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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War cover
Developers
Relic Entertainment
GOG.com General Arcade[1]
Publishers
2004-2013 THQ
2013-present Sega
Release dates
Windows September 20, 2004
Reception
Metacritic 86
IGDB 86
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Expansion pack
Microtransactions None
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Bird's-eye view
Controls Multiple select, Point and select
Genres RTS
Art styles Stylized
Themes Sci-fi
Series Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War on HowLongToBeat
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War on IGDB
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War guide on StrategyWiki
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War on MobyGames
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War on Wikipedia
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Subseries of Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2004
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Dark Crusade 2006
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm 2008
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II 2009
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising 2010
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution 2011
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III 2017

Warnings

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

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is a singleplayer and multiplayer bird's-eye view RTS game in the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series.

The game received a number of patches, as well as the Game of the Year edition with additional maps, which would be the default digital release of the game. On September 21, 2005, the Winter Assault expansion pack was released with two new campaigns, the Imperial Guard playable faction, new winter theater and new multiplayer maps.

The subsequent standalone expansion packs, Dark Crusade and Soulstorm, do not require the base game to play. However, in order to play as the original playable factions in multiplayer, the base game needs to be installed on the same machine (if using retail versions) or owned on the same Steam account. The same is valid for playing the Imperial Guard in those expansions - the Winter Assault needs to be additionally owned.

On May 22, 2014, Dawn of War and its expansions were migrated from GameSpy to Steamworks-based multiplayer servers, but lost LAN functionality in the process.[2] The GOG.com release from May 25, 2023 uses GOG Galaxy for multiplayer, but is not cross-compatible with Steam users.

Modifications and saved games can be used across the fully patched retail, Steam and GOG.com versions.

General information

Lexicanum - A huge wiki for the Warhammer 40,000 series
Dawn of War 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)
CD key
SecuROM 5 DRM.
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Game of the Year Edition.
Windows
Gamesplanet logo.svg
Icon overlay.png
Master Collection.
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
Master Collection; bundled with Winter Assault, Dark Crusade, and Soulstorm.
Base game and Winter Assault distributions differ only in the included executable, making Winter Assault effectively standalone.
Windows
Humble Store
Icon overlay.png
Game of the Year Edition.
Windows
Humble Store
Icon overlay.png
Master Collection.
Windows
Steam
Icon overlay.png
Game of the Year Edition.
Winter Assault files are included, but require a separate purchase to activate. Master Collection also available.
Windows
Games for Windows Marketplace (unavailable)
Icon overlay.png
[3]
Windows
Owners of retail copies can request a free Steam key from SEGA's UK support service.[4]
SecuROM 5 DRM can be removed by installing the official 1.51 patch.[5][citation needed]
Free demo versions are available from GameFront: base game, Winter Assault.

Version differences

The Game of the Year Edition is a re-release of the base game with patch 1.40 pre-applied, and with several exclusive skirmish/multiplayer maps. It is the only version of the base game available digitally.
The retail-only Gold Edition includes the base game's Game of the Year Edition and the Winter Assault expansion.
The retail-only Platinum Edition includes the base game's Game of the Year Edition, the Winter Assault expansion, and Dark Crusade.

Monetization

Type Notes
Expansion pack The expansion pack includes a new faction (Imperial Guard), new maps and two new campaigns.
One-time game purchase The game requires an upfront purchase to access.

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Winter Assault
Windows

Essential improvements

Patches

Patch 1.51 is the latest official patch for the retail version of the game, and requires patches 1.41 and 1.50 to be installed first.
The Winter Assault disc automatically applies patch 1.41 upon installation. To install this expansion, do so before applying any subsequent patch.
The Steam and GOG.com versions are on their own separate release equivalent to 1.51 in terms of balance and gameplay - the only difference being Steamworks/Galaxy multiplayer used instead of GameSpy and LAN options.

Skip intro videos

Run the game with the -nomovies command line argument.

Higher resolution models

These enhancements are significantly more performance intensive. Ensure your PC is significantly more powerful than the recommended system specifications to ensure there is no loss of performance.
Full resolution models[citation needed]
  1. Run game at least once to generate the .ini file.
  2. Go to <path-to-game>
  3. Open Local.ini.
  4. Add the following line to the file: fullres_teamcolour=1
  5. Save and close the file.
Run the game with the -forcehighpoly command line argument[citation needed]

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\Local.ini[Note 1]
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/4570/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\Profiles\profile*\[Note 1]
Steam Play (Linux) <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/4570/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video

In-game video settings.
In-game video settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
See Widescreen resolution.
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed
Must be configured through external graphics utility.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
See Anti-aliasing (AA).
Vertical sync (Vsync)
See Vertical sync (Vsync).
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
No frame rate caps.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Widescreen resolution

