What is a hit box?

Question

What exactly is a hit box? Is there any way that knowing about hit boxes could help in a game?

Asked by Jeffrey

Answer

Definition

A hitbox is an invisible box-like area that when penetrated, counts as a "hit". It's different than the model (the visible character and his colors that you see). The hitbox is meant to compensate for lag and movement. When a character is moving, his hitbox is usually farther from the model. When a character is still, his hitbox is located directly on top of his model.

Contrary to the name, a hitbox is actually composed of several boxes that represent the character's different areas (head, arm, torso).

Hitboxes, and You

You should definitely know how the hitbox affects you. It's the source of nearly all bizarre "WTF, how did I die?", and impossible shots that you see other players making. Understanding the hitbox is key to understanding how you die (and possibly getting better at your game).

Demonstration

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here's an excellent video from Team Fortress 2:

http://www.wegame.com/watch/TF2_Hitboxes/

Watch how the hitbox moves according to the model, where it moves and when, and lastly, understand where you need to shoot to penetrate that hitbox (and score).

Illustration

Below is a picture of hitboxes in Counter Strike. As these models are sitting still, the hitboxes are right on top of them.

Answered by rlb.usa

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Cut Scene with a bloody corridor and upside down girl

Question

I am trying to remember and look for a video with a cut scene where as you walk into a corridor, the lights go out and the ceiling becomes bloody. There is a girl that will walk toward you.

That's all I remember, also the game was an FPS and it PROBABLY is F.E.A.R or one of its sequels. Can anyone shed light into this? Maybe a video link(if is is possible or okay to link here) or just the certain part of the game so I can try to see it again?

Asked by corroded

Answer

I can say for sure that this is indeed the first F.E.A.R. i remember it since it was the only fear i played. Sadly i can't link a video since i'm at work... but i will gladly search for it when i get home. The corridor scene is pretty close to the beginning tho.

It is where you walk down the corridor and get to a door but it is closed, then blood starts dripping, some flashes and suddenly you are walking in blood, then this freaky little girl in a red dress starts walking towards you. And you need to run back from where you came from,(in the meanwhile the corridor catches on fire)? . I was playing in the dark, and that scene freaked me out, that is why i still remember it.

Answered by Lyrion

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Can Battlefield 3 be appropriate for a non-serious gamer?

Question

I'm no console gaming enthusiast but I have bought every Call of Duty and enjoy playing them in short spurts. I don't care much about the story or strategy or difficulty levels. I play on the easiest difficulty, hack around and make my way through the game. Once I've gotten through I'll play the game just periodically until the next release. I enjoy Call of Duty because it's easy for me to get in and get shooting.

Can I do the same with Battlefield 3 or does it require I make an investment in playing that's much more serious than the type of gamer I'm describing myself as above?

Answer

It sounds like you're wanting to play the single player campaign mode in these games, and yes, at the easiest difficulty sometimes these games practically play themselves. Battlefield 3's difficulty is on par with the Call of Duty series in this regard, and it features an Easy mode that shouldn't be too challenging if you're a single player FPS veteran.

Difficulty is subjective though, so your experience may vary. You might want to try picking up one of the older Battlefield games for cheap, and seeing if you like the series' style before you invest in the latest title. There are differences between the control schemes, the weapons, the friendly/enemy AI, etc, that some people might find to be a dealbreaker. I have staunch "Call of Duty" aficionados that I play with frequently who can't stand the Battlefield series, although to me they are pretty darn similar.

At higher difficulties in the campaign, and especially online, you'll have to invest some time before you can survive or play competitively. The learning curve is significant, and many of the other players online have generally been playing various iterations of the game for years. On top of this, these games are popular among people who have copious free time, so they tend to be full of a lot of people who are experts at many aspects of the game, or who have figured out superior strategies. I can't recommend the online component of a game like Battlefield 3 to someone who intends to play casually.

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Is there a site that lists Xbox 360 FPS with offline co-op mode?

Question

I will buy a XBOX 360 FPS game for my brother for Christmas. Because we play oft together, I would like to buy a FPS which supports co-op offline playing. We have had a lot of fun with COD MW2, COD World At War (a little bit frustrating that it didn't save our progress in co-op mode though).

I am looking into a series of lists, but the problem is that they always consider online co-op, which is not what we want.

Do you know any lists of Xbox 360 FPS games with offline co-op mode?

Thanks

Answer

I recommend you check out www.Co-Optimus.com, it has an extensive catalogue of games by co-op features, and you can filter by online/offline, genre, etc.

