dvar-lookup

name	dvar-lookup
description	Search and reference MW2/IW4X DVARs by name, category, or FPS impact. Use when the user asks about game settings, DVARs, FPS optimization, or server configuration for IW4X/MW2.

DVAR Lookup

You have access to a comprehensive MW2/IW4X DVAR knowledge base via the iw4x://dvars MCP resource. This contains 1700+ DVARs with types, defaults, flags, categories, and FPS impact ratings.

How to search

1. Read the resource using ReadMcpResourceTool with server iw4x and URI iw4x://dvars
2. Parse the JSON — the dvars array contains all entries
3. Filter based on the user's query:
   • By name: Match against name field (supports partial match, e.g. "fog" matches r_fog)
   • By category: Filter by category field (e.g. "renderer", "shadow_map", "effects", "sound", "server")
   • By FPS impact: Filter by fps_impact field ("high", "medium", "low", "none")
   • By context: Filter by context field ("client", "server", "shared")

DVAR entry schema

{
  "name": "r_fullbright",
  "type": "bool",
  "default": "0",
  "flags": ["CHEAT"],
  "category": "renderer",
  "subcategory": "lighting",
  "context": "client",
  "description": "Disables all lighting calculations, everything fully lit",
  "fps_impact": "high"
}

Categories

Key categories: renderer, shadow_map, effects, client_game, client, server, script, player, movement, perks, sound, physics, ragdoll, network, ui, hud, compass, aim_assist

FPS optimization guide

When users ask about FPS optimization, present DVARs sorted by impact (high → medium → low). For each high-impact DVAR, suggest a safe FPS-boosting value:

DVAR	Default	FPS Value	Impact
com_maxfps	85	0 (uncapped) or 250	high
r_vsync	0	0	high
r_aaSamples	2	1	high
r_picmip	0	2-3	high
sm_enable	1	0	high
sm_sunEnable	1	0	high
r_glow	1	0	medium
r_distortion	1	0	medium
r_dof_enable	1	0	medium
r_specular	1	0	medium
r_texFilterAnisoMax	4	1	medium
fx_drawClouds	1	0	medium
ragdoll_enable	1	0	medium
dynEnt_active	1	0	medium
cg_brass	1	0	low
fx_marks	1	0	low
r_drawDecals	1	0	low

Formatting results

Present results in a clear table format:

| DVAR | Type | Default | Category | FPS Impact |
|------|------|---------|----------|------------|
| r_fog | bool | 1 | renderer/fog | medium |

Include the description for enriched DVARs. For DVARs without descriptions, the name and category usually make the purpose clear.

Important notes

• DVARs with CHEAT flag require sv_cheats 1 to change
• Some DVARs require map restart or game restart to take effect
• Renderer DVARs (r_*) are client-side only
• Script DVARs (scr_*) are server-side and affect gameplay rules
• Always warn users about cheat-flagged DVARs in competitive/online play