Things to do on 2nd trip through game?

[Mike521]

Hey all,

I took a break for a couple months after my first pass through the game, and now I'm itching to play again, and am looking for some new experience as well.

Any pointers on things to do on my 2nd play through? good mods, etc?

Also I was never good at seeing the g man, how can I see him more often?

any other neat things I should keep in mind? One thing I'll be sure to do is use all my weapons. I'm always so anal about conserving my good ammo that I hardly use the best weapons

 

[Danimal]

Go through the game with only the crowbar, grav gun, magnum and RPG and nothing else

 

[Ames]

If you really want to wish to explore all the areas of the game:

sv_cheats 1
god

Not including that, I suggest trying to spend as much time in an area as possible to just soak up the feeling. Or you can do the complete opposite and try to finish the game as fast as possible.

 

[bryanf445]

try searching the forums for gman sightings....it will give you a good idea where to look

 

[Hectic Glenn]

download the substance mod, adds lots of new things, and an all time new difficulty. You'll love it.

edit: link http://ludus1942.ngi.it/index.html

 

[Grand Architect]

Once you get the grav gun become a packrat and drag every peice of trash you find along with you.

 

[f|uke]

Grab Dog's ball and take it with you through Ravenholm.

 

[FireCrack]

^ yes, do that!!!1 and get it to nova prospekt.


edit: whoa, that 1 wasn't intentional.

 

[dogboy73]

I have to say I was hard pushed to find much of any use to do when going through the game for the second time because HL2 is so linear. I spent a lot of time stacking things up to see if I could climb to new areas seemingly out of reach. But alas it's not possible which only lead to the painfull reality that HL2's map are woefully restrictive.

Take route kanal - The width of the map is the width of the Kanal! Everything else you see is completely inaccessible. In actual fact It's pretty much the same for the rest of the game for the most part although it's cleverly disquised by 3D skyboxes.

Great game but replay value was obviously not high on the agenda when Valve were creating it. Most of the replay value comes from ignoring the game & playing around with the physics engine/Gravity gun which soon becomes pretty dull to be honest.

My advise would be to wait for the Mods. Try Das Robos. Great SP map that offers a lot more of a challenge than anything in HL2 (Which lets be honest was a walk in the park for the most part).

 

[Seppo]

Not including that, I suggest trying to spend as much time in an area as possible to just soak up the feeling.

This is just how I play my games. I think players who just rush through the game lose a lot of the feeling, and the game is over probably about 4 times faster. I also try to complete every combat with as much perfection as possible, and I try different approaches. "Hmm, should I use that exploding barrel? Or maybe I'll just snipe them all"

 

[pomegranate]

Well put Dogboy

 

[dogboy73]

This is just how I play my games. I think players who just rush through the game lose a lot of the feeling, and the game is over probably about 4 times faster. I also try to complete every combat with as much perfection as possible, and I try different approaches. "Hmm, should I use that exploding barrel? Or maybe I'll just snipe them all"

I know what your saying about trying to pull off each area as perfectly as possible. That's something thats very prominent from the first Half Life. However, HL2 was so easy that most of the time it felt like it was me that was making the combat interesting rather than the combat actaully being interesting.

The gravity gun is a great weapon/tool but a long time ago in HL2's development I voiced my concern (On the PC Format forums) that it would dominate the gameplay. At first I thought Valve had got the balance right but I soon realised that it was way off. For example using objects as shields means that you rarely get hit. You can infact just amble towards most enemies with an object held aloft as a shield. Then you just propel the object to kill them. Snipers? Never a problem so long as there is some sort of object lying about to use as a shield. In short the gravity gun is a fascinating idea but is detrimental to the game play. It's nothing more than an interesting way of showing of a superb physics engine that has been grafted into a game.
I don't know, On reflection HL2 was a great experience, A poor game & comparable to playing Monopoly when you already own all the properties i.e. A bit pointless & certainly not worth continuing with for a second round.

My hope now lies with the Mod community to fully exploit a potentialy great engine by loosing the Gravity gun & employing some of the gameplay mechanics that made the first game so memorable.

 

[dogboy73]

As if by chance I just whent onto the Steam forums & found a link to this amusing site. Brilliant :thumbs:

http://www.bbspot.com/News/2004/12/valve_bans_steam_accounts.html

The gaming community was outraged. One upset user posted, "They put this cool weapon in their game and then ban us for using it. I'm never buying another game from Valve until Half-Life 3 comes out."

 

[CadetFrench]

For some real fun, download AutohotKey so you can bunny hop like a mofo and fly like one too. Its real fun to go through the game at a million miles an hour.

EDIT: Is there a link for us to download Das Robos please? I cant find it.

 

[Plug]

Personally i found playing through the game for the second time to be completely awesome, and i'm playing through the third time now.

What do you guys want, anyway? The game to be playable in an ENTIRELY new way?
Not how things work.

Even playing through the third time, i'm still noticing new things - and that's not because i'm unobservant or hurried... i took my time both times through.

To the original poster - My main advice would be to look out for new ways of killing people using the environment. That doesn't only mean the gravity gun, either... shoot out posts, barrels that explode into other barrels - create barriers, obstacles against your enemies... Don't conserve ammo, use what you need to get the job done comfortably.


If that all fails you, pretend it's real life and be really really careful, get worried if you get hit once!

If there's a freaky alien running towards you... follow your natural fear reaction. Try not to think in terms of 'how many bullets will this guy take' and game-ish stuff, just *play*. Experience it!

 

[Dumb Dude]

I'm always so anal about conserving my good ammo that I hardly use the best weapons

Thats exactly how I am. In the first Half-Life I RARELY used the crossbow, the magnum, any of the grenades, and the rocket launcher. Although, in part one, there were parts at the end that made that ammo saving worth it. In this one, you ended up losing them all :| . Haha

 

[Apocalypse89]

I find the replay value in both Half-Lifes to be quite high. Why? Not because they rely on gimmicks such as multiple story paths or "secrets", but because they're just plain fun. That's always a good sign, and a nod to the golden age of gaming when people played to have a good time and didn't take everything so seriously like they do now.

 

[pomegranate]

I find the replay value in both Half-Lifes to be quite high. Why? Not because they rely on gimmicks such as multiple story paths or "secrets", but because they're just plain fun. That's always a good sign, and a nod to the golden age of gaming when people played to have a good time and didn't take everything so seriously like they do now.

Well the only thing is that the stakes are much higher between competing games now.... it's not enough for most people for a game just be a bit of a laugh.... it needs to have something to set it apart from other games... some people might suggest that HL2 didn't have this sufficiently, given its legacy and hype

 

[Plug]

Unfortunately public relations can interfere that severely...

Remember - PEOPLE make the hype. It's nobody elses fault but your own if you expected something more than what the game turned out to be... did anybody expect it to be any more replayable than it is?

Which in my opinion, is highly replayable anyway...

 

[the_lone_wolf]

i wonder if doom3 is any more fun the second time through when you know exactly where every monster will jump out?

but seriously, sometimes i just start up a quick game of HL2 cause i love the way it looks, the bridge but still impresses me, the monsters in raveholm can still scare me (well the fast zombies anyway) and i still laugh when i fired combine elite across the level with the uber grav gun

or you can go around setting fire to people with console commands

 

[Seppo]

Thats exactly how I am. In the first Half-Life I RARELY used the crossbow, the magnum, any of the grenades, and the rocket launcher. Although, in part one, there were parts at the end that made that ammo saving worth it. In this one, you ended up losing them all :| . Haha

And that is also exactly how I am. I use the shotgun and MP5 (or whatever it is) for probably 90% of the time.

I always hate it when there are points in a game when you lose all your stuff. It's such a waste. I mean you've been gathering this stuff for the whole game, and then BANG; it's all gone. At least in Half-Life you slowly got them back. In Half-Life 2 it happens at the end, so you never get the change to gather them back. But I think it was better that way than fighting some cliched ending boss.

 

[dogboy73]

I wonder if doom3 is any more fun the second time through when you know exactly where every monster will jump out?

Not by any stretch of the imagination. Doom3 is just as linear, If not more so, Than HL2 as this is compounded by the fact that for the most part Doom3 looks as though you are running round in circles!! Gameplay wise it's even less interesting than HL2.

But seriously, Sometimes i just start up a quick game of HL2 cause i love the way it looks, the bridge but still impresses me, the monsters in raveholm can still scare me (well the fast zombies anyway) and i still laugh when i fired combine elite across the level with the uber grav gun

Agreed. The look of HL2 is very appealing. I think the variety of the locations is one of the best things about the game. Visually it changes often & this really compells you to see what's next. Unfortunately this serves to pull you through the game that much faster & it's all over to quick. My second run through the game basically turned into a site seing tour & that's the reason I posted here in the first place about the games replay value as a 'game' or lack there of!

or you can go around setting fire to people with console commands

I suppose you could never tire of watching zombies go up in flames But what does it say about the actual game if it requires console commands & cheats for replay value?

 

[subtlesnake]

And that is also exactly how I am. I use the shotgun and MP5 (or whatever it is) for probably 90% of the time.

I always hate it when there are points in a game when you lose all your stuff. It's such a waste. I mean you've been gathering this stuff for the whole game, and then BANG; it's all gone. At least in Half-Life you slowly got them back. In Half-Life 2 it happens at the end, so you never get the change to gather them back. But I think it was better that way than fighting some cliched ending boss.

I don't think it's so bad because in in HL2 you don't feel as tanked up with full ammo.

You just need to find a couple of pulse rifles to reach max ammo for that weapon, the carrying capacity of the shotgun is reduced so it's no longer an 'endurance' weapon (A fully loaded shotgun went a long way in HL1). There are no special experimental weapons with super rare ammo that you get excited when you pick up.

Nothing to hoard really (except pistol ammo maybe).

 

[Fishlore]

I was bored sick about three quarters of the way through the first time I played this overhyped game. Playing it a second time, LOL, good one.

 

[the_lone_wolf]

I suppose you could never tire of watching zombies go up in flames But what does it say about the actual game if it requires console commands & cheats for replay value?

i wouldn't have said it needed the cheats/commands to make it fun the second fun through but there are aspects of the game i would prefer to change, one being the annoying civilians in follow freeman, they're the ones i'd prefer to be setting fire too so i can do the level alone instead

 

[Mechagodzilla]

I guess you're in the right place then, Fishlore.

Anywho, turn on subtitles the second time through. It will help you read some dialogue that might be hard to pick up.

 

[Asknoone]

When i play through it again, i either try different tactics, or improve on what i did beforehand. I also take more time to take in the scenery, scout out hidden area's and so on.

And take in more of the story.

Generally when i play through the first time, it's always a rush through affair, when i replay it, it's generally more of a relaxing play through.

 

[A True Canadian]

I know what your saying about trying to pull off each area as perfectly as possible. That's something thats very prominent from the first Half Life. However, HL2 was so easy that most of the time it felt like it was me that was making the combat interesting rather than the combat actaully being interesting.

My hope now lies with the Mod community to fully exploit a potentialy great engine by loosing the Gravity gun & employing some of the gameplay mechanics that made the first game so memorable.

The game was easy because the gameplay is very similar to the first one. If you've played the first one to death, then of course the second one seems easier. You know all the best tactics and with the similar weapons, you're already a step ahead.

Isn't it ironic though that the newer parts of the gameplay (i.e. the driving sequences), people hated because it was new and difficult? I don't think people know what they want in games these days.

And the reason why the original Half-Life stayed so memorable was because of the MOD community. If it wasn't for all the cool single-player and multiplayer maps that were created, Half-Life would have faded. After one would play a few MODs here and there, they (and myself included) would always find their way back the the original game and play through it again.

The Gravity Gun is great. It allows the gameplay to become even more unpredictable. And it's not like you're missing the experimental weapons either. The Gauss Gun was on your buggy; on the hovercraft you had a weapon that fired some weird type of energy bullets (infinate ammo ); and even the secondary fire to the Pulse Rifle does the exact same thing as the Gluon Gun, disingrating anything it touches.

This means that the two weapons from the last game are here (with the Gluon Gun becoming more efficient), and two new weapons in the Hovercraft attachment and the Gravity Gun.

I don't see what's missing. ;(

 

[el ska boss]

I don't see what's missing.

snarks

 

[ríomhaire]

Turn up the graphics to full. You'll be so amazed you won't even notice the 2 hour loadig times!

 

[corkscru74]

I have to say I was hard pushed to find much of any use to do when going through the game for the second time because HL2 is so linear. I spent a lot of time stacking things up to see if I could climb to new areas seemingly out of reach. But alas it's not possible which only lead to the painfull reality that HL2's map are woefully restrictive.

Take route kanal - The width of the map is the width of the Kanal! Everything else you see is completely inaccessible. In actual fact It's pretty much the same for the rest of the game for the most part although it's cleverly disquised by 3D skyboxes.

I'm fed up with people complaining about HL2's linearity! Have you not played HL1? That was a corridor shooter - almost 100% Yes I know that we're 6 years on and demand more from our games but people that complain about linearity would probably be the first to complain if HL2 was too different from the original!

Can you imagine what would have happened if Valve 'did a GTA' with the Source engine? Ok, that could have been pretty cool actually....however, what they did do was keep to what made HL1 the superb game it was and improved on it ten-fold. Valve wanted to create a focused, story-led single player experience - I think they succeeded. I don't care what anyone says - the AI is better in HL2, anytime you think HL1's AI is being cleverer it's just tricking you. Graphics - Better. Story - Better (don't you dare say otherwise, HL1 = You're a scientist, now run!). Environments - More immersive. Physics - Present.

But anyway, back to the topic - I'm doing the same. All I'm doing is slowing myself down, exploring every crook and nanny instead of tearing through in an orgy of anticipation at what I would find round the corner.

 

[AmishSlayer]

I didn't like HL2 as much because of the AI and immersive factor. The AI blew if you ask me. They were way too easy to exploit and kill. It hardly felt like it was a small resistance up against an overpowering force. I felt like the combine were the ones defending the entire time. The whole "You are Gordon Freeman" feel was gone after the first 2 chapters and you were sent on your own with very little guidance for most of the game. The plot was practically non-existant (the story was ok) and the whole game felt like a bunch of FPS maps strung together with enemies thrown in. I said it once and I'll say it again.

HL1 felt like an experience. HL2 feels like a game.

EDIT: As for going through a second time. I'm playing dumber, more relaxed and overall with less skill to see if I die while half-trying and just dicking around. I like to run at all the combine soldiers and crowbar them to death. There's just so much damn health thrown in this game I dont even care if I get hit down to like 10hp.

 

[pomegranate]

Very well put Amish, I'm tempted to put the Hl1/2 comparision as my sig...

 

[A True Canadian]

snarks

The Antlions function perfectly well as a snark replacement.

The only difference is they're not as cute. :stare:

 

[lasagne]

ive always wanted to cheat and get the uber grav. gun and go through ravenholm throwing zombies all over the place, but it seems like to much work

 

[Apocalypse89]

I didn't like HL2 as much because of the AI and immersive factor. The AI blew if you ask me. They were way too easy to exploit and kill. It hardly felt like it was a small resistance up against an overpowering force. I felt like the combine were the ones defending the entire time. The whole "You are Gordon Freeman" feel was gone after the first 2 chapters and you were sent on your own with very little guidance for most of the game. The plot was practically non-existant (the story was ok) and the whole game felt like a bunch of FPS maps strung together with enemies thrown in. I said it once and I'll say it again.

