Orange Box

[Dagless]

Anyone else bought this? £27 for Half Life 2, Ep1, Ep2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 is possibly the best deal in gaming history. Okay maybe it's tied with that id megapack :D

I'm a bit eager for Episode 2. I didn't like 1 much, just a little too short and uneventful IMO.

And I've never played Team Fortress 1! I hear it's great and that alone has me excited for the sequel :)

Portal just looks fun. I love creative games like this (my fave PC game currently being Knytt Stories).

Roll on whenever these games are launched :D

[sikkinixx]

I'm a little annoyed about this actually.


I already own HL2 and Ep1 off of Steam so I just wanted Portal, Ep2 and TF2.

But since they bundle them all together for $49.99USD I HAVE to get them all or else pay full retail for all ($180 according to valve) but since I already own HL2/Ep1 it says i can 'give it to a friend for free as a gift!"

screw that! Give me some more money off! I dont have any friends with gaming PC's so it will be of no use to me *sigh* oh well... I'm still psyched to play Ep2 and Portal

[Dagless]

Yea, money off would be good. It's cool for me though. I got banned off my fave HL2 Deathmatch server (get this, an admin was running a hack, I pointed it out and got kicked :mad: ). Either way I got HL2 Deathmatch from that ATI offer, and I've just added Orange Box to that.
Just gonna give Caroline my old account (HL2, CS:S, Deathmatch, Ep1).

Just watched the 2nd TF2 trailer. I actually LOLed at a game trailer :o

[pprior]

Oh man, team fortress 1 was probably my most favorite game EVER. Man that brings back memories!

(on the PC of course)

[tom5304]

Possibly a dumb question, but is Team Fortress only for multiplayer? I checked the Orange Box web site, but I couldn't tell if Team Fortress has a single player mode. Thanks.

Edit: Wow, that was freaky! About five minutes after I typed the above question, I went to Google and typed in some key words to search more on this subject. Guess what came up at the top of the list? That's right, this exact thread on MacRumors. Five minutes after posting and Google has it indexed. That's impressive, but almost scary...

[Dagless]

Going out on a limb I'd say TF2 is multi player only, Portal single player only.

And yes! I did some poster art for a friends game, about 10 minutes later he googled the games name and my art was the top result :D

[Vidd]

I don't really follow PC gaming so I hadn't heard of this.
Is it some sort of bundle deal?
Where did you get it, raggedjimmi, for that price?

[takao]

god damnit .. since i was playing paper mario (got it early again on tuesday) and medieval 2 kingdoms i totally missed the release .. looks like a store visit later th day is required

[overcast]

I'm a little annoyed about this actually.


I already own HL2 and Ep1 off of Steam so I just wanted Portal, Ep2 and TF2.

But since they bundle them all together for $49.99USD I HAVE to get them all or else pay full retail for all ($180 according to valve) but since I already own HL2/Ep1 it says i can 'give it to a friend for free as a gift!"

screw that! Give me some more money off! I dont have any friends with gaming PC's so it will be of no use to me *sigh* oh well... I'm still psyched to play Ep2 and Portal

You ARE getting a discount, just look at how much EP2 $30, TF2 $30 and Portal $20 would cost alone. EP1 was $30 when it came out, there is NO difference. If you just want EP2 then buy it for $30, if not spend $15 more, get TF2 and Portal and save $40! I mean cmon man, use your head instead of complaining.

[Dagless]

I don't really follow PC gaming so I hadn't heard of this.
Is it some sort of bundle deal?
Where did you get it, raggedjimmi, for that price?

Steam-

The total came to $52.82 USD, which is a larvely £26 (according to the more accurate Dashboard convertor).

But I checked the release date. 10th October. :( still at least the TF2 beta is open on Monday so that should tide me over!

[GavinTing]

I'm a little annoyed about this actually.


I already own HL2 and Ep1 off of Steam so I just wanted Portal, Ep2 and TF2.

But since they bundle them all together for $49.99USD I HAVE to get them all or else pay full retail for all ($180 according to valve) but since I already own HL2/Ep1 it says i can 'give it to a friend for free as a gift!"

screw that! Give me some more money off! I dont have any friends with gaming PC's so it will be of no use to me *sigh* oh well... I'm still psyched to play Ep2 and Portal

What you could do is install the offerpack on a seperate steam account, and perhaps give the HL2/EP1 account you have to someone else, or sell it..

[repeater75]

I'm a massive fan of TF and TFC. I still play TFC at least weekly on my new Black Macbook. I've to 2GB of RAM.

I can play under Crossover Office or under Parallels.

I'm going to do some testing with the HL2 demo to see how it plays under both Crossover and Parallels as I'm trying to get some idea of whether TF2 will be playable under either on this hardware. I don't care if I have to turn off eyecandy, as long as TF2 is playable, I'm happy. I never play The Sniper anyway!

If you prepay for Orange Box on Steam right now its only $44.99 and you get to start playing TF2 on MONDAY! That's right on 9/17. If I can get this up and running without having to shell out for an Xbox 360 at Christmas, I'm going to be a happy happy camper.

If any of you have any real-world testing on this stuff I'd love to hear it. The major concern I have is that TF2 has steeper system reqs than HL2 does, they are:
Minimum:
1.7 Ghz Processor, 512MB RAM and a DX8 Graphics card.
Recommended:
P4 3.0Ghz or better, 1GB RAM and DX9 card.

I allocate 1GB RAM to my Parallels VM and give it the full 64MB of VRAM allowed, but I have no idea what the DX8 requirement will mean under Parallels. Then there's always Crossover Office as a fallback...

[bobber205]

If you can do bootcamp and windows. Emulation gaming is not usually good.

[1ncr3du10u5]

Anyone else bought this? £27 for Half Life 2, Ep1, Ep2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 is possibly the best deal in gaming history. Okay maybe it's tied with that id megapack :D

I'm a bit eager for Episode 2. I didn't like 1 much, just a little too short and uneventful IMO.

And I've never played Team Fortress 1! I hear it's great and that alone has me excited for the sequel :)

Portal just looks fun. I love creative games like this (my fave PC game currently being Knytt Stories).

Roll on whenever these games are launched :D

Is this download available to people in the UK, at only £27? I'm assuming you've done the currency conversion as I only see the price in dollars.

