Top Ten Improvements in Halo 2 for Windows Vista

[carocat]

http://games.gearlive.com/playfeed/article/q207-top-ten-improvements-in-halo-2-for-windows-vista/

[BIG D 04]

I hate people that Post links it's fecking annoying.

Anyway I read them and to be honest it is getting me slightly excited about getting it.

[Simm0ns]

Dedicated servers are sick, Halo 3 better have them. Map editor isnt anything to get excited about, basically the people playing H2 Vista will have to download awful user-made maps every game. Nobody can beat the real maps. There is never any point in having a map editor.

What are District and Uplift?

[quickshot89]

What are District and Uplift?

the 2 new maps for xbox, they just fubared the names i think

[Spindryer]

I hate people that Post links it's fecking annoying.

Anyway I read them and to be honest it is getting me slightly excited about getting it.


I very much agree BIG D, but there u go. The Editing kit sounds more user friendly than the HEK [Halo editing kit] that we had for HALO CE. So hopefully it should mean some kick ass maps and adding an extra element to an old game. Personally i can't wait to make Tuff into the map it should of been :cool:

[Gaskin]

Halo 2 wouldn't feel right on the pc. (except for James)

But the servers is a brilliant add on.

[Spindryer]

They alow full support i think i read on that page for Controllers :)

[quickshot89]

yep, controllers have full support on halo2 vista

[Gaskin]

So what's the point..

[Spindryer]

Well in theory if you want to still play Halo2 you now have extra with the PC verson:

Better Graphics
Dedicated Servers
Both Controller and keyboard and mouse support
A HEK kit to make your own maps


So "if" you still love Halo 2 then it would be worth thinking about buying it on PC to explore its new features and indulge in Dedicated servers and better graphics :)

[Gaskin]

Or if you're just plain dumb.

[Spindryer]

LOL , i love you Gaskin, i don't think i tell you enough.

[DayC]

Will be buying this but it just won't replace the Xbox version.

[Gaskin]

LOL , i love you Gaskin, i don't think i tell you enough.

I love you too.

But seriously, I can understand PC gamers who buy this game. Because they don't have an xbox to play it. But if someone actually went from an xbox Halo 2 to PC Halo 2 instead of going to Halo 3 then they are very silly.

P.S do the 360 controllers work for CS?

[Mazzy]

Everything on that list wants me to go out and buy halo 2 and vista. in the words of some guy who wrote that, It has set the bar for future games for windows.

[Gaskin]

Mazzy, be quiet.

You have a 360. You have Halo 2. Halo 3 comes out in a matter of months. Be patient like the intelligent people.

[Mazzy]

Why ? i bought halo CE for pc and loved that, new weps and levels + dedicated servers, Cant be beaten. halo 2 comes with New maps +servers and a god damn level editor !!!! Ill love it just for the fun of makeing random levels !

[Pie In The Sky]

Whats the point of it? Its just the same game, with better graphics and extra features, which is basicly what halo 3 is going to be anyway.
If they wanted to make a re-vamped version, but still allow it to be played with controllers and k+m, then why not bring a new version out on the xbox, where it belongs.

[Mazzy]

What do you think halo 3 is ? its the same game as halo 2 + new levels and maps a few new weapons ? and PS where it belongs is the pc, it was origanaly intended for pc's remember.

[Spindryer]

Put it this way i haven't got Vista and Halo 2 wont make me rush out and buy it, but if i did have or when i do get it then i reckon it would be better to play halo 2 on the PC than Xbox purely from my experience from the difference between the Halo CE PC version and Xbox version.

[Gaskin]

Mazzy, what do YOU think Halo 3 is?! You think Halo 3 is just Halo 2 with new levels and new weapons (levels and maps mean the same thing by the way)? You are a numpty.

That's like saying Halo 2 is just Halo CE with new weapons and maps. Jesus christ.

[Mazzy]

It will be, there no dramatic upgrade to halo 2, its just halo2 with the last few missions of the story, what they left out of halo 2, and then some new maps and a few new levels, there was a huge difference between halo CE and halo 2. there wont be much difference between halo2 and 3. same with GRAW and its sequel, it was more of an add-on but between GRAW adv war fighter or what ever and the ones before it, theres a big difference.

[Gaskin]

Once again, maps and levels mean the same thing. Graw is really bad so don't discuss it. Halo 3 will have new features and key changes to game play which may new players emerge as the top in Europe.

