Wait... Where's the RPG soldiers?

[McGooTheWise]

I just realized this... I never saw the promised RPG soldiers in ep2... Were they cut just because they couldn't fit, or were they a huge problem for playtesters?

I think if the ladder is the case, valve could make it that the gravity gun can rip the rocket out of their hands, after all, rockets are scarce in the game... That would be useful...

 

[scotland1]

Yeah that was weird how there werent any. Maybe they were too hard.

 

[pomegranate]

They were on holiday, obviously.

 

[Mythics]

In the end battle (the Strider battle at White Forest) there's one rebel (or more?) at the Silo base with a RPG.

 

[Au-heppa]

There were citizen's with RPG in HL2, too. But apparently they are not to good at aiming with it, the missiles they shoot don't track you, they just go straight forward. That doesn't make that good enemies to fight against. EP2 was supposed to make them track you like the ones that the APC shoots.

 

[Frraksurred]

I believe they are talking about the Combine soldier that was carrying an RPG in the final battle from one of the earlier gameplay videos.

According to the commentary the soldiers were cut from that scene because they made it "too chaotic" during playtesting. It would however have been cool to see them work in an RPG carrying Combine some where in the game.

Perhaps in Ep3.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

They were supposed to be in the final battle but playtesters found it too difficult so they were cut shame they could not add them in when playing on Hard.

 

[bbson john]

And soldiers no longer throw grenade back. :|

 

[McGooTheWise]

And soldiers no longer throw grenade back. :|

Yeah, i noticed that... They just return grenade barrage... And the Hot Potatowned achievement was very annoying... I had to run up to a soldier carrying his grnade because they just don't deal enough damage to kill them unless they explode while they're standing on them.

 

[Irksome]

Apparently anything thats slightly challenging is a problem for the dolts that Valve hires to play-test for them.

 

[Iron_cube]

Though it wouldn't be exactly fun.

See red dot in your face, hear a explosion, quickreload.

Unless theres some kickass cover around, now that would have been good.

 

[Au-heppa]

I tested spawning a soldier with an RPG in EP2 and they wouldn't even shoot me.

And soldiers no longer throw grenade back. :|

Not (all) true. In that precise scene that you saw in the video, if you throw the grenade there in the same spot they will throw it back.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Do the RPG soldiars in the end game do anything to the striders?

 

[Iron_cube]

RPG soldier =/= RPG rebel

A rocket combine soldier in ep1 does shoot at you though, even with a big lack of animations.

 

[dogboy73]

Apparently anything thats slightly challenging is a problem for the dolts that Valve hires to play-test for them.

Seems that way. This would explain how shockingly easy it all is. I'm currenlty replaying the game on HARD (I couldn't before because my old system ran the game so badly) and so far it's been mostly a breeze. The only times I've died so far is during the first big Hunter battle (until I realsied there's a huge stash of health packs in the corner!) & once when a zombie soldier caught me out with a grenade. The only other times have been a result of my own incompetance when I've accidently hit the ALT fire button whilst using the SMG, firing a nade right infront of me! HL2 & the 2 episodes, although hugely enjoyable, have been a cakewalk. They need to up the challenge.

 

[Apocalypse89]

RPG soldier =/= RPG rebel

A rocket combine soldier in ep1 does shoot at you though, even with a big lack of animations.

When? I don't remember any Rocket Combines...

 

[Iron_cube]

Sorry, I meant when you spawn one in the game.

Seems that way. This would explain how shockingly easy it all is. I'm currenlty replaying the game on HARD (I couldn't before because my old system ran the game so badly) and so far it's been mostly a breeze. The only times I've died so far is during the first big Hunter battle (until I realsied there's a huge stash of health packs in the corner!) & once when a zombie soldier caught me out with a grenade. The only other times have been a result of my own incompetance when I've accidently hit the ALT fire button whilst using the SMG, firing a nade right infront of me! HL2 & the 2 episodes, although hugely enjoyable, have been a cakewalk. They need to up the challenge.

I think thats what the bigass upcoming fourth difficulty is for. Hopefully.

 

[leib10]

If they decided that the regular Combine soldiers in the final battle were too hard, RPG Combine soldiers certainly wouldn't make the cut.

 

[Tuskin]

has anyone tried spawning a combine with a RPG in EP2?

 

[kupocake]

They could have easily deployed a few Combine Soldiers in that last battle, to escalate the tension. The scene is pretty daft anyway:

"Oh Shit! More Striders incoming to the base! Oh... wait, don't worry, they're deploying them in the same place again, because deploying them on top of the base wouldn't make sense at all."

