Difference between revisions of "Red Faction"

Revision as of 20:57, 11 December 2020

Red Faction
Red Faction	2001
Red Faction II	2003
Red Faction: Guerrilla	2009
Red Faction: Armageddon	2011
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered	2018

Warnings

The Mac OS X version of this game does not work on Mac OS X Lion (version 10.7) or later due to the removal of support for PowerPC apps.

Key points

All official releases (retail, Steam, and GoG) suffer from severe bugs and compatibility issues, especially on modern hardware and versions of Windows, in both single player and multiplayer.

The Dash Faction v 1.5.0 unofficial patch fixes most known bugs and virtually all known compatibility issues, plus adds new features and enhancements. This patch is the de facto standard within the game's community.

General information

Red Faction Community Discord - Active community Discord for the Red Faction games and universe

Red Faction Wiki - A wiki for the Red Faction series games and universe

Red Faction Wiki (Wikia) - A Wikia-hosted wiki for the Red Faction universe

Faction Files Community Forums & File Host

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series

GOG.com Support Page

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		OS X installer is also available alongside with an upgrade patch.^[3]
GamersGate

GOG.com		Includes some minor bug fixes compared to the latest retail patch version, but also introduces some additional issues. These fixes may allow the game to open on modern operating systems, however the vast majority of issues with the game on modern systems remain unresolved without applying the Dash Faction patch.
Green Man Gaming
Humble Store
Steam		Includes some minor bug fixes compared to the latest retail patch version, but also introduces some additional issues. These fixes may allow the game to open on modern operating systems, however the vast majority of issues with the game on modern systems remain unresolved without applying the Dash Faction patch.

Essential improvements

Skip intro videos

Delete/rename thqlogo.bik^{[citation needed]}
Go to `<path-to-game>\data\movies\` Delete or rename `thqlogo.bik`.

Dash Faction

Dash Faction is an unofficial open source patch for Red Faction. You can view the differences to Unpactched, Pure Faction, and Dash Faction here but Dash Faction runs on Windows 10.

Dash Faction Installation instructions^[4]

You can find an in-depth installation guide with screenshots on the Red Faction Wiki

Simple instructions:

Download Dash Faction.
Unpack Dash Faction files to any folder (there is no requirement to put it in Red Faction folder).
Run DashFactionLauncher.exe.
On first run select Options and check if everything is OK (especially make sure game executable path is valid).
Close settings and click "Launch Game" to start Dash Faction.

Notes

If your game version is 1.00 or 1.10, the Dash installer will automatically apply the latest retail patch (1.20).

If your edition is not NA or you are using the Steam/GoG version, the Dash installer will prompt you to automatically apply the required patches. Full explanation of how this works is available on the Red Faction Wiki Installation Guide.

Pure Faction

Pure Faction is an unofficial patch for Red Faction. It adds support for modern hardware and operating systems, bug fixes, and many other features.

Note that Pure Faction is now considered deprecated. The Pure Faction development team recommends using Dash Faction instead.

Installation instructions^[5]

Download Pure Faction.
Install to the installation folder.
Configure options via PFLauncher.exe, or launch the game directly via PF.exe
Once in-game press F1 to access additional options.

Notes

It may be necessary to set PF.exe to run in Windows 98 compatibility mode to workaround some persistent issues.

The default quick save key (F6) conflicts with one of Pure Faction's key mappings. Recommended to remap quick save to a different key like F7.

Pure Faction suffers from compatibility issues, especially with newer versions of Windows. Using Dash Faction as opposed to Pure Faction will generally result in a better experience.

Launching through Steam with overlay^[6]
If you want to use the overlay and track your game time, install Pure Faction. Go to the installation folder. Delete or rename `RedFaction.exe`, then rename `PFLauncher.exe` to `RedFaction.exe` Launch the game through Steam, configure any settings and start the game.

Game data

In-game general settings.

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Volition\Red Faction <path-to-game>\players.cfg^{[Note 1]}
Mac OS (Classic)	<path-to-game>/players.cfg
macOS (OS X)	<path-to-game>/players_osx.cfg
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/20530/pfx/^{[Note 2]}

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\savegame\^{[Note 1]}
Mac OS (Classic)	<path-to-game>/savegame/
macOS (OS X)	<path-to-game>/savegame/
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/20530/pfx/^{[Note 2]}

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud		Syncs save games and settings.

Video

Launcher video settings.

In-game video settings.

