Episode 3: Want / Do not want

[Godron]

The Episode 3 section is mostly full of bitching, speculation and faked screen-shots, so I figured this would be a welcome change. There was at least one of these threads for episode 2. Since at this rate it could well be another year before episode 3 comes out, there might just be a chance that some suggestions we put in this thread get taken on board by Valve.

Want:

• A new NPC
• Tougher gameplay, or failing that, an "Actually Challenging" difficulty setting
• Alyx to stop congratulating me every time I kill something. It gets on my tits.
• More of Kelly Bailey's music
• A puzzle that isn't just another goddamn see-saw

Do not want:

• Another zombie level
• The portal gun
• A puzzle that is just another goddamn see-saw

Most of these aren't particularly insightful, so I'm sure you can do better. Have at it.

 

[Anauteus]

Want

Combine Sniper Rifle.

New Combine "Synth" enemies.

Perhaps cut Beta enemies.

Do not want

The story to end.

 

[TigerX]

Want:
- deeper cinematic experience
- more claustrophobic, and more time alone, like first half-life
- longer, like hl2 (this is not likely, but still...)
- to find out more about g-man
- maybe to see the combine world, or revisit xen, or both

Do not want:
- to be short
- Alyx to breath in my back
- to be the end story

 

[dogboy73]

WANT:
For it to be much harder than the cakewalk that was HL2, EP1 & EP3.
For the AI to be more challenging & fun to go up against.
More enemies, new weapons, possibly new vehichles
For it to get a release at some point!!

DONT WANT
Same dull weapons
Same tired enemies
An easy game you can complete in a few hours
More questions than answers (The 'Lost' thing is not cool).

 

[Colonel Kernel]

WANT:

• 
  The Glock and the Proto Gauss Rifle from the first Half-Life

• 
  to visit Xen or the Combine Overworld

• 
  more life-like scripted sequences (something like that bridge colapse in EP2)

• 
  an update to the arsenal

• 
  a more eye-catching story!

• 
  more challenging enemies/puzzles that require more thinking (like the tentacle map from HL1)

• 
  a change in the Source engine's blood spray and decal system - read, making it more natural with more decals to be sprayed, or possibly replacing the decals with particles that stick to objects, walls etc.

• 
  a Barney return - most likely

• 
  longer gameplay

DON'T WANT:

• 
  to be the end of Gordon's adventures, for God sake!

• 
  to find a connection with the Aperture Science Labs (not the testing facilities and chambers from Portal, but the actual Lab - like Black Mesa)

• 
  the Portal gun - it only fits in Portal's jocular athmosphere

• 
  more important characters dieing - no more, please!

Wellp, I guess this concludes most of what I want, heh.

 

[JUL3]

WANT:

-More atmospheric maps: more strange noises, more locations that tell a horrific story (through hints such as the blood trails we saw in Episode Two).

-More futuristic weapons: some unknown, untested Combine tech weapon would be rad.

-More reveal in the story: Eli admitting that he knew about Gman was a nice start, but then he died & we're back to square one for getting some decent info on Gman.

-Another Blast Pit scenario: huge monster, run errands to set up its annihilation, then put on a pair of sunnies, sit back & watch the fireworks.

-Discovery of what happened to Barney.

-A new NPC that is fun & challenging to fight against.

-A release date by the end of this year, even if Valve tell us it won't be out until 2012, that'd be fine, just some conformation that it's coming would make me have a resonance cascade... in my pants.

DON'T WANT:

-A disappointing story.

-Another main character to die.

-Less congratulations from my fellows in a fight & more badass fighting sounds (grunts, yells, taunts, tough talk etc.)

-Stop telling me to reload!

-The same looks & features of the Source Engine introduced in 2004.

Think that's about it. Awesome thread by the way.

 

[Suicide Machine]

Tougher gameplay.

Yes please

 

[Asknoone]

Oxygen Destroyer.

 

[Colonel Kernel]

WANT:
-More atmospheric maps: more strange noises, more locations that tell a horrific story (through hints such as the blood trails we saw in Episode Two).

Oh, I didn't mention that, too. It does so much for the experience.

WANT:
-A release date by the end of this year, even if Valve tell us it won't be out until 2012, that'd be fine, just some conformation that it's coming would make me have a resonance cascade... in my pants.

I think we all are gonna be like that.

Plus, more Kelly Bailey [tm] - you just gotta love that man for what he does!

