R1Q2v2

THE CONSOLE / REFERENCE

Console variables

Search R1Q2v2 console settings by name or description, or select a category. Defaults, notes, and examples come from the repository’s CVARS.md. This guide covers commonly useful settings, rather than every engine variable.

View the original CVARS.md ↗

Useful client settings for R1Q2v2. Defaults are engine defaults unless noted. This is not every cvar in the tree, only ones players typically want.

How to use

  • Console: ` then cvar value (example: scr_menuscale 2.5)
  • seta name value, same, and marks the cvar for config.cfg when archived
  • Put keepers in baseq2/autoexec.cfg so they survive menu / config.cfg rewrites
  • writeconfig / writecfg, save binds + archived cvars to <gamedir>/config.cfg immediately (same as quit; no filename arg)
  • Many Video Options rows already map to the cvars below

Not in this client: Q2PRO-only names like cl_movement_feel_mode, cl_mouse_behavior_mode, scr_scale (HUD uses scr_hudscale), sys_viewlog (no AllocConsole client window). There is no Q2PRO pmove. For classic jump timing use sync physics (cl_async 0), that only locks render FPS to cl_maxfps. Default cl_async 1 is stock R1Q2 async and is the natural R1Q2 feel. Capture with F12 / screenshot, not the Win10 Print Screen key.

Video / display

R1Q2v2 uses gl_mode + vid_forcewidth / vid_forceheight (not Q2PRO's vid_geometry). On first run, gl_mode and sw_mode default to your desktop resolution index in the mode list (VID_GetDesktopModeIndex).

Cvar Default Notes
vid_ref r1gl Renderer module. R1GL only on the Video menu (ref_r1gl.dll). Saved vid_ref gl / ncgl / soft remap to r1gl on init. Stock ref_gl.dll and software are not selectable (black / missing DLL on Win10).
vid_fullscreen 0 1 fullscreen, 0 windowed.
vid_borderless 0 1 = borderless windowed fullscreen (no exclusive ChangeDisplaySettings). Archived. Also used automatically when the requested size matches the current desktop mode. Prefer this on ultrawide if exclusive fullscreen fails. Alias intent: same idea as a vid_desktopfs flag.
gl_mode desktop index OpenGL mode list index. -1 = custom size (uses force dims or desktop if unset). Indexed modes use the mode table first; invalid indexed values fall back to the previous mode (often 320—240 if mode 0). Custom -1 stays sticky when force dims are set.
sw_mode desktop index Software renderer mode index (video menu). Keep in sync with gl_mode if you use both paths.
vid_forcewidth 0 Target width in pixels. Archived. When non-zero, overrides the width from gl_mode (including indexed modes, not only -1). Added to the mode menu list on init / vid_restart.
vid_forceheight 0 Target height in pixels. Archived. When non-zero, overrides the height from gl_mode.
gl_swapinterval 0 Frame present / sync. 0 = unlocked (can tear). 1 = vsync (no tear; may add input lag). -1 = adaptive sync / late-tear when the GPU supports it (VRR / FreeSync / Adaptive Sync); falls back to 1 if not. Video menu: off / on / adaptive. Does not change exclusive FS mode.
vid_gamma 1.0 Display gamma / brightness path used by the video menu.
viewsize 100 3D view percent; below 100 letterboxes the refresh.
gl_bitdepth 0 Color depth request; 0 = default.
vid_xpos / vid_ypos 3 / 22 Window position (windowed).

Stable gl_mode indices (hard-coded prefix): Modes 0,27 are fixed across machines. EnumDisplaySettings may append extra resolutions after that with machine-specific indices — those extras never reorder the prefix.

