Would it totally spoil everything if...

[nokori3byo]

...we saw Gordon's face?

OK, so we know that the post-Combine invasion world of HL2 has no mirrors, but it clearly does have video monitors which broadcast both live and pre-recorded footage.

Would it really be such a mystique killer to see Gordon in a context such as this. I'll admit it might be a bit of a mystique-killer, but on the other hand, I think it would be an interesting jolt for the player if Gordon were to spot himself fleetingly on a security cam or something.

What do you figure?

 

[Ennui]

I think it's too late, the way the protagonist is portrayed in HL / HL2 is essentially a legendary component of the entire HL experience by now.

 

[Asknoone]

Gordon speaking or being shown on video footage – at this stage of the series – would completely invalidate everything that went before it.

 

[Ennui]

The only feasible place this could happen is at the absolute end of Half-Life, I think, and even there I don't think is going to happen (and I'd prefer it if it didn't).

 

[leib10]

It would detract from the whole "you as the player ARE Gordon Freeman" objective that Valve goes for.

 

[Naph]

What if your NOT Gordon and it someone else! Well, you haven't seen your face yet (Except maybe the ID badge I remember seeing in Blue shift or HL1 etc)
However if Valve were to manipulate the story to shape anything like that, it would end up being too flamboyant and confusing. I'm afraid of it turning into an equivalent of a midday soapy D:

Little off topic but, after episode 1, his face wouldn't be much anymore... He did go into the core room without a helmet...

 

[Narvi]

We've seen him in both Opposing Force and Blue Shift, but I assume you mean in the main sequence of games.

...

Nah!

 

[W4d5Y]

actually, his face AND his whole body are viewable within half-life 2's canon, namely in Eli's office in Black Mesa east, where ye olde photographe of the BM anomalous materials crew, among which are Slick, the Vances AND Gordon, staring dull through his lenses.

 

[Narvi]

That one doesn't really count. Not in real time.

 

[Ennui]

actually, his face AND his whole body are viewable within half-life 2's canon, namely in Eli's office in Black Mesa east, where ye olde photographe of the BM anomalous materials crew, among which are Slick, the Vances AND Gordon, staring dull through his lenses.

I don't think that counts and that photograph appears in multiple areas in HL2; I noticed it on my first play-through in Kleiner's lab.

 

[Narvi]

I wonder who the homely chick in that picture was though.

 

[Barnz]

I wonder who the homely chick in that picture was though.

That's Gabe Newell.

We also see Gordon's face (from concept art) in the Episode One (the screen near the core control room).

 

[Stene]

Well, we can see Gordon in Blue Shift, you can see him when he goes with tram next to you, various security cameras and grunts dragging him.

 

[Cheomesh]

I don't get the question. How would it be bad if we saw Gordon's face? Are we not supposed to know what he looks like or something?

 

[ríomhaire]

It's just in HL's style that you never see or hear the protagonist. There are no mirrors and the water doesn't reflect the player. When Gordon gives orders you never hear him do so. It helps keep the illusion of being the player up; you don't get distracted by the fact that you're in a 27-year-old physicist's body because you get no sense that you're in any but your own.

 

[Planetary]

He's on the box art, for goodness sakes. If we were talking about Master Chief, then maybe, but Gordon? It would be a larger shock to have him say something.

 

[nokori3byo]

That's Gabe Newell.

We also see Gordon's face (from concept art) in the Episode One (the screen near the core control room).

Really? You see an image of Gordon's face in Undue Alarm?


Not really the same though, is it?

 

[Barnz]

It's the same picture.

 

[Asknoone]

The only feasible place this could happen is at the absolute end of Half-Life, I think, and even there I don't think is going to happen (and I'd prefer it if it didn't).

I think that's the worst time to do it.

 

[nokori3byo]

It's the same picture.

It is, yeah. But that's not what I meant. What I meant was: seeing a still shot (esp. one we've all seen before) of Gordon within a game is really no more jolting than seeing his mug on the game's box.

If we were to see new footage of him moving around and such, that'd be a little different.

 

[CyberPitz]

I think it would take away from what Half-Life has done from teh start. Why break the chain?

Kinda like in Op4 when you see gordon long jump into the portal...*then follow him in and fall to your death with him just watching you..*
I remember shooting my RPG RIGHT through him...what horse shit.

 

[Narvi]

Kinda like in Op4 when you see gordon long jump into the portal...*then follow him in and fall to your death with him just watching you..*
I remember shooting my RPG RIGHT through him...what horse shit.

Hey hey hey!

That was the best bit of Opposing Force!

"Subject attempted to create a Temporal Paradox."

Brilliant.

 

[Kevin]

Thats a part of HL.
A part that will (hopefully) never change.

 

[Planetary]

There was that bit in Entanglement, was't there? You can see soldiers on a monitor, and they're shooting at you, but never yourself on the monitor, through clever geometry.

 

[Omega11]

Not totally. . . I voted wrong XP
oops.

ANYWAYS, I say not totally, because, yes, there is a lot of atmosphere behind NOT seeing his face, and it just seems more realistic that we never see his face in order to retain that atmosphere of the game. . .

