Half-Life 2 (official) Rift support

Post by **Unclebob** » Wed May 15, 2013 1:15 am

The Orange Box

Only £6 on Amazon uk now.

Just do a search.

Takes a while to load up and update guys so worth doing now before your rift arrives

Post by **Parallaxis** » Wed May 15, 2013 1:42 am

https://developer.oculusvr.com/forums/v ... 140#p11133

New update with many fixes - No more eye-strain!

Post by **adoral84** » Wed May 15, 2013 7:46 am

I definitely agree on the movement speed, in the mod I already slowed the run speed down a lot (didn't change the sprint speed because it breaks certain sections where sprinting is required), dropped the side and back speed way down and added the ability to toggle into walk mode at any point which I bind to a very accessible button. I personally try to walk all the time unless you're in a wide open area or running is absolutely necessary for the section. Even with the walk mode I had to drop the speed a lot, the slower "walk" was actually still somewhere 5+ mph. You can adjust these settings via the console in the official HL2 vr as well.

Hopefully we'll get a hold of the rift integration into the SDK soon, I feel pretty confident that valve will come through on it but I'm not sure how long it'd take.

Post by **Ziggurat** » Thu May 16, 2013 5:14 am

adoral84 wrote:I definitely agree on the movement speed, in the mod I already slowed the run speed down a lot (didn't change the sprint speed because it breaks certain sections where sprinting is required), dropped the side and back speed way down and added the ability to toggle into walk mode at any point which I bind to a very accessible button. I personally try to walk all the time unless you're in a wide open area or running is absolutely necessary for the section. Even with the walk mode I had to drop the speed a lot, the slower "walk" was actually still somewhere 5+ mph. You can adjust these settings via the console in the official HL2 vr as well.

Hopefully we'll get a hold of the rift integration into the SDK soon, I feel pretty confident that valve will come through on it but I'm not sure how long it'd take.

So if I get my rift before the Valve updates their SDK, I suppose your mod is the way to experience the game.
Of course, the 3D is better in the Beta, but the totality of your mod + vireio is probably better right?

Post by **Mark2036** » Thu May 16, 2013 12:03 pm

I read somewhere that the fast walking speed in hl2 can be overcome by using an Xbox controller, the analog stick allows you walk as slow as you like. Plan to try once I get a wired Xbox controller (or wireless receiver).

Just played a bit of hl2 in the oculus on the iMac a couple of hours ago, and even just using the keyboard and mouse i have to say it was probably the most profoundly satisfying gaming experience I have had in my life. This is a game that truely let's the oculus rift shine. And it's only going to get better.

Post by **GeraldT** » Thu May 16, 2013 8:20 pm

Here my first gameplay report on HL2

Wow ... going from Demo to full game: Half Life 2

This is unbelievable. The demos are nice, but playing a real game is something else entirely. All those places I have seen before in a game, suddenly I am there. You really get respect from those guys with their electro-sticks and size, wow size does matter.
Places are big!!!

You also really learn that resolution is not there yet. Everything at a distance is just a pixel blur. And I need to spend some time tomorrow figuring out what the best controls are (because the standard mouse controls are really annoying).

But even with those problem - there is this sequence where you have to flee and you go over the rooftops, that is intense. This has NOTHING to do with what you are used to, it is like running on a rooftop. And your adrenaline is pumping.

And then there are those "loading" moments, where the camera freezes ... they are also nothing like you are used to. They were mildly annoying, now they are a real PAIN - because nothing breaks you out and turns your stomach like suddenly the world being fixed to your head movement.

And another thing - micro movements, you never really hold your head still. It is always turning a little bit and your brains is compensating. With an LCD screen and a not moving screendoor that does not happen. Those micro movements have textures being in motion all the time, there is no real sense of things standing still. They have to put some work into eliminating those micro-movements (or at least those textures reacting to them).

Now after complaining ... this was the coolest gaming experience of my life so far!! 300$ ... for a year of playing in VR while waiting for a final version? Absolutely worth it, no question!!! And it will likely make you appreciate the final version even more.

