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[Sibylus]

If it does return, I'd like to see an enemy (say, the advisors) with the ability the deflect the stuff you chuck at it akin to the pyro's airblast. A little zero point energy pong would liven things up a bit.

Nice idea, I like it!

Spoiler

It'd be fair game for the Advisor to throw massive things like armored vehicles or giant slabs of rubble at you >: D

I mean literally, I tried to get some of those exact shots, and just couldn't set it up properly.

It can be tricky, but making save points and a lot of extra screenshots help a lot.

 

[Easy_G]

Anyone have a link to that old Half Life 2 screenshot thread? It had some amazing shots and I can't seem to get search to work.

Also, I just found my copy of Raising the Bar yesterday and I've been reading through it reminiscing about when I first saw footage of the game. It's absolutely amazing just how much awesome stuff never made it into the game. Also, looking at a lot of the concept art really makes me wish Valve had pushed the oppression feel and dark themes a bit more. But I still love HL2 the way i turned out.

 

[Sibylus]

I'm hoping tessellation on DX11 graphics turns out to be backwards-compatible, I'd love to have a nifty feature like that prettying up HL2, Episode One, Two and Three sometime in the future.

 

[Pimpbaa]

I'm hoping tessellation on DX11 graphics turns out to be backwards-compatible, I'd love to have a nifty feature like that prettying up HL2, Episode One, Two and Three sometime in the future.

Games would have to be programmed to take advantage of it. It's like saying you hope the HDR light capabilities of dx9/10 will make some old dx8 game look better.

 

[Sibylus]

Games would have to be programmed to take advantage of it. It's like saying you hope the HDR light capabilities of dx9/10 will make some old dx8 game look better.

Might Source be able to be updated to accommodate it? (Say in a future patch)

 

[Pimpbaa]

Might Source be able to be updated to accommodate it? (Say in a future patch)

No, it's a feature you'd pretty much have to build from the ground up in the game. Also valve doesn't seem to want to update older source games with new graphic features (hl2 never got updated with any of the fancy effects added with ep1 and 2).

 

[Oreoleo]

i sure hope episode 3 comes out before 2010 and I don't mean fall 2009. oh well, left 4 dead will do for now, I guess.

I think we'll be extremely lucky if Ep 3 makes it out in 2009. My prediction is it will be announced as a Spring '10 release and get pushed back to the Fall

Spoiler

for the Black Box

, Valve style.

 

[Sibylus]

No, it's a feature you'd pretty much have to build from the ground up in the game. Also valve doesn't seem to want to update older source games with new graphic features (hl2 never got updated with any of the fancy effects added with ep1 and 2).

Are you sure? Isn't DX11 planned to be backwards compatible with DX10 graphics cards, and doesn't Episode Two and TF2 have some kind of support for DX10? (Or am I simply crazy?)

Spoiler

What I do know for sure is that Valve has in fact gone to the trouble of updating HL2 (The Episode One implementation of HDR lighting, IIRC), and have publicly announced that they plan to do it again, with the Episode Two engine.

 

[Mamesj]

that's the first I've heard of DX10 features in TF2 and Ep2.

Just finished Episode 2 not 10 minutes ago...WOW. I gotta go back and play HL2 + Ep.1 + Ep.2 again now. I have no idea whats going on in the overall story, but I like the characters and like killing things :lol Big props to the OP for filling in the blanks and letting me know that nobody really knows what the hell city 17 and the combine are all about. I'm guessing everything is its own narrative device to keep fans wondering...it sounds like that's what they're going for judging by the "ep3 couldn't answer everything comments."

Episode 2 is particularly beautiful...I'm playing maxed at 1440x900 and it's dropping to 30fps here and there, even on my 8800GTS512 and 2.66ghz core 2 duo. do you guys think that's as far as the source engine will go?
They've really gotten some serious mileage out of it. It seems like it was years ago when HL2 had Crysis-level hype around it's engine.

I wonder if they'll do a whole new engine for HL3 ala HL2....in DX11...and force me to upgrade to Vista.

 

[Oreoleo]

Episode 2 is particularly beautiful...I'm playing maxed at 1440x900 and it's dropping to 30fps here and there, even on my 8800GTS512 and 2.66ghz core 2 duo. do you guys think that's as far as the source engine will go?
They've really gotten some serious mileage out of it. It seems like it was years ago when HL2 had Crysis-level hype around it's engine.

That doesn't sound right at all. We basically have the same specs and I play maxed out at 1080p, 60fps rock solid. Do you have current video drivers?

 

[Mamesj]

That doesn't sound right at all. We basically have the same specs and I play maxed out at 1080p, 60fps rock solid. Do you have current video drivers?

