I haven't read the whole thread, but has someone extracted the Gordon model from the game?
I would love to see what he looks like with proper lighting.
I haven't read the whole thread, but has someone extracted the Gordon model from the game?
I would love to see what he looks like with proper lighting.
One thing that I was a bit disappointed with in the game was that we still didn't see a huge variety of enemies. Half-Life lore has quite a lot to choose from. Something that has always intrigued me were the synths you see walking around the end of HL2 as you're climbing the citadel. People are digging into the files of Alyx and finding plenty of stuff, apparently including those crab synths. I really hope the next Half-Life explores them further.
Wow....the wear and tear, and blood on the HEV suit is interesting. You couldn't see that very well during the G-man's speech.
I think saying that you never really got tired of seeing one enemy and that every time there was always a new enemy or combination of enemies so it felt "new" and not like "oh its this again".I felt the opposite that the enemy variety was much better than HL2 + Episodes, and I think part of this was attributed to seeing the Xen infestation everywhere, something we didn't see in HL2 and the Episodes. We even got entirely new great enemies like the Lightning Dogs (or "Runner" as what their entity is referred to as, but I kind of prefer Lightning Dog with that whole thing of them limping and whimpering Great Wolf Sif style). The shelled headcrabs (and zombies) were a great new addition. The heavy combine soldiers felt very new and actually pretty threatening. On hard difficulty they get pretty close pretty quickly and are scary as you scramble to reload behind cover. And of course you can't forget Jeff.
It still didn't match the enemy variety of HL1, but it came pretty close, even though the numbers don't really add up. It's hard to explain it being more of a feeling than actual numbers, haha.
I'm rusty on my HL2 lore, but did they ever explain how Barney, Alyx, and Kleiner knew when and where Gordon would reappear? Or did G-Man place him specifically in a place where Barney would find him?
Yeah, that pretty much quantifies it.I think saying that you never really got tired of seeing one enemy and that every time there was always a new enemy or combination of enemies so it felt "new" and not like "oh its this again".
Pretty much. G-man put Gordon on the train relocating citizens to City 17, and Gordon was walking through the checkpoint about to go to Nova Prospekt when Barney was there under cover helping people escape.
Wait, you thought the enemy variety is better than HL2 + Episodes? Curious to hear why you think so, HL2+Episodes objectively has more enemies and of greater variety.I felt the opposite that the enemy variety was much better than HL2 + Episodes, and I think part of this was attributed to seeing the Xen infestation everywhere, something we didn't see in HL2 and the Episodes. We even got entirely new great enemies like the Lightning Dogs (or "Runner" as what their entity is referred to as, but I kind of prefer Lightning Dog with that whole thing of them limping and whimpering Great Wolf Sif style). The shelled headcrabs (and zombies) were a great new addition. The heavy combine soldiers felt very new and actually pretty threatening. On hard difficulty they get pretty close pretty quickly and are scary as you scramble to reload behind cover. And of course you can't forget Jeff.
It still didn't match the enemy variety of HL1, but it came pretty close, even though the numbers don't really add up. It's hard to explain it being more of a feeling than actual numbers, haha.
You are right, there is objectively more of a variety in HL2 + Episodes. I think eonden explained it best.Wait, you thought the enemy variety is better than HL2 + Episodes? Curious to hear why you think so, HL2+Episodes objectively has more enemies and of greater variety.
Here's a list of HL2 enemies that don't show up in Alyx:
Bullsquid
Antlion Guard
Fast Zombies
Poison Zombie
Zombine
Fast Headcrabs
Hunters
Dropship
Gunship
APC
Sentry Gun
Several types of Combine soldiers
Overwatch Sniper
Alyx gave us:
Few different types of Combine soldiers
Lightning Dog/Lightning Zombie
Armored Headcrab
Jeff
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's it for new enemies in HL: Alyx.
I think saying that you never really got tired of seeing one enemy and that every time there was always a new enemy or combination of enemies so it felt "new" and not like "oh its this again".
Yeah, I would say the only part where I was like "oh god more Combine?" was in chapter 10, but then you had a lot more escalation and it felt more like a crescendo and then chapter 11 turned those combat parts in a diferent direcitons.You are right, there is objectively more of a variety in HL2 + Episodes. I think eonden explained it best.
The other part of it is that there was more variety in locales in Alyx than HL2 for sure. Almost every single area in HL2 + Episodes looked like it came out of the human world. Not that that is a bad thing, it's not, and there was plenty of variety in HL2. We saw city, Ravenholm, the Citadel, the highway/beach, Nova Prospekt, and then the more countryside environments of Episode 2. In Alyx (while smaller in scale, and sort of had to be being a VR game), went through a lot. There was a lot of city and old buildings, but stuff like the Northern Star Hotel, or the sewers in Chapter 3 infested with Xen gunk and poison headcrabs in the dark, the whole distillery in the Jeff chapter, the zoo was something really different and special.
Yeah, I can't disagree more on variety of locales. Especially if we toss the episodes in. From the city, to the sewers, canals, Coastal areas, Mines, Ravenholm, Nova Prospekt, Antlion tunnels, City Ruins, Citadel, Combine Palace, Forested areas, etc.You are right, there is objectively more of a variety in HL2 + Episodes. I think eonden explained it best.
The other part of it is that there was more variety in locales in Alyx than HL2 for sure. Almost every single area in HL2 + Episodes looked like it came out of the human world. Not that that is a bad thing, it's not, and there was plenty of variety in HL2. We saw city, Ravenholm, the Citadel, the highway/beach, Nova Prospekt, and then the more countryside environments of Episode 2. In Alyx (while smaller in scale, and sort of had to be being a VR game), went through a lot. There was a lot of city and old buildings, but stuff like the Northern Star Hotel, or the sewers in Chapter 3 infested with Xen gunk and poison headcrabs in the dark, the whole distillery in the Jeff chapter, the zoo was something really different and special.
Easy enough to add an upgrade for the gloves and call it the Mark VI HEV SuitTwo things about a potential sequel with Gordon as the player character: he won't have the gloves and he won't speak, right? Both of those things are pretty big obstacles after the foundation they've set up with HL: Alyx. I wonder what they'll do with that.
I would buy an artbook of this game in a fucking second holy shit. All the different kinds of zombies and combine suits... so fucking cool.
Two things about a potential sequel with Gordon as the player character: he won't have the gloves and he won't speak, right? Both of those things are pretty big obstacles after the foundation they've set up with HL: Alyx. I wonder what they'll do with that.
I would buy an artbook of this game in a fucking second holy shit. All the different kinds of zombies and combine suits... so fucking cool.
Two things about a potential sequel with Gordon as the player character: he won't have the gloves and he won't speak, right? Both of those things are pretty big obstacles after the foundation they've set up with HL: Alyx. I wonder what they'll do with that.
I would buy an artbook of this game in a fucking second holy shit. All the different kinds of zombies and combine suits... so fucking cool.
These are games designed with gameplay first and then have stories wrapped around them. They are not story first projects. That is why finishing off a cliffhanger was never enough to motivate Valve to make a sequel. That isn't why they make games.
This ending simply resets the stage. Changes expectations. Removes people's ideas of what a Half Life 3 would be. Lets new writers shape the future of the franchise instead of being beholden to choices made over a decade ago by different people who no longer work there. They aren't cornered into making the next game some Half Life 2 in the Arctic adventure that it was originally going to be.
It isn't what they had in mind when they started this project. It is what Wolpaw and company came to later on, which allowed them to tie it more strongly into the previous game and give them more freedom in the future if it ever came to that.
I guess I can see why people would be disappointed by that but honestly, even as a longtime Half Life fan, I have absolutely no stake in having to see the ending of Ep 2 carried on in its original form. I'd rather Valve feel creatively inspired to work on Half Life again than it feel like an anchor around their necks.
I was much less worried about the story once I heard the Campo Santo folks were pitching in on Alyx, honestly. Have loved their games, stories, and character work for a long time.I mean a meaning as in an arc for the characters, like Gordon or the player rising to power against the Combine or Alyx being saved by Gordon etc.
I don't think just by itself the "Alyx saves Eli and retcons Ep2's cliffhanger" has a proper arc to it, but Alyx becoming the new Gman underling totally has that potential. That's also where I think Erik Wolpaw and Vanaman might be the best candidates to continue the story because, while I dunno how Wolpaw is here, I know Vanaman is particularly adept at forming a character theme that is drawn to the finish line. In Walking Dead S1 the plot of Lee Everett was superb and in Firewatch the story of your character dealing with his amnesiac wife and seeking a bewildering escape in an unknown forest rose to a very good emotional peak for me.
