User:Rootsrat/TheWitcher3

MODDING GUIDE

This world doesn't need a Hero. It needs a Professional.

GUIDE FORUM THREAD

CURRENTLY SUPPORTED GAME VERSION:
1.07

LATEST UPDATES:

• 19/07/2015
  • Updated the guide to be working with 1.07 version of the game. Updated mods:
    • Debug Console Enabler Updated
    • Fix Exp for quest
  • Updated the configuration files section to accommodate 1.07 changes

• 14/07/2015
  • Changed ReShade preset to Uber Fidelity Suite 2 and added the relevant installation instructions
  • Replaced user.settings and rendering.ini file with a new one to accommodate changes for the new preset
  • Removed "Naked Ciri is Naked" mod. After all it's unlikely that Ciri would be naked in that scene. To uninstall Naked Ciri is Naked mod unpack the mod archive again to \The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\content\content0\bundles folder and run Uninstall.bat file.

FULL UPDATE LOG

Introduction

The Witcher 3 was only released a few weeks ago and yet there are already quite a few mods for it, even though the official modding tool, The Red Kit, has not even been released yet. The modding community has already found ways to edit the game files in order to change some in game statistics, adjust difficulty levels and other aspects of the game. There are also a lot of presets available for post processors like ReShade, SweetFX, GemFX etc., which make the game visually better. Additionally, the game allows for modification of the user settings file in order to enhance some graphical aspects beyond the default Ultra/Uber in game settings.

This guide's main aim at this stage is to make the game visuals look better rather than change the gameplay mechanics mainly due to the fact that I still haven't finished the game yet and I want to experience the vanilla mechanics first in order to be able to assess which parts need changing. I may add some gameplay changing mods in due course however.

The guide will be lore friendly, so don't expect silly mods or the ones that doesn't make sense or are not in line with the lore and the books. This part is very important to me, so you can rest assured that if you follow this guide, you'll get The Witcher experience as close to the books as possible.

The modification will come with a cost in FPS, so please be aware of your hardware limitations. If you are struggling to get the game running on Ultra/Uber details, this guide is probably not for you, as it WILL decrease the performance.

Please also bear in mind that these are very early modding days for The Witcher 3 and there are no proper modding tools yet. The guide will be updated with new mods and better tools as they are released, so expect a lot of changes over the coming months. The game itself is also being updated and the developers are working on the bugs, with the updates being released every couple of weeks, so please also bear in mind that the guide is written for the specific version of the game and may not work with the future versions of The Witcher 3. I will make clear indication which game version is the guide for.

Another thing to note is that I am using GOG Galaxy version of The Witcher 3, not the Steam version, so adjust all the file paths accordingly if you use Steam instead of GOG Galaxy.

The guide is listed from top down and it is advised to install the mods in that order to make sure that all directions are followed correctly and no mods are missed.

Without the support of STEP, this guide would not be possible. If you would like to make a donation, that would be awesome! Do so with Paypal.

ALL donations are applied to hosting expenses.

System requirements

The below is taken from The Witcher 3 Support website.

Please note that the game is both graphics- and processor-intensive and it’s the graphics card and the processor not meeting the minimum requirements that will often be responsible for performance problems with the game.

Minimum requirements:

OS: 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1). DirectX 11 is necessary to run the game.
Processor: Intel CPU Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz, AMD CPU Phenom II X4 940
Finding a Gaming CPUs performance chart and comparing one’s CPU with our minimum is suggested.
Graphics: Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 660 or AMD GPU Radeon HD 7870
Please mind that we only officially support full-size desktop graphics cards. Finding a graphics card performance hierarchy chart online and comparing one’s video card with our minimum is suggested.
RAM: 6GB
Disk space: 40 GB

Recommended requirements:

OS: 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1). DirectX 11 is necessary to run the game.
Processor: Intel CPU Core i7 3770 3,4 GHz, AMD CPU AMD FX-8350 4 GHz
Graphics: Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 770 or AMD GPU Radeon R9 290
RAM: 6GB
Disk space: 40 GB

Note that the below guide will be demanding on your system and it's recommended for user that have suitable rigs to ruin it. The settings will be adjusted to go BEYOND the in game Ultra settings, which are very demanding for most of the systems already. Please be cautious and realise that I don't take the responsibility for any damage that your system may take when using the below guide.

