Configuration for enhanced FPS on modern PC’s

Hi total war fans. I’m extremely happy to announce that after a lot of experimentation I found the way to have decent FPS on the Steam version of RTW, BI and Alex.

And in fact is not that difficult, just follow these instructions (instructions are written in an extremely step-by-step way, if you are an advanced user feel free to read just the main numbers):

1. Verify that your game is not corrupted.

a. You can do this going to you library, then right click on ‘Rome: Total War’, then ‘Properties’, then ‘Local Files’, then ‘verify integrity of game cache’.
b. Repeat the process for ‘Rome: Total War - Alexander’
c. Once you do that, Steam will automatically check and download missing or corrupted files. Wait until it finishes (could be just a minute or several depending on whether it is downloading or note files).

2. Now that your game is 100% clean you have to put the executables on ‘compatibility mode’ for Windows XP SP3 (Doesn’t matter if you use Vista, 7, 8 or 10).

a. You can do this going to you library, then right click on ‘Rome: Total War’, then ‘Properties’, then ‘Local Files’, then ‘Browse Local Files’.
b. A folder window pops (it’s usually this direction ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Rome Total War Gold’ but depends on your steam preferences and on your operative system).
c. On that folder you will find two executables named ‘RomeTW.exe’ and ‘RomeTW-BI.exe’. Select the first one, right click, then ‘Properties’, then ‘compatibility’, then check on ‘Execute this program on compatibility mode’ and select ‘Windows XP (Service Pack 3)’, then click on accept to chance the configuration.
d. Repeat the process for ‘RomeTW-BI.exe’.
e. Repeat the process for ‘RomeTW-ALX.exe’.
i. To do so go to you library, then right click on ‘Rome: Total War - Alexander’, then ‘Properties’, then ‘Local Files’, then ‘Browse Local Files’.
ii. A folder window pops (it’s usually this direction ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Rome Total War Alexander’ but depends on your steam preferences and on your operative system).
iii. On that folder you will find an executable named ‘RomeTW-ALX.exe’.. Select it, right click, then ‘Properties’, then ‘compatibility’, then check on ‘Execute this program on compatibility mode’ and select ‘Windows XP (Service Pack 3)’, then click on accept to chance the configuration.

3. Now we are going to radically change the in-game configuration of video and graphics.

a. Go to the folder in which RTW is installed (use previous steps to go there). Usually ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Rome Total War Gold’, then go to preferences folder, and in there you will find a ‘.txt’ file called ‘preferences.txt’. Open it with any text processor.
b. Replace VERRY CAREFULLY all text for the following:

