# Night City Streets - Crowd & Traffic Overhaul INI
**Version:** 1.1 (Last Updated: 4/23/2025)
Slim420



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## CONTENTS
1. [Introduction](#introduction)
2. [Core Features](#core-features)
3. [Preset Options (Choose ONE!)](#preset-options-choose-one)
4. [Installation](#installation)
5. [Uninstallation](#uninstallation)
6. [Customization & Fine-Tuning](#customization--fine-tuning)
7. [Performance Considerations & Requirements](#performance-considerations--requirements)
8. [Known Issues & Limitations](#known-issues--limitations)
9. [Compatibility](#compatibility)
10. [Credits & Acknowledgments](#credits--acknowledgments)
11. [Support](#support)

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## 1. INTRODUCTION

Ever feel like Night City's streets, despite the chrome and neon, lack that crucial spark of chaotic life? Are the crowds too sparse, the drivers too tame, the citizens too quick to vanish?

**Night City Streets** aims to fix that. This mod provides a collection of **INI configuration presets** designed to overhaul Cyberpunk 2077's population system. By carefully tuning dozens of engine parameters, it enhances crowd and traffic density, NPC behavior, reactivity, persistence, and visual consistency to create a more immersive and believable urban environment.

Choose from several distinct presets tailored to different playstyles and hardware capabilities, or dive deep with the included annotated master file to craft your perfect Night City experience.

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## 2. CORE FEATURES

* **Increased Density:** Significantly higher population counts for both pedestrians and vehicles (tunable via `SpawnLimit`).
* **Enhanced Realism:** NPCs tolerate closer proximity, navigate tighter spaces, group more naturally at crossings, and exhibit more varied idle behaviors.
* **Improved Persistence:** NPCs and vehicles remain in the world longer when out of sight, reducing noticeable despawning and making the city feel more continuous.
* **Heightened Reactivity:** Tuned AI memory, fear spread, and reaction modifiers for more believable responses to events and player presence. (Some parameters rely on community findings/potentially mod-added hooks).
* **Aggressive & Dynamic Traffic:** AI drivers are more reactive, exhibit stronger lane preferences, and overall contribute to a more chaotic, lore-friendly traffic flow.
* **Optional Visual Consistency:** Select presets include options (`DisableLOD`, `ForceFullTest`) to reduce distracting vehicle model pop-in and potential object culling issues, at a significant performance cost.
* **Multiple Presets:** Choose the experience that suits you – from maximum immersion to performance-focused options.
* **Full Customization:** An extensively annotated master INI file is provided for advanced users who want to fine-tune every detail.

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## 3. PRESET OPTIONS (Choose ONE!)

This mod offers several pre-configured `.ini` files. **You must choose ONLY ONE to install.** Installing multiple presets will cause conflicts.

1. **Maximum Immersion ("Corpo Plaza Crush"):**
* **Goal:** Absolute highest density, visual consistency (`DisableLOD`, `ForceFullTest` enabled), and AI reactivity.
* **Target User:** High-end PC owners prioritizing immersion above all else.
* **Expect:** *Major* performance decrease (CPU & GPU heavy). CET highly recommended.

2. **Balanced Realism ("Street Samurai Standard"):**
* **Goal:** Significant upgrade in density and behavior with manageable performance. Visual tweaks (`DisableLOD`, `ForceFullTest`) disabled by default.
* **Target User:** Users with mid-range to high-end PCs seeking a solid immersion boost without crippling FPS.
* **Expect:** Moderate performance decrease. Great starting point.

3. **Pedestrian Focus ("Night Market Mingle"):**
* **Goal:** Primarily enhances pedestrian density, proximity, and interaction in street-level scenarios. Keeps traffic density moderate.
* **Target User:** Players wanting lively markets/sidewalks but prefer smoother driving or have CPU constraints.
* **Expect:** Mild to moderate performance decrease, mainly CPU-bound.

4. **Performance First ("Wannabe Merc"):**
* **Goal:** Maximize FPS while retaining subtle behavioral improvements (like closer proximity) from the mod. Minimal density increase. Performance settings close to vanilla.
* **Target User:** Players on lower-spec systems or those prioritizing the highest possible framerate.
* **Expect:** Minimal performance impact compared to vanilla game.

5. **Traffic Nightmare ("Corpo Convoy Chaos"):**
* **Goal:** Focuses on creating dense, aggressive, and potentially chaotic vehicle traffic. Pedestrian density kept moderate.
* **Target User:** Players who enjoy navigating intense traffic or want highways to feel truly congested.
* **Expect:** Moderate to high performance decrease, CPU heavy due to vehicle AI.

6. **Visual Fidelity Focus ("Braindance Capture"):**
* **Goal:** Prioritizes visual consistency by enabling `DisableLOD` and `ForceFullTest` to reduce pop-in/model swapping. Density is moderate to compensate.
* **Target User:** Screenshot artists or players sensitive to visual inconsistencies, with powerful GPUs.
* **Expect:** Moderate to high performance decrease (GPU & CPU).

7. **Lore-Infused Behavior:**
* **Goal:** Tunes AI proximity, reactions, persistence, and traffic aggression to specifically match Cyberpunk lore (overcrowded, desensitized yet reactive, dangerous traffic). Includes demanding visual options (`DisableLOD`, `ForceFullTest`) by default.
* **Target User:** Players wanting the most lore-accurate feeling city, with hardware to support it.
* **Expect:** Significant performance decrease (CPU & GPU heavy).

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## 4. INSTALLATION

**❗ CRITICAL STEP: You MUST choose and install ONLY ONE preset `.ini` file! ❗**

1. **(Recommended) Backup:** Navigate to your Cyberpunk 2077 installation directory and back up any existing files in the config paths mentioned below, just in case.
2. **Download:** Download the main **Night City Streets** file archive from Nexus Mods.
3. **Extract:** Extract the contents of the downloaded archive (e.g., using 7-Zip or WinRAR). You will find multiple `.ini` files, each corresponding to a preset.
4. **Choose Your Preset:** Decide which *single* preset experience you want based on the descriptions above (e.g., `NCS_Balanced_Realism.ini`).
5. **Copy ONE File:** Copy **ONLY** the `.ini` file for your chosen preset.
6. **Paste to Config Folder:** Paste the chosen `.ini` file into the correct Cyberpunk 2077 configuration directory. Common locations include:
* `[Cyberpunk 2077 Game Folder]\engine\config\platform\pc\`
* If using Cyber Engine Tweaks with its config override feature: `[Cyberpunk 2077 Game Folder]\bin\x64\plugins\cyber_engine_tweaks\config\` (or similar depending on CET version/setup). Check your CET setup if unsure.
* Other mod managers might use different override folders. Consult your mod manager's documentation.
7. **(Recommended) Install Cyber Engine Tweaks (CET):** Especially for denser presets, CET is highly recommended for improved engine stability and potential performance benefits. Find it on Nexus Mods.
8. **Launch Game:** Start Cyberpunk 2077. The new settings should be active.

**DO NOT copy multiple preset files into your config folder!** If you accidentally did, remove all but the one you intend to use.

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## 5. UNINSTALLATION

1. Navigate to the folder where you installed the preset `.ini` file (see Installation Step 6).
2. Delete the `Night City Streets` preset `.ini` file (e.g., `NCS_Balanced_Realism.ini`).
3. If you made backups of original files, you can restore them now (optional).

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## 6. CUSTOMIZATION & FINE-TUNING

Want to tweak things further?

* **Edit Your Preset:** You can open your chosen preset `.ini` file (e.g., `NCS_Balanced_Realism.ini`) with a text editor (like Notepad++) and modify values directly.
* **Use the Annotated Master File:** For detailed explanations of almost every setting used across all presets, download the optional **"Annotated Master INI"** file. Use this as a guide to understand what parameters control which behaviors before editing your chosen preset. **Do not install the Annotated file itself alongside a preset.**
* **Key Performance Settings:**
* `[Crowd] SpawnLimit`: **The single biggest factor affecting performance.** Lower this value in your chosen preset if you experience significant FPS drops (e.g., change from `100` down to `80`, `60`, or lower).
* `[Traffic] DisableLOD`: Setting this to `false` (if it's `true` in your preset) will allow vehicle models to swap to lower detail at distance, significantly improving performance at the cost of potential visual "pop-in".
* `[Occlusion] ForceFullTest`: Setting this to `false` (if it's `true`) uses less demanding object culling, improving performance but potentially allowing more objects to pop into view unexpectedly.
* **DistanceBoost Warning:** Based on user feedback, the `[Streaming] DistanceBoost` setting has been removed/zeroed in all presets (as of v1.1). We **strongly advise against** manually adding it back with a non-zero value, as it is known to cause visual glitches like disappearing roads and asset pop-in issues in many game scenarios.

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## 7. PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

* **CPU Intensive:** Increasing `SpawnLimit` heavily impacts your **CPU**. Presets with high `SpawnLimit` values require a strong processor.
* **GPU/CPU Intensive (Visuals):** Enabling `DisableLOD` and `ForceFullTest` adds significant load to both the **GPU and CPU**. Only enable these if you prioritize visual consistency and have capable hardware.
* **Cyber Engine Tweaks (CET):** Highly recommended for all users, but *especially* for presets with `SpawnLimit` above 60 or with demanding visual tweaks enabled. CET helps stabilize the game engine under heavy load.
* **Test Your Setup:** Performance will vary greatly based on your specific hardware (CPU, GPU, RAM, drive speed) and other mods installed. Always test a new preset in a dense area (like Jig-Jig Street, Corpo Plaza, or a busy market) to gauge its impact on your system.

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## 8. KNOWN ISSUES & LIMITATIONS

* **`DistanceBoost` Glitches:** As mentioned, `DistanceBoost` was removed as it caused visual errors (disappearing geometry, pop-in). This mod does *not* increase general draw distance due to engine instability with that setting.
* **Minor Clipping:** Presets using very low NPC proximity/repulsion values (`DistanceToPlayerLimit`, `NPCMarbleRepulsionFactor`, `StaticMarbleRepulsionFactor`) may result in slightly more instances of NPCs clipping through each other or static objects in extremely dense situations. This is a trade-off for the packed crowd feel.
* **Hardcoded Behaviors:** This mod tweaks existing engine parameters. It cannot fix fundamental engine pathfinding bugs, prevent the notorious "scared NPC instant despawn" behavior (which seems hardcoded), or add entirely new scripted interactions (like NPCs buying food, complex conversations, etc.). For those features, look for script-based mods (using CET/Redscript).
* **Preset Balancing:** Achieving a perfect balance for all hardware is impossible. Some presets might still feel too demanding or not impactful enough on certain systems. Customization is encouraged!

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## 9. COMPATIBILITY

* **Game Version:** Built and tested primarily on Cyberpunk 2077 version [State Tested Version, e.g., 2.12]. Should work on nearby versions, but major patches might require updates.
* **Other INI Mods:** **Likely conflicts** with other mods that heavily modify crowd, traffic, AI, or physics settings via INI files (e.g., other density mods, traffic behavior overhauls). You will need to choose which mod's INI changes to use or attempt to manually merge relevant settings (advanced users only).
* **Script Mods:** Generally compatible with mods using CET/Redscript for *new* behaviors (like Limited HUD, Metro System, Vehicle Combat mods *if they are updated*), as long as they don't also bundle conflicting INI changes.
* **Texture/Quest/Item Mods:** Should be fully compatible with mods that change textures, add quests, items, etc., and don't touch these specific INI parameters.

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## 10. CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
* **Nexus User :Levitatin https://next.nexusmods.com/profile/Levitatin?gameId=3333 For providing crucial feedback regarding the `DistanceBoost` setting instability.
* **CD Projekt Red:** For creating the incredible world of Cyberpunk 2077.
* **The Modding Community:** For ongoing research and sharing of INI settings and engine knowledge.

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## 11. SUPPORT

* Please report any bugs, unexpected behavior, or provide feedback in the **POSTS** or **BUGS** section of the Night City Streets Nexus Mods page.
* Before reporting, please ensure you have **installed only ONE preset file** correctly and check the **Known Issues** section.
* Providing details about which preset you are using and your system specs can help diagnose issues.

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*Thanks for using Night City Streets! Enjoy the chaos, choom!*