LodMod: fixes object LODs, FPV blur, DoF... (2020 update!)

[Havoc]

Latest version: b7a (for game patch 4)

August 2020: updated for latest patch 4, download link below!
Sorry for the long wait - check page 15 for more info.

(new Yakuza Kiwami version can also be found at https://steamcommunity.com/app/834530/discussions/0/2800630252895668904/)

LodMod

Introducing LodMod, this mod includes patches to:
- raise the object draw distance for each of the "Geometry Detail" settings
- remove low-res blur being applied in first-person mode
- remove the DoF effect from the game
- prevent the game from using low-quality models/assets (for high-spec machines)
- fix objects so that they now use the "Geometry Detail" setting for LOD/draw distances (previously the "Geometry Detail" setting wouldn't have any effect for ~75% of the geometry in the game, leaving them with PS3-tier draw distances...)

Each of these fixes are split into seperate patch files so you can pick & mix which ones you want to install.

Thankfully Sega/Lab42 managed to fix the main problem LodMod was created for (the NPC faces bug), there's still the other issues above remaining though, so until they get fixed I'll try and keep LodMod updated for each game patch.

Comparisons

Here are some comparisons against the unmodded game with "Ultra" settings (if someone wants to help make some better comparisons please do!)

NPC faces: https://i.imgur.com/uRnS7iI.jpg - here you can see non-cutscene NPCs appear more detailed, with less-flat faces, better quality eyes...

Draw distance: https://i.imgur.com/sPOJmPh.jpg - in this pic the signs inside the green-box have much better draw distance, one step further toward the camera is where they disappear, with LodMod you can see this distance has been almost doubled against the unmodded game.

First-person blur: for some reason the blur applied in first-person is really low resolution, figured out a way to disable it though, before: https://i.imgur.com/ergfFzP.jpg and after: https://i.imgur.com/O7RcBdM.jpg

Download

While I can't distribute the patched EXE itself due to copyright, I can post some tiny PPF patch files to patch the game with.
(this contains absolutely no copyrighted code, only my own custom patch data)

LodMod b7a download (change hxxp in the link to http!): hxxp:/www.mediafire.com/file/63o8zsefr3uvyc7/file
Note: the included patches are only for game patch 4, applying them to any other version will cause crashes & a ton of other problems!

Many thanks to Jibby, lil pee, brokebrains & D♥ck Justice for helping test the older LodMod versions!

(also for any coders out there, I'm happy for you to use these patches in your own projects, I just ask you to please give credit where it's due... coming up with these wasn't an easy task!)

Installation

Inside the zip is a patches.txt file which describes each of the fixes, to install them just read the instructions inside the included readme.txt file.
All the patches can be mixed together without worry of conflicts - pick & choose the ones for your ideal Yakuza 0 experience!

(note: in older LodMod versions only the Geometry Detail's "High" setting was changed, but as of b7 the drawdistance.ppf patch will now increase the distance for the High & Ultra settings instead)

To uninstall LodMod just restore your original Yakuza0.exe file, either from a backup or via Steams "Verify Game Cache" function.

If you want to remove a patch you'll have to restore your original Yakuza0.exe and then re-apply the patches you want to keep on top of it.

Feedback / Troubleshooting

Please let me know how it goes for you! Hopefully it should work fine for everyone, but if you have any problems feel free to make a post in the thread.

If you do have any problems, a common fix is to just verify your game files with Steam, and then reapply LodMod afterward (before reapplying any other mods)
This'll make sure all the correct game files are installed, and that no other mod is conflicting with it.

Changelog

-b2 added a small patch that increases the distance of smaller objects (eg. signs on windows) to around ~175%

-b3 a more aggressive LOD patch was added, which fixed LODs being different between first-person and third-person.

-b4 the LOD patch was redone so that instead of that aggressive patch above, a proper patch for the LOD being changed was added. This fixed the shadow issues in b3 & issues with the character clipping into the first-person camera.

-b5 added a fix for the rendering resolution being lowered / blur being applied when in first-person mode

-b5a disables more first-person-specific code, which might help with performance issues when in first-person.

-b6 split the fixes into seperate patch files, and added support for the community test patch.

-b7 added a bunch of hooks to allow scaling dynamic object LOD distances by the "Geometry Detail" multiplier, also added a new patch to force using high-quality LODs, and removed -maxlod patch.

