I hope we don't have to babysit Barney

[marshmallow]

Just glancing through some of the older binks...in barricades and others, I hope we don't have to babysit Barney or any of our allies for extended periods of time - i.e. oh no Barney is dead, GAME OVER...restart from last save...

I always HATED escort type levels.

 

[OmegaBlue]

i agree.

 

[KagePrototype]

Escort levels are only rubbish if the AI is bad. As far as I can tell, Barney can take care of himself pretty well.

 

[AntiAnto]

Barney is old now

 

[kiwii]

hope he aint TOO good, kill all enemies and dodge the bullets. ^^

 

[marshmallow]

Hah, sit back and watch Barney clear out the chapter for you.

I wonder if Barney or Alex are any better than the generic resistance fighters, i.e. health, aim, accuracy, maybe even damage. I hope he's a lot smarter too...like not getting close enough to a strider to get impaled like a marshmallow at a campfire!

 

[Homer]

halflife1 did a amazing job of making ai partners usefull and fun. I assume halflife2 wont change much of the way they work.

But, if it is changed, I hope its changed to be like "freedom fighters"(one of the best games I played in a long time).

A real disaster would be if we wound up with dikatana ai allies. *shutters*

 

[el Chi]

halflife1 did a amazing job of making ai partners usefull and fun. I assume halflife2 wont change much of the way they work.

Well, they often had a misplaced air of defiance when it came to bullets:
<Stands perfectly still in direct firing line of gun turret>
"You think you're so sodding hard! Bring it on you three legged metal tw-"
<Falls over dead>
Also they had no problem with accidentally pumping you with bullets, but any slight mistake by you and they go postal

Although I'm positive this time NPCs will be far far better.
That lass in FarCry was quite good - as in you didn't have to babysit her - but then she was also invincible.

 

[Guus345]

the worst thing game developers have made is the babysitting thing its so annoying and the person you have to babysit is always in the way and if they have a gun, they dont know how to use it.

 

[mstrum]

I won't say which character, but you do have to protect someone. Man, the graphics in this game are so awseme (even for a year ago).

 

[B.Calhoun]

Barney is old now

Like hell I am.

I'll hold my own. :cheers:

 

[moondynejoe]

I think people are overestimating the quality or individuality of the Ai in the NPCs. As far as i can tell from looking at the barricade bink the AI works in a similar way to call of duty. The characters will only progress so far ahead of you and they will wait there untill you hit a trigger node at which point it will trigger the next scripted event, or at least trigger the AI to move on under its own intelligence.
I seriously doubt that it would be possible to simply let them get on with it and clear that stage for you, there will be many targets that only you alone can hit (the combine in the scaffold comes to mind) in the same way that only you could bomb the anti aircraft guns in call of duty. if you dawdle they will sit and wait paitiently forever for you to turn up before moving on, i doubt they will plow on ahead without you.

as anohter example: in the part where barney asks you to "cover me" i bet he wont move until you hit a certian node somewhere across the street and even then i bet if you fire in the completely opposite direction to the fire ie. not covering him at all he will still come across the street. i just cant see the AI bieng that good. hopefully i am wrong but really if you think about it they cant let the AI complete the game for you that wouldnt be much fun.

 

[AntiAnto]

I hope we can use Barney for a human shield

 

[Wraith]

I won't say which character, but you do have to protect someone. Man, the graphics in this game are so awseme (even for a year ago).

go the **** away, no one cares if you HAVE played or NOT, no one wants to hear your ****ING BULLSHIT YOU ASSHOLE

 

[Chris D]

go the **** away, no one cares if you HAVE played or NOT, no one wants to hear your ****ING BULLSHIT YOU ASSHOLE

That'll be the last time you ever say something like that to another member again. We just don't want people here that are this hostile.

No matter what the other person may be doing, it's no excuse to act like this. Be a bit more constructive. I guess you could consider this a warning.

 

[B.Calhoun]

That'll be the last time you ever say something like that to another member again. We just don't want people here that are this hostile.

No matter what the other person may be doing, it's no excuse to act like this. Be a bit more constructive. I guess you could consider this a warning.

True but the other guy just admited he played the illegal leak and told us part of the storyline sorta.

 

[MrBongo]

I won't say which character, but you do have to protect someone. Man, the graphics in this game are so awseme (even for a year ago).

