[A Collection of Realism Based Modifications] [Volume XVII.CDXX]
[Introduction] (hey whats going on everybody, prepare for wall of txt crits you) Dear: GTA Community
After absorbing everything for the last day or two and reading through plenty of documentation (with lots of experimentation along the way), I've gathered what I feel to be a pretty decent list of all the files one could need to enhance the overall looks and feels of Grand Theft Auto IV towards a much more realistic & pleasing experience. I'd like to point out that this being my first post here, I'm a bit novice to the amazing works being put out by a number of very highly talented individuals & groups. Many actually from right here on these very forums so while I've put this together to hopefully make it easier for other new comers out there to get started please keep in mind I didn't write, develop, or have anything to do with these projects! All thanks should be directed to the actual people who have made these possible in the first place.
The following assumes you've just finished installing the game & have not modified anything yet. Originally I posted this guide only for a single version of the game though I decided to come back and edit my thread not only because of the extreme visual differences one can get from 1.0.4.0 through 1.0.7.0 but also in consideration of the sizable user bases running different versions. Now no matter which version you decide to go with I've listed all of the appropriate files you'll need to get the realism goodness up an running for the best possible experience.
Attention: You should start off in version 1.0.0.0 if you've installed via a disc media, meaning you can install any update from here up without issue. If you bought this game & installed it via Steam then from what I read this will probably start you off in version 1.0.7.0 (the newest version) meaning you're incompatible with the first two sections of graphics enhancements listed below. Downgrading seems an interestingly hot topic and one this guide currently will not personally explore in depth. Though if you're interested in more information, I might suggest checking out the corrected & updated works posted by
moonrail.
Depending on what type of hardware you're running on it can really be a completely different experience with a pretty amazing list of features so read carefully, look at the screenshots in the developer's threads, and find which best fits your situation. Since there's a number of graphic enhancement packages out there let me just say upfront the most impressive works are all released for the 1.0.4.0 version. If you install them one at a time going down the list in order then it'll boot fine just looking beautiful. Let me say that one more time, the purpose of this guide is not for you to have to bother with screwing around trying each of them separately. To get it looking correct you will need to install multiple modifications on top of each other with the files you want to end up with slowly overwriting the previous ones that are out of date. If you're not sure of your computer's performance or it's ability to handle all the sweetness you're seeing across the net then let me recommend something before you start..
BACKUP YOUR ENTIRE GTA DIRECTORY BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING! This is generally found in say;
":\Program Files\Rockstar Games\Grand Theft Auto IV".
Next after you've updated into version 1.0.4.0 & properly followed the guide to install your graphics enhancements you'll want to see how many frames you're getting. If you think it's playable then make sure to try different circumstances to measure your overall performance. Try both day and night, while it's raining, stack some cars and blow them up, get the sun reflecting off the ocean, etc. If it's unplayable then simply delete your
original GTAIV install folder and then
copy your backup in it's place. (do not
cut it) Try the next version after that, inside the 1.0.6.0 section. Rinse & Repeat. There's even another patch after that if you're playing on some lower ended machines. Sure the last two patches won't look nearly as good as all the killer iCEnhancer screens & videos posted around the net but it should run much smoother for you. Once you've got a stable and playable frame rate established where the game is enjoyable then delete your install backup that's been taking up a nice chunk of your hard drive space & proceed to the next steps of the guide.
Instead of walking you through how to do each an every part for each modification listed please consult the readme files, instructions on the download sites, all of the comments, & forum topics including their multiple pages before posting for help. (I think I just heard the laughter & sad cry of admins across the net) This list if installed in the following order should yield you a simple direct forward approach; if you're experiencing difficultly then slow down, re-read anything you weren't sure on, and know this will work out for you just fine with some simple patience. If you're looking for a little more help or just some basic information regarding this venture I'd suggest starting with places like the;
GTA IV Troubleshooting Forum,
GTAForums Modding Round Up,
GTAModding Wiki, or even the local
GTA IV Forum before posting.
[Version 1.0.4.0 Files] (the overall best looking, most modified, & what you see across the net version)-» GTA IV Title Update 1.0.4.0 :
by Rockstar Games :
http://www.gamefront.com/files/14266711/gtaiv_patch_1040.zip "This updates GTA IV to version 1.0.4.0 from any previous version. This version is still used today by people who want the most graphic modifications possible since it allows the full unlocked ENB Series. Though to keep up with providing the best looks possible if you install this version we'll be using a combination of; RealizmIV, Ultimate Textures, VisualIV, ENBSeries SORA, & iCEnhancer."
-» RealizmIV 6.2 :
by RealizmIV Team :
http://www.gta4-mods.com/misc/realizmiv-v62-f3314"Allows you to bump up your GTA IV settings without seeing a drop in FPS, as well as enhance the environmental effects like sunlight and shadows for added realism." Or that's what they say at least, honestly nailing down everything this mod actually does is a serious pain. I've read through their entire website using translation tools, all of the extra release sites, and a number of readme's they've put out and I'm still not entirely sure. This is listed basically every where you see people wanting to use the Ultimate Textures V2.0 mod, for example how I came across it which is noted if you would like to read through the replies posted below this. Although a number of other modifications appear to be present inside it as well, for instance just in my short testings they seem to have included;
GTADedan's HD Niko Replacement,
jumbo0's Improved City Bus System,
Bobster UK's Real Vehicle Names Beta 2,
Vickybrouwer's Real Place Names V1, and the loading screens as well a couple street advertisements have the team's name put into them! (although poorly done I think they were attempting to be crafty with the placements) I'm sure there's a number of other changes I've not properly identified yet which is still something to keep in mind. Don't get me wrong I really like having all the cars and locational names changed to the appropriate real world equivalents & the game looks great with the parts of this left that aren't replaced by others while you're going down the install list. It loads just fine so I want to give proper credit where it's do but be cautious if you're a purist or just prefer a more honest upfront mod team as this is clearly more then originally advertised. (plus if you really wanted you could still get Ultimate Textures 2.0 without this)
-» Ultimate Textures 2.0 :
by RealizmIV Team & seba84PL :
http://www.gta-downloads.com/en/gta4/total...e-textures.html"Includes high definition textures to replace throughout Liberty City."
