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FABLE III PC README 1.0
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Last Updated: 1 March, 2011
For the latest version of this Readme, please visit: http://lionhead.com/Fable/FableIII/readme.html
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Fable® III is a graphically demanding game and is designed for next generation hardware. It is important
that you have a powerful CPU (processor) and graphics chipset combination, particularly if you intend to
play on a laptop; for those fortunate enough to have such systems, we have added control sets that
favour laptop keyboard layouts. Please make sure to update to the latest video card drivers to ensure
the greatest level of performance and compatibility between Fable III and your computer hardware.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) INSTALLATION & SET UP
1.1 Minimum System Requirements
1.2 Recommended System Specifications
1.3 DirectX Detection & Installation
1.4 Copy Protection
2) TROUBLESHOOTING
2.1 Installer/Update
2.2 Video
2.3 Sound
2.4 Operating System
2.5 Known Issues
3) HOTKEYS AND CONTROLS
3.1 Default Keyboard and Mouse Controls
3.2 Xbox 360 Controller
4) IN-GAME OPTIONS
4.1 Video Options
4.2 Control Options
4.3 Audio Options
4.4 Game Options
5) IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
6) DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
7) CUSTOMER SUPPORT CONTACTS
8) COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
8.1 SlimDX Copyright Information
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1) INSTALLATION & SET UP
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Please note that Fable III does not support Microsoft® Windows® 95/98/NT/2000, Beta/Release
Candidate versions of Windows 7, or 64-bit versions of Windows XP operating system.
1.1 MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
OS: Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7
Processor: AMD® Athlon™ 64 Processor X2 4000+
Intel® Pentium Core™2 Duo 2 GHz
Memory: 2 GB
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® 7600 GT graphics card
ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 Pro graphics card
DirectX: DirectX® 9.0c
Hard Drive: 12.5 GB of free space
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compliant sound hardware
Network: Connection to the internet for first-time licence verification and for multiplayer features
1.2 RECOMMENDED SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
OS: Windows 7
Processor: Intel® Pentium Core™2 Duo 2.9 GHz processor or higher
Memory: 4 GB
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 GPU 896 MB graphics card or higher
ATI Radeon HD 5770 1 GB graphics card or higher
Hard Drive: 12.5 GB of free space
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compliant sound hardware
Network: Connection to the internet for first-time licence verification and for multiplayer features
1.3 DIRECTX DETECTION & INSTALLATION
Before installation, Fable III will check your computer for the currently installed version of DirectX. If it
detects an older version, it will install an up-to-date version automatically.
1.4 COPY PROTECTION
Fable III uses SecuROM piracy prevention, and this application may install additional components
required for proper functionality of the copy protection. In order to protect the game, any tampering
with the copy protection or renaming of the game’s executables may cause issues when loading or
playing the game.
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2) TROUBLESHOOTING
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2.1 INSTALLER/UPDATE
A. Interference from Anti-Virus Programs
Some anti-virus software can interfere and corrupt the installation process of new software. You may
want to disable your anti-virus software for the duration of the install.
B. Modifications
Any modifications to Fable III may result in the inability to play or update successfully. It is
recommended that you do not modify Fable III in any way that is not an officially released and
supported update, as it may result in the need to re-install the game.
C. Install
The installation is determined by the format in which you have purchased the game, and while there are
some differences, you will need to fully install to a specified location to play. If you have a disc-based
version, then installation is achieved by placing the DVD into the disc drive and following the on-screen
prompts. If you have a digitally-distributed version, then you have the option to download, install, and
play from within the client application. This requires that you are logged in and connected to the
internet.
Once installed, you will need to connect to the internet at least once to verify your license validity. After
this has been done you may play at any time without an internet connection. Re-installations will
require that this process is repeated. You are allowed to authorise up to five machines per month. If this
limit is met, you will need to contact SecuROM or Microsoft support to get an additional authorisation
or to de-authorise a previous machine. See Section 7 of this readme for customer support contact
information.
