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Post by winnersdontusedrugs on Jan 4, 2017 18:42:06 GMT
CervantesI can see where you're coming from with the A.I. as I became uncomfortably familiar with it fighting those godforsaken soldiers in HL1. The A.I for those particular enemies were really good but the effort was overshadowed by how bullshit the enemies themselves were, although it's probably not as bad on an easier difficulty. Even then, games before HL like Unreal had arguably superior A.I., so while it's a great accomplishment and it made the game more enjoyable, I wouldn't consider it any more or less influential. You've definitely got a point with the physics though. I think the physics make playing through HL2 and EP2 much more fun and I don't feel like I gave enough credit to them in my 1st post considering how much it increased my enjoyment of the games. There's a good few moments in the game that really made me feel like I was in an action movie because how much the environment and the enemies were reacting to all the chaos I was causing. Not only were using explosives more satisfying than most games but using things like the crossbow used the physics engine to put an interesting twist on the standard sniper-like weapon we get in alot of other FPS games. Even most of today's FPS games don't have as much physics based stuff to fuck up during firefights as HL2 did. Still, things like continuous level design only served to make the game more cinematic/atmospheric and the games ended up being more linear as a result. I'm not arguing that it's not influential and I think it did a great job at making the games feel more realistic and atmospheric than most other games at the time, but I don't think it improves the gameplay at all and it had a negative influence on future FPS games. Again, I don't want anyone to get the impression that I think the games are bad or even mediocre overall. They just start to suffer from the same things that are plaguing the FPS genre today and arent excellent games in my book as a result, no matter how or through what frame of reference I look at it.
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stratogustav
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Post by stratogustav on Jan 4, 2017 20:46:04 GMT
I see this game usually in best of all time lists along with Portal. Something around the idea that those games are like the Super Mario and Zelda of the Steam founders.
I never played them, but from the footage I've seen of both, they don't really look like something that would interest me that much.
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Cervantes
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Post by Cervantes on Jan 5, 2017 0:43:11 GMT
Still, things like continuous level design only served to make the game more cinematic/atmospheric and the games ended up being more linear as a result. I'm not arguing that it's not influential and I think it did a great job at making the games feel more realistic and atmospheric than most other games at the time, but I don't think it improves the gameplay at all and it had a negative influence on future FPS games. I think this is generally a problem with influential games: other developers look at their success and copy their elements, but copy them wrong or in games in which they don't fit at all. That's how, after Ocarina of Time, we ended with annoying puzzle bosses in every 3d action/adventure game; after Metal Gear Solid, we got random stealth sections in a lot of major releases; after Half-Life (mostly after HL2), other FPS series focused so much on setpieces to the point that the player turned into only a spectator of a bad action movie. Think about the "over the shoulder" camera that was great for Resident Evil 4 but then popped up in every single game after it, even when the angle was just not appropriate for the gameplay. To give more recent examples, look at how many games can be described as "it's like Dark Souls!" while getting everything about Dark Souls wrong, or how many horror games tried to use Amnesia's mechanics, or how every 2d indie platformer game from the last few years had to be either like a metroidvania or have roguelike elements (because of Spelunky). That's why I agree that not all the influence from HL was positive. As with all those other games, some elements from HL only really work within the context of HL. |
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centipede
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Post by centipede on Jan 5, 2017 2:29:58 GMT
I just thought of something: how come they haven't released the entire Half Life series, expansion packs and all, in one big set?
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Guilion
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Post by Guilion on Jan 6, 2017 3:00:17 GMT
Man I'm starting to think it may look kind of weird to hate Quake but love this one. Ah well, being an impressionable teenager when I first played this game may be a big factor on my love for it. I just thought of something: how come they haven't released the entire Half Life series, expansion packs and all, in one big set? Already happened. Twice. The first one is the platinum collection which you can get for something around 15 dollars (If you want a physical copy): www.amazon.com/Half-Life-Platinum-Collection-PC/dp/B00004ZBO5?th=1And the second one is the Valve Complete Pack, which includes ALL games developed by Valve using the Gold and Source Engines and honestly the easiest way to get the whole collection + official mods (Deathmatch classic, TFC, Day of Defeat, Ricochet , Counter Strike and Counter Strike Condition Zero) in a single bundle: store.steampowered.com/bundle/232/Both of them are quite cheap too. Ok, maybe the Complete pack not so much at first glance but I swear I got it for around 10 dollars on a sale. |
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Pimpjira
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Post by Pimpjira on Jan 7, 2017 22:54:57 GMT
I tried to get into both Half-Life 1 and 2, neither caught my interest and had me playing for very long.
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Dan E. Kool
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Post by Dan E. Kool on Jan 8, 2017 22:57:52 GMT
Wow, I never would have thought this series would have us so divided. Two 1-star ratings?
