Play Halo 2 On PC (sort of)!
Halo 2 on XBox Live is great, competitive fun. But I've run into some problems recently:
1) My cable modem is now in a different room than my TV.
2) My TV, while nice, does not support HD and therefore doesn't support 480p.
3) The XBox controller sucks for Halo/Halo 2.
Let me expand on that final point -- with the standard XBox controller, your right thumb is forced to: Reload weapons, change weapons, melee, jump, zoome, and look. Meanwhile, your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky on either hand are doing absolutely nothing! It's about as efficient as typing with only your thumb and forefinger!
I've found a solution to all of my problems thanks to two pieces of hardware:
1) SmartJoy Frag -- Lets you use mouse and keyboard to control XBox games. With mouse and keyboard, I can finally use every finger on my left hand and use 3/5 fingers on my right hand! Additionally, the mouse allows finer control -- I can reasonably "look" using a sensitivity of 9! Sensitivity 9 is impossible to use using a standard XBox controller.
2) VDigi -- Lets you use a computer monitor as though it were an HDTV. This solves my "HDTVs are expensive" problem. Also, since my monitor is sitting on my desk, I have a place to rest the mouse and keyboard! And it lets me put my XBox closer to my cable modem.
While I love the new setup, I have to admit some minor faults:
1) Using the mouse to fire an SMG or drive a vehicle is very hard. The SMG kicks upwards as you fire -- with an XBox controller, you simply hold down the right stick. With the mouse, you have to keep lifting it and pulling it down. It makes your arm tired and throws off your aim.
2) Halo 2's resolution is very low. That's OK on a TV 10 feet away, but it looks kind of bad on a monitor 2 feet from your face.
I love PC FPSs and I love Halo 2's matchmaking. Now I have the best of both worlds... sort of.
1) My cable modem is now in a different room than my TV.
2) My TV, while nice, does not support HD and therefore doesn't support 480p.
3) The XBox controller sucks for Halo/Halo 2.
Let me expand on that final point -- with the standard XBox controller, your right thumb is forced to: Reload weapons, change weapons, melee, jump, zoome, and look. Meanwhile, your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky on either hand are doing absolutely nothing! It's about as efficient as typing with only your thumb and forefinger!
I've found a solution to all of my problems thanks to two pieces of hardware:
1) SmartJoy Frag -- Lets you use mouse and keyboard to control XBox games. With mouse and keyboard, I can finally use every finger on my left hand and use 3/5 fingers on my right hand! Additionally, the mouse allows finer control -- I can reasonably "look" using a sensitivity of 9! Sensitivity 9 is impossible to use using a standard XBox controller.
2) VDigi -- Lets you use a computer monitor as though it were an HDTV. This solves my "HDTVs are expensive" problem. Also, since my monitor is sitting on my desk, I have a place to rest the mouse and keyboard! And it lets me put my XBox closer to my cable modem.
While I love the new setup, I have to admit some minor faults:
1) Using the mouse to fire an SMG or drive a vehicle is very hard. The SMG kicks upwards as you fire -- with an XBox controller, you simply hold down the right stick. With the mouse, you have to keep lifting it and pulling it down. It makes your arm tired and throws off your aim.
2) Halo 2's resolution is very low. That's OK on a TV 10 feet away, but it looks kind of bad on a monitor 2 feet from your face.
I love PC FPSs and I love Halo 2's matchmaking. Now I have the best of both worlds... sort of.
1 Comments:
In your posts, I often feel like I am witnessing a lively conversation between two quick brilliances. Or, from my world of theatre, two commedia dell' arte zanni characters. Or two *really* precocious seven-year-olds.
The first one keeps going, "HEY! I've got a PROBLEM!" The other one, before you can even blink, is going, "HEY! I know how to FIX that!" The first one, before the second one has finished speaking, goes, "HEY! LOOK! I'm DOING it NOW! I'm DOING IT, I'm DOING IT, I'm DO--" and right about then the second one goes, "Uh oh."
I find this INCREDIBLY addictive.
I love the two voices. I love how bright & smart they are, how fast they tumble over each other. I love their "Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!" "YES!" "Woah!" forward momentum. And I love, love, love, the pickles this gets them into, so fast, so joyfully.
Your pants post is like this. This having-to-pick-up-the-mouse-&-put-it-down-over-and-over is like this.
These are just such INTERESTING problems, and instantly BRILLIANT solutions. Who WOULDN'T try it?
I want to follow these tumbling impulses everywhere. Anywhere.
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