Well, we know that the combine are slowly sucking the ocean out of the earth,
Only by reading Raising the Bar. Anyone who just plays the game is in the dark. Sure the coastlines are lower, but that doesn't mean they're stealing the ocean.
Even their greater designs for the human race are an unknown; sure we know they're making stalkers and transhuman soldiers; by why they're doing it is a mystery. Are they just mean? Do they think they're doing us a favor? Do they just see us as materials to be harvested?
Like I said; their motivations are a complete mystery.
True.
And I like that.
Why would Gordon, or anyone else for that matter, have inside knowledge on what the Combine's plans for humanity are? They wouldn't.
Valve does, and Valve is the one creating the game. All it would take is an intercepted transmission to be written into the story and the Combine's actual motivations can be told to the player.
That’s the sort of clunky, amateurish exposition that Valve has thankfully avoided. It’s the kind of thoughtless, easy storytelling that makes all those other games all those other games, and Half-Life, Half-Life. I’m very, very glad Valve has not chosen this route. It would be a poor choice.
This far, what few infodumps and bits of exposition we’ve had have been natural, essential to the here and now and nothing more, and most important of all, have never FELT like infodumps.
With all due respect, what you’re proposing very much would. The “overhearing the badguys discuss their plans†thing is … it’s just … please, don’t. As a writer, you want to avoid that like the plague.
Besides, to detail the Combine’s motivations means you’ve created Just Another Alien Invasion Story. Valve’s approach breaks away from that, even if behind it all it is, in fact, Just Another Alien Invasion Story. But they’ve made smart storytelling choices and have trusted the players to be smart, too – no spoonfeeding in the Half-Life universe – and it has paid off.
Half-Life does not provide a plot, it provides an experience. And I think that’s a pretty essential aspect of its success.
I mean, the coastlines, for instance. We can see they're lower, I believe folks in the game mention it to Gordon, and it's like, "What the FUCK is going ON here?" You never know for sure what's happening, just that the Combine are royally fucking up the globe. It's baffling and strange and really puts into perspective the scope of this invasion while also reinforcing the idea that the scale of this thing is far larger than you imagined.
Actually, as far as I know, it's not even mentioned once in the game. But I guess that's neither here nor there.
Pretty sure that when you first come upon the coast, the soldiers there talk about the changes in the seas and so on. I have not read any out-of-game literature. Dunno what any of it says.
Dunno for sure, but the end of Episode 2 makes me think it’ll be touched upon in Episode 3, too.
The mysteries of this series are one of the most compelling things about the world, the set pieces and the narrative. To remove them would be to diminish the game world's power over the player.
I disagree completely. The active storytelling (what bits that ARE in), the characters and the level design are what makes the game world great; not a silly game of "here's some stuff, but we're not going to tell you a single thing about it." IMO, it's a worse way to tell a story, as it just leaves most people confused about stuff that should be bread and butter for the plot.
When you detail all that stuff, you run the risk of becoming just another alien invasion story. In the storytelling department, Half-Life has succeeded by breaking the mold of your usual Guy Fights Aliens video game – which, let’s face it, has been done to death. Yet Half-Life feels different; more alive and richer and deeper. That’s because Valve has made smart choices. The fact that you want to know all this stuff is indicative of that. You’ve been drawn into the world. That Valve has been able to tell their story, and tell it well, without this information is a testament to their approach. It’s not necessary to the experience and it’s not necessary to the story, because the story is the experience.
You are Gordon Freeman, and you are trying to survive in the wake of a global catastrophe you don’t understand. THAT’S the story. Take that away, and you have just another video game. A pretty good one, probably. But it sure as hell wouldn’t be Half-Life.
Storytelling involves telling a story; not inferring at bits and hoping the listener can magically fill in the blanks.
In fact, sometimes storytelling does involve inference and trusting the reader/listener/viewer to fill in the blanks. Nothing unusual about that approach. It’s not the most common approach, but it’s hardly unheard of.
We know (mostly) everything we need to know about Half-Life’s world. The details behind the window dressing are not important. You might want to know, it might be interesting, but it’s not essential to the experience.
HL2 doesn't tell you a story; it tells you half a story, makes hints about a third of it, and completely spaces the rest.
Half-Life doesn’t tell a story, it offers you an experience that involves a story. There is a subtle difference. Half-Life isn’t about a narrative as much as it’s about experiencing a world through the eyes of your avatar.
EDIT2: I'm doing it again, aren't I? I think I'll just bow out of this one before I make a bigger ass of myself.
You're not making an ass of yourself, you're expressing a valid opinion. I disagree with it, but that's fine. No big deal. It'd be a boring world if we all agreed.
Erm, people can say I'm Gordon Freeman all they want, but if I were Gordon Freeman I would at least ask, "What the fuck is going on?"
I wouldn't just be blindly accepting everything everyone said with zero explanation.
And for me that's what took me out of the game and made me feel like the experience was empty.
Basically, if you're going to make it about killing ugly aliens, make it about that. Don't pretend to be deeper but not actually allow said depth.
You know what would have been great? Old newspaper articles, computer documents, journals, abandoned newscasts and radio broadcast tapes. Give me that ability to explore and reveal the story myself and you've suddenly allowed Freeman to be both silent to other characters and inquisitive at the same time (as I would be).
Also, Undead Scottsman, I am hi-fiving you so hard. I never understood all the the people that gushed about the stories in the half life games. They had great settings sure, and I enjoyed exploring around and seeing things - but STORIES are different. And frankly, their stories are about as deep as DOOM or Duke Nukem 3d.
I don't think you're understanding the difference between story and storytelling. It's not the series' plot that has garnered acclaim, it's the storytelling. There is a difference.
Erm, people can say I'm Gordon Freeman all they want, but if I were Gordon Freeman I would at least ask, "What the fuck is going on?"
I wouldn't just be blindly accepting everything everyone said with zero explanation.
And for me that's what took me out of the game and made me feel like the experience was empty.
Basically, if you're going to make it about killing ugly aliens, make it about that. Don't pretend to be deeper but not actually allow said depth.
