Half Life, Blue Shift, and Opposing Force

[Sulkdodds]

Well the characters wouldn't know him, but you, the player would. It'd add a certain moral ambiguity and subplot where nobody trusts him because he was a marine in BMRF.

 

[RezDude]

Adrian had alot of depth!

 

[little.rebel]

hmmm, that is an interesting suggestion, but im afraid im still sceptical that would work. If he came back people would still not know him, or know that he was once a 'marine'.
I think he would find himselvfe on the devastated earth, like Gordon did, be shocked by his experiences, and then as a 'lone wolf' get on with surviving, battling in the new age mess.
Finally meeting up with the resistance, they doont know him , but then agin none-of them know each other very well, he could just join them and fight in the rebellion. That would be a satifying story i think.

 

[jerkasaur]

there is no way you could say there has been 30 years passed since HL, although what i read in planethalflife.com , said approx. 10 years,
oh and undeadscottsman had a good point about not seeing the "weird" stuff on the walls, cool, i never thought of that.
but is it just me or do yu also think that aliens in Op4 were too creepy, i mean the one with the big zappy thing, u know, the one that takes 2 RPGs to take down, was too mean... even at easy difficulty!

EDIT: i think it'll be cooler if you see adrian shepherd while playing as gordon, while he's pulling some stunt or something, or being a security guard in HL3 or something, that'll be cooler, being told by someone that: ...the name's shepherd... no one really knows who he is, they say the guy was in the first cascade too, but he's never talked to anyone since...

 

[kupocake]

Not as a gung-ho kick-as-and-chew-gum type, more the quiet, haunted, nam veteran, kyle-reese-from-terminator, hicks-from-aliens type.

Michael Biehn Fan? I like the idea of this kind of character (in fact, from Beta images there was a resistance soldier who may well have been some), but the idea of having Shepherd return as a speaking character really doesn't appeal to me in the least.

 

[Absinthe]

Same here. Adrian speaking for teh lose.

 

[Reginald]

Gordon did have a life before the resonance cacade

You lie. I R teh Gordon!

Also: He must be supremely popular because he gets offered beers without ever offering them back...

 

[el Chi]

The way the ending to Opposing Force was done really made me think that Adrian Shepherd would return at some point. If he wasn't going to, I don't know why they'd have done the ending they did, apart from to avoid making the player feel pointless and killing him after all he's gone through.

It always seemed to me that they just weren't sure how to end it.
The end of BS, even though it basically leads into HL2, made me want to stub out cigarettes in my eyes and the eyes of gearbox for doing that.

 

[Adrik_Senturu]

Yeah the end of Opposing force was pretty much "well..um..we cant give you a job..so..you can just sit there..for the rest of your life..kthxbye"

 

[Absinthe]

Yeah the end of Opposing force was pretty much "well..um..we cant give you a job..so..you can just sit there..for the rest of your life..kthxbye"

Yeah, I initially thought that while Gordon was a planned and accounted figure in G-Man's game, Shephard was more of "Oh, fancy that" kind of thing. Something that the G-Man found an interest in during the events of Black Mesa. Of course, as he didn't factor into the plan, he wasn't offered a "job". He was kept alive because they figured he had pretty much earned it.
But then that theory sort of goes out the window when you take into account how Adrian was mysteriously bumped to the advanced training list and you can even see G-Man observing you in the training course. :| I don't know if Gearbox had some sort of plan for him that never materialized. I just hope that he's given some sort of purpose in the HL2 universe. That the Gabemeister himself has an interest in him bodes well for this.

As for BS... I just played through the entire game today and I was stunned by the subpar quality of it all. And the ending... blagh.

 

[Bob_Marley]

I enjoyed Op4 and BS. And also I would like to see Shepard return, however, The problem I have is that it would be hard for them to bring him back as a speaking NPC because you would never have a voice or way of acting that suited everybody who has played Op4. Also, how would Shepard be introduced into the story? No one knows that he survived the BMI exept the G-man, the USMC no longer exists so all his buddies from there are almost cirtainly dead or unavailible, how would you react if suddenly you saw a man dressed in the uniform of a military unit that had been sent to kill you, your collegues and everyone else who might happen to be in the facility where you work? Exactly.

If Shepard were to enter the story who would help him? Who would back him up? Noone, Thats who. Noone knows he even exists (exept Barney, who knows that there was once a marine called Shepard and that his squad "didnt make it" so he would have assumed that he was dead). To be honest, I really want him to come back so we can see him die. So that way, when HL10 roles around we wont have people wondering "will the plot of this one somehow involve Shepard?"

Of course we all know that the character who really needs to make his return to the HL universe is Otis. You know I'm right.