-b7a just ported over the fixes to game patch 2 (except for lodfix, which is no longer needed)

[Havoc]

Originally posted by まあくん:

where can I see the results of the patch before I install it?
Did you take any screenshot and/or video?

Ah good idea, I'll try seeing if I can get a comparison pic for the distances now.

[Havoc]

Originally posted by まあくん:

Originally posted by Havoc:

Ah good idea, I'll try seeing if I can get a comparison pic for the distances now.

Thank you ;)

Added two quick comparisons to the OP, I'll see if I can get more later, if anyone would like to help with these please feel free!

[Aemony]

I've updated the PCGW article to point to this thread instead for now.

[Havoc]

Originally posted by Aemony:

I've updated the PCGW article to point to this thread instead for now.

Thanks, I might have to see about getting it uploaded there later, since it doesn't look like Steam really likes mediafire links :/

[Dick Justice]

Noticed an issue with this where character LODs drop in quality when viewed in first person view. So to clarify:

Vanilla: Low LOD character models when roaming about, high quality in first person and in cutscenes.

Mod: High quality character models when roaming about and in cutscenes, medium quality in first person.

[landman]

I'm interested, but not gonna try it untill sega is finished patching the bugs, substories crashes and wonky minigames, and franlky, they could also ad those functions by default...

[Smoof]

i noticed like the other lod mod it glitches the geometry on clothes

vanilla: https://imgur.com/XDux08p

mod: https://imgur.com/vfaP1wB

[Aemony]

Originally posted by Havoc:

Originally posted by Aemony:

I've updated the PCGW article to point to this thread instead for now.

Thanks, I might have to see about getting it uploaded there later, since it doesn't look like Steam really likes mediafire links :/

I'm on it in the PCGW Discord. I'd already do it if I had the permissions, but I don't, so someone else with the permissions have to do it :D

[Havoc]

Originally posted by Jibby:

i noticed like the other lod mod it glitches the geometry on clothes

Originally posted by ♥♥♥♥ Justice:

Noticed an issue with this where character LODs drop in quality when viewed in first person view.

Hmm, any chance you could try out hxxp:/www.mediafire.com/file/wcmu10ajx2tq7o4/yakuza0-lodmod_b2a.zip/file and see if it's any better with that?

[Smoof]

sure thing papa give me one sec

[Smoof]

Originally posted by Havoc:

Originally posted by Jibby:

i noticed like the other lod mod it glitches the geometry on clothes

Originally posted by ♥♥♥♥ Justice:

Noticed an issue with this where character LODs drop in quality when viewed in first person view.

Hmm, any chance you could try out hxxp:/www.mediafire.com/file/wcmu10ajx2tq7o4/yakuza0-lodmod_b2a.zip/file and see if it's any better with that?

the clothes are fine now but the faces aren't working again? strange im gonna try again but i have already installed it twice.

[Smoof]

can confirm that the b2a fix is not fixing the faces anymore ill try the b1a

edit: neither of them seem to work

[Havoc]

Originally posted by Jibby:

can confirm that the b2a fix is not fixing the faces anymore ill try the b1a

Does it fix the first-person LOD for you?
For me it's looking like b2a only fixes it in first-person, and makes the LOD bug reappear in third-person...
I guess the b2 version is best for now, while I try and look into how to make the first-person and third-person views share the same LOD value.

[Smoof]

Originally posted by Havoc:

Originally posted by Jibby:

can confirm that the b2a fix is not fixing the faces anymore ill try the b1a

Does it fix the first-person LOD for you?
For me it's looking like b2a only fixes it in first-person, and makes the LOD bug reappear in third-person...
I guess the b2 version is best for now, while I try and look into how to make the first-person and third-person views share the same LOD value.

From what i can tell thats just what happens in vanilla bad lods in third good in first

[Havoc]

Originally posted by Jibby:

From what i can tell thats just what happens in vanilla bad lods in third good in first

Yeah, just wanted to be sure FPV still worked fine with b3a though.
Anyway I might have tracked down what caused it, could you try out another patch for me?
hxxp:/www.mediafire.com/file/ybld15rgsaqynym/yakuza0-lodmod-b3a.ppf/file
Hopefully with that first-person and third-person will share the same LOD, at least to me it seems like it does