I already have HL2 and HL2 Episode 1 but for that price it's still a steal. :)

[Vidd]

Is this download available to people in the UK, at only £27? I'm assuming you've done the currency conversion as I only see the price in dollars.
The total came to $52.82 USD, which is a larvely £26 (according to the more accurate Dashboard convertor).

The price is awesome. :)
I'm tempted by it.

[1ncr3du10u5]

The price is awesome. :)
I'm tempted by it.

The temptation proved too much for me. :)

[Dagless]

TF2 beta open tomorrow :D my preload is complete.

And my Quake Wars demo is downloading too.

Peggle is awesome.

aaaand just checked my Paypal - total is £26.74 GBP :D I pity the console people paying £50 for this and not getting mouse/keyboard control!

[1ncr3du10u5]

TF2 beta open tomorrow :D my preload is complete.

And my Quake Wars demo is downloading too.

Peggle is awesome.

aaaand just checked my Paypal - total is £26.74 GBP :D I pity the console people paying £50 for this and not getting mouse/keyboard control!

Quake Wars is brilliant. I'm pretty crap at it at the moment though, I'm the one dying a lot! Earlier I was rated 'worst aim' in one match but that was because I was testing the chaingun on the 'helicopter'.

Peggle is a laugh, did you notice the G-Man's face imposed onto the sun in the intro? :)

[Dagless]

It took me a while to realise that was GMan :D

Anyways mate! Add me to Steam. I've got a new account so I've lost lots of old players - I'm now Shelderslow. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow!

[1ncr3du10u5]

It took me a while to realise that was GMan :D

Anyways mate! Add me to Steam. I've got a new account so I've lost lots of old players - I'm now Shelderslow. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow!

I've added you. I'm g0rd0nb3nn3t on STEAM and I'm currently playing as stroghetti-bolognese on Quake Wars. :)

[lag1090]

screw that! Give me some more money off! I dont have any friends with gaming PC's so it will be of no use to me *sigh* oh well... I'm still psyched to play Ep2 and Portal

If you don't want your copy of HL2, I'd be happy to take it off your hands. :)

[Dagless]

That Quake Wars is a bit of okay! I was a bit conservative and put my settings at 1680*1050 (external monitor) and low, then tried it at high and after a few stuttery periods it ran at a nice 25-30fps! They've really tuned this Doom 3 engine. Yet another one for me to buy now :D

[repeater75]

Well - HL2 Demo plays pretty crappy in Parallels.
I noticed that HL2 detects the video as a DX 8.1-capable card (with DX9 installed).

I'm going to try the bootcamp approach. I've got enough spare space on the old Hard disk, so I might as well.

If the performance is noticably better on the HL2 demo, then I'll spring for Orange Box and get my TF2 on!

Plus, even if TF2 sucks (and I highly doubt it will), there's http://www.fortress-forever.com/ that just released and all it needs is any source-based game license in your steam account.

[ExoticFish]

i've been super excited about the orange box but i have not bought it yet because i'm having trouble running Source games on my boot camp partition. I also had trouble on my PC I had before my iMac. On my 20" C2D iMac under boot camp, running Source engine games locks up the machine. Technically Windows is still usable but the game freezes in such a way that process viewer doesn't display over the game. I can hit the power button and Windows safely shuts down but it's still ridiculous. I'm going to go boot into Windows and see if I can't figure this out so I can play some TF2 tomorrow morning before work! :D

[ReanimationLP]

I'm looking forward to Episode 2, I'm still on the fence about Portal and Team Fortress 2, probably because I'm horrible at multiplayer FPS games.

I am always the n00b you hear people talking about. :D

[Dagless]

I'm a complete noob in CounterStrike :o

Gah! It's the day and still TF2 isn't out yet! I'm wondering how it's going to run. It looks like it should run really well, since it's Cel shading. But it's usng Phang lighting so the jury's out!

[repeater75]

I finally got Bootcamp installed and it runs hella faster than Parallels for the HL2 Demo so I went ahead and sprung for the Orange Box so I can play some TF2 Tonight.

My wife is gonna be so pissed. She's going to be a videogame widow once again!

FYI: Installing Bootcamp after you've been using your Mac for a while is not the most fun thing in the world. I have about 5 good-sized Parallels VM's on my Mac (I demo lots of software for sales) and if you don't know about iDefrag - you should definitely check up on it. Macs do auto-defrag files over 20megs but that just doesn't cut it when you're dealing with 13GB Vista VM's. You have to make a bootable iDefrag disc and then run it overnight on "compression algorithm" or the Bootcamp assistant will never let you partition your disc because it can't move the big VM files to empty contiguous space. Its a lot of work, but now I get to play TF2 and I don't have to shell out for an Xbox 360 (yet). Oh - and I can also get Fortress Forever now too! WOOT!:D

[Dyuta]

Anyone here got the TF2 beta running? If so, how's performance?

(I'm especially hoping someone running it on a MBP could chime in.)

[Iscariot]

I picked up the Holiday Special or some such.

Half-Life: Source
Counter-Strike: Source
HL2
HL2 Ep 1
HL2 Lost Coast (free anyway)
HL2 Deathmatch

and maybe Team Fortress? I think it was $50. I don't know. Sometimes I find myself awoken in a dank and dark place -- perhaps without pants -- hair matted thick with dirt and sweat and blood, and I find myself gripped tightly by the fears, my filthy vile credit card exposed to all the world.

I was extremely dismayed to see how lame CS:S has become since I played the original CS (and I mean 1.0 and 1.1). de_dust2 is pretty much the only map, and it's not really a game anymore, it's a collection of players who have obsessively memorized all the map quirks and exploits. If I want to be jeered at by drunken frat boys, I'll just go to my college reunion.

I beat HL2 Ep 1 in like three hours, one sitting on medium difficulty. It was extremely disappointing, and these kinds of games have very little replay value. I could play it once more on the hardest level of difficulty? But then I'm really making my own game, and setting my own rules, which leads to a question of "why bother" when it's not particularly engaging. I was not engaged.

