Difference between revisions of "Halo: Combat Evolved"
From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(added back fix for Combat Evolved users) |
|||
Line 143: | Line 143: | ||
# Type in <code>chimera_block_letterbox true</code> to disable the letterbox effect in cutscenes. | # Type in <code>chimera_block_letterbox true</code> to disable the letterbox effect in cutscenes. | ||
# Press {{key|~}} again to close the console. | # Press {{key|~}} again to close the console. | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{Fixbox|description=Start the game with the <code>-vidmode w,h,r</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]]|ref=<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/2avnv8/in_case_anyone_doesnt_know_heres_how_to_get_halo/ In case anyone doesn't know, here's how to get Halo CE into 1080p, 60fps on PC.] (retrieved)</ref>|fix= | ||
+ | {{ii}} This forces the game to run at the width(w), height(h), and refresh(r) specified. Example: <code>-vidmode 1920,1080,144</code>. | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 447: | Line 450: | ||
{{ii}} Refresh rates up to 120 Hz are available; 144 Hz and above require a fix. | {{ii}} Refresh rates up to 120 Hz are available; 144 Hz and above require a fix. | ||
− | {{Fixbox|description=Set refresh rate | + | {{Fixbox|description=Set refresh rate through Chimera|ref=<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Keith|date=2020-03-13|comment=}}</ref>|fix= |
# Install [[#Chimera|Chimera]]. | # Install [[#Chimera|Chimera]]. | ||
# Open <code>{{p|game}}\chimera.ini</code>. | # Open <code>{{p|game}}\chimera.ini</code>. | ||
# Under <code>[video_mode]</code>, change <code>;enabled=1</code> to <code>enabled=1</code>. | # Under <code>[video_mode]</code>, change <code>;enabled=1</code> to <code>enabled=1</code>. | ||
# Change <code>refresh_rate=60</code> as needed (e.g. <code>refresh_rate=120</code>). | # Change <code>refresh_rate=60</code> as needed (e.g. <code>refresh_rate=120</code>). | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{Fixbox|description=Start the game with the <code>-vidmode w,h,r</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]]|ref=<ref>[http://hce.halomaps.org/hek/index.html?start=references/general/console_commands.html | ||
+ | Online Halo Editing Kit Documentation, Console Commands and Command Line Switches]</ref>|fix= | ||
+ | {{ii}} This forces the game to run at the width(w), height(h), and refresh(r) specified. Example: <code>-vidmode 1920,1080,144</code>. | ||
}} | }} | ||
Revision as of 04:37, 13 March 2020
This page is for the original 2003 PC release. For the remaster, see Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Developers | |
---|---|
Bungie | |
Windows | Gearbox Software |
macOS (OS X) | Westlake Interactive |
Publishers | |
Microsoft Game Studios | |
OS X | MacSoft |
Engines | |
Halo Engine | |
Release dates | |
Windows | September 30, 2003 |
macOS (OS X) | December 12, 2003 |
Warnings
- The macOS (OS X) version of this game does not work on macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later due to the removal of support for 32-bit-only apps.
Halo | |
---|---|
Halo: Combat Evolved | 2003 |
Halo 2 | 2007 |
Halo: Spartan (series) | |
Halo Online | 2015* |
Halo 5: Forge | 2016 |
Halo Wars (series) | |
Halo Recruit | 2017 |
Halo: The Master Chief Collection (series) | |
Halo Infinite | 2021 |
Key points
- For shorthand clarity in a PC context, the standard unmoddable version of the game is Halo PC. The moddable version of the game is Halo CE (Halo Custom Edition)
- Patch 1.10 fixes issues with modern hardware and replaces the GameSpy master server.
- Animations, effects, and cutscenes are capped at 30 FPS.[1] See High frame rate.
General information
- Bungie.net - The developer's site
- Halo Nation - A very detailed wiki for everything Halo related
- Halo.Bungie.org - One of the biggest Halo fan sites around
- Halo Maps - A fan site for downloading mods and maps for Halo Custom Edition
- Fan-made forum thread about enhancing many aspects of Halo CE and Halo PC. Newly Updated.
Availability
Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Retail | SafeDisc v2 DRM. Install the latest patch to play without the CD.[2] A similar situation happened with the OS X version. |
- The official demo for the game can be found here.
Essential improvements
Patches
- Patch 1.10 updates the Windows version. Includes all previous patches. Patch notes may be found here.
- The Mavericks/Lobby patches for the OS X version switches to the new Patch 1.10 lobby servers and optionally fixes compatibility with OS X Mavericks (10.9). Still requires the latest official patch to function properly.
- Assault Rifle Xbox Skin, Captain Keyes Xbox Skin and XBox Shaders adds missing/changed XBox textures & shaders. Requires Halo Map Tools and a PPF patcher. Untested on Mac data!
Halo Custom Edition
- Halo Custom Edition allows players to play multiplayer Halo games on user-created maps.
Modifications
Chimera
- Chimera is a mod for Halo Custom Edition which contributes a wide variety of essential features to enhance or fix Halo.
