Something interesting I've noticed about the crosshairs

Lyrids

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The crosshairs in HL2 have two bars that curve on either side of the center. I'm not sure what the bar on the left is for, but I have come to the conclusion that the bar on the right measures the amount of ammunition that is currently in the weapon you are holding. As Gordon fires his weapon, the bar on the right slowly empties, and when he reloads it fills back up. I think this is a good idea so instead of having to look to the bottom of your screen to see if you're almost empty, you can keep looking towards the center and get a faster idea of when you'll need to reload.
 
You Right!

I can't figure out either were the left side is for. I think it is not used by something.
 
Yeah I figured someone else had probably noticed it by now. I just thought this was really cool.
 
Have you also noticed that the crosshair fades out when you aren't using it? I realised this whilst watching Traptown.
 
No one know what the left side is for.....

Personally, I think its the flashlight meter. I know for sure that its not for Armor, or Health, and we haven't seen any vids where the flashlight is used. So I've come to the conclusion that it is the flashlight meter because I can't think of anything else.
 
Originally posted by Anthraxxx
No one know what the left side is for.....

Personally, I think its the flashlight meter. I know for sure that its not for Armor, or Health, and we haven't seen any vids where the flashlight is used. So I've come to the conclusion that it is the flashlight meter because I can't think of anything else.

Maybe it's the powerup bar to use your super powers, well that would be pretty lame wouldnt it be? :D
 
Might be for dual/akimbo weapons. Having two pistols, one in each hand.
 
I think the left side blinks in red when you'r out of ammo.
 
That's some way cool stuff. I heard once that the left side was for accurasy or something.
 
no im pretty sure left is for health. either that or its multifunctional. keep in mind the gordons health barely drops in the videos.
 
It's the right side that blinks red when you are out of Ammo, not the left side.

Flashlight Indicator is the more plausible explanation for the left side.
 
right: number of bullet for current magazine
left: number of magazines for current weapon

IMHO, of course..
 
Originally posted by b3ll4L!
right: number of bullet for current magazine
left: number of magazines for current weapon

IMHO, of course..

That can't be right because in the Tunnels video Gordon runs out of Ammo, and gets more magazines, it still stays the same level. As far as I know, the level of the left indicator never changes during all of the E3 videos.
 
Having to constantly look at your flashlight meter would be weird because it's not used all that much... I think it's very unlikely that that's it...
 
Well, the only other alternative is Health, but it doesn't do down in any of the videos. Although Gordon's health doesn't go any lower than 93, there would have been some change.

Flashlight is the most likely unless anyone has any other suggestions?
 
I just watched a video again (I hadn't really noticed the ammo thing before... hehe) and it does seem like like it should be used for SOMETHING... so I guess flashlight really isn't as unlikely as I was thinking now that I've taken a look at it...

edit: how long you can hold your breath (oxygen meter)?
 
i still say health... if you had a 100-bulet-clip MG and shot only 7 bullets of it, do you think it would go down? its such a small percentage

health it is, imo
 
Originally posted by XtAkm4p
i still say health... if you had a 100-bulet-clip MG and shot only 7 bullets of it, do you think it would go down? its such a small percentage

health it is, imo
I disagree because he loses health in some of the videos but it doesn't brighten up and drop like the ammo meter. I think the flashlight explanation is the most realistic because we don't see any other onscreen meter for flashlights.
 
Exactly, some very logic points here: meters brighten when they change. It was like that in HL1, it is like that in HL2. After a little time they dim back to normal again. Right is ammo in current clip. I'm almost sure left side isn't the flashlight, it's not used that much so it would be a bit stupid. And I'm sure I've seen screenshots of HL2 that had a flashlight indicator in the top right corner, like it was in HL1. Next best thing is health and armor, only we don't see the left side brighten up so that's not it. Breath-meter? Not likely, in HL1 the health-meter was also the breath-meter. Perhaps it's a jump-meter? I'd hate it but it could be possible: jumping a few times depletes the meter and it gradually replenishes. God I'd really hate that...
 
Maybe it is for a secondary fire mode ammo i.e. an assault rifle with grenade launcher :).
 
Gah...why didn't I think of that. Of course it is. I bet the machine gun used in the barricade vid has a gren launcher. I think i noticed that it had double ammo indicator. (like 15/3 being 15 bullets in clip, 3 grenades) I wonder what the left side is used for on single-fire mode guns. Prolly just nothing :)
 
It's Health. Whenever Gordon gets hit by something and his health changes it lights up (it's most noticable in Bugbait). Gordon only loses 7% of his health, so that's why it appears to be no change.
 
Originally posted by Ro@cH
Gah...why didn't I think of that. Of course it is. I bet the machine gun used in the barricade vid has a gren launcher. I think i noticed that it had double ammo indicator. (like 15/3 being 15 bullets in clip, 3 grenades) I wonder what the left side is used for on single-fire mode guns. Prolly just nothing :)

Yeah, the gun in Barricade does have two ammo indictors but the second one reads 0, so the left indicator should be at 0 throughout the video. It would be too confusing if it read full until you picked some secondary ammo then it changed.

Also, if they was true I think they would switch the sides of the crosshair round, so left was primary ammo and right was secondary ammo.
 
You're right. Rewatched it and you're absolutely right. It also lights up when he switches weapons to take out the sentry-guns. Strangely, the left side also light up when he's shooting the sentry-guns. Only ammo bar changes so shouldn't only the right side light up? Hmmm...
By the way there aren't any damage-direction indicators like there were in HL1. Or did I miss them?
 
Originally posted by Ro@cH
You're right. Rewatched it and you're absolutely right. It also lights up when he switches weapons to take out the sentry-guns. Strangely, the left side also light up when he's shooting the sentry-guns. Only ammo bar changes so shouldn't only the right side light up? Hmmm...
By the way there aren't any damage-direction indicators like there were in HL1. Or did I miss them?

The crosshair is just one thing, it fades out when it's not being used. It lights up when
1) You switch weapons
2) You lose health
3) Your ammo changes

Both sides light up. Maybe it looks better than one side fading and one side lighting up.
 
the other sid eis either for health or for the number of remaining clips you have. Health would make more sense.
 
Originally posted by Feath
Both sides light up. Maybe it looks better than one side fading and one side lighting up.


Probably. Well this thread is done, someone can close it hehe :)
 
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