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Star Wars: Battlefront II

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games

This page is for the original 2005 game. For the 2017 game, see Star Wars Battlefront II (2017).

Star Wars: Battlefront II
Star Wars: Battlefront II cover
Developers
Pandemic Studios
Publishers
LucasArts
Disney Interactive Studios
Engines
Zero
Release dates
Windows October 31, 2005
Reception
Metacritic 78
IGDB 76
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives First-person, Third-person
Controls Direct control
Genres Action, FPS, Shooter
Vehicles Hovercraft, Robot, Space flight, Tank
Themes Sci-fi, Space
Series Star Wars: Battlefront
Star Wars: Battlefront II on HowLongToBeat
Star Wars: Battlefront II on IGDB
Star Wars: Battlefront II guide on StrategyWiki
Star Wars: Battlefront II on MobyGames
Star Wars: Battlefront II on Wikipedia
Star Wars: Battlefront
Subseries of Star Wars
Star Wars: Battlefront 2004
Star Wars: Battlefront II 2005
Star Wars Battlefront (2015) 2015
Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) 2017
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection 2024

Warnings

GameSpy online services have been shut down (see Network for solutions).

Star Wars: Battlefront II is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person and third-person action, FPS and shooter game in the Star Wars: Battlefront series.

DLC content from the Xbox version was never officially released on PC, but can be modded in. See Xbox DLC and Title Update Content for PC for details.

General information

Titled Star Wars: Battlefront II (Classic, 2005) on digital stores to avoid confusion with the 2017 game with the same name.
GOG.com Community Discussions
GOG.com Support Page
Official LucasArts Battlefront II Forums
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
CD key
CD-ROM edition with 4 discs (NA) and a DVD-ROM version (EU/some NA).
SecuROM v7.00.00.0071 DRM.
Windows
GamersGate
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
Patch 1.1 Multiplayer Update 2.
Offline installer is original 1.1; use Galaxy to update to multiplayer-compatible version.
Windows
Humble Store
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Origin
Origin
Original 1.1 only. Included with EA Play Pro.[1] Currently only visible in the EA App's Browse menu.
Windows
Steam
Icon overlay.png
CD key
Can no longer be run without Steam as of a recent patch.[2]
Windows
Steam serial keys work on retail version.
The Galaxy multiplayer update removed the original icon from the executable. A replacement can be found here.

Version differences

The GOG.com and Steam versions were updated with multiplayer support in October 2017.[3] Crossplay between these versions is available through GOG Galaxy.[4]
CD-ROM edition was released in North America with 4 discs and a DVD-ROM version was release in Europe, though some DVD copies exist in North America.

Essential improvements

Patches

Patch 1.1 – The GOG.com and Steam versions are patched past this. The retail version in the "Fan Favorites 1" collection already has this patch installed.
Unofficial v1.3 Patch – Fixes various bugs, makes text more easily readable, and includes multiple changes for improved moddability. Online compatible, for retail release see here.
Battlefront II Remastered – latest update based on Unofficial v1.3 Patch. Support higher resolutions for menu interface, new settings page, reworked HUD with new features, fixed hero healthbar in vehicles and more.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\GameData\SaveGames[Note 1]
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/6060/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\GameData\SaveGames[Note 1]
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/6060/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
Origin
Steam Cloud

Video

General settings.
General settings.
Video settings.
Video settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
Hor+. The HUD is stretched and crosshair misaligned in widescreen resolutions.
The main menus and Galactic Conquest always output at 800x600; Higher resolutions can be forced, however this is not recommended due to tiny text.
Multi-monitor
See Widescreen resolution for retail version. HUD elements may not display correctly.
Ultra-widescreen
See Widescreen resolution for retail version. HUD elements may not display correctly.
4K Ultra HD
Some interface elements don't appear at this resolution. Text does not scale to higher resolutions.
Resolutions higher than 1920x1200 are not recommended.
Field of view (FOV)
See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed
Launch with /win [citation needed]
Borderless fullscreen windowed
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Force in GPU control panel or use Shader Patch.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Up to 8x MSAA.
Nvidia users can force SGSSAA in Nvidia Profile Inspector.[Note 3]
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS
120+ FPS
Locked at 80 FPS by default, unlock by using /fixedrate [number].
Only works when VSync is enabled, otherwise just uncaps framerate entirely.
Alternatively, you can use this mod that increases the framerate cap instead of messing with fixedrate (speed modifier) of the game.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
Color blind mode
Distinction of enemy vs. allied colors may be difficult for users with achromatopsia. Users with deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia should be fine.

Widescreen resolution

Command line parameter[citation needed]
  1. See Command line arguments.
  2. Set the values to the desired resolution. For example, use -resolution 1920 1080 or /resolution 1920 1080.
  3. This does not appear to work for resolutions past 16:9 and 16:10. Edit "vidmode.ini". See this post.

