speeding up hl2 loading &/or removing valve logo...

[lifebringer]

1) okay, the background screens that display when you start the game are quite cool, but after seeing all six many a time at this point it'd be nice to speed up the loading time by removing them...anyone know how to do this with a better method than using the -console command in the shortcut? the -console command starts the game with the console open so it doesn't load a background (only the quick image)...but it still doesn't seem as fast as it should be...maybe that's the best way to do it...

2) is there a way to get the damn valve logo to stop displaying on startup? it's not the logo the irritates me so much, it's the fact that the stupid thing makes the screen change resolutions... i'm on a small monitor right now so my native res is [email protected]h is what i run the game at, so there's no screen switching at all, which is especially nice when i alt+tab and stuff....but the valve logo when i start the game not only slows down the startup (and i can just esc out of it) but also changes the stupid resolution...which is REALLY irritating...

(i searched the forums briefly, didn't find anything...)

if this should be posted in 'general editing' section...let me know.

--lb

 

[YellowPeril]

1) instead of -console in the launch options, use "+map_background none" (without quotes). no more 3d background!

2)go to<steam>\steamapps\<your email>\Half-Life 2\hl2\media and rename valve.avi to valve.old or anything different. next, create a new empty text document and rename it to valve.avi, right click this, go to properties and make it read only. no more valve logo!

 

[IHATEMANHACKS]

1) instead of -console in the launch options, use "+map_background none" (without quotes). no more 3d background!

2)go to<steam>\steamapps\<your email>\Half-Life 2\hl2\media and rename valve.avi to valve.old or anything different. next, create a new empty text document and rename it to valve.avi, right click this, go to properties and make it read only. no more valve logo!

Hehe I made my own video file instead of the default one.
Also you can edit the startupvids.txt file, just delete the contents of it.

 

[DeltaBlast]

use -novideo for.. no video

And for the live background, edit valve.rc (it's in hl2\cfg) and comment out startupmenu

turn

// display the startup level
startupmenu

into

// display the startup level
// startupmenu

 

[IHATEMANHACKS]

That's funny.
My Valve.rc file was by default

// display the startup level
// startupmenu

 

[lifebringer]

thanks guys!

there was no .txt with that name manhacks, but the -novideo line worked. also i changed both the valve.rc file and put the +map line in the startup command line...works quick, thanks!

still takes a bit to load, but i'm sure it's actually loading standard stuff, i guess... if anyone is still reading this thread...anyone know IF steam is actually loading anything when you double click hl2 and if so, what it's loading/doing? --or-- is there a faster way to launch it, like via normal windows shortcut?

anyway, not a big enough deal to start a new thread (esp without searching) to find that out.....thanks again for the help.

--lb

edit: yeah, i missed the "create shortcut" option..but that doesn't actually do anything different, so my questions still stand.