Frequently Asked Questions
Day of Defeat
Question
Answer
What is Day of Defeat ?
Day of Defeat (a.k.a. DoD) is a World War2 themed, Half-Life mod.
DoD is an online, team based, first person shooter.
Each team has several "player classes," that give each squad member a unique role. These include scout, infantry, sergeant, machine gunner, and more, each with a unique arsenal of historical weaponry at their disposal.
Day of Defeat includes 14 stock missions based on key historical battles. Additional missions, created by the online development community, are available for download.
** What do I need to install it?
If you have no Valve games installed, you will need a Valve game and a valid CD Key. Install the game. The original Half-Life would be the most economical.
If your HL version is earlier than 1.1.1.0, you will need to download and install the 1.1.1.0 patch
All you need to install Steam is a 600kb file .
The Mirrors for the Steam installer are listed here. Just follow the prompts.
A full explanation of the Steam install and game conversions can be found here .
So now where do I find a good server?
SunLit BoneYard (DOD 1.3)
IP: 69.28.221.147:27035
Public Slots: 24
FF: ON
Maps : Custom.
Auto Download: On
Class Limits: Yes
What is FF ?
FF means "friendly fire". This means that your fire can harm or kill your temamates. Its customary to apologize for team killing (tk) or team wounding (tw). 5 unforgiven tks will result your being automatically banned for 30 minutes.
What is FTB ?
FTB means "fade to black". The screen will become black while you are waiting to respawn. This prevents you from determining where your assailant was positioned.
What are custom maps ?
DOD installs with 17 stock or standard maps. Custom maps are made by fans of the game and offer more variety.
SunLit's has 210 custom maps in its DOD library.
Having the maps already on your hard drive lets you dive right into the game.
iIf you don't have them, they will fast auto-download for you in game.
Why are class limits set?
Classs limits are set to prevent teams from being stacked with only one or two weapon classes. This promotes team work.
How do I communicate to others in game?
The "y" key is the default for global chat.
Just hit "y", type in your message and then press Enter.
The "u" key is the default (TEAM) chat key.
Only your team members will be able to read this message.
Voice communication is possible.
You will need a microphone and speakers, microphone and headphones or a headset.
Plug in the microphone (headset) into the sound card or input jack.
Fire up the game. In Options menu, under Keyboard tab, assign a key to Voice communincations.
Under Voice tab, put a check mark in enable voice and slide transmit and receive bars over to the right.
Troubleshooting information is available.
What is a Console? It's not in my DOD Options Menu.
The console is the place to enter commands and settings directly into the game without using the Half-Life Option Menu.
You access the console in game with the tilde " ~ " key, and enter your commands there
The console allows you to fine tune game settings, enable tweaks, fixes and work-arounds.
This means you have the control to minimize ping, maximize frames per second, and configure your keyboard settings to be convenient for your individual requirements. These must be entered via the console or configuration files because menu options are not available to set them otherwise. Once you decide that a command is of benefit to you, you can add it permanently to a configuration file.
Frequently used commands are:
* Name Change
name "your name"
If there is a space in the name, surrround it by quotations or add an underscore
* Monitor FPS and Ping
netgraph_3
Shows a numerical value for frames per second(fps) and ping.
More complex commands require more typing. Doing this in-game inevitably results in being splattered on the nearest surface. Any command you enter from the console is temporary, lasting only for that session. Adding complex commmands and saving them for future games is easy using a configuration file.
Configuration File: what is it and how to use it ?
When you assign keys in the Options menu, Half-Life saves your preferences in the config.cfg file.
A custom configuration file is simply a permanent *.txt file, created with a text editing application (Notepad, Wordpad), containing a "list" of your favourite commands.They can be as simple as binding a key to an single action or command(s), changing the value of game variables (cvars) , executing scripts or making aliases.
