Guide to Removing the Crosshair Dot

[Elvis Martini]

EDIT: I've created an AutoHotKey script that will set up the game files and can then be used to launch the modified game.

AUTOMATIC METHOD:

http://www.chinagreenelvis.com/gaming/tools/observer/

Download the ZIP file and extract the contents to your Observer game directory. Run ObserverNoDot.exe when you want to play the game. The first time you run it, it will use the unpacker to set up all the files. It takes some time. When the unpacker finishes, the game will lanuch and you should have no crosshair.

Launching the game normally will restore it.

--------------------------------------------------------------

MANUAL METHOD:

This is a lengthy process, so bear with me.

Download the UE4 Pak Unpacker by Haoose.

Drag and drop the following file into the unpacker exe:

Steam\steamapps\common\Observer\TheObserver\Content\Paks\TheObserver-WindowsNoEditor.pak

Wait. It takes a while.

When it's finished, rename the following file:

Steam\steamapps\common\Observer\TheObserver\Content\FirstPerson\Textures\FirstPersonCrosshair.uasset

I renamed mine to FirstPersonCrosshair_uasset.

Make sure also that Steam\steamapps\common\Observer\TheObserver\Content\Paks\TheObserver-WindowsNoEditor.pak has been renamed (the unpacker should do this).

Now when you launch Observer, the crosshair will be gone. You'll get a warning on startup that you can acknowledge and dismiss.

If you want to bypass the warning (and the launcher), do the following:

Rename the following file:

Steam\steamapps\common\Observer\TheObserver.exe

I renamed mine to TheObserver_exe.

Create a symbolic link of TheObserverSub.exe and name it TheObserver.exe, or just rename TheObserverSub.exe to TheObserver.exe.

Download AutoHotKey and make the following AHK file in any text editor:

--------------------------------------------------------

; Observer Loader
; by chinagreenelvis
; Version 0.1

#NoEnv
#SingleInstance ignore
#Persistent
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%

RunWait, steam://rungameid/514900
SetTimer, WindowTimer, 300

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; TIMERS

WindowTimer:
{
IfWinExist, Message
{
WinClose, Message
SetTimer, WindowTimer, Delete
ExitApp
}
}

--------------------------------------------------------

You can convert the .ahk to an .exe using AutoHotKey or just run the script itself. Congratulations! You now have a fully immersive game with no stupid, pointless, distracting dot in the middle of your screen!

Seriously, folks, it's 2018. Do we really need a dot to tell us where the center of our screen is?

[dpanter]

Sweet guide, cheers!
I personally don't mind the dot but perhaps another Linux gamer will be interested in trying this. No idea if the warning will show up for us, or what might happen. :)

I'll just add that AutoHotKey is awesome and for Windows only.

[S T O K I E]

Thank You very much!!!!
That crosshair/dot broke the awesome and outstanding atmosphere of the game to me! Finally it's gone!

[S T O K I E]

Hm, I don't get it. I renamed and later even deleted the file, but I still have the crosshair lol. Checked if steam auto downloaded the file again, but it didn't. Weird.

[Elvis Martini]

Do you get the pop up warning when starting the game?

Make sure TheObserver-WindowsNoEditor.pak has been renamed after unpacking the contents. (I had it renamed accidentally already in the instructions.)

[S T O K I E]

It's working now, thx :)
Seems the process of unpacking the pak crashed shortly before it was done, so it seemed like everything has been unpacked, but it hasn't and the old pak file has not been renamed.
I unpacked it again and now it's working :)
It has one side effect: loading takes muuuuuuch longer now. Before unpacking the pak, I needed like 10-15sec to load a map and now it takes like 3min.
But it's worth it. That crosshair/dot really messed up the great and awesome atmosphere of the game ^^

Thx m8! <3

[Elvis Martini]

I noticed longer loading times as well. There might be a way to repack the files after renaming the crosshair file...

[outcast]

Do anyone have the UE4 Pak Unpacker or know where I can download?

[Elvis Martini]

http://www.chinagreenelvis.com/gaming/tools/observer/

Download the ZIP file and extract the contents to your Observer game directory. Run ObserverNoDot.exe when you want to play the game. The first time you run it, it will use the unpacker to set up all the files. It takes some time. When the unpacker finishes, the game will lanuch and you should have no crosshair.

Launching the game normally should return the crosshair.