Ze New Op 4

[el Chi]

Dunno if anyone's mentioned this already - probably they have as I'm often quite slow on the up-take or simply don't pay as feverish attention as I ought to.

Anyways. There's been all this furore over whether Shepherd will make a re-appearance and whilst my theory doesn't exactly answer that it does offer a solution to the idea of an HL2 expansion pack.
In the PC Zone preview there was a cute little box-out about the future of Steam etc. and what content subscribers can expect. No I can't remember the exact quote, and seeing as my copy of the magazine is in my uni room (an entire floor away from the I.T. room where I am now) But something Gabe said was along the lines of new content explaining Alyx's back-story. Obviously - new expansion, new playable character as with Op4 and B.Shift. This might seem like idle speculation, but there was that magazine's website (Swedish?) who clearly broke their NDA and said that Valve had been considering Alyx as a playable character (although that that might have been within the context of HL3).

So there you have it. My completely nonsenical although, entirely plausible and quite potentially very entertaining expansion/semi-prequel. So nurr.

(I have been drinking cider so plaese excuse any spelling mistakes, childishness and/or ridiculously pathetic post content)

 

[Death.Trap]

So there you have it. My completely nonsenical although, entirely plausible and quite potentially very entertaining expansion/semi-prequel. So nurr.

I think I just got my first sig!


I think it's possible. Although I'm not sure why they woudl wan't to re-intraduce shepeard.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Valve considering Alyx as a playable character was older news, probably even in the Valve info thread I guess.

 

[Brian Damage]

Yup; before HL2 was officially announced, speculation was rampant that there would be a second, female, playable character...

 

[el Chi]

I think I just got my first sig!
I think it's possible. Although I'm not sure why they woudl wan't to re-intraduce shepeard.

Probably because there's more than a good chance his character will little, if nothing, to do with the story. But again, this is my wonderfully fully dformed opinion. But I'm glad you got your first sig. Huzz\aah muchly.

As for Fenric and Brian... Apologies if it was very old news - clearly I'mrubbish. Well even so - I think it'll be the 1st exapansion pack. Well, I hope so. It'd be amusing I'm sure.

right I'm even more drunk than when I put this piece of drivel on the interneyt as if it were gospel (albeit cider-fuelled gospel) Yeeeahh/ So I*'ll stop conveying my current views as if they had merit - my uni halls warden just saw me spinning on the floor (I am a classy fellow) to get up Yeah it'sw all good...
I'ds like to point out this is the first point I've made whenI've been ACTUALLY drunk. Like properly... Goood Stuff.
Laterz children. R0x0rz and other such bollocks. But do take my theory seriously - no matter how silly it is (and it is...) <Dies>

 

[Brian Damage]

It's better than a lot of stuff you find on the "interneyt"...

Try three spoonfuls of raw french coffee. Just don't get knurd.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Want to really get drunk? I recommend Scumble. but not in a metal cup.

 

[Brian Damage]

Good for cleaning drains and spoons, too... while diluted, that is...

 

[el Chi]

Want to really get drunk? I recommend Scumble. but not in a metal cup.

I dread to think what that entails... I'm sober now. Wheey!
Not for long though. Uni rocks
This thread really ought to get back on topic, but seeing as there's little more to say, I guess...

 

[hiln]

There better be an opposing force 2. I want to see what g-man has in mind for shepard's future...

 

[Farrowlesparrow]

Yeah...although Gman did tell shephard he was going to put him somewhere safe so he wouldn;t talk about what had happened. He never did say anything about giving him a job so who knows what might go down. The continued invasion may have left the opportunity there for Shephard to escape or possibly even work for the Gman.

 

[el Chi]

People keep talking about wanting to play as Shepherd again but that's overlooking the fact that he doesn't really have any kind of place in HL2 - well, not as we can see so far.
Also, many people have said that Op4 is a game in its own right - that is to say, many of the events within it (further dimensional rips; Race-X; those sh*tty genome zombies) won't influence the continuation of Freeman's story - although I doubt the G-Man wiping out BMRF is really something Valve can ignore...
I just can't see what role he'd play.
Honestly I think that Alyx = the new Shepherd
And perhaps Anonymous Resistance Person = Barney Calhoun

 

[Dux]

Shepad in my view, is as much an integral part of the story as Barney is. There is no way in hell that the ending of Opposing Force is an ending, more cliffhangar. It's merly the same as Half-Life's ending in my opinion (within reason). Besides we know nothing more about the Story than Valve is willing to let on. For all we know you could end up dying or something, and thus assuming the role of Alyx in Half-Life 3. Har.

Shepard faught a new alien race, yes, but that race would not have been included in Opposing Force without the concent of Marc Laidlaw and Valve in my opinion. Gearbox made the Exapnsion(s) with Valve in close proximety so theres little chance that they would make an Expansion with little cause to the Half-Life story. What would be the sense in that?

It is rather late, and I have had little sleep these past few day's so I may be going out on a spanner here.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

People keep talking about wanting to play as Shepherd again but that's overlooking the fact that he doesn't really have any kind of place in HL2 - well, not as we can see so far.

Of course, you could say the same thing for Gordon himself. What is he doing in City 17? All we know so far is that he's just there.

Plus, the G-man said that Shephard was only going to be detained temporarily. Even though he wasn't straight-up employed, there was a purpose behind G-man saving him for later. Even if it was only because he was smarter than the other marines, Aidrian impressed G-man with his skills.
So he's just as likely to have been transfered to City 17 as Gordon was.

Actaully, I think the failure of all the other marines was the "embarassment" G-man was talking about at the end of OP4. He sent in all those marines but, in the end, only Gordon made it to Nihilanth. Shephard was the second most successful chap, so he was saved for later too, just not officially employed.

 

[el Chi]

Yeah I agree that we've got no idea why Gordon's there but it makes more logical sense than Shepherd's being there. Granted we know little about the plot, but I can't quite see where Shepherd would fit in... He'd be working for the G-Man, which would (initially at least) put you on the same side as Freeman and thus lose some of the edginess he had as a stand-alone character.
Obviously, Valve are really the only folks that know (well, prob'ly some media folks and publishing bods too) so whatever. Personally I just can't see his obvious relevance to the environment we've seen thus far. Freeman obviously I can. Alyx I can - hence I think she's in. Meh.

 

[hiln]

Yeah I agree that we've got no idea why Gordon's there but it makes more logical sense than Shepherd's being there. Granted we know little about the plot, but I can't quite see where Shepherd would fit in... He'd be working for the G-Man, which would (initially at least) put you on the same side as Freeman and thus lose some of the edginess he had as a stand-alone character.
.

I don't see much of a difference between gordon and shepard being in C17.
Only difference is G-man took freeman immediately after he killed baby-alien. Shepard he is just sealing away for a different time. (maybe OF2 won't be set in C17 anyways, who knows.)

 

[Mechagodzilla]

If G-man needed two things done at once, then using both Gordon and Shephard in different locations would work.

So, they don't necessarily need to team up and fight crime side-by-side.

 

[Brian Damage]

The way I see it,

Gordon = Kickarse agent.

Shepherd = Badass military commander.

Different roles, at least eventually. Gordon might be more of an anarchic dude, whereas Shepherd might now be in charge of the G-Man's private army, or whatever.

 

[Bing_Oh]

I still think that Shephard IS the G-Man's "private army." Xen DNA + Shephard DNA = Combine Soldier.

 

[Brian Damage]

What, a little like "Attack of the Clones"?

Could be...

 

[Sprafa]

I still hold my theory, bakced up by the fact that all Combine but the foot soldiers are clearly biomechanic, that the Combine is a technology that allows that, and that all the ones affected by it become a collective, kinda like the b0rg.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Freeman's in because he's the main character...I doubt Shepherd will appear, because he's not.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Freeman's in because he's the main character...I doubt Shepherd will appear, because he's not.

Shephard is still a main character. Plus, there seems to be a lot of support for seeing him return.

 

[Dux]

Freeman's in because he's the main character...I doubt Shepherd will appear, because he's not.

Neither is Barney. But he is still a fundemantal part of the whole Story, as is Shepard.

 

[dæmon]

I think Barney is in because he is a classic Half Life character, as are Kleiner and Eli. They are also convenient for the story. Shephard doesn't fit in like those three since you spent most of the time killing Marines, and you don't discover as much of the story in OpFor compared to Half Life and Blue Shift. I'd like to find out what happened to him though, as he got the worst deal of all the characters.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

I hope you guys know, Gearbox has Opposing Force registered as a trademark might have OP4 2 also, so that might conflict. Valve shouldn't waste there time with OP4...

 

[Sulkdodds]

Oh my god...they've trademarked the name 'Opposing Force'. Sorry, but wouldn't that have been for the original game? it doesn't mean anything.

 

[chimpmunk]

I think Barney is in because he is a classic Half Life character, as are Kleiner and Eli. They are also convenient for the story. Shephard doesn't fit in like those three since you spent most of the time killing Marines, and you don't discover as much of the story in OpFor compared to Half Life and Blue Shift. I'd like to find out what happened to him though, as he got the worst deal of all the characters.

Actually you learn quite a lot in op4, way more than in BS.

 

[Dougy]

I preferd shepard to gordon.

his style was much more..... un ethical.

 

[Brian Damage]

You mean you like him because he was a total badass? :E