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Call of Duty

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Call of Duty
Call of Duty cover
Developers
Infinity Ward
United Offensive Gray Matter Interactive
United Offensive Pi Studios
macOS (OS X) Aspyr Media
Publishers
Activision
Brazil Electronic Arts
OS X Aspyr Media
Engines
id Tech 3
Release dates
Windows October 29, 2003
macOS (OS X) May 14, 2004
Reception
Metacritic 91
IGDB 87
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Expansion pack
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives First-person
Controls Direct control
Genres Action, Shooter, FPS
Vehicles Tank
Art styles Realistic
Themes Europe, Historical, World War II
Series Call of Duty
Call of Duty on HowLongToBeat
Call of Duty on IGDB
Call of Duty guide on StrategyWiki
Call of Duty on MobyGames
Call of Duty on Wikipedia
Call of Duty 2003
Call of Duty 2 2005
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (series)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (series)
Call of Duty: Ghosts 2013
Call of Duty: Online 2013
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare 2014
Call of Duty: Heroes 2014
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare 2016
Call of Duty: WWII 2017
Call of Duty: Warzone 2020
Call of Duty: Vanguard 2021
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 2022

Warnings

The macOS (OS X) version of this game does not work on macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later due to the removal of support for 32-bit-only apps.

Call of Duty is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person action, shooter and FPS game in the Call of Duty series.

General information

Official Call of Duty series site
CallofDutyMaps - A detailed Website for all included multiplayer maps.
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
CD key
Campaign EXE uses SafeDisc DRM[Note 1]. Key Required for install and Multiplayer Servers but the Multiplayer EXE has no DRM. Released on 2 CDs.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Humble Store (unavailable)
Icon overlay.png
Windows
SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).

Demos

Call of Duty

Windows
The Dawnville demo continues from the Single Player demo
OS X
Not compatible with Intel Macs.

Call of Duty: United Offensive

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
United Offensive The Steam version is not available for sale in Germany. Includes and requires Patch 1.4.
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Essential improvements

Patches

PunkBuster

To play on protected servers, multiplayer requires a PunkBuster update which is no longer hosted on EvenBalance's website. Obtainable here.

Skip intro videos

Edit config file[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open config.cfg (uoconfig.cfg for United Offensive).
  3. Change seta com_introplayed "0" to seta com_introplayed "1".
  4. Save the file.

Enable multicore support

Edit config file[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Open config.cfg (uoconfig.cfg for United Offensive).
  3. Change seta r_smp "0" to seta r_smp "1".
  4. Save the file.

Notes

May not be relevant for digital re-release versions (it's already enabled).

German Language Fix

Takes the Nazi dialogue from the German release of the game and patches it over the other localizations' German dialogue. This fixes both some broken phrases and syncing/cutoffs of the dialogue.
When using a language different than English, rename the files localized_english_pakuo03 to the one corresponding your language.

Play German Version in English

adds the English language files to the German version which does not offer any other language.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\Main\[Note 2]
<path-to-game>\uo\[Note 2]
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Library/Application Support/Call of Duty/Main/
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2620/pfx/[Note 3]
config.cfg is for singleplayer, config_mp.cfg is for multiplayer.
uoconfig.cfg and uoconfig_mp.cfg are the respective files for the expansion.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\Main\save\[Note 2]
<path-to-game>\uo\save\[Note 2]
macOS (OS X) $HOME/Library/Application Support/Call of Duty/Main/Save/
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2620/pfx/[Note 3]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Steam Cloud

Video

In-game general graphics settings.
In-game general graphics settings.
In-game advanced graphics settings.
In-game advanced graphics settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
See Widescreen resolution.
Multi-monitor
See Widescreen resolution.
Ultra-widescreen
See Widescreen resolution.
4K Ultra HD
Mouse cursor sometimes moves by itself. See Widescreen resolution.
Field of view (FOV)
See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
High-fidelity upscaling
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
Labelled "Sync Every Frame".
60 FPS
Excessively high framerates (well above 144 FPS) can cause your player character's footsteps to be inaudible. To set a cap, see Frame rate (FPS).
120+ FPS
Multiplayer is capped at 91 FPS by default. Overall the game has a hard 1000 FPS cap.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
Ray tracing (RT)

Widescreen resolution

The game does not automatically adjust the aspect ratio to match widescreen resolutions.
Use United Fronts
Set resolution and aspect ratio[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Edit config.cfg, config_mp.cfg, uoconfig.cfg, or uoconfig_mp.cfg.
  3. Set seta r_mode "0" to seta r_mode "-1" to enable custom resolution.
  4. Set seta r_customheight and seta r_customwidth to the resolution you want.
  5. Set seta r_customaspect to the aspect ratio (e.g. 1.6 for 16:10 1.7 for 16:9). Divide the resolution's width by height to calculate aspect ratio decimal.
  6. Save your changes and close the file.
  7. Make the file read only, if needed.