You know what would have been great? Old newspaper articles, computer documents, journals, abandoned newscasts and radio broadcast tapes. Give me that ability to explore and reveal the story myself and you've suddenly allowed Freeman to be both silent to other characters and inquisitive at the same time (as I would be).
they did have at least one paper where you could read about how the portal storms appeared on earth and how earth surrendered within 7 hours and how breen was elected as the world representative leader. I didn't find more than that though
also, I'm not sure it would have helped if Gordon would have said "wuts up mang" because the population and the resistance seems pretty oblivious to the big picture as well
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darklite_xI'm not an r-tard...Registered Userregular
edited September 2008
I think the bigger issue for me is Newell's belief that episodic gaming is the future. I've played both half-life episodes and the first PA adventures episode, and I have to disagree. As someone else stated, if they were able to push out episodes every month or even every other month then I probably wouldn't mind. When it takes as long as it does to currently push out episodes then I just get the feeling, "Why don't you just spend that time working on a longer, full game."
Another issue I have with episodic content is the feeling of completion, or in this case the lack thereof. When I beat a full length game I feel like I've accomplished something, and that in turn allows me to move on to the next game. When I beat a game episode I feel like, "Well that was fun, but it's nowhere near over, so what exactly was the point of that?"
Episodic gaming is to me the equivalent of weekly television shows. That's a bad thing because I don't watch weekly television because I don't like cliffhangers and I don't like having to wait to find out what happens. That's why I only collected seasons on DVD. Just my two cents.
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Steam ID: darklite_x Xbox Gamertag: Darklite 37 PSN:Rage_Kage_37 Battle.Net:darklite#2197
I think the bigger issue for me is Newell's belief that episodic gaming is the future. I've played both half-life episodes and the first PA adventures episode, and I have to disagree. As someone else stated, if they were able to push out episodes every month or even every other month then I probably wouldn't mind. When it takes as long as it does to currently push out episodes then I just get the feeling, "Why don't you just spend that time working on a longer, full game."
Because that "full game" would take around 5+ years to make, as opposed to the approximately 1.5 years cycle they've got now. More importantly, you wouldn't get the constant cycle of feedback > adaptation > release > feedback that's really at the core of episodic gaming.
The point for the developer is that it's no longer an all or nothing venture, you can start to try things now, adapt, listen to and take account of feedback. With a standard sequel development cycle the degree of flexibility afforded doesn't even come close. What they're seeking is to shorten the gap between feedback and implementation so that they can improve the games by taking into account what works and what doesn't at a much faster rate.
The benefit for me is that I get to see an ever improving game series, and at far more regular intervals. It's also not an "either / or" with regards to Half Life 3. I have little doubt that they're currently working on it in the planning stages at least. But, and here's the important point, all the things they've learned from the episodes, all the adaptations and changes they've made to the series as they've iterated over time, Half-Life 3 is going to benefit from all of that and be a better game because of it. If they'd just started on HL3 right away, none of that feedback would have been available to them, and they would make all the same mistakes that they've made (and ironed out) in Episodes 1 and 2.
This is also part of the thinking behind Steam, the kind of feedback Steam gives Valve is crucial to how they adapt their games, not just the current ones, but future instalments. A good example of this is the elevator at the end of the parking garage in Episode 1. They were finding way more people than expected were dying repeatedly at this point and eventually getting so frustrated that they gave up on the game. With this feedback, they learned what the frustrating elements were, gave the player a few more resources and light sources, and made the experience more fun instead of tedious. This patch doesn't just affect Episode 1, the feedback they got goes directly into their understanding of how to make things work in Episode 2. And likewise what feedback they get from 2 will help to make episode 3 better than it would have been otherwise.
Another issue I have with episodic content is the feeling of completion, or in this case the lack thereof. When I beat a full length game I feel like I've accomplished something, and that in turn allows me to move on to the next game. When I beat a game episode I feel like, "Well that was fun, but it's nowhere near over, so what exactly was the point of that?"
Episodic gaming is to me the equivalent of weekly television shows. That's a bad thing because I don't watch weekly television because I don't like cliffhangers and I don't like having to wait to find out what happens. That's why I only collected seasons on DVD. Just my two cents.
Here we'll have to agree to disagree. When I've finished an episode, it's still awesome. Episode 1 didn't end on any more of a cliff hanger than HL2, or even HL1 did. It's an ongoing series with an ongoing storyline. I don't feel that somehow lessens each episode in itself.
You talk about how you only collect season DVD's. Well ordinarily all those shows are broadcast on a weekly basis, and people watch them just fine. If the format doesn't suit you, then your solution is obvious. Just do what you do with the DVD's, and wait until the whole series is out before purchasing. It'll probably be cheaper for you too.
Also, Undead Scottsman, I am hi-fiving you so hard. I never understood all the the people that gushed about the stories in the half life games. They had great settings sure, and I enjoyed exploring around and seeing things - but STORIES are different. And frankly, their stories are about as deep as DOOM or Duke Nukem 3d.
I don't think you're understanding the difference between story and storytelling. It's not the series' plot that has garnered acclaim, it's the storytelling. There is a difference.
Got to have a story before you can have story TELLING, chief.
I think you're not understanding the difference between storytelling and setting. Just because you can see something that's not explained doesn't make it good storytelling, and it also doesn't mean that there's an actual story either.
I'm going to agree largely with Shoegaze and a few things others said. HL's story is awesome because much of the "plot" is inferred and a mystery. If aliens who invade Earth to use humans for genetic experiments isn't enough motivation for you to spend 10 hours shooting shit and solving cool puzzles, then you need to go outside and stop obsessing. The way they tell the story is to present it from the first person point of view without hours of mind-numbing expositional dialogue and cutscenes. If you're paying attention, there's plenty of story there to feel immersed in that world where you ARE Gordon Freeman. And that's what makes it special. Imagine waking up on a train to City 17 not knowing what the fuck is going on and trying to make sense of it all. There would be no one there to hold your hand and tell you why the aliens are trying to fuck your DNA. All you would care about is staying alive and shoving the anti-gravity gun up their collective ET asses. That to me is a better way to tell a story than "In the beginning the Combine invaded Earth in the year 2067 blah blah blah you are the last hope for humanity yadda yadda yadda".
Besides, to detail the Combine’s motivations means you’ve created Just Another Alien Invasion Story. Valve’s approach breaks away from that, even if behind it all it is, in fact, Just Another Alien Invasion Story. But they’ve made smart storytelling choices and have trusted the players to be smart, too – no spoonfeeding in the Half-Life universe – and it has paid off.
I also want to single out this quote as particularly bad. You're basically calling people with the least bit of curiosity stupid. By not just accepting everything at face value, and actually wanting to know more about what's going on than what the unhelpful npc's tell you, apparently you demand spoonfeeding and are an idiot.
You're also basically saying that even a shitty story can be good, just don't tell all of it. Well no, now you just have an unfinished story.
