tweaking oblivion
Chapter 8 – Tweaking Oblivion
Editing Oblivion.ini
By default, each time Oblivion loads up, it reads the values held in the Oblivion.ini file
stored under your \Documents and Settings\[username]\My Documents\My
Games\Oblivion directory. This file can be opened and edited using a text editor like
Windows Notepad or WordPad, however before editing it, first change all of your in
game settings to the way you want them, then close Oblivion and make a backup copy of
this file. If at any time you want to find the default values for any of the .ini variables,
open the Oblivion_default.ini file under your \Program Files\Bethesda
Softworks\Oblivion directory. This file contains all the defaults for Oblivion on your
system, and should never be edited or deleted. If you want the game to quickly restore all
the default values for your Oblivion.ini file, simply delete the Oblivion.ini file and it will
be recreated with the default values the next time you start Oblivion. This can help to
quickly resolve any problems you may be having as a result of incorrectly tweaking
variables, however obviously you will lose all your customisations as well as your in-
game settings preferences.
The performance impact of these tweaks will vary from machine to machine, sometimes
significantly, but the general impact is indicated. Note that I have tested every variable in
the Oblivion.ini file, and those which seem to have no discernable or useful impact, or
which can cause crashes or odd behaviour are not included below. Some of the variables
people have been using do not do what they think they do, so if you see some notable
exceptions, bear in mind that it is likely they are either not useful, or can be adjusted in-
game - settings which can be fully altered using the in-game settings aren't shown below,
unless they can be tweaked further.
Note: If you're having problems finding any of these commands in your Oblivion.ini file,
first make sure you're using the right .ini file (read the info above again carefully), then
go to the top of Oblivion.ini, press CTRL+F to open the search box, type or paste the
name of the command into there, and it will find it for you. All commands below should
be in everyone's .ini file.
[General Variables]
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
167
BAllowConsole=1 - This setting allows you to use the in game console if set to 1. There
is no reason to set it to 0.
FDefaultFOV=75.0000 - Determines the default Field of View whenever you start
Oblivion. If set differently from the default of 75 degrees, can put screen elements out of
synch and also insert borders around the screen.
FGlobalTimeMultiplier=1.0000 - Raising the value above 1 speeds up the rate at which
world time passes, lowering it below 1 slows down time. This setting is interesting for
watching rapid-motion sunsets/sunrises for example.
BBorderRegionsEnabled=1 - If set to 0, this option removes the invisible barriers around
the outer parts of the game world, though not much is beyond.
IMaxDecalsPerFrame=10 - This value determines the maximum number of decals
(blood marks) visible on screen at any time. Note that decals can have a noticeable
impact on performance; so raising this value can reduce FPS during combat.
FDecalLifetime=10.0000 - This value determines the time in seconds before decals
(blood marks) disappear. The higher the value, the longer the blood marks will take to
fade away. Note again that decals can have a noticeable impact on performance.
FMinBloodDamage=1.0000 - This value determines the minimum amount of damage
you must inflict to draw blood.
BUse Joystick=0 - Set to 0 if you don't have a joystick connected, some people claim this
improves FPS and resolves mouse/input lag.
BInstantLevelUp=0 - If set to 1 allows your character to instantly level up without having
to rest in a bed.
BSaveOnInteriorExteriorSwitch=1 - Controls whether to autosave whenever you
enter/exit buildings. Setting to 0 can reduce loading pauses during entry and exit of
buildings.
BPrecipitation=1 - If set to 0, disables rain effects.
BCheckIDsOnInit=0 - This variable appears to be for troubleshooting purposes, in that it
checks to make sure object/NPC IDs are correct as the game loads. There is no impact
from setting this to 1, so it is best left at 0 unless you are having quest problems for
example.
[Graphics Variables]
BFull Screen=1 - Determines whether to start Oblivion in Fullscreen/Windowed mode -.
Useful for changing here in case you have problems with the Oblivion Launcher.
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
168
The below two values determine the screen width and height in pixels respectively - you
can specify a custom screen resolution (in Windowed mode only) by changing these
values.
ISize W=1280
ISize H=1024
The below settings are useful particularly for those with older monitors - you can alter the
limits on the gamma (Brightness slider), and hence allow further adjustment of the
brightness slider to suit your monitor.
FGammaMax=0.6000
FGammaMin=1.4000
IShadowMapResolution=1024 - This variable determines the resolution of the shadow
maps. By lowering this value (always using a multiple of 8), you can gain significant FPS
in areas with dynamic shadows in return for much 'rougher' looking shadows. For
example, try a value of 128 to see the performance and image quality impact.
