I want to upgrade to Windows XP. Will I encounter any problems
or compatibility issues with Half-Life and TFC?
This question is often asked by gamers on our Forums prior
to their decision to upgrade to Windows XP. There are no major issues if you would like to upgrade to
Windows XP, feel free. At worst you'll have to add a command string, or simple settings change, all
of which are covered here.
My mouse sensitivity doesn't seem the same since I upgraded to
Windows XP. What can I do to change it?
Windows XP has a different mouse accelleration reading scheme than previous editions of Windows. This
has an effect on games like Half-Life. You can disable the mouse accelleration readings by adding
"-noforcemaccel and -noforcemparms" to your target line (either in GameSpy, or the hl.exe shortcut you use).
How to change the target line: rightclick icon > Properties. You should find it on the
window that pops up. Just add it behind the text that is in the way. fx.
C:\Sierra\Half-Life\hl.exe -console -game tfc add behind so it looks like Sierra\Half-Life\hl.exe -console -game tfc -noforcemaccel -noforcemparms . Dont forget the spaces.
The following is information on how to change the mouse sensitivity in Half-Life.
Half-Life Menu:
Load up TFC (prior to joining a game, simply hit escape if you
are in a game), click "Configuration" -> "Controls" -> "Advanced Controls"
You'll be able to edit the mouse sensitivity by sliding it up and down the bar as you need it.
Console:
While your playing TFC, bring down the console by hitting the tilde "~" key,
then type in "sensitivity" (without the quotes). You'll then see a line like this:
"sensitivity" is "8.000000"
The higher the number the, the higher the sensitivity. And conversely, this means the lower
the number the lower the sensitivity. Play with numbers until you find what is comfortable. The last
change you make will be saved in your config.cfg (where it is also saved when you edit sensitivity
through the Half-Life menu.
Config:
Those who know the way of config editing (if you would like to
learn how, it's really easy. Read our Config Guide) will want to edit
the "sensitivity" parameter in autoexec.cfg. First, use the console method
to easily decide what sensitivity number you want. If it is not in the autoexec.cfg, go ahead an add the
proper string (i.e. sensitivity "12").
Now that I'm using Windows XP, my voice in Voice Communication
is very unclear to others.
Odds are you are a user of a SBLive! sound card, add "+voice_dsound 1" to your Command/Target Line
either your hl.exe shortcut or in GameSpy 3D depending on what you use.
Any other tips for Windows XP?
The above questions are the only issues that have come up with XP compatibility with TFC. However,
if you are looking to get the most out of XP - check out this list of suggestions:
Windows Update:
Most users already know this, but I want to emphasize
the need to go to windowsupdate.microsoft.com and make
sure you have all security updates, as well as all other updates
that pertain to your needs.
MSN Messenger:
Want to get rid of
MSN Messenger? If you're having trouble disabling/un-installing/deleting it, check out
this guide. I personally did not have to use this guide,
but I'm told it's needed in some cases.
Windows XP Holds Bandwidth:
By design, Windows XP reserves
20% of your bandwidth for priority processes. It is possible to tweak this to your liking, though don't feel
you have to edit this. Especially if you didn't notice anything wrong with bandwidth usage
prior to reading :). Check out
The Register, or TweakXP
for more information.
More Tweaks:
TweakXP is a site dedicated to a very extensive database
for Tweaking XP (wow, would have never guessed that by the name). Worth a visit to see what they have.
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