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JEMC on 16 October 2023
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It is time for the Monday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Battlefield 2042 rode a free weekend and recent improvements to have a near-launch day player population on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/battlefield-2042-rode-a-free-weekend-and-recent-improvements-to-have-a-near-launch-day-player-population-on-steam/
EA's gambit to have a Battlefield 2042 free weekend as Modern Warfare 3 got its multiplayer beta seems to have paid off. First noted by PCGamesN, the multiplayer FPS, which was lambasted by fans when it launched in 2021, nearly matched its all-time peak player count on Steam⁠—102,009 according to SteamDB, just shy of that 2021 high of 105,397.
It's an impressive showing from a shooter many had all but written off, but there's a lot to recommend 2042 at this late date aside from it having been temporarily free. Back in March, PCG's resident FPS aficionado, Morgan Park, found 2042 to be a redeemed shooter. The reintroduction of the Battlefield series' classes, new maps, and fresh Specialist roles all contributed to a vastly improved game.

GOG has two new deals and three new sales:

Steam has two new deals:

There are two new deals at Humble:

Fanatical has a new Star Deal and a bundle:

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This Starfield Mod optimizes a large portion of the vanilla scripts
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/this-starfield-mod-optimizes-a-large-portion-of-the-vanilla-scripts/
Modder ‘Yeti’ has released a must-have mod for Starfield that optimizes a large portion of the vanilla scripts. This mod replaces slow functions with faster versions for a possible fps gain, thus we suggest downloading it if you own a low-tier or mid-tier PC system.
As the modder stated, in Starfield (and in all Bethesda games), when a script gets to the front of a queue that’s using a slow function and has to ask another script for information, it gets out of the queue to ask for the info and then goes to the back of the queue. This mod cuts down on how often they have to get back into the queue by having them have the correct info when they get to the front, making queues shorter.
>> As you'd expect from this type of mod, there are no screenshots nor videos of it.

Starfield Mod aims to improve 1134 individual textures of all Fauna/Creatures
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/starfield-mod-aims-to-improve-1134-individual-textures-of-all-fauna-creatures/
Modder ‘ThEjEsTeRoFeViL’ is currently working on an HD Texture Pack for Starfield that aims to improve 1134 individual textures for all of the game’s Fauna/Creatures.
Going into more details, this mod will overhaul/remaster all Fauna/Creatures, which are 318 in total. According to the modder, this will equate to 1134 individual textures.
The first version of this mod improves the textures of all the fauna bipeds. This includes Hammersaur, Bladedback, Dodo, Foxbat and more. All of these creatures have been updated to 2X resolution and max detail, along with better color, shading and lighting.
Now the good news is that once this project is complete, ThEjEsTeRoFeViL will upload an AIO file with all textures. Until then, you’ll have to download separate packs for each fauna type.
>> There is only 1 screenshot comparing a vanilla vs improved texture... and I have a hard time seeing the improvement.

New Forza Motorsport Mods fix 2D wheels, improve distant shadows and opponent liveries
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-forza-motorsport-mods-fix-2d-wheels-improve-distant-shadows-and-opponent-liveries/
Modder ‘Talal26’ has released a new mod for Forza Motorsport that improves the game’s distant shadows. This is a must-have mod for everyone as it can noticeably improve the game’s visuals.
In order to showcase the improved distant shadows, Talal26 shared the following screenshots. And, as you can see, the improved distant shadows can be easily noticed.
(...)
Speaking of Forza Motorsport mods, we also suggest taking a look at these other ones. This mod prevents the wheels from becoming 2D and changing color when driving. And then we have this mod that increases the resolution of opponent liveries in the game.
>> The article only has two before vs after comparison screenshots, both of the first mod.

This Bloodborne-inspired map in Minecraft will blow you away
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/this-bloodborne-inspired-map-in-minecraft-will-blow-you-away/
Environment artist Potomy has shared a number of screenshots and a video from a Bloodborne-inspired map in Minecraft that will blow you away.
This Bloodborne Remake in Minecraft looks absolutely amazing, and it’s by far one of the best custom maps we’ve seen. The attention to detail is extraordinary, and everything looks incredible. Potomy was also able to capture the game’s atmosphere, and we really have to congratulate the artist for that.
Now the downside here is that this map is behind a Patreon wall. The Bloodborne x Minecraft texture pack will cost you $41, and it will give you access to the actual map and its resource pack. Basically, it’s like purchasing a new game. In my opinion, you should stay away from it. Don’t get me wrong, this is one of the best recreations I’ve seen in Minecraft. However, its price is too high.
>> I'm sure the modder has spent a lot of time doing the map, but that price is insane. But well, at least there are screenshots and a roughly 5 minutes video of it.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage gets free DLSS 3 Frame Generation Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/assassins-creed-mirage-gets-free-dlss-3-frame-generation-mod/
Earlier this month, we informed you about a DLSS 3 Frame Generation paid mod for Assassin’s Creed Mirage. And today, we are happy to report that a new free DLSS 3 Mod is currently available for it.
Created by LukeFZ, this mod enables DLSS Frame Generation in Assassin’s Creed: Mirage and adds a hotkey to Chromatic Aberration.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage supported DLSS 2 at launch. And, instead of simply adding support for DLSS 3 Frame Generation, this mod replaces the game’s native FSR2 implementation with DLSS along with implementing support for Frame Generation.
So, if you don’t plan to use DLSS 3 Frame Generation, we suggest staying away from this mod. After all, you can already enable DLSS 2 Super Resolution.
(...)
We should also note some issues we’ve encountered with this DLSS 3 Mod. For starters, we could not use the built-in benchmark with this mod as it was constantly crashing. The game would also crash upon loading a save. The only way we could make this mod work was by enabling it after loading a save.
Furthermore, we suggest sticking with the game’s default version of DLSS Super Resolution, version 2.3.1.0. During our tests, there were severe ghosting issues when using the latest 3.5.0 version.
>> The article has some screenshots where you can see the FPS increase in several locations.

New Cyberpunk 2077 Mod fixes skill progression rewards bug/glitch
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/new-cyberpunk-2077-mod-fixes-skill-progression-rewards-bug-glitch/
Earlier this month, CD Projekt RED released Patch 2.01 for Cyberpunk 2077. And, although that update resolved the most common issues players have encountered and improved overall performance on all platforms, it introduced a glitch that could prevent players from receiving 16 of the skill progression rewards. Thankfully, though, there is now a mod that addresses this bug/glitch issue.
Going into more details, Cyberpunk 2077’s Update 2.01 introduced a bug that prevented 16 of the skill progression rewards from applying when loading a save made with patch 2.01. Furthermore, there was another glitch that prevented skill rewards (for the exact level of your skill) from being applied on reload. This second glitch has been present in the game since version 2.0.
>> The article lists the affected rewards, but there are no screenshots nor videos of it.

There's finally a Baldur's Gate 3 mod that will let you play as a stinky little Goblin
https://www.pcgamer.com/theres-finally-a-baldurs-gate-3-mod-that-will-let-you-play-as-a-stinky-little-goblin/
Let's be real, the weird, vaguely villainous and nonhuman fantasy races in RPGs are the most fun way to play. Half-Orcs, Dragonborn, Tieflings, they're just more fun, especially in a game as reactive as Baldur's Gate 3. It's felt like only a matter of time until modders started opening up options for BG3's unplayable NPC races, and modder Tripsadin has implemented playable Goblins with their mod, Whispers of the Fey - Goblins Race.
The mod adds Goblins as a character creation option, with custom faces created by Tripsadin, and according to comments on the Nexus, the Goblins play nice with the vanilla game's armor sets too. Goblins get the pre-existing Fey Ancestry and Darkvision bonuses, and Tripsadin also implemented two special Goblin abilities from tabletop 5E Dungeons & Dragons.
>> There's no media showing the mod.

GAMING NEWS

Unreal Engine 5-powered RTS, Empire of the Ants, gets first in-engine trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/unreal-engine-5-powered-rts-empire-of-the-ants-gets-first-in-engine-trailer/
Microids has shared the first in-engine trailer for its upcoming Unreal Engine 5-powered RTS, Empire of the Ants. In this game, players will dive into the universe of the ants to live an epic adventure where they will have to help a colony prosper through tactical and strategical battles, in a microscopic world of epic proportions.

Lords of the Fallen Patch 1.1.191 released, disables DLSS 3 Frame Generation, full changelog
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/lords-of-the-fallen-patch-1-1-191-released-disables-dlss-3-frame-generation-full-changelog/
Hexworks has released the first PC update for its latest Souls-like Unreal Engine 5-powered game, Lords of the Fallen. According to its changelog, Patch 1.1.191 will disable DLSS 3 Frame Generation for stability purposes.
As Hexworks stated:
“We have decided to temporarily deactivate Frame Generation until our collaboration with NVIDIA allows us to deliver more stable drivers. This action is intended to prevent the crashes that some players are experiencing with their brand-new 40 series GPUs.”

Lords of the Fallen Patch 1.1.193 fixes more crashes, allows you to manually enable DLSS 3 Frame Generation
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/lords-of-the-fallen-patch-1-1-193-fixes-more-crashes-allows-you-to-manuall-enable-dlss-3-frame-generation/
Yesterday, Hexworks released the first post-launch update for Lords of the Fallen. And today, the team has released yet another one. Patch 1.1.193 for Lords of the Fallen fixes a number of crashes, and allows you to manually enable DLSS 3 Frame Generation.
In order to enable DLSS 3 Frame Generation, you’ll have to use the following launch option “-DLSSFG”. Once you do, the game will be, once again, using DLSS 3 Frame Generation on your RTX 40 series GPU.
>> This move could be because the performance of the game isn't homogeneous, with different people having different experiences with the game. This is one of the reason for its mixed reviews in Steam.



Please excuse my bad English.

Currently gaming on a PC with an i5-4670k@stock (for now), 16Gb RAM 1600 MHz and a GTX 1070

Steam / Live / NNID : jonxiquet    Add me if you want, but I'm a single player gamer.