This is their X360 section

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Guide for improving aim at First Person Shooters in consoles

Question

I have played Half Life and Counter Strike since 2001 and many others since, so I have some years of experience in playing fps games in computers, with mouse and keyboard. While I am not very good, I manage to almost always with the top 5 players on my team.

However, when I play on the PS3, fps games like Wolfenstein, or games that are not fps, but ocasionally need some aiming like Uncharted or Fallout 3, I am totally lame, and end up dying even on easy difficulties.

Has someone with this same problem of mine published a guide that I will be able to follow and improve myself?

Answer

There's really nothing more to it than practice unfortunately. I've been playing PC shooters since the original Doom and thought I would never get into console shooters, but after playing a bit of CoD4, I started getting into it and after a year or so of playing, I felt as in control playing with a controller as I did with the keyboard / mouse combo.

One thing though, you will never be as accurate using a controller, it's just impossible. Whereas using a keyboard and mouse in a shooter could be described as "point and click", with a controller, I've found that it's more like sweeping towards the target and picking the right moment to press fire in that sweep.

It sounds kinda strange, but it can be 90% as effective as keyboard / mouse control once you get used to it.

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Speed proficiency

Question

Does the Speed proficiency make a big difference and does it make up for the loss of lightweight on Sub machine guns? And do you notice the difference on Light machine guns? or is it not noticeable enough to be affective and be a "replacement" to the Lightweight Perk that was in MW2?

Answer

While not as dramatic as the lightweight perk it definitely does make a difference. A player's run speed is based off of the 'mobility' stat of each gun. It can still help balance some of the clunkiness of an LMG.

As far as effectiveness, movement speed is one of the best defensive stats in the game. The ability to get behind cover, flank, and the speed at which the enemy has to aim all makes it a viable choice. As you may recall from MW2, player with lightweight are always harder to kill.

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FPS game with Buffy the Vampire slayer easter egg

Question

I seem to recall this one FPS I played around 1999 - 2003 where there is a apartment room with a corpse lying face down with a stake at his back. And writing on the floor made by the dead man before dying with the word "Buffy" something something.

Here are some FPS I can recall during that period:

-Deus Ex
-Soldier of Fortune II
-Max Payne

Extra thanks for anyone who can provide a screen shot.

Answer

It's actually the game Max Payne, and here's the screenshot for you!

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Help me remember a FPS demo that came with the first Hitman demo

Question

I remember playing a demo of a PC FPS, in 2005 or so, I remember it came with the first Hitman demo.

You started falling with a parachute at night, next to a base in the desert; you had a silenced gun.

Then a guard came out of a door: you needed to shoot the camera first and then the guard, so nobody could see him dead.

I don't remember anything else ... well, I didn't play any more of the game.

Answer

The first mission of IGI2 - Covert Strike starts like that. If you replace "desert" with "Carpathians". :)

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Is there a generic way to show FPS on NVidia cards?

Question

Is there a generic command for NVidia cards to show the current framerate while in a game?

More specifically, I'd like to use it on a GeForce 9400 GT in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, but it would be cool if there was a generic option.

Answer

Unfortunately there is no built in generic command to show FPS for Nvidia cards.

Your best bet would be to either use a tool such as Fraps, or enter a console command in the specific game that will display your FPS. the latter option will consume less resources but isn't available in all games.

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What are some key ways for someone new to FPS games to improve their game?

Question

My question is aimed at death match games, such as Halo and Call of Duty. Assume a high degree of comfort with single-player FPSs, but no experience with multiplayer.

Answer

Some tips:

• Play with a buddy, clan or quad who is/are better than you and can show you the ropes. Halo 3, in particular, had some great clans who were interested in helping newbies out.

• In team games, USE YOUR MICROPHONE. Communication is key in team games so you'll want to use the mic to coordinate your assaults and call out enemy positions, especially snipers.

• Pay attention to the gametype you are playing. A lot of people play EVERY game mode like it's free-for-all or team deathmatch. If you are playing an objective game like capture the flag or territories, going for a good k/d ratio is not the best use of your time. Granted, killing the other team can give you advantages, but you should still be spending the lion's share of your time working towards the actual goals of the game.

• On team modes, learn to be a good team member. For example, in a capture the flag game, you should either be a part of the group going for the enemy flag or a part of the group defending your flag. You shouldn't just be running all over the map by yourself. In a game like Battlefield Bad Company 2, you'll want to remember your support functions and help out by dropping ammo and medkits, throwing sensors and repairing vehicles for your team.

• If you can play private matches, set up a private game and investigate the maps. Learn where the weapon drops, objectives, etc. are located and the paths between them. If you can play local private vs. games, hook up a second controller and check out the sniper spots and hidey holes to get an idea of how hidden people are and what it looks like when someone is camping there.

• See if the game has a good wiki or MP FAQ on gamefaqs or the web. A lot of people will share great tips for succeeding in MP. You can also check out the paper guides (Prima, etc.), but those are usually not as good as their online counterparts and aren't updated to reflect new maps and game patches.

• Take some time to become familiar with the weapons. You'll die a lot while doing this, but try to get a feel for their effective ranges, reload times, clip size, power and so on. Try to think about what sort of weapons will work better on which maps. Are there vehicles? Long sniper lines? Lots of close quarters?

• If the game has classes, try all of them out and give each of them some play time. Even if you hate a class (for example, I'm not a fan of sniping), you'll learn the strengths and weaknesses of that class by playing it for a bit.

• If the game has a an unlock system, pay attention to completing the unlock requirements once you have the basics of the game down. In some games, the higher-level unlocks can give you a significant advantage on the battlefield.

• Learn to shoot for the head. In most games, a headshot does a lot more damage than a body shot. You'll want to reflexively put your reticule on their helmet before pulling the trigger.

• Be prepared. Make sure your health and shields are topped off before running out for more mayhem. Find a safe place and reload after each battle. Make sure your ammo and supplies are topped off.

• Don't be predictable. Unlike single player, humans are pretty good at figuring out your patterns. Try to mix it up a bit, both with weapon selection and where you roam on the map.

• Pick one or two games and practice them as often as you can. More frequent shorter sessions are probably better than fewer longer sessions, though you'll want each session to be long enough to "get into the groove" of the game.

• Don't get discouraged. In any game there will be a lot of people with way more skill than you, even with "skill-based" matchmaking. Try to learn from your deaths and view them as a learning experience. Understand that, when switching games, your skills may not transfer well - you'll have to learn new maps and the controls, game modes and weapons will be different.

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What field of view should I choose in a first person shooter?

Question

What field of view should I choose in a first person shooter?

What effect does this have on aiming?

Answer

It makes aiming a bit harder as more things are squished into the same screen size, but you get the advantage of being able to see more. Generally you want to be able to see more so long as it doesn't have too much of an impact on your aiming/movement. It is up to you to decide what the best balance is for you. In Unreal Tournament 2004 I know some people played with the FOV higher than I did, but anything over 100 degrees for me became harder to aim and more confusing to sense what directions things were in, so I stuck with that.

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What is this single and multiplayer game from 1995 with both god and dog modes?

Question

I remember it had a singleplayer and a multiplayer components. There were weapons, i remember a baseball bat that had a special attack that launched baseballs. There were power-ups that gave you powers like god mode (shot energy balls that fried opponents) or dog-mode (you turned into a dog and ran around the map biting guys).
It was out around the heyday of hexen/heretic I think (released October 1995).

Answer

Sounds like Rise of the Triad (ROTT).

Video of the dog mode:

Video of the god mode:

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Early '90s first person shooter

Question

I'm trying to figure out the name of an old first person shooter-ish game (although, I don't remember any actual enemies) from early-mid '90s. Here's what I can remember:

• First person
• Many vehicles, including at least a jeep that you could get into and drive
• I think you could throw a grenade of some sort
• Low polygon
• The name was similar to 'Flames of Freedom' I think
• I'm pretty sure I played it on the old 486 (probably in DOS)

Answer

Are you sure it wasn't Flames of Freedom (aka Midwinter 2: Flames of Freedom)? Seems to be exactly what you're describing, and was on DOS

You are a covert operative for the Atlantic Federation. Your mission is to conduct assassinations, enlist rebels and sabotage the Saharans operations in the slave isles. As you carry out these open-ended missions, the islands will rebel and aid your efforts when the Saharan invasion finally comes.

Flames of freedom uses the same engine as Midwinter for land, air, and sea travel (and combat) but now, you control only a single customizable character. A strategic map allows you to identify key islands for your cause and determine the mission objectives that will sway it's population to your cause. Then, it's up to you to head in and carry out the mission as you see fit (perhaps guns first, perhaps with a big bag of money, perhaps just relying on your charm).

Flames of Freedom mixes first person action with strategy, vehicle combat, and diplomacy for a unique gaming experience that carries on the Midwinter legacy.

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