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The Operative: No One Lives Forever

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Revision as of 11:18, 11 May 2021 by Wolfinston (talk | contribs) (→‎NOLF Modernizer: Changed the balance part, because I'm not sure if its intentional or an issue, but as I've said in my last modification, this mod makes the game exponentially much more difficult, despite using the same save, and the same difficulty)
The Operative: No One Lives Forever
The Operative: No One Lives Forever cover
Developers
Monolith Productions
macOS (OS X) MumboJumbo
Publishers
Fox Interactive
Sierra Entertainment
OS X MacPlay
Engines
LithTech 2.2
Release dates
Windows November 9, 2000
macOS (OS X) November 21, 2002
Taxonomy
Themes Cold War
The Operative: No One Lives Forever on MobyGames
The Operative: No One Lives Forever on Wikipedia
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png

Warnings

SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see Availability for affected versions).
The Mac OS X version of this game does not work on Mac OS X Lion (version 10.7) or later due to the removal of support for PowerPC apps.
GameSpy online services have been shut down (see Network for solutions).
No One Lives Forever
The Operative: No One Lives Forever 2000
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way 2002
Contract J.A.C.K. 2003

Key points

The source code was made available in 2001.
Exceeding 60 FPS introduces various issues.

General information

Official website (Game of the Year Edition)
UnityHQ - A fansite for the series
UnityHQ Forums

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
 SafeDisc v2 DRM[Note 1] for both original and GOTY versions.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
A demo is available.

Essential improvements

Patches

NOLF Modernizer

Fixes some long standing bugs and updates some more outdated features of the game.
Makes the game exponentially more difficult.

Skip intro videos

Delete/rename Movies folder[citation needed]
  1. Go to the installation folder.
  2. Delete or rename the Movies folder.

Skip launcher, intro videos and CD-check

Use a custom shortcut[citation needed]
  1. Create a shortcut to <path-to-game>\lithtech.exe.
  2. In shortcut properties add these command line parameters:

-rez NOLF.rez -rez NOLF2.rez -rez nolfu003.rez -rez NOLFCRES003.rez -rez NOLFGOTY.rez +DisableMovies 1

If using NOLF Modernizer, it will be ignored by the new shortcut. To prevent this, also add the command line parameter: -rez custom\MODERNIZER.rez

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\autoexec.cfg[Note 2]
macOS (OS X)

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\Save\[Note 2]
macOS (OS X)

Video settings

Video settings.
Video settings.

Template:Video settings

Widescreen resolution

Natively the game stretches on widescreen while the menu and interface are pixel-based.
Proper widescreen fixes[citation needed]
  1. Install NOLF Modernizer for Hor+ screen change.
  2. Open autoexec.cfg in the game folder.
  3. Add or modify "UIScale" "1.0" to increase size of some UI elements.

Field of view (FOV)

Use a command-line parameter[citation needed]
  1. Start NOLF.exe and click on Advanced.
  2. In Command-Line field type in: +FovX "value" to set the horizontal FOV to another value.
  3. Make sure Always specify these command line parameters is enabled.
If using NOLF Modernizer, the scope overlay does not fill the entire active screen area for bigger than default value.

Input settings

Lacks an option to toggle crouch mode.[3]

Template:Input settings

Remapping

There is an issue with saving custom keyboard binds on localized Windows version (or on localized keyboard layouts). Manual keys mapping is required.
Mouse buttons and scrolling wheel is not assigned to any action.
Custom remapping[citation needed]

Keyboard

  1. Go to the game installation folder.
  2. Locate file autoexec.cfg and open it with text editor.
  3. Locate section starting with line enabledevice "##keyboard".
  4. In this section keyboard keys are represented as a number: ##xx, change them for your binds. For references which number is which key, see table under this fixbox.
  5. Check for duplicities, multiple actions on one key can cause problems.

Mouse

1. Launch the game, navigate to the controls menu and assign any action to any mouse button. Mark the name of mouse button.
2. Open file autoexec.cfg in the installation folder.
3. Locate section enabledevice "##mouse" and insert these lines:
rangebind "##mouse" "Button 0" 0.000000 0.000000 "Fire"
rangebind "##mouse" "Button 1" 0.000000 0.000000 "Activate"
rangebind "##mouse" "Button 2" 0.000000 0.000000 "Reload"
4. Change Button x to the button name, you've marked in step 1.

Alternatively, use these lines: 

rangebind "##mouse" "##3" 0.000000 0.000000 "Fire"
rangebind "##mouse" "##4" 0.000000 0.000000 "Activate"
rangebind "##mouse" "##5" 0.000000 0.000000 "Reload"

Note: These numbers are for US keyboard layout (QWERTY layout).
If you defined another layout (e.g. French AZERTY layout), you should perform the transposition yourself.
For example, to bind the 'A' key using the AZERTY keyboard layout, you should use the number ##16 (the 'Q' key in table below).