I made it sound worse than it is...it may be something more like 45fps. I think its mostly loading related stutters. After deaths, at chapter transitions, etc. do you get those at all?

but no, I haven't updated my beta drivers in a month or two. Doubt that would cause it.

edit: it was noticeable after dying during that final strider fight. If I died it would run at a lower framerate for about 10 seconds after, then go back to 60fps.

 

[Sibylus]

I made it sound worse than it is...it may be something more like 45fps. I think its mostly loading related stutters. After deaths, at chapter transitions, etc. do you get those at all?

but no, I haven't updated my beta drivers in a month or two. Doubt that would cause it.

edit: it was noticeable after dying during that final strider fight. If I died it would run at a lower framerate for about 10 seconds after, then go back to 60fps.

If you use AVG Antivirus, close the Control Center before playing (the icon in your taskbar). It was the cause of stuttering in Episode Two & TF2 for me.

 

[Pimpbaa]

Are you sure? Isn't DX11 planned to be backwards compatible with DX10 graphics cards, and doesn't Episode Two and TF2 have some kind of support for DX10? (Or am I simply crazy?)

You are simply crazy. Source has only been DX9 so far. Also all directx versions are backwards compatible with older cards, but that doesn't mean old video cards suddenly gain new features. Also, new versions of directx benefit new games that are built for it. It usually does nothing for older games (unless the developers patch in some support for it).

 

[Sibylus]

You are simply crazy. Source has only been DX9 so far. Also all directx versions are backwards compatible with older cards, but that doesn't mean old video cards suddenly gain new features. Also, new versions of directx benefit new games that are built for it. It usually does nothing for older games (unless the developers patch in some support for it).

I think I can live with being crazy :lol

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Sciz]

520 Episode Two screenshots lead me to believe I've become somewhat of a shutterbug. It'll be a bit before I can get them posted, however, what with me coming down with a sudden case of employment.

I hadn't really noticed before, but Eli's animation throughout the entire episode is incredible. The other characters are all at their best as well, but Eli in particular is extremely nuanced every time you see him. I hope we get a good deal of Magnusson next episode to help make up for his absence. Barney too, wherever he's been.

Can't wait for the day when I can finish Episode Two and actually follow up on the urge to immediately launch into Three.

 

[Sibylus]

A couple Episode Two shots I took recently (fullsize on click):



For some reason or another, this is the first time I noticed the strengthening super-portal on Under The Radar.

 

[x3sphere]

Episode Three will inevitably be announced soon for a Later 2009 release. Then delayed to Early 2010. Then delayed again to 2nd Half of 2010. Dispite Valve's Episodic Plan, its going to take them 6 years to get these episodes out. Not to mention that even though the always being modified Source Engine is in ways the most impressive thing out there (in terms of physics and facial animations) its also becoming dated (textures, lighting, etc). Im guessing Ep 3 will be on an evolved form of HL2s Source Code, but for whatever's after that they need to build completely new tech.

as far as I know, Valve designed the Source engine to be modular. We'll keep seeing updates to it. I doubt they will ever do a full rewrite again, even for HL3.

 

[Sibylus]

as far as I know, Valve designed the Source engine to be modular. We'll keep seeing updates to it. I doubt they will ever do a full rewrite again, even for HL3.

I honestly don't know why loads of people don't like this idea. The engine gets updated more frequently, which trickles down into useful things for mapmakers and modders now, rather than later. Valve spends less time in development on games, we wait less for games, and the games tend to be ruthlessly efficient in their pacing and "action-packed"ness.

Oh, but I forgot all of this is bad. Whoops.

 

[Beelzebot]

I've spent the last couple of weeks playing through HL2 and Eps 1 & 2. It's amazing to see the graphical improvement from HL2 to Episode 2, considering it's based on the same engine.

 

[Roquentin]

I doubt they will ever do a full rewrite again, even for HL3.

You know, we won't see HL3 soon (2011? I wish). Valve will have to create a new engine or rewrite a huge chunk of Source Engine because it's missing a lot of "next-gen" features. Better lighting, dynamic animations, realistic water/fire physics, destructible environments, better AI, etc.
They create a great technology and then use it and improve it for many years, in multiple games. And I like that approach (because I can still run it on my PC), but in 2011 Source will be really outdated or rewritten in such a degree that it'll be called Source 2.0.

I honestly don't know why loads of people don't like this idea. The engine gets updated more frequently, which trickles down into useful things for mapmakers and modders now, rather than later. Valve spends less time in development on games, we wait less for games, and the games tend to be ruthlessly efficient in their pacing and "action-packed"ness.

Waiting for new Episodes of HL2 feels like eternity to me But I think that it takes so long for them to release new games because they're independent and able to take time and polish the hell out of their games.
I agree that good design, writing, storytelling and pacing are more important than technology, however do you think that Half-Life 2 would be as good with Half-Life's physics? Technology gives tools to create better worlds, more believable characters, more engaging gameplay and overall a better experience.

