The singleplayer is alright if you're into the linear, scripted style of FPS, but the multiplayer community is pretty much dead. The only people you'll usually find online are unskilled modder kiddies who don't put up much of a fight. The sniper rifle is incredibly fun to use on the PC version though, just because it's so ridiculously powerful and accurate. On any other FPS, it would be considered an instagib rifle or railgun. A lot of it's due to the controls though, since the game controls much better on PC, and they forgot to disable the handicaps they put in to help console players.

As far as I know, there's no way to strafe with the mouse, though it's not a feature I would normally use in an FPS. I think it's a feature that sorta died out when WASD + mouse became the norm.

Thanks for the info 😀 Yeah, after a helluva lot of Googling, it does indeed appear that the game doesn't support mouse strafing 🙁

That's a deal-breaker for me, old game/new game/or otherwise... I've NEVER used the abortion called "WASD", and NEVER will 🤣!

I've always used my mouse for strafing, using the right mouse button to engage it (LMB = move forward, and MMB = move backwards)... using the mouse for ALL movement, freeing up my left hand to do more important things.

BTW, to TOTALLY boggle the minds of the "WASD-ers", my customized keyboard/mouse setups for Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat (hehe, I call it "QWERTY" 🤣!):

http://jasonwilliams400com.startlogic.com/sno … Mouse_Setup.txt

http://jasonwilliams400com.startlogic.com/sno … Mouse_Setup.txt

...which are evolutions/offshoots of my original Duke Nukem 3D keyboard/mouse setup.

I can't find a copy that I've uploaded anywhere for your perusing... but at the time it had acclaim as "The most intuitive controller setup that I've ever seen for Duke 3D!" by the man himself, Todd Replogle 😀

I started with old DOS game controls like in Wolf3D and Duke Nukem 3D. I got used to WASD in quake 3 and UT and found it a lot better.
I don't understand that QWERTY layout, multitasking looks much more difficult. If mouse look and movement are toggled, then how would you aim and shoot while moving? Also if you're up on QWERTY, how are you going to hold CTRL for voice chat while still participating in the action?
WASD setup is like directional driving of casters and the mouse is turret steering. You just get used to pulsing WASD presses for refined movements. It's the furthest T-like arrangement to the left for ergonomics to mimic the arrow keys layout. I remember being really good with the PC T arrow keys and using left ctrl and alt in games like Commander Keen. But then the Apple II's at school with a row of arrow keys I couldn't get as good at for games like Number Munchers.
Some use ESDF to get more left side utility keys. WASD is easier to recenter to (weapon 6 or 7 or some menu on J) since your pinky just feels for the shift key.

Auzner wrote:

I don't understand that QWERTY layout, multitasking looks much more difficult. If mouse look and movement are toggled, then how would you aim and shoot while moving? Also if you're up on QWERTY, how are you going to hold CTRL for voice chat while still participating in the action?

Actually (I'm assuming you're referring to the "E" key), I don't use that one too much... hardly ever, to tell the truth. That was a remnant from my DN3D setup, as I usually would have mouselook OFF, and then could toggle it on when needed. I simply migrated that one into my current games' setups (including Redneck Rampage, Quake 1, Quake 2, and Unreal back in the day).

My left pinky finger (which is normally on "Q" for 'jump'). Not to mention, I don't voice chat that much... my buddies and I simply enter our Steam clan chatroom while we're playing 😀

That's the thing about my QWERTY setup... almost everything is within close reach of specific fingers, all of which I can "feel" without looking at the keyboard 😀

e.g.

R=Fire
T=Zoom/Alt-Fire
Y=Reload
D=Flashlight
F=Nightvision
G=Spray logo

...all of which I use my left forefinger to press (normally my forefinger is almost always on the "R" key).

(EDIT) P.S. My setup for Unreal -> http://jasonwilliams400com.startlogic.com/sno … Mouse_Setup.txt .