This mod checks in at a hefty 4.37GB, heads up!! (my entire GTAIV install folder is 15GB'ish just for comparison) Found across P2P & Cyberlocker sites getting your hands on this entire mod can take some patience and will not be something you can do asap so plan ahead! Also kind of handy to know this is commonly found bundled with the RealizmIV6.2 mod as well.
Update #13: If you're having troubles finding a complete version of this lately while the Cyberlockers go up and down then I might suggest
using BitSnoop to find the original release Torrents. I was able to grab the full modification in just over an hour on some pretty mediocre bandwidth.
-» VisualIV 1.7.6 :
by Robi29, City_Poke912, & Adijaga2 :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtop...st&p=1060550729 "VisualIV; helps really bring out the true beauty of GTAIV while also bringing out a bit of performance as well. Better skies (less green at the horizon), no brightness bugs, new paths of aircraft, new fire, fixed moons, fixed lighting, improved fog at night, fixed reflections on the water, added weaker types of lightning, improved light in some buildings (ex. The Triangle Club), fixed blood errors, slightly bluish effects for Cloudy and Rainy cycles, fixed texture stipple, fixed a black circle under the map at high altitudes, now the fog doesn't disappear when you go over 150 meters above sea level, added new screenshots of settings display, fixed too large of coverage Molotov, among many other features. With 1.7.6 officially coming out of beta it fixes the indoor rain, more bluish clouds, & texture of the blood on ped while adding the TLaD noise effect. This helps enhance even with larger graphics mods installed on top afterwards though it does a great job on it's own! Robi29, City_Poke912, & Adijaga2 bring you this mod from right here on the forums. New versions bring a number of enhancements, bug fixes, as well as FPS optimizations."
-» iCEnhancer 1.25 ENB :
ENBSeries by Vorontsov Boris,
iCEnhancer by IcE La Glace :
http://www.gta4-mods.com/misc/icenhancer-1...aphic-mod-f9503 "iCEnhancer shows off the modern extremes of what ENB can really do! With sets courtesy of; BLACK_D based on DKT70, LPF312, GP65CJ042, P1ch3, -BONE-, DPEASANT3, PacketOverload, & H1Vltg3 this literally brings GTA IV into the next generation. Bringing light shafts, lens flares, & more this is based off of the ENBSeries which is a powerful visual adaptation were fully configurable real time reflections, shadows, awesome water, bloom, bump maps, occlusion culling, motion blur and depth of field were added in. This uses the 0.082 DLL where some changes of anti-aliasing, post processing, and color operations were inherited. It's also very important to note for some NVidia GF8800 owners as well other high end GF2xx/GF4xx/GF5xx series cards to be careful of
overheating. While this normally isn't a problem for most users if you are experiencing random artifacts, bugs, say everything is going all blue, there's massive slowdown for no reason, or anything else then
do not push your machine any farther." This is also backed up inside
PacketOVerload_x64Bit's post where he personally discussed the issue. Even recommending using a GPU Fan Control program like eVGA Precision if needed. Keep in mind no one but yourself is responsible if you have any hardware problems and this is some serious work to crank out! Appreciate your gear, keep an eye on your temps, and invest in proper cooling if you need to. For more information, discussion, & updates see
iCEnhancer's Facebook page. For even more discussion, including mods of iCEnhancer itself check out
H1Vltg3's Facebook page where he's currently released his own
Final iCEnhancer 1.2.5 Modifed Settings.
-» .Net Script Hook Compatible w/ 1.0.4.0 :
by Alexander Blade & Aru, new download location by wxdao :
https://code.google.com/p/wxdao/downloads/d...st.zip&can=2&q="This ASI plugin allows you to run in game GTAIV scripts written in any .Net language. Though all of the more recent releases no longer work in 1.0.4.0 resulting in a crash every time you try loading the game. Instead use this replacement which works fine with the current .Net ScriptHook restoring compatibility.
Additional Info: This is the file originally discussed in the
.Net Script Hook v1.7.1.7 BETA thread under the "Troubleshooting" section. Unfortunately the links in the original thread are gone, a quick google search yielded it @ this location."
[Version 1.0.6.0 Files] (thanks to ENB limitations this is the second best looking, an overall less intensive version sporting lower system requirements)-» GTA IV Title Update 1.0.6.0 :
by Rockstar Games :
http://www.gamefront.com/files/16301785/gt...0.6.0_patch.zip"This updates GTA IV to version 1.0.6.0 from any previous version. While adding a number of improvements it's mainly notable for removing the Rockstar Games Social Club application which means you no longer require it to launch the game. The ENB Series changes to an adaptation that fits the 1.0.6.0 version that has a limited number of effects enabled in comparison to 1.0.4.0. This means it runs smoother for most people if they cannot handle the full experience unleashed in the 1.0.4.0 patch but still looks far superior to the game by default or even in the newer 1.0.7.0 version."
-» VisualIV 1.7.6 :
by Robi29, City_Poke912, & Adijaga2 :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtop...st&p=1060550729 "VisualIV; helps really bring out the true beauty of GTAIV while also bringing out a bit of performance as well. Better skies (less green at the horizon), no brightness bugs, new paths of aircraft, new fire, fixed moons, fixed lighting, improved fog at night, fixed reflections on the water, added weaker types of lightning, improved light in some buildings (ex. The Triangle Club), fixed blood errors, slightly bluish effects for Cloudy and Rainy cycles, fixed texture stipple, fixed a black circle under the map at high altitudes, now the fog doesn't disappear when you go over 150 meters above sea level, added new screenshots of settings display, fixed too large of coverage Molotov, among many other features. With 1.7.6 officially coming out of beta it fixes the indoor rain, more bluish clouds, & texture of the blood on ped while adding the TLaD noise effect. This helps enhance even with larger graphics mods installed on top afterwards though it does a great job on it's own! Robi29, City_Poke912, & Adijaga2 bring you this mod from right here on the forums. New versions bring a number of enhancements, bug fixes, as well as FPS optimizations."
