EP1 Feature Review

[605Scorpion]

Episodic games allow us the opportunity to see features and kill them or encourage them before the full game is born, so I'd like to take your attention to one aspect of EP1: Alyx's comments. Specifically, her "good job!" comments. Personally I cannot stand these and I feel like Valve is treating us like idiots for completing a puzzle.

Your thoughts? Like it? Hate it?

 

[cojawfee]

Yeah, I'd rather Alyx be an emotionless robot with no dialogue. In fact, I just want a gun on a unicycle that follows me around.

 

[Jintor]

Exactly. Would you rather her tell you "That was stupid, why didn't you shoot it?" or just not respond at all?

Besides, she's totally crushing on you. ^ ^

 

[Remus]

In fact, I just want a gun on a unicycle that follows me around.

Well actually... Only I would like it to be a flying bot.

 

[Asknoone]

How on Earth can you hate something like that. The mind boggles. She is simply commenting on you're achievements, like any normal human being would. You feel as though you have accomplished something and that someone is praising you for it.

What do you want her to say "Gordon. I could have done that with my eyes closed."

 

[Remus]

How on Earth can you hate something like that. The mind boggles. She is simply commenting on you're achievements, like any normal human being would. "Gordon. I could have done that with my eyes closed."

"Gordon. I could have done that with my eyes closed." *BANG* head shot:E

I don't mind her commenting but she over does it sometimes. A good example of this is when you destroy that gunship "Oh wow Gordon you're a real terror!"

 

[Asknoone]

She was joking, not being serious..

 

[Jintor]

Yeah. Like when she goes "Gordon, you're my new hero." I mean, seriously. New?

 

[bbson john]

Yeah. Like when she goes "Gordon, you're my new hero." I mean, seriously. New?

A girl says this sentence ten times a day, especially when she is having sex.

 

[Jintor]

She only said it once. ^ ^

 

[Shift]

Why do people constantly keep seeing Alyx as a crap NPC for no good reason what so ever. I found her remarks perfect, its the sort of remarks any normal human being with her personality would give you in real life. This concept has been discussed too many god damn times now, I mean we had a sodding 28 page discussion about it which is now at last locked. Stop bring up this stupid and pointless discussion up for ****s sake.

 

[ríomhaire]

Where's the neutral option?

 

[Remus]

I have the ideal solution for those who don't like the comments (including myself). Just go to the sound directory and remove all of the Alyx voice files:E .

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Where's the neutral option?

ditto that, it doesn't bother me but it's not exactly 'wowomgcool!!'

 

[Asknoone]

Find me a better NPC that acts and behaves as well as Alyx and I'll take you to Mars.

 

[Cuthbert]

EpTwo better be quick, cause people started to make stupid polls. "Valve is treating us like idiots for completing a puzzle" !!! Just because Alyx says "good job"? I learned about Half-Life-hating-Halo-fanboys yesterday, and now this. World is a wicked place

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

This thread has spun out of control! It must be shut down at once!

 

[Solver]

Come on, Ep One had entirely fantastic dialogue. And that's because not only the long speeches were great, but also all the little phrases and comments were very appropriate.

 

[605Scorpion]

I never said I hated Alyx. I quite liked her company whilst playing Episode 1. She's the most believeable character and the easiest to empathize with in any game I've played so far. What I'm talking about specifically is the whole "good job" thing.

"Gordon, you're my new hero."

I don't mind her commenting but she over does it sometimes. A good example of this is when you destroy that gunship "Oh wow Gordon you're a real terror!"

Alright, perhaps I didn't think about all the good job comments. I actually liked these, and I even laughed with the second one.

I was thinking more about the lines like after you shut off the gas line, or when you stop the antlions. "Nicely done!" "Good job sealing the burrows." It just sounds patronizing. I'm no script writer, but it just seems (at least to me) there's a better way to pull it off.

 

[Jintor]

But if she didn't acknowlege you, you'd be like "What? NOTICE ME DAMNIT!".

I think if she said thanks instead, maybe that'd soothe your battered spirit. ^^ I still prefer her saying things like that though.

 

[McGooTheWise]

ohh my...

bm much? XD

The Half-life-Hating-Halo-Fanboys don't know what they're missing :/ I have a friend that loved halo, but he plays half-life more, because he loves the story!How can you deny such a great experiance? I hope they make half-life into a movie so more people can enjoy the story.

But back on topic, I think that being praised for someting is fine, cause maybe gordon is just nervous areound people, and alyx is just trying to start up a conversation however she can?... okay, maybe not, but still, it's just a game, and some of the things you do in the game might seem like you're superman, if you do it in real life... You kill a Giant alien, that can tae getting shot with 8 rockets... you kill a flying ship without taking a hit, you destroy a Giant walking strider with 5 rockets... I think i'd praise a guy that can really do that Take a look at the other rebels. They can't take down a strider if theres 5 of em with rockets standing there, they die before their rocket hits. Gordon has destroyed more gunships, striders, and antlions than he can count, and I think if a real person could do that might just go up to em' and say "Good job!" but maybe i'm wrong, you never know :/

 

[Jintor]

He does have the HEV suit... strange how effective the HEV suit is in combat, isn't it? I'm sure it wasn't designed to be shot at and survive direct rocket hits... just protect from radiation and stuff.