At the ticket price, there's no way three to six hours of gameplay is any kind of value. I bought the whole pack two weeks ago, and I'm already done with it. It's nearly impossible to get an actually decent review to inform my purchase. Review sites tend to see "Half Life" and begin spasming uncontrollably, brains afflicted with a diabolical technology that makes their perspiration-laden, taco-scented and monstrously obese bodies writhe in pleasure, trembling like at the touch of that one girl in high school who was actually not repulsed by their maladaption to their ever changing, increasingly grotesque forms. Halo or Metroid games have the same effect, it's like a drug that I seem to be strangely immune to.

Maybe I'm not listening to the right music.

At any rate, I'm skeptical about HL2: ep2. If it's a game in episodic content, which takes a certain amount of pressure off the developers -- allowing them more time to craft their product in a way I find appreciable -- available online reducing their production costs, then I feel it should have a more episodic price. Perhaps I can pay in a whole "season" of dollars, over a span of 3-6 months? Not that I won't buy it, but still, principal people. Principal.

[Pookieinc]

I'm really sorry to hear your experience wasn't very good! I'm sorry if I missed it, but you DID play Half Life 2 (the first half life 2 game) first, right? That was the longer one, then the episodic content is only supposed to be liike 6 hours, and episode 2 to be a little longer. I'm about to start ep. 1 and I'm really stoked for it!

Back to the topic though, did anyone play the beta with their Mac? How does it hold up?

[Dagless]

It plays very well... for 5 minutes then it crashes! But this seems to be just my computer at the moment.

Everything on full too. HDR, motion blur etc. no AA though.

[1ncr3du10u5]

Anyone here got the TF2 beta running? If so, how's performance?

(I'm especially hoping someone running it on a MBP could chime in.)

TF2 on my Macbook Pro (2.2Ghz) runs very well indeed, generally at about 40fps, on high graphics settings and full native resolution. The graphic style of the game is amazing. I also recommend that you try visiting the levels for the commentary to see some useful tips and general info. :)

[Haoshiro]

TF2 runs on my 2.4GHz C2D iMac (Mid 2007), 2GB RAM, with HD 2600 excellently.

I average around 90 fps, with the range about 65-120.

This is at 1280x768, max settings (no AA, full HDR)

[slffl]

TF2 runs on my 2.4GHz C2D iMac (Mid 2007), 2GB RAM, with HD 2600 excellently.

I average around 90 fps, with the range about 65-120.

This is at 1280x768, max settings (no AA, full HDR)

Can you try it at native rez and see how it runs?

[Cheesecake]

Does anyone here in the beta have a Macbook Pro 2.3 Core 2 Duo 2 gigs of Ram X1600 256? If so, how's the performance on it? I'm curious to see how it will run at native 1440x900, as I can run all other Source games pretty much maxed out without any problems. Though i've heard that it won't take advantage of the dual cores yet, because multi-threading isn't in the beta.

[Iscariot]

I'm really sorry to hear your experience wasn't very good! I'm sorry if I missed it, but you DID play Half Life 2 (the first half life 2 game) first, right? That was the longer one, then the episodic content is only supposed to be liike 6 hours, and episode 2 to be a little longer. I'm about to start ep. 1 and I'm really stoked for it!

Back to the topic though, did anyone play the beta with their Mac? How does it hold up?

Yeah, I played HL:2 through, but I also felt it was kind of short. There's really not a lot of replay value in the single player campaign of the Half Life series.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy what I played. I just think it falls well short of the kind of accolades it garners, and I feel the same way about a few other titles as well.

[BeChan]

Does anyone here in the beta have a Macbook Pro 2.3 Core 2 Duo 2 gigs of Ram X1600 256? If so, how's the performance on it? I'm curious to see how it will run at native 1440x900, as I can run all other Source games pretty much maxed out without any problems. Though i've heard that it won't take advantage of the dual cores yet, because multi-threading isn't in the beta.

I have the beta on that setup, and it crashes every single time I run the game. I played through HL2 perfectly, I played CS:S on the very same computer, I even played Oblivion pretty well. But about 15 seconds after joining a server (assuming that I'm lucky enough not to BSOD while loading), my computer freezes up completely. Every. Single. Time.

And this is on 800x600, no AA, no HDR, low graphics settings on all counts, and with sound acceleration turned off.

Any ideas?

[slffl]

I just played TF2 and was very disappointed. It's exactly like Day of Defeat. Graphics, sound, and animation are excellent, but gameplay is shallow and more of the same. Give me Shadowrun any day over this.

[harveypooka]

Peggle is awesome.


I agree.

I scoffed at the game when I read about it, played it and now want to be a Peggle Master! :D

What a difference catchy and cheerful sound effects make!

[Dagless]

Everyone I've shown Peggle to has become just a little addicted here :D wish the full version had more levels now.

I've been playing this on Vista. Turns out DirectX10 is good for something. Finding it oh-so much fun right now. Loving the phong shading, with AA turned up it really does destroy any idea that this is pixels and polygons.

Doing quite well with the spy, just disguising myself as a medic (since the enemy medics can tell if you're a spy by healing) and running about with the knife. Taking out snipers and such. And that pyro guy is ace! i think it's on Granary where you can just drop down where enemies seem to congregate, quick blowtorch and they're all going down :D

Completed Ep1 too, cannot wait for Ep2. Really getting into the story of this series now, it's so well executed.

[Pookieinc]

Hey everyone!

Well I couldn't resist the temptation, so I bought the Orange Box and have been playing Team-Fortress 2 on my MacBook Pro for the past few days. I have a MacBook Pro 2.2Ghz Santa Rosa laptop for those curious. I run the game at 1440 by 900 resolution and everything turned up with HDR and everything and I'm getting VERY good FPS. I haven't really checked the FPS but I haven't even felt a stutter after playing so much. The graphics are SO amazing and so is everything about this game! It's very well polished and I totally recommend it for those that are on the fence. Also at the price of 45 buck, it's a steal! GET IT NOW!

Any questions and I'll answer them! :)

[PhatBoyG]

FRAPS shows an average of about 50-70 FPS @ 1440x900 on the 2.4 GHz MBP with the 8600m GT 256mb.

This is in TF2 with action going on (several players on-screen, etc.).

Everything is maxed except for AA, which I never use.

I'm PhatBoyG on steam/in-game.

[Dagless]

Ok, so the Omega Drivers have totally fixed the crashing problem I was experiencing.

