Half Life 3: What could be improved?

[tylercruz]

I've been thinking, and what could be improved if there is ever a HL3. I'm serious here.. like what could possibly be better? Slightly better graphics, I suppose, but in all honesty, how much better could graphics really get?

Better A.I. too, but it wouldn't be much of a jump either.. what really is there for soldiers to do other than take cover, fire, run away, etc.?

I just can't imagine a FPS being better than HL2..

 

[cronholio]

The graphics can get a ton better, trust me. We are no where near what CGI effects in movies were showing us 11 years ago yet.

I can tell you what I don't like about HL2, the driving missions. They are way too long.

 

[The Mullinator]

Slightly better graphics to keep them with the time (although it certainly wouldn't be necessary).

The graphics can get a ton better, trust me. We are no where near what CGI effects in movies were showing us 11 years ago yet.

I can tell you what I don't like about HL2, the driving missions. They are way too long.

The reason we don't have graphics that good is because no one has a computer capable of even showing things that good. HL3 won't come out at a time when we can have a level of graphics as good as CGI in movies on standard desktop computers.

I havn't gotten to the buggy yet but I didn't find the hovercraft part to be too long for my liking.

More weapons

Somewhat improved AI

Complete the story (although thats not really an improvement)

Other than those I can't really think of anything that needs to be "improved". Things can and should be added of course but thats only natural for a new game.

 

[Wikt]

I agree that the airboat chapters are damn long and tense. But there is a lot of relief once you reach the destination.

 

[Phik_wickson]

what cgi movie 11 years ago??.. I think hl2 is a teensy bit bit better than cgi movies from last century :cheers:

 

[Razak]

what cgi movie 11 years ago??.. I think hl2 is a teensy bit bit better than cgi movies from last century :cheers:

jurassica park
T2

 

[Phik_wickson]

that has better animation??
..........................
no comment

 

[Zento]

One comment I would like to make on AI improvement is how improved do you want it? Do you want them to be as smart as you, which will make it almost impossible to win? I don't really know, but I am quite happy with the current situation - maybe more things they can do, but not much in terms of thinking for themselves...

 

[krameriffic]

The game needs to be longer, and they really need to improve or take out the squad based fighting. The AI on your teammates is pitiful, they always get in the way, push you around, and cross through laser security beams.

 

[Netherworld]

well hl3 is confirmed apparently so its deffinatly coming,

i have to agree with the poster who said better graphics as dont get me wrong the graphics were good, just not great. Also id like to see maybe gorden actually speak and interact properly with people, as the whole silent thing went out of date in the 90's as gta is good example of that, when they enabled the character 2 talk it got far far better. its hard to say what to improve really

and oh yeah dont go with vivendi

 

[She]

overall design..

 

[UKchaos2]

The biggest thing they can improve on is:

STFU ABOUT THE GAME UNTIL YOU FINISH MAKING IT.

ahem..

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Slightly better graphics to keep them with the time (although it certainly wouldn't be necessary).

The reason we don't have graphics that good is because no one has a computer capable of even showing things that good. HL3 won't come out at a time when we can have a level of graphics as good as CGI in movies on standard desktop computers.

I havn't gotten to the buggy yet but I didn't find the hovercraft part to be too long for my liking.

More weapons

Somewhat improved AI

Complete the story (although thats not really an improvement)

Other than those I can't really think of anything that needs to be "improved". Things can and should be added of course but thats only natural for a new game.

pretty much agreed on all acounts.
game developers are not going to make a game with photo-realism as a feature as long as the average user has a 1.8GHZ CPU (yes i know GHZ ratings are beginning to mean less now but im just making a point here about slower PC's).

now i haven't had too many post-release problems with the game...but perhaps if there is one thing Valve can improve, that is probably being more prepared for a HL3 release.

 

[WhiteZero]

Yeah, get rid of the main menu that takes as long to load as a normal level.

I can't wait for a MOD that makes the menu not in-game graphics.

 

[Revisedsoul]

Yeah, get rid of the main menu that takes as long to load as a normal level.

I can't wait for a MOD that makes the menu not in-game graphics.

but by having the ingame graphics already loaded, it makes starting from a save point or new game alot quicker

 

[DoctorGordon3]

Better AI

 

[alan8325]

The main thing for me is map size and complexity. Most of the levels have beautiful scenery and towering buildings all around you but you can't reach any of it! The actual map is usually like an alleyway, riverbed, or road, with little room to deviate from the designated path.

