• Overview
• Download and Installation
• Configuration
• Missions and Media
• FAQ
  • Installation
  • Gameplay issues
  • Gameplay tips
  • Project questions
• Development
• Credits and Contact

Frequently asked questions

Installation

1. Do I need to download SMOD first? No. SMOD 39D2 is included in the installation, so you do not need to download SMOD separately. If you already have SMOD installed, it will be upgraded to version 39D2.

2. If I want to play the original SMOD and CSS SCI FI, do I need two installations? No. You are only wasting hard disk space if you do this. To play SMOD in its original form, simply use the configuration utility to switch the chapter menu to the Half-Life 2 single player campaign. CSS SCI FI does not interfere with or inhibit any of the original functions of SMOD, so one installation is all you need.

3. Do I need Counter-Strike: Source? Yes, you must have an installation of Counter-Strike: Source before installing CSS SCI FI. This is because the maps that CSS SCI FI uses were made for Counter-Strike: Source and they will not run (or even exist) without it.

4. Is CSS SCI FI compatible with other mods such as "SMOD Tactical" or "SMOD Redux"? No. The mods use many of the same script files, and errors may occur if the files from one are used to overwrite the other. Scripts which control mission goals, npc movement and spawning will break if key files are not in place or have been modified incorrectly. This will result in games being impossible to complete and/or game crashes. CSS SCI FI is also not compatible with the "SMOD Mapadd generator", which will also overwrite key files used by the game.

Players can, however, use any models, custom weapons or sounds they like, as these will not affect the mechanics of the game. Players can also upgrade SMOD as patches are released, as long as the SMOD Configuration Utility is run afterwards and the restore core files option is checked.

5. Is an archive (zip or rar) version of the installation available? No. The installer creates a number of files specific to your system during installation, without which the game will not run. During installation, the installer cannot be pointed to any folder other than your Sourcemods directory. Installing to another directory and copying the files will cause all maps to be unavailable.

6. 64 bit systems. The desktop shortcut created by the installer may not work on 64 bit systems. If you have any difficulty running CSS SCI FI, use the Steam games window instead of the shortcut to start the mod. CSS SCI FI will appear in the list as "HALF LIFE 2 SMOD CSS SCI FI".

Gameplay issues

1. Long initial loading times. This is normal for Half-Life 2 and cannot be improved. Once the first map has loaded, subsequent loads will be faster.

2. It crashes/runs poorly. First, check Steam Support and the HL2 TweakGuide and ensure that you have performed all necessary maintenance to improve the performance of the game, including updating to the latest version of your graphics drivers. Most crashes relate to difficulties with system memory, so ensure you have plenty of RAM and that it is in good working order.

If performance is still poor, run the SMOD Configuration Utility and choose less expensive options. Settings which will reduce framerates are:

"Maximum" on the Performance page.
"Bloom with exposure" on the Bloom page.
"Full ragdoll collisions" on the Game enhancements page.
"Extra Enemies" on the Gameplay options page.

All of these should be disabled if you are having performance difficulties. For more about how various settings in the SMOD Configuration Utility can impact performance, please see the Configuration page.

3. Game is too difficult/easy. If you find the game too difficult (or too easy), quit and re-run the SMOD Configuration Utility to select easier or harder options. After running the configuration utility you can still set the difficulty to Easy, Medium or Hard in the options menu as normal, thereby allowing you to create a combination that suits you. In general, the game > options skill setting relates to damage and health, with easier settings making your weapons more effective and enemies weaker. The SMOD Configuration Utility primarily adjusts accuracy and behaviour. Easier settings mean that your allies get more hits and enemies fewer, while harder settings mean that enemies are more aggressive, miss less often and fire for longer periods. For more settings which may affect difficulty, please see the Configuration page.

4. Changing back to the standard Half-Life 2 chapter menu . To change the New Game chapter menu back to the standard display of the HL2 single player campaign chapters, simply run the SMOD Configuration Utility and choose "Original Half-Life 2 chapter menu" on the Game options page.

5. Screen is black and player cannot see anything when the game starts. The shader used for bloom may not be compatible with some older video cards. If you have selected any type of bloom during configuration and the screen is completely black as soon as the game starts, then quit SMOD and run the Configuration Utility again. Be sure to select "No Bloom" and run the game again. This will eliminate the problem.

6. White squares instead of particles and lights. This is caused by running the game at the wrong DirectX level. If you see white squares instead of particles or lights, start the game and go to Options > Video and ensure that the DX level is set to DX9. If you do not have a DX9 capable video card, change this setting to the highest version your card is capable of rendering.

7. My problem is not solved by any of the above. If you are experiencing crashes or other issues that are not solved by any of the above recommendations, then you can email the mod author. Please include the following:

1.Your full system specs, including operating system, RAM, graphics card and drivers.
2. A console.log. You can create a console.log by adding "-devmode -condebug" (without quotes) to the launch options for HL2 SMOD CSS SCI FI in your Steam window.
3. The exact text of the error message displayed.

I cannot promise to solve all issues, but the information above will help me to diagnose the problem. Requests for technical support which do not include this information will not be considered.

Gameplay tips

1. Save often. Though these are Counter-Strike:Source maps, the gameplay is pure HL2: you do not have to win in one round without dying.

2. Keep an eye on Alyx. If you enable Alyx in the SMOD Configuration Utility, she will lead you to the hostages in CS maps, and, if nothing else, you may wish to use her pistol after she dies.

3. Use squad commands. Your Citizen squad, including hostages, can be commanded. Use C to send them to a location under your crosshair, and CC (C twice) to recall them. If sent to a location, they will remain there until recalled. This can be useful to get them out of the way, or to send them to a place of safety while you clear an area. Citizen allies will either give you health or ammunition, so keep them alive as long as you can.

4. Hostage rescue. There are two ways to win a hostage map. The first, and easiest, is to park your hostages in a safe place while you clear the way to the rescue zone. Then stroll to the rescue zone to win the game. The second is to make a dash for the rescue zone with the hostages in tow. Remember that you must rescue all living hostages in a map to win the game. After you rescue the hostages, all Combine will be removed from the map, including their weapons, even if they are already in your inventory. This is normal (you've won!).

5. RPG. If you start the map with an RPG you will usually have to deal with one or more large enemies. Don't waste your ammo on smaller targets unless you have located an rpg ammo crate.

6. Rollermines and hopper mines. Use grenades or rockets to destroy rollermines, in combination with an smg or shotgun to push them towards the blast. Rollermines can also be incinerated using the ANM14 grenade or the Flaregun. Hopper mines can be sprinted past if you are careful (but be sure to send any followers somewhere else first).

7. Special grenades. Special grenades (anm14, gravity grenade and motion sensor) use the same ammo counter as your normal frag grenades. The number of these you can carry is equal to the number of frag grenades you are carrying (but they are very rare).

8. Weapons share models. Some weapons share models. The Flaregun (weapon_flaregun) uses the same model as the Pistol (weapon_pistol). If you break open a crate and find pistols, be sure to pick them up as they are Flareguns and are very useful for setting Combine soldiers on fire. The Lasergun (weapon_lasergun) shares its model with the Combine Pulse Rifle (weapon_ar2). You will only find this weapon on dead Combine.

9. APC issues. There are two issues which can arise in maps featuring the Combine APC. The first is that friendly NPCs will not attack the APC, even if it is attacking them. This is because NPCs can only hate and attack other NPCs, not inanimate objects such as the APC. The second is that the APC has no physics mass, and can be tipped over by NPCs running into it. Even when upside down it will count as an enemy, so be sure to destroy it.

10. Finding the last enemies. In maps in which your task is to eliminate all combine troops, you may have difficulty finding the last few soldiers. When there are only a few soldiers left, they will stop moving around the map, making them easier to find. All maps are winnable and, though there are random elements to each map, there are no circumstances under which a map cannot be won.

Project questions

1. Were any maps decompiled to make this? Absolutely not. All maps are byte for byte the originals as released by their respective authors, and are included in the installation package only as a convenience to players of CSS SCI FI. All maps are fully playable using SMOD or Counter Strike: Source. No files need to be moved or copied to switch between SMOD and Counter-Strike:Source, all you need to do is start the game of your choice and the maps will be available.

2. Some maps are missing. CS Italy, CS Havana and CS Compound are missing from CSS SCI FI due to difficulties with converting their nav files to SMOD node lists. They may form part of a future release.

3. What's the point of this project? These script files solve a long standing problem in HL2 editing: how do I legitimately make maps for HL2 which make use of CS:S content? According to the relevant article in the Developer Wiki, all content for each game must remain in its original GCF, which means you can use the content, but not if you extract it and re-distribute it. Essentially this means that you will never be able to watch a Combine Gunship sweep down through the autumnal leaves of Militia or see a strider stalking the swampy ground of Aztec. Until now…

4. Can I use these scripts as a basis for my own releases? Of course. Our benefactor, the original author of SMOD, has made the game in such a way that editing is easy, and one person's project can become the basis for another. I only ask that you credit me (fitzroy_doll), this website: (http://www.amphibian.myzen.co.uk/css_sci_fi) and the SMOD author as originators of the scripts, and let me know so I can check it out! CSS SCI FI is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 license, so be sure you understand the terms of this license before reusing any content.

5. Is Vista supported? Yes, as long as you run both the installer and the SMOD Configuration Utility with full administration rights, it should not produce any problems. However, I do not have access to a copy of Vista so if anyone using Vista and this game would like to give me feedback, then please do so at antiscope@gmail.com.

6. Are translations of the SMOD Configuration Utility available? Not at present, but if you would like to help then please get in touch at antiscope@gmail.com.

7. What about a co-op mode? It would be nice, but is impossible. SMOD is based on the single player HL2 codebase. It would require complete rebuilding from the ground up using the HL2MP codebase to support more than one player.

8. Help and support. If you have a question about CSS SCI FI and have read all the enclosed documentation but still can't find what you're looking for, then please check the CSS SCI FI moddb profile or send me an email.