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

HL 3...is it still happening?

  • No and anyone that still thinks that it will is delusional

    Votes: 241 47.2%

  • Yes, they just need a few more years to perfect it so it can another game changer in the industry

    Votes: 141 27.6%

  • Shouldnt it be called "Two Lives and a half" instead?

    Votes: 82 16.0%

  • Half life is overrated, you neckbeard homos

    Votes: 47 9.2%
  • Total voters
    511
Nameless One said:
No.
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HL2 on PS3 is a fucking nightmare port, the 360 version is bugged as Hell if I recall and Valve got burned by Microsoft's bullshit. Never again, for better or worse.
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microsoft charged companies to patch their games on the 360. You had to go through a full testing process to get it uploaded. Which lead to Valve abandoning their 360 products as they couldn't keep them in line with the PC versions.
 
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Nameless One said:
Not sure if he means staying away from HL3 or staying away from the plotline.
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I think he means the plot line. The Borealis is cool in theory since it would be a very trippy place to be if Epistle 3 is to be believed, but I really doubt it would be a fun place to be. If Half Life 3 came out and it turned out it was just a wacky Portal 3 people would not be happy. I think this is the main reason the Eli retcon happened since it allows Valve to sideline the Borealis to focus on rescuing Alyx from the G-man.


Prepare for some high level autistic theory crafting and coping.

When it comes to the G-man, I choose to believe he does not have the ability to travel back through time. Time travel fucks every story it is involved in since it forces characters to act like retards if the writer doesn't want it to be an instant win. I have enough faith in Valve that they aren't falling victim to that. What he might have, however, is the ability to see the future.

The first and most obvious evidence is he knew exactly what would happen during the Resonance Cascade. It's revealed in later games that he outright told Eli to prepare for unforeseen consequences from the test. It is also of note that he personally ensured Alyx's safety during the Black Mesa Incident, despite objections from his comrades. How convenient that he somehow knew that Alyx would be a worthwhile investment, one that would pay off years later.

Next is that some measure of foresight is implied during his speeches to Gordon. He speaks very definitively despite his odd speaking patterns. When he says in the intro to Half Life 2 that "All the effort in the world would have gone to waste" until his plan is completed, he isn't doing guesswork. He knows exactly what will happen and which pawns to nudge to make it happen. That's why he drops Gordon right into City 17 where it just so happens all of Gordon's buddies are, on the day they're completing their teleportation test. And to top it off he makes a comment about how "the right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world". Quite an accurate statement if you're able to divine the future I must say. This trend continues in his last appearance in HL2.

Half Life 2 Episode One throws a wrench into this idea however. It opens with the Vortigaunts cucking the G-man out of holding onto Gordon and saving Alyx. It is my belief that the Vortigaunts and the G-man harness the same power at different levels of sophistication and for different ends. They share the ability to stop time, teleport individuals, and can both produce some form of green energy for attacks as seen in the ending to Half Life Alyx. It stands to reason then that they might have the same ability to see the future as well and thus can possibly thwart his plans here and there when given prior notice. Given the fact that Eli Vance is well aware of the existence of the G-man it is quite possible the Vortigaunts were waiting in the wings to prevent any shenanigans. Episode Two adds more evidence to this theory. In spite of G-mans plan going awry with the survival of Gordon and Alyx, he is still supernaturally aware of what will transpire. The G-man even warns Eli of his own impending death by way of Alyx. This isn't something the G-man should know given his plans are no longer being adhered to. Or, is everything proceeding exactly as planned? Maybe he isn't warning Eli of his own death, but of his abduction of Alyx.

Now for the elephant in the room, Half Life Alyx. You might be thinking if you have the power of foresight, how do you get stuck in a floating cage for roughly twenty years? Well, that's where the Vortigaunts come in again. The Vortigaunts were enslaved once again by the Combine after escaping the Nihilanth and so the Combine now have the means, motive, and opportunity to nip this little troublemaker in the bud. The fact that the cables supplying power to the G-mans prison use the exact same green energy we've seen the Vortigaunts use cements that it was the Combine using them to keep him contained.

In his final speech to Alyx, he says something very telling. He says "Some believe the fate of our worlds is inflexible" and that he is "authorized to nudge things" This is the closest to an outright confession we'll ever get. Fate is the future, not the past, and if he is to be believed, it is not set in stone. This is why and how he is able to offer Alyx the ability to save Eli. He looks into the future, sees Eli die, shows it to Alyx, and makes her an offer she can't refuse.

Now, despite there not being any actual time travel, the timeline is still all fucked up. The easiest explanation is to say that in Episode 2, we witnessed a possible future, and the end of Half Life Alyx is the actual timeline. What I believe happens is Alyx is released from stasis immediately post Half Life Alyx, with Half Life 2 and Episode 1 occuring as normal. When Episode 2 occurs, the G-man steps in as per the deal and yoinks Alyx away. The biggest hole in the timeline is that Alyx would have amnesia about the ending of Half Life Alyx. However, if the residents of City 17 are to be believed the Combine is more than capable of altering memories and inducing amnesia. If the Combine can do it, why not the G-man? The G-man would have every motivation to do this after all. Were Eli aware of what deal was made he could well have teamed up with his Vortigaunts to act against the G-man before the events of Half Life 2.

The final piece of evidence is this. During the ending of Half Life Alyx, which is chronologically before the events of Half Life 2, the G-man states that Gordon has been "unable or unwilling" to work for the G-man. This does not make sense. Gordon only escapes the clutches of the G-man during Episode 1 thanks to the Vortigaunts. This however does make sense if you believe that the G-man offers this deal with foreknowledge of the events of the game.


In short, the G-man has been heavily implied to have the ability to see the future. His actions make far more sense if he does. Time travel is lame. If he doesn't have time travel the story is better off for it IMO.
 
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Kofi Drinka said:
G man shouldn't ever be explained.
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I agree. JJ Abrams style mystery boxes can work amazing if done well and I believe the G-man is one such example. Still I think they should confirm at least something about him, even if it's something we already suspect. If Half Life X confirms he isn't human that'd be enough for me.
 
Chieftain Coke Peanut said:
I agree. JJ Abrams style mystery boxes can work amazing if done well and I believe the G-man is one such example. Still I think they should confirm at least something about him, even if it's something we already suspect. If Half Life X confirms he isn't human that'd be enough for me.
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Anything you confirm will only make it less interesting. Unless the series is coming to a dead stop and never being touched again he has to be a total mystery.
 
Kofi Drinka said:
Anything you confirm will only make it less interesting. Unless the series is coming to a dead stop and never being touched again he has to be a total mystery.
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Nah man you can answer questions. Answered questions beget more questions if done right. Look at Episode 1, we learned there G-man isn't infallible when the vorts steal Gordon and Alyx. How do the vorts do this? Why haven't they done it before? How does this affect his plans?

What you can't do is show your whole hand. If they outright said something like the G-man isn't a human, he's a non-larval stage Combine advisor who is seeking revenge for the enslavement of his race, that would ruin it.
 
A multiple choice past isn't a bad way to go about it. Have characters speculate or imply different things without concrete confirmation. The one thing confirmed by the voice actor is that he can view multiple timelines at once, so In a way it is completely correct to say he can see into the future if we count those as possibilities and not firmly set in stone worlds.

Really the only thing they have to do with him that's going to be difficult is make a meaningful final confrontation. How do you shoot this guy in a way that feels legit when he's been an awesome puppetmaster the whole game?
 
Michael Wade said:
A multiple choice past isn't a bad way to go about it. Have characters speculate or imply different things without concrete confirmation. The one thing confirmed by the voice actor is that he can view multiple timelines at once, so In a way it is completely correct to say he can see into the future if we count those as possibilities and not firmly set in stone worlds.

Really the only thing they have to do with him that's going to be difficult is make a meaningful final confrontation. How do you shoot this guy in a way that feels legit when he's been an awesome puppetmaster the whole game?
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Fighting him would be a mistake. The only acceptable way to make him an opponent would be for Gordon to slip from his grasp and he decides to kill Gordon by calling in other assets.
 
I think it could work if you make the fight more of an engaging puzzle. Like he splits into a hundred guys and you have to use a gravity weapon to suck em up into one person.

All I know is I want more gman and I like the idea of finally meeting his employers
 
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Soggy Floppa said:
Based on all the simulation related strings in the leaks, console release isn't happening, all that is on the CPU and the PS5 has a garbage CPU
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But all of Valve's games run on the shitty laptops? Even the steam deck 2 should have a worse CPU than the PS5, and I don't imagine Valve just leaving it entirely unsupported on it.
 
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As someone who has a sexbox and ps5 - both are kinda trash and just subscription machines. Sexbox is a more classic console and lets you use a web browser, ps5 has a cool controller that only 3 or so games utilize.
Also as a primary PC gamer, a goy pass sub works best for me since I still use the sexbox every now and then on the living room tv. My ps5 is just a Death Stranding 2 machine. Astro Bot is kinda good but just so
umseriously said:
But all of Valve's games run on the shitty laptops? Even the steam deck 2 should have a worse CPU than the PS5, and I don't imagine Valve just leaving it entirely unsupported on it.
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Games on current gen consoles need performance mode and badically consoles are still holding games back. Just look at Ready or Not
 
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