I think Laidlaw is an incredible writer but he really worked to service the video-game aspect of narrative more than he seemed to write each game for emotional themes. That's what I think the new guard might bring to it. Real character arcs that bring about moral lessons and flaws that have to be overcome, and hopefully work it in properly with gameplay mechanics.
One thing that I was a bit disappointed with in the game was that we still didn't see a huge variety of enemies. Half-Life lore has quite a lot to choose from. Something that has always intrigued me were the synths you see walking around the end of HL2 as you're climbing the citadel. People are digging into the files of Alyx and finding plenty of stuff, apparently including those crab synths. I really hope the next Half-Life explores them further.
No bullsquids in HL2 (sadly). The Snark in the jar makes me hope we'll be able so use those again, they were always one of my favorite weapons in the series. BRING BACK THE SQUEAK GRENADES.Wait, you thought the enemy variety is better than HL2 + Episodes? Curious to hear why you think so, HL2+Episodes objectively has more enemies and of greater variety.
Here's a list of HL2 enemies that don't show up in Alyx:
Bullsquid
Antlion Guard
Fast Zombies
Poison Zombie
Zombine
Fast Headcrabs
Hunters
Dropship
Gunship
APC
Sentry Gun
Several types of Combine soldiers
Overwatch Sniper
Alyx gave us:
Few different types of Combine soldiers
Lightning Dog/Lightning Zombie
Armored Headcrab
Jeff
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's it for new enemies in HL: Alyx.
I wasn't really that excited at first. As I said I think their games are amazing, and I wasn't one of those that thought Firewatch had a bad ending, but I was skeptical becuase I'm not sure how good of a fit they are for Half LIfe.I was much less worried about the story once I heard the Campo Santo folks were pitching in on Alyx, honestly. Have loved their games, stories, and character work for a long time.
I guess someone else has reset the clock.I know Tyler from VNN said he was working on datamining HL Alyx and said there was a lot of interesting stuff there, such as the trip mines being placable were a cut weapon.
Say what you will about Tyler (and believe me, I don't buy everything he says either), he was spot on about all the HLVR/Alyx stuff before Alyx was even announced. He also had reports that a Left 4 Dead VR was coming in the immediate future, it's not.I guess someone else has reset the clock.
It's HLVR2 conspiracy time.
Say what you will about Tyler (and believe me, I don't buy everything he says either), he was spot on about all the HLVR/Alyx stuff before Alyx was even announced. He also had reports that a Left 4 Dead VR was coming in the immediate future, it's not.
I don't think so, but I could be wrong. I think he said something more like Valve was working with the Boneworks dev and it was sort of a prototype for it. I don't think the latter was true.
Bullsquids weren't in HL2Here's a list of HL2 enemies that don't show up in Alyx:
Bullsquid
not the HL VR title, but A HL title iirc? or "a secret" HL title or something.
Say what you will about Tyler (and believe me, I don't buy everything he says either), he was spot on about all the HLVR/Alyx stuff before Alyx was even announced. He also had reports that a Left 4 Dead VR was coming in the immediate future, it's not.
I didn't realize that, I thought he had said something recently about them working on both at the same time (Alyx and L4D3/VR) but I am definitely confusing it with what you're talking about.No he didn't, his reporting on L4D3/VR was that Valve stopped working on it years ago which is something Valve later confirmed. He did have a pretty badly worded tweet which basically said he got confirmation the information he had about it was real, other journalists took it as him saying that it was coming out in the future when he didn't actually say that. He did later admit that was a very badly worded tweet (and it was a very badly worded tweet).
I don't think so, but I could be wrong. I think he said something more like Valve was working with the Boneworks dev and it was sort of a prototype for it. I don't think the latter was true.
At the very least I know he still sticks to his guns about it being a "spiritual" Half-Life game.
I was interested in Boneworks before it came out, but then I heard that for even people with "VR legs" it was very motion sickness inducing, that had me worried. Watching more footage of it, seeing stuff like the arms looking rather janky turned me off of the game. I considered getting it at some point and trying it for less than two hours and refunding if the motion sickness really was that bad.God, I hope Valve keeps those guys as far away as possible from the HL universe.