- Beta downloads are available here, and installation instructions can be found here.
Halo Combat Evolved: Refined
- The Refined project is an attempt to smooth all those wrinkles and provide a port that even die-hard Halo purists will be happy with. Everything that was possible to fix has been addressed. Things that were once considered impossible to restore have been restored using clever workarounds. Many high-fidelity textures and a high resolution HUD have replaced the original compressed versions.
Open Sauce
- Open Sauce is a mod for Halo Custom Edition that fixes multiple issues and adds several features for modders.
Halo Anticheat 2
- Halo Anticheat 2 (or HAC2) is a mod that fixes multiple issues and adds several features. Supports all versions of Halo: Combat Evolved and Custom Edition.
- Open Sauce and Halo Anticheat 2 are not compatible with each other. Only one of the mods can be installed at any given point. That being said, a potential workaround is available
Halo Mini Demo
- HaloMD is a mod (perhaps even the only one) for the Mac release of Halo that addresses compatibility issues with later operating systems and adds support for hosting and playing on custom maps (Custom Edition was not released for the Mac). Note that non-Mac users as well as Mac users with systems too old to run MD can join MD servers buy ensuring they have the correct maps installed (base game, not Custom Edition) and by manually joining a server on their lobby. There is even a script for non-MD Mac users assist in hosting MD maps here. Note that this too does not run on 10.15 "Catalina", at least for now.
CMT SPV3
- SPV3 is a revamp of the original campaign, featuring new weapons, enemies, vehicles, abilities, features and levels.
Project Lumoria
- Project Lumoria is a brand new campaign story for Halo CE; stays true to the classic Halo CE feel.
Skip intro videos
Use the -novideo command line argument[3]
|
---|
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Halo\ |
macOS (OS X) |
Save game data location
System | Location |
---|---|
Windows | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Halo\ |
macOS (OS X) | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Halo\ |
- Custom Edition saves in
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Halo CE\
- Mini Demo saves in
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\HLMD\
Video settings
Widescreen resolution
Use Chimera[4] |
---|
|
Start the game with the -vidmode w,h,r command line argument[5]
|
---|
|
Field of view (FOV)
- By default, Halo compresses its vertical FOV rather than stretching its horizontal FOV in widescreen resolutions.
Set vertical FOV[4] |
---|
|
Set custom FOV[citation needed] |
---|
|
Set custom FOV[6] |
---|
|
Use haloThirdFov.exe |
---|
|
Windowed
Run in windowed/borderless mode[citation needed] |
---|
|
High frame rate
- The game has an issue where object movement is tied to tick rate, thus objects will never move faster than 30 FPS. Chimera adds interpolation to the game for objects. Unlike MCC, it also adds it for particles, too.
Fix issues with 30 FPS animations and cutscenes[4] |
---|
|
Pixel Shader
- The highest version of Pixel Shader Halo supports is 2.1. Use this to force the game to use it if your graphic card isn't recognized by the game.
Start the game with the -use21 command line argument[7]
|
---|
Input settings
Mouse acceleration
Disable mouse acceleration[4] |
---|
|
Mouse sensitivity
Set horizontal and vertical mouse sensitivities[4] |
---|
Notes
|
Audio settings
Localizations
Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
English | ||||
French | Only in French version of the game | |||
Italian | ||||
Spanish | ||||
Traditional Chinese | Only in Chinese version of the game |
VR support
3D modes | State | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
vorpX | G3D Officially supported game, see official vorpx game list. |
Network
Multiplayer types
Type | Native | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Local play | Xbox version only. | ||
LAN play | Versus | ||
Online play | Versus See Patches. |
Connection types
Type | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Matchmaking | ||
Peer-to-peer | ||
Dedicated | ||
Self-hosting | ||
Direct IP |
Ports
Protocol | Port(s) and/or port range(s) |
---|---|
TCP | 80 |
UDP | 2302, 2303 |
- Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.
Issues fixed
Make Open Sauce and Halo Anticheat 2 compatible
Fix compatibility on Windows 8 and later[8] |
---|
|
Fix compatibility on Windows 7[9] |
---|
|
Open Sauce can't be installed
Install missing dependency[10] |
---|
|
Alternative OpenSauce Installer[11] |
---|
|
Run the game at screen refresh rate
- Refresh rates up to 120 Hz are available; 144 Hz and above require a fix.
Set refresh rate through Chimera[12] |
---|
|
Start the game with the -vidmode w,h,r command line argument[13]
|
---|
|
Buggy auto-centering of vehicles
- In stock Halo, vehicle auto centering is based on frame rate. Chimera allows you to either fix it or turn it off completely, as this can be annoying.