Besides, to detail the Combine’s motivations means you’ve created Just Another Alien Invasion Story. Valve’s approach breaks away from that, even if behind it all it is, in fact, Just Another Alien Invasion Story. But they’ve made smart storytelling choices and have trusted the players to be smart, too – no spoonfeeding in the Half-Life universe – and it has paid off.
I also want to single out this quote as particularly bad. You're basically calling people with the least bit of curiosity stupid. By not just accepting everything at face value, and actually wanting to know more about what's going on than what the unhelpful npc's tell you, apparently you demand spoonfeeding and are an idiot.
That's not what I said. Sorry if you chose to read it that way.
You're also basically saying that even a shitty story can be good, just don't tell all of it. Well no, now you just have an unfinished story.
Also not what I said. Sorry if you chose to read it that way.
Besides, to detail the Combine’s motivations means you’ve created Just Another Alien Invasion Story. Valve’s approach breaks away from that, even if behind it all it is, in fact, Just Another Alien Invasion Story. But they’ve made smart storytelling choices and have trusted the players to be smart, too – no spoonfeeding in the Half-Life universe – and it has paid off.
I also want to single out this quote as particularly bad. You're basically calling people with the least bit of curiosity stupid. By not just accepting everything at face value, and actually wanting to know more about what's going on than what the unhelpful npc's tell you, apparently you demand spoonfeeding and are an idiot.
That's not what I said. Sorry if you chose to read it that way.
You're also basically saying that even a shitty story can be good, just don't tell all of it. Well no, now you just have an unfinished story.
Also not what I said. Sorry if you chose to read it that way.
That is what you said. Sorry you chose to not read it that way.
See how passive-aggressiveness doesn't help either of us?
Also, Undead Scottsman, I am hi-fiving you so hard. I never understood all the the people that gushed about the stories in the half life games. They had great settings sure, and I enjoyed exploring around and seeing things - but STORIES are different. And frankly, their stories are about as deep as DOOM or Duke Nukem 3d.
I don't think you're understanding the difference between story and storytelling. It's not the series' plot that has garnered acclaim, it's the storytelling. There is a difference.
Got to have a story before you can have story TELLING, chief.
Tnen it's a good thing the Half-Life series has a story to tell. :^:
Just because you can see something that's not explained doesn't make it good storytelling
Erm, people can say I'm Gordon Freeman all they want, but if I were Gordon Freeman I would at least ask, "What the fuck is going on?"
I wouldn't just be blindly accepting everything everyone said with zero explanation.
And for me that's what took me out of the game and made me feel like the experience was empty.
Basically, if you're going to make it about killing ugly aliens, make it about that. Don't pretend to be deeper but not actually allow said depth.
You know what would have been great? Old newspaper articles, computer documents, journals, abandoned newscasts and radio broadcast tapes. Give me that ability to explore and reveal the story myself and you've suddenly allowed Freeman to be both silent to other characters and inquisitive at the same time (as I would be).
That's the conceit that someone mentioned earlier, despite being the "one free man", Gordon always just follows what other people tell him to do.
Also, in the subject of rediculously overhyped naratives, other than that one cutscene, bioshock should have stayed with the audio journals.
Half Life's story is fairly generic sci fi, what there is of it.
However, the strength of videogames has never really been the actual content of their stories, but rather the manner in which it is experienced by the player. Half Life 2 and its episodes are incredibly immersive for most people, me included, and provide me with a lot of motivation and curiosity even in a linear game where I interact with things almost entirely by shooting them.
They have created a world, a setting, but also a series of events and characters and scenes that make the player feel as if they are living through it. That is the strength of video games, as a medium. That's why people get so attached to video game storylines that are otherwise utter tripe. Half Life does a really, really good job of capitalizing on this. It provides a great immersive experience.
The fact that people want to know what's going on so badly is a testament to that. If it wasn't so good at pulling you in, who would give a shit? It's just another silly sci fi alien invasion story. But it's so much better when your participate in the story in the way that Half Life provides. I knew that it had something special in that regard right from the intro of Half Life 2, especially when you run from the Combine, unarmed, through the apartment building.
I think the lack of exposition only supports the immersion, frankly.
Also, Undead Scottsman, I am hi-fiving you so hard. I never understood all the the people that gushed about the stories in the half life games. They had great settings sure, and I enjoyed exploring around and seeing things - but STORIES are different. And frankly, their stories are about as deep as DOOM or Duke Nukem 3d.
I don't think you're understanding the difference between story and storytelling. It's not the series' plot that has garnered acclaim, it's the storytelling. There is a difference.
Got to have a story before you can have story TELLING, chief.
Tnen it's a good thing the Half-Life series has a story to tell. :^:
Oh sure it does. It's just none of the interesting things happen while you're actually playing. The player just spends the whole game running around sewers shooting dudes, then running around dark streets shooting zombies, and then running around streets shooting more dudes.
And then I guess the rest of the story comes from the unlimited power of your imagination!
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Olivawgood name, isn't it?the foot of mt fujiRegistered Userregular
Half Life's story is fairly generic sci fi, what there is of it.
However, the strength of videogames has never really been the actual content of their stories, but rather the manner in which it is experienced by the player. Half Life 2 and its episodes are incredibly immersive for most people, me included, and provide me with a lot of motivation and curiosity even in a linear game where I interact with things almost entirely by shooting them.
They have created a world, a setting, but also a series of events and characters and scenes that make the player feel as if they are living through it. That is the strength of video games, as a medium. That's why people get so attached to video game storylines that are otherwise utter tripe. Half Life does a really, really good job of capitalizing on this. It provides a great immersive experience.
The fact that people want to know what's going on so badly is a testament to that. If it wasn't so good at pulling you in, who would give a shit? It's just another silly sci fi alien invasion story. But it's so much better when your participate in the story in the way that Half Life provides. I knew that it had something special in that regard right from the intro of Half Life 2, especially when you run from the Combine, unarmed, through the apartment building.
I think the lack of exposition only supports the immersion, frankly.
No, it isn't. The fact that you've chosen to be sensitive does not make it so, nor does the fact that you disagree with my assessment make it so. You've chosen to read more into my statement than is actually there. You've decided that because I called Choice A smart, and you didn't like Choice A, I therefore must be calling you an idiot. That's a leap in logic. I'm not, but that's what you chose to see. And that's fine, really.
Half Life's story is fairly generic sci fi, what there is of it.
