Taking the Crowbar to the next Level.

[achilles_d]

I was just thinking last night how valve could make the crowbar a lot more fun in future games in the half-life series.

The first thing i came up with was penetration. This could make the crowbar alot more interesting and the player would probably use it more frequently, say for example the player sneaks up behind a combine soldier then penetrates the crowbar into his head. It would add a sense of realism and a new gameplay element and of course more gore.

The second is the use of the other end of the crowbar. This could be used to impale enemies in the chest or back and maybe even add a gameplay element where the player could then throw the enemy depending on their size.

Think these are good ideas? or maybe its overstepping the mark?

 

[Cormeh]

The first suggestion is a bit too "Manhunt" for my liking, Half-Life being more about story driven actions than visceral murder. (Obviously, shooting people isn't all sugar and spice, but physically caving someones skull in is just that more brutal in a videogame).

I've always wondered about a secondary 'fire' on the crowbar too, also using the opposite end, and also using more of a stab/thrust where Gordon uses both hands to drive the crowbar at enemies and objects.

I think ultimately that HL2 and it's offspring will always focus more on the Source engines physics capabilities and aim more for using the Gravity Gun. I think it all boils down to practicality more than good or bad ideas, because as good as a secondary attack idea with the crowbar may be, it's more impractical than anything, especially in the HL universe.

 

[v1p3r]

Make the crowbar a lot more fun. The first thing i came up with was penetration. This could make the crowbar alot more interesting and the player would probably use it more frequently, say for example the player sneaks up behind a combine soldier then penetrates

:naughty:

 

[Fuzileer]

:naughty:

Dirty sh*t.

Yer, I agree with the OP. I mean, not many people fuly appreciate the crowbar now. Apart from when you play Zombie Master Online...

 

[ríomhaire]

Pointless addition.

 

[Druckles]

Pointless addition.

QFT

If you wanted that, then go play manhunt. If Valve wanted that, they'd have added gibbing and the like. The game isn't so much as focused on how you kill people, but more how you can interact with the environment, in order to show off their awesome engine.

 

[dal1978]

How about rather than just bashing things with it you could actually use it like a real crowbar, in other words levering things open. e.g. stuck doors

 

[Maelstrom]

^Good idea.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

You had me at penetration.

 

[Cheomesh]

 

[kacation_man]

QFT

If you wanted that, then go play manhunt. If Valve wanted that, they'd have added gibbing and the like. The game isn't so much as focused on how you kill people, but more how you can interact with the environment, in order to show off their awesome engine.

? I fail to see how adding it could really hurt, you wouldn't be losing anything, you just have that nice addition. makes me think of hitman: blood money with the hammer! I loved that sound when smashing in the back side of some ones skull! But I also think that it would be pretty hard seeing as they got all that stuff to get through on the back of their head.

 

[SamuraiKenji]

well....in Smod theres a alt fire for it that lets you throw it
then theres the Golden crobar with shoots green dart like things as reg fire and a bolt of electricity as the alt fire

 

[Blackout62]

Personally I think I should be able to use the crowbar to open those darn locked doors

 

[Druckles]

*snip*

Heh. That just totally owned the thread :burp:

? I fail to see how adding it could really hurt, you wouldn't be losing anything, you just have that nice addition. makes me think of hitman: blood money with the hammer! I loved that sound when smashing in the back side of some ones skull! But I also think that it would be pretty hard seeing as they got all that stuff to get through on the back of their head.

It might've been more appropriate in Half-Life. As you might've noticed, there were alot more secondary fires, with quite a larger arsenal. Half-Life 2, as I've already said, has not been created for this reason, but since the release of the Source engine, more of a way of showing off their physics. If this had been suggested back in the era of Half-Life, I'm sure it would've been included into an expansion pack. But it might be the case that Valve, similar to other concepts like Gordon's body, won't expand on it, simply to align with tradition.

Was quite a surprise to find the pistol didn't have a secondary fire, but I lived, as there's always the gravity gun to provide "amusing deaths" to quench your thirst. And if you're still not satisfied, go play Smod.

well....in Smod theres a alt fire for it that lets you throw it
then theres the Golden crobar with shoots green dart like things as reg fire and a bolt of electricity as the alt fire

Omg! We're not playing Smod! Seriously, shut up about Smod, it's not Half-Life! It's created for morons like you who just aren't satisfied with the gameplay of HL2 because you're psychologically diseased, monkey-infested, insane kids who just can't live with what you have!

 

[Lizardizzle]

oh man.... that made my day to the Nth degree. :E

I might use that as my desktop

 

[Dalamari]

The crowbar as more of a tool would be nice instead of just smashing boxes open, prying open locked doors and such would be awesome

 

[SamuraiKenji]

Heh. That just totally owned the thread :burp:



It might've been more appropriate in Half-Life. As you might've noticed, there were alot more secondary fires, with quite a larger arsenal. Half-Life 2, as I've already said, has not been created for this reason, but since the release of the Source engine, more of a way of showing off their physics. If this had been suggested back in the era of Half-Life, I'm sure it would've been included into an expansion pack. But it might be the case that Valve, similar to other concepts like Gordon's body, won't expand on it, simply to align with tradition.

Was quite a surprise to find the pistol didn't have a secondary fire, but I lived, as there's always the gravity gun to provide "amusing deaths" to quench your thirst. And if you're still not satisfied, go play Smod.



Omg! We're not playing Smod! Seriously, shut up about Smod, it's not Half-Life! It's created for morons like you who just aren't satisfied with the gameplay of HL2 because you're psychologically diseased, monkey-infested, insane kids who just can't live with what you have!

damn it i was just pointing it out!

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Penetration ay? I'm there.

 

[<RJMC>]

I say it should have chainsaw and flamethrower

 

[SamuraiKenji]

theres a flamethrower in Smod
AND YES I SAID SMOD DRUCKLES


but for me.....id say at least have a stab altfire or something

 

[Bug-eyed Earl]

How about rather than just bashing things with it you could actually use it like a real crowbar, in other words levering things open. e.g. stuck doors

Thats the way you should have to use the crowbar in the next game-- more as a tool (like the gravity gun) than a weapon.

One of the reasons I like this game is because it's not gratuitously violent (with the exception of zombies and dismembered zombies). I find games like Man-hunt EXTREMELY off-putting. Both of the OP's ideas sound bad to me.

Making actions that you can execute with the crow bar would be much more interesting than just something simple like new ways to kill people.

And don't you think that when Barney gives you the crow bar, he should have really thought about what he was doing and throw you down a gun or a knife instead? If they wanted to bring back teh crow-bar, they should of had you picking up another (maybe left for you by the G-Man?).

 

[pistolero!]

And choking from behind, there must be choking from behind!

 

[nurizeko]

You can throw toilets at the combine and kill them, I think we have enough means of dispatching them.

Like has been said, nothing nice about killing baddies, but lets stop short of turning it into gorenography mkay?.

 

[Gwagster]

I was thinking by holding 'ALT' you would swing it into your other hand and hold it horizontally in front of you. This could block swipes from zombies and so forth.

 

[Saruke]

well think about it, the crowbar has for all intents and purposes umlimited "ammo" so if they made a alt action and made it more powerful it would render the normal function of the crowbar useless because there'd be no point in using it when you could do the more powerful action as much as you wanted.

I personally don't see how they can make any of the above stuff work but maybe I'm just unimaginative like that.

...monkeys?... nawww

 

[Druckles]

Playing through one of the HL2s today, I realised how much I'm disappointed in the crowbar. Not from the lack of "options" as you all seem to like. But because I can't kill someone like I expect to. In, for example, Hard Mode, I can keep swinging this crowbar in the face of a combine, and all he'll do is just stand there blue eyeing me and firing. I mean, seriously! He should be frickin' dead! If there were one-shot kills with a crowbar, I'd definitely use it more. Things like stabbing and crap are just over the top.

