Squad 44

Squad 44

165 ratings
EPIC+ Graphics Tweak for High End PC (2024)
By KimchiSmash
This guide explains how to tweak your config files to achieve higher than Epic graphics quality.

If you're already running Epic settings with no issues, then this guide could be relevant to you.

This config mod will increase the following:
  • Mesh details
  • Shadow quality and render distance
  • Tonemapping
  • Lighting details
  • Ambient occlusion
  • Post process effects
  • Landscape details
  • Grass and foliage density

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1. Showcase
Before jumping into the guide, here are some samples of how the game looks like on my machine.

2. Reference Specs & Performance
My specs are as follow:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz (5.0 GHz boost)
GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super, @106% power limit with Afterburner
Memory: 32GB DDR5 6000Mhz
Storage: M.2 SSD
Resolution: 3440x1440 @144Hz
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster AE-5 32 bit, 96000 Hz
Average performance (full match): 60~85 fps depending on the map and how many players are in the area, occasional dips to 58 fps when things are extremely dense.
Estimated performance cost: up to 25%, but still mostly above 60 FPS (in my case)
3. In-game Settings
  • You can adjust any in-game setting to your own taste, these are just my settings for reference.
  • Window mode: Stick to fullscreen, other modes do cause small amounts of input lag.
  • Anti-aliasing (AA): I prefer TAA over DLSS or DLAA, I'm just not a fan of blurry sh*t, TAA seems to be the most crisp out of all.
4. nVidia Control Panel (AMD users skip to section 5)
If you don't know how to add Post Scriptum to the settings, see below:


Here are my settings
5. Locating your ini configs
First you need to find your config folder, which is located in your local appdata folder. (If you already know how to do this, skip to the next section)

This folder is not visible in your file explorer, so you need to do the following:

1. Enter %localappdata% into the address bar of your explorer, find the PostScriptum folder, and then proceed to the WindowsNoEditor sub-folder:

-
-

2. Optional: create a backup folder, and copy pasta all your ini files in there if you wanna be safe.

3. Open Engine.ini with Notepad or Notepad++[notepad-plus-plus.org].
6. Adding commands to Engine.ini
Open Engine.ini, leave whatever is already in the file as is, copy paste the following in the empty space, and then save it.

[Core.Log]
Global=all off ;

[/script/engine.garbagecollectionsettings]
TimeBetweenPurgingPendingKillObjects=0 ;

[TextureStreaming]
r.TextureStreaming=0 ;