Not only are some of the buildings you see unenterable (even if you fire a rocket at the wooden door!), but most of the taller ones aren't even on the map. They are just 3d skybox objects. In some of the levels I would love to have the option to go to the top floor of one of the tall buildings and snipe or drop large objects on troops below, in addition to following the main path if I want to.

Don't get me wrong, HL2 is a great game, the next one just needs to be WAY more explorable and flexible with strategy!

 

[Dr. Freeman]

hmm another thing that comes to mind is.. the untimely load times.. the one that pops into my head right away is the part at beginning when u are trying to run away from the Metrocops and boom, as soon as u start climbing the stairs to the roof theres a load time u gotta go through :|

i dunno how much better these load times can be placed.. but i think there were a few which were just a tad annoying.

 

[AmishSlayer]

overall design..

That's quite vague...but I think so too.

The game was designed to be too easy and they seemed to make it center around physics...which doesn't make an FPS game. The combat needed to be worked on more...the AI in particular. Maybe they had combine soldiers stand still so you could use the manipulator and kill them...who knows? The story could've been a little more complicated. Some of the longest portions of the game involved you getting somewhere just to meet somebody rather than a solid meaningful story-driven objective. I also think that the whole 1984-esque theme died after about 15 minutes. It just became a one-man army fight in and out of some city with the exception of some parts near the end. Then I actually got a sense of some kind of real resistance instead of me fighting the combine by myself.

 

[rottenchild]

I'm pretty damn blown away by what I've seen so far in this long-awaited game, but I have a few things I would like to see change in the sequel. I would love to see the passing from day to night in real-time, Gordon's hands actually holding the things he picks up rather than the objects just floating in front of him, and finally, I would love to see this singleplayer game not be dependant on an internet connection of any kind; that seems to be just asking for problems.

 

[Sharpmind]

About the Graphics

I think the reason for that they dont make more photo realistic animations and stuff like that is that most people dont have the computer power required to run that kind of games. If you look on games like EverQuest, you can see that the graphics are pretty nice, but theyr engine cant handle it. That results in lag on older computers, but on the other hand, Valve has successfully done this, I run the game on a AMD 1,6 Ghz with a slightly overclocked Nvidia GForce 4 440MX, and it runs perfectly, that is with some graphical options disabled. Anyway, The Source engine is brilliant and will most likely be used in more games in the future. What they have done with physics is incredible!! Its amazing! I just LOVE that game! and Valve

 

[Fliko]

A hell of alot of traps

 

[Sanius]

Me? from the complaints I hear, I just want an improved source engine (just so it can do a bit more, thats all), better A.I, and I want them to wrap up the story! well..naaah, I never want it to die.

I do not want them to make me upgrade. if I have a gig of ram and a nVidia 6800, I do NOT want to have to upgrade again because they want to keep up with unreal 3 or something.

 

[The Mullinator]

I'm pretty damn blown away by what I've seen so far in this long-awaited game, but I have a few things I would like to see change in the sequel. I would love to see the passing from day to night in real-time,

I have to disagree with the day-night change. They made it pre-set so they could set the mood. I mean just think how bad Ravenholm would have been if you happened to enter it during the day?

 

[Unfocused]

The level design could be improved so that you would have not just one route to the next level but a few more. Actually the levels are quite small, though they seem open.

 

[madacian]

I kinda felt like the pacing of the game is too fast. Especially the airboat and buggy levels. There's so much going on around you, that you can't stop and fight. You have to push through and drive through each section of the map avoiding as much confrontation as possible. It makes me feel like I'm missing out on a lot of the game.

I'd also like to see the AI improved. I don't know how many times I've thrown a grenade only to watch three combine soldiers stand there and look at it. Or when it is one on one, I can stand in one place and the combine has a hard time hitting me from a distance. If he's not close combat, he's mince meat. And before you ask, no I'm not playing on easy. I'm playing on hard. The zombie AI is a bit different. They don't have to be smart. All they need to do is get in there and sling their claws.

I'm sure over the next 2-5 years we'll see graphics improve once again, so I would expect to see HL3 with some better visuals. But I'm not going to expect much, considering HL3 will probably be developed on Source. Unless they make some major overhuals to the engine before working on HL3, I would expect it to look similar to HL2.

I really wish they'd put some more story into the game. There are so many questions from the first and now the second game, that I'd be suprised if all of them were answered in a third game. Especially any questions pertaining to HL1. But who knows, maybe they'll unveil all of the secrets and unanswered questions in HL3. I hope they don't keep dragging it out though, where we see HL4, 5, and 6. I think after 3 it's time to look for a new IP.

 

[ryudom]

most definitely hl3dm and hl3tdm, coop, make (optional, dependign on difficulty?) harder puzzles, be nice if you could shoot and zoom at the same time, maybe get a combine sniper rifle (if you don't already), make the crobar have a secondary attack, (like the wrench in opfor), give the hev suit new abilities maybe? like a dash (double tab w a s or d), make the vehicle parts less lengthy, sometimes optional (like hijacking random cars), make a unlockable hardest mode, where guys don't take more hits (cause thats could get really annoying) but instead are more in number, firepower, and you take less hits.

 

[SSMOKER]

Install Time needs Loads of improvement

Install Time needs Loads of improvement. 20 min on a high end system.....PAINFULL..... Aftrer that the game is most excellent. :frog:

 

[Blocks]

Improved movement

I love the game so far.... just finished Ravenholm last nite. But being a diehard UT player I really miss the added movements (dodging) of th UT series. Dodging, wall dodging and double jumps sure would be a great addition. I mean he has that rocking suit, wo why not have a new version that gives him some added physical abilities that are perhaps time and/or energy based?

 

[silvercue]

The lengthy load screens need addressing. The graphics need a lot of imrovement (not seeing Gord's hands looks dreadful). The supposedly great AI is not even as good as HL1 firefights..
Why can't the combine aim at all, even on Hard level? I

 

[GiaOmerta]

jurassica park
T2

I'm currently working with Light Wave, animation program used to develope movies such as Jurassic Park, ect. Render times are a killer when you get into complex scenes.. Only a select few, with the ultra high-end computers would be able to playing with a decent frame rate.

 

[DigiQ8]

overall design..

You forgot the shadows bug

 

[SpiderSLO]

I love the game so far.... just finished Ravenholm last nite. But being a diehard UT player I really miss the added movements (dodging) of th UT series. Dodging, wall dodging and double jumps sure would be a great addition. I mean he has that rocking suit, wo why not have a new version that gives him some added physical abilities that are perhaps time and/or energy based?

you know why UT is called Unreal Torunament????????

BECAUSE ITS UNREAL !!!!!!! :|


let me help you:

It... Is... Not... Real

 

[Thorn of Death]

I'd like the trees to be improved.

I have a few questions here. I haven't played HL2, but I did play CSS. So I wonder how wooden objects break up? is it like CSS? because I disliked the way it does. Half of the object dissappears.

Also, do pushable objects push you back when you're near it? I mean, in CSS you couldn't even stand on one.

 

[God™]

I'd like to see:

-Better AI
-More variety of weapons (and better sounds for them)
-Destructable environments
-Hopefully not too much of a Matrix Revolutions kinda ending

 

[Dekstar]

I'd like the trees to be improved.

I have a few questions here. I haven't played HL2, but I did play CSS. So I wonder how wooden objects break up? is it like CSS? because I disliked the way it does. Half of the object dissappears.

Also, do pushable objects push you back when you're near it? I mean, in CSS you couldn't even stand on one.

Oh, For screwballs sake! This is the last time I'll say this, then I'll just shout at you for being such a noob if you ask this question again:

CSS objects push you back because if they didn't they would all be server based, and there's enough lag as it is, without some dumbass standing on a stupid barrel because he wants to be taller.

Also, some wodden objects break like in CSS, but for some reason they are just higher quality breaks, and some wood does break realistically.

 

[Thorn of Death]

Why do objects push players away in CCS?




Heh, seriously, why would I ask the question again?

 

[Blocks]

you know why UT is called Unreal Torunament????????

BECAUSE ITS UNREAL !!!!!!! :|


let me help you:

It... Is... Not... Real

No kidding? Thanks for the enlightenment

Did you miss my comment about advance movements possibly being related to the suit, and time/energy based, rather than an ability of the character and therefore more plausible or "real"? Thought so.... was after all a hell of a long post