You have been warned.

I play on the following system and my modded Witcher 3 is squeezing everything from my PC, but it causes no harm, so if you have similar or better machine, you don't have to worry.

Windows 8.1 64-bit
Intel Core i5 4590 @ 3.30 GHz	
Corsair Vengeance 8.00 GB @ 1600 MHz (9-9-9-24)
MSI Z87-G45 GAMING (MS-7821)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 ASUS Strix 

The Witcher 3 modding

Overview

As it currently stands, the official modding tool for The Witcher 3 has not been released yet. The release date is unknown for now. If you want to be kept in the loop and get the latest updates on this, please register at The Witcher forums and head over to The Red Kit section.

The way the modding works at the moment is by modifying the so called bundle files of the game and also manually editing the settings files to allow values higher than Ultra/Uber setting.

The bundle files are located in "The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\content" and "The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\DLC*\content" and subsequent folders in these directories. More details and a mod making tutorial can be found on this Nexus mod page.

As for the settings files, there are 2 types. One is called "user.settings" and it's located in "Documents/The Witcher 3" directory. This file stores all your game settings, including HUD, Audio and Video settings, the ones that you can change via the Options menu in game (and many more similar options). The other ones are INI files located in "The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config" sub-directories.

A few points to note:

1. The Witcher and GOG Galaxy in general should not be installed in the Program Files or Program Files (x86) folder.
2. Make sure The Witcher 3 directory is clean from any other modding previously done.
3. Delete the user.settings file from The Witcher 3 in the Documents folder and start the game so a new one can regenerate. This will allow the config file to revert back to vanilla before starting.
4. Remember to make a backup of every file that you modify. This will save you time reinstalling the game should things go south.

Monitor Calibration

This is very important step - it will assure your monitor has correctly calibrated colours, white balance etc. Please follow this Lagom Monitor Test wizard and calibrate your monitor as per the instructions. You don't have to do the whole process, it's enough that you set your monitor according to instruction on these pages:

Contrast

Gamma Calibration

Black Balance

White Balance

All 4 are equally important, so make sure that you adjust your monitor so that it matches all 4 instructions as close as possible.

nVidia Control Panel settings

For nVidia users only

Open nVidia Control Panel (you can access it from your PC Control Panel or - if you use GeForce Experience - from this application's icon in the tray). Follow these instructions:

Select "Manage 3D Settings" from the left hand side menu
Go to "Global Settings" tab
Expand DSR Factors setting and activate all multipliers
Leave DSR Smoothness at 33%
Select Apply and close the application

You will be now able to select DSR for your display up to 4K.

nVidia Inspector settings

For nVidia users only

Download the file if you don't have this program. It's a portable application, so extract it wherever you want to store it on your disk.

Run the application
Select "The Witcher 3" from the Profiles drop down list
Force Anisotropic filtering mode by setting Anisotropic filtering to "User-defined / Off".
Set Anisotropic filtering setting to 16x. 
Click Apply changes twice and then close, accepting any overwrite when prompted.

DLC

Navigate to GOG Galaxy and install all the DLC content apart from Alternative Look for Yennefer (it's not lore friendly in my opinion, but you can install it if you like it).

I also didn't install Alternative Look for Ciri DLC, as I didn't think it fit, but feel free to also install it if you like it.

Configuration files

user.settings

User.settings is the file where The Witcher 3 saves all your settings, including HUD, Audio and Video settings.

Run the game and set all the graphical options to your liking and according to your PC capabilities. Keep in mind that if you will want to use the ReShade preset (introduced in the guide later on), it will cost you about 8-10 FPS. If you want to use the ReShade preset ensure that you set the Graphics and Post Processing options as follows:

Full Screen Mode
HBAO+ 
AA Enabled
Sharpening Low
Chromatic Aberration Off
Vignette Off
Sun Shafts On
Bloom On

Now exit the game, navigate to "Documents\The Witcher 3" folder and make a back up of the "user.settings" file first (IMPORTANT! - you'll most likely need it in about 5 minutes), then right click the file and select Open With. Then select a text editor of your choice (I recommend Notepad++).

Search for the below values and ensure they set to:

GammaValue=1
TextureMipBias=-0.7

Now add the following to the end of the file (directly below MaxVisibilityDepth=12)

[Streaming/Textures]
UseMipRefiner=true
CinematicModeMipBias=-0.3

Save the file and exit. Now, set the file to Read Only (right-click the file, select Properties, place a tick in Read-Only box, select Apply and then OK).

Tools and Utilisties

W3HC - Witcher 3 Hunter's Config

• Author: MelekTaus
• Version: 0.7.7
• Installation: Download "W3HC 0.7.7 - Standalone version" file. Follow these instructions:

Navigate to your game main installation folder: X:\GOG Games\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\
Unzip and copy everything to that folder 
Navigate to "\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config\base\", create a new folder and name it "ReShade"

This is a standalone tool that is extremely useful. It allows to change many options in the user.config file and various INI files without the need to manually edit the files. The program also allows for very easy post processor presets management and for changing the post processor settings as well.

It has one small issue - the sliders for some settings still have their limitations, so the best way to use it is to run it once, set everything as you want it and then manually edit the relevant settings above the maximum allowed by this program. If you have used my setting and ini files above you don't have to worry, as they're already set up correctly.

Remember to always keep the user.settings file as ready only OR never save the changes when closing this program, otherwise couple of settings will be reduced therefore reducing the visual fidelity achieved by editing the files manually.

We will use W3HC purely for easy post processors preset management. This is described in the later part of the guide.

Debug Console Enabler Updated

• Author: Skomski
• Version: 1.07
• Installation: Download "debug-console-enabler-default" file. Follow these instructions:

Navigate to your game installation folder: \The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\x64
Unzip and copy everything to that folder 

This mod adds a developers' console (similar to the one in Skyrim) and also enables the free camera.

Enable free camera ingame with "F1". Enable debug console ingame with "~" or "F2".

Console commands guide Full commands dump

Lighting

Cutscene Lighting Mod

• Author: KNG
• Version: 0.06
• Installation: Download "KNG_Cutscene_Lighting_Mod_v0.06" file. Follow these instructions:

Unpack archive content to your game installation folder: \The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\content\content0\bundles
Launch install_cutscene_lighting.bat file.
Enter envBlend intensity value to "0.77" for each Region (6 in total)
If you are prompted to skip the file you type: "force" and press Enter
Press Enter again after completed installation to close the installation program

This mod for The Witcher 3 changes the default lighting definitions to the one used for cutscene illumination, which is much better than normal gameplay lighting.

Models and Textures

Triss DLC appearance for masquerade only

• Author: Sarcen
• Version: v1
• Installation: Download "triss_dlc_dressonly.rar" file. Follow these instructions:

Download and install the "Alternative Look for Triss" DLC from GOG 
Backup "The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\DLC\DLC6\content\bundles\blob.bundle" in case you want to revert
Extract "blob.bundle" to "The Witcher 3\DLC\DLC6\content\bundles\" and overwrite the existing one.

This mod makes Triss wear the dress from Alternate Look For Triss DLC content only during the masquerade ball, which makes perfect sense, rather than her wearing it all the time. She's supposed to be in hiding and this dress ain't very discreet...

Gameplay and Mechanics

Fix Exp for quest

• Author: lestat8m
• Version: 3
• Installation: Download "Mod XP" file. Follow these instructions:

Uzip the archive to The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\content\patch0\bundles folder
Navigate to that location run "eXPMod3.bat" file
Wait for the installer to finish the job, then press Enter to close it

This mod will ensure that the player gets the full experience even for the grey quests instead of only 5 XP. This will allow for free exploration of the world and doing the quests in whichever order you like. The vanilla game forced the player to do the quests in certain order if they wanted to get XP for as many quests as possible (otherwise too many became grey one for 5 XP). It wasn't possible to get the experience for all the quests (there are simply too many quests).

