I miss the "golden age" of Half-Life - Games

[QUOTE=JLea;26581278]They've obviously scrapped episodic content. [editline]9th December 2010[/editline] A full COD game gets released every year, where as valve can't even release an episode every 2 years[/QUOTE] maybe thats why their games are boring in my eye [editline]15th December 2010[/editline] Of course valve is overhauling the engine. why do you guys keep ignoring that they have a more upgraded engine in their hands right now [editline]15th December 2010[/editline] [QUOTE=The Combine;26675312]Crowbar < Knife IMO.(What does that have to do with the discussion anyway?) I agree, the AI in CoD is horseshit but HL2s AI is not that good as well so that cant be such an important aspect of why HL2 is that great. Im talking about the Singleplayer by the way not Multiplayer.[/QUOTE] yeah like a knife to the leg kills you instantly

I think Valve should've spent a bit more time on Left 4 Dead 2. The first one was great, but I just think that Valve tried to get it out too quickly because the fan base always complains when things are taking too long. Valve should just let things take their time, and I think they've learned their lesson with Portal 2 and Episode Three because both are taking a long time. Also, I think Valve is now understanding that they made mistakes with TF2 and now are using the beta to fix them. Just my opinion, though.

but seriously- the only visible effort valve is making is tf2. its holding every other game back

The only reason that it's Valve's "only visible effort" is that TF2 is [I]actually released[/I]. Valve has separate teams for each of their games. Just because the TF2 team is working on TF2 doesn't mean that they're "holding the other games back". :colbert:

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y277/Aki64/banner01a.jpg[/IMG] Says it all.

[QUOTE=JLea;26581278]They've obviously scrapped episodic content.[/QUOTE] I don't see anything that makes it obvious.

[QUOTE=JohnnyBBuild;26718544][img_thumb]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y277/Aki64/banner01a.jpg[/img_thumb] Says it all.[/QUOTE] I actually liked The Passing. Its The Sacrifice I can't stand.

[QUOTE=wari65;26718758]I actually liked The Passing. Its The Sacrifice I can't stand.[/QUOTE] I loved The Passing. The Sacrifice is almost like a boring map mod.

[QUOTE=LtBubbles;26603644]I'm not a retro gamer i'm not a faggot that complains about everything and i'm not into bandwagons but fuck, i miss the time half-life (i mean the first one) was at it's peak with it's mods and stuff Had a wondeful time playing natural selection and sven coop. The half life 2 mods aren't as awesome as the half life ones were. I'm really impressed by empires mod however, but it aint exactly populated, but enough to play with out a problem.[/QUOTE] Half Life 2 Mods were amazing but everyone has been going to GMod and making gamemodes on that.

I thought we were still in the "golden age" of Valve. :unsmith:

[QUOTE=Wowza!;26691972]Also, Black Ops singleplayer is basically an interactive movie.[/QUOTE] Also, a big diference is that the COD series are different storys, Half-Life is the same story of the same man since you start the game and that attracts you more.

I hope valve doesn't hype this game up. I hope they release a really terrible game that's only 2 hours long on the release day. Then the day after they'll release the real version.

[QUOTE=The Combine;26675093]Black Ops is much more fun than HL2 in my opinion. Explain why HL2 is better than CoD Black Ops. No HL2 fan was ever able to answer the question why HL2 is that awesome.[/QUOTE] Half-Life 2 not only has engaging gameplay, and an intriguing story, but it is a storytelling masterpiece. No moment in Black Ops, or ANY Call of Duty game for that matter, can compare to Point Insertion. The emotions felt and messages seen in that one chapter tells the story far better than any cheesy mission briefing ever could. Half-Life may look shallow on the surface, but it separates itself from other games by forcing the player to think, and ponder about the story. Not only does it engage the mind with mysterious happenings and vagaries, but the art style also helps the world come alive. It feels like a realistic, believable world. That immersion you get from the story and the environments, combined with the excellent gameplay, is what propels the Half-Life series for beyond your average Halos and Call of Dutys. EDIT: As far as gameplay goes, Half-Life has far better level design, and much more variety. Just look at Half-Life 2. You go from city streets to sewers to an abandoned ghost town to the coast, to an old prison, and finally into a large alien structure, all while facing many different types and combinations of enemies. Half-Life 2 breaks through the typical genre boundaries by including such variety. It is truly amazing how Valve managed to fit so many shooter styles into one. HL2 does the lone wolf gameplay, as well as the Cod-esque team battles. It does the Resident Evil-esque horror levels, as well as some nail-bitingly intense sections. All this, with virtually no backtracking. You are always on your toes when playing Half-Life 2, and you never do one thing for so long that it gets boring.

[QUOTE=Mvwill;26720744]I hope valve doesn't hype this game up. I hope they release a really terrible game that's only 2 hours long on the release day. Then the day after they'll release the real version.[/QUOTE] I hope Gabe comes onstage at the big reveal announcement and says it's not all the way done, so they're releasing it in parts, and then he presents Half-Life 2: Episode Three: Episode One.

