CFG/INI Configuration Files

Fallout and Fallout 2 use several INI-style configuration files. Some are global runtime settings, such as fallout2.cfg. Others are extension configs, such as sfall's ddraw.ini and the high-resolution patch's f2_res.ini. A few resource-side files, such as movie .cfg files, reuse the same parser for local data.

This page documents the shared parser behavior, the main game configuration keys, and the most important extension/config side effects that influence file lookup, language paths, subtitles, palettes, music, movies, scripts, and mod compatibility.

Config Files

File	Typical location	Role
fallout2.cfg	Game directory.	Main game settings: resource paths, language, preferences, sound, debug, and saved options-menu state.
mapper2.cfg	Mapper directory.	Mapper variant of the main game config. Uses the same parser plus [mapper] keys.
ddraw.ini	Game directory.	sfall configuration. CE reads a compatibility subset; classic sfall supports many more options.
f2_res.ini	Game directory or high-resolution patch config location.	Resolution, fullscreen/windowed behavior, movie/static-screen scaling, and high-resolution patch options.
art\cuts\*.cfg	Beside matching MVE movie files, loose or inside DAT.	Movie palette fade effects keyed by movie frame number.
Data configs	data\*.txt and related paths.	Files such as AI.TXT and worldmap.txt use the same broad INI/config style, but are documented separately because their schemas are game-data formats.

Parser Rules

Fallout 2 CE's config.cc is a useful reference for the classic parser behavior.

Feature	Behavior
Line length	CE reads config lines with a 256-byte buffer. Keep lines shorter for compatibility.
Sections	A section line starts with [ after leading whitespace and ends at the next ].
Key/value	Entries are key=value. The first equals sign separates key and value.
Whitespace	Leading and trailing whitespace around section names, keys, and values is trimmed.
Comments	A semicolon ; truncates the rest of the line before parsing.
Quotes	There is no quote or escape syntax. Quotes become literal characters, and semicolons cannot be preserved in values.
Missing section	A key/value before any section is stored under the parser's default last-section name, unknown.
Case	Section and key lookup is case-insensitive in CE's dictionary implementation.
Duplicates	Setting the same section/key again replaces the previous value. Practically, the later value wins.
Integers	CE uses strtol for normal integer reads and intentionally tolerates trailing nonnumeric characters for compatibility with old data such as percentages.
Booleans	Boolean settings are integer-backed. 0 is false, any nonzero value is true.
Lists	Some call sites read comma-separated integer lists with configGetIntList.

Command-line overrides are also parsed by the same config code. Arguments of the form [section]key=value are merged after the file has been loaded, so they override file contents.

fallout2-ce.exe [system]language=german [preferences]subtitles=1

Load Order

1. sfall config initializes first with built-in defaults.
2. ddraw.ini is loaded from the executable directory, if present.
3. Command-line [section]key=value overrides are merged into the sfall config.
4. The main game config initializes with built-in defaults.
5. If ddraw.ini has [Misc] ConfigFile, CE can use that filename instead of fallout2.cfg for the game config.
6. fallout2.cfg or mapper2.cfg is loaded, if present.
7. Command-line overrides are merged into the game config.
8. Configured resource paths are normalized and resolved for the current platform.

This means defaults are always present even when the file is missing. The file changes defaults, and command-line overrides win over both.

fallout2.cfg Sections

The main game config uses five major sections in Fallout 2 CE: [system], [preferences], [sound], [debug], and for mapper mode [mapper]. Classic files may include only [system] and [sound] immediately after installation; the game can write the expanded set later.

[system]

Key	CE default	Meaning
executable	game	Identifies game or mapper mode in classic configs.
master_dat	master.dat	Main archive path. Case and spelling matter on case-sensitive platforms.
master_patches	data	Loose/patch resource root for master data.
critter_dat	critter.dat	Critter archive path.
critter_patches	data	Loose/patch resource root for critter data.
language	english	Language folder used for text, localized art/movie lookup, keyboard layout choices, and message paths.
scroll_lock	0	Scrolling/input behavior flag.
interrupt_walk	1	Whether input can interrupt walking.
art_cache_size	8	Art cache size in megabytes in CE's art cache initialization.
color_cycling	1	Enables animated palette cycling. See PAL/COL.
cycle_speed_factor	1	Multiplier applied to color-cycling periods.
hashing	1	Legacy/system behavior flag retained by the config.
splash	0	Startup splash index. CE increments this after showing a splash.
free_space	20480	Legacy free-space threshold setting.
times_run	Legacy	Known from classic configs; not part of CE's current settings struct flow.

[preferences]

Key	CE default	Meaning
game_difficulty	1	0 easy, 1 normal, 2 hard.
combat_difficulty	1	0 easy, 1 normal, 2 hard.
violence_level	3	0 none, 1 minimal, 2 normal, 3 maximum blood.
target_highlight	2	0 off, 1 on, 2 targeting only.
item_highlight	1	Highlight items when requested.
combat_looks	0	Combat look/inspect preference.
combat_messages	1	Combat message display.
combat_taunts	1	Combat taunt/message behavior.
language_filter	0	Profanity/language filter preference.
running	0	Default movement preference.
subtitles	0	Enables movie subtitles and ending narration subtitles where supported. See SVE.
combat_speed	0	Combat animation speed preference.
player_speed	0	Classic key name for player speedup.
player_speedup	CE struct name	CE stores this setting internally as player_speedup, while the game-config key is player_speed.
text_base_delay	3.5	Base delay for floating/dialog text timing.
text_line_delay	1.399994	Per-line text delay. Older public docs often round this differently.
brightness	1.0	Brightness/gamma value applied through the color system.
mouse_sensitivity	1.0	Mouse sensitivity preference.
running_burning_guy	1	CE-tracked preference for the burning-guy running behavior.

[sound]

Key	CE default	Meaning
initialize	1	Whether sound initializes.
device	-1	Legacy sound device selector.
port	-1	Legacy DOS sound port setting.
irq	-1	Legacy DOS sound IRQ setting.
dma	-1	Legacy DOS sound DMA setting.
sounds	1	Sound effects enabled.
music	1	Music enabled.
speech	1	Speech enabled.
master_volume	22281	Master volume. Classic docs describe volume values in the 0..32767 range.
music_volume	22281	Music volume.
sndfx_volume	22281	Sound-effects volume.
speech_volume	22281	Speech volume.
cache_size	448	Sound cache size setting.
music_path1	sound\music\	Primary music path. CE may switch this to data\sound\music\ if it detects ACM files there.
music_path2	sound\music\	Secondary music path.
debug	CE struct	Sound debug flag in CE settings.
debug_sfxc	CE struct	Sound-effect-cache debug flag in CE settings.

[debug]

Key	CE default	Meaning
mode	environment	Debug output mode. CE recognizes values such as environment, screen, log, mono, and gnw.
show_tile_num	0	Debug tile-number display flag.
show_script_messages	0	Debug script-message display flag.
show_load_info	0	Debug load-info flag.
output_map_data_info	0	Debug map-data output flag.

[mapper]

mapper2.cfg uses the same system/preferences/sound/debug structure, but mapper mode also initializes mapper-specific keys.

Key	CE default	Meaning
override_librarian	0	Mapper librarian override.
librarian	0	Mapper librarian mode.
use_art_not_protos	0	Mapper asset/prototype behavior.
rebuild_protos	0	Rebuild prototype data.
fix_map_objects	0	Map object repair option.
fix_map_inventory	0	Map inventory repair option.
ignore_rebuild_errors	0	Ignore rebuild errors.
show_pid_numbers	0	Show PID numbers in mapper UI.
save_text_maps	0	Save text-map output.
run_mapper_as_game	0	Run mapper as game.
default_f8_as_game	1	F8 behavior default.
sort_script_list	0	Sort script list behavior.

Language And Path Effects

The [system] language value is one of the highest-impact config settings. It participates in:

• MSG loading through text\<language>\....
• SVE movie subtitles through text\<language>\cuts.
• MVE lookup, where non-English installations try art\<language>\cuts before art\cuts.
• Localized art lookup, where the art loader can try art\<language>\... before the base art path.
• Keyboard layout selection for French, German, Italian, and Spanish in CE.

The master_dat, master_patches, critter_dat, and critter_patches keys control the archive and loose-resource roots that feed the database layer. See DAT File Format for the effective resource loading and override order. On case-sensitive platforms, the configured names must match the actual asset names.

ddraw.ini

ddraw.ini is sfall's main configuration file. Full sfall has many settings; Fallout 2 CE currently initializes and consumes a compatibility subset, mostly under [Misc] and [Scripts].

Section	Keys recognized by CE source
[Misc]	MaleDefaultModel, FemaleDefaultModel, MaleStartModel, FemaleStartModel, StartYear, StartMonth, StartDay, MainMenuBigFontColour, MainMenuCreditsOffsetX, MainMenuCreditsOffsetY, MainMenuFontColour, MainMenuOffsetX, MainMenuOffsetY, SkipOpeningMovies, StartingMap, KarmaFRMs, KarmaPoints, DisplayKarmaChanges, OverrideCriticalTable, OverrideCriticalFile, RemoveCriticalTimelimits, BooksFile, ElevatorsFile, ConsoleOutputPath, PremadePaths, PremadeFIDs, ComputeSprayMod, ComputeSpray_CenterMult, ComputeSpray_CenterDiv, ComputeSpray_TargetMult, ComputeSpray_TargetDiv, Dynamite_DmgMin, Dynamite_DmgMax, PlasticExplosive_DmgMin, PlasticExplosive_DmgMax, ExplosionsEmitLight, MovieTimer_artimer1, MovieTimer_artimer2, MovieTimer_artimer3, MovieTimer_artimer4, CityRepsList, UnarmedFile, DamageFormula, BonusHtHDamageFix, DisplayBonusDamage, Lockpick, Steal, Traps, FirstAid, Doctor, Science, Repair, ScienceOnCritters, DialogueFix, TweaksFile, DialogGenderWords, TownMapHotkeysFix, ExtraGameMsgFileList, NumbersInDialogue, AutoQuickSave, VersionString, ConfigFile, PatchFile, PipBoyAvailableAtGameStart.
[Scripts]	IniConfigFolder, GlobalScriptPaths.

Important integration points:

• [Misc] ConfigFile can change the main game config filename that CE loads instead of fallout2.cfg.
• [Misc] PatchFile can change the patch archive filename pattern used when opening numbered patch DAT files.
• [Misc] OverrideCriticalTable, OverrideCriticalFile, and RemoveCriticalTimelimits control critical hit table corrections, external override files, and early-game critical time gates.
• [Misc] ElevatorsFile names the optional elevator configuration file used to override or extend hardcoded elevator destination tables.
• [Misc] SkipOpeningMovies is checked before showing startup splash/opening movie behavior.
• [Scripts] GlobalScriptPaths is a comma-separated list of file patterns. Matching scripts are sorted and loaded as sfall global scripts.
• [Scripts] IniConfigFolder changes where sfall INI script helpers look for non-system INI files.

sfall INI Script Helpers

sfall-style scripts can access INI files through triplets of the form:

file.ini|Section|Key

CE's helper parser limits the filename chunk to 63 characters and the section chunk to 32 characters. ddraw.ini and f2_res.ini are treated as system config names and are read from the current directory instead of being forced through IniConfigFolder.

Helper/opcode	Behavior
get_ini_setting	Reads an integer via `file	section	key. CE returns -1` only if the triplet cannot be parsed; missing loaded values otherwise pass through helper defaults.
get_ini_string	Reads a string via `file	section	key`. Missing values return an empty string when the triplet is valid.
set_ini_setting	Writes an integer or string value to the selected INI file in sfall-style runtimes that expose the setter.

f2_res.ini

f2_res.ini belongs to the high-resolution patch and modern-compatible runtimes that retain its config convention. Fallout 2 CE's README documents the essential [MAIN] keys:

[MAIN]
SCR_WIDTH=1280
SCR_HEIGHT=720
WINDOWED=1

High-resolution patch documentation describes additional sections such as [MAIN], [EFFECTS], [HI_RES_PANEL], [MOVIES], [MAPS], [IFACE], [MAINMENU], [STATIC_SCREENS], and [OTHER_SETTINGS]. CE currently also reads [STATIC_SCREENS] SPLASH_SCRN_SIZE when displaying RIX splash screens: 0 keeps original size, 1 scales while preserving aspect ratio, and 2 stretches to fill the screen.

