Are the rumours true?

[Sars]

I've heard rumours that after Half Life 2 is released, Valve is going to release a patch that updates Half Life 1 to use the Source engine? Is this even possible to acheive and has anyone else heard about this?? If not, someone should do it!

 

[Axyon]

Sounds highly unlikely, I'm afraid.

 

[ray_MAN]

I doubt it. If anything, Valve will release a patch for HL2 if it is needed. And TF2 should be Valve's next project after HL2. Someone will try to do HL1 to Source though.

 

[Varsity]

I heard (and posted about) a rumour that HL1 was being updated to the new engine, for those who bought HL2. It doesn't seem unlikely at all, considering that Valve have tried to make the transition 'as painless as possible'. I don't see the change taking more than a day or two's work. I heard from the same source that the same was being done for CS 1.6, again only for those with HL2.

 

[Sars]

Maybe i'm the only one but i think that would be sooooo good. It would certainly make me go and play HL 1 again! :bounce:

 

[[sl@yer]]

Yeah...HL1 with source would be great.........but i don't think merely converting the original game to the new engine would be good enough. HL1 was designed without much physics in mind, etc....and the layout may seem a little simplistic in the new engine (maybe this is just me....). What would be cool is a mod or something redesigning parts of the original, or even the entire game, i.e. with the same events/enemies, etc....but with different ways to complete tasks...taking the physics into account. Obviously this would be a massive achievement...but who knows...it could happen.

 

[Sars]

Will Valve make changes?

With the release of recent titles such as Far Cry (next gen), UT2004, and Spliter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, do you think Valve will update or modify any of their previous work to make sure Half Life 2 looks and feels better then these games and other games to be released within the next 6-12 months? I would assume they have looked at games like Stalker and Doom3, both next gen (visual, physics and AI based) games and review their own development.

 

[ray_MAN]

But, with the physics engine how could you smash boxes into little pieces with a crowbar?

 

[Varsity]

It would be better to keep the discussion in the original topic.

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?p=396538

Edit: which it has now of course been moved to.

 

[Axyon]

With the release of recent titles such as Far Cry (next gen), UT2004, and Spliter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, do you think Valve will update or modify any of their previous work to make sure Half Life 2 looks and feels better then these games and other games to be released within the next 6-12 months? I would assume they have looked at games like Stalker and Doom3, both next gen (visual, physics and AI based) games and review their own development.

Well, Valve have already said that they will keep adding to and modifying the Source engine, so it's kept up to date with the latest technology and effects, like DX10. That's the future though, but back in May last year the engine was still as good as Doom 3 or STALKER are now, and I'm sure they've improved it further.

Edit: Threads merged.

 

[[sl@yer]]

I think that even when HL2 was revealed last year it looked much better than any of these games.....so i don't think valve will have to change much! Doom 3 has good textures...but have you looked closely at the models themselves? They have quite sharp, jagged edges due to the lower number of polygons. Also, I played Far Cry and then watched the HL2 E3 video again....and if you compare them, it's clear to see that HL2 is so much further ahead.

 

[Varsity]

Doom 3 has good textures...but have you looked closely at the models themselves? They have quite sharp, jagged edges due to the lower number of polygons.

D3 has the highest character poly count in any game yet...could you link to some of those screens?

 

[Axyon]

D3 has the highest character poly count in any game yet...could you link to some of those screens?

Nope, they actually have very low poly counts, the bump mapping makes it look like they're incredibly detailed though.

 

[[sl@yer]]

It was in PC Zone or PC Gamer (i forget which) a while ago...where they compared HL2, D3 and Halo. You only have to look at the floating heads in D3 to see the sharp edges. It was said that id had concentrated on the textures and lighting more than the models to make them appear better than they were. Sort of a short cut i guess. Perhaps I'm wrong....I can't remember the details, but that's the impression I got.

 

[Varsity]

Nope, they actually have very low poly counts, the bump mapping makes it look like they're incredibly detailed though.

That's interesting.. Here's what I was thinking of:

Doom 3 has a fairly interesting process. First they make a ridiculously high poly model, like ones you would use in a pre-rendered animation. They take shots of that model and use it as bump-map textures. Then they remake the model with much less polygons, and put on the bump map they got from the high polygon one. Less polys which look like more.

 

[Brian Damage]

Err... yeah, Varsity? The quote you posted confirms what Abom said.

Though, it's more accurate to say: "Less polys which look like more - from a moderate distance"...

 

[Varsity]

What I was trying to say was that I hadn't understood the process correctly, stopping at the first stage. I should've bolded it out in the quote.

Edit: ugh, total brain freeze.

 

[Brian Damage]

Oh, right then. Glad that's sorted.