What a radically different control scheme. Honestly I've never seen anything quite like it (and can tell you it wouldn't work on my ergonomic keyboard either) 😊. I agree with mr_bigmouth_502 that Halo PC likely doesn't support exactly what you want control-wise, but would also agree that the singleplayer is worthwhile if you enjoy a scripted/cinematic type FPS game. I believe it supports the Xbox controller for Windows, if you have one of those. Alternately you could always get it on Xbox, if you have one of those.

As far as buying it online: http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Combat-Evolved-PC/dp/B00009TW6R/

.

How can you not like AWSD? 🤣

Halo is a great LAN game. Sniper wars is heaps of fun too.

rfnagel wrote:

Thanks for the info :) Yeah, after a helluva lot of Googling, it does indeed appear that the game doesn't support mouse strafing […]
Show full quote

Thanks for the info 😀 Yeah, after a helluva lot of Googling, it does indeed appear that the game doesn't support mouse strafing 🙁

That's a deal-breaker for me, old game/new game/or otherwise... I've NEVER used the abortion called "WASD", and NEVER will 🤣!

I've always used my mouse for strafing, using the right mouse button to engage it (LMB = move forward, and MMB = move backwards)... using the mouse for ALL movement, freeing up my left hand to do more important things.

BTW, to TOTALLY boggle the minds of the "WASD-ers", my customized keyboard/mouse setups for Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat (hehe, I call it "QWERTY" 🤣!):

http://jasonwilliams400com.startlogic.com/sno … Mouse_Setup.txt

http://jasonwilliams400com.startlogic.com/sno … Mouse_Setup.txt

...which are evolutions/offshoots of my original Duke Nukem 3D keyboard/mouse setup.

I can't find a copy that I've uploaded anywhere for your perusing... but at the time it had acclaim as "The most intuitive controller setup that I've ever seen for Duke 3D!" by the man himself, Todd Replogle 😀

I tried to make sense of your control layout, and my head exploded. 🤣 I can sort of see how it would be a good layout, but there's no way I'd be able to adapt to it.

My one burning question, how do you circle-strafe with that layout?

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

How can you not like AWSD? 🤣

Halo is a great LAN game. Sniper wars is heaps of fun too.

I haven't really had the chance to LAN Halo CE with my friends, though I want to try it some time. I just wish there were mods to integrate some features I like from the newer games, like the plasma sword, the battle rifle, and nitro-boosting on the Ghost. Or I could just track down a few copies of the Halo 2 port, which no one bought since it was a Vista exclusive released at a time when no one wanted to use Vista. 😜

Doesn't the Halo 2 PC work on newer-than-Vista? (isn't it "Vista exclusive" solely because it requires DX10?)

It should, but no one bought it because most people at the time stuck with XP. I know it's also been hacked to run on XP since it doesn't actually use any DX10 features, but I want to get a legit copy before I start messing with that.

obobskivich wrote:

What a radically different control scheme. Honestly I've never seen anything quite like it (and can tell you it wouldn't work on my ergonomic keyboard either) 😊.

Hehe, that's what most people say... "DAMN! THAT'S WEIRD!" 🤣! 😀 BTW, I can't even BEGIN to type on an ergo keyboard <grin>.

obobskivich wrote:

I believe it supports the Xbox controller for Windows, if you have one of those. Alternately you could always get it on Xbox, if you have one of those.

Never had an XBox, and I really hate those controllers.

obobskivich wrote:

As far as buying it online: http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Combat-Evolved-PC/dp/B00009TW6R/

Thanks for the info, will give it a looksie 😀

Auzner wrote:

So you ignored my question about aiming and moving at the same time. That's a handicapped configuration since you have to stop to aim at anything.

In all of the games that I have ever played (including CS/CS:CZ/CS:CZ-DS/DoD) you can't aim independently of the direction that you're moving AFAIK. Which ever way that you are currently looking (or moving towards, I should say) is the direction that you will fire. Except (of course) when I'm mouse strafing sideways and firing.

Of course, the exception would be something like Mechwarrior 2... in which case (y'all ready for this 🤣?), I used a set of Thrustmaster rudder pedals and two joysticks (a CH FlightStick Pro, and a regular CH FlightStick).

