Half-Life 2: Enhancement Mod (V5) - Games

[QUOTE=Em See;42935758]are you being cheeky about still caring about HL3 or did you actually mean to say couldn't?[/QUOTE] Yeah, I always manage to fuck up saying "couldn't." I mean, I cared for the longest time after EP2's ending, but now I've just accepted it as not happening. [editline]22nd November 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Bloodshot12;42951255]Do you mean [URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1263005&p=41802281&viewfull=1#post41802281"]this one[/URL] :downs:[/QUOTE] Ah, back in the day of HUD discussion. [sp]Please nobody make note of that[/sp]

[QUOTE=Bloodshot12;42951255]Do you mean [URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1263005&p=41802281&viewfull=1#post41802281"]this one[/URL] :downs:[/QUOTE] That one too, but there was this guy, but he had an avatar of a guy that looked like he was moaning or some shit, can't remember.

[QUOTE=SirLemon;42950193]The tram ride was awesome, and set a pretty good tone for the whole game[/QUOTE]The tram ride was 5 damn minutes long & only really existed to show off the new stuff they could do with the Quake engine. Unless you add a PA system to the train ride it won't contribute anything to the plot. I don't think there's any more that needs to be said after that minute-long G-Man scene or before Breen's looping public announcements.

[QUOTE=DONOTWANT;42953009]The tram ride was 5 damn minutes long & only really existed to show off the new stuff they could do with the Quake engine. Unless you add a PA system to the train ride it won't contribute anything to the plot. I don't think there's any more that needs to be said after that minute-long G-Man scene or before Breen's looping public announcements.[/QUOTE] just... just stop posting

[QUOTE=Amish Steak;42953518]just... just stop posting[/QUOTE]Why? What's with all the hate for my opposition to adding a train ride that would be little more than a glorified cutscene of the environment. [Quote=Viktor Antonov]The player's path through the City 17 Trainstation was meant to play a role similar to that of the train ride in Half-Life. In Half-Life 2, the story would unfold at the player's own speed, rather than on a fixed rail, and come about through interaction with characters naturally found in that setting.[/Quote]

[QUOTE=DONOTWANT;42953587]Why? What's with all the hate for my opposition to adding a train ride that would be little more than a glorified cutscene of the environment.[/QUOTE] Because it would be cool as fuck that's why.

[QUOTE=DONOTWANT;42953587]Why? What's with all the hate for my opposition to adding a train ride that would be little more than a glorified cutscene of the environment.[/QUOTE] Because you're the only one who didn't like it. Also yes, it's a huge environment cutscene. Half life 2 had a great intro, but HL1 gave a feel for everything you would see in the game, from the cramped offices, to the hulking industrial machinery, to the desert-like outdoors. Half life 2s intro scene, while great, didn't give a feel or foreshadow to any of the upcoming content

I personally don't really care for an extended introduction. You're supposed to be confused about your surroundings and spoiling the player is lame.

[QUOTE=wauterboi;42953953]I personally don't really care for an extended introduction. You're supposed to be confused about your surroundings and spoiling the player is lame.[/QUOTE] You will stay confused, it's not like everything will be labeled. It simply gives a general feel of the game

In HL1 it made sense because you had to work your way out of the lab, so - at least for ms - it foreshadowed exactly how deep I am into the labs and mountains. In HL2, I like the idea of experiencing as I go as opposed to seeing the places I'll be. It doesn't really make the same amount of sense as in HL1. Plus I'd rather not wait.

In HL1, it's giving the player the sense of it just being "another normal day" and then disaster hits. The long tram ride is supposed to put you in the shoes of Gordon by establishing familiarity and give the player a sense of their surroundings.

[QUOTE=DONOTWANT;42953009]The tram ride was 5 damn minutes long & only really existed to show off the new stuff they could do with the Quake engine. Unless you add a PA system to the train ride it won't contribute anything to the plot. I don't think there's any more that needs to be said after that minute-long G-Man scene or before Breen's looping public announcements.[/QUOTE] What is good narrative pacing and environmental/visual storytelling. I'm not saying HL2 should have an extensive tram ride but the intro was certainly not created just to be a tech demo for new shit they did with the Quake engine (especially considering in 98 a lot of other games looked better than HL). And are you saying the only method of divulging plot is through some sort of voiced exposition what

[QUOTE=Swog;42952515]That one too, but there was this guy, but he had an avatar of a guy that looked like he was moaning or some shit, can't remember.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=SFC003;42181689]you know your name is DONOTWANT well we DONOTWANT your terrible criticism[/QUOTE] welcome to my world do not enjoy your stay

[QUOTE=Bloodshot12;42954232]What is good narrative pacing and environmental/visual storytelling. I'm not saying HL2 should have an extensive tram ride but the intro was certainly not created just to be a tech demo for new shit they did with the Quake engine (especially considering in 98 a lot of other games looked better than HL). And are you saying the only method of divulging plot is through some sort of voiced exposition what[/QUOTE] -snip cause I cant figure out how to embed a damn video-

[QUOTE=Bloodshot12;42954232]What is good narrative pacing and environmental/visual storytelling.[/QUOTE]It's something Half-Life 2 did incredibly well & I'd rather a meaningless train ride didn't screw it up. [QUOTE=Bloodshot12;42954232]I'm not saying HL2 should have an extensive tram ride but the intro was certainly not created just to be a tech demo for new shit they did with the Quake engine (especially considering in 98 a lot of other games looked better than HL). And are you saying the only method of divulging plot is through some sort of voiced exposition[/QUOTE]It also showed off the unsafe conditions of the facility & some of the shady things they had going on, on top of giving Gordon's backstory through screen text. In HL2, everything up until the teleporter failure really covers all the bases & I don't think the train ride could add anything without retredding the same ground.

