PSA: Fix your Graphics Settings

tacofangs · October 2016

If you've loaded up on Holodeck today to see the new graphics and think everything looks like a pixelated mess, it's probably just a settings issue.

Please enter the following in you chatbox:

/renderscale 1

You can also find this on the Display options panel under "Resolution Scale." 1 should be default, but there is a known issue that has caused many people's to be set to 0.4 or other lower numbers.

If you would like to see the new lighting, and think your card is capable, but "Lighting 2.0" is greyed out, ensure that your settings (on the Display Panel) are set to DirectX 11. DX9 can't run the new lighting.

o4q123 · October 2016

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malebisse · October 2016

That did not work for me. I can't read a thing even at the character selection screen. All text is invisible to me. Can't even go through the options to adjust the settings, because all the text is missing. I am not happy with these so called lighting updates. They are a giant leap backwards. Yesterday I was able to play, today the game is unplayable.

freakium · October 2016

If you cannot read text, try the fixes posted on http://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline#/discussion/1223875/no-text-appears-on-any-ingame-button-for-artifacts-launch

kwyjen · October 2016

I have logged in twice.. There are numerous missing things.. No text.. can not see any of my characters names on the character selection at the beginning , can not see any chat in chat window, or tab names. My ship tray is missing numerous items, do no see my weapons same on ground items, bank , etc. When I select options, from memory as I have been in game for 4+yrs, I see the options window open, but there is nothing in it to select, adjust or click on. I could write a wall of what is missing after this patch, But I hope you get the gist of it.

leemwatson · October 2016

kwyjen wrote: »

I have logged in twice.. There are numerous missing things.. No text.. can not see any of my characters names on the character selection at the beginning , can not see any chat in chat window, or tab names. My ship tray is missing numerous items, do no see my weapons same on ground items, bank , etc. When I select options, from memory as I have been in game for 4+yrs, I see the options window open, but there is nothing in it to select, adjust or click on. I could write a wall of what is missing after this patch, But I hope you get the gist of it.

Try starting in Safe Mode. It should reset all the graphics settings to basic, then go from there tweaking the settings. If not, try Force Verifying the game files.

velqua · October 2016

Tacofangs,

When I use Renderscale 1.0 on DX9, I tend to get image trailing issues. I have tried to set my screen to Full Screen, but it doesn't seem to work. The only thing that works is Window Maximized. I don't know if this may be causing the issue. At the moment, I have dropped my Renderscale to 0.8 to keep things stable. I do hope this is fixed so that I can return to Renderscale 1.0. Please keep us updated. Thanks.

i2hellfire · October 2016

Can confirm freakium's link to the solution works (modify one line of text in the gamepref file)

xraiderv1 · October 2016

velqua wrote: »

Tacofangs,

When I use Renderscale 1.0 on DX9, I tend to get image trailing issues. I have tried to set my screen to Full Screen, but it doesn't seem to work. The only thing that works is Window Maximized. I don't know if this may be causing the issue. At the moment, I have dropped my Renderscale to 0.8 to keep things stable. I do hope this is fixed so that I can return to Renderscale 1.0. Please keep us updated. Thanks.

this is the EXACT same issue I've got, swirly whirly topsy turvy imagry here.

hotrod · October 2016

tacofangs wrote: »

If you've loaded up on Holodeck today to see the new graphics and think everything looks like a pixelated mess, it's probably just a settings issue.

Please enter the following in you chatbox:

/renderscale 1

You can also find this on the Display options panel under "Resolution Scale." 1 should be default, but there is a known issue that has caused many people's to be set to 0.4 or other lower numbers.

If you would like to see the new lighting, and think your card is capable, but "Lighting 2.0" is greyed out, ensure that your settings (on the Display Panel) are set to DirectX 11. DX9 can't run the new lighting.

Thank you for this. it was driving me nuts trying to figure out what went wrong and trying many different display settings.

amosov78 · October 2016

initially I found that switching to the DX11 option still wouldn't allow me to to use the new lighting. However, I found this over on reddit that fixed the problem:

Source: https://reddit.com/r/sto/comments/59bt9i/agents_of_yesterday_artifacts_is_live/d97789y/

0) Close STO

1) Go to your "Star Trek Online\Live\Localdata" folder and open Gameprefs.Pref (edit: in Notepad)

2) Find the line "PrefEntry GfxSettings.DeviceType Direct3D9"

3) Delete Direct3D9, so the line now reads "PrefEntry GfxSettings.DeviceType"

4) Relaunch the game, see if it's fixed.

I just used the find option in notepad for the "PrefEntry GfxSettings.DeviceType" part and deleted whatever was after it on the same line, which was the DX11 option I had set it to in-game. If you do this make sure you don't associate the file with notepad when opening.

Additional info for those who might still be having problems if the above doesn't work:

Source: https://reddit.com/r/sto/comments/59bt9i/agents_of_yesterday_artifacts_is_live/d97fjb8/

The following is a new edit from what I first posted. This should fix the no-text problem for those of us using DX9.

1) Go to your "Star Trek Online\Live\Localdata" folder and open Gameprefs.Pref (in Notepad, Wordpad, or other word processor)

2) Find the line: PrefEntry GfxSettings.DeviceType Direct3D9

3) Edit the line so it now reads: PrefEntry GfxSettings.DeviceType Direct3D11

4) On your launcher, go to Options and under the Command Line option, type -d3d9enable 1 into the box. Remember to hit the save button.

Unknown · October 2016

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hfmudd · October 2016

Great examples, colonelmarik.
I want to like the new lighting, but some of the maps really need a bit more work, IMO.

