The HL2 Cuts Thread

[Jandor]

We all know that a lot of content was cut from the final version of the game, Borealis, Prowlers, etc. However I don't think it was cut because it didn't play, at least not in most instances. I think it was cut almost as a direct result of the leak, Valve had spent alot of money developing steam, so it could be used not only as a way to sell the game and keep all the money, but also to stop Half Life 2 being subject to piracy.
However, if the game then gets leaked but you release all the content that is in the leak in the final game, even with the changes made, your going to lose sales to people who choose to go with the similar leaked version. Therefore Valve cut alot of the content and re-did it so the final version was significantly different.

For this reason, I dont like the leak and wish it had never happened, then we would have had the proper version of HL2, longer, with more enemies, and more variety of locations. However, I do believe some of it was cut because it was not fun, but in the end they cut so many things that they left us with very little variety, in enemys at least. Which is a big shame

Those are my thoughts, what do other people think?

NOTE: DO NOT POST LINKS TO A BETA DOWNLOAD, DO NOT ASK FOR LINKS TO THE BETA, NOR LINKS TO BETA CONTENT!


a short list of things cut from HL2:

A Different Intro:
Tunnels:
Borealis:
Air Exchange:
Museum:
Depot:
Docks:
Kraken Base:
Weather Control:

Hydras:
Cremators:
Prowlers:
Combine Guards:
Assassin Zombines:
Combine Assassins:
Bullsquid:
Houndseye:
Wasteland Scanner:
Shield Scanner:
Antlion King:

Crab Synths and Mortar Synths, whilst seen in the Citadel, where originally going to be fought against.

anyway, post away, and try to keep it within the rules.

 

[Pai-Mei]

If you count every last concept cut from the game, your list would be a LOT longer. Most of them were cut out b/c of gameplay and feasibility issues, not the Leak.

Oh, and, you're going to get flamed by people saying "WTF!!!??? HL2 ROX STOP WHINING |\|()()b"

Hydras were cut b/c they were no fun... while it was cool to watch a patrolling soldier get impaled or an Elite firing at you to unexpectedly get the shaft, it was much less fun to play against. It would essentially slither through the map and you wouldn't have any warning until it killed you in one hit. Then, you would reload, know exactly where it was, and kill it with easy. Not all that fun, gameplay wise.

The only things that I really wish they had left in are Cremators and attacking stalkers. Both would have made the world a lot creepier.

 

[Agent G-Man]

I would've liked to see and fight the Antlion King, although it's suppose to be bigger than the Striders. *gulp*

 

[Blakeb155]

It would be cool to go underground and kill the Antlion King.

I think some of the things were only for display at E3 to show off the Source engine. They never made any sense with the rest of the game. Why spoil some of it at E3? Keep the fans up in the air about it....

 

[Asknoone]

For this reason, I dont like the leak and wish it had never happened, then we would have had the proper version of HL2, longer, with more enemies, and more variety of locations.

Wrong. The leak had all of the locations the actual game had in. Nova Prospekt, the canals, the transtation, city 17 and ravenholm and so on. They were all there, with the same level names and they flowed exactly the same. The only thing slightly different about them was the level design and trust me, the layout of the levels now excels beyond what they had.

The chapters you mention: Weather control, skyscraper, wasteland train, scrapyard, kraken base and so on -- were all cut back in 2002. Not because of the leak, but because they resembled a somewhat cliche story that was far fetched and not at all as intruiging as the one there is now. Resistance fighters in an underwater base? I don't think so. Dr Breen in a military outfit? Where have i seen that before. An air exchange facility thats changing the air on the planet? Aliens anyone?

The only chapter that was cut, after the leak was the Borealis. Which was actually cut from numerous places in the game beforehand. Eventually, alot of these locations will wind up in an expansion on some form or another.

As for weapons..I'm not to bothered really...i mean valve obviously clicked and thought "Why are we overloading the game with a ridiculous amount of weapons...when we can stick others in expansion packs?"

If they had kept all of the weapons that were cut, it would have sucked. I just don't want a game with 25 + weapons, when i have enough of a variety with 10 +.

