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[Dictator93]

For some reason the guns and vehicles all seem to be running at a different framerate than the background, its infuriating. No idea how to fix it, ive searched a bit and found nothing conclusive.

Are you talking about Halo CE? The OP describes exactly how to solve that issue.

Despite the omission of co-op and some technical drawbacks I always felt it was a good version of the game to be honest. I put many hours into it at the time; it quickly became my online multiplayer game of choice. The officially hosted dedicated servers were a pleasant surprise, as well as the extra multiplayer content we got in this version over the original Xbox game.

Yeah, if you were into it fpr PvP it is a better version than OG xbox. But i still maintain the port is problematic everywhere else. Even the simplified netcode for pvp is problematic imo.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Huh, might be time to dust off the old H2, too!

Play H:CE most nights of the week. It just doesn't get old. Big, dumb fun.

 

[RamaTheVoice]

I'd absolutely love to get in on this! Is there anyone who would be willing to share their key with me?

TIA!

E: OP, does the Chimera console config in step 7 need to be performed every time the game is booted?

 

[Dictator93]

I'd absolutely love to get in on this! Is there anyone who would be willing to share their key with me?

TIA!

E: OP, does the Chimera console config in step 7 need to be performed every time the game is booted?

Nope it remembers the last inputs you had!

 

[Alex Connolly]

I'd absolutely love to get in on this! Is there anyone who would be willing to share their key with me?

TIA!

E: OP, does the Chimera console config in step 7 need to be performed every time the game is booted?

No, once configured, it sticks. EDIT: Beaten by the finest.

 

[RamaTheVoice]

Excellent!

Guess DF are gonna have to update their DF Retro Halo episode ^^

 

[daninthemix]

Incidentally, I found I was able to run Halo 2 at 4K by making it windowed (and using Borderless Windowed app). The in-game resolution options only go up to 1200p, but I'm pretty sure it was 4K when windowed (as in, it goes straight to the desktop res).

 

[Alex Connolly]

Just got done playing a few rounds of CTF on Lockout. Good times. Sentimental as all hell.

I still prefer CE for the bigger maps, but H2 certainly has the responsiveness for close-quarters combat.

 

[Dictator93]

No, once configured, it sticks. EDIT: Beaten by the finest.

<3
----

So it is obviously not perfect, but you can also kinda get a per object motion blur for the game by raw brute force. If you unlock the framerate so it is decoupled from vsync and then use reshade to apply a smart frame buffer motion blur (which is basically PS2 style accumulation blur), a high enough framerate starts to replicate the real world effects of a proper per object motion blur. Interestingly, since it is based upon accumulation and is not tracking geometric objects vs. non-geometric... it will actually apply proper motion blur to all screen elements... particles, shadows, whatever. These screenshots are taken at about 500fps (I have a mediocre and old CPU at this point).

The higher your framerate is, the better it will look in the end which is rather cool of course. Something for the future when CPUs can pump Halo CE at a constant 1000fps, or if you just have some 5.5 Ghz monster right now.

 

[Alex Connolly]

That's cool!

 

[MaLDo]

Dictator93, thank you for this thread.

I have a problem, the moment I add the Universal UI map, the cursor gets corrupted.

And starting any campaign map, level textures are corrupted too. But I can see the problem even before adding or using maps, it's enough to open haloce with the Universal UI map.

¿?

 

[Dictator93]

Dictator93, thank you for this thread.

I have a problem, the moment I add the Universal UI map, the cursor gets corrupted.

And starting any campaign map, level textures are corrupted too. But I can see the problem even before adding or using maps, it's enough to open haloce with the Universal UI map.

¿?

OK,
1. So installing universal UI causes mouse cursor corruption. Of what variety?
2. Even before you install the Universal UI, Chimera, or any of the SP maps, you can load up any map with the default Halo CE UI (Multiplayer, LAN, load up say "Battle Creek") and you still texture corruption? What does it look like? Make sure you are not using reshade atm. Just clean installs and step by step to figure out what is up (this is obvious to you though probably).

I am curious if perhaps your original Halo CE install is somehow fudged, before even any of the mods come into play.

 

[PillarEN]

Yeah, I'll just grab my 16 year old CD that I've stored for all this time in my personal safe for this specific occasion.

Spoiler

I actually wanted to run it on my Windows 7 machine, but it was a no go because of the OS.

Never really was bothered by the Framerate issue even back in the day. Just locked it at 30 since the animations were at 30 too. Sacrilege for some on the PC, but I much rather played that way because of how the animations were done.

Super to know about this update though. I was going to replay Halo 1, but my old old XP PC died back at my folks place so I couldn't do my yearly playthrough this year and then ran into the modern OS compatibility issues.

