Call of Juarez Tweak Guide

[Page 4] Patches Maps & Mods

Official Patch

Since there are two different versions of Call of Juarez, there are two different sets of patches available:

The US Version of Call of Juarez came with DirectX10 out of the box. As such, the latest 1.1.1.0 Patch for the US Version is only for the Windows Vista (DX10) version of the game, and includes the addition of the DX10 benchmark, as well as stability and performance optimizations.

The earlier released 'International Version' of Call of Juarez has now also been patched up with a different 1.1.1.0 Patch. This is an extremely large (900MB) patch which requires that you be patched up to Version 1.1.0.0 before you can apply it. The latest patch is also known as the DX10 Enhancement pack, and this is why it is so large as it essentially transforms the DX9 version of Call of Juarez, giving it the ability to now also run in DX10 mode. Note that the patch also changes some aspects of gameplay, in particular the way some stealth missions play out.

For more details of DirectX 10 in Call of Juarez, including screenshot comparisons, see the bottom of this page.

No-CD Patch

The Call of Juarez uses the SecuROM 7 copy protection system, as well as a CD Key method and CD check. SecuROM is known to cause problems on some systems, and some basic solutions are offered in the Troubleshooting Tips section. This may influence your decision whether to purchase the game or not. For the most part, the copy protection does not hinder performance, but of course it makes things annoying. As always, I can't provide any details of NoCD/DVD solutions for Cal of Juarez for legal reasons, though they do exist.

Update: It appears that Some European Editions of Call of Juarez have the much worse StarForce copy protection system. Check the link above and then look closely at which edition you're purchasing.

Maps and Mods

The Chrome engine on which Call of Juarez is based is customizable, and given that mods have been created for previous games on the same engine (like Chrome itself), I expect there will be some interesting mods available for Call of Juarez. I will list prominent ones here once they are released.

For those of you who want to get busy creating your own custom levels for Call of Juarez, you can use the Chrome Editor which is included with the game. To open the editor, run ChromEd.exe found under your \Program Files\Ubisoft\Techland\Call of Juarez directory. There is also a tutorial and manual for the Chrome Editor under the \ChromEd Help directory.

In terms of multiplayer add-ons, Techland have released a free CoJ Map Pack (222MB) containing 8 additional multiplayer maps.

You can also create mini-mods and undertake game alterations by manipulating the game files in the .Pak archives - see the 'No Red X' mod on the last page of this guide for an example. For example, you can try this Cheat Mod for COJ. As more mods of this type appear I will also list them in the guide.

Call of Juarez DirectX 10

Call of Juarez was initially released in most countries outside the US as a DirectX9-only title. The US release was delayed for a while until Techland incorporated DirectX10 functionality into the game. Then later, a DX10 Enhancement Pack (See further above) has been released to allow the non-US versions of the game to include DX10 functionality as well.

Since I live in Australia, I don't have access to the US version of the game, so I can't provide any details of it throughout this guide. However the International Version now lets you run in either standard DX9 mode by launching the regular executable, or running in DirectX10 mode (Vista-only, and only on graphics cards which support SM4.0) by running the CoJ_DX10.exe file found under the game's main directory. There is also a DirectX10 benchmark included in the game, which you can start by running the CoJDX10_Benchmark.exe file under the game's main directory, or you can download it for free separately here. You can also view the full benchmark run on my system either in low quality YouTube Video, or download the 99MB High Quality Video version. Note that the FPS in the video is much lower than my actual run, due to the FRAPS recording overhead. Below are screenshots from the benchmark:

In general the DX10 version of the game will run with lower performance than the DX9 version of the game, however it also adds a range of effects which make the game visuals much more atmospheric, so if you have a GeForce 8 or HD2900 card or newer, give it a try to see for yourself. Below are screenshot comparisons of the same scene in DX9 vs. DX10 mode, at the same in-game settings:

As you can see, the DX10 version looks markedly different from the DX9 version in both cases. In particular, in the second set of screenshots you can see that aside from lighting changes, there is very different detailing on surfaces in the DX10 shot vs. the DX9 shot. Which you choose is up to you.

The next section of the guide covers In-Game Settings for Call of Juarez.