Anonymous edits have been disabled on the wiki. If you want to contribute please login or create an account.

Difference between revisions of "Observation"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(→‎Availability: Added Steam)
(moved the resolution workaround from issues to the fixbox, as it no longer applies to the unmodified game after the update)
(24 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 28: Line 28:
 
|gogcom id    = 1905134496
 
|gogcom id    = 1905134496
 
|hltb        = 67287
 
|hltb        = 67287
|strategywiki =  
+
|strategywiki = Observation
 
|mobygames    = observation
 
|mobygames    = observation
 
|wikipedia    = Observation (video game)
 
|wikipedia    = Observation (video game)
Line 46: Line 46:
 
{{Availability/row| GOG.com | observation | DRM-free | | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| GOG.com | observation | DRM-free | | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| Humble | observation | Epic Games Store | | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| Humble | observation | Epic Games Store | | | Windows }}
 +
{{Availability/row| Microsoft Store | 9pblh1322gx0 | Microsoft Store | {{store feature|Xbox Play Anywhere}}, {{store feature|Xbox Game Pass}} | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| Steam | 906100 | Steam | | | Windows }}
 
{{Availability/row| Steam | 906100 | Steam | | | Windows }}
 
}}
 
}}
Line 53: Line 54:
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|hkcu}}\Software\No Code Studio\Observation}}
 
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|hkcu}}\Software\No Code Studio\Observation}}
 +
{{Game data/config|Microsoft Store|}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 58: Line 60:
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|userprofile}}\AppData\LocalLow\No Code Studio\Observation\SaveGames\}}
 
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|userprofile}}\AppData\LocalLow\No Code Studio\Observation\SaveGames\}}
 +
{{Game data/saves|Microsoft Store|}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 70: Line 73:
 
|origin                =  
 
|origin                =  
 
|origin notes          =  
 
|origin notes          =  
|steam cloud            = unknown
+
|steam cloud            = true
 
|steam cloud notes      =  
 
|steam cloud notes      =  
 
|uplay                  =  
 
|uplay                  =  
 
|uplay notes            =  
 
|uplay notes            =  
|xbox cloud            =  
+
|xbox cloud            = true
 
|xbox cloud notes      =  
 
|xbox cloud notes      =  
 
}}
 
}}
Line 87: Line 90:
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    =  
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    =  
 
|widescreen resolution      = true
 
|widescreen resolution      = true
|widescreen resolution notes= Intentionally {{term|letterboxed}} at every aspect ratio.
+
|widescreen resolution notes= Intentionally {{term|letterboxed}} at every aspect ratio.<br>Use the [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/1900-observation-black-bars-removal/ community mod] to remove the black bars.
|multimonitor              = limited
+
|multimonitor              = hackable
|multimonitor notes        = {{term|Hor+}}, and {{term|Vert-}} by letterboxing; mouse pointer confined to 16:9, forcing to use other input devices to navigate the main menu.<ref name="wide">{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=Screenshots taken at 5760x1080, 3840x1080 (both custom), 2560x1080 and 1920x1080, then compared.}}</ref>
+
|multimonitor notes        = See [[#Ultra-widescreen|Ultra-widescreen]].
|ultrawidescreen            = limited
+
|ultrawidescreen            = hackable
|ultrawidescreen notes      = {{term|Hor+}}, and {{term|Vert-}} through letterboxing; mouse pointer confined to 16:9.<ref name="wide"/><ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-23|comment=Played through the game at 2560x1080 without notable issues.}}</ref>
+
|ultrawidescreen notes      = See [[#Ultra-widescreen|Ultra-widescreen]].
 
