Will the snark return, and in larger numbers?

[DEATH eVADER]

This topic is limp on details, but when I was looking up to see if the Source Engine Wiki has recently been updated, I noticed a screenshot accompanying the multiprocessor optimization section of the article (see below), this would add a new, and more deadly foe to the HL2 saga, and potentially a new weapon, fire:

This is what was being said

Multiprocessor optimizations

A hundreds-strong swarm of AI entities avoid danger in a multiprocessor benchmark.


As a part of the Source engine's transition to next-generation consoles, multiprocessor optimizations have been added, resulting in faster processing on PC hardware with dual or quad core systems and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. [3] Gabe Newell:

? The template below has been proposed for deletion. See templates for deletion to help reach a consensus on what to do. ?​

Yes. We definitely think that content needs to move forward. For example, one of the things we're reacting to is the speed at which microprocessors are coming out. So, Intel has very aggressively moved up delivery of desktop processors with four different cores; we'll have support for that in Episode Two, and we'll definitely go back to affect, you know, Episode One or Half-Life 2 or Counter-Strike Source, so they can take advantage of that. We'll definitely try to keep the existing games - especially the multiplayer games - current as technology evolves.[6]



Valve has demonstrated the new multi core optimizations[7] which use a multi-threading style they dub "hybrid threading." A Source multi-threading update and benchmark are expect to be released before Half-Life 2: Episode Two, though a date for either, or the content of the benchmark is currently unknown.

 

[$kelet0r]

would be interesting to say the least

oh and your sig

This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

would be interesting to say the least

oh and your sig has been removed

Ahh crap, oh well, it was Paul Merton on Have I Got News For You.

"What would happen if we turned all UK Power Stations tommorrow?"
"It will go dark at night"
"More sinister even than that."
"IT WILL GO DARK AT NIGHT, MWAHAHAHA!?"

 

[Asknoone]

I saw that on T.V.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Damn, that's a lot of Snarks. That sounds interesting.

 

[JoeCLawrence]

I'm I the only person who noticed the super-secret Star Wars paraphrase in the title? And yes, the return of the snark would be awesome.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Believe me, that was by accident

 

[kupocake]

Come, listen, my men, while I tell you again
The five unmistakable marks
By which you may know, wheresoever you go,
The warranted genuine Snarks.

Let us take them in order. The first is the taste,
Which is meager and hollow, but crisp:
Like a coat that is rather too tight in the waist,
With a flavor of Will-o-the-wisp.

Its habit of getting up late you'll agree
That it carries too far, when I say
That it frequently breakfasts at five-o'clock tea,
And dines on the following day.

The third is its slowness in taking a jest.
Should you happen to venture on one,
It will sigh like a thing that is deeply distressed:
And it always looks grave at a pun.

The fourth is its fondness for bathing-machines,
Which is constantly carries about,
And believes that they add to the beauty of scenes--
A sentiment open to doubt.

The fifth is ambition. It next will be right
To describe each particular batch:
Distinguishing those that have feathers, and bite,
And those that have whiskers, and scratch.

This concludes today's lesson.

 

[Jintor]

I have learned, Great Teacher Kupo, and I obey.

*pulls out snark and muches on it*

 

[Solver]

The logic behind that screen is astonishingly simple. It accomplished an article about multithreading in Source. Well, rendering something like what's seen in that screen is exactly where multi-threading would provide a significant boost in performance, hence they made that screen. I don't think it's any indication that these things, if they really are Snarks, are to be seen in Ep2.

 

[Rim-Fire]

I was thinking the other day about how Valve could include snarks in EP2:
The snark pods redesigned as a parasitic lifeorm that uses snarks as a form of defense. They would live attached to the trees, using them to sustain themselves. If something hostle (ie, large) approached they would release swarms of snarks to attack the player/enemies (Would be great for distracting hunters ). The player would also be able to pull the snark pods off the tree to use as a weapon.

 

[Asknoone]

And what would happen if he let the pod go in a rebel area? Or in a scripted sequence? FLAW.

 

[Rim-Fire]

And what would happen if he let the pod go in a rebel area? Or in a scripted sequence? FLAW.

Mission failed screen I guess, same as in EP1 if Alyx dies. Latly you just seem to want to attack me Samon.

 

[bigburpco]

Salmon needs his daily intake rimfire, and he's coming to take it.

 

[Tamer17]

I want the Snarks back. Maybe modified by the combine not to explode , maybe the Snarks are the Antlion's food but if the snarks don't explode there has to be something cool in the way the attack.

 

[Narvi]

It could just be a placeholder for the techdemo you know. Though I really do want them back.

 

[Asknoone]

Mission failed screen I guess, same as in EP1 if Alyx dies. Latly you just seem to want to attack me Samon.

It wasn't an attack. I was simply pointing out the obvious flaw in saying that it wouldn't work.

 

[W4d5Y]

Well, maybe some simple retexturing on those little chriping bastards would do well, if only for a techdemo. The AI already is HL:source, as is its model, which doesn't really need anymore polygons since they are pretty small and you won't try looking up their butthole

 

[Rim-Fire]

It wasn't an attack. I was simply pointing out the obvious flaw in saying that it wouldn't work.

You kill a main character/destroy a rebel base = black screen of death. Or they could just be an enemy and not a weapon (that would be disapointing though). I'm just throwing around ideas.

 

[Asknoone]

It's easy to get the Snark working within the context of HL1, but not HL2.

