Valve Update News

[Dowie]

More Aftermath info coming in the next few Steam Updates New's.

And an amazing new pic, enjoy:thumbs:

http://steampowered.com/Steam/Marketing/February24.2006/img/HL2_EP1_Alyx_Silhouette1.jpg

 

[$kelet0r]

reminds me of post war berlin :O
i hope that the black smoke isnt static - it looks ridiculous in that pic

 

[Dowie]

You know there was a reason I posted that pic as a link.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

That's Kleiner on the screen on the background

 

[Tamer17]

"During the development of Half-Life 2, we at Valve were frustrated at how long it took us (six years!) to ship the game.
With that in mind , the decision was made to try an episodic approach to the next Half-Life products,
each designed to reveal new story, gameplay, and the latest Source technology in four to six hour experiences."

Now , that's what Episodic is all about.

 

[Asknoone]

Fantastic new screen. Cloud looks awesome too.

 

[Asuka]

Wow that looks amazing. Oh man so close to release im starting to shake again!

 

[Dr. Freeman]

That's Kleiner on the screen on the background

hmm...interesting.
a hint maybe?

 

[Dowie]

Ironically enough that pic is from the same map as the last screenshot, it was a pic of Alyx at the screen that Kleiner is on.

 

[ríomhaire]

reminds me of post war berlin :O
i hope that the black smoke isnt static - it looks ridiculous in that pic

:O Video skyboxes in E1? I hope so.

 

[Asknoone]

hmm...interesting.
a hint maybe?

Kleiner takes control of the PA screens around the City in an attempt to aid in the evacuation.

 

[Dowie]

Kleiner takes control of the PA screens around the City in an attempt to aid in the evacuation.

no he doesn't thats Combine karaoke tv.

And next up is cooking with the combine

 

[-smash-]

:O Video skyboxes in E1? I hope so.

It would be just an animated texture that scrolls in a loop

You can see this in DoD:S's latest map (Kalt) - Moving clouds pass the sun.

effects/sun_clouds is the name in Hammer.

 

[nutcrackr]

I don't like wartorn, I want happy fun times in grassy fields with flowers and rainbows

 

[ríomhaire]

It would be just an animated texture that scrolls in a loop

Obviously but it'd still be cool.

 

[MysticalMrBob]

Actually, looking at the position, it looks like a spiral with the center being at the top of the combine tower. I be that's a portal storm and it'll be brewing and spiraling over the tower as we run from it.

 

[AKIRA]

Well, as long as Valve is concentrating on the plot, it can only get better eh? I mean what else do they have to worry about?

About the picture, I think it looks fantastic, that area seems much wider than the inner-city settings in HL2, and the swirling black cloud could use a touch-up, you know so it doesn't look so pixelated.

 

[-smash-]

Actually, looking at the position, it looks like a spiral with the center being at the top of the combine tower. I be that's a portal storm and it'll be brewing and spiraling over the tower as we run from it.

Yep, that's exactly where its origins are.

 

[BrimStone04]

YEEEEEHAAAWWW!!!!! im getting that good ol' HL2 anticipation again, waiting for every little piece of info i can soak into.....cant freaking wait.

 

[Black Mesa corp]

Fantastic screen, and great clues all over the picture for possible happenings for this expansion. I am going to replay HL2 to prepare for this expansion again.... on my new PC

 

[Hypnosos]

this is going to be great.. can't wait for the release..

 

[Max35]

That portal storm is indicative that escaping from C17 isn't going to be as straightforward as was previously thought.

 

[ríomhaire]

That portal storm is indicative that escaping from C17 isn't going to be as straightforward as was previously thought.

Who thought it would be straightforward?

 

[Asknoone]

We can't actually say for sure its a portal storm.

 

[-smash-]

I say it's just smoke.

 

[Asknoone]

Its definately something else.

 

[AKIRA]

I don't remember but was there any mention of new weapons in either episode 1 or 2?

I'm sorry but a lot of the weapons in HL2 were horrible, like the smg, the shotgun could've been way better if it was double barreled like in Ressurection of Evil.

 

[-smash-]

I don't remember but was there any mention of new weapons in either episode 1 or 2?

I'm sorry but a lot of the weapons in HL2 were horrible, like the smg, the shotgun could've been way better if it was double barreled like in Ressurection of Evil.

Alyx is our new weapon.

 

[ríomhaire]

Its definately something else.

Maybe it's smoke being pulled into a portal!

 

[Drackard]

This is good news :thumbs: and that pic is amazing, can see the effort they are putting in is paying off

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

Well, smoke goes up doesn't it? From the picture, it looks like this "smoke" is expanding.

 

[ríomhaire]

Well, smoke goes up doesn't it? From the picture, it looks like this "smoke" is expanding.

Smoke can go down if it's colder than the air around it or if there is an air flow D:

 

[Drackard]

Maybe a random portal linking Earth to Xen .. just guessing

 

[Zephos]

That raises a good point, would these "portal storms" be shown in Aftermath? (I refuse to say that...other...name)

 

[Hullu]

I hated fighting alongside Alyx. I hope her AI is better now. :I i'm not much of a teamplayer anyway...

 

[Asknoone]

That raises a good point, would these "portal storms" be shown in Aftermath? (I refuse to say that...other...name)

Possibly. They never actually stopped since Black Mesa.

 

[RioBravoXL]

I was surprised to see the citadel is still standing on the left border of the screen. I suppose the top half of it could have been destroyed when the "dark fusion" reactor was lit up. That would explain the dark rings eminating from where the top of the citadel originally was.

 

[Asknoone]

The first part of the game takes place in the Citadel, so its not going to go up yet. By the end of Aftermath however, it'll be in total meltdown.

 

[AKIRA]

So April is the release date?

I can't wait, this better be worth my 20 bucks.

 

[RioBravoXL]

The first part of the game takes place in the Citadel, so its not going to go up yet. By the end of Aftermath however, it'll be in total meltdown.

How do you know this? I can't remember reading this anywhere.

Also, wouldn't that conflict with the story? If the first part of the game is before the reactor meltdown, then Gordon and Alyx have to be put into stasis and moved back in time since the Citadel was going up right as the the game ended. Wouldn't this cause a temporal paradox (since Gordon and Alyx would likely encounter themselves on the way up to the reactor)?