City 17 Hospital

[Asknoone]

The image of Alyx shooting the fast zombie with a shotgun is entitled 'hospital' before it appears on the site. http://ep1.half-life2.com/img/screens/screenshot_5.jpg

So, a chapter in the City 17 hospital? Awesome! From the looks of it it's infested with zombies, but at the far back of the corridor you can see a turret, so obviously the Combine have also inhabited it. It'd be a fair guess to say the sequence with you lighting the dank corridors whilst Alyx shoots is set in the hospital - most likely in the underbelly of it, since your searching for the generator to restore power to the elevator.
I, personally, think this will prove to be an excellent chapter (or even simply part of a chapter). With plenty of opportunities to flesh out intruiging gameplay scenarios. And what with Valves expert ability to really flesh out locations (the warehouse/factory at the end of Anti-citizen 1, the Nexus and the prison for example) hand in hand with Alyx and her shotgun = pure awesomeness.

 

[Megalomaniac]

I don't want another Nova Prospect, it was a good level, but too dark and gloomy for my taste, I like more real locations, the hospital has potential, but I'm afraid it will be dark and gloomy like Nova Prospect.

 

[Asknoone]

Nova Prospekt, for me, was the best chapter in the game. The prison which was extremely realistic, what with it's defunct shower rooms, empty cafeterias and not used in two decades cells merged with the lifeless cold steel of the Combine and brought back to life with it's antlions vs. Combine soldiers battles simply stood out among other chapters.
Not to mention how atmospheric it was.
To me it showed how an already desperate, horrific place could become, effectively even worse.

And, looking at the hospital screen, it's pretty bright. Also, don't ever-bothering playing Doom 3

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

I don't want another Nova Prospect, it was a good level, but too dark and gloomy for my taste, I like more real locations, the hospital has potential, but I'm afraid it will be dark and gloomy like Nova Prospect.

How could you not like Nova Prospekt? It had to be the best level in the game.

As for the hospital, it sounds good. The part where you shine your flashlight in the direction the Combine are so Alyx can shoot them has got to be awesome. Can't wait :thumbs:

 

[Megalomaniac]

Doom is different, it's ment to be this hellish thing, where as Half Life is more of a real world thing.
Now I agree Nova Prospect did look really great and realistic, and how Valve tied a prison into the story was short of brilliant, but I just don't like being there for long. It was better the highway 17 which seemed to drag on, but no where as good as Ravenholm.

 

[xombine]

And Alyx also has to watch out for that nade. And the hopper.

 

[Megalomaniac]

How could you not like Nova Prospekt? It had to be the best level in the game.

Too dark too long, I have a feeling if I played it again I wouldn't mind it as much.
I played the game again after I got my new card and I remember going into Nova Prospect and then there was this room with these pilars, and the dust, the lights, and the scene itself was almost as breath taking as when you step out of the trainstation into the city square.

 

[Asknoone]

Yeah, but what about Nova Prospekt doesn't make it 'a real world thing'. Just because it was dark, doesn't mean it wasn't realistic

And Alyx also has to watch out for that nade. And the hopper.

And I'm pretty sure that's the 'Zombine' body on the floor.

 

[wolven_rage]

Yeah, but what about Nova Prospekt doesn't make it 'a real world thing'. Just because it was dark, doesn't mean it wasn't realistic



And I'm pretty sure that's the 'Zombine' body on the floor.

Hell yeah it's realistic, although some of it was somewhat unsettling for me the first run through, i guess some of that was just me though.

 

[Asknoone]

Unsettling as in atmosphere? To be honest, I think that's the feeling Valve tried to create.

 

[Megalomaniac]

Yeah, but what about Nova Prospekt doesn't make it 'a real world thing'. Just because it was dark, doesn't mean it wasn't realistic



And I'm pretty sure that's the 'Zombine' body on the floor.

How linear it was, but that could be said about the entire game, and that cant be so much of a complaint since it would make it really confusing.
Well all the antlions having holes magically placed where you need them.
So many friggin terrets.
Combine holding a place that seemed to be empty of life except for the combine, the antlions, and yourself.
Random head crabs.
It looked great, felt great, but it was too long for my personal taste, I like the envirment to change a lot, stay the same, or change rarely. HL1 didn't have a level that felt to long(With the exception of On the Rail which I hated)

 

[Asknoone]

How linear it was, but that could be said about the entire game, and that cant be so much of a complaint since it would make it really confusing.
Well all the antlions having holes magically placed where you need them.
So many friggin terrets.
Combine holding a place that seemed to be empty of life except for the combine, the antlions, and yourself.
Random head crabs.
It looked great, felt great, but it was too long for my personal taste, I like the envirment to change a lot, stay the same, or change rarely. HL1 didn't have a level that felt to long(With the exception of On the Rail which I hated)

Well, I love HL for it's linearity, and I hope that doesn't change any time soon. Anyway.

1. The Antlions are tunnelling into the facility from all over the place, obviously there is going to be a great deal of tunnels. Wouldn't you complain if they weren't in useful/entertaing places? It's a game, it's set up to be fun, not to annoy the player.
2. I guess this is a personal preference one. I enjoyed having the turrets there. Easy to take down and were great fun for sending antlions to as cannon fodder.
3. The first part of Nova Prospekt is pretty much abandoned, as well as it's underbelly. The heart of the Combines operation there is the depot, and what lies on in. The Combine need to hold the outer parts however because it wouldn't do to have the antlions begin nesting around their processing labs.
4. Headcrabs were living in the abandoned sections of the prison, where the Combine only bothered to place turrets.

 

[Max35]

I think the hospital has much potential. It would be cool if they used the location as a means to torture civilians, or perform grotesque experiments on Combine technology on their human "patients." Ah, the irony. Doubtful, but it would be awesome if you see some doctor scrambling around the offices (out of reach, of course) gathering up his research in a flurry. And then you get to kill him, hehe.

 

[xirow]

And I'm pretty sure that's the 'Zombine' body on the floor.

Why? Just because there’s a grenade next to it? It could be anything.

Nova Prospect was great and very atmospheric . And I think the hospital level could become great to.

 

[Solver]

I so enjoyed the Nova Prospekt! In my opinion, it was the scariest part of the game... yes, not Ravenholm. Nova Prospekt looked very real - and prisons are scary places as it is, but Nova Prospekt was indeed something much worse than a prison.

Other than that, it had some awesome firefights and an amazing speech by Breen. Woo hoo!

 

[Sulkdodds]

Nova Prospekt disturbed me, because it reminded me of a Soviet gulag, only more sinister.

 

[Asknoone]

I think the hospital has much potential. It would be cool if they used the location as a means to torture civilians, or perform grotesque experiments on Combine technology on their human "patients." Ah, the irony. Doubtful, but it would be awesome if you see some doctor scrambling around the offices (out of reach, of course) gathering up his research in a flurry. And then you get to kill him, hehe.

Well, the 'Combine tech experiments' location is pretty much Nova Prospekt and the Citadel, I don't think we need another one. A Dr as in...a Combine doctor? I always imagined Combine scientists as aliens.
I agree Solver. Nova Prospekt was a great deal more terrifying than Ravenholm. Less jumps, but more atmosphere.

Nova Prospekt disturbed me, because it reminded me of a Soviet gulag, only more sinister.

You know, according to the walkthrough description which if I'm not very much mistaken is written by Laidlaw, does state Nova Prospekt was originally a gulag.

 

[drunkymonkey]

That graphics is that screenshot are awesome.

But fighting through a hospital would certainly be awesome.

 

[Asknoone]

As for the hospital, it sounds good. The part where you shine your flashlight in the direction the Combine are so Alyx can shoot them has got to be awesome. Can't wait :thumbs:

Actually it's zombies she shoots. /Awkward git.

Why? Just because there’s a grenade next to it? It could be anything.

Nope, it's because of it's shape and look. It's got Combine soldier armour straps on the side, but it's shape isn't really that of a dead Combine soldier.

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

One day Samon, I will attempt revenge.

 

[knut]

It'd be a fair guess to say the sequence with you lighting the dank corridors whilst Alyx shoots is set in the hospital - most likely in the underbelly of it, since your searching for the generator to restore power to the elevator.

This is most likely true, yes. My dad, an architect, was in a hospital recently and he was telling me about the underground corridors that *most* hospitals are fitted with. This huge, long stretches of corridors are used for all the piping, vents, storage areas and, most disturbingly, for transporting dead bodies to the morgue to avoid going through a busy hospital with them. My dad said it was quite eerie walking along this stretch of dark and cold corridor as the lights are motion sensative so they go off behind you when you walk forward a few metres whilst others come on when you go forward. Basically, you can't see anything in front of you until these lights come on, and when their not, its pretty much pitch black.

As for Combine turrets being there... quarantine, perhaps? I'm thinking Nova Prospekt situations except with zombies and not Antlions. Wheeey.

EDIT: I also agree on how atmospheric Nova Prospekt was. When you first enter the main holding cells area, with the lights and wires slowly swinging in a breeze from an overhead window, the flickering lights, the faint sound of gunfire and chittering, and the general dark and creepyness of the place. Man, I sure did take my sweet time advancing down those stairs into the lower holding area. I was thinking ''this is a perfect place for something to lunge at me, so get it over with!'' and with that I ran, SMG blazing into the darkness until I reached the relative safety of the lit-up staircase.

 

[Megalomaniac]

Thats really creepy...it would be so cool in HL2 though...

 

[Asknoone]

This is most likely true, yes. My dad, an architect, was in a hospital recently and he was telling me about the underground corridors that *most* hospitals are fitted with. This huge, long stretches of corridors are used for all the piping, vents, storage areas and, most disturbingly, for transporting dead bodies to the morgue to avoid going through a busy hospital with them. My dad said it was quite eerie walking along this stretch of dark and cold corridor as the lights are motion sensative so they go off behind you when you walk forward a few metres whilst others come on when you go forward. Basically, you can't see anything in front of you until these lights come on, and when their not, its pretty much pitch black.

That's some darn nifty information :thumbs:

 

[Sufferin-rebel]

and scary too, you know a colleague will scare the shit outta you and make ghost sounds

 

[Reginald]

A Hospital that looks incredibly Source-engine friendly:
http://home.comcast.net/~wtproductions/dammasch.html

EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot to comment on the actual idea of walking around a deserted hospital, a place where plenty of people have died and had horrific illnesses, especially when you consider that, knowing the Combine, they will have turned it into some evil place of killingness.

So yeah, pretty terrifying prospect (Prospekt? *groan*)

 

[JPSurratt2005]

Talking about the hospital kinda makes me think about the Asylum on FEAR. Really spooky, and totally usable in a video game. I'm sure the effectiveness of the hospital will definately make the upcoming episode worthwhile.

 

[Reginald]

Having seen Silent Hill today, I can vouch that hospitals are scary. D:

 

[the cheese]

I remember spending alot of time in a hospital visiting relatives. I hated going there because they freaked me out! I saw those passages that the bleeding talked about. shudder!

 

[knut]

A Hospital that looks incredibly Source-engine friendly:
http://home.comcast.net/~wtproductions/dammasch.html

EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot to comment on the actual idea of walking around a deserted hospital, a place where plenty of people have died and had horrific illnesses, especially when you consider that, knowing the Combine, they will have turned it into some evil place of killingness.

So yeah, pretty terrifying prospect (Prospekt? *groan*)

Those pictures are pretty creepy. I can almost see the smears of blood and gunshot holes now..

 

[Solver]

BTW another thing that greatly contributed to the creepiness of Nova Prospekt, IMO, was that you didn't fight anyone at first. At the start of the chapter, you go around the prison for a little while, before you meet any enemies. These several minutes of exploration allow you to get fully immersed in the atmosphere, without being distracted by firefights.

 

[bbson john]

It comes to my attention that there iare more contents than I expected. I don't think the game will last for five hours only.

Anyway, morgue is ghosty

 

[Asknoone]

BTW another thing that greatly contributed to the creepiness of Nova Prospekt, IMO, was that you didn't fight anyone at first. At the start of the chapter, you go around the prison for a little while, before you meet any enemies. These several minutes of exploration allow you to get fully immersed in the atmosphere, without being distracted by firefights.

Ding! Valve gave you a feel for the place and the state it's found itself in.

 

[A True Canadian]

If I remember correctly, there was an omitted part of the game that had you and Alyx fighting through a building infested with alien assassins. Since much of the code that went into the fast zombies was from old alien assassins anyway, this hospital sequence could be a chance for Valve to give us that gameplay sequence that was eventually cut.

I guess a question that comes from this is: Why would Alyx and Gordon make a detour into a hospital? Could it be for supplies, or does a major character get severely injured? Should be fun to find out.

 

[Asknoone]

If I remember correctly, there was an omitted part of the game that had you and Alyx fighting through a building infested with alien assassins. Since much of the code that went into the fast zombies was from old alien assassins anyway, this hospital sequence could be a chance for Valve to give us that gameplay sequence that was eventually cut.

Yes, the skyscraper descent. The chapter was called 'Vertigo'.

I guess a question that comes from this is: Why would Alyx and Gordon make a detour into a hospital? Could it be for supplies, or does a major character get severely injured? Should be fun to find out.

I doubt after about 20 years the medical supplies would be worth anything. I think it's more of a 'this is the quickest way to get through' scenario.

 

[knut]

I doubt after about 20 years the medical supplies would be worth anything. I think it's more of a 'this is the quickest way to get through' scenario.

What if the Combine were actually using it as a medical center, though? Converted it to they're own.. 'style', if you will, like the Nexus building in front of the Citadel and like the Entanglement part of Nova Prospekt.

Either way, theres gun-turrets in the building. I'm guessing they are placed for a reason, which can be put as either to control an infection/qurantine in the building, to stop anyone from using as a 'quickest way to get through' place, or theres something else in there. Or things, even. Like supplies or a cache of something.

I don't know, just having a ponder.

 

[Reginald]

I hope it is the Combine guarding some dark secret. Although if it were that secret, there wouldn't be zombies in the building, surely?

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Maybe Doc Kleiner is hiding in one of the wings?

 

[Max35]

Maybe Doc Kleiner is hiding in one of the wings?

Better yet, how about Dr. Breen. Mwhahahaha

 

[knut]

I hope it is the Combine guarding some dark secret. Although if it were that secret, there wouldn't be zombies in the building, surely?

Which leads me to believe they might be there on a clean up operation for an infected area. I mean, as the Resistance fought on through the city the Combine were shelling them. Hell, you even come across a heavily infected area when you're fighting the snipers.

 

[Max35]

Maybe I misunderstand, but why would the Combine clear out an infested area when the whole of City 17 is about to turn into a large crater?