Dark Souls General FAQ

[Freyar]

This is a general purpose FAQ for the Steam release of Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition.

Updates made when possible/needed.
--------

Q. What are the minimum requirements for Dark Souls?

System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP , Windows Vista, Windows 7, or newer
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 GHz+ or AMD Phenom II X2 545 3.0 GHz+
• Memory: 2 GB
• Hard Disk Space: 8GB
• Video Card: GeForce 9800 GTX+ or ATI Radeon HD 4870+
• DirectX®: 9.0c
• Sound: Direct Sound Compatible

Keep in mind that this game DOES use Games for Windows Live.
Dark Souls does NOT support Windows XP x64.

Q. I heard this was a port, or some kind of marina.

You heard right. Dark Souls is what PC players would consider a "Bad Port". At the time of writing, controls and video are limited due to the console nature of the game. While unfortunate the game in itself is still good.

Q. How do I change the language?

You can change the language by changing "Format:" under Control Panel, Region and Language, Formats. This is (supposedly) the default method GFWL games determine language.

DSFix 0.6 now offers a method to change language without needing to change the setting via the Control Panel.

Q. Where do I find my save files for Dark Souls?

You can find your Dark Souls saves in C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents\NBGI
Keep in mind that saves are checked for alterations and that Steam nor Games for Windows Live offers cloud storage services for these saves.

Q. How do I improve image quality in Dark Souls?

Being a port, the game actually double-scales up from it's internal resolutions. There is a third-party option available here.

DSFix is currently on v0.8

Set FrameBuffer Resolution
Set Depth of Field Strength/Distance
Set Texture Filtering
Hide Cursor

Some examples are provided below.

• Vanilla (1920x1080 set in-game)
• Matching FrameBuffer (DSFix v0.4 w/Matching Framebuffer, no other changes)
• Matching FrameBuffer, Improved Texture Filtering and Depth of Field (DSfix v0.4 w/16x AF @ 540 DoF Override)
• Matching FrameBuffer, Improved Texture Filtering, and "Even Moar" Depth of Field (DSFix v0.4 w/16x AF @ 1080 DoF Override)
• Matching FrameBuffer, Improved Texture Filtering, and "Maximum" Depth of Field (DSFix v0.4 w/16x AF @ 2160 DoF Override)
• 2x Supersampling, Improved Texture Filtering, and "Even Moar" Depth of Field (DSFix v0.4 w/ 3840x2160FB; 16x AF @ 1080 DoF Override

Keep in mind that this fix may cause unexpected problems ranging from performance, stability, or possible issues with GFWL.

Q. Dark Souls crashes and has a reference to XLive.dll, what do?

First, ensure the Windows Live Sign-In Assistant is started. This should typically set to automatic, but it IS needed to log in to Xbox Live.

You can find it's status in the Services Panel. (For Vista/Win7, search for services.)

Thanks to ikbosh, he provides this suggestion.

Originally Posted by ikbosh

Windows 8 GFWL Fix (Dark Souls)
All files are provided in download, obtained Here.
1. Remove all previous installations of GFWL.
2. Run gfwlivesetupmin.exe
3. Run GFWL, it will prompt you to update.
4. Close that and GFWL.
5. Run gfwlivesetup.exe
6. Copy Xlive.dll to %windir%\system32\
7. GFWL
8. Run Dark Souls and enjoy!

In some cases, people have reported running the Games For Windows Marketplace in the background can also fix this problem.

Keep in mind that downloading DLLs can be inherently dangerous. Do so at your own risk.

Q. Dark Souls crashes referencing vsfilter.dll?

Players have reported that renaming vsfilter.dll may fix this problem. (Examples include just changing the extension.) Naturally changing a DLL may cause other programs to not work.

Q. Can I get Dark Souls to work on Windows 8?

While I don't have Windows 8 myself, Westunfuchs has reported something that has been working for him, as well as a few others.

Well, I got it to work by doing this in Win 8, maybe it works for Win 7 too:

Quote:
1) Remove/uninstall Microsoft Games for Windows – LIVE Redistributable
2) Remove/uninstall Microsoft Games for Windows Marketplace
3) Download gfwlivesetup from here (thanks to sevenalive): http://sdrv.ms/O2WvBt
4) Run it - install it and after that you can play the game

*Don't forget to uncheck Compatibility mode, if you checked it before*

Q. What can I do about random performance drops on my ATI based card?

Originally Posted by statistx

[...]
I still get random drops here and there but not as many and only 1-4 FPS instead of 15.
Here's how i did it, no clue what exactly and if it will work for everyone:

I went to the catalyst control center, then to the 3D settings, i took off every "Use application settings" option and yanked all the sliders to the right side (except the Catalyst AI..that's still on standard, though i may try that one out with advanced too) and Vsync is set to always off.
No triple buffering either.