However, the strength of videogames has never really been the actual content of their stories, but rather the manner in which it is experienced by the player. Half Life 2 and its episodes are incredibly immersive for most people, me included, and provide me with a lot of motivation and curiosity even in a linear game where I interact with things almost entirely by shooting them.
They have created a world, a setting, but also a series of events and characters and scenes that make the player feel as if they are living through it. That is the strength of video games, as a medium. That's why people get so attached to video game storylines that are otherwise utter tripe. Half Life does a really, really good job of capitalizing on this. It provides a great immersive experience.
The fact that people want to know what's going on so badly is a testament to that. If it wasn't so good at pulling you in, who would give a shit? It's just another silly sci fi alien invasion story. But it's so much better when your participate in the story in the way that Half Life provides. I knew that it had something special in that regard right from the intro of Half Life 2, especially when you run from the Combine, unarmed, through the apartment building.
I think the lack of exposition only supports the immersion, frankly.
QFT. I officially back this response. Let's see what the opposition says!
Also, Undead Scottsman, I am hi-fiving you so hard. I never understood all the the people that gushed about the stories in the half life games. They had great settings sure, and I enjoyed exploring around and seeing things - but STORIES are different. And frankly, their stories are about as deep as DOOM or Duke Nukem 3d.
I don't think you're understanding the difference between story and storytelling. It's not the series' plot that has garnered acclaim, it's the storytelling. There is a difference.
Got to have a story before you can have story TELLING, chief.
Tnen it's a good thing the Half-Life series has a story to tell. :^:
Oh sure it does. It's just none of the interesting things happen while you're actually playing. The player just spends the whole game running around sewers shooting dudes, then running around dark streets shooting zombies, and then running around streets shooting more dudes.
Yeah, pretty much all games of this genre can be boiled down to stupid simplicity like this, with only a few exceptions. It's the nature of the beast.
Of course, in cases like Half-Life doing so also involves willfully ignoring the narrative. You're either doing exactly that, or it just didn't register with you. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it's the former; that you're exaggerating for effect.
Because some on, even the first, more primitive game had a very clear narrative arc. It can be summarized with a short synopsis, sure -- and no, not "dude shoots other dudes" -- but again, that's the nature of the beast. There is a clear story there, told to you through the events that unfold around you.
Anyway...
Evil Multifarious gets it. The key here isn't that Half-Life's story is amazingly awesome -- it's pretty generic sci-fi, really -- it's the way in which the player experiences the story. That's what sets the series apart. That's what has drawn critical acclaim. That's what has garned fan devotion. On top of that, Valve has chosen some effective methods to bleed information to the player, offering the illusion of a much deeper universe, and has done a bangup job of allowing the story to unfold via events around you, storytelling choices that have made very strong use of the medium. That's where the acclaim comes in. Not because OMG BEST STORY EVAR!, but because the story is told in a manner that surpasses most other games of its type.
Or you could just say these are games about a dude shooting other dudes, then going into a sewer and shooting more dudes. That's fine, too.
No, it isn't. The fact that you've chosen to be sensitive does not make it so, nor does the fact that you disagree with my assessment make it so. You've chosen to read more into my statement than is actually there. You've decided that because I called Choice A smart, and you didn't like Choice A, I therefore must be calling you an idiot. That's a leap in logic. I'm not, but that's what you chose to see. And that's fine, really.
Now let's move on, shall we?
Ahhh, you're actually addressing my points, excellent! And no, we won't be moving on, this is actually the BEGINNING of a discussion.
Besides, to detail the Combine’s motivations means you’ve created Just Another Alien Invasion Story. Valve’s approach breaks away from that, even if behind it all it is, in fact, Just Another Alien Invasion Story. But they’ve made smart storytelling choices and have trusted the players to be smart, too – no spoonfeeding in the Half-Life universe – and it has paid off.
Here's what you said again. The problem is when you say that a) they've made smart storytelling choices, and b) they trusted the players to be smart. You're also establishing spoonfeeding as being the OPPOSITE of smart. Now, since spoonfeeding plot to people is the kind of thing you've been arguing against, and which you've been attributing to people who disagree with you, then you are assigning them that attribute of NOT smart. You are also saying that since you enjoyed the game in the way it was meant to be enjoyed, that you fall into that 'smart' category.
Sorry you failed to realize all this, but you DID write it.
No, it isn't. The fact that you've chosen to be sensitive does not make it so, nor does the fact that you disagree with my assessment make it so. You've chosen to read more into my statement than is actually there. You've decided that because I called Choice A smart, and you didn't like Choice A, I therefore must be calling you an idiot. That's a leap in logic. I'm not, but that's what you chose to see. And that's fine, really.
Now let's move on, shall we?
Ahhh, you're actually addressing my points, excellent! And no, we won't be moving on, this is actually the BEGINNING of a discussion.
Besides, to detail the Combine’s motivations means you’ve created Just Another Alien Invasion Story. Valve’s approach breaks away from that, even if behind it all it is, in fact, Just Another Alien Invasion Story. But they’ve made smart storytelling choices and have trusted the players to be smart, too – no spoonfeeding in the Half-Life universe – and it has paid off.
Here's what you said again. The problem is when you say that a) they've made smart storytelling choices, and b) they trusted the players to be smart. You're also establishing spoonfeeding as being the OPPOSITE of smart. Now, since spoonfeeding plot to people is the kind of thing you've been arguing against, and which you've been attributing to people who disagree with you, then you are assigning them that attribute of NOT smart. You are also saying that since you enjoyed the game in the way it was meant to be enjoyed, that you fall into that 'smart' category.
Sorry you failed to realize all this, but you DID write it.
I think we're beyond this point now. Read the QTF.
Yeah, pretty much all games of this genre can be boiled down to stupid simplicity like this, with only a few exceptions. It's the nature of the beast.
Of course, in cases like Half-Life doing so also involves willfully ignoring the narrative. You're either doing exactly that, or it just didn't register with you. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it's the former; that you're exaggerating for effect.
Because some on, even the first, more primitive game had a very clear narrative arc. It can be summarized with a short synopsis, sure -- and no, not "dude shoots other dudes" -- but again, that's the nature of the beast. There is a clear story there, told to you through the events that unfold around you.
There is a story there, but it largely happens everywhere else, and other people tell you about it. In Half-Life 1 you basically go from scientist to scientist while they tell you about why you're going in the direction you're already going. Yeah there's a story, but it's lame, and you're not a part of it.
In HL2, there's also a story, and sure, I'll grant that it's more in depth than in HL1, but that's not saying much. The only things you really actually take part in in terms of plot where it feels like you're doing something NOT just running around shooting dudes is when you help Alyx break into the prison to find her dad. Again, everything else is just finding people who tell you to keep going in whatever direction you're going, because something will happen once you get there.
Anyway...
Evil Multifarious gets it. The key here isn't that Half-Life's story is amazingly awesome -- it's pretty generic sci-fi, really -- it's the way in which the player experiences the story. That's what sets the series apart. That's what has drawn critical acclaim. That's what has garned fan devotion. On top of that, Valve has chosen some effective methods to bleed information to the player, offering the illusion of a much deeper universe, and has done a bangup job of allowing the story to unfold via events around you, storytelling choices that have made very strong use of the medium. That's where the acclaim comes in. Not because OMG BEST STORY EVAR!, but because the story is told in a manner that surpasses most other games of its type.
Or you could just say these are games about a dude shooting other dudes, then going into a sewer and shooting more dudes. That's fine, too.
See, this I pretty much agree with. The setting and gameplay are good and immersive, I can see people getting lost in them. But the story is still paper thin, and all the npc's walking around talking amongst themselves isn't gonna change that.
Yeah, pretty much all games of this genre can be boiled down to stupid simplicity like this, with only a few exceptions. It's the nature of the beast.
Of course, in cases like Half-Life doing so also involves willfully ignoring the narrative. You're either doing exactly that, or it just didn't register with you. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it's the former; that you're exaggerating for effect.
Because some on, even the first, more primitive game had a very clear narrative arc. It can be summarized with a short synopsis, sure -- and no, not "dude shoots other dudes" -- but again, that's the nature of the beast. There is a clear story there, told to you through the events that unfold around you.
There is a story there, but it largely happens everywhere else, and other people tell you about it. In Half-Life 1 you basically go from scientist to scientist while they tell you about why you're going in the direction you're already going. Yeah there's a story, but it's lame, and you're not a part of it.
In HL2, there's also a story, and sure, I'll grant that it's more in depth than in HL1, but that's not saying much. The only things you really actually take part in in terms of plot where it feels like you're doing something NOT just running around shooting dudes is when you help Alyx break into the prison to find her dad. Again, everything else is just finding people who tell you to keep going in whatever direction you're going, because something will happen once you get there.
Anyway...
Evil Multifarious gets it. The key here isn't that Half-Life's story is amazingly awesome -- it's pretty generic sci-fi, really -- it's the way in which the player experiences the story. That's what sets the series apart. That's what has drawn critical acclaim. That's what has garned fan devotion. On top of that, Valve has chosen some effective methods to bleed information to the player, offering the illusion of a much deeper universe, and has done a bangup job of allowing the story to unfold via events around you, storytelling choices that have made very strong use of the medium. That's where the acclaim comes in. Not because OMG BEST STORY EVAR!, but because the story is told in a manner that surpasses most other games of its type.
Or you could just say these are games about a dude shooting other dudes, then going into a sewer and shooting more dudes. That's fine, too.
See, this I pretty much agree with. The setting and gameplay are good and immersive, I can see people getting lost in them. But the story is still paper thin, and all the npc's walking around talking amongst themselves isn't gonna change that.
It's more than that, and i guess you just didn't enjoy the game for whatever reason and that's cool, but your simplifying things and tearing them down to sound stupid and run of the mill, when they are anything but.
example, Just before you're given the gravity gun you pass a tunnel with the name "Ravenholme" over it. Alyx stops says "thats tunnel leads to ravenholme" there's a pause and in a quiet, almost frightened voice she tells you simply "we don't go there anymore."
that's it, one line of dialogue, but if you have even the slightest bit of imagination you are already forming a story in you're head. Jesus she sounded scared, what the fuck happened in Ravenhole... aw crap i'm gonna have to go to ravenholme at some point im sure cuz im gordon freeman and bad shit happens to me all the fucking time.
That's storytelling, but valve doesnt sit there and run a cutscene with a voiced over flashback showing The combine shelling the crap out of ravenholme with the headcrab mortar things. And alyx telling you how terrible it was and how everyone died and gee wasn't that a scary cutscene. No when you get t ravenholme you see horrific imagery every. A fuckton of those headcrab mortar things stuck in the ground, and you build the story of what happened here as you make your way through.
you can say it's poor story telling but you're wrong.
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darklite_xI'm not an r-tard...Registered Userregular
edited September 2008
Subedii, I understand the logic behind episodic content, and I can't argue that it's overall good thing. That said, personally it just doesn't float my boat. The only issue I can actually argue with you on is that it's ok for me to wait 5 years until all episodes are released. I don't mind waiting for tv shows to come packaged on a DVD (mostly because I'm not interested in them enough to watch weekly), but when something comes along that I genuinely want to play (for example, Half-Life) I can't stand the thought of waiting 5 years when I know I could go and play what's currently out immediately.
Like I said, just my two cents.
darklite_x on
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MongerI got the ham stink.Dallas, TXRegistered Userregular
Also, Undead Scottsman, I am hi-fiving you so hard. I never understood all the the people that gushed about the stories in the half life games. They had great settings sure, and I enjoyed exploring around and seeing things - but STORIES are different. And frankly, their stories are about as deep as DOOM or Duke Nukem 3d.
I don't think you're understanding the difference between story and storytelling. It's not the series' plot that has garnered acclaim, it's the storytelling. There is a difference.
I think the bigger issue for me is Newell's belief that episodic gaming is the future. I've played both half-life episodes and the first PA adventures episode, and I have to disagree. As someone else stated, if they were able to push out episodes every month or even every other month then I probably wouldn't mind. When it takes as long as it does to currently push out episodes then I just get the feeling, "Why don't you just spend that time working on a longer, full game."
Because that "full game" would take around 5+ years to make, as opposed to the approximately 1.5 years cycle they've got now. More importantly, you wouldn't get the constant cycle of feedback > adaptation > release > feedback that's really at the core of episodic gaming.
They have created a world, a setting, but also a series of events and characters and scenes that make the player feel as if they are living through it. That is the strength of video games, as a medium. That's why people get so attached to video game storylines that are otherwise utter tripe. Half Life does a really, really good job of capitalizing on this. It provides a great immersive experience.
The fact that people want to know what's going on so badly is a testament to that. If it wasn't so good at pulling you in, who would give a shit? It's just another silly sci fi alien invasion story. But it's so much better when your participate in the story in the way that Half Life provides. I knew that it had something special in that regard right from the intro of Half Life 2, especially when you run from the Combine, unarmed, through the apartment building.
