Episode 3 - 'Ambitious Project'

[Evo]

Episode 3 is an ambitious project according to Doug Lombardi who was talking to Shacknews. This, in conjunction with the work of Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 over the past year has led to a change in the 'delta' of Episode 3.

But each of the episodes you saw becoming a more ambitious project as you ramped up towards where the finale's gonna be of this chapter.

So I mean, we're taking more time because it's a more ambitious project. We also sort of had Left 4 Dead become this big thing in the middle of it that we wanted to spend more time on, and you've just got a lot of stuff that we spent this year doing with Team Fortress 2 updates and what have you. So there's just a lot going on, and then an ambitious project on top of it caused the schedule to move out a little bit from the delta of the last three releases in the franchise.

This follows on from the recent revelation that Doug hopes to reveal details on Episode 3 before the end of the year.

 

[highlander]

come on Doug! you know waaaaaant too tell us!

 

[Hunter-Killer]

They must have something they can show us, even just a single screenshot will do!

 

[Druckles]

We've already had "concept art". I'm waiting for a trailer. Even if it has nothing to do with Episode Three.

 

[Disrupted_Hunter]

Atleast we have some good news for now

 

[G(ordon)-man]

They should put ep3 trailer as a easter egg in L4D

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Valve are usually quite reserved in that 'bigging up' of projects. They said the Orange Box was good value but I don't think anyone was prepared for how fantastic it actually was.

We know Episode 3 is going to be a big environment change and is going to explain a alot while asking many more questions. But the very fact, that Doug calls it an ambitious project after sitting in on Episode 3 meetings says to me...this really is going to surprise us. And now I have no idea what to expect.

 

[Marler]

Come on Doug we just want a trailer...

 

[G(ordon)-man]

We get you already Marler

 

[leib10]

Once L4D is completed and shipped things will probably start to move a lot faster on Episode Three.

 

[Omnomnick]

Well duuuuh!! :hmph:


I mean, what else would we expect from Valve?

 

[Fiberawptic]

Plain and simple, i like suprises.... this is one ill bet im gonna love... cant wait!

 

[The_E]

In english:
OW MAI GAWD EP3 IZ GANAAH BE EPIC!

 

[highlander]

Exactly what The_E said!

 

[dogboy73]

Come on Doug we just want a trailer...

Sadly I think that could be a long way off from what Lombardi is saying. What with the 'delta' changing & all!!

 

[Crispy]

Once L4D is completed and shipped things will probably start to move a lot faster on Episode Three.

Unless they spend as much time updating L4D post-release as they did with TF2, not that it's bad, but if they do that Ep3 will take longer.

I can't see new weapons in L4D after release, though.

 

[alehm]

I wonder if by ambitious, Valve is going to put in the AI director from L4D into the single player aspect of Episode 3 so it will be the first Half life game that doesn't play exactly the same everytime you play it.

 

[ríomhaire]

I wonder if by ambitious, Valve is going to put in the AI director from L4D into the single player aspect of Episode 3 so it will be the first Half life game that doesn't play exactly the same everytime you play it.

An interesting concept.

 

[Insano]

I can't see new weapons in L4D after release, though.

Firethrower is one of the ideas that pops up.

New campaigns are the obvious post-releases.

 

[Tagaziel]

I wonder if by ambitious, Valve is going to put in the AI director from L4D into the single player aspect of Episode 3 so it will be the first Half life game that doesn't play exactly the same everytime you play it.

This.

Mother****ing THIS.

 

[leib10]

Although it goes against Valve's strategy of precisely crafted gameplay for the HL series I would honestly much rather see gameplay in which you can't anticipate nearly EVERYTHING that's going to happen when you replay it.

 

[Asknoone]

I would prefer they stay with the 'precisely crafted gameplay', rather than stray too far from that. I think it would greatly detract from what's great about the series if they did. I haven't followed L4D though -- at all -- and I don't know what the AI director is.

 

[Laivasse]

I'm with Samon on this. While the AI Director seems like a great idea, I think it'll work much better in a frenetic multiplayer game that's designed from the bottom up to be slightly different every time. In an HL2 game I suspect the Director feature would occasionally end up spawning enemies in unintuitive and unbelievable places, which would make for great replay value but make the overall experience feel less polished and structured IMO. Maybe some combination of the two, with a slight emphasis on preset spawns, would be a good thing though.

 

[Eejit]

The AI director would be good at some points - I could imagine it working during the Ep2 end battle for instance - but certainly not everywhere.

 

[Fiberawptic]

Hey hey now, its not like Half life games are as similar to Doom when it comes to replaying experience.. Sometimes things will be a lil different, and with such a diverse arsenal, YOU are the one who makes the game experience different each time you play it. The grav gun can be used in certain areas where the crossbow is another alternative... things like that...

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Was there any comment (ever) that Ep.3 would be the end of the HL series?

 

[leib10]

No, Gabe said a while back that Gordon will have other adventures.