Halo PC is coming....

[Ace 0]

Well, I'm a fan and obviously I will probably get it. Now the big question I have is really my video card. I have a S3 Graphics ProSavage DDR 32MB. Now from what I've read, this is a kinda crappy and I just want to know if it will run. As the for the rest of the computer:

 

AMD XP2000+

Windows XP

30GB HD

256MB RAM

CD-RW 56x24x56x

Integrated Sound card

56k Modem

 

Now the Official System Requirments for Halo PC:

 

Microsoft® Windows® 98SE/Me/XP/2000

PC with 733 MHz equivalent or higher processor

128 MB of system RAM

1.2 GB available hard disk space

8x speed or faster CD-ROM drive

32 MB T&L capable video card required

Sound card, speakers or headphones required for audio

Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

56.6 Kbps or better modem or LAN for online play; broadband to run a server

 

Lastly, what does T&L stand for?

 

Thanks

[pmistry 0]

T & L stands for "transform and lighting" its a special rendering technique first introduced on GeForce2 video cards. Most cards since then have them, except the Kyro brands and some of the lower end Radeons like the 7000, and 7200. Your card is old and I am pretty positive that T&L support is not there, so you'll need to upgrade your video. For your system I think it would be a great idea. Get yourself a shiny new Radeon 9500+ and I think you will be quite happy.

[sapiens74 0]

You need a new video card

 

 

You can pick up a nice Radeon 9000 for under 100 bucks

[Ace 0]

Alright, but if I do get one my old video card is integrated on to the motherboard. Now how would I replace it? Are video cards PCI adapted or how would I install one?

[Immortal 0]

The entire Radeon series of cards support T&L as do the Geforce 256 range of cards. However, the Geforce 256 cards's T&L is too slow/old for Halo, so its not supported.

 

Also make sure you have latest drivers, as performance will be much better.

[pmistry 0]

Thanks for the heads up on that Immortal, I didn't know the entire Radeon lineup did support T&L.

 

As for your integrated video. You'll have to check your motherboard manual and see if you can disable it, and check inside to see if you have an AGP slot. If you don't you might want to consider getting a better motherboard, or you'll be stuck using a PCI based GeForce2/GeForce4MX video card. I don't think there are any other better PCI based solutions out there.

[ThC 129 0]

I dont think im going to get Halo PC, too many other games coming out now, HL2, Doom 3, Planetside: Core Combat, Max Payne 2, Breed

 

It looks good and all but its been too long in coming and anything from MS and Gearbox, 2 companies i despise, i will not be purchasing this game.

[sapiens74 0]

I can say well at least till HL2 comes out Halo is the best FPS ever!

 

Worth the money, unless you have it on the XBOX and have overplayed it

 

 

As for the PCI card, they make a FX5200 and a Radeon 9000 for PCI

[sapiens74 0]

BTW you need more ram to play this game

[genaldar 0]

256 megs of ram is fine. At least it will be with a better video card. But as long as you're spring for a new card you might as well get more ram (since its so cheap). btw even if you can't disable your onboard video you can set windows to use the new card as the primary display.

 

 

btw expect a buggy release. I've got beta 1.5 and it's buggy as hell. Some textures are missing in the first level so you appear to get stuck. And there is a major crash bug after the silent cryptographer level. After the little cutscene all that loads is a black screen. Kind of a bummer. The physics are off though. If you shoot a weapon thats on the ground it just spins. If you put a grenade next to it the gun flys way too far (in blood gulch I lauched the sniper rifle all the way from the base 3/4 the way up the canyon wall). On the plus side the multiplayer is smooth as silk (on a lan anyway, can't start an internet game in the beta).

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

Halo for PC stinks - the multiplayer stinks as well!

 

HIGHLY over rated game!!!!

 

 

Even with a radeon 9700PRO / p4 2.4 @ 2.91 / 1g DDR333

 

 

AA and FSAA cranked - the game just has no good appeal to me.

[Ali 0]

Quote:

Halo for PC stinks - the multiplayer stinks as well!

HIGHLY over rated game!!!!


Even with a radeon 9700PRO / p4 2.4 @ 2.91 / 1g DDR333


AA and FSAA cranked - the game just has no good appeal to me.

I agree

The graphics is not that good, it hardly runs on GF 4ti 4600, and has a lot of bugs and problems. It does not work with ATI video cards very well. you need something more that ATI R. 9600 to run it properly. Have tried it with GF FX and ATI r. 9800 Pro, it looks exactly the same.


Suggestion: DO NOT Blame your Video Card for not running the stupid game!!!!

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

Quote:

Quote:

Halo for PC stinks - the multiplayer stinks as well!

HIGHLY over rated game!!!!


Even with a radeon 9700PRO / p4 2.4 @ 2.91 / 1g DDR333


AA and FSAA cranked - the game just has no good appeal to me.

I agree

The graphics is not that good, it hardly runs on GF 4ti 4600, and has a lot of bugs and problems. It does not work with ATI video cards very well. you need something more that ATI R. 9600 to run it properly. Have tried it with GF FX and ATI r. 9800 Pro, it looks exactly the same.