Post by **Rirath** » Fri May 17, 2013 12:04 am

GeraldT wrote:Now after complaining ... this was the coolest gaming experience of my life so far!! 300$ ... for a year of playing in VR while waiting for a final version? Absolutely worth it, no question!!! And it will likely make you appreciate the final version even more.

I'm probably waiting at least until a DevKit 2, but man, those are the words I like to hear.

Thanks for the impressions!

As for controls - I'd love to use the Hydras. Apologies if I've missed it, but has there been any progress on combining the official VR support with VR Mod's Hydra control? I haven't heard any news from the VR Mod since the official support was announced.

Post by **Unclebob** » Fri May 17, 2013 1:24 am

GeraldT wrote:Here my first gameplay report on HL2

Wow ... going from Demo to full game: Half Life 2

This is unbelievable. The demos are nice, but playing a real game is something else entirely. All those places I have seen before in a game, suddenly I am there. You really get respect from those guys with their electro-sticks and size, wow size does matter.
Places are big!!!

You also really learn that resolution is not there yet. Everything at a distance is just a pixel blur. And I need to spend some time tomorrow figuring out what the best controls are (because the standard mouse controls are really annoying).

But even with those problem - there is this sequence where you have to flee and you go over the rooftops, that is intense. This has NOTHING to do with what you are used to, it is like running on a rooftop. And your adrenaline is pumping.

And then there are those "loading" moments, where the camera freezes ... they are also nothing like you are used to. They were mildly annoying, now they are a real PAIN - because nothing breaks you out and turns your stomach like suddenly the world being fixed to your head movement.

And another thing - micro movements, you never really hold your head still. It is always turning a little bit and your brains is compensating. With an LCD screen and a not moving screendoor that does not happen. Those micro movements have textures being in motion all the time, there is no real sense of things standing still. They have to put some work into eliminating those micro-movements (or at least those textures reacting to them).

Now after complaining ... this was the coolest gaming experience of my life so far!! 300$ ... for a year of playing in VR while waiting for a final version? Absolutely worth it, no question!!! And it will likely make you appreciate the final version even more.

Thanks G.

A sensitivity filter is a really great idea. Get that idea out there mate, get on the Oculus forums.

I suspect that different people will have different sensitivities.

Filter out tiny movements, after all in the real world that stays still when your head moves and your eyes may be rested on one non moving spot whilst your head moves..

So I am guessing Tuscany, Riftcoaster, HL2 in that order? Minecrift today then?

Post by **GeraldT** » Fri May 17, 2013 4:50 am

Rirath wrote:I'm probably waiting at least until a DevKit 2, but man, those are the words I like to hear. Thanks for the impressions!

As for controls - I'd love to use the Hydras. Apologies if I've missed it, but has there been any progress on combining the official VR support with VR Mod's Hydra control? I haven't heard any news from the VR Mod since the official support was announced.

If there were a fixed date on the DK2, then I guess I would advice to wait. Those "minor" improvements seem to me much bigger now that I used the current device. A little less motion blur could do much for the perceived reality ingame I think. Even without a higher resolution. A bigger field of view could also help a bit, but I have little issue with the fov as it is.

As far as the Hydra goes I don't know, I have not really following it because I am already obsessing with the whole topic too much.

Now that I have it though, I guess I have to read up on it. But I also have my own tech demos with Hydra integration, so I rather focus on Oculus integration into VR invaders to have a good point of reference what is possible.

Unclebob wrote:A sensitivity filter is a really great idea. Get that idea out there mate, get on the Oculus forums.

I suspect that different people will have different sensitivities.

Filter out tiny movements, after all in the real world that stays still when your head moves and your eyes may be rested on one non moving spot whilst your head moves..

So I am guessing Tuscany, Riftcoaster, HL2 in that order? Minecrift today then?

I posted the same report to the Oculus forum, but I missed that there is an official thread for HL2. Thanks for rephrasing it, I will post it to that thread too with your words.

