In Soldier of Fortune II Deathmatch (DM) every player is on their own, and in Team Deathmatch (TDM) two teams compete for the most kills. Both respawn you straight after you die, so success comes from keeping moving, knowing where weapons and the busy areas are on each map, and not dying cheaply. Kills add a point, and suicides and team kills usually take one away.
The rules
| Deathmatch (DM) | Team Deathmatch (TDM) | |
|---|---|---|
| Teams | None, everyone for themselves | Two teams |
| You score by | Killing other players | Killing the other team |
| Respawn | Straight away | Straight away |
| Match ends at | The score limit (scorelimit, 20 by default) or time limit (timelimit) | |
| Penalties | Suicide: −1 (g_suicidePenalty) | Suicide −1, team kill −1 (g_teamkillPenalty) |
For the round-based modes, see Elimination and all game types.
Spawning
After a respawn you’re protected for a few seconds (g_respawnInvulnerability, 5 by default). Use those seconds to move away from the spawn point towards cover, not to stand still. Equally, don’t waste a magazine on a player who has just appeared: wait for the protection to end, or move on.
Weapons and pickups
Depending on the server, you either choose a loadout on the outfitting screen (B), pick weapons up from the map, or both. Servers can turn pickups off entirely with g_pickupsDisabled and remove single weapons.
- Learn where weapons lie on the maps you play. A route that passes a good weapon after you spawn gives you an edge over a player who doesn’t know it’s there.
- Turn off auto-switch with
/cg_autoswitch 0, so walking over a weapon mid-fight doesn’t swap you to it. - Switch, don’t reload, in a close fight. Changing to your pistol is faster than reloading an empty rifle.
Every weapon is listed in SoF2 weapons.
Deathmatch tactics
- Stay on the move. In DM, everyone is your enemy. Standing still for long means someone will find you from a direction you weren’t watching.
- Let others fight. When you hear a fight, the winner is often low on health and ammo. Arriving just after is safer than arriving during.
- Avoid the busiest room. Every map has a spot where everyone meets. Fight on its edges, where only one or two players can see you at a time.
- Use sound. Footsteps, reloads and gunfire tell you where players are. Music off and headphones on: see sound settings.
Team Deathmatch tactics
- Stay near teammates. Two players covering each other win most fights against two players on their own.
- Hold good ground together. A team that controls the middle of the map catches the other team as they come from their spawns.
- Watch the radar. It shows where your team is, so you can tell where the enemy must be. Turn it on with
cg_drawRadar: see HUD settings. - Check before you shoot. With friendly fire on, team kills cost you points and can get you kicked. Your crosshair changes colour over a teammate, and their name appears when
cg_drawCrosshairNamesis on.
Aim basics that win more fights
- Aim for the head. SoF2 tracks where each bullet lands, and head shots kill fastest.
- Fire in bursts at range, and only hold the trigger up close.
- Keep your crosshair at head height as you move, so it’s already in place when someone appears.
- Get your settings right first: mouse and frame rate.
Good manners
Spawn-camping, team-killing and abusing the chat get players kicked and banned on most servers. More about what regulars expect is in SoF2 tips.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between DM and TDM in SoF2?
In Deathmatch everyone plays for themselves. In Team Deathmatch two teams compete, and the team with the most kills wins.
Do you lose points for suicide in SoF2?
By default, yes: one point, set by the server’s g_suicidePenalty.
What is the default score limit?
20, set by scorelimit. Servers often change it.
Why can’t I hurt a player who just spawned?
New spawns are protected for a few seconds, 5 by default, set by g_respawnInvulnerability.