KNiVES' Consistent Warhead Config

A specially-made custom config made from complete scratch using all enthusiast standards settings as the canvas, for the denizens of OcUK. The config was made with 4850+ users in mind, and will run at approximately 30 frames per second - or your money back. This is thanks to a special command that now limits frames per second rendered in Crysis, eliminating inconsistent frame rates or unwanted oscillations between 30-60fps that most are not particularly fond of. The three biggest changes are:

- Frames per second locked at 30
- Object quality consistent at all distances (no pop-in)
- Lighting and shadowing changes, including HDR and SSAO levels

It's named so because it tries to guarantee consistency to graphics and performance, unlike most other configs that either go for the most graphics-intensive configurations, or a strained struggle between finding the best graphics/performance ratio. This config isn't an exception by any means, but the end aims are a little different in that it looks for eliminating or reducing intrusive aspects of the gameplay above all else. Along with keeping the framerate steady, you will notice little to no pop-in or level of detail changes. The config has been set so that objects will retain their quality and detail in the distance, and significantly reduces jarring pop-in or level of detail changes that may otherwise suspend disbelief. In layman's term, the village you left will still look as good 200 metres away as if you were standing inside it. The lighting changes were made as so to try and obscure some of the still-remaining transitional changes from lower to higher details in the environment between indoors and outdoors. It's hard to explain but you might understand more if you look for yourself.

The configuration is intended to guarantee 30 frames per second gameplay at
1280x1024 with edge AA x2
for systems of at least

Core 2 Duo 2.5ghz
2.5GB DDR2
4850

Click to expand...

You may feel free to crank the resolution higher, but you may experience dips in framerate unless your hardware is of a higher specification than listed above. It should be stated that this config isn't really intended for those seeking performance/graphics ratio improvements, just a more useful config to try out on your powerful hardware.

The following screenshots have not been edited or resized.









The config itself - no downloading required, just copy and paste this text into a notepad document and save it as system.cfg, then place it in Crysis Warhead/Game folder. Make sure your game settings is set to 'Enthusiast' before opening the game with the config file! And finally, it is assumed you're running in DX9 mode. :-

con_restricted = 0
r_displayinfo = 1
e_phys_foliage = 1
e_shadows_max_texture_size = 384
e_shadows_on_alpha_blended = 0
e_vegetation_sprites_distance_ratio = 1
r_colorgrading = 1
e_view_dist_ratio = 50
r_shadowjittering = 2
r_useedgeaa = 2
r_usepom = 0
r_usesoftparticles = 1
r_hdrlevel = 0.5
r_hdrtype = 2
r_eyeadaptationbase = 0.8
r_hdrbrightoffset = 5
r_hdrbrightthreshold = 3
r_ssao_darkening = 0.3
r_ssao_amount = 1
r_ssao_blur = 4
r_ssao_radius = 5
r_motionblur = 1
r_texturesstreaming = 0
e_precache_level = 1
e_lods = 0
e_obj_quality = 3
e_dissolve = 1
fixed_time_step = -0.0335
e_particles_thread = 1
sys_physics_CPU = 1
e_stream = 0
e_Precache_level = 1
r_MeshPrecache = 1
gpu_particle_physics = 1
r_GeomInstancing = 1
e_cbuffer = 2
es_ondemandphysics = 1
e_particles_receive_shadows = 0

Click to expand...

Changes from the first config:
- HDR and SSAO levels adjusted for more realistic lighting conditions (thanks Gashman)
- Odd lighting and shader behaviour in certain snow areas fixed
- Shadows made softer (improved performance as a result)
- Several preloading/caching commands added
- Distant foliage settings adjusted for improved visuals and performance
- Sprites visible through terrain bug fixed

Bugs:
- Certain snow areas won't be locked at 30fps, you will have to manually enter fixed_time_step 0.0335 in the console

Feel free to ridicule if it doesn't quite meet your expectations but it is my first shot at my own real custom config tailored to my specific wants that I feel many other OcUKers would be looking for as well. This hasn't really been shown anywhere else, and please go easy on me if you don't like it.

KNiVES said:

significantly reduces jarring pop-in or level of detail changes that may otherwise suspend disbelief.

Feel free to ridicule

Click to expand...

Christ glad I got out of PC gaming when I did if this is what you call enjoyment.

Put the disc in and play hell yeah

cheets64 said:

Put the disc in and play hell yeah

Click to expand...

The Crysis disc? Oh no, wait...



I've just got to the ice level, and as usual, my framerate drops to what seems to be around 1-5fps. I'm on Gamer settings, and it was playing really well in the jungle levels. Guess i gotta drop the settings down :/

nice config. i assume this is the early version? been working on something similar myself for DX10 with varying results, noticed disabling streaming noticably reduces in-game stuttering in DX10. good to see your using SSAO blurring as well, makes huge difference in the backdrop of the game. trying to smooth out the nearby foliage at the moment but i have no idea where to start, think i got SSAO, HDR, etc. fairly good so far, getting rid of vegetation pop-ups makes the game look so much better

Edit: by the way have you tried the snow levels, if so did you get rediculous glow on everything? if so did you manage to get rid of it?

just played the first level with it... I think your HDR settings are way off, there was a crate with a silver rim (whilst it was still night) that was giving off an almighty heavenly glow, then when it turns to morning as you get into your first gun fight the floor was pitch black.

Sorry KNiVES, no good for me. I know I don't meet the recommended spec though
Loaded a save in chapter 'Call me Ishmael' in a truck by the sea and fps were below 20. Still no good without blur and 2xAA as I don't like the HDR tweaks and it made everything seem to be in slowmotion slightly. Spec is [email protected], 2gig mem, 4850.

Spektor said:

just played the first level with it... I think your HDR settings are way off, there was a crate with a silver rim (whilst it was still night) that was giving off an almighty heavenly glow, then when it turns to morning as you get into your first gun fight the floor was pitch black.

Click to expand...

try adding r_EyeAdaptationBase = 0.8 to your settings, see if that helps, also try adding r_HDRtype = 2, makes the greens more vivid and natural looking, etc plus seems to get rid of all the random 'glowing like mad' effects for foliage with HDR, SSAO and glow enabled.

another thing worth trying is:

r_HDRBrightOffset = 5
r_HDRBrightThreshold = 0.85
r_HDRLevel = 0.8
r_SSAO_quality = 4
r_Glow = 1
r_GlowScreenMultiplier = 0.2

i recommmend opening the console in game and messing with HDR/SSAO settings from there to find your sweet spot, use EyeAdapation CVARs as well, they seem to help the glow caused by the HDR/Glow from becoming overwhelming, theres couple of them (EyeAdaptationBase, EyeAdaptationFactor, EyeAdaptionClamp, EyeAdaptionMax, EyeAdaptionMin, EyeAdaptionSpeed and EyeAdaptionScale) they all do something and they all have the command r_ infront of them, mess around in console see if any of those are useful too

Pity I have now completed it.

NutritioN said:

Sorry KNiVES, no good for me. I know I don't meet the recommended spec though
Loaded a save in chapter 'Call me Ishmael' in a truck by the sea and fps were below 20. Still no good without blur and 2xAA as I don't like the HDR tweaks and it made everything seem to be in slowmotion slightly. Spec is [email protected], 2gig mem, 4850.

Click to expand...

e_stream = 0
e_Precache_level = 1
r_MeshPrecache = 1
gpu_particle_physics = 1
r_GeomInstancing = 1
e_cbuffer = 2
e_particles_thread = 1
es_ondemandphysics = 1

see if those help, with 2Gb of memory you don't want the game wasting your memory streaming, the above might make load times slightly longer but should help make it a bit smoother, if your using vista try disabling superfetch as well, since it doesn't really do anything but take up memory

cheets64 said:

Christ glad I got out of PC gaming when I did if this is what you call enjoyment.

Put the disc in and play hell yeah

Click to expand...

THIS IS OPTIONAL

Go back to your limited consoles yeah.

benjo said:

I've just got to the ice level, and as usual, my framerate drops to what seems to be around 1-5fps. I'm on Gamer settings, and it was playing really well in the jungle levels. Guess i gotta drop the settings down :/

Click to expand...

That still amazes me every time.. I don't see how turning everything white with essentially slow white rain can kill the performance that much :S I dropped about 20FPS! (Was still at 40, but when you'de done the lot upto that point at 60 it was a bit disheartening)

Margaret said:

THIS IS OPTIONAL

Go back to your limited consoles yeah.

Click to expand...

Don't bite. It's obvious he's not posting in this forum for any other reason than to troll, hopefully he'll get bored and set sail for the console forums permanently if we don't give him reason to linger around.

On Topic: I don't have Warhead yet, it's on my to-do list though, so I want to personally thank KNiVES for going to this trouble so that we can enjoy the game properly. Will definitely be trying this config.

cheets64 said:

Christ glad I got out of PC gaming when I did if this is what you call enjoyment.

Put the disc in and play hell yeah

Click to expand...

You don't even have to put the disk in to play Warhead.

PC 1
Console 0

at times warhead looks amazing. but also at times, the textures look like a big pile of crap :/

seeing as all the warhead savy people are going to be in here, anyone know how to get the original crysis to get the same 360 pad controls as warhead? I asked here to no avail

Thanks for the input guys. Curiously enough, one of the snow levels crash the entire config half the time it loads - I don't know why. It shuts off the FPS limit, makes everything glows white and is pretty much glitched to hell and back. I'm guessing this is what Gashman is referring to - oops! I'll try and fix it, I've an inkling it's to do with HDR (of which I'm also going to tone down).

I'm not surprised the config isn't quite doing what it says on the tin but I'll try my damndest to get it sorted out.

Appreciate your effort!
Currently using a mashup of Gashman's and KNiVES, fps is now better but HDR is WAY off. If I'm in the jungle, plants that get caught in sun patches practically glow white. What should I change to bring the highlights down (a lot, I prefer nearly imperceptible HDR like in STALKER.) Here's the current system.cfg:

People think they can magically improve Crysis when they have no idea and no respect for how difficult and complex the original coding actually is.

Crytek have the industry's finest working on this game yet countless morons think they can improve the game given a couple of hours and notepad.

Well, you're wrong and you have no idea what you're doing. Don't even try and tell me you know more than Crytek do.

Reduce r_hdrlevel 0.8 to something like 0.5 and increase r_hdrbrightoffset 5 to something like 7 or 8 - those two are the major commands for adjusting how strong the HDR is and how it appears through openings such as you peering through the forests or through a window from indoors.

For those who are seeing places that are far too dark, tone the r_ssao_darkening from 0.8 to 0.2-0.3. That was a slip-up on my part.