SAFE_REFRESH:TRUE
USE_TRIPLE_BUFFER:TRUE
USE_WIDESCREEN:FALSE
SUBTITLES:TRUE
MORALE:TRUE
FATIGUE:TRUE
LIMITED_AMMO:TRUE
SUPPLY:TRUE
FOG_OF_WAR:TRUE
RESTRICT_CAMERA:TRUE
DEFAULT_BATTLE_CAMERA:RTS
EVENT_CUTSCENES:TRUE
SMOKE:TRUE
DESYNC:TRUE
SPLASHES:TRUE
GLINTS:FALSE
REFLECTIONS:FALSE
SHADOWS:TRUE
VEGETATION:TRUE
DETAILED_UNIT_SHADOWS:TRUE
GLOSS_MAPPING:TRUE
STENCIL_SHADOWS:TRUE
MULTI_TEXTURE:TRUE
AUTO_SAVE:TRUE
SHOW_BANNERS:TRUE
UNIT_EXPERIENCE_UPGRADE_EFFECT:FALSE
UNIT_SIZE:160
MASTER_VOL:100
SPEECH_VOL:100
SFX_VOL:100
MUSIC_VOL:70
CAMERA_ROTATE:50
CAMERA_MOVE:50
CAMERA_FOV:75.000000
ENABLE_AUDIO:TRUE
ENABLE_MUSIC:TRUE
ENABLE_UNIT_SPEECH:TRUE
DISABLE_BACKGROUND_FMV:FALSE
DISABLE_ARROW_MARKERS:FALSE
AUDIO_3D_PROVIDER:Miles Fast 2D Positional Audio
CLOUD_TRANSITIONS:TRUE
GRASS_DISTANCE:50
AA_QUALITY:AA_OFF
STRATEGY_RESOLUTION:1280x768
STRATEGY_MAX_RESOLUTION:2048x1536
STRATEGY_32_BIT:TRUE
BATTLE_RESOLUTION:1280x768
BATTLE_MAX_RESOLUTION:2048x1536
BATTLE_32_BIT:TRUE
UNIT_DETAIL:ULTRA_HIGH
BUILDING_DETAIL:SUPER_HIGH
TGA_CAPTURE_WIDTH:1024
TGA_CAPTURE_ASPECT:1.333333
TGA_CAPTURE_INPUT_SCALE:1
TGA_CAPTURE_RESERVE_SPACE:FALSE
LABEL_CHARACTERS:FALSE
LABEL_SETTLEMENTS:TRUE
MINIMAL_UI:FALSE
CAMPAIGN_MAP_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED_MIN_ZOOM:30
CAMPAIGN_MAP_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED_MAX_ZOOM:30
FIRST_TIME_PLAY:FALSE
ADVISOR_VERBOSITY:0
MUTE_ADVISOR:FALSE
BLIND_ADVISOR:FALSE
CAMPAIGN_MAP_CAMERA:FOLLOW_AI_FACTIONS
CAMPAIGN_MAP_SPEED_UP:FALSE
CAMPAIGN_MAP_GAME_SPEED:15
DISABLE_EVENTS:0
MICROMANAGE_ALL_SETTLEMENTS:FALSE
ADVANCED_STATS_ALWAYS:FALSE
UNIT_USE_SHADERS:TRUE
TERRAIN_QUALITY:MEDIUM
EFFECT_QUALITY:HIGH
VEGETATION_QUALITY:HIGH
KEYSET:0
UNLIMITED_MEN_ON_BATTLEFIELD:FALSE
CAMPAIGN_MAP_CAMERA_SMOOTHING:TRUE
CHAT_MSG_DURATION:10
USE_QUICKCHAT:FALSE
GS_PIDS:FALSE
GS_PIDS_FULL:FALSE
GS_PIDS_CUR:TRUE
ALWAYS_LOGFILE:FALSE
TIMESTAMP_LOGFILE:TRUE
32BIT_UI:FALSE
GS_LOG_RESULTS:FALSE
CHAT_COLOURS:name=ffffa0,private=ff7707,game=94aadc,public=fff777,system=ffffff,lobby=fff777,setup=94aadc,playing=ff0707
EDIT_SETTLEMENT_NAMES:FALSE

c. Please do not leave any extra spaces or empty rows, just those lines specified.
d. Now you have to save over the old file (overwrite it). DO NOT create a new copy (for example ‘preferences(1).txt’).
e. Repeat the process on preference configurations of BI and Alx.
i. Go to the folder in which BI is installed (use previous steps to go there). Usually ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Rome Total War Gold’, then go to ‘bi’ folder, then go to preferences folder, and in there you will find a ‘.txt’ file called ‘preferences.txt’. But this time is the BI config.
ii. Go to the folder in which Alexander is installed (use previous steps to go there). Usually ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Rome Total War - Alexander’, then go to preferences folder, and in there you will find a ‘.txt’ file called ‘preferences.txt’. But this time is the Alx config.
f. Now you have replaced all 3 preferences texts close those folders and log out of steam.

4. Last step is enlarging the address aware of the program. This will give those old executables the possibility to access more than 2 GB of RAM memory. You can do it any way you want, but I recommend ‘CFF explorer suite’.

a. Once you have installed this freeware (which by the way is very light) you can run it and the go to ‘Open’, then search for the executable of the game (called ‘RomeTW.exe’–find it using previous instructions-).
b. The window will open a series of advanced settings, ignore them and go to ‘File Header’ then go to the ‘Click Here’ button and check on ‘App can handle more than 2gb address space’.
c. Click on ‘OK’ and go to ‘Save’. It will ask if you want to overwrite, click ‘Yes’.
d. Repeat process with ‘RomeTW-BI.exe’ and ‘RomeTW-ALX.exe’ (find them using previous instructions).

5. There you go!!!

6. Finally if you want to enhance even more your game experience I suggest you to try out a mod. My 4 favorites are ‘Lord Of The Rings - Total War’, ‘Roma Surrectum’, ‘Europa Barbarorum’ and ‘Rome Total Realism’. But I’m afraid if you install a mod or re-check game cache on steam you will have to do all over again to gain FPS.
7. Enjoy. :D