Unrealized Potential

[BWMASTER]

I beleive alot of people do not yet realize the full potential of the source engine and basically of HL2.
We only register what we see, in the videos, in the screenshot which are all carefully selected to hide alot of details about the engine and the game itself.
The producers at valve announced HL2 in such a way that we were deceived, the game doesn't feel like it's been in production for 5 years, it's more like 1 year.

I recently decided to review some of the previews on HL2. In the Gamespy preview I found some intresting info that the majority of people(including myself) missed or didnt register through on the first read.

"...With enemies on the way, our hero ducked into a nearby door and crouched down, but the enemy knocked out the door's small window with a head-mounted camera, looked around, and proceeded to pound through the metal door to get inside.

Newell explained that this wasn't technically a scripted sequence, but instead part of the character AI, checking to see if the player is nearby and then launching into a special attack. As Newell explained, "It checks to see if there's anything cool it can do," … "

At first read what I thought is that he was talking about the traptown video. But I clearly missed a few details.

" The strider made its way to the arch, realized it was too tall to get through, crouched and did a limbo to scoot under the archway, straightening back up on the other side. None of this appeared to be scripted: We're told this is all real AI and physics, and the movements are completely believable as the creature scoots under the arch. "

This seemed like it was the final scene of the 25 min video but then I read further...

"For his trouble, we hit the Strider a few times with our shotgun, and you could practically see the life drain out of the creature, as it collapsed to earth in a convincing manner."

We cannot even begin to criticise the engine, or fear that it may get a bit too overhyped. For a game that has been in production 5 years we are sure to get something completely new that surpasses everything on the market.

Not taking in consideration the carachter interactivity, emotions, face muscles, lip sync...

Not taking in consideration the mods that are to follow...

HL2 will still own !

 

[Guest]

Man, you just killed me with your usefull information. thanks.:thumbs:

 

[subs]

agrreed, and in terms of gfx...

yah and dont forget these videos are FULL SIZED and NOT SUPER HIGH QUALITY like every other firggin company does....

wait for some ff af.

 

[BWMASTER]

Breethe now.....don't let go.... ...lol

Thanx

 

[Guest]

hhahaha, it good to know that the AIs are not scripted, but we have one majore problem is what does the graphics look like now?:cheers:

 

[BWMASTER]

I'd rather save it as a surprise when playing the game.It's 100% better when you discover it on your own and on the spot.

 

[Guest]

YES I agree with you, Now I will go to my bed its dam 3.30 am in THE UK. have a nice day/night...:cheese:

 

[Sparky the Fox]

i wouldn't suggest that you continue to move hl2 up onto higher and higher pedestals unless you want to ultimately disappoint yourself. don't expect anything and what you'll get will be much more satisfying than if you kept telling yourself how amazing it'll be. valve tells/shows what they think will make the game look good. we don't know about many bugs, gameplay issues, or things that might possibly be there to make the game less enjoyable. we don't know if that strider will do the same thing every time, making its proclaimed advanced AI no different than a scripted event. we don't know if the story will be amazing, or will just be average fare. we don't know enough about hl2 to give it such expectations. what if it's just a slightly-above average shooter with great technology? you'll be totally disappointed because your huge expectations will make anything short of revolutionary 100% amazing seem like crap. anyone remember unreal 2?

ya should draw your conclusions about the game when you have it on your hard-drive and you're playing it. not from information valve releases to hype their product.

 

[BWMASTER]

I'm just looking at the fact that the game has been in development for 5 years. Also just by looking at the videos can give you a sense of what the game will look like.

In the end, concerning AI, I don't really care if it is scripted or not, if it looks good then it is good.

Which brings up the question asking if there is such a thing as "not scripted" .

I mean it has to be scriped to be "not scripted" in the first place, right?

I love this doggy...

 

[Sparky the Fox]

well yeah, it's always gonna do certain things. it can't actually create its own solutions, though that'd be pretty neat

and i guess we can at least take comfort with the knowledge that half-life 2 is actually the sequel to the original. i'm still pretty bitter over unreal 2

 

[Impute]

YAY hl2!

 

[SpuD]

Originally posted by Impute
YAY hl2!

yet another highly intelligent and helpful thread in the debating process.

 

[RabidMeatloaf]

After watching the E3 strider vid many times, I do belive that it was AI at work, it just seemed that way.

Thanks for the info nonetheless!:cheers:

 

[BWMASTER]

*ahem* Post or Thread...

LOL

 

[Ridic]

see lol this is the funny thing....the videos on steam look great, they already look like the best fps graphics out (besides a few minor glitches in the vids) but remember that the steam videos are 1 year old and some of them arnt on max settings....just imagin how the game will look when your playing it on your system. im not saying the grpahics will look so much better or totaly different but just think about it...they have had a whole year to update, fix, and detial the graphics.

 

[LoneDeranger]

Originally posted by [Hunter]Ridic
see lol this is the funny thing....the videos on steam look great, they already look like the best fps graphics out (besides a few minor glitches in the vids) but remember that the steam videos are 1 year old and some of them arnt on max settings....just imagin how the game will look when your playing it on your system. im not saying the grpahics will look so much better or totaly different but just think about it...they have had a whole year to update, fix, and detial the graphics.

No, I think the steam videos were recorded only recently. After e3 at the very least.

 

[subs]

suck.......

it......


haha just kiding.

 

[what]

Originally posted by LoneDeranger
No, I think the steam videos were recorded only recently. After e3 at the very least.

