Fallout 4 Discussion Thread

You know, with all this talk of graphics engines and looks and performance, I'd like to chip in with what I think is an ideal graphics engine (or any game that runs on it).

If you're using a potato PC (like I am - my puny laptop is blasted to pieces by the P870DM), the game doesn't look very good, i.e.:

• worse (lower-res) textures;
• reduced anti-aliasing (due to the lower-res screens on potato PCs);
• reduced lighting effects like specular reflection, ambient occlusion, bloom, etc.
• reduced blur
• reduced post-processing

And yet the game ought to max out the GPU (definitely if the PC in question runs, heaven forbid, Intel Iris graphics), as well as output a solid 60 FPS.

However, on more powerful computers, these effects should be progressively turned on depending on their impact on frame-rate. On something like the P870DM, most or all of the above effects would be completely switched on or maximised, and yet the game should still run at 60 FPS, and the game would look incredible (like Crysis does).

Simply put, the game (or the graphics engine it runs) would look like it ought to depending on the PC in question, while still maximising the available graphics and processing capability (and thus rendering the game at playable frame-rates, i.e >= 30 FPS) of any given PC.

TL;DR even more: scalability is key.

 

A nice review - http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/09/fallout-4-review-pc/
Nothing on performance, but gives a lot of info on what kind of game this is.

 

BENCHMARKS!!!

http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Fallout-4-Spiel-18293/Specials/Test-Benchmark-vor-Release-1177284/

http://www.gamersnexus.net/game-bench/2177-fallout-4-pc-video-card-fps-benchmark-all-resolutions

 

Well here's the tweaking guide. http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/fallout-4-graphics-performance-and-tweaking-guide

GUESS WHAT GUYS

NO SLI SUPPORT YET

JOY TO THE WORLD

Also, apparently actually maxing the game means a 970 gets under 60fps at 1080p according to some benches.

See this is why I'll be getting this game next year. With all the DLC. In the GOTY edition. Why? Because I'm not running the game on low because Bugthesda can't optimize their way out of a paper bag. There is NOTHING in that game requiring as much power as it says it needs.

 

I always said that SLI was a waste of money

 

This kind of crap didn't happen in 2013. I really can't tell anybody to get a second card without top-end single cards now.

 

I'm just really glad it works for games like Arkham Knight. Makes all the complaints seem unfounded when I'm playing it on my rig rofl, like what are you guys talking about it works great with these titan x's

 

Oh OK. But what if it won't work then? Drop another Titan X? And then another?
"This game sure runs like crap on SLI... Better drop another grand and get a Titan X. That surely will fix any performance issues"

 

I don't know where you've been looking, but Arkham Knight to my knowledge still has no SLI profile. It was REMOVED after having it on launch and has yet to be added back. If your desktop gives better performance than your laptop with its graphics amplifier attached, it's because your desktop CPU probably works and your laptop CPU doesn't.

 

Haven't actually tried with the graphics amp yet

 

Bruh AK doesn't even support SLI yet. Dumb comment as usual, this is NBR, your Titan X SLI performance is irrelevant here.

 

wasn't stating that sli was working, although it could have been inferred, just saying that I don't see what all the fuss is about with the batman arkham knight port, hasn't even really given me issues on a 970m

 

Splintah lives under a rock confirmed

 

-100500/100 Never gonna buy Fallout 4!

 

LOL Heisenberg!

 

Assface: Yes
Kenny: No

 

No F cknugget either...

 

Wow, talk about PC. Adolf, Ahmed, Obama, and President are all disallowed.

 

I think this sums it up...

 

Yeah, definitely will buy this next year after mods, SLI support, bug fixes and GOTY edition are out.

 

What? No Asshat or Jerk on there? At least Dick is. I may just be player Dick because I'm childish like that. My real name is on there at least.

 

I suppose you'll have to settle for Assface?

 

I'll buy this like how I bought Skyrim: 3 years from now, when it goes on a Steam sale with all the DLC and stuff at a bargain price of $7.50. Ain't nobody got the money to waste; I'd rather spend it on more, let's say, worthwhile games like TW3.

 

On the bright side, ain't nobody complaining about a downgrade this time.

 

Waiting on my download - hope it runs on this rare antique hp laptop I'm stuck with for the time being.

For me it's the exact opposite - I'll probably buy Witcher 3 in a couple years from now. I usually don't buy any games until long after release date, whenever they are on sale around $5 - 10 including all the DLC.

Only exception is the Bethesda games or something like Civ 5 - these I have no problem paying full price, as the entertainment value for every title they've released so far is always in the range of 1,000+ hours. Plus will be fun to make mods.

