Valve - Still figuring out Episode 3

[Evo]

A new feature from PC Zone has David Speyrer and Doug Lombardi talking in-depth on Episode 2 and Spreyrer talks a bit about Episode 3 and how they still don't exactly know the plan for it.[br]

"We don't know entirely what's happening in the next episode, but we're gonna figure it out!" laughed Speyrer.[br]"There are always things we want to do that we can't because of the constraints of either the story or the arc we've laid out for the gameplay - or just time. So we shelve them and carry on. Ideas fly around here quite a bit, so we have this huge laundry list of things to try for the next thing..."

This is a very good read, so head here for the whole article.

 

[Darkside55]

Haven't planned the story out fully? Don't worry, Valve--there's nothing delays can't fix!

 

[wlodi]

So, it means EP3 will be released some time in 2010?

 

[Avoidist]

Err... what? Is this some complete lack of foresight or just the way they've always rolled? Hopefully it's just the minor details, the outline/ending/incredibly primitive plot must be set out by now.

 

[99.vikram]

Err... what? Is this some complete lack of foresight or just the way they've always rolled? Hopefully it's just the minor details, the outline/ending/incredibly primitive plot must be set out by now.

That's how Valve rolls. They don't need our munnies, so they can take long vacations!

 

[Absinthe]

I was under the impression the ball was already rolling on Ep3.

This scares the shit out of me.

 

[nutcrackr]

oh dear, 2009 hi2u

 

[Insano]

I think was he's saying is that they don't exactly know what kind of features are going to be implemented. At least, I hope that's what he's saying.

 

[Shamrock]

I was under the impression the ball was already rolling on Ep3.

This scares the shit out of me.

I concur. Didn't they state in some articles that they were already working on Episode 3?

 

[DEATH eVADER]

They are taking the Indiana Jones approach...

"I'm making this up as I go along!"

"Again, all the explanatory matter bogged down the game, so we ditched it. There may still be some old lines hanging around in the .wav files, but I haven't looked..."

I'm interested, has anybody found these?

 

[Narvi]

Hmmm, the White Forest details need Hlwiking.

"In early drafts of the episode, Eli and Kleiner had warmed up White Forest all by themselves, somehow, in the brief time after fleeing City 17. This seemed ridiculous, so we developed a backstory in which Black Mesa had acquired an extremely cheap Cold War bunker and developed some projects in response to budgetary and oversight problems associated with basing all work in North America.

 

[Absinthe]

I concur. Didn't they state in some articles that they were already working on Episode 3?

Yeah, which begs the question: How far along were they at the time of writing? If he's referring to a few gameplay scenarios or the episode's ending, I'm fine with that. The quote just makes it sound like it's barely left its conceptualization.

I trust this isn't the case, seeing as how we're already seeing some goodies showing up in the SDK, a few of which have very interesting implications.

EDIT: Well, shit. I just learned that the SDK references I was speaking of were leftovers and have nothing to do with Ep3. Now I don't know what to think.

 

[Asknoone]

He obviously doesn't mean they are still working on the basics. We know that they already started working on it way back in early ep2 development, and the progression toward the Arctic has been evident since ep1; I think one of the designers mentions gameplay tests for the third episode in 2? I take this as to mean that Valve are still working on what they really want to do in a setting that's arguably radically different to anything that's come before it.

I don't want Valve to just pave the episode with snow textures and call it a done deal – there's so much scope for this setting. Do it right plox.

 

[redruM]

This doesn't exactly sound like great news, but I'm ready to wait as long as it takes as long as Ep.3 is as high-quality as all previous Valve releases.

Also, off-topic but I found this on the site the interview is on. Looks pretty cool, even has a "telekinesis gun" (HL2 gravity gun, basically).

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Do it right plox.

Oh dear.

 

[Qhartb]

I don't think this is a matter of not knowing where the story should go so much as it's a matter deciding of what new skills the player should develop and gameplay they want to implement to support the story and tie the episode together.

 

[Epsi]

I think Valve knows all the major story "beats" but with Valve their primary consideration is, as ever, "is it fun?" and the story and gameplay and level design and whatever will always take a backseat to that.

