Spikematic
Member
Doom and Wolfenstein say hi.
Marc Laidlaw reveals Half-Life 2 Episode 3's story synopsis
- Thread starter dex3108
- Start date
Doom and Wolfenstein say hi.
Sentenza
Member
I never imagined HL3 as an overly-linear shooters like the predecessors.
I always dreamed about it like some sort of STALKER, except with a very different setting (obviously) and with Valve's level of polish on top of it.
Especially since any non-linearity would have been perfect to make a display of the (alleged) new data stream tech implemented in Source 2.
Also, since Left4Dead released in 2008/2009, I always imagined they would find some use for the zombie "AI director" even inside an HL single player campaign.
That was a long time ago.
I realized at least a couple of years back that this "flat structure" Valve goes flaunting around seems to translate in their complete incapability to focus and any ambitious, large scale project.
It seems to me like Valve devs, without a management and formal hierarchy in place, are constantly trying to dodge any long term commitment, looking to work on projects that promise to be profitable (or at least relevant to the company) in the short run.
Cameron122
Member
I'm sorry but FUCK VALVE😡
Jonneh3003
Banned
Valve aren't the company they were 10 years ago. They run services now and we'll probably never see another masterpiece like Half Life or Portal ever again from them.
Robot Pants
Member
Yea this just isn't true.
It's just Valves self-justification for making games stuffed to the gills with microtransactions. They just don't want to make the game because there's no way to sell skins and crates in a single player campaign.
It's fucking HALF-LIFE for gods sake. They invented the genre and it would have sold FINE. But not good enough for how greedy they've become.
Its completely reasonable to be upset with a company that refuses to finish or acknowledge a story that they started. I never played Half Life and even I think its completely ridiculous that you guys haven't had a solid confusion yet. The sad part is, the money is actually there, they just don't care anymore. They actually have enough money to not be on the whims of a publisher, and to be able to call their own shots.
Not all good work is acknowledged. Valve is very blessed to have been supported and loved by fans. There comes a point where a writer/developer should be obligated to finish the story they started, either for the purpose of their profession or for the passion of their fans. If they refuse to do either, give away the IP. The way Valve have handled this franchise, is very dysfunctional.
Jonneh3003
Banned
Konami have actually released great games recently.
Alexander DeLarge
Member
I get that people are getting closure in regards to Half Life 2 Episode 2's cliffhanger but now I want Half Life 4 after it was revealed that the Combine are unstoppable.
I don't know how much sense it makes that a type 2 civilization like the Combine don't have the technology to immediately retaliate (the resistance have enough time to rebuild and everyone Gordon knows is dead by the time he's released again) if they have the ability to build dyson spheres and were hardly damaged by humanities' most powerful weapon but I find the prospect of playing a Half Life game thousands of years later like the end of Portal 2 very appealing.
I don't know how much sense it makes that a type 2 civilization like the Combine don't have the technology to immediately retaliate (the resistance have enough time to rebuild and everyone Gordon knows is dead by the time he's released again) if they have the ability to build dyson spheres and were hardly damaged by humanities' most powerful weapon but I find the prospect of playing a Half Life game thousands of years later like the end of Portal 2 very appealing.
jacksepticeye
Member
It was never ever going to live up to hype and i'm just glad that at least now we have some sort of closure over it and we can maybe all move on
Reads pretty much as expected Episode 3 to go - sounds like a good episode if they'd made it. HL3 with new protagonist set up if they wanted.
Posting this shows how dead Laidlaw thinks the franchise is. Still at least modest can now pump this out in some form: let's see what you can do folks!
Posting this shows how dead Laidlaw thinks the franchise is. Still at least modest can now pump this out in some form: let's see what you can do folks!
Azure Dream
Member
I'm still suspicious of that. The game started out in a fake hotel room, and there's a fair bit of Portal 2 concept art themed around this:
Jonneh3003
Banned
I don't see the Combine being unstoppable as a cliffhanger but rather as a bitter ending. I really like it.
KainXVIII
Member
I concur, sad but true 😪
I played HL, HL2 and Ep1 long after it was released, buy I was a Nintendo dude and didn't really like FPS games too much. So I played through them, and that was that. They were gooe, I guess, but all I remember at the moment is trying to control that god damn boat.
I have never been happier too not get invested in something, because this would have been crushing. I really feel sympathy for the hoard of fans these games have. Rest in piece, game developing Valve.
I have never been happier too not get invested in something, because this would have been crushing. I really feel sympathy for the hoard of fans these games have. Rest in piece, game developing Valve.
Acquiescence
Member
Yeah, when you put it like that, it stings. I guess Gabe is content going for the easy money these days. Why make a sequel to one of the most critically-acclaimed shooters of all time (and one that ended on a massive freakin' cliffhanger), when you can just fund a relatively inexpensive card game spin-off instead.
I miss the Valve that used to put out great games at a somewhat regular pace.
Backfoggen
Banned
This would have been good in a video game. RIP Valve.
Outliers? It really does look everyone is attempting to make the massive hub world type thing. Destiny, Division, Anthem, the Warframe update... and this is what Valve follow.
They did co-op, then moved onto MOBA, now poking around VR and card games - it's certainly following trends.
If they decided to go for the big hub shooter thing, they certainly could make it Half Life 3, but it certainly wouldn't be what people were anticipating. Their past comments pretty much implied that straight up FPS was all but dead to them right now.
LelouchZero
Member
OMG!
The big joke is that Valve, since pretty much Half Life 1, have not "originally created" anything other than the Half Life series.
What they usually did was buying up/hiring or collaborating with the people who made mods/games (Team Fortress, Portal, L4D, Dota, Counter Strike, Alien Breed, Day of Defeat etc.).
Sentenza
Member
For anyone who keeps comparing Half-Life to Shenmue, The Last Guardian, Beyond Good & Evil or whatever else, let's stop a second and address the elephant in the room:
unlike all these games, Half-life was an incredibly successful multi-million seller.
Financial viability was never an issue for this series, only Valve's will to commit to it.
unlike all these games, Half-life was an incredibly successful multi-million seller.
Financial viability was never an issue for this series, only Valve's will to commit to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZhnGQXWi1U&index=22&list=LLoQiMsbUbMPUep2NDirke9A
"In the meantime, this is where I get off"
"In the meantime, this is where I get off"
Auto-Reply
Member
The real big joke is that company names don't invent/create anything, it's the people that work at these places and people change workplaces pretty often in the gaming industry.
Seeing this posted is pretty painful, why did this have to happen to Half-Life of all franchises. I hope fans and journalists haunt Newell with HL questions forever
The plot of Ep3 was pretty good and didn't even seem that ambitious in execution. A small team could've done this.
The plot of Ep3 was pretty good and didn't even seem that ambitious in execution. A small team could've done this.
I think Valve's structure, or lack thereof, is simply why it hasn't happened, nor will it happen. If the company had any semblance of structure (based off of their employee handbook which looks sad in retrospect), we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.
Yah - last lines read like a meta-commentary from Laidlaw directly. Shame to see one of the most influential and successful FPS franchises end with Valve basically reneging on their own marketing and commitment to deliver 3 episodes and the writer left to post a short synopsis many years later as a final commentary on the franchise they played a large part in shaping.
The Cartographer
Member
Any FPS series (released after EP2) carrying on the spirit of Half-Life?
I can't think of anything.
I can't think of anything.
Sentenza
Member
Atraveller
Banned
I know that passion is high, but you gotta check your take, man.
CS:GO has a different balancing, reworked classic maps and new game modes and competitive features, it's not "basically CS". VR is not a fad. Steam Controller is very good for some types of games and bad for some, it served its purpose as an universal controller. Valve's other couch gaming efforts are also very worthy of praise.
What do you consider "the spirit of half-life"?
