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Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines cover
Developers
Pyro Studios
Publishers
Retail, original digital Eidos Interactive
Retail re-release Sold Out Software
Second digital Merge Games
Third digital Kalypso Media
Release dates
Windows August 28, 1998
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase
Microtransactions None
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Bird's-eye view, Isometric
Controls Multiple select, Point and select
Genres Stealth, Strategy
Vehicles Automobile, Naval/watercraft, Tank
Art styles Stylized
Themes Europe, Africa, World War II
Series Commandos
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines on HowLongToBeat
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines guide on StrategyWiki
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines on MobyGames
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines on Wikipedia
Commandos
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines 1998
Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty 1999
Commandos 2: Men of Courage 2001
Commandos 3: Destination Berlin 2003
Commandos: Strike Force 2006
Commandos 2 HD Remaster 2020
Commandos 3 HD Remaster 2022
Commandos: Origins 2024

Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines is a singleplayer and multiplayer bird's-eye view and isometric stealth and strategy game in the Commandos series.

The game has significant issues on modern systems out-of-the-box. In Windows 10 and newer, the internal compatibility library is assigned to a misspelled executable name (commandos.exe instead of comandos.exe), so the executable needs to be renamed to function properly and pass the DirectX 5 check on startup (already applied in the Zoom Platform release). Issues with game speed have several workarounds in the Essential improvements section of the article as well. Additionally, the retail version's installer is a 16-bit application and can not run on 64-bit systems; see Issues fixed for a workaround.

General information

Commandos Wiki
GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
Illegal Table of Contents and oversized DRM (lead-out area shortened and used for data, to prevent most contemporary CD-RW drives from copying the method)
Windows
Retail
DRM-free
Ammo Pack retail release. The game might ask for the disc (depending on the game's registry values), however it's nonfunctional and can be ignored by selecting cancel.
Windows
GamersGate
Icon overlay.png
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
Includes Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty. Cannot be purchased in Germany.[1]
Windows
Green Man Gaming
Icon overlay.png
Windows
Humble Store
Icon overlay.png
Commandos Collection
Windows
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Windows
ZOOM Platform
DRM-free
Windows
A free demo version is available from Archive.org and CommandosHQ.

Version differences

The GOG.com and Zoom Platform versions have added compatibility fixes for modern systems.
The GOG.com version includes Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty, and is cheaper than buying both games separately on Steam.
The Zoom Platform release has assets fully extracted instead of bundled within <path-to-game>\WARGAME.dir.

Essential improvements

Skip intro videos

Delete/rename H_Intro.avi[citation needed]
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\VIDEO.
  2. Delete or rename H_Intro.avi.

Patches

The latest official patch for the European retail release is 1.1. The US release is already patched.

Remove CD check

Only applies to the DRM-free Ammo Pack retail release. Do NOT use for DRM-protected releases.
Edit the registry keys

If installed manually:

  • At step 3 of the manual installation fix here, for the DirCd value, use the same path as DirIns.

If installed using the game's installer:

  1. Copy the VIDEO folder from the disc to <path-to-game>.
  2. In Windows Registry navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Pyro\Commandos\1.0.
  3. Change DirCd's path to the same one as DirIns.

Stability and speed fixing

The game is intended to run at 15-20 FPS as animations and game speed are tied to framerate. Increasing this will make the some missions needlessly difficult. Modern systems tend to run the game at a higher speed than they are supposed to.
Method 1: DDrawCompat
  1. Download DDrawCompat and extract it to <path-to-game> (use the Legacy subfolder if using the Steam version).
  2. Rename comandos.exe to commandos.exe if running Windows 10 or newer to pass the DirectX 5 check on startup (do the same in the Legacy subfolder if using the Steam version).
Method 2: DxWnd
Allows game to be run in windowed mode, without the mouse freezing / game speed up issue and ingame sound.
  1. Download DxWnd and extract it to an easily accessible location.
  2. Rename comandos.exe to commandos.exe if running Windows 10 or newer to pass the DirectX 5 check on startup (do the same in the Legacy subfolder if using the Steam version).
  3. Open DxWnd
  4. Under the "options" tab, select "expert mode".
  5. Under the "edit" tab, select "add".
  6. Within "main", select the path and launch to be the newly renamed executable file (use the Legacy subfolder if using the Steam version).
  7. Optionally, change the window size settings to desired values (note that too high resolutions can cause graphical issues due to limited map sizes early in the campaign).
  8. Up the top of DxWnd select the "Video" tab
  9. Deselect "Emulate Win Maximise" within window handling
  10. Check "Locked Size" within windows size and position
  11. Up the top of DxWnd select the "Msgs" tab
  12. Check "Swallow mouse move messages" within message handling
Method 3: Steam Ultimate fix[2]
Fixes many of the numerous bugs the Steam version has (lack of sound, not being able to save or load and the gameplay running incredibly fast)
  1. Download the patch and extract it to <path-to-game> (use the Legacy subfolder if using the Steam version).
  2. Rename comandos.exe to commandos.exe if running Windows 10 or newer to pass the DirectX 5 check on startup (do the same in the Legacy subfolder if using the Steam version).

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\OUTPUT\[Note 1]
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Pyro Studios\Commandos\OUTPUT
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/6800/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\OUTPUT\[Note 1]
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Pyro Studios\Commandos\OUTPUT
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/6800/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud

Video

Video options is limited to changing between four resolutions.
Video options is limited to changing between four resolutions.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
Apply the resolution fix
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Use DxWnd.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Vertical sync (Vsync)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
Game is coded to run at low FPS(aproximated 16fps), but mouse control is unaffected

Input

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Keys cannot be remapped. F1 displays a list of hotkeys.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Controller types

Audio

The only available audio option is master volume.
The only available audio option is master volume.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
French
Retail and GOG.com only.
German
Retail and GOG.com only; download for Steam version.
Hungarian
Fan translation.
Italian
Retail and GOG.com only.
Polish
Retail only.
Russian
Unofficial localization by «Fargus Multimedia»
Spanish
Retail and GOG.com only; download for Steam version.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
6 Co-op
Online play
6 Co-op
The official MPlayer.com service has been shut down.

