- Details
- Written by: INsane
- Category: Day of Defeat Player Guides
- Hits: 167
In progress Jan 2025.
The 'Mini Map" or "Overview" in Day of Defeat is the small map image in the top left corner of the screen.
Using it is useful in most situations as it can give you an advantage if you configure it to your preferences.
"Back in the day" when we all had small CRT monitors a lot of players turned this off by default, the kills and deaths are displayed under the Mini Map and took up valuable screen space. That is no longer a problem with today's monitors.
Index to Sections
| Section | Description |
| 1 | Modes of the Mini Map (via the default keyboard binds that connect to two commands) |
| 2 | The other commands (set in a config file or in the console) |
| 3 | Custom Mini Map sprites (what they are and how they are used) |
| 4 | Custom Mini Map files you can change |
Modes of the Mini Map.
The basic modes of the Mini Map are controlled via Keyboard shortcut toggle bind and a linked command.
"M" key - "+map" bind (bind "m" "+map") that further controls another command "_cl_minimap"
This is a toggle bind command "+map" gives you 3 modes in the _cl_minimap command.
On game startup...
_cl_minimap "0" - Default - No Mini Map at all. It will turn off the Mini Map.
Press the "M" key...
_cl_minimap "1" - the mini map opens in a large format.
Press "M" key again...
_cl_minimap "2" - the Mini Map will move to the top right corner.
Press "M" key again...
_cl_minimap "0" - the Mini Map goes back to off ready to cycle through again.
Note 1: The config.cfg file will remember your last setting in dod\config.cfg.
Note 2: "_cl_minimap 0, 1, 2" will also work in console.
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| _cl_minimap "0" | _cl_minimap "1" | _cl_minimap "2" |
"L" Key - "+mapzoom" bind (bind "l" "+mapzoom") that further controls another command "_cl_minimapzoom"
This will cycle through 3 settings when the Mini Map is in the top right
On game startup...
_cl_minimapzoom "1" (Default) will give a basic local overview for about 1/4th of the map.
Press "L" key...
_cl_minimapzoom "2" The Map will zoom in
Press "M" key again...
_cl_minimapzoom "0" The map will zoom out all the way
Press "M" key again...
_cl_minimapzoom "1" (Default) and will cycle through again.
Note 1: "_cl_minimapzoom 0, 1, 2" will NOT work in console.
Note 2: "+mapzoom" will work if bound to a key.
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| _cl_minimapzoom "0" | _cl_minimapzoom "1" | _cl_minimapzoom "2" |
The Other Commands
There are small images inside the minimap, these are further controlled by commands.
| Command at its Default | Description and optional values |
| Client settings | |
| cl_dmshowflags "1" | From dod_3.1 (beta) not working in Steam ver 1.3. (3.1 B) Flags - If "0" the flags will not show on the mini map. |
| cl_dmshowgrenades "1" | Grenades - If "0" the grenades will not show on the mini map. |
| cl_dmshowmarkers "1" | Markers - Images in dod\sprites\mapmarkers. e.g. the sniper red cross symbol when spotted. "0" is OFF. |
| cl_dmshowobjects "1" | Objects - If "0" the objects (like the skull icon) will not show on the mini map. |
| cl_dmshowplayers "1" | Team mates - If "0" the players will not show on the mini map. |
| cl_dmsmallmap "1" | Affects _cl_minimap - If "0" only the large mini map will show and the small mini map. Removes _cl_minimap "0" . |
| Server settings | |
| mp_markerstaytime "30" | Time map markers like the sniper image (red cross) show in the Mini Map. |
| mp_nummapmarkers "1" |
This determines the max number of map markers each player can place. Minimum and default is 1. Note: This needs more info, came in Oct 2003. See below it's related to Map creation. |
The small images are in two places, dod\sprites\mapmarkers folder and others like the death icon are in the dod\sprites folder.
Note: It seems the Map Marker system was introduced in v1.1 - Steam 13 October 2003.
Note what it says on this page about version 1.1.
- new map marker system
Below that....
New cvars and commands
-------------------
"firemarker"
Fires a map marker out into the world. A map marker will be created at that location in the world and will appear on teammates' minimaps.
"nextmarker"
Select the next map marker.
"prevmarker"
Select the previous map marker.
After that there is no news.
So there is an entire system there on "Map Markers" and I would say not a lot of documentation about it.
Typical dod... lol.
Custom Mini Map Sprites
The small images (like nearly all images in the HUD), are a .spr file, a sprite image.
The various competitive leagues (CAL, TPG, KTP) it is common to see them use a set of smaller images, commonly this is only the ones that control the player symbols (your team only) and it's used because most use the map at _cl_minimap "2" and _cl_minimapzoom "2".
Note in my images... the custom files in the right image are an old pack from past KTP downloads and not 100% correct. ( both icons have a white border, teammate have a black border not white)
With these two settings you can see how crowded the Mini Map gets.
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| Default sprite icons | Approved player custom sprites (not the skull icon) |
Apart from my custom skull in that second image (not League approved) you can see why the smaller team mate images are a advantage.
The default sprite images render the map unusable for the "zoomed out" overview _cl_minimap "2" and _cl_minimapzoom "2".
It's handy to see where your teammates are on the maps and who is near "the last flag to cap".
Also before you throw that grenade... it would be handy if you could "see over the wall" and ensure that sound you heard... isn't one of your teammates with a dropped weapon from the other side.
When the overview (Mini Map) is used like that, with the help of the microphone and "calling out" locations on the map.
How do they know those locations?
They use a "Callout" image and learn where they are like this one for dod_anzio (Thanks "sik" from the Day of Defeat 1.3 community discord "map-callouts" section) ...
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| dod_anzio overview image with "callout" locations around the maps - "sik" dod 1.3 community |
As you can see, having a name for a location, knowing where a enemy was seen and knowing a team mate is near a flag or in the path of your fire... is very important when split second decisions matter.
I guess that's why League plays need so much practice time on a small set of maps, just look at what you need to remember for each map.
Custom Mini Map images you can change.
There are a few common images to customize and some that no one has to date.
As mentioned before, the League players will only download a set approved for use and there are (typically) only four of them...
Player icons are in Half-Life\dod\sprites
Allies:
allies_camera.spr - The larger round with a arrow symbol that is you. It has White border. US green star.
aplayer.spr - The smaller round with a arrow symbol that is your team mates. It has Black border (but League ones are white) US green star.
Axis:
axis_camera.spr - The larger round with a arrow symbol that is you. It has White border. German red cross.
gplayer.spr - The smaller round with a arrow symbol that is your team mates. It has Black border (but League ones are white) German red cross.
British:
There is a British team for the same thing but League downloads don't have a small version for some reason.
brit_camera.spr - The larger round with a arrow symbol that is you. It has White border. Union Jack circle.
bplayer.spr - The smaller round with a arrow symbol that is your team mates. It has Black border (but League ones are white) Union Jack circle.
One special one that is in another game.
Half-Life\valve\sprites
iplayerdeath.spr - the skull and crossbones you see on a teammates death.
However, you can copy that file, change it and place that in Half-Life\ dod_addon\sprites and it will override the one in the Half-Life\valve\sprites folder.
All of these sprites can be placed in Half-Life\ dod_addon\sprites and it will change the default files.
Grenades.
Half-Life\dod\sprites
grenade_hltv.spr - This is the US frag Grenade ... its too big on the zoomed in Mini Map.
stick_hltv.spr - This is the German "Stick" Grenade ... its too big on the zoomed in Mini Map.
Map Markers
Half-Life\dod\sprites\mapmarkers
There are 19 items in the standard folder.
This is where those MG, Sniper symbols are along with others like a camper tent, flags, arrows, red X, Roman numbers 1,2 and 3, green tick.
Most are not used from what I can see.
I hope that helps clear up a few things about the mini map in dod 1.3.