Try that and report back.
Maybe the remaining drops are just stuff loading.

Q. Dark Souls seems to perform at a lower framerate than I'd expect. I'm running a 5200RPM drive or a Western Digital Caviar Green drive.

Reference: xFadedx
Dark Souls seems more sensitive to hard disk speeds as it pulls data from the hard disk. Slower disks (this includes Caviar Greens that seem to be popular for mass Storage like Steam) tend to cause performance problems. It may be better to move the content (or Steam) to a faster drive. You can also attempt to move or run the content on another drive.

A decent tutorial detailing this process can be found here.

[Freyar]

Q. How do I play this with the keyboard and mouse?

Your best bet is to check the game's manual found on the storefont. Requires a PDF reader. The important thing to remember is that END is how you open the menu while playing, not escape.

Q. My Xbox 360 Controller Won't Work!

First and foremost make sure you have it plugged in BEFORE you start Dark Souls. Plugging it in after the start will result in it not being recognized. You will also need to verify that you do not have other controllers, joysticks, or steering wheels plugged in as Dark Souls uses the "first" device it sees. Some users have reported reinstalling drivers for their 360 controllers work.

Wireless
Wired

If you use a PS3 controller, or any other controller, you may need to use another utility to emulate an Xbox 360 controller. Dark Souls uses XInput.

Originally Posted by bassjason

Download & install Motioninjoy (I suggest version 0.6.0005)

Open MotioninJoy

Connect your controller with Mini USB cable

Under "Select one mode:" choose "Xbox 360 Controller Emulator"

Click pink "Enable" button

Originally Posted by Mr.Goodbar

There are some steps missing when installing motioninjoy for the first time:

After installing and opening motioninjoy, click on Drive Manager, select the USB port where your controller is plugged, and then click on Load Drivers, wait for to finish and then head back to Profiles, choose the controller from the drop down, Xbox360 Controller Emulator, click on the pink "Enable" button, now click on Vibration Testing, if your controller vibrates then you're all set.

Also

When using motioninjoy with a ps3 controller, be sure to unplug anyother gaming devices, like arcade sticks or joysticks, seems like the game doesn't like that.

Installing third party fixes always carries an inherent risk. This can have unexpected consequences with performance, stability, or GFWL.

Q. How do I map keys to my extra mouse buttons?

Unfortunately Dark Souls doesn't seem to recognize Mouse 3, 4, and 5. Your best bet is to use your Mouse config utility (such as Razer, Roccat, even Microsoft's older Intellipoint) to emulate key mapping.

Q. How do I map things to my number keys?

Thanks to JahBit, you can use the following to help build your own mappings to a degree.

Originally Posted by JahBit

Here's how:

1. Open up your DarkSouls.ini located at C:\Users\[USENAME]\AppData\Local\NBGI\DarkSouls
2. Find the action you want to rebind
3. replace the number with a corresponding one from the list below

'1' = 49
'2' = 50
'3' = 51
'4' = 52
'5' = 53
'6' = 54
'7' = 55
'8' = 56
'9' = 57
'0' = 48

4. Save

And there you go.
----
For example '1' for main weapon, '2' for secondary, '3' for spells' and '4' for items would be:

[KeyConfigEquip]
ChangeRightWep = 49
ChangeLeftWep = 50
ChangeGoods = 52
ChangeMagic = 51

Q. When playing with two screens, my game seems to minimize.

Originally Posted by Desi

1. Download CursorLock.
2. Open CursorLockSetup.exe.
3. Under the Shortcut tab, select Program Mode.
4. Set DARKSOULS.exe from your Steamapps folder in the Open Program field.
5. Set DATA.exe (it's in the same folder as DarkSouls.exe) in the Lock Program field.
6. Click Create Shortcut in the bottom-right and save your shortcut anywhere. I had problems saving to the Desktop, so just try different folders.
7. Run Dark Souls using this shortcut.

Installing third party fixes always carries an inherent risk. This can have unexpected consequences with performance, stability, or GFWL.

Q. I see my mouse cursor floating on my screen while playing?

Version 0.3 of DSFix provides an option to hide the mouse. you can look for it here.

Installing third party fixes always carries an inherent risk. This can have unexpected consequences with performance, stability, or GFWL.

Q. Why does my mouse seem to cause lock-ons to go haywire?

It's a side effect of poorly implemented mouse controls. z0m2h14 has posted a workaround/community fix that can help with this issue.

Installing third party fixes always carries an inherent risk. This can have unexpected consequences with performance, stability, or GFWL.

[Freyar]

Q. Does Dark Souls use Games for Windows Live?

Sadly, it does. This means that countries that are not capable of using Games for Windows Live will not be able to play Dark Souls. You must activate the game through Games for Windows, even if you intend to play it offline.

Q. Wait.. I can play offline?

After activating the game, you should be able to log in to an "offline profile" if you have one. Keep in mind that saves are tied to whatever profile you use and (for the most part) cannot be moved between accounts or profiles.

Q. I can't summon anyone, or get invaded?

First, check your ports according to this support article. If you are unsure how to do this, check Port Forward for help.

Second, once in-game and connected to Games for Windows, press HOME to open your UI, choose settings, and Network Information. Verify UPnP is in use, and NAT is seen as OPEN. If UPnP is not in use, verify it is enabled on your router. A moderate or strict NAT can also prevent people from connecting.

If UPnP is enabled on your router, and it is still not in use, you can follow Armenius' walkthrough on how to get Games for Windows to "behave".

Originally Posted by Armenius

I have UPnP enabled both on my computer and router, and every game I play that doesn't use GFWL was able to create an IGD and forward the required ports. However, when connecting to GFWL, opening the console ("Home" or "Guide" key), going all the way right to "Settings," and clicking "Network Information," it would report that my NAT is Strict and that "UPnP is available, not used." Why in the hell was it not used?

Anyway, after looking around everywhere, I finally stumbled on to a way to make GFWL use UPnP. These directions are for Windows Vista, but it should be very similar to Windows 7.

DISCLAIMER: If you're using a third party firewall I cannot guarantee that my instructions will work for you. My router is a Belkin N300 Wireless Router with 802.11g&n support. My PC is connected to the router with a Cat5e LAN cable.

Network Discovery Control Panel
First, make sure Network Discovery is enabled by going to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing center. If none of the radio buttons are enabled, that's okay. Before turning it on, however, click on Change settings next to Workgroup. In the new window, click the "Network ID..." button and make sure the radio button for "This is a home computer..." is enabled and click next. You will have to restart your computer. Go back to the Control Panel window mentioned earlier, enable the "Turn on network discovery" radio button under Network discovery and click Apply.

Windows Services interface
Next, if you're not sure UPnP is turned on on your PC, press Windows+R on your keyboard (or Start and start search), type "services.msc" and press enter. Sort the list by name and scroll down to "Network Location Awareness," "SSDP Discovery," and "UPnP Device Host." If they say Automatic or Manual in the Startup Type column, then you're good. If not, right-click on each of these, click Properties, and change the "Startup type" listbox to Manual or Automatic and start the service if not already started.

Windows Firewall Control Panel
This next step is optional, but ensures the ports are being forwarded through the Windows firewall if you have it enabled. Go back to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center, click "Windows Firewall" on the bottom-left under "See also." In the new window click "Allow a program through Windows Firewall" on the right. Then click the "Add port..." button and add each of the required ports one-by-one for each port type, even if it's the same number. I will list the ports at the bottom of this post.

If you don't have the option to add a port, check to see if there are already exceptions for "Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition" and "Games for Windows Marketplace." If not, add an exception for "DARKSOULS.exe," "GFWLive.exe," and "GFWLClient.exe." These are located in "..\SteamApps\common\Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition\DATA" and "x:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games for Windows - LIVE\Client," respectively. Replace 'x' with your drive letter and/or remove "(x86)" if you're running a 32-bit version of Windows.

Port-forwarding Belkin example
UPnP enabling Belkin example
To ensure UPnP works properly on your router, you need to clear the port forwarding list on it if you've added one. This is called "Virtual Servers" on my router. Look up how to do this if you're not sure, as all routers are different. This is important for UPnP to function because your router can get confused when both port forwarding and UPnP are used at the same time. Some places on the web tell you to do both on your router, but this is wrong. You only need to tell the operating system which specific ports are allowed and need to be forwarded. Make sure UPnP is also enabled while you're doing this on your router.

Where to find your router in Windows Explorer
Now the most important step follows. Open Windows Explorer by either using the "My Computer" shortcut or pressing Windows+E on your keyboard. In the left pane, click the Network tree. If you've followed the first two steps your router should show up in the right pane. Right-click on your router and click Properties. Click the "Settings..." button in the "General" tab. The window that appears should have a "Services" tab that may be populated with the ports that you forwarded in your router before clearing the list. Ah, now we're getting somewhere! Now you have to add each individual port in the same way I described in the Windows firewall step.

!IMPORTANT! - You may have to repeat the above step every time you restart your computer. Unfortunately I don't know of a way to make the settings stick.

After you have done all of this, the GFWL console should now say your NAT is Open and that UPnP is both available and in use! If your NAT is moderate, but it still says UPnP is in use, you're still good.

The following ports are required for P2P connections to work when connected to GFWL:

• 53, TCP & UDP - DNS resolution, GFWL uses to resolve P2P connections
• 80, TCP - Internet
• 88, UDP - Internet
• 443, TCP - HTTPS, GFWL uses for voice communication and Live logon
• 3074, TCP & UDP - GFWL P2P communication

Remember that when you add these ports to your Windows firewall and router in Windows Explorer, you need to add each port type for the same number! So for example, you need separate entries for both TCP 53 and UDP 53.

[Freyar]

Still adding more. If you'd like to help me put things together, add me on Steam.

[DAOWAce]

The xlive.dll crash happens mainly for 2 reasons.

1) The correct GFWL version is not installed.

2) The Windows Live ID Sign-In Assistant (wlidsvc) service is not running.

My case is solved by #2.

[FloppyKitten]

I can't get my controller to work regardless of what I do. I've tried everything. Plugging it in, turn the game on. Nothing, the guide button works but that's it.

I am using win 7 on a desk top. I've installed the correct drivers and reinstalled them just to be sure and it still isn't working. I've restarted my computer many times, and unplugged all of my other devices and it still isn't working. Is there anything I'm missing?

[Freyar]

Originally Posted by FloppyKitten

I can't get my controller to work regardless of what I do. I've tried everything. Plugging it in, turn the game on. Nothing, the guide button works but that's it.

I am using win 7 on a desk top. I've installed the correct drivers and reinstalled them just to be sure and it still isn't working. I've restarted my computer many times, and unplugged all of my other devices and it still isn't working. Is there anything I'm missing?

Check your device manager for other devices. Some leftovers may be blocking.

[FloppyKitten]

Originally Posted by Freyar

Check your device manager for other devices. Some leftovers may be blocking.

Nope, nothing. I don't know what the problem is just it's really ruining my night :/

[Freyar]

Originally Posted by FloppyKitten

Nope, nothing. I don't know what the problem is just it's really ruining my night :/

Keyboard, Mouse? Some keyboards have been identified as controllers.

[FloppyKitten]

Originally Posted by Freyar

Keyboard, Mouse? Some keyboards have been identified as controllers.

Yep even those. I need to have my mouse plugged in to start the game but after that I unplug it, and it still doesn't work.

[Freyar]

Any printers?

[FloppyKitten]

The guide button works, and it works on the guide menu. I can navigate the guide but once I get to the actual menu I can't do anything.

No printers, nothing but my headset, and my monitor are connected when I launch the game. And my controller of course.

[statistx]

Don't know if you want to add that. Possible Fix for ATI random Framedrops

From my thread
http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...2900333&page=2

I played around and found out the following:

Ok, i _kind of_ fixed it.
I still get random drops here and there but not as many and only 1-4 FPS instead of 15.
Here's how i did it, no clue what exactly and if it will work for everyone:

I went to the catalyst control center, then to the 3D settings, i took off every "Use application settings" option and yanked all the sliders to the right side (except the Catalyst AI..that's still on standard, though i may try that one out with advanced too) and Vsync is set to always off.
No triple buffering either.

Try that and report back.
Maybe the remaining drops are just stuff loading.

[Freyar]

I'll have a look around I guess. Most of the time it's an issue with Dark Souls hooking in the wrong input. : /

[FloppyKitten]

Originally Posted by Freyar

I'll have a look around I guess. Most of the time it's an issue with Dark Souls hooking in the wrong input. : /

Okay, thanks. I'm just out of options right now and getting more mad by the minute.