|4k ultra hd                = true
 
|4k ultra hd                = true
 
|4k ultra hd notes          = <ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=Used a custom desktop resolution of 3840x2160, got to select it in the menu, and it lowered the FPS.}}</ref>
 
|4k ultra hd notes          = <ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=Used a custom desktop resolution of 3840x2160, got to select it in the menu, and it lowered the FPS.}}</ref>
Line 98: Line 101:
 
|windowed                  = true
 
|windowed                  = true
 
|windowed notes            =  
 
|windowed notes            =  
|borderless windowed        = true
+
|borderless windowed        = false
|borderless windowed notes  = Borderless fullscreen by default. To make it exclusive, see [[#Exclusive fullscreen|Exclusive fullscreen]].
+
|borderless windowed notes  =  
 
|anisotropic                = limited
 
|anisotropic                = limited
 
|anisotropic notes          = Part of every graphics preset from '''Simple''' and up, with no separate option.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=Found this out by extracting the game files.}}</ref>
 
|anisotropic notes          = Part of every graphics preset from '''Simple''' and up, with no separate option.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=Found this out by extracting the game files.}}</ref>
Line 107: Line 110:
 
|vsync notes                =  
 
|vsync notes                =  
 
|60 fps                    = true
 
|60 fps                    = true
|60 fps notes              =
+
|60 fps notes              = Limited to the monitor refresh rate.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2020-05-24|comment=Tested at 65 Hz and 75 Hz, reaching 75 FPS at the latter. Disabling Vsync had no effect.}}</ref>
|120 fps                    = unknown
+
|120 fps                    = true
|120 fps notes              = Limited to 60 FPS unless Vsync is enabled.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=75 FPS on a 75Hz monitor with RivaTuner and Shadowplay FPS counters.}}</ref>
+
|120 fps notes              =
 
|hdr                        = unknown
 
|hdr                        = unknown
 
|hdr notes                  =  
 
|hdr notes                  =  
Line 116: Line 119:
 
}}
 
}}
  
===Exclusive fullscreen===
+
===[[Glossary:Ultra-widescreen|Ultra-widescreen]]===
{{Fixbox|description=Use the <code>-window-mode exclusive</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]]<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=Tested by checking whether NVIDIA ShadowPlay would display FPS.}}</ref>}}
+
{{ii}} The game defaults to the desktop resolution on first launch. Accessing the options menu enforces its 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions.
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Use the [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/1960-observation-ultrawide-fix/ community patcher] to remove the maximum resolution limit|ref=|fix=
 +
* After patching, select the highest available resolution above native to have the game set to native.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/widescreengamingforum/comments/godq39/observation_letterboxing_remover/fri9muq/|title=Observation letterboxing remover|date=2020-05-23}}</ref>
 +
:''(e.g. selecting 3840x2160 at 3440x1440 will have the game set to 3440x1440 without it being reflected in the listed resolution)''
 +
{{++}} Results in {{term|Hor+}} scaling and {{term|Vert-}} behavior from {{term|letterboxing}}. The letterboxing can be removed with a [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/1900-observation-black-bars-removal/ mod].
 +
{{++}} Prevents the game from enforcing its hardcoded resolutions upon menu access.
 +
{{--}} Mouse pointer is always confined to 16:9, forcing to use other input devices to navigate the main menu at 48:9 resolutions.<ref name="wide"/>
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Set any width and height through the config|ref=<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2020-08-13|comment=}}</ref>|fix=
 +
# Launch the game and set its options as preferred, then quit.
 +
# Go to the [[#Game data|configuration file(s) location]].
 +
# Locate the lines that start with {{code|Screenmanager Resolution Height}} and {{code|Screenmanager Resolution Width}}.
 +
# Double-click one, select '''Decimal''' and enter the desired height or width, then click OK. Repeat the step for the other.
 +
# Run the game and avoid accessing the options or the pause menu ({{key|Esc}}).
 +
{{++}} Results in {{term|Hor+}} scaling and {{term|Vert-}} behavior from {{term|letterboxing}}.<ref name="rosecheck">{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-23|comment=Played through the game at 2560x1080 without notable issues.}}</ref> The letterboxing can be removed with a [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/1900-observation-black-bars-removal/ mod].
 +
{{--}} Mouse pointer is always confined to 16:9, forcing to use other input devices to navigate the main menu at 48:9 resolutions.<ref name="wide">{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=Screenshots taken at 5760x1080, 3840x1080 (both custom), 2560x1080 and 1920x1080, then compared.}}</ref>
 +
}}
  
 
==Input==
 
==Input==
Line 123: Line 143:
 
