Couple of questions bout HL2

[BustaRomeo]

I'll be getting HL2 either tomorrow or the next day (yeah, I know, where have I been since its release), and I just wanted you guys to help clarify things for me. OK, does the game come with CS: Source? If so, I read somewhere that you do get Source, but you have to download some extra bits for it at a price, is this true? Secondly, I have the demo for the game, and it played fine until the demo got patched via steam, after which I got an error that said something about not being able to load a vertex shader, or something similiar, and the game won't start. Will I have this problem with the full game? That would just suck. Thirdly, offline play, is it possible in both HL2 and CS: source? If so, how? Thanks, that should be all. Any other bits I should know would be appreciated.

[sdkfz]

Busta

<<OK, does the game come with CS: Source?>> Yes

If so, I read somewhere that you do get Source, but you have to download some extra bits for it at a price, is this true? >>The downloads are to make the entire game work and are part of the anti piracy security, hope you are not on dial up as it is a hefty chunk, there may be mods and levels that are at a cost either from the designor or the hosting site

<<Secondly, I have the demo for the game, and it played fine until the demo got patched via steam, after which I got an error that said something about not being able to load a vertex shader, or something similiar, and the game won't start. Will I have this problem with the full game? >> Can't say for sure - sorry, but if it ran before the patch then with a new install I'd bet yes


<<Thirdly, offline play, is it possible in HL2>> Yes

<<and CS: source?>> Isn't CS a team based intenet game so you need the net, or are you talking abount a local network? I'd say no to if internet and yes if on a local net- but I do not play on line so I'll leave this to those who do

<<If so, how?>> For HL2 just follow the easy steps on the card that comes with the game, basically it involves saving your password ont eh pc and saving account information on this pc options both a yes

<<Any other bits I should know would be appreciated. >>The game is a system hog so if you are not on a totally bleeding edge PC I'd first let the game set it's level of display/graphics and see how it runs, anything turned on after that will just make it slower

[Fibre Optix]

Ya all (retail) versions of HL2 comes with CS:S. I have yet to see a box that does'nt have it.

Paying for a part of CS:S? Never Heard this before.

Offline Mode? Yes you can. I have never done it but all you do is check off "Remember password". Atleast that is what they say.

You can also create your own sever and fill it with Bots if you don't want to play online against other people.

Demo crash. Almost every demo I have tried has screwed up one time or another. If your computer has played the game fine before, it should handel the real thing fine. But just incase you should buy it from a place that offers exchanges or refunds. DON'T GO TO BESTBUY. Try EB games... you can exchange it for another game if it doesn't work. BestBuy only exchanes it if it's damaged and you can only get the same game.

Goto http://www.steampowered.com and checkout the forums... alot of good stuff there.

Additional tips, Ignore the CounterStrike 1.6 die hards who put down CS:S. CS:S has some issues like Hitboxes are off sometimes and constant shooting a player results in no damage to the other player. CS:S is constanlty evolving.
It's a great game none the less. They're always updating the game.

Practice with bots in CS:S before jumping on-line.

* edit.. and try not to get hooked on the AWP and become an AWP noob. You'll understand once you start to play.

Happy Fragging. Have fun.

[Hi Ho]

CS: Source is purely multiplayer. You can play with bots but it doesn't make much sense to play that one offline. If you have broadband why not purchase the silver package through Steam? That's what I did. For $60 it includes:

HL:2, HL:2 Deathmatch, CS:Source, HL:Source, Condition Zero, Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes, CS: Original, Team Fortress Classic, Day of Defeat, HL: Original, Deathmatch Classic, Opposing Force, and coming soon, Day of Defeat: Source.