I really really like TF2. I've grown quite good at it over the past week. Between the Spy, Pyro and Demoman I can hold my own! The Medic is fantastic too if I want a break from the killing.

Realised I much prefer the graphics in a lower resolution (1280*768) with 6x FSAA and 16x (or is it 18x) AA filtering. Doesn't drop a frame below 40 here! Can't get that Motion Blur working for the life of me.

[CJM]

Bought it yesterday, the TF2 beta is loads of fun! Fantastic class-based FPS :) Heavies, engineers, medics and spies are among my favourites.


Portal looks amazing, too. A really interesting experience :)

[PhatBoyG]

Everything is maxed except for AA, which I never use.


Just realized I have been running AA. Now I am running 8xCSAA at 45-60 FPS and it looks awesome!

[Sp3shl K]

has anyone played any of the half life2 games on their macbooks? not the pros. i have a 2.16 macbook w/ 2g of RAM how well do you think the game would play on it?:confused:

[Dagless]

2 days and it's out :) I literally cannot wait! The last game I got this excited over was Doom 3 all them years ago. Annoying to know they basically have a giant button saying "unlock the game" for us Steam users, yet they're sat there watching us squirm :o

I can't imagine Valve dropping the ball on this one. And they had either better have Episode 3 for cheap or give us another stonkingly good deal!

[sikkinixx]

*must....resist...pre...downloading....on....steam.....*

[MacsomJRR]

I'll be getting this for the 360 tomorrow. TF2 looks amazing and I'm already hearing really good things from people who've gotten it a day early.

[sikkinixx]

I'll be getting this for the 360 tomorrow. TF2 looks amazing and I'm already hearing really good things from people who've gotten it a day early.

I was thinkin about getting it for my 360 but... I can't imagine playing it with a controller. I love FPS's on consoles but HL just feels different I guess. I just want it to run well on my 2.2ghz MBP. HL2 runs maxed out at 60fps, and ep1 runs damn smokin too so I'm hoping I can run it 1440x900 with everything on high.

[bombboy]

has anyone played any of the half life2 games on their macbooks? not the pros. i have a 2.16 macbook w/ 2g of RAM how well do you think the game would play on it?:confused:

Wondering about this as well :[ ^^

[Dagless]

THEY'VE BEEN UNLOCKED ON STEAM.

I'm literally chuffing my pants off :eek: dunno which to go on first!

Hurry up decrypting, hurry up!

(This and Sonic in Smash Bros Brawl makes this one of the best days for games ever :eek: )

[CJM]

Completed Portal already. 's fun! :)


TF2 is of course fantastic. Haven't tried Episode Two yet, though.

[MAW]

has anyone played any of the half life2 games on their macbooks? not the pros. i have a 2.16 macbook w/ 2g of RAM how well do you think the game would play on it?:confused:

Plenty to see here (http://youtube.com/results?search_query=HALF+LIFE+2+ON+MACBOOK).

[Dagless]

Episode 2 is fantastic, it's leaps ahead of Episode 1. The textures and lighting are much improved, IMO they were the weakest part of HL2. Motion Blur of course is awesome. HDR and Bloom seem toned down from Ep 1.

All the technical stuff aside... The underground guardian had me petrified! FPS's don't normally scare me but wow, the distant thumping and it's 2 hit kill put me on edge!

Portal is pretty good. Could have done with more levels, I've only played it for an hour or so and I've already done 14 rooms :(

The true gem here is Team Fortress 2. That game is just beautiful to play and look at.

[irbdavid]

Finished portal. Great little game, funny too. Team Fortress 2 looks good, but still can't kick the Day of Defeat habit. Episode 2 tonight...

Motion Blur is a great effect.

[sikkinixx]

Getting mine in a few short hours :D hope it runs great

[Dagless]

Episode 2 is friggin incredible. This could be one of the best single player FPS experiences. It's very good up until you enter a certain barn. What a masterpiece.

Valve are gods.

[sikkinixx]

I played a bit of everything so far. Portal is sweet, a bit simple but the idea of it is just so awesome... imagine that making it into a full game (ie. Ep3)

TF2 is really fun, I like it a lot more than I thought I would. The style is amazing, everything runs smoothly with no hitches. Lots o fun.


Ep2 is :D Still looks great, lots of fun, can't wait to actually get a chance to plug through it a few times.

Add HL2 and Ep1 and god damn Orange box is a hell of a deal. I paid $20 less for this than Halo 3 and it pretty much tops it in every area thus far.

[Dagless]

Halo 3 should be embarassed by Orange Box.

Just completed Episode 2 :) me oh my it's a good ending. Steam is saying it took me 7.1 hours to complete it. That must be broke. I've put in 5 hours today and 6 yesterday.

Now I can get back to work :D

[1ncr3du10u5]

Wow! HL: Episode 2 is amazing so far, I don't want to rush into it too much 'cos I want it to last and damn, I've never felt so nauseous playing a game before than when I was stomping through the subterranean ant-lion dens squashing the grubs and wading through the blood and slime with headphones on! Yuck! :)

Team Fortress 2 so far isn't doing it for me but before yesterday I was playing Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (demo) which I'm loving and isn't leaving much time for TF2 and that's just the demo! The full version is on it's way! :)

ps. Is anyone ever going to be able to play HL1 ever again and kill the Vortigons after HL2: Ep2? Tough choice! :)

[Consultant]

Team Fortress Beta was a lot of fun, but because I want a physical box and disks, I actually bought the orange box via Pre-Order from a physical store, waiting for them to ship it to me. Ugh...

Wondering if the physical copy will work on steam? Hope so, otherwise I would have to take a $20 loss (bought for about $50, resell for $40 and buy it via steam for $50)...

I guess I can actually get some sleep in the coming days.

[pkts]

Well, I got a macbook 2.0 with 2 gigs of ram and boot camp. Running Vista and having no luck with running most of Orange Box...thought people who'd like to know. Perhaps its my settings but I can barely play HL2 regular with Medium on all Video settings. Certain areas just become unplayable.

Perhaps its my settings since I've seen people on Youtube using my computer to run HL2? Any thoughts/suggestions?

[pkts]

Weird...just to add. maybe I'm doing something wrong. I just ran

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest

and it says my computer should be able to run orangebox.

