optional Posted Image

Could this because you have MWO installed on a slower drive, and the shader files are stored in your Saved Games folder on a faster drive?

#10 MrVaad

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 02:11 PM

I only use an SSD. But like i said, when using the user.cfg, replacing those files is a very small improvement (i'm monitoring frame times)
I kept them because i was thinking about people using slower drives/computers.

I would welcome some feedback if anyone is using the user.cfg with or without the pak files Posted Image

Edited by MrVaad, 29 May 2019 - 02:22 PM.


#11 dario03

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 03:15 PM

View PostMrVaad, on 29 May 2019 - 10:54 AM, said:

Don't worry, User.cfg is allowed by the code of conduct https://mwomercs.com/conduct

As for the pak files, they are entirely optional. It's two empty zip files renamed as .pak
They replace the initial shader cache shipped with the game.
I'll remove them if there is any problem with that.


What about tuning.cfg? Is that optional? How much of an impact does that have?

#12 Vxheous

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Posted 29 May 2019 - 04:38 PM

View Postdario03, on 29 May 2019 - 03:15 PM, said:


What about tuning.cfg? Is that optional? How much of an impact does that have?


I think tuning.cfg is to make sure your user.cfg file gets loaded into each match (or something like that). However, if you ever run repair tool, it tells you that tuning.cfg is not needed and tries to delete it, so I'm not sure if it even works like it's supposed to.

#13 MrVaad

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 12:08 AM

Tuning.cfg is used to load/reload user.cfg before each map (it has only one line)

If you don't have that file, MWO overwrite some values when starting the game !

Edited by MrVaad, 30 May 2019 - 12:16 AM.


#14 Bowelhacker

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 02:07 AM

More importantly, why hasn't PGI offered you a job?

#15 The6thMessenger

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 02:18 AM

Kinda helped, 22 to 27 FPS.

There's still FPS drops though.

#16 MrVaad

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 03:08 AM

The thing is i would need some feedback :
- Your computer specs (CPU, Graphic Card, Ram)
- The settings you selected in MWO
- The FPS you have in game.

Then we could perhaps have different user.cfg for different PCs.

#17 The6thMessenger

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 03:25 AM

View PostMrVaad, on 30 May 2019 - 03:08 AM, said:

The thing is i would need some feedback :
- Your computer specs (CPU, Graphic Card, Ram)
- The settings you selected in MWO
- The FPS you have in game.

Then we could perhaps have different user.cfg for different PCs.


Acer Aspire V3 547G

Low on most settings, very high on texture.
From 22 to 27 after this setting. Solaris City is still ******* my FPS though.

#18 MrVaad

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 03:36 AM

Quote

Acer Aspire V3 547G

Low on most settings, very high on texture.
From 22 to 27 after this setting. Solaris City is still ******* my FPS though.


Hmm, lowering the game resolution could be worth a try.

Solaris's problems cannot be solved easily with user.cfg. But the worst performance should be outside of the city.

Edited by MrVaad, 30 May 2019 - 03:40 AM.


#19 Teenage Mutant Ninja Urbie

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 03:44 AM

you sir, are a shining example of why the mwo-community is, in majority, a cool bunch to hang out (and shoot each other) with :)


otoh threads like these beg the question of why a certain company can't be ar$ed to improve upon their settings, and this isn't even code we're talking here, by themselves.
"balance" adjustments take years and are never balanced in the first place, loading-times and UI are lackluster, and I won't even go into 'blowing up your own fw-part' without even testing that stuff, although you got a crapton of feedback that you can't be bothered to read, but........... ah .. I disgress.


back to the first part: thx mate for your efforts. :) pgi should give you some mc or mechbays for your effort, imHo. on my part, what little I can do ingame, I will. consider it a free 'use me as your meatshield' or 'lurm out of jail' card ;-)

#20 The6thMessenger

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Posted 30 May 2019 - 03:45 AM

View PostMrVaad, on 30 May 2019 - 03:36 AM, said:


Hmm, lowering the game resolution could be worth a try.

Solaris's problems cannot be solved easily with user.cfg. But the worst performance should be outside of the city.


I already play on 1280x720.





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