I think the lack of exposition only supports the immersion, frankly.
This is why Lost is a good comparison, and why the two reference each other so often. You want to know what's going on. Great, so do the people in the story. Your shared confusion is what makes you identify with them, and the shared drive to understand the world is what keeps the story ticking for everyone involved. The moment you find out what's going on, you lose the entire dynamic and the story becomes something else entirely.
Lost is a character drama. It isn't about the island, but about what the characters do when they don't know what's going on with the island. The viewer cannot properly identify with those characters without sharing their doubts and questions. In the same way, Half-Life isn't about the Combine or Xen or the G-Man or whatever. It's about Gordon Freeman and how he survives when the universe flipped a coin and decided he was going to be at the center of the world going to pot. Remember HL2's ending and how betrayed a lot of people felt by it? That was the point. You get dropped down in the middle of an Orwellian dystopia and upturn the entire establishment in less than a week. Your reward? You get plucked up and put back on ice. That lack of closure was something the player shared with Gordon, and integral to understanding what the game was trying to get across. You're a gopher for some dude who's name you don't know and you have no idea what damage you've actually caused. You just went through the motions because some interstellar bureaucrat/game designer decided that's what you were going to do. You don't have jack shit worth of impact over what has or is going to happen, and aren't worth any more than your trigger finger. That's the story.
I'm interested in the mythology as much as the next guy. Probably more. The mythology, though, is background information. It's not the story, but something tangential to it. It's meant to be on the periphery of the experience, and not being comfortable with that fact is the mistake some of you are making in trying to understand it. If you want the mythology to be the focus, that's cool, but you want a story that isn't Half-Life.
Freeman doesn't ask the questions some of you would like him to for a couple of reasons. First, most of the quiet time he has is spent learning about his next destination or target. How many times has he stumbled into a situation like "Oh, Dr. Freeman, I'm glad you're here. We have word of striders heading our way. We could certainly use your help. There are rockets in the next room?" There just isn't a lot of time for him to ask questions. Also, how dumb would it be to say something like "So, what are The Combine after again? I mean, I know, but I'd like someone to explain it to me one more time. It's not like I spent the last few years in suspended animation on a space train or anything...." Exposition isn't given because the NPCs assume he was around during the pivotal events leading up to the game, which is one of the game's main ironies (the other being that "the one free man" isn't free at all).
We've seen every second of time Gordon been conscious since arriving at work on the day of the Resonance Cascade. The total amount of downtime he's had comes down to:
A. Arriving at Black Mesa East: Everyone assumes they've got a bit of time, so they take a breather to get the grav gun to Gordon before jumping into work on the new teleporter. Combine raid the place no less than 10 minutes later.
B. Arriving at White Forest: Eli starts explaining the situation to Gordon, before being interrupted by a pretty major Combine assault on the place.
C. That's it. The entirety of the rest of the series involves Gordon being constantly on the move to somewhere to avoid getting killed by something, and therefore unable to sit down for a wordly chat over some tea or whatever it is that classy Vortigaunts drink.
In Portal 2 (shared plotline with Half Life 2: Episode 3), Chell will interface her android systems with Gordon, who will talk her through the stresses experienced in defeating, escaping and confronting a ressurected GlaDoS. They're breaking all the rules, people, it's going to be insane. Portals + physics puzzles + a guitar solo that will rock your fucking socks off!
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
In Portal 2 (shared plotline with Half Life 2: Episode 3), Chell will interface her android systems with Gordon, who will talk her through the stresses experienced in defeating, escaping and confronting a ressurected GlaDoS. They're breaking all the rules, people, it's going to be insane. Portals + physics puzzles + a guitar solo that will rock your fucking socks off!
Breaking News, I broke into Valve and got a picture of the new gun for portal
Come to think of it, I haven't seen one grocery store in all my time in City 17. Hmm....
They were getting food at the very beginning from those dispenser things. The woman says "You have to be pretty hungry to wait in line for this crap." Okay, maybe I shouldn't have used quote marks because it's not verbatim, but it's pretty close.
I think we are at the point technology wise to pull of eating and going to the bathroom gameplay. I feel that a story telling about Gordon's sandwich will really help the story telling of the story storydsagdfdsaggskj
Neva on
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This far, what few infodumps and bits of exposition we’ve had have been natural, essential to the here and now and nothing more, and most important of all, have never FELT like infodumps.
With all due respect, what you’re proposing very much would. The “overhearing the badguys discuss their plans†thing is … it’s just … please, don’t. As a writer, you want to avoid that like the plague.
Besides, to detail the Combine’s motivations means you’ve created Just Another Alien Invasion Story. Valve’s approach breaks away from that, even if behind it all it is, in fact, Just Another Alien Invasion Story. But they’ve made smart storytelling choices and have trusted the players to be smart, too – no spoonfeeding in the Half-Life universe – and it has paid off.
Half-Life does not provide a plot, it provides an experience. And I think that’s a pretty essential aspect of its success. Pretty sure that when you first come upon the coast, the soldiers there talk about the changes in the seas and so on. I have not read any out-of-game literature. Dunno what any of it says.
Dunno for sure, but the end of Episode 2 makes me think it’ll be touched upon in Episode 3, too. When you detail all that stuff, you run the risk of becoming just another alien invasion story. In the storytelling department, Half-Life has succeeded by breaking the mold of your usual Guy Fights Aliens video game – which, let’s face it, has been done to death. Yet Half-Life feels different; more alive and richer and deeper. That’s because Valve has made smart choices. The fact that you want to know all this stuff is indicative of that. You’ve been drawn into the world. That Valve has been able to tell their story, and tell it well, without this information is a testament to their approach. It’s not necessary to the experience and it’s not necessary to the story, because the story is the experience.
You are Gordon Freeman, and you are trying to survive in the wake of a global catastrophe you don’t understand. THAT’S the story. Take that away, and you have just another video game. A pretty good one, probably. But it sure as hell wouldn’t be Half-Life.
We know (mostly) everything we need to know about Half-Life’s world. The details behind the window dressing are not important. You might want to know, it might be interesting, but it’s not essential to the experience. Half-Life doesn’t tell a story, it offers you an experience that involves a story. There is a subtle difference. Half-Life isn’t about a narrative as much as it’s about experiencing a world through the eyes of your avatar.
I wouldn't just be blindly accepting everything everyone said with zero explanation.
