ACM custom settings guide

[adonys]

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=127541833

At version 1.6f now, 3802 different people using it

The ACM custom settings guide is the first and most complete guide dealing with ACM settings tweaking. The DX10/11 can NOT be enabled, and all the other tweaks threads are later, using ACM custom settings as a base (without even giving credits, but screw that, it's not the important thing) and nowhere near complete as the guide itself. Allow yourself a treat and give it a try, it's the only way ACM gets close to how it should "feel" like. And using Bad ♥♥♥ difficulty, of course.

And guys, please STOP filling up the forum with all sort of threads tweaking related, you're just confusing people.

PLEASE keep this thread on top, for everyone else to see and be pointed to the right direction in finding and using the guide. At least until some moderator will wake up and make it sticky..

[Savmikha]

great settings, game looks like a demo almost. thank you

[adonys]

About memory budgets and AI..

oh well, here we go again:

1) stating that allocated memory budgets can not improve AI is a false statement, unless you personally wrote down that part of the code and even then only if your code doesn't have bugs or code modifications you're not aware of.

2) I know it might not sound real to many of you, but how many of you are programmers and know how an AI can be programmed? AI routines written down in the code can NOT be improved by themselves, unless via a patch. But those routines are using data as input, and are also using an amount of CPU time and of temporary memory to compute a result. if you feed the code with better data, or allocate to it larger temporary data structures to store intermediary results, or allocate it more CPU time, then the result MIGHT actually get better

3) memory budgets are something which can work in many ways, I don't know how they are using them for ACM, as these are not part of the Unreal 3 default engine. Yet, they could have using them as a sort of RAM memory pool through into which game used and requested assets would be stored for fast access (higher memory allocated amount leads to longer loading times, less streaming and eventually higher quality assets (better LODs, higher bit rate sounds, etc) - like in ID's engine's), or they could have using them only for testing various memory allocations amounts as GBX guy said. Or in God knows how many other different possible ways.. No one can know that for sure, except GBX programmers who worked on it.

4) GBX'es staff statement that they weren't used for anything else than as to-be-compared-with values for different memory used amounts, and even that only if a certain development tool is present, doesn't fit with the fact that the games takes longer to load when increasing them (precaching a larger amount of assets into bigger memory allocated space), doesn't fit with the fact that the game crashes when you change them in a certain way but not in all ways (unused ini values shouldn't crash anything at all), doesn't fit with the fact that many people reported experiencing AI improvements

5) actually, and I haven't thought about this because GBX never stated something like this, neither during development or at launch, and also BGX's stuff commenting on memory budgets never said a word about it neither, but AI routines actually scaling their results based on users' experience progress (ie making the AI harder as the player gains higher experience levels) seems to be more consistent with what we all experienced (as we all progressed with our XP level from the launch of the game) explanation. But then.. if they would have done a gameplay mechanism like that, their marketing department would have heavily used it during the marketing campaign.. and also it would have been stupid to introduce xeno "natural" behavior into AI difficulty versus XP scaling, resulting in a complete "unnatural" xeno behavior on lower XP levels..

besides this, even if these memory budgets are totally placebo, that doesn't mean the rest of the settings files tweaking is useless/pointless. and as increasing memory budgets are not counting at all (accordingly with GBX's staff statement), then having them modified as per ACm custom settings guide too won't hurt at all.. right?

and most importantly,

6) What are you GBX guys going to do with poor ACM's AI we're all struggling with? besides stating that you know, memory budgets modifications are for naught? are you going to do something? anything? at all?

7) When are you GBX going to actually say something about the poor state ACM was delivered into?

8) What can you GBX say about the PecanCompat.ini videocard's list, which doesn't have videocards newer than 2007.. and yet, we're in 2013? How comes you can get out comment on the memory budgets, a relatively small issue compared with the rest of them, and can not comment/patch this?

Original post in here[forums.gearboxsoftware.com]..

[adonys]

Ok.