As I recall in the current version of the map we have, it's slightly extended (Like, by 10 seconds); I personally preferred the original travel time, but I could see going in there with hammer and making some interesting set pieces (Maybe some citizens being chased by a few cops, etc.) might add something to the experience.

the pacing on that chapter was fine as it is what i like to know is what exact improvements to the crappy ai were talking about

[QUOTE=Smug Bastard;42953624]Because it would be cool as fuck that's why.[/QUOTE] Well you could say valve should of made the combine penizors that fired drilldos. It would be cool as fuck but fucking pointless.

I wouldn't mind a longer train ride as a tease to some of the visual improvements that were made. Nothing that interferes though with things already in the game though.

Could show some street arrests and chases, to set the spirit?

And maybe show more of the combine military, like soldiers marching through the streets or columns of striders to emphasize their military power?

I wouldn't really do that. It would kinda break the natural pace the game has. I mean, it starts with the citizens talking about relocating from city to city, then you see the metrocop hitting the citizen who wants to take find his suitcase, citizen being questioned and cop closing the opening in door so you can't see, cop making you do "clean up service" and so on. Putting chase scene would kinda break it. That's my opinion though.

[QUOTE=Butthurter;42957728]all these ideas are starting to sound like syfy channel movies[/QUOTE] That's what half life 2 is practically if it was put into a movie.

If the ride is to be extended, I would like it to be just a little bit, not something major some people here are suggesting (like street arrests, you will hardly notice them as the train quickly passes by). If anything, I'd like there to be *maybe* a small outdoor bit without anything too revealing, and then the tunnel right before the trainstation, where lights on the walls can cast projected shadows inside the traincar for extra eye candy.

Just a regular house arrest on the side of the rails, where a dude tries to escape then gets beat.

[QUOTE=SFC003;42954330]welcome to my world do not enjoy your stay[/QUOTE] It's this guy. It's this guy... guys.. The awesome pun-maker.

I don't agree with the idea of a long train ride exposition, but I think some people have a point when they say that we didn't get to see much of pre-uprising C17 at all and there's a lot you can put in that space. In the original game, it's literally straight from the train station, 1 block to the courtyard, then from the courtyard to the apartment roof, and then you might as well have forgotten that civilians even exist. From that point on, you don't even see a civilian in the background, only armed rebels who make a passing reference to how much Breen sucks. All that's seen of civilian life is the luggage guy getting beaten by the cop, the guy rambling about the water, the guys getting arrested, and the apartment raid. It actually is just enough to paint a one-sided argument against the Combine, but it's way more laconic than it could've been. Probably so the player could meet Alyx as soon as possible and get on with the rest of the game. It would be possible to fit in at least one on-foot scene demonstrating civilian life better pretty much anywhere on that timeline, maybe wandering across more than a single city block before getting taken to Kleiner's lab. That alone leaves open a wide range of possibilities.

[QUOTE=TurtleeyFP;42959540]I don't agree with the idea of a long train ride exposition, but I think some people have a point when they say that we didn't get to see much of pre-uprising C17 at all and there's a lot you can put in that space. In the original game, it's literally straight from the train station, 1 block to the courtyard, then from the courtyard to the apartment roof, and then you might as well have forgotten that civilians even exist. From that point on, you don't even see a civilian in the background, only armed rebels who make a passing reference to how much Breen sucks. All that's seen of civilian life is the luggage guy getting beaten by the cop, the guy rambling about the water, the guys getting arrested, and the apartment raid. It actually is just enough to paint a one-sided argument against the Combine, but it's way more laconic than it could've been. Probably so the player could meet Alyx as soon as possible and get on with the rest of the game. It would be possible to fit in at least one on-foot scene demonstrating civilian life better pretty much anywhere on that timeline, maybe wandering across more than a single city block before getting taken to Kleiner's lab. That alone leaves open a wide range of possibilities.[/QUOTE] How about instead of extending the train ride, we open up the previously faked buildings, eh?

[QUOTE=TurtleeyFP;42959540]I don't agree with the idea of a long train ride exposition, but I think some people have a point when they say that we didn't get to see much of pre-uprising C17 at all and there's a lot you can put in that space. In the original game, it's literally straight from the train station, 1 block to the courtyard, then from the courtyard to the apartment roof, and then you might as well have forgotten that civilians even exist. From that point on, you don't even see a civilian in the background, only armed rebels who make a passing reference to how much Breen sucks. All that's seen of civilian life is the luggage guy getting beaten by the cop, the guy rambling about the water, the guys getting arrested, and the apartment raid. It actually is just enough to paint a one-sided argument against the Combine, but it's way more laconic than it could've been. Probably so the player could meet Alyx as soon as possible and get on with the rest of the game. It would be possible to fit in at least one on-foot scene demonstrating civilian life better pretty much anywhere on that timeline, maybe wandering across more than a single city block before getting taken to Kleiner's lab. That alone leaves open a wide range of possibilities.[/QUOTE] If I recall correctly, Kleiner's lab was originally much further away from the train station and the player had to run from the combine much longer. I would say keep the chase at about the same length, but still put the lab further away (it doesn't make sense that close to one of the epicenters of combine control in the city. The canals are also way too close to the train station and the plaza, which I would think are in the heart of the city.) During the extended walk to the lab, Gordon would have to dodge more CPs, but at the same time would also be able to see more of life in C17. Just my thoughts on the matter.

i think that the chase on the rooftops was kind of a missed opportunity tbh. i don't know about making it hugely longer, but i think that some more stylish mapping and and more general evasion of the cops would really go a long way to making the sequence much cooler.