However, I read CONCERNED, and you see alot of Gordon from a third person perspective, and you kind of come to realize, it's some one else, also, you see lots of Gordon's face in fanart, andon the cover/loading screen of HL1, and the game cover for HL2.

If you mean, IN GAME, then hell ys it would, unless, we found out that Gordon had a helmet, but then I might as well play Halo, face it, Gordon with helmet is like MC with an orange suit =P.

. . . Oh no, I awoke the helmet debate. .

 

[Tuskin]

Omega, never awaken the Helmet debate on the black mesa mod forums, you'll be lucky if you get out of there alive.

It is, yeah. But that's not what I meant. What I meant was: seeing a still shot (esp. one we've all seen before) of Gordon within a game is really no more jolting than seeing his mug on the game's box.

If we were to see new footage of him moving around and such, that'd be a little different.

What if you were to play an expansion pack, or if Episode 4, and you were someone else and you saw Gordon, would that ruin it for you?

 

[Tuskin]

whoops double post.

 

[ríomhaire]

I remember the leakfree/BM helmet debates. The luck ones were the ones that didn't make it out the other end alive.

 

[Flyingdebris]

honestly i don't see what the big deal is about not showing his face. I know for a fact that 'i'm' not goateed and bespectacled, but i certainly expect gordon to be. However i'm not in any real hurry to see gordon's face either. I don't buy the artistic reasons for it though.

valve can put up their hands and say "you are gordon we don't want to show his face, it'll break atmosphere!"

but the real reason is probably more practical than artistic. If they show his face they'd have one more thing to animate, have to spend time adding facial expressions, have to create points in the game where you would see his face in a reflective or video manner, and would have to make it look believable while anticipating your emotions and not making it feel shlocky, and in the end the returns would not be worth the investment. And when a return isn't worth the investment, a company will simply not do it and dedicate its resources elsewhere.

However what i would like to see is more character body visible interaction with the world. Climbing ladders, scrambling over rough terrain, grabbing a ledge, holding an object without telekinesis, kicking a door, sliding down a slope, and generally feeling the weight of the character and moving away from the guncam feel thats been the staple so far. That sort of stuff builds more connection to your character than a face.

 

[Planetary]

FEAR did pretty good with legs, though didn't it? And hands when climbing ladders. Though it won't be added to Half-life because it's not Half-lifeish. It's simply not the way that Valve does things. A hundred good reasons won't change their opinion.

 

[ríomhaire]

The legs in FEAR are terrible. The amount of times I saw my arms going through my legs in that game. Ugh!

 

[Que-Ever]

That's Gabe Newell.

We also see Gordon's face (from concept art) in the Episode One (the screen near the core control room).

Hm, I never noticed that.

 

[firefly101]

Gordon not talking, being exactly mute in the half life series, would that contradict the character development stuff people wanted along? half life 2's characters were excellent, the display of emotions, the so-called unique character development, and the facial expressions, yet, we fail to see the protagonist's. How could he develop along with the others, when all we see and hear is him being apathetic all the time?

 

[Omega11]

I think Vavle's reasons were artistic, I had a book on Game Design, and it interviewed a few people (Marc Laidlwaw, Kelly Bailey, and Gabe Newell) it said in there that there are SPECIFICALLY no mirrors/cutscenes or anything where you would see Gordon's face in order to amplify atmosphere. I will admit, I could see valve the cheap way, but I'd like to be optimistic =D.

The other thing though, is where would we even SEE his face?
-WTF are there going to be mirrors in a post-apocalyptic city
-Who's going to actually take the time to study Gordon's face
-Cutscenes are not 'Half-Lifeish'
-Finding a combine video of Gordon is pointless, and back to number 2, who's going to actually look anyways?

It just doesn't make sense for Vavle to compromise all this atmosphere they created (if only by being cheapskates). Irregardless, I'd like to ONLY see Gordon on game covers an concept art, NEVER in the heat of a battle or anywhere else for that matter.

 

[ríomhaire]

Gordon not talking, being exactly mute in the half life series, would that contradict the character development stuff people wanted along? half life 2's characters were excellent, the display of emotions, the so-called unique character development, and the facial expressions, yet, we fail to see the protagonist's. How could he develop along with the others, when all we see and hear is him being apathetic all the time?

Gordon isn't a character; he's a window. Gordon does not have any thoughts or feelings. You, the player, must project your thoughts onto him. You are Gordon Freeman, whatever you feel, he feels. Whatever you think, he thinks.

 

[Omega11]

That's pretty much how it works out doesn't it =|

The only thing you CAN'T have Gordon do, is say what you want. . . or anything at all. . . or back flip. . . or rapple down the length of a building. . . or you know, anything outside of what the game allows.

 

[ríomhaire]

If that's a complaint about HL2, it's a stupid one.

 

[Cheomesh]

It would be cool in HL3 if our player hands actually where seen when we pick stuff up.

 

[nokori3byo]

You are Gordon Freeman.

Well, we both wore ponytails for a period of time in the 90s (shudder)

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

at the very VERY end of the series, it would be alright.