[SystemSettings]
r.AllowHDR=0 ;
r.FinishCurrentFrame=0 ;
r.OneFrameThreadLag=1 ;
r.FullScreenMode=0 ;
r.GTSyncType=0 ;
r.RHICmdBypass=0 ;
r.GPUCrashDebugging=0 ;
r.CreateShadersOnLoad=1 ;
Compat.UseDXT5NormalMaps=0 ;
r.MaxAnisotropy=16 ;
r.TessellationAdaptivePixelsPerTriangle=48 ;
r.MipMapLODBias=-1 ;
r.LandscapeLODBias=-1 ;
r.SkeletalMeshLODBias=-1 ;
r.ParticleLODBias=-1 ;
r.ShadowQuality=5 ;
r.Shadow.CSM.MaxCascades=8 ;
r.Shadow.MaxResolution=4096 ;
r.Shadow.MaxCSMResolution=4096 ;
r.Shadow.RadiusThreshold=0.03 ;
r.Shadow.DistanceScale=1.00 ;
r.Shadow.CSM.TransitionScale=1.00 ;
r.AllowLandscapeShadows=1 ;
r.DistanceFieldShadowing=1 ;
r.ContactShadows=1 ;
r.AllowStaticLighting=0 ;
r.IndirectLightingCache=1 ;
r.PostProcessAAQuality=6 ;
r.ScreenPercentage=100 ;
r.SceneRenderTargetResizeMethod=0 ;
r.Filter.SizeScale=1 ;
r.Tonemapper.Quality=5 ;
r.Tonemapper.MergeWithUpscale.Mode=1 ;
r.TonemapperFilm=1 ;
r.Tonemapper.GrainQuantization=1 ;
r.GenerateMeshDistanceFields=1 ;
r.DefaultFeature.AmbientOcclusion=1 ;
r.DefaultFeature.AmbientOcclusionStaticFraction=1 ;
r.AmbientOcclusionMipLevelFactor=0.4 ;
r.AmbientOcclusionMaxQuality=100 ;
r.AmbientOcclusionLevels=3 ;
r.AmbientOcclusionRadiusScale=1.5 ;
r.AmbientOcclusion.FadeRadiusScale=1 ;
r.AmbientOcclusionSampleSetQuality=1 ;
r.AmbientOcclusion.Compute=0 ;
r.ReflectionEnvironment=1 ;
r.ReflectionEnvironmentLightmapMixBasedOnRoughness=1 ;
r.ReflectionEnvironmentLightmapMixing=1 ;
r.ReflectionEnvironmentLightmapMixLargestWeight=1000 ;
r.DepthOfFieldQuality=2 ;
r.ViewDistanceScale=1.0 ;
r.LightMaxDrawDistanceScale=1 ;
r.LightShaftQuality=1 ;
r.LightShaftFirstPassDistance=0.06 ;
r.LightFunctionQuality=2 ;
r.MotionBlurQuality=4 ;
r.BloomQuality=5 ;
r.SceneColorFringeQuality=1 ;
r.SceneColorFringe.Max=0 ;
r.VolumetricFog=1 ;
r.MaterialQualityLevel=1 ;
r.DetailMode=2 ;
r.ParticleLightQuality=1 ;
r.Atmosphere=1 ;
grass.DensityScale=1.0 ;
foliage.DensityScale=1.0 ;
r.MinTimeBetweenTicks=8 ;
r.ParticleMinTimeBetweenTicks=8 ;
r.DefaultFeature.AutoExposure=1 ;
r.MSAA.CompositingSampleCount=1 ;
r.DontLimitOnBattery=1 ;

[ConsoleVariables]
AllowAsyncRenderThreadUpdates=1 ;
AllowAsyncRenderThreadUpdatesDuringGamethreadUpdates=1 ;
AllowAsyncRenderThreadUpdatesEditor=1 ;
s.AsyncLoadingThreadEnabled=1 ;
r.OptimizeForUAVPerformance=1 ;
[/code]
7. PROFIT!
8. Additional Tips
  • How to revert to normal?
Delete the Engine.ini file, the next time you launch the game, a new one will be automatically generated with default parameters.
  • How to clear cache while keeping the settings?
1. Make a backup of the following files in the folder aforementioned folder: (C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\PostScriptum\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor\)
  • Engine.ini
  • GameUserSettings.ini
  • Input.ini
2. Clear cache (recommend manual, by deleting the entire PostScriptuim folder in the appdata)

3. Launch the game, then exit the game.

4. Paste those backup ini files back into that folder.

5. If the shadow in the main menu scene doesn't look different, that's normal, in game shadows will still be different.
104 Comments
...loading name 10 Mar @ 10:52am 
Also: Some of the settings might cause PSRM to not function properly, espacially with shadows PSRM is a bit finicky, since it uses dynamic lighting instead of static lighting like vanilla does.
...loading name 10 Mar @ 10:44am 
Part4:
Change:
r.AmbientOcclusionLevels=3 ; - set to 2, since it can cause flickering on 3 on some systems

Add in GameUserSettings.ini:

[ScalabilityGroups]
sg.ResolutionQuality=100.000000
sg.ViewDistanceQuality=3
sg.AntiAliasingQuality=3
sg.ShadowQuality=3
sg.PostProcessQuality=3
sg.TextureQuality=3
sg.EffectsQuality=3
sg.FoliageQuality=3
sg.ShadingQuality=3

