What kind of MOD is it?
OCB Startup Optimizer appears to be a MOD that aims to shorten startup and load times by reworking the compression method of the game’s and MODs’ asset bundles (.unity3d files). It’s made by ocbMaurice.
By default, 7 Days to Die assets are compressed using “LZMA,” which has a high compression ratio. However, LZMA is slow to decompress (unpack), which tends to create a load during reading. This MOD re-compresses them into the “LZ4” format, which is extremely fast to decompress. According to the author, LZMA’s decompression speed is roughly 20MB/s, whereas LZ4 can reach nearly 5GB/s at its peak, and that difference translates into shorter load times.
The trade-off is that, compared to LZMA, LZ4 is said to increase file size by about 20–80%. In other words, it’s easiest to understand this as a trade-off MOD: “you use a bit more disk space in exchange for faster reading.”
Main Features
- The effect tends to be more noticeable with large overhauls: Good results have been reported with the likes of Undead Legacy and Darkness Falls. The more asset-heavy the MOD setup, the greater the benefit is likely to be.
- Reported to help with Dedicated Server startup times too: According to the author, although it was unexpected, it also helps shorten the startup of a Dedicated Server.
- A safe design that keeps the original files: Even after optimization, the original
.unity3dfiles are kept as*.org. Once you’ve confirmed there are no problems with operation, you can runoptimizer cleanupin the console (F1) to delete the unneeded*.orgfiles. - Little downside to installing it: Even in the worst case, the author explains that “nothing happens” at all. Note that in recent years some overhauls have begun to incorporate this optimization directly, so there’s a chance it may become unnecessary in the future.
Installation Tips
As with typical MODs, it seems you place it into the Mods folder, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
- It appears you need to disable EAC (Easy Anti-Cheat). It’s said not to work while EAC is still enabled.
- On the first launch, the game will temporarily become unresponsive. This is because it’s performing the optimization process, and it should finish after waiting a few minutes. Be careful not to mistake it for a freeze and force-quit.
- It’s reassuring to back up your saves and MOD folder before installing (the design keeps the original files, but just in case).
- It’s a good idea to check in advance whether you have enough free disk space.
Who Is It For?
- People who play large overhauls such as Undead Legacy or Darkness Falls and feel that startup and loading take too long
- People stacking a large number of MODs who are bothered by load times
- Operators running a Dedicated Server who want to speed up the launch a little each time they restart
- People who have a fair amount of disk space to spare and want to prioritize speed over capacity
Conversely, in setups where your SSD’s free space is right at the limit, or lightweight configurations where you have no complaints about loading in the first place, there may be little reason to go out of your way to install it. It seems best to first try it in your own environment and see how “the balance between the benefit and the size increase” works out.