 

[DEATH eVADER]

• More Wit and Sarcasm from NPCs
• Dynamic Placement of enemies
• A Fluffy Houndeye Pup that follows you; roles up into a ball when afraid, shoots focused sonic blasts when provoked
• Barney Obviously
• Adam Baldwin plays a specific NPC
• Alpine Mountainous Roads and Logging tracks
• A hunting Rifle
• Replace AR2 with AR3- the AR3 does exist, the rebels just weren't aware of it (Better damage, Better RoF, Worse Accuracy, Improved Sound and Particle Effect, Underslung Hopwire Grenade Launcer
• Modify the MP7 model to reflect an underslung granade launcher
• A fishing town
• The Air Exchange
• Improved Explosion from grenades and Barrels (The explosion occurs with smoke momentarily going in all directions then the wind catches and blows it in a certain direction)
• Gargantua fight (Bait it in front of a rocket testing track)
• Discovery of a Interesting Locales that tell stories themselves; A Disused Russian Research Facility (Kind of like what BM would of looked like if it was Soviet and had just overgrown with vegitation and not nuked)
• A downed NOAA aircraft in the Artic Circle with black box
• Highly energetic Aurora that could forshadow future events
• A new multiplayer

 

[votka]

Want:

Use of Source engine physics to kill striders and gunships, rather than lame-me-do rocket spam.

Combine Elite to live up to their title.

Return to Xen, and intelligent alien enemies.

Suggestion that Valve knows who the G-Man is supposed to be (no more unexplained incredible time-stopping, mind-reading powers)

Arcade game weapons: where is the handheld tau cannon, gluon and hornet guns, snarks, that goo-spitting creature from Opposing Force?

On guns: for God's sake, give the shotgun a decent boom when double-blasting. I've heard hole punchers give off meatier sounds.


Do not want:

Cut scenes (Ep 1 and 2 have had what are basically cut scenes)

To pelt the Combine Advisors to death with infinite rockets

Any links to Portal, besides the Aperture Science lab name.

 

[HIAPOEBIAH]

WANT;

More guns. I dunno about new Combine weapons, I kinda like the idea that the combine soldiers all have set weapon loadouts which would suit an utilitarian military force. So some new Rebel weapons would be cool, maybe modified combine weapons? a Demounted Combine Sniper rifle? Reprogrammed/remote control Manhacks (I remember a mod did this pretty well, Rock 24, I think)? Hunter Flechette launcher? That one might make more sense as a new combine weapon though. If we're heading to an icey landscape, a new a "relevant" Combine weapon would be cool. I only wish I could tell you what I meant by that XD

In terms of gameplay, there should be more variety between the difficulty settings. The puzzles should be a little more complex too, as Godron said, but this would probably put off more casual gamers, so it would have to change between difficult settings as I mentioned. To do this I think they could come up with "multiple path puzzles" or some better variation of a name lol. This would basically change object spawns for a puzzle to be completed depending on the difficulty. A good way to explain could be.. remember the flooded electrical basement hazard in the hospital of Episode 1? Well in the normal/easy settings you would just need to float the walkway so you can make the jump (maybe on easy the buoyant barrel thing is right in front of it but on normal you'd have to search around a bit for it), however on the Hard setting (or maybe a completely new setting) a load of different things could be thrown in. Maybe the barrel randomly spawns? Maybe its hidden in a hole in the ceiling that you can only reach if you intentionally get caught by a Barnacle? Or maybe a whole new level is added to the puzzle? Maybe you have to flood/drain the whole area first? Or instead of water its toxic waste? This would be AWESOME and would send the replay value through the roof, especially if some aspects are randomized.

Another thing I think would be awesomesauce would be a little "reward" system. Bear with me on this one. Basically, if you completed little side tasks (things similar to what you get achievements for) you would get a relevant reward/bonus. For example, Half Life 2 around the Follow Freeman chapter when you're going up the apartment stairs, you see Rebels getting killed by a shotgun Combine douche? Now if you saved them, would it be cool if they then thanked you and then opened up a door to a stash of weapons or useful vantage point that would otherwise be unaccessable? Or maybe in Episode 2 at the end during the Strider defense, if you could talk to the guy who was working the car or a mechanic and they asked for certain parts and such, and if you took your time and searched around for them he would be able to fit a Magnusson device teleport reciever to the back of the car, instead of just a rack? Doing little tasks and getting rewards for helping fellow Rebels would be awesome, in my opinion, but it could work much simplier as in-game rewards for certain achievements.

