Red Faction Command Line Parameters

Red Faction has a number of command line parameters available when launching the game.

Available Parameters

Base Game

• This table lists command line parameters available as of the latest official client version (v1.20) of rf.exe.

Parameter Syntax	Function
-level [filename]	Immediately loads into the specified level filename in single player mode when the game launches. .rfl file with corresponding filename must be in a directory loadable by the game (either the stock game files, or within a .vpp file in \user_maps\multi\ or \user_maps\single\.
-mod [mod name]	Launch the game (or server, if run in conjunction with -dedicated) with the specified total conversion mod. [mod name] must exactly match the name of the mod's corresponding folder in \mods\.
-dedicated [config name]	Launch a dedicated server with the specified config from dedicated_server.txt. If no config name parameter is specified, it will default to the first configuration.
-port [port number]	Launch the game (or server, if run in conjunction with -dedicated) on the specified UDP port. If this parameter is not specified, defaults to UDP 7755.
-lanonly	Only relevant when launching a dedicated server (via -dedicated). Stops your server from reporting to the multiplayer game tracker. NOTE: Using this parameter does not restrict non-LAN connections.
-timedemo [filename]	Launch the game, immediately load into the specified level filename in single player mode, spawn at the origin of the level (XYZ: 0, 0, 0) and spin in a circle once. Framerate statistics are displayed in the console and dumped to timedemo.txt.
-timedemo [filename]	Does the same as -timedemo, but the test is performed at the origin, then again at each path node in the level. WARNING: This process could take some time to complete, and you will be unable to exit the game during the test unless you forcefully kill the process via some external method like taskkill or Task Manager.
-voodoo	Launch the game with Voodoo GPU compatibility.
-voodoo3	Launch the game with Voodoo3 GPU compatibility.
-startpos [coordinates]	(Undocumented) Used by RED to start the level at the camera position. (Format: -startpos [0|1],x;[0|1],y;[0|1],z Note: 0 is for negative coordinates and 1 is for positive coordinates)
-startdir [coordinates]	(Undocumented) Used by RED to start the level facing a specific direction. (Format: -startdir [0|1],integer;[0|1],integer;[0|1],integer Note: 0 is for negtive orientation and 1 is for positive orientation)
-trackerip [ip/hostname]	(Undocumented) Used to specify an alternate multiplayer server tracker. If not specified, game will use the tracker configured in the registry (via launcher options).

Dash Faction

• This table lists new command line parameters introduced in Dash Faction. Dash Faction is run from DashFactionLauncher.exe, and any command line parameters must be as well.
• Note that all command line parameters listed above under Base Game are also usable in Dash Faction (by running DashFactionLauncher.exe with them).

Parameter Syntax	Required Dash Version	Function
-game	1.3.0+	Launch the game immediately without displaying the launcher window.
-editor	1.3.0+	Launch the level editor immediately without displaying the launcher window.
-win32-console	1.4.1+	Only relevant when launching a dedicated server (via -dedicated). Launch the server in a native Win32 console window.
-exe-path [path]	1.5.0+	Use the specified file path (RF.exe or RED.exe) instead of the one configured under Game executable in the Options panel. As an example, this option is very useful for running multiple dedicated servers using separate game directories.

Pure Faction

• This table lists new command line parameters introduced in Pure Faction (run via PF.exe) Note that all command line parameters listed above under Base Game are also usable in Pure Faction.

Parameter Syntax	Required PF Version	Function
-childsafemode	3.0+	(Undocumented) Disable ability to send or receive chat messages in multiplayer.
-hideip	3.0+	(Undocumented) No known function.
-nokill	3.0+	(Undocumented) No known function.
-faststart	3.0+	(Undocumented) Skip the THQ and Volition logo movies when starting the game.
-fastmulti	3.0+	(Undocumented) Launch the game and go immediately to the multiplayer server list.

MP Test

• This table lists command line parameters available only in Multiplayer Test.

Parameter Syntax	Function
-multilog	(Undocumented) Only relevant when launching a dedicated server (via -dedicated). Writes a log of joining players and runtime to NAME_DayMoDD_HHMM.txt.

• Example formatting for NAME_DayMoDD_HHMM.txt:

12/16 15:37:38~ Player Default has joined

12/16 15:38:18~ Player nick has joined

12/16 16:18:43~ Red Faction has been active for 0 hours, 42 minutes, and 1 seconds

12/16 17:00:44~ Red Faction has been active for 1 hours, 24 minutes, and 2 seconds

12/16 17:42:45~ Red Faction has been active for 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 3 seconds

12/16 18:16:20~ Player digi has joined

Level Editor

• This table lists command line parameters available in Red Faction's level editor (RED).

Parameter Syntax	Function
-mod	Launch RED with the specified total conversion mod. [mod name] must exactly match the name of the mod's corresponding folder in \mods\. WARNING: Once a map is saved when RED is running with a mod, that map is flagged as requiring a mod and then may only be played when the game has that same mod loaded. It is very difficult to remove this mod flag, so please be absolutely sure you wish to save your map with a mod before doing it.
-sound	(Undocumented) Allows the Preview button in Ambient Sound properties to work.
-win32	(Undocumented) No known benefit. Makes all editor viewports display flat white.
-opengl	(Undocumented) No known benefit. Makes all editor viewports display flat white. It can be reasonably assumed that this switch was originally intended to force the editor to render using OpenGL.
-update [filename]	(Undocumented) No known function.

Related Pages

• Console commands
• Red Faction
• Geomod
• RED Engine
• RED
• Parker
• dedicated_server.txt
• Rate presets