Finally happened...

[Kroton]

Although it's just one map, the part when you go with your car to hunt striders is a perfect example of how this entire game should be done-in non-linear less scripted way with real time events, consequences and alternative approaches. Like proto-world with AI-life as in S.TA.L.K.E.R. or Oblivion.

I always missed that from the very beginning. Also the level where you have to defend against antlions by putting turrets is fantastic, I wish such tactical/RTS gameplay will be present more. Also visible hands while operating a turret or driving a car like in Halo, SW: Republic commando or Crysis would be very nice.

Also what would you say is the FPS with best weapon model visuals, by that I mean reload animations, sharpness, movement of the weapon when looking around etc... the best "feel".

For me:

1.Call of Duty 4
2.Battlefield 2142
3.Half Life 2 series

 

[Cpt Tenacious]

What happened?

 

[Naudian]

A bit of non-linearness in a half-life game...I guess.

 

[McCoy]

Look, Half Life 2 Ep.2 is awesome, and anyone who says different is a party pooper.

And HL2 pulls off HL2 style awwards, becuz it is teh HL2 no??

 

[Kroton]

What happened?

I hope you are part of dumb minority...
also the opening post of this topic states 4 things to talk about, two major ones...

Look, Half Life 2 Ep.2 is awesome, and anyone who says different is a party pooper.

of course, the entire Half Life 2 series is a unique masterpiece, but what does that have to do with anything?

 

[V-Man339]

It's people like you, who are the dumb minority, that could ruin the hl2 series because you think you know whats best for the series.

 

[Cpt Tenacious]

Owned.

 

[Avoidist]

Half-Life is linear, and it should be kept that way. The final battle was declared bad by many due to the fact that they had to cater to every different player and there were far too many variables to manage. Not to mention the fact that the story suffers greatly if the game becomes like oblivion. There are benefits, but they should be for another game, not Half-Life.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Also what would you say is the FPS with best weapon model visuals, by that I mean reload animations, sharpness, movement of the weapon when looking around etc... the best "feel".

I don't think I have ever given less of a shit for anything connected to video games since someone made a "Post your best The Sims family"-thread. So I'm gonna say Grim Fandango, with World of Warcraft close second.

And really, for the last time; Who cares if you can see the freaking arms holding the steering wheel?!

 

[McGooTheWise]

Although it's just one map, the part when you go with your car to hunt striders is a perfect example of how this entire game should be done-in non-linear less scripted way with real time events, consequences and alternative approaches. Like proto-world with AI-life as in S.TA.L.K.E.R. or Oblivion.

I always missed that from the very beginning. Also the level where you have to defend against antlions by putting turrets is fantastic, I wish such tactical/RTS gameplay will be present more. Also visible hands while operating a turret or driving a car like in Halo, SW: Republic commando or Crysis would be very nice.

Also what would you say is the FPS with best weapon model visuals, by that I mean reload animations, sharpness, movement of the weapon when looking around etc... the best "feel".

For me:

1.Call of Duty 4
2.Battlefield 2142
3.Half Life 2 series

Wasn't there another guy named kryton that started a big fuss over this very same thing?...

If you learn anything from this thread, let it just be that this has been discussed to the point of people stamping on babies (Like in my signature) and never ends up well, so either ignore this guy, or give him a piece of your mind and have a brain hemorrhage, or leave it be, and live to see another day.

 

[Narvi]

The HL games are linear, but I wouldn't mind if they put in an AI director similar to the one in L4D in Episode 3, to randomize encounters a bit.

 

[Druckles]

Although it's just one map, the part when you go with your car to hunt striders is a perfect example of how this entire game should be done-in non-linear less scripted way with real time events, consequences and alternative approaches. Like proto-world with AI-life as in S.TA.L.K.E.R. or Oblivion.

I always missed that from the very beginning. Also the level where you have to defend against antlions by putting turrets is fantastic, I wish such tactical/RTS gameplay will be present more. Also visible hands while operating a turret or driving a car like in Halo, SW: Republic commando or Crysis would be very nice.

You might not have realised this, but there has been a 10 year past to Half-Life, and there is still an incredibly large audience to please. These things have been discussed over and over, and they've been whittled to their thinnest. Linear gameplay is what makes Half-Life Half-Life. Without it, there wouldn't be any comments about it, or any jokes referring to it. We'd be lost without linear gameplay, and frankly, some people enjoy it. If you don't want linear gameplay, why don't you play an RTS, or even a RPG. Both seem capable of satisfying you. By making Half-Life non-linear, you will be detracting from the gameplay, making players wonder whether they're going to right way, and stop them focussing on the damn game! If no-one liked linear gameplay, it would have died out a long time ago.

The strider-buster scene wasn't particularly non-linear, and similar scenes have been present all through Half-Life. There was Blast Pit in the original Half-Life, similarly Xen and the Nihilanth. And then there were a couple of brief moments in Half-Life 2 where linearity wasn't particularly of importance. So I don't know what you're complaining about.
I was particularly annoyed at one scene in Half-Life 2 (near the horse) where I couldn't figure out where to go next. I spent an age dying and respawning, running over the same ground again, and it wasn't the best of my experience with Half-Life 2.

As to the hands, that's also been discussed. You could also ask about the feet. And the lack of talking. But WAIT! It's been discussed before! So many times there's little point in repeating myself!

 

[Zunni]

A bit of non-linearness in a half-life game...I guess.

OMG GTA4 is gonna have portal gunz!!!!

 

[Blackthorn]

That Strider battle was hardly non-linear. There were even scripted events, and the Striders followed a set path.

The only non-linear feature was how you chose to face the Striders, but isn't the choice in combat what's always been present? In every fight there's a wealth of options for how to tackle the enemy, the grand finale was simply on a larger scale, in a bigger arena.

So Kroton, don't moan and make totally unfounded statements about the quality of the game just because Valve can't satisfy your one, relative opinion on how games should be.

 

[m00b]

You want non-linear? Play multiplayer games, or go out for a walk.

 

[Asknoone]

I loved the Strider battle but good god Valve, keep Half-life linear. It's the strict, cinematic nature of the game that it's defining quality.

how this entire game should be done-in non-linear less scripted way with real time events, consequences and alternative approaches. Like proto-world with AI-life as in S.TA.L.K.E.R. or Oblivion.

Yep lets kill Half-life. Non-linear is not the way forward in games. Do people get pissy when they discover they have no control over their movie experience in the cinema?

 

[Darkside55]

I know I do. :frown:

 

[Asknoone]

Well, you know, I mean, that's...you. Ahem.

 

[Darkside55]

You know there used to be these controllers installed into theater chairs for certain movies, whereby the audience voted and whatever option won that was what happened in the movie.

Novel idea, that. Ultimately resulted in failure. I imagine its downfall was caused due to people never getting to experience the option they wanted while watching the movie, because they were always outvoted.

"Stop voting B, assholes! I've seen this movie three times and it's always B!"

Works much better as a DVD extra.

 

[Houndini]

if it was non-linear it could ruin half life. the game is about 2 people (if you include alyx) fighting against amazingly difficult odds to achevie there set goal, whatever it may be at the time.

see what would be the point of having a small tiny vent in the ceyling which is the only way of getting through the force fields or whatever when you could just go through another path and get there in a few seconds.

 

[Druckles]

Stop voting B, assholes! I've seen this movie three times and it's always B!

God, that'd be painful. But then that's why you make games. Films aren't for you to decide the fate of. That's why they're films. So you don't have to think, or make decisions. The directors are supposed to do that for you. If there was an alternate ending, stick it in the deleted scenes. Keep choices and timelines in games where they belong.