Half-Life 2 Video Commentary + Episodes

G

GooseGoose

Guest
Hullo, my name is Mark, though most people refer to me as "Hey you" or "How did you get in my house?" Some of you may have seen my Half-Life 2: Episode 1 Critique which I posted on Google Video way, way back in June 2006. This was nothing more than a side project for me, but to my immense surprise, fans of the game seemed to enjoy it quite a lot.

This in part is what prompted me to undertake the task of producing a similar video commentary of the original Half-Life 2. Half-Life 2 is an enormously long game so you can imagine that this project was a little daunting. On top of that, Half-Life 2 has been out for a very long time now, and people will already be very familiar with the game, so it was hard for me to find aspects of the game to discuss which may be new to current/former players.

Nonetheless, I did manage to complete this project... five months later than I intended to finish it. Unlike the Episode 1 Critique, the Half-Life 2 Commentary follows the same chronological progression of the game, and I divided it up into sections roughly comparable to the game's own chapters.

If you have a freakishly enormous attention span like I do, or are simply a glutton for punishment, you can watch the commentary in its entirety on Google Video at:


Warning, it is 1 hour, 54 minutes long. Oh yes, you read that correctly.

However, those of you with a go-go modern lifestyle can watch the individual chapters on Youtube:


I do hope you enjoy watching. Go easy on the coffee... I didn't and look what happened.

~Mark
 
So, when can we expect one of your gorgeous commentaries for Episode 2, or even the original Half-life?
 
I can't believe I watched a 2 hour documentary on Half Life 2. I also can't believe how much I liked it. From now on, whenever someone talks to Gordon, I'll be sure to nod or shake my head.
 
Mark, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart...I saw your review earlier this week and was laughing so hard during most of it! I'd say the Barneys playing football was one of my favorite parts!
 
Fantastic stuff.
I already made a a thread about this a few days earlier, but it's nice to see the actual guy sign up here. Looking forward to Episode Two! Hopefully not as long a delay as before?
 
I thought how it was pretty funn you did Ep1 first, then at the end of the HL2 review you said you hoped not to have to wait a year and a half for the next installment! :)
 
I can so imagine Mark being pissed about not having the sniper rifle in episode two, I mean it has a blue laser BLUE
 
Mark, one question, How'd you get the bird shot for the shotgun? WANT! NEED! MUST HAVE!
 
If I recall it had to do with editing a command in the console...
 
Excellent commentary. Well done. I hope seeing Ep1 and 2 done too some time in the future.
 
Van_Halen said:
Mark, one question, How'd you get the bird shot for the shotgun? WANT! NEED! MUST HAVE!
Click to expand...
Sorry it took me so long to get back. In between watching Cowboy Bebop and sleeping, I scarcely have time to brush my teeth or reply to threads.

Here was my reply to someone with the exact same question:

It's all true. In the game, you need to have your Developer Console enabled so you can either input the necessary commands or bind them to a key as I do.

The two commands that change the nature of the shotgun shells are as follows:

sk_plr_num_shotgun_pellets 75

sk_plr_dmg_buckshot 0.5

The first line gives each shotgun round 75 pellets, instead of the default 7. The second line sets the damage caused by each pellet to 0.5, which is about one-twentieth the damage caused by the 9mm pistol round. This seems to me just about right for a shotgun shell full of bird shot. You can set the variables to any numbers you wish... however, if you set the number of pellets above 100-200 you are apt to experience lag whenever you fire. The benefits of a large number of smaller projectiles are more blood and greater spread.

Every time a new map loads, you have to change these settings over from scratch, so what I do is bind them to the W key, so that every time I move I reset my personal settings. Here is how I have my W key bound:

bind "w" "+forward;sk_plr_dmg_smg1 11;sk_plr_dmg_pistol 11;sk_plr_dmg_ar2 15;sk_plr_dmg_buckshot 0.5;sk_max_ar2 120;sk_max_357 120;sk_plr_dmg_357 40;sk_plr_num_shotgun_pellets 75"

This does a number of things... it allows me to carry 120 .357 magnum rounds (which I think Freeman would have little trouble doing), it makes the submachine gun, pistol and pulse rifle all just a little more powerful, and allows me to carry 120 pulse rifle rounds. I get the best results from these setting by playing on the "difficult" setting. I do all this primarily because I think it is more realistic.

You can use these settings for Half-Life 2, Episode 1 and Episode 2.​

Yeah, it's cheating but I do it anyway.

To everyone: a commentary of Episode 2 is forthcoming, hopefully within the next three to four weeks. Thank you all for your compliments and interest.
 
Sweet,
looking forward to the Ep 2 commentary greatly. I have to say i really enjoyed ur other commentary, its so refreshing to hear someone intelligent talking about thier experience with a video game which in certain circumstances i also consider to be an artform (excluding titles such as barbies dream house).
Also i had to laugh everytime you did, your accent is just too funny :p
 
I just watched both commentaries on Episode 1 and HL2 and i must say Mark... you did a fantastic job. I look forward to checking out your commentary on Episode 2 as well as my future endeavors with the bird shot mod.

cheers!
 
Very interesting and enjoyable commentary :) Some parts like Gman being killed by Antlions, nickname for Elite Combine soldiers (Snowmen), aquarium thing and the burning Gman at the end made me laugh very hard. Great job!

That Barney football part was amazing. How did you do that? Did you simply spawned some Barney npc's and they just started to attack the rollermine?

Oh and could you give me a link to your EP1 commentary??
 
These are so awesome and hilarious. I was grounded because I stayed up so late watching them. SO GOOD!
 
I've just watched the first two parts and i must say, i'm looking forward to watching the rest. Very well made.
 
Bodyrox said:
That Barney football part was amazing. How did you do that? Did you simply spawned some Barney npc's and they just started to attack the rollermine?
Click to expand...
Correct. I simply spawned five Barneys with cattle prods and they automatically attack the rollermine as soon as they see it. They will only do this with Dog's "ball," not with any other rollermine. If you spawn a citizen with a shotgun for instance, they will also start shooting at the rollermine. The best part is that the attacking npcs cannot destroy the ball, so they keep attacking it indefinitely.

Bodyrox said:
Oh and could you give me a link to your EP1 commentary??
Click to expand...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7791992304107970746&hl=en

I hope you enjoy.
 
I do love that shot of you hitting a combine soldier with your buggy, sending him crashing through a window.
 
When playing through the developer commentary for Episode Two, I thought about you and your last commentary. Glad that you'll be there to give us your opinion of events in that game too, but a pleasure to watch this one for the completely commentary-less Half-Life 2.

It's a shame you don't have Raising the Bar, you would really enjoy it (and it would answer some of your mysteries in the video, such as the head in the jar and the synths...). One thing in the video made me think of RtB: when you point out how massive the warehouse in Anticitizen One is, I couldn't help but be reminded of the 'vast sternographer's chasm' (upper left, page 170), a concept for a giant warehouse in which hundreds of hunched over citizens worked on something or rather. Not necessarily anything to do with the large warehouse space, but reminiscent of it anyway.

Must be the season for Quirky Expats critiquing Valve products
 
I saw this with my dad (!) He does not play video games but he liked to listend to you and I think he well look at my intrest in a different way know :) Thanks
 
Great commentaries man, keep up the good work, I really enjoy them. :cheers:
 
Spaz said:
I saw this with my dad (!) He does not play video games but he liked to listend to you and I think he well look at my intrest in a different way know :) Thanks
Click to expand...

:O How did you get him to do that! lol
 
panz said:
From now on, whenever someone talks to Gordon, I'll be sure to nod or shake my head.
Click to expand...

That really cracked me up! I'm the guy who runs around shooting stuff into the air with the gravity gun while characters are tring to have a serious conversation with me. If it were reality, they'd think Gordon Freeman was a sociopathic retard.

Greatly enjoyed it, GooseGoose.
 
Great job Mark. I'm really looking forward to your EP2 commentary. Keep up the good work :)
 
Was looking forward for something like this.This is a guy after my own heart.Like him,I am also the kind of person who loves to explore things ingame and dig whatever info I can about the story and background.Really looking forward for more videos.Please keep them coming.

-FG
 
Planetary said:
The Episode Two commentary has already started!

http://www.youtube.com/user/GammyGoose

So far, so good :)
Click to expand...

mark just had to bring up the cube I finally got over it and he brings up the late weighed companion cube. Also he proved me wrong and didn't overreact over not getting to use the sniper rifle and finally I do officially unofficially (it's not officially official till valve's approval) declare the coolest, friendliest, most Bad#$%, and best vortiguant's name shall be Cecil. I doth declare all those who have previously posted here and those who see and/or post on this thread as witnesses that I Blackout62 of the 62nd clan (not a real clan but if anyone wants to start it with me;);)) on October 26, 2007 at the hour of 10:25 PM pacific that this vortiguant is Cecil
 
I wathced the EP1 comentary a month ago and REALY liked it,funny and cool!
Im gonna watch this entire vid now,and i cant wait for EP2 critique,Good job Marc!!
 
"Eh? Obviously I have to press the use key more frequently or harder."

Or something like that. I know the feeling.
 
Just watched the episode 2 commentary, very well done Goose and look forward to your next one when ep3 comes out. :)
 
Lolto said:
Just watched the episode 2 commentary, very well done Goose and look forward to your next one when ep3 comes out. :)
Click to expand...

Were all gonna wait very long before the next one,sadly :bounce:
 
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