emulator: RealRTCW
type: standalone
core_classification: enhanced_fork
source: "https://github.com/wolfETPlayer/RealRTCW"
upstream: "https://github.com/wolfETPlayer/RealRTCW"
profiled_date: "2026-10-20"
source_commit: "ad529d588e4dec717aff0779f9d1555eddc1e2be"
core_version: "5.2"
display_name: "RealRTCW"
mode: standalone
cores:
  - rtcw
systems: [return-to-castle-wolfenstein]

notes: |
  Single-player overhaul of Return to Castle Wolfenstein built on the iortcw
  SP engine. RetroBat installs RealRTCW.x64.exe with its renderer and game
  module DLLs, which report RealRTCW 5.2, the tag dated the same day as the
  package build. emulatorlauncher runs it with fs_homepath set to roms/rtcw
  and fs_game set to the folder of the .rtcw file, and refuses to start
  unless roms/rtcw/Main holds z_zrealrtcw_ui.pk3, pak0.pk3 and
  sp_pak1.pk3 to sp_pak4.pk3
  (emulatorLauncher Generators/PortsLauncher.Configuration.cs:1362-1420).

  BASEGAME is "main" and the Windows home path is RealRTCW\5.1. On Windows the
  Steam install of RTCW (app 9010) is added as a search path, found through
  its Main\pak0.pk3.
  ref: code/qcommon/q_shared.h:58-72, code/sys/sys_win32.c:157-163

  The engine stops with a fatal error when main/pak0.pk3 is missing, or
  present with a checksum other than 1886207346. A demo pak0 under demomain/
  (checksum 2985661941) is accepted with a warning and skips the point-release
  check. Otherwise the four point-release paks are required: a missing one is
  fatal, a checksum outside the five language tables only prints a warning.
  ref: code/qcommon/files.c:180-225, code/qcommon/files.c:3782-3889,
       code/qcommon/files.c:3904-4034

  The mod's own assets ship as further pk3 archives that the engine loads
  from main/ in name order like any other pak, without naming or checking
  them.

files:
  - name: "pak0.pk3"
    category: game_data
    system: return-to-castle-wolfenstein
    path: "main/pak0.pk3"
    required: true
    source_ref: "code/qcommon/files.c:183-185, 3927-3949, 4011-4029"
    note: "RTCW retail base. Checksum 1886207346, fatal when missing or when the checksum differs."
    unsourceable: "retail data the collection does not hold, and a same-named file of another game must not stand in"

  - name: "sp_pak1.pk3"
    category: game_data
    system: return-to-castle-wolfenstein
    path: "main/sp_pak1.pk3"
    required: true
    source_ref: "code/qcommon/files.c:188, 196, 204, 212, 220, 3782-3889"
    note: "Fatal when missing. One checksum per language (en/fr/gm/it/sp), and a mismatch prints a warning."

  - name: "sp_pak2.pk3"
    category: game_data
    system: return-to-castle-wolfenstein
    path: "main/sp_pak2.pk3"
    required: true
    source_ref: "code/qcommon/files.c:189, 197, 205, 213, 221, 3782-3889"
    note: "Fatal when missing."

  - name: "sp_pak3.pk3"
    category: game_data
    system: return-to-castle-wolfenstein
    path: "main/sp_pak3.pk3"
    required: true
    source_ref: "code/qcommon/files.c:190, 198, 206, 214, 222, 3782-3889"
    note: "Fatal when missing."

  - name: "sp_pak4.pk3"
    category: game_data
    system: return-to-castle-wolfenstein
    path: "main/sp_pak4.pk3"
    required: true
    source_ref: "code/qcommon/files.c:191-192, 199-200, 207-208, 215-216, 223-224, 3782-3889"
    note: "Fatal when missing. GOTY edition pak, one checksum (4131017020) for every language."

  - name: "pak0.pk3"
    description: "Single-player demo"
    category: game_data
    system: return-to-castle-wolfenstein
    path: "demomain/pak0.pk3"
    required: false
    source_ref: "code/qcommon/files.c:181, 3920-3925, 3993-4008, 4032-4033"
    note: "Checksum 2985661941. Stands in for main/pak0.pk3 with a warning, and the point-release check is skipped."