HL1 felt like an experience. HL2 feels like a game.

EDIT: As for going through a second time. I'm playing dumber, more relaxed and overall with less skill to see if I die while half-trying and just dicking around. I like to run at all the combine soldiers and crowbar them to death. There's just so much damn health thrown in this game I dont even care if I get hit down to like 10hp.

And that's different from HL1 because...(although I'll admit that HL2's level transitions were less smooth, they're very very far from game ruining and are still very well done)

 

[Mike521]

thanks for all the responses and opinions.

looks like the general consesus is to mainly focus on enjoying the overall atmosphere and soak up the atmosphere. I'll also be a lot more liberal with my ammo, I'm in full agreement with dumb dude and seppo -- the mp5 and handgun were my main weapons cause I was always like "damn something huge might be around the next corner, better conserve ammo"

personally I'm not at all disappointed with the game, but I wasn't a real huge half life fanboy type, so I wasn't anticipating it like everyone else was. I played hl1 and was kind of surprised at how excited everyone got over it, BUT I didn't play it till it was about 3 years old and lots of other games had ripped of it's ideas.

anyway I purposely didn't play hl2 again right after beating it because I wanted to wait till I was craving it. I knew if I forced a 2nd run through, I'd get bored.

I don't mind the linear style of the game. I don't know if any of you played the tomb raider that had multiple paths through the levels (either tr3 or tr4). I'm the type of person that I want to explore every area of every level to make sure I didn't miss anything, and on that tomb raider, I was always confused as hell as to which way was the RIGHT way to go, and furthermore I was always cautious that I'd accidentally go the right way and finish the level before I was done exploring. I think it was a good idea but it just didn't work for me. so I can accept linear levels.

 

[FireCrack]

The AI in this game is awesome. It just seems so easy becasue the combine dont have the same amount og health the marines did.

 

[Slik]

can someone tell me whats the cheat to get the blue grav gun?

edit: and the regular grav gun

 

[Laivasse]

The AI in this game is awesome. It just seems so easy becasue the combine dont have the same amount og health the marines did.

I agree, the AI wasn't bad at all, and I think the fact that the Combine don't take three double-barrel blasts to the face to go down speaks in the game's favour. They are easy to kill, but that makes your weapons feel more real, and the Combine also have the potential to cause a lot of damage - get strafed by a shotgun soldier while you're reloading and watch all your suit power go down the toilet. They behaved interestingly, too, backed off when hurt, and spread out so not to get bottlenecked, and contrary to what I saw someone say in another thread they don't "automatically know where you are after just seeing you once". Many times I've got lost in a confusing firefight, and turned a corner to find a soldier with his back to me. Fun stuff.

I didn't find it easy, either....played it on Hard 1st time, and perhaps I suck but on some parts I had to reload many times (prison sentrygun vs combine onslaught section, surrounded by striders on the ruins in Follow Freeman - no blind spots!). Those parts were NOT easy. I like to think that I'm at least an averagely skilled gamer...a friend handed me the control pad for the penultimate boss fight in MSG2. It was the first time I'd ever played the game but I nailed it after 2 or 3 attempts. HL2 prison/sentrygun bit took me maybe well over 10! That's not easy...IMHO the game was perfectly sized/pitched interms of difficulty.

As for linearity.....uh, don't play FPS games? Although perhaps you like enormous open air desert map special forces type shooters like Delta Force or whatever. How could HL2 become more of an "experience" by loosening the control in which it holds you? It was certainly an experience for me, although less so on this my 2nd time through now that the initial feeling of being overwhelmed by new quality moments has gone.

So now I'm playing it just for the sheer fun.