Index Resolution Notes
0 320—240 Classic
1 640—480 Classic
2 800—600 Classic
3 1024—768 Classic
4 1152—864 Classic
5 1280—960 Classic
6 1280—1024 Classic
7 1600—1200 Classic
8 1280—720 16:9
9 1366—768 16:9
10 1600—900 16:9
11 1920—1080 16:9 (stable 1080p)
12 2560—1440 16:9
13 3840—2160 16:9
14 1280—800 16:10
15 1440—900 16:10
16 1680—1050 16:10
17 1920—1200 16:10
18 2560—1600 16:10
19 2560—1080 Ultrawide 21:9
20 3440—1440 Ultrawide 21:9 (stable)
21 3840—1600 Ultrawide 21:9
22 5120—1440 Ultrawide 21:9
23 1920—1440 Other
24 2048—1152 Other
25 2880—1800 Other
26 3200—1800 Other
27 5120—2160 Other

1080p preset: Use stable gl_mode 11 (1920—1080). Shipped baseq2/r1q2v2_visual.cfg sets that index and still pairs vid_forcewidth / vid_forceheight as a backup. Prefer the indexed mode over gl_mode -1 when the size is in the table. Avoid mixing gl_mode -1 with a saved indexed mode, that mismatch can stick you at 320—240.

Ultrawide (3440—1440 and cousins): Use stable gl_mode 20, or keep force dims. Working recipe for 3440—1440:

seta vid_fullscreen "1"
seta vid_borderless "1"
seta gl_mode "20"
seta sw_mode "20"
seta vid_forcewidth "3440"
seta vid_forceheight "1440"
vid_restart

(gl_mode -1 + force dims still works if you prefer custom-only.)

Notes:

  • There is no r_customwidth / r_customheight in R1Q2v2. use vid_forcewidth / vid_forceheight (with gl_mode -1 for sizes outside the table, or alongside an indexed mode as override).
  • If desktop is already 3440—1440, the engine uses borderless automatically even with vid_borderless 0 (skips exclusive CDS).
  • If exclusive CDS fails for a non-desktop size, it falls back to borderless at the requested size (console: falling back to borderless windowed fullscreen) instead of the old dual-monitor width*2 hack.
  • Non-zero vid_forcewidth / vid_forceheight override whatever gl_mode you pick, change or zero them when leaving a preset, or the 1920—1080 force dims in shipped r1q2v2_visual.cfg will keep you at 1080p if you exec that file.
  • Hor+ FOV (cl_adjustfov 1) and wide HUD (scr_hudwide 1) already apply on 21:9.
  • The video menu lists the hard-coded modes even when the GPU did not enumerate them; selecting may use borderless / CDS fallback.

Local install helper (Steam path only, gitignored tools/): patches a live Quake II tree; 1080p is now stable index 11.

Graphics quality (R1GL)