{{Input
 
{{Input
 
|key remap                = limited
 
|key remap                = limited
|key remap notes          = Custom key bindings are not reflected in the prompts. Some keys are not remappable.{{Note|note=For example, {{key|backspace}} is not listed among the Controls but used to back out of objects inspection; some of the functionality of {{key|Space}} is remappable but even when fully remapped, the game will require its use to close the SamOS interface.}}
+
|key remap notes          = Some keys are not remappable.{{Note|note=For example, {{key|backspace}} is not listed among the Controls but used to back out of objects inspection; {{key|R}} for Response is not documented; some of the functionality of {{key|Space}} is remappable but even when fully remapped, the game will require its use to close the SamOS interface.}}
|acceleration option      = false
+
|acceleration option      = always on
|acceleration option notes = Sphere look appears to be affected by [[Glossary:Mouse acceleration#Negative mouse acceleration|negative mouse acceleration]].<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-24|comment=In my testing, quickly moving the mouse results in little change on the screen, while moving it slower results in much more distance traveled.}}</ref>
+
|acceleration option notes = Sphere look is affected by [[Glossary:Mouse acceleration#Negative mouse acceleration|negative mouse acceleration]].<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-24|comment=Quickly moving the mouse resulted in little change on the screen, while moving it slower resulted in much more distance traveled.}}</ref><ref>{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/906100/discussions/0/2251182852555307701/|title=Terrible mouse smoothing|date=2020-05-22}}</ref>
 
|mouse sensitivity        = true
 
|mouse sensitivity        = true
 
|mouse sensitivity notes  = '''Look Sensitivity''' is for the spheres.
 
|mouse sensitivity notes  = '''Look Sensitivity''' is for the spheres.
Line 299: Line 319:
 
===Controls settings arrow isn't functional===
 
===Controls settings arrow isn't functional===
 
{{ii}} Instead of clicking with the mouse, press the arrow button on the keyboard or the controller to access the Camera Control bindings.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=It works, and it seems to be the only way to access the extra keybindings.}}</ref>
 
{{ii}} Instead of clicking with the mouse, press the arrow button on the keyboard or the controller to access the Camera Control bindings.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=It works, and it seems to be the only way to access the extra keybindings.}}</ref>
 
===Pressing X at prompt doesn't work===
 
{{ii}} The game will display a button prompt with an X on it. {{key|Backspace}} is the actual button to press.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Rose|date=2019-05-21|comment=This appeared when inspecting a document. A No Code developer said this on Discord: "It's an X inside the backwards arrow - that's what backspace looks like on most keyboards"}}</ref>
 
  
 
==Other information==
 
==Other information==
Line 324: Line 341:
 
|dos modes              =  
 
|dos modes              =  
 
|dos modes notes        =  
 
|dos modes notes        =  
|shader model versions  =  
+
|shader model versions  = 4.0
 
|shader model notes    =  
 
|shader model notes    =  
 
|windows 32-bit exe    = false
 
|windows 32-bit exe    = false
Line 377: Line 394:
  
 
{{References}}
 
{{References}}
 +
[[Category:GOG.com Enhancement Project]]

Revision as of 00:41, 14 August 2020

Observation
Observation cover
Developers
No Code
Publishers
Devolver Digital
Engines
Unity 2017
Release dates
Windows May 21, 2019
Reception
Metacritic 79
OpenCritic 76
IGDB 82
Taxonomy
Microtransactions None
Modes Singleplayer
Perspectives First-person
Genres Adventure
Themes Sci-fi, Space
Observation on HowLongToBeat
Observation on IGDB
Observation guide on StrategyWiki
Observation on MobyGames
Observation on Wikipedia

General information

Official developer support page and FAQ - for all games from No Code
Official Discord server - includes a dedicated Observation channel
GOG.com Support Page
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Epic Games Store
DRM-free after installation through Epic Games Launcher (notes may include more details)
DRM-free when launched from the executable.[1]
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
Windows
Humble Store
Epic Games Launcher
Windows
Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store
Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass for PC
Windows
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Windows

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\No Code Studio\Observation
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/906100/pfx/[Note 1]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\No Code Studio\Observation\SaveGames\
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/906100/pfx/[Note 1]

Save game cloud syncing

Video

Graphics settings.
Graphics settings.