They were recorded off of the exact demos and exact build of the Source engine as the videos shown at E3. The build of the Source engine shown at E3 was rumored and I believe confirmed somewhere to be from around Sept-Nov of 2002.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Originally posted by Sparky the Fox
i wouldn't suggest that you continue to move hl2 up onto higher and higher pedestals unless you want to ultimately disappoint yourself. don't expect anything and what you'll get will be much more satisfying than if you kept telling yourself how amazing it'll be.

anyone remember unreal 2?

i agree Sparky

pple are over hyping the game.. and expecting something so mind blowing that ultimately they are setting themselves up for a disappoint..


i mean we get threads like "omg no media today" to threads like "no ffsa/af omg that sux!" its pretty sad.. just take everything with a grain of salt.. and u should be fine..

 

[Guest]

when I heard hl2 was delayed I hit the bottle hard and I started talkin about how life has such bad graphics and its fps su0xxors and that I want better sys specs and shyyyt

 

[gragland]

has anyone tried asking gabe newall what build the vids are from?

 

[A.I.]

I think we must remember what happened after Quake engines or Unreal. Many developers bought them for their own games and I think that Valve has also made a very profitable engine, not only because of graphics but of everything that engine includes and what every game should have - physics, good A.I., lifelike NPCs, a good story (and a storyteller) and all other elements, all in one game. It's a real shame (and disappointing) when a game has great graphics, for example, but it lacks in all the rest. Finally, it looks, there came a game who has it all - Half-Life 2.

 

[Lifthz]

Talk is cheap. Seeing/doing is the real task.

 

[Punzz]

i didnt realise that it blew that arch way cause it couldnt get through .. lol how stupid am i

 

[Lifthz]

If I was the Strider I would've hopped over the arch. Lol.

 

[BWMASTER]

If I was a strider I hould hop and impale 3 individuals at a time with my feet.

Then I would roast then on an open fire and eat them (shiskebab...mmmmm....)

 

[CyberDOG]

Was it just me or did anyone else get that "WOAAAH!!!"-feeling when the strider shot the archway to bits? :E

 

[BWMASTER]

I wonder what would of happend if that peice of concrete hit Gordon's head.

/me thinks...

 

[Impute]

Originally posted by LoneDeranger
No, I think the steam videos were recorded only recently. After e3 at the very least.

I am kind of with you. I think that they just updated the maps, Art etc, and used the same demos from the e3 show, with just a new build of the engine/game.

Because all a demo really does is play back where objects are in a map.

Take hl for now as an example. You record a CS demo with the original guns. Then you download new guns. Play the demo back, and voila, the demo shows the new gun. Same thing with textures.

Just what I think.

 

[Vitalogy]

Good points BWMASTER. We criticize it so much, and we list suggestions, but dont you think that if they have been making it for 5 years they would have thought of nearly everything? Movies dont show how good the game is. When you play it and you see the enemy doing the things like in the videos, but differently every time and interacting differently with what you do, I think we will all see these 5 years put to good use.

Also, my opinion is that they are leaving the graphics settings on low and no AA or AF and such so that we are more blown away with the game. I mean, they cant show us everything because then it just loses interest.

 

[EVIL]

Originally posted by BWMASTER
I wonder what would of happend if that peice of concrete hit Gordon's head.

/me thinks...

all objects are physical simulated with lifelike propperties and mass.. so a big brick to the head of gordon would definatly end his life

imagine multiplayer, picking up big brick with the manipulator and launch them at players

 

[ferd]

damn right you are damn right i am to

 

[ferd]

Originally posted by EVIL
all objects are physical simulated with lifelike propperties and mass.. so a big brick to the head of gordon would definatly end his life

imagine multiplayer, picking up big brick with the manipulator and launch them at players

we dont know if the MP will support that

 

[BWMASTER]

MP better support it .....it's a feature of the engine afterall...

 

[Z|insane]

Yeah... It would be fun throwing a dumpster at someone only to have them catch it with their manipulator and send it back at you ... either killing you or catching it.... Hmmm fun with gernades...

 

[Sparky the Fox]

i hope the manipulator isnt enabled online. it seems like it'd ruin the gameplay unless it had some kind of energy requirement instead of the infinite ammo thing it looks like it has going on now.

 

[trantjd]

Originally posted by Z|insane
Yeah... It would be fun throwing a dumpster at someone only to have them catch it with their manipulator and send it back at you ... either killing you or catching it.... Hmmm fun with gernades...

hehe, like "hot potato" except the potato isn't hot and when time's up, it blows up and you die!!! die die DIE!!!!!

 

[Sparky the Fox]

if you can't pick other people up, what makes you think you'll be able to pick up something much, much heavier like a dumpster?

 

[BWMASTER]

i think its very likely it will be in MP because look at BLack and White's multiplayer.

You play online and fight other "gods" you throw a rock to their village to kill it and they can catch it. It doesn't affect performance overall...

 

[Stingey]

black and white was absed on the terrain interactivity aspect hl 2 is based on the fysics (typo sorry im a annoying 14 year old dutch kid)
if you could pick up other living people it would ruin the game but i dont think taht is possible in hl2 and any mods
and the brick trowing would be nice but i dont know

think about this: "Day of defeat THe axis are coming to storm the main door" You use a modded gravity gun that looks liek your own hands and put stuff infront of the door" "the axis use explosives and you get killed by the debree and objects flying around"
NOW THAT IS SERIOUS GAMING