More NPCs or less NPCs?

What role should NPCs play in Episode 2?

  • NPCs through all or almost all the game. I need help. I get scared. Hold me. (80-100% co-op)

    Votes: 7 18.9%
  • Less NPCs than ep1, but more than in HL2. (40-80% co-op)

    Votes: 19 51.4%
  • HL2 had a good balance. (10-40% co-op)

    Votes: 9 24.3%
  • I hate NPCs and I want to die alone. (0-10% co-op)

    Votes: 2 5.4%

  • Total voters
    37

okidoki

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I'm hoping ep2 has less Alyx than ep1. I believe having an NPC travel with you makes your journey through the game seem less remarkable. It's not as heroic of Gordon if someone goes to the same places and does all the same things he does. I believe a quote from Raising the Bar touches on this:

Originally we had citizens up on the street level shooting RPGs at the citadel, and we were planning to have an all out assault on the citadel underway. But at a certain point it felt better to have the player all alone entering the citadel, with the only sound being the eerie creaks and groans of the citadel itself. It was more in keeping with the classic quest theme of a lone knight entering the fortress of the enemy, which was the feeling we were tring to evoke.

I think this philosophy should have been applied to the episodes more. I thought Alyx made ep1 less satisfying than HL2, but I understand she was vital to the story. I thought "at least there will be less of her in ep2". But apparently Valve's not cutting back on the NPCs according to the previews. There's apparently a place for Alyx in the vehicle now, when in the gameplay videos she was nowhere in sight. Also seen in the videos is a vortigaunt alongside Gordon in the antlion caverns. I hope I'm wrong and that Gordon goes on some solo quests, but it's not looking that way.

I'm not saying NPCs are bad for the game. The characters are the most realistic in any game due to the well written dialogue and brilliant voice acting. Alyx's AI and animations in ep1 are the best I've seen in any FPS. I just prefer a balance between lone exploring and cooperative gameplay like in HL2.
 
I'm hoping for more coop gameplay. Remember, the game has "larger combat" environments, and I think this would be far less interesting if you were alone.
 
Yes, it depends on the environment, but I'm not really talking about the rebels. They don't follow you through the whole game (at least I hope not). Also, what happened to your postcount? I have more posts than you. o.O
 
Although I'm getting used to Alicks, I'd vote for a fair 40 %.

Especially with all the upcoming abandoned houses, bases, sheds, I'd prefer exploring all these by myself and have time to drink some coffee while watching some hunters from far away coming to my location.

Having a NPC with you would make you go all "oh snap I gotta protect him/her at all cost". Kind of.
 
I'd say around 30% but the coop has to be as good as Alyx was or it will start to impact my gameplay.
 
I believe that more npcs give a more realistic feeling to the game especially considering how believable they are now Valve will definitely improve on them. Like Alyx that will give us more of an emotional attachment to some of them for example Alyx I see that many treated her like a real person in episode 1. In the end I see that more Alyx should be seen in ep2 but not too much rebel npcs even though it's going to be a tough battle in ep2 with the hunters and all.
 
Alyx is by far the best NPC I've been allied with in a game, and although I loved having her around in Episode One, I think that there needs to be a bit more alone time in Episode Two. Too much of her cheapens her effects on gameplay.
 
Ya true but considering that now there are more large scale battles with tougher enemies like the hunter I think that your going to need a lot of help but with Alyx at least it makes the whole ep2 experience a bit easier.

Not to mention that her a.i is getting improved now she should be more help but of course judging from all the previews I think that your not going to see her in the antlion tunnels so maybe that's the only alone time you will get.
 