[roychen]

Well, I got a macbook 2.0 with 2 gigs of ram and boot camp. Running Vista and having no luck with running most of Orange Box...thought people who'd like to know. Perhaps its my settings but I can barely play HL2 regular with Medium on all Video settings. Certain areas just become unplayable.

Perhaps its my settings since I've seen people on Youtube using my computer to run HL2? Any thoughts/suggestions?

Try going into Steam, the advanced properties for HL2, and add "-dxlevel 70" (without the quotes) to the launch options. Apparently this forces HL2 to run with DirectX 7.0 instead of 9.0, and will allow you to play HL2.

I haven't personally tried this though, so I'm not too sure if it'll work.

[Consultant]

Well, I got a macbook 2.0 with 2 gigs of ram and boot camp. Running Vista and having no luck with running most of Orange Box...thought people who'd like to know. Perhaps its my settings but I can barely play HL2 regular with Medium on all Video settings. Certain areas just become unplayable.

Perhaps its my settings since I've seen people on Youtube using my computer to run HL2? Any thoughts/suggestions?

Vista is severely inefficient. XP works much better for most of the games.

Which counterstrike are you trying to get? I can't decide between Counter Strike or Counter Strike: Source.

[pkts]

Try going into Steam, the advanced properties for HL2, and add "-dxlevel 70" (without the quotes) to the launch options. Apparently this forces HL2 to run with DirectX 7.0 instead of 9.0, and will allow you to play HL2.

I haven't personally tried this though, so I'm not too sure if it'll work.

Thanks for the suggestion, I tried it but it didn't help :(

However, and this really makes no sense, I installed Crossover and am able to play HL2 95% perfectly on OSX!!! I guess that indicates what a poor performance Operating system Vista must be!

[pkts]

Vista is severely inefficient. XP works much better for most of the games.

Which counterstrike are you trying to get? I can't decide between Counter Strike or Counter Strike: Source.

I'm actually just playing the Orange Box. Don't know much about the different CS versions.

Guess I made the wrong decision with Vista...I wanted to buy the newer software but XP sounds much better. I guess that's why HL2 works better on crossover since its simulating 2000. I even tried going into the Vista settings and turning off all the Vista crap and the background functionality. Still too slow.

[Consultant]

I installed Crossover and am able to play HL2 95% perfectly on OSX!!! I guess that indicates what a poor performance Operating system Vista must be!

Oh wow, I know the reports on Vista are bad, but not THAT bad. Now we know.

Good to hear you got it to work on Cross Over in MacBook though. Got any Frame rates?

[bobber205]

Since fate is a cruel mistress I was thinking about getting Orange Box for TF2 to play over the break for my online multiplayer needs. Is it as good as they say?

[zap2]

Hoping to pick this up this up this week end, for Xbox 360...and I was the new battlefront for PSP

[pkts]

Oh wow, I know the reports on Vista are bad, but not THAT bad. Now we know.

Good to hear you got it to work on Cross Over in MacBook though. Got any Frame rates?

I just tried HL2 again with Vista and a smaller window. Still way worse than crossover. Tried forcing it to load directx 7 8 and 9 on three different loads and no real difference. I'll check fr in a sec...getting 5-15 on Vista depending on the environment. Thats with most video elements on med

[kasei]

Pre-ordered it for the 360 from Amazon. The bad thing is it won't arrive until the 24th. That the last time I pre-order from amazon. It took them 3 weeks to deliver my Halo 3.

I went into BestBuy to see if I could get a copy of The Orange Box, but they were sold out. This might turn out to be a sleeper hit.

[Consultant]

type into in-game console for framerate:
cl_showfps 1

http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/View.php?view=HL2GameInfo.Detail&id=20&game=3

[Consultant]

Pre-ordered it for the 360 from Amazon. The bad thing is it won't arrive until the 24th. That the last time I pre-order from amazon. It took them 3 weeks to deliver my Halo 3.

I went into BestBuy to see if I could get a copy of The Orange Box, but they were sold out. This might turn out to be a sleeper hit.

You might want to try circuit city. Their PC version is on sale for a great price. Otherwise Game Stop, and many other local merchants.

If you have used the beta code that came with the pre-order, then they said the order cannot be canceled. Doesn't hurt to try though if you can pick one up locally.

[shecky]

just got mine at circuit city for $37.99 - the one i was at (n. attleboro, ma) had maybe 10 on the shelf.

[Consultant]

just got mine at circuit city for $37.99 - the one i was at (n. attleboro, ma) had maybe 10 on the shelf.

Cool. Does it install Steam?

[Dagless]

Course it does, it's how they prevent piracy on all mediums.

[Dagless]

Since fate is a cruel mistress I was thinking about getting Orange Box for TF2 to play over the break for my online multiplayer needs. Is it as good as they say?

Yes.

It's just so perfectly balanced. Looking at the trailer from a year ago it's clear they focused on making it balanced, put the commentary on and they go on about 2D design techniques with drawing the players attention to certain areas, and keeping them away from others.
I dunno what else to say really! It's near enough perfect, if only they had an option to turn off the revenge-cam feature. After my 24 hours of play they're getting a bit annoying!

[shecky]

well i am tottally stuck in EP2; the after running around underneath the mine tunnels with the giant bull antlion chasing you, i got to the bottom of the elevator with the vortigaunt way above telling me to activate the elevator, no matter how much i pull on that handle nothing happens. wtf???

[Celeron]

Anyone tried this on a Mac Pro with the X1900XT?

[Consultant]

well i am tottally stuck in EP2; the after running around underneath the mine tunnels with the giant bull antlion chasing you, i got to the bottom of the elevator with the vortigaunt way above telling me to activate the elevator, no matter how much i pull on that handle nothing happens. wtf???

You might want to google: half life 2 Episode [fill in number] walkthrough

[holybatfart]

well i am tottally stuck in EP2; the after running around underneath the mine tunnels with the giant bull antlion chasing you, i got to the bottom of the elevator with the vortigaunt way above telling me to activate the elevator, no matter how much i pull on that handle nothing happens. wtf???Try GameFAQS.com for any walkthroughs, they'll probably have your answer.

[1ncr3du10u5]

well i am tottally stuck in EP2; the after running around underneath the mine tunnels with the giant bull antlion chasing you, i got to the bottom of the elevator with the vortigaunt way above telling me to activate the elevator, no matter how much i pull on that handle nothing happens. wtf???

