Config basics

Here's a tutorial on how to build a rtcw configuration from scratch. Some steps might by obvious to some, but not for all. So read on.

Our configs are stored in the folder main. When you first play with a freshly installed rtcw, it will make a file called wolfconfig_mp.cfg. See the content of this file. If you don't understand what it all means, don't be afraid, almost no one does. ;)
The settings in that file are overwritten by what ever change you make to it. If you delete the file, a new fresh config will automatically be made. Therefore it's not a good idea to edit that file and to make changes to it. Instead we will make a separate config with only things in it you need.

Since I have separate configs for single player and multi player or you could have configs for war, public, trickjump or whatever, it's a good idea to separate these from the start. So what we do is to edit the autoexec.cfg (the other default file). The settings in autoexec.cfg are automatically loaded each time we play single or multiplayer.

Change the autoexec.cfg to this:

set devdll 1
exec mpconfig.cfg
// exec spconfig.cfg

The 1st line is suposed to be there, don't remove it! The second line will automatically start our config.
The third line doesn't do anything. The two forward slashes make it a comment, so you can use multiple configs.

Next step, is to create the mpconfig.cfg. This is the file we are going to edit for some time.

Before we start, let's first take a look at the built in settings we can change in the menu. We all know settings like "High Quality", "Normal", "Fast" and "Fastest". See this comparison table to see what they do. This gives you a rough idea of how to to gain performance and to decrease graphics quality.

But first of all, we have to set our screen resolution with r_mode. This setting depends on your system.
Put one of these in your config without the brackets.

seta r_mode "0" // (320*240)
seta r_mode "1" // (400*300)
seta r_mode "2" // (512*384)
seta r_mode "3" // (640*480)
seta r_mode "4" // (800*600)
seta r_mode "5" // (960*720)
seta r_mode "6" // (1024*768)
seta r_mode "7" // (1152*864)
seta r_mode "8" // (1280*1024)
seta r_mode "9" // (1600x1200)

If none of the above resembles your system, you can set these to custom:

seta r_mode "-1"
seta r_customheight "1680"
seta r_customwidth "1050"

Now you have a sharp picture, we might try to improve the graphics some what more. Because the default graphics are not so nice.
Here are some examples:

, , ,
1. The default graphics. As you might have noticed the venue is set in the middle of the night. This was intended to make things difficult.

, , ,
2. If we turn the slider in the menu to the right, it gets better. This changes r_gamma from 1.3 to 2.0. Still a bit too dark though.

, , ,
3. This one I regulary use for public servers (fun). It's a nice match between good graphics and being able to spot the enemy.

, , ,
4. On 1.4 some settings for competition are limited. So most players use these settings. Highly recommended!

, , ,
5. On 1.0 how ever, settings aren't limited. So you can crank things up. These setting are concidered not over-tweaked. Be careful on 1.4 with these settings.

, , ,
6. And if you want, you can crank things up all the way. Mostly this is used with other settings as well. Yes, it's ugly like hell!
Never use this on 1.4, you will get kicked off the server for this.

Config 1 seta r_gamma "1.3" seta r_intensity "1" seta r_vertexLight "0" seta r_mapoverbrightbits "2" seta cg_coronas "1" set r_uifullscreen "0"

Config 2 seta r_gamma "2.0" seta r_intensity "1" seta r_vertexLight "0" seta r_mapoverbrightbits "2" seta cg_coronas "1" set r_uifullscreen "0"

Config 3 seta r_gamma "3.0" seta r_intensity "1.0" seta r_vertexLight "0" seta r_mapoverbrightbits "3" seta cg_coronas "1" set r_uifullscreen "1"

Config 4 seta r_gamma "3.0" seta r_intensity "2.0" seta r_vertexLight "1" seta r_mapoverbrightbits "2" seta cg_coronas "0" set r_uifullscreen "1"

Config 5 seta r_gamma "3.0" seta r_intensity "2.0" seta r_vertexLight "1" seta r_mapoverbrightbits "3" seta cg_coronas "0" set r_uifullscreen "1"

Config 6 seta r_gamma "2" seta r_intensity "5" seta r_vertexLight "1" seta r_mapoverbrightbits "4" seta cg_coronas "0" set r_uifullscreen "1"

Choose on of these carefuly, or make something of your own. To explain these settings: r_gamma brightens your screen, r_intensity sets screen intensity, r_vertexlight flattens overall lighting, r_mapoverbrightbits is a factor to lighten all things, cg_coronas turns on spotlights and r_uifullscreen turns off fog (once every map change).

