Easiest Coop/MP Tutorial (Fast)

A fast guide how to play the game with your friends cooperatively up to 6 players and also play multiplayer against your friends up to 32 players. This also fixes the resolution for modern hardware. (This is only for friends to play together)

(This tutorial will not open community servers since that is more complicated, for that tutorial go to https://www.rprclan.com/ )

Multiplayer/COOP FIX

You'll need a Multiplayer/COOP FIX file that can be found in my pinned comment from this video:
(Steam guides won't allow links)

1. After Steam or GoG installation run the "OG SP COOP Patch.exe" locate H&D2 main directory and press ok. (Patch makes Original Campaigns Missions available in Cooperative mode)

2. Put "Maps" "scripts" "d3d8.dll" and "mpmaplist.txt" to the main directory as well. Overwrite if asked. (This allows High Resolutions, Originally 1280x960 was the max resolution)

3. Hosting a server only works if the regedit fix has been applied, it makes H&D2.exe to use the older directplay 8 and ipv4 protocol. Use H&D2v4Fix-x64 for 64bit or H&D2v4Fix-x86 for 32bit System. You can also apply these manually. It's completely safe and you can check what they do by right clicking it and edit. (Only Host needs to do this)

4. After this Create MULTIPLAYER GAME - LAN and choose a map/mission. Playing over internet use a LAN tunneling program like Hamachi or Radmin VPN.

5. Map Images are just a useful reminder which mission is which. I also recommend watching the mission briefings from YouTube if played in coop. Unfortunately cutscenes and briefings are not available in coop, you just see objectives from game info.
All mission briefings playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoEKLLHXSg__NxWSKhh-dvkAMOjmyIYvm
All Cutscenes:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoEKLLHXSg__E_IiH0T9Jch5umy5YnNp6

6. By default, the game kicks idle players from the server after 5 minutes. Since a spectating player is considered idle, this can be an issue during long sessions in one-life mode. To prevent this, the host should enter "maxinactivity 0" in the console while in-game.

6.5 I've also made a Controller Layout for H&D2 in Steam

For some reason I can’t delete my old “work in progress” layouts so just ignore the other ones

How to apply

– Steam
– Settings
– Controller
– Enable Steam Input for Xbox Controllers
– Click the Controller Icon In the H&D2 from the library page
– Click the Current layout
– Community Layouts
– CONTROLLER [STANDARD SETUP 1] [zusaij]
– Apply Layout



7. Enjoy!

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Note: Some missions are essentially unplayable or extremely unreliable in co-op due to game limitations. The disguise system does not work in co-op, and alarm-based missions—requiring trial and error—are especially frustrating without save support.

The following missions—Alps1, Alps2, and Norway—should be avoided in co-op. They were part of the original Hidden & Dangerous 2 campaign, which was never designed for multiplayer. While these maps have been manually modded for co-op, the results are unstable. Only the Sabre Squadron expansion officially supports co-op.
However, other missions from the original single-player campaign are playable in co-op without major issues.

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Note: The AI detection system does not function properly in multiplayer when using a dedicated server.

It works as intended only when playing on a non-dedicated server.

Additionally, due to the AI's overly accurate aim and heightened sound awareness, I recommend playing on Normal difficulty for a more balanced experience.

(Even on Normal difficulty, a single bullet to the head is instantly fatal)

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Note: Remember to open the game always from "Play Sabre Squadron"

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For Radmin VPN quick explanation check the section "How to set up a direct connection using the free software Radmin VPN" from https://www.radmin-vpn.com/help/

It basically makes your and your friends computer think they are in a local area network (LAN). Then when you make a LAN server your friend can see and join that server. Hamachi works the same way.