Widescreen (Steam)[citation needed]
  1. Launch the game, select Options and set Texture Detail to Low.
  2. Set the other graphical settings to the desired values, then close the game.
  3. Download the archive, then extract the files anywhere.
  4. Select the desired version, then extract the files into the main installation folder.
  5. Navigate to the main installation folder and open Local.ini with a text editor.
  6. Set the following lines to the desired resolution.
screenwidth=YourWidth
screenheight=YourHeight

Notes

If Texture Detail is set to Medium or High unexplored areas will appear as black in the miminap.
This solution results in a stretched image.
This solution results in a bugged minimap.
Widescreen resolution (Retail versions 1.2 and 1.3)[citation needed]
  1. Download the archive and run the setup.
  2. Launch the game, then close it at the main menu.
  3. Navigate to the main installation path and open Local.ini with a text editor.
  4. Set the following lines to the desired resolution.
screenwidth=YourWidth
screenheight=YourHeight
  1. Launch the game.

Field of view (FOV)

This fix will greatly enhance zoom capabilities.
Install the Camera Zoom Mod[citation needed]
  1. Download Camera Zoom Mod.
  2. Copy the .lua file to <path-to-game>\Engine\Data\

Anti-aliasing (AA)

Forcing AA will render fonts blurry and harder to read.
Forcing AA via graphics driver will result in greater AA. INI fix is probably only 2x AA.
Force Anti-aliasing (AA)[citation needed]
  1. Run game at least once to generate the .ini file.
  2. Go to <path-to-game>
  3. Open Local.ini.
  4. Locate line screenantialias=0 and change it to screenantialias=1.

Vertical sync (Vsync)

Disable vsync[citation needed]
  1. Run game at least once to generate the .ini file.
  2. Go to <path-to-game>
  3. Open Local.ini.
  4. Locate line screennovsync=0 and change it to screennovsync=1.

Input

In-game control settings.
In-game control settings.

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Scroll rate only.
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Controller types

Audio

In-game audio settings.
In-game audio settings.

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

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
French
German
Hungarian
Fan translation.
Italian
Japanese
Fan translation. Download here.
Japanese
Fan translation. Download here.
Korean
Fan translation. Download here. This translation only works for the original Dawn of War game and Winter Assault.
Polish
Retail only.
Russian
Retail only.
Spanish

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
8 Versus
Removed from the Steam version.[6]
Online play
8 Versus
The official GameSpy service has been shut down; Steam version has been updated with Steamworks support, while GOG.com uses Galaxy multiplayer. Steam and GOG Galaxy users can see each other, but not join each other's games.

Connection types

Type Native Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP
Removed from the Steam and GOG.com versions.[6]

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
UDP 6112
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

VR support

3D modes State Notes
vorpX
G3D
User created game profile, see vorpx forum profile introduction.

Issues fixed

Crash on startup

Run the W40k.exe / W40kWA.exe in compatibility mode for Windows 98 / ME.[7]
Go to <path-to-game>\Engine and create the Data folder if not found.

Frame rate drop on mouse movement

Disable hardware cursor[8]
  1. Go to the <path-to-game>\Drivers
  2. Open spdx9_config.txt.
  3. Locate line allowhwcursor 1 and set to allowhwcursor 0.

More than one player can't join host's multiplayer lobby

Have the second player leave in order for the third player to be able to join
  1. Have the second player connect to the host's lobby.
  2. Have the third player try to connect.
  3. When that fails, have the second player leave. The third player should now be able to join.
  4. Once the third player has joined, the second may now also join.
Untested on more than three players.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9.0b
Shader Model support 2.0b
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Cutscenes DivX
Multiplayer GameSpy, Steamworks, GOG Galaxy GameSpy in non-Steam versions only.

Mods

Dawn of War has a "Game Manager", enabling switching between mods very easy.
In general, mods work for both the patched retail (1.51) and Steam versions of the game.
It is possible to run multiple modifications at once. For instructions, see here.

Dawn of War Professional

ModDB page
Gameplay and balance mod which significantly changes the game
Requires Winter Assault, or either standalone expansion.
Restores upgrades that were removed in expansions and includes additional content created by the community. All units are designed to play a role until late game.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 98
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium III 1.4 GHz
AMD Athlon XP 1.4 GHz
System memory (RAM) 256 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 4.5 GB
Video card (GPU) Hardware T&L compatible
32 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9.0b compatible
Sound (audio device) DirectX 9.0b 16-bit compatible
Other


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>/4570/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (4570) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.

References