Certain enemies becoming passive?

Black Mesa Archive Suggestion Box
#1

So while playing Half-Life I encoutered two parts where some Vortigaunt(s) did not attack. This was due to a bug, I’m sure, but it gave a false sense of freedom that I really liked. The ability to spare certian hostiles (depending on context) is a wonderful ability in games.

This ability is great and is fun to do when I’m killing a ton of enemies and I start to wonder why they keep trying to kill me. So I disarm one and leave him amongst an area I won’t be returning to, as a sign of peace.

Let me describe how it happened in Half-Life (goldrc): I was in the hallway right before the lift to the first encounter of those Black Spec-Ops Ninjas. I get to the part where I’m being ambushed by two Vortigaunts spawning on both ends of the hallway. I kill the one back where I came, get into cover, shoot the one down the hallway, get into cover, and reload. I pause, knowing it’s not dead. I go around the corner aiming for the head but I pause again as it hasn’t attacked. No more Vortigaunts are appearing and I decide to go up the lift. The Vortigaunt folows me up the lift and still does not attack. The security guard dies and I decide to sent the Vortigaunt back down the elevator, thus sparing it.

The other instance was much later in the game, durring Xen. There comes a part where you walk into an open-ish area that contains something that somewhat resembles a ski lift. I crouch walk into the area and a Vortigaunt walks right next to me but doesn’t react. I soon discover that as long as I don’t bump into these Vortigaunts they will not do their usual attack routine. I can go about my buisness and watch them make hand gestures as some run around the place.

Both of these experiences greatly added to the feel of the game and both make sense when Half-Life 2 is factored in. These were great parts and were enjoyable.

This sort of thing has been built into other games too! Take Halo 3 for example. On the level Crow’s Nest there is a scene with Thel 'Vadam where he attacks two hostile Drones and yells to them about how their leader (the “prophet” Truth) is lying to them (which he is). Normaly Thel 'Vadam kills the drones, but if the player interferes and stops him from killing the drones it will cause certian drones throughout the level to be friendly.

(I also recall a part in Dues Ex where if you spare some certian random people it causes a truce or something.)

What I’m trying to get across is that this is a great feature that should be possible somewhere in the game. Now I’m not suggesting that more than a handful of NPC’s be capable of this, but when a certian NPC encounters a certian pre-set situation it could cease attacking. The ability to spare the life of someone, wether to be a lone survivor or as a sign of peace, is a great thing to be able to do in a videogame.

(The Marines or non-sentient Xen wildlife should not be considered for this.)

#2

There is a part on Xen where the Vorts won’t attack you, i think it’s right before the agrunt factory
That part is not a bug

#3

Really? I had no idea. I hope that is included in the Black Mesa mod.

#4

Yeah Ramm, I think you should take the combat out of BMS completely.

#5

The part where they don’t attack is simply a part where there’s no controllers to keep an eye on them and what they’re doing. They’re slaves and forced by their masters to be aggressive even though they’re naturally a peaceful race.

#6

I wouldn’t call either of those encounters a bug. As already mentioned, the one on Xen is purposefully done, as I believe that the vortigaunts only attack when there are other aliens present (or at least I believe that was Valve’s intention).

The other situation is something that’s happened to me too. I’d shot one a couple of times in the Office Complex level, before it ran away. I eventually found it in a dead end and it simply stood there because it couldn’t open a door. It’s just a retreat tactic, though if you get too close they can attack without warning, and if you hang around in the Xen room for too long they suddenly attack.

Both scenarios added to the feeling of the vortigaunts being far more than cannon fodder and dumb soldiers, which is what the alien grunts are. They felt almost intelligent. I don’t know if Valve had already planned to have them as characters in Half-Life 2, but I hope that this behaviour is present in Black Mesa.

#7

No. That’s not quite what I meant!

The Vortigaunts are slaves who are forced to be aggresive, thus the green collars on their neck and arms. They are a peaceful race by nature.

… Or is Raminator always like this? :retard:

#8

but that’s exactly what you’re asking for, since those are the only sentient non-human NPC (minus Controllers)

#9

Once again, I fail to get my point across. (Or am I misunderstanding you?) To put it simply:

The Vortigaunts are slaves. They are normaly peaceful.
Do we have to always kill these enslaved Vortigaunts?
I sugest that occasionaly, when certian circumstances are met, the Vortigaunts become passive towards the player and other human NPCs.

I also suggest that the room in Xen where they would normaly be passive be kept in. (If that even needs to be said)

#10

“I didn’t sign on for this shit. Monsters, sure, but civilians? Who ordered this operation anyway?”

Vortigaunts aren’t the only sentient enemies who are just doing what they’re told by a higher power. I know it was just that one guy, but you get my point. Just throwing it out there[/SIZE]

#11

I think the point we’re trying to make, Eion, is that, no, vortigaunts will always remain aggressive. Until you get to the alien factory in the Interloper chapter, that is, but I don’t know if the devs have changed this aspect because there has been a blackout of information with regards to Xen.

So, vorts you meet inside the facility will always try to attack you and other human characters (HECU, scientists, and guards).

#12

I think the fact that so many people think it’s a glitch is reason enough for it to be taken out. There’s no good way of conveying it to the players & most will just gun them down on sight. At best it’s like the vortigaunts aren’t even there.

#13

But bullsquids really love to eat.

So, like, let eating bullsquids lie… unless the player gets in meat-grabbing range.

#14

I thought the implication of that scene in Xen was that they were busy working in the factory and so weren’t particularly interested in fighting Freeman until the controllers arrived. If they were shown to be doing factory tasks (pulling levers, etc.) and not paying much attention to the player, that might be a way to convey that these Vortigaunts aren’t ones to fight, and also help emphasise the factory feel and Xen as a living place. Although I guess if something like this hasn’t already been done it’s not worth implementing at this stage.

#15

Unless there’s a choreo’d event making the passive vorts obvious.

#16

When I first played through Half-Life I never knew that the Vortigaunts could be passive. When I got to that part for the first time I shot all of them on sight like I’d been doing the entire time. It was not until I encountered peaceful Vortigaunts earlier in the game that I realised that some could even be passive.

This is why I’m suggesting it in the first place. Most games these days have enemies that always attack without exeption (aside from obvious cowering and “battle cries”). If the player does not know something is possible they will generaly not even consider it to be an option.

One of the lines the scientists say is (roughly) “They can’t all be hostile, can they?”

Subtle things in video games (and movies) can give it more depth as well as a reason to play it again. I’m not saying it should be common.

EDIT: When fighting Controllers and Vortigaunts at the same time, what do you shoot first? The Controllers, who shoot attacks you can dodge, or Vortigaunts, who have a hit-scan attack. Becasue of this the player, (assuming multiple threats are present) will attack the Vortigaunts first.

#17

While we are at it we should have a homicidal Security Guard who attacks Gordon and other scientists.

#18

But HOW? Is there just going to be a scientist standing around, waiting to tell you that the vorts won’t hurt you? Are the vortigaunts going to spontaneously learn English & tell you themselves? Or maybe convey it to you through interpretive dance?

That doesn’t tell you they’re harmless. That tells you they’re distracted & easier to kill.

#19

Meh, same difference. At least it’d be more obvious it wasn’t a glitch.

#20

They already kinda work on machines, but it’s pretty lazily animated. They just stare at them & lazily wave their hands up & down near them.

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