# Half Life Question (the game, not the scientific term) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2000, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-question-the-game-not-the-scientific-term/32275 "2000-09-06T20:55:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-question-the-game-not-the-scientific-term/32275/21 "2000-09-08T01:08:53Z")
> [@](#): > > ## \*Originally posted by MC \* \*\* - “Or firearms”? - Huh? > > - > - I have the Microsoft Sidewinder Dual Strike: the game controller that looks like an “H”. It’s lasted almost a year now, but for the first week I had it I couldn’t hit _anything_; it takes practice. If you wanna play games easily, get a game controller. All the critical controls for HL can fit on the Dual Strike. It’s USB, and all but two of the buttons are programmable. I think the price was down to ~$35 last time I looked. -Another mouse is , , , just another mouse. > - I can get through most of the game without cheating but I tried to play online a couple times and I always got pounded fast. All three times I found that I was the only one running a 56K modem; everybody else seemed to have cable or DSL. - MC \*\* Firearms is a mod for halflife like Counterstrike. [http://www.firearmsmod.com](http://www.firearmsmod.com) ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-question-the-game-not-the-scientific-term/32275/22 "2000-09-08T19:42:07Z")
You all will be happy to know that I got a mouse, and I got the real version of Halflife (I’d been playing the demo.) For what it’s worth, the demo sucked. Once I got the real game installed and the mouse working, the controls were MUCH easier than the demo version. The demo was choppy and extremely difficult to control. The real version is fluid and easy. They must have bundled the demo with the shittiest drivers they could find, because it was so bad I almost didn’t buy the real version. Now I’m _very_ happy! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-question-the-game-not-the-scientific-term/32275/23 "2000-09-08T23:18:48Z")
Read the game FAQ! Its great & there are a few of them, here is one: [http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/half\_life\_a.txt](http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/half_life_a.txt) ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-question-the-game-not-the-scientific-term/32275/24 "2000-09-08T23:31:04Z")
Here’s the control scheme I use on practically all FPS games… Arrow keys for running forward, backwards, and strafing side to side. , for turn left . for turn right (these last two for times when I have both hands on the keyboard, 99% of the time use the mouse for turning) Right Shift for jump Right Ctrl for crouch Space for Use Item, Open doors, etc. Right Alt for walk Left mouse button for primary fire Right mouse button for secondary fire Mouse wheel for cycling through weapons, though I also use the number shortcuts Enter I use if there is some function I need to use frequently other than reload r for reload [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-life-question-the-game-not-the-scientific-term/32275.md?page=1)