improvements since 2003

[PvtRyan]

Let's put it like this: the only thing I'm still missing is animation blending, so a soldier properly responding to gunfire in a specific place of his body (shoulder kicking back when he's hit in the shoulder).

Havok does seem to feature it:

Classic ragdoll effects blended from key-framed animation sequences for more realistic secondary motion (for example, in death scenes) for your characters.

http://www.havok.com/products/Zombie.avi

 

[Aphal]

Let's put it like this: the only thing I'm still missing is animation blending, so a soldier properly responding to gunfire in a specific place of his body (shoulder kicking back when he's hit in the shoulder).

Havok does seem to feature it:

http://www.havok.com/products/Zombie.avi

That does look impressive.. I wonder why valve hasn't included it :/

 

[Scapegoat]

I miss the buggy's hood too. Look at how cool it used to look with that hood. It was like a really old POS Ferarri with an extremely modified chasis and crappy wheels.

You also sat way lower in the seat in the old build of the game. I miss that. It used to have a race car feeling. Now it has a junkyard hodgepodge feeling.

Same here on the buggy's hood. It just doesn't feel as "cool".

About the prespective of when your in the buggy I can see the difference, and I think the older build (from E3 2003) is much better. It had a much better "feel", but overall it was the correct prespective for Gordon sitting in the buggy. I just went back to this E3's video and if you actually look, when the player gets back into the buggy after saving it from the cliff, you see it side on, and your eyeline is just below the top bar on the frame, and when he gets in his eyeline actually rises a tiny bit. This would mean (when you look at the buggy in relation to your prespective) that Gordon must be sitting on the seat on his knees.

 

[Apos]

Maybe he just adjusted the seat.

 

[clarky003]

cool or not I guess we have to remember valve probably felt encouraged ,since it was leaked, to tweak certain aspects so the resemblance became much less noticeable,
and defines the 'fresh new look' appeal.

and wow that incindiary rifle is weird, kool though,

also the wood walls inside the room with the zombies gets a hole blasted through it, which is a kool new feature.. does this mean certain fragile surfaces? like thin concrete can be broken?

 

[groovy]

mp7 holds 70 bullets, fires faster and has a nade launcher. i much prefer the slower firing old one with 30 bullets, feels more realistic IMO

 

[Moto]

cool or not I guess we have to remember valve probably felt encouraged ,since it was leaked, to tweak certain aspects so the resemblance became much less noticeable,
and defines the 'fresh new look' appeal.

and wow that incindiary rifle is weird, kool though,

also the wood walls inside the room with the zombies gets a hole blasted through it, which is a kool new feature.. does this mean certain fragile surfaces? like thin concrete can be broken?

As for the Incindiary rifle, I think that is a secondary function of it (vaporization.) That hole you see in the wall is actually a spot of paint from the paint can he shoots.

 

[PoiSoNSpiDeR]

i beleive that was paint on the walls not holes?

 

[Scapegoat]

also the wood walls inside the room with the zombies gets a hole blasted through it, which is a kool new feature.. does this mean certain fragile surfaces? like thin concrete can be broken?

When does this happen?
You could be mistaking a hole in the wall with white paint being splattered on it inside the old building?

 

[Axyon]

mp7 holds 70 bullets, fires faster and has a nade launcher. i much prefer the slower firing old one with 30 bullets, feels more realistic IMO

70? The most recent footage shows it holding 45 bullets per magazine.

 

[The Mullinator]

I havn't seen the new vids (dial-up) so I have a question: Is the crowbar shown in the new vids, and if it is then how much better is it compared to the place holder one they had for last years vids?

 

[Axyon]

I havn't seen the new vids (dial-up) so I have a question: Is the crowbar shown in the new vids, and if it is then how much better is it compared to the place holder one they had for last years vids?

Well, he swipes correctly now, and it's physically simulated too (can't remember if it was or not last year) As far as I can tell though, it's the same model as before.

 

[The Mullinator]

Well, he swipes correctly now, and it's physically simulated too (can't remember if it was or not last year) As far as I can tell though, it's the same model as before.

Thanks, its good to hear that.

 

[clarky003]

oh and someone said earlier that the rocket comes out of Gordon's chest..? look more carefully, it comes out of the barrel, and drops via gravity, then kicks off and starts flying, but if the frame rate is low whilst your watching the vid for some reason you could mistake it for that, but no .. it looks great to me

You could be mistaking a hole in the wall with white paint being splattered on it inside the old building?

oh thats paint on the wall???! jeesh they really need to release the bink vids now, .. I honestly thought it was a hole. :angel:

 

[Mac]

a minor gripe i have, i think I'll just put it in here. not an improvement, but something that could be improved. It seems like sometimes when gordon uses the manipulator to 'throw' objects at the combine, the combine die too easily. For example, once gordon picks up small sized wooden table and it doesnt even get thrown that hard at the combine and he dies instantly.

Now what would be cool is if it just knocked him down, and he could get back up, if it's is a soft enough blow.

