Half-Life 2, Doom 3 and Halo 2 - A discussion

[dis]

I think all three games will be good.

Half-Life 2

I've had Half-Life installed for the last 5 years except for a few short periods after hard drive formats. I'd probably have to rank it as my favorite game of all time. I remember the first time I encountered the Marines; I had so much fun just replaying the same parts and seeing what different things the Marines would do. I don't expect to be disappointed by Half-Life 2. I just hope it stays on my hard drive as long as the first one did.

DOOM III

I still remember the first time I had played Doom - I think it was actually Doom II that I played first. I had previously been playing tons of Wolfenstein 3d, and I thought it was completely awesome. Then I saw Doom II, and I couldn't believe it - you could actually have stairs and elevators and stuff. At the time, I was completely blown away by this simple fact. Now in Doom III, realistic lighting will come in to play, and I think it could make for a very friggin' scary game. I can't wait to play it. And the multiplayer should be sweet with the lighting regardless of how many/few the game will end up supporting.

Halo 2

I'll admit that I have probably only played Halo about 6-10 hours in total, but I did like the game. Unfortunately it still hasn't come out on PC's. I know many would disagree with me (which is fine), but I think the game would have been much better suited on PC's then the Xbox. The main things that kept me from playing it more were two things: my friends were really good and I got tired of gettting my butt kicked in multiplayer; but more importantly, I just couldn't stand playing the game with a controller. I used to play Goldeneye with a controller way back when, but after Half-Life, I've found it very hard to play with any other then keyboard/mouse - it just provides such superior control. Now, I'm going to bash the Xbox controller just because I think it's so awful - it's like holding on to two chodes at once. Anyway, it's a bummer that I dislike the controller so much because it kept me from enjoying the game as much as a lot of other people. I doubt I'd by the first one for PC now that it's been so long, but I'm sure the sequel will also be a great game. I just wish Microsoft hadn't bought Bungie, but I guess that's just how the cookie crumbles.




Down to which will be the best of the three is obviously going to be up to every individual. I'm sure every game will have it hordes of fanboys claiming how it blows the other two out of the water. But really in the end, I'm sure they're all going to be great in their own ways.

 

[Prince of China]

@Abom|nation
I mean the first one, he's always smilling(like Micheal Jackson). Even when his wife died, he was crying and smilling.Oh, and yeah, the new Max looks awesome. :cheers:

 

[el Chi]

Just out of interest, Tredoslop - how much experience have you HAD with paedophiles?

 

[Axyon]

Originally posted by Tredoslop
@Abom|nation
I mean the first one, he's always smilling(like Micheal Jackson). Even when his wife died, he was crying and smilling.Oh, and yeah, the new Max looks awesome. :cheers:

That's his constipated look, he's no paedophile! Tsk.

 

[Prince of China]

@El_Chi-A lot!
@Abom|nation
Constipated?lol
Edit: I was just kidding about the paedophile thing:cheers:

 

[el Chi]

Yeah, dude WAS constipated. Now he's had some laxatives and had his haemorrhoids tended to and everything's dandy. Same old gameplay, new graphics engine. It'd better be REALLY good or it's not worth anything at all.

 

[Axyon]

Originally posted by El_Chi
Yeah, dude WAS constipated. Now he's had some laxatives and had his haemorrhoids tended to and everything's dandy. Same old gameplay, new graphics engine. It'd better be REALLY good or it's not worth anything at all.

I'm pretty excited about it, actually. Ragdoll physics, bullet decals, plus the good old Max Payne gameplay... should be good.

 

[el Chi]

Yeah but other than a prettier game, I doubt we'll be getting much for our money...

 

[SupaKoopa]

Originally posted by OCybrManO
I try not to restrict my gaming experience to PCs only... there are lots of great games that come out for consoles that you can't get for the Microsoft "BeigeBox".

