Anonymous edits have been disabled on the wiki. If you want to contribute please login or create an account.

Difference between revisions of "Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(added Dark Souls Input Customizer)
Line 231: Line 231:
 
|full controller          = false
 
|full controller          = false
 
|full controller notes    = Entering a name for a new character requires keyboard.
 
|full controller notes    = Entering a name for a new character requires keyboard.
|controller remap          = false
+
|controller remap          = hackable
|controller remap notes    =  
+
|controller remap notes    = Use [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/890-dark-souls-input-customizer/ Dark Souls Input Customizer].
 
|controller sensitivity    = unknown
 
|controller sensitivity    = unknown
 
|controller sensitivity notes=  
 
|controller sensitivity notes=  

Revision as of 23:05, 23 May 2017

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition cover
Developers
From Software
Publishers
Bandai Namco Entertainment
Engines
PhyreEngine
Release dates
Windows August 23, 2012
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition guide on StrategyWiki
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition on Wikipedia

Warnings

For Games for Windows - LIVE on Windows 8 or later, install the latest Games for Windows - LIVE software.
Dark Souls
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition 2012
Dark Souls II 2014
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin 2015
Dark Souls III 2016
Dark Souls: Remastered 2018

Key points

A port of the console versions of the game with few configurable options.[1] Use DSfix to increase rendering resolution and remove the 30 FPS cap along with many other options.
Using a controller is strongly recommended over keyboard and mouse controls.[1] If using keyboard and mouse controls, use Dark Souls Input Customizer to fix mouse control issues.
Games for Windows - LIVE DRM was removed from the Steam version on February 16, 2015; product keys activate on Steam.[2]

General information

Steam Community Discussions
Steam Users' Forums

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Icon overlay.png
Optional Steam unlock.[3]
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Amazon.com
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Incorrect store name. See here for available options.
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Windows
All non-Steam versions require Games for Windows - LIVE DRM.[2]
All product keys activate on Steam.[2]

Essential improvements

High-resolution textures, fonts, and controller button prompts are available to download (requires DSfix).
Dark Souls Configuration Utility is a launcher, mod manager, and configuration tool which bundles many of the following (and other) mods.

DSfix

DSfix increases the rendering resolution for better visual quality; without it the game outputs anamorphic 1024x720. It also allows the 30 FPS cap to be removed, HD or other alternate textures to be used, as well as giving options for anti-aliasing (AA), screen space ambient occlusion (SSAO), depth of field (DOF) blurring, anisotropic filtering (AF) and many other features.
Raising the FPS cap introduces minor clipping problems. It is, however, generally safe to play at 60 FPS, and you will be unlikely to encounter any issues. See High frame rate for more information.
Instructions

Dark Souls Input Customizer

The Dark Souls Input Customizer (DSIC) allows full customization of the controls of Dark Souls. It uses an intuitive input system that allows the rebinding of every action to arbitrary combinations of keys or buttons on the controller, mouse or keyboard. Although this can in part also be achieved with existing tools, DSIC is much more flexible and wraps it all up in an easy to use package, with additional functionality that is specially tailored to Dark Souls. DSIC also fully includes the Dark Souls Mouse Fix, which does not have to be installed separately.

Dark Souls PVP Watchdog

BitBucket, Main thread, Download
Dark Souls PVP Watchdog is a tool designed to prevent some common forms of cheating and tampering in online sessions, and gives the player the ability to ban offenders from their worlds.
Disclaimer: read the overview in the first link.
Instructions

Dark Souls Connectivity Mod

Developer's Site, Download, NexusMods
The problem: Recent versions of Dark Souls have trouble connecting to other nodes, making Multiplayer difficult or even impossible.
Dark Souls Connectivity Mod is a tool that attaches itself to Dark Souls process, allowing it to connect to player nodes.
A side-effect of being able to choose a node, Co-Op and PvP with select players becomes possible.
Instructions

Skip intro videos

Instructions

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

Template:Game data/row
System Location
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/211420/pfx/[Note 1]

Save game data location

Template:Game data/row
System Location
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/211420/pfx/[Note 1]
For the Games for Windows - LIVE version %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\XLive must also be backed up.

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Steam Cloud
Syncs up to 100 MB of save data.

Video settings

Video settings.
Video settings.