Fix auto-centering[4][14] |
---|
|
Mouse wheel activates other background windows
Use dgVoodoo 2 to lock mouse cursor[15] |
---|
Confine cursor to window[citation needed] |
---|
|
Activating hardware acceleration or environmental sound causes sounds to cut out randomly
- ASUS sound cards cut out short-duration audio streams for power management, as a result the assault rifle will become silent when holding the fire button.[16]
Add the sound card to the config.txt file[citation needed]
|
---|
//If the AudioVendor already exists: 0xDEVID = "Sound Card Name" // EXAMPLE: 0x8788 = "ASUS Essence STX II" HeadRelativeSpeech EnableStopStart break //If the AudioVendor doesn't exist: AudioVendor = 0xVENDOR_ID "Vendor Name" // EXAMPLE: AudioVendor = 0x13F6 "C-Media" 0xDEVICE_ID = "Sound Card Name" // EXAMPLE: 0x8788 = "ASUS Essence STX II" HeadRelativeSpeech EnableStopStart break |
- i.e. The flyby for the Halo ring in the main menu background is not following the correct path.
Enable Vsync[17] |
---|
Other information
API
Technical specs | Supported | Notes |
---|---|---|
Direct3D | 9 | |
OpenGL | 1 | OS X only. |
Shader Model support | 1.1, 1.4, 2.0 |
Executable | PPC | 32-bit | 64-bit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Windows | ||||
macOS (OS X) | In June 2006, a new release of the game was released that updated the game to a universal binary, adding support for Intel processors. Unfortunately, this was not followed up with a 64-bit Intel update, which makes the game stuck at 32-bit; and therefore, unable to work on 10.15 "Catalina" and later. |
Middleware
Middleware | Notes | |
---|---|---|
Audio | DirectSound3D | |
Cutscenes | Bink Video | only for credits, post-credit sequence, and intro videos. |
Multiplayer | GameSpy | Was shutdown in late 2014. New host uses HostPC.com |
Halo Custom Edition campaign port
Restore classic campaign[citation needed] |
---|
Notes
|
Disable zoom blur
Block zoom blur[4] |
---|
Notes
|
Command line parameters
- See command line arguments on how to use the following options.
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
-nosound | Disable all sound |
-novideo | Disable video playback |
-nojoystick | Disable joysticks and gamepads |
-nogamma | Disables adjustment of gamma |
-useff | Forces the game to run as a fixed function card |
-use11 | Forces the game to run as a shader 1.1 card |
-use14 | Forces the game to run as a shader 1.4 card |
-use20 | Forces the game to run as a shader 2.0 card |
-safemode | Disables as much as possible when running the game |
-window | Run the game in windowed mode |
-width x | Forces the game to run at a specified resolution |
-vidmode w,h,r | Forces the game to run at the width(w), height(h), and refresh(r) specified |
-adapter x | Forces the game to run fullscreen on a multimon (multiple monitors) adapter |
-port x | Server port address used when hosting multiplayer games |
-cport x | Client port address used when joining multiplayer games |
-ip x.x.x.x | Server IP address used when you have multiple IP addresses |
-screenshot | Enables the Print Screen key to generate screenshots. Having this always enabled can cause a slight decrease in performance |
-console | Enables the debugging console |
-devmode | Enables the Halo Developer Mode |
System requirements
Windows | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 98SE | ME, 2000, XP |
Processor (CPU) | 733 MHz | |
System memory (RAM) | 128 MB | 256 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 1.3 GB | |
Video card (GPU) | 32 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0b compatible |
macOS (OS X) | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | ||
Operating system (OS) | 10.2.8 (10.3.9 for UB version) | |
Processor (CPU) | PowerPC G4 | |
System memory (RAM) | 256 MB | |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 1.4 GB (1.5 GB for UB version) | |
Video card (GPU) | Nvidia GeForce 2MX/ATI 7500 or better (ATI Radeon 8500/9000, GeForce
3Ti/4Ti for UB version) 32 MB of VRAM |
References
- ↑ KornnerStudios / OpenSauce-Release / issues / #33 - remove 30fps animations — Bitbucket - last accessed on 2017-05-13
- ↑ CD No Longer Required for Halo PC - IGN
- ↑ Verified by User:Keith on 2020-03-13
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Kavawuvi/chimera: Open source mod for Halo: Combat Evolved on the PC
- ↑ In case anyone doesn't know, here's how to get Halo CE into 1080p, 60fps on PC. (retrieved)
- ↑ HAC 2 Development » Commands - last accessed on 2017-03-13
- ↑ how to improve ce graphics (retrieved)
- ↑ HAC2 + OS compat fix - Halo Maps Forum
- ↑ HAC2 + OS compat fix - open carnage Forum
- ↑ user@ HaloMods forum
- ↑ Alternative OpenSauce Installer - Reddit/halospv3
- ↑ Verified by User:Keith on 2020-03-13
- ↑ [http://hce.halomaps.org/hek/index.html?start=references/general/console_commands.html Online Halo Editing Kit Documentation, Console Commands and Command Line Switches]
- ↑ Chimera - Page 13 - Halo CE: Asset Releases - Open Carnage
- ↑ Talk:Halo: Combat Evolved
- ↑ ASUS Soundcard: EAX/GX Issues
- ↑ Verified by User:ThatOneReaper on September 9, 2016
- ↑ Halo Custom Edition How Do I Play the Single Player Campaign