Notes

The Multiplayer Update will always list all supported resolutions.
The custom resolution will always take precedence and as such it cannot be overridden from the options menu.
The menus may become messed up or unusable after forcing them to certain resolutions; this can be repaired with Star Wars Battlefront II Remastered.

Field of view (FOV)

Set FOV[citation needed]
  1. Download and install the Unofficial v1.3 Patch.
  2. When you start playing, pause the game and choose Fake Console.
  3. Set your FOV value and confirm.
This will result in incomplete first-person models on higher FOV settings.

Input

Only two bindings can be assigned to a single command.

Audio

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Mono, Stereo, Headphone, Surround (Dolby Pro Logic II), Quadrophonic, 5.1, 7.1
Subtitles
Subtitles are only for in-game movies.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support
EAX 4.0.[5]
Disable Bass Management if using DSOAL.[6][7]
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Accessible through these steps for the Steam version.
French
Accessible through these steps for the Steam version.
German
Accessible through these steps for the Steam version.
Italian
Accessible through these steps for the Steam version.
Spanish
Accessible through these steps for the Steam version.

Network

Use the Join or Create buttons in order to skip the main GameSpy login prompt.

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
Use Nucleus Co-op.
LAN play
64
Online play
64 The official GameSpy service has been shut down; GOG.com and Steam versions have been updated with Galaxy support.

Connection types

Type Native Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Dedicated Server software is available.
Direct IP
Use the +connect parameter followed by the IP and the port.
Not available on Galaxy multiplayer update.[8]

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 3658-3659, 6500, 27900
UDP 3658-3659, 6500, 27900
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

Issues fixed

Audio looping and stuttering

Command line argument[9]
  1. See Command line arguments.
  2. Use /audiomixbuffer 50

Incorrectly bound controller movement

Correctly binding the controller's movement axis[citation needed]
  1. Set the Left and Right movement stick to the X+ axis.
  2. Set the Up and Down visuals stick to the Y- axis.

Crash to desktop after loading a map

Enable stereo mix[citation needed]
  1. Open Control panel and select Sound.
  2. Change to Recording tab.
  3. Right click and select "Show Disabled Devices" and enable stereo mix.
Connect an audio device[citation needed]
  • Either connect a pair of Headphones, a Webcam, a microphone or any other audio device with 3.5mm jack.
Run the game in a windowed mode[citation needed]
Set CPU core affinity[citation needed]
  1. Open Task Manager and go to Battlefront's executable.
  2. Set Affinity to use only one or two cores to improve overall stability.

Low frame rate and long loading times

Run the game in a windowed mode[citation needed]

Glitchy textures on AMD graphics cards

Fixed with Crimson ReLive Edition version 17.2.1 WHQL.[10]
Download WineD3D[citation needed]
  1. Download the 1.7.52 version or newer.
  2. Extract its contents to <path-to-game>\GameData
Download old AMD DLLs[11]
  1. Download the 15.10 version.
  2. Extract its contents to <path-to-game>\GameData

Notes

Better performance than the first solution.

Lights visible through walls

Disable FXAA in the graphics card control panel.

Random black screens

Issue commonly found during the tutorial when objective messages pop up.
Disable Discord overlay[12]

Game output is offset from the screen/renders outside the screen

The game's video output is offset downward and to the right. It renders outside the lower-right of the screen, with black bars on the top and left.
Instructions

Disable screen scaling on your primary monitor

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9.0c
Shader Model support 1.1
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Cutscenes Bink Video 1.8.2.0
Multiplayer GameSpy, GOG Galaxy GameSpy is used in Retail version, both GOG.com and Steam use the Galaxy API

Mods

A collection of mods can be found here. For more general mods, go here.
The official Mod Tools SDK, with some essential fan patches, can be found here.

Battlefront ll: SAGA EDITION

Successor to "Star Wars Battlefront 2: Ultimate Pack".
The modification requires the game to be installed, however, when installed, the modification generates its own executable independent of the game's native executable.
A modification that adds more than 10 maps, a facelift to the interface and more.
The "Ultimate Pack" version featured significantly more content.
The "Ultimate Pack" version supported multiplayer mode, however, as this version generates its own space in the game's destination folder, it does not allow multiplayer from its executable.

Battlefront ll: Ultimate Pack

Although this version has been replaced by SAGA EDITION, it is still possible to get the latest version of this modification here.
A modification that adds more than 100 maps, more than 10 new eras, a facelift to the interface and more.
Predecessor of "SAGA EDITION", whose content is significantly superior to its successor.
It is not required to have the base game installed, unless you want to play multiplayer.
Compatible with Steam version.

Battlefront 2 Remaster

A total conversion mod that overhauls the maps, units, vehicles, weapons, effects and sounds of Battlefront II, while preserving online compatibility and the integrity of the vanilla gameplay.
Can be very demanding hardware-wise.

AI Heroes

Allows AI opponents to use Heroes and Villains in Instant Action mode.

