Gold Road patch notes: New Environmental Sustainability Features... Can we turn these off?

Sarannah

From the Gold Road patch notes:

New Environmental Sustainability Features
ESO is joining the Xbox initiative making steps toward a more sustainable gaming future. Our mission as part of Team Xbox is to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone, but it’s critical we do so while taking care of our planet. We are working to reduce our environmental impact and creating opportunities for gamers to reduce their environmental impact while gaming. To do so, we have added the features below to ESO. For more information on environmental sustainability efforts at Xbox, visit this page..

Reduced GPU use during player inactivity (PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5): There's no reason for your device to be working so hard when you aren't doing anything. The game already checks that after 20 minutes of being inactive, our servers will kick players out to the main menu, where power consumption is minimal. Until that happens, though, it can be wasteful. The game client will now drop the resolution in half if it has not detected any input for 5 minutes. It will also impose a 30fps cap while inactive. This results in our power consumption going from 65% down to 24% when in Performance Mode when you are AFK.
Screen dimming while inactive (PC): All major consoles have an OS level setting to do this but there is no PC counterpart, so ESO now includes one built in for PC. At the same time your resolution drops, we will dim the screen on a PC client. We felt it worthwhile since the data we found shows that screens that are not as bright will consume less power, especially for LED/OLED screens.
Reduced GPU use in Contextual Menus (Xbox Series X|S and PS5): When viewing most menus, (eg. managing inventory, achievements, quest journal, etc) framerate is now capped to 30fps. Some menus are exempt on a case-by-case basis (eg. conversations, various mini-games). Testing in Performance Mode while in these menus shows a 50% reduction in GPU consumption, resulting in overall power consumption going from approximately 63% of the maximum possible on a console down to 37%.

PC EU: Can we please get an option to turn these off?
These things are bad for a whole variety of reasons. My pc is already set to be as environmental friendly as possible, I do not want ESO to mess with my FPS cap nor my screenbrightness. Not for any reason or under any circumstances, including when afk. Being afk does not mean the screen is not looked at.

To me all these options only look bad, from the fluctuating GPU temps(halfing fps/30 fps cap) being bad on the hardware itself, to this being bad for my eyes(screendimming/fps fluctuations).

So please give us the option to turn all of these off. As stated, there is already the 20 minutes afk boot to login screen.

alpha_synuclein

I read good intentions.
I anticipate random kicks for no good reason...

Miademora

Same here, dont mess with my fps. Make it default but let us adjust it.

LucyferLightbringer

How about i do with the electricity i pay for and pc i pay for whatever i please?
Want to pay my bills ZOS? great when you start you can start limiting things for me, but till then stay away.

edward_frigidhands

Is there a way to turn this off?

I wish developer time would be spent solving real problems rather than this stuff.

Sheridan

To be honest, when I first read it, I thought that was some late April Fools' Day joke accidentally slipped in patch notes. Constantly dropping resolution, capping fps, dimming the screen? It sounds more like a work of malware than a "Sustainability Features". I don't know, maybe it' ok on consoles, but this constant back and forth can't be good for my hardware as well as my eyes. I am glad that you joined some initiative, but please let me decide myself whether I want to join it or not, by adding a toggle option.

SirLeeMinion

Someday I hope to grow up and be able to make my own decisions. Until then, it's good to know that Microsoft will dictate them to me.

That said, I've noticed that ESO uses a lot less power when I play Black Desert.

KlauthWarthog

This sounds like a top-down decision from Microsoft, so I do not expect it to get walked back on or get any allowance for compromises.

ArchangelIsraphel

I had this happen on the test server, and these changes are as annoying as they sound. I couldn't find a setting to control it anywhere.

I found the screen dimming especially intrusive. I don't let windows dim my screen when idle, and I didn't give a game the authority to do so either.

When ZOS starts paying my electric bills and forwarding me the money for GPU upgrades, then they can mess with my FPS. Until then, keep your concerns limited to your companies computers, thank you very much.

sPark101

The Sun will burn out, shrink, then go supernova before my little idle pc has any affect on the environment whatsoever.

edward_frigidhands

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

I had this happen on the test server, and these changes are as annoying as they sound. I couldn't find a setting to control it anywhere.

I found the screen dimming especially intrusive. I don't let windows dim my screen when idle, and I didn't give a game the authority to do so either.

When ZOS starts paying my electric bills and forwarding me the money for GPU upgrades, then they can mess with my FPS. Until then, keep your concerns limited to your companies computers, thank you very much.

I am surprised that I am hearing about this just now if this had been active on PTS.

Syldras

LucyferLightbringer wrote: »

How about i do with the electricity i pay for and pc i pay for whatever i please?

Seriously. Is there anyone who actually appreciates this nannying that has never been asked for?

I play on a laptop and my overall power consumption has been below that of an average household of this size anyway, each single year. Same goes for water and heating. I'm not even deliberately trying to lower my usage, I'm just being reasonable and not thoughtlessly wasting ressources.

While I think it's fine to remind people of environmental issues, it should remain everyone's own decision how to live.

ArchangelIsraphel

edward_frigidhands wrote: »

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

I had this happen on the test server, and these changes are as annoying as they sound. I couldn't find a setting to control it anywhere.

I found the screen dimming especially intrusive. I don't let windows dim my screen when idle, and I didn't give a game the authority to do so either.

When ZOS starts paying my electric bills and forwarding me the money for GPU upgrades, then they can mess with my FPS. Until then, keep your concerns limited to your companies computers, thank you very much.

I am surprised that I am hearing about this just now if this had been active on PTS.

We were complaining about it on the PTS forum too. It was very much active on the PTS, with similar objections expressed.

Vynera

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\UserSettings.txt

Find and edit following lines:

SET EnergySustainabilityMeasuresEnabled "1"
SET BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "30"
SET USE_BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "1"

1=Enabled
0=Disabled

Edit & Save while the game is fully closed, the settings are applied on the next start.

Seravi

I have to agree we need an option to turn it off. I am an adult and I monitor my footprint on this planet quite well without outside help.

Vonnegut2506

Vynera wrote: »

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\UserSettings.txt

Find and edit following lines:

SET EnergySustainabilityMeasuresEnabled "1"
SET BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "30"
SET USE_BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "1"

1=Enabled
0=Disabled

Edit & Save while the game is fully closed, the settings are applied on the next start.

Thank you for this.

Syldras

The game already checks that after 20 minutes of being inactive, our servers will kick players out to the main menu, where power consumption is minimal. Until that happens, though, it can be wasteful. The game client will now drop the resolution in half if it has not detected any input for 5 minutes.

What counts as "inactivity", btw? Not moving your character around? No typing? No mouse movements?

I see this might cause problems when roleplaying through chat?

Let alone for people who want to do a recording (scenery, soundtrack, bard songs,...).

TaSheen

*sigh*. Much more of this and I won't be playing anything from Microsoft - not that I am other than ESO. I'm researching Linux as it is - just have to find one I'll be comfortable with (big deal for me yes, because I've used windows since 3.0....)

I HATE big-brothering....

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

I had this happen on the test server, and these changes are as annoying as they sound. I couldn't find a setting to control it anywhere.

I found the screen dimming especially intrusive. I don't let windows dim my screen when idle, and I didn't give a game the authority to do so either.

When ZOS starts paying my electric bills and forwarding me the money for GPU upgrades, then they can mess with my FPS. Until then, keep your concerns limited to your companies computers, thank you very much.

Syldras wrote: »

LucyferLightbringer wrote: »

How about i do with the electricity i pay for and pc i pay for whatever i please?

Seriously. Is there anyone who actually appreciates this nannying that has never been asked for?

I play on a laptop and my overall power consumption has been below that of an average household of this size anyway, each single year. Same goes for water and heating. I'm not even deliberately trying to lower my usage, I'm just being reasonable and not thoughtlessly wasting ressources.

While I think it's fine to remind people of environmental issues, it should remain everyone's own decision how to live.

And all of the above in the quoted posts!

Tenthirty2

Vynera wrote: »

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\UserSettings.txt

Find and edit following lines:

SET EnergySustainabilityMeasuresEnabled "1"
SET BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "30"
SET USE_BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "1"

1=Enabled
0=Disabled

Edit & Save while the game is fully closed, the settings are applied on the next start.

I wish I could give you 1000 insightfuls, THANK YOU!

vsrs_au

I can understand making the game behave differently to try to save more power, but dimming the display? That's outside the game's scope, and makes it more like malware.

TaSheen

@Vynera - you just won the internetz for the year far as I'm concerned! AWESOME!

tom6143346

After my screen goes in the black mode he stays in the black mode playing not possible what a great featur no one asked for ! Let us turn of these nonsense

Vynera

vsrs_au wrote: »

I can understand making the game behave differently to try to save more power, but dimming the display? That's outside the game's scope, and makes it more like malware.

It might be a wrong wording, it's not changing the monitor/display settings or something beyong the application, it's changing the game brightness or adding an dark overlay effect when this energy saving mode is active.

Here are two screenshots in windowed mode, you can see clearly it's just the game settings that get adjusted. It's not my whole screen or any windows/system/display/monitor things that change.

Seravi

Vynera wrote: »

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\UserSettings.txt

Find and edit following lines:

SET EnergySustainabilityMeasuresEnabled "1"
SET BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "30"
SET USE_BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "1"

1=Enabled
0=Disabled

Edit & Save while the game is fully closed, the settings are applied on the next start.

Thank you!!

ivelbob

Any tweaking to my ESO display has no material environmental impact as long as billionaires continue to slingshot themselves around the world on private jets, super yachts and personal space rockets.

Belegnole

This is under Video in settings, btw

Sheridan

Belegnole wrote: »

This is under Video in settings, btw

Where? "Limit background fps" is a setting that already existed, and it limits fps when the game is in background, not inactive.

SkaiFaith

Vynera wrote: »

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\UserSettings.txt

Find and edit following lines:

SET EnergySustainabilityMeasuresEnabled "1"
SET BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "30"
SET USE_BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "1"

1=Enabled
0=Disabled

Edit & Save while the game is fully closed, the settings are applied on the next start.

As someone who noticed these changes on PTS notes and expressed dislike, your sharing is awesome!

Unfortunately those on consoles like me won't have this alternative.

Quite ironically, I think people's opinion on the game will be "performance capped and dimmer"...

jaws343

SkaiFaith wrote: »

Vynera wrote: »

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\UserSettings.txt

Find and edit following lines:

SET EnergySustainabilityMeasuresEnabled "1"
SET BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "30"
SET USE_BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "1"

1=Enabled
0=Disabled

Edit & Save while the game is fully closed, the settings are applied on the next start.

As someone who noticed these changes on PTS notes and expressed dislike, your sharing is awesome!

Unfortunately those on consoles like me won't have this alternative.

Quite ironically, I think people's opinion on the game will be "performance capped and dimmer"...

Console have literally had screen dimming when idle for as long as I can recall. It has zero impact on virtually anything functionality wise. And if anything, it is a nice visual reminder that I was distracted long enough for the game to start idling.

SkaiFaith

jaws343 wrote: »

SkaiFaith wrote: »

Vynera wrote: »

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\UserSettings.txt

Find and edit following lines:

SET EnergySustainabilityMeasuresEnabled "1"
SET BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "30"
SET USE_BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "1"

1=Enabled
0=Disabled

Edit & Save while the game is fully closed, the settings are applied on the next start.

As someone who noticed these changes on PTS notes and expressed dislike, your sharing is awesome!

Unfortunately those on consoles like me won't have this alternative.

Quite ironically, I think people's opinion on the game will be "performance capped and dimmer"...

Console have literally had screen dimming when idle for as long as I can recall. It has zero impact on virtually anything functionality wise. And if anything, it is a nice visual reminder that I was distracted long enough for the game to start idling.

You are right, and it's always such a good feeling to invest in the "most powerful console" or GPU + TV/Monitor to get frame capped, so, so nice!
Especially for those who record, the dimming thing is a must.................... (If I'm correct, I read after 5 minutes of inactivity, which I think it was 10 or 15 on the console OS, at least back then, I'm not sure now).

jaws343

SkaiFaith wrote: »

jaws343 wrote: »

SkaiFaith wrote: »

Vynera wrote: »

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\UserSettings.txt

Find and edit following lines:

SET EnergySustainabilityMeasuresEnabled "1"
SET BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "30"
SET USE_BACKGROUND_FPS_LIMIT "1"

1=Enabled
0=Disabled

Edit & Save while the game is fully closed, the settings are applied on the next start.

As someone who noticed these changes on PTS notes and expressed dislike, your sharing is awesome!

Unfortunately those on consoles like me won't have this alternative.

Quite ironically, I think people's opinion on the game will be "performance capped and dimmer"...

Console have literally had screen dimming when idle for as long as I can recall. It has zero impact on virtually anything functionality wise. And if anything, it is a nice visual reminder that I was distracted long enough for the game to start idling.

You are right, and it's always such a good feeling to invest in the "most powerful console" or GPU + TV/Monitor to get frame capped, so, so nice!
Especially for those who record, the dimming thing is a must.................... (If I'm correct, I read after 5 minutes of inactivity, which I think it was 10 or 15 on the console OS, at least back then, I'm not sure now).

If you are sitting around idle long enough for the game to dim or dip in frame rate, you aren't engaging with the game anyways and performance is meaningless.

And console has always been around 5-10 minutes to dim. 15 mins is logging you out for inactivity.