To make the *perfect* game: HL2 + Doom3 lighting + FarCry AI

[wazoo]

Overall, HL2 is the best I've play since I began computer gaming back in the Apple ][ days....

However, like most things, there is room for improvement.

Graphics: They are simply stunning and VERY immersive. That being said, if they could just add per pixel lighting ala Doom 3... WOW! Overall I like HL2's graphic environments better, but not sure if that is just great level design or the engine itself. Either way, adding per pixel lighting to this awesome engine would be amazing.

AI: Yes, the Combine does *generally* use cover, flank, etc. However, they *still* will eventually expose themselves giving you a pretty clear shot.... or follow you into a room allowing you to cut them to pieces. IMHO, FarCry has the best enemy AI of any game I've played. Again, it too is not without flaws, but I felt more challenged by those Mercs than by the Combine.

Add those two things and this game would be damn near perfect.


Wazoo

 

[Mickeey]

If they had to added doom 3 lightnings, you woulda had to use a NASA computer....juuust like in doom 3, i had constant laggin'...

Im running 30-40 fps - medium settings on hl2...and im quite satisfied with that..since my computer is in the low-end
1.3 ghz
256 Mb RAM
Geforce 4MX 440 :O :thumbs:

I happended to get 10-20 fps in doom 3 - Low settings, and it could only handle 3-6 monsters at once, also on high-end computers :O

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

Far-Cry AI could be incredibly stupid.. I could run up and melee them because they just chased me around trees infintly...

 

[Nex9k9]

Hmmm.... i dont know about using the Doom 3 lighting.

I mean they are both very different types of games with different styles.

As for the A.I i wasnt disapointed. But i admit it could have been so much better.

 

[PvtRyan]

Can't say I agree with that
Doom 3 is a great engine, but it's either an engine like Source or Doom, can't combine the best of both worlds yet due to hardware constraints. HL2 = designed for Source.

And I feel the Far Cry AI is inferior to HL2 AI, only Halo (2) AI is up there with HL2 (although they excel more as individuals, not groups). Granted, Far Cry was very hard, but that had more to do with the fact that they had the aim of a sniper and the eyes of an eagle. And they were just plain annoying with their hide-behind-a-tree game.

To make the perfect game:

Hl2 + squad system of Freedom Fighters

 

[Mickeey]

For me it would have been a perfect game if the cutted out maps, weapons, enemies were in...and that you would be able to lift dead corpses with the NORMAL gravity gun, that dog wasn't scripted, that there could been at least 3 diffrent faces on the zombies...no graphical needs to add really, its all about the gameplay...the graphics and effects in hl2 owns :naughty:

 

[Megalomaniac]

If they had to added doom 3 lightnings, you woulda had to use a NASA computer....juuust like in doom 3, i had constant laggin'...

Im running 30-40 fps - medium settings on hl2...and im quite satisfied with that..since my computer is in the low-end
1.3 ghz
256 Mb RAM
Geforce 4MX 440 :O :thumbs:

I happended to get 10-20 fps in doom 3 - Low settings, and it could only handle 3-6 monsters at once, also on high-end computers :O

I hate that card but i got the same one...but its true

 

[Sanius]

Doom 3 is a beatiful game! but half-life 2..looks great, I don't see the need for shadows like doom 3 (even though doom 3 does have accurate, and great shadows). I never played half-life 2, by the way. I'm just speaking from what I have seen (28 days I will have it )

 

[Mickeey]

Yea sucky card, but i was amazed when i killed my first combines without any graphical disturbs I woulda thought it need alittle more like 2.0, 512ram,graphcard with dx9 to run it smooth in medium :hmph:

 

[Megalomaniac]

I know, Mine runs great, I turn everything up all the way...but since the card can't do any of the fancy shiat it just loads longer and looks better...

But you are missing something importent, I good story, if you have a good AI and great graphics(with or without Doom3 shaders) you still need a great story

 

[CriYam]

Wait a sec... doom3 has lighting? Maybe if I crank my gamma up I can some.....

 

[Ownzed]

Wait a sec... doom3 has lighting? Maybe if I crank my gamma up I can some.....

Lol, yeah.

 

[Acert93]

AI: Yes, the Combine does *generally* use cover, flank, etc. However, they *still* will eventually expose themselves giving you a pretty clear shot.... or follow you into a room allowing you to cut them to pieces. IMHO, FarCry has the best enemy AI of any game I've played. Again, it too is not without flaws, but I felt more challenged by those Mercs than by the Combine.

