Some ideas to make HL2 even better

[CombineHarvester]

I have to start by saying that it is the best FPS I've played, but it struck me that the game would be improved immensely (and easily) by introducing a few things-

1) Have far fewer ammo and health packs dotted around.
Generally after a firefight there is a location to stock up on. Whilst this keeps the gameplay flowing it means that the player never has to sneak up on enemies, they can simply sit and blast until the fight is over. I don't think I ever once ran out of ammo in HL2 whereas I often did in the original. The tension in those situations was fantastic.

2) Have the gravity gun limited in some way
Either link it into the aux power, or have it with its own (rechargeable) supply. The gun is great fun, but since its "ammo" is unlimited it makes the game a lot easier.

3) Have different combine spawn points
So that when you replay a level the enemy are never exactly where they were before. Maybe add three or four different locations for any given troop/soldier. It would increase replay amazingly.

4) make the striders

Spoiler

(almost) impervious to rockets

Spoiler

Perhaps they could be stopped by shooting the underbelly, or lobbing a grenade into a small aperture?

Ok, these weren't really spoilers, but you can never be sure!

Finally, I'd have loved to have seen some, if not all of the buggy level take place at night. Imagine driving down a road and zombies, headcrabs or antlions suddenly appearing out of nowhere into you headlights. Man, that level would scare the hell out of me. I don't think there were enough scares in this for my liking, probably based on the fact so much was set outdoors in daylight.

 

[Locust]

these are some good ideas. I bet it would be relatively easy to do with the sdk, especially the night one. great ideas dude.

 

[Edcrab]

Your final point would annoy me unless they gave the buggy headlights. I don't understand why your torch works in the airboat but not the buggy...

3) Would be interesting although probably fairly fiddly to implement. 4) Is just insane- it's frustrating enough trying to take the things down. I think the whole "Striders should be super units" opinion would only work if there were far less of them in the game. 2) is understandable but liable to piss people off... strangely, I didn't overuse it as much as I might've expected. 1) The amount of health/ammo gained per pack is determined by the difficulty level already- rather than reducing the number I'd spread them out a bit more, as sometimes I found myself wandering around with sub-20 health for ages, or encountering a swathe of health packs when I'm still in the 90s.

Personally, I'd be happy seeing the re-implementation of dropped units and features/weapons (like molotov-chucking resistance fighters) and possibly the increasing of maximum ammo levels.

 

[nutcrackr]

1 - fewer ammo, disagree
2- grav gun limited, disagree
3- combine spawn points, I agree but would have to see how it's implemented
4-striders - disagree, striders are fine as is, weak spot meh, I wouldn't mind being able to de-leg the striders to take them down but not an orifice or something that would just be frustrating.
5-Buggy at night - maybe break the buggy section into two sections, night and day?

 

[ericlee88]

2) Have the gravity gun limited in some way
Either link it into the aux power, or have it with its own (rechargeable) supply. The gun is great fun, but since its "ammo" is unlimited it makes the game a lot easier.

it IS linked to the aux power. it takes up your aux when u use it. u can't sprint and stuff when u are using it.

 

[Asuka]

Disagree.

 

[Vegeta897]

it IS linked to the aux power. it takes up your aux when u use it. u can't sprint and stuff when u are using it.

Well duh you can't sprint with it... But what makes you think it takes up AUX power!?

When you first get it from Alyx she says they used it for heavy lifting and stuff... Are you saying they had to lug on an HEV suit everytime they did this?

And do you see any tube or cable connecting the gun to the suit?

No.

Thankyou.

 

[nick_t]

I'm much more interested in the atmosphere of the game than the modifications made on the guns. I wish I could see more of the scenery. Like walking around different cool parts of city 17, riding that ice breaker ship that was never added, and having a train fight through which you travel between cities and catch a glimpse of what has happened in the countryside. I wish you could get a better sense of things. It felt like I was flying through levels and geographical areas.

p.s. the coast level was cool and how you saw that people were shelled with headcrabs in their homes/cottages.

 

[Dalamari]

I know what would make HL2 better, A total conversion mod so I don't have to stick to just CS:S and HL:S after I beat HL2 (which I already have)

 

[CombineHarvester]

these are some good ideas. I bet it would be relatively easy to do with the sdk, especially the night one. great ideas dude.

Thanks abconners, it seems very few people agree. I just found the game a little easy (even on hard) because of the amount of ammo around, so I missed the tension of HL (Except for maybe 3 or 4 set piece situations where it got quite tough)

Incidentally, I am undecided about the enemy AI. Sometimes the combine do flank me, or lob a grenade at the most inopportune moment, yet at other times -for example, in the crane section I just played again there- it appears quite poor. I was taking potshots at a combine about 100 yards away with a pistol. Even though I was not hidden he didn't return fire. I took him down after about 5 seconds of slow fire without him even attempting to run! Still, minor gripes

 

[Ownzed]

Disagree to all pretty much. The game is challenging enough the way it is!! (expecially on hard!)

 

[Sparta]

I think the game should have generally been harder. And i would've loved to have seen more fights where you're the one NOT fighting. I love that scene where the strider walks past and the combine and strider are slaughtering the resistance, and you're pretty much helpless to do anything. That was great.