Performance Fix Guide
Many Angels Fall First players report inconsistent frame times on modern GPUs — stutter during explosions, hitching at phase transitions, and CPU spikes in bot-heavy Territories matches despite moderate graphics settings. Version 1.0 improved stability in places but still relies on an older engine core that does not always scale with high core-count processors or aggressive background apps. This guide collects community-tested fixes: in-game settings order of operations, resolution scaling, Windows power and fullscreen modes, driver notes, and realistic expectations for large Incursion finales. Apply changes one at a time so you can measure impact.
Symptoms and likely causes
Micro-stutter every few seconds often indicates CPU bottlenecks or shader compilation hitches, not pure GPU limits. Sudden freezes when boarding capitals or loading space phases point to asset streaming and disk I/O.
Bot-heavy matches increase AI load. Territories on large maps with full backfill can tank frame pacing even when solo firefights feel smooth. Dense particle effects from tank lines and gunships amplify the issue.
In-game settings priority
Start by lowering shadow quality, view distance, and ambient occlusion — these yield large CPU/GPU savings on ground maps like Errah and Darsalaam. Reduce crowd or AI-related sliders if present in 1.0 menus.
Use resolution scaling or render scale before disabling effects entirely. Dropping to 85–90% native resolution often stabilizes frame times while keeping targets readable at mid range.
Disable v-sync if you tolerate tearing and cap FPS slightly below your monitor refresh with an in-game or driver limiter to reduce input lag spikes. Some players prefer fullscreen exclusive over borderless for pacing on Windows 10 and 11.
Windows and driver tweaks
Set power plan to High performance or Ultimate on laptops. Close browser tabs, RGB suites, and overlay apps (Discord hardware acceleration, GeForce overlay recording) during testing.
Update GPU drivers, but keep a rollback installer handy — occasional driver regressions affect older titles. Add Angels Fall First to your GPU control panel as a high-performance profile.
Install the game on SSD if possible. Mechanical drives worsen boarding and space phase loads.
Hardware expectations
Mid-range GPUs from recent generations can hold 60 FPS on tuned settings, but CPU headroom matters more than raw VRAM in bot-filled servers. Older quad-core CPUs struggle more than GPU age in community reports.
Incursion finales with fighters, ground vehicles, and boarding simultaneously are the worst-case scenario — expect dips even on strong rigs. Competitive play favors stable 1% lows over maxed visuals.
When to wait for patches
Some hitching requires engine-level fixes from Three Fields Entertainment. Monitor Steam patch notes after major updates. Re-test after patches because optimization passes can reset best settings baselines.
Step-by-step tuning order
Step one: cap background applications and use fullscreen exclusive if stable. Step two: lower shadows, ambient occlusion, and view distance one notch at a time, testing a full Territories match on Darsalaam with bots between changes.
Step three: adjust render scale to 90% if GPU bound, or reduce CPU-heavy options if frame time spikes when many AI actors cluster on one flag. Step four: move the install to SSD if boarding loads hitch.
Document your final settings profile so you can revert after experimental changes. Community threads often recommend conflicting tweaks — change one variable at a time so you know what actually helped your hardware.
Hardware-specific notes
High refresh monitors expose micro-stutter that felt invisible at 60 Hz — cap FPS to a stable value rather than chasing uncapped numbers that fluctuate during bot waves.
Laptop users should verify the discrete GPU is active for AFF; integrated graphics run the game but melt during Darsalaam interior caps with dozens of AI actors.
Dual-monitor setups sometimes cause borderless fullscreen pacing issues — test single-monitor fullscreen exclusive if mouse input feels sluggish.
Revisit settings after GPU driver updates; several launch-week threads report fixes or regressions tied to specific driver branches rather than game patches alone.