[QUOTE=The Combine;26675093]Black Ops is much more fun than HL2 in my opinion. Explain why HL2 is better than CoD Black Ops. No HL2 fan was ever able to answer the question why HL2 is that awesome.[/QUOTE] You know, you don't make a statement like that without you first explaining why Black Ops is better than HL2. It's kinda how an argument works. It's also retarded to compare those two games since one is focused on the multi-player and the other is focused on the single-player.

I like Black Ops and Half Life for different reasons. One is for "HOLY SHIT DUDE" and the other is for "Now how do I cause this to open?" [editline]15th December 2010[/editline] I also don't play the HL for its story. I play it for the gameplay. I never really got into the story, and don't agree with people who say the HL series is great because of its story.

[QUOTE=ChosenOne54;26720980]Half-Life 2 not only has engaging gameplay, and an intriguing story, but it is a storytelling masterpiece. No moment in Black Ops, or ANY Call of Duty game for that matter, can compare to Point Insertion. The emotions felt and messages seen in that one chapter tells the story far better than any cheesy mission briefing ever could. Half-Life may look shallow on the surface, but it separates itself from other games by forcing the player to think, and ponder about the story. Not only does it engage the mind with mysterious happenings and vagaries, but the art style also helps the world come alive. It feels like a realistic, believable world. That immersion you get from the story and the environments, combined with the excellent gameplay, is what propels the Half-Life series for beyond your average Halos and Call of Dutys. EDIT: As far as gameplay goes, Half-Life has far better level design, and much more variety. Just look at Half-Life 2. You go from city streets to sewers to an abandoned ghost town to the coast, to an old prison, and finally into a large alien structure, all while facing many different types and combinations of enemies. Half-Life 2 breaks through the typical genre boundaries by including such variety. It is truly amazing how Valve managed to fit so many shooter styles into one. HL2 does the lone wolf gameplay, as well as the Cod-esque team battles. It does the Resident Evil-esque horror levels, as well as some nail-bitingly intense sections. All this, with virtually no backtracking. You are always on your toes when playing Half-Life 2, and you never do one thing for so long that it gets boring.[/QUOTE] What I always loved about half-life 1 was the fact that everytime you would go to another environment you could actually feel the differences.You go in so many different places in half-life 1 too.

[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;26727665]I like Black Ops and Half Life for different reasons. One is for "HOLY SHIT DUDE" and the other is for "Now how do I cause this to open?" [editline]15th December 2010[/editline] I also don't play the HL for its story. I play it for the gameplay. I never really got into the story, and don't agree with people who say the HL series is great because of its story.[/QUOTE] This should explain everything for you, friend. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slRsexrhbG8[/media]

[QUOTE=jack254;26716762]but seriously- the only visible effort valve is making is tf2. its holding every other game back[/QUOTE] Every game studio is divided into different teams. While Valve likes to blur the hard lines and work together as a whole on everything (which means that programmers are also welcome to exchange thoughts about visual designs etc), there are still experts that concentrate on one franchise, that's sorta like a team. If Valve didn't have free capacities, they wouldn't have picked up the DOTA franchise. Either that or they got bored of their flagship. I hope it's not the latter. On the other hand they're fucking around too much with TF2, I give you that. You know those stupid image modifier where you can cluster a photo of yours with fairy dust and neon signs and shiny necklaces and other completely random stuff? I feel that's what they're currently doing with TF2's art direction and I don't see how they could fix it even if they'd see it like me at some point.

Wtf is wrong with you people. all i hear is "improved engine" this and "valve better update" that. I know this is facepunch but seriously im looking forward to how valve will tell an epic story and develop characters. My point being valve haven't gone the way of SO many other devs, taking their graphics engines to more and more photo real levels where they then dip further and further into the uncanny valley of fake shit looking characters, and faces that look like the underside of my shoe. The unrealistic style of the source engine helps keep the characters believable because we know their fake. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley[/url]