Death eVader has some great ideas But inspired by his NPC wit suggestion, I'd love to have some dialogue where (maybe Rebels talking amongst themselves, which you can only hear if you're around a corner) they talk about Gordon and wonder why he never talks or how his glasses stay on his face after all the crazy stuff he does.

And also the zombies has some God damn dress sense this time around too lol. Hopefully Valve learnt something from L4D in terms of visuals. Apparently it was mentioned headcrabs can't handle low temperatures, so maybe they won't make a huge appearance o.o But unless Valve do something really original with the zombies, I'd rather not bother with them.. Unless we get a pipebomb or device that attracts zombies and we can use them like the Antlions with the bugbaits. That might still be too repetitive though..

Artic Antlions could be cool, but some new (or old, rather ;D) Xen creatures would be freaking awesomesausages.

And of course a shit load more of Kelly Baily.

 

[sharkyshu]

earlier release :imu:

 

[MJ12]

maybe u could meet adrien sheperd :smoking: that be awesome an if you meet him maybe in the game he turns sides for you to betray to give to you to gman :cheese:

i wud luv if gman was in it maybe even fight him for once :sniper:

 

[Apiary]

earlier release :imu:

Apiary

 

[DEATH eVADER]

WANT;
Another thing I think would be awesomesauce would be a little "reward" system. Bear with me on this one. Basically, if you completed little side tasks (things similar to what you get achievements for) you would get a relevant reward/bonus. For example, Half Life 2 around the Follow Freeman chapter when you're going up the apartment stairs, you see Rebels getting killed by a shotgun Combine douche? Now if you saved them, would it be cool if they then thanked you and then opened up a door to a stash of weapons or useful vantage point that would otherwise be unaccessable? Or maybe in Episode 2 at the end during the Strider defense, if you could talk to the guy who was working the car or a mechanic and they asked for certain parts and such, and if you took your time and searched around for them he would be able to fit a Magnusson device teleport reciever to the back of the car, instead of just a rack? Doing little tasks and getting rewards for helping fellow Rebels would be awesome, in my opinion, but it could work much simplier as in-game rewards for certain achievement.

I was thinking about that and if it would be possible on a larger scale (If thats what Valve is going for with all this secrecy). You act as a navigator in the helicopter and you can choose to go the most direct route, in which case there will be 3-4 direct combine confrontations before the finale. However you can choose to investigate "landmarks" (Mines, Villages, Military Outposts, etc) and be rewarded with extra manpower and/or supplies that go in your chopper. You could also be rewarded with improved variants of weapons you already have or special weapons and info.

 

[Tunnelsnake]

Want:
To continue the story of Half-Life.
To introduce a little bit about Gman.
Maybe a chapter with Barney?
Some new enemies.
To see what's on the borealis.
Maybe some Vortigaunt action


Do Not Want:
For the story to be ended with a cliffhanger or to end at all
portal guns
to not see what's on the Borealis
for Alyx to die.
Magnusson to play a big part of the story

I'm also new by the way so hello.

 

[tropicalmonsoon]

Wants:

•For ALL the main characters from HL2 to still be present (except Eli of course, since he died).
•New and exciting locations to play in.
•Top notch graphics and facial expressions.
•Vehicles!
•A high level of realism.

Do not wants:

•Alyx to die, or somehow get killed off from future half life titles.
•To be in City 17!
•To have lots of disposable squads. Alyx is a much better battle companion to fight and interact with.
•To have really long levels that are just "more of the same" the whole way through.

 

[Godron]

Another thing I think would be awesomesauce would be a little "reward" system. Bear with me on this one. Basically, if you completed little side tasks (things similar to what you get achievements for) you would get a relevant reward/bonus. For example, Half Life 2 around the Follow Freeman chapter when you're going up the apartment stairs, you see Rebels getting killed by a shotgun Combine douche? Now if you saved them, would it be cool if they then thanked you and then opened up a door to a stash of weapons or useful vantage point that would otherwise be unaccessable? Or maybe in Episode 2 at the end during the Strider defense, if you could talk to the guy who was working the car or a mechanic and they asked for certain parts and such, and if you took your time and searched around for them he would be able to fit a Magnusson device teleport reciever to the back of the car, instead of just a rack? Doing little tasks and getting rewards for helping fellow Rebels would be awesome, in my opinion, but it could work much simplier as in-game rewards for certain achievements.