Cvar Default Notes
gl_picmip 0 Texture downsample. 0 = full res; higher = blurrier / faster.
gl_texturemode GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR Filtering (trilinear default).
gl_ext_max_anisotropy 16 Anisotropic filtering — keeps textures sharper when viewed at steep angles (floors/walls). Levels 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 / 16; clamped to the GPU max at init. Archived. Video menu row.
gl_anisotropy 16 Same as gl_ext_max_anisotropy (sharper angled textures; default 16; HW-clamped). Convenience alias that copies into gl_ext_max_anisotropy when changed. Archived.
gl_ext_texture_filter_anisotropic 1 Master enable for the anisotropy extension.
gl_msaa 0 Multisample anti-aliasing — smooths jagged polygon edges. Values: 0 off (default, classic crisp), 2 / 4 / 8. Cost is mainly GPU fill-rate. Maps to gl_ext_multisample + gl_ext_samples. Requires vid_restart (pixel format). Archived. Video menu row.
gl_ext_multisample 0 Legacy enable flag for WGL MSAA pixel format (1 on). Prefer gl_msaa. Needs vid_restart.
gl_ext_samples 2 Legacy MSAA sample count when gl_ext_multisample is on. Prefer gl_msaa.
gl_texture_lodbias 0 Texture sharpen (video menu). Negative values sharpen world textures (about 0 … -4).
gl_linear_mipmaps 1 Prefer linear mipmap generation.
gl_modulate 2 Lightmap / world brightness (video “Lightmap” slider).
intensity 2 Texture intensity table (clamped ≥ 1).
gl_shadows 0 Projected model shadows: 0 off, 1 basic, 2 height-faded, 3 soft multi-sample. Archived. Video menu row.
gl_dynamic 1 Dynamic lights from weapons / explosions.
gl_flashblend 0 Draw dlights as blend sprites instead of lighting surfaces.
gl_dlight_falloff 1.4 Dynamic-light attenuation curve. 0 = classic linear. 1 (or up to 2) = smoother quadratic falloff on the same dlights - softer edges, no extra through-wall brightness. Default 1.4. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_lightmap_filter 1 Lightmap texture sampling. 1 = linear (smoother LM; aniso-friendly when anisotropy is on). 0 = nearest (blockier classic LM). Does not change visibility or reveal occluded geometry. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_light_corona 0.35 Soft corona sprite at dynamic-light origins (weapons / explosions). LOS-tested through the BSP so occluded lights do not show (no wallhack). Depth-tested as a second clip. 0 = off. Default 0.35. Menu yes/no writes 0/1. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_world_corona 0.35 Soft glow disc on surface-mounted map lamps (classname light within ~56 units of a ceiling/wall). Fill lights floating in empty space are skipped. Procedural corona texture (not particle.png). Same LOS test as dlight coronas. Does not add extra dynamic lights. 0 = off. Default 0.35. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_light_shafts 0.35 Short additive streak toward the camera on visible lights only. Dlights when this is on; world lamps only if gl_world_corona is also on. Occluded lights produce no pixels. 0 = off. Default 0.35. Not volumetric god rays / bloom. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_overbrights 1 2× lightmap combine (GL_RGB_SCALE). Makes world lighting pop; can wash HD texture packs. Default on. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
r_mp_visual_lean 1 When on (default), and the client is in multiplayer (CS_MAXCLIENTS > 1 → r_water_alpha_ok 2), the renderer treats expensive FX as effective-off without overwriting archived SP seta values: bloom, godrays, soft particles, world corona, light shafts, normal maps, dlight shader, dynamic lights, shadows, light corona, ambient lift, waterfog. Lean stays engaged across map changes (ClearState no longer clears r_water_alpha_ok); disconnect still restores full SP visuals. Singleplayer / disconnected / baseq2 local keep full visuals. Set 0 to disable the auto lean. Does not force vid_restart for MSAA — lower gl_msaa yourself if needed. Archived. Client-side only; fair-play.