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Cervantes
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Post by Cervantes on Jan 9, 2017 7:03:17 GMT
Wow, I never would have thought this series would have us so divided. Two 1-star ratings? This series is as divisive as the Kool vs Balder duel. Maybe Kool vs Balder is the real Half-Life 3. |
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Spirit Bomb
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Post by Spirit Bomb on Dec 25, 2017 7:16:57 GMT
That said, the first HL might seem outdated in most respects, but HL2 is still a blast to play nowadays, especially since only now FPS games are getting back to that fast style of gameplay present there (no covering, no looking at sights that slow you down, just running and gunning). By the way, I really recommend playing it with mouse & keyboard, as it wasn't really intended for the slower camera movement of controllers; but if a controller is the only option, the game is still a blast to play. By the way, the console ports are also limited to 30 fps (besides lower quality graphics), so the pc version is ideal.I hope you don't mind me asking, but how much did you pay for Half Life 2 & its episodes? I recently checked Steam and was absolutely appalled by the $26 price tag for such an old game (I'm taking all three games into account). I could have sworn that the Orange Box used to go for less back in the day. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to play Half Life 2 in its entirety on the PC, but if Valve is going to charge that much for them then forget about it. By comparison, Crysis, a 2007 game with better graphics AND a multiplayer mode, is only $20. Is it just me or is this a scam? |
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Cervantes
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Post by Cervantes on Dec 25, 2017 8:04:01 GMT
Spirit Bomb - I don't remember - bought it in 2007 and got the Episodes individually. But you should look at Steam again now that we are at the Christmas sale - I'm looking at "The Orange Box" right now, and it's $3 or less (90% discounted) - I don't know the exact price because I'm seeing it in my local currency. So, if you want to grab these games, this is the chance. Still, if its full price is $26, it's still great value - Half-Life 2 itself is a longer game than Crysis, and when you add in the Episodes, it must be more than twice as longer. Keep in mind the Orange Box also comes with Portal, which is a great game by itself. It also includes Team Fortress 2, but that one is now free so it shouldn't count (I just wanted to point out that the Orange Box has a very active multiplayer game - Crysis has a multiplayer mode but that one is dead, it isn't even supported anymore).
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Spirit Bomb
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Post by Spirit Bomb on Dec 26, 2017 0:37:28 GMT
Cervantes Can you please link me to the Orange Box deal? I can't find it on Steam. I love Half Life 2, but there's no way in hell I would ever pay $26 for it & both its episodes. I've played through all the three parts on my Xbox 360 Orange Box disc and loved it, but I'm not willing to pay that much more for a better version.
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Cervantes
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Post by Cervantes on Dec 26, 2017 2:20:56 GMT
Try this. You can also look for Half-life 2, Portal or any of the episodes; in their pages, there's the "Packages that include this game" option, you'll find The Orange Box there.
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Spirit Bomb
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Post by Spirit Bomb on Dec 26, 2017 5:11:48 GMT
Try this. You can also look for Half-life 2, Portal or any of the episodes; in their pages, there's the "Packages that include this game" option, you'll find The Orange Box there. You were right! Thank you so much! I can't pass up an offer like this. But I need your help. See, my PC is currently not in an operable state; it's kind of a difficult matter to describe, but basically it has no operating system and the motherboard was wiped clean (by the folks who fixed my PC when I sent it in recently to get fixed). Long story short, I can't figure out how to set up my PC, and thus can't access my Steam account. Does this mean I won't be able to buy this? (since I don't have Steam installed, I assume that means I can't log into my Steam account in order to purchase this) |
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Cervantes
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Post by Cervantes on Dec 26, 2017 6:01:31 GMT
Spirit Bomb - You can login using any browser in any machine, no need to have their program installed. On their site, there's the login option. Buy it there, then you can install the games when you get your pc back. Remember: Steam ties the games to your account, not your machine, so you can buy the game from any machine and install it in any pc later. I suppose you can even buy from a phone/tablet, though I've never done it.
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Spirit Bomb
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Post by Spirit Bomb on Dec 26, 2017 7:04:28 GMT
Spirit Bomb - You can login using any browser in any machine, no need to have their program installed. On their site, there's the login option. Buy it there, then you can install the games when you get your pc back. Remember: Steam ties the games to your account, not your machine, so you can buy the game from any machine and install it in any pc later. I suppose you can even buy from a phone/tablet, though I've never done it. Thanks, I trust your word. Also, I found another amazing deal, from one of the links Guilion posted: store.steampowered.com/bundle/232/Valve_Complete_Pack/I mean, 19 games for $16.40?? I must be having a really good dream. I wish it included Garry's Mod, though. That's one I've always wanted. |
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