Unofficial Patch & Graphical Improvements Explained

How to (and why you should!) install the Unofficial Patch, along with some explanations of graphical options and modifications.

Reporting a Problem

It's been several years since I've played so I can't answer any technical questions. I highly recommend posting on the discussions board of this community hub as the Unofficial Patch developer, wesp5, still regularly replies to posts there.

About the Unofficial Patch

Why do I need it?

Installing the Unofficial Patch should always be your first step when installing this game. It includes the official patch but also many extra bug fixes, including the 15mb memory issue and widescreen resolution support. Also each patch contains all previous fixes, so you only need to install the latest version.

Where can I find the patch?

https://www.moddb.com/mods/vtmb-unofficial-patch/downloads

Can I use it with the save I'm already progressing through?

You will have to start a new game as patching over an existing save will break many things (however if you decided to not patch at all, some areas can be impossible to progress through).

What if I use another mod?

The only time you should refrain from installing this patch is when playing a total conversion mod such as Camarilla Edition, Final Nights, Companion Mod and Antitribu, as they will conflict, however some contain parts of the Unofficial Patch anyway. Later versions of the Unofficial Patch (v 9.3 and higher) allow for multiple installations of the game (with different save games however).

My anti-virus software says this file is unsafe and blocks the download, is it safe?

It gets blocked simply because it is an executable file (.exe)!

I think I found a bug, where can I report it?

The best place to report a bug is by posting on the Steam discussion area or the patch thread on Planet Vampire[forums.planetvampire.com], as others (such as wesp5, the patch creator) may be able to assist with your problem.

An alternative unofficial patch now exists but I have not used it

Standard Mod Patch[www.nexusmods.com]

Installing the Unofficial Patch

Update: The patch installation process has changed since this guide was originally written. Since there's no reason to download the older versions, I've removed the old tutorial. Also as I don't play this game any more, the new tutorial probably isn't as detailed as the old one (please let me know if there's any more changes).

Installing

After downloading the patch executable file and opening it, it should already point to your steam folder. From there all you need to do is keep clicking "Next" until it's done, unless you want the Plus patch.

What is the difference between the Basic and Plus version?

If you have never played before, you should install the Basic patch as this will fix bugs that didn't get fixed by the developers in the last official patch. If you have played the game before, then the Plus patch will restore some cut content with new levels and dialogue, but it will also make slight modifications to the gameplay and change some of the existing content around.

New Plus patch options

• No wolf warform reverts the Plus patch warform to the base game.
  
• Improved eyes is a mod (separate download linked at the bottom of this page) that adds more detail to eyes than the base game does.

Launching the game

You must launch the game from the desktop icon added during the patch installation or right click on the game in Steam and select "Properties", click "Set launch options...", type in: "-game Unofficial_Patch" (including dash, exclude quotation marks), then click "OK".





The patch is now installed to a separate folder (within your game's main folder) which will allow you to run different mods if desired. Running the normal vampire.exe will run the original unmodified game.



If you're still confused, check out this guide instead:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=113161476

In-Game Menu Options

If your audio sounds like it has a strange echo or stereo effect

Turn off environmental effects. It doesn't work right and makes voices sound odd.

My settings

Texture Packs & Shaders (Outdated)

Are there any HD texture packs?

Not really. At the time of writing this, unlike say, Deus Ex or System Shock 2, the 'HD' texture pack(s) for this game are extremely different to the original textures and of poor quality. There isn't any worth downloading as they will change too much from how the game was intended, however there are some textures which make small adjustments (and models) such as Eye Replacer which I recommend (more links at the bottom of this guide). Also just adding a sharpen filter to your game can slightly improve the original textures (at the cost of some Anti Aliasing).

Shaders

Why use SweetFX over ENB? The VTMB version of the popular graphics modifier ENB will probably never be fixed due to the creator focusing on other games like Skyrim. It may make your game extremely blurry, however it is still possible to use some features, but SweetFX is an easier option. Update: There are some modified versions of ENB on Nexus Mods but I've never tried them.

Update - Reshade

SweetFX has been replaced by Reshade, which offers even more graphical customisation. I haven't written a tutorial for ReShade yet but it should be more straight forward than the old install. I have left the old tutorial for now:

What is SweetFX?