 

[Saruke]

So you want a one hit kill weapon with unlmited ammo?...

if you want the game to be that easy just cheat.

 

[SamuraiKenji]

yea

sk_plr_dmg_*weapon* # (replace *weapon* with a weapon name and the # with the dmg number)

as for the ammo

sk_max_*weapon* # (same as above)


and if you want 1 hit kill for crowbar just go
sk_plr_dmg_crowbar 100000

 

[Druckles]

So you want a one hit kill weapon with unlmited ammo?...

if you want the game to be that easy just cheat.

Hmm, running blindly into a crowd of combine isn't exactly easy. And I'm not suggesting entirely one-hit-kill. But a one-hit-kill from behind would be brilliant. And it doesn't have unlimited ammo. It has no ammo.

 

[SamuraiKenji]

Well there is the God cheat and the Buddha cheat
God makes you totaly invincible while the Buddha cheat lets you get hurt but doesent take you below 1 HP

 

[Saruke]

And it doesn't have unlimited ammo. It has no ammo.

ughhh you know what I mean, don't split hairs.

 

[Druckles]

ughhh you know what I mean, don't split hairs.

5char

 

[Planetary]

I wouldn't hate an alternate fire that lets you make a stronger swing, like in Opposing Force. Again, for one hit kills from behind or something. Though there are only a few opportunities to do that in the games.

 

[kupocake]

Though I expect that i'm going to get pounced on for even suggesting it, couldn't we just get rid of the damned thing? Sure, it's iconic, but isn't the Gravity Gun also, and to a higher degree? I'd rather use that Beta Ice-Pick (fits the setting) or some kind of snazzy new, highly powered Combine Melee thing.

Yes I said that, and yes it was lame.

edit: The crowbar doesn't really need to be powered up. It allows you to quickly kill the kind of things you'd expect to be able to kill (headcrabs in one hit), and I think it would just be a bit comical to go around making small animals explode, Opposing Force Wrench style. Simply because it's true that what it's designed for is principally what it's used for, I like the idea of the crowbar actually being used as leverage on bits of wood and what have you.

 

[Saruke]

I'd like something that made my foes scream.

That would be cool...

 

[SpectreBlofeld]

I took the crowbar to the next level. And then the next. All the way from the A Red Letter Day level to the Our Benefactors level, in fact

 

[kupocake]

I took the crowbar to the next level. And then the next. All the way from the A Red Letter Day level to the Our Benefactors level, in fact

It needed to be said.

I'd like something that made my foes scream.

That would be cool...

Black Mesa crowbars used to be capable of getting that response from scientists. They just don't make them like they used to.

 

[Saruke]

They should cahnge it so whenever you pull out your crow bar the combine just run like little girls.

"OH MY GOD! HE'S GOT A CROWBAR AAAAAAAAAAAA!"

And then you beat them, beat them good.

 

[Druckles]

Though I expect that i'm going to get pounced on for even suggesting it, couldn't we just get rid of the damned thing? Sure, it's iconic, but isn't the Gravity Gun also, and to a higher degree? I'd rather use that Beta Ice-Pick (fits the setting) or some kind of snazzy new, highly powered Combine Melee thing.

Nooo... GTFO!

I was playing the other day and thinking of this, as someone had already suggested this. I decided, yes, I do use it, and yes, it is useful. Especially useful without an ammo, and no objects to throw. It is iconic, yes, but that's not the only reason. I seriously wouldn't want it removed, but I'd prefer it if zombies weren't so fast. Loved how in HL I could use up zilch ammo on them with a quick hit and run.

 

[pistolero!]

I'd like something that made my foes scream.

That would be cool...

Here you go
http://whatshlsci.ytmnd.com/