When will they reveal Multiplayer?

[Wesisapie]

the cod:uo demo lasted about 5 minutes.

 

[JPack]

We've seen the HL2 Main Menu screenshots from E3 2004 demos and there's no "Multiplayer" menu option there.

I'm fairly certain the game had been finalized at that time.

Personally, I suspect CS:S may be the only MP feature in HL2. At best, there may be some sort of simple Deathmatch-esque thing in the game, but I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't.

 

[fez]

ppl seem to forget that CS is STILL the most played multiplayer fps in the world. now if i was valve i know id be spending more time creating cs:s than hl2dm which has a fraction of the players that cs has. a lot of cs players will buy hl2 simply to get cs:s

its called common sense, u might wanna try it sometime

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

We've seen the HL2 Main Menu screenshots from E3 2004 demos and there's no "Multiplayer" menu option there.

I'm fairly certain the game had been finalized at that time.

Yes, and they started CS:S as a seperate game.
You are aware that they make a special build, just for E3, aren't you?

Personally, I suspect CS:S may be the only MP feature in HL2. At best, there may be some sort of simple Deathmatch-esque thing in the game, but I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't.

That would still be a multiplayer mode then, wouldn't it?

 

[Sparta]

We've seen the HL2 Main Menu screenshots from E3 2004 demos and there's no "Multiplayer" menu option there.

Wrong. halflife84 from PlaneHalflife who did a CS:S Preview AND got those HL2 SIGGRAPH screenshots said in a chatroom before the article that there IS a multiplayer option in the HL2 menu. But unfortunately he didn't click it :S

I'd presume that Valve would make 2 seperate icons on the desktop for CS:S and HL2 multiplayer, and if there was no HL2 Multiplayer, it would be pretty misleading to have a multiplayer option in the menu for HL2 that just leads you to CS:S

 

[Mr. Redundant]

hopefuly CS:S isnt Hl2's MP, however they have said nothing contrary to that.. so at the same time... dont get your hopes up.

the cod:uo demo lasted about 5 minutes.

as did the Tribes Vengeance sp demo (and the mp beta got boring after about an hour or two)

 

[Wesisapie]

maybe i will just play doom3 on nightmare instead.

 

[czrsink]

How difficult would it be for Valve to use the multiplayer elements of Source, stick 6 or so well-balanced maps together and chuck in the weapons from the single-player game?

Exactly.

If we're getting Half Life 2 multiplayer, that's what it's going to be. I'm sure of it.

 

[czrsink]

I'm sure the maps will be based on locations from the single player game as well - Nova Prospekt would be quite good, as would the apartment blocks and the streets of City 17.

 

[Lanthanide]

It's a little more complicated than that.

Source just provides the multiplayer framework, specific code/design needs to be done for each specific game due to specific things in that game.

 

[piggy]

if its not in the original game it will be modded in... so why whine about it?

 

[czrsink]

I don't think it's that complicated for someone with as much experience as Valve.

Take CS:S, speed it up a bit, change the weapons, change the maps, add 64 spawn points...Team DM - doddle. I could do it in 1 day if I had a shred of programming knowledge ... ahem.

 

[Lanthanide]

No, I'm not saying it's complicated, but you (more or less) implied that the Source engine would do all the work for them.

 

[NeLi]

I hope they release a Half-Life 2: Uplink

 

[Lanthanide]

That's scary to think about.

 

[Rupertvdb]

I reckon we'll discover the multiplayer when the game comes out. Regardless of the end result knocking a general deathmatch together would not be challenging to some half decent modders.

I still think Valve have just kept stum rather than the theory that CS:S is the mp.

 

[cylyk]

come on guys, there is absolutely NO reason there wouldn't be HL2DM. COME ON that would be absolutely retarded of valve.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

Here's Gabe's quote from the E3 2004 gameplay movie that Gamespy made..

"So.. A lot of people have asked us about multiplayer, and SOMETHING we've been doing is taking all of the.. what we built for Half-Life 1, and making it work on the source engine."

Now, is it just me, or does "something" imply that there's more than one thing?

 

[Lanthanide]

I believe he's talking about the HL1 mod conversion system in that quote.

 

[NeLi]

Meh, there'll be MP in HL2.

It'd be suicide by Valve if they didn't put it in.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

I believe he's talking about the HL1 mod conversion system in that quote.

He mentions the mod conversions (As in ALL of them) as "something they've been doing" in response to a enquiry about multiplayer. Seems pretty cut and dry to me.

 

[Lanthanide]

ID didn't give us much of one for Doom 3, it's conceivable that Valve are doing the same with CS:S.

