EPT11/25/2011
1. Cloak and Force Fields now Fixed
2. CPU use dialed down
3. If you think it's too dark, you can tweak gamma settings in-game
12/02/2011
4. Added a way to turn of bloom effects using any setting*
5. Added Forcefield and Cloak settings for Low**
6. Added Warnings and Notes***
12/04/2011
7. Added Creep and Water Tweaks****
8. More Warnings and Notes
======== original post ========
Hello, TL.
Just sharing some tweaks I did with variables.txt for SC2. It makes the game look cleaner but not as ugly as low graphics settings.
The game has a really clean Low graphics settings which suddenly get clutterd at Medium to Extreme. The thing is you cant get to these settings by just going to the in-game options menu and customizing stuff. You have to play around with your variables.txt to get any setting from Med-Extreme as clean as Low,
Its a hybrid of Low and Extreme if you will, IMO it takes the best of both worlds. Plus it needs about the same performance as Medium Settings, so if you have a good card your frame rates should be really high with these.
Just backup/rename your "variables.txt" in your "\Documents\StarCraft II" folder and replace it with this. If you don't like it, just restore your old one.
1. My Settings
+ Show Spoiler +
These settings gets 40-50FPS on my PC with AMD Phenom-II 1090T CPU and HD 4290 Graphics.
AlertFadeSound=0.090000
alphadepthWrite=1
aolight=1
autojoinchannel=1
buildgridhint=1
camerasmartpan=1
commandhotkeytext=1
controlgroupmode=2
creepnormalmap=0
creepQuality=2
creepreflection=0
creepselfshadow=0
creeptrans=1
cursorconfinemode=1
deff=0
deffspec=0
depthDisp=0
displayflyerhelper=All
displaymode=2
displayunitstatus=All
dof=0
dragscrollspeed=100
fog=0
fogvolume=0
foliagedensity=0.250000
foliagequality=1
gamehdr8bit=1
gamma=1.180000
GraphicsOptionEffectsDetail=1
GraphicsOptionLightingQuality=0
GraphicsOptionModelQuality=2
GraphicsOptionMovies=3
GraphicsOptionOverallQualityVer7[6]=5
GraphicsOptionPhysicsQuality=3
GraphicsOptionPortraits=2
GraphicsOptionPostProcessing=1
GraphicsOptionReflections=0
GraphicsOptionShaderDetail=4
GraphicsOptionShadowQuality=1
GraphicsOptionSSAO=2
GraphicsOptionTerrainQuality=3
GraphicsOptionTextureQuality[2]=3
halo=0
hdr=0
hdr8bit=1
height=720
hotkeyprofile=2011_10_03
keyboardscrollspeed=50
LastChallengeId=ProtossCombat
lastDeviceId=38676
lightingLevel=1
lightmap=1
lightmapcastshadows=0
localao=0
localeidassets=enUS
localeiddata=enUS
localight=0
localShadows=0
lowqualitymodels=0
lowQualityMovies=0
mastervolume=1.000000
menubarclickable=0
menubarmode=1
mousescrollspeed=30
mousesensitivity=0.535354
mousewheelzoomenabled=0
MoviesSeen=1
music=1
MusicHeard=1
musicvolume=0.300000
normalmap=0
parallax=0
parallaxshadow=0
particlelod=1
particleobjects=0.100000
particleterrain=0.100000
physicsdensity=8
pixellight=1
portraits3d=1
preBlendedCreep=0
privacygamestatus=1
reducemouselagenabled=1
refreshrate=0
reverb=1
ribbonlod=1
sampleFOW=1
saveallreplays=0
shadowmapsize=1920
shadows=1
showalerts=1
showmissiontime=1
simplifiedCloaking=0
simplifiedShaders=0
soft=0
softshadows=0
softshadowTaps=1
sound=1
soundambiencevolume=1.000000
SoundAutoDetectCPUCoreCount=6
soundchannels=128
soundeffectsvolume=1.000000
soundoutput=Default
SoundQuality=2
sounduivolume=1.000000
speakermode=5Point1
spec=0
ssao=0
targettexeldensity=10.600000
TerrainTextureHiResCacheSize=24
TerrainTextureLowResCacheSize=50
TerrainTextureSize=1024
texQualityLevel=3
texSpace[2]=500
textureBasedFOW=1
toastFade=0.000000
toasts=0
transparentshadows=0
unitcolorstyle=2
useLowqualitymodels=0
voicechat=0
voicechatinput=Default
voicechatoutput=Default
voicechatsoftwaremute=1
watercaustics=1
waterflipbook=0
waterreflection=0
waterrendertargetformat=1
waterrendertargetsize=512
watershadow=0
width=1280
windowheight=720
windowwidth=1173
windowx=343
windowy=53
winkeydisabled=1
AlertFadeSound=0.090000
alphadepthWrite=1
aolight=1
autojoinchannel=1
buildgridhint=1
camerasmartpan=1
commandhotkeytext=1
controlgroupmode=2
creepnormalmap=0
creepQuality=2
creepreflection=0
creepselfshadow=0
creeptrans=1
cursorconfinemode=1
deff=0
deffspec=0
depthDisp=0
displayflyerhelper=All
displaymode=2
displayunitstatus=All
dof=0
dragscrollspeed=100
fog=0
fogvolume=0
foliagedensity=0.250000
foliagequality=1
gamehdr8bit=1
gamma=1.180000
GraphicsOptionEffectsDetail=1
GraphicsOptionLightingQuality=0
GraphicsOptionModelQuality=2
GraphicsOptionMovies=3
GraphicsOptionOverallQualityVer7[6]=5
GraphicsOptionPhysicsQuality=3
GraphicsOptionPortraits=2
GraphicsOptionPostProcessing=1
GraphicsOptionReflections=0
GraphicsOptionShaderDetail=4
GraphicsOptionShadowQuality=1
GraphicsOptionSSAO=2
GraphicsOptionTerrainQuality=3
GraphicsOptionTextureQuality[2]=3
halo=0
hdr=0
hdr8bit=1
height=720
hotkeyprofile=2011_10_03
keyboardscrollspeed=50
LastChallengeId=ProtossCombat
lastDeviceId=38676
lightingLevel=1
lightmap=1
lightmapcastshadows=0
localao=0
localeidassets=enUS
localeiddata=enUS
localight=0
localShadows=0
lowqualitymodels=0
lowQualityMovies=0
mastervolume=1.000000
menubarclickable=0
menubarmode=1
mousescrollspeed=30
mousesensitivity=0.535354
mousewheelzoomenabled=0
MoviesSeen=1
music=1
MusicHeard=1
musicvolume=0.300000
normalmap=0
parallax=0
parallaxshadow=0
particlelod=1
particleobjects=0.100000
particleterrain=0.100000
physicsdensity=8
pixellight=1
portraits3d=1
preBlendedCreep=0
privacygamestatus=1
reducemouselagenabled=1
refreshrate=0
reverb=1
ribbonlod=1
sampleFOW=1
saveallreplays=0
shadowmapsize=1920
shadows=1
showalerts=1
showmissiontime=1
simplifiedCloaking=0
simplifiedShaders=0
soft=0
softshadows=0
softshadowTaps=1
sound=1
soundambiencevolume=1.000000
SoundAutoDetectCPUCoreCount=6
soundchannels=128
soundeffectsvolume=1.000000
soundoutput=Default
SoundQuality=2
sounduivolume=1.000000
speakermode=5Point1
spec=0
ssao=0
targettexeldensity=10.600000
TerrainTextureHiResCacheSize=24
TerrainTextureLowResCacheSize=50
TerrainTextureSize=1024
texQualityLevel=3
texSpace[2]=500
textureBasedFOW=1
toastFade=0.000000
toasts=0
transparentshadows=0
unitcolorstyle=2
useLowqualitymodels=0
voicechat=0
voicechatinput=Default
voicechatoutput=Default
voicechatsoftwaremute=1
watercaustics=1
waterflipbook=0
waterreflection=0
waterrendertargetformat=1
waterrendertargetsize=512
watershadow=0
width=1280
windowheight=720
windowwidth=1173
windowx=343
windowy=53
winkeydisabled=1
*2. For additonal claritiy on Medium, High, Ultra or Extreme (or whatever settings you are currently using)
+ Show Spoiler +
halo=0
hdr=0
Will take away some shine and bloom effects
hdr=0
Will take away some shine and bloom effects
**3. For good FF and Cloak Effects as well as non-blob shadows while using Low
+ Show Spoiler +
simplifiedCloaking=0
simplifiedShaders=0
GraphicsOptionShadowQuality=1
shadows=1
shadowmapsize=1920
You can tweak around "shadowmapsize", I have tested values 128, 256, 512, 600, 800, 900, 1024, 2000 and 1920.