This could be cool. When I first heard HL2 had achievements (in the days before I really knew what those were), I assumed there'd be some kind of reward for them, rather than just some pointless record that you did such and such. Having said that, I'd prefer the rewards to be in the form of extra commentary, or little plot clues or easter eggs or something. With HL2 as easy as it currently is, throwing yet more supplies at me just wouldn't feel like much of a reward, or would at least be a pretty shallow one.

Death eVader has some great ideas But inspired by his NPC wit suggestion, I'd love to have some dialogue where (maybe Rebels talking amongst themselves, which you can only hear if you're around a corner) they talk about Gordon and wonder why he never talks or how his glasses stay on his face after all the crazy stuff he does.

Has anyone else here played Metro 2033? One of the things I liked most about that game was how you could eavesdrop on NPCs' conversations. They had all these stories about weird stuff that had happened in the tunnels or in the months after the nukes fell, and it really made the world feel more fleshed out and alive; less like it had been put there for the player's entertainment and money. HL2 EP1 had something very much like what you're talking about, where you could eavesdrop on the rebels in the room below through a hole in the floor. This is good and I hope they do it again, but I think something a little deeper than witty banter would also serve HL2 very well.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Want: for it to release

 

[TheFreeman]

Want:
Gordon Freeman
Breen to somehow be alive
An epic final boss fight
All loose ends tied up
A bow chicka bow wow scene with Alyx

Do not want:
Poison Crabs

 

[PorkPi]

Want:
-DOG as a companion with AI (made a thread about that at some point)
-New weapons (even reskins/slight tweeks on old weapons would be fine)
-A different experience than the last two episodes which were just basically continuations of the story with no real gameplay updates
-new enemies
-closure (I know some of you disagree)
-maybe an actual boss fight? (the strider in ep1 was a cool fight but I want to fight a special alien)
-CROWBAR USAGE (I would like it to be the first weapon you pick up and also intregal in the last scenes)
-more time away from Alyx
-Barney

DO NOT WANT:
-zombie section
-vehicle section
-sameness
-antlion section
-combine section (oh wait, that's all the enemies)
-stupid see-saw puzzles
-stupid gravity gun gimmicks
-stupid new explosive barrels
-Alyx being a more important character than me

Really, though. As far as gameplay, not a whole lot has changed since HL2. We use Alyx more, there's more stuff to throw with the gravy gun, a couple new enemies, nothing really ground-breaking. Each game has had a zombie section and antlion section. Maybe they SHOULD throw in the old xen creatures just so we can have another faction of enemies to fight. I also really want to see new weapons. There was surprise and intrigue the first time we grabbed the crossbow in HL2 but not when we found the exact same crossbow in the other episodes. They should change it up! Even a reskin would be more interesting than the same, tired weapons.

More importantly besides adding new stuff, we could look back on the old Hl. Particularly, I'd like it if the crowbar got a nice role in the final battle. Maybe even require the use of the crowbar against the boss. We can also have some more solo time. Freaking Alyx.

 

[0u7ragi0us]

Want: more enemies ie: houndeyes, vortigaunt zombies, gargantua ex.
more dynamic ganmeplay ( like bridge collapse at beginning of ep 2)
more puzzles, like ones like in hl source and portal, not amazingly difficult
for there to be humor: I dont want it to be comedy, just I want the occasional joke or easter egg
answers, I want to know about gman, and other things
new weapons
visiting xen, or combine world
alot of vent crawling and that feeling of accomplishment fram hl: source
MR FRIENDLY!!!

do not want: repetitive gameplay
likable characters dieing
levels like ravenholm
boring landscapes

 

[Omnomnick]

Want: It

Do not want: To not have it

 

[Stylo]

Want:

• More Aliens from HL1 making an appearance.
• Adrian Shephard, please.
• More of the awesome, atmospheric, immersive game play.
• More about Aperture Science revealed.
• More about G-Man.

Do Not Want:

• Long, tedious underground tunnels to traverse.
• Lack of NPC diversity.
• For people to go practically silent just because I turn slightly so that I'm not looking them dead in the damn eyes even though I'm stood right next to them... ¬_¬

 

[Chrash]

Want:
Okay, the crowbar is cool and all, but I've always felt it could be more then it is. I mean, its supposed to be Gordons signature weapon, and I don't think it's very "satisfactory" to kill things with. Beating something to death with a crowbar is really god damned brutal. And it should be in half life. The crowbar should have more "feeling" to it, both the swing and the impact, and cooler/more gory animation. New sound wouldn't hurt either tbh.

Want: for it to release

And that too.