 

[brokenjago]

Am I the only one who thinks there could be different varieties of buggies?

Eh? Eh?

 

[Scapegoat]

Am I the only one who thinks there could be different varieties of buggies?

Eh? Eh?

Never thought of that! Cause they'd undoubtobly be different buggy sequences, the buggy would magically transfer from place to place I geuss.....

 

[brokenjago]

Never thought of that! Cause they'd undoubtobly be different buggy sequences, the buggy would magically transfer from place to place I geuss.....

hahahahah, exactly.... but can anyone tell me why there should only be one buggy?

 

[shyy]

Something else to note: last time I asked about the "cables," it wasn't clear if they could "break" and then fall and react realistically. Well, guess what: we see EXACTLY that in the video when the combine blow up the rock formation to block your path! Those cables look awesome ripping out and collapsing like that.

What video was this?

 

[Neutrino]

What video was this?

The full E3 2004 video. It's on fileplanet.

 

[shyy]

i felt there was still scripted parts, like when the part where he shoots off a rocket and the dude on the tower flies 1000 feet away.
Gordon didn;t even aim he just tooked out the rocket and shoot and it aimed perfectly even swivieling at its target

 

[KagePrototype]

um, of course he aimed it...he swivveled it around the guard, and then aimed directly on him so it hit him from behind...

 

[Aphal]

i felt there was still scripted parts, like when the part where he shoots off a rocket and the dude on the tower flies 1000 feet away.
Gordon didn;t even aim he just tooked out the rocket and shoot and it aimed perfectly even swivieling at its target

You know the rocket has been laser guided since HL1 right?

 

[Panthers_Domain]

Laser_guided_rocket.

It spins because it's stabilizing.

 

[Apos]

oh and someone said earlier that the rocket comes out of Gordon's chest..? look more carefully, it comes out of the barrel, and drops via gravity, then kicks off and starts flying, but if the frame rate is low whilst your watching the vid for some reason you could mistake it for that, but no .. it looks great to me

Oh yeah?

See attached pic, mr. smartypants! :naughty:

 

[Mr. Redundant]

Oh yeah?

See attached pic, mr. smartypants! :naughty:

yep, its abhorently obvious when you play it frame by frame (its actually even as bad when you view it normally)

 

[thedarkangel]

That's not really a fact. Most people are thinking that the person is still alive. If you listen, you can hear the headcrab & the person underneath the headcrab making noise.

It kind of is, the human's head has been chewed off by the headcrab. If you can prove to me that a human can still feel and express pain even without a head then I will back down and admit I was wrong.

 

[Brian Damage]

Prove the heads are chewed off, I'm not sure about that point.

 

[[sl@yer]]

Look at the 2003 e3 vid, just before the spinning blades (10:27). There is only half a head when the headcrab detaches.

 

[Dark Auro]

That was last year. They might have just not modeled the head yet. Also, I doubt the Headcrab would say "Ohhh Nooo Gooddd Ahhhhhhh!!!" When it's burning alive. You also say that the head is chewed off, so you think that the actual headcrab is the one that is screaming? I've never heard any sound that the headcrabs have made that sound anything close to that scream.

 

[[sl@yer]]

Perhaps the newly made zombies scream, before the headrab has chewed their brains. The older zombies make headcrab noises. That's my theory.

 

[Mr. Redundant]

maybe the headcrab swallows the head when it detaches, in case it cant find another fast meal?

 

[Brian Damage]

Look at the 2003 e3 vid, just before the spinning blades (10:27). There is only half a head when the headcrab detaches.

Yes, but as you said, they only made headcrab noises. Further along the mutation path? Who knows...

Anyone else here think that they've inproved the zombie attack animations?

 

[Mr. Redundant]

Yes, but as you said, they only made headcrab noises. Further along the mutation path? Who knows...

Anyone else here think that they've inproved the zombie attack animations?

yep, I think the zombies in general look a lot more erm.. believable and better.

 

[Brian Damage]

I just love the slightly goofy swing... it really does look as though the headcrab isn't in full control of the body...

 

[clarky003]

Oh yeah?

See attached pic, mr. smartypants! :naughty:

oh dear! what ever shall we do :| ...you guys must have had these frames burned onto the back of your retina one by one at normal speed,, (superhuman abilities :upstare: ), its something that you have to study closely to pick out,, as in the video, it just looks to me like its dropping out of the barrel via gravity... (plus I dont watch the vid in slow mo.. lol , but I was tempted )

it also looks like youve put the images in the wrong sequence, lol but are they? im so confused :O , thats wack if thats the frame sequence as the rocket comes out,, it appears to come out of Gordon's right
boob :O

But I sort of realised this.. Gordons moving to the right as you fire it , hes not standing still.. so the rocket actually only appears to be coming out of your chest, because if you notice your moving in closer to it as it drops out of the barrel. .. thats what the screenshot doesnt show,.. and thats probably why you think its coming out of his chest.