Fumoffu!
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I have noticed people ask the same questions again and again without using the search button at all. So, to make things simpler, here is my compilation of the Newbie FAQ. Make sure you read this before asking the same thing in a new thread.
Keys used:
Blue Color = Question
Red Color = Console Command
Here goes:
>What is ESF and how can I play it?
ESF is "Earth's Special Forces" [www.esforces.com], a modification built for Half-Life. To play it, you need the a copy of the Half-Life CD (available in any gaming store for about $10). You then need to update your Half-Life with the 1.1.1.0 update patch. After doing so, you can download and install the latest version of ESF from here.
>How do I play/record Demos?
To record a demo:
record demoname
To Stop:
stop
To play a demo:
playdemo demoname
(To play the demo, the .dem file must be in your ESF directory and you must have the map used in making the demo installed on your computer.)
To view the demo in thirdperson camera:
thirdperson
>When will the new version of ESF come out?
The team is working on the next version and programming it, debugging it, and building it will take time. The last thing the team needs is to be rushed and questioned by fans all the time. The next version will be out when it is ready and when the team feels the need to release it. Watch out for updates on the ESF Homepage.
>Where can I download custom models, maps, and sprites (also called weapons by some) for ESF?
Red Saiyan has a wide variety of these, you can get most of the proper and legally released ones there.
(If someone has more websites of this sort, PM me and I'll add it to the list.)
Edit- Red Saiyan isn't exactly around anymore, but if you search around the forums you will most likely find links to newer fan-based support websites with model hosting. ~Boyster
>How do I call/use the dragon?
To call the dragon in-game, you first must collect all 7 dragonballs to one location and when they start glowing, point at them from closeby and press your USE key (which is b by default). Once you have called the dragon, use the mouse to click on one of the 3 options. Strength gives you more PL, Immortality makes you invincible for a certain period of time, and Friendship increases your wish points in the score (not sure about this) for games played on the basis of which team has more wish points.
[Please note that CTDB (Capture The Dragon Balls) mode is still in it's experimental stages in this mod. It will be perfected after the team has finished working on other aspects of the game. Also, to play in the CTDB mode, the host of the server must have the server running with the CTDB mode option in *Create Game > Advanced*.]
>How do you turn ssj2, ssj3, ssj4?
You CAN'T ascend to anything beyond one transformation in the current release of ESF. The team will implement further tranformations in future releases, but ssj4 or anything related to Dragonball GT will not be used (as ESF is a mod for DBZ, not GT). Stories of people turning ssj2 and transform tricks are all FAKE, this does not happen. Perfect Transformation Level means instant ascension without any of the animations/sounds or any other sort of delay.
>Why does my ESF lag? I get terrible FPS!
One word: STICKY!
>How can I look-for/join servers other than using ESF itself?
You can use Game Tiger, All Seeing Eye or HLSW. (Use google to find the downloads.)
>Aww, did a moderator spank you for spamming?
Read this and this.
>Why doesn't my console show up?
You need to alter your ESF shortcut (or create one pointing to HL.exe in your Half-Life directory), and add the following parameters to it (right click & properties):
-console -game ESF
This will make the shortcut start with console enabled and will switch to ESF straight away provided you installed ESF in the "\ESF\" directory.
>Bots Bots Bots!
If you can't play online, or want to practice alone, use the LATEST version of the ESF bots, which can be downloaded from here. Download and install the ESF bots in the correct directory, excecute the 'activate bots' .exe file in your ESF directory, and use the = key ingame to bring up the bot menu (which you can use to add bots, note: this works for your server only). Any questions pertaining to bots can also be asked on the ESF Bot Forums.
>How do I play mp3's in the game?
Go to your ESF directory/mp3 and use the playlist editor excecutable to load mp3's into your playlist and save this as playlist.txt in the same directory. Now press F8 in the game to birng up the MP3 menu. (You can also use HLamp, but this means running winamp in the background.)
>My ESF crashes and returns to desktop after a while! What do I do?
Make sure you have updated graphics card drivers installed on your computer and try switching your ESF Video Mode to OpenGL on a stable resolution.
>Where can I get the ESF Cvars list?
Sticky again! If you want something very specific, try PM'ing MrSatan - he's the master of cvars! =p
>How do I see the server status/check someone's WONID?
status
>How do I increase my PL faster than usual? It takes too long to transform!
Well if you attack someone with a relatively higher PL as compared to yours, then the attack raises your PL much more than normal. So a trick could be, try attacking an ascended person without your Turbo on, this would make the PL difference the most and give you the most PL. But this also leaves you vulnerable for more damage.
>How do I take screenshots?
You press F5 in-game for a screenshot to be taken. This is automatically saved as a .bmp file in your Half-Life directory (not your ESF directory).
>How do you turn demos into AVI video files?
Use a programme called Camastudio, with which you can directly convert a demo into an avi by capturing the whole screen or just a window only.
>Can I add new characters to ESF?
NO, you can only replace models/sounds/sprites for existing ones, you can't add new characters into ESF.
>I downloaded Half-Life, now how do I play?