 

[little.rebel]

Yeah the end of Opposing force was pretty much "well..um..we cant give you a job..so..you can just sit there..for the rest of your life..kthxbye"

Thats not true, the g-man kept u for a reason, u are useful, and in a way i suppose Shephard is like a back-up agent. I am sure he will have another special purpose.

And please stop it, nobody in c17 or anywhere else even knows or has to know who he is or where he came from. In HL2 beginning in C17 did the people know Gordon?

Adrian Shephard would likewise comeback in such a fashion, in 'citizen' clothing, and would find himself trying to firstly survive and make sense of the future world.
As i said before citizens dont even know each other they have been sent on trains, from one city to the next all over everywhere. They wouldnt know him, and wouldnt if he was playable and as before said nothing.

Also, when Gordon was sent back he must have been clothed in somesort of citizen clothing, because u know he was not in his hazard suit until he put it on.
The G-man could likewise have taken Shephards uniform and PCV, and sent him back in a wedding dress for all we know....

EDIT: oh and i do believe that he would have to be in a playable expansion, it simply makes no sense to put him in as a NPC , i know barney Calhoun was like that but This marine is like Gordon. To make him an NPC is too trivial, he has to fulfill much more than that.

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

Walter is not Kleiner, Kleiner may have been based off the same since his name is Isaac.

 

[Absinthe]

The name "Walter" was born out of loving reference to Fragmaster's now-deceseas PHL column, unless there's something I don't know about.

Nobody really knew what that specific sceintist's canological name was until HL2 rolled around.

 

[Teh_Poet]

Am I the only one reading through these, but in my head, keeps on reading BullShit?

No you are not. I am experiencing the same dillemna.

 

[ríomhaire]

Thats not true, the g-man kept u for a reason, u are useful, and in a way i suppose Shephard is like a back-up agent. I am sure he will have another special purpose.

"I admit that I have a fascination with those who adapt and survive against all odds: they rather remind me of myself. If for no other reason, I have argued to preserve you, for a time."

And please stop it, nobody in c17 or anywhere else even knows or has to know who he is or where he came from. In HL2 beginning in C17 did the people know Gordon?

Gordon had become The Freeman, he was the embodiment of their hope. If you saw Jesus walking down the street you wouldn't realise it. You would just think he was a Paki and so people just thought of Gordon as a 4 eyes. While all the citizens would know of Adrian is what Barney might have said in a off-hand coment while he was telling of how he escaped BM.
"I AM THE FREEMAN!"
"OMG, IT'S DR. FREEMAN!"
"I AM THE SHEPARD!"
"Who? That guy Barney said was dead?"

oh and i do believe that he would have to be in a playable expansion, it simply makes no sense to put him in as a NPC , i know barney Calhoun was like that but This marine is like Gordon. To make him an NPC is too trivial, he has to fulfill much more than that.

Plus, he doesn't have a face or voice, all we know about him is what is arms look like.

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

The name "Walter" was born out of loving reference to Fragmaster's now-deceseas PHL column, unless there's something I don't know about.

Nobody really knew what that specific sceintist's canological name was until HL2 rolled around.

I thought it was the other way around. Walter from fan fiction came bore out of the character of the same name in OpFor.

 

[kupocake]

I thought it was the other way around. Walter from fan fiction came bore out of the character of the same name in OpFor.

"ah yes! Walter!" - said by the Barnacle Sci in Opposing Force

And yeah, Walter isn't Kliener. Kliener's name: "Dr Issac Kliener". No Walter to be seen.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I guess the problem with Shepherd is he really isn't much of a character. Gordon is interesting - a nerdy, weedy everyman who accidentally became a hero. Shepherd is...wait for it....a soldier. With a gasmask.

So I think any future appearance by Shepherd would have to change his character somewhat...as a playable character it's not really an issue. As an NPC, which you never know, might happen - something could be made out of him being used to the order and structure of the military, but now cast adrift and alone in a world he doesn't remotely understand. I think if Valve actually went and made him an NPC they'd do it well, and it would be good.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

I thought it was the other way around. Walter from fan fiction came bore out of the character of the same name in OpFor.

Nope, Walter Bennet was gracing the pages of Planet Half-Life with his column long before Opposing Force came out.

Also, Decay's manual lists a "W. Bennet" on the Hazard Course schedule, so there's not really much doubt that the Walter from Op4 and Blue Shift is a reference to Fragmasters character.

 

[RezDude]

It's been awhile since I played Opposing Force...but what exactly did Shepard accomplish? He didn't end up capturing Gordon, Black Mesa was still blown up, and despite the fact he kicked alot of alien butt, in the end it didn't make much diffrence (earth was not saved).


...I just don't get whats so interesting about him...

 

[Adrik_Senturu]

It's been awhile since I played Opposing Force...but what exactly did Shepard accomplish? He didn't end up capturing Gordon, Black Mesa was still blown up, and despite the fact he kicked alot of alien butt, in the end it didn't make much diffrence (earth was not saved).


...I just don't get whats so interesting about him...

I think its the fact, the ending is kind of a cliffhanger. At the end of HL, you know exactly what happens to Gordon. He gets hired for a job, what? You dont know but thats what sequels are for! At the end of Opposing Force he just gets detained so you pretty much dont know whats going to happen from there. Also the game is really great too..I think sometimes its not the character people love so much its the game there talking about and they just want too see another Opposing Force >_> <_<

 

[little.rebel]

no no no, i do not agree.

Making him an NPC is too Trivial, and a waste of time frankly, he can fulfill much more than that.
and ofcourse will be immeasurably better as a chaaacter that we play again, it is wat he originally was and is better for anyway.

If he needs an expanded character modelling and we see him, thats fine its more stuff to go into, to show us and to explore. Personally like i said before he would make a great Rambo character. And yes could be given in a makeover USMC tatoo;s , crew-cut. Sent in by g-man, gets his hands on some combine guns and blows a combine fortess or something to kingdom come.

And he diddnt fail his objectives, his main objective was to survive black mesa. He was actually told ingame , forget about freeman. And then u played him as he was trying to escape. His objective to kill freeman is not something g-man wants him to do now. And if he was sent back into HL2 he would realise that freeman is his friend not his foe.

And black mesa was blown up, yep. good job it was.
Shephard didnt stop earth loosing but he proved exactly that, an alien asskicker, and took out that big alien which maybe helped defend earth from some of the worst of it.

 

[ríomhaire]

It's been awhile since I played Opposing Force...but what exactly did Shepard accomplish? He didn't end up capturing Gordon, Black Mesa was still blown up, and despite the fact he kicked alot of alien butt, in the end it didn't make much diffrence (earth was not saved).


...I just don't get whats so interesting about him...

He stopped the gene-worm.

 

[Bob_Marley]

He stopped the gene-worm.

There by preventing a major race X invasion of earth.

 

[RezDude]

There by preventing a major race X invasion of earth.

...or what ends up being left of earth.

 

[Absinthe]

Black Mesa was still blown up, and despite the fact he kicked alot of alien butt, in the end it didn't make much diffrence (earth was not saved).

How is Gordon all that different?

 

[Mikey10]

I recently completed HL, HL OP and BS, I have to say even though they were good, they were not as good as I was expecting.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

There by preventing a major race X invasion of earth.

Well no, the nuke would probably have taken care of things without Shephard.

 

[Absinthe]

I recently completed HL, HL OP and BS, I have to say even though they were good, they were not as good as I was expecting.

Welcome to games that are about 7/8 years old.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

Well no, the nuke would probably have taken care of things without Shephard.

Probably; but it's also possible the Geneworm could have handled a nuclear explosion; it IS an alien lifeform after all.

 

[Mikey10]

Welcome to games that are about 7/8 years old.

They were better than HL2 in many ways. I guess it's just the series being so overrated.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

no no no, i do not agree.

Making him an NPC is too Trivial, and a waste of time frankly, he can fulfill much more than that.
and ofcourse will be immeasurably better as a chaaacter that we play again, it is wat he originally was and is better for anyway.

If he needs an expanded character modelling and we see him, thats fine its more stuff to go into, to show us and to explore. Personally like i said before he would make a great Rambo character. And yes could be given in a makeover USMC tatoo;s , crew-cut. Sent in by g-man, gets his hands on some combine guns and blows a combine fortess or something to kingdom come.

i agree with some of what u said there.
some character modelling and developing can fix some of the things Sulkdodds and others mentioned...god knows Valve are talented bunch who know how to pull it off...besides after reading Gabe's comments about Adrian being popular and having his own following, its hard to believe Valve would not cash-in on that and make a good expansion or part of one of the main games.

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

I guess the problem with Shepherd is he really isn't much of a character. Gordon is interesting - a nerdy, weedy everyman who accidentally became a hero. Shepherd is...wait for it....a soldier. With a gasmask.

So I think any future appearance by Shepherd would have to change his character somewhat...as a playable character it's not really an issue. As an NPC, which you never know, might happen - something could be made out of him being used to the order and structure of the military, but now cast adrift and alone in a world he doesn't remotely understand. I think if Valve actually went and made him an NPC they'd do it well, and it would be good.

Well at the time I thought the other way around really. Shepard actually kept a diary scribbled in his field manual, which let you in to his lifestyle. Whereas everything we learned about Gordon was from someone else's POV and in truly boring letters.