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

How can you not like AWSD? 🤣

Hehe, the inverse of what I've said about the WASD-ers for years now 🤣! 😀

mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:

I tried to make sense of your control layout, and my head exploded. 🤣 I can sort of see how it would be a good layout, but there's no way I'd be able to adapt to it.

🤣! That is what EVERYONE says about my obsure setup 🤣! 😀

Hehe, how's about another head-exploder? I used to play DOOM/DOOM2/Heretic/Hexen with a mouse AND a joystick simultaneously <grin>. I held my CH FlightStick Pro in my left hand, and my mouse in the right (with about the same mouse controls configuration as mentioned previously).

mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:

My one burning question, how do you circle-strafe with that layout?

THAT is one of the major weaknesses of my setup(s)... even back in my Wolf3D/DOOM days.

Although, If I wanted to circle-strafe, I would use these alternate keys:

Fire = /
Strafe Left = ,
Strafe Right = .

...but I always had a hard time getting to them in the heat of combat.

@All,

P.S.

Quake 1 with (IIRC) my customized controls configuration similar to what's mentioned previously:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opM8z6lTxr0

...and Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM2 with the joystick/mouse combo mentioned previously:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqEEzWilN9Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfYJKrqurNM

😀

rfnagel wrote:

Hehe, that's what most people say... "DAMN! THAT'S WEIRD!" 🤣! 😀 BTW, I can't even BEGIN to type on an ergo keyboard <grin>.

Never had an XBox, and I really hate those controllers.

Thanks for the info, will give it a looksie 😀

Yeah, I will acknowledge that Xbox controllers aren't exactly a paragon of ergonomics - at least it isn't the N64 controller (which I guess would be fine if you had 3 hands...). IIRC Logitech makes a PlayStation look-a-like that will work with a lot of Windows games too, but I don't know if that works with Halo. 😊

Have you ever looked at something like the Belkin n52 to replace the keyboard while gaming?

As far as games that let you move in different directions than you shoot/aim, I can think of a few third-person games that will let you do that (GTA San Andreas is a good example). But I think with most FPS titles, like Counter-Strike or Unreal, you're pretty much locked into moving where you aim unless you're strafing or doing gymnastic maneuvers (like in Portal).

Of course, the exception would be something like Mechwarrior 2... in which case (y'all ready for this 🤣?), I used a set of Thrustmaster rudder pedals and two joysticks (a CH FlightStick Pro, and a regular CH FlightStick).

I imagined Pacific Rim:
http://www.nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/201 … cific-rim04.jpg
🤣

obobskivich wrote:

Yeah, I will acknowledge that Xbox controllers aren't exactly a paragon of ergonomics - at least it isn't the N64 controller (which I guess would be fine if you had 3 hands...). IIRC Logitech makes a PlayStation look-a-like that will work with a lot of Windows games too, but I don't know if that works with Halo. 😊

The best (and easiest to use) gamepad styled controller that I've ever used (and STILL have even today) are my two ancient Gravis GamePads... four colored buttons, and a directional disk <grin> 😀

obobskivich wrote:

Have you ever looked at something like the Belkin n52 to replace the keyboard while gaming?

Man, thanks for that link 😀 What a WILD looking thing 🤣! 😀

obobskivich wrote:

As far as games that let you move in different directions than you shoot/aim, I can think of a few third-person games that will let you do that (GTA San Andreas is a good example). But I think with most FPS titles, like Counter-Strike or Unreal, you're pretty much locked into moving where you aim unless you're strafing or doing gymnastic maneuvers (like in Portal). I imagined Pacific Rim: http://www.nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/201 … cific-rim04.jpg 🤣

Yeah, most FPS games can only do as such. BTW, one that I forgot to mention from back in the day, I used to play Terra Nova with my CH Flightstick Pro, my mouse and my Thrustmaster rudder pedals 😀

.

Auzner wrote:

rfnagel wrote:

THAT is one of the major weaknesses of my setup(s)... even back in my Wolf3D/DOOM days. […]
Show full quote

mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:

My one burning question, how do you circle-strafe with that layout?