Graphics feature	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution		Max supported resolution on official versions is 1280x1024. Install Dash Faction for high/widescreen resolutions. Set in `DashFactionLauncher.exe`.
Multi-monitor		Install Dash Faction.
Ultra-widescreen		Install Dash Faction.
4K Ultra HD		Install Dash Faction. Set in `DashFactionLauncher.exe`. Since version 1.5.0 rc2 there is an option to enable big hud to compensate small UI and text at high resolutions.
Field of view (FOV)	Dash Faction changes the screen scaling to Hor+ but still doesn't allow to modify FOV manually.
Windowed	Install Dash Faction. Set in `DashFactionLauncher.exe`.
Borderless fullscreen windowed	Install Dash Faction. Set in `DashFactionLauncher.exe`.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)	Install Dash Faction. Set in `DashFactionLauncher.exe`.
Anti-aliasing (AA)	Install Dash Faction. Set in `DashFactionLauncher.exe` up to 8x MSAA.
Vertical sync (Vsync)	Set in `RedFaction.exe` or `DashFactionLauncher.exe`.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS	Official versions have unconfigurable fps cap of 120, but exceeding 60 fps introduces crippling bugs. See Issues fixed. Install Dash Faction to fix high fps issues and gain ability to configure fps cap up to 240 fps.
High dynamic range display (HDR)	See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Input

In-game control settings.

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity		Install Dash Faction to set via numeric values (in console via `ms #` command). Base game allows you to edit mouse sensitivity only via slider.
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support

Controller types

Audio

Launcher audio settings.

In-game audio settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Install Dash Faction to control level ambient sound volume separate from other sound effects. Set in `DashFactionLauncher.exe`.
Surround sound
Subtitles		Subtitles for PA announcements and character speech are not presented, despite existing in data files. Only direct radio is displayed. Subtitles show on high resolutions only with Dash Faction.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
German
Spanish				Fan translation, download.

Network

Launcher network settings.

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play		32
Online play		32

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting		See `dedicated_server.txt` in the installation folder or use Dedicated Server Config.
Direct IP		Use Add Server button in server browser. Install Dash Faction to allow usage of `rf://IP:PORT` protocol handler.

Ports

Protocol	Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP	7755
UDP	7755

This game supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for automatic port configuration.Dash Faction installation is required.

Issues fixed

At least 8 MB of video memory is required error

Install Dash Faction^[5]

Unable to initialize DirectX 8.0 error

Install Dash Faction^[5]

Notes

If it's not fixed, run the game in Windowed or Stretched display modes.

Stuttering/Glitching/Crashing

Caused by Red Faction's native incompatibility with modern versions of Windows.

Install Dash Faction^{[citation needed]}

Sub explodes when it hits water

A bug that occurs at high frame rates, which causes the submarine to explode upon contact with the sub bay water.

Install Dash Faction^[5]

Alternative solution.Use d3d8to9 Wrapper^{[citation needed]}
Download [1] d3d8to9. Copy D3D8.DLL to the game install directory. Enable Vsync in the Launcher Options Game and Set monitor on 60hz

Unresponsive, and always on top

A bug that occurs if you click on another window after launching Red Faction but before the game screen appears.

Pure Faction crashes instead of staying always on top.

End game task^{[citation needed]}
Press `⊞ Win`+`R`, type in `cmd` and press `↵ Enter`. Blind-type `taskkill /f /im RF.exe`

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	8
OpenGL	1.2.1	Mac OS and OS X only.

Executable	PPC	16-bit	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Mac OS (Classic)

Mods

Faction Files mod site.

AI Upscale Textures

AI-enhanced texture Pack that upscaled textured done by De-AngryBoi, by utilising the power of ESRGAN and the 4x_NMKD-Superscale-SP_170000_G.pth model. Compatible with DashFaction.

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	95	98SE, ME, 2000, XP
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium II 400 MHz AMD K6-2 400 MHz	Intel Pentium III 500 MHz AMD K6-2 500 MHz
System memory (RAM)	64 MB	128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	1.02 GB	1.2 GB
Video card (GPU)	8 MB of VRAM DirectX 8.0 compatible	32 MB of VRAM DirectX 8.0 compatible
Other	4x CD-ROM drive

Mac OS
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	8.6	9.2.2
Processor (CPU)	300 MHz PowerPC G3 300 MHz PowerPC G4	400 MHz PowerPC G3 400 MHz PowerPC G4
System memory (RAM)	64 MB	128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	1.02	1.2 GB
Video card (GPU)	ATI Rage Pro/128 ATI Radeon 7000 series Nvidia GeForce2 series 6 MB of VRAM OpenGL 1.2.1 compatible	ATI Rage Pro/128 ATI Radeon 7000 series Nvidia GeForce2 series 16 MB of VRAM OpenGL 1.2.1 compatible
Other	8x CD-ROM drive or DVD drive

Notes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1
Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
- Games with Steam Cloud support may also store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/20530/.
- Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
- The app ID (20530) may differ in some cases.
- Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
- See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

References

↑ Inside Mac Games - Red Faction Shipping Today
↑ Inside Mac Games - Red Faction 1.2 Released
↑ Inside Mac Games Forum - Rosetta & Games - last accessed on 2017-07-04
↑ Instructions provided by rafalh's Dash Faction README, edited by DudeShift of Dash Faction.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 Instructions provided by digital_ruler and goober of Faction Files.
↑ Steam Overlay for Red Faction (1) Guide - Steam Users' Forums (retrieved)

[gamedir-7] 1.0 ^1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

[Proton_path_note-8] 2.0 ^2.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
Games with Steam Cloud support may also store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/20530/.
Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
The app ID (20530) may differ in some cases.
Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

[3] File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.

[4] Games with Steam Cloud support may also store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/20530/.

[5] Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.

[6] The app ID (20530) may differ in some cases.

[7] Treat backslashes as forward slashes.

[8] See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.

[1] Inside Mac Games - Red Faction Shipping Today

[2] Inside Mac Games - Red Faction 1.2 Released

[3] Inside Mac Games Forum - Rosetta & Games - last accessed on 2017-07-04

[Dash_Faction-4] Instructions provided by rafalh's Dash Faction README, edited by DudeShift of Dash Faction.

[Faction_Files-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 Instructions provided by digital_ruler and goober of Faction Files.

[6] Steam Overlay for Red Faction (1) Guide - Steam Users' Forums (retrieved)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

@@ Line 156: / Line 156: @@
 |4k ultra hd wsgf award     = limited
 |widescreen resolution      = hackable
-|widescreen resolution notes= Max supported resolution is 1280x1024. Install [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]]. Set in <code>DashFactionLauncher.exe</code>.
+|widescreen resolution notes= Max supported resolution on official versions is 1280x1024. Install [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]] for high/widescreen resolutions. Set in <code>DashFactionLauncher.exe</code>.
 |multimonitor               = hackable
 |multimonitor notes         = Install [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]].
@@ Line 162: / Line 162: @@
 |ultrawidescreen notes      = Install [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]].
 |4k ultra hd                = hackable
-|4k ultra hd notes          = Install [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]]. Set in <code>DashFactionLauncher.exe</code>. Since version 1.5.0 rc2 there is an option to enable big hud to compensate small UI and text in 4K.
+|4k ultra hd notes          = Install [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]]. Set in <code>DashFactionLauncher.exe</code>. Since version 1.5.0 rc2 there is an option to enable big hud to compensate small UI and text at high resolutions.
 |fov                        = false
 |fov notes                  = [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]] changes the screen scaling to {{term|Hor+}} but still doesn't allow to modify FOV manually.
@@ Line 178: / Line 178: @@
 |60 fps notes               =
 |120 fps                    = true
-|120 fps notes              = Exceeding 60 fps introduces important bugs. See [[#Sub explodes when it hits water|Issues fixed]]. Install [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]] to fix high fps issues and ability to raise frame rate cap up to 240 fps.
+|120 fps notes              = Official versions have unconfigurable fps cap of 120, but exceeding 60 fps introduces crippling bugs. See [[#Sub explodes when it hits water|Issues fixed]]. Install [[#Dash Faction|Dash Faction]] to fix high fps issues and gain ability to configure fps cap up to 240 fps.
 |hdr                        = unknown
 |hdr notes                  =

Developers

	Volition
Publishers
Original	THQ
Current	Nordic Games
Mac OS, OS X	Graphsim Entertainment
Engines
	Geo-Mod 1.0
Release dates
Windows	September 17, 2001
Mac OS (Classic)	November 28, 2001^[1]
macOS (OS X)	January 4, 2002^[2]
Reception
Metacritic	78
IGDB	70
Taxonomy
Microtransactions	None
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Perspectives	First-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Action, Shooter
Themes	Sci-fi
Series	Red Faction