I've posted this on Bishop's Downloadable INI tweaks, max settings, no GPU detection required. thread, as a response to his following statement:

What I came up with was my own idea, by the way.
No one else said:
"Hey let's make it so no one has to add gpu detection"
So I was the source for that.
I have been working in configs for years..
I don't care about egos. (I didn't come into your thread and post a link to my thread)
I care about the aliens franchise..lol..

They are JUST cfg tweaks dude.. It's not like you remade the engine.. These tweaks have existed since the UT3 engine, so please stop acting like you did something huge here..

Detailed and complete?
Whats that smoothing doing for you, when smoothing is disabled?
How's those AI "fixes" that just make the AI act like everything is the floor?
How's that DX 10 you said was working, working out? It's not.
Do you even know if "Drop particle distortion" does anything?
Because it doesn't seem to..
I actually tested it.. did you?

I test my cfg myself. Mine is complete..
I don't say "this works" unless I am certain it does.

But he just deleted my response, I guess it was no doing his person too good :) I'll just re-write it in here:

aaa..
1) I've stated from the beginning in the ACM custom settings guide that I do not want to modify the settings batches behavior by messing them to do an automate batch 5 detection, as it would mess it up for the guys with not so good systems. And I even presented them how to force it, if they ever want to do that. All of that waay before you. But it's fine, you can use it, I have no problem with that
2) even if enabling smoothing doesn't have any effect, it wouldn't be wrong to have it in the settings, right?
3) this is a more complicated topic (and I'm afraid it would totally outclass your knowledge), but you can have a read at my post in here[forums.gearboxsoftware.com].
4) I never claimed I've enabled DX10, I've just said that I've set Unreal 3 engine's DX10 renderer setting flag on true, and that it is NOT confirmed as working
5) yes, I do. And it's obvious that you don't! But here it is: it tells to Unreal 3 engine's renderer to not skip the particle distortion pass (the smearing of rain drops particles you can see on your screen when it is raining, for example) if the current FPS gets under the set desired frame rate, and the bDropDetail variable is set on true (allowing the U3 engine to drop world details in order to rise the FPS back closer to the desired set one)

It's obvious you consider having "your" settings thread more important than helping the users get an easier, more complete and better experience, and all of that from a single original place.

But have it your way, I'm done and I won't bother with you again anymore. You're just not worth it :)

Nice job deleting my reply. It will really help you cover it :)

[Shai`tan]

My game is MUCH improved visually. Same with A.I. pathfinding and how the Aliens use the differing surfaces. After tweaking no way could I ever go back to the default stock settings. It`lll be interesting to see what GearBox comes up with for A.I. fixes, animations, and the release of the real high rez texture assets. If they come up with any that is.

[steelzepplin]

i have DX11 enabled, as well as the .ini files maxed, the sweetfx mod,and the high texture mod all working well together and it looks amazing one of the best looking games i have ever seen, looks like the demo everyone is pissed about.

[Muad'dib]

bump

[Missing Sequences]

hah pwned. good work.

[Jade "Venom Snake" Illusion (out]

Hey, GREAT job on this guide! I actually dropped the game completely on release day, after I beat the first 2 missions, and was kind of brainwashed by all the negative comments online about this game, as well as the pre-game footage. I installed your tweaks, and I've re-started the game on UBA difficulty, and not only does the game now look GREAT (7870 XT, FX-8120, 8gb), but I'm actually really enjoying the single-player, the Alien AI, whether from config tweaks, or just the difficulty, is actually really smart. In the 1st mission, when you encounter the first lurker (it drops down from a vent and attacks you), I left the room and closed the door, to see if my buddy could kill it. All of a sudden, I noticed that the motion tracker said it was behind me, turned about, and the alien had exited the room and flanked me! The multi-player is completely dead, I can only ever do TDM, and even then, I often see the same people, but I'm enjoying it none-the-less. I just want to thank you again for your hard work, great config! :)

[Shai`tan]

Just a headsup adonys,

I tweaked the SystemSettings TEXTUREGROUPs MaxLODSize to =8192
for World,Character,Weapons, Vehicles, Effects, and Skybox. Left the Mins at default. This really adds some vis texture quality. The textures are not high rez, but everything seems to have a definate look now.
I made TEXTUREGROUP_RenderTarget=8192 as well.

