A crazy idea for an expansion (or a non Gordon centered episode)

[ShadowJustice]

I was thinking about an additional non freeman-centered episode about the main npcs. The episode would be split into chapters (like the half-lifes) and every chapter would be a different flashback about one or more of the characters.

I'm talking about playable minichapters where we learn how Kleiner and Eli escaped from black mesa, another where we discover how Eli lost his leg, a chapter where we play as barney infiltrating the metrocops, etc.

I think it could be very cool: of course each chapter should be played differently from your typical half-life... first of all the characters should be able to talk (but I agree that Gordon Freeman should remain silent forever), and some chapters could even be in third person view (I don't know, maybe Eli and Kleiner using science and stealth to murder their way out of black mesa).

Of course this is just an idea, I don't think it is something that valve has to or even can do... but I'd like to know what do you think about it and if you have any idea on what would be cool in a similar game. Rembember that the game doesn't have to have a silent main character or a first person view.

 

[Asknoone]

Sounds as though it is going way of it's way to fill in different points.

 

[Dr_Crowbar]

Interesting idea, but game with Eli and Kleiner should be a first-person puzzle, not a shooter, obviously. I'd like to play as Barney in the "Lost Week", or as a resistance member before the events of HL2. But not as Alyx, because she clearly doesnt have any armor, and getting hit and not dying would be very unrealistic.

Third person view is a not acceptable in HL universe, IMO. Ruins the immersion.

I think it could be very cool: of course each chapter should be played differently from your typical half-life... first of all the characters should be able to talk (but I agree that Gordon Freeman should remain silent forever), and some chapters could even be in third person view (I don't know, maybe Eli and Kleiner using science and stealth to murder their way out of black mesa).

Gordon does talk. Its just that we dont hear him. Remember Blue Shift? Barney couldn't talk there either, but we all know that he does talk.

I'd love to play through the 7-hour war, though.

 

[ShadowJustice]

Yes of course I just mean that Gordon should remain silent in the games. But if they are ever going to do a game about one of the main npcs, I don't see why they shouldn't talk. It's not half-life, it is just another game set in the same universe.

And anyway I'm talking about an improbable dream game, just to imagine the possibile situations the characters have been in. And possible different takes on the half-life universe, besides the fps genre.

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

Third person view is a not acceptable in HL universe, IMO. Ruins the immersion.

Gordon does talk. Its just that we dont hear him. Remember Blue Shift? Barney couldn't talk there either, but we all know that he does talk.

agreement with the first part, BUT-I have said the second part before, tehn thought about it a bit.- alyx says Gordon is a man of few words. they never act like he's spoken. so he doesnt speak. no one really properly speaks to barney apart from rosenberg and he never usually leaves any room for replies. Barney could easily be replying but you just dont hear it.

I always thought it would make a good comic (concerned-esque) where it turns out that freeman had his suit on mute the whole time and thats why no one could hear him. the comic would then go through all the games, showing you what he really thinks. of course, all mildly funny comics require an idiot of some kind, and seeing freeman isthe only character that can be freshly developed, he would have to be the idiot. and I cant imagine him being an idiot, to be honest.

 

[pistolero!]

Yes but please just an idiot like Homer Simpson. Well it would be just a cheap rip-off of Concerned, but..well

 

[ríomhaire]

Freeman does talk, he says what you're thinking. How do you think he orders the resistance and scientists around? Hand gestures? You can even order them while outside their field of view. Anyone who says Gordon is a mute just doesn't have the imaginiation to invent the lines themselves. That's the point of the silent protagonist.

 

[Reginald]

It's un-natural not to shout expletives at Breen as he is talking to you anyway.

 

[Asknoone]

It's un-natural not to shout expletives at Breen as he is talking to you anyway.

Absolutely!

 

[SpotEnemyBoats]

It would be cool to play as Breen someday; Being the Administrator of City-17 + Black Mesa. Propaganda all around C-ity-17.

 

[ríomhaire]

It's un-natural not to shout expletives at Breen as he is talking to you anyway.

I always listened to Breen in silence D:

 

[d00d]

It's un-natural not to shout expletives at Breen as he is talking to you anyway.

I Know.
If could go into the game I would punch Breen in the face, tell him to stfu, and say who the fvck are the bidders/employers/Gman. Then I would punch him in the face again just for the fvck of it

 

[Flyingdebris]

i dunno, if there was an episode where Gordon was present as an npc, i'd hope he had some lines. It makes sense to not have him talk when you are controlling him, but if he's an npc it doesn't make sense to have him walk around like a mute.

Maybe have him be really terse and mostly silent, but he'd definitely need to say some words.

I definitely like the idea of mini character specific chapters covering the missing areas within the hl storyline.

Like stuff covering the missing week, the assault on the artic base, how eli and kliener GTFO of black mesa, stuff alyx did prior to gordon's arrival, etc.

 

[Darkside55]

I would definately play an "Escape from BMRF" game staring Kleiner and Vance. There's a lot of good stuff there that we missed...a lot of shit happened to poor Eli and I'd like to see it shown, seeing as all mention of it was cut from HL2. Stuff about Black Mesa, real powerful, moving stuff.

With regards to how Eli lost his leg, going over a city wall, I'd play that too. I'd like to see how Kleiner and Vance ended up setting up their labs and stuff. Plus showing how Barney and Kleiner teamed up, whether it was just coincidence or what.

Barney infiltrating the metrocops wouldn't be too much of an episode, I think. It isn't as if anyone knows he's working for the resistance; he's just an ordinary civilian by appearance. So he walks into the metrocop recruiter's office, signs up, there you go.

Also, what did you mean by "I'm not sure if this is something Valve even can do...?" The speaking parts? Because they can, easily. The first third-party Source game, Vampire Masquerades, had the player able to select his own dialogue throughout the game.

 

[Baratos]

I honestly would like to play as a metrocop.

Think about it: we have so far played as Gordon, Shephard, Barney, and those two girls with the memorable names I was never able to remember. Everyone but Shephard was on the exact same side, worked in the same place, etc. Shephard never actually fought the BM guys. In Half-life you cant tell the other side's story through cutscenes--one character, one view, one game.

A metrocop would offer new challenges as you can release manhacks and flares, but have very little health. More importantly, its an excuse to kill those stupid rebels who always stepped into the path of my rockets.

 

[Jintor]

Memorable... names... you couldn't... remember?

If they released this CP game, but upped the Rebel AI... sweet.

I'm, personally, against using an ingame Freeman NPC at all, but I'll leave it in Valve's hands. Although a "Lost Week" chapter would be nice... I'd like to see through the eyes of an ordinary person during the Portal Storms and the 7-hour-war, although that might be more machinima/movie fodder than Videogames.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

It would be cool to play as Breen someday; Being the Administrator of City-17 + Black Mesa. Propaganda all around C-ity-17.

Simcity17 anyone?

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

I Know.
If could go into the game I would punch Breen in the face, tell him to stfu, and say who the fvck are the bidders/employers/Gman. Then I would punch him in the face again just for the fvck of it

then I would go "WTF BREENZORS GTFO EARTH BIZNATCH TEH COMBIEN ARE MAKING ALL OUR BASE BELONG TO THEM"
only joking, I have no problem with leet or spelling mistakes- in fact, I have problems with people who have problems with them. I would only shout at someone to start speaking english if I couldnt understand what the person was saying at all, not if someone forgot a goddamn full stop or capital letter, like some total dongs have... its pretty lame

also,

I honestly would like to play as a metrocop.

Think about it: we have so far played as Gordon, Shephard, Barney, and those two girls with the memorable names I was never able to remember. Everyone but Shephard was on the exact same side, worked in the same place, etc. Shephard never actually fought the BM guys. In Half-life you cant tell the other side's story through cutscenes--one character, one view, one game.

A metrocop would offer new challenges as you can release manhacks and flares, but have very little health. More importantly, its an excuse to kill those stupid rebels who always stepped into the path of my rockets.

this is a very good idea. make metrocop ai much better than hl2 rebel ai, so no acts of total stupidity, add in a bit of metrocop support, a seasoning of an overwhelming force of rebels, stew in the awesome feeling of being pinned down with an officer buddy... and you would have one damn good beef stroganoff of a game.

 

[Flyingdebris]

a cop buddy game, with an oppressive twist, i love it!

In the beginning you are all top dog and what not, that is until some stupid orange suited scientist starts messing things up and you find yourself under seige by hordes of rebel citizens, and then when things can't get any worse BOOM goes the citadel and you have to relocate before the reactor goes. Meanwhile you are dodging orders to avoid being one of the many poor saps left behind to impede the rebels.

 

[ShadowJustice]

I would definately play an "Escape from BMRF" game staring Kleiner and Vance. There's a lot of good stuff there that we missed...a lot of shit happened to poor Eli and I'd like to see it shown, seeing as all mention of it was cut from HL2. Stuff about Black Mesa, real powerful, moving stuff.

With regards to how Eli lost his leg, going over a city wall, I'd play that too. I'd like to see how Kleiner and Vance ended up setting up their labs and stuff. Plus showing how Barney and Kleiner teamed up, whether it was just coincidence or what.

Barney infiltrating the metrocops wouldn't be too much of an episode, I think. It isn't as if anyone knows he's working for the resistance; he's just an ordinary civilian by appearance. So he walks into the metrocop recruiter's office, signs up, there you go.

Also, what did you mean by "I'm not sure if this is something Valve even can do...?" The speaking parts? Because they can, easily. The first third-party Source game, Vampire Masquerades, had the player able to select his own dialogue throughout the game.

I wasn't talking about the dialogue options, I was talking about the game.



Anyway, for the Barney part, I was talking about a game where Barney is already a metrocop. He basically has to follow orders, like patrolling city 17 outskirts, beating up and interrogating suspects, while at the same time keeping in contact with Kleiner and the rebellion.

So you have to keep your cover, beating citiziens when you absolutely have to, and sabotaging combine properties while nobody is looking. There should also be sections where you need to dispose of suspecting metrocops, etc.

The game could end with the beginning of the "lost week".

 

[Flyingdebris]

it'd be awesome to play the role of Barney as a mole.

Constantly having to balance between screwing over the combine while also looking like you are doing your job.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

I hope Valve will explain these things one day (not the Barney thing though, it can't be hard to jion hte civil portection - its not as if the Combine care about them is it?)

 

[bigburpco]

it'd be awesome to play the role of Barney as a mole.

Constantly having to balance between screwing over the combine while also looking like you are doing your job.

It's bloody hard to implement but it'll be genius if done well.

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

I hope Valve will explain these things one day (not the Barney thing though, it can't be hard to jion hte civil portection - its not as if the Combine care about them is it?)

they dont care, but remember CPs have to drink the water to forget they hate the combine before getting hideous combine surgery done to them.. getting in without that would be hard, and making sure never to take anything off in front of your CP buddies is harder.

 

[Flyingdebris]

i think the water thing is more of a subtle thing that is meant to passively cow the population, not something you are forced to do.

as for taking anything off in front of other combine, so what? The other metros are just as human as barney. Its not until you're an overwatch soldier, stalker, or elite, when you get the invasive surgery.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

You both make good points. Hmmmmmmmm...
Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure you could just join, and then be really careful. That would work. Yeah...

it'd be awesome to play the role of Barney as a mole.

Constantly having to balance between screwing over the combine while also looking like you are doing your job.

Like double agent!

 

[ríomhaire]

According to the Overwatch Lady Civil Protection officers have to go through memory replacement to get to a higher rank.

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

cps just as human as you are? I doubt it, even if it was for just a decent meal as the guy in the train station said. I doubt anyone would join by choice. at least not enough anyway.

the water could be for the population as you say, but cps need memory replacement in one form or another. the water wouldnt strike me as violent/effective enough.