This guide is designed to improve the game performance of bcof.
 

Welcome

Welcome to my guide. This guide is a compilation of everything I found when testing my own game to make it more enjoyable. This guide is broken down into the easiest to most difficult parts.
 
 
Warning: If you don't pay attention, some of the information in this guide could cause serious damage to your computer. There are no "exact steps" and your process may differ so proceed at your discretion.
 
 
If you still have problems, please refer to
Aztir’s guide for running a bcof while eating a potato – http://steamcommunity.com
 
 
 
 

Get started

Join the official FSE discord for expert troubleshooting advice from the developers. The channel is #bug_reports
 
 
https://discord.gg/battlecryoffreedom – [discord.gg]
 
 
 
You will want to find your player files, just like it says in bug reports channel's pin message.
 
 

1. Open the file Explorer.
2. Enter this line into your top bar as shown in the image and hit the enter key to confirm.
    
    
    

   %AppData%\..\LocalLow\Flying Squirrel Entertainment\BCOF

    
    
    
    
   
    
    
    
   It should open a folder that looks similar to this.
    
    
    
   

3. You will need these files and a message explaining the problem to be uploaded to discord channel. If they have the time, one of our developers will assist you. Other than that, expect to hear from other members of your community.
    
    
   
4. Open task manager, and then go to the "Performance” tab. We need to know three important things: what cpu you have, how many memory you have, and which GPU you have. You can find all of these by selecting the relevant objects in task manger.
    
    
    
   As an example, I have a 3700x processor, 16 gb of RAM, and a gpu with a 3070ti.
    
    
    
   
    
    
    
   
    
    
    
   

 
 
My specs range from 80-60 FPS with drops down to 30 FPS when looking at several hundred bots on commander battle servers. Your numbers will be different.
 
 
This information will allow you to ask for help in the channel. I will be covering a variety of troubleshooting options in the next sections.
 
 
 

Easy

This is a collection of simple things that can be done to improve the game's performance. Spoiler alert! bcof is not compatible with NVIDIA 30xx GPUs. I don't understand why. A decent CPU is also necessary if you want a decent player/bot count above 500.
 
 

Hardware

 
It is highly recommended that you install the game on a solid drive (SSD). I have also noticed a slight performance improvement by having the game installed onto my c drive, as opposed to other drives.
 
 

Game Settings

 
Play around with the settings. Start with the default preset and experiment with them. Shadows, grass and particles are the most common performance hogs found in games. Keep occlusion culling on! I've also seen slightly higher fps when using vsync. To determine what you like best, you will have to try it yourself. The performance of the exclusive full-screen version is slightly better.
 
 

Background processes

 
Bcof can be a RAM hog. It consumes about 8.5GB. Try closing out any random stuff you have open on your computer.
 
 

Windows Updates

 
Type "update” in the bar at the bottom left. Then, open the check to see if there are any updates. It will open a screen with a button indicating that you should check for updates. Click it, then use it to do what it says. Click any option that says "optional upgrades" and click it to see what it says. If you consider them important, you will want them. Make sure you reboot after you're done.
 
 

Driver Updates

 
This one is also quite simple. Go to the driver download page and update it.
 
 
AMD Driver Link- [amd.com]
 
 
Nvidia Geforce drivers – [nvidia.com]
 
 
Find a replacement if you have a nvidia quadro or card.
 
Intel Drivers – [intel.com]
 
 
 
If you have a prebuilt or laptop, you might search the brand name and drivers to find details for your system. "x drivers".
 
 
You will need to install geforceexperience if you have an NVIDIA GPU.
 
 

Windows Power Plan

 
This is a very random problem I encountered so I'm including the information here. My computer was set to power saving mode by default, which slows down your CPU clock speed. Check this and make sure your computer is properly balanced. Open the control panel, click on Hardware and Sound, then choose Power Options. It should be at balanced. If it isn't, you can change it. If it doesn't stay chosen, look for a way to reset the default power plans with power shell or another method. If you are unable to figure it out, ask for help in the discord.
 
 
If you have a Ryzen3000 series CPU, like mine, you will want to use the AMD Ryzen balance power plan. It alters some core-specific stuff to make it more efficient in this particular series.
 
 
If you had the same issue, let us know in discord. We can investigate it to see if there is a similar game issue.
 
 
 

Medium

This section assumes that either you are proficient in using a computer or have figured out how to use one. The instructions will be concise. Google/YouTube the name if you don’t know.
 
 

Driver control panel settings

 
Alright, I have an NVIDIA GTX GPU so I'm going through the options. Similar options might exist for AMD's driver platforms idk.
 
 
Open the panel and locate Manage 3D Settings at the side. Open it, and then go to the program settings tab. Add the bcof.exe file to the list. The default settings should be fine. However, the one you want is openGL rendering. Make sure it is set according to the GPU.
 
 
Make sure that the vsync option has been enabled to allow 3d applications to decide.
 
 
It could be placebo, but I think it has helped to set the ultra mode to low latency. It doesn't fix the frame drops, but it has made the fps count consistent when it isn’t.
 
 
As long as you don't have any previous problems with the contents, it should be okay.
 
 

BIOS Options

 
You are unlikely to find this section if your laptop isn't working.
 
 
All my desktop bros: You'll need to access your motherboard bios. There are a few things you can do while you're there, even if you've never done this before.
 
 

RAM settings

 
This will ensure that your RAM is compatible. Otherwise you could find yourself in a boot loop, which is not fun. Look for something that says D.O.C.P. It will probably be a drop-down that allows you to select profile 1 or other options. Congratulations, you just got a lot more performance. This is especially appreciated by Ryzen processors.
 
 

Resizable bar

 
Although it isn't 100% implemented in all games, it's a good thing to have. It lets the parts communicate with each other in larger chunks. It is easy to find it and turn it off.
 
 

Setting the CPU

 
Depending on your board there may be some overclocking options. You can read/watch the video to learn how to make sure it's on and running.
 
 
 

Hard

You should not mess with this stuff unless you are certain that it will be fine.
 
 

Bios updates

 
If you own a laptop or a pre-built desktop, you can search the model's bios update. If you have a custom computer and know what motherboard it is, you can search that motherboard bios update.
 
 
Because they are all different, the upgrade process will vary depending on which version you have. Some BIOS versions are not compatible with the latest version. Instead, you will need to upgrade in steps. Start with the previous version and continue until you reach your current version.
 
 

Performance Monitoring

 
MSI Afterburner is available. Install RivaTuner Statistics to monitor your CPU and GPU clock speeds as well as RAM and VRAM usage. Play the game to identify any issues. Test stuff idk This is what I'm doing as well.

 
 

 
 
Here we come to an end for Battle Cry of Freedom How to Improve Performance & Config hope you enjoy it. If you think we forget something to include or we should make an update to the post let us know via comment, and we will fix it asap! Thanks and have a great day!