I didn't care that much for BW when it initially came out and put it on the shelf because of the lack of saves. I tried it again after beating HL:A which cemented my opinion that it 's just an annoying pile of junk. Ugly, uninspired levels, bad design decisions in pretty much every area. None of the marquee physics stuff is enjoyable, and the rest of the normal features have been done better in other games (climbing/shooting/platforming)
I really want a L4D VR game. That's one where I do actually think it would work well as a VR optional game since it's mostly co-op. Not sure how they'd handle playing as the infected in that scenario though.I didn't realize that, I thought he had said something recently about them working on both at the same time (Alyx and L4D3/VR) but I am definitely confusing it with what you're talking about.
I wonder if we ever will get an L4D VR one day. I could see a Portal VR happening (they even said they were working with Portal VR but scrapped it because it's too disorienting for VR), but maybe make it where you yourself don't go through the portals, you just put objects through them, or stick your arms in them, etc.
I think a Gordon VR game is coming though. I agree with the suggestions in this thread that the HEV suit will probably get an upgrade to have the Gravity Gloves built in.
I've been playing Boneworks and it's... Fine. I haven't gotten motion sick or anything and I still feel woozy in things like Stormlands. It's absolutely janky but there's a lot more environmental interaction than what I've found in Alyx. Granted that's mostly because that's the entire schtick; Everything is in service of you picking up anything and clambering around for the sake of it. My ideal game would honestly be Alyx + the environmental interactivity of Boneworks. The arms and legs in Boneworks should absolutely go though.I was interested in Boneworks before it came out, but then I heard that for even people with "VR legs" it was very motion sickness inducing, that had me worried. Watching more footage of it, seeing stuff like the arms looking rather janky turned me off of the game. I considered getting it at some point and trying it for less than two hours and refunding if the motion sickness really was that bad.
Lots of people rail against "floating hands" in VR games, and I think most of those people have not played VR games. The arms in Boneworks look awkward and out of place as all hell.
He said it spiritually shared a lot of DNA with Half-Life, not that it was actually an HL game.
I was interested in Boneworks before it came out, but then I heard that for even people with "VR legs" it was very motion sickness inducing, that had me worried. Watching more footage of it, seeing stuff like the arms looking rather janky turned me off of the game. I considered getting it at some point and trying it for less than two hours and refunding if the motion sickness really was that bad.
Lots of people rail against "floating hands" in VR games, and I think most of those people have not played VR games. The arms in Boneworks look awkward and out of place as all hell.
I might have to give BW a try, but yeah that sounds really bad with the physical body. I think most VR devs seems to realize that floating hands are a-okay and better generally. You know where the rest of your body is, you just need to see what your hands are grabbing.I historically haven't had great VR legs and didn't have much problem in BW. To its credit, it runs well and I think that plays a part in reducing nausea.
The arms in BW aren't good but the bigger distraction to me is the legs, especially when climbing.
Making the character body "physical" has really bad consequences other than just goofy looks. For example, every time I turn a door knob, the entire world shifts up or down, presumably because my real world hand isn't pivoting perfectly in place. Very unpleasant sensation. Lots of interactions cause the world perspective to shift unexpectedly and I think that's totally unacceptable.
I didn't realize that, I thought he had said something recently about them working on both at the same time (Alyx and L4D3/VR) but I am definitely confusing it with what you're talking about.
I wonder if we ever will get an L4D VR one day. I could see a Portal VR happening (they even said they were working with Portal VR but scrapped it because it's too disorienting for VR), but maybe make it where you yourself don't go through the portals, you just put objects through them, or stick your arms in them, etc.
I think a Gordon VR game is coming though. I agree with the suggestions in this thread that the HEV suit will probably get an upgrade to have the Gravity Gloves built in.
I made comments in the other thread about this (accidentally unspoilered them first because I thougth that was the spoiler thread, but I fixed it). I'm glad we got the ending in the final product, it was better than this one (obviously ignoring the unfinished nature of it). It seemed like Alyx was never led to believe Gordon was in the vault, because she just asked the G-man if the briefcase was the weapon or he was the weapon or what. It seemed like she didn't know who Gordon was. Also interesting they showed unconscious Gordon in the Episode 2 ending scene.Somehow Tyler at VNN got his hands on an early build of the game. Here's the original ending clip
Also noticed that the Gman model is significantly different than the one in retail. Looks a lot like his HL2 versionSomehow Tyler at VNN got his hands on an early build of the game. Here's the original ending clip
Link isn't working for me. Was it not archived?Somehow Tyler at VNN got his hands on an early build of the game. Here's the original ending clip
Damn, doesn't look like it. Hopefully somebody will mirror it later :(