I think if I remember rightly you need to find a cog off a bit of machinery nearby that goes into the missing slot of the gear mechanism that drives the mine the vortiwotsit is shouting down at you to activate....

[Dagless]

Yea there's a missing cog somewhere, just pick it up and drop it onto the mechanism.

Anyone else think they're badly designed aliens? What's that middle hand all about, what sort of environment would require that!

[MacRumorUser]

Course it does, it's how they prevent piracy on all mediums.

What about the 360 version then ? ;) So maybe not 'all' mediums.

[1ncr3du10u5]

Anyone else think they're badly designed aliens? What's that middle hand all about, what sort of environment would require that!

Oh I dunno, evolution does come up with some weird things in real life. I do like the way they've inproved the eyes, they look amazingly alive in episode 2.

How did you get on with Portal? I thought it was amazing. I did wonder if you chose to let yourself be fried at the 'end' instead of trying to escape, what would happen. :)

[phillipjfry]

Has anyone had good luck with TFC2 on the 2006 intel iMacs with crossover? Before I buy it (i loved tfc original), are there enough servers to play on?

[Consultant]

Has anyone had good luck with TFC2 on the 2006 intel iMacs with crossover? Before I buy it (i loved tfc original), are there enough servers to play on?

If it works ok on MacBook, it will work fine on intel iMacs.

[Consultant]

My steam account name is Consultant_1

Add me to friends in TF2 and I'll invite you to some cool servers...

[Eidorian]

Has anyone had good luck with TFC2 on the 2006 intel iMacs with crossover? Before I buy it (i loved tfc original), are there enough servers to play on?There's a free demo of Crossover.

[phillipjfry]

There's a free demo of Crossover.

But not a free demo of TFC2. I haven't heard from anyone about how populated the servers are yet

[Eidorian]

But not a free demo of TFC2. I haven't heard from anyone about how populated the servers are yetDo you have any other Source based games? You could at least test those in Crossover.

[ravenvii]

I'm curious, I never used Steam before.

When you buy a physical box of the game, and you decide to sell it later. are you able to? Or is it locked to your account and you're ****ed?

And if you're not online (say, the AirPort basestation is acting wonky or something and you want to let out steam playing something in-between trying to fix it (yes pun)), you're ****ed too?

[Eidorian]

You can play in offline mode.

[mbrellisford]

no matter how much i pull on that handle nothing happens. wtf???

When you pull it, look at the machine. There is one of those cog sprocket thingys missing. you can find it on the oposite side of the room. Just pick it up, put it in, and then pull the lever.

[Dagless]

What about the 360 version then ? ;) So maybe not 'all' mediums.

Ah screw the console versions, I'm on about the online and retail versions!

And yes ^, you can simply sell the CD on, but I think you have to deactivate your original games on the account and/or Steam checks for serial numbers and says "oi, this person is playing your game after your last game - so it's not yours anymore! loser!". Or something!

As for Portal. I'm still on Room 18/19 or so. Right now I'm hooked on TF2 and honestly couldn't care for any other games... Not even my own projects! :o

[ravenvii]

Ah screw the console versions, I'm on about the online and retail versions!

And yes ^, you can simply sell the CD on, but I think you have to deactivate your original games on the account and/or Steam checks for serial numbers and says "oi, this person is playing your game after your last game - so it's not yours anymore! loser!". Or something!

As for Portal. I'm still on Room 18/19 or so. Right now I'm hooked on TF2 and honestly couldn't care for any other games... Not even my own projects! :o

So it's always better to buy the game physically, rather than on Steam?

I don't get the point of buying games on Steam... you can get the physical copies cheaper, and you can sell it. :confused:

[Eidorian]

I don't get the point of buying games on Steam... you can get the physical copies cheaper, and you can sell it. :confused:I found it for $36.99 at Fry's and my friend gloats to me he beat sales tax by buying it off of Steam. :confused:

[1ncr3du10u5]

So it's always better to buy the game physically, rather than on Steam?

I don't get the point of buying games on Steam... you can get the physical copies cheaper, and you can sell it. :confused:

I don't think I'd be able to get Orange Box anywhere cheaper than what I paid for it by digital download and if you sold your physical copy they would still need a log-in and password to play the games. I think it's possible to create a Steam account without buying games, for trying demos etc. but I don't know if that means you would be able to play a 2nd-hand game through that account. I suspect not.

[Consultant]

I don't think I'd be able to get Orange Box anywhere cheaper than what I paid for it by digital download and if you sold your physical copy they would still need a log-in and password to play the games. I think it's possible to create a Steam account without buying games, for trying demos etc. but I don't know if that means you would be able to play a 2nd-hand game through that account. I suspect not.

Unfortunately, if you buy a game on Steam, it's actually a "subscription" which cannot be transferred. Not only you cannot resell your subscription, it almost always cost more when stores get their retail copies and sell at a discount.

Orange Box is currently $50 on steam (was $45 on pre-order), and will probably stay at that price for maybe 6 months or longer. But as others found, retail copies can be had for around or even less than $40 after tax.

The benefit is that you get it right away, assuming your connection is fast enough to download multi-GB games in hours instead of days. (Some games can be playable once the basic app and the first levels are downloaded though).

[bobber205]

I don't think I'd be able to get Orange Box anywhere cheaper than what I paid for it by digital download and if you sold your physical copy they would still need a log-in and password to play the games. I think it's possible to create a Steam account without buying games, for trying demos etc. but I don't know if that means you would be able to play a 2nd-hand game through that account. I suspect not.

Yes. You can create a Steam account for demo purposes.

[1ncr3du10u5]

Yes. You can create a Steam account for demo purposes.

I said that. I doubted however that you could use 2nd-hand steam games on an account created for playing demos.

[Freyqq]

is counterstrike source part of orange box or is it a separate game?

[bobber205]

is counterstrike source part of orange box or is it a separate game?
It's separate.

[Freyqq]

It's separate.

so i could buy orange box for x360 and cs:s for pc?

[Dagless]

So it's always better to buy the game physically, rather than on Steam?