Enemies -- i agree with. You could have easily fit the Bullsquids in Rout Kanal or Water Hazard. Have them hiding in crannys or just plain paddling through the water. (They had a model and attack animations as well)

Cremators? Plenty of area's in city 17 i am sure. Or for more impact, have them slowly walkign down a darkened corridor in Nova Prospekt.

Houndeyes? A few places for them as well i suppose, but i dont think it had animations.

Well thats all i can think of, but when it boils down to it, Valve didn't put them in for a reason, and whatever you may think, i am glad they did what they did...because i'm just waiting for the expansions

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Yeah, I saw a pic of the bullsquid, it looked cool and wouldn't have been so weird if it was in water hazard, they could've fit it in in the radiation areas, but then they did bring back the vortigaunt which was not displayed at E3 and does look really cool.
Hydra, don't care one iota, weapons, don't care one iota, borealis, don't care.
And about your list of enemies: More variety of scanners? Whoop-de-****in-doo... cremators could've been nice, otherwise don't care.

 

[Jandor]

I may be wrong with the levels granted, I havn't actually played the leak and even if my curiousity did build to the level where I tried to download it, my interest would peter out at around the same time as my 56k .

But I know I'm right with the enemies damnit Prowlers, Cremators, Bullsquid, Houndseye, and Hydra, those are my big five wishes for the Alyx pack

Hydra damnit, i'll decide for myself whether its fun or not, don't show me something as cool as that and then tell me its rubbish!

 

[pomegranate]

I really wish they'd left in the oil tanker. Man, that looked SO kick-ass.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

I may be wrong with the levels granted, I havn't actually played the leak and even if my curiousity did build to the level where I tried to download it, my interest would peter out at around the same time as my 56k .

But I know I'm right with the enemies damnit Prowlers, Cremators, Bullsquid, Houndseye, and Hydra, those are my big five wishes for the Alyx pack

Hydra damnit, i'll decide for myself whether its fun or not, don't show me something as cool as that and then tell me its rubbish!

Let me put it this way; Would you have preffered that George Lucas cut Jar Jar Binks before the premiere, or did you prefer watching it and finding out what an annoying tumour on entertainment's brain he was by yourself?

 

[knut]

Hydras:
Cremators:
Prowlers:
Combine Guards:
Assassin Zombines:
Combine Assassins:
Bullsquid:
Houndseye:
Wasteland Scanner:
Shield Scanner:
Antlion King:

Excuse my noob-ness, but what were they?

 

[Asknoone]

Let me put it this way; Would you have preffered that George Lucas cut Jar Jar Binks before the premiere, or did you prefer watching it and finding out what an annoying tumour on entertainment's brain he was by yourself?

 

[Da Funkey Gibbon]

Man, Jar-Jar carried that movie.

Yeah I would like to see some combine zimbies, that would be cool.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Man, Jar-Jar carried that movie.

Yeah I would like to see some combine zimbies, that would be cool.

First assassin Zombines and now combine zimbies?

 

[ríomhaire]

Shield Scanner

there in the game.
Some one should make a Leaked Scenes mod.

 

[ShadowX]

a short list of things cut from HL2:

A Different Intro:
Tunnels:
Borealis:
Air Exchange:
Museum:
Depot:
Docks:
Kraken Base:
Weather Control:

Hydras:
Cremators:
Prowlers:
Combine Guards: ... we have them.
Assassin Zombines: Fast zombies are pretty much that..
Combine Assassins: Combine Elites?
Bullsquid:
Houndseye:
Wasteland Scanner:
Shield Scanner: Got it..
Antlion King: Antlion Gaurd anyone?

Crab Synths and Mortar Synths, whilst seen in the Citadel, where originally going to be fought against.

anyway, post away, and try to keep it within the rules.

We've got a lot of stuff on your list.

 

[Asknoone]

First assassin Zombines and now combine zimbies?

This threads insane.

 

[Jandor]

Combine Zombies, Vortigaunt Zombies, Big Green Slug zombies!! man, so many zombies!

 

[gusIII]

The antlion king (shouldn't it be queen?) was so big so you could stand between it toes. Iy was cut beacuse it was no room for it. I think that sounds stupid.. Just think fighting that big thing..

 

[pomegranate]

I think you sound stupid. Just kidding. Think about Nilanth and the Opposing Forces boss - they were almost that size, no?

 

[AJ Rimmer]

I think you sound stupid. Just kidding. Think about Nilanth and the Opposing Forces boss - they were almost that size, no?

Yes. And they were boring.

 

[Jandor]

No, your boring!




EDIT: Just in case some people don't get, I'm being sarcastic.

 

[MarcoPollo]

^^ I don't get it Are you being sarcastic <---more sarcasm+bad joke.
Also......combine zombies would not happen unless the combine took off thier mask so....

 

[St. Vegas]

Hydra still woulda been cool.

Fighting that dinosaur woulda been too.

 

[Asknoone]

Hydra still woulda been cool.

Fighting that dinosaur woulda been too.

Gordon vs the T-rex -- the true origin of the combine.

 

[Jandor]

Garg? Tomb Riader? a re-animated skeleton in a C17 museum?

 

[MarcoPollo]

wat dinosaur???? are you talking about the hydra...the hydra is a sneaky plasma snake...one hit kill...not good gameplay...

 

[BetaMaster]

They could have toned down the damage.
And the antlion king: never heard of this, sounds interesting.
Finally, Combine Zombies: it could happen, headcrabs could damage you through your HEV suit, after all.

 

[Pai-Mei]

wat dinosaur????

He's talking about the Antlion King, which was only ever a concept. Do not confuse this with what you fight in game, whuch is the Antlion Guardian, or what the Vortigaunts call a Myrmidon.

Originally, HL2 was supposed to have a bunch of underground levels which is where the Ant Lions and the King were to be. The King was to tower 60 feet tall, over a Strider. You would only fit between the toes of the beast. But, topside Antlion scripting started to work and more and more underground areas were cut, and there was soon no room left for the Antlion King.

 

[pomegranate]

No, he's talking about the dinosaurs section that was cut from HL1

 

[St. Vegas]

Actually I was talking about the underwater dinosaur thing. What you see for a split second before teleportation mishaps settle down.

Damn. All that underground crap sounds awesome though.

We're getting that new level by the coast, right? Who's to say it might not be added later...

 

[BetaMaster]

Actually I was talking about the underwater dinosaur thing. What you see for a split second before teleportation mishaps settle down.

Damn. All that underground crap sounds awesome though.

We're getting that new level by the coast, right? Who's to say it might not be added later...

The ichtyosaur?

And yeah, the underground levels were an awesome idea..I wish they had continued those. They had antlion grubs, too, that could be squished. And what new level by the coast?

 

[MarcoPollo]

yeh and they had a Weather machine w00t!!!

 

[Jandor]

To attract tourists to C17, the trade has been dying out.

But with new weather control, the sun never fades and tourists can relax on never ending beaches for hours on end. Staying in a beautifully decorated suite aboard an exquisite cruise liner you'll be docked 20 miles inland for the first half of your journey, and 6 feet underground at the end.

Visit the costa del C17 today .

 

[MarcoPollo]

lol thats goin in my sig

 

[hool10]

Antlion King
Combine Alien Assassin
Female Elite
Jetski
Pick up Raising The Bar. They talk about everything and why it was cut. Its a very good book. :thumbs:
*These pics are not from, Raising The Bar*

 

[St. Vegas]

A model of the female combine elite would be nice...

 

[Pai-Mei]

*These pics are not from, Raising The Bar*

Actually, they are. I've got the book and even if you didn't scan them yourself it is obvious that someone did.

You can see the dip where the pages meet the spine in top right of the Jetski pic!!

I can't directly comment about the others except by saying that those exact concept arts, minus the foreign quotations, are indeed from the book.

 

[hool10]

Ah so it is in a book. But the Jetski was small in the book compared to that one! That one looks like it takes up an entire page.

 

[Pai-Mei]

Ah so it is in a book. But the Jetski was small in the book compared to that one! That one looks like it takes up an entire page.

Jetski takes up the top half of the page... but although it starts almost right in the seem, it only only goes about 3/4 of the way to the left. And that pic is pretty consistant if you imagine that the page is much larger than it looks at first glance.

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

A model of the female combine elite would be nice...

One was made but nobody in this thread seems to want her. It looked great but I had some ugly camo torso that should've been changed.

I want an Elite Metro Cop skin for DM.