 

[kupocake]

You know what I really don't want to see? That helicopter we were supposed to be taking better not ****ing crash. FPS helicopters have the worst god-damned safety records of helicopters in any medium.

 

[McGooTheWise]

I agree. If the helicopter crashes, it would just be an obvious excuse to extend gameplay. What would be cool is if Gordon has to man a side-turret in the heli, while Alyx dodges some flying enemies that we've never seen before, kinda like the hunters in episode one were played.

 

[GeniusX]

Want
What most people mentioned.
Combine defector for a follower
A better way to use Magnusons

Do not want
To have to carry a gnome 3/4 of the way.
Repeat work( ep1 helping people get to the station)
GLaDOS MkII.
HL3 to be released decades afterwards.

 

[D|2AGON]

-Some mention of Shepard even if it's a little clipping of newspaper on a wall somewhere
-New Weapons
-Fewer cutscenes

 

[Overwatch Sector]

Want
* New SMG or even assault rifle.
* Amazing Source graphics (obviously)
* A villian. (Breen was the villian in HL2. Gman is never the villian. Something like a Combine Warlord, someone notable.)
* New Character Introduction
* Lots of story stuff
* A new pistol replacement. (I highly doubt there is a thousand Metrocop USP's all over the freaking planet)
* New combat enemies. More of new synths. something interesting.
* Mindblowing ending

Don't Want
* Talkative Alyx
* Less zombies. They bore me and make things hard ever since Episode 2.

 

[Tyro76]

Wants:
Gordon Freeman
Explosions and Crowbars
a GLaDOS reference
and the fate of Dr Breen

Do not wants:
Another army of Hunters shooting your face
A box full of SMG 'nades and No SMG
Really long and dull defense of some place or area (Episode 2 did that twice to us >.>)

 

[the_cakeisalie]

Want
Dark Energy Gavity gun.Always.
G-man becomes evil.
Cut enemies and weapons.Note that I want Cremator and Immolator
New NPC's
Driveable APC's
DON'T WANT
No more main characters to die especially Kliener,Barney and Alyx.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Driveable APC's

I thought the Dune Buggy was well placed in HL2, I wasn't sure about the vehicle in Ep2 though. Some kind of 4x4 off roader would be nice this time round

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Want: Ricochet 2


Do Not Want: Episode 3

 

[Godron]

More wants:

• Music to pause when the game is paused. Otherwise, I have to re-load the last save if I have to answer the phone or something when the music's on, or else I miss half of it. Seriously, for me the music probably accounts for a good quarter of the experience.
• Weather effects. Four instalments so far and not a drop of rain yet. Plenty of opportunity for that sort of thing in the Arctic.
• For crying out loud sort out that piece of shite strawberry jam blood effect. Even reverting to the HL2 effect would be an improvement.

There was another one. I'll post it if I remember.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Weather effects. Four instalments so far and not a drop of rain yet. Plenty of opportunity for that sort of thing in the Arctic.

It rains in the Artic?

 

[Godron]

It rains in the Artic?

Snow. Blizzards. That sort of thing.

 

[Ivan]

I am quite surprised that almost all of you want Alyx to be less important. For me, Alyx is the reason why Half Life 2 (+ episodes) reached the best super-awesome uber-kewl epic-win single-player game of all time status. I guess you all have your lives and don't need to be needed by bunch of sexy pixels.

Want:
-more Alyx
-more G-man
-Gordon to save NPCs from imminent life-threatening situations
-the guy from Freeman's Mind (http://www.youtube.com/show?p=bYPdeqBaYDg&tracker=show0) to voice act Freeman (or his mind :E)
-more Zombies like in the hospital mission
-more brutal combat, especially with the crowbar and shotgun
-to actually find out new info about HL universe

Don't want (it' basically one thing):
-scary missions with no light and many Zombies
-scary missions where I'm alone
-to be terrified to near-death state for more than 20 seconds per mission.

 

[Godron]

Digital molecular matter, that was it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE4k9Vmcp5g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqauZTAlJF4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_molecular_matter

You know, I wouldn't put it past Valve to built something like this into the Source engine. Certainly would explain the lengthy development time. It's exactly the sort of thing you'd expect Valve to get excited about, given how much they've emphasized physics ever since HL2. Even if they were just to apply it to physics props and doors, it'd be a big improvement. People have been saying for a while that Source has been losing the edge it one had against other engines, so I think we can assume at least that it's undergone some kind of major work over the past however many years it's been. Three or something?