For example: My favorite overall game designer is Shigeru Miyamoto (*gasp* not Gabe?). He made Donkey Kong with no prior programming experience and saved Nintendo of America. Mario has since appeared in around 100 titles across a dozen platforms. Mario isn't the only memorable character he has made. Don't forget Bowser, Donkey Kong, Falco Lombardi, Fox McCloud, Ganondorf, Link, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Zelda, Sheik, Yoshi, and the rest of the gang. Everything Miyamoto touches just oozes with style.
He is the reason I own a Game Cube.

I also have an XBox because of Halo/Halo2 (not just those games but they were the selling point), XBox live, I can hook it up with all my friends' XBoxes and play System Link games over a LAN (or over the internet using XBox Gateway or GameSpy Tunnel to trick the XBoxes into thinking they are on a LAN together), and I already have Vice City on the computer (the only game I wanted to play on PS2).

I don't regret either decision... as soon as the scholarships kick in I'll get more games for them so I can get more use out of them.

ive got a gamecube and an xbox as well, but to tell the truth, miyamoto, who used to be my gaming messiah, has kinda disappointed me recently...Luigi's Mansion was average, I didn't like Pikmin, and Mario Sunshine was just good, not great. Wind Waker almost made up for those few letdowns, though. that was an awesome game.

yeah and uh Kotor was AWESOME. best game i've played all year (not true after sept 30, probably:afro: )

 

[bizzy420]

yes hl2 looks like it'll have good gameplay, doom3 has amazing graphics, but halo....i dont care much for. i dunno what it is about halo, but i never thought it was that good. maybe halo2 will be better, but i'd rather play farcry than halo.

 

[Hudson]

max payne must be REALLY constipated then.

 

[el Chi]

More than you could ever imagine...

 

[Guest]

Hello peeps.

I promised a guy i would post some pics demonstrating the supiriority of the Doom3 engine, but then the thread got closed due to you fanbois getting all defensive and talking shit. So i will throw them here.

______________________________________________________

First, a pic showing how normal mapping and specular mapping on ALL objects in the world brings Doom3 to a level of detail a engine like source could never hope to achive.

Now to the fools who still think the Doom3 engine cant do outdoors. Notice in this pic how the rock surfaces dont look like models with flat rock textures applied to them like hl2 does. In Doom3 the rock surface looks like the crevices and such in the rock are actually geometry, even down to the finger width crevices. And all of them react to light in a dynamic way as if they are actual geometry. Compare this to the second pic which shows what terrain looks like in hl2. See how flat and dull it looks in hl2 when compared with Doom3?

Now look at the amazing detail present in the hellknight model in these two pics. Look how smooth and round the details in the model look. Look at how light is reacting to them as if they were actual smooth and round geometry. Way beyond anything the source engine could produce.

Now, in this pic notice again how light reacts to uber detailed models that make up the door unit behind the zombie(who is being tossed around by an invisible demon). See how the normal map of the door make it sppear to be a 1 million poly model, and how the light reacts to the model as if it were the 1 million poly model in-game? Again, the source engine could not accomplish this.

Check out how the light coming form the firebal lthis imp just tossed illuminates the surrounding environment in a realistic way. In a game like hl2 the light given off by a gun, for example, would only lighten the surrounding area. But in Doom3 the illuminating light will cast shadows, and the specualr maps allow for highlights to be present in the right places.

Another pic of a demon. This is the new revenant. Detail like this could only be accomplished with a 500k model at the least. You will only see this kind of detail with the kind of technology present in the Doom3 engine, which is sadly absent from source.

I want to throw this one in just because its cool. A zombie cranks up his chainsaw for some action.

___________________________________________________________


These images show what kind of detail games are able to achive now. And why we should be dissapointed in the flat and dull world the story of hl2 takes place in.

 

[SidewinderX]

KOTOR is amazing.

Halo 2 will be amzing on XBL. Battlefield sized battles with warthogs and banshees, oh my! And the SP? I think Halo was one of the best SP FPS made, right up there with HL and DX.

 

[Apos]

Well, Brassmonkey is here, that's pretty much the end of the thread. Want to lie some more about PMs you got from random people?

