The best Soldier of Fortune II settings for a modern PC: cap the frame rate at 125 with com_maxfps 125, turn off mouse smoothing and acceleration (m_filter 0, cl_mouseAccel 0), raise the network settings to broadband values (rate 25000, snaps 40, cl_maxpackets 60), and use full texture quality. The game’s defaults were set for 2002 hardware and dial-up internet.
How to change settings
Every setting below is a CVAR (console variable). Open the console with ~ and type the name and value, for example /com_maxfps 125. Most take effect at once. Graphics settings marked “restart” need /vid_restart. To keep settings safe from being reset, put them in a config file, as shown at the end.
Frame rate
SoF2 is built on the Quake III engine, where movement and input feel best at a steady 125 frames per second. The default cap is 85. Turn off vertical sync so the cap, not your monitor, decides the frame rate.
| CVAR | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
com_maxfps | Maximum frames per second the engine will render. | 85 | 125 |
r_swapInterval | Vertical synchronisation (VSync). 0 = off, 1 = on. | 0 | 0 |
cg_drawFPS | Displays the current frames per second counter on screen. | 0 | — |
Mouse
For consistent aim you want raw, unsmoothed, unaccelerated input. Sensitivity is personal: most players land between 2 and 8. Also turn off Enhance pointer precision in Windows’ mouse settings.
| CVAR | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
sensitivity | Overall mouse sensitivity for aiming. | 5 | — |
m_filter | Applies a smoothing filter to raw mouse input. | 0 | 0 |
cl_mouseAccel | Mouse acceleration factor. 0 = linear (no acceleration). | 0 | 0 |
Network
The defaults ask servers for very little data, which causes jerky movement and missed shots on a modern connection. These are the values most players use on broadband:
| CVAR | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
rate | Maximum network bandwidth in bytes per second the client requests from the server. | 3000 | 25000 |
snaps | Number of server snapshots requested per second. | 20 | 40 |
cl_maxpackets | Maximum number of outgoing command packets sent to the server per second. | 30 | 100 |
cg_lagometer | Displays a network lag and packet loss graph on screen. | 0 | — |
The lagometer, turned on with /cg_lagometer 1, draws a small graph showing lag and lost packets. It’s the quickest way to tell a bad connection from a bad server.
Graphics
Any graphics card from the last fifteen years runs SoF2 at full quality. Make sure textures aren’t being reduced:
| CVAR | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
r_picmip | Texture mipmap reduction level. Higher values lower texture quality and reduce VRAM usage. | 1 | 0 |
r_textureMode | OpenGL texture filtering mode. | GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_NEAREST | GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR |
r_mode | Resolution preset index. -1 uses r_customwidth and r_customheight. | 3 | -1 |
cg_fov | Controls the player's field of view in degrees. | 80 | 90 |
For resolution and field of view, see the widescreen guide.
Sound
| CVAR | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
s_khz | Audio sample rate in kilohertz. | 22 | 22 |
s_volume | Master sound effects volume. Range 0.0 (silent) to 1.0 (full). | 0.8 | 0.8 |
s_musicvolume | Volume level for background music. Range 0.0 (silent) to 1.0 (full). | 0.5 | 0 |
If you hear crackling, try a lower sample rate. If there’s no sound at all, set the right default playback device in Windows before starting the game.
Save it all in a config file
Put your settings in a text file called autoexec.cfg in the base folder. The game runs it every time it starts, so your settings come back even if something resets them. If you play a mod, a copy in the mod’s folder (for example rocmod) is read when that mod loads.
// autoexec.cfg — SOF2MP.com recommended settings
seta com_maxfps "125"
seta r_swapInterval "0"
seta sensitivity "4"
seta m_filter "0"
seta cl_mouseAccel "0"
seta rate "25000"
seta snaps "40"
seta cl_maxpackets "60"
seta r_picmip "0"
seta r_textureMode "GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR"
seta r_mode "-1"
seta r_customwidth "1920"
seta r_customheight "1080"
seta cg_fov "90"Change the sensitivity and screen size to suit you. Every setting is explained in the CVAR database, with 315 SoF2 settings listed.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best FPS for SoF2?
125, set with com_maxfps 125. It’s the standard for Quake III engine games because movement and input timing work best at that rate.
Why is SoF2 laggy on fast internet?
The default network settings are dial-up values. Set rate 25000, snaps 40 and cl_maxpackets 60.
Where are SoF2 settings saved?
In a config file in the base folder, and in each mod’s folder for that mod’s settings. An autoexec.cfg you write yourself is never overwritten by the game.