CoD1Server Admin

Call of Duty (CoD1) RCON Commands: Complete Server Admin Reference

Every CoD1 (2003) RCON command for patches 1.1 and 1.5: connect, read status, kick and ban by slot or name, change maps and gametypes, set server cvars, and broadcast messages. With the Quake3-protocol gotchas that trip up new admins.

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Call of Duty (2003), known as CoD1, runs the id Tech 3 (Quake 3) engine, so it inherits the Quake3 RCON protocol. This reference covers the commands that matter for running a cod_lnxded / CoDMP dedicated server on patches 1.1 and 1.5.

How CoD1 RCON works

CoD1 uses the Quake3 RCON protocol over the server's game port (default 28960). Connect an RCON tool (or the in-game console), authenticate with the RCON password, and your commands run with admin rights. There is no session - the password is sent with every command, so pick a strong one and set it server-side in server.cfg:

set rconpassword "your_secret_here"

An empty rconpassword disables RCON entirely. Use set rather than seta for the password: seta archives the value into q3config.cfg in plaintext on shutdown.

500 ms flood protection. The server silently drops any RCON packet that arrives within 500 ms of the previous one (hardcoded in the Quake3 engine). A tool firing commands back-to-back will lose them with no error. Always leave at least half a second between commands.

Reading the server

Command	What it does
`status`	Lists connected players: slot number, score, ping, GUID, name, IP. The slot number (leftmost column) is what kick/ban commands target.
`serverinfo`	Prints browser-visible cvars (`sv_hostname`, `g_gametype`, `sv_maxclients`, ...).
`systeminfo`	Prints system cvars (`sv_pure`, `sv_cheats`, `fs_game`, protocol).
`dumpuser <name>`	Prints one player's userinfo string (rate, snaps, fov, guid).

Always run status immediately before a slot-based action: slot numbers shift as players join and leave.

Moderation

Prefer the slot-based commands (clientkick, banClient) over the name-based ones. Player names can contain color codes, spaces, and lookalike Unicode that make name matching unreliable.

Command	Syntax	Description
`clientkick`	`clientkick <slot>`	Kick by slot number. Unambiguous, preferred.
`kick`	`kick <name>`	Kick by name. `kick all` disconnects everyone.
`banClient`	`banClient <slot>`	Permanent GUID ban by slot (writes to `ban.txt`).
`banUser`	`banUser <name>`	Permanent GUID ban by name.
`tempBanClient`

Set the temp-ban length (seconds) before using the tempBan* commands:

set sv_kickBanTime 3600

Bans are GUID-based, written to ban.txt in the main/ folder. The g_banIPs cvar exists but is non-functional in stock CoD1 - manage IP blocks at the OS firewall instead.

Maps and gametypes

Command	Description
`map <name>`	Load a map (full restart). Example: `map mp_carentan`.
`map_rotate`	Advance to the next entry in `sv_mapRotation`.
`map_restart`	Restart the current map; gametype and scoring cvar changes take effect here.
`fast_restart`	Restart without reloading assets - most rule cvars do NOT re-read.

Stock CoD1 gametype codes for g_gametype (apply with map_restart):

Code	Gametype
`dm`	Deathmatch (free-for-all)
`tdm`	Team Deathmatch
`sd`	Search & Destroy
`bel`	Behind Enemy Lines
`re`	Retrieval
`hq`	Headquarters

dom, ctf, and bas are CoD: United Offensive gametypes, not stock CoD1. A map rotation is one string of gametype/map pairs:

set sv_mapRotation "gametype sd map mp_brecourt gametype tdm map mp_carentan"

Key server cvars

Cvar	Description
`sv_hostname`	Server name in the browser. Supports color codes (`^1` red, `^2` green).
`sv_maxclients`	Total player slots (default 8).
`sv_privateClients`	Reserved slots requiring `sv_privatePassword`.
`g_password`	Join password. Clear with `g_password ""`.
`sv_pure`	`1` forces clients to match server files. Recommended for public servers.
`sv_maxRate`	Max bytes/sec per client (1000-25000).

Per-gametype scoring uses scr_<gametype>_*, for example Search & Destroy:

set scr_sd_scorelimit 5
set scr_sd_timelimit 0
set scr_sd_roundlength 4

Patch 1.1 vs 1.5

PunkBuster (sv_punkbuster 1 and the pb_sv_* commands) is present in stock 1.5 only. It is effectively defunct today (Even Balance ended CoD support), useful only for local bans.
On 1.1, use CoDExtended (CEx) for anticheat, screenshots, and exploit fixes - it exposes x_* cvars.

Talking to players

CoD1 does have say over RCON (unlike Squad or Hell Let Loose):

Command	Description
`say <message>`	Broadcast to all players. Shows as `console: <message>`.
`tell <slot> <message>`	Private message to one player by slot.

Quick reference

rcon status                       # list players + slot numbers
rcon clientkick 3                 # kick slot 3
rcon banClient 3                  # permanent ban slot 3
rcon tempBanUser "Name"           # temp ban by name
rcon map mp_brecourt              # change map
rcon g_gametype tdm               # set gametype...
rcon map_restart                  # ...then apply it
rcon say "Restarting in 2 minutes"
rcon killserver                   # shut down

Running these in MantaScope

MantaScope's web RCON connects to your CoD1 server from the browser and handles the Quake3 quirks for you - the 500 ms flood delay, slot lookups from status, and GUID bans - alongside player tracking, ban management, scheduled restarts, and chat alerts. No desktop tool required.