Because f2_res.ini is used by multiple patches and runtime layers, treat it as an extension config rather than a single stable game-data schema. Document the target patch/runtime version whenever a mod requires specific keys.

Movie CFG Sidecars

When an MVE movie is played, CE tries to load a same-basename .cfg file through the database layer:

art\cuts\intro.mve
art\cuts\intro.cfg

The sidecar describes palette fade effects by movie frame number.

[info]
total_effects=2
effect_frames=1,120

[1]
fade_type=in
fade_color=0,0,0
fade_steps=30

[120]
fade_type=out
fade_color=0,0,0
fade_steps=30

Key	Meaning
[info] total_effects	Number of effect frames to read.
[info] effect_frames	One integer frame or a comma-separated list of frames.
[frame] fade_type	in or out.
[frame] fade_color	Three comma-separated color components. Movie effect code stores them as bytes and treats them as palette component values.
[frame] fade_steps	Number of movie frames over which the fade runs.

Movie CFG files are optional. Missing or incomplete sidecars do not prevent the movie from playing; they only omit the palette fade effect.

Inter-File Dependencies

Config setting	Affected documentation areas
[system] language	MSG, SVE, MVE, art lookup, keyboard layout.
[system] master_dat / master_patches	DAT, all loose resource overrides, message/art/proto/map loading.
[system] color_cycling / cycle_speed_factor	PAL/COL animated palette ranges.
[preferences] subtitles	SVE, MVE, endgame narrator subtitles.
[sound] music_path1 / music_path2	ACM music lookup.
[Scripts] GlobalScriptPaths	SSL, INT, sfall global scripts.
art\cuts\*.cfg	MVE movie palette effects and PAL/COL fades.

Implementation Notes

• Use a real INI/config parser matching Fallout's rules when possible. Generic INI parsers often preserve quotes, support escapes, or treat comments differently.
• Keep semicolons out of values; the engine parser truncates the line at the first semicolon.
• Keep config lines short. CE uses 256-byte buffers, and old tools may be stricter.
• When writing config files, preserve unknown keys when possible. sfall and high-resolution patch configs often contain keys that a specific runtime does not currently consume.
• Record the target runtime: vanilla Fallout 2, mapper, sfall version, high-resolution patch version, Fallout 2 CE, or a total-conversion fork.
• For portable installs, prefer relative resource paths that match the runtime's working directory assumptions.
• On Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, case sensitivity can make old Windows-era path values fail if they do not match actual asset casing.

Source Code Map

Source	Relevant behavior
Fallout 2 CE config.cc	Shared parser, comments, trimming, integer/list reads, command-line overrides, config write format.
Fallout 2 CE dictionary.cc	Case-insensitive section/key lookup and replacement behavior.
Fallout 2 CE game_config.cc	Main config defaults, fallout2.cfg/mapper2.cfg path resolution, load order, save behavior.
Fallout 2 CE settings.h / settings.cc	Runtime settings structs and mapping from config keys to engine settings.
Fallout 2 CE sfall_config.cc	ddraw.ini defaults and load order.
Fallout 2 CE sfall_ini.cc	sfall INI helper triplet parsing, file/section length limits, and IniConfigFolder behavior.
Fallout 2 CE movie_effect.cc	Movie .cfg sidecar syntax and palette fade behavior.

References

• CFG File Format - The Fallout Wiki
• CFG File Format - Vault-Tec Labs
• Fallout 2 CE README configuration notes
• Fallout 2 CE config.cc
• Fallout 2 CE game_config.cc
• Fallout 2 CE settings.h
• Fallout 2 CE sfall_config.cc
• sfall INI settings documentation
• Fallout 2 High Resolution Patch notes

History

2026-05-07 - Added CFG/INI documentation covering parser behavior, fallout2.cfg, mapper2.cfg, ddraw.ini, f2_res.ini, movie sidecar .cfg files, and cross-format dependencies.