Sorry, I don't see what you're getting at with the mod conversions. What does this have to do with an original HL2 multiplayer? If anything, it's only evidence (but not proof) against there being an HL2 multiplayer. Or was that your point?

 

[ZeoviZ]

Last year, Valve said that they weren't sure about the multiplayer and that it had to be as good as the singleplayer if they should implement it. And later, Gabe said that he was playing the multiplayer every day. It seems it either have to be something huge as a surprise or just CS:S. And magazines attending E3 2004 all seemed to think CS:S was the only mp. It's not like it's a small mp compared to other singleplayer games. The strange thing is that Valve never seems to confirm that it's the only mp. There have been many interviews with them; have noone ever asked them? It seems strange if CS:S is the only mp, that they don't confirm it. Especially since they must have gotten tons of e-mails asking. There might be a surprise. But it might just be Valve acting strange.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

-_-

Here, I'll break it down a bit more..

"So.. A lot of people have asked us about multiplayer,"
This establishes that Gabe is talking about multiplayer, and since it's during a Half-Life 2 video, we can damn well assume he's talking about HL2 multiplayer.

"and SOMETHING we've been doing"
SOMETHING does not imply "the only thing" and, to me, implies that there is something else besides what he's about to mention.

"is taking all of the.. what we built for Half-Life 1, and making it work on the source engine."

And this is what the "something was referencing." To put it all together, when asked about HL2 multiplayer, he said SOMETHING they are doing (Not "What we are doing" and not "The only thing we are doing") is porting over the HL1 stuff. This implies, to me at least, that there is something else for HL2 multiplayer beyond the source ports.

I can't fathom how you could take that quote as being a definite for CS:S being the only HL2 multiplayer componant, though..

EDIT: Edited for snarkiness..

 

[Glo]

There needs to be a revolutionary multiplayer mode for hl2, I really hope there will be.

 

[Jack Ridder]

well HalfLife2 can't be released without a MP mode of it's own... other than CS:S... personnaly i don't like CS :| and i would prefer to see the possibility to play the game in cooperative mode ! that would be awesome !!! :rolling: :E
i've heard that some guys are making a mod with the help of Valve made to play HL2 in cooperative :thumbs:

about the link listed b4 about planethalflife quoting a member of valve saying that CS:S would be the HL2:MP, read the whole post ! :

Correction: Shacknews did not report that Half-Life 2 Multi would be Counter-Strike 2, only that it is "Counter-Strike on the Source engine". The email sent to me made this assertion, although the Shacknews post does not.

Jack Ridder.

 

[ne-waller]

ok chaps heres what I know... all stuff from apos' info thread thanks to people who sent e-mails that I nicked the replies from

Hi!
I was just wondering whether the production of CS: Source was hindering
that of HL2 or influencing its release date at all?
I understand you're very busy so good luck.
Cheers,
Chris George

Gabe: It's work we have to do regardless (e.g. for multiplayer sample code for
the SDK).

this is fairly non committal, not "work we are doing anyway" but have to do... so leans towards no original mp

cyber sheep: You said that CS:Source is going to be the only multiplayer packaged
with half-life 2. Now, does this mean additional multiplayer,(in
addition to half-life2 deathmatch), or the ONLY multiplayer?

jess cliffe: It's really a matter of artist/engineer bandwidth. HL2 and CSS are
incredibly complex games to build. We can't do 5 games at once. We'll see what we can get done.....

this is fairly revealing, it seems to suggest that there was uncertanty at valve (at that time) as to whether a mp could be done "in time"

rick: The Source engine contains support for multiplayer gaming, and Valve plans to release several multiplayer games at the time HL2 is made available. This week we've announced Counter-Strike: Source. We will be more releasing information on the other games and how they will be made available to gamers in the coming weeks.

stock answer, that rick gave out several times, it dosent give anything away except that cs:s isnt alone, but then they haddnt really mentioned dod:s up to this point so this is quite unhelpful

yahn bernier: Source engine multiplayer map changes should in theory be faster than in HL1 because of some core changes to the network signon protocols (modulo the fact that the levels are so much bigger and have so many more entities, of course, which could slow them right back down to HL1 speed). I haven't done a side by side comparison yet.

this is the one that makes me think there will be a different/original mp, the maps from dod and cs are the same size as in hl1 surely... so this suggests that some large multiplayer maps have been made. odd to make large mp maps for no reason. but I'm afraid this is no proof as they could just be new ones for dod or cs.

