Half-Life & Portal series, general discussion (v3) - Games

I can't imagine overwatch having many operations in the artic on earth. I doubt that they'd bother to manufacture new artic uniforms for the soldiers just for one fight. Perhaps they might use white elites more though... id be happy to see some snow settling on the soldiers though. I always thought the combine were more after inspiring fear than camouflage. It's not as obvious as say.. Napoleonic redcoats and whitecoats and bluecoats... but they do have glowing eyes.

[QUOTE=The Jack;39253038]I can't imagine overwatch having many operations in the artic on earth. I doubt that they'd bother to manufacture new artic uniforms for the soldiers just for one fight. Perhaps they might use white elites more though... id be happy to see some snow settling on the soldiers though. I always thought the combine were more after inspiring fear than camouflage. It's not as obvious as say.. Napoleonic redcoats and whitecoats and bluecoats... but they do have glowing eyes.[/QUOTE] They have probably discovered the borealis there however (At least according to the concept art, and kinda the mossman video), so why not have a huge force protecting something that could destroy them, possibly?

[QUOTE=Hybrid 4F;39249369]You can play as aliens in Swarm for Half-Life. [url]http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/View.php?view=HLMotw.Detail&id=131[/url][/QUOTE] Is it possible to find a working download of this anymore? I remember playing this with my brother a long time ago.

[QUOTE=meazum;39253445]Is it possible to find a working download of this anymore? I remember playing this with my brother a long time ago.[/QUOTE] [URL="http://www.desura.com/mods/swarm"]Maybe[/URL]

[QUOTE=The Jack;39253038]I can't imagine overwatch having many operations in the artic on earth. I doubt that they'd bother to manufacture new artic uniforms for the soldiers just for one fight. Perhaps they might use white elites more though... id be happy to see some snow settling on the soldiers though. I always thought the combine were more after inspiring fear than camouflage. It's not as obvious as say.. Napoleonic redcoats and whitecoats and bluecoats... but they do have glowing eyes.[/QUOTE] well, the arctic would be rich in minerals and oil, for one, so they could have mining and drilling operations so they could transport large hauls of resources off-world to other combine worlds, to explain their presence there. also, if you were to invade a region, if not a whole alien world, would you not set up a few outposts in even desolate areas within the region? i do think there would be few soldiers there until the combine discover the borealis (maybe they'd have discovered it before the events of the next half-life installation, maybe not) but there probably would be defense measures and possibly even a good amount of synths out there to guard whatever operations they'd have going on.

[QUOTE=Arctic-Zone;39258426]well, the arctic would be rich in minerals and oil, for one, so they could have mining and drilling operations so they could transport large hauls of resources off-world to other combine worlds, to explain their presence there. also, if you were to invade a region, if not a whole alien world, would you not set up a few outposts in even desolate areas within the region? i do think there would be few soldiers there until the combine discover the borealis (maybe they'd have discovered it before the events of the next half-life installation, maybe not) but there probably would be defense measures and possibly even a good amount of synths out there to guard whatever operations they'd have going on.[/QUOTE] name fits. Exactly, why shouldn't you have stuff over at the artics? Also, I guess they had to capture different cityes, maybe in the future there were some over at the artics?

I hope we get to see Aperture Military Androids based on Atlas and P-body or some of their concept art, like these: [img]http://images.wikia.com/half-life/en/images/3/32/Atlas_p-body_concept01.jpg[/img] [img]http://images.wikia.com/half-life/en/images/f/f0/Atlas_p-body_concept05.jpg[/img] [img]http://images.wikia.com/half-life/en/images/1/14/Atlas_p-body_concept06.jpg[/img] Although we aren't even sure what version (time) of Aperture the Borealis was from, i expect it will be the modern Aperture though.

The boat has been there since the 80's aperture (I dont remember the dates exactly), but from the logos, it looks like the new aperture. But we also need to remember that EP2 was released before this old aperture concept, so i think it will be based on the old aperture.

[QUOTE=Matsilagi;39259002]The boat has been there since the 80's aperture (I dont remember the dates exactly), but from the logos, it looks like the new aperture. But we also need to remember that EP2 was released before this old aperture concept, so i think it will be based on the old aperture.[/QUOTE] I don't think a date has been mentioned, but the dry dock was in the 70's section, that doesn't mean it disappeared in the 70s though. I think it is more likely to be based on what most people think of when Aperture is mentioned - The modern version. If it was old Aperture then we wouldn't see many familiar things.

[QUOTE=nightlord;39259209]I don't think a date has been mentioned, but the dry dock was in the 70's section, that doesn't mean it disappeared in the 70s though. I think it is more likely to be based on what most people think of when Aperture is mentioned - The modern version. If it was old Aperture then we wouldn't see many familiar things.[/QUOTE] The drydock is also miles under the earth in a salt mine. You have to take everything concerning Portal with a pinch of [i]salt[/i].

[QUOTE=Ereunity;39259292]The drydock is also miles under the earth in a salt mine. You have to take everything concerning Portal with a pinch of [I]salt[/I].[/QUOTE] All the better place to construct a teleporting warship!

Imagine if they introduced enemies with portal guns... and the AI to use them both to displace themselves, but also against the player? They could wreck our shit in so many ways :v:

[QUOTE=Im Crimson;39260061]Imagine if they introduced enemies with portal guns... and the AI to use them both to displace themselves, but also against the player? They could wreck our shit in so many ways :v:[/QUOTE] Wouldn't make it past playtesting, as playtesters would be too confused by suddenly being somewhere else (same reason portal-based competition didn't make it into portal 2) Damn those playtesters.

