Arma 2: Undocumented Startup Parameters

If you are just looking for the normal ArmA2 startup switches, please go here Arma2: Startup Parameters

Note: This is a work in progress of all the allowed switches, these have not been tested. I will try to document them as I figure out what they do. Many of these are already known and the information will be redundant. The list was generated by hand from info in the binary and I left all switches for completeness.

Configuration & Performance

name=

Profile name to be loaded.

pid=

Process ID

winxp

Switch to alternate memory management.

config=

Specify server.cfg

nosplash

Skip intro screens.

cpucount=

Disable CPU core detection.

world=

Load this world on startup. 'empty' will disable island loading for quicker start up time.

noland

Disable procedural terrain generation.

nopause

Disable alt-tab game pause. Rendering will continue when application lacks window focus.

mod=

Self explanatory.

profiles=

Specify profiles directory.

cfg=

basic.cfg path and filename. (arma.cfg)

Graphics

forceDX9

Self explanatory.

window

Run game in windowed mode.

y=

Specify rendering height.

x=

Specify rendering width.

Sound

xa2sound

Use XAudio2 sound engine. (Default)

Network & Multiplayer

netlog

Log network traffic to filename specified.

bepath=

BattleEye anti-cheat installation path where DLL can be located.

noesrb

Unknown, but likely gets rid of ESRB warning when clicking Multiplayer.

download

Unknown.

session=

Unknown.

privateSlots=

Unknown, may set aside MP slots for local connections only.

bandwidth=

Self explanatory, but usage unknown.

gamertag=

Microsoft Gamertag. I doubt this does anything, it is a remnant of the Xenon code.

password=

Self explanatory.

port=

Self explanatory.

connect=

Self explanatory.

server

Self explanatory.

host

Self explanatory.

Development

autotest=

Self explanatory but usage unknown. An autotest is used by developers to test the functionality of a build in an automated fashion.

showscripterrors

Self explanatory. Errors appear in black box at top of screen.

sm2

Use shader model 2.

sm3

Use shader model 3.

disableShaderGeneration

Self explanatory.

generateshaders

Self explanatory.

buldozer

Model viewer for use with O2.

buldozer+addons

Guess: Same as above but loads addons?

noFilePatching

Disables PBOPrefix handling, game will only load .pbo files and not the unpacked directories.

Unknown

nopatchcheck

Guess: Disables check for newer patch on MP server select screen, disabling nag.

init=

Unknown.

worldCfg=

Unknown.

noLauncher

This may have something to do with the shell association introduced in 1.05.