A chronological pattern seems to have emerged from these quotes

1) mp unlikely
2) indecision, uncertanty
3) smokescreen to the public, orchestrated info release
4) source info - "the [mp] maps are so much bigger"


so maybe they were putting off the unique mp decision, because they were sceptical about it but then attitudes changed and they decided to keep it secret, no one will complain about a bum multiplayer mode they were not expecting especially if it was just there to help the SDKers.

after this short research I am more positive about the existance of an original mp or at least some massive maps for cs/dod

 

[Democritus]

fact: cs:s is the only multiplayer we've seen, and the only multiplayer valve have mentioned to be included with hl2 on release.

fact: we have never seen hl2:dm, nor has it ever been mentioned by valve.

all the current evidence suggests that cs:s is the only multiplayer. until more evidence presents itself, thats what i'll chose to believe.

Thank you. People are desperate for HL2DM, so I can understand them holding on to the last shreds of hope, but there's no reason Valve would keep it secret. I put you in charge of the giant "I TOLD YOU SO" thread when people find out there is no HL2DM

 

[bodhi]

it will be revealed when they announce the different versions, payment plans, what each one includes etc. hopefully soon.

i read from doug i think that they have scrapped the different versions idea. they will just have a hl2 box with single and multiplay, and the CE edition. apparently the single play only box and the like was sierra's or vivendi's idea, i forget which, but that idea has been scrapped. just the two versions and the steam download of course. i dont know if they cancelled that whole subscription thing either, i dont think it was mentioned in the article or interview i read, but i know that we have a normal version and a CE

 

[ferd]

Didnt Gabe himself said that CS:S was not HL2's MP in the E3 2K4 vid?

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

I put you in charge of the giant "I TOLD YOU SO" thread when people find out there is no HL2DM

Can I put you incharge of the "I WAS SO WRONG" thread then?

 

[Cybernoid]

It seems to be getting pretty close to the end of the line for the Valve folks, and I'm guessing their non-existent PR krew aren't going to be releasing anything new until they ship out the review copies. So, when the **** are they going to tell us about multiplayer? It's always been, "we're gonna talk about that later." Well, you can't get much later than this.

Why? Is HL2 going to get released faster if they tell you about multiplayer?

Was their murky debut of Counter-Strike Source the multiplayer long hidden?

Um, no.

 

[Cybernoid]

Thank you. People are desperate for HL2DM, so I can understand them holding on to the last shreds of hope, but there's no reason Valve would keep it secret. I put you in charge of the giant "I TOLD YOU SO" thread when people find out there is no HL2DM

Please explain to us less intelligent people: why wouldn't there be HL2DM?

 

[ukfluke]

did anyone see the e3 2004 presentation by gabe? he states "cs:s is the official multiplayer for HL2". They are converting HL: DM to source so u will definitley get that as for a HL2 themed MP i dont think so. Surely they would have released about 10 binks if it existed no? or even said that it existed? If it does exist i will extremely surprised.

 

[Cybernoid]

did anyone see the e3 2004 presentation by gabe? he states "cs:s is the official multiplayer for HL2". They are converting HL: DM to source so u will definitley get that as for a HL2 themed MP i dont think so. Surely they would have released about 10 binks if it existed no? or even said that it existed?

They are going to convert a million mods for HL2 but they won't make a multiplayer mode for HL2? Uh, unlikely.

 

[^Ben]

And was'nt CS:S only started in the last 12 months and i seem to remember an interview with Gabe last year (Possibly E3) that he plays multiplayer everyday.

 

[ukfluke]

yes but valve say what the public want to hear...like sept 30 2003

he could have been clever and was refering to cs 1.6 knowing full well it was to be converted to source as hl2 mp.

or he could have been lying totally aka sept 30 2003

 

[Cybernoid]

yes but valve say what the public want to hear...like sept 30 2003

For ****ing ****'s ****ing sake, already!

REPEAT AFTER ME: MOST GAME COMPANIES MISS RELEASE DATES. RELEASE DATES ARE OFTEN ESTIMATES. VALVE IS NOT SPECIAL.

#!"#"!"!

 

[ThomasToad]

Honestly if I worked for Valve CS:Source would seem like plenty as far as multiplayer, you all do realize it's by far the most popular online game?

But there is lots of evidence supporting that there will be some sort of other multiplayer component which keep in mind valve has never said didn't exist which you think they would with all the rumors going around if it hadnt been true. I honestly think something else will be included to fully implement the source engine into a mulitplayer game.

 

[Democritus]

Can I put you incharge of the "I WAS SO WRONG" thread then?

Absolutely! I will post it. edit: with a smile on my face, BTW. I would really like an HL2DM.