[QUOTE=p0rtalplayer;39260126]Wouldn't make it past playtesting, as playtesters would be too confused by suddenly being somewhere else (same reason portal-based competition didn't make it into portal 2) Damn those playtesters.[/QUOTE] I understand that problem, just imagining it my head is annoying.

[QUOTE=Im Crimson;39260061]Imagine if they introduced enemies with portal guns... and the AI to use them both to displace themselves, but also against the player? They could wreck our shit in so many ways :v:[/QUOTE] Hunters and shotgunners with portalguns? No, thanks...

I love playing EP2 and fighting the antlions with Griggs and Sheckely. Especially Sheckely because he's played by Adam Baldwin.

[QUOTE=Griffster26;39260547]I love playing EP2 and fighting the antlions with Griggs and Sheckely. Especially Sheckely because he's played by Adam Baldwin.[/QUOTE] Oh it is [URL="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000284/"]him.[/URL] Never knew this guy's name but I have watched some things he starred in. Good actor but is it really him? According to IMDB it is unconfirmed.

[QUOTE=Meatpuppet;39250327]It's really hard to solve clipping problems with cloth. Not to mention it fucks performance.[/QUOTE] I agree, but it can be really impressive. For example, there's the nice real time PhysX cloth physics in Mafia 2 [video=youtube;KOBa4val_tI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOBa4val_tI[/video]

he is. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Baldwin[/url] look below he played in a few video games

[QUOTE=CakeMaster7;39261331]I agree, but it can be really impressive. For example, there's the nice real time PhysX cloth physics in Mafia 2 [/QUOTE] There is a crappy game called Postal 3. It uses Source Engine and PhysX.

[QUOTE=kimr120;39260863]Oh it is [URL="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000284/"]him.[/URL] Never knew this guy's name but I have watched some things he starred in. Good actor but is it really him? According to IMDB it is unconfirmed.[/QUOTE] I thought John Patrick Lowrie voiced them both?

[QUOTE=Nicolas;39262515]There is a crappy game called Postal 3. It uses Source Engine and PhysX.[/QUOTE] Um.... they were talking about Cloth Simulation, and giving an example with Mafia 2 which uses PhysX cloth simulation.... where the fuck did Postal 3 come into this?

-ohsnip-

[QUOTE=Ereunity;39259292]The drydock is also miles under the earth in a salt mine. You have to take everything concerning Portal with a pinch of [i]salt[/i].[/QUOTE] Building a Drydock several miles underground seems like the sort of thing Aperture would do - especially as it's a ship with teleporting capabilities (or at least something they had was able to move it) and fitted with lots of guns. If Valve didn't want it to be underground they wouldn't of put it in the game, there are plenty of other references to the Borealis they could of gone for.

[QUOTE=nightlord;39265535]Building a Drydock several miles underground seems like the sort of thing Aperture would do - especially as it's a ship with teleporting capabilities (or at least something they had was able to move it) and fitted with lots of guns. If Valve didn't want it to be underground they wouldn't of put it in the game, there are plenty of other references to the Borealis they could of gone for.[/QUOTE] Well, there is the possibility of the Borealis' drydock being built during the 70's, and staying there because Aperture simply couldn't afford to relocate it.

Why would the Borealis' dry dock be located underground?

The only plausible explanation you can have is that the Borealis teleported from the shipyard to the salt mine, explaining why the dry dock is there (It disappeared including part of the dry dock as is stated by Dr. Kliener - whether the drydock being taken was intentional is unknown.) Later it was teleported out without taking the drydock with it this time. This would also imply that have some form of displacement field technology much akin to Black Mesa rather than single-plane portals made by the portal gun. [I]Basically there is not enough information provided to make an assumption about what is on the Borealis or how it came to be where it was, Valve are also pushing the Portal universe and the HL2 universe apart, the only thing they share is that Aperture Science was competing with Black Mesa.[/I]

[QUOTE=p0rtalplayer;39260126]Wouldn't make it past playtesting, as playtesters would be too confused by suddenly being somewhere else (same reason portal-based competition didn't make it into portal 2) Damn those playtesters.[/QUOTE] Incompetent playtesters are also the reason why Mann vs Machine in Team Fortess 2 is Red (Team) Humans vs. Blue-Gray Robots. Originally, it was Red + Blue Humans vs. Grey Robots. But the playtesters, as incompetent as they were, couldn't resist shooting at their other-colored teammates, hence why that was scrapped despite being showed off in the SFM Trailer for it.

Sometimes i wonder if Valve tests their games with 12 year old kids.

[QUOTE=Ereunity;39265693] [I]Basically there is not enough information provided to make an assumption about what is on the Borealis or how it came to be where it was, Valve are also pushing the Portal universe and the HL2 universe apart, the only thing they share is that Aperture Science was competing with Black Mesa.[/I][/QUOTE] Where have they said this? I remember them saying they set Portal 2 a long time after Half-Life 2 so that things like Characters and the actual story wouldn't have an effect on Half-life (and the other way around) but nothing about them distancing the two series. What we find out about Aperture in Portal 1 and 2 is relevant to Half-life, they can't push them apart as they are both set in the same universe.