[quickshot89]

@ gaskin

controller does work for cs, but its hard to get it working 100%

it is poss, as i did it a few months ago, not the best for cs thou, not enough buttons on it IMO

[Simm0ns]

None of you that have XBox Halo 2 and Live should even think about buying it for Vista, let alone buying Vista just to play this game. Its just Halo 2 but with a few extra features. We will have Halo 3 soon and itll be 1000000000000000 times better than this.

btw Im LOLing at the guy comparing GRAW 1 and 2 to Halo 2 and 3. GRAW 2 came out within like 5 months of GRAW 1 and theyre both bad anyway. Not much difference between Halo 2 and 3? You honestly think that?

[Mazzy]

This WILL be the first game i get for Vista, my friend who hasnt played halo 2 would pick ut up also and poke will too, just so we can game together, and there will be one major feature on the pc game, dedicated servers, so no more cheating and the abilty to pick and choose what game type to play on a list of servers. I will also be buying halo 3, i dont know why people are saying dont get it, wait till halo 3 comes out, why would i not be buying halo 3 if i buy this ?

[kurosaki7]

Gaskin, people will play Halo2 on PC like me, as for one, its not magnetic anymore, 2 dedicated servers mean its a level playing field, and 3 there will be alot of modifications and new maps made for it. It will be Halo3 for the PC, but imo better as Halo will probably not have dedicated servers.

[Simm0ns]

"It will be Halo 3 for the PC but better"

There are two things very very very wrong with that statement.

[quickshot89]

if i want to play halo2 on my pc, thats my choice to do so

anyway, easy gamerscore on the go

[Spindryer]

Yeah tbh it was very luckly for Bungie that i first played Halo on PC rather than Xbox. After a few weeks on playing it on PC i went round a mates house who had it on Xbox. Of course we had a 1on1 and i just laughed at it and put down the controller and said why the hell does anyone play this?? It was the same game but so different at the same time.

Thats why i would buy it for Vista if i had it. Halo 3 will be as different from 2 as 2 was from 1. Some ppl say a massive difference (ppl like me) adn some say hardly any. Still we have to wait till what November till Halo 3 so why not rip up and make your own Halo 2 maps while u wait :)

[Bonzo]

why not rip up and make your own Halo 2 maps while u wait :)So basically the game is a version of FarCry with Spartan and Elites in it. I would have thought the map making would be fun but to make a really good map wouldn't it take you months and months.

[Simm0ns]

So basically the game is a version of FarCry with Spartan and Elites in it. I would have thought the map making would be fun but to make a really good map wouldn't it take you months and months.

YES, thats why having these map editors is pointless. Nobody, no matter how good they THINK they are or will be at making maps, theyre never 2% as good as paid professionals. Every 9,999 maps out of every 10,000 made by people to download will be absolute shite. The 1 map in every 10,000 might be somewhat playable, somewhat. Thats if the guy knows his **** and put alot of time and effort into balancing the map in every way possible.

Trust me, the map editor is not one reason Halo 2 Vista is better than Halo 2 on the XBox. I can only PRAY that Halo 3 doesnt have one.

[Mazzy]

errr ok, WRONG ! counter strike anybody ? that was a fan made mod , with all fan made levels.

[Gaskin]

Errr okay. Counterstrike - Halo 2. A little bit different in the way of maps and balancing of weapons etc. You really have no clue what you're on about do you mazzy.

[Simm0ns]

How many bad maps did they make before Dust or whatever other good CS maps there are?

ALOT

The ratio of good (I mean genuinely good) to bad maps will be something ridic. Leave it to the professionals.

[Mazzy]

Errr okay. Counterstrike - Halo 2. A little bit different in the way of maps and balancing of weapons etc. You really have no clue what you're on about do you mazzy.

i wasnt comparing the two, i was saying that, arguably the best fps on pc was entirely fan made. yes, there are bad maps out there, yes alot suck , but you dont have to download those **** , its PC there will be fan made maps that get rated highly and you go download them if you want, dont if you dont want too. at least its better than waiting months for official.

[Pirate Balloon]

CS was mentioned so i have to step in here.

Mazzy, it was a fan mod, but these guys were "pro" as you might say. They weren't your average joe just making maps on his map editor. Now it's more than a mod and a full company owned game. All of the maps on CS are made by professionals. There are many user-made maps in circulation, but the vast majorty are very ****. With the exception of things like breakfloor, which can be fun for a while.

But anyway, yeah, huge amounts of time was put int the creation of the maps, as this was a mod they were trying to get up and running, not just some kid making a map because he was bored one sunday afternoon.

