THREE things that Episode Two needs.

Born

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1. Advanced Combine Soldier AI. I remember the first day I played HL2. We all know that words cannot fully describe how awesome, mindblowing and pheunominal it was. Everything, absolutely everything had some kind of magical touch that VALVe had carefully applied, and no other company could come close to matching their superiority. After my fourth playthrough of HL2, I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed with the Combine Soldier AI. Episode One arrives - Alyx's AI = F*CKING AWESOME, I also noticed improvements in the Soldier AI: seemingly far more deadly, more flanking maneuvers, taking cover far more often when wounded etc. I was absolutely relieved and delighted when I discovered this; it really enhanced the gameplay even more - In the end, VALVe never lets you down. And now Episode Two is on the horizon. This is where I am hoping for a new overhaul of Soldier AI. Don't get me wrong, the Hunters are looking extraordinary in terms of AI and, well, everything. Since we are exploring large outdoor areas of forestry and such, I feel it would be even better if the Combine Soldier AI was cranked up a few notches. I have every faith in VALVe that they will pull some kind of fabulous trick!

2. Harder Difficulty Setting. An extra difficulty setting (Hardcore?) would be great in Episode Two. This would perhaps help the game appeal to a wider audience.

3. A New Weapon. Any new weapon (apart from the 'Strider Buster') at all in Episode Two would be a nice add-on to Gordon Freeman's arsenal I believe.

1 = Most Important, 3 = Least Important

That's (some) of my hopes. Everything else that I want to see in Episode Two has either been confirmed by VALVe or certain previews. What do you guys think of my three suggestions?
 
The soldier is actually very clever, HL2 simply doesn't showcase it very well (easy to kill, not enough time to show). I'm not too fussed about a new weapon. I don't need something new to shoot, but I definitely want more 'gadget' like weapons: Strider Buster, tampering with Rollermines etc. Harder difficulty would be great.
 
1. Harder difficulty level
2. Hotrod easier to drive than Buggy
3. More alone time than in Episode One (not to say there shouldn't be any Alyx/Vortigaunt contact at all, but a bit more alone time would be nice).
 
Thanks for all of your opinions! Great email from yourself and VALVe UseAbuse... whoah that's a humongous surprise! Great stuff... it'll be interesting to see how all of this turns out.
 
in one of the videos they gained the ability to throw back the nades that you throw at them.
 
Valve confirmed a "harder-than-hard" setting in Ep2, they havn't had the time to add it to Episode 1.

3. New weapon\device other than the buster. Maybe the S.L.A.M
2. A surprising comback of a HL1 enemy.
3. Combine overtaking Dog.

I'll use this to write about Ep3 as well:

1. A giant Itchy synth\combine modified as some sort of a "mini-boss" errupting from underneath the ice, while the player and all the rebels are on the icebreaker, trying to figure out how to kill it.
My idea is firing harpoons from launchers on the ship to pin the Itchy down so Gordon can go inside of him through the mouth and puncture\blow up the Itchy from the inside.
Along the way inside the Itchy it will be cool to have it's stomach full of some other HL2\Hl1 creatures inhabitants.
 
Well, there's already at least two new enemies, so I'm good to go. The fight in the forest - is that whole area really open, sandbox style? That'll be fun.
 
I doubt it'd be really open. I can imagine there being large areas, but not so much that it's exactly sandbox. There's probably still a very specific route.
 
1. Shepherd
2. Shepherd
























3. Seeing Samon explode.
 
Samon said:
I doubt it'd be really open. I can imagine there being large areas, but not so much that it's exactly sandbox. There's probably still a very specific route.
Click to expand...

The only thing I'm concerned about are load times for the bigger maps.
 
Samon said:
I doubt it'd be really open. I can imagine there being large areas, but not so much that it's exactly sandbox. There's probably still a very specific route.
Click to expand...

They'll be big like Highway 17/Sandtraps was big...
 
Born said:
1. Advanced Combine Soldier AI. I remember the first day I played HL2. We all know that words cannot fully describe how awesome, mindblowing and pheunominal it was. Everything, absolutely everything had some kind of magical touch that VALVe had carefully applied, and no other company could come close to matching their superiority. After my fourth playthrough of HL2, I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed with the Combine Soldier AI. Episode One arrives - Alyx's AI = F*CKING AWESOME, I also noticed improvements in the Soldier AI: seemingly far more deadly, more flanking maneuvers, taking cover far more often when wounded etc. I was absolutely relieved and delighted when I discovered this; it really enhanced the gameplay even more - In the end, VALVe never lets you down. And now Episode Two is on the horizon. This is where I am hoping for a new overhaul of Soldier AI. Don't get me wrong, the Hunters are looking extraordinary in terms of AI and, well, everything. Since we are exploring large outdoor areas of forestry and such, I feel it would be even better if the Combine Soldier AI was cranked up a few notches. I have every faith in VALVe that they will pull some kind of fabulous trick!

2. Harder Difficulty Setting. An extra difficulty setting (Hardcore?) would be great in Episode Two. This would perhaps help the game appeal to a wider audience.

3. A New Weapon. Any new weapon (apart from the 'Strider Buster') at all in Episode Two would be a nice add-on to Gordon Freeman's arsenal I believe.

1 = Most Important, 3 = Least Important

That's (some) of my hopes. Everything else that I want to see in Episode Two has either been confirmed by VALVe or certain previews. What do you guys think of my three suggestions?
Click to expand...

1. Happening.
2. Happening - at least last I heard, was planned for Episode One but was delayed. The extra hard mode will also be applied to Episode One and HL2.
3. Possible but doubtful - Valve is more interested in making new attacks with the gravity gun, eg. flares from Episode One, the Strider Buster, the Gunships mines.
 
Samon said:
The soldier is actually very clever, HL2 simply doesn't showcase it very well (easy to kill, not enough time to show).
Click to expand...

True. AI is very flexible, and it works great in complex (and small) levels. They can (unlike characters from other games) even do some amazing things without nodes.
 
Tamer17 said:
Valve confirmed a "harder-than-hard" setting in Ep2, they havn't had the time to add it to Episode 1.

3. New weapon\device other than the buster. Maybe the S.L.A.M
2. A surprising comback of a HL1 enemy.
3. Combine overtaking Dog.

I'll use this to write about Ep3 as well:

1. A giant Itchy synth\combine modified as some sort of a "mini-boss" errupting from underneath the ice, while the player and all the rebels are on the icebreaker, trying to figure out how to kill it.
My idea is firing harpoons from launchers on the ship to pin the Itchy down so Gordon can go inside of him through the mouth and puncture\blow up the Itchy from the inside.
Along the way inside the Itchy it will be cool to have it's stomach full of some other HL2\Hl1 creatures inhabitants.
Click to expand...

Whoah OVERWHELMING information from everyone, thanks! :cheers: Tamer17 can you provide evidence to back all these claims up? (don't get me wrong, it's f*cking delightful to hear all this) Possibly links?
 
You misread my post. Valve only confirmed the new difficulty setting. The rest is only my wishes.

The black-hole grenade gets my vote too.
 
Operational said:
3. Possible but doubtful - Valve is more interested in making new attacks with the gravity gun, eg. flares from Episode One, the Strider Buster, the Gunships mines.
Click to expand...
what about that mini-thumper people found (code + untextured model) in the ep2 portion of valve's particle benchmark?
 
Planetary said:
You mean the Hunter-chopper's mines, don't you? The gunships have nothing of the sort. :p
Click to expand...
Yea... that thing.... oh leave me alone I haven't had much sleep :) :sleep:

bellaLI! said:
what about that mini-thumper people found (code + untextured model) in the ep2 portion of valve's particle benchmark?
Click to expand...
I don't know much about that, however it wouldn't be the first time something has been found in the code which didn't make it into the game. I'm going on what Valve has said in numerous interviews.
 
bellaLI! said:
what about that mini-thumper people found (code + untextured model) in the ep2 portion of valve's particle benchmark?
Click to expand...


OK now... What thumper? Never heard of anything like that...
 
I thought the particle benchmark was only released to the press. How did anybody decompile it?
 
Well, you guys shouldnt forget about the Magnade, that's the new iventory weapon.

Pretty sure it was mentionned in one of the previews.
 
Right. Is it available for download... anywhere? Or details, at least.
 
tadago3.png


It's officialy not illegal, like Samon says.
 
I agree with the extra difficulty level and better A.I. The latter just sucks.

Don`t really care about the guns, I download my own.
Although some new cool weapons, that other games don`t have, would be cool.
 
I never said it was mentionned in this preview.

As a matter of fact, the Magnade is actually from the legal benchmark.
 
OK, then could you please enlighten us as to what this 'Magnade' is? What does it do? Etc...
 
Does it have the power to make itself look good?


When are the 'zades going to return anyway?
 
Thumpers are the big towers that bang the ground and scare antlions away.

Apparently the little ones are portable handheld versions.
 
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