-» Series 3 settings for ENB 0.81 SORA :
ENBSeries by Vorontsov Boris,
V3 Series by Fonia5 :
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LK3LL3OM "Series 3 really brings out the capabilities of a well tweaked ENB setup. Featuring different presets like AA on/off & including the combined works of; enbeffect.fxs by Dpeasant3, cloud textures by Bone, timecycle+sharpen filter by DkT70, & sharpen filter by gp65cj04. This is a modification based off of the ENBSeries which is a powerful visual adaptation to the game that adds fully configurable real time reflections, shadows, awesome water, bloom, bump maps, occlusion culling, motion blur and depth of field. Based on SORA where some changes of anti-aliasing, post processing, color operations, were inherited."
[Version 1.0.7.0 Files] (least visually impressive though latest & most widely distributed (steam) patch without the ENB Series so that it can be ran on lower end systems)-» GTA IV Title Update 1.0.7.0 :
by Rockstar Games :
http://www.gamefront.com/files/16633189/gt...0.7.0_patch.zip"This updates GTA IV to version 1.0.7.0 from any previous version. Is the newest version of the game with the most improvements and bug fixes. Also notable for removing the Rockstar Games Social Club application. VisualIV alone makes this look stunning compared to the standard release of the game though others have also really enjoyed
Stunning Graphics IV Version 1.1 by nvidia31337 which also provides the user with beautiful graphics without the need for ENB."
-» VisualIV 1.7.6 :
by Robi29, City_Poke912, & Adijaga2 :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtop...st&p=1060550729 "VisualIV; helps really bring out the true beauty of GTAIV while also bringing out a bit of performance as well. Better skies (less green at the horizon), no brightness bugs, new paths of aircraft, new fire, fixed moons, fixed lighting, improved fog at night, fixed reflections on the water, added weaker types of lightning, improved light in some buildings (ex. The Triangle Club), fixed blood errors, slightly bluish effects for Cloudy and Rainy cycles, fixed texture stipple, fixed a black circle under the map at high altitudes, now the fog doesn't disappear when you go over 150 meters above sea level, added new screenshots of settings display, fixed too large of coverage Molotov, among many other features. With 1.7.6 officially coming out of beta it fixes the indoor rain, more bluish clouds, & texture of the blood on ped while adding the TLaD noise effect. This helps enhance even with larger graphics mods installed on top afterwards though it does a great job on it's own! Robi29, City_Poke912, & Adijaga2 bring you this mod from right here on the forums. New versions bring a number of enhancements, bug fixes, as well as FPS optimizations."
[Notes On Using Graphic Enhancements] (how to get not only the correct looking but the absolute best graphics)Over the last few revisions I've not only tried but been impressed by a lot of the different graphic modifications released. I would encourage everybody to make backups of their files & try a few of the more popular configs out there just to see what's possible. I originally put most of this together purely with focus on what's coming next, the modifications to the actual game play looking to make it more realistic. I wasn't really focusing on the graphics but noticing how much of a difference it makes & just how much stuff there is out there I thought it probably deserved a part. I've continued to post updates while I've tried new things as I've discovered them but I'm not an expert nor is this a post solely based on understanding the deeper inner workings of graphics modifications. Though to help you out on finding everything you could need, I highly suggest checking out the;
New ENB Series Screenshots and Artwork Thread,
Old ENB Series Picture Thread,
Screenshot Competition Voting Thread,
ENBSeries Editor, & the
Complete ENBSeries Documentation for GTA IV.
Depending on what you're running & how well you've followed the instructions that came with it the range of results can be pretty wild. If you didn't follow
Fonia5's instructions exactly then it might be too bright, possibly even washed out. While on the other hand with some of
Brayan090's works it can appear to be a little too dark for some, what I'm getting at here is a lot of this is up to an individuals own perceptions, opinions, needs, & wants. Where one person might like a more cartoonie aura around items making the game easier to play for them or even in a sense a bit more arcade like, others might eliminate the aura all together making items easily go unnoticed like in real life. Not to mention there's plenty of settings that could be, I'm sure some would even say
should be manually dialed in. For instance; Fonia5's V3 set is absolutely beautiful but needs some work in some spots for my personal tastes so a quick change to a few values inside the
enbseries/iceconfig file later and everything feels perfect. (ex: WindowLightIntensity) This only took a few seconds & is very easy to play with or even reverse if you've accidentally screwed up.
If you're having issues getting the same experience(s), say you just reinstalled the game and it's different then you're use too then chances are you've altered the install order somewhere along the way. Generally this happens when dealing with the; VisualIV, ENBSeries, iCEnhancer, GTA Environment, Trees, & Exaggerated Blood modifications. There's a number of file collisions present between them and if you do not follow the proper order installing them as listed here in this guide then you're going to experience all sorts of differences based on whichever order you personally extracted them in. Once again, do you want the best possible graphics without the crashes? Make sure to start at the top and work your way down, do not just save them all into one big download folder and start randomly installing them alphabetically or whatever your sort order is from that point out.
[All Version Compatible Modifications] (the assault to create far more realistic & entertaining game play that doesn't bore or overcomplicate)-» SparkIV 0.7.0 Beta 1 :
by oneforaru :
https://code.google.com/p/gtaivtools/"IMG/RPF Archive Viewer/Editor for GTA:IV... This tool is used to modify elements of the game like weapons, sounds, and more..."
-» XLiveLess-0.999b7 :
by listener :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=388658"Complete replacement of the xlive.dll (original dll isn't required) which is intended to disable a variety of modding-prevention measures of GTA 4. All online functions are disabled (to prevent cheating in multiplayer), removed all anti-debugger checks, all game variables are made unprotected and can be accessed and changed by the trainers, control centers and other tools, in-built asi-loader (no need to replace original files), asi-loader searches for .asi files in the root game folder and .asi and .dll in the 'plugins' folder, removed savefile check (you can load save file made by any offline XLive user), removed files.txt check (integrated replacement of FileCheckFix and MagicPatch), restored access to the system debugger in the critical error menu (removed loading of WER.dll), enabled write access to memory in code and .rdata segments (no need to call VirtualProtect from a .asi), disabled RGSC (since update 6, RGSC moved to the paul.dll), moved 'savegames' folder (see below)."