Suggestion: DO NOT Blame your Video Card for not running the stupid game!!!!

i got a radeon 9700PRO - and it runs crap! even with AA and FSAA turned off and the res @ like 1024 x 768 - it is crap - the graphics are old and designed badly!

even my ti4600 overclocked and my ti4200 overclocked dont run it for crap either

[sapiens74 0]

Runs perfectly on my system,

 

Although the CAT 3.8 helped a bit, the 3.7's were a bit slower.

 

 

I don't know what game you guys were playing, but it's the best if not tied for the best FPS of all time

[Immortal 0]

Id like to take this opportunity to say that FSAA and AA HAVE ABSOLUTLEY NO EFFECT ON HALO.

 

Its the way the game works, FSAA and AA dont work with it. So enabling it just looses you performance....

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

Quote:

Runs perfectly on my system,

Although the CAT 3.8 helped a bit, the 3.7's were a bit slower.


I don't know what game you guys were playing, but it's the best if not tied for the best FPS of all time

u must like poor graphics and crappy multiplayer game play then..lol

this game has no appeal - the weapons are not exciting - online play is boring and slow an has no bang to it.

single player was okay when i started it - but the gaphics and details for me just dont cut it for such a hihgley rated game - i am affraid to admit it - but it seems to FAr more better looking on the XBox.

[chriscatt 0]

"The graphics is not that good, it hardly runs on GF 4ti 4600"

I wonder what you were doing then. This game ran perfectly on a Ti4200P turbo at 1024 x 768 with everything turned to max. This is one of the best games of 2003, especially now I have a 9800XT, and much better looking then the Xbox, even when I had my old Nvidia card....

Chris

[Ali 0]

Quote:

"The graphics is not that good, it hardly runs on GF 4ti 4600"
I wonder what you were doing then. This game ran perfectly on a Ti4200P turbo at 1024 x 768 with everything turned to max. This is one of the best games of 2003, especially now I have a 9800XT, and much better looking then the Xbox, even when I had my old Nvidia card....
Chris

well here is the problem! UnrealII hardly run on GF4TI4600 when everyhting is set to max. but i see some improvement whent i use ATI R.9700 Pro with everything max. here i see very little difference or no difference at all in picture qualilty even with 9800pro, and it STILL HARDLY RUNS.

that's what i call crap graphics. i does look better than quakeII

(that is my def of a crap game anyways!!!)

[cuke 0]

Well again I beg to differ, I've also used a FX4200 with Halo, and at 800 x 600 with particles off and it only got sluggish when there was alot of action. I've also used Unreal with my old T14200 and it ran with no problems with everything to max. Perhaps the rest of your hardware isn't up to it. Maybe if you post your specs up here we could help you....

Chris

[Ali 0]

Quote:

Well again I beg to differ, I've also used a FX4200 with Halo, and at 800 x 600 with particles off and it only got sluggish when there was alot of action. I've also used Unreal with my old T14200 and it ran with no problems with everything to max. Perhaps the rest of your hardware isn't up to it. Maybe if you post your specs up here we could help you....
Chris

I'm sorry my earlier post wasn't clear. i meant Unreal II with all the fancy stuff and better looks and everything run better than Halo.
Using r.9700 pro vs. GF4 4600ti only makes unreal to run and look better, like the way it's supposed to be.
Halo however, runs crap no matter what video card you are using. the graphics is not 3even close to Unreal II.

[cuke 0]

Hi, run halo with -timdemo after the halo.exe, with a space. Then navigate to the timdemo.txt file and post up in here the results. However, Halo doesn't run 'crap' on whatever video card you are using. Please realise that just isn't true as many, including myself, do not have the issues you have with that game or other's. I too have run the Unreal2, abit, demo, and again with my old Ti4200P Turbo I had no issues....

Chris C

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

Halo graphics are almost 7 years old and poorly deisigned in the first place. - UTII graphics are far better and smoother.

[Immortal 0]

Halo renders the textures and stuff in a different way to other games, thats why the graphics are different and AA and FSAA have no effect.

 

I played halo and found it an excellent game. One thing tho, Halo reverts to PixelShader 1.4 with Radeon 9xxxx series GFX cards and the new GF-FX Series (I dont have one so i cant be sure). But the newer cards support Pixel Shader 2 which looks better and is highly optomized, so if you put this extension into the shortcut : "X:\Microsoft Games\Halo\halo.exe" -use20

 

This will force the game to use Pixel Shader 2.0 which makes the GFX look so much better!

 

Note, this fix is good, but nVidia cards will suffer HEAVILY, the GF-FX series doesnt have as powerfull and optimized PS2.0 as the radeon family so use at your own will. AND ONLY the GF-FX series and Radeon 9xxx family support this feature i beleive

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

pixel shader 2 is in any card that has full dx9 support - but as noted the FX line have crap 2.0 support and i beleive that is whythe pixel shaders are likely @ a 1.4 defualt - for the nvidia crowd.