Joining and launching
Can I play without a legal copy of the game?
No. You need a legal copy of the game (Legacy, not Enhanced) and FiveM. More in getting started.
Do I need the launcher?
No. The launcher gives you a "Play" button, a nickname field, the server status and the news. You can also join through FiveM: find COLDZ in the server list. Download the launcher.
My first join takes ages. Is that normal?
Yes. The first time, FiveM downloads several gigabytes of server files, then the world takes up to a minute and a half to load. The files stay on your PC, so later joins are faster.
"Failed to initialize LinkProtocolIPC" on launch
FiveM was started a second time while the previous one was still hanging in memory. Close the error window, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and end every task that starts with "FiveM" (if they are not on the "Processes" tab, look under "Details"). Then press "Play" once and wait up to a minute. The launcher offers a "Close FiveM" button by itself when it sees a stuck FiveM. Still no luck? Restart your PC.
The game crashes with "Early-exit trap" or "Game integrity check failed"
This is not a server crash and not a ban: FiveM itself closed the game because it saw something foreign in the game process. What helps:
- quit Steam completely, or leave the Steam client beta;
- close overlays and recording tools: Discord overlay, MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner, GeForce Experience, Medal, ReShade;
- remove mods from the game folder and from
FiveM.app\mods, and delete cheats and "FPS boosters", even ones for other games; - verify the game files in Steam or Epic Games and scan your PC with an antivirus;
- on Intel 13th and 14th gen CPUs, update your BIOS.
If it keeps happening, send a /report with the report ID from the crash window ("Save information" button).
My character is bald, I fall through the ground, or the screen stays black
This happens when you rejoin the server without closing FiveM. Close FiveM completely and join again. Still stuck on a black screen? Restart FiveM and verify your game files.
Low FPS
F2 → "Settings" → "General" → "Graphics": "Medium" or "Low". Draw distance and shadows change right away, textures after you rejoin. The game's own setting frees the most video memory: Esc → "Settings" → "Graphics" → "Texture Quality": "Normal".
Playing
Where is my gear after I die?
In your body, where you died. The body stays for 2 hours and anyone can search it. If you lived less than a minute, there is no body and the gear is gone. Your next life starts with the starter kit: 2 bandages and a glass shard.
Why is there no clock, compass or map on screen?
Items provide them. Find a watch, a compass, a map (opens with Esc) and a GPS (minimap), and they appear.
My GPS shows an empty frame
Type /gpsfix.
Are there safe zones?
No. Not at the spawn points, not in towns. Who you trust is up to you.
Can I kill other players?
Yes. There are no bandit or hero marks. But you can't log out right after a firefight: see leaving during a fight.
Can I log out at any time?
Yes, unless you are in a fight. If you wounded a player or a player wounded you, stand still for 10 seconds first; the countdown is at the bottom of the screen. Leave earlier and your character dies, with the gear left in the body.
I'm stuck in a wall or in the textures
Type /unbug and don't move for 2 minutes: you get moved to a random spawn point with all your gear. It doesn't work in a vehicle, in a fight, in handcuffs or lying down. You can use it again 30 minutes after a move. More in chat, voice and combat.
People and bases
How do I find my friends?
Hold Tab: that is the player list, with a number to the left of each name. Your own number is at the top of F2. Invite your friend to a clan: F2 → "Clan" → player number → "Invite"; they accept in their own "Clan" tab. A clan holds up to 20 people. To see each other on the map and the GPS, set the same frequency on everyone's GPS: "Set frequency" on the GPS in your inventory. More in clans.
How do I report someone or ask an admin a question?
/report and your message. Without a message a window opens. The answer comes in chat, or the next time you join if you have left. Another way: F2 → "Support" → "Message the admin".
How do I get a base?
Collect points: you earn them little by little for everything you do, twice as fast during your first week on the server. Your balance is in F2 and in the /points command. F2 → "Buy a base" lists the bases with their price and whether they are free. Buying right there is still in development. To ask an admin for a base of your own, use the "Request your own base" button in the same place. More in bases and points.
Nobody hears me, or I can't hear anyone
Turn on voice chat: Esc → "Settings" → "Voice Chat", where you also set your microphone and volume. You only talk while holding N. Voices carry up to 25 m. To check what's wrong, type /zvoice and read the result in F8.
How do I change my name?
In the launcher ("Nickname" field) or in the FiveM settings. The new name applies from your next join.
How do I change keys and language?
The inventory key and the action key are changed in F2 → "Settings"; all other keys in Esc → "Settings" → "Key Bindings" → FiveM. Language: F2 → "Settings" → "General" → "Language" (Russian, English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese). All keys: controls.