Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition
From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Revision as of 21:58, 27 December 2014 by 174.4.38.6 (talk) (→Keyboard: Added info about mod to replace interface icons)
Developers | |
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From Software | |
Publishers | |
Namco Bandai Games | |
Release dates | |
Windows | August 23, 2012 |
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
- Games for Windows - LIVE will be removed from the Steam version on February 16, 2015; product keys activate on Steam.[1]
- Using a controller is highly recommended over keyboard and mouse controls.
- If using keyboard and mouse controls, apply the DSMfix to improve mouse control issues.
- A poor port of the console versions of the game with few configurable options.[2] Use DSfix to increase rendering resolution along with many other options.
General information
Availability
Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Amazon.com | ||||
GamersGate | ||||
Incorrect store name. See here for available options. | ||||
Steam | ||||
Retail | Completely optional Steam unlock.[3] |
- All versions require Games for Windows - LIVE. Steam versions will remove GFWL on February 16, 2015.[1]
- All product keys activate on Steam.[1]
Essential improvements
- HD textures, fonts, and controller button prompts are available to download.
Updating to Steamworks version 1.0.2
- Removes the Games for Windows - LIVE DRM from the Steam version.
- Disclaimer: With the update to Steamworks from Games for Windows - LIVE the use of the DS Connectivity fix is now deprecated.
Instructions |
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DSfix
- A GUI for DSfix is available for inexperienced users
- DSfix increases the rendering resolution for better visual quality; without it the game outputs anamorphic 1024x720. It also allows the 30fps lock to be lifted, 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 may introduce clipping problems such as occasionally falling through elevators. You can avoid most of these issues by capping the FPS at 59.
Instructions |
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Skip intro videos
Instructions |
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DS Connectivity fix
- DSCfix is an interception DLL intended to be used with DSfix and functions by adding any online GFWL friends to your P2P connection pool before searching for random peers. This means direct connections to friends are established right away, whereas in vanilla Dark Souls this only happens after the first successful summon or invasion. This greatly reduces the time required to summon a friend, with typical wait times of about a few seconds.
- Disclaimer: The use of DSCfix is deprecated as of the Steamworks migration. Daisy chaining DSCfix with v2.3 of DSfix will break the game.
- Disclaimer: Due to the nature of DSCfix, it must make changes to the internal functionality of Dark Soul's multiplayer networking code. M0tah cannot be held responsible for any potential malfunctioning of the code or GFWL bans. Use DSCfix at your own risk.
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Instructions |
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DS PVP Watchdog
- 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.
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Game data
Configuration file(s) location
Template:Game data/row
System | Location |
---|---|
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/211420/pfx/[Note 1] |
Save game data location
Template:Game data/row
System | Location |
---|---|
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/211420/pfx/[Note 1] |
-
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\XLive
must also be backed up.
Save game cloud syncing
System | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Steam Cloud |
Video settings
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Instructions |
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3D support
- The game suffers from poor 3D support.
Instructions |
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High frame rate
Instructions |
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Input settings
Keyboard
- Unintuitive default keyboard scheme, for example, 'End' brings up menu (and 'Escape' does nothing).
Instructions |
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Mouse
- Mouse controls feel very jittery, with very unintuitive results when the camera collides with a wall or the floor.
Instructions |
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Controller support
- 'Hot swap' between keyboard and mouse controls and controller is available.[2]
- Use of controller is highly recommended.[2]
- Works well with the DualShock 3 using XInput Wrapper. PS button textures can be found here
Audio settings
Localizations
Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
English | ||||
Traditional Chinese | ||||
French | ||||
German | ||||
Italian | ||||
Korean | ||||
Polish | ||||
Russian | ||||
Spanish |
Network
- Online features in non-Steam versions require a Microsoft account (optional for offline play).
Multiplayer types
Type | Native | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
LAN play | |||
Online play |
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 if the Games for Windows - LIVE Network Settings says "UPnP is available, in use"; if not, refer to this guide.
Issues fixed
Performances issues
General fixes
Instructions |
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Instructions |
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Lower-spec machine fixes
Instructions |
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- 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 |
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Instructions |
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Nvidia Optimus-specific fixes
Instructions |
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Crashes
Lifting FPS-cap using DSFix
Instructions |
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VSFilter.dll
- Crash occurs after start screen.[5]
Instructions |
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Windows 7
- Crash on startup
Instructions |
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Windows 8
Instructions |
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Controller
Controller not working
Instructions |
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Instructions |
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DirectInput controllers have wrong mapping
Instructions |
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Miscellaneous
Black Screen on startup
Instructions |
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Minimize with multiple monitors
- Fix bounds the mouse to a single screen.
Instructions |
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Progress bar stuck during installation
- Problem may be caused by setup utility getting stuck whilst installing DirectX and Games for Windows - LIVE.
Instructions |
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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 Video | |
Multiplayer | Steamworks, Games for Windows - LIVE | Only digital copies are being migrated to Steamworks.[1] |
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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
- Games with Steam Cloud support may also store data in
~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/211420/
. - Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
- The app ID (211420) may differ in some cases.
- Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
- See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 HOW TO: Replace Games for Windows Live functionality with Steamworks functionality in Dark Souls™ Prepare To Die Edition for PC :: Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition General Discussions
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 GameSpy: Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition Review - Page 1
- ↑ Retail version can now be added to Steam library - Steam Users' Forums
- ↑ To the Dark Souls pc players. I made this out of frustration - thought I'd share... : gaming
- ↑ Crashed on Press start screen. - Steam Users' Forums
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