 

[Feath]

Oh look, it's Mr Broken Record.

A question, Mr Brass Monkey. Did you watch any of the High Res E3 videos?

Because I think any discussion about what the Source engine is capable of (in terms of faces) would need to include a screenshot of the G-man, instead of that very old model of Eli Vance.

 

[el Chi]

Originally posted by Brassmonkey
These images show what kind of detail games are able to achive now. And why we should be dissapointed in the flat and dull world the story of hl2 takes place in.

You do realise that you're actively ASKING to be flamed, right? HL2 looks splendid. In my opinion, D3 looks very impressive, no doubt about that, but all the characters - without seeming exception - look waxy and rendered. Personally I don't like it but whatever. I'm not much bothered about D3 at all.

 

[Guest]

apos, i dont know what your talking about. You keep mentioning some emails or pms or something, then you ask if im going to bring it up? I don tknow wtf your going on about. And it snot the end of the thread as long as you peeps keep your cool and act civilized so noone has to close this thread. Just imagine a more mature person than yourself, then imagine what he would do.

Feath, yea ive seen them. The geman face looks ok, but not near as detailed and beliveable as is possible in a superior engine such as Doom3. You people seem to be comparing new engines to old ones and flipping out about how much better they are. ofcourse they are better, they damn well better be. And compared to older engines the geman is fecking badass. Bu twe must compare new engines to other engines of their generation. And when we do this with doom3 and source, source pales in comparison.

 

[dis]

I'd have to say that Doom III definitely looks more graphically impressive than Half-Life 2. I mean, how can you beat D3's lighting? Everything casts shadows on everything, dynamically. How ****ing sweet is that!!? Can't wait to play it. But Half-Life 2 definitely looks sweet as well!!! And I bet it will end up being on my hard drive longer because it will have extraordinary mod support so once HL2 becomes dull, I can play the best mods.

To sum it up: They're both going to be awesome. I can't wait to play them.

 

[Ro@cH]

Now now guys, don't feed the trolls. I've seen Brassmonkey's previous...shall we say...contributions...to other threads, but there's no need to start the HL2 vs D3 argument again. We know it'll mean the end of the thread, and I think this thread is still clean enough to have a long and happy life if we just keep the inter-fanboi flamewar down.

So here's some on-topic content: I've never played Max Payne because I couldn't afford it at the time it was released, and have had too many RTS games in my hands to have any time left to catch up with max. Perhaps if I find it in a cheapies bin or something, I'll happily give the money. That is, if it won't interfere with my busy HL2-life

I'm just realising there will be so many great games soon, just too much to even bother going to school. Ah well, computer-science degree, to hell!!

 

[Guest]

(first post on this thread) - Doom 3 looks good to me. HL2 looks good to me. Why fight over whats better? Ill be buying both.

 

[Lifthz]

Truth is, for the most part... Half-Life 2 is flat. And the lighting really is not as good as Doom 3 or Halo 2. Or at least from what i've seen. However, that fact still doesn't stop it from looking amazing. And it looks more realistic than both of them because it's the intended style...

 

[dis]

Originally posted by Lifthz
Truth is, for the most part... Half-Life 2 is flat. Or at least from what i've seen. However, that fact still doesn't stop it from looking amazing.

I agree completely. That's a good way of describing it.

 

[Guest]

Dont missunderstand me, im not saying hl2 wont be a good game. Its even number two on my list of my most anticipated games. Im just discussing the engines of the two games, thats all. No need to get offinsive or call me a fanboi or any shit like that. hl2 may be mor efun than Doom3, who knows. Im sure ill enjoy both myself.

 

[Lifthz]

As far as Xbox, I own one not only because of Halo, but for quite a few reasons both present and upcoming... And I think it's definitely worth the purchase. That's all I have to say about that.

 

[Lifthz]

"Another pic of a demon. This is the new revenant. Detail like this could only be accomplished with a 500k model at the least. You will only see this kind of detail with the kind of technology present in the Doom3 engine, which is sadly absent from source."

It's a process called normal mapping. And Doom 3 is not the only game using it. So is Far Cry.

Also, Halo 2 has details in a similar fashion, but it's not done with the same exact process.

 

[dis]

I think somewhere in the Valve info thread, one of the HL2 developers stated that HL2 is using normal mapping as well.

 

[Lifthz]

Yeah, well. Any of the games could be using it. But it's how much and in what areas that matter. HL-2 definitely doesn't seem to be using normal mapping neaerly as much as the aforementioned games. Especially not on the character models. Half-Life 2 seems to just have more high res textures.

 

[Guest]

It's a process called normal mapping.

ReAlLy!>?

And Doom 3 is not the only game using it. So is Far Cry.

And 5 or 6 others. No other engine does it better than doom3 however.

 

[Lifthz]

Far Cry does it well. I don't know if Doom 3 will do it better generally. However I will say both of them are impressive. I'll compare when I see the games on my own monitor....

However I will say that Crytek engine is the 2nd most underrated engine in development right now...

 

[subs]

yeah doomIII looks good, but i have no idea why they dont use vivid colors and OPEN worlds like halflife2(and several other games) are doing. Yeah i know its supposed to be scary, but the screens are dull looking.

 

[Guest]

Last post on this thread: DAMN SupaKoopa for making this thread its always a flame war

 

[Lifthz]

Originally posted by subs
yeah doomIII looks good, but i have no idea why they dont use vivid colors and OPEN worlds like halflife2(and several other games) are doing. Yeah i know its supposed to be scary, but the screens are dull looking.

Don't entirely judge games by screens. Of course, unless it's absolutely horrid.

 

[Guest]

Well, ive seen plenty of both games on my monitor, in jpeg format.

 

[Lifthz]

Lol. I mean the games, not the screenshots. Doom 3 screenshots are nowhere as impressive as in motion, neither is any other game.

 

[Yatta]

Oh wow another Doom 3 vs. HL2 thread? I've seen enough of these at my home forums... Personally I'm looking forward to Doom 3 but I like HL2 has well.

 

[dis]

I think Doom III is going to make me crap my pants.

Originally posted by Brassmonkey


No other engine does it better than doom3 however.

If you don't mind me asking, how can you be so certain when you haven't played any final versions of these games? Doom III does look sweet, but how can you determine how well the engine does it. Isn't it possible that one of the other engines could be better at normal mapping but that the current game using it isn't be pushed enough in that direction?

 

[Feath]

Originally posted by Brassmonkey
Well, ive seen plenty of both games on my monitor, in jpeg format.

Videos show more. Like the G-man video. What gives him life like qualities is the lip syncing and facial expressions. Not any mapping technique.

Valve have concentrated on other areas than id have. They are different engines, remember that. I haven't seen any Doom3 lip syncing in action...

 

[Guest]

but i have no idea why they dont use vivid colors and OPEN worlds like halflife2(and several other games) are doing

Because Doom3 is focused on realism. Mars bases with pink walls? Marine uniforms in vivid purple and bright blue?

The game revolves around a story which takes place in martian bases, martian terrain, and hell. Therefore, you will have prodominetly grey martian bases(even though color actually varies a great deal), prodominetly orange/red martian terrain/atmosphere, and whatever the bois at iD dream up for hell. The story doesnt leave much room for frolicking through green pastures under a purple sunset.

 

[Yatta]

Originally posted by Feath
Videos show more. Like the G-man video. What gives him life like qualities is the lip syncing and facial expressions. Not any mapping technique.

Lip sinking and facial expressions? In the Alpha's intro map the marines talk and CHANGE expressions. The synching in the alpha is screwed up ESPECIALLY in the intro level, but I'm assuming Id has fixed that by now. And that's a one year old Alpha too. The Doom guy himself has a scared expression (when it shows him for a few seconds before he puts his helmet on) in the first level of the alpha. Too bad I can't post screenshots and pawn some HL2 fanboys, but then again I'm also a fan of HL2... But I love Doom 3. :bounce: