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Getting Started: Tweak Settings

Table of contents

All of the settings mentioned on this page should go into a file named settings.cfg. If you aren't sure where that is or should be (you create it if it doesn't exist, and simply add values as needed, or alternatively run OpenMW to generate the file) then please consult this page.

It's recommended to consult the official documentation on settings for detailed information about what any of these do.

Below is a list of recommended settings tweaks, by section.

[GUI]
[Groundcover]
[Game]
[Shaders]
[Fog]

All changes mentioned above, in one:

[GUI]
stretch menu background = true
color topic enable = true

[Groundcover]
enabled = true

[Game]
use additional anim sources = true
turn to movement direction = true
weapon sheathing = true
swim upward correction = true
smooth movement = true
NPCs avoid collisions = true

[Shaders]
antialias alpha test = true
apply lighting to environment maps = true
force shaders = true
clamp lighting = false
auto use object normal maps = true
auto use object specular maps = true
auto use terrain normal maps = true
auto use terrain specular maps = true
lighting method = shaders
maximum light distance = 16384
max lights = 64

[Fog]
radial fog = true

Performance tweaks

These settings will impact performance and may require a more powerful computer.

[Shadows]
[Terrain]

All changes mentioned above, in one:

[Shadows]
enable shadows = true
actor shadows = true
player shadows = true
terrain shadows = true
object shadows = true
enable indoor shadows = true

[Terrain]
distant terrain = true
object paging active grid = true
object paging min size = 0.023

Subjective tweaks

Whether or not you should use these depends on personal preference and/or the capabilities of your computer/device. In particular, increasing the viewing distance setting may require a powerful machine. These values should be tuned up or down depending on your setup.

[Game]
[Groundcover]

All changes mentioned above, in one:

[Game]
can loot during death animation = false
use magic item animations = true
rebalance soul gem values = true

All tweaks

Everything mentioned above in one place, for easy copying.

[GUI]
stretch menu background = true
color topic enable = true

[Groundcover]
enabled = true
stomp intensity = 2

[Game]
use additional anim sources = true
turn to movement direction = true
weapon sheathing = true
can loot during death animation = false
use magic item animations = true
swim upward correction = true
smooth movement = true
NPCs avoid collisions = true
rebalance soul gem values = true

[Shaders]
antialias alpha test = true
apply lighting to environment maps = true
force shaders = true
clamp lighting = false
auto use object normal maps = true
auto use object specular maps = true
auto use terrain normal maps = true
auto use terrain specular maps = true
lighting method = shaders
maximum light distance = 16384
max lights = 64

[Fog]
radial fog = true

[Shadows]
enable shadows = true
actor shadows = true
player shadows = true
terrain shadows = true
object shadows = true
enable indoor shadows = true

[Terrain]
distant terrain = true
object paging active grid = true
object paging min size = 0.023

A Note About Performance

Please see this page for a more detailed look at the various settings that will have the biggest impact on your performance, and how to test the performance of your setup.

Buy Morrowind Install OpenMW Managing Mods Tips