* Change Variables:
//To brighten up the darker maps, reduce these cvars to 2.0 or 1.5
texgamma "2.0"
lightgamma "2.0"
Keys that can be bound are:
alt, ctrl, del, downarrow, end, f1-f12 (function keys),
home, ins, escape, enter, leftarrow, pause, pgup, pgdn,
return, rightarrow, shift, space, tab, uparrow, CapsLock
kp_minus, *, kp_slash, kp_plus, kp_enter, kp_del,
kp_ins, kp_5, kp_leftarrow, kp_rightarrow, kp_uparrow,
kp_downarrow, kp_home, kp_pgup, kp_pgdn, kp_end
* A Bind:
Binds assign an action to a specific key in the format: bind [key] [command]
So in order to turn Netgraph on and off with a keystroke add:
bind "key" "net_graph 3"
bind "key" "net_graph 0"
*fast weapon switch
hud_fastswitch 1
bind "key" "slot1"
*chat binds
bind "key" "say_team Sorry for the tk"
*stop the sounds
bind "key" "stopsound"
Userconfig.cfg : your custom configuration file
If you open the default config.cfg file with Notepad, you will see that the last line is exec userconfig.cfg
Your custom binds or cvars should be added to the userconfig.cfg file in the root valve directory. The game will automatically look for any commands in this file and execute them every time you start a game.
To make your userconfig.cfg file, make a New file with Notepad or Wordpad.
Save as userconfig.cfg. Type in your commands, binds, etc. Now right click on it.
Once you have started up a game and the config.cfg file has received your custom commands, exit the game.
You can make you cfg files read only to prevent server side or Steam changes to your cfg. It doesn't hurt to have a back up copy of both files.
The default DOD xhair is way too big and gets in the way of the target.
DOD provides the option to use a custom xhair.
In Options --> Multiplayer --> Advanced , uncheck the "Use dynamic xhair" box.
In your console type cl_xhair_style 1
You will now see an intensely red, smaller, static crosshair.
There are various sets of custom xhairs available on line.
The CAL custom xhairs are probably the most commonly used.
To use them
- in the config.cfg find cl_dynamic_xhair "1" and change it to "0"
- Add the customxhair_CAL.spr to the dod/sprite directory
- Rename it customxhair.spr
You access the different styles by the console command
cl_xhair_style "1" all the way up to 16
cl_xhair_style "0" returns you to the default red cross.
To toggle through all the available crosshairs
Make sure the last line of config.cfg is exec userconfig.cfg
Then in userconfig.cfg bind "k" "xtog"
and add the following lines:
alias xtog "xtog1"
alias xtog0 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 0; alias xtog xtog1"
alias xtog1 "vid_d3d 0; cl_xhair_style 1; alias xtog xtog2"
alias xtog2 "vid_d3d 0; cl_xhair_style 2; alias xtog xtog3"
alias xtog3 "vid_d3d 0; cl_xhair_style 3; alias xtog xtog4"
alias xtog4 "vid_d3d 0; cl_xhair_style 4; alias xtog xtog5"
alias xtog5 "vid_d3d 0; cl_xhair_style 5; alias xtog xtog6"
alias xtog6 "vid_d3d 0; cl_xhair_style 6; alias xtog xtog7"
alias xtog7 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 7; alias xtog xtog8"
alias xtog8 "vid_d3d 0; cl_xhair_style 8; alias xtog xtog9"
alias xtog9 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 9; alias xtog xtog10"
alias xtog10 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 10; alias xtog xtog11"
alias xtog11 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 11; alias xtog xtog12"
alias xtog12 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 12; alias xtog xtog13"
alias xtog13 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 13; alias xtog xtog14"
alias xtog14 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 14; alias xtog xtog15"
alias xtog15 "vid_d3d 1; cl_xhair_style 15; alias xtog xtog16"
alias xtog16 "vid_d3d 0; cl_xhair_style 16; alias xtog xtog0"
I can't see the chat messages
This is due to you using a Steam skin other than the default.
Open Steam--> Settings --> Skins ---> Default skin
Close then log onto a game.
The text is there but it is tiny.
Type in the cosole, "cl_hudfont" "2" or "3".