Why did people hate having alyx tag along in episode 1? I thought it was fun saving her neck from combinez and zombies in slo mo throughout the whole game, and the occasional "Awesome shot!" cause I just laid out some soldier about 30 yards away with 2 shots of the shotgun. :D
 
I liked fighting striders with mah squad during the streetwar :)
 
I liked fighting striders with mah squad during the streetwar :)

Me too, in fact, I think I'd prefer to have some rebels with Alyx's improved AI during ep 2. Nothing wrong with Alyx but The One Free Man is a man of the people! :P
 
To make a game world seem as real and interesting as possible its a must to have many good NPC's like those already introduced in HL2 and EP1. I hope this new Magnusson guy is something outstanding, and I'm sure VALVe will not fail
 
I voted for 40-80% coop... It's no fun to be alone but there's times when you need to be...
 
I enjoyed the co-op play through HL2 and EP1, I mean the rebels in HL2 were pretty much useless but it was fun having a squad follow me about, not to mention it showed that it was a wide area battle.

Like when you are on the roof about to cross the skyway bridge, and the chopper comes in, you see many rebels and combine fighting each other down below. Was a nice touch.

I think all they need to do in EP2 is increase the effectivness of the rebel fighters, not as good as say Alyx or Barney, but at least have them use cover and tactics effectively, not just run at them.
 
Yep. The Rebels were cannon fodder- but what do you really expect for a bunch of civilians with little or no tactical training or experience?

They were always good for drawing fire, though. :naughty:
 
God I hated follow freeman. They were always telling you to reload, even when you had a ****ing crowbar!
 
Whatever valve decides, i liked how many HL2 and HL2EP1 had.
 
I'm pretty sure Raziel is the fan all developers would like to have...
 
I'm pretty sure Raziel is the fan all developers would like to have...

Well I'm the exact opposite, I would nag them to bits LOL.

On the subject at hand I have to say that I absolutely hated the NPCs. Whenever I had the chance I would kill them by picking up a sentry gun. They were damn annoying, they would always get in your way tell you to reload:rolleyes: and generally just act retarded: "Hey gang it's Freeman, let's follow him!!111":rolling:. Also why the hell did you have that command to tell them to either follow or stay behind if they always ignored it !!! ARGHH...

I see that I'm the only one that voted the last option....:x
 
10-30% I'd say. I think I'm one of a rare bunch who actually prefers the generic NPC's to Alyx. I like Alyx and think she's a good character, but I like Kliener too and I don't necessarily want to have him tagging along with me.

Don't get me wrong, it made for some great gameplay in Ep2. But IMO okidoki has a good point. Stuff like stepping off the train at the beginning, seeing the underside of the railroad bridge, the assault on Nova Prospect, getting into the citadel at the end - all of those had to be solo experiences for me. They just wouldn't have been as affecting if I had some simulacrum standing at my shoulder, ready with a quip or a bit of script.

Don't get me wrong, I think Alyx definitely has her place. For example, it's a massive relief to see her in Nova Prospect in HL2, and the dark shootout in Lowlife ranks as one of my favourite gaming sections evar. I just don't think she necessarily has to have such a big role. And like I say, I think I enjoy having the standard NPC's around more - I find it kind of sad when they die, and I try to protect them a lot more than I do with Alyx, who is made of bloody iron and hardly ever dies.
 
Haha! That reminds my of this:
 

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More involvement and immersion in teh NPC's story

McCoy AGAIN,

what i think that valve is trying to get to here is that there always has to be a balance, be it Co-Op with sum NPC's or emotions or combat or WHATEVER. i think that yes, more co-op is in ep2 involving the vortigaunt, not just alyx. maybe even some new people will be involved with you. but i would like to see just some random rebel/person made unique, and be joined with Gordon. but that would be like, another gordon eh??
\
yo
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McCoy
 
I would like to see more npcs like leon where he was just a random npc with a bit of character development.
I think that having npcs at certain points are necessary like for high battles like city 17 and the soon upcoming white forest where there are enemies like striders and gunships in the open field you need help there.
Especially places like lowlife I think that you wouldn't want to face all those zombies alone in the dark without a bit of help but places like highway 17 bridge and the citadel that make you just stop and admire the background are places that I would want to be alone in. Having a npc like Alyx saying something or starts talking about something important while your admiring the scene ruins the whole scene.
 
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