[QUOTE=Butthurter;26731787]You know, it wouldn't be such a bad idea if Half-Life 3 was the next game instead. Let's see, the episodes have been a laughing stock to the community for years now since they promised to use the episodic system of Half-Life to deliver games faster. Look where that turned out. It'll be a wiser idea to completely be a new game. HL3. When you think about it, EP2 would have been a good mysterious ending to HL2, minus the G-Man having you in stasis. Valve can whip anything new and mysterious to have the mysteriousness of the HL games pursue into HL3, where you probably wake up somewhere to start the events of HL3. We already know what will happen in EP3. That something big will be in the Borealis, and Eli wants you to destroy it. And we already know that the Combine have taken over the ship in EP3. With all of these in knowledge, HL3 can just easily happen by mysteriously skipping forward after the events of what would have been EP3. Let's assume the Combine have vanished completely, their entire world, after bringing a tech from the Borealis into their world. A new Half-Life sequel means a completely new story arc, therefore, events of what would originally have been EP3 could be used as a way to connect the storyline from HL2 to HL3. Sort of like how the 7 Hour War explained the events of how HL2 happened.[/QUOTE] I see where you're coming from here, but think about it. The Seven Hour War wasn't explained/seen in complete detail. All we got is, "The Combine came to Earth, all of Earth's military forces fought for seven hours and Dr. Breen ordered their surrender, so the Combine made him the Administrator of Earth and took over the planet and it's been that way for about twenty years". We didn't hear about any kind of war hero/martyr, any specific battles that would've been important to history, or even anything eventful that happened during the 20 year gap after the war ended. All of the details have been filled in with fan-made stories, some of which are horribly altered from the events of the Seven Hour War, or don't make sense at all. That's what would happen to the story of Episode Three if Valve just skipped it and made Half-Life 3. Plus, even if they did that, we'd have to wait [i]even longer[/i] for Valve to come up with a new story, new enemies, new weapons, new characters, and possibly overhaul the Source engine to bring it up to present-day or future standards.

[QUOTE=Sub-Zero;26728556]What I always loved about half-life 1 was the fact that everytime you would go to another environment you could actually feel the differences.You go in so many different places in half-life 1 too.[/QUOTE] Indeed. Black Mesa was a truly unforgettable locale. Same with City 17. Another reason the Half-Life series is so good is because of the atmosphere. In half-Life 2, you really FEEL as if the Combine are watching you. You can see the effect of the Combine rule. There is a wonder Orwellian feel to the game, as if no matter where you are, or what you are doing, you are being closely monitored. It is only enhanced by the amazing ambient noises from all around the city; alarms in the distance, the sound of Combine radio chatter, and the unforgettably diabolical and emotionless Overwatch voice. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZX6oLEK5KQ[/url]

[QUOTE=ChosenOne54;26735878]Indeed. Black Mesa was a truly unforgettable locale. Same with City 17. Another reason the Half-Life series is so good is because of the atmosphere. In half-Life 2, you really FEEL as if the Combine are watching you. You can see the effect of the Combine rule. There is a wonder Orwellian feel to the game, as if no matter where you are, or what you are doing, you are being closely monitored. It is only enhanced by the amazing ambient noises from all around the city; alarms in the distance, the sound of Combine radio chatter, and the unforgettably diabolical and emotionless Overwatch voice. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZX6oLEK5KQ[/url][/QUOTE] Was only for 1 chapter though. I think the storyline is overrated and not very fleshed out.

[QUOTE=Butthurter;26731787] When you think about it, EP2 would have been a good mysterious ending to HL2, minus the G-Man having you in stasis. Valve can whip anything new and mysterious to have the mysteriousness of the HL games pursue into HL3, where you probably wake up somewhere to start the events of HL3. We already know what will happen in EP3. That something big will be in the Borealis, and Eli wants you to destroy it. And we already know that the Combine have taken over the ship in EP3. With all of these in knowledge, HL3 can just easily happen by mysteriously skipping forward after the events of what would have been EP3. Let's assume the Combine have vanished completely, their entire world, after bringing a tech from the Borealis into their world. A new Half-Life sequel means a completely new story arc, therefore, events of what would originally have been EP3 could be used as a way to connect the storyline from HL2 to HL3. Sort of like how the 7 Hour War explained the events of how HL2 happened.[/QUOTE] :psyduck: Please tell me this is a joke. [b]Please.[/b] The only way this is a wise idea is if your intent is to make the entire fanbase scream bloody murder at you for throwing years of build-up and characters in the trash and leaving the main story arc on a massive cliffhanger forever just for the sake of doing something new. If that's the case, this is a absolutely brilliant idea. Genius even. I've heard a lot of stupid story ideas come from Valve fans, but this one blows my mind. Again, this is a good idea [i]how?[/i] "Hay guys, know that huge cliffhanger we left the story on in EP2 you've been waiting years for us to continue from? We're never going to resolve it. We're skipping ahead with a completely new story and characters and will leave everything that could have happened to Gordon and all the other characters you like to the minds of the fans aside from a few extremely vague references. Enjoy. :smug:"

My guess is that something vital to the Half-Life plot will surface in Portal 2.

[QUOTE=Tortekr;26810523]My guess is that something vital to the Half-Life plot will surface in Portal 2.[/QUOTE] Valve already said that due to Portal 2 being several hundred years in the future, there will be little to no Half-Life references in the game.

[QUOTE=BmB;26579535]I hope the reason it's taking so long is either: [list=A] [*]They are overhauling the engine, Valve used to be technology juggernauts. Source was king when HL2 came out. Now they are the single most regressive and turtle paced technology developer I know of. [*]It's full length, we didn't wait 3-5 years for them to sit with their thumbs up their arse and putting out a half assed 3 hour game. [*]All of the above. [/list] [/QUOTE] You forgot to add TF2 updates.