I found the HL2 AI much better. The FarCry AI sees/hears you miles away, which is totally unrealistic. They often spot you far off in the jungle :/ HL2 they do not magically KNOW where you are, which is great. In FarCry you make a noise or something and they are all over you. I do not consider this good AI. Any game can make the bots super sensative, making them act like humans is much harder. The big difference is the FarCry AI is set to be more accurate and their guns do more damage. You can read more of my thoughts here if you wish

 

[Warbie]

HL2 with the combat and weapons of Golden Eye/Perfect Dark, the challenge of Halo/Halo 2, and the sense of purpose the original HL offered, would be perfect

 

[Sparta]

Yeah true they are more accurate with their guns then the combine.
But the combine (particularly the Overwatch soldiers more then Metrocops) can still be pretty impressive when they assess the situation fast enough.

Personally, i think that Freedom Fighters has the best A.I ever. They do everything that the Far Cry mercs and Half-Life 2's A.I does, but they don't cheat or have glitches like the Far Cry mercs nor do they stand still for too long like Half-Life 2's.

They flank you, they search for you, they take cover, they leap (literally) from grenades and they're never boring to fight.

seriously, go out and rent this game then play it on Hard to see what i'm talking about. Its a terrific game (also its squad commands are alot like Half-Life 2's, but its so much better and easier to use)

 

[CriYam]

HL2 they do not magically KNOW where you are, which is great.

I notice the allied NPC's will "follow" enemy NPC's through walls.

They will stare at the wall and continually turn to face wherever the enemy is moving. They can obviously see him and are ready to fight as soon as the enemy walks through the door.

I haven't watched if the enemy does the same, I'll have to spawn some inside a house and wireframe to watch them.

 

[Sparta]

I notice the allied NPC's will "follow" enemy NPC's through walls.

They will stare at the wall and continually turn to face wherever the enemy is moving. They can obviously see him and are ready to fight as soon as the enemy walks through the door.

I haven't watched if the enemy does the same, I'll have to spawn some inside a house and wireframe to watch them.

That's weird, i've never seen that happen.

 

[ScRaTcH-A-HoLiC]

That's weird, i've never seen that happen.

never happend to me either..

 

[wazoo]

Yeah true they are more accurate with their guns then the combine.
But the combine (particularly the Overwatch soldiers more then Metrocops) can still be pretty impressive when they assess the situation fast enough.

Personally, i think that Freedom Fighters has the best A.I ever. They do everything that the Far Cry mercs and Half-Life 2's A.I does, but they don't cheat or have glitches like the Far Cry mercs nor do they stand still for too long like Half-Life 2's.

They flank you, they search for you, they take cover, they leap (literally) from grenades and they're never boring to fight.

seriously, go out and rent this game then play it on Hard to see what i'm talking about. Its a terrific game (also its squad commands are alot like Half-Life 2's, but its so much better and easier to use)

Never tried Freedom Fighters... I'll give it a go...

What I liked about Far Cry AI (and yes, I agree with other crits above i.e. super sight/hearing [sometimes while in another room!]) was that you could NOT stay put once spotted. If they have the numbers, they'll flush you out. I found that this added to my immersion factor by feeling like "oh sh*t! They've spotted me! Now I've got to figure out something QUICK!

I rarely got that feeling in HL2.... although, again... HL2 is a far cry better than, well, Far Cry. :E

Wazoo

 

[Sparta]

Never tried Freedom Fighters... I'll give it a go...

What I liked about Far Cry AI (and yes, I agree with other crits above i.e. super sight/hearing [sometimes while in another room!]) was that you could NOT stay put once spotted. If they have the numbers, they'll flush you out. I found that this added to my immersion factor by feeling like "oh sh*t! They've spotted me! Now I've got to figure out something QUICK!

I rarely got that feeling in HL2.... although, again... HL2 is a far cry better than, well, Far Cry. :E

Wazoo

Yeah, plus it was ALOT harder to spot them in a jungle so it made the situation more tense then Half-Life 2.

 

[wazoo]

Yeah, plus it was ALOT harder to spot them in a jungle so it made the situation more tense then Half-Life 2.

Which also reminds me... I REALLY wish there was an "iron sights" option in HL2 ala Call of Duty. I find it VERY cool to be looking down the sights of the gun when firing. Really puts you in the game. I was kinda surprised they did not include that in HL2...

 

[CriYam]

That's weird, i've never seen that happen.

I just went to sandtrap and spawned a bunch of citizens inside with smg's and a bunch of soldiers outside, now it looks like there might be "cracks" in the walls because when I lure a soldier along the wall I can see the NPC look and ready his weapon but only briefly.

And I also noticed that NPC's only go on alert if something is in plain sight. (maybe just the ones I spawned)

They will also turn and look at whoever is being shot at, but don't clue in that there is trouble they just can't immediately see.