simplifiedShaders=0
GraphicsOptionShadowQuality=1
shadows=1
shadowmapsize=1920
You can tweak around "shadowmapsize", I have tested values 128, 256, 512, 600, 800, 900, 1024, 2000 and 1920.
****4. Creep and Water tweaks
+ Show Spoiler +
<water>
"watercaustics" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"waterflipbook" 0-better looking, 1-faster
"waterreflection" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"waterrendertargetformat" Set 0, 1, 2, or 3 (Higher-better looking, Lower-faster)
"waterrendertargetsize" Tested 256, 512, 768 and 1024 (Higher-better looking, Lower-faster, no noticeable change higher than 1024)
"watershadow" 1-better looking, 0-faster
<creep>
"creepnormalmap" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"creepQuality" Set 0, 1, 2, or 3 (Higher-better looking, Lower-faster)
"creepreflection" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"creepselfshadow" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"creeptrans" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"watercaustics" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"waterflipbook" 0-better looking, 1-faster
"waterreflection" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"waterrendertargetformat" Set 0, 1, 2, or 3 (Higher-better looking, Lower-faster)
"waterrendertargetsize" Tested 256, 512, 768 and 1024 (Higher-better looking, Lower-faster, no noticeable change higher than 1024)
"watershadow" 1-better looking, 0-faster
<creep>
"creepnormalmap" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"creepQuality" Set 0, 1, 2, or 3 (Higher-better looking, Lower-faster)
"creepreflection" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"creepselfshadow" 1-better looking, 0-faster
"creeptrans" 1-better looking, 0-faster
***5. Warnings and Notes
+ Show Spoiler +
1. alphadepthWrite=1 ----> do not change/set to 0 unless everythin is set to LOW, will make some textures pink
2. fog=0 ----> Controls the fog in the low ground (0-off, 1-on, 1-better looking, 0-faster)
3. "normalmap", "parallax", "parallaxshadow" and "pixellight" control metal luster and shine effects
4. "transparentshadows", "softshadows" and "softshadowtaps" can be tweaked for a performance boost in higher settings (0-off, 1-on)
5. "foliagedensity", "particleobjects" and "particleterrain"can also be tweaked for performance and clarity. Values are from 0.0 to 1.0, I have tested values 0.2, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0.
6. "foliagequality", "treadlod", "particlelod" and "ribbonlod" can be tweaked with values 0, 1, 2 and 3. (Higher-better looking, Lower-faster)
7. "height" and "width" controls full screen resolution, do not change to something your monitor cant handle.
8. "gamma" controlls full screen gamma only, SC2 will use desktop gamma in windowed mode
Will add more when I find/remember them
I use the lowest resolution and some settings like mouse speed are personalized, so just change it in-game when needed. You can change texture resolution in-game but if you try to select any of the Blizzard made profiles (Low-Extreme) you go back to the Blizzard made settings.
And, this is not a hack, "variables.txt" is just a text file where your settings are saved. This wont get you banned.
Note: If you delete the .txt, SC2 will auto-generate it.
Thanks! ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Q27j6.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kf34a.jpg)