gl_bloom 1 On-screen bloom of already visible bright pixels (explosions, lamps). On/off only — intensity is hardcoded (~0.20 add, high extract threshold, one blur pass) so it cannot be cranked into a through-wall glow. HUD is not bloomed. Occluded lights cannot leak. Default on. Any value >0 turns it on at the cap. Needs FBO+GLSL. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_godrays 0.35 Radial light shafts toward a LOS-visible on-screen light, using the 3D color buffer only. 0 = off. Default 0.35. Not a wallhack. Needs FBO+GLSL. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_softparticles 1 Fade particles as they approach walls using a copy of scene depth. Default on. Needs FBO+GLSL. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_dlight_shader 1 Per-pixel dynamic lights on world surfaces (GLSL). Replaces the CPU s_blocklights patch so explosions are round instead of lightmap squares. Surfaces whose centroid is occluded from the light are not marked (no stain through a thin wall). Default on. Needs GLSL. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_normalmaps 1 If gl_dlight_shader is on, look for textures/<name>_norm / _n / _bump next to the diffuse. No file = no extra pass. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_ambient_lift 0.04 Tiny fill added to lightmaps (and matching entity light samples) so pitch-black is less crushed. Hard-capped at 0.1 linear (~25/255). Default 0.04. Not night-vision. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_wateralpha 0 Single-player override only. Map-authored TRANS33/66 warp water renders at its exact 0.33 / 0.66 alpha in every mode. In SP, >0 overrides that alpha (clamped 0.15–1). The override is ignored when maxclients > 1; plain untagged warp water always stays opaque. Not archived. Console only — not on the Video menu.
gl_waterfog 0.35 Subtle distance fog while the camera is inside water/slime/lava. 0 disables it; range 0–1 controls strength. Uses the liquid view tint and does not change surface transparency. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_warp_amp 1.5 Water/slime warp amplitude scale (1 = classic). Default 1.5. Range about 0-2. Does not change transparency / SURF_TRANS rules. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_warp_speed 1.5 Water/slime warp timing scale (1 = classic). Default 1.5. Range about 0-3. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_subdivide 32 Warp surface tessellation size at map load (64 = classic). Default 32 (finer water mesh). Needs a map reload / reconnect. Clamped ~16-128. Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings (64/48/32).
gl_coloredlightmaps 1 Colored lightmaps.
gl_less_yellow 1 Less harsh yellow lighting. 1 (default) lifts sodium-yellow baked light toward warm white. Red, green, blue, and orange accent lights stay. 0 is the classic yellow cast. Takes effect on the next frame (lightmaps reupload in place). Archived. Video -> Advanced Settings.
gl_finish 0 Call glFinish each frame (can hurt FPS). Leave off.
gl_flush 0 Call glFlush before each 3D view (can hurt FPS). Leave off.
gl_defertext 0 Opt-in: draw all 2D text at EndFrame (changes layering vs pics). Console/HUD chars are already batched in order; you usually do not need this.
gl_polyblend 0 Full-screen damage / powerup tint (default off in R1Q2v2).
cl_blend 0 Client blend effects (default off).
gl_texture_formats png jpg tga High-res wall try order before .wal.
gl_pic_formats png jpg tga High-res 2D pic try order.
gl_pic_scale 1 Enables stock-PCX size hints when loading hi-res pic replacements.
gl_jpg_quality 90 Quality for screenshot jpg.
r_lerpmodels 1 Interpolate model frames.