 

[MaLDo]

OK,
1. So installing universal UI causes mouse cursor corruption. Of what variety?
2. Even before you install the Universal UI, Chimera, or any of the SP maps, you can load up any map with the default Halo CE UI (Multiplayer, LAN, load up say "Battle Creek") and you still texture corruption? What does it look like? Make sure you are not using reshade atm. Just clean installs and step by step to figure out what is up (this is obvious to you though probably).

I am curious if perhaps your original Halo CE install is somehow fudged, before even any of the mods come into play.

Installing only Halo CE the game reports an error about login credentials.

Installing last 1.0.10 update for Halo CE fixes that problem, the game launches, I see correct mouse cursor and can load every multi map without problems.

Overwritting the ui.map file with the UI universal 1.1 one, I get this

The cursor is that corrupted texture in the middle

I redownloaded the new ui.map 3 times with the same result. And using the moses's maps and loading the first map, I get this

Maybe I need more files from the original disk before starting with your 'step by step' guide? Because I did that, but only that.

 

[n0razi]

I just want an MCC PC port

 

[Dictator93]

Installing only Halo CE the game reports an error about login credentials.

Installing last 1.0.10 update for Halo CE fixes that problem, the game launches, I see correct mouse cursor and can load every multi map without problems.



Overwritting the ui.map file with the UI universal 1.1 one, I get this

The cursor is that corrupted texture in the middle



I redownloaded the new ui.map 3 times with the same result. And using the moses's maps and loading the first map, I get this




Maybe I need more files from the original disk before starting with your 'step by step' guide? Because I did that, but only that.

I am trying to ruminate as to why this could be the case... but I cannot think of anything. I did the install in this fashion, the only difference is that I also tried out another one of the non-moses campaign maps beforehand, found out about moses campaign, and then just put the moses-campaign maps in and deleted the original ones I had found. I did not use the disk version of the game files, rather, the CE, the patch... and then the UI to access the campaign maps I downloaded which were converted over to CE.

Hrm... Perhaps grabbing Halo CE, the Patch, and Universal UI from another mirror could be better? Maybe the ones I linked in the OP are not actually good...

 

[MaLDo]

I am trying to ruminate as to why this could be the case... but I cannot think of anything. I did the install in this fashion, the only difference is that I also tried out another one of the non-moses campaign maps beforehand, found out about moses campaign, and then just put the moses-campaign maps in and deleted the original ones I had found. I did not use the disk version of the game files, rather, the CE, the patch... and then the UI to access the campaign maps I downloaded which were converted over to CE.

Hrm... Perhaps grabbing Halo CE, the Patch, and Universal UI from another mirror could be better? Maybe the ones I linked in the OP are not actually good...

I've downloaded english version of Halo CE and applied 1.0.10 update and the problem is gone.

So, is the Halo CE 1.0 spanish file that has corrupted textures (or is not compatible with the 1.010 patch). The UI Universal surely uses textures from the main package that were corrupted before the UI install but are not visible. That's why after testing campaign levels in the old UI (using the console), I saw the corrupted textures too.

Thank you very much anyway. I was going crazy

 

[Dictator93]

I've downloaded english version of Halo CE and applied 1.0.10 update and the problem is gone.

So, is the Halo CE 1.0 spanish file that has corrupted textures (or is not compatible with the 1.010 patch). The UI Universal surely uses textures from the main package that were corrupted before the UI install but are not visible. That's why after testing campaign levels in the old UI (using the console), I saw the corrupted textures too.

Thank you very much anyway. I was going crazy

I actually originally downloaded the German files and deleted em before even installing. Hah! I would have probably been going crazy like you were.

I will update the OP. It has to reflect this intense level of lingual imperialism

 

[RandomExpletive]

Still need to go back and replay Halo 1 and 2 again, still have both my discs (and no DVD drive lol)

Gonna check out the OP and the Halo 2 fixes for sure

 

[Dictator93]

Still need to go back and replay Halo 1 and 2 again, still have both my discs (and no DVD drive lol)

Gonna check out the OP and the Halo 2 fixes for sure

As per the OP, all you need these days is your disc CD keys, nothing else. All other files have been source ported / are available for download. So, enjoy!

I will probably make an OP as well when I get to Halo 2.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Man, Halo 2 with online (Project Cartographer proxy absolutely smooth)...played more last night. Ascension, Lockout, Sanctuary...feels good to live in the past. Has aged wonderfully.

All I had to do was jack the mouse sensitivity up to 9 and it's golden.

 

[DocSeuss]

Is there a handy way to replace the crosshairs with something which is a bit more accurate at 1080p? The pistol one in particular is massive.

Note that Halo's weapons aren't meant to be particularly accurate, so I'm not sure how much impact a reticle change will have on the gameplay.

 

[Rickenslacker]

Oh bless you for this Dictator93. Now to find a CD-Key as my copy went missing so many years ago (seriously Microsoft make this more readily available you goons).

