"OpenGL video mode is not supported. The game will now run in software mode"

[ritalin_]

So seriously, why does OpenGL simply not work for countless people in this forum?

I'm currently running the game fine in D3D, but I'm hoping we can find a definitive answer for those of us struggling to run the game with OpenGL.

Running i5 and 4GB ram
Here's my GPU specs: http://i.imgur.com/10Rwd.png

Any help please?

Thanks

[D3ads]

Run Half-Life, switch to OpenGL, start a new game. Quit Half-Life, run CoF from the launcher.. that should work.

[ritalin_]

Run Half-Life, switch to OpenGL, start a new game. Quit Half-Life, run CoF from the launcher.. that should work.

I've tried this, but unfortunately I get the same error message in HL: "The specified video mode is not supported. The game will now run in software mode"

[D3ads]

It's HL not liking your video card then by the looks of it, I would say try updating your drivers if you haven't already.

[ritalin_]

It's HL not liking your video card then by the looks of it, I would say try updating your drivers if you haven't already.

It would be too strange of a coincidence for the amount of people who are having this problem. Regardless, I've made sure I have the latest drivers, but alas - no luck.

Looking at this post on Steam Support, it looks like a problem with the outdated OpenGL renderer in HL: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8079-KZXN-6067

Newer OpenGL drivers may cause the OpenGL renderer of older games to crash. Please try running the game in Direct3D mode using the -d3d launch option.

I understand Cry of Fear doesn't support D3D, but considering all the problems many people are having in this forum, it seems a shame that it hasn't been considered.

[Burret]

Try go to the launcher menu, enabled the windowed mode while in OpenGL Mode. Then, try to play the game. If nothing works, I don't know what it is.

[Soylent Bacon]

Do what D3ads told you to do, but before doing so make sure to select 32 bits instead of 16.

This, but also try adjusting other settings, ritalin.  For some reason, setting it to windowed mode was the only thing that would stop the "not supported" error for me, and then after that I could play in full screen just fine.

I understand Cry of Fear doesn't support D3D, but considering all the problems many people are having in this forum, it seems a shame that it hasn't been considered.

I think it's not being suggested because it's not so much a solution as it is giving up and settling for a crappy result.  It just messes up the atmosphere, especially if you make things brighter to make up for the absense of a working flashlight.  If D3D were the only way I could get Cry of Fear running, I wouldn't have played Cry of Fear.  I would rather figure out how to work with Half-Life's stubborn video settings than tell people to give up and play a broken version of the game.

I know you say in the first post that you've been playing with D3D, and I'm glad for you that you're apparently not picky enough to be bothered by it, but I don't think it's really a solution for people in general, especially when it's probably possible to get OpenGL working.

[D3ads]

The problem is Half-Life is an old game and whilst the large majority of new systems can run it ok, not every computer today can run it perfectly despite the updated platform on Steam, but making such a mod on the Source engine just isn't an option for the developers. In addition the opengl32 lighting system developed for the Paranoia mod doesn't work with everyone's setup either so even those that can run HL might still not be able to play with the custom renderer.

Funny how changing it to windowed mode can fix it for some people!

[Burret]

Funny how changing it to windowed mode can fix it for some people!

 

[Drowz0r]

This, but also try adjusting other settings, ritalin.  For some reason, setting it to windowed mode was the only thing that would stop the "not supported" error for me, and then after that I could play in full screen just fine.

I think it's not being suggested because it's not so much a solution as it is giving up and settling for a crappy result.  It just messes up the atmosphere, especially if you make things brighter to make up for the absense of a working flashlight.  If D3D were the only way I could get Cry of Fear running, I wouldn't have played Cry of Fear.  I would rather figure out how to work with Half-Life's stubborn video settings than tell people to give up and play a broken version of the game.

I know you say in the first post that you've been playing with D3D, and I'm glad for you that you're apparently not picky enough to be bothered by it, but I don't think it's really a solution for people in general, especially when it's probably possible to get OpenGL working.

I think the point was, most games render in OpenGL and D3D (user selects, generally). All recent retail games do and I've not come across a mod as popular as this that is bound to one or the other. It helps them to be  platform independent or at the very least; cross-platform. It is a genuine shame CoF isn't in D3D as well as it does indeed seem to be the running trend  that people post with an OpenGL problem.

Even though it can be overcome by some end users after some troubleshooting, this is something that is typically solved at a design level or at the very least a development level. Of course, you do have to factor in time and effort it would take and measure that against the size of the development team, which is likely the reason the decision (or lack of options) which lead to it being developed in OpenGL mode only.

I don't think it's a case of the developers sticking their claws in and going NO WE REFUSE TO USE D3D. If anything, that'd look pretty bad on them; it would limit their audience and look poor from a commercial point of view. Instead it's more likely they concentrated their efforts into OpenGL to get a finished mod, as many die out before completion as it's too much work for a small team; this of course looks a lot more positive.

[Soylent Bacon]

I think the point was, most games render in OpenGL and D3D (user selects, generally). All recent retail games do and I've not come across a mod as popular as this that is bound to one or the other. It helps them to be  platform independent or at the very least; cross-platform. It is a genuine shame CoF isn't in D3D as well as it does indeed seem to be the running trend  that people post with an OpenGL problem.

Even though it can be overcome by some end users after some troubleshooting, this is something that is typically solved at a design level or at the very least a development level. Of course, you do have to factor in time and effort it would take and measure that against the size of the development team, which is likely the reason the decision (or lack of options) which lead to it being developed in OpenGL mode only.

I don't think it's a case of the developers sticking their claws in and going NO WE REFUSE TO USE D3D. If anything, that'd look pretty bad on them; it would limit their audience and look poor from a commercial point of view. Instead it's more likely they concentrated their efforts into OpenGL to get a finished mod, as many die out before completion as it's too much work for a small team; this of course looks a lot more positive.

That makes sense.  I didn't mean to make it sound like I was against D3D support on the part of the mod team though.  I think I misunderstood ritalin's statement when I quoted it.  Sorry about that.  When I read that sentence, I had the original topic in mind, which seems more focused on offering a solution to players, so when ritalin said "It seems a shame that it hasn't been considered," I guess my mind added the words "...as a solution for players." 

In Cry of Fear's current state, I wouldn't suggest that players use any methods to run the mod in D3D mode, but if Team Psykskallar had the time to make D3D Cry of Fear not look crappy, that would have been groovy 

[JamesINACTIVEUSER]

It would require rewriting everything render-based, so sorry, it won't ever be done.

[Drowz0r]

That makes sense.  I didn't mean to make it sound like I was against D3D support on the part of the mod team though.  I think I misunderstood ritalin's statement when I quoted it.  Sorry about that.  When I read that sentence, I had the original topic in mind, which seems more focused on offering a solution to players, so when ritalin said "It seems a shame that it hasn't been considered," I guess my mind added the words "...as a solution for players." 

It's ok man, I was just offering some clarity (I hope). I didn't take it as anything horribly negative

There is truth to it. We're so used to games being developed for us and profits that when a mod comes out we tend to forget it's part audience, part what the devs like.

In Cry of Fear's current state, I wouldn't suggest that players use any methods to run the mod in D3D mode, but if Team Psykskallar had the time to make D3D Cry of Fear not look crappy, that would have been groovy 

Yeah I agree. It's a shame it won't be able to be done... it's certainly always worth having the lingering thought when developing other mods/games though. I know a lot of modders, mod as a learning experience. The next mod could be entirely in D3D instead? Who knows...