Actually I started with the ISS demo, because that was one of the experiences I was curious about the most. Pretty cool, but they added motion blur which I did not like at all. The ISS is cool though and HUGE. Love that part.
Then I went straight for the rollercoaster - 4 times in a row, sitting, standing, standing, sitting - wow that roller coaster is awesome! I love how your knees get weak and you have trouble to keep standing with it. I needed a bit of food afterwards and then went back in for a few more rounds. Not sure at what point (on Facebook I reviewed them directly after trying (Gerald Terveen)), but when I visited the Tuscany demo I found it too boring to spend much time there. A minute or two and then I had enough.
Minecrift is still on my list, but I think I will wait a while - I fall for addictive games rather easily and have a deadline next week I want to make.

Post by **moomin** » Fri May 17, 2013 7:36 am

Hi,
Does it working with hl2dm too?
Did anyone try it?

Post by **GeraldT** » Fri May 17, 2013 1:43 pm

session #2 - first results

this time I was able to get the controller working right away, I have no idea what I did wrong last time.

It's much better playable with a controller than with mouse/keyboard for me, but that might be thanks to me being used to a controller.

And with AA activated (so far only in the in-game options) the game looks much better! And it is easier to make out details. Still the low resolution takes away a good portion, but that was to expect. I will play it again with the consumer version for sure, this is just too awesome to not be enjoyed lots of times.

The control scheme for the controller is far from being optimal I must say. The most annoying problem is that turning and aiming is on the same stick (R), I wish I could put turning on the move stick (L) and put strafing on a button.
So LEFT/RIGHT stick(L) = turning, LEFT/RIGHT stick(L) + LB = strafing. Back in the day shooter were configured like that. This would allow the player to turn instantly, the delay from having to move out of the aiming zone first really has an impact on immersion for me.

Then movement - you accelerate instantly, it would be nice if you need a moment to get to full speed. That way it would be much easier to get to the right movement speed and you have more time to set it. I see that you need to be able to "run", but doing it too often feels wrong too.

If anyone knows how I can setup the control in such a way please let me know. Both points are valid for the keyboard controls too I think, especially the strafing/aiming/turning mechanism.

The HUD - especially the aiming often really was hard because I was not finding the HUD element for it. It needs to be recolored. The same goes for your energy, life and bullet info, but that one needs an update in any case since it is still 2D and moving with your head. So before they recolor that to make it easier to see, they best find a different way to integrate the information.

Other than that ... as much is taken away with the new control scheme and low-res graphics, so much more is added by being in the world. Half-Life 2 is far from perfect, so many objects are just out of scale - but that is more of a funny side effect and less immersion breaking. So what if that milkbox is 10 liter instead of 1 or 2, or if those post boxes are suddenly the size of an euro palet. The important stuff like enemies and buildings all feels just fine. Red tons are still exploding very impressive, you are more afraid of being hit by stuff flying around though.

Got killed by a train - I was not paying enough attention to the sound (not using headphones, just normal stereo boxes on my desk) ... wow that really got me scared. I guess I am in for more surprises.

And standing - last time I played everything sitting, today I stood up for a minute. Wow ... immersion +10, weak legs +20! I am just too afraid to knock over something while standing (that and I have a temporary medical condition that prevents me from trying it too long). But if you have the option and space, do stand up and play it standing. I really want to play Half-Life 2 with a Virtuix Omni, that must be awesome!

Tried to use a straw for drinking in the Rift. I see a real problem of dehydration for people using the consumer Rift and spending too much time in there. You can't drink with the Rift unless you use a straw, but I found trying to get the straw into my mouth was too troublesome. So I decided to drink a bit each time a loading sequence comes. This also prevented me from being too long in that uncomfortable zone where your head movements are not properly translated.
The final Rift might have to get something like an auto-turnoff (at least optional) after 60 minutes to remind you to drink something.

Last but not least an issue connected with the Rift and not Half-Life ... wearing it longer really makes my cheekbones hurt badly. The device is not entirely made from plastic, there is a part that is made from gummi and I really hope that will get more elastic over time, but right now it is pressing on my cheek-bones and after 20-30 minutes it gets so hurtful that I need to stop. And I have tried many settings with the straps.

Well ... that's it so far, I will continue in a few minutes I guess.