If you haven`t, ya might wanna check these settings out.

And set the mature language to True.
bAllowMatureLanguage=True

This actually works as well. O`Neil is swearing now. Can`t remember if he was before, but I don`t think so. hehhhehhe

[Missing Sequences]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Shai`tan:

Just a headsup adonys,

I tweaked the SystemSettings TEXTUREGROUPs MaxLODSize to =8192
for World,Character,Weapons, Vehicles, Effects, and Skybox. Left the Mins at default. This really adds some vis texture quality. The textures are not high rez, but everything seems to have a definate look now.
I made TEXTUREGROUP_RenderTarget=8192 as well.

If you haven`t, ya might wanna check these settings out.

And set the mature language to True.
bAllowMatureLanguage=True

This actually works as well. O`Neil is swearing now. Can`t remember if he was before, but I don`t think so. hehhhehhe

Shaitan, thanks for the vulgar language fix! I hadnt noticed they stopped swearing yet, nice catch!

[adonys]

@Anonymous you must have some kind of mental disability, as you said you've read, but you don't seem to understand what I've written about this.

Please ask someone to read that for you, and specially the bellow quotes, and then try explain them to you like to a kindergarten child:

1) stating that allocated memory budgets can not improve AI is a false statement, unless you personally wrote down that part of the code and even then only if your code doesn't have bugs or code modifications you're not aware of.

2) I know it might not sound real to many of you, but how many of you are programmers and know how an AI can be programmed? AI routines written down in the code can NOT be improved by themselves, unless via a patch. But those routines are using data as input, and are also using an amount of CPU time and of temporary memory to compute a result. if you feed the code with better data, or allocate to it larger temporary data structures to store intermediary results, or allocate it more CPU time, then the result MIGHT actually get better

3) memory budgets are something which can work in many ways, I don't know how they are using them for ACM, as these are not part of the Unreal 3 default engine. Yet, they could have using them as a sort of RAM memory pool through into which game used and requested assets would be stored for fast access (higher memory allocated amount leads to longer loading times, less streaming and eventually higher quality assets (better LODs, higher bit rate sounds, etc) - like in ID's engine's), or they could have using them only for testing various memory allocations amounts as GBX guy said. Or in God knows how many other different possible ways.. No one can know that for sure, except GBX programmers who worked on it.

4) GBX'es staff statement that they weren't used for anything else than as to-be-compared-with values for different memory used amounts, and even that only if a certain development tool is present, doesn't fit with the fact that the games takes longer to load when increasing them (precaching a larger amount of assets into bigger memory allocated space), doesn't fit with the fact that the game crashes when you change them in a certain way but not in all ways (unused ini values shouldn't crash anything at all), doesn't fit with the fact that many people reported experiencing AI improvements

5) actually, and I haven't thought about this because GBX never stated something like this, neither during development or at launch, and also BGX's stuff commenting on memory budgets never said a word about it neither, but AI routines actually scaling their results based on users' experience progress (ie making the AI harder as the player gains higher experience levels) seems to be more consistent with what we all experienced (as we all progressed with our XP level from the launch of the game) explanation. But then.. if they would have done a gameplay mechanism like that, their marketing department would have heavily used it during the marketing campaign.. and also it would have been stupid to introduce xeno "natural" behavior into AI difficulty versus XP scaling, resulting in a complete "unnatural" xeno behavior on lower XP levels..

besides this, even if these memory budgets are totally placebo, that doesn't mean the rest of the settings files tweaking is useless/pointless. and as increasing memory budgets are not counting at all (accordingly with GBX's staff statement), then having them modified as per ACm custom settings guide too won't hurt at all.. right?

and

The memory budgets which could have any slightest chance to actually improve AI would be: the ScriptMB, BSPMB, TerrainMB, NavigationMB, GameDataMB, StackMB, CodeMB, BehaviorsMB and SkelMeshMB, AnimationMB, AnimationSeqMB for actors animations, lypsynch, etc

And initially I've said they might.