 

[Ames]

Which also reminds me... I REALLY wish there was an "iron sights" option in HL2 ala Call of Duty. I find it VERY cool to be looking down the sights of the gun when firing. Really puts you in the game. I was kinda surprised they did not include that in HL2...

Well..basically...HL2 is not a realism game....so yea.

You could still mod it in if you really want.

 

[Lobster]

Its funny, earlier today i was playing the bridge map on hard, and this one combine soldier was being a bitch, id softened him up and he had backed into a building, then when i went to toss a nade, he came running out all guns blazing, and i had to strafe run with him just to get a good shot.

Then there was a great moment where 3 combine guys ran into a shed, only to be viscerated by the antlion or two that had ran in from the back door.

In my mind Half-Life 2's ai is good, but not fully realised within either the enemies or the maps, id like to see some more extensive tests done when the full sdk comes out.

 

[Cole]

No game is perfect.
Perfect can only be in an opinon. Onless everything at that moment in time sees it to be perfect in the concious and unconcious mind with no doubt in any possible way, then for that moment that thing was perfect.

 

[Fighter]

Far Cry AI apears smarter on open maps where path finding is easier. When inside it is not impressive.

 

[Gordon Bleu]

Was the Far Cry full release AI different to the AI in the demos? Because in the demo jungle I'd just crouch in a bush and have the mercs not just running into me, but pushing me along the ground and still not see me. I'd be able to kill five of them in a row just by crouching in a bush and nailing them when they walked towards me without them being able to see me.

I felt the HL2 AI could have been better, but it's still fun to clear out buildings and there's always a few grenades to dodge.

 

[the_stalker]

If they had to added doom 3 lightnings, you woulda had to use a NASA computer....juuust like in doom 3, i had constant laggin'...

Im running 30-40 fps - medium settings on hl2...and im quite satisfied with that..since my computer is in the low-end
1.3 ghz
256 Mb RAM
Geforce 4MX 440 :O :thumbs:

I happended to get 10-20 fps in doom 3 - Low settings, and it could only handle 3-6 monsters at once, also on high-end computers :O

woah! really?! how does it work so smoothly with those specs? is the card pci or agp?

 

[Walkman]

the only time where i could see the Doom 3 lighting being put to amazing use would be in the Ravenholm stage or at the last of the game. i mean, the use of lighting in doom was to create atmosphere and it was a very different atmostphere than hl2 running around in streets or coastlines. just what i was thinking

 

[Mickeey]

woah! really?! how does it work so smoothly with those specs? is the card pci or agp?

I have no idea I have Model detail and texture details on medium, no anti-alaising, Filter: Trilinair, water reflection: low

everything in the game looks great, just some minor lack of details with the water, since mx440 is directX 7 only

btw: its agp and it runs like a fresh oiled motor :naughty:

 

[lammmbda]

sky of halo, fire of doom3, thats all really
ohh ya, bleeding in water ijn farcry

hl2 is better anyway

 

[wazoo]

the only time where i could see the Doom 3 lighting being put to amazing use would be in the Ravenholm stage or at the last of the game. i mean, the use of lighting in doom was to create atmosphere and it was a very different atmostphere than hl2 running around in streets or coastlines. just what i was thinking

Yes... Ravenholm would be perfect for Doom 3 lighting.... or most interior scenes... but particularly Ravenholm.

If there is one thing, IMHO, that Doom 3 did VERY well... it was creating great tension and mood with lighting... and yes... I too got bored of "step on switch, Zombie Closet opens behind you". However.... the game *did* scare the crap out of me multiple times.. and for a game... that ain't too bad.

I'll be intereted to see what licensees do with both the Doom 3 engine and the Source engine (not counting Bloodlines).

It was the people that did the licensing of the Quake engine (Valve included), that did more with the engine than Id every did in my opinion.

Wazoo

 

[wazoo]

Well..basically...HL2 is not a realism game....so yea.

You could still mod it in if you really want.

That would be a mod I'd look forward to....

Even though not technically a "realism" game, I still think gameplay would benefit from an immersion standpoint.

 

[wazoo]

sky of halo, fire of doom3, thats all really
ohh ya, bleeding in water ijn farcry

hl2 is better anyway

Dark room lighting of Doom 3 was amazing. That one level where you follow that glowing blue container on the conveyor with the monster inside through the pitch-black. That was down right beautiful!

[POTENTIAL SPOILER - NAMING MONSTER IN RAVENHOLM]
However, I think that model animation is MUCH more convincing in HL2. Those zombie-werewolf dudes are HELLA cool! Watching them run and jump over the rooftops was forkin' creepy and beautiful to behold. I found Doom 3 character animation kinda stiff and not too natural looking (full well realizing the absurdity of comparing computer generated demons to real-world motion :rolling: )

And yes... the fire was NICE in Doom 3....