I don't get the point of buying games on Steam... you can get the physical copies cheaper, and you can sell it. :confused:

I go for Steam over physical copies because it means it's always available (unless the Steam servers go byebye, but I imagine there is some kind of remuneration for users in such a case). Say I lose the CD then I'm buggered, of it gets scratched.

Plus it's hellaofalot cheaper, Episode 1 was $19=£10 for me originally. Shops were selling it for £20. As a whole it's a cheaper experience.

And pre-loading means I can play it the second it's released. Which isn't a selling point but a nice thing nonetheless.

It's nice to know that I can be on a different computer anywhere in the world, all I need to do is log into my Steam account and play with my game and stats.

Course you can't sell them later though. Unless they make the game gifting option universal for all Steam games.

[MacRumorUser]

I go for Steam over physical copies because it means it's always available (unless the Steam servers go byebye, but I imagine there is some kind of remuneration for users in such a case). Say I lose the CD then I'm buggered, of it gets scratched.
.

Nope Jimmi. Even if you buy a game like Dark Messiah or HL2 on disc, you still have to install Steam. Once you have done so it registers the game with your steam account, so even if in future you lose your disc you can simply install the game from within Steam.

So your not buggered, not at all ;)

[Consultant]

I go for Steam over physical copies because it means it's always available (unless the Steam servers go byebye, but I imagine there is some kind of remuneration for users in such a case). Say I lose the CD then I'm buggered, of it gets scratched.

Plus it's hellaofalot cheaper, Episode 1 was $19=£10 for me originally. Shops were selling it for £20. As a whole it's a cheaper experience.

And pre-loading means I can play it the second it's released. Which isn't a selling point but a nice thing nonetheless.

It's nice to know that I can be on a different computer anywhere in the world, all I need to do is log into my Steam account and play with my game and stats.

Course you can't sell them later though. Unless they make the game gifting option universal for all Steam games.

Yeah in UK and some other countries it's cheaper to do Steam, in the US it's cheaper to do physical copy once released.

From what I read, if Steam were to go down for good, they said they would deactivate the DRM.

Actually, when I got my retail copy in the mail (3 days from release), it took about 30 seconds to update the TF2 app via steam (both digital and physical version from Valve goes through Steam). I guess most of the files are already pre-installed with the beta. Don't even need to enter registration code. I guess somehow the beta code is linked to the registration code. After install, DVD is not needed anymore.

[Brett824]

On my 2.0 ghz Macbook, None of the Orange Box games seem to work for me. TF2 freezes when I get into any server, Portal Freezes whenever I see a portal, Episode 2 won't load. Half Life 2+ Episode 1 are the only things that work for me. Someone help. I've tried using +Mat_forcehardwardsync 0 and that doesn't help, nor does -dxlevel 70 or 81

[Consultant]

On my 2.0 ghz Macbook, None of the Orange Box games seem to work for me. TF2 freezes when I get into any server, Portal Freezes whenever I see a portal, Episode 2 won't load. Half Life 2+ Episode 1 are the only things that work for me. Someone help. I've tried using +Mat_forcehardwardsync 0 and that doesn't help, nor does -dxlevel 70 or 81

Make sure you have drivers from Bootcamp 1.4. make sure you are not running Vista on MacBook.

Here is a tweaking guide which also have Troubleshooting Tips. Have not tried anything yet, but looks promising.

http://www.tweakguides.com/HL2_1.html

[Dagless]

Without spoiling it, wow the ending bit to Portal is awwwesome. If I knew it was that good I would have completed this on day 1 :D

[triddent222]

Such an amazing game! Averaging 45 FPS on Episode 2, Max settings @ 1440x900. Team Fortress 2 (which I suck at... T_T any noob's server ?) 50+ FPS (again, all maxed out @ 1440x900).
Haven't downloaded Portal yet, but it should be done in a 20mins or so.

Btw, *SPOILERS* <!-- The starting bit of Episode 2, is full of freaking zombies ..< Reminds me of Ravenhold, which is not so great ... Once I got the car, it's all better :D.--> *SPOILERS end here*

[Dagless]

I do recommend the multiplay.co.uk or wireplay.co.uk servers, there are plenty of admins to keep muppets away and the level of skill is varied from n00b to semi-pro. Just get on the good team and you'll be right. Did all my training there!

85.236.101.154:27115 loops between Gravel pit and Hydro :D

[Redneck1089]

Beat Episode Two last night. What a great game. The last level was really intense. Definitelt better than Episode One. Now I have to wait another year for Episode Three. :(

[1ncr3du10u5]

Without spoiling it, wow the ending bit to Portal is awwwesome. If I knew it was that good I would have completed this on day 1 :D

I LOVE portal. The extra challenges are good too and very tricky. I expect the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device will factor in HL2: Ep3 somehow, probably restricted to a level based indoors and that Portal can be considered the best training map(s) ever.

The ending IS good. Youtube has the cool ending ditty. :)

[jamesi]

i already own half life 2 and im not in the mood to buy it twice. i just bought episode 2 last night and its been pretty good. i play alot of BF 2142 and CS:S so i figured id buy another online game like TF2 was not needed at the moment.

[slicedbread]

Two questions re. Orange Box:

1) anyone know if it will run on Windows XP 64? I have a mac pro with 6gb ram, and use win xp64 so I can use all of my ram in windows. However not all games I have tried work on xp64.

2) I'm in the UK, can anyone confirm for me if I can get orange box via steam for $50USD? Exchange rate wise it works out quite well for me if I could!

[Consultant]

Two questions re. Orange Box:

1) anyone know if it will run on Windows XP 64? I have a mac pro with 6gb ram, and use win xp64 so I can use all of my ram in windows. However not all games I have tried work on xp64.

2) I'm in the UK, can anyone confirm for me if I can get orange box via steam for $50USD? Exchange rate wise it works out quite well for me if I could!

1. Just google it. Seems to work.

2. I think the first post mentions £. So it should work in UK. You might want to ask the user whether any special steps are needed.

[1ncr3du10u5]

Two questions re. Orange Box:

1) anyone know if it will run on Windows XP 64? I have a mac pro with 6gb ram, and use win xp64 so I can use all of my ram in windows. However not all games I have tried work on xp64.

2) I'm in the UK, can anyone confirm for me if I can get orange box via steam for $50USD? Exchange rate wise it works out quite well for me if I could!