Yep I think they were deliberately careful not to release any footage too early, or even talk about the game much in advance.

 

Guide gotten taken down, but here's a cached version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...out-4-graphics-performance-and-tweaking-guide

But the punchline is this:

http://images.nvidia.com/geforce-co...?ClickID=cfvle4zpfpe4ppwlqlqsxexkaawnqlevensn

 

Punchline? Resolution is lower. It's especially apparent on the vertical beam with the skeleton on the right, notice how on Low the outlines are blurrier, and with temporal instability (flickering in motion) probably. Also you can see the light rays are softer on Low.

 

What would be the purpose of testing different settings at different resolutions?

 

You misunderstood. The god rays setting affects the resolution the light rays are rendered at, not the whole image. Similar to how SSAO renders shadows at half res while HBAO renders at full.

 

Ah ok. The only thing I noticed initially was the actual rays of light were blurrier on low, but I went back and checked and yes the skeleton's outline also appears blurrier as well.

Still not sure if that justifies a 35% performance hit though.

 

From static screenshots, high vs. low god rays doesn't look like a massive difference and is a nice performance boost, but what it looks like in motion is another story (that's from console, but you get the point).

 

Crispier rays of light?

 

Yes, well baked (like my avatar).

 

There's nothing to downgrade...

 

Haha wow it actually runs without any crashes on my ancient laptop, albeit around 15-20fps @ 720p.

There is nothing like resolution scaling and the "Low" options have been removed for some graphics settings, so I need to tweak the .ini files a bit I think.

The crafting and settlement thing is really complex, still getting the hang of it.

 

tried it out with the 980m this morning, can't play in fullscreen for some reason without black screen at startup, borderless and windowed works fine though. ultra settings performing great so far but have only played about 30 minutes up to this point.

 

I had a streamer last night be very annoyed at a lack of borderless or windowed mode options... did they patch it in this morning?

 

in the options menu it's two checkboxes towards the bottom left of the window, not at home right now though. I opted into the beta through steam so it may be only in the beta patched version

 

Played about an hour this morning before heading out to work. Started and played great, no issues. Fun opening to game and story, no issues to report. ~60fps on high on my machine listed at 1080p w/vsync.

Played Fullscreen this morning, no problems like in some other games... staring at you Dirt:Rally

I'm not in the beta and there is an option on the launcher for Fullscreen, Windowed, or Borderless Windowed.

 

If you would like to download just right click on the game name in the library go to settings, and then there should be a tab for beta, just check the checkbox for it and it will download the update

 

Must've been a patch then.

 

How good or bad is it compared to Skyrim. I remember when I first realized I could build myself a home in Skyrim. Then after building first "box" I realized how much crap I would have to do next to make it something worthwhile. "Screw this" I thought "I like Breezehome better anyway" (especially with a certain mod).
Good thing that all was optional, otherwise I would have killed myself.

 

Played Skyrim quite a lot but almost never saved enough gold to buy a house. Never had a chance to try the Hearthfire stuff, although I did try the Build Your Own House mod.

I'm guessing the main difference with Skyrim is you can scrap anything you find within the settlement area, so it's easy to find a lot of materials, and you don't have to carry the stuff around in your inventory, it's all stored automatically inside the workbench.

Really enjoying this part of the game, to the point where I might just never do the main quest and screw around building settlements instead with this entire playthrough.

Playing on Survival mode and I'm still level 1, not even level 2 - mainly I was setting up turrets at the very edge of the settlement, so if I could lead them back to the turret.

The difficulty setting for Survival so far seems better than vanilla Skyrim Master difficulty - feels more challenging, even without installing any difficulty mods. The enemies seem to be smarter or more aggressive in patrolling around to find you and using cover etc.

 

I never did the home building in skyrim, now that you guys are talking about it it makes me want to go back and try it out.

 

YOU WOT

I never have enough money.

In the vendors' money pools.

I have too much stuff to sell AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

On at least four characters.

100,000+ gold.

Multiple houses bought in all the cities.

And I still cannot find enough vendors with money to sell

I've had to level up speech to unlock the ability to invest in vendors JUST SO I COULD SELL THEM MORE THINGS EACH DAY

 

Touché

 

I found more fuel to the fire, guys. Let's get it on here:

Fallout 4 "not resolution or FPS capped in any way": https://twitter.com/bethesda/status/613008088824741888
Fallout 4 physics tied to framerate:

 

They mean you CAN run it however you like, it just won't work!

 

This is so 1998

 

This guy is particularly unhappy about this: