Books? What are those?

[BlackDahlia]

Ok, so there's no way in hell there's going to be a movie, but what about like a novel, or even a novella? After reading The 37th Mandala, I think it'd be rather cool to see how Marc Laidlaw would turn a book out based on Half Life since that media is more flexible than film is in some ways.

...Or maybe I'm just a book-reading nerd.

 

[Carmack]

A novel would be a great idea. Especially from a Combine's point of view.

 

[Jintor]

This important part is abook BASED on HL2. It's universe. Not blindly following GFreeman.

I think the most important part of a book is getting inside someone's head, and you just shouldn't do that with Gordon.

 

[ríomhaire]

It could be about a soldier who fought in Black Mesa and the 7-hour war.

 

[theotherguy]

I think that would be a good idea...but in the meantime, you can read some of the great fanfictions out there :cheers:

*shameless plug*
take the one I'm writing for instance...
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1734062/1/
*shameless plug*

 

[Edcrab]

Shameless? There's nothing to be ashamed of, I plaster mine all over my signatures

Laidlaw is a damn good author and it would certainly be brilliant to see him pen a novel set in the Half-Life universe. It'd be a must-have because of him, not just because it was official.

Although I'd agree that it might not be so wise to centre it on Freeman, just as people have said regarding the hypothetical movie.

For the first Half-Life, for example, I'd concentrate on a bunch of staff trying to escape from Black Mesa, and they ocasionally encounter signs of the unstoppable Gordon, who becomes near-messianic in their eyes... or perhaps the story briefly settles on him in person, or something...

 

[Jintor]

Oooh, the staff one sounds good edcrab

 

[Calanen]

Ok, so there's no way in hell there's going to be a movie,

Never say never.......

 

[Aether]

Wow, theotherguy... that is one freakin long story. I'll have to set aside a few hundred hours for that one.. sheesh.

 

[Johnnny49]

I would like to see a novel in the Half Life 2 setting, where Earth has been conquered but the resistance fights on. There is a similar book out there I have wanted to read (now a series). Alien invasion is a staple of science fiction. There's a movie coming out this summer that is a remake of "War of the Worlds". If I was writing a HL2 novel I would base it on the "freedom fighters" and the spy network inside the Overwatch, as well as going into who the Combine really are. Gordon Freeman and the G man might or might not appear. Sequels would take the fight to the home universe of thr Combine, the Vortigaunt world. There might be some ambiguity about who started the war as the Black Mesa project might be an attack or even a diplomatic blunder from the Combine point of view. I think Valve could easily put together an author package and solicit submissions. I know TSR has done this at times with their AD&D and other game universes. (Runs over to the fanfic forum to check it out).

 

[Milkman]

It could be about a soldier who fought in Black Mesa and the 7-hour war.

Black Mesa got Nuked in the end of Opposing forces, so you would have to be a soldier somewhere else.

 

[MarcoPollo]

Not necissarily, Some soldiers could have escaped.

 

[Edcrab]

Accepting that OpFor is canon for a moment: BM is such a freaking huge facility (parts of which were made to survive nuclear blasts) that whole swathes of it could have survived the detonation.

Or it could be a mere neutron bomb, which would obliterate lifeforms and fry circuitry but leave the actual structures untouched.

Besides, considering some of the liberties we writers have taken with Valve's universe bringing back atomised soldiers is quite a tame proposal

 

[tinyxipe]

Since we aren't worrying about shamelessness, check out my fanfic too! It's also at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2246938/1/ if you prefer that format.

It takes place before Gordon's arrival and definitely works on getting in someone's head. I wanted to stay away from the game's storyline and took some liberties with the Xen aliens. Let me know what you think. I'm always looking for feedback.

I agree that there could be some great books written on the subject, but I fear a movie.

 

[Alix Mcdean]

I always thought it would be cool to get the best of all the HL fanfic writters together and create an ultimate fanfic using complete facts and help from Marc Laidlaw, which then would be proposed to Valve in hopes they accept it and market it as a novel. Much like *caughhalocough*, Star Wars and many others did.

But wtf do I know, I just work here =/

-Alix

 

[InstInct1085]

I agree that there could be some great books written on the subject, but I fear a movie.

I think there'll never be a movie, cause for any movie about hl to be succesfull, it'll have to center around good old gordon. And i don't think any scenario a filmcompany could come up with based on that, would get Valve's approval.

 

[Johnnny49]

Maybe Timothy Zahn is available to ghost a HL2 novel. :naughty:

I always thought it would be cool to get the best of all the HL fanfic writters together and create an ultimate fanfic using complete facts and help from Marc Laidlaw, which then would be proposed to Valve in hopes they accept it and market it as a novel. Much like *caughhalocough*, Star Wars and many others did.

But wtf do I know, I just work here =/

-Alix

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

Movie? Nah...that'll never work sucessfully. We just have too many "trapped in a complex with monster flicks" and it'll never be anything more than a popcorn flick.

Maybe a TV show? I mean when I heard of the plot for Alias and Lost it was something I had already seen a thousand times on the silver screen before. But they kept this simple premise and built on it every week and people are hooked.

While I'm at this make it animated using the Source engine itself as the tool. An hour long machinima by Valve animators every week, following the adventures of Gordon, Adrian, Barney, Eli, chronicling the 7 Hour War and the resistance.

Well that'll probably never happen either. But a man can dream.

 

[Jintor]

Citizens!

It has come to the Universal Union's attention that someone has been dreaming amongst you. Remember, dreaming is disallowed. Please turn whoever was dreaming in, and report anyone else who dreams to your nearest Combine Supervisor!

---------------------------
Turn yourself in within the next 5 minutes and get an extra beating, free of charge!
---------------------------

Honestly though, the multi fanfic universe and the scientist's POV sounds good. But there arn't too many writers here... too many *active* writers....