You can add this as a permanent command in your userconfig.cfg file
Open it with Notepad, add "cl_hudfont" "2" or "3"
The text is huge and covers up much of the screen.
The text for chat, admin messages and scoreboard are controlled by values in the TrackerScheme.res and ClientScheme.res files.
You can download on alternative for the fonts here
Unzip them to the dod/resource directory.
If you dont like them, you can try editing them with Notepad or simply delete them and return to the default values.
My frame rates drop drastically on some maps. What can I do prevent this?
Some of the stock and custom maps have textures and high polly mapping that look great but decimate the frame rates.
Weather effects, bullet impact puffs and visual treats make DOD a very cpu intensive game.
Sgt.Silencer and chugbug ran some tests and found the following:
Silencer & Chugbug`s official requirements
"We suggest nothing smaller than this just to play:
A p4 1.5 GhZ
533 fsb
512 ram
ti 4400 (or equevalnt)
We recommend (for 100 fps)
P4 2.5 GhZ or higher (with hyperthreading)
800 fsb
1 gig ddr ram
g-force 5900 ultra (or 9800 PRO)
Our test concluded that CPU and Bus are the #1 fps culprits (provididng you have a top end video card)"
Well, you cant change the map polycounts but while you are saving up for those sweet components, you can try adding the following to your userconfig.cfg file:
fps_max "100" //sets your fps mx to 100 fps. Default is 72
mp_decals "100" // low value for the mp_decals
r_decals "200" // low value the max number of visible decals
_cl_minimap "0" // turns off minimap , still accessible with "m" key
cl_identiconmode "1" // shows icon over team mates only when crosshairs move over them
cl_weatherdis "0" // decreases the depth of weather effects
cl_particlefx "0" // turns off weather and bullet impact effects , "1" turns off just the weather
cl_dmshowmarkers "0" // shuts off map marker system
cl_bulletejects "0" // turns off bullet ejects
cl_corpsestay "0" // corpse's disappear
My ping and lag are bad . Help me before I end it all.
ISP provider, server location can definitely effect this and are out of your control.
What you can tweak is discussed in the post submitted by BigEye.
Rules of Conduct on SunLit DOD Servers
Good sportsmanship and fair play. Sounds simple but here is a breakdown.
Friendly Fire is always ON
*Do not fire while in the spawn.
Its distracting and can result in accidental team killing and team wounding .
*Do not intentionally team wound or team kill anywhere on the map.
In the name of courtesy or at least self preservation, please apologize if you accidentally tk someone.
Deliberate tks result in a ban.
*Do not fire or nade INTO the enemy spawn areas.
SunLits encourages team work, good sportsmanship and FUN.
Strategic spawn camping makes sense as your team goes for the last flag but
spawn killing is about as exciting as dry toast and just frustrating for the recipients.
*Cheating
Scripts, wallhacks, aimbots, interps, rate hacks, insta-snipe etc are lame and if Valve Anti Cheat (VAC) software doesn't catch a player, the admin will.
Spectator exploits
Respawn times aren't that long ;), have a little patience.
* Map bugs or exploits
A position is NOT a map exploit as long as:
- the player can be seen
- is not behind an invisible "bullet proof" wall and can still be killed
- didn't walk "through" a fence or wall
- did not "slide up" an incline
- did not walk in sky, tree lines, or along invisible ledges etc to reach the position
- is "in" the map on the path to the final position and at the final position
(If a player is "outside" the map. they will notice that the map textures disappear or start flashing,
an indication that the map designer didn't intend for the player to be there. )
- is not on the outside wall/perimeter of the map
*Offensive, Obscene or Hateful behaviour
Obscenities, pornography, racism and intimidation are not allowed and grounds for a permanent ban from all our servers.
This includes spray logos, links to pornographic sites, voice communications or global chat.
Names, from any historical period, that are overtly racist or glorify the extermination of ethnic or religious groups may result in a permanent ban without prior warning.
*Spamming
Cluttering chat voice with repetitive or too many messages will kick in the spam / overflow plugin and result in a kick. Voice spam such as singing will result in the same.