Key ## Key ## Key ##
A 30 Caps Lock 58 [ 26
B 48 Backspace 14 ] 27
C 46 TAB 15 ; 39
D 32 left SHIFT 42 '' 40
E 18 right SHIFT 54 , 51
F 33 ENTER 28 . 52
G 34 left CTRL 29 / 53
H 35 right CTRL 59 ~ 1
I 23 left ALT 56 - 12
J 36 right ALT 58 = 13
K 37 SPACE 57
L 38 1 2
M 50 F1 59 2 3
N 49 F2 60 3 4
O 24 F3 61 4 5
P 25 F4 62 5 6
Q 16 F5 63 6 7
R 19 F6 64 7 8
S 31 F7 65 8 9
T 20 F8 66 9 10
U 22 F9 67 0 11
V 47 F10 68
W 17 F11 69
X 45 F12 70
Y 44
Z 21

Audio settings

Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Template:Audio settings

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
French
German
Blood and death cries censored, "MoreBloodOption" cheat useless
Italian
Fan translation, download.
Polish
Fan translation download
Spanish
Fan translation

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
16
Online play
16 GameSpy services have been shut down;[4] see GameSpy for workarounds.

Connection types

Type Native Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 2300-2400, 7000-10000
UDP 27888
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

Issues fixed

Installing the game on a 64-bit OS

The regular version of the game (not the GOTY edition, which is an improved setup and prepatched to 1.4) uses a 16-bit setup executable which will not work on 64-bit operating systems.
Instructions[5]
  1. Use a custom 64-bit compatible installer. One that only works for the English version of the game can be found here.
  2. Patch 1.3 is also a 16-bit .exe so it requires a similar workaround. A 64-bit installer for patch 1.3 can also be found there. Patch 1.4 works natively on 64-bit operating systems.

Notes

Alternatively you can install and patch the game on a real or emulated 32-bit operating system and copy the files over to your 64-bit machine (the game's executables are not 16-bit).

Game runs really fast at unlocked frame rates

Exceeding 60 FPS causes slower animations and faster than normal environmental sounds.[6]
Use NOLF Modernizer to cap the frame rate at 60 FPS[7]
Set monitor on 60HZ[8]

Game's resolution has 2048 pixel limit

Use NOLF Modernizer[7]

Mouse input is erratic or unresponsive

Use NOLF Modernizer[7]

Slowdown with some UI elements

Occurs when picking items up, looking down scope, or switching weapons.
Use NOLF Modernizer[7]

Black screen when underwater

This is due to Intel's onboard graphics not liking Direct3D/DirectX7. This also fixes missing screen effects.
Use NOLF Modernizer[9]
  1. Install NOLF Modernizer.
  2. Start the game.
  3. Enable Intel HD Graphics Fix in Display options.
Force the game to use a dedicated graphics card[9]

Graphics are glitched and game is practically unplayable

Install the game on your primary drive[citation needed]

Dynamic lighting (flashlights) causes reduction in frame rate

Disable dgVoodoo 2[9]

Game crashes with Nvidia G-Sync enabled

The game may crash with a Client MFC Application has stopped working error message with Nvidia G-Sync enabled.
Disable G-Sync for the game[citation needed]
  1. Launch the Nvidia Control Panel.
  2. Add lithtech.exe under Manage 3D settings -> Program Settings.
  3. Set Monitor Technology to Fixed Refresh.

Game runs slow, and text has black boxes around it

Occurs when using Intel integrated graphics.
Force the game to use a dedicated graphics card[9]
Optimize Surfaces is missing from your autoexec.cfg
  1. Open autoexec.cfg in notepad or a similar text editing software.
  2. Add "optimizesurfaces" "1" at the top of the file and save.

Low frame rate on Windows 8 and higher

Download dgVoodoo 2 and copy D3D8.dll, D3DImm.dll and DDraw.dll to <path-to-game>[citation needed]
(Windows 8 and 8.1 only) Download ddraw.dll and put it in <path-to-game>[10]
(Windows 8 - 10) Use the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit[10]
  1. Download the Microsoft ADK and install the Application Compatibility Toolkit.
  2. Run the Compatibility Administrator (32-bit)
  3. Select "New Database(1)" and press the Fix button
  4. Enter a name for the fix and point the program file to lithtech.exe in the No One Lives Forever folder
  5. Press Next twice
  6. Select under "Compatibility Fixes" the fix DXPrimaryEmulation
  7. Press the Parameters button
  8. Enter -DisableMaxWindowedMode into "Command line" and press OK.
  9. Press Next and Finish.
  10. Save, name the database and select a save location
  11. Right click the database and select Install
See Windowed[citation needed]

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 7
ExecutablePPC 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio Miles Sound System 6.0i[11]
Cutscenes Bink Video
Multiplayer GameSpy

Map packs

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 95, 98
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium II 300 MHz Intel Pentium III 500 MHz
System memory (RAM) 64 MB 128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 400 MB
Video card (GPU) 8 MB of VRAM
DirectX 7 compatible 		32 MB of VRAM
macOS (OS X)
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 10.1.4
Processor (CPU) PowerPC 7xx
PowerPC G3
System memory (RAM) 128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 1 GB
Video card (GPU) 3D accelerator
8 MB of VRAM

Notes

  1. ↑ SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[1] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[2]
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

References