Advanced Settings defaults (new installs; also r1q2v2_visual.cfg):

seta gl_lightmap_filter "1"
seta gl_dlight_falloff "1.4"
seta gl_warp_amp "1.5"
seta gl_warp_speed "1.5"
seta gl_subdivide "32"
seta gl_light_corona "0.35"
seta gl_world_corona "0.35"
seta gl_light_shafts "0.35"
seta gl_overbrights "1"
seta gl_bloom "1"
seta gl_godrays "0.35"
seta gl_softparticles "1"
seta gl_dlight_shader "1"
seta gl_normalmaps "1"
seta gl_ambient_lift "0.04"
seta gl_less_yellow "1"
seta gl_waterfog "0.35"

(gl_subdivide needs map reload. Coronas/shafts are LOS-tested: occluded explosions and lamps stay hidden. gl_dlight_shader 1 also skips occluded surfaces. No see-through or player glow.)

HD drop-ins: see README.md (.pkz packs, loose textures/ / env/ replacements).

HUD, menus, console, crosshair

Cvar Default Notes
scr_menuscale 0 Menu text scale. 0 = auto (~height/480, clamped 1–6). Try 2.5 at 1080p.
scr_menupicscale 1.2 Extra scale for menu PCX art (banners, plaques) on top of menu scale (clamped 1–2).
con_scale 0 Console / notify text scale. 0 = auto (~height/540, clamped 1-6; ~2.0 at 1080p — softer than menu auto). Explicit values work; try 1.75-2.0 at 1080p if auto still feels large. Shipped r1q2v2_visual.cfg sets 2.0.
scr_hudscale 1 Stock status bar only (~0.5-2.5). Menus, crosshair, and custom server/mod statusbars keep their authored layout. Presets must use this, not gl_hudscale.
scr_layoutscale 0 In-game layout menus (STAT_LAYOUTS / cl.layout, and CS_STATUSBAR strings that are menus — picn/cstring without hnum, e.g. TastySpleen/RA MOTD). 0 = auto (~height/480, clamped 1-6). 1 = classic tiny 8px. Maps xv/xl/xr onto a centered 320-wide canvas and yt/yv/yb onto a centered 240-tall canvas, including when scale is 1. Numeric status bar (hnum/anum) still uses scr_hud_top / scr_hudwide / scr_hudscale.
scr_hud_top 0 Stock status bar only. 1 draws the status bar at the top. Does not affect custom server/mod statusbars, Arena/RA team menus, help, inventory, or other STAT_LAYOUTS UIs.
scr_hudwide 1 Stock status bar only. On screens wider than 4:3, pin health/ammo left and armor/weapon right. Off = the original 320-wide centered strip. Saved. Custom server/mod statusbars keep their original coordinates.
gl_hudscale 1 Legacy whole-2D scale. Any later seta is redirected into scr_hudscale (if still 1) and forced back to 1.
crosshair 0 crosshair N loads pics/chN (TGA/PNG/PCX OK). 0 = off (does not draw ch0). 1+ uses stock ch1…ch3, or higher if the pic exists.
ch1 / ch2 / ch3 empty Free-name overlay slots (Q2PRO-style). Pic name only, e.g. ch2 or ch3. Drawn on top of crosshair when non-empty and not cleared. Clear with chN 0 (client treats string[0]=='0' as cleared in cl_scrn.c). Do not use ch1 "" — Quake tokenizes away empty quotes so the set never sticks (footgun). Drawn at native size × ch_scale × chN_scale (large vignettes need a high scale or a full-res asset).
ch_scale 1 Scale for the stock crosshair and all ch1–ch3 layers. Options slider (0.1–4). Saved.
ch_red / ch_green / ch_blue 1 Crosshair tint 0–1. Options → Crosshair setup. Saved.
ch_alpha 1 Crosshair opacity 0.1–1. Saved.
ch_health 0 1 = green→yellow→red from current HP (overrides RGB). Saved.
ch1_scale / ch2_scale / ch3_scale 1 Per-layer scale on top of ch_scale (0.1–4). Final size = native × ch_scale × chN_scale. Saved.
ch_x / ch_y 0 / 0 Live crosshair pixel offset for the current hand. Options → Crosshair setup sliders write these and the matching per-hand slot. Saved.
ch_x_right / ch_y_right 0 / 0 Offset used when hand is right (0). Auto-applied when you switch handedness. Saved.
ch_x_left / ch_y_left 0 / 0 Offset used when hand is left (1). Saved.
ch_x_center / ch_y_center 0 / 0 Offset used when hand is center (2). Saved.
scr_crosshair_x / scr_crosshair_y 0 / 0 Extra pixel offset added on top of the per-hand slot (session; not archived).
scr_alpha 1 Status-bar opacity (Options → R1Q2). Saved.
loc_enable 1 Draw nearest .loc name on the HUD. Saved.
cl_adjustfov 1 Hor+ FOV: keep 4:3 vertical FOV, widen on widescreen. Saved.
cl_forcecolors 0 Client-side only. Tint other players’ skins with the enemy/team color (skin stays visible). Does not change your first-person view weapon. Multiplayer → Multiplayer settings. Saved. Does not change what the server or other clients see.
cl_enemycolor 1 Forced enemy tint: 0 default (no tint), 1 red … 14 lilac (see Multiplayer settings). FFA: all other players. Team: opposite Arena r2red/r2blue or CTF ctf_r/ctf_b skin. Saved.
cl_teamcolor 6 Forced teammate tint (same indices as cl_enemycolor). Matching Arena r2red/r2blue or CTF ctf_r/ctf_b skins. Saved.
cl_forcecolor_alpha 0.5 Force-color opacity. 0 = original skin, 0.5 = mix (slider middle), 1 = solid chosen color (replaces skin). Saved. Only applies when cl_forcecolors is on.
cl_enemyfullbright 0 Client-side only. Blend enemy-player lighting toward fullbright: 0 off, 33.3, 66.6, 88, or 100. Only multiplayer player bodies and their attached weapons receive it; map surfaces, monsters, items, teammates, yourself, unknown-team players (countdown), and the first-person view weapon are unchanged. Legacy 1 is 66.6%; old 50 is 33.3%. Works with or without cl_forcecolors. Saved.
scr_conspeed 3 Console drop / raise speed.
scr_conheight 0.5 Open console height as a fraction of the screen.
con_notifytime 3 Seconds notify lines stay on screen.
scr_showpause 1 Draw “Paused”; set 0 for cleaner screenshots.
scr_chathud 0 Persistent chat HUD overlay.
scr_chathud_lines 4 Chat HUD line count.
cl_drawfps 0 On-screen FPS.
cl_drawmaptime 0 On-screen map timer.
netgraph 0 Network latency graph.

