Half Life thread - Discussions about Valve's FPS magnum opus(es) and any related content (spin offs, expansions and etc)

[chimpSculpture]

Hey guys, here's a question I'm sure you never expected...

..... Is there a resource that lists mods by whether or not they work with pre-Steam versions of Half-Life 1?

Basically I just want something else to do on my Windows 98 PC. Win98 can't run Steam but it can run Half-Life if you have old physical copies (which I do). But it seems so often a mod requires the steam version.

Maybe try downloading the Steam version on another PC, then copying it to your 98 PC. Probably won't work but worth trying.

 

[BirdUp]

The keys.js script in the XCCR website handles user input. If Enter is pressed and the value in TextBox_Numbers is 227664, it calls SubmitNow(Submit_CallBack), which sends an AJAX GET request to t.php. Otherwise, it calls SubmitLater(). I entered that code in, but all it did was refresh the site without anything changing, so either t.php might be performing some action that isn't reflected in the immediate page content or the puzzle has additional steps.

 

[Back me up!]

With the Half Life Alyx being on sale for $20 how is the NoVR mod? Does it make Alyx a fun no-VR Half Life game?

https://x.com/HL_Alyx_NoVR/status/1822725748886585454

 

[They were once men]

Damn i wished people would actually test the mods they upload to the workshop half of the maps i've tried have crippling bugs i'm sure in a few weeks the teething issues of the workshop will be ironed out.

 

[30+GameOvers]

I'm impressed with what Valve has done for the anniversary, but I'm disappointed that Ross didn't upload another episode of Freeman's Mind for the occasion. Now would have been a perfect time.
At this rate, we might actually get Episode 3 before he finishes the series. This isn't a joke, if we count that Borealis mod as Episode 3.

 

[thhrang]

With the Half Life Alyx being on sale for $20 how is the NoVR mod? Does it make Alyx a fun no-VR Half Life game?

https://x.com/HL_Alyx_NoVR/status/1822725748886585454

I played through HL:A for the first time using the NoVR mod last year and I'd say it was a pretty good experience. I convinced two of my friends who also don't have headsets to give it a try too and they also had a good time. Obviously the game is absolutely not meant to be played like that and so there's some level of jank which is to be expected of a fan project like this, and I can't really judge it too harshly for these reasons, but I had fun with it nonetheless, and was able to beat it without needing to use anything like noclip IIRC. The mod even works with some of the workshop maps. I think the main thing I remember is really the difficulty not quite being tuned properly (too easy) because the game was developed for VR, not pancake-aiming, and some of the puzzles being extremely simplified due to limitations of the mod at the time, but I think some of these things have been addressed since the last time I played through, judging by the patchnotes of the Summer Update. It seems pretty damn refined now.

e: I don't want to doublepost so I'm editing this in here.

Yes, >Tyler McNigger, but this video is actually just an audio restoration. Pretty interesting stuff.

 

[cybertoaster]

Man I completely forgot its been 20 years, time sure flies when there's no sequels...


Gonna be honest I wasn't a super hardcore fan of the game, back in '04 I was more hyped about Doom3 because those graphics were insane, and GTASA because who wasn't?. I wasn't a fan of HL1, didn't get the hype for the sequel, and I still remember the shitstorm over the ending, every forum everywhere people were ranting again it, some wanted to hang Gaben over it (he wasn't the fucking messiah of gaming yet) and the Steam launch was a huge, huuuuuuge fuckup, people couldn't get the game to connect to the servers to run so many just pirated it because it was a better experience, the irony. But HL2 is a much better game than the first, its the rare sequel that blows the original out of the water.

Anyway, I been seeing tons of zoomers shitting on the game not getting that most of the stuff they take for granted now was pioneered by that game. They been shitting on it for autistic shit like no building, no crafting, and get this: no ads, they're bitching that the game doesn't have BRAND tie-ins, nor gatcha or coomer shit. Sure I get why crafting might be a problem now that every fucking shooter has it, even HLA has it, but come on man that's like bitching about Dr.Strangelove being a black&white movie.

Frankly I expected more from valve for the anniversary, while HL1 put them in the map HL2 was what turned them into the company its is now, and was the only reason anyone even bothered to try Steam in the first place. I was hoping for at least a remaster running on source2, or better yet a remake with assets from HLA, would be a good preamble to launch HL3 too.

But nope, they just glued the episodes to the main game, added more commentary that nobody will listen to and instead watch a video where a furry with his arms crossed talks about it, and make it free, that's all.

But man some times you don' have make everything so cutting edge when ever one would have just loved closure.

Indeed, I recall the leaked script which ended with Gordon going thru a portal to the Combine homeworld which was basically a huge Dyson sphere, and destroying it but IIRC dying in the process, but humanity was finally free.

Frankly IDK why they couldn't just do that, also I bet a lot of people would've bought the Index if HL3 had been a VR game (since Gaben has a huge boner for VR apparently) rather than Alyx which is basically HL1.5

 

[TheHarbinger]

But HL2 is a much better game than the first, its the rare sequel that blows the original out of the water.

Other than the physics engine it does nothing better than the original Half Life games. It has some of the blandest level design of any major single player FPS game. The enemies are dull and repetitive with some of the worst and exploitable A.I. in probably any AAA game even to this day. The Combine Soldiers in particular have absolutely pathetic A.I. and can be outsmarted by holding up a tin can in front of your head that fools them like a Predator cloaking shield. It's a generic shooter wrapped in a Half Life theme.

Half Life 2 also had its entire story rewritten right before it came out. The original story was closer in tone to Half Life 1 and had a much darker outlook on the alien invasion with Freeman being more of an observer than this godlike champion hero whose name is world famous. And the aliens draining Earth of all of its water and tons of other resources and likely dooming the planet to mass starvation and water scarcity. That was abandoned to make Gordon and the player into the savior of the world like every other story. Half Life was inspired by The Mist but Half Life 2 is more action than horror and went in a very different direction.

 

[Varretnon847]

So I finished playing HL2's campaign with the new update, along with developer commentary, and it was pretty nice.
The developer commentary was nice to listen to, but I didn't really notice many other differences which is probably the best thing they could've done for an update like this, adding some quality of life additions while also keeping true to how the game was before. Even the new HDR lighting in levels wasn't overblown and I didn't really notice it, though it did make some scenes such as the Citadel elevator scene much more beautiful.

Other then that, I already said what I had to say about the workshop, and I'm fine with the Episodes/Lost Coast being merged into base HL2. Though I do think it was a missed opportunity not to include HL2 Deathmatch in it.
I'm yet to watch both the HL1 and HL2 documentaries, maybe I will at some point.

As a bonus, a new version of the MegaBuild was released for the HL2 Beta. It's 18 GB and includes a bunch of fixed and restored content for the build of HL2 that was leaked. Don't go in thinking you're going to get a full fledged story, since these are maps that were already unfinished, but if you want to see what HL2 looked like from 2000-2003, then there's that.

https://hl2-beta.ru/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=348;language=english

 

[Patrick Bait-man]

But HL2 is a much better game than the first, its the rare sequel that blows the original out of the water.

They're both excellent games, but I tend to prefer HL1 because of it's more fast-paced Quake-style gameplay and more intriguing atmosphere (the music of HL1 is like nothing else).

 

[Blackstar]

the music of HL1 is like nothing else

When I first finished HL1 I started to relax thinking it was over, only to be hit with this banger.

 

[BirdUp]

Half Life 2 also had its entire story rewritten right before it came out. The original story was closer in tone to Half Life 1 and had a much darker outlook on the alien invasion with Freeman being more of an observer than this godlike champion hero whose name is world famous. And the aliens draining Earth of all of its water and tons of other resources and likely dooming the planet to mass starvation and water scarcity.

I don't think the original idea for Half-Life 2's story is much better than what we got. Its grimdark setting doesn't mesh well with the cartoonish and somewhat lighthearted tone of the first game. Also, it's pretty bullshit that Gordon defeated the Nihilanth and the G-Man hired him and let him keep his suit, but then a completely unrelated group of aliens invaded Earth, and he was sent in to topple their regime without the fucking suit.

 

[30+GameOvers]

Other than the physics engine it does nothing better than the original Half Life games. It has some of the blandest level design of any major single player FPS game. The enemies are dull and repetitive with some of the worst and exploitable A.I. in probably any AAA game even to this day. The Combine Soldiers in particular have absolutely pathetic A.I. and can be outsmarted by holding up a tin can in front of your head that fools them like a Predator cloaking shield. It's a generic shooter wrapped in a Half Life theme.

I have to agree there, I got Orange Box back in the day and I never finished the game. I was already tired by the boat section, which dragged on for way too long, but I actually quit at the point you go back to City 17 with fighting on the streets. Never bothered to replay it, altho these days I would if Ross didn't start his second season of Freeman's Mind. At this point, I don't want to spoil myself from the parts I missed.
Don't get me wrong, I love the setting and atmosphere of Half Life 2, and I know it was revolutionary for when it came out. It's just that the actual gameplay isn't all that interesting. Like someone said, at least Half Life 1 has this Quake like quality to it.

I don't think the original idea for Half-Life 2's story is much better than what we got. Its grimdark setting doesn't mesh well with the cartoonish and somewhat lighthearted tone of the first game. Also, it's pretty bullshit that Gordon defeated the Nihilanth and the G-Man hired him and let him keep his suit, but then a completely unrelated group of aliens invaded Earth, and he was sent in to topple their regime without the fucking suit.

Was it ever explained by the devs what happened with that plothole? I mean, Gordon showing up in his bright orange powered armored suit wouldn't go well with the metrocops when he arrived at City 17, but he almost gets pinched anyways. What was the plan here?

 

[Nobunaga]

Honestly half life 3 ending would have been ruined if you take into account the portal 2 ending and the coop ending alongisde the fact those cunts at valve wanted to make another sequelbait with alyx becoming the new gordon

 

[The handsome tard]

Anyway, I been seeing tons of zoomers shitting on the game not getting that most of the stuff they take for granted now was pioneered by that game. They been shitting on it for autistic shit like no building, no crafting, and get this: no ads, they're bitching that the game doesn't have BRAND tie-ins, nor gatcha or coomer shit. Sure I get why crafting might be a problem now that every fucking shooter has it, even HLA has it, but come on man that's like bitching about Dr.Strangelove being a black&white movie.

I would say that I never wanted to hit a child more than after reading that but zoomers are hardly children by this point, arent they?

 

[Hitman One]

I watched the documentary and these motherfuckers actually show SOME existing HL3 footage. JUST FINISH AND RELEASE THE GAME GABE STOP BUYING FUCKING YACHTS FOR FIVE MINUTES.

 

[cybertoaster]

Maybe Gaben really has no idea how to end HL, a diminished humanity being able to stop or even contain an interstellar empire its practically impossible. He could get away with never explaining who or what the Gman is, but the Combine can't stick around.

And the aliens draining Earth of all of its water and tons of other resources and likely dooming the planet to mass starvation and water scarcity.

That was in the final game too, you have entire sections of the coast showing the sea has been drained, its hinted at like a lot of things in HL2 are.

Honestly half life 3 ending would have been ruined if you take into account the portal 2 ending

Why? the AS facilities are so deep underground not even the Combine found it, odds are the humans left after the Combine are gone would not go digging into some forgotten salt mine.

and the coop ending

Again why? because of all the people in hibernation?

with alyx becoming the new gordon

Did you play the game? you go back to being Gordon, Alyx just changed the timeline and saved her dad, but now she's been taken by the Gman so HL3's subplot will probably involve rescuing her or something.

 

[TheHarbinger]

Did you play the game? you go back to being Gordon, Alyx just changed the timeline and saved her dad, but now she's been taken by the Gman so HL3's subplot will probably involve rescuing her or something.

Half Life's writing hasn't been good since Opposing Force or Blue Shift. Now the series has time travel and all sorts of stupid nonsense. It's hardly a cohesive narrative. Filled with tons of retcons as well and shoehorned characters. Including the new face of the series apparently. With time travel being a thing they can just have Alyx go back to before the resonance cascade and undo the entire series.

 

[cybertoaster]

With time travel being a thing they can just have Alyx go back to before the resonance cascade and undo the entire series.

They don't have time travel and the Gman said he's not going to stop the Combine either, also he sent Alyx into the future not the past. IIRC some physicist said time travel into the future could be possible but into the past its not, and the game happens before HL2.

The real question would be how Alyx didn't remember that in HL2, did the Gman just erase her memories?

 

[BirdUp]

Honestly half life 3 ending would have been ruined if you take into account the portal 2 ending and the coop ending

If I recall correctly, Portal 2 took place thousands of years after Half-Life 2, and Aperture having employees in cryosleep doesn't really matter.