Physics

[Linki]

How advanced are the physics in HL2?

More specifically how much more advanced are they from let's say Max Payne 2, or Painkiller, and in what way?

 

[nadolph]

The same physics as painkiller but they have been tweaked by valve so i would say better than painkiller.

 

[MiccyNarc]

The best.

 

[Linki]

Ok, for example, you fire a heavy object at a Combine who's stood on a bridge...

Will he be nudged off in typical gaming fashion or ragdoll off the edge like you'd expect to happen?

 

[BloodyMario]

Ok, for example, you fire a heavy object at a Combine who's stood on a bridge...

Will he be nudged off in typical gaming fashion or ragdoll off the edge like you'd expect to happen?

If he dies he becomes a ragdoll. If he survives then he will "be nudged off in typical gaming fashion "

 

[Linki]

If he dies he becomes a ragdoll. If he survives then he will "be nudged off in typical gaming fashion "

See that's not impressive, as much as I hate to say it, even if he didn't die you would expect them to fall in the direction of the force, arms and legs flailing.

 

[Slainchild]

See that's not impressive, as much as I hate to say it, even if he didn't die you would expect them to fall in the direction of the force, arms and legs flailing.

Or if he grabbed the edge of the bridge on his way down, and tried desperately to hold on or get back up.

That would be impressive

 

[G-Uni7]

It's a G.A.M.E

 

[Lobster]

Its not the realism of the physics engine itself, its being used on a much larger scale than any other game, and acctully factors in the gameplay, either in the form of combat or problem solving, and source itself has greater control of how the different features can be linked together, so developers/modders basicly have unlimited control over everything.

 

[baron insig]

Or if he grabbed the edge of the bridge on his way down, and tried desperately to hold on or get back up.

That would be impressive

Yeah!!

If they stumbled or something if they were hit it would be good eg slowed down got a limp aim got crap if they had half an arm ...

 

[coZ]

yeh well this is an old game you know... considering this tech was around back at E3 2003...

 

[Linki]

I understand that, it's just all this talk of revolutionary physics, I'm expecting something revolutionary, not just "on a bigger scale"

... doubt is starting to set in. Not good.

 

[Warbie]

I don't think it's a case of which game has the best physics. More that HL2 is the first game to actually use them in a way that affects gameplay.

(in all previous games it's been nothing more than a tacked on gimmick, and an excuse for ragdols. Which is all very nice, aesthetically, but has no real substance)

 

[coZ]

Max Payne 2 uses the same physics... "Havok 2" although "a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine" apparently

 

[coZ]

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8623

 

[Linki]

Max Payne uses the same physics... "Havok 2"

Yeah, and Painkiller. But I thought HL2 had a heavily modified version of Havoc?

Anyway, looking over the Havok website, they support physics/animation blending which is pretty much what would be used to achieve the above example so I don't see why Valve didn't implement it.

Or... is it not actually clear on how deep the physics go? We've all seen the Binks, but they're no good indication.

 

[coZ]

i dont think the physics are shown off with css wait till the game is released we should see some cool sh!t...

 

[Gray Fox]

I thought that HL2 had basicly the same physics as other games only it utilized them better, like with the manipulator.
You all say it has better, well give some examples, casue the as far as I can see all the things you posted in you´re threads can be done in other games with their physics, only thing is they don´t utilize that ability and physics are only a gimmick.

 

[Solver]

It's about the gameplay. Heck, Doom3 has very realistic physics when objects collided, etc. - only that 95% of the gameworld objects were unaffected by physics, and that the physics never impacted gameplay. In HL2, they impact gameplay, which is what matters. You can block doorways, throw stuff at enemies, and so on.

 

[Megalomaniac]

What i would like to see is if someone fell from a reat height and landed on his head i would want to see his head splatter like it would in the real world... :bounce:

 

[HunterSeeker]

Ok, for example, you fire a heavy object at a Combine who's stood on a bridge...

Will he be nudged off in typical gaming fashion or ragdoll off the edge like you'd expect to happen?

I belive if you shoot a object heavy enough to knock a man down it will kill them.

 

[Slime]

At least judging from CSS, the physics are a lot more realistic than MP2, which had "floaty" physics; everything was too light IMO.

 

[Sucky Ducky]

At least judging from CSS, the physics are a lot more realistic than MP2, which had "floaty" physics; everything was too light IMO.

try playing cs_office no grav.. El oh el is all I can say :naughty:

 

[MadHatter]

Personally, expecting utterly realistic physics from HL2 is setting yourself up for a disappointment due to exceeded expectations. HL2 will not be the bar none all-time most realistic game ever -- nobody said that. Is it Currently? Yes. HL2 is merely a large leap foward in gaming physics and realism. HL2 is helping tremendously to pave the way. Just imagine what the physics in Half-Life 3 will be like.

 

[dream431ca]

The same physics as painkiller but they have been tweaked by valve so i would say better than painkiller.

Painkiller and HL2 have a way different Physics engine.

 

[Ames]

“Havok has been working with Valve for almost three years to deliver breakthrough physical gameplay. Havok 2, launched at GDC 2003 incorporates all that we have learned from working with each other,
particularly in the area of character control and ragdolls”, said Dr. Steven Collins CTO, Havok

From: http://havok.com/clients/valve.php

So technically, anything with Havok 2 in it has been touched by Valve..

Or so it seems...

 

[chizzler]

See that's not impressive, as much as I hate to say it, even if he didn't die you would expect them to fall in the direction of the force, arms and legs flailing.

if the object is large enough to knock the soldier off the edge, it would be large enough to kill him, so the scenario of him being hit off the edge without getting killed is VERY unlikely.

 

[Ames]

if the object is large enough to knock the soldier off the edge, it would be large enough to kill him, so the scenario of him being hit off the edge without getting killed is VERY unlikely.

Unless you had a slow moving, yet very heavy object that slowly pushed him off...

But that's highly unlikely..

 

[chizzler]

Unless you had a slow moving, yet very heavy object that slowly pushed him off...

But that's highly unlikely..

and in that case, just being nudged off won't look so unrealistic.

 

[Animal]

Unless you had a slow moving, yet very heavy object that slowly pushed him off...

But that's highly unlikely..

You can do that with the crane.

 

[Narcolepsy]

As others have said, the physics themselves won't blow your mind. But if we are to believe propaganda, the existing physics will be used throughout the game, and for a purpose.

Take Far Cry, for example. There are coke cans sitting all over the place, all kinds of random little objects, but they are completely static. They might as well be fixed to the ground with a stake. In Far Cry, you can push a barrell into the water and watch it float, but it has no point. It does not affect gameplay at all, except to say "ooohh, look, it floats!" Half-Life 2 will make physics matter, for the first time.

 

[Sharasment panda]

Personally, expecting utterly realistic physics from HL2 is setting yourself up for a disappointment due to exceeded expectations. HL2 will not be the bar none all-time most realistic game ever -- nobody said that. Is it Currently? Yes. HL2 is merely a large leap foward in gaming physics and realism. HL2 is helping tremendously to pave the way. Just imagine what the physics in Half-Life 3 will be like.

What he said. To have an A.I unit with physical properties whilst "alive" in game development would be a HUGE step forward in today's gaming technology. The algorithms needed to create a system whereby a combine soldier for instance can be nocked over and react with the world realistically, and then recover and stand and continue fighting would be too advanced an painstaking to program. Not to mention the bugs.

I remember valve saying it wasn't currently possible to physically simulate metal morphing and bending under impact, like smacking a dent in barrels with a crowbar.

 

[coZ]

As others have said, the physics themselves won't blow your mind. But if we are to believe propaganda, the existing physics will be used throughout the game, and for a purpose.

Take Far Cry, for example. There are coke cans sitting all over the place, all kinds of random little objects, but they are completely static. They might as well be fixed to the ground with a stake. In Far Cry, you can push a barrell into the water and watch it float, but it has no point. It does not affect gameplay at all, except to say "ooohh, look, it floats!" Half-Life 2 will make physics matter, for the first time.

FarCry’s barrels had a purpose... they would roll and kill the enemies.

 

[Piddy]

FarCry’s barrels had a purpose... they would roll and kill the enemies.

Yeah I liked one part when you could shoot the planks, that released the barrels that killed the badies. I hope HL2 has more of that stuff - I don't think FarCry explored this enough.

 

[Warbie]

FarCry’s barrels had a purpose... they would roll and kill the enemies.

In a very obvious, set-up, kinda way (that happens extremely rarely)

This isn't meant to be the case with HL2.

Finally it looks like we're going to get some of this 'emergent gameplay' that developers have been going on about for years (hope it's as good as it sounds )

 

[Narcolepsy]

FarCry’s barrels had a purpose... they would roll and kill the enemies.

Notice at the very beginning of the game there was a barrell that you couldn't help but run into and an enemy crossing right in the path at that very moment. In other words, this is a "Oh, cool, look at the physics!" moment, not a gameplay enhancing moment.

 

[coZ]

Yeah I know what you mean... but isn’t that what it’s about? To impress ppl with what new things physics can be used for? I mean HL2 is way better in showing these things off but FarCry was cool but the physics wasn’t its main focal point, the eye candy was…

What I have noticed with the source engine is it’s very subtle… if u rushed through a map in the source engine without paying attention you wouldn’t notice the SM2.0 effects… I like that about this engine... its not all about eye candy its more about the way things are in real life… and graphics aren’t the only thing either.. physics, vihcals, explosions, facial animation, smoke effects, HDR… there is a lot of stuff but they are the main things that come to mind…

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Still, HL2 has pretty much the most advanced physics system.
You could probably complain about some parts of the physics, but you're not going to find anything better for a while.

 

[coZ]

omg... (Sp) vehicles*