You need to be signed into the same Games for Windows – LIVE profile that purchased or verified the
licence in order to play online.
D. Uninstall
The uninstall process for Fable III can be different depending on how you installed the game. To uninstall
the disc-based version, go to the Windows Control Panel, open Programs and Features, select Fable III,
and then select uninstall. If you have a digitally-distributed version, then you may need to uninstall from
within your client game library.
There may be some user files left over such as saves or extra downloadable content which are left in
case you wish to continue your progress at a later date.
E. Starting the Game for the First Time
If an error message is displayed referencing any of the files below, re-run DirectX\DXSetup.exe included
on the disc.
DLLs:
xinput1_3.dll
d3dx9_42.dll
x3daudio1_7.dll
xaudio2_6.dll
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2.2 VIDEO
A. Latest Recommended Drivers
For best performance and video quality, please make sure you have the latest drivers for your video card
when running Fable III. If you have an ATI or NVIDIA video card, you can find drivers on their websites.
http://ati.amd.com
Driver: Catalyst 11.1 or newer
http://www.nvidia.com
Driver: ForceWare Graphics Driver Version 270.22 WHQL or newer
All of our testing has been performed with the latest official driver sets available at the time, so if you
experience poor performance or graphical anomalies then this should be the first thing to check.
B. Playing in Windowed Mode
Some users may find that running Fable III in windowed mode results in a reduced frame rate; this is due
to the design of some graphics cards. For the best experience, it is recommended that users switch to
full screen mode.
C. Using Below Minimum Specification Video Cards
Preliminary tests with video cards that do not meet the minimum specifications have shown poor
performance, and in some cases, more severe issues can be observed. This may not be your experience,
and performance may improve further with each driver revision that is released, but we are unable to
support video cards that do not meet the minimum specification provided.
D. Using Low Specification Video Cards
In an effort to keep the game as playable as possible on a wide range of hardware, you may notice that
with lower specification/older graphics chipsets some display resolutions are greyed out and not
selectable. Also, some of the post-processing performed on more powerful hardware may not be
applied. In particular, on the GeForce 7000 series, shadows and some other graphical effects are not
available.
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2.3 SOUND
A. Latest Recommended Drivers
Please make sure you have the latest drivers for your sound card. Popular sound card manufacturer links
can be found below:
http://www.realtek.com
http://www.creative.com/soundblaster
http://www.asus.com
http://www.turtlebeach.com
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/en
B. Sound Stutters While Playing
First, ensure that you have the latest drivers for your sound card. If the stuttering persists, try changing
the audio performance settings in game. Open the Options panel in the Sanctuary and select the Audio
tab, and then change the audio performance settings from high to low, or from low to high. If that still
doesn’t resolve the issue, try reducing Hardware Acceleration. From your Windows desktop, click Start,
and then click Run. Type "dxdiag", and then press Enter. This opens the "DirectX Diagnostic Tool". Click
the Sound tab and reduce the "Hardware Sound Acceleration Level" slider.
C. Sound Does Not Play
If you have more than one sound device, Fable III should play through the default device. Go to the
Windows Control Panel to manage audio devices and change your default settings.
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2.4 OPERATING SYSTEM
A. Administrator Privileges
You must have administrator privileges to properly install the game on Windows XP, Windows Vista, or
Windows 7. However, you do not require administrator privileges to play the game after it has been
installed. For information on how to change your user settings to obtain administrator privileges, please
refer to your Windows documentation, or click the Start button and select "Help and Support".
B. Alt-Tab to Switch Applications
Although Alt+Tab is functional, it is recommended that you do not use Alt+Tab to switch to another
program while Fable III is running, as this may affect game performance.
2.5 KNOWN ISSUES
A. Uninstalling with Windows Vista x64
Uninstalling on Windows Vista x64 machines can cause the system to appear unresponsive for long
periods of time; sometimes fifteen minutes or more. If this occurs, wait for the process to respond
again. Once it is responsive, it will resume and successfully uninstall Fable III.
