Orange Box First Impressions!

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KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,235
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116
Originally posted by: spittledip
I am wanting to hear how TF2 is for everybody. What do you all think of TF2? Do share.

It's all kinds of awesome. I was excited for Crysis and UT3, but then I started playing TF2 and have not even thought about those other games since. :D

See this thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2100292&enterthread=y and come play on the AT players server. :)

KT
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,806
46
91
Originally posted by: spittledip
I am wanting to hear how TF2 is for everybody. What do you all think of TF2? Do share.

i pre-ordred so i got to play the beta. haven't played since launch though.

it was really cool and fun at first, but now its pretty much like every other FPS out there.
 

warcrow

Lifer
Jan 12, 2004
11,093
11
81
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: Noema
Originally posted by: Imp


By the way, with "engine improvements", how well does it run? Comparable/same as Episode 1 or slightly worse? IIRC, I could actually do 1920x1200 at high, although I'll probably just settle for 1680.

It definitely runs worse than Ep.1, no doubt because of all the new lighting stuff, not to mention all three Orange Box games now have an option for 'Very High' textures, as well as motion blur.

I've got a 7900GT + Pentium D 805 and I run Ep. 2 at 1920x1200 perfectly fine with all details on high, HDR turned off (because I can't stand it), no motion blur, 2x AA and 4X AF.


I kind of started with the same feelings--but trust me--it gets really really good. Just play through it and you're in for a treat. ;)
 

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
Local shops finally got it in today. With a PM and $15 in RZ certs, walked out with it for about $25 :)


Now if only I could figure out how in the hell to quite the game once I'm playing. Tried binding and couldn't get it working.
 

Drekce

Golden Member
Sep 29, 2000
1,398
0
76
I just beat Portal's main game...awesome. The last level (19/19) is one of the most unique and fun video game levels I have ever played. The boss battle was a great conclusion that required almost as much thinking as other parts of the level. The game is definitely short, but its blend of FPS and puzzle game won me over big time.

Here's to including the portal gun in HL: Episode 3!


BTW, the closing credits were awesome. What a great song.
 

coloumb

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,096
0
81
Originally posted by: BD2003
How the hell do I get the car off the bridge in ep2? I'm totally stumped.

Physics are your friend...

BTW - did you hop in and take it for a spin? :)

 

BD2003

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
16,815
1
76
Originally posted by: coloumb
Originally posted by: BD2003
How the hell do I get the car off the bridge in ep2? I'm totally stumped.

Physics are your friend...

BTW - did you hop in and take it for a spin? :)

Well, it appears that my only options are to drive into a pile of boulders, drive into the side railings, drive into the tractor trailer which cannot be moved, or drive off of the broken bridge to my death. If I climb onto the side railing and hop to the next part of the bridge, a piece falls off the side, but I dont see how it helps me.

Unless there is a way to get the car to physically jump up and over, I cant see how its possible to get that car off the bridge. Maybe I'm just glitching somewhere? Or maybe I'm retarded?
 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
5,189
184
106
I will take the liberty to tell you a very good clue about what to do on the bridge ...

*potential spoilers for everyone, you've been warned !*

Do you remember in Half-Life 2 when at once point you have to place some bricks on a wood platform so that they would put a considerable weight on one end of the platform (the more you placed on the platform and the more physically reacts), so that the other end would rise (like a balance) to form a "jump" ? Well, the bridge in Episode Two functions the exact same way, the only difference now is that there are cars on it already ... so think backwards ...

Just find a way to actually jump onto the bridge (which is done via a small ladder on one side of the stable part of the bridge, but the ladder doesn't actually lead to the broken part, you'll have to jump onto it from the surface you've climbed on). Once on the unstable part of it then you'll have the feeling that everything is going to collapse, but stay on it ... and the rest will come to you mind fast enough.
 

BD2003

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
16,815
1
76
Originally posted by: Zenoth
I will take the liberty to tell you a very good clue about what to do on the bridge ...

*potential spoilers for everyone, you've been warned !*

Do you remember in Half-Life 2 when at once point you have to place some bricks on a wood platform so that the bricks would put a considerable weight on one end of the platform, so that the other end would rise (like a balance) to form a "jump" ? Well, the bridge in Episode Two functions the exact same way, the only difference now is that there are cars on it already ... so think backwards ...

Just find a way to actually jump onto the bridge (the broken part that seems to be very unstable). You'll have the feeling that everything is going to collapse, but stay on it ... and the rest will come to you mind fast enough.

Silly me for not assuming that when a few cars that have the comparative weight of crumpled up aluminum foil are shifted to one end, a concrete bridge supported by vertical steel girders would not sway like a seesaw. :p

I gotta try this.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I found something a little odd when installing the game.. I didn't look into it much, but the installer refused to read Disc 2 when it was in my second DVD drive for the install process. I purposely put it in my second drive to avoid fumbling with discs :(. From what people are saying, I best not start something like Portals though... I might not stop :D.
 

fuzzybabybunny

Moderator<br>Digital & Video Cameras
Moderator
Jan 2, 2006
10,455
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91
Originally posted by: Drekce
Here's to including the portal gun in HL: Episode 3!

***SPOILER***

From the looks of the ending of EP2, you're going to be taking a visit to Aperture Science in HL3 :D
 

MetalMat

Diamond Member
Jun 14, 2004
9,692
36
91
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
Originally posted by: spittledip
I am wanting to hear how TF2 is for everybody. What do you all think of TF2? Do share.

It's all kinds of awesome. I was excited for Crysis and UT3, but then I started playing TF2 and have not even thought about those other games since. :D

See this thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2100292&enterthread=y and come play on the AT players server. :)

KT


Compared to the old TF I am not too impressed with TF2. No hunted mode, no grenades, they limited a some of the weapons (The pyros suck even more now). It is basically a dumbed down version of TFC with better graphics.
 

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
Played a couple hours last night. First thought is could they have tried to make the weapons more innacurate. Outside of rockets and sniper, I would travel around mostly with with a pistol as nothing else has an effective range of more than about 10 yards.

I only played about3-4 map types, but t hey seem a bit small.
 

rstrohkirch

Platinum Member
May 31, 2005
2,423
367
126
Originally posted by: andylawcc
Originally posted by: blckgrffn
Originally posted by: rstrohkirch
Can anyone check to see if ep2 uses the new multi-cpu support they've been talking about?

I want to know too! :)

how do I find out? there's an option box thingie to click?

Just check CPU usage while the game is running
Original source engine would sit at 50% on a dual core
 

BD2003

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
16,815
1
76
Its still single threaded. It goes to 99% on one core of my 2.7 C2D, and the other one goes basically idle.
 

Noema

Platinum Member
Feb 15, 2005
2,974
0
0
Originally posted by: BD2003
Its still single threaded. It goes to 99% on one core of my 2.7 C2D, and the other one goes basically idle.

Yeah, I noticed the same right away...so much for it being multi-threaded, it seems :(