Example hold-to-zoom (crosshair overlays)

crosshair N loads pics/chN. Overlay cvars ch1/ch2/ch3 take any pic name under pics/ (no path/extension). Clear overlays with ch1 0; ch2 0; ch3 0 in your restore alias or they stick after zoom (empty ch1 "" does not clear — Quake drops empty quotes). Needs matching pics in a pak/pkz (e.g. MaxPak ch0–ch9, sniper).

Hold Mouse3 zoom pattern (from a live R1Q2v2 autoexec — tweak FOV/sensitivity to taste):

alias def_view "fov 110; sensitivity 4.15; crosshair 2; ch1 0; ch2 0; ch3 0; ch_scale 1; ch1_scale 1; ch2_scale 1; ch3_scale 1"
alias +railzoom "fov 60; sensitivity 2.6975; crosshair 9; ch1 ch0; ch2 sniper; ch_scale 1; ch1_scale 1; ch2_scale 1"
alias -railzoom "def_view"
bind MOUSE3 +railzoom

Notes: crosshair 0 is off (does not draw ch0 — use an overlay slot for ch0). If sniper is a small asset, raise ch2_scale (or ship a full-res pics/sniper). Options menu spinner still clamps base crosshair to 0–3; aliases may use higher indices. Optional: m_autosens 1 instead of hard-coded sensitivity on zoom.

Sound

OpenAL (when compiled in): player-local and ATTN_NONE sources are AL_SOURCE_RELATIVE at the listener so they do not drift; world sources use the Q2→AL axis remap and inverse-distance with rolloff 1.

Cvar Default Notes
s_volume 0.5 Master SFX volume.
s_khz 22 Mix rate (11 / 22 / 44 from Options).
s_loadas8bit 0 Load samples as 8-bit.
s_mixahead 0.2 Mix-ahead buffer (seconds).
s_ambient 1 Ambient / looping world sounds.
s_focusfree 0 Keep playing sound when the window is unfocused.
s_initsound 1 0 silent; 1 DirectSound/DMA; 2 OpenAL (needs OpenAL32.dll beside exe).
cd_nocd 0 Disable CD audio.

Input / mouse

Cvar Default Notes
sensitivity 3 Mouse look sensitivity.
m_pitch 0.022 Pitch scale; negate to invert Y.
m_yaw 0.022 Yaw scale.
m_filter 0 Average mouse deltas (smoother, less raw). Independent of DirectInput mode.
m_autosens 0 Scale mouse by FOV (Q2PRO zoom aliases). 1 uses 90 as the base.
m_directinput 0 Backend when in_mouse is 1: 0 = Win32 cursor recenter; 1 = buffered DirectInput; 2 = immediate DirectInput. Does not replace or bypass in_mouse.
m_fixaccel OS-dependent XP mouse-acceleration fix (Options → R1Q2).
in_mouse 1 Master mouse enable. 0 disables mouselook entirely (startup/activate early-out). It is not “use Win32 instead of DirectInput.”
freelook 1 Always mouselook without +mlook.
lookspring 0 Center view when mouselook ends.
lookstrafe 0 Strafe with mouse while looking.

in_mouse is the master switch for mouse look; m_directinput only picks the backend while mouse is enabled. DirectInput does not replace or bypass in_mouse. Recommended crisp combo: in_mouse 1, m_directinput 2, m_filter 0. m_filter 1 averages deltas for a smoother feel and is independent of DI mode.

Alt-tab / multi-monitor: the client keeps sending usercmds while unfocused, using elapsed command time within the normal hitch limits. Desktop mouse movement does not control the game or set button activity. Commands preserve the current view even when the input clock has not advanced. The client omits the earlier background mouse/timing workaround: legacy Arena's warning checks repeated aim-angle reversals, not the assumed q2admin timing signature. Prefer vid_borderless 1 over exclusive fullscreen on more than one display. Default m_directinput 0 (Win32 mouse) is the more reliable focus-restore path; DirectInput exclusive (m_directinput 1) can fail to reacquire until the window is truly foreground. No extra cvar is required.

config.cfg at startup: exec default.cfg then the loose config.cfg (gamedir, then baseq2, then next to the exe). A .pak/.pkz cannot shadow it. If there is no disk config.cfg, Q2config.cfg is used (Q2PRO/Yamagi). Console prints execing config.cfg so a miss is visible. autoexec.cfg is still run from CL_Init (and on gamedir change). Hidden autoexec.cfg is no longer skipped.

Movement, prediction, view

Cvar Default Notes
cl_async 1 1 = stock R1Q2 async (net/render split, default feel). 0 = sync physics — render FPS locked to cl_maxfps so jump timing matches classic Quake II. This is not Q2PRO pmove. Saved.
cl_predict 1 Local movement prediction.
cl_smoothsteps 3 Stair-step smoothing in prediction (modes 1–3).
cl_run 1 Always-run.
cl_forwardspeed / cl_sidespeed / cl_upspeed 200 Base move speeds when not running.
fov 90 Field of view (userinfo).
cl_gun 1 Draw the view weapon.
cl_vwep 1 Visible weapons on other players.
cl_footsteps 1 Local footstep sounds.
cl_nolerp 0 Disable entity interpolation.

Network / FPS

Cvar Default Notes
rate 15000 Client bandwidth cap (userinfo). Online often 25000.
cl_maxfps 60 Network / command FPS; also render FPS when cl_async 0.
r_maxfps 250 Render FPS cap when cl_async 1 (Video “Max FPS”).
cl_updaterate 0 Requested update rate on R1Q2 protocol (0 = server default).
cl_timeout 120 Seconds with no packets before disconnect.
cl_instantpacket 1 Send packets immediately on attack/use (and, with cl_maxpackets, jump edges).
cl_maxpackets 0 0 sends every physics frame (classic/default). A value such as 60 opts into the protocol 34/35 outgoing packet limiter. The limiter uses the two-command backup already in each datagram, never skips more than two sends in a row, and sends attack/use/jump edges immediately.
net_ignore_icmp 1 Ignore ICMP port-unreachable on the UDP socket. Windows otherwise surfaces those as WSAECONNRESET with a stale recv buffer. The client also disables SIO_UDP_CONNRESET / SIO_UDP_NETRESET and skips i < 0 in CL_ReadPackets.
cl_http_downloads 1 Allow HTTP downloads when the server offers them (dlserver=). Needs a USE_CURL build and libcurl.dll beside the exe.
allow_download 1 Master UDP download switch (maps / models / sounds / players have siblings).

There is no cl_snaps in this tree.

Multiplayer / identity

Cvar Default Notes
name unnamed Player name (userinfo).
skin male/grunt Player skin (userinfo).
password "" Server password (userinfo).
spectator 0 Join as spectator.
adr0 - adr15 "" Address Book favorites (Join Server bookmarks).
rcon_password / rcon_address "" Remote console.
cl_filterchat 0 Filter chat messages.
cl_demospeed 1 Demo playback speed 0.1–8 (demospeed). Saved.
cl_cheatcheck 1 Refuse remote multiplayer if this process finds known cheat files (e.g. frkq2.exe, wh.dll), loaded cheat modules, a banned gl_driver, or a local opengl32.dll wrapper (vid_localgl). Localhost / single-player are not blocked. Console: cheatcheck.

Dedicated / listen-server (not written to client config.cfg):

Cvar Default Notes
sv_default_cheatbans 1 At map start, install cvar/command bans that kick FreakQuake, OpenGL wallhack wrappers, and engine cheat cvars (timescale, r_fullbright, gl_lockpvs, …). Set 0 in server.cfg before the first map to skip. addcvarban / delcvarban still work.
sv_nc_visibilitycheck 0 Optional CPU-heavy server-side visibility test against wallhacks. Leave at 0 unless the host can spare the cost. 1 = hide models of players you cannot see (footsteps still send). 2 = fully suppress unseen players (no footsteps). Toggle per hardware; do not enable on low-end dedicated boxes.
sv_nc_clientsonly 1 If visibility check is on, only test other players. Unused while sv_nc_visibilitycheck is 0.
sv_cheaternet 60 Query r1ch CheaterNet for recent infractions (minutes). 0 disables.
sv_cheaternet_action 1 0 console log, 1 tell players, 2 refuse the connection.

