FAR (Fix Automata Resolution)

[Kaldaien]

Special K[wiki.special-k.info] features NieR: Automata specific tweaks and features (collectively known as FAR) created by Kaldaien with contributions from various individuals. For years these tweaks were essential to fix various issues the Steam version of the game suffered from, and many of these features and fixes made their way into the game officially following an update to the game released by Square Enix on July 15, 2021.

With the current state of the game Special K is no longer as essential though it still features improvements to the latest version of the game that some may find beneficial:

• Enables much faster loading times.
  
• Can improve the frame pacing of the game and eliminate micro stuttering.
  
• Decrease the global illumination below that of the lowest setting of the game for a major performance improvement.
  
• As well as various other minor fixes and features that improves the overall rendering pipeline and latency, such as Nvidia Reflex integration.

For updated information please see the Special K wiki:

https://wiki.special-k.info/SpecialK/Custom/FAR

Uninstall outdated versions of FAR

The legacy version of FAR (v 0.7.0.23) is not compatible with the new updated Steam version, and the game will fail to launch if left in the game folder. The files related to FAR needs to be removed manually from the game folder, so please remove them from the game folder. This is most easily done by removing any and all files that is not shown in the below image.

• This is how a fully cleaned out folder looks like after the game has been launched once:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2559265741

• If the game has not been launched yet another executable along with some batch files will also exist in the folder.
  
  
• Only GOTY owners have the Wallpaper folder.
  
  
• Validating game files or uninstalling/reinstalling the game through Steam will not remove third-party files, such as FAR, from the game folder.

These are the files and folders related to older versions of FAR:

Name	Type	Comment
dinput8	Files	Remove any file with dinput8 in its name. These are the main components of FAR.
FAR.ini	File	Holds NieR: Automata tweaks config.
d3d11_shaders.ini	File	Holds outdated shader config for the outdated custom ReShade of FAR.
Version	Folder	Holds non-functioning auto-updater version data.
logs	Folder	Holds FAR diagnostics logs.
ReShade	File/Folder	Any file or folder with ReShade in its name is related to FAR's outdated custom version of ReShade.

[Hued]

Originally posted by kata_kun:

Hey guys, I think there are some graphical bugs in this latest version of FAR because while going through the castle in the forest area I noticed this:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/784036350515863904/52B18552BE4EAD80B40A28B6D72BB0A00A09296D/

As you can see there is this mosaic effect arount the character and the edges of the broken bridge. Since I was sure this wasn't the case before I randomly roled back to v 0.5.7.1 and I was right:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/784036350515808262/3C38A9CF0B658773C242E1D153A708F6CB6068D3/

Also, I am using the options for Native Bloom res. and Native AO res. in both versions.

Originally posted by Aemony:

I'll see if I can reproduce the issue on my end in a couple of hours when I get off work.

Did you end up seeing about this?

[Aemony]

Sorry, I've been busy with collecting information in the Special K guide I just mostly got finished with. Gonna try it out now though.

[kata_kun]

I haven't been able to find out what's causing this issue either. All I did figure out is it starts from version 0.5.7.2. Version 0.5.7.1 works fine and is what I'm using now.

[Aemony]

Originally posted by kata_kun:

I haven't been able to find out what's causing this issue either. All I did figure out is it starts from version 0.5.7.2. Version 0.5.7.1 works fine and is what I'm using now.

It's extremely subtle, but the difference is there all right. Wait a sec...

[Aemony]

Here's a diff.pics: https://diff.pics/qlihrvtP6D0K/1

Look close along the edges. There's some artifacts along the edges as if the resolution of AO isn't actually native in v0.5.7.4.

[kata_kun]

Originally posted by Aemony:

Here's a diff.pics: https://diff.pics/qlihrvtP6D0K/1

Look close along the edges. There's some artifacts along the edges as if the resolution of AO isn't actually native in v0.5.7.4.

Yep, if you look at the screens I posted you can see the same thing. So should I take the problem isn't on my end?

[Aemony]

Comparison logs between v0.5.7.1 (left) and v0.5.7.3 (right):
dxgi.log - https://www.diffchecker.com/Z3kh3qBm
modules.log - https://www.diffchecker.com/DhXbOW9Q

@Kal: What stands out in the v0.5.7.3 modules.log is that new Nvidia DLL files seems to be loading, including one D3D10 file? Could this be what triggers the issue in some way?

05/27/2017 03:59:14.274: [ Module ] ( 00007FFC47340000h + 25055232 ) C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\nvami.inf_amd64_8892f62aa9f69fbe\nvwgf2umx.dll
---------------------- [File Ver] NVIDIA D3D10 Driver, Version 382.33 22.21.13.8233

05/27/2017 03:59:14.263: [ Module ] ( 00007FFC78550000h + 00913408 ) C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\nvami.inf_amd64_8892f62aa9f69fbe\nvldumdx.dll
---------------------- [File Ver] NVIDIA Driver Loader, Version 382.33 22.21.13.8233

[BossHogg]

Originally posted by Nyxeka:

Piracy in games makes them so expensive (games cost twice as much as they could simply because entitled losers think its okay to steal everything they can't earn).

That's not even close to accurate.

[Erebus]

Originally posted by Hued:

Originally posted by Erebus (R.I.P. GPU):

Damn, this error is driving me crazy since I don't even have the slightest clue where to look. I can't even eliminate any potentials at his point.

PSU is not out of the equation, FYI. Got a friend that has a tool to test voltage readings?

Well, shit.

Happened again but this time I had the thing setup so I could see inside the case. It's less HDMI signal loss and more the GPU completely shuts down (even the fans stop). It's not temps... So either PSU or GPU (again...)?

[Kaldaien]

I can't really explain that D3D10 problem :-\

I regard D3D10 as a complete waste of time as some people know :P I don't have any support for it in any way, shape, or form. At best I have pass-through support for any application that uses DXGI to create a D3D10 device.

I know that some video capture software will startup by creating one of every type of device in existence and then install hooks. It's possible that's what you're seeing, but I haven't changed anything that would cause said software to behave differently.

[Kaldaien]

For compatibility reasons, I don't even suggest that video capture design. It's best to check a game's DLL import table and try to establish the minimum set of APIs. Otherwise you're going to cause hard to diagnose interactions with other software, that will see your software starting up and think the game is doing that :P

Nobody cares, of course, but I deal with this stuff so much I enjoy talking to myself.

[Aemony]

I have no idea where the DLL files comes from as well. I never install Nvidia's bloatware, so these logs are from my laptop with only the latest drivers installed and without GeForce Experience. The only applications I had running beyond Microsoft's and Steam was KeePass, ShareX, TeamViewer, and Multiplicity, none of which have a tendency to hook into processes (well, TeamViewer does with Quick Assist enabled, but that's never enabled for me).

I'll probably do further tests on my main desktop if I get around to it later today.

[omnius42]

Originally posted by Erebus (R.I.P. GPU):

Well, shit.

Happened again but this time I had the thing setup so I could see inside the case. It's less HDMI signal loss and more the GPU completely shuts down (even the fans stop). It's not temps... So either PSU or GPU (again...)? :gaper:

How old is your PSU? Brand?
If it's your PSU you need a voltmeter (or a multitester, it's better) to check the voltages... and it's better if you do it as soon as possible. It's not a good idea to load/stress your GPU (yeah, not even the rest of your rig) when you have power issues.

[SkacikPL]

Any hopes for a shadow map hook to bump the resolution? It's atrocious most of the time.

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by 🔰SkacikPL🗾:

Any hopes for a shadow map hook to bump the resolution? It's atrocious most of the time.

There's no such thing :)

Shadow maps are a high-level concept derived from texture maps. I can't hook something that's not part of D3D11.

I know what you meant roughly though :P There are two shadow map problems, there's weird cascading LOD issues -- don't know if anyone can fix THAT with an API hook and then there's issues with percentage closer filtering.

The filtering issue (blocky projected character shadows) can probably be fixed by re-writing a few shaders (a function Special K still doesn't support in D3D11 :-\)