-» .Net Script Hook v1.7.1.7 BETA :
by Alexander Blade :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=392325"This ASI plugin allows you to run ingame GTAIV scripts written in any .Net language. Those languages are easy to learn and use, while they are still extremely powerful. One noteable aspect of this hook is, that the scripting functions are organized in a .Net-typical class structure, which makes finding functions intuitive and easy. And since you are able to develop scripts with Visual Studio, you'll get all benefits like code highlighting and IntelliSense. Special thanks to Aru for his help and for his C++ Script Hook. This plugin wouldn't be possible without it.
If you are using 1.0.4.0 make sure to use the specific file listed above in the 1.0.4.0 section to restore compatibility with this package!"
-» No Intro Logos :
by FunGt :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=380533"This mod disables the intro logos in GTA IV. Now, when you run the game, you'll immediately see the menu. This is also reported to help people experiencing game crashes at the beginning of launch."
-» GTA Environment Mod 5 :
by kriller2 :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=397854"All weather types edited for every hour of the day to create a better realistic environment. New shadow calculation and sun reflections, gradient sky for sunny and extra sunny with no clouds, added realistic fog for rain, drizzle and foggy. New cloud texture and stipple texture, better water reflection and color. All trees locations also edited to match the environment."
WARNING: This IS NOT compatible with the iCEnhancer series of ENB modifications and should not be used in conjunction with it. A range of issues will make the game unplayable. (ex: it'll become just ridiculously too bright, etc) -» Trees MOD :
by DKT70 :
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LC3URNF3"This modification changes the textures of trees making them far more realistic."
WARNING: If you are running the new iCEnhancer series of ENB modifications then you already have these textures replaced so this modification is no longer needed and should not be used.-» Realistic Driving and Flying EFLC 1.2 :
by Killatomate :
http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=5529"This mod features completely new handling for all 170 vehicles in GTA4 and GTA EFLC. Driving physics and performance of every single car, bike and helicopter have been completely reworked (created from scratch). Every single vehicle does now closely resemble it's real life counterpart... ...This mod has been in development for 22 months. I have spent more than 700 hours on it. -more realistic handling for all vehicles, -performance of every single vehicle has been changed to match it's real life counterpart, -reworked suspension and traction, -increased deformation on impact, -more realistic bikes, -more realistic helicopters, -more realistic center of mass for many vehicles, resulting in realistic flip over, & a whole lot more!"
-» Drive Felony 1.2 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=472501"An improvement over the classic Traffic Felony Mod by HippieCommunist that brings a more realistic felony system that gives the player a new wanted level star if one abuses the common laws of the road. This version brings a number of speed improvements. A few of the violations included are things like; running a red light, driving against traffic, driving fast on pavement, colliding with another vehicle, destroying property."
-» Crash Injury 1.0 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=474195"If you crash your vehicle, everyone inside will lose a realistic quantity of health. The amount of health lost depends on the severity of the crash. You can be unconscious for a few seconds depending on the severity of the crash. Being on a bike or flying through windscreen takes more health from you than being in a car. You can get lucky sometimes and get away from a big accident with only a few scratches."
-» Wanted Vehicle 1.1 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=472008"If the cops chase you long enough during a pursuit they will note your vehicle's license plate number, making that vehicle wanted. Anytime you drive a wanted car near a cop long enough to let him read your plates, he'll start another pursuit. Go to a spray shop to get your plates changed."
-» Cautious Drivers 1.3 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=16099"Most drivers will drive with their doors locked, just like in real life. Point a firearm to a driver for at least 1 second to make him unlock the door, or just shoot its window to open it from inside. Lets you open a door from inside if the windows are broken. Option is variable controlled from config file, 80% of the time by default."
-» Kidnapping 1.3 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=16291"If inside a car with a stranger, press the action button to lock the doors and start a kidnapping. The kidnapped will be forced by you to call their folks and ask for a ransom to be exchanged at a direction given by you. You can hide and retrieve the kidnapped in an abandoned garage hideout north the island. Kidnapped can alert the cops if there's one nearby, making you wanted for kidnapping (4 stars!). There's a chance that the kidnapped's family will alert the cops, making an ambush for you during the exchange. Changing the values inside Kidnapping.ini controls the mod behavior. New version brings: - Added 2 new hideouts (Dukes and Alderney). - Added more dialog variation. - Corrected bug that deleted the kidnapped in hideout, leading to a script error. - Added animation to kidnapped calling his family. v1.2 - Added random screams of panic from the kidnapped (with sound). - Corrected bug that miscalculated the exchange time if the player saved the game. - Added code to block player from kidnapping if unarmed. v1.3 Infernus, Coquette and Stretch owners will have a lot more money to pay a ransom. Owners of rusty old cars like Sabre, Emperor and Vigeto will now have only a few bucks to pay a ransom. The person waiting the kidnapped will now wait on pavement, rather than street."
-» Organ Trafficking 1.0 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=16611"If inside a car with a dead body, press the action button to call an organ trafficker and sell him the dead body's organs. The trafficker will ask you to bring the body to the place he's in at the moment, indicated by the '$' mark. You'll have to get quickly to your destination, or the organs will deteriorate. Drive gently through curves or the dead body can be thrown out of the vehicle. Abandon the car or the body to give up the smuggling."
-» Ambient Fire Inspection 1.3 :
by Prof_Farnsworth :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=472893"Any car fire near the player will cause a firetruck to respond to the scene, investigate (look around, take pictures) and clean up (sweep) the area. The fire will also be extinguished (I have NOT gotten the water cannon to work, fire is put out after inspection complete). They will then return to a fire department unless there is another fire. Version 1.3: Fixed many script errors from numerous causes."