Post by **Laserschwert** » Fri May 17, 2013 2:56 pm

Mh, weird... since the new update the warping isn't correct for me anymore. Lines that are suppose to be straight are clearly curved in my peripheral vision. That wasn't the case before the update...

Post by **GeraldT** » Fri May 17, 2013 3:14 pm

”I had a really weird warping issue from FOV not being set up correctly – in the game options I turned down the FOV to 75 and it all looked much better.” from JKCH on /r/oculus

from the R2VR guide: http://www.roadtovr.com/2013/05/11/how- ... video-5730

Post by **neverman** » Fri May 17, 2013 7:39 pm

Laserschwert wrote:Mh, weird... since the new update the warping isn't correct for me anymore. Lines that are suppose to be straight are clearly curved in my peripheral vision. That wasn't the case before the update...

same here! C cup

Post by **pizzy00** » Fri May 17, 2013 8:43 pm

Unclebob wrote:Anyone tried

http://cinematicmod.com/

I am thinking of getting this to work with the Rift as a first experiment

I have this mod installed and working. I added the -vr command to the shortcut but cannot get it start in Rift VR mode.

If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

This mod would make the Rift VR mode for HL 2 even better.

Post by **pizzy00** » Fri May 17, 2013 11:25 pm

I just played ep1 for first time. The updates help. This experience has been the best on the rift yet. I will be trying to get some texture mods to work if possible.

Post by **GeraldT** » Sat May 18, 2013 3:13 am

neverman wrote:
Laserschwert wrote:Mh, weird... since the new update the warping isn't correct for me anymore. Lines that are suppose to be straight are clearly curved in my peripheral vision. That wasn't the case before the update...
same here! C cup

Have you set the lens variable to C in the cfg file?

Post by **GeraldT** » Sat May 18, 2013 3:14 am

pizzy00 wrote:
Unclebob wrote:Anyone tried

http://cinematicmod.com/

I am thinking of getting this to work with the Rift as a first experiment
I have this mod installed and working. I added the -vr command to the shortcut but cannot get it start in Rift VR mode.

If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

This mod would make the Rift VR mode for HL 2 even better.

you need to select the Steampipe Beta version, and that one is not compatible with the mod to my knowledge. See the link to the guide I posted a few posts above.

Post by **Laserschwert** » Sat May 18, 2013 4:14 am

GeraldT wrote:”I had a really weird warping issue from FOV not being set up correctly – in the game options I turned down the FOV to 75 and it all looked much better.” from JKCH on /r/oculus

from the R2VR guide: http://www.roadtovr.com/2013/05/11/how- ... video-5730

Nope, that didn't fix it. No matter what FOV I set in the options, lines are still curved towards the edge of the screen. I'm using the A cups, btw.

Post by **alekki** » Sat May 18, 2013 4:17 am

Laserschwert wrote:
GeraldT wrote:”I had a really weird warping issue from FOV not being set up correctly – in the game options I turned down the FOV to 75 and it all looked much better.” from JKCH on /r/oculus

from the R2VR guide: http://www.roadtovr.com/2013/05/11/how- ... video-5730
Nope, that didn't fix it. No matter what FOV I set in the options, lines are still curved towards the edge of the screen. I'm using the A cup, btw.

I have the same problem. It's not too disturbing, but definitely noticeable. I'm using the A cups as well.

Post by **BOLL** » Sat May 18, 2013 5:16 am

I've been trying HL2 as much as I can stomach, it's been awesome so far, just that I'm quite prone to nausea

Last night I tried importing my TF2 settings by editing the config files, but that made it really uncomfortable, perhaps I missed a few parameters. To me it seemed like the world would stretch vertically when looking up, and shrink when looking down, when tilting my head. It was really weird and made my brain go bonkers.

I thought I had the Rift on in some weird way, but couldn't adjust it to fix the issue. I'll try to reset my settings later and see if I experience the same distortion/transformation, perhaps I just haven't noticed it earlier

I also played on a different computer, is it possible it could be a graphics driver issue? Hmm. Will need to experiment more, just that my kit is at the office, Monday it will have to be.

Post by **Oneironaut** » Sat May 18, 2013 5:16 am

alekki,

I was reading through the Over Seas shipping thread, and noticed that your order went into processing in early May. How long did it take for you to receive tracking data, and when did the order arrive? Any taxes? Did you status ever change from "processing"? Please, help a fellow Finn out

Sorry for the OT.

Post by **alekki** » Sat May 18, 2013 6:45 am

Oneironaut wrote:alekki,

I was reading through the Over Seas shipping thread, and noticed that your order went into processing in early May. How long did it take for you to receive tracking data, and when did the order arrive? Any taxes? Did you status ever change from "processing"? Please, help a fellow Finn out

Sorry for the OT.

It shipped less than a week after it changed to processing. I got the tracking data a few days after it actually shipped. It took a week (including a weekend) for it to get here from the UK. No taxes or anything.

Post by **GeraldT** » Sat May 18, 2013 7:26 am

I have read that someone deinstalled the game and installed from scratch (the savegames should be saved in the cloud) and that helped with the issue. But I can't confirm it, as I don't have any issues.

Post by **hast** » Thu May 23, 2013 1:05 pm

I got my Rift yesterday and today I tried a bunch of new demos as well as HL2.

And I played HL2 with my Novint Falcon as well, that works quite well with the VR mode. You get a reticle that you move around to aim. And as other people here have said, holy poop....

The first time you try the Rift people look around mesmarized, even in a simple demo as Tuscany. Walking around in a "real world" is almost as big additional step again. And this is with a old and fairly simple looking game.

Post by **theriftreport** » Thu May 23, 2013 6:56 pm

Laserschwert wrote:
GeraldT wrote:”I had a really weird warping issue from FOV not being set up correctly – in the game options I turned down the FOV to 75 and it all looked much better.” from JKCH on /r/oculus

from the R2VR guide: http://www.roadtovr.com/2013/05/11/how- ... video-5730
Nope, that didn't fix it. No matter what FOV I set in the options, lines are still curved towards the edge of the screen. I'm using the A cups, btw.

Same problem here...stopping me playing HL2 which makes me a sad Rifter. Anyone found a fix yet...tried re-installing.

Post by **Tankshell** » Fri May 24, 2013 6:30 am

So I played this for a full 3 hours yesterday, directly after testing out the Tuscany demo and using TF2 to calibrate source engine correctly (and copy the config across to HL2).

What can I say. The future is already here. Simply mind blowingly good, even in it's current wedged in state of VR support. No prior gaming experience I have had (in 20 years) comes anywhere close to matching this in terms of immersion. I don't want to write a proper breakdown of the experience just yet (I want to get back and play more!), so I will probably play through 'til the end of the game, then do a proper in depth write-up on my blog, and post it here.

Suffice to say, once properly calibrated using the TF2 calibration tool, it's great. Really great.

Also, I didn't get any kind of VR nausea or anything like that the entire time I was in the Rift yesterday for the first time. Lucky me!

Post by **MrGreen** » Fri May 24, 2013 7:44 am

Tankshell wrote:using TF2 to calibrate source engine correctly (and copy the config across to HL2).

Can you elaborate on that mate? I wanna be ready when I receive my Rift. (Any minute now!)

Post by **GeraldT** » Fri May 24, 2013 7:55 am

MrGreen wrote:
Tankshell wrote:using TF2 to calibrate source engine correctly (and copy the config across to HL2).
Can you elaborate on that mate? I wanna be ready when I receive my Rift. (Any minute now!)

http://www.roadtovr.com/2013/05/11/how- ... video-5730

most steps require you to have the Rift already though

Post by **Tankshell** » Fri May 24, 2013 8:10 am

MrGreen wrote:
Tankshell wrote:using TF2 to calibrate source engine correctly (and copy the config across to HL2).
Can you elaborate on that mate? I wanna be ready when I receive my Rift. (Any minute now!)

