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The Orange Box (PC/PS3/360)

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    #301
    Portal is so cute! I'd have been happy to pay full retail price just for that TBH. Very refreshing stuff.

    BTW I've not been following the news, what's the deal when HL2: Ep 3 arrives for us console only players? Will they release it as DLC on Xbox Live?
    Last edited by MattyD; 20-10-2007, 23:50.

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      #302
      If you got Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind DVD, use that box for orange box on xbox 360 (assuming you don't mind using green box for the film)

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        #303
        Originally posted by MattyD View Post

        BTW I've not been following the news, what's the deal when HL2: Ep 3 arrives for us console only players? Will they release it as DLC on Xbox Live?
        I haven't heard Valve say anything about that. It's interesting that there's no option to download content anywhere in Orange Box though. They could add such an option through an auto-update, but it's interesting it's not there even for small stuff like new Portal maps.

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          #304
          Originally posted by Kotatsu Neko View Post
          I haven't heard Valve say anything about that. It's interesting that there's no option to download content anywhere in Orange Box though. They could add such an option through an auto-update, but it's interesting it's not there even for small stuff like new Portal maps.
          Presuming you're talking about the 360 version, only a few games have a 'download content' option. For most you just download it from the marketplace outside of the game.

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            #305
            Yeah because it just links you to the marketplace tab for downloading content anyway, its never dealt with in-game as such is it?

            I dont see Portal stuff being offered on Live as DLC though, may pick it up on PC just for that though!

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              #306
              Half-Life 2's loading interruptions are a little annoying. It looks better than I remember my very brief time with the Xbox version on the 360 but it feels a bit floaty (maybe that will improve when I get a weapon in my hands.)

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                #307
                The interruptions are a bit lame since I've forgotten about it. But IIRC it was also present in the PC version and on my rig it was even longer (a measly 512mb ram).

                I bought this game for HL2, and the episodes I never played. Heck, I even totally loved the least loved Episode 1 which I completed yesterday in the morning.

                Then I tried Portal last night, and could not stop playing it until I was about 60% in.

                Since every single one of these games would already be GOTY contender, Orange Box is GOTY, no fricking doubt about that.

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                  #308
                  I don't like to nit-pick with such an awesome collection of games but having loading pauses seems very untidy and old-fashioned to me. There's no reason at all why they couldn't stream stuff on the fly in many cases. the pauses inside the tunnels during the vehicle sections is a good case in point, as you can't see anything either side but the tunnel opening, so why not stream then? Same with Portal - you're stuck in a lift for however long they need, so why have a loading pause?

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                    #309
                    Originally posted by MattyD View Post
                    I don't like to nit-pick with such an awesome collection of games but having loading pauses seems very untidy and old-fashioned to me. There's no reason at all why they couldn't stream stuff on the fly in many cases. the pauses inside the tunnels during the vehicle sections is a good case in point, as you can't see anything either side but the tunnel opening, so why not stream then? Same with Portal - you're stuck in a lift for however long they need, so why have a loading pause?
                    Probably due to the engine's PC roots. I recall programmers telling me in the past that PCs were not well suited to streaming due to the way DMA worked or some such. Obviously that's no longer an issue, as UE3 streams on the PC ( as do other games), but Source is far from being a shiny new engine and that may just be another aspect Valve need to overhaul to modernise their tech.

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                      #310
                      The longer I play HL2 the poorer the port seems TBH. Don't get me wrong, it plays just like it should, but there are one or two unforgivable let-downs considering this is a three or four-year-old game running on a multi-core machine with a ridiculously powerful GPU.

                      I was playing Highway 17 today and I was appalled by the draw distance. I've only played the original Xbox version before this and even that had a better draw distance. Good places to compare are the houses underneath the big railway bridge, and the section where you come out of a tunnel and in front of you the road follows a 'U' shape with a Combine energy field blocking the road next to the house.

                      On the Xbox version you could see a good two 'legs' of the bridge before it cut off, and all the scenery, cliffs etc around it were visible. On the 360 version you can only just see the first 'leg' (the supports with sand around the base) and no cliffs. On the second section you could see right the way across from the tunnel opening to the other side of the 'U', but on this you can't.

                      I noticed the draw distance in Team Fortress isn't that great either, with buildings and objects in the middle distance starting to get that greyed-out look like they're about to disappear into a PlayStation-esque field of fog. None of these games should be putting undue pressure on the hardware so what's the excuse?

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                        #311
                        Draw distance? I haven't heard of a game with draw distance issues in years. Usually devs seem to code well enough to make sure that any issues are well hidden. In the main game, when you say things are cut off, do you mean by that PS-style fog?

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                          #312
                          Put a couple of hours into Episode 2 now and it's been superb.

                          The section where you have to fight off the ant-lions with the turrets... just brilliant. Some frantic shooting, grav-gunning and moving of turrets went on there!



                          It's only by playing Portal and Episode 2 again that I realise how brilliantly paced Valve's titles are. There was a comment by Ryan on the 1Up Show during their Orange Box review where he said something along the lines of most games have balls out action followed by a cut-scene and then more balls out action and then another cut scene etc whereas Half Life varies things so much. Plus the integration of story into gameplay is seamless. It puzzles me why more games haven't tried to copy Valve's formula.

                          It really is one of those games that you want to show to your friends/family who aren't gamers and say "This is how good it can be".

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                            #313
                            Done XD Every damn game in the Orange Box makes it worth the asking price alone.

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                              #314
                              Just finished Ep 1, turns out I never finished it on PC for some reason!

                              My last save says I was 3hr 30 mins in but probably took me well over 4 with reloading from dying etc. Such a gem of a game, not gonna start Ep 2 til tomorrow. Want to draw this out, absolutely loving it.



                              The end of Ep 1 was ace, having to

                              kill the big strider thing I think its called? That was cool, felt great when it eventually goes down and you know your gonna get the train out, then the big chopper thingy or whatever its called tried to follow us into the tunnel but did not succeed!

                              Then KABOOM!! All gone.


                              Also loved the part earlier on in the car park killing those antlions and having to block the holes with cars etc, cool ****.




                              Roll on episode 2.

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                                #315
                                Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
                                Draw distance? I haven't heard of a game with draw distance issues in years. Usually devs seem to code well enough to make sure that any issues are well hidden. In the main game, when you say things are cut off, do you mean by that PS-style fog?
                                The draw distance is EXACTLY! the same as the PC version...with setting set to High.

                                The draw distance on Highway 17 does seem a bit foggy...but its the same as it ever has been...I've compared them...I run my PC through my HDTV and I've flipped channels between HDMI(360) and DVI(PC) whilst playing Highway 17. The 360 version is defo 30 fps but has new lighting and reflection effects. My PC version looks much scabbier...the textures are the same..runs at 60 fps...but dips when lots of stuff happening...

                                ....the fogging draw distance is Identical..

                                I think they made a fantastic job with the controls...ported fantastically to the pad....I love the 360 version of OB. Pretty much the best videogame ive ever played.. locked at 30 fps is totally fine. The one think that bothers me is that the Framerate dips when a big explosion occurs and loads of physics stuff has to be calculated on the fly..but scripted parts where stuff really goes mental, is totally fine.

                                I find some of the negative comments on this wonderful 360 package bewildering, and i don't just mean on this board.

                                ....not excusing the ****ty lag of TF2...need patch quick..which is coming next week.

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