Oh no, it's not a range problem. It's a known glitch. The laser mic will work for a while and then stop. There is a patch for it. Just download and install the patch from the game website and everything will be fine again...that is, if it's a legal version of the game. Or else you are royally screwed, like me!
Here is the patch readme file:
DETAILS PATCH 1.2b
This patch corrects a small problem with the benchmarking tool in Version 1.2.
DETAILS PATCH 1.2
PROBLEMS SOLVED IN THIS VERSION:
- The 3D Sound button in the Sound config area is now properly
activating/deactivating 3d hardware sound acceleration/positioning;
- In Shadow Projector mode, the shadow filter design was changed to LOW/MEDIUM
= 2x2, HIGH = 3x2, VERY HIGH = 3x3 depending on the value of Effects Quality in
the video settings menu;
- Holding or Pushing CTRL while going back to the main menu no longer bring you
back to a cube map with a default texture;
- Laser micro success/failure computation fix;
- Benchmark mode (see instructions in readme file);
- No more guard/unguard, check/uncheck to speed up performance;
- No more Shadow Details in Shadow Buffer mode (that setting was useless on
GF3/GF4Ti/FX cards);
- No more bugs submitted to EPIC;
- 800x600 is now supported by 32 MB video cards;
- GeForce 256, Radeon 7500 cards and Xabre 200/400/600 cards (with 3.11
drivers) are now officially supported;
- Night vision fix for several graphic cards;
- Video memory optimization.
- Most maps: General design quality improvement with shadows.
Find the patch here:
*www.3dgamers.com/dlselect/games/splintercell/sc_emea_patch_1_2b.exe.html
It's the Eurpoean and Asian version patch. The American version is also available in the same site.
