Anyone recognices the ....

[drolo]

Anyone recognises the ....

.... simultanities to real world history since 9/11 and the virtual histroy of HL2 since 'the test chamber accident'?

- Talking about 'the incident', reducing all the nessecary action to 'the incident'
- Underground battles, war for freedom
- Bringing down 'statues'
- New World Order (http://www.newamericancentury.org/)
- The police state, increased security.

Anyone had the same impressions while playing HL ? (or am I just paranoid ?)

BTW: I apreciate that HAVOK discovers the same problem with complex constraint chains (p.e. ropes) like ODE does. (Try the crane, load it with some heavy mass and rotate very quickly !!)
Had the same problem with a 'rope' for a low budget game - took me 1 week for a suitable workaround.

 

[KagePrototype]

I did see the similarities, but they're too few IMO to justify the idea that HL2 is pulling off some sort of modern social/political commentary.

 

[drolo]

Entertainment

I did see the similarities, but they're too few IMO to justify the idea that HL2 is pulling off some sort of modern social/political commentary.

Well, I didn't say that this is the primary goal ...

Games Industry _is_ entertainment industry ... and that's the primary goal: To entertain their customers.

But Music is also entertainment - and you could observe a lot of social/political critisism regarding the music in the past 3 decades of the last century.

However, besides the observations, software quality and social responsibility is part of my busines concept - that's why I like this idea.

 

[The Dark Elf]

I did see the similarities, but they're too few IMO to justify the idea that HL2 is pulling off some sort of modern social/political commentary.

Agreed, this is more a case of just trying to fit things in to look the same and there's little else there to prove it. Maybe Marc was sorta inspired but not much by 9/11 events.

 

[drolo]

Agreed, this is more a case of just trying to fit things in to look the same and there's little else there to prove it. Maybe Marc was sorta inspired but not much by 9/11 events.

I think 9/11 was only a key event, leading to the events following it, of which the events in the past 3 years are only the beginnig, just like some events in the early 30's were only the beginning of WW II and the so called 'cold war'.

However, the test chamber accident was simply an ignition (catalytic event, compare to the usage of the Word in the PNAC documents). Of course this was pre 9/11 .... but the authors of the single Player story might have used real history elements for their story, because this 'single incident' was well fitting to reality.

Just some speculative thoughts.

 

[.ñµkËz]

I suspect that the whole Half Life series is political. Which is amusing because a lot of the people buying the game are probably the ones it is condemning.

 

[drolo]

I suspect that the whole Half Life series is political. Which is amusing because a lot of the people buying the game are probably the ones it is condemning.

as well as the investor coperations.
:cheers: :cheers:

 

[.ñµkËz]

Yep, I suspect that whoever writes the story has somewhat different political views to the rest of Valve. It is quite amusing that they are producing/distributing a game which entirely attacks their own values and morals. I suspect the combine represents what would happen if a business took over government, probably in reference to Mr.George W Bush and the business goals which he uses his position as president of the US to achieve...

 

[The Dark Elf]

Oh yeah, moved it in here otherwise you can bet the newbies would send the thread to locksville

As much as I hate political threads, I hate being PM'd about them being closed more

 

[drolo]

Yep, I suspect that whoever writes the story has somewhat different political views to the rest of Valve.

Well, probably not the rest of valve, but their 'managers'. I worked in 3 different game producer companies now. It's always a tradeoff between:

- What does the producer want (who pays for production, in order to get a monthly income)
- What does the customer want (in order to sell the game) ?
- What are the goals of your compay's manager(s)
- What do the programmers want
- What do artists and Level designers want
- What do the authors want

*At last, these are 6 different tings, where the producers will is the most powerful .... and their aim is clear: They want to earn money with a minimum of inveting money/work load, and nothing more.
*Cutomers want to have the maximum of enjoyment for a minimum pricing.
* Managers want to keep their company alive, satisfy the customers and in first place the producers.
* Programmers can be divided into several groups:
- There are some programmers who are majorly concerned about the performance of the final product, not caring about doors they might close for the future.
- Some programmers are serving their own interests, by keeping and demanding a good coding style, but not regarding end product issues
- Others are concerned about 'project-workflow' and 'data consistency'
- Others are simply keen on proving how great their work is. (Egomaniacs).
and so on ....
*Artists and level designers: Most of them are doing a great work, without taking care of technical limits. I met some very cooperative artists, but most of them are simply demanding.
* Authors simply want their sory to be good (wether entertaining or teaching). For I did not work at games with a rich storyline, I did not work with authors

It is quite amusing that they are producing/distributing a game which entirely attacks their own values and morals.

Well - life itself is always a walk on a thin wire, full of bad compromises and always challanging.

I regard myself as a political/social critic .... my job is programming (self employed/freelancing). That's close to combinig two different minds within one body ! The one is the pragmatic-material mind, which faces the fact that you have to earn your living, the other one is the idealistic part, which is always running against walls and is always discontended with reality. Yes, I am a factured mind.

I suspect the combine represents what would happen if a business took over government, probably in reference to Mr.George W Bush and the business goals which he uses his position as president of the US to achieve...

While 'W' (The cowboy) is only a puppet of his daddy's and grandpa's friends.

But however, world is ruled by busines. Politics is just the mask which 'legalizes' busines behaviour. Democracy is nessesary to make people think it's in their hands ....

 

[drolo]

Oh yeah, moved it in here otherwise you can bet the newbies would send the thread to locksville

As much as I hate political threads, I hate being PM'd about them being closed more

Hm ... the major part of the audience might be the patriot american kind

 

[Spartan]

.... simultanities to real world history since 9/11 and the virtual histroy of HL2 since 'the test chamber accident'?

- Talking about 'the incident', reducing all the nessecary action to 'the incident'
- Underground battles, war for freedom
- Bringing down 'statues'
- New World Order (http://www.newamericancentury.org/)
- The police state, increased security.

Anyone had the same impressions while playing HL ? (or am I just paranoid ?)

BTW: I apreciate that HAVOK discovers the same problem with complex constraint chains (p.e. ropes) like ODE does. (Try the crane, load it with some heavy mass and rotate very quickly !!)
Had the same problem with a 'rope' for a low budget game - took me 1 week for a suitable workaround.

You are reading too much into it. Nowadays, people see those connections in just about every movie that gets released.

 

[drolo]

You are reading too much into it. Nowadays, people see those connections in just about every movie that gets released.

Well, but in HL 2 it is clear at some points .... and it fits to the story.

of course it's simply a game and it's prior goal is to entertain.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Bejesus! Holy Right Religion, and everything Gay, and left ... my Anus is bleeding!

.... simultanities to real world history since 9/11 and the virtual histroy of HL2 since 'the test chamber accident'?

I dont know how you can claim them as being similar -- im not finding headcrabs in cereal boxes.

Cant say I recognize anything; be more specific if you can.

 

[azz0r]

The world does not revolve around America. FACT.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

^ Fact ist true.

 

[seinfeldrules]

The world does not revolve around America. FACT.

As much as that should be true, I still have to say it isnt.

 

[CptStern]

As much as that should be true

I'm sure earths 5.75 billion non-americans would have something to say about that.

 

[Tr0n]

The world does not revolve around America. FACT.

True...but in economical and political terms...it kinda does. :|

 

[Lt. Drebin]

Yep, I suspect that whoever writes the story has somewhat different political views to the rest of Valve. It is quite amusing that they are producing/distributing a game which entirely attacks their own values and morals. I suspect the combine represents what would happen if a business took over government, probably in reference to Mr.George W Bush and the business goals which he uses his position as president of the US to achieve...

The government is already controlled by business and corporation. Those people in Washington, with the exception of a few, don't give a damn about us. They are there to get reelected and make money...usually at our expense. It's a damn shame that everyone has such a selfish agenda.

So yeah..I agree the Combine represents that.

 

[seinfeldrules]

I'm sure earths 5.75 billion non-americans would have something to say about that.

Stern the discussion on this board alone should be proof enough. I dont like it anymore than you.

 

[X|Rolando]

This board? Heeeheee I doubt this board is proof enough for anything