Deus Ex

Template:Infobox Deus Ex is an action RPG released in 2000 and developed by Ion Storm. The game is based off a modified version of Unreal Engine 1, making it very stable even on modern systems despite its age.

Patches

Official

• 1.112 Patch - This patch is included as standard with most digital distribution versions of the game, including the Steam version. It includes several bug fixes for the single player version of the game, as well as the addition of multi player.

Issues and Fixes

32-bit Color Won't Enable

This is an issue which appears to occur randomly when you attempt to set the color mode to 32-bit in-game, and instead 16-bit will remain enabled. Using Kentie's custom launcher to change the graphics settings before launching the game will fix this issue. You can also reportedly fix this issue by enabling 32-bit color and no other graphics options and restarting the game before changing other settings such as resolution and detail textures.

Audio Stutter/Game Crashing Due to Audio Subsystem

In this eventuality, there are several things you can try:

1. Enable V-Sync as audio issues can occur if the game is running too fast.
2. Open deusex.ini (this can be found in the "Deus Ex\System" directory) and locate the [Galaxy.GalaxyAudioSubsystem] section, before changing the value for UseDirectSound to false.

Error Message Crash on Startup

Generally speaking the error message will detail the subsystem in which the crash occured in so you can narrow down the possible causes. You can also access the game's logfile (Deus Ex\system\deusex.log) for additional information.

Game Speed Inconsistent/Jerkiness

Another problem encountered on some systems is that the game will run too slowly or too quickly, or will judder as if there are frame rate issues. This issue can be fixed by using this launcher to start the game, as it modifies the game files to fix this issue. If the game is running too quickly ensure you have not disabled V-Sync, as high framerates can cause the game to run too fast at some points.

If you are utilising CPU-throttling with a system such as Intel Speedstep or AMD PowerNow, this can also cause the game to run at an incorrect speed as the version of the Unreal engine that Deus Ex runs on can struggle with these systems. These systems are often enabled without your knowledge, so it is worth checking. On laptop computers, go into the power options (usually found within the control panel on Windows 7 and Vista systems) and set the minimum and maximum processor speeds to 100%. If you cannot find this option, you will need to access the BIOS and under a section named 'Power Settings' or similar you should be able to adjust processor speed.

Another cause of this issue can be running the game on a multiple core processor. Try pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del whilst the game is running, right clicking on the Deus Ex process and clicking 'Set Affinity'. Then deselect all but one CPU core, and this will force the game to run on one processor core (more than adequate for such an old game).

This solution requires you set the affinity every time you load up the game however, so for a more permanent solution to force the game to run on one core every time you load it up, you can download a program called Image CFG. Once downloaded, run cmd.exe and then target Image CFG at your Deus Ex executable:

For Steam version: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Deus Ex\System
For retail [and some digital distribution] version[s]: C:\Program Files(x86)\deus ex\system\deusex.exe

To target the executable, use the format imagecfg -a 0x1 "FULL FILE LOCATION HERE".

If none of the above appears to be the cause, it may be an issue with the Direct3D renderer. Try switching to the OpenGL renderer in the games graphics options and see if this fixes it.

Input Freezes

This can be caused by enabling Data Execution Prevention (DEP) for all programs. Not however this is generally not enabled by default on all PCs. If you have enabled it however, try switching it off and see if the issue still occurs.

Large Scale Graphical Glitches

This issue is more often than not related to the chosen renderer. If you are using the Direct3D or OpenGL renderer, try switching to the other renderer and see if issues persist. Note that the OpenGL renderer may impose more problems than it fixes, and if so consider using an alternative renderer instead.

Also note that changing renderer will return your graphics settings to default every time, so make sure to set them up again afterwards.

Performance Improvements

Run Without CD/Steam/etc.

1. Install Deus Ex normally. For CD versions you must choose the full install option.
2. Download the latest version of Deus Exe
3. Go to the System folder in the install folder (default C:\DeusEx)
4. Replace DeusEx.exe with the one from the Deus Exe download, confirming the replacement and/or User Account Control prompt(s) if they appear.

This method will work for both CD and download versions except for GameFly/Direct2Drive.

Steam users: note that choosing to verify the game cache integrity within Steam will replace Deus Exe with the original file, so if you do that simply repeat these steps again.

If you own the original retail version, you can run without the CD by editing the CdPath variable in DeusEx.ini to "..\". Please note this requires a full installation of the game.

GUI Scaling Adjustment

When setting the game to higher resolutions the GUI will scale with the resolution so you end up with a larger, pixellated and unattractive GUI. A fix exists for this issue, simply download the file and follow the installation instructions.

Setting Custom Resolutions

To use a resolution the game doesn't natively support, go to \...\Deus Ex\System and access deusex.ini. Find the section [WinDrv.WindowsClient] and replace the value for FullscreenViewportX and FullscreenViewportY with the X and Y resolution values you want to use respectively. For example, for a 1600x900 monitor, set the values up like this:

FullscreenViewportX=1600
FullscreenViewportY=900
FullscreenColorBits=32

Mods

A number of mods have been released for Deus Ex which include improvements to texture quality and gameplay adjustments:

Kentie's Custom Launcher

Kentie's Custom Launcher is a modification which launches the game from an additional window which allows you to easily change advanced settings such as how the GUI scales, your preferred field of view and allows you to change graphics settings without launching the game. Additionally, the 'Data Directories' submenu allows you to easily enable and disable mods without removing the files from your Deus Ex directory. Note however that this mod does not work with the Direct2Drive version of Deus Ex, and the author is unable to provide a fix for this issue.

Deus Ex: New Vision

Deus Ex: New Vision replaces the vast majority of the games texture files with HD remakes, drastically improving the visual appeal of the game. It is compatible with Kentie's Custom Launcher, however note that to use these improved textures an additional renderer is required. 2 are included in the New Vision download, one for DirectX and one for OpenGL, and a video demonstrating full installation of the mod with Kentie's Launcher can be found here.

Deus Ex HDTP

Deus Ex HDTP (High Definition Texture Project) is an unfinished mod which aimed to remodel and retexture the majority of the games assets. A first version was released before the project was left unfinished which included a remodelled Gunther Hermann and several new objects and weapons with new models and textures. Notably this release is compatible with Deus Ex: New Vision and Kentie's Launcher.

Shifter

Shifter fixes many common annoyances with the game, including improved enemy AI and a restructured augmentation system which replaces augmentations considered obsolete by the developer of the mod. Note however that this mod makes the game significantly easier by increasing the number of skill points awarded and items dropped among other things.

The Nameless Mod

The Nameless Mod is an extensive conversion of Deus Ex which provides a new storyline within the Unreal 1 engine set outside of the Deus Ex universe. This modification is fully voiced and includes many new weapons and features.

More Mods

• Compilation of mods and fan-made missions
• Custom launcher

Demos

Several demo versions of Deus Ex are available at Planet Deus Ex, including the first two missions as well as a Macintosh version.

SDK

After the release of the 1.112 patch Ion Storm released an official SDK for the game which includes a full level editor and conversation editor. Note however that it is possible to crash the SDK by excessively spawning some items including rockets.

See Also

• Deus Ex: Human Revolution
• Deus Ex: Invisible War