And for me that's what took me out of the game and made me feel like the experience was empty.
Basically, if you're going to make it about killing ugly aliens, make it about that. Don't pretend to be deeper but not actually allow said depth.
You know what would have been great? Old newspaper articles, computer documents, journals, abandoned newscasts and radio broadcast tapes. Give me that ability to explore and reveal the story myself and you've suddenly allowed Freeman to be both silent to other characters and inquisitive at the same time (as I would be).
they did have at least one paper where you could read about how the portal storms appeared on earth and how earth surrendered within 7 hours and how breen was elected as the world representative leader. I didn't find more than that though
also, I'm not sure it would have helped if Gordon would have said "wuts up mang" because the population and the resistance seems pretty oblivious to the big picture as well
Another issue I have with episodic content is the feeling of completion, or in this case the lack thereof. When I beat a full length game I feel like I've accomplished something, and that in turn allows me to move on to the next game. When I beat a game episode I feel like, "Well that was fun, but it's nowhere near over, so what exactly was the point of that?"
Episodic gaming is to me the equivalent of weekly television shows. That's a bad thing because I don't watch weekly television because I don't like cliffhangers and I don't like having to wait to find out what happens. That's why I only collected seasons on DVD. Just my two cents.
Because that "full game" would take around 5+ years to make, as opposed to the approximately 1.5 years cycle they've got now. More importantly, you wouldn't get the constant cycle of feedback > adaptation > release > feedback that's really at the core of episodic gaming.
The point for the developer is that it's no longer an all or nothing venture, you can start to try things now, adapt, listen to and take account of feedback. With a standard sequel development cycle the degree of flexibility afforded doesn't even come close. What they're seeking is to shorten the gap between feedback and implementation so that they can improve the games by taking into account what works and what doesn't at a much faster rate.
The benefit for me is that I get to see an ever improving game series, and at far more regular intervals. It's also not an "either / or" with regards to Half Life 3. I have little doubt that they're currently working on it in the planning stages at least. But, and here's the important point, all the things they've learned from the episodes, all the adaptations and changes they've made to the series as they've iterated over time, Half-Life 3 is going to benefit from all of that and be a better game because of it. If they'd just started on HL3 right away, none of that feedback would have been available to them, and they would make all the same mistakes that they've made (and ironed out) in Episodes 1 and 2.
This is also part of the thinking behind Steam, the kind of feedback Steam gives Valve is crucial to how they adapt their games, not just the current ones, but future instalments. A good example of this is the elevator at the end of the parking garage in Episode 1. They were finding way more people than expected were dying repeatedly at this point and eventually getting so frustrated that they gave up on the game. With this feedback, they learned what the frustrating elements were, gave the player a few more resources and light sources, and made the experience more fun instead of tedious. This patch doesn't just affect Episode 1, the feedback they got goes directly into their understanding of how to make things work in Episode 2. And likewise what feedback they get from 2 will help to make episode 3 better than it would have been otherwise.
Here we'll have to agree to disagree. When I've finished an episode, it's still awesome. Episode 1 didn't end on any more of a cliff hanger than HL2, or even HL1 did. It's an ongoing series with an ongoing storyline. I don't feel that somehow lessens each episode in itself.
You talk about how you only collect season DVD's. Well ordinarily all those shows are broadcast on a weekly basis, and people watch them just fine. If the format doesn't suit you, then your solution is obvious. Just do what you do with the DVD's, and wait until the whole series is out before purchasing. It'll probably be cheaper for you too.
Got to have a story before you can have story TELLING, chief.
I think you're not understanding the difference between storytelling and setting. Just because you can see something that's not explained doesn't make it good storytelling, and it also doesn't mean that there's an actual story either.
I also want to single out this quote as particularly bad. You're basically calling people with the least bit of curiosity stupid. By not just accepting everything at face value, and actually wanting to know more about what's going on than what the unhelpful npc's tell you, apparently you demand spoonfeeding and are an idiot.
You're also basically saying that even a shitty story can be good, just don't tell all of it. Well no, now you just have an unfinished story.
That is what you said. Sorry you chose to not read it that way.
See how passive-aggressiveness doesn't help either of us?
That's the conceit that someone mentioned earlier, despite being the "one free man", Gordon always just follows what other people tell him to do.
Also, in the subject of rediculously overhyped naratives, other than that one cutscene, bioshock should have stayed with the audio journals.
However, the strength of videogames has never really been the actual content of their stories, but rather the manner in which it is experienced by the player. Half Life 2 and its episodes are incredibly immersive for most people, me included, and provide me with a lot of motivation and curiosity even in a linear game where I interact with things almost entirely by shooting them.
They have created a world, a setting, but also a series of events and characters and scenes that make the player feel as if they are living through it. That is the strength of video games, as a medium. That's why people get so attached to video game storylines that are otherwise utter tripe. Half Life does a really, really good job of capitalizing on this. It provides a great immersive experience.
The fact that people want to know what's going on so badly is a testament to that. If it wasn't so good at pulling you in, who would give a shit? It's just another silly sci fi alien invasion story. But it's so much better when your participate in the story in the way that Half Life provides. I knew that it had something special in that regard right from the intro of Half Life 2, especially when you run from the Combine, unarmed, through the apartment building.
I think the lack of exposition only supports the immersion, frankly.
Oh sure it does. It's just none of the interesting things happen while you're actually playing. The player just spends the whole game running around sewers shooting dudes, then running around dark streets shooting zombies, and then running around streets shooting more dudes.
And then I guess the rest of the story comes from the unlimited power of your imagination!
This guy knows what's up
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
No, it isn't. The fact that you've chosen to be sensitive does not make it so, nor does the fact that you disagree with my assessment make it so. You've chosen to read more into my statement than is actually there. You've decided that because I called Choice A smart, and you didn't like Choice A, I therefore must be calling you an idiot. That's a leap in logic. I'm not, but that's what you chose to see. And that's fine, really.
Now let's move on, shall we?
QFT. I officially back this response. Let's see what the opposition says!
Of course, in cases like Half-Life doing so also involves willfully ignoring the narrative. You're either doing exactly that, or it just didn't register with you. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it's the former; that you're exaggerating for effect.
Because some on, even the first, more primitive game had a very clear narrative arc. It can be summarized with a short synopsis, sure -- and no, not "dude shoots other dudes" -- but again, that's the nature of the beast. There is a clear story there, told to you through the events that unfold around you.
Anyway...