THAT is one of the major weaknesses of my setup(s)... even back in my Wolf3D/DOOM days.

Although, If I wanted to circle-strafe, I would use these alternate keys:

Fire = /
Strafe Left = ,
Strafe Right = .

...but I always had a hard time getting to them in the heat of combat.

This applies in all shooters today, hence why I said your config is quite a handicap. You're toggling between two major control mechanisms which everyone else is able to manipulate simultaneously. I suppose it could work for you if two independent mice were possible.

I only wish it were possible to use two mice at once. Why don't any modern applications or OSes support this?

mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:

I only wish it were possible to use two mice at once. Why don't any modern applications or OSes support this?

IIRC, I had tried that under WIndows 98SE eons ago. I connected my (still in use today) serial Logitech MouseMan Pro, and a second USB mouse to my PC. Yes, it indeed worked, albeit BOTH mice controlled the SAME pointer (e.g. NOTHING recognized them as being two independent mice) 🤣! 😀

Hehe, along the same topic, I did the same thing with two keyboards (the main PS2 keyboard, and a second USB keyboard). I originally did that back when my nephew and I were heavily into playing the freeware top-down racing game "GeneRally"... ONE keyboard was WAY too cramped for two players to be using at the same time 🤣! 😀

(EDIT) BUT NOW, WAITAMINUTE! There was a DOS game from ages ago (I can't remember the name offhand) that DID INDEED support TWO independent mice for it's split-screen multiplayer mode! I seem to recall even trying it out WITH success (IIRC, it recognized two serial mice connected to the same PC). Man... anyone remember what that game was called?

(DOUBLE-EDIT) Hmmm... after Googling a bit, it sounds like it might have been "Settlers 2". But, for some reason, I don't think that the one that I tried it on was that game, but yet another (?).

(re: Circle-Strafing)

Hmmm... you know, the mouse strafing verses keyboard left+right strafing really got me thinking. Of course, this wouldn't function in Halo, but would work for me just fine in CS/CS:CZ/CS:CZ-DS/DoD/etc... (and probably Quake 1, Quake 2, and Unreal as well).

1alias +Strafe_Right "m_pitch -0.011;+moveright"
2alias -Strafe_Right "m_pitch -0.022;-moveright;bind MOUSE2 +Strafe_Left"
3alias +Strafe_Left "m_pitch -0.011;+moveleft"
4alias -Strafe_Left "m_pitch -0.022;-moveleft;bind MOUSE2 +Strafe_Right"
5bind "MOUSE2" "+Strafe_Right"

The drawback of the above is that the right mouse button would be a TOGGLED function... click and hold once to strafe right, and then release. When clicked and held again, you would strafe left. And, of course, when released, the alias would reset the binding to "right" again.

I tried that out, and it seems that I can fairly easily 'wrap my head' around it, and probably fairly easily get used to it... simple short clicks of the right mouse button will/would quickly help to determine which way the alias is currently set/bound for.

Or, even more simply (the following would ALSO work in Halo):

bind "e" "+moveleft"
bind "MOUSE2" "+moveright"

...as I hardly ever (or NEVER) use that "E" key alias/binding that I currently have in all of the previously mentioned games.

P.S. I can't currently test the later of the above... had an injury to my left middle finger that I would normally have resting on the "E" key, and it's still bandaged up. Been a REAL PITA for the past few weeks <grin>.

Each serial has its own communication port, so I guess the game went to that level of interpretation rather than asking the OS for mouse stuff. Two keyboards has always worked for just spatial separation as long as the parties have their own keys. It also helps because some later cheaper USB keyboards can't register more than 3-4 keys grouped at a time. So like W+A+Ctrl+Alt+Space might just not register anything.

obobskivich wrote:

Doesn't the Halo 2 PC work on newer-than-Vista? (isn't it "Vista exclusive" solely because it requires DX10?)

Have a copy and it works fantastically on Windows 7, just need to install an updated GFWL client for it to function though.