Template:Video settings

Multi-monitor

Instructions

Borderless fullscreen windowed

Instructions

Anisotropic filtering (AF)

Instructions

Anti-aliasing (AA)

Anti aliasing may be forced with the compatibility flag 0x004000C0. Sparse Grid Supersampling gives a blurry effect. Multisampling combined with transparency supersampling seems to work well (this author uses 4x on each). Some dark diagonal line artefacts are visible on my system occasionally with these settings but aren't obtrusive. DSfix's antialiasing should be turned off for this.

High frame rate

Instructions

Ambient occlusion (AO)

Ambient occlusion can supposedly be enabled with either 0x00000029 (Skyrim, soft AO) or 0x00000003 (Fallout 3, stronger AO effect). DSfix's AO should be turned off if you're forcing it here.

Input settings

Control scheme tips.[4]
Control scheme tips.[4]

Template:Input settings

Audio settings

Template:Audio settings

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Traditional Chinese
French
German
Italian
Korean
Polish
Russian
Spanish
Japanese

Network

Online features in non-Steam versions require a Microsoft account (optional for offline play).

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
Online play
4 Co-op, Versus

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 53,80,443,3074
UDP 53,88,3074
This game supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for automatic port configuration.
UPnP is working in the Games for Windows - LIVE version if the Games for Windows - LIVE Network Settings says "UPnP is available, in use"; if not, refer to this guide.

VR support

3D modes State Notes
Nvidia 3D Vision
See Nvidia 3D Vision.

Nvidia 3D Vision

The game suffers from poor Nvidia 3D Vision support.
Instructions

Issues fixed

Performances issues

General fixes

Instructions
Instructions

Lower-spec machine fixes

Instructions
Instructions
Certain areas of the game are more demanding on your hardware causing slowdown in-game. It seems that the engine, when faced with an area where it struggles to render 30 FPS, will cut down to 15FPS. The most famous is Blighttown, but large animated characters can also produce this slowdown.
Unlock the FPS cap with DSfix (unlockFPS 1), set the frame cap at 30 (FPSlimit 30) and enable Vsync (enableVsync 1) For the most part you will have the same experience, but where the game would usually dip to 15FPS it will only drop as far as it needs to (results depend on your machine).

ATI/AMD-specific fixes

Appears that ATI/AMD graphics cards are underutilised.
Instructions
Instructions

Nvidia Optimus-specific fixes

Instructions

Crashes

Lifting FPS-cap using DSFix

Instructions

VSFilter.dll

Crash occurs after start screen.
Instructions

Monitor refresh rate

Instructions

Windows 7

Crash on startup
Instructions

Windows 8

Instructions
Instructions
Instructions

RivaTuner

Instructions

Controller issues

Controller not working

Instructions
Instructions

DirectInput controllers have wrong mapping

Use X360ce to fix the issue by emulating the official Xbox 360 Controller.
Instructions

Miscellaneous

Jittery mouse controls

Mouse controls feel very jittery, with unintuitive results when the camera collides with a wall or the floor.
Instructions

Xbox button prompts always shown

Instructions

Black screen on startup

The game's window remains black after launching and is "Not Responding" if clicked on.
The issue can also occur when a USB DAC is plugged in i.e. Fiio E17K.[citation needed]
Instructions
Instructions
Instructions
Instructions

Minimize with multiple monitors

Fix binds the mouse to a single screen (DSFix has this feature built in).
Instructions

Progress bar stuck during installation

Problem may be caused by setup utility getting stuck whilst installing DirectX and Games for Windows - LIVE.
Instructions

Manual Save Game conversion from GFWL version to Steam version

Useful if the automatic conversion fails. However, this will only transfer your game state WITHOUT your achievements.

Instructions

Game only uses part of the screen

DSfix anti-aliasing conflict
DSfix anti-aliasing conflict
Using DSfix with in-game anti-aliasing enabled causes the game to only use part of the screen.
Instructions

Steam requesting UAC on every launch

The issue is that Steam is trying to install Gfwlivesetup.exe but Steam also stopped supplying the executable with new downloads.

Instructions
Instructions

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Physics Havok
Audio FMOD
Input XInput
Cutscenes Bink
Multiplayer Steamworks, Games for Windows - LIVE Steam version uses Steamworks, non-Steam uses GFWL.[2]

System requirements

Windows
Minimum
Operating system (OS) XP, Vista, 7
Processor (CPU) AMD Phenom II X2 545 3.0 GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0 GHz
System memory (RAM) 2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 4 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon HD 4870
Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX+
DirectX 9.0c compatible

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/211420/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (211420) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References