-» Abandoned Vehicle Cleanup 1.0 :
by Prof_Farnsworth :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=476701"This mod will make a crew recover abandoned vehicles in the player's area (vehicles with no driver or a dead driver). If no abandoned vehicles are found, they may steal vehicles off of the street, from the dealership, etc. The criminals will occasionally get into shootouts with the cops. In the .ini Settings file, the chance for them to steal random cars off the street is adjustable. Enter any integer above 3 to change the likelihood of random theft. ( Default is 50. Lower means it will happen more, higher means less. WARNING: Do not set below 3 or script may crash!) This will also affect how often they steal your vehicle."
-» Shooting Range 1.0 :
by Prof_Farnsworth :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=478523"This mod adds two shooting ranges to Liberty city. The Gun Range features pedestrian clay shooting. A challenge for any marksman, a kill shot is needed to collect the reward for your target, $100 and a pretty explosion. This range is located in Steinway Park and entry is $3000. The Rocket Range features vehicular clay shooting, where every shot is a kill shot. Rewards are $500 per vehicle destroyed. Because we are publicly located, if a vehicle explodes on a passing boat, or your post, we will give you the benefit of the doubt. This range is located on Charge Island and entry is $7,500. Please note that the staff frowns upon firing at vehicles or pedestrians which are not in the air. Don't worry if you don't have the required weapon, one is included for you to keep in the entry fee, as well as any ammo you have remaining. We'll keep the cops of your back so you can enjoy yourself, but we are not liable for your behavior once you have left the premises. Don't forget to keep an eye on your score in the top left of the screen. If you stray to far from the start area (leave the pedestal at the gun range or leave the tank at the rocket range) your game will end without a refund. You can keep what you have won so far."
-» Bullet Impact Euphoria 1.2 :
by Prof_Farnsworth :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=473322"This mod will give Niko a chance of staggering when shot or hit with melee, while wearing armor, Niko will stagger less. In update v1.1: Added condition for Niko in vehicle. If shot while in a vehicle, there is a chance the vehicle will accelerate uncontrollably for a short time (1.5s) New version (1.2) includes .ini file to choose whether vehicle condition exists. "
-» GRIM's Weapon Packs in GTA IV 2.0 :
by GRIM & R.Schuindt :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=433885"Every one of GRIM's weapon packs converted from GTA San Andreas to GTA IV and EFLC. Pick and choose from many replacements across the board making the weapons more appealing, visual detailed, and life like. Help in spec and bump maps (by Quechus13), Creation of the spec and bump maps (by R. Schuindt), Effect creation for flashlight (by Quechus13 and R. Schuindt), Custom weaponinfo.xml (by EduardKoeleJuck and MadcapSmoky22), Custom HD weapon icons (by EduardKoeleJuck and GRIM), Custom HD HudSnipers (by Rolly), Script (by Sjaak327), Beta test (by fullmetal, EduardKoeleJuck and R. Schuindt), with the Final test (by GRIM)."
-» Real Recorded Gun Sounds 3 :
by Jclewis :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=438558"Version 3 has higher quality recorded sounds from our latest visit to the Knob Creek shooting range / FOP firing range. For those real gun sound enthusiasts out there you will know this is the real deal. These sounds have been taken from real recorded guns. No made up sounds here. If genuine gun sounds is your thing and not all of that Hollywood "boom" "boom" stuff, then THIS mod is for you."
-» Real Reload 1.2 :
by AngryAmoeba :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=474715"This tiny script subtracts the remaining ammo in your gun's clip when you reload making for a more life like experience.
Gamepads are NOT supported... Keyboard and mouse only., see release thread for more information. In the new version a number of bugs were fixed also it's no longer necessary to edit the code for reload keys other than R!"
-» Weapon Weights 1.2 :
by AngryAmoeba :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=475078"This script decreases your movement speed depending on the weapons and ammo you're carrying, similar to Fallout. All weapons except the knife and pistols are stored in a backpack or duffel bag on your back, not in your magic pockets. (Feature can be disabled.) Holding ALT increases movement speed by 20%. Doing so while sprinting requires/drains Adrenaline. (Feature can be disabled.) Pressing * on the numpad drops the current weapon. Holding PageDown and pressing * while unarmed removes armor permanently. (Feature can be disabled.)"
-» Weapon Arrest 1.7 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=15298"Anytime a cop sees you holding a weapon in public he'll try to arrest you. Cops can see you through their rear view mirrors if they are stopped in traffic. Cops can't see you holding a weapon if you're inside a vehicle. New version has added options; to make people run away from you if they see you carrying a weapon, let you put more than 1 star for being spotted carrying Mass Weapons (grenades, rocket launcher and Molotov), lets people report you to police if they see you carrying a weapon."
-» Wanted 1.0 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=16215"If you are arrested ONCE, cops will be able to recognize you in later crimes from your police record, making you wanted if you escape later events. If you're wanted, cops will be able to identify you if you both face each other long enough, starting another pursuit. There will be a mask inside your pocket that you can put on to commit crimes and escape without being recognized, but if a cop sees you using it he will start an anonymous pursuit until you're gone."
-» Bleed & Heal 1.0 :
by BR_Goianiense :
http://www.gtagarage.com/mods/show.php?id=16147"If you are critically injured, your body will constantly lose health until you get medical assistance (or die). You will behave like someone that's critically injured. If you are not critically injured, your body will heal slowly through time. You may not be able to sprint until you're at least partially recovered."
-» Home Invasion 0.88 :
by HippieCommunist :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=471475"Isn't it annoying how you see a closed door and you hopelessly press 'E' but nothing happens?! Well now you can break into people houses & businesses! As they will get scared, call cops or try to ambush you to leave... Most residential doors are breakable but Ive probably missed some you can manually add any 'coordoor' you wish. Press E to enter houses/apartments, press F12 to greenlight accessible houses (SLOW! but useful), exit a house from where you've entered, homes vary from a sh*tty shoe box to majestic suites, holding a gun might scare the residents to attack."
-» Security Guard Cop Assist 1.0 :
by Olanov :
http://www.gta4-mods.com/misc/security-gua...ssist-mod-f9380"Are you tired of security guys who won't actually do anything? Tired of watching them standing around only to get shot by the police then retaliate in a poor confused AI's act of self defense? Well, this mod is just for you then! This makes security guards able to arrest for any crimes you commit and even assist the police for an already obtained wanted level. If you are over one star they'll open fire on you but are completely friendly with the police now, so they won't exchange fire back and forth anymore. No, they won't be patrolling with LCPD, they'll happily return to their regular guard posts after conflict."
-» Bank Account 1.2 :
by AngryAmoeba :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=477462"This script gives you the ability to store money in a bank account and earn interest. The less cash you carry with you, the less money you'll lose from dying or being arrested. The more money you have in your bank account, the more interest you'll earn. The interest rate is very high compared to real life. If you want to change it: open the .cs file, find "INTEREST_RATE", and change its value. Press B at an ATM to begin a transaction, and press B again to complete it. Press the Left and Right arrow keys to move money to and from the account. Press the Up and Down arrow keys to adjust how much money is moved at a time. Press Delete to reset the transaction. Version 1.1 brings; bug fixed: move amount can no longer be negative. - Account balance now saves only when getting into a bed. - Added 4 ATMs at 2 locations in Alderney. - Tweaked animations. - Clarified the contents of BankAccount.txt. v1.1b: Fixed animation bug where player wouldn't face the ATM properly. v1.1c: Fixed bug where starting transaction does nothing except freeze the player (the dreaded infinite loop!) V1.2: Account balance no longer saves after cancelling out of save menu. Completing a transaction now displays how much was transferred (replaces the "thank you" message). Added 1 ATM location at Francis International Airport."
-» Business Mod 1.0 :
by Prof_Farnsworth :
http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=478112"Own Businesses in Liberty City!! Allows Niko to purchase, own, and collect income from locations around Librty City. (Most are in Dukes/Bohan right now, more to be added continuously) Unpurchased businesses will appear as small green dots on the map/mini map. (The text "destination" appears over all of them, this will be changed if method is discovered) To purchase a business, stand near the marker (arrow on the street) and press the Right control Button on the keyboard. (A prompt will appear as well when in area) If you have enough money, the purchase price will be deducted from your total, and the business will be yours. Owned businesses appear as a small green dollar sign ($) on the map/mini map. They will generate income based on game play time NOTE: this is not the time displayed on the phone, it is your total play time which can be found in the 'STATS" section of the pause menu. To collect the income, approach the marker of an owned property (white arrow on street) and press the Right Shift Button (A prompt will appear as well when in area)."
[Finishing Up] (woot woot you're pretty much home free now, enjoy) Okay now if you've gone through the list and properly applied one after the next then you really should've only had a few choices to make for yourself along the way. Basically at the very beginning which patch best works for you there for which graphics modifications you're going to install. After you get through that an start going through everything else it's really just which of GRIM's Weapon Pack's you decided to use (I like a nice mix and match between them) & if there was any minor changes you wanted to make to the many script configurations that really enhance the game play so much. Once completed you should now be good to go with a modified game that not only looks more beautiful but really adds to the quality of your gaming experience as well. Also I'd like to note that some of these changes are not friendly to lower ended machines that might be attempting to enjoy this game. Specifically the 1.0.4.0 mods utilizing/featuring the ENB Series, these visual enhancements can really tax things into the ground so pay attention to the specifics of what you're enabling when determining just how far your graphics power can go during the initial setup. For a considerable amount of more information, including plenty of ways to enhance your own performance I'd recommend taking a look at the
PC Performance Tips section of the forum hosted right here.
Testing has been done on a Qosmio X505-Q885;
Core i5 450M @ 2.66ghz with 4GB DDR3 & a
1GB Geforce GTS 360M which is running off the
280.19 Beta driver inside
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (x64). Before posting for compatibility purposes I've gone through & tried almost every combination of settings within the above listed modifications to make sure the game is completely playable without any known show stoppers, conflicts, or errors. How well the game actually runs for you is going to be dependent on your specific hardware, what environment you're working within, an how well you've maintained it. After the release of iCEnhancer people have asked if it's even possible to run 1.0.4.0 on the laptop previously mentioned above and the answer is yes. Though lets discuss, you need to keep in mind I take miraculous care of my systems. While inside a Server environment it's only running services for 8 out of the 42 features with not a single role running out of the 17 possible. This stripped down workstation has extremely low overhead, actually lacking the ability to do much without specifically enabling it in the first place. I've personally benched results off reg settings like
SystemResponsiveness for this specific setup. The default 125Hz USB sample rate was
overpolled back to a nice crisp 1mhz. It gets reimaged from a clean and protected master weekly while running
Diskeeper 2011 Pro Premier between to prevent and handle fragmentation. It's automatically cleaned hourly by
CCleaner as well a sophisticated multilayer defense system to handle virii, spy/malware, etc. Finally before I start up GTA I also use
MSI Afterburner (2.2.0 Beta 5) to overclock the Core to 660 (default: 575mhz), Shaders to 1645 (default: 1435mhz), and the Memory up to 1910 (default: 1600mhz). Before the overclocks the game is a bit rough in some spots, with the frames dropping to unenjoyable rates when some more complex engine situations occurred. Afterwards it's quite enjoyable all the way through without any stalling, pauses, or texture loading spots. Though it does raise my GPU temps to around 70C after an extended period of testing.
While this might be a bit much to ask from your standard user, specifically if they're just trying to enjoy a game not redo how their environment works or how much overhead they have. It's still of great value because literally we can start to see a line established where this hardware level pre-overclock just about isn't cutting it. Post-overclock it's good to go with the settings @ a Resolution of 1680x945/16:9 (laptop max), Texture Quality through Render Quality all set to Medium, View/Detail Distances & Vehicle Density set to Max (100), Shadow Density set at 5, with both DOF & VSYNC enabled as well. It works equally well to trade the View/Detail Distances down to Half (50) and use the rest of the memory freed to turn the Texture Quality up to High. This actually maxes the test system's resource usage exactly but I actually prefer it this way as I don't mind missing some of the nicer to look at far off stuff in the middle of a shootout or inner city chase. The point here is you can play around with it a bit depending on what you want even on the same hardware. Since to me it's a single player game the max pre-rendered frames inside the NVIDIA Control Panel was increased to 4 on this system's GTAIV profile as a balance to achieve a bit more smoothness. You can go ahead and roll through your own cards settings making sure to save a clear log of your results for a simplified examination. Though lets be clear if you're overclocking or just looking for a standard to apply tests with or across then one should be using something like
3DMark (7/11/Vantage/06). The game settings are actually a reduction considering previously inside 1.0.4.0 or even now if I run the 1.0.6.0 list I can change almost all of those settings back up to High without any issues. Though don't even question the move, enjoying the experience of iCEnhancer even with the lowered values just blows away anything else, it's visually outstanding. If you haven't checked out the links above for the CPU/GPU yet, those pages also contain charts benchmarking & ranking them across the tech industry. This way it's far easier for you to compare these specs across a standard to what's statistically close. Even if it's being offered by separate vendors on the market which presents an excellent opportunity for you to look up your own machine in comparison.
Last, keep in mind that I just assembled this list in a pretty short manner (even considering the updates) and could've very easily missed some pretty awesome modifications along the way! Not to mention things are always coming out in the future so if you know of any that should be on this list
then PLEASE post them!! I'm sure not only myself but the community here would love to hear about them. I've tried to maintain a priority on realism, making the game closer to a Simulation without ruining all of the fun by going to overboard. Once again thanks to all the developers out there; I take no credit for any of the listed and while we're on the credits let it be known I also ganked a lot of the descriptions right off their own homepages & forum threads in an effort to speed up the posting of this.
(thank you c/v) 'Goblin[Update #1] Fixed a number of spelling errors, inserted additional information, couple links, replaced a few mods with their updated versions where I'd previously missed the newer development completely, & added some excellent recommendations by AngryAmoeba after testing them with the completed current list to ensure compatibility. (thank you so much!)
[Update #2] Took Prof_Farnsworth's recommendation by expanding the content adding in extra information/links for the updates & modifications across; 1.0.4.0, 1.0.6.0, & 1.0.7.0. Tested new content & the extended combinations. Also noticed I accidentally left a typo in the thread title but can't seem to edit that, maybe if a generous moderator has a second they could fix that for me.
[Update #3] Added: Weapon Arrest 1.3, Cautious Drivers 1.1, Ultimate Textures V2.0, VisualIV 1.7.3, & RealizmIV v6.2. Also replaced:
TreesModIV with Trees MOD by DKT70 &
eXtreme v3.0 FINAL with ENB Series presets V3 by Fonia5. Updated the descriptions & information regarding the post, also tested the new completed builds across 1.0.4.0 & 1.0.6.0. (nothing but the new scripts added in version 1.0.7.0 so it should still work just fine)
[Update #4] Added Bleed & Heal 1.0, Go BR_Goianiense! (you've been busy lately) Then added a credits section next to each modification but before the URL to hopefully encourage people to become familiar with the developers names. With all of the effort it took to create each of these in the first place I really felt the authors should become more clearly noted.
[Update #5] Added Weapon Weight Script by AngryAmoeba. (love the backpack & adrenaline run) Also more clearly explained the graphic enhancement options in an attempt to be more helpful. Hopefully this will help people avoid a couple of misunderstandings that lead to all sorts of the more common difficulties. Then did a complete reinstall from the ground up to make sure there was no conflicts within the new instructions. (everything worked out just fine, woot woot)
[Update #6] Replaced
Traffic Felony Mod 1.22 by HippieCommunist with the new updated Drive Felony 1.2 by BR_Goianiense, also added his new Wanted 1.0 modification. (most excellent) Removed
Stunning Graphics IV Version 1.1 by nvidia31337 from the 1.0.7.0 section thanks to delayed development and after comparing a number of it's effects with just running a newer VisualIV build alone. Updated a few of the version numbers across some of the other modifications then afterwards spent some time fixing additional spelling errors while cleaning up things overall. (lol this entire post including the ubbcode is
70,867 characters long)
[Update #7] Noticed Prof_Farnsworth has been busy updating his previous modifications while also releasing a new one, Abandoned Vehicle Cleanup! (woot thank you Prof_Farnsworth) Also that Weapon Weights by AngryAmoeba was gone for some reason? I apologize about accidentally clipping that somewhere! I've updated the thread accordingly while taking a short break to test the new versions of everything in 1.0.4.0 and haven't encountered a problem yet, its all worked great!
[Update #8] Changed VisualIV to 1.7.6 Beta 6 which fixes a number of indoor lighting issues while bringing enhancements, optimizations, & a couple of new features. Updated BR_Goianiense's Weapon Arrest to version 1.7 & checked out his newest Kidnapping release! (another excellent realism modification) After another run through in 1.0.4.0 testing the new including all the fun of extortion I've updated the thread once again to reflect the changes & additions. I don't really expect there to be any issues with the later patches though let it be known at the moment I don't have the time to go through and test inside 1.0.6.0 and 1.0.7.0 again so it'll have to wait until I'm back home atleast.
[Update #9] Came back through and spent time looking for then editing all the links I could to point towards the original and/or more local GTA Network sources (aka: gtaforums.com, gtagarage.com, etc) in an attempt to keep to this specific community where people's accounts already crossover, discussion is well established, and to help cut down on the number of times people are taken off site to an unfamiliar server or new location while going through the entire list. This seems to always help cut down on user generated issues, confusion, & if you're one for conversation then account problems as well, while just in general helping people find where to communicate with the developers. I also took some time to better explain what certain modifications or tools actually do, writing or just pasting longer descriptions while cleaning up past spots where the changes had cut in and out of stuff roughly. Updated all of them with the appropriate titles & authors if they were slightly off on the other sites, checked versions and file sizes, then went through a complete reinstall from the ground up into version
1.0.4.0 making sure everything was working fine with the files from all of the new download locations before posting.
