Command Line Parameters

This is a full list of the supported command line parameters. A number of additional parameters are supported in addition to those present in the DOS version.

General options

Parameter	Description
-config <file>	Load main configuration from the specified file, instead of the default.
-devparm	Developer mode.
-file <files>	Load the specified PWAD files.
-help	Print command line help.
-iwad <file>	Specify an IWAD file to use.
-nomusic	Disable music.
-nosfx	Disable sound effects.
-nosound	Disable all sound output.
-quiet	Print with minimum verbosity.
-save <directory>	Specify a path from which to load and save games. If the directory does not exist then it will automatically be created.
-shotdir <directory>	Specify a path to save screenshots. If the directory does not exist then it will automatically be created.
-verbose	Print debugging info with maximum verbosity.
-version	Print the program version and exit.

Game start options

Parameter	Description
-beta	Press beta emulation mode (complevel mbf only).
-coop_spawns	Start single player game with items spawns as in cooperative netgame.
-dog	Enables a single helper dog.
-dogs <n>	Overrides the current number of helper dogs, setting it to n.
-episode <n>	Start playing on episode n (1-99)
-fast	Monsters move faster.
-loadgame <ps>	Load the game on page p (0-7) in slot s (0-7). Use 255 to load an auto save.
-nm	Alias to -skill 5.
-nomo	Alias to -nomonsters.
-nomonsters	Disable monsters.
-pistolstart	Enables automatic pistol starts on each level.
-respawn	Monsters respawn after being killed.
-skill <skill>	Set the game skill, 1-6 (1: easiest, 5: hardest, 6: custom). A skill of 0 disables all monsters only in -complevel vanilla.
-speed <n>	Increase or decrease game speed, percentage of normal.
-turbo <x>	Turbo mode. The player's speed is multiplied by x%. If unspecified, x defaults to 200. Values are rounded up to 10 and down to 400.
-uv	Alias to -skill 4.
-warp <x> <y>|<xy>	Start a game immediately, warping to ExMy (Doom 1) or MAPxy (Doom 2).

Display options

Parameter	Description
-1	Don't scale up the screen. Implies -window.
-2	Double up the screen to 2x its normal size. Implies -window.
-3	Triple up the screen to 3x its normal size. Implies -window.
-fullscreen	Run in fullscreen mode.
-noblit	Disable blitting the screen.
-nodraw	Disable rendering the screen entirely.
-nograbmouse	Don't grab the mouse when running in windowed mode.
-nouncapped	Disables uncapped framerate.
-uncapped	Enables uncapped framerate.
-window	Run in a window.

Networking options

Parameter	Description
-altdeath	Start a deathmatch 2.0 game. Weapons do not stay in place and all items respawn after 30 seconds.
-autojoin	Automatically search the local LAN for a multiplayer server and join it.
-avg	Austin Virtual Gaming: end levels after 20 minutes.
-connect <address>	Connect to a multiplayer server running on the given address.
-deathmatch	Start a deathmatch game.
-dedicated	Start a dedicated server, routing packets but not participating in the game itself.
-dm3	Start a deathmatch 3.0 game. Weapons stay in place and all items respawn after 30 seconds.
-dup <n>	Reduce the resolution of the game by a factor of n, reducing the amount of network bandwidth needed.
-extratics <n>	Send n extra tics in every packet as insurance against dropped packets.
-frags <n>	The -frags option allows you to deathmatch until one player achieves <n> frags, at which time the level ends and scores are displayed. If <n> is not specified the match is to 10 frags.
-left	Run as the left screen in three screen mode.
-nodes <n>	Autostart the netgame when n nodes (clients) have joined the server.
-oldsync	Use original network client sync code rather than the improved sync code.
-port <n>	Use the specified UDP port for communications, instead of the default (2342).
-privateserver	When running a server, don't register with the global master server. Implies -server.
-right	Run as the right screen in three screen mode.
-server	Start a multiplayer server, listening for connections.
-servername <name>	When starting a network server, specify a name for the server.
-solo-net	Start the game playing as though in a netgame with a single player. This can also be used to play back single player netgame demos.
-timer <n>	For multiplayer games: exit each level after n minutes.

Dehacked and WAD merging

Parameter	Description
-bex <files>	Alias to -deh.
-bexout <filename>	Alias to -dehout.
-blockmap	Forces a (re-)building of the BLOCKMAP lumps for loaded maps.
-bsp	Forces rebuilding of nodes.
-deh <files>	Load the given dehacked/bex patch(es).
-dehout <filename>	Enables verbose dehacked parser logging.
-dumptranmap <name>	Dump tranmap lump.
-force_old_zdoom_nodes	Forces extended (non-GL) ZDoom nodes.
-noautoload	Disable auto-loading of .wad and .deh files.
-nocheats	Ignore cheats in dehacked files.
-nodeh	Avoid loading DEHACKED lumps embedded into WAD files.
-noextras	Disable auto loading of extras.wad.
-nomapinfo	Disable UMAPINFO loading.
-nooptions	Avoid loading OPTIONS lumps embedded into WAD files.
-tranmap	Forces a (re-)building of the translucency and color translation tables.

Demo options

Parameter	Description
-fastdemo <demo>	Plays the given demo as fast as possible.
-levelstat	Write level statistics upon exit to levelstat.txt
-longtics	Record a high resolution "Doom 1.91" demo.
-maxdemo <size>	Sets the initial size of the demo recording buffer (KiB). This is no longer a hard limit, and the buffer will expand if the given limit is exceeded.
-playdemo <demo>	Play back the demo named demo.lmp.
-record <demo>	Record a demo named demo.lmp.
-recordfrom <s> <demo>	Record a demo, loading from the given save slot. Equivalent to -loadgame <s> -record <demo>.
-recordfromto <demo1> <demo2>	Allows continuing <demo1> after it ends or when the user presses the join demo key, the result getting saved as <demo2>. Equivalent to -playdemo <demo1> -record <demo2>.
-shorttics	Play with low turning resolution to emulate demo recording.
-skipsec <min:sec>	Skip min:sec time during viewing of the demo. "-warp <x> -skipsec <min:sec>" will skip min:sec time on level x.
-strict	Sets compatibility and cosmetic settings according to DSDA rules.
-timedemo <demo>	Play back the demo named demo.lmp, determining the framerate of the screen.

Compatibility

Parameter	Description
-cl <version>	Alias to -complevel.
-complevel <version>	Emulate a specific version of Doom/Boom/MBF. Valid values are "vanilla", "boom", "mbf", "mbf21".
-gameversion <version>	Emulate a specific version of Doom. Valid values are "1.9", "ultimate", "final", "chex". Implies -complevel vanilla.
-setmem <version>	Specify DOS version to emulate for NULL pointer dereference emulation. Supported versions are: dos622, dos71, dosbox. The default is to emulate DOS 7.1 (Windows 98).
-spechit <n>	Use the specified magic value when emulating spechit overruns.
-statdump <filename>	Dump statistics information to the specified file on the levels that were played. The output from this option matches the output from statdump.exe (see ctrlapi.zip in the /idgames archive).

Obscure and less-used options

Parameter	Description
-cdrom	Save configuration data and savegames in c:\doomdata, allowing play from CD. (windows only)
-nogui	Don't pop up a GUI dialog box to show the error message.