Notes

If your monitor turns darker in fullscreen and the game doesn't respond to brightness settings, you can fix it with setting r_overBrightBits from 1 to 0
If the monitor turns very bright when attempting to Alt+Tab out of the game, fix it with setting r_ignorehwgamma from 0 to 1
If the intro and ending videos have audio but no video after this fix, view these files externally by extracting them from localized_english_pak0.pk3.
Windows scaling of applications can cause the resolution to not be applied correctly. Go to the properties of the executable and under compatibility change the high DPI override setting to be performed by application.
HUD is stretched.
Lower vertical FOV at wider aspect ratios (Vert-). Increase FOV to compensate, see Field of view (FOV).

Field of view (FOV)

FOV adjustment is necessary at wider aspect ratios than 4:3.
Use CoDUO FoV Changer for multiplayer.
Use United Fronts
Change FOV in SP[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file(s) location.
  2. Edit config.cfg or uoconfig.cfg.
  3. Change seta cg_fov "XX" to the FOV you want.
  4. Save your changes and close the file.
To maintain identical vertical FOV to the 4:3 FOV at 16:9 resolutions, use 106. At 21:9 resolutions, use 121.

Frame rate (FPS)

In order for any of the fixes to work, Vsync needs to be turned off from the game's settings if your screen's refresh rate is less than the required FPS, which is the case most of the time. The setting for Vsync is listed as "Sync Every Frame" under the Performance tab in the game Options and needs to be set to "No".
Use launch parameter[citation needed]

Use the command line argument +set com_maxfps X or console command /com_maxfps X, where X is your desired frame rate cap.

Edit your config

Look for seta com_maxfps X in config.cfg or uoconfig.cfg and set X (0 by default, which is uncapped) to your preferred value.

Remove 91 FPS cap in multiplayer

Look for seta com_maxfps 85 in your config_mp.cfg or uoconfig_mp.cfg file and set 85 to 0.

Notes

When framerate reaches over 900 you may experience connection issues with a "Connection Interrupted" notification.

Input

In-game key map settings.
In-game key map settings.

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Software, such as the Logitech Gaming Software, is required to map controls to a mouse's side-buttons or any other additional buttons. For Steam, the executables TestApp2620s.exe and TestApp2620m.exe are needed, in addition to CoDSP.exe and CoDMP.exe to make a workable profile. For United Offensive, look for CoDUOSP.exe and CODUOMP.exe.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Controller types

Audio

In-game audio settings.
In-game audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Up to 7.1[3] Needs EAX for Surround sound, use Creative ALChemy or ALChemy Universal if you don't have a creative product
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support
A3D 1.0, A3D 2.0. EAX 1, EAX 2, EAX 3[4]
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Simplified Chinese
United Offensive expansion is not available in China Mainland (People's Republic of China) retail release.
Traditional Chinese
United Offensive expansion is only available in Taiwan retail release.
Croatian
Fan translation, old translation new translation.
Czech
Fan translation, Download.
French
German
Swastikas and other details get censored when selecting German on Steam. An Uncut Patch is available on the CompiWare forum.
Hungarian
Fan translation by IBS Hungary for the base game here and for United Offensive here.
Italian
Japanese
Retail only.
Korean
Retail only.
Polish
Retail only.
Portuguese
Retail only. A fan translation is available here.
Russian
Retail only. Patch for digital release here.
Slovak
Fan translation, download.
Spanish
Retail only. Patch for digital release here.
Thai
Retail only.

Network

In-game multiplayer settings.
In-game multiplayer settings.

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
64
Online play
64

Connection types

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 28960
UDP 20500, 20510, 28960
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

Version 1.1

The very first, as installed from the retail disc, unpatched version is also still played online: see server list (usually 1.1 servers don't require a valid CD-key to play)

VR support

3D modes State Notes
vorpX
G3D
User created game profile, see vorpx forum profile introduction.