I can't answer the first as XP is not my area of expertise.

You most certainly can get Orange Box via Steam and the exchange rates make it very favourable, costing about £26 which is amazing value for money. I bought it pre-order a while back and I'm in the UK. :)

[Dagless]

2) I'm in the UK, can anyone confirm for me if I can get orange box via steam for $50USD? Exchange rate wise it works out quite well for me if I could!

You should have read the first page :p it's £26 alright. Best £26 I spent too :D

Hey so I'm loving the Portal side of things. Anyone else get the feeling (in white) that Portal is about to be tied into the main HL2 story? Since Aperture labs are mentioned at the end of Episode 2. Or is nothing more than a fleeting minigame bundled alongside the big game?.

Now hurry up Valve and backport HDR, Bloom and Motion Blur to HL2 :p

[1ncr3du10u5]

You should have read the first page :p it's £26 alright. Best £26 I spent too :D

Hey so I'm loving the Portal side of things. Anyone else get the feeling (in white) that Portal is about to be tied into the main HL2 story? Since Aperture labs are mentioned at the end of Episode 2. Or is nothing more than a fleeting minigame bundled alongside the big game?.

Now hurry up Valve and backport HDR, Bloom and Motion Blur to HL2 :p

With regards to the text in white, I said as much in my post higher up.

I'd like to see Valve do a proper update with the original half life. Though they've mentioned the Black Mesa guys (http://www.blackmesasource.com/) about their work, I fear that that project is going incredibly slowly. :(

[Consultant]

Such an amazing game! Averaging 45 FPS on Episode 2, Max settings @ 1440x900. Team Fortress 2 (which I suck at... T_T any noob's server ?) 50+ FPS (again, all maxed out @ 1440x900).
Haven't downloaded Portal yet, but it should be done in a 20mins or so.


If you sux at TF2, try play as Heavy first, because heavy has more life.

You can also observe games in progress, and see what other plays do.

[sikkinixx]

This is awesome.

http://www.kfj.f2s.com/index.php/2007-10-15-gnome-quest

Valve +1

[1ncr3du10u5]

This is awesome.

http://www.kfj.f2s.com/index.php/2007-10-15-gnome-quest

Valve +1

I might give that trial a miss methinks..... :)

[MacRumorUser]

You should have read the first page :p it's £26 alright. Best £26 I spent too :D

I bought the 360 version for £13.99 + £10 postage from ebay. Bargain for 5 games.

[Biks]

Most of the orange box is not working for me. This is what I've got: 2.66 Ghz Dual-Core Intel w. a Radeon X1900, running boot camp 1.4. Same thing happens when I used the graphic driver that boot camp installed, and the graphics update that Steam suggested. (7.10) I've done a complete reinstall of boot camp and XP. ONLY thing I installed was the Orange Box software...not even any virus stuff.

Team Fortress 2: I can get into a game for a moment and move around, then crashes. (freezes up with the sound doing a weird looping thing.)
Portal: Get into a game, crashes.
HL2_ Episode Two: Crashes real fast
HL2 original: RUNS FINE, but I notice a few rendering errors. (polygones missing, weird lines shooting out of peoples faces)

This is what kills me: When I used boot camp v 1.1 a few months ago, Half Life 2 and Episode One played perfectly. Battlefield 2142, Counterstrike Source, Call of Duty 2 all played perfectly. Only recently I've had problems with playing newer games. (Bioshock demo crashed at the same spot, MOH Airborne demo does the same thing.)

It seems the newer drivers are screwing me up. Don't tell me I've got to *gasp* "upgrade" to Vista?

[Markleshark]

Think I'm gonna pick up the 360 version today. Looks good.

[Dagless]

Most of the orange box is not working for me. This is what I've got: 2.66 Ghz Dual-Core Intel w. a Radeon X1900, running boot camp 1.4. Same thing happens when I used the graphic driver that boot camp installed, and the graphics update that Steam suggested. (7.10) I've done a complete reinstall of boot camp and XP. ONLY thing I installed was the Orange Box software...not even any virus stuff.

Team Fortress 2: I can get into a game for a moment and move around, then crashes. (freezes up with the sound doing a weird looping thing.)
Portal: Get into a game, crashes.
HL2_ Episode Two: Crashes real fast
HL2 original: RUNS FINE, but I notice a few rendering errors. (polygones missing, weird lines shooting out of peoples faces)

This is what kills me: When I used boot camp v 1.1 a few months ago, Half Life 2 and Episode One played perfectly. Battlefield 2142, Counterstrike Source, Call of Duty 2 all played perfectly. Only recently I've had problems with playing newer games. (Bioshock demo crashed at the same spot, MOH Airborne demo does the same thing.)

It seems the newer drivers are screwing me up. Don't tell me I've got to *gasp* "upgrade" to Vista?

I had this problem, the solution is p**s easy too -

Download Omega Drivers for your graphics card.

Not a single crash on my end. Nada. Plus you get a little o/c app which you can get some extra frames per second!

:)

[Consultant]

Anybody know what is the difference between the Valve account and Steam ID? I thought they are the same but they can differ.

[slowpoke]

I have a question.

I currently have Orange Box installed on my XP partition. If I'm going to wipe it and do a fresh install, when I reinstall Orange Box will I have problems reinstalling with the online activation part? Or will it go completely identically?

[Eidorian]

I have a question.

I currently have Orange Box installed on my XP partition. If I'm going to wipe it and do a fresh install, when I reinstall Orange Box will I have problems reinstalling with the online activation part? Or will it go completely identically?You'll already have it tied in to your Steam account.

[slowpoke]

Oh, great. I'm rather new to Steam, as you can tell...

[Biks]

I had this problem, the solution is p**s easy too -

Download Omega Drivers for your graphics card.

Not a single crash on my end. Nada. Plus you get a little o/c app which you can get some extra frames per second!

:)

OK, the omega drivers helped, but I still get crashes from time to time. At least I can play Team Fortress 2 for about 15 minutes...then I go under. Same thing for Portal and Episode Two.

If anyone was looking, here are the Omega drivers:

http://www.omegadrivers.net/ati/win2k_xp.php

Anyone have any suggestions on what to set on the ATI control panel? OpenGL? Turn off acceleration?