Evil Multifarious gets it. The key here isn't that Half-Life's story is amazingly awesome -- it's pretty generic sci-fi, really -- it's the way in which the player experiences the story. That's what sets the series apart. That's what has drawn critical acclaim. That's what has garned fan devotion. On top of that, Valve has chosen some effective methods to bleed information to the player, offering the illusion of a much deeper universe, and has done a bangup job of allowing the story to unfold via events around you, storytelling choices that have made very strong use of the medium. That's where the acclaim comes in. Not because OMG BEST STORY EVAR!, but because the story is told in a manner that surpasses most other games of its type.
Or you could just say these are games about a dude shooting other dudes, then going into a sewer and shooting more dudes. That's fine, too.
LULULULULULULULULUL
That signals the end of the thread.
Ahhh, you're actually addressing my points, excellent! And no, we won't be moving on, this is actually the BEGINNING of a discussion.
Here's what you said again. The problem is when you say that a) they've made smart storytelling choices, and b) they trusted the players to be smart. You're also establishing spoonfeeding as being the OPPOSITE of smart. Now, since spoonfeeding plot to people is the kind of thing you've been arguing against, and which you've been attributing to people who disagree with you, then you are assigning them that attribute of NOT smart. You are also saying that since you enjoyed the game in the way it was meant to be enjoyed, that you fall into that 'smart' category.
Sorry you failed to realize all this, but you DID write it.
I think we're beyond this point now. Read the QTF.
There is a story there, but it largely happens everywhere else, and other people tell you about it. In Half-Life 1 you basically go from scientist to scientist while they tell you about why you're going in the direction you're already going. Yeah there's a story, but it's lame, and you're not a part of it.
In HL2, there's also a story, and sure, I'll grant that it's more in depth than in HL1, but that's not saying much. The only things you really actually take part in in terms of plot where it feels like you're doing something NOT just running around shooting dudes is when you help Alyx break into the prison to find her dad. Again, everything else is just finding people who tell you to keep going in whatever direction you're going, because something will happen once you get there.
See, this I pretty much agree with. The setting and gameplay are good and immersive, I can see people getting lost in them. But the story is still paper thin, and all the npc's walking around talking amongst themselves isn't gonna change that.
e: Sage, how do you feel about Bioshock's story?
Yeah, sadly not.
It's more than that, and i guess you just didn't enjoy the game for whatever reason and that's cool, but your simplifying things and tearing them down to sound stupid and run of the mill, when they are anything but.
example, Just before you're given the gravity gun you pass a tunnel with the name "Ravenholme" over it. Alyx stops says "thats tunnel leads to ravenholme" there's a pause and in a quiet, almost frightened voice she tells you simply "we don't go there anymore."
that's it, one line of dialogue, but if you have even the slightest bit of imagination you are already forming a story in you're head. Jesus she sounded scared, what the fuck happened in Ravenhole... aw crap i'm gonna have to go to ravenholme at some point im sure cuz im gordon freeman and bad shit happens to me all the fucking time.
That's storytelling, but valve doesnt sit there and run a cutscene with a voiced over flashback showing The combine shelling the crap out of ravenholme with the headcrab mortar things. And alyx telling you how terrible it was and how everyone died and gee wasn't that a scary cutscene. No when you get t ravenholme you see horrific imagery every. A fuckton of those headcrab mortar things stuck in the ground, and you build the story of what happened here as you make your way through.
you can say it's poor story telling but you're wrong.
Like I said, just my two cents.
This is why Lost is a good comparison, and why the two reference each other so often. You want to know what's going on. Great, so do the people in the story. Your shared confusion is what makes you identify with them, and the shared drive to understand the world is what keeps the story ticking for everyone involved. The moment you find out what's going on, you lose the entire dynamic and the story becomes something else entirely.
Lost is a character drama. It isn't about the island, but about what the characters do when they don't know what's going on with the island. The viewer cannot properly identify with those characters without sharing their doubts and questions. In the same way, Half-Life isn't about the Combine or Xen or the G-Man or whatever. It's about Gordon Freeman and how he survives when the universe flipped a coin and decided he was going to be at the center of the world going to pot. Remember HL2's ending and how betrayed a lot of people felt by it? That was the point. You get dropped down in the middle of an Orwellian dystopia and upturn the entire establishment in less than a week. Your reward? You get plucked up and put back on ice. That lack of closure was something the player shared with Gordon, and integral to understanding what the game was trying to get across. You're a gopher for some dude who's name you don't know and you have no idea what damage you've actually caused. You just went through the motions because some interstellar bureaucrat/game designer decided that's what you were going to do. You don't have jack shit worth of impact over what has or is going to happen, and aren't worth any more than your trigger finger. That's the story.
I'm interested in the mythology as much as the next guy. Probably more. The mythology, though, is background information. It's not the story, but something tangential to it. It's meant to be on the periphery of the experience, and not being comfortable with that fact is the mistake some of you are making in trying to understand it. If you want the mythology to be the focus, that's cool, but you want a story that isn't Half-Life.
We've seen every second of time Gordon been conscious since arriving at work on the day of the Resonance Cascade. The total amount of downtime he's had comes down to:
A. Arriving at Black Mesa East: Everyone assumes they've got a bit of time, so they take a breather to get the grav gun to Gordon before jumping into work on the new teleporter. Combine raid the place no less than 10 minutes later.
B. Arriving at White Forest: Eli starts explaining the situation to Gordon, before being interrupted by a pretty major Combine assault on the place.
C. That's it. The entirety of the rest of the series involves Gordon being constantly on the move to somewhere to avoid getting killed by something, and therefore unable to sit down for a wordly chat over some tea or whatever it is that classy Vortigaunts drink.
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.
I go to sleep, to to class, come back, and it's the Great Nun Wars all over again.
Gordon Freeman doesn't eat, he waits.
Breaking News, I broke into Valve and got a picture of the new gun for portal
You. You die.
They were getting food at the very beginning from those dispenser things. The woman says "You have to be pretty hungry to wait in line for this crap." Okay, maybe I shouldn't have used quote marks because it's not verbatim, but it's pretty close.
I think we are at the point technology wise to pull of eating and going to the bathroom gameplay. I feel that a story telling about Gordon's sandwich will really help the story telling of the story storydsagdfdsaggskj
"Everyone who is capable of logical thought should be able to see why you shouldn't sell lifetime subscriptions to an MMO. Cell phone companies and drug dealers don't offer lifetime subscriptions either, guess why?" - Mugaaz