BAllow30Shaders=0 - If set to 1, this option allows (but does not force) the use of Shader
Model 3.0 on graphics cards which support it, namely Nvidia GeForce 6600 or newer, or
ATI X1000 series or newer. This can potentially improve performance when using HDR
rendering for example. Check your RendererInfo.txt file in your \Documents and
Settings\User\Documents\My Games\Oblivion directory to see if your card supports
SM3.0 next to the option '3.0 Shaders'. Note however that even by enabling this option,
Oblivion still appears to use 2.0 shaders (check the 'PSTarget' and 'VSTarget' lines in
Rendererinfo.txt). In any case, if you have one of the cards mentioned above, it cannot
hurt to enable this option.
The below two options allow you to raise the maximum number of Interior and Exterior
Shadows possible (as set by your in-game sliders). The normal maximum is 10, and
obviously raising this can reduce FPS.
IActorShadowIntMax=10
IActorShadowExtMax=10
FSpecualrStartMax=1000.0000 - This option determines the maximum range of specular
lighting, if enabled. Lowering this value may provide some additional FPS in outdoor
areas, without having to turn off specular altogether. Alternatively you can raise it further
to gain specular lighting on distant objects. Note that the word specular has been
misspelled as 'specualr' in the name of this variable - don't correct it, as the misspelled
version is the one the engine detects.
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
169
FShadowFadeTime=1.0000 - Determines how many seconds it takes for shadows to fade
in/out as you approach/retreat from objects/characters which cast shadows.
BAllowPartialPrecision=1 - This setting determines whether the shaders run in Partial
Precision DX9 mode. Essentially this should be kept at 1, since partial precision provides
the best FPS for minimal or no noticeable image quality loss, particularly on Nvidia FX
graphics cards. However if you want the best possible image quality, set this to 0 at the
cost of some FPS.
BUseRefractionShader=1 - This setting controls the shimmery/invisibility effect. Setting
it to 0 can noticeably boost FPS in areas where this effect is used, such as around
invisible characters, or at an Oblivion gate. Note in particular that ATI users who have
major problems in such areas in particular should set this to 0, though that in turn may
cause other problems.
BDoTexturePass=1 - Setting this to 0 removes textures from most objects. It can improve
FPS but is obviously not recommended.
BDoSpecularPass=1 - If set to 0, removes the shiny effect on most appropriate surfaces
This can noticeably improve FPS on many systems, but can also cause crashes in certain
areas (e.g. Weynon Priory). You can try to reduce these crashes using this mod.
BDoDiffusePass=1 - If set to 0, removes all dynamic lighting and hence is not
recommended.
BDoCanopyShadowPass=1 - If set to 0, removes all tree shadows, which can improve
FPS in forested outdoor areas.
BLocalMapShader=1 - If set to 0, removes the brown hazy overlay on the local area
world map, making the colours much brighter but also highlighting the relatively low
resolution of the map.
BFullBrightLighting=0 - If set to 1, alters the global lighting method to one which is far
less detailed and doesn't use complex shaders, hence is much less strenuous for older
cards. The results are graphically unpleasant as most textures look terrible, and there will
be some graphical glitches, but this should allow older cards to run Oblivion more
smoothly.
MaxLandscapeTextures=0 - If set to 1, this setting appears to increase the use of generic
landscape texture in place of more specific ones. This saves on texture memory, but can
cause graphical oddities, such as roads being replaced with grass textures, or clear lines
where different types of textures should blend into each other. It may also cause problems
with the LOD Texture Replacement mods, and hence is only recommended for those with
very low-end graphics cards struggling with stuttering and low FPS.
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
170
BLandscapeBlend=1 - If set to the default of 1, it provides smoother blending of distant
LOD textures with closer detail textures as you approach objects/terrain. This setting
should be left enabled, as it prevents the previously unrealistic way in which distant
textures went from being very blurry to suddenly becoming sharp and distinct as you
approached them. It should also result in less dramatic loading pauses as you move
around.
[Audio Variables]
BDSoundHWAcceleration=1 - If set to 1, uses hardware acceleration (i.e. your sound
card) to reproduce audio. This provides the best audio quality, however if you are having
problems such as odd crashes, you can try a value of 0 to disable hardware sound
acceleration.
BMusicEnabled=1 - If set to 0, turns off all background music. This will detract from the
atmosphere of the game, but can noticeably improve stuttering on some systems, as
background music dynamically loads throughout the game.
BSoundEnabled=1 - If set to 0, turns off all sound effects, but does not affect music. This
would be an extreme way of gaining performance or reducing crashes and is not
recommended for anything other than troubleshooting purposes.
FMainMenuMusicVolume=0.6000 - The main menu music volume can't be adjusted
anywhere in the game, except by using the Master Volume slider (which then affects all
sound/music). To alter the menu music volume independently, change the value here.
IMaxImpactSoundCount=32 - This option determines the maximum number of channels
used for different sound effects. Reduce it 24 or 16 to remove some of the sound effects
in return for a performance boost and stuttering reduction. Note however that this setting
can crash your system if set too low, particularly with hardware acceleration enabled.
[Memory, Loading & Multithreading Variables]
All users should implement the Memory and Loading tweaks (with appropriate values)
below, but the Multithreading tweaks are best used on Dual Core or HyperThreading
CPUs.
Memory Tweaks:
UInterior Cell Buffer=3
UExterior Cell Buffer=36
The above values determine how many cells (whether for interior or exterior areas) are
buffered into RAM. Note that usually the value of the Exterior Cell Buffer variable is
automatically set by the engine based on the size of the uGridstoLoad variable. The
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
171
higher that variable is, the higher the engine will raise this value. However if you want to
smooth out your FPS, try manually setting a higher value for both of these, depending on
how much RAM you have. For 1GB I recommend doubling the values (6 and 72
respectively). For 2GB of RAM, I use 16 and 102 respectively. For higher amounts of
RAM, try raising them higher, however note that you should also raise the
iPreloadSizeLimit value below.
IPreloadSizeLimit=26214400 - This setting appears to determine the maximum amount
(in bytes) of RAM allowed for preloading game data. The higher the value, the more
chance you have of reducing stuttering. The default value equates to around 25MB
(divide the setting by 1024 to get KB, then by 1024 again to get MB). For those with
1GB of system RAM, try doubling the variable to 52428800. For those with 2GB, try
double again at 104857600 (100MB). You can raise these values even further to
experiment, however note that raising this to a large amount doesn't force all the game
data to sit in RAM, and can actually cause crashes. I suggest the maximum anyone
should set this to should be around 262144000 (250MB), even for 2GB of RAM. Make
sure to raise your Cell Buffer values accordingly (see above).
BPreemptivelyUnloadCells=0 - If set to 1, this setting attempts to unload cell data it
thinks you won't need. This can help those with less than 1GB of RAM, however with
1GB or more of RAM, I recommend leaving it at 0 for greatly reduced stuttering.
Note: As you raise the values of iPreloadSizeLimit and the Cell Buffer variables further
above, you should make sure bPreemptivelyUnloadCells is set to 0 to take advantage of
such additional memory allocation, otherwise it will actively work against the benefits
brought about by the other tweaks.
BSelectivePurgeUnusedOnFastTravel=0 - If set to 1, this option removes a range of
unnecessary data when you Fast Travel to another location. This can help keep memory
usage down for those with less RAM, so it is recommended such people set this to 1,
otherwise leave it at 0.
Loading Tweaks:
BUseHardDriveCache=1 - Although Windows should be using your hard drive cache by
default for all drive operations, setting this variable to 1 should ensure it does. Note that
some people report that enabling this setting can increase stuttering, so experiment to see
if it helps or makes things worse for you. If in doubt, leave it at 0.
BBackgroundLoadLipFiles=1
BLoadBackgroundFaceGen=1
BBackgroundCellLoads=1
BLoadHelmetsInBackground=1
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
172
IBackgroundLoadLoading=1
BBackgroundPathing=1
All of the above options relate to background loading to attempt to smooth FPS and
reduce stutter. I recommend setting them all to 1. This may increase some transitional
loading times (e.g. loading cities, crossing indoors/outdoors), but should generally reduce
random loading stutter as you wander around.
BUseBackgroundFileLoader=0 - This setting may improve stuttering performance on
some machines if set to 1, but I have noticed that it can also cause crashes and long
loading times for some people, so on balance I recommend leaving it at 0.
IPostProcessMillisecondsEditor=50
IPostProcessMillisecondsLoadingQueuedPriority=20
IPostProcessMilliseconds=5
I'm not certain of what the above three settings do, but they seem to relate to the loading
of post process effects such as HDR which are applied after a scene is rendered. By
changing these values you can fine-tune the way their loading impacts on stuttering in the
game world. I tried various values, but the most noticeable impact was reducing the
iPostProcessMillisecondsLoadingQueuedPriority value from its default of 20 to a lower
value, such as 5. It will depend on your particular system as to whether changing this will
have the same impact.
Multithreading Tweaks:
BUseThreadedBlood=1
BUseThreadedMorpher=1
BUseThreadedTempEffects=1
BUseThreadedParticleSystem=1
BUseMultiThreadedTrees=1
BUseMultiThreadedFaceGen=1
INumHavokThreads=5
IThreads=9
IOpenMPLevel=10
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
173
All of the above settings seem to relate to the use of the GameBryo engine's
multithreading capability. Multithreading splits tasks into 'threads' where possible, and
runs them in parallel across both cores of Dual Core or HyperThreading (virtual dual
core) CPUs to improve performance. Note that raising the values of the iThreads,
iNumHavokThreads and iOpenMPLevel settings very high doesn't automatically mean it
uses that many threads - it all depends on how many threads are actually possible based
on the information being processed.
[Cell Visibility/Loading Variables]
UGridsToLoad=5 - Increasing the uGridsToLoad value (always in odd steps of 5,7,9,11
etc.) will increase the number of grids around the character in which full texture data will
be loaded up and visible as he/she wanders around. This clearly improves visual quality -
removing blurry distant LOD textures for example when set to 11 or above - however it
also noticeably increases loading times and loading pauses, introduces visual anomalies
(particularly around water areas) and reduces performance significantly. Interestingly, as
uGridsToLoad increases, the system automatically increases the uExterior Cell Buffer
value to accommodate the greater cell data. Furthermore, if you use an even value, the
engine will automatically raise it to the nearest odd value (e.g. entering 10 means the
engine will set it to 11). On balance the default value of 5 is a good compromise between
performance and loading pauses.
UGridDistantTreeRange=15
UGridDistantCount=25
The above settings when combined can be used to increase the visibility of distant trees.
Increasing the uGridDistantTreeRange setting by itself has no visible impact. Yet if you
also increase the uGridDistantCount value as well, you will start to see trees further out
towards the horizon, on mountain ranges for example. Very high values will reduce
performance and dramatically increase level loading times. For example experiment with
a value of 200 for both to see the image quality and performance impact on your system,
though I would recommend you leave these at their default for the best
performance/image quality balance.
UGridDistantTreeRangeCity=4
UGridDistantCountCity=4
The above settings work in much the same way as uGridDistantTreeRange and
uGridDistantCount except they apply to tree visibility within cities.
FLandTextureTilingMult=2.0000 - Decreasing this value can reducing the obvious tile
pattern which occurs on land textures, but unfortunately also distorts textures close to the
character. You can also use this mod for a much better fix to grass tiling.
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
174
[Tree & Grass Variables]
IMinGrassSize=120 - This setting controls the density of grass clumps. The higher the
value, the less tightly packed grassy areas will be, resulting in more empty spaces in
grassland, and thus noticeably higher FPS in heavily grassed areas. I suggest a value of
120 to improve FPS without overly thinning out grass.
Note: You can also use this Low Poly Grass Mod to reduce the polygon count
(complexity) of grass, boosting FPS further and making the overall look better.
FGrassEndDistance=8000.0000
FGrassStartFadeDistance=7000.0000
The above settings control the distance at which grass ends, and the distance shortly
before that which it starts to fade away. You can lower these values to increase
performance, and also by reducing the difference between the FadeDistance and
EndDistance.
BGrassPointLighting=0 - Setting to 1 provides more accurate lighting on grass at the cost
of reduced FPS.
BDrawShaderGrass=1 - If set to 0 removes all grass which obviously improves FPS in
such areas at the cost of realism.
ITreeClonesAllowed=0 - If set to a particular value, appears to determine in part the
number of possible tree clones (copies of the same basic tree type) which are generated.
The higher the value, the greater the potential to improve FPS and stuttering by reducing
texture types and processing time, however I have not seen a major performance or visual
difference from various values of this setting.
ICanopyShadowScale=512 - This value determines the appearance of tree shadow
textures - lowering the resolution value (in multiples of 8) will make the tree shadows
appear finer and more detailed, but this will also introduce a visible tiling pattern to the
shadows. Altering this value doesn't appear to have a significant impact on FPS, but may
do on older graphics cards.
BEnableTrees=1 - If set to 0, turns off all trees, boosting FPS but making things highly
unrealistic outdoors.
BForceFullLOD=0 - If set to 1 uses full Level of Detail (LOD) for trees, making them
appear slightly better at the cost of a small FPS drop.
[Water Variables]
BUseWaterReflectionsMisc=1
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
175
BUseWaterReflectionsStatics=1
BUseWaterReflectionsTrees=1
BUseWaterReflectionsActors=1
The above settings control the additional reflections possible on the surface of water
areas. When set to 1, they allow nearby trees, objects, and other characters to reflect in
the water. Note that this reduces FPS in busy areas, and that the additional reflections are
only visible when you and the objects are closer to the water.
UDepthRange=125 - This option controls the depth of water visibility from above. The
higher the value, the clearer the water appears, however some water glitches may also
start becoming apparent, and FPS may be reduced as well.
BUseWaterDepth=1 - If set to 0, water becomes completely opaque (i.e. you cannot see
into it at all from above). This can resolve some of the visual glitches, which result from
changing the uGridsToLoad value, and can also improve FPS, at the cost of some
realism.
UNumDepthGrids=3 - Also appears to control the depth of water visible, with lower
values making water less transparent. If set too high this results in glitches, but if set to 1
can resolve issues with the uGridsToLoad value being higher than 5 and improve FPS as
well.
BUseWaterLOD=1 - If set to 0 removes all water.
FSurfaceTileSize=2048.0000 - Controls the size of the water texture grids. The smaller
this value, the smaller the size of texture tiles, and the faster and more tightly packed the
water ripples will appear.
[Actor Variables]
BUseEyeEnvMapping=1 - If set to 0, disables environment mapping on character eyes.
This makes eyes look slightly less natural and not influenced by the character's
surroundings, but can improve FPS slightly.
BDisableHeadTracking=0 - If set to 1, stops characters' heads swivelling to track other
characters, including your own (when in 3rd person view). Does not seem to influence
performance much, and is not recommended.
BFaceGenTexturing=1 - If set to 0, Face Generator textures are removed from faces -
this means they will all look smooth and lack things like age lines. There will be a slight
performance improvement by doing this.
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
176
BFaceMipMaps=1 - If set to 0, character faces are slightly less detailed but FPS may
improve slightly.
[Movie Variables]
SMainMenuMovieIntro=Oblivion IV logo.bik
SIntroSequence=Bethesda softworks HD720p.bik, 2k games.bik, game studios.bik,
Oblivion Legal.bik
The above two settings controls the bulk of the introductory movies that are loaded up
each time you start Oblivion. By setting each of these options to blank (e.g.
SMainMenuMovieIntro=), you will prevent the intro movies from starting up, thus
getting to the main menu quicker, reducing memory usage as well.
SMainMenuMovie=Map loop.bik - This is optional, but for those who also want to
disable the animated map in the background of the main menu, set this option to = blank
as well. This can also improve mouse responsiveness in the main menu.
[Interface Variables]
FDlgFocus=2.1000 - This setting determines the level of camera zoom on people's faces
when you enter into conversation with them. A value of 4.0000 is equivalent to no zoom
at all, while something like 3.0000 gives a mild zoom which I feel is better than the
extreme level of zoom provided by the current setting.
BHealthBarShowing=0 - If set to 1, shows a small yellow health bar above an enemy in
combat, rather than the normal curved health bar in the centre of the screen.
ISafeZoneX=5
ISafeZoneY=5
ISafeZoneXWide=5
ISafeZoneYWide=5
The above settings determine the 'safe zone' for the placement of your Heads Up Display
(HUD). By reducing the values, such as to a value of 5, this will move the HUD elements
at the bottom of the screen even lower, making them less intrusive.
[HDR & Bloom Variables]
BlurShaderHDRInterior
BlurShaderHDR
Oblivion Mod Maker’s Manual
177
BlurShader
The above sections in the .ini file relate to HDR lighting effect parameters (the first two
being interior and exterior HDR lighting), and the third being Bloom lighting parameters.
You can alter these values in an attempt to make the lighting effects better suit your
tastes. For example, some people suggest that using the following settings for the Bloom
(BlurShader) lighting makes it look more 'HDR-like' without the same performance
impact as real HDR:
FSkyBrightness=0.7000
fAlphaAddInterior=0.8500
FBlurRadius=0.0600
INumBlurpasses=3
IBlendType=2
Obviously you will have to experiment or find someone who has values, which you may
find desirable, but note that varying these can result in strange visual glitches in certain
areas, such as an oversaturated sky or odd watercolours