Unknown · October 2016

This content has been removed.

thunderfoot · October 2016

Logged in in Safe Mode, adjusted Graphics Settings to my taste, checked which DX I was using to make sure it was the right one(DX11), logged out. When I logged back in - Ta Da! Lighting 2.0 looks really good, Devs. You did a fine job here overall. There are some things which need tweaking, though. I expected not all of the maps/objects/environments would be good to go first time out on HoloDeck. What I did not expect was there would be so few of these. STO looks far better on my coal-fired, steam-powered laptop than ever before. This creaky antique calculation machine also seems to be running cooler when I play STO now as well. At least I don't have to wear the gloves to work the levers and switches so far.

A side note: I usually get some serious frame rate drop on any map which has a large number of objects already in it or has a brightly colored background. Neither of these happened on my first run of the new FE where both of these conditions are present. Which is a pleasant surprise.

Thank you for your efforts on my behalf, Devs. Much appreciated! Love to stay and chat some more but my other chars have an appointment with Captain Kuumaarke which must not be put off any longer. Stokers! Put yer backs into it, lads!

vulcannorris · October 2016

tacofangs wrote: »

If you've loaded up on Holodeck today to see the new graphics and think everything looks like a pixelated mess, it's probably just a settings issue.

Please enter the following in you chatbox:

/renderscale 1

You can also find this on the Display options panel under "Resolution Scale." 1 should be default, but there is a known issue that has caused many people's to be set to 0.4 or other lower numbers.

If you would like to see the new lighting, and think your card is capable, but "Lighting 2.0" is greyed out, ensure that your settings (on the Display Panel) are set to DirectX 11. DX9 can't run the new lighting.

Thank you!

shadowkosh · October 2016

tacofangs wrote: »

If you've loaded up on Holodeck today to see the new graphics and think everything looks like a pixelated mess, it's probably just a settings issue.

Please enter the following in you chatbox:

/renderscale 1

You can also find this on the Display options panel under "Resolution Scale." 1 should be default, but there is a known issue that has caused many people's to be set to 0.4 or other lower numbers.

If you would like to see the new lighting, and think your card is capable, but "Lighting 2.0" is greyed out, ensure that your settings (on the Display Panel) are set to DirectX 11. DX9 can't run the new lighting.

Hey Taco some of us ran old kits and now they are all gone nothing changing maps does nothing is there a way to fix this

malkari66 · October 2016

triedall options no good still no text

lynxm · October 2016

Thanks Tacofangs!!! I was very unhappy with the 'new look' until I found your post. It worked so now I am a much happier Ferengi

malkari66 · October 2016

malkari66 wrote: »

triedall options no good still no text

did this and ok now -d3d9enable 1 in chat box

centaurianalpha · October 2016

tacofangs wrote: »

If you've loaded up on Holodeck today to see the new graphics and think everything looks like a pixelated mess, it's probably just a settings issue.

Please enter the following in you chatbox:

/renderscale 1

You can also find this on the Display options panel under "Resolution Scale." 1 should be default, but there is a known issue that has caused many people's to be set to 0.4 or other lower numbers.

If you would like to see the new lighting, and think your card is capable, but "Lighting 2.0" is greyed out, ensure that your settings (on the Display Panel) are set to DirectX 11. DX9 can't run the new lighting.

I spent some time patiently working with my graphics settings to get a happy medium; start with the (ugly) default settings, and adjust things incrementally, not all at once. I have found that the fleet mines put the most strain my my GPU, so if the settings look acceptable and don't crash the game there, they should work server-wide. I'm using DX11, but neither dynamic lighting or 2.0 are working well for me.

When I tried doing everything at once, I usually got a CTD, which then requires one to start over from scratch. Make a few small changes, leave the mine, come back again before making any further changes. I got impatient and made additional changes before entering the mine, and CTD was usually the result.

With the combination of a vintage game engine, multiple player platforms & OS's, problems were inevitable for an update this large. Put as much discipline into graphics customization as you do in keybinds & ship builds, and you'll be good to go!

discorice · October 2016

What's happening with me is my screen keeps going black. sometimes when I try to type in chat or when I switch zones, especially switching from sector space to combat space. Any ideas how to fix this? The game is as literally unplayable as it can be at this point for me.

discorice · October 2016

just did a force verification after seeing a box pop up that said the game client couldn't find required files. all went well and the game loaded. Then I had a blackout at the loading screen for the first time. Seems to be getting worse.

wylonus · October 2016

graphic got too dark, when i adjusted, details get blurred, this is pooriest lighting fix ever in any games that i played.

daveyny · October 2016

velqua wrote: »

Tacofangs,

When I use Renderscale 1.0 on DX9, I tend to get image trailing issues. I have tried to set my screen to Full Screen, but it doesn't seem to work. The only thing that works is Window Maximized. I don't know if this may be causing the issue. At the moment, I have dropped my Renderscale to 0.8 to keep things stable. I do hope this is fixed so that I can return to Renderscale 1.0. Please keep us updated. Thanks.

Reminds me of the TNG episode "We'll Always Have Paris"...,

Where near the end of the episode, Data sees multiple images of himself while trying to shut down the time experiments of Dr. Paul Manheim.

daveyny · October 2016

crashdragon wrote: »

Had to shut off the new lighting, hurting my eyes too. The Mogwi in me kept shouting " BRIGHT LIGHT! ".

Played with the options, crashed.

I'm with the Dragon on this one.

Lighting 2.0 is too damn bright!