[Guide] D2R - "Force" Legacy-Mode

[MilesTeg]

This is basically just a draft for now It shows how to slim down the "Data"-directory.

All my mods/tutorials only have offline in mind. In this case it can vastly speedup testing for modders. I definitely don't recommend it for online. Use at your own risk!!


advantages:

• blazingly fast (nearly like good old D2!)
• great for all tests with v1.15 that don't need HD (but also useful for UI-/Item-Modders!)
• core is only 2,2GB
• HD-GUI still working
• can probably be further optimized

disadvantages:

• no HD in-game graphics at all (black screen, but controls still work)
• core doesn't feature any music/sound

Tools used: Ladiks CascViewer, windows explorer

requirements: ~20GB free space on system drive (NVME-drive highly recommended!), patience.

First:Temporarily DISABLE realtime protection for better performance (this vastly increases the setup). Stop file-indexing and other taxing services.
Do the core setup on your first try (skip optionals / delete where mentioned).

quick rundown for now:
Start CascViewer, go to options and choose a workfolder on your systemdrive.

1. \data\global\
extract everything. Optional: \music (0,6GB) & \video (1,8GB), \sfx(=sounds, 150mb) (all legacy mode media)

2. \data\local\
extract everything except \video. Optional: sfx (=voice files, 0,5GB)

3.1 \data\hd\
extract \items, \missiles, \objects, \overlays, \ui and all json files in root

3.2 \data\hd\character\
extract subfolder \player\ and the monsters.json

3.3 \data\hd\env\
extract subfolder \weather

3.4 \data\hd\global\
extract subfolders \excel, \ui and all jsons from root. Optional: \sfx (0,5GB ), \music (music 1,4gb), \video (2GB) for sound, music, video in HD-Mode

4. Cleanup (windows explorer / file manager)

Delete folder \hd\global\ui\lobby (320MB).

Optional: Delete folder \data\\hd\global\ui\controller (650MB) (controller support). It's not really essential and only gives some very minor menu-graphics-bugs when not used.

Go to \data\data\hd: delete all "*.model" and "*.texture" files (9031 model, 3758 texture). You can simply search for them. This might take a while
Delete (the now empty) "texture" folders. Delete all "*.lowend.sprite" files (0,5GB) from data\hd\global\ui.

You'll end up with hd(1,2GB), local(944MB) & local (133MB) taking only ~2,2GB of diskspace ~34.500 files (all optionals excluded).

5. finish
Now carefully replace(!) your hd, local, global by renaming/moving folders. Run your game via "D2R.exe -direct -txt" and have fun!

Example video


further optimisations
---------------------

• (easy) convert all flacs to vorbis to save more space. see Convert audio files (flac to ogg vorbis)
• (difficult) move folders to RAMDisk for even faster startup.

Some tests (on 5GB-RAM-drive):

• From start ("D2R.exe -direct -txt") to entering "Rogue Encampment" takes ~5sec.
• WP from Lut Gholein to Khurast takes less than 1sec - that's probably one of the most taxing area transitions.

PS: Don't forget to setup your firewall once everything works to skip the annoying queue...

see also this guide for more general performance guide: D2R Single Player - Tips to Improve your Load Times and More (Reddit)

[gimli]

This would be awesome if you can investigate a bit more in here to get this work online All the multiboxers and anni hunters will preciate

[MilesTeg]

All my mods/tutorials only have offline in mind. In this case it can vastly speedup testing for modders. I definitely don't recommend it for online. Use at your own risk!!


I'm not sure how blizz will handle online-players using that. And this might put some more strain on blizz servers... on the other hand they already added queues...

The info is out, so feel free to use this it at your own risk

I'll probably add a filestructure someday (folderstructure + zerobyte files) that might help other modders rebuild this setup.

[Modenthusiast]

Nice. Now then, how can I keep the HD menus and GUI, at least? I kinda like playing with a gamepad.

[cali]

Does not run with -direct -txt in current versions. Do you know how to enable it?

[MilesTeg]

ok, I did some tests and was able to replace lots of JSONs with empty files...

Maybe someone can confirm this is working?

advantages:
- loadtimes nearly like old D2

Install: copy to your D2R folder. Usage: open D2R.exe -mod blockhd -txt

https://www.mediafire.com/file/cx50sr6u ... d.zip/file (660kb)


a MPQ variant

advantages:
- loadtimes like old D2
- zero sized textures (further reduces load times/ram usage: ~3GB RAM)
- no need to unpack all those files (25.000) to your HDD

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ouan3f5o ... d.mpq/file (1,7MB)

Install: create subfolders \mods\blockhd\ & copy mpq into it. Usage: open D2R.exe -mod blockhd

[MilesTeg]

s and GUI, at least? I kinda like playing with a gamepad.

This would've been possible via excluding "controller" as described above. But obviously this method does not work anymore (after recent game updates)...

[cali]

ok, I did some tests and was able to replace lots of JSONs with empty files...

Maybe someone can confirm this is working?

advantages:
- loadtimes nearly like old D2

Install: copy to your D2R folder. Usage: open D2R.exe -mod blockhd -txt

https://www.mediafire.com/file/cx50sr6u ... d.zip/file (660kb)


a MPQ variant

advantages:
- loadtimes like old D2
- zero sized textures (further reduces load times/ram usage: ~3GB RAM)
- no need to unpack all those files (25.000) to your HDD

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ouan3f5o ... d.mpq/file (1,7MB)

Install: create subfolders \mods\blockhd\ & copy mpq into it. Usage: open D2R.exe -mod blockhd

I've been testing it for a few days.
Other than crashing in the lobby when multiboxing(isboxer) it works great!

[Mikasa]

ok, I did some tests and was able to replace lots of JSONs with empty files...

Maybe someone can confirm this is working?

advantages:
- loadtimes nearly like old D2

Install: copy to your D2R folder. Usage: open D2R.exe -mod blockhd -txt

https://www.mediafire.com/file/cx50sr6u ... d.zip/file (660kb)


a MPQ variant

advantages:
- loadtimes like old D2
- zero sized textures (further reduces load times/ram usage: ~3GB RAM)
- no need to unpack all those files (25.000) to your HDD

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ouan3f5o ... d.mpq/file (1,7MB)

Install: create subfolders \mods\blockhd\ & copy mpq into it. Usage: open D2R.exe -mod blockhd

I've been testing it for a few days.
Other than crashing in the lobby when multiboxing(isboxer) it works great!

Were these crashes happening if you edit the files yourself, or only with MPQ method?

[SoNvidiaFK]

Thanks, this saved my old computer



Change the game resolution to 800x600
It is as good as the classic version

But main menu panel can not see button
only use Enter and arrow keys to select Character

and need switch to classic mode again and again ......

[Xtms]

ok, I did some tests and was able to replace lots of JSONs with empty files...

Maybe someone can confirm this is working?

advantages:
- loadtimes nearly like old D2

Install: copy to your D2R folder. Usage: open D2R.exe -mod blockhd -txt

https://www.mediafire.com/file/cx50sr6u ... d.zip/file (660kb)


a MPQ variant

advantages:
- loadtimes like old D2
- zero sized textures (further reduces load times/ram usage: ~3GB RAM)
- no need to unpack all those files (25.000) to your HDD

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ouan3f5o ... d.mpq/file (1,7MB)

Install: create subfolders \mods\blockhd\ & copy mpq into it. Usage: open D2R.exe -mod blockhd

Thanks it work great except the game crash when you leave a game and join lobby.

Actually it crash with the .mpq method i will try with the first one

[Chrisonline1212]

This is basically just a draft for now It shows how to slim down the "Data"-directory.

All my mods/tutorials only have offline in mind. In this case it can vastly speedup testing for modders. I definitely don't recommend it for online. Use at your own risk!!


advantages:

• blazingly fast (nearly like good old D2!)
• great for all tests with v1.15 that don't need HD (but also useful for UI-/Item-Modders!)
• core is only 2,2GB
• HD-GUI still working
• can probably be further optimized

disadvantages:

• no HD in-game graphics at all (black screen, but controls still work)
• core doesn't feature any music/sound

Tools used: Ladiks CascViewer, windows explorer

requirements: ~20GB free space on system drive (NVME-drive highly recommended!), patience.

First:Temporarily DISABLE realtime protection for better performance (this vastly increases the setup). Stop file-indexing and other taxing services.
Do the core setup on your first try (skip optionals / delete where mentioned).

quick rundown for now:
Start CascViewer, go to options and choose a workfolder on your systemdrive.

1. \data\global\
extract everything. Optional: \music (0,6GB) & \video (1,8GB), \sfx(=sounds, 150mb) (all legacy mode media)

2. \data\local\
extract everything except \video. Optional: sfx (=voice files, 0,5GB)

3.1 \data\hd\
extract \items, \missiles, \objects, \overlays, \ui and all json files in root

3.2 \data\hd\character\
extract subfolder \player\ and the monsters.json

3.3 \data\hd\env\
extract subfolder \weather

3.4 \data\hd\global\
extract subfolders \excel, \ui and all jsons from root. Optional: \sfx (0,5GB ), \music (music 1,4gb), \video (2GB) for sound, music, video in HD-Mode

4. Cleanup (windows explorer / file manager)

Delete folder \hd\global\ui\lobby (320MB).

Optional: Delete folder \data\\hd\global\ui\controller (650MB) (controller support). It's not really essential and only gives some very minor menu-graphics-bugs when not used.

Go to \data\data\hd: delete all "*.model" and "*.texture" files (9031 model, 3758 texture). You can simply search for them. This might take a while
Delete (the now empty) "texture" folders. Delete all "*.lowend.sprite" files (0,5GB) from data\hd\global\ui.

You'll end up with hd(1,2GB), local(944MB) & local (133MB) taking only ~2,2GB of diskspace ~34.500 files (all optionals excluded).

5. finish
Now carefully replace(!) your hd, local, global by renaming/moving folders. Run your game via "D2R.exe -direct -txt" and have fun!

Example video


further optimisations
---------------------

• (easy) convert all flacs to vorbis to save more space. see Convert audio files (flac to ogg vorbis)
• (difficult) move folders to RAMDisk for even faster startup.

Some tests (on 5GB-RAM-drive):

• From start ("D2R.exe -direct -txt") to entering "Rogue Encampment" takes ~5sec.
• WP from Lut Gholein to Khurast takes less than 1sec - that's probably one of the most taxing area transitions.

PS: Don't forget to setup your firewall once everything works to skip the annoying queue...

see also this guide for more general performance guide: D2R Single Player - Tips to Improve your Load Times and More (Reddit)

Has this stopped working after the patches? Or am I doing something wrong? I get an error when i try to run the game after trying this..

[enric1010]

The most recent patch has made this crash a lot. Hoping someone smarter/better than me can optimize for the latest patch. Loved this mod.

[vorvalsya]

The most recent patch has made this crash a lot. Hoping someone smarter/better than me can optimize for the latest patch. Loved this mod.

Bump

[gimli]

Recreated + Updated for Patch 2.4 - game version 1.2.69640
File: https://www.nexusmods.com/diablo2resurrected/mods/238

[Xtms]

Recreated + Updated for Patch 2.4 - game version 1.2.69640
File: https://www.nexusmods.com/diablo2resurrected/mods/238

Work number 1 gimli nice work here !!