B. Unsupported Video Modes on Startup
The game checks that its current resolution is supported on startup, and if it’s not supported, it will pick
the closest supported one. Unfortunately, some setups will incorrectly report that a resolution is
supported when it is not, usually causing the screen to turn black. This is often true for setups involving
TVs, which only support a limited range of resolutions, but may report back many as available. If this is
the case, quit the game (Alt+F4 or Control+Alt+Del) and run the external graphics settings applet to
change the settings to something that you find does work. This applet can be found by right-clicking the
Fable III game icon in Games Explorer and selecting Configure Video Options, or by running
PCVideoOptionsApplet.exe located in the Fable III install directory.
If you change video settings in-game to an unsupported resolution, wait for the confirmation window to
time out and it should revert to your previous settings.
C. Multiple Displays
By default Fable III will run on the primary display adapter, as configured in the display driver settings. If
you have multiple displays and would like Fable III to run on another screen, you can use the
PCVideoOptions applet to change the display adapter for the game (see previous section on how to run
this applet).
D. Windows XP DLC Downloading
Trying to download a DLC package on Windows XP with the in-game Games for Windows – LIVE client
may fail and report the error: “Client has not started properly.” To resolve this, start the main Games for
Windows – LIVE desktop application; this will then direct you to a hotfix that can fix the issue.
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3. HOTKEYS AND CONTROLS
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3.1 DEFAULT KEYBOARD AND MOUSE CONTROLS
----------------------------------------------------------------------Move Forward
-W
Move Left
-A
Move Backward
-S
Move Right
-D
Primary Attack
- Left Mouse Button (LMB)
Special (Block/Aim/Surround Spell)
- Right Mouse Button (RMB)
Switch to Melee Mode
-1
Switch to Magic Mode
-2
Switch to Ranged Mode
-3
Scroll through Combat Modes
- Mouse Wheel
Interact, Select
-E
Roll
- SPACE
Sprint (toggle)
- SHIFT
Go to Sanctuary, Back, Cancel
- ESC
Pause
-P
Quicksave
- F5
Reset Camera Behind Hero
- CTRL
Context-Sensitive Shortcuts
- F1 - F4
Open Map
-M
Safety Mode
- BACKSPACE
Hold Hands with Villager
-Q
Look at Important Events
- TAB
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The list above describes the default keyboard settings. To change the key controls, press ESC to enter
the Sanctuary. Access the Options panel, select Game Settings, and then click the Controls tab. Click the
Keyboard Template name to remap the keys individually.
3.2 XBOX 360 CONTROLLER
An Xbox 360® controller can be used to play Fable III. The listings for the controls are provided in the
game manual and within the in-game Options menu. Note: If you prefer a wireless controller, you must
use an Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows.
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4. IN-GAME OPTIONS
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Game options are accessed in the Sanctuary. When playing the game, press ESC to enter the Sanctuary.
Approach the Options panel on the back wall, and press E to open the Options menu.
4.1 VIDEO OPTIONS
Aspect Ratio - Adjust the ratio to suit your display type.
Resolution - Adjust this for more detail (at the expense of performance).
Gamma - Adjust brightness level.
Full Screen - Choose to play in full screen mode or in a window.
Vertical Sync - Toggles vertical sync on or off. Turning this on will reduce screen tearing, but will limit
performance.
A. Detail Settings
Overall - A simple way to set how detailed and elaborate you want Fable III to look. Lower settings
increase frame rate (performance) and save memory, while higher settings increase visual quality.
Texture Quality - Sets the textures to look more or less detailed. Lower values use less video memory
(helpful on laptops in particular), while higher values increase texture resolution and filtering quality.
Model Detail - Allows you to increase or decrease the number of polygons used to render characters
and models in game, and the quality of character animations.
Landscape Detail - Change the level of detail of the landscape. Reduce for an improvement in
performance.
Tree Detail - Alters the detail given to tree models and how they animate.
Water Quality - Higher settings give more detailed reflections in water.
Shadow Quality - Causes shadows to appear more or less detailed and draw closer or further into the
distance. On the Very Low setting, shadows are disabled entirely, which gives a significant performance
boost.
Effects Detail - Controls effects such as bloom, sun rays, anti-aliasing, and depth-of-field.
Draw Distance - Setting this higher allows you to see objects, villagers, creatures, and grass further
into the distance. This setting can have a very significant effect on performance.
Auto Detect - This will automatically tune the detail settings based on the current hardware for the
optimal quality and performance. This runs automatically the first time Fable III is started after a clean
install.
B. Tips on Detail Settings
First use the auto-detect option; this will run the first time you play Fable III, and it can be run again by
selecting the Auto Detect button in the Detail Settings screen. This runs CPU and GPU benchmarks and
sets each slider based on the results. Note that the results are based on the standard resolution of
1280x720, so if you set the resolution much higher or lower, the calibration will be less accurate.
If Fable III is running too slowly, try the following:
- Reduce the screen resolution. This is especially helpful on weak GPUs, in particular on laptops.
- Reduce shadow quality. Changing the setting to Very Low will disable shadows entirely, which will
increase performance significantly, often allowing other settings to be increased again.
- Reduce draw distance. This has a large effect on CPU performance.
- Reduce water quality. This has a large effect on CPU performance, although only matters when near
water.
- Reduce post processing. This affects GPU performance.
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4.2 CONTROL OPTIONS
Edit Keyboard Templates - Cycle through the available keyboard layouts. Click on the keyboard
template name to remap key controls individually.
View Xbox 360 Controller - Show the controls for an Xbox 360 controller.
Mouse Sensitivity - Adjust the speed of the mouse input.
Mouse Smoothing - Adjust the amount of smoothing applied to the mouse movement.
Invert Y-Axis - Toggle the vertical movement to be inverted/non-inverted.
Sticky Targeting - Toggle whether the targeting cursor sticks to valid targets or body parts to help
aiming.
Vibration - Toggle vibration on/off for an attached Xbox 360 controller.
4.3 AUDIO OPTIONS
Music - Adjust volume of music in-game.
Sound - Adjust volume of sound effects in-game.
Voice - Adjust volume of dialogue in-game.
Speakers - Choose Laptop/Small Speakers, Large Speakers, or Headphones. This sets the dynamic
range appropriately, giving you the best audio experience.
Performance - Adjust quality of sound.
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4.4 GAME OPTIONS
Subtitles - Toggles dialogue subtitles on or off.
Tutorials - Toggles the tutorial messages on or off.
Glowing Trail Brightness - Adjust the brightness of the glowing objective trail, or turn it off completely.
Difficulty - Adjust the difficulty of the game. This can be changed mid-game.
Language - Change the language the game is set to. This will be applied the next time the game starts.
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5. IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
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Ensure you have the latest drivers installed.
Shut down unnecessary software running in the background.
Try lower resolutions settings and/or reduced details settings.
Turn off Vertical Sync, which can significantly improve performance, but can also cause 'visual tearing'.
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6. DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
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Fable III has extra downloadable content, which can be obtained from within the game. To download
new content, you must be connected to the internet and signed in to Games for Windows – LIVE.
To shop for new content, press ESC to enter the Sanctuary, go to the LIVE room, and then interact with
the Online Store on the right side of the room to view and purchase content.
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7. CUSTOMER SUPPORT CONTACTS
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For Games for Windows help and support, please visit: http://support.microsoft.com and search for
Fable.
For SecuROM copy protection issues, please visit: https://support.securom.com/pop_fable3.html
^up to the top^
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8. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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©2011 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, Fable, Lionhead, the Lionhead Studios logo, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, Xbox, Xbox
360, Windows, Windows Live, Windows NT, Windows Vista, and the Windows Vista Start button logo
are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are
property of their respective owners.
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8.1 SLIMDX COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Copyright (c) 2007-2011 SlimDX Group
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and
associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial
portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE
LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT
OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.