Settings

## Intro

This page covers information related to basic settings and mods that are especially relevant to competitive play. Be sure to check out its sister page, Configs, which covers settings that can only be changed via console commands.

## Settings & Key Binds

There are a few settings and key binds that are worth mentioning specifically for competitive Insurgency.

Generally, players like to use the lowest graphics settings so that it's easier to spot enemy players and also to boost FPS. Many players go beyond the video settings in the game's menu and lower settings via their config.

A key bind that's easy to press while moving or aiming is recommended for the Tactical Map. Checking the map during the round is a great way to stay aware of where your teammates are without using voice communications. Many players will make their map overlay easier to see through via a console command: `overview_alpha X` where x is a decimal number between 0 and 1. The closer the number is to 0 the more transparent the map overlay will become.

Toggle sprint is not compatible with sprint-throwing grenades which can be essential to many pre-nades, so players should either use hold-to-sprint by default or have an easy to reach key bind for hold-to-sprint to use during certain grenade throws.

### Field of View

A player's field of view affects their ability to spot enemies near the center of their screen in contrast to enemies on the peripheral of their screen. Everybody has their own preferences, but experimenting with different FOV settings is encouraged for players new to competitive. Players who can hear footsteps well and can depend on their team for good callouts will likely prefer a lower FOV because they are counting on already aiming where their enemy is most likely to appear. This is a good habit to form as it forces you to pick an angle and hold it, as opposed to swinging your gun around nervously to different areas. The following pictures demonstrate the visual differences between different FOV settings:

## Mods

The only mod recommended for competitive gameplay is community member Vinni's map callouts mod found here. This mod replaces many maps with a new image that includes the essential competitive callouts.

Competitive servers run the `sv_pure 2` setting which disables almost all mods. This is done to ensure fair and balanced gameplay. Occasionally, some mods will trigger visual glitches when this setting is enforced, the most common being missing gun parts. If you run into this issue, you can either try to find the mod causing the issue and uninstall it, or you can use a launch option that disables all workshop content. Keep in mind that the launch option will also disable Vinni's callout mod, which is not disabled by the `sv_pure 2` setting. To use the launch option, simply right click on the game in your steam library and go to Properties and at the bottom of that menu write `-noworkshop` and close the menu. Of course, to play on public servers with mods enabled again you will have to remove this launch option and re-launch the game.

## Loudness Equalization

Some players prefer to play with loudness equalization enabled in their Window's sound settings. Loudness equalization will louden sounds that are normally quiet such as footsteps and quiet down very loud sounds such as gunshots. This allows the player to hear footsteps easily without having gunfire hurt their ears. Here is a quick video demonstrating how to enable loudness equalization in Windows 10: