(you don't really need to read this, skip to the next step if you want)

Hello!, i'm GuardianHellHound and i've been playing space engineers for a very long time now and since the game keep getting worst optimized every time SE devs launch an update, i've decided to share the stuff i've been using over the years to make space run on my poor man's PC (top of line for 2016). if you are interested here are my specs:

CPU: Intel i5-3570k (OC 4.2)
GPU: GTX 980 6gb
RAM: 24gb (ddr3)
HD: slow trash. (purple WD)

The stuff in this guide has been found mostly by angry trial and error. I think i don't even know why most of the stuff in this guide works the way they do. but it works. i hope i manage somehow to help whoever is reading this guide. Let's get started.

(this guide has only been tested with good results for intel users. SE hates AMD ryzen processors and a lot of stuff from this guide has failed to work with ryzen processors.)

If you are an Intel user and you sim speed is around 0.2 to 0.4 and you have not yet given up SE, (you can check your sim speed by pressing shift-f11 ingame) there is a good chance this will be the only thing you will need from this guide:



don't think about it, wise internet dude says: Just go to options -> display -> turn on vertical sync. i don't know why this helps, i think vsync locks max fps to 60 and it somehow affects the game physics load. i've been testing this with my friends on discord and once they turned vsync they had no more problems being around our huge multiplayer cities, you can discuss this crap on the comments if you wish.

if you don't want to do that every single time you start the game, the steam overlay can be disabled by following these steps:

Open Steam.
> go to your library
> find SE on your library
> go to properties
> General tab
> locate the "enable the steam overlay while in-game" checkbox and disable it.

this section of the guide is basic as hell, skip to the next one if you are looking for more juicy stuff.

open your game, press shift-f11, check your FPS and Sim Speed.
FPS drops are mostly GPU load (graphics card)
Sim Speed drops are mostly CPU Load (processor)

what affects what:


Model: Both
Shader: Affects GPU more.
voxel: Affects CPU more. (warning: setting this to low will make some asteroids hard to notice)
Texture: Both a lot but GPU is more affected.
shadow: this thing will give your CPU terminal cancer. (warning: disabled will cause dark vision)
lights: Affects CPU more.
AA: this thing will give your low spec CPU terminal cancer.
AF: this thing will give your low spec CPU terminal cancer.

other:
damage effects are vital for gameplay, i do not recommend messing with it.
(the other options (like grass) will be available in the next step of this guide)

there are more option you change by accessing the SE configuration file.
here is the path to the configuration file: AppData\Roaming\SpaceEngineers\SpaceEngineers.cfg

the SpaceEngineers.cfg must be opened with a text editor.
here are some of the good stuff you can find on this file:

disabling the intro logo and background crappy movie mysteriously helps a lot. I can't explain how or why but it even remove some bugs from the game. Here is how you can do it:

1 - Go to your steam library and locate SE,
2 - Go to proprieties
3 - locate Launch Options box and type: "-skipintro":

IT'S NOT DONE YET.

4 - go to local files.
5 - press browse.


6 - go to the Content Folder
7 - delete or rename the Videos folder. (cast it to oblivion)

8 - It's done. Your game will open a lot faster now. And the menu will be a lot more stable.

Q: Do you expect the players with crapy GPUS to use Directx9?
A: Let me show you how it feels:
To set DX9 you need to follow the previous steps and open the configuration file.
the directX option must be right at the top (the first one).
change:
to

This option resets to dx11 for no good reason some times.

(WARNING: DO NOT CHANGE SE STEAM BETA TO DX9)

ask the server owner to switch the server to torch (if he/she has not already done that) and install the Game optimization plugin with the workshop mod:

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2171994463

it wont help a lot but it helps.

google bitsum parkcontrol. enable the settings for all your CPU cores and keep the processor unparked at all times. It wont help a lot but it will help. doing this will not harm your CPU in any way. this is not overclocking.

If your desktop PC is too old and your motherboard allows OC, it's time to consider makin' bacon with your processor. Go learn how to overclock your CPU/GPU if that is your case.

Follow these simple instructions to fix the situation:

1 - Stop reading this guide.
2 - turn off your pc.
3 - go get a job.
4 - work with the sole purpose of buying computer hardware.
5 - buy overpriced CPUS and GPUS.
6 - Curse global powers for the chip shortages.
7 - Turn on your new pc.
8 - Go play SE and chill.

Alternative version (if one is unable to work)

Find SE devs and go bark for an optimization update. i think (i'm not sure) the last one was in 2020. it about time some one does something about this dumpster fire.