The One Who Knocks
Member
Wow, it's crazy to me that this is how the series ends; a blog post labelled as fan-fiction. I can't genuinely believe this would be posted if the series was to continue and the bravery for the writer to post it is quite admirable.
I guess it's not the total conclusion many would like. The G-Man's purpose is still a mystery, the Combine remains undefeated, and any conflict which exists between the Vortigaunt and G-Man remains unresolved (but is more strongly hinted at by the ending). It's certainly more of a conclusion than the ending of Episode Two was though; Gordon is no longer the 'chosen' puppet of the G-Man, and is finally 'free' while Alyx now takes his place Certainly better than not having any resolution.
I guess it's not the total conclusion many would like. The G-Man's purpose is still a mystery, the Combine remains undefeated, and any conflict which exists between the Vortigaunt and G-Man remains unresolved (but is more strongly hinted at by the ending). It's certainly more of a conclusion than the ending of Episode Two was though; Gordon is no longer the 'chosen' puppet of the G-Man, and is finally 'free' while Alyx now takes his place Certainly better than not having any resolution.
HandsomeCharles
Member
See-saw puzzles.
The Hermit
Member
It's a Half Life 3 thread. I can't imagine more salt from a gaming forum.
The whole description is beautiful and sad. It would have been glorious.
Reading that was such melancholy
I used to love valve, worship at its altar
Those days are forever dead, and gabe disappointed a generation. I wonder if hindsight will reveal that his passion for service and platform was simply greed masquerading as innovation - I certainly hope not
Dyson sphere realization and phasing in and out of time and space - God, it actually might have lived up to its impossible hype
I used to love valve, worship at its altar
Those days are forever dead, and gabe disappointed a generation. I wonder if hindsight will reveal that his passion for service and platform was simply greed masquerading as innovation - I certainly hope not
Dyson sphere realization and phasing in and out of time and space - God, it actually might have lived up to its impossible hype
It's the other way around, the G-Man has always tried to prevent the Combine, or at least a particular/more dominant faction of the combine, from getting access to Earth's teleportation techs.
1. In HL1 the G-Man allowed Freeman to kill the Nihilanth, while the Combine were closing in on the Nihilanth and were interested in his biological ability to teleport himself and his minions at will.
2. In HL2 the G-Man deployed Freeman and helped prevent the sale of Eli by misdirecting Breen's attention. Gordon, being the bigger threat and prize proved to be the perfect distraction and wasted Breen's time, resources and soldiers (Combine was looking for Eli's vast knowledge on teleportation but the G-Man prevented that by using his pawn, at the time, in Gordon)
3. Now in HL2EP3 the G-Man does the same thing, though this time the tech is levels of magnitude better, he uses Alyx (the daughter of his former subordinate, Eli, and do not forget that while it was the G-Man that got the crystal, it was Eli's call to use the crystal, causing the resonance cascade) to destroy the Borealis, hence preventing the Combine getting access to teleportation tech, the G-Man and Eli had some sort of pact since HL1, part of the pact being Alyx's safety
The Cartographer
Member
Maybe I should have said HL formula.
Highly story driven FPS where the player is 99% of the time in control of the character.
Barrel Cannon
Member
Imagine the leak was purposeful and tomorrow Valve announces a new half life.
CuNi
Member
I feel like I just have more questions than answers after reading this.. My whole life feels pointless..
Half life, the book.
Half life, the book.
pentium486
Neo Member
That's true. But an artist can't expect to stay popular or loved with such an attitude. The artist is free to stop his work but people are also free to be mad about it.
Jonneh3003
Banned
I think there was just a point where Valve decided not to continue any projects that wern't services. Don't forget Arkane Studios were once developing a side game which was also cancelled.
I don't think it's ever been a question of time, man power or money...they just don't want to make Half Life 3 and that's greatly upsetting to someone who followed their single player content since their inception.
I just dont get why they gave up with it. Game sequels dont have to be the greatest thing ever, they dont have to live up to hype. If you think like that then your guaranteed to fail. Just make the best game you can that you want to make. I guess they just didn't want to make it or much of anything else anymore.