How to stop NPC bouncing in Far Cry 2 - PC Gamer

Far Cry 2 NPC Bouncing: What Is It and How to Fix It

If you are a fan of open-world first-person shooter games, you might have played or heard of Far Cry 2. This game was released in 2008 by Ubisoft and received critical acclaim for its realistic graphics, immersive gameplay, and dynamic world. However, Far Cry 2 also has some technical issues that can ruin your experience, such as the infamous "NPC bouncing" bug. In this article, we will explain what NPC bouncing is, why it happens, and how you can fix it.

far cry 2 npc bouncing

Introduction

What is Far Cry 2?

Far Cry 2 is a sequel to the original Far Cry, which was released in 2004 by Crytek. Unlike its predecessor, which was set on a tropical island, Far Cry 2 takes place in a fictional African country that is torn by civil war. You play as a mercenary who is hired to assassinate a notorious arms dealer known as "The Jackal". Along the way, you have to deal with hostile factions, malaria, weapon degradation, fire propagation, and dynamic weather.

What is NPC bouncing?

NPC bouncing is a physics bug that can occur when you run Far Cry 2 at high framerates (above 60 FPS). This bug causes some non-player characters (NPCs) to bounce up and down uncontrollably, making them impossible to interact with or kill. This can prevent you from starting or completing missions, unlocking safe houses, buying weapons, or progressing the story.

Why does NPC bouncing happen?

The exact cause of NPC bouncing is not clear, but it seems to be related to how the game engine handles physics calculations at high framerates. Some speculate that newer hardware runs the game too fast and the NPCs (or the engine itself) can't handle it. Others suggest that it has something to do with how the game synchronizes animations with sound effects. Whatever the reason, NPC bouncing is a frustrating problem that can ruin your enjoyment of Far Cry 2.

How to Fix NPC Bouncing

Fortunately, there are some ways to fix NPC bouncing or at least reduce its occurrence. Here are three methods that you can try:

Method 1: Use Vsync and Cap FPS to 60

This method involves using the game's built-in options to enable vertical synchronization (Vsync) and limit your frames per second (FPS) to 60. Vsync is a feature that synchronizes your monitor's refresh rate with your game's framerate, preventing screen tearing and stuttering. Capping your FPS to 60 ensures that your game runs at a stable speed that matches your monitor's refresh rate (assuming you have a standard 60 Hz monitor). Here are the steps:

Step 1: Go to the game options and turn on Vsync

Launch Far Cry 2 and go to Options > Video > Advanced Options. Find the Vsync option and set it to On. This will prevent screen tearing and smooth out your gameplay.

Step 2: Save your settings and exit the game

After turning on Vsync, save your settings and exit the game. This will allow you to edit your game profile file in the next step.

Step 3: Go to your game folder and open GamerProfile.xml

Navigate to C:\Users\ (Yourusername)\Documents\My Games\Far Cry 2 (or wherever you installed the game) and find the file called GamerProfile.xml. This file contains your game settings and preferences. Open it with a text editor like Notepad.

Step 4: Add the line MaxFPS="60" after AllowAsynchShaderLoading="1"

In GamerProfile.xml, find the line AllowAsynchShaderLoading="1" and add the line MaxFPS="60" after it. It should look like this:

AllowAsynchShaderLoading="1" MaxFPS="60">

This will limit your FPS to 60, which should prevent NPC bouncing from happening.

Step 5: Save the file and set it as read-only

After adding the line MaxFPS="60", save GamerProfile.xml and close it. Then right-click on it, go to Properties, and check the box that says Read-only. This will prevent the game from overriding your changes.

Method 2: Use the In-Game Console or Third-Party Software to Limit FPS

This method involves using either the in-game console or third-party software to limit your FPS to 60 or lower. The in-game console is a hidden feature that allows you to enter commands that affect various aspects of the game. Third-party software are programs that run in the background and modify your game's performance or behavior. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Launch the game and open the console by pressing

Launch Far Cry 2 and press (the key above Tab) on your keyboard. This will open a small window at the bottom of your screen where you can type commands.

Step 2: Type gfx_MaxFPS 60 and press enter

In the console window, type gfx_MaxFPS 60 (or any lower number) and press enter. This will limit your FPS to whatever number you entered.

Step 3: Close the console and enjoy the game

After entering gfx_MaxFPS 60 (or any lower number), close the console by pressing again. You should notice that your FPS is capped at that number and NPC bouncing should be reduced or eliminated.

Step 4: Alternatively, you can use software like D3DOverrider or RivaTuner to limit FPS

If you don't want to use the in-game console every time you launch Far Cry 2, you can use third-party software like D3DOverrider or RivaTuner to limit your FPS globally or for specific games. These software allow you to tweak various settings related to graphics cards, monitors, framerates, etc. You can download them from their official websites or other sources online.

Method 3: Use a Mod to Fix Bouncing NPCs

This method involves using a mod (short for modification) that fixes NPC bouncing by changing some files in your game folder. A mod is a user-made alteration or addition that enhances or changes some aspects of a game. There are many mods available for Far Cry 2 that improve graphics, gameplay, realism, etc. One of them is called Fix Bouncing NPCs mod by scubrah. This mod changes some files in your game folder to fix NPC bouncing without requiring you to lock your framerate. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Download the Fix Bouncing NPCs mod from Nexus Mods

Nexus Mods is a website that hosts thousands of mods for various games, including Far Cry 2. You can download the Fix Bouncing NPCs mod from this link: . You will need to create a free account and install the Nexus Mod Manager to download and install mods easily.

Step 2: Extract the files to your game folder and overwrite when prompted

After downloading the mod, extract the files to your game folder (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Far Cry 2) and overwrite when prompted. This will replace some files in your game folder with the modded ones.

Step 3: Launch the game and play without bouncing NPCs

After extracting the files, launch the game and enjoy playing without bouncing NPCs. The mod should work with any version of the game and any other mods you have installed.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explained what NPC bouncing is, why it happens, and how you can fix it in Far Cry 2. We have provided three methods that you can try: using Vsync and capping FPS to 60, using the in-game console or third-party software to limit FPS, or using a mod to fix bouncing NPCs. We hope that this article has helped you solve this annoying problem and improve your gaming experience.

If you liked this article, please share it with your friends who play Far Cry 2 or leave a comment below. We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions. Also, if you are interested in more articles about Far Cry 2 or other games, please check out our website for more content. Thank you for reading and happy gaming!

FAQs

• Q: What is Far Cry 2?

• A: Far Cry 2 is a open-world first-person shooter game released in 2008 by Ubisoft.

• Q: What is NPC bouncing?

• A: NPC bouncing is a physics bug that causes some NPCs to bounce up and down uncontrollably at high framerates.

• Q: Why does NPC bouncing happen?

• A: NPC bouncing happens because of how the game engine handles physics calculations at high framerates.

• Q: How can I fix NPC bouncing?

• A: You can fix NPC bouncing by using Vsync and capping FPS to 60, using the in-game console or third-party software to limit FPS, or using a mod to fix bouncing NPCs.

• Q: Where can I download the Fix Bouncing NPCs mod?

• A: You can download the Fix Bouncing NPCs mod from Nexus Mods .