Tired of the old empires graphics? Got a lot of unused GPU power while paying empires and want to use it? Then grab a Reshade and just put it into Empires. Reshade = Shaders / Sweetfx / ENB Reshade 3.0.6 Official download: https://reshade.me/ Install into ..\steam\steamapps\common\empires\ (Choose the hl2.exe) Install as Direct3D8/9 During installation you want to accept downloading collection from github. Now you gotta go into your empires folder (..\steam\steamapps\common\empires\) And cut/move following files into (..\steam\steamapps\common\empires\BIN\) (its possible you wont have the .ini file maybe, doesnt matter) Not sure if it would let you install straight into the bin folder, you can try. ------------------ Now you can either go figure out your own path and make your own preset, but watch out, you still gotta edit few files... Or you can simply download my very new and barely tested Preset (only tested single time on single map, on new slaughtered) Empires Reshade 3.0.5 preset by Neoony: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mj36mdhfzv1ytul/Empires reshade preset.rar?dl=0 Now open the downloaded file and copy the files from the folder, once again into the bin folder: (..\steam\steamapps\common\empires\BIN\) And overwrite everything. (I did use few custom/unoriginal shader files, so be sure to overwrite everything) **** Now you got 2 choices. Choice 1: You will either edit the d3d9.ini file in the bin folder and fix all the paths to fit your pc and your drive. Or skip to choice 2... (its just 2 ways to do the same thing, doesnt matter...or maybe you are missing the .ini file, just go choice 2) d3d9.ini: Just set the following 2 paths correctly to your paths: !TextureSearchPaths= ..\steam\steamapps\common\Empires\bin\reshade-shaders\Textures !EffectSearchPaths= ..\steam\steamapps\common\Empires\bin\reshade-shaders\Shaders Dont worry about setting the path to my preset, it should be detected automatically, just leave (PresetFiles=) line empty. Reshade should detect all the .ini files which are in BIN folder, when you start the game. **** Choice 2: You simply start the game, wait for it to load and then edit the config of Reshade from its ingame settings GUI menu (Shift+F2) Which should look like this: So simply fix all the paths (and probably let it reload) and then go to "Home" tab. And it should look like this: If it detected my Preset, then just check if some of the effects are active and you are basically good to go. If it didnt detect my preset, just click on the "+" and enter its name "NeoonyPreset" / .ini is not needed. Rest of the Reshade menu/functionality, you gotta figure out yourself But its super easy with this new ingame GUI. Dont forget, to access Reshade ingame GUI press (Shift+F2) ...which also opens the Source demo controller, so it might be better to rebind the Reshade in its config. Enjoy! The tiltshift shader is disabled by default in my preset, simply enable it and it will be the same as on the pictures. ** If you are maybe for some reason worried about getting a VAC ban when playing online, because it indeed does inject into the games memory. Its pretty much never a problem with shaders in pretty much any game, as Valve usually whitelists such things...they definitely dont want to ban people for trusted non hack things. And I use it in many other games like CS:GO, with no problem. Go ahead and google it. **
Screenshots of my preset: The tiltshift shader is disabled by default in my preset, simply enable it and it will be the same as on the pictures.
Video of my preset: The tiltshift shader is disabled by default in my preset, simply enable it and it will be the same as on the pictures.
Oh, and a note. If you want to have that tiltshift (blur/focus) effect, you gotta just turn on the "tiltshift" in the Reshade GUI. I didnt include it as default, because that one is really ONLY for the eye :D Still probably my favorite effect, so far Oh and also, Reshade has 2 modes: Configuration Mode and Performance, dont forget to switch to performance after you are done configuring it, I have noticed some nice performance improvement. No more poor graphics in Empires Although I wanna see what the FPS will be doing in bigger matches EDIT: List of all shaders set up and used: Curves,FXAA,HDR,LumaSharpen,Vibrance,Colourfulness,AdaptiveSharpen,Levels,Clarity,Tonemap,FilmicPass,AmbientLight,BloomAndLensFlares,SMAA,Vignette +Tilt shift, which is configured but not active. ---- Just consider it rather like some early alpha kind of preset Seems its quite different on other maps. Need to work more on the preset/s.. ...rather wait for updates.
I just want to add one thing. If you want the full range of effects, which are mostly based on reading the "Depth" from source engine. (real Depth of Field for example) You will have to enable "sv_cheats 1" and use "r_drawvgui 0" which is cheat protected. (Make a bind for r_drawvgui 1, or you will be unable to see console or most of the vgui after you disable vgui) And you will have to set this in Reshade "preprocessor definitions" settings: Code: RESHADE_DEPTH_LINEARIZATION_FAR_PLANE=1000.0 RESHADE_DEPTH_INPUT_IS_UPSIDE_DOWN=0 RESHADE_DEPTH_INPUT_IS_REVERSED=0 RESHADE_DEPTH_INPUT_IS_LOGARITHMIC=1 Adjust "RESHADE_DEPTH_LINEARIZATION_FAR_PLANE=1000.0" to your likings (good values 500-10000) Then source will be able to see the depth, like this: Black means close, white means far. You will need a shader "DisplayDepth" to be able to see this, but you dont need it to use it. Then you will be able to use effects like these: Which can be used either on a server you own and allow sv_cheats (you would probably have to find or recompile reshade without network protection, which restricts it if you play online...its open source since start of this year) Or in single player, or for use in demos. Which means that I pretty much discontinue any work on multiplayer in empires and Reshade and my intentions will be for video making mainly. No point in it...and you want FPS for multiplayer anyways. Iam uploading a pack of shaders I collected, compatible with Reshade 3.0.6 It includes original shaders. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ug4iwljjbyssh3p/reshade-shaders.rar?dl=0 Just put contents of the folder into "reshade-shaders" folder. Delete any shaders you dont use to decrease load times (+ use performance mode) Consider this thread a resource, if anyone ever wanted to mess with Reshade. And I will upload any presets I make, here. EDIT: Some screenshots with depth effects: http://steamcommunity.com/id/neoonyx/screenshots/ The ones with "depth" in the name. Not too good colors and such, my first time messing with depths and so... Just to show the potential.
Useful toggle one key binds: To toggle r_drawvgui: Code: alias cycler "vguioff" alias vguioff "r_drawvgui 0; alias cycler vguion" alias vguion "r_drawvgui 1; alias cycler vguioff" bind "k" cycler To toggle all the hud elements: Code: alias cycler2 "hudoff" alias hudoff "cl_drawhud 0; impulse 200; voice_enable 0; alias cycler2 hudon" alias hudon "cl_drawhud 1; impulse 201; voice_enable 1; alias cycler2 hudoff" bind "j" cycler2
Cant even imagine playing Skyrim/Fallout/GTA without those shaders. Good presets make the games look quite photorealistic in many situations. Reshade screenshots thread: https://reshade.me/forum/general-discussion/214-screenshot-thread?start=2400 Its just crazy eyecandy sometimes.
anyone know how i would uninstall reshade from empires? ive been getting lighting glitches as a result of the program..
Delete any d3d9.dll in empires or bin folders. Mainly the empires\bin folder if you copied everything properly. The presets in this thread arent really set properly.