I assume you're refering to having played the, and I stress this, illegal stolen copy of Half Life 2 from last year, in which case I suggest you never mention it again before the board mods catch on.

 

[iamaelephant]

Oh for Christs sake stop being so uptight about the stolen build. Chris_D even admitted to playing the leak. No one actually cares, get over it.

 

[InFeRnO]

Oh for Christs sake stop being so uptight about the stolen build. Chris_D even admitted to playing the leak. No one actually cares, get over it.

Grow up kid.

 

[slider3005]

Grow up kid.

heh and i thought he was being the grown up.....

back on topic, I dont think that valve would make a babysitting mission, or at least an annoying one. Gabe even said in some interview last year that he hated babysitting missions....I think it was Gabe.

 

[Sparta]

The AI in Half-Life 2 looks to be, at the least, on par with Far Cry's AI, and the babysitting missions in Far Cry (With Val) weren't that tough anyway and Val could fend for herself, so i wouldn't worry about it

 

[Chris D]

True but the other guy just admited he played the illegal leak and told us part of the storyline sorta.

There's nothing I can do about someone playing illegal or pirated software. We all know by now that it's nothing special, and considering Valve leaked the script, spoilers from the stolen build aren't exactly a worry anymore.

However, us trying to keep this place a friendly community is, otherwise it just ends up like the others.

Which brings me to my next point - imaelephant and InFeRnO if you have an issue with each other, take it to PMs please.

 

[Cole]

ohh but i wanted to feed barney, sing a goodnight song to him. i would treat him just like a son.

 

[Professor]

The fanboys on this forum are second to none! lol

It's just a game... maybe try and get outside a bit more guys.

 

[john41]

I hope he buys us the beer he's been promising us forever.

 

[Logic]

Oh grow up, Minerel

I think we've only seen Alyx with a pistol (while Barney at least had a semi-automatic), so I'd be more worried about having to babysit her. I've always detested babysitting missions, but only because the characters have been so incapable themselves. I would hope with Valve's level of expertise, that when you're fighting along side Barney or Alyx, it's more along the lines of them offering you the help you need to get through a difficult wave of enemies. More cooperative, rather than "protect the helpless cannon fodder".

 

[iamaelephant]

That's what they say, but I personally don't believe it will be anywhere near that intelligent.

 

[moondynejoe]

I know what your saying shadow but what i'm saying is that the level of AI you describe is unlikely to be possible.
really the word AI shouldnt be used as they are not really intelligent at all they can only work on the limited input output model valve incorperate, really its just a complicated ,if and then statement.
eg. if the enemy is shooting and player a is at node b then NPC1 moves across
but if enemy is shooting and player A is not at node b then NPC1 does not move.
I am sure you all can see the various other permutations to this technique.
I know the claims valve has made for the AI and i will believe it when i see it, these types of claims have been made before and NEVER lived up to.

By the way i am not bagging the game at all i am as eager for this as anyone and believe it will have the best AI of any game around, i just believe people overestimate the possibilities of AI ruitines on todays computers. True AI scripting would take more computing power than current pc's have,just like true physics models.

 

[raoulduke]

I read in a computer games magazine called PC Gameplay (it's in Holland and Belgium only), where several people got to playtest at VALVe that there is a scene in which you have to escort some guy through a zombie infested area. He wrote something along the lines that you have to move quite rapidly and shoot at everything yourself because the AI itself does so too: you don't get a chance to tactily progress as the one you're protecting rushes forward into the zombies so you have a tough job of keeping them at bay.

It didn't really impress me the way it was written, seemed like the AI just rushes forward and you get to clean up the path in front of him But I think the real game will be a bit more subtle since VALVe have spent so much time on AI. They even hired that guy from PODbot didn't they?

 

[CatBOne]

I read in a computer games magazine called PC Gameplay (it's in Holland and Belgium only), where several people got to playtest at VALVe that there is a scene in which you have to escort some guy through a zombie infested area. He wrote something along the lines that you have to move quite rapidly and shoot at everything yourself because the AI itself does so too: you don't get a chance to tactily progress as the one you're protecting rushes forward into the zombies so you have a tough job of keeping them at bay.

It didn't really impress me the way it was written, seemed like the AI just rushes forward and you get to clean up the path in front of him But I think the real game will be a bit more subtle since VALVe have spent so much time on AI. They even hired that guy from PODbot didn't they?

Isn't that the bit with father gregory?

 

[darkmistx]

There's nothing I can do about someone playing illegal or pirated software. We all know by now that it's nothing special, and considering Valve leaked the script, spoilers from the stolen build aren't exactly a worry anymore.

However, us trying to keep this place a friendly community is, otherwise it just ends up like the others.

...but if someone posts spoilers then they should be warned, and then banned if it carries on. If it's a major spoiler they should be banned immediately.

I have not played the beta or read the script so stuff like this is a big spoiler.

 

[Sparta]

I read in a computer games magazine called PC Gameplay (it's in Holland and Belgium only), where several people got to playtest at VALVe that there is a scene in which you have to escort some guy through a zombie infested area. He wrote something along the lines that you have to move quite rapidly and shoot at everything yourself because the AI itself does so too: you don't get a chance to tactily progress as the one you're protecting rushes forward into the zombies so you have a tough job of keeping them at bay.

It didn't really impress me the way it was written, seemed like the AI just rushes forward and you get to clean up the path in front of him But I think the real game will be a bit more subtle since VALVe have spent so much time on AI. They even hired that guy from PODbot didn't they?

Actually in that scene, the guy is guiding YOU through a cemetary and protecting YOU. At least that's how i interpreted that same article (It was posted on here a while back)

 

[Icarus]

Minerel, that wasn't needed...and quite vulgar...Cool off a bit, see you in 24 hours.

*Banned*

 

[NeptuneUK]

omg, you know all the fun with npc's on half life... as in killing them when they are no longer needed, or when they cant continue or from boredom... we can have more fun now with the manipulator.... oh, so many exotic deaths to be done...
can they climb ladders and crawl??

 

[AJ Rimmer]

omg, you know all the fun with npc's on half life... as in killing them when they are no longer needed, or when they cant continue or from boredom... we can have more fun now with the manipulator.... oh, so many exotic deaths to be done...
can they climb ladders and crawl??

God I hope so. In Half-life, they had animation of an npc performing a duck-jump onto a ledge, and they didn't bother putting it into the game. If the npc in HL2 stop whenever there is a ladder or a ledge or a hole that needs crawling under I am going to cry.

 

[Yellonet]

Oh grow up, Minerel

I think we've only seen Alyx with a pistol (while Barney at least had a semi-automatic), so I'd be more worried about having to babysit her. I've always detested babysitting missions, but only because the characters have been so incapable themselves. I would hope with Valve's level of expertise, that when you're fighting along side Barney or Alyx, it's more along the lines of them offering you the help you need to get through a difficult wave of enemies. More cooperative, rather than "protect the helpless cannon fodder".

Mm... yes.. in HL, the Glock was far better than the MP5, somehow the gun was more accurate and inflicted higher damage... it should have been the other way round. Hope they get it right in HL2.

And, I don't think that we'll have to worry too much about our npc friends :E

 

[Annihilator_91]

Agreed Marshmallow! NO ESCORT LEVELS!!!!!

 

[el Chi]

The AI in Half-Life 2 looks to be, at the least, on par with Far Cry's AI, and the babysitting missions in Far Cry (With Val) weren't that tough anyway and Val could fend for herself, so i wouldn't worry about it

Yeah but Val was actually invincible, so taking care of herself (even though she could) wasn't too much of an issue.

Yellonet - the reason the Glock was more accurate is because it wasn't vomiting out bullets the way the MP5 did. It was more powerful (in terms of single shots) so as to balance the weapons out a bit. Sorry to be pedantic...

 

[MrBongo]

The "Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault" demo had some very good A.I. in it that actually adapted to your playing style (like Half Life 2 claims it will). If you were overly aggressive, you would eventually die, but your allies would know to advance quickly so as to keep pace with you (their commander). Advance too slowly, or try to be too defensive, and the enemy AI (equiped with the same AI powering your teamates) would actually flank you and kill you. It was....awesome.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I hope he buys us the beer he's been promising us forever.

It's.... not.... that.... Barney........ Eggghh! +EXPLODES+

Barney Calhoun (From Blueshift and HL2) never got to speak to Gordon during the game, he only saw him on the tram in the start and getting dragged away by soldiers.

Any security guard who offered beer had the same model, but was not the Barney Calhoun TM. :x