 

[Shift]

Well when he plugs it in and chages it up, I think it emitts like a charge around the HEV suite, almost like a shield, that disintergrates bullets, rockets and what have you on impact which uses up the power it has. So yeah, the main reason Freeman survives all of these encounters is because the HEV suite saves his life pretty much everytime.

 

[605Scorpion]

I still don't see what Halo has to do with this. It's not as if I'm haying on Episode 1. Nothing that bothered a lot of people (enemies, weapons, citizen escort*) bothered me.

I think if a real person could do that might just go up to em' and say "Good job!" but maybe i'm wrong, you never know :/

Yes, a valid point, but I'm not critiquing the deed, I'm critiquing the word choice. "Gee, that was swell! Good job!"

*This was actually my favorite part of the game.

 

[Ridge]

Find me a better NPC that acts and behaves as well as Alyx and I'll take you to Mars.

Otis FTW!

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Find me a better NPC that acts and behaves as well as Alyx and I'll take you to Mars.

Only if the spaceship is a ring doughnut.

 

[Asknoone]

605Scorpion, the idea behind the thread is actually a good one. As it is one of the key elements behind episodic content.

 

[Jintor]

As well as forced upgrades? *Elevators*

 

[605Scorpion]

605Scorpion, the idea behind the thread is actually a good one. As it is one of the key elements behind episodic content.

That's what I thought. Gabe Newell (I think) himself said episodic will let Valve see what works and what doesn't. Some of the congratulatory dialouge didn't work with me, hence this thread.

 

[function9]

I didn't lose sleep over the comments either way. Sounded pretty typical, given the situation you're in. Maybe the could've added a little more emotion to the words to better convey her feelings but overall it was ok. I've heard a lot worse from movies that cost a heck of a lot more to make if that makes you feel better. Personally I wouldn't have mind a little pat on the butt, but I don't have one. D:

 

[Asknoone]

Dialogue quality in HL2 and EP1 is probably as close to perfect as you can get. There's never quite been dialogue so human. I think the problem Scorpion has is the praise itself after some puzzle solving.

Personally, I don't see a need to trim it down.

 

[bbson john]

I remember the dialogue in Doom III is like:

"While staying in this city, watch your back"





What?
That's really stupid, meaningless cliche.

 

[Jintor]

Yeah, I don't think there's any other AI who's been as well animated and created throughout the entire game as Alyx Vance. Not just in cutscenes, in regular gameplay as well. I mean, god damn, that's impressive.

 

[605Scorpion]

Dialogue quality in HL2 and EP1 is probably as close to perfect as you can get. There's never quite been dialogue so human. I think the problem Scorpion has is the praise itself after some puzzle solving.

Right on both points. The only unreal and distracting thing with HL2 dialouge isn't really with the dialouge, but with how NPC's will often "snap" into position. For instance in the beginning of EP1, when Alyx changes where she looks, or when she sits in the van. Admittedly, it's a minor gripe and I can live with it.

I remember the dialogue in Doom III is like:

"While staying in this city, watch your back"

What?
That's really stupid, meaningless cliche.

True, but look at the game it comes from. I've fortunately avoided that shitfest.

 

[bigburpco]

Doom 3 is seriously run-n-gun in its purest. I mean, other than opening locked doors, getting past obstacles, and listening to PDA logs, the whole game conceives of poorly imagined and weak monsters jumping out of closets to provide quick scares and also as cannon fodder for a quick blast in the head.

 

[stemot]

Doom 3 is seriously run-n-gun in its purest. I mean, other than opening locked doors, getting past obstacles, and listening to PDA logs, the whole game conceives of poorly imagined and weak monsters jumping out of closets to provide quick scares and also as cannon fodder for a quick blast in the head.

I like Doom 3

Anyway, back to topic, I thought the "real terror" line was a little....forced, as If she wouldn`t have said something like that, perhaps should`ve been "Menace" instead, I think that fits better.
Other than that I thought the dialogue was fine in that respect.

 

[Jintor]

Menace is sort of "Evil". "Real Terror" is a sort of country-folk saying sorta thing, and it's a little affectionate.

 

[605Scorpion]

The only problem I had with that line is I didn't understand it at first. I heard it as "a real tear" at first.

 

[Talyn]

I agree that "real terror" and "new hero" do sound a little awkward... but I'm convinced that it was entirely deliberate. I mean, a) Alyx has been crushing on this guy for a game and a half, now, and it's not like she is exactly Ms. Flirty-and-Sociable, and b) Alyx just watched Gordon take out a freaking gunship/strider, by himself, while the whole environment around him crumbled.

She's been fighting this war against the Combine all her life, and as far as she'd ever seen before, taking out Striders (as mentioned before) required a half dozen men and 75%+ casualties, and Gunships might as well have equalled instant death. Yeah, she's impressed - Gordon is Albert Einstein, Indiana Jones AND the Terminator all in one, as far as she's concerned. But she can't just hero-worship him openly... that's what everyone else does, and she's supposed to be one of the few who "know" him.

Hence, the trying-to-be-funny words of awe and congratulations.