The systems work together, simply changing stuff in engine.ini and expecting it to work flawlessy doesn't do the trick. You have to read what does what, set your settings accordingly and check HOW ITS IMPLEMENTED IN THE SPECIFIC GAME.
...loading name 10 Mar @ 10:44am 
Part3:

[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Applying CVar settings from Section [ShadowQuality@1] File [C:/Users/User/AppData/Local/PostScriptum/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditor/Scalability.ini]
[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Setting CVar [[r.LightFunctionQuality:1]]
[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Setting CVar [[r.ShadowQuality:3]]
[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Setting CVar [[r.Shadow.CSM.MaxCascades:2]]
[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Setting CVar [[r.Shadow.MaxResolution:1024]]
[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Setting CVar [[r.Shadow.MaxCSMResolution:1024]]
[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Setting CVar [[r.Shadow.RadiusThreshold:0.05]]
[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Setting CVar [[r.Shadow.DistanceScale:0.5]]
[2025.01.29-23.09.28:714][ 0]LogConfig: Setting CVar [[r.Shadow.CSM.TransitionScale:0.3]]
(just a view settings changed by Scalability.ini after your precious "changes" in engine.ini)
...loading name 10 Mar @ 10:44am 
Part2:
I get the feeling the guide is a simple ripoff from a other source with the autor not fully understanding what the values do. I would suggest reading the UE documentation and {LINK REMOVED} .

I would suggest removing:
foliage.DensityScale=1.0 ; - forced to 1 by [MA] anyhow
r.DefaultFeature.AutoExposure=1 ; - disabled in PS by the devs
all the things set ingame and therefore get overwritten according to .ini hierarchy by GameUserSettings.ini and Scalability.ini (hardcoded one, not the empty one you see in .inis) - you can check the order and what gets overwritten in the .log:

[2025.01.29-23.09.28:639][ 0]LogConfig: Applying CVar settings from Section [/script/engine.renderersettings] File [C:/Users/User/AppData/Local/PostScriptum/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditor/Engine.ini]
[...]all your changes
...loading name 10 Mar @ 10:43am 
Regarding the .ini, since i have researched the subject quite a bit (and corresponded with [MA] about it, because min. and max, values were not set correctly and therefore could have been used for "cheating" (fixed in last patch)):

Half of the settings could just be removed, they are set in a higher ranking .ini and therefore the changes in engine.ini just get overwritten. (AutoExposure to name one) Or they are just set to 1 while being a factor, so doing nothing. (densityScale to name just 2)

On the other side some key values are missing, that WOULD have a big effect on looks and render distances, like:

foliage.LODDistanceScale=1.6 ;
foliage.DitheredLOD=1 ; (LODs have a "smooth" change instead of "popping" in)
r.StaticMeshLODDistanceScale=0.2 ;

Yes, the factor for "better" distances is in one instance over 1 (gets multiplied), in the other und 1 (gets divided) - both resulting in better LODs at distance. Go figure. (And thats why you HAVE to read documentations and test settings)
chicken ham 25 Jan @ 10:32am 
this gives me 40 fps and makes my game look bad, why?
SirKosys 12 Dec, 2024 @ 9:16pm 
ok, this is the paramater that doesn't play nice. it has to be set to 1:
r.LightFunctionQuality=2 ;
SirKosys 12 Dec, 2024 @ 9:11pm 
Also getting the "LightFunctionQuality Incorrect" error too, even after deleting the cache folder. Must be one of the commands doesn't play nice with the new update.
myhathazbulletz 12 Dec, 2024 @ 9:37am 
gives me "LightFunctionQuality Incorrect" error, game crashing after launching firing range
Panik Lorli 30 Sep, 2024 @ 1:15pm 
Hey YeeYeeAssHaircut, great to see you are still updating this great graphic guide :-) :steamthumbsup: