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

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HL 3...is it still happening?

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

    Votes: 289 45.6%

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

    Votes: 187 29.5%

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

    Votes: 101 15.9%

  • Half life is overrated, you neckbeard homos

    Votes: 57 9.0%
  • Total voters
    634
Star Classic said:
4 new posts in "Events & Announcements" under the title "Enter Awesome Compelling Title Here" this part of discussion is used entirely by Valve Employees for updates.
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1759195730992.webp "Hopium Administered"
 
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Episode Two is now officially 18 years old today, along with Portal and Team Fortress 2. This game is now old enough to post here.
It has now been 18 years since we have last played as Gordon Freeman, 18 years since we last saw Magnusson or Kleiner (19 including Barney), and 18 years since we entered that hangar.
 
Star Classic said:
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Episode Two is now officially 18 years old today, along with Portal and Team Fortress 2. This game is now old enough to post here.
It has now been 18 years since we have last played as Gordon Freeman, 18 years since we last saw Magnusson or Kleiner (19 including Barney), and 18 years since we entered that hangar.
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To think we've been waiting twice as long for a new game than going from the start in 98 to Episode 2.

I ain't including Alyx because time travel is sledgehammer to thr brain retarded as is hopefully decanonized.
 
I played the original trilogy again (Half-Life, Blue Shit and Opposing Force)
Still a lot of fun but man does OF turn into a slog at the end, I had to save scum to finish it. It was room after room of brutal enemies and limited supplies, It was almost frustrating at a few points. I am bad at video games so I don't know of it was just a skill issue or what but god damn that was hard.
Still fun tho.
 
Diesel said:
...man does OF turn into a slog at the end, I had to save scum to finish it. It was room after room of brutal enemies and limited supplies, It was almost frustrating at a few points. I am bad at video games so I don't know of it was just a skill issue or what but god damn that was hard.
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Opposing Force was designed to be very difficult compared to Half Life. Gearbox wanted it to require more strategy, ammo conversation, hit and run tactics, and patience compared to the other corridor shooters of the time. Because they anticipated that more veteran Half Life players would not want an easier game having already beaten the original title. You need to know enemy attack patterns, how to shoot and run to cover before enemies can retaliate, and not to waste ammo or health and armor. It was also designed for PC players and not console users like most FPS games were after Halo became popular. You also need to be familiar with most of the weapons.

Part of the challenge is that the A.I. Marines are total dolts compared to the much better developed enemy aliens and humans. Some of the rooms or battles are harder because your allies are useless. And on hard difficulty the enemies are bullet sponges and can tank point blank shotgun blasts two or three times without dying for no other reason than it's 'hard mode'. The difficulty gap between normal and hard is also significant compared to HL1 or Blue Shift.

It reminds me of Fallout New Vegas's expansion Dead Money that always draws ire from players who hate the difficulty spike.
 
TheHarbinger said:
Opposing Force was designed to be very difficult compared to Half Life. Gearbox wanted it to require more strategy, ammo conversation, hit and run tactics, and patience compared to the other corridor shooters of the time. Because they anticipated that more veteran Half Life players would not want an easier game having already beaten the original title. You need to know enemy attack patterns, how to shoot and run to cover before enemies can retaliate, and not to waste ammo or health and armor. It was also designed for PC players and not console users like most FPS games were after Halo became popular. You also need to be familiar with most of the weapons.

Part of the challenge is that the A.I. Marines are total dolts compared to the much better developed enemy aliens and humans. Some of the rooms or battles are harder because your allies are useless. And on hard difficulty the enemies are bullet sponges and can tank point blank shotgun blasts two or three times without dying for no other reason than it's 'hard mode'. The difficulty gap between normal and hard is also significant compared to HL1 or Blue Shift.

It reminds me of Fallout New Vegas's expansion Dead Money that always draws ire from players who hate the difficulty spike.
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I would advise everyone against Hard for HL1 and OP4. not because its difficult per se, but more so because its one of the "F you for existing" "hard" difficulties and not how the game should be on an experienced playthrough like Ultraviolence or some others. I can manage Hard pretty well because I'm autistic about these games and have every map detail memorized down to ammo locations. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be for a well adjusted person.

Xen is easily the worst thing about Hard, you can imagine what happens when you take the worst part of the game and play it on the difficulty that only serves to amplify the worst parts of its design.

That said, Hard difficulty does make the first 3rd of HL1 and the entirety of BS more fun because there's an actual level of danger now (albeit only slightly) and its a shame that the assassins cloaking is limited strictly to just Hard.

But things like 10 health medkits or 35 suit chargers just feels artificial. HL2 is a very easy game but I think it had it right to keep things like suit/health items and chargers consistent across difficulties.

As for Dead Money, well, there could've been a lot of things done better about it. But I find that its attempt at survival horror isn't done as well at first because of NV's extremely aggressive companion AI. can't really stealth around ghost people when they have infinite perception (thanks obsidian) or my companion starts blasting everything in sight the second they get ANY notion of something having the gall to exist. That said, when you're not being hounded by the companions every 5 seconds the tension is done really well. the villa chase with American Swing in the background and 50 million ghost people out for blood was a standout.
 
I can't believe this is actually an argument that a debunk video needed to be made...
 
thhrang said:
I can't believe this is actually an argument that a debunk video needed to be made...
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I dunno. I thought that Gordon being a pedophile was pretty well telegraphed in canon?
Like, in HL1 you can log into Gordon's computer and his usenet account is subscribed to stuff like *alt.sex.children
Fucked up.
 
thhrang said:
I can't believe this is actually an argument that a debunk video needed to be made...
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I got recommended this as well and was confused because I'm pretty sure it was common knowledge among HL fans that Gordon Freeman in HL2 was the exact same as he was in HL1, due to him being frozen in stasis for 20 years.

Then again though, the Youtuber states that it was Tumblr HLVRAI fans who were spouting the claim and harassing people over it, so it once again validates my belief that HLVRAI was both a mistake and a complete detriment to the Half-Life community.
 
Varretnon847 said:
I got recommended this as well and was confused because I'm pretty sure it was common knowledge among HL fans that Gordon Freeman in HL2 was the exact same as he was in HL1, due to him being frozen in stasis for 20 years.
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It's also retarded because she has a crush on him, but there's no indication whatsoever it's reciprocated. It's fractally stupid and wrong on so many different levels.
 
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