It is a graphics injector, like ENB, but uses less processing and more simple techniques.

How can it improve the game?

SweetFX can add things like low-cost Anti-Aliasing called SMAA. It will also slightly blur text, but provides better performance than the normal AA on your graphics card.
It also has an option to mimic Bloom and sharpen textures, but it is mainly used to adjust colours by modifing colour tints, darkening shadows, faking a HDR look and so on.
If you want to see some comparison screenshots, see the settings database[sfx.thelazy.net].

How do I install it?

You can either download the version which you have to manually install for every game and modify a text file (like ENB), or install the Configurator which willl do most of the work for you. There isn't a particular place you need to install the Configurator to, as I put mine into My Documents. All you need to do is open the SweetFX_config.exe.



Click 'Add Game' and find the executible, vampire.exe. It should be somewhere like C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines.



If you are using the manual installer, you will need to copy all the files to the same location.

What if I don't want to mess around with settings?

There is a site where you can use other people's settings. Click "Show / Hide Settings" and copy and paste this into your own settings folder (located in the game's directory - previously mentioned, wherever the game's vampire.exe file is).
Settings Database[sfx.thelazy.net]

How do I adjust the settings?

SweetFX is absolutely brilliant for editing as you can edit the settings while in-game. Simply use (and don't forget to save) the configurator like normal, and press Pause (default key) to refresh. You can press Scroll Lock (default key) to turn it on and off to see how much has changed (or take comparison screenshots). By default, Print Screen will save a screenshot in bmp format with the SweetFX setting to your game directory. You can change shortcuts by clicking the Injector Settings button (see last screenshot).



I usually enable Bloom, Vibrance and Curves for all games. Bloom makes lights look more realistic, and Curves can make dark areas even darker. Vibrance will make every colour in the game either more or less pronounced (this setting is probably the most personal, as I prefer realistic or bright-looking colours, while most others opt for a more washed-out look).
LumaSharpen seems like a great idea, who doesn't want sharper textures? However, it does come at a cost, as you will have to value either slightly sharper textures or a decreased Anti-Aliasing effect. If you have a powerful computer you should have no problem with using enhanced AA to compenstate.
HDR will modify the colours to be richer without losing detail, however it can make the game look a little too orange, so perhaps use it in conjuction with a negative Vibrance setting.
More information on SweetFX's HDR[delightlylinux.wordpress.com]

Should I use SweetFX's SMAA or force AA with my graphics card?

If you are using an old computer or laptop, use SMAA. It has significantly better performance than normal AA forced by your graphics card control panel. However, it isn't as powerful (it doesn't counteract the LumaSharpen effect well), and may blur HUD and text. If you have a newer PC, I would force it to about X4 or higher in your control panel (See the RadeonPro section for more details).
If you do decide to use SMAA, there is a setting at the side in the Configuator with presets from Low to Ultra (pick whichever looks the best versus performance for you).

Optional Texture & Model Replacers (Outdated)

Update: Just realised that I never wrote how to install these, however every mod should come with a readme file. Maybe I'll finish this section when I revisit the game again sometime. Sorry about that!

Update 2: It's been several years since I wrote this guide, however I've re-categorised some some old & new texture mods, but I haven't tested if they still work.

Eyes

• Eye Replacer
  
• Characters Eyes Improved[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Jenya's Eye Replacer[www.nexusmods.com]

Player Character Hands

• Less Hideous Male PC Hands
  
• Beautiful Monster - Female Hands Retexture[www.nexusmods.com]

Important NPCs

• Improved NPCs[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Petrea's Remastered Textures[www.nexusmods.com]

Player Characters

• Improved PCs[www.nexusmods.com]

Background NPCs

• Female Citizen 1 Reskin
  
• Female Citizen 2 Replacer
  
• Male Citizen 1 Replacer
  
• Common Dancer Reskin
  
• Venus Denim Reskin
  
• Call Girl 1 Replacer
  
• Call Girl 2 Replacer
  
• Throwing a bone for the Canines[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Those Goth Kids[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Goth Male Overhaul[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Minor NPC Tweaks

Enviroment Textures

• X20
  
• Street Sign Texture Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Food Texture Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Art Texture Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Carpet Texture Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Furniture Texture Pack[www.nexusmods.com]
  
• Last Round posters pack
  
• 19" TV - beat-up version (HD upgrade)

Useful Links

Notable Mods

Not for first time playthroughs!
Prelude
Final Nights
Clan Quest
Camarilla Edition

Mod Sites

Bloodlines Nexus[www.nexusmods.com]
ModDB: Total Conversion Mods / Skins

Communities

VTMB Subreddit

An alternative unofficial patch now exists but I have not used it

Standard Mod Patch[www.nexusmods.com]

Using RadeonPro (AMD Graphics Cards Only) (Outdated)

Update: I now have a Nvidia card so I can't update this section.

AMD's Catalyst Control Panel is rather limited so I recommend using download and use RadeonPro[www.radeonpro.info] instead. It allows more control over AA and Vsync etc.

Click the Add New Profile button (green + button).


Locate your game executable.


You can edit the name by right-clicking and selecting "Edit".


Even though there is a global setting, I recommend setting profiles for each game. Here you can enhance, enforce or override AA with a lot more options than the Catalyst Control Centre. You can select FXAA for great performance, however it will blur textures. You can select SMAA for good performance without blur, but it might fade fonts. And finally, there are different strengths for your normal Anti-Aliasing. Ambient Occulsion sadly doesn't work in this game though.


After you've got the settings you want, right click and select 'Apply Now'.


I don't recommend Edge-Detect or EQ AA, as Bloodlines does not really benefit much from these. I have set mine to x4 as that's the minimum amount that stopped me from noticing jagged edges. I highly recommend setting the anisotopic setting to x16 for any PC as it will make distant textures much more clearer.


Most of these options will tell you what they do when you hover your mouse cursor over them.
For newer games I usually tick all of the boxes, however for older games I untick 3 as they can degrade the image in favour of performance.


If you have a good PC, you may find that your frame rate goes above your monitor's refresh rate and can create screen tearing. RadeonPro has many options for Vsync, if you want to reduce screen tearing or stop your graphics card from overworking. Triple Buffering won't work so make sure that it's off.
If you turn off Aero, you will be able to see the intro videos.


If you need any more help, refer to this RadeonPro manual[www.radeonpro.info].

Reporting a Problem

It's been several years since I've played so I can't answer any technical questions. I highly recommend posting on the discussions board of this community hub as the Unofficial Patch developer, wesp5, still regularly replies to posts there.

[Lady Razzmatazz]

My PC doesn't always like to play nice, today it so foolishly tried to download the mod file to some file other than steam. So I'm guessing it's Steam > steamapps > common > Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines > ??? From there I don't know, do I need to make a mod folder myself, can anyone point me in the right direction please?

[Kylo Ded]

Patch 11.5 is live Sept 4 2024; it's like Vampire Xmas in September

[Kaboom]

How to play game with unnoficial patch but still have steam overlay?

[Dying]

The problem I find with the new versions of Basic patch is that it actually does change a lot of things in the game.
His changelog is all over the place and doesn't include issues that come from using UPB, but for example with just the Basic patch you can obtain weapons way earlier than you're supposed to. More importantly, it actually changes a lot of dialogue options around, the only way you'd be able to tell is if you compared the unmodded game with the UPB, good luck launching that on W10/W11. For a game that's always praised for the role-playing elements and 1-on-1 conversations isn't it important to keep this one aspect exactly the same?
I point this out because everywhere you go the Basic version is always advertised as "preserves the original experience while only fixing bugs", when that's not really the case.

[Nixed]

And how do you uninstall the whole patch?

[Zilljah]

Go to options, then the last settings page. It should say what patch you have installed, if any

[JadeCactus]

is there an indicator that I'm actually running the patch or something?

[cd0m]

Should Probably Highlight some of the asset mods that look horrible (call girls)

[Golden Boy]

when using the mod it changed my language, any way to not play in english?

[suicidejockey22001]

I just installed the patch and am on my first playthru and I can't equip my fists for my first fight. Has anyone else had this issue?