Graphics feature State Notes
Widescreen resolution
Intentionally letterboxed at every aspect ratio.
Use the community mod to remove the black bars.
Multi-monitor
See Ultra-widescreen.
Ultra-widescreen
See Ultra-widescreen.
4K Ultra HD
[2]
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Enable windowed mode and use the -popupwindow parameter (or see the glossary page).
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Part of every graphics preset from Simple and up, with no separate option.[3]
Anti-aliasing (AA)
FXAA, SMAA, TAA.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
Limited to the monitor refresh rate.[4]
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
The game engine may allow for manual configuration of the game via its variables. See the Unity page for more details.

Ultra-widescreen

The game defaults to the desktop resolution on first launch. Accessing the options menu enforces its 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions.
Use the community patcher to remove the maximum resolution limit
  • After patching, select the highest available resolution above native to have the game set to native.[5]
(e.g. selecting 3840x2160 at 3440x1440 will have the game set to 3440x1440 without it being reflected in the listed resolution)
Results in Hor+ scaling and Vert- behavior from letterboxing. The letterboxing can be removed with a mod.
Prevents the game from enforcing its hardcoded resolutions upon menu access.
Mouse pointer is always confined to 16:9, forcing to use other input devices to navigate the main menu at 48:9 resolutions.[6]
Set any width and height through the config[7]
  1. Launch the game and set its options as preferred, then quit.
  2. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  3. Locate the lines that start with Screenmanager Resolution Height and Screenmanager Resolution Width.
  4. Double-click one, select Decimal and enter the desired height or width, then click OK. Repeat the step for the other.
  5. Run the game and avoid accessing the options or the pause menu (Esc).
Results in Hor+ scaling and Vert- behavior from letterboxing.[8] The letterboxing can be removed with a mod.
Mouse pointer is always confined to 16:9, forcing to use other input devices to navigate the main menu at 48:9 resolutions.[6]

Input

Controls settings.
Controls settings.

Audio

Gameplay settings.
Gameplay settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Most of the environmental sounds are not captioned.
Mute on focus lost

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Brazilian Portuguese

Issues unresolved

Controls hints cut off at wider resolutions

Temporarily setting the game resolution to one with less width will allow to see the hints.[12]

Issues fixed

Controls settings arrow isn't functional

Instead of clicking with the mouse, press the arrow button on the keyboard or the controller to access the Camera Control bindings.[13]

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 11
Shader Model support 4.0
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio FMOD

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 7
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i3-3240 3.4 GHz
AMD FX-4300 3.8 GHz
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 12 GB
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce GT 640
AMD Radeon HD 7750
A 64-bit operating system is required.


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/906100/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (906100) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.
  2. For example, ← Backspace is not listed among the Controls but used to back out of objects inspection; R for Response is not documented; some of the functionality of Space is remappable but even when fully remapped, the game will require its use to close the SamOS interface.

References

  1. Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-21
    Closed the launcher, removed its folders and launched the game without issues.
  2. Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-21
    Used a custom desktop resolution of 3840x2160, got to select it in the menu, and it lowered the FPS.
  3. Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-21
    Found this out by extracting the game files.
  4. Verified by User:Rose on 2020-05-24
    Tested at 65 Hz and 75 Hz, reaching 75 FPS at the latter. Disabling Vsync had no effect.
  5. Observation letterboxing remover - last accessed on 2020-05-23
  6. 6.0 6.1 Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-21
    Screenshots taken at 5760x1080, 3840x1080 (both custom), 2560x1080 and 1920x1080, then compared.
  7. Verified by User:Rose on 2020-08-13
  8. Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-23
    Played through the game at 2560x1080 without notable issues.
  9. Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-24
    Quickly moving the mouse resulted in little change on the screen, while moving it slower resulted in much more distance traveled.
  10. Terrible mouse smoothing - last accessed on 2020-05-22
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-23
    Tested with an Xbox 360 Razer Onza controller.
  12. Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-23
    At 2560x1080, the SamOS hints are partially cut off but visible. At 5760x1080 there are no signs of them.
  13. Verified by User:Rose on 2019-05-21
    It works, and it seems to be the only way to access the extra keybindings.