Echoes of Episode Two

1up is carrying an interview from the latest CGW, talking with David Speyrer (Half-Life 2: Episode Two Project lead) about what we can expect in the next episodic content release. Typically, Valve is not exactly forthcoming with information on the title, which is expected around Christmas. Just the same, Speyrer has some interesting things to say about Valve's design process. From the article: "It's cool to realize that so many of the elements that we take for granted today, like the gravity gun or our companion A.I., were risky R&D projects during the development of Half-Life 2 or Episode One. Continuing at that rate as we release more episodes is pretty exciting for us as designers, and for our customers. We'll bring many elements from Episode One forward into Episode Two, but we expect to use dynamic scripted sequences extensively. They allow close interaction between NPCs during combat--such as Alyx wrestling with zombies in Episode One--and because they happen spontaneously, every player will see different interactions at different moments in the game."

Comments

I should really play HL2

[GundamFan]

With how much chatter there is about these quasi-sequels I have to assume the game gets better after you throw the soda can away (I always get intrupted in the blank blank train station).

Re:I should really play HL2

[timdubs]

You must complete it! If I could recommend only one game to people, it would be HL2. I completely fell in love with it from the moment I stepped off the train and started throwing garbage at the metrocops. It's the only chance you get where they don't shoot at you.

Re:I should really play HL2

[Amouth]

"throwing garbage at the metrocops ... the only chance you get where they don't shoot at you"

by any chance... you live in London?

Re:I should really play HL2

[MrSquirrel]

You know, I just realized I never tried this -- can you kill enemies by launching soda cans at them with the gravity gun? I'd like to load that level with the gravity gun enabled just so I could show that bossy gaurd where to stick that can.

Re:I should really play HL2

[spyrochaete]

5 minutes after the can scene you start running and you don't stop until the end. The opening hour of HL2 is very hectic and absolutely engaging. I highly recommend playing the whole game, but at the very least check out the first hour. They introduce a great variety of gameplay and story in that short span.

While you're at it, check out Valve's free tech demo level The Lost Coast. Not only does it showcase the awesome high dynamic range lighting effect used in Episode One and feature some cool level design, it also has a director's commentary mode that lets you hear insights on how effects are programmed and how AI scripting is planned. Very interesting stuff!

Re:I should really play HL2

[Bedouin X]

Oh you stop running alright. The two "driving" seqences are waaay too long. The novelty has been crushed and run over several times by a dune buggy by the time they finish.

Re:I should really play HL2

[PFI_Optix]

You can't kill them with the g-gun and a soda can. I'm just talking about throwing it when you are just holding it.

I've loaded up the game with the super g-gun to play with. You do it by first loading a map where it is given to you, using the all weapons cheat, and then loading an earlier map, if I remember correctly. One of the more interesting side-effects of this is that scripted NPCs are duplicated when you grab them, so that you're holding the NPC with the gun, but their script continues working like it should. I made a rather large pile of Barneys that way.

(at least, that used to happen. I notice it doesn't work on episode 1, so it may have been fixed in a recent update to HL2.)

Re:I should really play HL2

[DesireCampbell]

No, you can't hurt them - you just piss them off. They'll come at you with their electro-batons and give you a couple of good whacks. Though, until you have your HEV suit, I don't think they'll kill you.

The point of the 'pick up the can' scene is the games' way of teaching you how to pick things up and throw them with some accuracy, and in a non-lethal setting. You can keep trying over and over until you get it right. HL2 does this with almost every new item or character in the game (as mentioned in the HL2-ep1 commentary), they'll show you a new tool, or item, or character, or monster and show you what it does in a way that won't kill you. But that's also your cue to watch out for them in the next scene where they will kill you.

Re:I should really play HL2

[fireduck]

Amen to immersive physics. In HL2 there's a lever puzzle, where you've got to put enough weight on one end in order to use the lever to get to a higher ledge. That was a fairly cute little puzzle to demonstrate picking up and dropping of objects as well as the power of in-game physics. (There's actually a couple different variations of this puzzle throughout the game.) Ep1 has a similar puzzle, but no where near enough weight lying around to keep it counterbalanced. So you've got to come up with a different solution. Stumped me for a while, until it suddenly popped to mind. As I was trying it, I though there was no way it was going to work. Surprisingly it did. When that happens in a game, you know they've achieved something special.

The biggest downside to the immersive physics and the interactible world is that the developers have to cheat and put invisible walls in at certain places to keep you following their idea of how a scene is to be carried out. A good example of this in Ep1 is the queen antlion attack. You jump down into the warehouse and if you've moved enough boxes around, you can climb back into the room you came from. However, there's a ledge that Alyx jumps to, at the same height as your room. If you move the boxes over there, you'll find that you aren't allowed to jump on that ledge. The developers wanted you on the ground getting batterred, rather than up on a ledge taking potshots at their big bad monster.

Re:Hmm..

[__aaclcg7560]

So EA's re-inventing the "Intelligent Artificial Idiot" for their games? I would like to see the I.A.I. pass the grenade test. So far, only in F.E.A.R. does the enemy AI's has enough sense to say "Oh, sh*t!" before backing away when you drop a grenade right in front of them.

Re:Walkthroughs.

[cluke]

You obviously don't read much of gamefaqs. Even if there was 1,000 unique possible interactions, some guy would have them all documented in a .txt file and posted within 48 hours of the game's release.

A whole lotta land

[spyrochaete]

** LIGHT SPOILER WARNING **



Last month's issue of PC Gamer magazine (the US edition) had a great preview of Episode Two which stated some pretty nice design elements. For instance, Gordon and entourage will cover a LOT more ground - even more than in Half Life 2 - in a 4-6 hour timespan. There will also be more open forested areas which will push the Source engine in new ways, and AI will be adapted to accommodate these arenas. More friendly NPCs will work with Gordon to move him forward and keep him safe. Some NPC-heavy battles will be reminiscent of Call of Duty where good guys yell orders and observations to one another and assist Gordon in combat. There will also be at least one new enemy, gun, and vehicle!

Episode 2

[VGPowerlord]

I suspect that episode 2 will introduce a clone army, have one of the main characters get revenge after his mother dies, and have a secret marraige.

Oh, wrong Episode 2?

Re:Hmm..

[Manatra]

Actually the grunts in Half-Life 1 said "Oh sh*t!" while running away from a grenade ;)

Portal

[Iwanowitch]

Well... It doesn't really matter for me what Episode 2 is all about, as long as this is included...

Re:Portal

[Conspiracy_Of_Doves]

That is exactly what I was going to say. Prey's got nothing on Portal.

BTW, have you played Narbacular Drop?

As I went to the web site to confirm the URL, I just noticed that there are 15 new fan-made levels. I must play them when I get home.

Re:I still cannt beat EP1

[Conspiracy_Of_Doves]

2.66 GHz is low end?

Oh fuck, I'm old.

Re:I still cannt beat EP1

[Chabo]

Try installing AMD's dual-core drivers, if you haven't already. I don't have dual-core myself, but I hear that it can be an issue for some programs.

Barring that, try turning off the dual-core from the BIOS. Most people's systems work fine with all programs running dual-cores, but turning off the feature is not an uncommon fix if your machine isn't running right.

Bundling sucks

[Bobtree]

So you have to buy HL2: Episode 2 to get Portal and Team Fortress 2. Maybe bundling makes sense for retail box copies where it's cheaper than multiple product launches, but why require it for downloads? Couldn't they sell plenty of downloads at $5 or $10 each and let the bundled versions be a discount? You'd think that an alternative distribution channel like Steam would want to provide advantages over retail, rather than stick you with the same thing either way.

Re:Hmm..

[Drooling Iguana]

The Nazis in the original Medal of Honor didn't say "oh sh*t", but they would throw the grenade right back at you 90% of the time. 'Twas quite the pain in the ass.