Yes, read through this article by Valve first: http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Oculu ... User_Guide

Then follow these intructions: http://www.roadtovr.com/2013/05/11/how- ... video-5730

Pay particular note to the part about LOOKING AT the green lines whilst performing the calibration process. Do not look at the middle of the screen.

Post by **Tbone** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:09 am

I just got to check out the Rift for the second time, and I spent the majority of my time in Half-Life 2! Simply put, it freed my mind!

Check out my write-up: http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.p ... 28#p128109

Post by **3dvison** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:18 am

So you are now a Freeman......and a Doctor...LOL

Post by **MrGreen** » Fri May 24, 2013 2:24 pm

Thanks guys!

Post by **Tankshell** » Fri May 24, 2013 5:23 pm

Important: guys, once you have calibrated in TF2 and copied across the settings to HL2, make sure to set the config file as read only. I couldn't figure out why my latest session felt "off"... then checked the config and low and behold, it had been reset to defaults!

Post by **mrklaw** » Sat May 25, 2013 1:52 am

Tankshell wrote:Important: guys, once you have calibrated in TF2 and copied across the settings to HL2, make sure to set the config file as read only. I couldn't figure out why my latest session felt "off"... then checked the config and low and behold, it had been reset to defaults!

Do you need to first choose your settings in game because they'll get locked? Eg graphics/AA/control options? Or is that settings file different?

Post by **Tankshell** » Sat May 25, 2013 3:00 am

mrklaw wrote:
Tankshell wrote:Important: guys, once you have calibrated in TF2 and copied across the settings to HL2, make sure to set the config file as read only. I couldn't figure out why my latest session felt "off"... then checked the config and low and behold, it had been reset to defaults!
Do you need to first choose your settings in game because they'll get locked? Eg graphics/AA/control options? Or is that settings file different?

I can't get my graphics settings to stick either (regardless of the read only state of the config file), I have to re-choose them everytime I boot up the game in VR mode, it also always seems to boot up in windowed mode, and I have to set the fullscreen option each time. I am assuming that they must be stored in a different file? I guess the beta must be a little bit buggy with regards to config saving at the moment, hopefully they will fix this before pushing it live

EDIT - on a gameplay note, I played through the hovercraft section last night. OMG. Sitting in the rollcage (if you can call it that!) of the hovercraft feels so damn real! I just sat in it and looked around the cockpit, and behind me at the giant rotor blades for ages. Amazing. I also seem to really like finding a shallow part of the canal, and ducking down so that my head height is just above water and then looking around at everything. The water shaders do a great job considering how old the game is!

Post by **Valez** » Sat May 25, 2013 4:41 am

Tankshell wrote:Important: guys, once you have calibrated in TF2 and copied across the settings to HL2, make sure to set the config file as read only. I couldn't figure out why my latest session felt "off"... then checked the config and low and behold, it had been reset to defaults!

Thank you so much for sharing this.

Post by **the_wretched** » Sat May 25, 2013 4:18 pm

Tankshell wrote:I can't get my graphics settings to stick either (regardless of the read only state of the config file), I have to re-choose them everytime I boot up the game in VR mode, it also always seems to boot up in windowed mode, and I have to set the fullscreen option each time. I am assuming that they must be stored in a different file? I guess the beta must be a little bit buggy with regards to config saving at the moment, hopefully they will fix this before pushing it live

I guess you have your Rift and primary display set to duplicate? Because HL2 and TF2 are actually the only games I know off than detect and output correctly to the Rift in extended desktop mode. If set to duplicate the game always starts as a 1280x800 window for me too and I have to switch to fullscreen in the menu. If set to extend the Rift is its own display and HL2 will automatically display in fullscreen there...

Post by **AlienHack** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:14 pm

so guys is there no way to slow movement in half life 2? because i get a bad nausea from the rift in general although i have set it up nicely (used tf2 3d setup and copied the settings nicely)
but movement speed seems to make me dizzy. if i could slow down speed i think it would be better for my nausea

Post by **OutatimeTV** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:55 pm

Someone had posted: "sv_maxspeed" - having a default value of 320, lowering this value causes the player to have a slower movement speed

I think type it into the console?
I have not tried it yet. Please report how it works.