 

[EvilDick34]

Does anyone think that valve has already started on HL3? Or do you think they might shelve half life after ep3 and try for an original IP?

 

[Sibylus]

Waiting for new Episodes of HL2 feels like eternity to me But I think that it takes so long for them to release new games because they're independent and able to take time and polish the hell out of their games.
I agree that good design, writing, storytelling and pacing are more important than technology, however do you think that Half-Life 2 would be as good with Half-Life's physics? Technology gives tools to create better worlds, more believable characters, more engaging gameplay and overall a better experience.

The thing is, Valve's been keeping pace with the advance of technology throughout these episodes, and I don't see how HL3 would look worlds better than an Episode Three (assuming the dev cycles of all three episodes would near the dev cycle of HL3). Methinks Valve would still rein in their uses of the technology.

 

[Sciz]

Does anyone think that valve has already started on HL3? Or do you think they might shelve half life after ep3 and try for an original IP?

No and no.

 

[Death_Born]

Does anyone think that valve has already started on HL3? Or do you think they might shelve half life after ep3 and try for an original IP?

Considering "Valve Time," HL3 will be released

Spoiler

on the same day as Duke Nukem Forever

 

[teiresias]

HL2 and the Episodes are pretty much the sole reason I keep a bootcamp partition on my iMac. I wish they'd hurry up with Ep. 3 - and that it will run decently on my machine (since I no longer keep an up-to-date PC on hand after going over to the Apple-side).

 

[Sciz]

I'm really expecting HL3 to be entirely pseudo-episodic like the episodes are. Valve seems to enjoy the relatively shorter development cycles, and they really don't need a brand new engine. It'll probably still take a while for the first part to be ready anyway, since a new story arc suggests at least a fresh set of enemies and weapons to some extent, and a fair amount of fresh models and textures for the environment as well.

Meanwhile, to get sort of back on topic, an interesting thought was proposed in a discussion about HL2 I was having elsewhere:

Was Eli the highest bidder for Gordon's contract?

 

[dgrdsv]

Does anyone think that valve has already started on HL3? Or do you think they might shelve half life after ep3 and try for an original IP?

If Valve is smart they are working on HL3 since HL2 release.
That would give them more than 5 years to work on HL3 while smaller teams use some of its technology for HL2Eps. HL2 was released in 2004, HL2Ep3 will (hopefully) be released in 2009 and if they've spent the time between HL2 and HL2Ep3 working on HL3 "in the background", they should be able to release it in 2011 -- two years after HL2Ep3.
That would be a smart way to do it.
As for the original IPs -- Portal, TF2, Left 4 Dead etc. They are doing new IPs right now, no need to shelve HL for this. Valve is big.

 

[Won]

Was Eli the highest bidder for Gordon's contract?

No it was Mossman.
But seriously I don't believe Valve thought about a good answer for the "who hired Freeman" question and just let it open for the player.

 

[TheHeretic]

At this point i'm starting to think they should have just made HL3. The episodes are taking so long it completely kills the idea of delivering the game in smaller packages. At this rate we'll be lucky to see Episode 3 2009, it'll have taken them 4-5 years to come up with the three episodes. I'd have rather seen an entirely new game.

 

[Rur0ni]

October 2007 (so a year back)

Edge: What’s the timescale for this boom?

GN: We’re going to start seeing it now. We’re going to be releasing multicore versions of Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat and Half-Life 2 after we ship The Orange Box. The challenge is going to be going forward. Right now we just have to deal with an order of magnitude of difference between DirectX 9 and DirectX 7 in terms of fill-rate and number of polygons. That’s a set of scaling issues that we’ve managed to adapt to. Soon we will have to answer the question of how do you design a game experience that could go from ten characters on screen to 1,000 characters on the screen. And how do you turn that into something worth purchasing? Is having 100 persons on the screen really ten times as fun as having just ten people on the screen?

In 2008 and 2009 we’re going to do stuff that’s optimised for the new high-end that doesn’t scale down, and use Steam to reach those customers, so we can start to learn what to do with 1,000 smart creatures on the screen at once. Then hopefully we can backfill and do more scaleable experiences.

Have to use an internet archive link, as it's no longer on the website...

http://web.archive.org/web/20071025...ption=com_content&task=view&id=7422&Itemid=61

Valve as usual, late on that front. 2008 has brought nothing in that high-end only regard. Maybe 2009. Unless of course he meant Left 4 Dead... But I don't see that as a high-end only title? Hmm?

 

[MNC]

Oh my God. Those picture dumps. Oh my God. Half Life. OH. MY. GOD.