Mazzy you are only strengthing that horrible reputation you have of compeletly stupid comparisons.

[Spindryer]

The software includes tools that allow you to take textures and geometry that you create in an external 3D program, import them into the editor, and then manipulate them to create your map. You choose placement of weapons and spawn points, and it uses the in-game engine so that your map visuals are as close to the ?real thing? as possible. Once complete, you can invite others to play on your new creations over LIVE.

The Editing kit sounds more user friendly than the HEK [Halo editing kit] that we had for HALO CE. So hopefully it should mean some kick ass maps and adding an extra element to an old game. Personally i can't wait to make Turf into the map it should of been

I'm not really understanding some people here, i understand that XBL is huge feature with huge benefits but other than your mates on XBL what does the Xbox version do better? Maybe people have different views here because they never saw how different Halo CE was for the PC version. The HEK editing kit didn't come out for that until the Halo custom edition was released and i for one loved some of the maps peopled had made Once it did.

For example: On most maps you could load up a Pelican and fly your team around and on others people had a big gorge in the middle of Blood Gulch with a big ramp for warthogs to jump. It even varied to having maps just for training on with countless AI running round to shoot at.

What I'm trying to say is that a HEK is not a bad thing, its an option. You don't have to use it and you don't ever have to play on a modded map if you don't want to. Halo 2 on PC will be worth buying if you have vista and still love Halo 2. It will be the first real game to test Vista "imo" and i can't wait to see the reviews for when it comes out.

[Mazzy]

CS was two guys in a basement makeing it. they were clearly pro, they made the most played fps on pc ever.

back on topic,

Maybe people have different views here because they never saw how different Halo CE was for the PC version.
indeed, the difference will be noticeable. i enjoyed halo ce pc, even tho i played halo ce to death, not only on lan , (and im talking 4 xboxs) and online with the xbox, (xboxconnect) i loved playing halo ce pc.

[Simm0ns]

Halo PC was awful. Too laggy to bother with. Nothing but **** gametypes on the severs too. Plasma Pistol start on Blood Gulch seemed to be a favorite.

[Spindryer]

Wow.......

Too laggy u say... Well tell me when u sat there and looked at the list of "dedicated" servers you could join why is it you choose the servers with a high ping? Maybe i cheated in the fact i only joined severs that were lower than 50 ping.

The comment about Plasma Pistol start on Blood Gulch is another one that makes me wonder. I spent a heck of a lot of time on Halo Ce PC and the main map and game type seemed to be Blood Gulch with either snipers or pistols.

Just find it strange you comment on the PC version being awful and then give your reasons for pretty much the only 2 things you your self can choose that has nothing to do with the game.

You have played Halo CE PC haven't you? As you do remember you aren't forced into a game like XBL you choose what server you join and you leave when u want and join another one with another weapon set and map.

[Simm0ns]

I chose the lowest possible pings I could. Dont try and tell me that game isnt a laggy piece of ****. You are lying to yourself saying that. Ask anyone that has played it, it is a very laggy game despite ping.

Plasma Pistol on Blood Gulch. Yes. I had that plenty of times. Thats not to mention shotguns only on Battle Creek. Needlers on Wizard I recall too. All ****. Blood Gulch with pistol or snipe would be **** anyway. Anything on Blood Gulch is ****.

Yes it is very good being able to choose from different servers, but the fact the game is so laggy and all the servers play **** gametypes it doesnt matter much does it?

edit: This is backup incase you say "You just couldnt find good servers" or whatever - Pretty much every map people play on Halo PC is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ****ing big it makes any gametype on it a pile of ****. All the smaller maps have some retarded starting weapon. Plus nobody plays Chill Out.

[Pie In The Sky]

Could have been your pc?
I thought CS:S was a laggy piece of **** not worth the time of day, but turned out it was my pc not being upto scratch ;)

[Simm0ns]

CSS is a laggy piece of ****. Its a decent game despite that though.

[Pirate Balloon]

What are you basing that on? You get lag on hgh ping servers sure, and you might have your connection rates set up wrong or something, but otherwise it's fine.

[Simm0ns]

Off-topic question about CSS - Why when I spec players doing well in a game they always shoot behind where the person actually is and kill them?

[Azure]

What do you think halo 3 is ? its the same game as halo 2 + new levels and maps a few new weapons ? and PS where it belongs is the pc, it was origanaly intended for pc's remember.

JESUS ****ING CHRIST MUHAMMED JIHAD.

Mazzy... My fingers are trembling... You not only made an awesome point you did it with a slapping of grammar and only one spelling error.

