Yeah, goddamn them and their breath of fresh air in an otherwise relatively stagnant gameplay environment.
I remember when I enjoyed HL1 for not having drivable vehicles and then I absolutely loathed HL2 for introduOH WAIT I DIDN’T BECAUSE IT WAS A RADICAL GAMEPLAY CHANGE TO THE CLASSIC GAMEPLAY OF HL1 THAT MANAGED TO IMPROVE IT.
So why would something less radical like optional stealth gameplay completely detract from the classic gameplay of HL?
Valve knows how to do anything right, so I don’t think it would be destructive. You do, however, run the risk of a shitty, half-included RP element. If crowbar hits are instakills from behind, someone (a census of the total players) is going to go overboard and do nothing but this throughout the game. The continuity of HL combat was set in balancing weapons according to different kinds of challenges, not different approaches to the same challenge.
Anyway, HL3 can change the pace with vehicle sections and the like, but a combat difference that huge would be too huge a reworking of the entire game, not just one controlled level.
Ugh. I just knew this thread would be about wanting to bring shit back from HL1 & the HL2 leak.
And fuck instant-kill crowbar attacks. People are always trying to find ways to make the crowbar more powerful when it’s a backup weapon that’s only there for when you’re starting out or don’t want to waste ammo breaking open a crate or something.
AND headcrabs an zombies and (hypothetically) any slow-moving melee enemy.
I don’t even really bother to use it then unless I don’t have any better weapons. Sometimes even then I don’t bother, because they’re often easy enough to just run around.
- I imagine that cropped up a lot around forums when speculating features in Half life 2.
Come the fuck on. Think about how something could actually detract from an experience before just derping and going “LOL HURR DAT WONT WERK”
Stealth is one thing that could change Half life but not necessarily hurt it. OPTIONAL stealth is another thing entirely which can’t possibly hurt anything.
Edit: Oh fuck I didn’t even read the second page and this point was already made… I guess that could reinforce the point even further.
About the crowbar, I’d say slow it down and make it stronger. MAYBE an instakill if it’s a hit to the head, but swung with the speed of a zombie melee. Maybe there could be a secondary fire where you do a quicker less damaging swing to chip away the enemy’s health, and to take out headcrabs. I say this simply because Half life 1 and 2’s swing animations look fucking retarded with that light tap looking bullshit, and slowing it down while keeping the original damage per hit would render it useless. Also, it would need it’s own impact sound and effect, because the bullet hits don’t do it.
Also, the visuals… the direction they seem to have been going in Portal 2 and CS:GO does not bode well for any future HL installment. The whole “we cant do much cuz da survey said da playrs cant run gaem 2 good” shit was cute back in 2008 when left 4 dead looked 4 years older than when it released, but that really will not cut it now. HL2 required a beast to run in it’s day. AND it sold well and got awards out the ass. They can do it again on the name alone, they have nothing to worry about. I’m not gonna say source is dated, I’ve seen amazing stuff done with source… I mean we all have. Anyone here whose aware of City 17 and Ivan’s Secrets (and BM ofc) knows how good this shit can look.
Seeing as it was the most recent installment in the same universe, HL3 is likely going to look a whole lot like Portal 2, graphics-wise. I wouldn’t expect better, or even much different.
That’s what worries me.
Portal and Portal 2 look great in the clean white environments. The rest is a mixed bag.
If they call the next Half-Life “Episode 3” then I don’t expect them to do much to make it look better. If they call it “Half-Life 3” I will be disappointed if they don’t do some serious engine overhauls, or even come out with a new engine.
I would play the shit out of either.
Portal 2 looks passable, and is frankly a very large improvement from, say, HL2:EP2, which is still decent by today’s standards. HL3 would just need to look the same to be passable, and it will look better. So I’m not personally worried.
Why are you “worried” about graphics? Are you really that shallow that you can’t stomach a game looking a few years old or are you just worried that people will make fun of the game for having old graphics? Because at this point I’m fucking sick of hearing people bitch about graphics so I WANT it to look old.
Half-Life 3 needs a sniper rifle, no not that pissy crossbow, a real, fucking, sniper rifle.
The one that takes down enemies with one shot? Really pissy
indeed
Half Life 2 have a sniper rifle, it’s called .357 Magnum.
I’m sorry but to say optional stealth can’t possibly hurt a game is laughable, and a clear testament to how many games with it you’ve played. Also, there isn’t any case of anyone denouncing it simply for it being different.
Half-Life games have always had an importance on their pace, and the general game mechanics quite simply don’t play well to stealth. It’s an action game, based around weaponry or variable sizes in order to overcome obstacles of various sizes. Stealth elements would simply destroy any pace set, need explaining in game ( to go from shooting a hundred dudes to an area with everyone calm as hindu cows is always immersion breaking. ) and quite simply would feel out of place. Also, shadows and enemy A.I aren’t even remotely linked in source, and would require endless testing and reprogramming for what would amount to a couple of optional areas, areas people would shoot through 9 times out of 10 except that one time they are going for achievements to get through unseen.
This would then no doubt be classed as the weakest portion of the game. A tedious trial and error moment, and has already been stated, need changes to the damage of the crowbar, more than likely over powering it.
Whilst I like the vehicle sections I wouldn’t say they are the best sections of the game. Instead the added vehicles simply give you the ability to take the story further afield, giving us more locals to play in. A means to an end, the end being to get to a firefight.
I’m all for adding more weapons, god knows I’d love to see the Tau cannon or Gluon gun being usable in game ( Being able to detach the Tau cannon from the buggy would imo be a nice addition, having to take it back to the car to recharge. )
I’m also all for adding more enemies, this is the big one imo. I’d love to see an assassin character return, the concept are of HL2 looks fantastic. Bigger enemies would be interesting too. Striders are damn cool and all, but to go against something that is pure brute force like a Synth tank would surely mix things up some.
Basically I’m all for adding to the game, but stealth elements imo would be detrimental to the gameplay and simply not worth the time needed to make it worthwhile.
Pissy? it’s a fucking stapler on steroids.
I’m fine with Half Life 3 looking like Portal 2, as long as the furniture isn’t bolted to the floor.
I love Portal 2 graphics. I love the feel and the environment, the fog, the dust and the huge, cluttered open areas. That’s perfect for the inside of the Borealis, in case HL3 takes place there.
Huge scale functioning machinery, combined with more complex puzzles (not just “press button, receive bacon”, but more HL1 style stuff that requires you to think more and spend more time doing it).
New enemies are a must, I would love the return of some Xen creatures, with the addition of new ones. I didn’t like where HL2 and EP2 were going with the strider thing, since striders require loads of damage to take down but there’s no “thinking” involved, just shoot shoot shoot, take cover, shoot shoot shoot. The hunter had the same problem for me, you have no time to think just shoot, no time to change your weapon and look around, just shoot the hell out of it. It becomes boring and annoying very fast for me.
If that trend continues, HL3 will only have huge, hard to destroy enemies that require the rocket launcher and nothing else. You’ll be running around shooting these for 7 hours and then you win. I think that wasn’t what HL1 was about, and I’d love HL3 return to that gaming style. I would love to see more puzzles with buttons, physics, machinery, as well as new, interesting enemies that aren’t necessarily a pain in the *** to kill each time.
I’d love to see gameplay mechanics such as you having to close and lock a door to avoid an enemy getting in, something that was seen in one of the HL2 teasers but never made it into the game (except on the roof in Ravenholm, but that’s all). Maybe also setting more complex traps for enemies, and not always just turrets and hopper mines. Maybe sequences where you can’t even damage an enemy, so you’re just running from it and taking cover for a while.
Basically, I want to see less “shoot the crap out of it” stuff and more thinking, like Portal 1 & 2.
Including the Cremators would have been cool, but I think it’s too late for them to be included.