And again, right above your reply I've explained why I thought they could have been use to get some better results (even if only due to eliminating the streaming), and I've also said that I haven't considered AI routines improving their output based on user's XP level. It never crossed my mind until this discussion as it is not something you really want to do in a FPS, and even more, GBX never said anything about it. never. and it would have been highly unlikely to not have their marketing department brag about it.

And that to me having the AI improved due to the users rising their XP level seem actually more consistent with what's happening than with modifying the memory budgets.

and what I've told you before in here, before the moderators deleted you previous lies:

I could have not disregard something which was NOT said at the moment I've started tweaking the memory budgets. Those could have been used in SO many ways (see for example ID engine's usage, or even old Unreal engine's usage for precaching memory budgets).
GBX guy only said that after I've got confirmations from many users that the AI seemed to behave better, and I've added the AI section.
Even more, his statement that memory budgets are were only used as comparison values by a tool not even present in the game can NOT account for: longer loading times, crashes only when certain values are used and with the reports talking about better AI behavior, and better lipsynch behavior; all three of these poiting to the fact that memory budgets seems to be used in some way, contradicting GBX guy's statement.
Recently on a discussion on GBX'es forums about memory budgets and AI it was said that actually the AI behavior might be caused by user's XP level advancement (as everyone went through the game and MP, their XP level was increased - mine is to 30 or so atm), and I've said that even if it didn't crossed my mind, as this is not something usually done in a FPS and it wouldn't be right, and GBX never ever mentioned it, it might still be a better fit an explanation for the better AI behavior everyone observed.
GBX still never commented on it.

PS: and I've reported your behavior again. let's see what Steam will do about it this second time, as it seems that the first time when they've only deleted your posts wasn't enough for you to stop..

[adonys]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Shai`tan:

Just a headsup adonys,

I tweaked the SystemSettings TEXTUREGROUPs MaxLODSize to =8192
for World,Character,Weapons, Vehicles, Effects, and Skybox. Left the Mins at default. This really adds some vis texture quality. The textures are not high rez, but everything seems to have a definate look now.
I made TEXTUREGROUP_RenderTarget=8192 as well.

If you haven`t, ya might wanna check these settings out.

And set the mature language to True.
bAllowMatureLanguage=True

This actually works as well. O`Neil is swearing now. Can`t remember if he was before, but I don`t think so. hehhhehhe

Rising the max for textures to 8192 was something I've considered, yet I haven't even tested as it shouldn't have any influence at all: there shouldn't be any textures greater then 4096 as even if the Unreal engine actually supports textures up to 8192, many relatively new videocards can not work with textures greater than 4096. And considering game's history, I really rely doubt they've bothered even with 4096 size textures.

The mature language is a good catch, it seems I've totally missed it. I'll add it to the guide, thank you.

[Gary_Abusey]

Keep up the good work!

[adonys]

aaa.. really?!!

again, which "false" information? and which of my behavior was harassing, rude and threatening to you? the one in which I was responding to your continuous harassing, misinformation and complete disregard for what really happened and what I've really said about the subject?

you seem to be completely disconnected with reality.. I feel nothing but pity for you.

[adonys]

@Anonymous OK, we'll do this the hard way.

And in this, you're right: I certainly do not have time to keep an eye on this thread all the time to clean up your mess.

Please report Anonymous for harassing, misconduct and and false accusations if you think he is guilty of that. Please do not report him if you don't.

The access to the ACM Custom Settings guide is currently blocked to everyone until Steam and/or the other users will deal with him.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=127541833

I had enough of this!