YOU DON'T! You have to buy the original version, go to your nearest gaming cd's store and pick up a copy. ESF is an online multiplayer game and it won't work with any downloaded versions and also, talking about downloaded HL is forbidden as that falls under 'warez'.
>How do I use melee?
By reading this and also by walking through the n00b friendly flash manual located in your ESF directory.
>How do I use mics in ESF for voice conversations?
Firstly make sure you have voice enabled in MULTIPLAYER > CUSTOMIZE, and then type this:
bind key +voicerecord
Then whenever you have that key pressed, people in your team will be able to hear you.
>Why can't I find any ESF servers in the game?
Under Multiplayer -> Internet Games -> Go to filter and change the "are playing game" dropdown box to ESF. This will filter all online games to show only ESF ones. If you want an alternative way to find servers and join them, use ALL SEEING EYE, HLSW or GAMETIGER. [use google to find out how]
>Is the server you're trying to join using a different 'protocol'?
This is because (A) your Half-Life isn't updated. Download HL Update 1.1.1.0 from here; or (B) your ESF version installed is an older one. Download the latest beta from here.
>How do I add marquee or glow into text in the forums?
*/EMBED> *marquee>*TABLE style=filter:glow(color=YOUR COLOR GOES HERE, strength=#+1)> YOUR TEXT GOES HERE */TABLE>*/marquee> */EMBED>
Replace all the * with <
If you want a simpler ONLY MARQUEE method, try this:
<.marquee behavior="alternate">THE MARQUEE<./marquee>
Without the .'s.
>Help! I get the client.dll error!
There are more threads on this than there are hair on Hsu's head! (jk =p). This error mostly comes when you try to join a server which has a different client.dll file than yours.
For WON users:
- Make sure that you have the latest version of Half-Life installed (1.1.1.0).
- Make sure that you have the latest version of ESF installed. [ link ]
- Make sure that the server you're trying to join is an updated beta server as well (i.e. - not running another version and is also on WON).
For STEAM users:
- Make sure that your Steam is updated (Steam should automatically update HL before running).
- - Make sure that you have the latest version of ESF installed. [ link ]
- Make sure that the server you're trying to join is an updated beta server as well (i.e. - not running another version and is also on STEAM).
>Sometimes you may get a dll problem for a missing fmod.dll file!
ESF uses the fmod.dll file for it's mp3 player. Make sure that you've got an updated version of this file in your HALF-LIFE folder (whether you're using WON or STEAM, doesn't matter - you still need this file). [ link1 :: link2 ]
--------------------
I will keep adding more to this list as things come up and hopefully, we'll have a good archive soon. Please PM me if you think there is something worth adding. (Mods PM me as well, don't edit/add to this post.)
Thanks,
grOOvy
Keys used:
Blue Color = Question
Red Color = Console Command
Here goes:
>What is ESF and how can I play it?
ESF is "Earth's Special Forces" [www.esforces.com], a modification built for Half-Life. To play it, you need the a copy of the Half-Life CD (available in any gaming store for about $10). You then need to update your Half-Life with the 1.1.1.0 update patch. After doing so, you can download and install the latest version of ESF from here.
>How do I play/record Demos?
To record a demo:
record demoname
To Stop:
stop
To play a demo:
playdemo demoname
(To play the demo, the .dem file must be in your ESF directory and you must have the map used in making the demo installed on your computer.)
To view the demo in thirdperson camera:
thirdperson
>When will the new version of ESF come out?
The team is working on the next version and programming it, debugging it, and building it will take time. The last thing the team needs is to be rushed and questioned by fans all the time. The next version will be out when it is ready and when the team feels the need to release it. Watch out for updates on the ESF Homepage.
>Where can I download custom models, maps, and sprites (also called weapons by some) for ESF?
Red Saiyan has a wide variety of these, you can get most of the proper and legally released ones there.
(If someone has more websites of this sort, PM me and I'll add it to the list.)
Edit- Red Saiyan isn't exactly around anymore, but if you search around the forums you will most likely find links to newer fan-based support websites with model hosting. ~Boyster
>How do I call/use the dragon?
To call the dragon in-game, you first must collect all 7 dragonballs to one location and when they start glowing, point at them from closeby and press your USE key (which is b by default). Once you have called the dragon, use the mouse to click on one of the 3 options. Strength gives you more PL, Immortality makes you invincible for a certain period of time, and Friendship increases your wish points in the score (not sure about this) for games played on the basis of which team has more wish points.
[Please note that CTDB (Capture The Dragon Balls) mode is still in it's experimental stages in this mod. It will be perfected after the team has finished working on other aspects of the game. Also, to play in the CTDB mode, the host of the server must have the server running with the CTDB mode option in *Create Game > Advanced*.]
>How do you turn ssj2, ssj3, ssj4?
You CAN'T ascend to anything beyond one transformation in the current release of ESF. The team will implement further tranformations in future releases, but ssj4 or anything related to Dragonball GT will not be used (as ESF is a mod for DBZ, not GT). Stories of people turning ssj2 and transform tricks are all FAKE, this does not happen. Perfect Transformation Level means instant ascension without any of the animations/sounds or any other sort of delay.
>Why does my ESF lag? I get terrible FPS!
One word: STICKY!
>How can I look-for/join servers other than using ESF itself?
You can use Game Tiger, All Seeing Eye or HLSW. (Use google to find the downloads.)
>Aww, did a moderator spank you for spamming?
Read this and this.
>Why doesn't my console show up?
You need to alter your ESF shortcut (or create one pointing to HL.exe in your Half-Life directory), and add the following parameters to it (right click & properties):
-console -game ESF
This will make the shortcut start with console enabled and will switch to ESF straight away provided you installed ESF in the "\ESF\" directory.
>Bots Bots Bots!
If you can't play online, or want to practice alone, use the LATEST version of the ESF bots, which can be downloaded from here. Download and install the ESF bots in the correct directory, excecute the 'activate bots' .exe file in your ESF directory, and use the = key ingame to bring up the bot menu (which you can use to add bots, note: this works for your server only). Any questions pertaining to bots can also be asked on the ESF Bot Forums.
>How do I play mp3's in the game?
Go to your ESF directory/mp3 and use the playlist editor excecutable to load mp3's into your playlist and save this as playlist.txt in the same directory. Now press F8 in the game to birng up the MP3 menu. (You can also use HLamp, but this means running winamp in the background.)
>My ESF crashes and returns to desktop after a while! What do I do?
Make sure you have updated graphics card drivers installed on your computer and try switching your ESF Video Mode to OpenGL on a stable resolution.
>Where can I get the ESF Cvars list?
Sticky again! If you want something very specific, try PM'ing MrSatan - he's the master of cvars! =p
>How do I see the server status/check someone's WONID?
status
>How do I increase my PL faster than usual? It takes too long to transform!
Well if you attack someone with a relatively higher PL as compared to yours, then the attack raises your PL much more than normal. So a trick could be, try attacking an ascended person without your Turbo on, this would make the PL difference the most and give you the most PL. But this also leaves you vulnerable for more damage.
>How do I take screenshots?
You press F5 in-game for a screenshot to be taken. This is automatically saved as a .bmp file in your Half-Life directory (not your ESF directory).
>How do you turn demos into AVI video files?
Use a programme called Camastudio, with which you can directly convert a demo into an avi by capturing the whole screen or just a window only.
>Can I add new characters to ESF?
NO, you can only replace models/sounds/sprites for existing ones, you can't add new characters into ESF.
>I downloaded Half-Life, now how do I play?
YOU DON'T! You have to buy the original version, go to your nearest gaming cd's store and pick up a copy. ESF is an online multiplayer game and it won't work with any downloaded versions and also, talking about downloaded HL is forbidden as that falls under 'warez'.
>How do I use melee?
By reading this and also by walking through the n00b friendly flash manual located in your ESF directory.
>How do I use mics in ESF for voice conversations?
Firstly make sure you have voice enabled in MULTIPLAYER > CUSTOMIZE, and then type this:
bind key +voicerecord
Then whenever you have that key pressed, people in your team will be able to hear you.
>Why can't I find any ESF servers in the game?
Under Multiplayer -> Internet Games -> Go to filter and change the "are playing game" dropdown box to ESF. This will filter all online games to show only ESF ones. If you want an alternative way to find servers and join them, use ALL SEEING EYE, HLSW or GAMETIGER. [use google to find out how]
>Is the server you're trying to join using a different 'protocol'?
This is because (A) your Half-Life isn't updated. Download HL Update 1.1.1.0 from here; or (B) your ESF version installed is an older one. Download the latest beta from here.
>How do I add marquee or glow into text in the forums?
*/EMBED> *marquee>*TABLE style=filter:glow(color=YOUR COLOR GOES HERE, strength=#+1)> YOUR TEXT GOES HERE */TABLE>*/marquee> */EMBED>
Replace all the * with <
If you want a simpler ONLY MARQUEE method, try this:
<.marquee behavior="alternate">THE MARQUEE<./marquee>
Without the .'s.
>Help! I get the client.dll error!
There are more threads on this than there are hair on Hsu's head! (jk =p). This error mostly comes when you try to join a server which has a different client.dll file than yours.
For WON users:
- Make sure that you have the latest version of Half-Life installed (1.1.1.0).
- Make sure that you have the latest version of ESF installed. [ link ]
- Make sure that the server you're trying to join is an updated beta server as well (i.e. - not running another version and is also on WON).
For STEAM users:
- Make sure that your Steam is updated (Steam should automatically update HL before running).
- - Make sure that you have the latest version of ESF installed. [ link ]
- Make sure that the server you're trying to join is an updated beta server as well (i.e. - not running another version and is also on STEAM).
>Sometimes you may get a dll problem for a missing fmod.dll file!
ESF uses the fmod.dll file for it's mp3 player. Make sure that you've got an updated version of this file in your HALF-LIFE folder (whether you're using WON or STEAM, doesn't matter - you still need this file). [ link1 :: link2 ]
--------------------
I will keep adding more to this list as things come up and hopefully, we'll have a good archive soon. Please PM me if you think there is something worth adding. (Mods PM me as well, don't edit/add to this post.)
Thanks,
grOOvy