[Update #10] Had a moment over the extended weekend to check things out so I updated AngryAmoeba's Real Reload Script to version 1.2 & BR_Goianiense's Kidnapping to version 1.1 after seeing both of these had continued in development. Then noticed AngryAmoeba had actually put out "Bank Account Script" already in version 1.1, which is an entirely new release to me that I've apparently been missing out on! Added this after some basic testing with the other updates as well & I have to say your guy's modifications are epic additions to the game play and I'd like to thank you both once again for all the time and effort you've put into these. Also while not directly related to this guide, if you've not been paying attention to the
GTAIV Screenshot Competition that started inside
NaidRaida's
Older ENB Series Picture Thread then I might suggest taking a few minutes to click through! Some amazing shots in there that truly shows off what is possible when everything is properly tweaked!
[Update #11] Added Farnsworth's Business Mod v1.0 by Prof_Farnsworth! (excellent addition to game play, thank you!) Updated Bank Account Script by AngryAmoeba to version 1.1c & BR_Goianiense's Kidnapping to version 1.2. Also while digging around I've found more mods that were originally written by other authors but seem to be included inside the RealizmIV v6.2 modification and presented as their own work. (super sad face) I've gone back & improved the description while including links to rightfully give credit to the correct people then updated a number of other modification's details as well. Fixed a number of spelling errors, tested the current list inside 1.0.4.0, & am currently working through a concussion at the moment so if this reads a bit screwy consider it fixed in the next update.
[Update #12] Whoa it's been over a month since my last update!! It's nice to come back finding developers have continued putting out awesome sauce while I've been gone. Two brand new mods; Farnsworth's Shooting Range v1.0 by Prof_Farnsworth & Organ Trafficking v1.0 by BR_Goianiense. Also see a couple of updates; v1.2 came out for Bank Account Script & the much loved Kidnapping modification grew into v1.3. After a download and some quick testing everything appears to be fine in this current version of the guide. Enjoy!
[Update #13] Huuuge graphics update for the guide with the release of iCEnhancer v1.2!! Updated everything to reflect this new graphics milestone having been achieved. Fixed the broken link for Trees Mod by DKT70 also updated RealizmIV v6.2 & Ultimate Textures V2.0 with p2p links for everybody that is having such difficulty finding it. Happy Birthday to the VisualIV team as their project comes through another successful year celebrating with version 1.7.6 officially coming out of beta fixing the indoor rain, more bluish clouds, & texture of the blood on peds while adding the TLaD noise effect. I've shortly tested the new versions of everything out and can happily report all is well. Everybody thank Boris Vorontsov, IcE La Glace, PacketOverload, DKT70, LPF312, GP65CJ042, P1ch3, -BONE-, DPEASANT3, BLACK_D, & H1Vltg3 for all the hard work along the way in bringing us this next step, it's truly beautiful.
[Update #14] Excellent new modification Security Guard Cop Assist v1.0 by
Olanov added. Went through fixing a number of spelling errors while expanding the guide's content across a few sections in an attempt to be more helpful. Also to help keep up with the flow of the forums I updated all of the ENBSeries links to help direct people to the newer threads over the older ones. (ex: properly linked the
Screenshot Competition voting thread)
[Update #15] Finally got a moment to work with HippieCommunist's Home Invasion Mod, which is now in version 0.88 and it's amazing! Took a few minutes to play around testing the current build to make sure it would work with everything else included in the guide. I'm happy to report you can all now start breaking and entering!
[Update #16] Updated iCEnhancer to the lovely new 1.25 version while also correcting the social media links to reflect the newer release pages. Removed the unnecessary
ASI Loader v1.0.2b from version 1.0.4.0 &
ASI Loader/ScriptHook 0.5.0 from version 1.0.6.0. Tested reports of compatibility issues with
Exaggerated Blood 1.16 by
dDefinder and ended up removing the mod from the list as well. After a round of troubleshooting installs I've updated Environment Mod 5 with a warning in bold letting people know it
IS NOT compatible with iCEnhancer and that the Trees Mod also isn't needed after installing it. Dropped the
Google it recommendation during the install version & downgrading explanation thanks to the freshly updated works posted by moonrail. Corrected a few typos, I also did a complete reinstall from the ground up into this version of the guide inside 1.0.4.0 just to make sure everything was fine before posting. Enjoy!
[Update #17] Thanks to my recent interaction with nobody007 on top feeling the guide could use some continued work while things have been changing throughout the scene, I've taken a bit of time while on breaks to rewrite a number of sections today. Adding in a wealth of information regarding troubleshooting, understanding the differences between versions, & what type of results to expect. Next I also added a simple colored theme to help identify the separate sections with
each header now appearing in Orange. Corrected spelling errors, typos, grammar bombs, & of course some of the worlds worse run on sentences. I played with tables and a number of other ideas to present this information in a better format and settled on the way it looks now when considering ease of use across multiple browsers. This was written in & experienced from
Mozilla Firefox which is an excellent free browser. If you've got some
ancient copy of Internet Explorer (IE) which makes this thread look jacked up or such then I'd recommend
replacing that as well.
One can hope all of these efforts will yield a more informed & able community in the future as more people come in and read through the newer version. (the more we educate now, the less questions will be asked later on) Which will hopefully help bring a greater signal out of the noise found across our communities. (which is never a bad thing)
There is over thirty modifications listed and tested here that make up the current version bringing together masterpiece visual enhancements with a realistic approach to redefining game play function & mechanics. By the time you add it all together it's important at least to me to see the connections in the community from one person's works to the next that bring us all the way to the final modified version we end up getting to play and enjoy. Remember all of the developers while you're going through their release sites to get your downloads. Vote their projects 10/10, rank them five stars, even leaving a thank you note or two would be much appreciated I'm sure. It's only thanks to their efforts that we have come to this point today and it's mighty impressive not to mention a whole lot of fun so
thank you everybody for all of your effort, time, and works! This post has been edited by WhiteGoblin on Saturday, Aug 6 2011, 19:29
GTA Modification Forums
WOW. now thats a compilation i would have to have to play on gtaiv. awesum.
