Yes, for the moment the game still has problems and we're awaiting patches, but technically software is the original artistic intent, as it preserves all original effects and lighting.
I'd recommend Software for single player for authenticity and OpenGL for multiplayer for performance.

I can't use Software Rendering in multiplayer mode because a freeze while loading of some multiplayer maps

(With latest update Software Rendering works fine only if you set 16bit compatibility mode in HL.exe; without that you will got a black screen in fullscreen mode)

Publicado originalmente por Deus_nsf:

Yes, for the moment the game still has problems and we're awaiting patches, but technically software is the original artistic intent, as it preserves all original effects and lighting.
I'd recommend Software for single player for authenticity and OpenGL for multiplayer for performance.

are you sure about that? why was 3DFX marketing Half-Life so heavily if the hardware acceleration wasn't the intended way to play?

Publicado originalmente por Deus_nsf:

Yes, for the moment the game still has problems and we're awaiting patches, but technically software is the original artistic intent, as it preserves all original effects and lighting.
I'd recommend Software for single player for authenticity and OpenGL for multiplayer for performance.

Please, don't spread misinformation. Back in 1998 no one talked any BS about "original artistic intent". Software mode was for poor people. I know, I was there.

I have some perfomance issues when i play with OpenGL. Is anyone else has same situation?

Publicado originalmente por Deus_nsf:

Yes, for the moment the game still has problems and we're awaiting patches, but technically software is the original artistic intent, as it preserves all original effects and lighting.
I'd recommend Software for single player for authenticity and OpenGL for multiplayer for performance.

Always played the game in Direct3D in 1998 then in OpenGL with the Steam verion. Software mode was only for very old PC.

You don't have 1080p in Software mode btw.

Publicado originalmente por ScreeN | ChelovekPavuk:

I have some perfomance issues when i play with OpenGL. Is anyone else has same situation?

It locks the framerate, you need to change the fps lock in console.
"fps_max" and "fps_override" also disable "wait for vertical sync" in settings

Software seems to have reduced colour depth. Also I believe there's subtle polygon warping, though nothing like as bad as on Playstation.

Software seems to fix some zfighting between decals and wall textures.

It's mostly aesthetic of course, and in some ways I prefer the look of Software mode, even with the filtering disabled on opengl.

Nowadays, it's all personal preference. Want things to look more pixelated and blocky? Software. Want it to be smoother and not so rough around the edges (as much as GoldSrc can be, at any rate lol)? Go for OpenGL. I know a lot of speedrunners still use software mode, but again at this point it's just up to you. :)

Thx everyone :D I will play with OpenGL and no filtering.

I dunno which mode I used back in 1998.

Go with OpenGL and without texture filtering.

In software mode the water has a nice-looking ripple effect that isn't available on any hardware-accelerated renderer. Besides that, there isn't much benefit to using it.

Publicado originalmente por riZn:

In software mode the water has a nice-looking ripple effect that isn't available on any hardware-accelerated renderer. Besides that, there isn't much benefit to using it.

I was reading one of the guides to the Software mode that describes an error in how opengl does some kind of randomised texture tiling, or something of that nature. Also in opengl there is definitely more decal flickering, which I assume is some kind of z-fighting or whatever that glitch is called.

Is that when two textures occupy the exact same space and the renderer doesn't know which one to display on top?

Publicado originalmente por Buffpudding:

see title

opengl is better, software will make grahpics looks like soft but no big fps diffrence

Publicado originalmente por Billcimus:

Publicado originalmente por riZn:

In software mode the water has a nice-looking ripple effect that isn't available on any hardware-accelerated renderer. Besides that, there isn't much benefit to using it.

I was reading one of the guides to the Software mode that describes an error in how opengl does some kind of randomised texture tiling, or something of that nature. Also in opengl there is definitely more decal flickering, which I assume is some kind of z-fighting or whatever that glitch is called.

Is that when two textures occupy the exact same space and the renderer doesn't know which one to display on top?

Yes, random texture tiling was originally only supported on software renderer, but I think this is now working properly on OpenGL as well.

As for decals, I'm not sure.