Breaks in the game

[SLH]

Can't remember where but Gabe said HL2 takes place over 3 days, and it gives the player a time to think "end of day 1, right a new day" (or something like that).

Do you think gordon will sleep, i.e. screen fade out then back again? Or do you think that he can just stay active for a long time?

Sorry if sleeping has been discussed.

 

[Mr. Redundant]

I doubt it, since Hl and Hl2 have all their cutscenes in-game.
and if it were a playable dream sequence ala Max Payne/Max Payne 2, it might end up being cheese.

I think what Gabe was refering to was the fact that day1 was your entry into the game, things go slow and you are just taking in the story, there is no real immediate danger etc... time to think/breathe.

 

[SLH]

I doubt it, since Hl and Hl2 have all their cutscenes in-game.

Why would that rule out sleeping??

I'm not talking about a cut-scene at all, just something like one of the NPCs advices you to get some sleep while you can, and you find a bed and the screen fades black, then about 1 second later fades up again, and everyone's moved around a bit etc...

 

[Wilco]

or prehaps 20 hours of the 40 is u sleeping, just 2 keep it realistic

I dunno could be in there. I mean they had the knocked out sequence in HL1, so its not new. Would be a nice touch.

 

[Mr. Redundant]

Why would that rule out sleeping??

I'm not talking about a cut-scene at all, just something like one of the NPCs advices you to get some sleep while you can, and you find a bed and the screen fades black, then about 1 second later fades up again, and everyone's moved around a bit etc...

oh, I see.... like an RPG sleep lol
I dont know, doesnt seem very Valve-ish, interesting idea though.
Im kinda hoping we actually get to play some night levels though.... if its only 3 days then I doubt there will be many if any.

 

[jabberwock95]

Hmmm, I wouldn't think he would sleep. HL1 was set over three days but nobody slept. I could understand it if the game was a bit longer though.

 

[SLH]

One think i thought that may happen if you do go to sleep, is that you get woken up by a scientist saying they're under attack or something.

 

[Axyon]

Well, there have been sections in Half-Life where you went to 'sleep' - being hit over the head and put in the trash compactor, although that was really more a state of unconsciousness.

 

[SLH]

Indeed, and i'm just wondering if anyone things there will be parts like this in HL2.
Perhaps i should have made this a poll.

 

[Mr. Redundant]

SLH, your avatar makes me want to drop the kids off at the pool.

and yeah you shoulda had a poll Im hoping they have cool scenes like the one where you got knocked out in HL1.

 

[The Mullinator]

The HEV suit injects you with so many different drugs that there is bound to be a wake-up drug that it puts into you.

 

[Bicka]

The thing about 'right day1's finished now on to day2' was for the idea/level designers not the players

It made it easier for them because they were cutting up the work into 3 seperate areas. :smoking:

 

[SLH]

SLH, your avatar makes me want to drop the kids off at the pool.

Your avatar makes me want to have BABIES!!!!

 

[SLH]

The thing about 'right day1's finished now on to day2' was for the idea/level designers not the players

It made it easier for them because they were cutting up the work into 3 seperate areas. :smoking:

Could have sworn Gabe used the phrase 'the player' somewhere in there.
When he was talking about splitting up the work he mentioned different areas, not the different days. e.g. City 17, Beach....

 

[Flyingdebris]

i think gordon should get to sleep, its hard to keep your edge when you are running around getting shot for 3 days straight, finding a safe place to get some shuteye is just what the doctor ordered

 

[SLH]

If you do go to sleep i don't think it'll be a case of you finding somewhere, i think someone'll suggest it (and the story won't move until you do).

 

[Mr. Redundant]

i think gordon should get to sleep, its hard to keep your edge when you are running around getting shot for 3 days straight, finding a safe place to get some shuteye is just what the doctor ordered

didnt you know, the Hev suit injects major crack cocaine and speed directly into your veins to keep you on your toes.
in fact there are no aliens, thats just you hallucinating, and whatever food you ate before you get high effects what creatures you face.

 

[CrazyHarij]

didnt you know, the Hev suit injects major crack cocaine and speed directly into your veins to keep you on your toes.
in fact there are no aliens, thats just you hallucinating, and whatever food you ate before you get high effects what creatures you face.

 

[DeathByTaco]

oh, I see.... like an RPG sleep lol
I dont know, doesnt seem very Valve-ish, interesting idea though.
Im kinda hoping we actually get to play some night levels though.... if its only 3 days then I doubt there will be many if any.

Yes there are night levels. Watch the 25 minute video from E3. There is one where you are going out somewhere with Father Gregori at night. And the traptown video is alsot at night.

 

[ferd]

How would you sleep if you were in a situation like that?

 

[bigun]

wouldnt it be cool if eli advises gordon to get some rest, then the screen fades to black, only you get some flashes as if youre dreaming about a bad thing happening, and then when you wake up, eli's base is under attack in the middle of the night and you have to kick some ass!

 

[Bicka]

Or you dream your in black mesa.... ala max payne stylee!

 

[Flyingdebris]

kick the headcrab out of the cardboard box in the alley, crawl inside and fall asleep

 

[dream431ca]

It would be neat if the 3 days you have in the game are real time..like if you'd play the game from start to finish without any breaks or sleep...you would finish the game in 72 hours..it would be a pretty long game but that is not going to happen but it would be neat.

 

[iamaelephant]

wouldnt it be cool if eli advises gordon to get some rest, then the screen fades to black, only you get some flashes as if youre dreaming about a bad thing happening, and then when you wake up, eli's base is under attack in the middle of the night and you have to kick some ass!

I like this idea personally.

 

[ferd]

HL1 was exhausting after a while...i liked that, you were always harrassed by either marines or aliens...always fighting to survive...mighty cool!

 

[crabcakes66]

A soldier in combat might not sleep for a week.....they just take stimulants.

 

[Sparta]

Im sure the USMC are probably looking into that idea that Mr.Redundant said about the HEV suit.
That sleep idea though is a pretty good idea, what could happen is you go to sleep and wake up the next morning with the combine terrorising the place your in, everyone is rushing to get out of the building or trying to fight their way out, Alyx/Kliener/Eli/Judith wakes you up and tell you and then hands you a gun and you guys blast your way out of there....its got alotta potential

 

[DeltaBlast]

I hope you do get to sleep... with Alyx ^_^

 

[SLH]

I hope you do get to sleep... with Alyx ^_^

:rolling:

 

[Lucifer]

I hope you do get to sleep... with Alyx ^_^

Why sleep when you can keep some fun with Alyx and make Gordon Freeman Jr.? :cheese: :naughty:

...Look, pink elephant is drinking beer in monkey suit! :monkee:

 

[subtlesnake]

Maybe they could have Gordon black out, with the player waking up to see himself strapped to a life support machine as doctors busily check readings around him.

 

[clarky003]

didnt you know, the Hev suit injects major crack cocaine and speed directly into your veins to keep you on your toes.
in fact there are no aliens, thats just you hallucinating, and whatever food you ate before you get high effects what creatures you face.

Mr Redundant you just owned :farmer: ,, with possibly the funniest comment about Gordon, ever posted on the whole site.

thats pretty funny man

 

[PvtRyan]

Eurogamer: Is it all set on one timeline or do you play around with the narrative?

Doug Lombardi: It's set over three consecutive days. You start at the beginning of day one and you end at the end of day three. That was sort of a design choice, obviously that focused up would be sort of a cool approach to take to stuff, and again it sort of allows us to be a little bit more deliberate with where some of the chapters and the things end. And it's sort of a good pacing thing, or at least that's our theory, that build the tension, build the action and have a little bit of a resolve and let the player take a breath and say 'ok, now... the next day... we begin'. That's our theory on that anyway - we'll see if it's worth anything after we ship.

So yes, there will be breaks.

 

[denzelr]

By "breaks" I just think they mean the game will have pacing like a movie.
For instance, they won't put three INTENSE large scale battles right after another. At least not until the later chapters!
I'll give an example using the Kleiner's Lab sequence as an example:
(all of this is pure speculation meant for the sake of example)
Start with the video of Kleiner's Lab which leads up to the Strider attack, the NPC interaction would be an example of a "break."
Possibly after this there is a mad escape to some other "safe" or important location. Intense and hard gaming follows as you attempt to get past a full on Combine assault. After which, say you reach the location and meet up with some more NPCs or something. Then another game break. Where you get to rest your brain if you are playing in one sitting. It keeps the gameplay from getting tiresome.