Differences Ns Vs. Steam-ns

T_T_H · December 2003

Hi everyone

On my harddisc I had Natural Selection 2.01. Then I installed Steam including Half-Life and installed the Natural Selection Steam beta installer I found somewhere. It recognized my CD-Key and copied my config files around.

I can start both installations of NS and I can join servers with both of them (but not the same servers - that is the reason why I installed Steam at all since the COFR server is steamed). So far so good.

My question now is: what are the differences between the steamed NS and the regular NS? I noticed some crosshairs being different and even the overall gameplay seems "better and smoother" in the steamed version.

Another thing: are the config files still exchangeable (between steamed and regular NS)?

Yet another: can I get the crosshairs from the steamed NS into the regular NS (they just look cooler)?

And the last: can people with steamed NS and people with regular NS join the same dedicated server at a (offline) LAN party?

Any answers are appreciated, the more detailed the better.

Thanks & Bye,
T.T.H.

esuna · December 2003

There is virtually no difference between the NS2.0 and NS Steam 2.0. The steam releases fixes several compatability issues and visual glitches that occur if you use the normal NS installer for Steam.

And yes you can exchange configs and crosshairs between WON and Steam installs.

taboofires · December 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (T.T.H. @ Dec 19 2003, 12:40 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> And the last: can people with steamed NS and people with regular NS join the same dedicated server at a (offline) LAN party?  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
No. You kinda answered your own question: you can't join your favorite server via WON anymore, and that's the whole reason you installed steam!

If you're going to have a LAN party before 3.0's release, do it on WON. STEAM's LAN capabilities aren't very good yet, and it can be quite irritating. For 3.0 or later, STEAM is your only option.

Rhodri · December 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>For 3.0 or later, STEAM is your only option. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> well that sucks for me cause when i tryed to play ns through steam last week my ping was well over 1000 all the time on every server so i got sick of it and deleted it and went back to won. looks like my ns days are over then <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'> shame cause ive been playin since the good ol' pre 1.04 days and was really lookin forward to 3.0 <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif'>

Amped1 · December 2003

Yeah I get the same bug. Hopefully Valve will fix it soon. They fixed my "freeze on precaching resources" so I guess they will fix this soon.

Rhodri · December 2003

hope so im on a 56k so im used to not great pings but is never usually over 300 on won so why does steam screw it up so much? valve obviously never heard the saying: " if it's not broken don't fix it" when they devolped steam did they? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'>

Swiftspear · December 2003

so far as I have seen, valve is pretty much abandoning 56k users in regards to steam. It sux, but you might find one day that you wake up and you can't play any halflife multi player at all with your 56k, they're planning to take down WON after they have steam working the way they want it. Weather or not steam will ever be 56k compatable, I have no idea; but nothing I have seen in the steam forums is very encouraging. If at all possible i recomend getting brodband ASAP.

Guardian1 · December 2003

The biggest difference is the choice in video resolutions. You can do wide aspect resolutions within Steam.

So, while you were limited to 1600x1200 in Half Life, in Steam, you can pick up to 1920x1200 (at least for me).

With my 24" wide aspect monitor. 1920x1200 adds a new level of immersion to NS.

BlueNovember · December 2003

Holy ****.

That should be "partitioned" so you can see behind you...

Stanley_txp · December 2003

well, it would be an interesting hack, but only a hack, i love my ns on steam, with my widescreen, and 5.1 surround sound, it is very immersive, now, i must tweak my secondary moniter(50" rear projection tv(my video card has an s-video output)) to properly frame the wide screen and i'll be set. yes the configs are interchangeable, the only differences are that steam doesnot read .pak files anymore, it takes that info from the .gcf files in the steam apps folder, also there is a problem that causes 30 max dist. errors a sec, so install the steam client discussed by flayera <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=31&t=49430' target='_blank'>right here</a>, it also nolonger recognises the .scr files which were used as the menus in the won version, so the background must be replaced, i use <a href='http://jobu.vandussen.com/~billcat/resource.zip' target='_blank'>this one</a> just unzip it in your ns folder. this should help.

T_T_H · December 2003

Thanks so far!

Which filenames do I have to copy from steam-NS to original-NS to get the "new" crosshairs for the marines?

T.T.H.

Differences Ns Vs. Steam-ns

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