 

[alehm]

I want to have snarks back but I wouldn't be surprised if Valve never brings them back. If you take a look at the enemies and game design from HL1 to HL2 and it appears Valve is trying to go for more realism as they release new content and some enemies they deemed as less believable were cut. That's just my opinion though because I never read that come out of Valves mouth.

 

[Asknoone]

Well HL2 is pretty story driven, whereas in HL1 you spent most of it alone. You can't, from a design perspective, allow the player to use Snarks within the context of the game. Folly. Lets say you spend alot of time with Alyx, or another character, and you want to use the snarks - you can't, because they will eventually attack Alyx.

It's just silly.

 

[Grem]

I can't belive that nobody has noticed that there is a flashlight icon on the bottom center of the HUD. I think this means that Kleiner upgrades your suit and the flashlight lasts forever.

 

[Asknoone]

I haven't noticed. /Looks

 

[Rim-Fire]

Interesting. Could be, I noticed that the in the EP2 trailers the flashlight didn't deplete the AUX bar while sprinting did.

 

[Que-Ever]

Maybe rebels could be instructed to blast snarks if they get too close, and do so with unnatural speed and accuracy, while combine are stuck with their wide firing cones and slow reflexes they were originally coded with. It might cause a problem in a big firefight between rebels and (whoever), but they would hear a snark and just be like *swing**shoot**swing back* in like, a second, which wouldn't leave them vulnerable for too long. All you'd have to deal with afterwards would be people complaining that the rebels have super-anti-snark powers.

Scripted sequences could be a problem... maybe after the point where you get snarks, NPCs would only deliver dialogue in areas that make them so close to the player that gordon's weapon is being lowered throughout.

This said, I don't want to see snarks as a usable weapon in EP2, or after.

 

[Chabo]

Interesting. Could be, I noticed that the in the EP2 trailers the flashlight didn't deplete the AUX bar while sprinting did.

I saw that too. My guess is that they brought back the HL1 system for the flashlight, so it can go for like 3 minutes without going out, and the sprinting energy is a separate thing.

 

[prob101]

snarks will not return

Let them rest >_<

 

[Remus]

snarks will not return

Let them rest >_<

NOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kupocake]

I saw that too. My guess is that they brought back the HL1 system for the flashlight, so it can go for like 3 minutes without going out, and the sprinting energy is a separate thing.

Perhaps the Vortiguants liberate Gordon's Mark IV from the G-Man and he starts using it instead of the Mark V, which needs an overhaul after the City 17 war. Can't see it happening, but i'd never say no to a change of HEV suit.

edit; that said, the UI is new so it's more likely that the Mark V gets upgraded. My guess: it docks with the G-Defenser and becomes Super HEV. It gets handed down to Alyx at the end of Ep2, when Kliener rolls out the prototype ZHEV, a transformable Hazard Suit. Yes transformable. If Gordon can carry a gazillion weapons, his head can retract into his chest and he can twist his shoulders 90 degrees forward. HENSHIN!

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Kliener could instruct allies/rebels to use a fly swatter against snarks.

But something intigues me in that in one of the HL2 previews, there was a flying headcrab. Obviously this new enemy didn't make it into the final code, but what if the snark does, and with a new means of attacking; flight

It would fit, because it is like an oversized hornet. Replacement for the manhacks maybe? I would definately like this creature to return to make 3 way fights more interesting.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Flying headcrabs? Sauce please?

 

[357]

Sauce. Lol...

 

[ríomhaire]

Kliener could instruct allies/rebels to use a fly swatter against snarks.

But something intigues me in that in one of the HL2 previews, there was a flying headcrab. Obviously this new enemy didn't make it into the final code, but what if the snark does, and with a new means of attacking; flight

It would fit, because it is like an oversized hornet. Replacement for the manhacks maybe? I would definately like this creature to return to make 3 way fights more interesting.

Why would manhacks need to be replaced?

 

[el Chi]

And what would happen if he let the pod go in a rebel area? Or in a scripted sequence? FLAW.

Well they'd probably just attack you as they did in HL1 if nothing better was on offer.
No it doesn't make any sense, but if you loose off a 'nade next to rebels or during scripted sequences, you're the only one who takes damage, so in that respect, it's no different. Pretty simple.

It's easy to get the Snark working within the context of HL1, but not HL2.

Yes it is. They're xenospheric lifeforms, and we know that many other xenospheric beasties live in the wastelands, and that's where we're venturing. I see no reason why snarks would be inconsistent with HL2.

On the other hand, I couldn't care less whether they return or not. They were an amusing and inventive weapon, but not exactly essential.

 

[Asknoone]

Yes it is. They're xenospheric lifeforms, and we know that many other xenospheric beasties live in the wastelands, and that's where we're venturing. I see no reason why snarks would be inconsistent with HL2.

I used the wrong word. I'm thinking from a gameplay perspective here.

 

[Tagaziel]

Xenotheric, Chi, Xenotheric...

 

[Narvi]

Actually, you can bring back the snark; you just don't need to make it a weapon. So... Make it that the actual hives (which you extracted snarks from in HL1) are hard to get to by reason of being surrounded by thousands and thousands of the ravenous little buggers. Then makes them too large to pick up anyway, as you know some fugger is going to reach them anyhow. Now you got a nice little enemy and a way to block progress through levels, as well as a neat storyline reason for them not being weapons anymore. The little hives you find in Xen could be early stages of the big hives. It could work.

 

[votka]

The snarks could be added to HL2DM at least, it was always fun to have five or six running around.

 

[Homer_Simpson]

Can you give me a link to this interview? :hmph: