PC setup guide
Last updated October 4, 2026
PC Troubleshooting: Separate a Cutscene Cap From a Broken Target
Start PC troubleshooting by identifying the symptom: a cutscene-only 30 FPS lock, a global frame cap, a launch failure, or stutter during a repeatable scene. Check the current store requirements and update state first, then change one graphics or display variable and repeat the same city, sea, fort, and transition test.
Route decision
Version → symptom → one change
Record Windows version, GPU, driver, display mode, frame target, current patch, and the exact scene before changing a preset or deleting a configuration file.
The original symptom is gone or isolated to one reproducible scene, with a rollback path and the chosen performance target recorded.
Changing every graphics setting at once can hide the bottleneck and make a later support report impossible to reproduce.
Player workbench
Version → symptom → one change
A short diagnostic record is more valuable than a copied preset. Use the same scene after every change.
- CompareRun a fixed city and sea route and record the gameplay target.
- CheckConfirm the current patch, display mode, and driver before changing settings.
- VerifyRepeat the same transition and keep the smallest successful change.
Decision table
Choose from the situation in front of you
| Situation | Decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Only pre-rendered scenes are 30 FPS | Compare with gameplay | A cutscene cadence is different from a global frame cap and needs a separate test. |
| Gameplay and menus are capped | Check display, driver, and limiter | The issue is global enough to inspect the PC frame path before lowering textures. |
| Stutter appears in one city route | Repeat the same route | A fixed path exposes loading, storage, overlay, or shader pressure better than an average FPS number. |
| The game will not launch | Preserve the error and version | A clean record is needed before reinstalling, changing files, or blaming hardware. |
PC reproduction card
Separate the symptom before changing settings
Keep one repeatable scene and one frame target as the control. This makes a cutscene cap, global limiter, launch failure, or scene hitch easier to tell apart.
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Baseline
Record the first failure
Write down the installed version, GPU and driver, display mode, resolution, frame target, exact scene, and visible symptom before editing settings.
Proof: The starting state can be reproduced or handed to support without guessing what changed.
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Compare
Keep cutscene and gameplay separate
Use the same transition plus a short city or sea segment; note whether the cap or hitch continues outside the scene that first exposed it.
Proof: The symptom is classified as scene-specific or broader than the cutscene.
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Change one
Make a reversible test
Choose one display, limiter, driver, or graphics variable that matches the symptom. Save its previous value and leave unrelated settings alone.
Proof: The test has one named change and a clear rollback value.
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Retest
Repeat the same route
Run the identical scene and transition at the original target, compare the result, and keep the change only if the symptom measurably improves.
Proof: The result is better, unchanged, or rolled back with the original evidence intact.
Stop ruleDo not delete configuration files, reinstall, or alter several settings at once until the error, installed version, first failing scene, and last stable settings are recorded.
How to use it
Use a four-scene PC test card
Test the same short city route, open-water sail, fort approach, and loading transition. Keep resolution and frame goal fixed, change one variable, and note frame-time or symptom change. This turns a vague “PC feels bad” report into a useful handoff.
Recovery path
If the workaround does not help
Restore the last stable setting and keep the error or scene record. Return to PC Specs for the target, Platforms for store or device boundaries, and the current patch notes for named fixes.
Open next
Keep the route moving
The original symptom is gone or isolated to one reproducible scene, with a rollback path and the chosen performance target recorded.
Common Questions
How do I tell a 30 FPS cutscene cap from a global cap?
Run the same gameplay route and compare the result with the cutscene. If gameplay is stable at the chosen target, treat the symptoms separately.
Should I lower every graphics setting first?
No. Record the target and change one variable. Broad changes remove the evidence needed to identify the bottleneck.
What should I keep for support or a later retry?
Keep the patch, store, GPU, driver, display mode, exact scene, error text, and last successful setting.