 

[AlStrong]

Yep that is missing still. I would imagine the asset was never even packaged with the Gearbox version of the game :X

Might have to compare the different shader paths the game supports, perhaps preferably with a Geforce 3/4 series card.

The mac port at least had proper MSAA support I think.

 

[LightningXCE]

Welp, I guess I have motivation to finish my two maps I was working on; Floodlab and Library.

 

[Dictator93]

Oh bless you for this Dictator93. Now to find a CD-Key as my copy went missing so many years ago (seriously Microsoft make this more readily available you goons).

NP mate.

In case anyone was curious what "real" motion blur looks like @ around 300-500 frames per second. Here you go. Seeing the results makes me wish I had a CPU that could pull off 500-1000fps at all times. Sigh. Maybe in the future.

Might have to compare the different shader paths the game supports, perhaps preferably with a Geforce 3/4 series card.

The mac port at least had proper MSAA support I think.

That would be very interesting and probably has not been done in a testing environement for comparison in a long time. And the mac port has proper MSAA support? That is rather interesting!
Although, these days the game is so light that 4X4 SSAA is basically free and also gives you greater inner surface details and resolve.

 

[MaLDo]

Anyone know any HUD texture mod for 360 or one controller buttons? "Press BUTTON#3 to ..." is ugly

 

[Alex Connolly]

OP, might be worth breaking out a new OT for Halo 2 via the Project Cartographer launcher business.

So slick. &#128538;&#128076;

 

[dh4niel]

I've finished Halo 1 way too many times to bother with all of that to play it again on PC. Great that people took the time to fix it though.

 

[Nerdkiller]

OP, might be worth breaking out a new OT for Halo 2 via the Project Cartographer launcher business.

So slick. &#128538;&#128076;

Wouldn't it require installing GFWL? Because if so, meh. That's not worth the hassle.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Wouldn't it require installing GFWL? Because if so, meh. That's not worth the hassle.

Not with the H2launcher. Essentially, a very tidy Hamachi-esque thing that drives online multi through the Network to servers, rather than the cancerous Live. Don't even need that cur installed.

 

[ReBurn]

I want to play it in 2021. What do then?

 

[Dictator93]

Not with the H2launcher. Essentially, a very tidy Hamachi-esque thing that drives online multi through the Network to servers, rather than the cancerous Live. Don't even need that cur installed.

OP, might be worth breaking out a new OT for Halo 2 via the Project Cartographer launcher business.

So slick. &#65533;&#65533;&#65533;&#65533;

Yeah! Gonna try that out soon

For those who are interested in injecting motion blur into any game with an uncapped framerate (or just Halo CE), I packaged all the necessary files including an instructive readme into .rar and am hosting it.

Download files for injected motion blur here.

Anyone know any HUD texture mod for 360 or one controller buttons? "Press BUTTON#3 to ..." is ugly

I have yet to see anything beyond the better menus that SPV3 allows :/

I want to play it in 2021. What do then?

As long as Win10's sucessor does not change the game, hopefully the info in this thread works just the same!

 

[Alex Connolly]

Seriously, cannot get enough H2 now. 16 player Lockout FFA. Doesn't get much better.

 

[Dictator93]

Seriously, cannot get enough H2 now. 16 player Lockout FFA. Doesn't get much better.

After some testing, Halo 2 is limited to 60 fps animations, input polling (apparently), and even 90% of the camera movement.

God dammit.

 

[Blam]

Yeah project cartographer is a huge huge improvement over H2.

 

[mikezilla2]

guessing there exists no Ports of the MCC edtions ?

 

[shintoki]

Literally one of the five physical copies of games I've kept. Next to NOLF 1/2. AVP2, and Diablo.

 

[Anteater]

man why don't they just release this on gog...

 

[AlStrong]

That would be very interesting and probably has not been done in a testing environement for comparison in a long time. And the mac port has proper MSAA support? That is rather interesting!
Although, these days the game is so light that 4X4 SSAA is basically free and also gives you greater inner surface details and resolve.

I think they called it FSAA at the time, but I gather the lack of MSAA on PC was simply due to limitations in DX9 with MRTs as opposed to how the mac port went about rendering. I could be misremembering.

 

[Zeneric]

Awesome. Time to revisit Halo CE.

 

[Anteater]

those flood with the rocket launchers are annoying as fuck lmao

 

[Rickenslacker]

man why don't they just release this on gog...

There doesn't seem to be any interest by the relevant parties to acknowledge anything but Halo spinoffs on PC and it's pretty infuriating.

 

[Barrow Roll]

There doesn't seem to be any interest by the relevant parties to acknowledge anything but Halo spinoffs on PC and it's pretty infuriating.

Hopefully "Play Anywhere" guarantees that Halo 6 will get a PC release.