RPGs are an odd choice to equip mono-weapon wielding infantry with though. Valve could have equipped them with pistols or something, but that would have required an animation overhaul to allow them to switch weapons at range, something Valve may be reluctant to waste time on now that it seems that the Soldiers are really being moded out.

Plus, it always seemed that the Rocket Launchers were a resistance creation, and attached grenades / throwable grenades suited the Combine's role better.

 

[soulslicer]

there was one fighting the helicopter..right? on the platform.

 

[leib10]

Yeah, there's always been RPG-armed Rebels.

 

[Cheomesh]

We're talking about Combine Overwatch with RPG's.


I'd like to see in a mod or Ep3 a Combine "anti-vehicle" weapon; some sort of device that launches more powerful versions of the AR2 ball.

 

[pomegranate]

They could have easily deployed a few Combine Soldiers in that last battle, to escalate the tension. The scene is pretty daft anyway:

"Oh Shit! More Striders incoming to the base! Oh... wait, don't worry, they're deploying them in the same place again, because deploying them on top of the base wouldn't make sense at all."

Yeah, that whole scene seemed really false to me as well... very old-school, almost space invaders in the playing style..

 

[Cheomesh]

Yep. Any military man knows you need to back up your armor with infantry!

 

[Tamer17]

Yea, i really wish Valve won't just follow everything the playtesters say. RPG soldiers could have been great and so is the elevator puzzle Valve simplified because of the playtesters. The game needs challenge, cerebral and physical.

 

[kupocake]

Yeah, that whole scene seemed really false to me as well... very old-school, almost space invaders in the playing style..

"Sir, we're losing ships. What are you orders?"
"Increase speed, drop down and reverse direction!"

 

[leib10]

They could have easily deployed a few Combine Soldiers in that last battle, to escalate the tension. The scene is pretty daft anyway:

"Oh Shit! More Striders incoming to the base! Oh... wait, don't worry, they're deploying them in the same place again, because deploying them on top of the base wouldn't make sense at all."

I emailed Valve on exactly this matter, but all I got was a "Thanks for the feedback, glad you're enjoying Orange Box! -Jeremy Stone" reply.

:hmph:

 

[Cheomesh]

The last battle would be great if there where a couple fewer striders (-3) and some foot troops.

 

[Iron_cube]

has anyone tried spawning a combine with a RPG in EP2?

They do nothing.

At least they knew how to fire it in ep1, but I guess valve completely removed the lines that allowed them to use the gun.

 

[Jintor]

They could have easily deployed a few Combine Soldiers in that last battle, to escalate the tension. The scene is pretty daft anyway:

"Oh Shit! More Striders incoming to the base! Oh... wait, don't worry, they're deploying them in the same place again, because deploying them on top of the base wouldn't make sense at all."

RPGs are an odd choice to equip mono-weapon wielding infantry with though. Valve could have equipped them with pistols or something, but that would have required an animation overhaul to allow them to switch weapons at range, something Valve may be reluctant to waste time on now that it seems that the Soldiers are really being moded out.

Plus, it always seemed that the Rocket Launchers were a resistance creation, and attached grenades / throwable grenades suited the Combine's role better.

I'm pretty sure the Combine were just being their usual moronically cautious selves and worrying about all their Dropships getting hit by rocket fire. Although I don't get why the Hunters didn't get hit by rocket fire...

Honestly it felt like the citizens didn't do anything but throw medpacs at me the whole end battle. Cheapened the experience a little.

 

[dogboy73]

Honestly it felt like the citizens didn't do anything but throw medpacs at me the whole end battle. Cheapened the experience a little.

That's always been the problem with the HL2 series. No matter where you are or what you are doing your never far from a health pack. There are far to many an they remove a lot of the tension.

This wasn't so in the original HL. There the healthpacks/stations, as well as the ammo, was much sparser. Quite often you'd be struggling through an area with low life & not much ammo. You had to be really careful, make full use of cover, control your fire rate. There's not been many times throughout the whole HL2 series so far that requires that sort of gameplay.

 

[Jintor]

No, I meant the uselessness of the citizens. Even when they were screaming "OH MY GOD WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" and shooting rockets and shit at the hunters and striders it never felt like they were really doing anything. If they had all by themselves taken down one strider it would have felt so much more awesome.

And tbh I struggled through much of Ep 2 on low health and ammo, because I'm a shotgun whore and use it where I should just be chucking stuff instead.

 

[Cheomesh]

Would have been cool if there was an epic battle for the silo, one with Combine soldiers as well as the synths, and a crap load of rebels fighting with their infantry.