Crysis 3 Tweak Guide

[Page 13] Advanced Tweaking (Pt.2)



This section lists the key command variables that alter the most prominent aspects of gameplay or graphics. A much larger list of command variables for the game's CryEngine 3 game engine can be found here, but most will not function in Crysis 3, as they have been deliberately locked out. The commands listed below have been tested as currently working in Crysis 3 without requiring substantial modification to the game. It is specified in the list whether a command needs to go in Autoexec.cfg or System.cfg.


First up, we examine some general gameplay/system variables. On the next page we'll look at graphics-related commands.



Skip Introductory Movies


g_skipIntro = 1


If you want to skip over the various introductory logos/movies that play each time Crysis 3 is loaded up, insert this command with a value of = 1 as shown above in your system.cfg file.


Borderless Fullscreen Window Mode


r_FullscreenWindow = 1


This command tells the game to use a borderless fullscreen window, which is useful if you frequently switch to the Desktop during gameplay. To enable this option correctly, set your in-game Fullscreen setting to Yes, and then set r_FullscreenWindow = 1 in your System.cfg file.


Multi-GPU Support


r_multiGPU = 2


By default, Crysis 3 will automatically detect if you are using two or more GPUs in a multi-GPU mode such as SLI. Whether for troubleshooting purposes, or just to be certain, you can force Crysis 3 to enable or disable multi-GPU support using this command variable. Set it to = 0 to forcibly disable multi-GPU support; = 1 will forcibly enable such support; and = 2 is the default, which allows Crysis 3 to automatically detect whether you have a multi-GPU setup. This command must be entered in System.cfg.


Video RAM for Textures


r_TexturesStreamPoolSize = 512


Crysis 3 will detect the amount of Video RAM (VRAM) on your GPU, and assign a certain portion - between 192 and 512 MB - of that to storing textures. This command lets you manually specify the size of this texture pool size in MB. If you are experiencing frequent stuttering or slowdowns in Crysis 3, experiment with altering the pool size to see if it improves the situation. This command should be entered in Autoexec.cfg.


Field of View


cl_FOV = 60
r_DrawNearFOV = 60
pl_movement.power_sprint_targetFOV = 60


The three variables above, when combined, control the Field of View (FOV) in Crysis 3, which is how much of the game world that can be seen at once on the screen. cl_FOV controls the main game world FOV; r_DrawNearFOV controls the FOV for nearby objects, primarily your arms and weapon; and pl_movement.power_sprint_targetFOV controls the FOV used only when you sprint. Note that once these are set, r_DrawNearFOV may reset to its default value if you die and respawn, or reload a level, so use the command in the console to readjust it.


Importantly, the FOV value for these commands is in vertical degrees, whereas most people are used to seeing FOV quoted in horizontal degrees. For example, a 60 degree vertical value for these variables converts to around 90 degrees horizontal FOV at 1920x1080. You can use this online Calculator to convert horizontal to vertical FOV for your resolution. All three of these variables are testable in the command console, and all three need to be entered in System.cfg.


Toggle HUD


Hud_hide = 1


If you want to remove all of the Heads Up Display (HUD) elements from the screen, you can use Hud_Hide = 1, and to enable the HUD again, substitute a value of 0 in place of the 1. This command is best used in the console to temporarily disable the HUD, such as when taking screenshots, as the game is otherwise hard to play with the HUD permanently disabled. To permanently set this command, enter it in System.cfg.


Framerate Cap


sys_MaxFps = 60


This command variable lets you set a framerate limit, capping the maximum FPS that your system can achieve in Crysis 3. The main reason for wanting to do this is that by setting an appropriate FPS limit, you can prevent large variations in framerate, which can cause variable input responsiveness, and affect the perception of smoothness. Capping your FPS also benefits your GPU, in that it will not reach very high framerates while displaying the 2D menus, which can result in a noticeable coil whine noise and higher temperatures. Note that unlike VSync, which also caps your framerate to your refresh rate, this command lets you choose any value you wish, and does not have any negative performance impact, but it also doesn't prevent screen tearing either. To remove the framerate cap altogether, either delete this command, or set it = 0, which equates to no limit. This command can be tested in the console, and needs to be entered in System.cfg.


Mouse Smoothing, Acceleration and Sensitivity


i_mouse_smooth = 0


The command above, if set to = 1, will enable mouse smoothing. This reduces the jerkiness of mouse movements by taking the average of several input samples, rather than just a single sample at any time. In turn, this increases precision and smoothness, but can also result in noticeable mouse lag. By default, mouse smoothing is already disabled in Crysis 3.


i_mouse_accel = 0
i_mouse_accel_max = 100


The first command above controls whether mouse acceleration is enabled (= 1) or disabled (= 0). Mouse acceleration results in non-linear responses to mouse movements, typically increasing the distance the mouse moves for faster movements, and decreasing mouse responsiveness for slower movements. It's disabled by default in Crysis 3, and is generally best left disabled. If you do enable it, you can control the amount of acceleration with the i_mouse_accel_max variable, with higher values increasing the acceleration/deceleration effect.


cl_sensitivity = 30


The command above is the same as the in-game Mouse Sensitivity setting, found under the Mouse section of the Control Options. However using this command, you can assign a value much higher than allowable using the in-game slider. Note that while the in-game slider goes from 0 - 100, this equates to a cl_sensitivity value range of 0 - 60 (i.e. 50% on the in-game slider equals a value of 30 for the variable).


All four of the mouse-related commands above can be tested in the console, and to set any of them permanently, enter them in System.cfg.


Quick Exit


Quit


Type this command into the console if you want to quickly exit the game, whether from singleplayer or multiplayer, straight to the Windows desktop without first going back to the main menu, or being presented with any confirmation prompts.



On the next page, we look at commands that directly affect graphics quality in Crysis 3.