You know the biggest missed opportunity of Half-Life 1?
That we never got to pilot on of those spider legged "Loaders". As soon as I saw the intro the HL1, I thought "man, they've GOT to let you play with those later".
I would settle for piloting a Strider in Episode 3, as unlikely as that is.
There was a mod for HL2 where you'd pilot striders against other players in deathmatch, I don't know if it ended up being any good though. Probably not.
I still remember that first point in HL1 where you get to drive the little rail cart down those tunnels. You would be rolling along, happily enjoying the scenery (well grey featureless tunnels) trying to figure out where to go when some solider would fire a huge cannon in your direction and scare the ever loving bageezus out of you... then you panic, jump off the train and weep as it rolls off into the distance never to be seen again
Videogamephibian - Currently playing: Pretty much everything
I still remember that first point in HL1 where you get to drive the little rail cart down those tunnels. You would be rolling along, happily enjoying the scenery (well grey featureless tunnels) trying to figure out where to go when some solider would fire a huge cannon in your direction and scare the ever loving bageezus out of you... then you panic, jump off the train and weep as it rolls off into the distance never to be seen again
More often than not it would come around again.
At which point I would often try and jump back on, mis-time my jump and end up squashed.
I still remember that first point in HL1 where you get to drive the little rail cart down those tunnels. You would be rolling along, happily enjoying the scenery (well grey featureless tunnels) trying to figure out where to go when some solider would fire a huge cannon in your direction and scare the ever loving bageezus out of you... then you panic, jump off the train and weep as it rolls off into the distance never to be seen again
More often than not it would come around again.
At which point I would often try and jump back on, mis-time my jump and end up squashed.
Or you land right on the electrified rail, loosing the last bit of health you had left over from the aforementioned cannon XD
Videogamephibian - Currently playing: Pretty much everything
That video kind of made me angry. All his critisms are pretty terrible. He desribing something awesome that the games do, and what HL does so much better than most FPSs, and then just gives some general opinion on that approach being "stale" or something. No it's not stale, it's pretty unique (like you just said) and now you're calling it "okay."
Like Alyx is extremely unique. Gordon Freeman is an atypical protagonist. That's the point. HL took a new approach, but still made players feel like a hero, feel important, and made Alex highly appealing (what's the alternative? pair up with a fat bitch to not save the world?). Yes, she's the ideal to the gamer community without being tits on a stick - that's the point. And her dialogue is solid, she has multiple unique interactions (her father, her pet dog, her stepmom), while being tough yet innocent. Perfect, stop there - because that's 100% more than what most games accomplish with their female characters. Saying that's not enough, or just there to satisfy the male hero in all of us, is ridiculous.
I could go on...the guy never really made a point. He just admitted how much above the standard the games are, and said it could be better. Of course, everything could be better - but this is widely recognized as some of the best. You can't compare it or judge it based on things that never existed.
I'm with you. I didn't understand the dude's argument at all plus the delivery was sorta whiny. I do appreciate the hard work that went into the piece though. Lot's of captures that gave me fond memories.
“Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.”
― Marcus Aurelius
Anywho, if you haven't heard already, there was a hullabalooh with a Half-Life 3 not-annoucement. Basically
1. Gamescom lists Half-Life 3 (And Dragon Age 3) in the "Upcoming Products and Releases" section.
2. When Eurogamer enquired about this, Gamescom replied
Dragon Age 3 and Half-Life 3 appearing on the Gamescom-compiled list of games at the show was "a mistake", the organisers have told Eurogamer.
Eurogamer asked three times why the names were listed, but no explanation was given.
3. After more pestering, a guy at a website called Lambda Generation got this response
I have made a second call to Gamescom. I was explicitly informed that Valve were the ones who asked that HL3 be placed on the list; but that apparently, "just a few minutes ago", Valve requested that HL3 be removed from that list. As of writing, its entry still remains on that list.
4. Doug Lombardi of Valve flat out says
We are not showing any games in Cologne this year.
Cheers
5. Gamescom removes Half-Life 3 from it's listings
There's seems to be a lot of this not-announcement stuff going around. Is it just people getting desperate or is something getting ready to pop at Valve?
I'm pretty sure the Battlefield, Crysis and Dead Space icons also seen in that ad is from a fan made icon set. The HL3 logo could just be the guy putting together the ad having a bit of fun. I'm also pretty sure that I've seen that particular Steam icon before, but that one is not the standard icon.
If it was just one or two events, then sure, whatever; but we also got the leaks from the Source Film Maker about Source 2 and an Episode 3 Alyx model. Now, personally I'd put money against there being an announcement prior to E3 2013 (Heh, 10 years after the amazing E3 2003 showing), but it's hard to not speculate when we're delivered such tasty morsels.
"Something ready to pop" != "No, they're totally going to announce something at Gamescom even though they said they aren't!"
EDIT: And believe it or not, finding out Valve is actually working on Episode 3 would be news. We've heard NOTHING about Episode 3 in years. We got two pieces of concept art (showing pretty much the same thing) and some news that Valve might be doing something relating to implementing actual sign langauge into the game.
Maybe these are all just clues to some new reality game Valve is setting up. We just some nerd to go line by line through all the code and tell us how to play some goddamn Half-Life 3!
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
My guess is it's "Friction-Stop" where you can control the friction of surfaces. So you can make a surface super slick, or make it so you can stop on a dime; or even make it so being next to a wall will slow your fall or something.
That's about the only thing I can think of, and really given how excited Valve seemed to be a bout f-stop, I couldn't imagine it'd be something that simple.
"Something ready to pop" != "No, they're totally going to announce something at Gamescom even though they said they aren't!"
EDIT: And believe it or not, finding out Valve is actually working on Episode 3 would be news. We've heard NOTHING about Episode 3 in years. We got two pieces of concept art (showing pretty much the same thing) and some news that Valve might be doing something relating to implementing actual sign langauge into the game.
Ep3 references have been showing up in SDK stuff for years. New non-working settings on entities with descriptions that have "for episode 3" in them and whatnot.
Also there was that big concept art leak recently.
I forgot about that leak, but still, are we even sure it was real? Plus it was apparently from 2008. I was more referring to hearing about Valve working on it recently.
90% of Black Mesa (Everything but Xen) was announced for a September 14th release date (Ostensibly in 2012)
On September 14th you will see the first release of Black Mesa! This will include our re-envisioning of Half-Life all the way up to Lambda Core. We believe this is a great way to provide a complete-feeling 8-10 hour experience with a solid ending, make our fans happy and help us make the best overall game possible.
We are still working hard on Xen and BMDM, but instead of making you wait we are giving you Black Mesa as soon as it's ready! We're doing our best to help bring the immense vision of this project into reality, and we are very excited for what the future brings!
Would that work with games like TF2 or L4D/L4D2? They're pretty much giving away the Source engine base at this point, so I can't imagine folks wouldn't be able to play this easily.
Unusual that they decided to split up the game, but understandable I suppose. Part of their goal was to take the game everyone loved and update it to modern standards. Taking Xen and updating it to make it more fun and so it makes sense by modern gameplay standards was probably so huge a task that it held their creative minds hostage for *years*. Now that they can get an injection of praise and adulation and separate that portion for focus by the entire team.. they have more of a chance of succeeding properly.
It also sounds as if they are making the last portion of the game longer.. so I suspect Xen may be more than a 2-3 hour romp through Alienland in the end.
In any case.. I am actually more relieved for the team than I am excited for the release (i have been waiting so long its difficult to be excited, per say). They took so much shit from people over the years that they deserve some celebration + recognition.
Would that work with games like TF2 or L4D/L4D2? They're pretty much giving away the Source engine base at this point, so I can't imagine folks wouldn't be able to play this easily.
Unless something changed, you don't actually need any games. All you should need installed is the SDK base, which everyone should have, given that TF2 and Alien Swarm are free.
Are we living in some weird bizarro world all of a sudden? A mod that I'm pumped for is now international news? I mean I'm happy and all but WHAT IS GOING ON?
Are we living in some weird bizarro world all of a sudden? A mod that I'm pumped for is now international news? I mean I'm happy and all but WHAT IS GOING ON?
Well, it's not national news, so if it's any news it has to be international news. And I guess it's news for a slow news day. Anything's news if you put it on a news website!
I'm going to blame it on the fact that the world is starved for Half-Life.
Anywho, I finally beat Unreal/Return to Na Pali and finished up all the Borderlands DLC; now I'm finally going to go and play through the Half-Life series. My plan is to play through them in this order
Half-Life
Half-Life: decay (PC MOD version)
Half-Life: Blue Shift ("Unlocked" mod version)
Half-LIfe: Opposing Force
Half-Life: Source
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2: Episode 1
Half-Life 2: Episode 2
HL: Uplink and HL2: Lost Coast aren't on a priority list right now.
I'm hoping to at least get through Half-Life: Source before Black Mesa is released, since I'll immediately jump over to that when the time comes.
Posts
That we never got to pilot on of those spider legged "Loaders". As soon as I saw the intro the HL1, I thought "man, they've GOT to let you play with those later".
I would settle for piloting a Strider in Episode 3, as unlikely as that is.
More often than not it would come around again.
At which point I would often try and jump back on, mis-time my jump and end up squashed.
Or you land right on the electrified rail, loosing the last bit of health you had left over from the aforementioned cannon XD
I'm with you. I didn't understand the dude's argument at all plus the delivery was sorta whiny. I do appreciate the hard work that went into the piece though. Lot's of captures that gave me fond memories.
― Marcus Aurelius
Path of Exile: themightypuck
Anywho, if you haven't heard already, there was a hullabalooh with a Half-Life 3 not-annoucement. Basically
1. Gamescom lists Half-Life 3 (And Dragon Age 3) in the "Upcoming Products and Releases" section.
2. When Eurogamer enquired about this, Gamescom replied
3. After more pestering, a guy at a website called Lambda Generation got this response
4. Doug Lombardi of Valve flat out says
5. Gamescom removes Half-Life 3 from it's listings
6. A Half-Life 3 logo appears in a Madcatz Cyborg S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 Keyboard ad.
You can check out http://www.valvetime.net/threads/update-5-half-life-3-accidentally-appears-in-gamescom-official-list-then-appears-in-keyboard-ad.217236/ for a more detailed summary.
There's seems to be a lot of this not-announcement stuff going around. Is it just people getting desperate or is something getting ready to pop at Valve?
http://www.valvetime.net/threads/new-reference-to-alyx-vance-episode-three-found-in-sfm-code.215293/
Along with references to Source 2
http://www.valvetime.net/threads/exclusive-next-gen-source-2-engine-is-in-development.215336/
I mean Valve have already pretty directly stated they aren't announcing anything at Gamescom.
EDIT: And believe it or not, finding out Valve is actually working on Episode 3 would be news. We've heard NOTHING about Episode 3 in years. We got two pieces of concept art (showing pretty much the same thing) and some news that Valve might be doing something relating to implementing actual sign langauge into the game.
Now, lets wildly speculate about what F-Stop is.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
An community wellbeing AI system for online games. It truncates swearwords.
That's about the only thing I can think of, and really given how excited Valve seemed to be a bout f-stop, I couldn't imagine it'd be something that simple.
I really want to see it though.
Ep3 references have been showing up in SDK stuff for years. New non-working settings on entities with descriptions that have "for episode 3" in them and whatnot.
Also there was that big concept art leak recently.
http://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/Half-Life_2:_Episode_Three
They also have the most detail I've seen about the "lost" Episode Four
http://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/Episode_Four
Source
Teaser Trailer
Official Trailer
Leaked Footage
After so many years of promises and delays, and it's just two weeks away? I think I just might reinstall Half-Life 2 in anticipation.
So how's the release work? We need to install HL1 or is it a standalone client?
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
You'd need the Source SDK Base 2007 installed. It's in the tools section of the library.
You might also have to start it once. There was some other mod I wanted to play that didn't work and running Source SDK Base 2007 seemed to fix it.
Even then I'll be pretty sure I'm dreaming.
It also sounds as if they are making the last portion of the game longer.. so I suspect Xen may be more than a 2-3 hour romp through Alienland in the end.
In any case.. I am actually more relieved for the team than I am excited for the release (i have been waiting so long its difficult to be excited, per say). They took so much shit from people over the years that they deserve some celebration + recognition.
REPENT SINNERS
THE FREEMAN WILL RETURN AND THE DEAD GAME WILL WISE FROM ITS GWAVE
LO, FOR IT IS AS THE NEWELL FORETOLD
AT THE TWILIGHT OF THE EIGHTH PAX THE REBIRTH WILL BEGIN
BUT XEN WILL TAKE ANOTHER 4 YEARS
WE DON'T WANT TO RUSH THINGS
WE NEED TO MAKE XEN GOOD BECAUSE THAT WAS EVERYONE'S FAVORITE PART
EVERYONE LOVED XEN
FUCKING LOW GRAVITY JUMPING PUZZLES, THAT'S THE REAL SHIT AM I RIGHT?
Unless something changed, you don't actually need any games. All you should need installed is the SDK base, which everyone should have, given that TF2 and Alien Swarm are free.
All right, people. It is not a gerbil. It is not a hamster. It is not a guinea pig. It is a death rabbit. Death. Rabbit. Say it with me, now.
Here's to hoping this all goes over smoothly and we're visiting Anomalous Materials in under two weeks!
bbc.com/news/technology-19463712
Are we living in some weird bizarro world all of a sudden? A mod that I'm pumped for is now international news? I mean I'm happy and all but WHAT IS GOING ON?
Anywho, I finally beat Unreal/Return to Na Pali and finished up all the Borderlands DLC; now I'm finally going to go and play through the Half-Life series. My plan is to play through them in this order
Half-Life
Half-Life: decay (PC MOD version)
Half-Life: Blue Shift ("Unlocked" mod version)
Half-LIfe: Opposing Force
Half-Life: Source
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2: Episode 1
Half-Life 2: Episode 2
HL: Uplink and HL2: Lost Coast aren't on a priority list right now.
I'm hoping to at least get through Half-Life: Source before Black Mesa is released, since I'll immediately jump over to that when the time comes.