Conversion Pack

Adds 25 new maps (including the ones from Battlefront I and the Xbox-exclusive DLC maps) and 5 new game modes.
Ensure the 1.3 revision patch is installed to prevent unreadable text and bugs.
May not be compatible with vanilla multiplayer servers.
The Battlefront I Maps can also be found separately here.

Battlefront: Evolved

Improves the models, textures, and particle effects for the ALL, CIS, IMP, and REP factions' units and vehicles.
Installation requires overwriting existing vanilla files, making a backup of the <path-to-game>\GameData\data\_lvl_pc\side is recommended before installing.

Harrisonfog's HD Graphics Mod

Standalone ReShade preset that normalizes color saturation, improves game lighting, sharpens the image, and uses a more subtle bloom.
Can be modified to fit the player's taste by editing MasterEffect.h in a text editor. [Note 4]
Rezzed and Realistic Maps
Improved maps with HD textures and general re-design.
Designed for the HD Graphics Mod. May not look correct without it.
The realistic maps are not online compatible.
Installation requires overwriting existing vanilla files, making a backup of the original map files is recommended before installing.
Improved Sides
Replaces the character models with higher quality models and textures.
Designed for the HD Graphics Mod, but still looks great without it.
The increased detail can result in significantly more prominent texture aliasing. The HD Graphics Mod can help, and forcing SGSSAA will reduce this even further.
Installation requires overwriting existing vanilla files, making a backup of the <path-to-game>\GameData\data\_lvl_pc\side and <path-to-game>\GameData\data\_lvl_pc\fmp is recommended before installing.

Shader Patch

Adds several subtle visual enhancements, such as a smoother bloom, more realistic shadows, and a higher quality droideka shield.
Allows map mod authors to enable additional visual effects. An modded version of the vanilla Mygeeto map that demonstrates what can be accomplished with this patch is available.
The 1.0 release is not compatible with the HD Graphics Mod, as it uses a DirectX 9-11 wrapper. If combining with that mod, use 0.9.1 or earlier. Doing so may result in undesired effects, depending on user preference.[13]

Star Wars Battlefront II Remastered (HD interface mod)

Fixes menu display when forced to a higher resolution than 800x600.
Includes AI Heroes and Unofficial v1.3 Patch.
New font designed for higher resolutions and reworked HUD with new features.[14]

Xbox DLC and Title Update Content for PC

Converts Xbox Exclusive DLC maps (Bespin, Rhen Var, Rhen Var Harbor, Yavin Arena) and the additional Hero Assaults+Heroes (Kit Fisto, Asajj Ventress) including the Xbox Title Update's Kashyyyk Hero Assault.
Better conversion quality than Marvel4's Conversion Pack.
Bespin: Platforms, Geonosis: Spire, Kamino: Tipoca, Kashyyyk: Docks, Kashyyyk: Islands, Naboo: Plains and Tatooine: Dune Sea maps are not included as they were never officially converted for SWBF2. For those maps download Marvel4's Conversion Pack.

Unofficial Controller Support

Adds support for Xinput controllers and partially ports Xbox UI to PC version.
Includes updated version of Unofficial Patch with proper Steam/GOG re-release support.

Bug Fixes and Subtle Improvements

Fixes smaller bugs with a goal to remain true to the original experience.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 98, ME (retail)
Processor (CPU) AMD Athlon XP 1500+
Intel Pentium 4 1.5 GHz
System memory (RAM) 256 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 8.1 GB
Video card (GPU) Hardware T&L capable
64 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9.0c compatible


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).
  2. 2.0 2.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in ~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/6060/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (6060) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.
  3. Forcing SGSSAA without any compatibility bits causes menus to appear blurrier. Additionally, forced AA does not affect character models on the unit select screen; only the built-in MSAA and any post-processing antialiasing (such as the SMAA provided by the HD Graphics Mod) will antialias those models.
  4. For example, changing #define USE_FISHEYE_CA to 0 disables chromatic aberration. All settings are labeled in a human-readable fashion.

References

  1. Verified by User:Gantonio865 on 2021-03-24
  2. Verified by User:icup321 on 2021-02-09
  3. Steam Community - last accessed on May 2023
  4. gog.com - last accessed on May 2023
  5. Verified by User:SirYodaJedi on 14 September 2018
    Includes eax.dll which contains EAX 4.0.1.0
  6. Steam Community :: Guide :: Restoring EAX effects on modern operating systems (and non-creative soundcards) [UPDATED!] - last accessed on 9 June 2023
  7. cdn.discordapp.com - last accessed on May 2023
  8. Connect with IP?, page 1 - Forum - GOG.com - last accessed on May 2023
  9. gog.com - last accessed on May 2023
  10. Steam Community :: Guide :: AMD Graphics Issues Fix - last accessed on 2017-02-24
  11. Reddit - last accessed on May 2023
  12. Steam Community - last accessed on May 2023
  13. Star Wars Battlefront 2 Mod | Shader Patch Mygeeto - YouTube
  14. Star Wars Battlefront 2 Mod | Full HD Interface | Main Menu and Galactic Conquest in HD! - YouTube