Issues fixed

Buffer Overrun error on start-up

Game may display a black screen and error message on some cards. Seems to primarily affect those with Intel HD cards, and occurs more commonly with the United Offensive expansion.
Rename executable[citation needed]
  • Rename the executable mohaa.exe and launch the game.
Use Nvidia card[citation needed]
Users with Nvidia Optimus can set the CoD .exes to use their dedicated Nvidia GPU instead of the integrated card- fixing the crash.
  1. Open Nvidia Control Panel.
  2. Go to Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings.
  3. Add the CoD executables and set the preferred graphics processor for each to 'High-performance NVIDIA processor'.

Level geometry visible behind fog

Edit the CFG

Open config.cfg and replace the value seta r_fastsky "0" with seta r_fastsky "1".

Notes

The problem is caused by the detailed skybox being visible behind the fog. Therefore, this fix replaces the detailed skybox with a basic grey skybox, which might look strange especially during nighttime missions. However, the solution works well for "Festung Recogne".

Mouse lag while aiming down sights

Edit the configuration file[5]

Open the configuration file and change the seta cg_nopredict "1" to seta cg_nopredict "0", or type in the command in the console cg_nopredict "1".

Mouse stuttering/skipping

Download RInput
  1. Create a shortcut to RInput.exe.
  2. Right-click the newly created shortcut, go to Properties, then add a space followed by "CoDSP.exe" without the quotation marks in the Target box (e.g. "...\RInput 1.44\RInput.exe" CoDSP.exe).
  3. Run Rinput through the shortcut before or during the game.
  4. Note that the executable name is case sensitive

Stuttering while shooting

Edit the configuration file

Open the configuration file and change the seta r_maxEntLights "8" to seta r_maxEntLights "0"

Frequent crashes at particular points in the campaign

Lower World Dynamic Light Quality[6]

In the in-game options, under 'Performance' set 'World Dynamic Light Quality' to "Fastest".

Quick-saving crashes United Offensive Expansion Pack

Game displays error message "recursive error after: Hunk_AllocateTempMemory: failed on 1048592, needs 836624"
Edit the configuration file[7]

Open uoconfig.cfg and replace value seta com_hunkmegs "128" with seta com_hunkmegs "256".

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
OpenGL 1.3, 2.0
ExecutablePPC 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Received a universal binary with patch 1.5d in 2009. Still 32-bit only.[8]

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio Miles Sound System 6.5e
Cutscenes Bink Video 1.6.4.0
Anti-cheat PunkBuster

Mods

Extreme Mod 2/Lite 2013

A mod which adds new sounds, textures and more.
The original site no longer works. Here are the direct download links: Extreme Mod 2, Lite 2013

HD Texture Enhancement

Upscales all the Textures in the game up to 4x using ESRGAN
Makes the environment a little more clarified on a big screen
Only supports the base game
Slightly washes texture details
Crashes the game on Pathfinder, put zcod7.pk3 that contains a fixed set of textures for the level. Conflicts with skyboxes that come in a separate archive.
Noticeably increases video memory requirement, you'll need a 2 GB card to play at 1080p resolution
Any degree of Anti-aliasing Transparency in NVIDIA Control Panel will cause a bizarre parallax effect of multiple blended copies of a texture notably at an angle, which is especially noticeable with this mod. Best to completely disable it for the game for the best result.

Ultra Effects and Sounds

A mod that adds blood while also adding other effects in the game

United Fronts

Mod for United Offensive. Adds new models, textures, weapons, and sounds, new missions, and CoD 1's campaign.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 98/ME
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium III 600 MHz
System memory (RAM) 128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 1.5 GB
Video card (GPU) 32 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9.0b compatible
macOS (OS X)
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 10.2.8
Processor (CPU) PowerPC G4/G5 867 MHz
System memory (RAM) 256 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 1.4 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon 7500
Nvidia GeForce 2
32 MB of VRAM
Not supported: 2006-2007 GMA 950 for Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook (2006–2007), GMA X1300 for MacBook (2007–2008) and MacBook Air (2008)


Notes

  1. SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[1] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[2]
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 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).
  3. 3.0 3.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/2620/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (2620) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References