Connection types

Issues fixed

Can't install original retail version on 64-bit Windows

Manually install the game[3]
  1. Create the game's directory (the default path is C:\Program Files (x86)\Eidos Interactive\Pyro\Commandos)
  2. Open the <cd drive>\COMANDOS folder and copy its content inside the first folder
  3. Open a text editor, save the following in a file with the .reg extension, then open and apply it.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Pyro]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Pyro\Commandos]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Pyro\Commandos\1.0]
"DirCd"="D:\\Comandos"
"DirIns"="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Eidos Interactive\\Pyro\\Commandos"
"Type"=dword:00000001

Notes

The above .reg file assumes D: as the CD drive and the default game path as the installation folder. Adjust these registry keys accordingly.
On 32-bit Windows, omit Wow6432Node from the path.

Save and load are disabled

This issue occurs if you install the game manually (by copying over the game files), but not create the registry keys.
Create the registry keys mentioned in the manual installation fix here.

"Please run the German version on this computer" error

This issue has been fixed in the GOG.com version (specifically using the hex edit below).
Change your Windows language setting from "Deutsch (Deutschland)" to "Deutsch (Luxemburg)"[citation needed]
Hex edit Comandos.exe[4]
  1. Open the game executable with a hex editor such as HxD.
  2. Search for 74 0C 81 FE 07 14 00 00 74 04
  3. Replace first and last 2 groups of byte (74 0C and 74 04) with 90 90
  4. Search for 74 0C 81 FF 07 14 00 00 0F 85
  5. Replace 74 0C with 90 90 and 0F 85 with 90 E9

"DIRECTX 5 NOT FOUND." error

This occurs due to the internal compatibility database within Windows 10/11 being assigned to the wrong (mistyped) filename.
Rename comandos.exe to commandos.exe[5]

Notes

Already applied in the Zoom Platform release.

Black screen error

This occurs due to the lack of VP6F codecs in modern operating systems.
Move, delete or rename the Video folder.[citation needed]

Game stutters when moving the mouse

Mouse movement seems to be tied to frame rate which can cause the game to stutter only when the cursor is moved
Change your mouse polling rate to 125 using its software. If no software is available, try using a different mouse (cheap mice work better) or use any Bluetooth mouse to play the game.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
DirectDraw 5
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio Miles Sound System
Multiplayer MPlayer.com Servers were taken offline in 2001.

Mission passwords

From the main menu, individual missions can be accessed by inputting a 5-character password that is shown at the end of the preceding mission in the score screen.
While different in-game profiles and potentially localizations will show different code sets, all of the codes for a specific mission work without restriction.[6]
Mission Codes
2. A Quiet Blow-up 4JJXB / YS2B7
3. Reverse Engineering 4FQBF / 4MD1T / ZDD1T
4. Restore Pride 5DNCQ / 4GF1J / RFF1J / GDNCQ
5. Blind Justice 6S5TL / 24TCG / K4TCG
6. Menace of the Leopold AT1WN / QT1WN / MIR4M / DT1WN
7. Chase of the Wolves O9VJ8 / 1QVJV / 7QVJV / SNYWX
8. Pyrotechnics WQ9XB / P99XC / K99XC / A3WJO
9. A Courtesy Call Q2AXT / J1PBF / AAAX1 / 924BF / 7IAX1
10. Operation Icarus TUGPD / NU6PD / JSGPW / PSGPW
11. In The Soup 9WODW / ND0PW / CMODD / 7FOP3 / JF0P3
12. Up on the Roof UVHDC / NMB4M / JGHD3 / KFHD3 /
13. David and Goliath FBK48 / JBK4V / PUUWW / KSUWW / BJK4Y
14. D-Day Kickoff WA8DW / EL34V / WT348 / 3T34V / EL34V / TI8D1
15. The End of the Butcher KEWD3 / 69WDN / 139P0 / C39PM / XQWDC
16. Stop Wildfire R7JP3 / EQIPY / L9IPV / 334MW
17. Before Dawn FXIMV / R40JF / 5LIMV / 3A4PD
18. The Force of Circumstance ZZMJV / 9DGJ7 / YJOJG
19. Frustrate Retaliation 8HCWN / 7FV48 / YFCWJ / NMGJQ
20. Operation Valhalla C7KWW / Q8U4V / GDKWT / YDKWT

Cheats

To use cheats, type 1982gonzo or gonzo1982 while in-game and then use the following key combinations.
Other combinations can be found on the Internet, but have no effect in the latest version of the game.
Key combination Effect
Ctrl+I Invincibility
Ctrl+ Shift+N Skip current mission
F9 Display debug info (in Spanish) about element under the pointer
Shift+V Displays view cones for all neutral/enemy units
Shift+F1 Shift resolution to 512x384
Shift+F2 Shift resolution to 640x480
Shift+F3 Shift resolution to 800x600
Shift+F4 Shift resolution to 1024x768

System requirements

Steam

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 9X, ME
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium II 300 MHz
System memory (RAM) 64 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 2 GB
Video card (GPU) 12 MB of VRAM
DirectX 8 compatible
Sound (audio device) DirectX 8 compatible

Disc Version

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 95
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium 120 MHz
System memory (RAM) 16 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 135 MB
Video card (GPU) 1 MB of VRAM
DirectX 5 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>/6800/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (6800) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References