Goosebumps. OH MY GOD. Hold me. Half Life, how I love thee.

 

[Beelzebot]

Episode 3 in 2010?

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55310

 

[ChackanKun]

Damn, they really created one hell of a gaming universe. Since Half Life: Uplink that i'm in love with the series.

I hope they don't let it die :|

 

[Death_Born]

Valve: "Half-Life? What...you mean there was an Episode 3? Err...I guess we forgot...."

Everyone: "Hurray for episodic content! It allows for faster releases, unless a developer completely neglects the last part of a 3 part game!

 

[rezuth]

Valve: "Half-Life? What...you mean there was an Episode 3? Err...I guess we forgot...."

Everyone: "Hurray for episodic content! It allows for faster releases, unless a developer completely neglects the last part of a 3 part game!

Half-Life - 1998
Half-Life 2 - 2004
Half-Life 2: Episode 1 - 2006
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 - Late 2007

 

[Akia]

Episode 3 in 2010?

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55310

Early 2010 sounds about right. Avoiding the 2009 holiday season is a good idea.

I don't really care though. 2009 is all about Starcraft II and monthly Left 4 Dead/TF2 updates.

 

[fallengorn]

That's probably the most realistic date to come out of Valve in a long time.

 

[Akia]

That's probably the most realistic date to come out of Valve in a long time.

So true.

Typically Valve would announce the game for release in Q4 2009 and then announce a quarter delay some time in August.

 

[ahoyhoy]

So by the time we get Episode 3, the time between Half Life 1 and 2 has already passed, except this time we won't be getting a major engine update

 

[szaromir]

Early 2010 sounds about right. Avoiding the 2009 holiday season is a good idea.

I don't really care though. 2009 is all about Starcraft II and monthly Left 4 Dead/TF2 updates.

And opefully about Sam Fisher.

 

[Akia]

So by the time we get Episode 3, the time between Half Life 1 and 2 has already passed, except this time we won't be getting a major engine update

You have to realize, for Valve to create a new engine this day and age it would take them significantly longer than it took them to create Source back in the day.

 

[faceless007]

Isn't the reason the time between Ep 1 and Ep 2 was so short is that the two teams were working in parallel? Unless they also secretly had a Ep 3 team working in parallel, the time to Ep 3 might be significantly longer. :sad:

 

[Won]

2010? Can't wait, that's only.....wait it is only 2008....oh gooood

 

[RockmanWhore]

I hope it will be the end of Half Life. I hate those story that never ends with tons of lose ends. At each new episode, they don't fill the previous gaps, but they just add more stuff, just look at Resident Evil, MGS or the X-Files, fuck this shit.

And Valve don't seem to want to make a new uber powerful engine, so how impressive will Half Life 3 looks? And they seem very good at doing other stuff, Team Fortress, Portal are amazing, and Left 4 Dead sounds amazingly promising too. I'd rather see them doing something new.

That said, seeing how the quality improves significantly with each sequel/episode, I can't wait for Episode 3 :lol

 

[Armitage]

Like Draft said on the first page, the story has become unfortunately bloated over the 2 episodes. The Vortigaunts especially seem to be largely pointless other than deus ex machina-ing all over the goddamn planet. So far the Advisors are kind of meaningless too.

 

[Tarin02543]

when could we realistically expect hl3 to show up?

 

[Nemo]

when could we realistically expect hl3 to show up?

2011-2012 I think

 

[Deleted member 1235]

weird. I finished episode 2 tonight. WHAT A GAME.

EDIT: I meant 2!!!

I never played half life 2 before and have been playing the orange box for the last month. It's probably the best game I've played ina very long time.

What is the half life 1 story? I know absolutely nothing of it and the whole half life 2 story was a bit 'who is this guy' etc. isee that everyone else pretty much has the same questions about the GMan that I do :lol.

Just such a great game. Bummer that episode 3 is so far off :/

 

[Beaulieu]

weird. I finished episode 3 tonight. WHAT A GAME.

wat?

 

[Frenck]

weird. I finished episode 2 tonight. WHAT A GAME.

EDIT: I meant 2!!!

I never played half life 2 before and have been playing the orange box for the last month. It's probably the best game I've played ina very long time.

What is the half life 1 story? I know absolutely nothing of it and the whole half life 2 story was a bit 'who is this guy' etc. isee that everyone else pretty much has the same questions about the GMan that I do :lol.

Just such a great game. Bummer that episode 3 is so far off :/

HL2 is pretty much a stand alone game. Most of the questions you probably have about HL2's plot aren't answered by the first HL. It could have been a new IP if Valve hadn't used the HL name and some familiar characters. Some fans tried to connect the dots but that has a bit of a fanfiction ring to it.