Miscellaneous

Gwent Redone and Alternate Art

• Author: Sleemani
• Version: 1.1
• Installation: Download "Gwent Redone and Alternate Art v1.1" file. Follow these instructions:

Unpack the mod to the location of your choice
Navigate to that location and edit Config.ini file
Change InstallVersion = 1 to InstallVersion = 2
Save the file and exit
Run "GwentRedone.exe" installation program
Confirm the 2 pop ups
Navigate to "\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\content\patch0\bundles" folder and select "patch.bundle" file
Press Enter to exit the installer

This mod will make use of the additional artwork for some Gwent cards that was already in the game, but was never used.

Post Processing

There is no ENB for Witcher 3 (and Boris said he wouldn't make one for that game, I have actually asked...), however there are some alternatives in the shape of post processors such as ReShade, SweetFX, GemFX etc. These post processors are a great alternative to ENB and some really good effects can be achieved with them, including sophisticated AA, bloom, sharpening, DoF and many more similar effects.

For The Witcher 3 we'll be using "Uber Fidelity Suite 2" ReShade preset created by Xiorattha, which works really well with Cutscene Lighting Mod. We will use Witcher 3 Hunter's Config tool to manage it.

ReShade

• Author: Crosire
• Version: Framework
• Installation: Download "Framework" version and fllow these instructions:

Unzip the archive to \The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config\base\ReShade\uRealistic folder (Note: You will need to create the "uRealistic" folder)
Rename Reshade64.dll to D3D11.dll

Crosire's ReShade is an advanced, fully generic post-processing injector for games or alike. Imagine your favorite game with ambient occlusion, real high quality bokeh depth of field, color correction and more ... No more waiting: ReShade provides a generic way to access both color and depth information (latter is automatically disabled during multiplayer to prevent exploitation) and all the tools to make your dreams come true.

The possibilities are endless! Advanced depth-edge-detection-driven SMAA antialiasing, screen space ambient occlusion, depth of field, chromatic aberration, dynamic filmgrain, automatic saturation and color correction, cross processing, multi-pass blurring ... you name it.

ReShade supports all of Direct3D8 (which is converted to Direct3D9 to allow for more advanced effects using later shadermodels), Direct3D9, Direct3D9Ex, Direct3D10.X, Direct3D11.X and OpenGL and requires Windows Vista or higher.

Uber Fidelity Suite 2

• Author: Xiorattha - Animosityhavoc
• Version: 2.1.2
• Installation: Download "UBER Fidelity Suite 2.1.2" file. Follow these instructions:

Extract the archive somewhere on your disk
Copy everything from "uRealitic2.1.2" folder to \The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config\base\ReShade\uRealistic\ReShade folder overwriting all the files
Run Witcher 3 Hunter's Config tool that we've installed earlier
Select "Install SweetFX" button and choose uRealistc from the list
The button will change to "Uninstall SweetFX" following successful installation
Close the application and DO NOT save the changes (the changes are for configuration files only and we don't want to change those)

UBER Fidelity Suite aims to deliver the best that the REDengine 3 can possibly offer. Countless days have gone into this project to perfect everything to the T. I aim to deliver a version of Witcher 3 that is cold, bleak, beautiful, terrifying and dark. Handcrafted with Reshade Mastereffect Suite. This Suite is aimed towards showing true appreciation and top notch enhancement to the Witcher 3 Art direction without destroying its beauty.

Required in-game settings:

Gamma = 1
Full Screen Mode
HBAO 
AA Enabled
Sharpening Low
Chromatic Aberration Off
Vignette Off
Sun Shafts On
Bloom On

Support and Feedback

Support is provided via a forum thread on STEP Community forums, so if you have any questions, suggestions or any feedback in general please post there and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Credits

rootsrat aka Elenear - Master Witcher
EssArrBee and Neovalen - the guide style sheet.
STEP for being one the best communities on the internet, gaming or not
A.l.e.x. for the configuration files guide
The Nexus for hosting all the mods
The Modders for making their excellent contributions, this one goes without saying, we wouldn't be here if not for them!
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