They've kind of gone off that schedule: there have now been several updates coming at all sorts of different times. I think they are moving to "trickle" updates where they don't actually upload everything to people at the same time: they just activate it all at once after enough people have downloaded enough of it.
Considering how much Counter Strike fans complain when they change the gameplay even a tiny bit, this was probably done to save Valve from getting a million more DoS attacks of doom.
Just a note: it's not CS2. Gabe explicitly says that they aren't calling it that. CS2 will be a standalone game (with all new design and content) that's yet to be officially announced.
Just so everyone knows, Shack got a bit ahead of itself. Gabe does not say that CS: Source is the ONLY Multiplay option that ships with HL2. In fact, it now sounds like they are porting ALL the Valve owned HL mods to source, including HLDM. Still no word on whether there is a HL2 themed DM or other teamplay option.
I sure hope so, because as popular as CS is, and as good a move as it is to bank on it, people either love it or hate it. I sort of hate it (not saying its fans are bad people, just not my thing), and I certainly would be more excited by some creative new MP option making real use of their new features like physics and vehicles (something different from all the other such games or retreads of old content).
What? HL2 just announced that it's multiplayer options will include Counter Strike ported to Source, and Slashdot posts a 5 day old story about a side scroller being released on Steam as a joke?
This just in: you can pick up a bag of Doritos on your way to buy Doom3 at ebgames!
Unfortunately, the bottom line is: who the heck wants to see more of men's dirty, hairy ass cracks? Not even many women, really. Face it: naked women are more universally attractive and less potentially offensive to everyone on the planet except gay men, and even most gay men can appreciate naked chicks aesthetically even if they don't find them sexually interesting.
Seriously. People act like Carmack is the only one in the universe who can create an engine with shadow volumes, like it's some magical secret nobody else knows. In fact, it's a very simple brute force method that other devs have held off on picking up until you can do it without having to compromise so much else (it's VERY preformance intensive just for the lighting alone) and because there are much better looking methods for direct lighting that would make a better jump up.
Saying they all have the same story is saying that all action movies have the same story. Sure, they share the common element in the start of science gone wrong, but Half-life has all sorts of little in game elements to tell the on-going story about how the military is struggling against you and the whole government conspiracy angle and the escapees and setting up the trip to Xen and the way the final boss actually seems like a good guy who you were wrong to kill on behalf of some dude who seems a little bit evil.
Doom had none of that at all, and Quake had "Evil Quake attack! Are you a bad enough dude to kill Quake" and then you reach the end of the game and you're like "hey, er, where's Quake? This final boss thingie is, like, the lamest elder squid god ever that just sits there and does absolutely nothing but quiver."
Actually, id seems to be serious interested for the first time in proving that they can deliver a really A quality SP game. They really seem to be trying hard this time, taking a nod from the path that Half-Life forged with scripted sequences to make the game a series of "events" rather than just cooridors full of random monsters. They even have a pretty neat "short cutscene" thing where they briefly zoom out of the character's head while a cutscene plays, and then zoom back into the characters head where the action immediately resumes. A cool way to tell a story without being too jarring.
There's something a bit fishy though: try turning off the shadows: some of the dynamic ones vanish, but the game still seems to have static pre-cast shadows, which sort of belies the claim that everything is fully unified and dynamic.
Have you seen...:
The super giagantic Valve Info thread where all questions are answered:
http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?p=4 38943#post438943
The new shakycam videos with unseen areas of the game and a glimpse at a (as yet placeholder animated) D.O.G.
http://www.filerush.com/download.php?target=hl2_sh akycam_from_valve_visit.zip
There's actually a ton of information out there on the game that not a lot of people are aware of.
They are releasing a full SDK. The map editor is Hammer, but you also get a free version of XSI, a program to create facial expressions, a model viewer, scripting guides, etc. The standard package (save the cool XSI thing)
Er, what? Doom3 has been in develpment almost as long as HL2 has been, and they are slated to come out at roughly the same time. The only reason you don't know about id's delays is because they were never firm on a release date. But two years ago, Carmack was saying things like "I'd be very surprised if Doom3 wasn't out before the next E3." Heck, the game was even quietly delayed right after HL2 was last fall.
I'm most excited about HL2 at this point for seeing some really good machima. The game is probably the first with the capability for player/actors to control their facial expressions, script in complex gestures and body language, interact with objects realistically, and so on. The devs seem to have made the game with machima in mind, with programable camera pans and all sorts of in engine editing goodies. Can't wait.
id hired a sci-fi writer for Doom3. Valve has a full-timer writer as well for HL2.
Because they aren't radical departures. It's the same game as Castle Wolfenstein with better graphics. It's boring.
Look, I'm not asking you to buy into this before the game come out and are reviewed, but at least acknowledge that both promise to uniquely integrate the story into the game itself like nothing before. And both games promise to have REAL stories this times, though HL2 far moreso than Doom3. Both developers have heard criticisms like yours, and they have said that they are doing everything to remedy them.
If you want to think "more fo the same," think Marathon (which, while it was all text, had a fascinating plot), not Wolfenstein.
Show people a game with a moral dilemma, or a moment of real drama, or a game that might make someone cry. THAT would be innovative.
Have you read much about HL2? This is exactly what their design philosophy was: give the player realistic characters to interact with: characters that react to your different decisions, that have emotional responses to things, that weave in and out of the plot with as you as you proceed. They wanted to make a playble movie, in other words, more than just another shooter. The characters act, they emote, they react, they are all unique in looks and dialouge (for all human characters) and more complex personality (for the main characters like Alyx, Eli, Kliener, GMan, Barney, Breen, etc.) And more than just characters, the game is designed to have all sorts of plot developments, twists and turns, all of which happen real time in the game with you in control. If that's not something new in the way of plot for an FPS, I don't know what would satisfy you.
Now, hey, maybe they won't come through on all that. But that's what they promise to deliver. So it's not like all devs are totally unaware of your concern about playing the same shooter over and over.
I guess if you have the patience to wait on these games, it's a good thing: save tons of money by staying well behind the cutting edge (plus, you'll be playing the best versions, the least bugged, in tip top performance). But I guess I just feel bad about the _first_ experience with something like Doom3 being on a blurry mess of Xbox. But it's your gameplan and cash, so I'm just being a pain.:)
And I can't see how the Xbox is ever going to handle something like HL2's level of interactivity and complexity all that well.
You'll miss out on a LOT of the graphical wow though. I mean, the Doom3 Xbox screenshots look, well, like crap compared to the PC version.
PC Gamers are going to be enjoying a real rennisance in good games these days: you'd do well to upgrade for things like Far Cry and Half-life2. They'll be tens times more playable and enjoyable on a PC (with all sorts of custom content and mods to extend the value of the purchase) And really, you don't need a super high end rig to play them. In fact, as long as you have a decent CPU (over 1.5Ghz or so) and a decent amount of memory, all you really need is one sweet graphics card (200$ for a 9800Pro) and you'll be getting performance and graphics the Xbox can't even begin to touch.
Slashdot Mirror
They've kind of gone off that schedule: there have now been several updates coming at all sorts of different times. I think they are moving to "trickle" updates where they don't actually upload everything to people at the same time: they just activate it all at once after enough people have downloaded enough of it.
If it is, as claimed, cam from both presentations, then yes, definately it has it. CS: Source was at the end of the Valve presentation.
Here's a post from a Valve employee confirming that CS: Source is not CS2.
Considering how much Counter Strike fans complain when they change the gameplay even a tiny bit, this was probably done to save Valve from getting a million more DoS attacks of doom.
Just a note: it's not CS2. Gabe explicitly says that they aren't calling it that. CS2 will be a standalone game (with all new design and content) that's yet to be officially announced.
Just so everyone knows, Shack got a bit ahead of itself. Gabe does not say that CS: Source is the ONLY Multiplay option that ships with HL2. In fact, it now sounds like they are porting ALL the Valve owned HL mods to source, including HLDM. Still no word on whether there is a HL2 themed DM or other teamplay option.
I sure hope so, because as popular as CS is, and as good a move as it is to bank on it, people either love it or hate it. I sort of hate it (not saying its fans are bad people, just not my thing), and I certainly would be more excited by some creative new MP option making real use of their new features like physics and vehicles (something different from all the other such games or retreads of old content).
Heh, thx. This was much more efficient than submitting a story. :)
Sure, but when you make a story that basic, you can make anything sound similar.
What? HL2 just announced that it's multiplayer options will include Counter Strike ported to Source, and Slashdot posts a 5 day old story about a side scroller being released on Steam as a joke?
This just in: you can pick up a bag of Doritos on your way to buy Doom3 at ebgames!
Unfortunately, the bottom line is: who the heck wants to see more of men's dirty, hairy ass cracks? Not even many women, really. Face it: naked women are more universally attractive and less potentially offensive to everyone on the planet except gay men, and even most gay men can appreciate naked chicks aesthetically even if they don't find them sexually interesting.
Seriously. People act like Carmack is the only one in the universe who can create an engine with shadow volumes, like it's some magical secret nobody else knows. In fact, it's a very simple brute force method that other devs have held off on picking up until you can do it without having to compromise so much else (it's VERY preformance intensive just for the lighting alone) and because there are much better looking methods for direct lighting that would make a better jump up.
Or how about.... fricking water ninjas!!!!
Saying they all have the same story is saying that all action movies have the same story. Sure, they share the common element in the start of science gone wrong, but Half-life has all sorts of little in game elements to tell the on-going story about how the military is struggling against you and the whole government conspiracy angle and the escapees and setting up the trip to Xen and the way the final boss actually seems like a good guy who you were wrong to kill on behalf of some dude who seems a little bit evil.
Doom had none of that at all, and Quake had "Evil Quake attack! Are you a bad enough dude to kill Quake" and then you reach the end of the game and you're like "hey, er, where's Quake? This final boss thingie is, like, the lamest elder squid god ever that just sits there and does absolutely nothing but quiver."
Actually, id seems to be serious interested for the first time in proving that they can deliver a really A quality SP game. They really seem to be trying hard this time, taking a nod from the path that Half-Life forged with scripted sequences to make the game a series of "events" rather than just cooridors full of random monsters. They even have a pretty neat "short cutscene" thing where they briefly zoom out of the character's head while a cutscene plays, and then zoom back into the characters head where the action immediately resumes. A cool way to tell a story without being too jarring.
There's something a bit fishy though: try turning off the shadows: some of the dynamic ones vanish, but the game still seems to have static pre-cast shadows, which sort of belies the claim that everything is fully unified and dynamic.
Have you seen...: The super giagantic Valve Info thread where all questions are answered: http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?p=4 38943#post438943
The new shakycam videos with unseen areas of the game and a glimpse at a (as yet placeholder animated) D.O.G.
http://www.filerush.com/download.php?target=hl2_sh akycam_from_valve_visit.zip
There's actually a ton of information out there on the game that not a lot of people are aware of.
They are releasing a full SDK. The map editor is Hammer, but you also get a free version of XSI, a program to create facial expressions, a model viewer, scripting guides, etc. The standard package (save the cool XSI thing)
Currently, they are saying that they'll bump the requirements up to 1Ghz CPU and a Directx7 level card (i.e., TNT2s wont cut it anymore)
Gabe was saying that back in September. It isn't a new admission.
Er, what? Doom3 has been in develpment almost as long as HL2 has been, and they are slated to come out at roughly the same time. The only reason you don't know about id's delays is because they were never firm on a release date. But two years ago, Carmack was saying things like "I'd be very surprised if Doom3 wasn't out before the next E3." Heck, the game was even quietly delayed right after HL2 was last fall.
Well, the joint attacks and triple attacks were sort of cool....
I'm most excited about HL2 at this point for seeing some really good machima. The game is probably the first with the capability for player/actors to control their facial expressions, script in complex gestures and body language, interact with objects realistically, and so on. The devs seem to have made the game with machima in mind, with programable camera pans and all sorts of in engine editing goodies. Can't wait.
A writer.
id hired a sci-fi writer for Doom3. Valve has a full-timer writer as well for HL2.
Because they aren't radical departures. It's the same game as Castle Wolfenstein with better graphics. It's boring.
Look, I'm not asking you to buy into this before the game come out and are reviewed, but at least acknowledge that both promise to uniquely integrate the story into the game itself like nothing before. And both games promise to have REAL stories this times, though HL2 far moreso than Doom3. Both developers have heard criticisms like yours, and they have said that they are doing everything to remedy them.
If you want to think "more fo the same," think Marathon (which, while it was all text, had a fascinating plot), not Wolfenstein.
Show people a game with a moral dilemma, or a moment of real drama, or a game that might make someone cry. THAT would be innovative.
Have you read much about HL2? This is exactly what their design philosophy was: give the player realistic characters to interact with: characters that react to your different decisions, that have emotional responses to things, that weave in and out of the plot with as you as you proceed. They wanted to make a playble movie, in other words, more than just another shooter. The characters act, they emote, they react, they are all unique in looks and dialouge (for all human characters) and more complex personality (for the main characters like Alyx, Eli, Kliener, GMan, Barney, Breen, etc.) And more than just characters, the game is designed to have all sorts of plot developments, twists and turns, all of which happen real time in the game with you in control. If that's not something new in the way of plot for an FPS, I don't know what would satisfy you.
Now, hey, maybe they won't come through on all that. But that's what they promise to deliver. So it's not like all devs are totally unaware of your concern about playing the same shooter over and over.
I guess if you have the patience to wait on these games, it's a good thing: save tons of money by staying well behind the cutting edge (plus, you'll be playing the best versions, the least bugged, in tip top performance). But I guess I just feel bad about the _first_ experience with something like Doom3 being on a blurry mess of Xbox. But it's your gameplan and cash, so I'm just being a pain. :)
And I can't see how the Xbox is ever going to handle something like HL2's level of interactivity and complexity all that well.
You'll miss out on a LOT of the graphical wow though. I mean, the Doom3 Xbox screenshots look, well, like crap compared to the PC version. PC Gamers are going to be enjoying a real rennisance in good games these days: you'd do well to upgrade for things like Far Cry and Half-life2. They'll be tens times more playable and enjoyable on a PC (with all sorts of custom content and mods to extend the value of the purchase) And really, you don't need a super high end rig to play them. In fact, as long as you have a decent CPU (over 1.5Ghz or so) and a decent amount of memory, all you really need is one sweet graphics card (200$ for a 9800Pro) and you'll be getting performance and graphics the Xbox can't even begin to touch.