Add this together with the fact that gameplay and story constrain each other, they have to keep everything in flux a little until they've nailed down the fun to stop it escaping.

 

[Mess]

On a side-note, any mod that does not follow valve's playtesting methods deserves to fail. They've emphasised it so much over the last few interviews.

 

[Omnomnick]

Wonder what they are making otherwise...

 

[Para]

This is what I was afraid of originally when Episodes were announced...they've run out of story to tell mainly because they were trying to make three games instead of one which at Valve productivity pace means 18 years of game making.

 

[MJ12]

I am more worried about them rushing ep.3 than it being delayed for a long time, because so many third installments to things fall short.

 

[Intamin]

I am more worried about them rushing ep.3 than it being delayed for a long time, because so many third installments to things fall short.

Yeah, but this is Valve.

I mean, most middle-men in trilogies suffer from being tame/lame/just a carrier to get to the good stuff in the third and final film/game/etc. So if Episode 2, being what it was, is this "slump," I think we'll be quite alright.

 

[Para]

Yeah, but this is Valve.

I mean, most middle-men in trilogies suffer from being tame/lame/just a carrier to get to the good stuff in the third and final film/game/etc. So if Episode 2, being what it was, is this "slump," I think we'll be quite alright.

Episode 2 sucked. Yes, not all think that's the truth but there's a substantial amount of us who do. Episode 2 runs out of story about middle way through the episode and the ending was really jumping the shark.

 

[Intamin]

Episode 2 sucked. Yes, not all think that's the truth but there's a substantial amount of us who do. Episode 2 runs out of story about middle way through the episode and the ending was really jumping the shark.

Well, I would be sad to have your expectations, but to each their own.

 

[Pesmerga]

Para, what? Who is this substantial amount of people who think Episode 2 sucks?

Episode 2 is ****ing awesome, and you're a tit.

 

[Houndini]

as long as they dont rush it i'll be find.

 

[Para]

Well, I would be sad to have your expectations, but to each their own.

I expected Valve to keep up with their previous quality which they didn't with Ep2.

Para, what? Who is this substantial amount of people who think Episode 2 sucks?

Episode 2 is ****ing awesome, and you're a tit.

This is HL2.net, a place for HL2 fanboys. Those who dislike HL2 don't frequent here, I'm here mostly because of Portal/TF2 discussions nowadays.

And don't get me wrong, Ep2 wasn't as bad as Bioshock but I did feel partly robbed after it. Thankfully Orange Box had other content too which made the whole package great.

 

[Operational]

we developed a backstory in which Black Mesa had acquired an extremely cheap Cold War bunker and developed some projects in response to budgetary and oversight problems associated with basing all work in North America.

Never knew that, I thought White Forest was something the Resistance worked on after the Black Mesa Incident.

 

[MattyDienhoff]

As far as I can tell, the "Black Mesa owned White Forest" thing was going to be the backstory, but they dropped the idea.

 

[99.vikram]

And don't get me wrong, Ep2 wasn't as bad as Bioshock but I did feel partly robbed after it. Thankfully Orange Box had other content too which made the whole package great.

Episode 2 and Bioshock...bad? Honestly, for all their flaws those two were still the best shooters of 2007.

 

[ríomhaire]

And don't get me wrong, Ep2 wasn't as bad as Bioshock but I did feel partly robbed after it.

You must have very high standards mustn't be a fan of the FPS genre. Bioshock and EP2 are two of the best FPSs I've played in a while.

 

[soulslicer]

That's what causes a bit of fear in me(rushing the game) I would like them to take as long as they want, perhaps increases the gameplay time of Ep3 if at all. After all, this is the final installment.

 

[Druckles]

Haven't planned the story out fully? Don't worry, Valve--there's nothing delays can't fix!

Damn right.

And don't get me wrong, Ep2 wasn't as bad as Bioshock but I did feel partly robbed after it. Thankfully Orange Box had other content too which made the whole package great.

Dude, Bioshock was not bad. "Don't get me wrong" implies that you're on the same level as us in some respects. It sounds to me like you don't actually play FPSs very often...