Even more important than graphics are mouse settings. First we have to choose the size and the type of your aim.
The default cg_crosshairsize is 48 which is a bit big, I suggest something smaller like small in the menu (32).
Then there are different types as well called cg_drawCrosshair. Most use the dot, 5.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Then set your sensitivity! This is the most important setting of all. Put lots of time in to this to get it right. Some use this with a little bit of cl_mouseAccel. It all depends on your system and your self. To get the most out of these settings, don't change them to often and get used to them to get good.

seta sensitivity "2.50"
seta cg_drawCrosshair "5"
seta cg_crosshairsize "32"

To improve some performance you need to adjust some system settings. The default settings are made for very old computers that have all disintegrated by now. Here are some widly used settings by modern standards:

// SYSTEM
seta com_hunkMegs "256"
seta com_zoneMegs "32"
seta com_soundMegs "32"
seta rate "25000"
seta com_maxfps "125"
seta cl_maxpackets "100"

These settings give you more memory, improve your network connection and give you a higher display rate. For slow systems or with bad connections, some settings might be lowered.

Next we need to improve movement. These settings stops your aim from going up and down.

// MOVEMENT
seta cg_bobpitch "0"
seta cg_bobroll "0"
seta cg_bobup "0"
seta cg_runroll "0"
seta cg_runpitch "0"

Not realy important, but maybe for some, your name.

seta name "^1MyName"

Selecting soldier classes through the menu can be kind of boring. So we need some quick keys to select them. This we do with some binds.
In a bind we attach a command or a set of commands to a key.
Sometimes we need to do more than that and we can create scripts. We can execute scripts with the vstr command.

// CLASSES KEYS
bind F5 "vstr med"
bind F6 "vstr lt"
bind F7 "vstr eng"
bind F8 "vstr pf"
bind F9 "vstr sniper"
bind F10 "vstr class"

// CLASSES
set med	   "mp_playertype 1;echo ^1[^7Class ^2Medic^1]"
set lt     "mp_playertype 3;echo ^1[^7Class ^5Lieutenant^1]"
set eng	   "mp_playertype 2;echo ^1[^7Class ^1Engineer^1]"
set pf     "mp_playertype 0;mp_Weapon 8;echo ^1[^7Class ^3Soldier ^1Panzerfaust^1]"
set sniper "mp_playertype 0;mp_Weapon 6;echo ^1[^7Class ^3Soldier ^2Sniper^1]"
set venom  "mp_playertype 9;mp_Weapon 6;echo ^1[^7Class ^3Soldier ^7Venom^1]"
set flamer "mp_playertype 10;mp_Weapon 6;echo ^1[^7Class ^3Soldier ^7Flamer^1]"

// CLASSES TOGGLE
set class "vstr class"
set class_1 "vstr flamer;set class vstr class_2"
set class_2 "vstr venom ;set class vstr class_1"

Ok, this needs some explaining. In this example I have binded scripts to the keys. This gives you a nice clear overview of what your keys do.
We could have set the commands directly to the keys, but since we have multiple commands it would have jumbled things up.

Where we define our classes I select the class with mp_playertype. After that I echo the result to the screen, so you can see what key you have pressed.
In the last bit I've made a toggle. A toggle is a script, that changes each time you invoke it. So for example you can loop through different settings pressing only one key. In this case you loop through the flamer and venom soldier class with one script.

Changing class quickly or if you want to have full health and spawn again, simply kill your self.

bind BACKSPACE "kill"

On some maps like village and assault you can remove fog to see clearer. We can use this bind:

// FOG
bind u "r_uifullscreen 1;echo ^1[^7Remove Fog ^2ON^1]"
bind i "r_uifullscreen 0;echo ^1[^7Remove Fog ^1OFF^1]"

On some other maps like tram and axis_complex fog can't be removed this way, and you need to turn fog on again if you have turned it off.

Well, you're almost a pro now. ^^ To be a pro you must know how to use demo's.
We can create a demo using this bind:

// DEMO
set demo "vstr demo_on"
set demo_on  "g_syncronousclients 1; record;g_syncronousclients 0;echo ^1[^7Demo ^2ON^1]; play sound/misc/menu2.wav; set demo vstr demo_off"
set demo_off "stoprecord; echo ^1[^7Demo ^1OFF^1]; play sound/misc/menu2.wav; set demo vstr demo_on"
bind F12 "vstr demo"

Again, this is a toggle. Just press the key again and the demo wil stop recording. Also notice the use of sound in this bind.

Ok, this is all you need to start playing at a higher level. Just to make things easy for you I've already made a basic_config for you. I've put in all the standard binds in as well to make things clear and so you can see what binds you have.