R1Q2 extras (Options → R1Q2)

These are often not written to config.cfg — keep them in autoexec.cfg if you want them permanent.

Cvar Default Notes
m_directinput 0 Mouse backend when in_mouse is on (see Input).
m_fixaccel OS-dependent OS mouse accel fix.
cl_defermodels 1 Map-prep: defer non-world model loads onto the render frame (~1 model / 16 ms) so connect/load hitches less. Mid-game CS_MODELS / CS_SOUNDS / CS_IMAGES / CS_PLAYERSKINS updates are always queued the same way (net parse only stores the string; Register* / stepped CL_LoadClientinfoStep run on the render budget). Map-prep drip overlaps the mid-game queue (1 map model and/or 1 queued unit per tick). DA_PLAYERSKIN is split (tris/skin/icon/one-vwep per tick) with baseclientinfo placeholders until ready. Overflow never sync-loads from parse — queue is 512 and force-drains on render only. Custom player models also drip-prefetch sexed pain/death/fall/jump. Does not touch packet send, prediction, or pmove. Timedemo still loads sync.
cl_deferstats 0 Developer/debug: every ~2s prints deferred-asset queue depth, overflow drop count, ms of last CL_ProcessDeferredAsset, force-drain flag, pending sexed-prefetch models, and map-prep index (-1 = done). No gameplay/feel change.
cl_async 1 Sync physics when 0. Saved. Not Q2PRO pmove.
cl_autorecord 0 Auto-record demos on map start.
cl_railtrail 0 Xania-style rail colors 1.5; 0 off.

Misc

Cvar Default Notes
game "" Mod gamedir (latched; needs restart / game command).
logfile 0 1+ writes console output to a log.
logfile_name qconsole.log Log file name under the gamedir.
cl_quietstartup 1 Quieter engine startup.
gl_fontscale 1 Renderer-side font scale helper.

Commands (not cvars): screenshot (PNG on Win32; bind is F12, not Print Screen), screenshot jpg, vid_restart, menu_video, connect, disconnect, ignore / unignore / mute / unmute / ignorelist (persisted in ignore.txt), demopause, demospeed, addloc, saveloc, writeconfig / writecfg.

Config commands

Command Notes
writeconfig Flush key bindings and archived cvars (seta / CVAR_ARCHIVE) to <gamedir>/config.cfg now, same write path used on quit. Prints Wrote <gamedir>/config.cfg on success. No filename argument in v1 (always config.cfg).
writecfg Alias for writeconfig.

Quick presets

1920×1080 video (stable gl_mode 11; force dims as backup):

seta vid_ref "r1gl"
seta vid_fullscreen "1"
seta gl_mode "11"
seta sw_mode "11"
seta vid_forcewidth "1920"
seta vid_forceheight "1080"

3440×1440 ultrawide (stable gl_mode 20; force dims optional backup):

seta vid_ref "r1gl"
seta vid_fullscreen "1"
seta vid_borderless "1"
seta gl_mode "20"
seta sw_mode "20"
seta vid_forcewidth "3440"
seta vid_forceheight "1440"

Clear or override force dims after exec r1q2v2_visual.cfg (that preset still defaults to 1920×1080).

Readable menus + HUD at 1080p:

seta scr_menuscale "2.5"
seta scr_menupicscale "1.2"
seta con_scale "2.0"
seta scr_hudscale "2.5"
seta scr_layoutscale "0"
seta gl_hudscale "1"

Shipped preset: copy baseq2/r1q2v2_visual.cfg (and optionally baseq2/pretty_r1q2v2.cfg) into the Quake II install baseq2 folder. Exec from your own autoexec.cfg or launch line; it must keep gl_hudscale 1.

Smooth high FPS, no vsync, classic sync movement:

seta gl_swapinterval "0"
seta r_maxfps "250"
seta cl_async "0"
seta cl_maxfps "125"

Sharper HD walls:

seta gl_ext_max_anisotropy "16"
seta gl_texture_lodbias "-1"
seta gl_linear_mipmaps "1"
seta gl_texturemode "GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR"