As many people have been asking about the same problems over and over again, I think it is time for a list of common problems for everyone to read. If I find out about any new problems I will update this topic. (Note: Recommend making this topic sticky)

Many servers are "lan games" and cannot be joined, or your own server is always a lan game

If this is happening to you, don't worry. Everyone is experiencing this problem. This is because the servers have sv_lan set to 1. Servers with this issue are not using the dedicated server packs. sv_lan is set to 1 by default (don't ask me why). To turn it off, open up the listenserver.cfg in your ns directory and set sv_lan to 0. You'll then be able to start up a server and have others join.

Half-Life thinks Natural Selection isn't installed, and NS doesnt appear in the dropdown list in the filters section, so I can't play

The Natural Selection desktop shortcut is bugged. You can fix this problem by deleting it and using the shortcut in the start menu, or by starting up regular HL and selecting Natural Selection in the custom games menu.

The game is always extremely laggy and pings are in the thousands!

Although there probably arn't any people that don't already know why this problem exists, I had better have it here anyway. This has absolutely nothing to do with the netcode. It is a server issue. It is because the current dedicated server code uses too much CPU power, this slowing down the server. A patch has been released to fix this issue, but many servers havent installed it yet

The marines get resources far faster than the aliens do! This puts the game far off balance, the marines always win, and no-one wants to play aliens! (Obsolete)

This is a very large bug with the resource system. It happened by accident right before release. The Patch fixed it, some servers don't have the patch yet, but all of them should

Whenever I build something, I can build it instantly, and I have unlimited resources as an alien

This isn't really a bug, but many people have asked about this. This happens when sv_cheats is set to 1. A few servers have this setting

A few notes...

Siege Turrets are supposed to shoot through walls. They're h4x0r guns. I put this here because numerous people have asked about this

--------------------------------
Other than that, no other bugs come to mind at the moment. If I remember any others I will post them here. I hope this topic helped you guys.

Enemy-"Blips" still remain on the Commander-Minimap when they are already killed/destroyed

A known bug that was just too minor to justify further release-delay. May be fixed in future releases

fmod.dll errors/crash to desktop on map load

This will happen if you don't have the latest version of directx installed. Get the latest directx at http://www.microsoft.com/directx

If this fails, try this:

QUOTE

I suddenly remember someone saying to change the sound acceleration from the highest to one notch above the least (none), and it solved all the problems I had been having since install, filtering and blue screens included.  Just for anyone else it might help, here's exactly how: 1.  Run you dxdiag.exe (you can easily get to it using the find file program) 2.  Click on the "Sound" tab. 3.  Change "Hardware Sound Acceleration Level" to basic (one notch above the least)

Client DLL won't load

Problem:
when going to join a game or to the console the console does not load and the message "can not loug client.dll" appears, NS then closes.

solution:
You most likely downloaded the dedicated server and not the actual game. The server version will not allow you to play NS. just run a server.

to fix this go to http://natural-selection.org/ns_home.html and download the game.. it will save as an exe, not a zip..

you are looking for ns_install_v1.exe (the version will change in time of course) , not "ns_v1_linux_dedicated_server.tar.gz" or ns_v1_w32_dedicated_server.zip

I get my sprites blurred. For example the help stuff that pops up appears to be a one colored blur. The same with the alien help and menu. Just a solid yellow blur that cannot be read. Anysuggestions?
O yeah, Nice computer. Open GL mode, win 98, .. umm.... great internet connection.

commander menus not staying down

This, it seems is caused by hud_fastswitch 1. (verified by several people).

I think I figured out a solution to the Half-life Loader (fmod.dll) crash problem. I didn't have this problem until yesterday, and couldn't figure out why it just started - but then I remembered I had tweaked my settings and one of the things I did was turn on A3D support. I will try turning this off and see if it fixes the problem, and post back later.

"Get some!"

Here's one for the modelers, not sure where to post it:

There is no model for a ducking, standing still marine. When a marine ducks, the model stays the same for about a second, and then sinks about 2 feet into the deck so that his knees are at floor level.

When you move, the marine appears to be crouch-walking correctly. Stopping causes the marine to stand up and again sink into the deck.


---

Oh and because I'm here, I want to biatch about the giant range on the siege turret. I've played several games as commander where my units did not destroy a single structure - I just built a siege turret in each corner of an occupied room, and waited about 5 minutes. After that time, my marines could just walk in and take over any adjacent area after subduing any active alien PCs. I'd like to see the siege turrett's range reduced, and perhaps made easier to take out... but that's just me. I'm almost allways commander, and I feel sorry for the aliens... the siege turret makes their builder almost completely useless later in the game.

invulnerable marines:

if a marine is in an alien vent he seems to be impossible to hit (especialy by skulks)

bah I don't remember the map name, however it is the one with NoName Hive

I was a marine and jeted up to the vents with an HMG to take out the NoName hive, I unload my clip, compleatly safe, then as I am reloading a skulk (fn genious skulk) mist have been waiting for the HMG reload sound and comes CHARGING in and chomps on me untill I manage to pull out the pistol and waste him

He didn't touch me, I don't know why

This again happened when I was a skulk and chased a marine into a vent (the one that is at ground lvl from the resource node out side of marine spawn

no one could touch him in there

I don't know about fmod.dll causing crashes, but for me the audio played by MP3's always skips. I have a Soundblaster Live! and I've met a couple people with the same problem. I'll try changing the setting in dxdiag.exe.

I've had a problem with using the spacebar to jump to events in commander node. When i press spacebar, my view jumps to the location of the alert but I can't see much. No turrets, no marines, no buildings, no sprites, no decals, no aliens. Only the map was visible. After about 5 seconds the view catches up and everything is visible again.

If I manually scroll to the event I have no such problems.

--Scythe--

Blink rarley works.
In order for blink to work, you must think of it as a catapult flinging you in a perfectly straight line forward. Anything and everything nearby will stop you. Including the floor. So if you're aiming even the tiniest bit downwards, you won't go anywhere. Try aiming a bit up.

Turning off A3D didn't work .. I finally had to reinstall NS, now it seems to be working again.

QUOTE (Tzarcon @ Nov 3 2002, 02:11 PM)

Half-Life thinks Natural Selection isn't installed, and NS doesnt appear in the dropdown list in the filters section, so I can't play The Natural Selection desktop shortcut is bugged. You can fix this problem by deleting it and using the shortcut in the start menu, or by starting up regular HL and selecting Natural Selection in the custom games menu.

Actually this can be fixed quite easily.
If you look in the properties for the NS desktop shortcut, there's a field called "Start in" (or something like that, I'm using swedish Win, so not sure of english names). This field is empty, and that's the whole problem. What should be there, is the path to the hl.exe file. So do this:

In the field above it, called "Name", there's something similar to this: C:\Games\Half-Life\hl.exe -console -noipx -game ns
Now copy the part up to (but no including) "\hl.exe" (in this case: "C:\Games\Half-Life") and paste it into the "Start in" field. Click OK and you're all set!

No more problem with getting the NS mod activated and filtered.

VoiceComm doesn't work in Commander mode
You can't have voicecomm bound to a mouse button in commander mode at the moment. Sorry, it's a bug. Try binding it to a key.

Deleted for being off topic. If you want tech support, ask questions in a new topic, not this one.

As skulk, I cant go up ladders

I have seen that, it only happens some times, however if it is happening for a game it will hapen for the entire game

also I don't know if Lurks are suposed to be able to go up ladders or not

QUOTE (Tzarcon @ Nov 3 2002, 02:11 PM)

The marines get resources far faster than the aliens do! This puts the game far off balance, the marines always win, and no-one wants to play aliens!

Hello All,

Just a short question... I was wondering if this point is already fixed in the 1.01 server ??
Cheers,
Xaw

I have audio problems stemming from some file I believe as cmaudio.sys (or smaudio.sys), so that a couple of things happen:

1. In game, sounds are twice as fast as they should be. This ranges from the skulk chomping sound to the player microphone sounds. Everything.

2. When I try to exit NS/HL, or try to connect to a server of a different mod, the computer will goto a BSOD, one with more text than a normal one (BSOD). It says that a read-only file, (c/s)maudio.sys has been attempted to be written to, and the computer must restart... and so it does after a few seconds...

On ns_hera if a player tries to join aliens but is not allowed due to team-balancing, they will get stuck down in the pit. If they hit f4 to go back the readyroom, it will enter some glitchy form of spectator mode, where it was you are watching someone, but infact you are watching yourself do the last 10 secs or so of actions again. The weird thing is that you sorta have control but you don't...

For me, I keep going down the alien corridor and jumping down the hole. Once I hit the bottom I would teleport in front of the alien corrider and start again. Trying to move in a different direction would cause my screen to jerk in the direction I moved, but I'd get snapped back into place pretty quick. Try to redirect myself into a different room didn't work because even if I got inside, I'd be teleported back to where I was SUPPOSED to be at that time. It's the second time this has happened to me.

Gorges constanly get stuck in their own builings

Onos constantly get stuck EVERYWHERE! (ie in wall/roof while tring to jump chambers, in roof when a marine spawns under you at an inf portal, going up an elevator and getting wedged inbetween the top floor the the elevator platform...)

My friend instlled the game, and he couldnt see his Cursor as commander, i just told him to try reintalling we can see what happens after that...

Please note that the seige turret bug apparently extends to explosive weapons,such as the nade launcher and bile bomb.

I specifically tested this when i hit a resource center down to 0 bars of health,then bombed it 20+ times with acid rocket,then 20+ times with bile bombs.It didnt die.I then whacked it once with my claws and it died.Also,i emptied 34 greandes into a SINGLE defence tower.....it did not suffer any damage whatsoever.200 damage per nade * 34....i think thats should dispell doubts about me not doing enough damage.

Also,if someone,repeatedly(as in non-stop) "uses" the a lift button,the lift will become "spoilt" and be unable to transport all the way to the top.

Edit : Mines placed on the FLOOR in "stealth mode" will not be activated when enemies step on them.Mined the area just beyond a door with 10 mines and they did not go off when a onos charged through them......

I keep on getting stuck-sometimes in the middle of the map, sometimes on corners, when it happens I can't fire, can't change weapons, if I die I come right back to where I was stuck, if I go to spectator mode, I go right backt o where I was stuck. Don't know what causes this.

I have had some serious problems with my install of NS...win2k OS, NS did work fine on my computer until today when I started it up and got this "failed to load client.dll from the folder e:\games\sierra\hl\ns\cl_dll\client.dll" tried to reinstall NS but continued to get this error. Tried to uninstall NS yet a folder in my halflife directory called NS.BACKUP.GLF77 containing the files ns_slideshow.exe and gamma_tune.exe remained...when trying to delete these files I get the error "Cannot delete gamma_tune: Error performing inpage operation." I have modified my registry to clear the paging file when i shut down, yet when i reboot I still cannot remove these files and i get the same error. At this point I dont particularily care to get it working again, i just want to get rid of whats left. PLease help me :[

QUOTE (Redemption @ Nov 12 2002, 04:04 PM)

As skulk, I cant go up ladders

I noticed that if you jump on the ladder, you can then go up it. You just can't start at the bottom.

QUOTE (propaganda @ Nov 21 2002, 12:27 AM)

I have had some serious problems with my install of NS...win2k OS, NS did work fine on my computer until today when I started it up and got this "failed to load client.dll from the folder e:\games\sierra\hl\ns\cl_dll\client.dll" tried to reinstall NS but continued to get this error. Tried to uninstall NS yet a folder in my halflife directory called NS.BACKUP.GLF77 containing the files ns_slideshow.exe and gamma_tune.exe remained...when trying to delete these files I get the error "Cannot delete gamma_tune: Error performing inpage operation." I have modified my registry to clear the paging file when i shut down, yet when i reboot I still cannot remove these files and i get the same error. At this point I dont particularily care to get it working again, i just want to get rid of whats left. PLease help me :[

Sounds like a disk error on your computer. Natural Selection has no way to keep you from deleting a file from your hard drive. Click start, run, "chkdsk c:" without the quotes.

QUOTE (propaganda @ Nov 21 2002, 01:27 AM)

I have had some serious problems with my install of NS...win2k OS, NS did work fine on my computer until today when I started it up and got this "failed to load client.dll from the folder e:\games\sierra\hl\ns\cl_dll\client.dll" tried to reinstall NS but continued to get this error. Tried to uninstall NS yet a folder in my halflife directory called NS.BACKUP.GLF77 containing the files ns_slideshow.exe and gamma_tune.exe remained...when trying to delete these files I get the error "Cannot delete gamma_tune: Error performing inpage operation." I have modified my registry to clear the paging file when i shut down, yet when i reboot I still cannot remove these files and i get the same error. At this point I dont particularily care to get it working again, i just want to get rid of whats left. PLease help me :[

You are about to suffer from a hard drive failure. That error means that the OS is finding problems on the disk platters themselves. The NS directory you are trying to remove is a backup from when you installed NS multiple times without first uninstalling. It is never in use by anything.

I suggest you get a good backup of your PC as soon as possible to removeable media, then run a 'chkdsk /f' from a command prompt and hope that the OS can repair the bad sectors. And be ready to buy a new drive soon, most likely.

Sometimes when in commander mode, the commander's choices menu gets "stuck" or something. The options for each section flash for a moment, but won't actually stick around long enough to let you click so you can build anything. I've had this happen to me, and have heard others complaining about it. Hopping out of the command chair doesn't fix it either. This usually happens after you click on a structure to select it and then scroll so that the structure is no longer onscreen. Basicly your menu gets stuck on that structure.

The solution I've found is to click on a different structure to select it. This frees up whetever was stuck and lets you keep playing.

Hope that helps.

One of my friends installed NS couple of days ago and tested it a moment ago.
It loads all normal, goes into game menu, filters, then while connecting to server, the game just quits to desktop without any warnings or errors. And yes, he has enough memory, yes he has enough disc space, yes he has newest directX (plays with opengl tho), and he has geforce 4 Ti video card.
So what could possibl cause the problem. Oh and he has Windows xp pro. Everything else works fine, even HL and CS but not NS...
Maybe the WinXP is causing some **obscenity** in NS?

Anyone aware about Xp compatibility?

yeah im having the same prob, i have tried doing the sound acc, i have the latest direct x and i have a voodoo 3 , can anyone help?

My roller mouse instantly switches weapons oneway (like fastswitch), but makes me click the other way. Also it won't fastswitch when reloading, however if I try it the other way (where you have to click) it will switch while reloading.

QUOTE (Coby @ Nov 26 2002, 08:16 AM)

One of my friends installed NS couple of days ago and tested it a moment ago. It loads all normal, goes into game menu, filters, then while connecting to server, the game just quits to desktop without any warnings or errors. And yes, he has enough memory, yes he has enough disc space, yes he has newest directX (plays with opengl tho), and he has geforce 4 Ti video card. So what could possibl cause the problem. Oh and he has Windows xp pro. Everything else works fine, even HL and CS but not NS... Maybe the WinXP is causing some **obscenity** in NS? Anyone aware about Xp compatibility?

I'm using XP pro and having exactly the same problem except when it crashes, it reboots the machine. I hope there's a fix for this or I'm gonna have to blow XP away and go back to '98.

Seabass

Whenever i try to join a game it says im running a diffrent protocal or something, does anyone know why?

QUOTE (Burncycle @ Nov 27 2002, 01:45 AM)

My roller mouse instantly switches weapons oneway (like fastswitch), but makes me click the other way. Also it won't fastswitch when reloading, however if I try it the other way (where you have to click) it will switch while reloading.

Burncycle:
Open config.cfg (Sierra->ns->config.cfg) in notepad. Change the bind for MSWHEELDOWN to "invnext" (from "impulse 1" or some such). Save. Problem solved.

Now for my own little hang-up:
Recently actions have begun aquiring the animations and sounds of their peers (i.e. Gorge's spit sounds and looks like a pistol bullet; HMG looks like spt; etc). This is solved by relaunching NS, but this is 1)a pain and 2)the ticket to losing your spot on a popular server. Anyone know of a permanent fix?

-[ars]Kretschmer

Need assitance:-
since installing NS I been having loafds of problems. Most I have sorted out. All but one.

I play all types of mods have not ever had this problem.

If I wanted to play on a server I want , I am unable too as I can never complete connection to that server. The only way NS seems to allow me to play is through quick start, but this is not good as I am often sent halfway round the world where I lag like a larse.

Okay say that I found a good server using quick start. I save the IP and put it as my favourite on my list. Once done I cannot complete the connection again even though it works fine using quick start.


Can some one help me on this point?

Don't know if this was asked, sorry if it was, but in Comm mode you press the jump key to go to the last request on the comm system right? Well when my jump key is bound to Mouse 2, my Mouse 2 button doesn't go to the comm last request for a marine... anyway to fix this? do i have to remap the jump key everytime i want ot be comm?

SERVER IS ENFORCING CONSISTENCY FOR MODELS/SHELL.MDL

Same here.... reinstalled NS and still no go

I cant load ne games AT ALL..... i keep getting those little / ! \ triangle warning symbols next to all of the servers....whenever i try to go into one of them i get some internal error and the comp freezes or shutsdown....AHHHH WTF!?

QUOTE (Renegade @ Dec 12 2002, 01:19 AM)

SERVER IS ENFORCING CONSISTENCY FOR MODELS/SHELL.MDL

i get this error 2 and there is no such file within ns.............................

bug: Server is enforcing file consistency for models/shell.mdl
fix: install the 1.03 server-side patch, it (dont ask how/why) changes the level 1-3 alien models and the shell.mdl, that should fix it.

Thank God that actually works. I was about to kill someone if I got that error 1 more time

the popup vgui menu is supposed to come up when i right-click..
but all i see is a white blob at the top left hand corner.....
y is it so? is it bcos of the hud_fastswitch 1 ?

QUOTE

When requesting tech support please provide full system stats, including: - CPU speed and make - Sound and graphics card makers and memory - Operating system - Graphics mode and resolution you're running in (OpenGL or D3D) - Detailed description of the problem, and what exactly you were doing before the problem occured. - Whether or not you're running EAX. (Don't run EAX.)

i have this problem:
with some spetsial maps (like ns_hera and spetsially ns_bast) or just sometimes i dont know whay,
i cant connect to the server.
it says: "Server is enforcing file consistency for player/role5_die1.wav" and if i try to connect again then
"Server is enforcing file consistency for weapons/kn-hit-2.wav"
this seems to be only a broblem on this pc (we have 4 pc here) and i tryed to copy the game from another
pc where everyfing is fine but it still will not work.
And i tryed to completly reinstall ns...without an result.
I even updated the game to 1.03....several times....but no help.
(if its helpful ...i can give a screenshot too)

well i dont know whats the problem...it was working before...and i dont know what i did but now its impossible to play some maps, i have to wait until the map ends.

win 98
running on OpenGl and eax is off.
amd duron 1100
256mb ram
geforce2
Creative SB live

I join a server, I go to a team, and I instantly get kicked out and a message saying protocol set to "insert very long **** number here" not 46. thats not the exactm essage but its similar. anyone know anything about this? and if its been addressed and answered im sorry. I probably didnt see that one.

QUOTE (watashi5000 @ Nov 7 2002, 05:54 AM)

I get my sprites blurred. For example the help stuff that pops up appears to be a one colored blur. The same with the alien help and menu. Just a solid yellow blur that cannot be read. Anysuggestions? O yeah, Nice computer. Open GL mode, win 98, .. umm.... great internet connection.

Setting Anti-Analising too high causes this.
Display Properties>Settings>Advanced>OpenGL Tab
If you set it it "Let Programs choose there Anti-Analising" then you get the best for each game. I've tried it on each setting, and I personally cant see much difference between modes.

The reason the text is blurred is because when you set AA too high, it thinks the text is jagged edges of the graphics, and smooths them out.

I was playing a game of NS a few days ago when it suddenly crashed out to desktop, just like Id exited the program ( only I didnt ). Now, I cant log into ANY server. When it tries to connect, I get a message saying my WON ID could not be verified. Its two days later and Im getting the same error. What can I do?

-Cpl. Hicks

System Stats:
Intel PIII 1.0 GHz
256MB RAM
Windows 2000
GeForce 2 GTS
latest updates from Windows Update for everything
no EAX
Direct3D
1024x768

My problems:
When I want to finish a game, I press Esc, and get a black screen, with the in-game sounds still going. If I then press Esc one more time, I get a UI sound, but still a black screen. Pressing Esc, enter, F10 or space at this point does nothing. I am stuck at a black screen. If I then use Ctrl+Alt+Delete and end it, I'm told it's not responding. Also, after that, all of my video is washed out - all of the colors seem to be really washed out. If I then go to my Display Properties and re-confirm my settings, it doesn't fix it. If I then try to go back in the game, the colors are all washed out there too. I have to reboot.

Sometimes when a game starts, I am spawned into the wall. I can't get out of the wall and the location indicator on the HUD says "Ready Room", but I'm looking into the map. If I press F4 to go to the ready room, I'm put right back where I was.

Me and the guys at work I play with also ran into the shortcut problem. If it's a known problem, and it's an easy fix, why isn't it listed in the list of fixes for the patch?