"Hands Mazzy the 'Uber cookie'".

[Mazzy]

Awsome, my first EVER cookie. So you do agree ? finally me and azure agree on something, I thought i had made a valid point there......

But anyway OMG lag on halo CE PC ? WTF ! when you have been playing xbox connect then go onto dedicated servers you appreciate them more i suppose, but i never really ever got or get lag anymore, and i play BF2 64 players where the maps are 10X the size of halo CE.

[Simm0ns]

Its not so much laggy as the game is just generally a joke online. Like pistol shots just not registering at all, and shields hardly ever flash up when they get shot like theyre supposed to. They just ****ed it up really. The whole experience is shanny. It couldve been sick if they put a bit of time into making it, like they hopefully have with Vista.

[Mazzy]

Do you know who did Halo CE PC? Not Bungie but Gearbox software, put that in google and see what games they have crated........then tell me that "they didnt put anytime into it"

[Azure]

Netcode in Halo CE was poor to fair.

But it certainly provided a large edge for those who could lead and those who couldnt...

I used to get called "cheater" on that every other day because if you were ina game with people who couldn't aim and then aim in additiona through the latency then you could literally drop 5 people head on with the pistol without breaking a sweat. Those were the days.

At any rate I would take "bad online" over "bad online with mega major host abuse" aka XBL.

[Spindryer]

I think Simmons you have come to expect maybe even depend on the Halo 2 Auto aim a bit to much. Of course you will have a lag and that's depends on your ping to the server that you choose to join.

The main thing was that say if my ping was 100 (highest i would bother playing) then I WOULD adjust my aim to suit. If i was on a ping of 30 (most of the time) i would only need to adjust my aim very small amounts. But always it was me adjusting my aim hence when me and Azure used to be called cheaters because in game we were good enough to adjust our aim depending on our ping wheres others who just do it XBL style and live in a world that lag never happens and they seem to think that their playing on LAN over the net ?!? They could'nt grasp the fact that it takes time to send information to and from the server. The word "ping" never entered their thinking.

I personally would recommend you don't go on to much about games be too laggy to play because that's your side of things not the dedicated servers (u choose what u join) and not the game. If your really are getting that much of an issue on CS:S and Halo CE then i would either give up playing on PC as ur not cut out for non-auto aiming games or just take a look at your connections and the spec of your PC.

[Mazzy]

Amen to the gospel of the spindryer.

Decent halo CE player, used pistol alone = cheater to people with bad connections. Guy with bad connection used Fuel rod gun = Noob to people wielding pistol.

[Simm0ns]

Halo PC is laggy, why are you trying to say it isnt?

Netcode in Halo CE was poor to fair.

[Mazzy]

Halo PC is laggy, why are you trying to say it isnt?
Every game ever played online has lag , its how much you want to put up with that makes you say a games laggy, i never really got unplayble lag, and when your comparing xbox connect etc to dedicated servers you praise them, as i am doing now, where im going to compare halo 2 pc to halo 2 xbox, and what will be different is , no more blue screen and then loseing, to shocking lag, that im locked into if i want to keep my rank.Compared to halo2 pc where there will be no more cheating ****ing *******s, and if i do join a laggy game, i can just exit the server and pick and choose at will.

[BlueHoopedMoose]

Every game ever played online has lag

Wrong - please don't confuse lag with latency.

[Mazzy]

Lag means packets delayed/dropped ? im sure every game ever played experienced lag ?

[Spindryer]

Its does , blues just trying to be a smart ass rather than add anything worthwhile to this debate.

Halo PC is laggy, why are you trying to say it isnt?

I'm unsure what you really mean. Are u suggesting that over XBL Halo 2 is less laggy than what Halo CE was on PC?

Because for a start as most people know the Good old U.S of A makes up a large number of who we play against on Halo2 XBL so not only will you have lag but latency will come into effect far more. Tell me how many connections do people have at home which can host a decent 8v8....

With the PC version on Halo CE as u know you never really played against the Americans as it would be stupid to join one of their dedicated servers when u could join a Dutch server with a ping of 30 rather than 300.

So i suppose to answer your question:

"Halo PC is laggy, why are you trying to say it isnt?" - IT purely depends on the idiot and what dedicated server he chooses to join. If it was say for example one of the many UK Jolt dedicated servers then NO there is little lag/latency to even notice let along adjust aim for.


Unplayable lag for me, is players warping across maps, grenades not showing as leave the hand and shields going down without me being hit. That is "too laggy" and it is also the joy of many a game on XBL BTB.