revolverjgw
Member
Both games are integral, and very different experiences, but Deus Ex doesn't have a Xen, so it's better than Half Life by default. Deus Ex is one of the handful of games I schedule an annual playthrough for.
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LTTP: Half -Life 2
- Thread starter Relix
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revolverjgw said:
V-E-R-Y interesting comment!!! I am at Xen now. Just beat the spider monster and he was a SERIOUS pain in the ass! Still, it's an interesting place. What exactly prompted you to make such a comment? What are your specific problems with Xen? Just curious.
Very fondlyszaromir said:
Although, do you remember the first time you saw the tentacle beast? Or how satisfying it was (and still is) to guide a rocket?OT: HL2 is imo unrivalled in its storytelling, pacing and atmosphere as far as single-player FPSs go. You will undoubtedly enjoy the next episodes as much - if not more than - the original. For what some consider a fairly 'dated' engine, numerous vistas, setpieces and sections of gameplay in Ep2 left my jaw hanging.
Like you say, the mods and extras are just as impressive as they were during the days of HL1 (which you should definitely get back to, btw
) I recently got Garry's mod which is hilarious especially with people you know. Hopefully you'll like HL2: DM too... pure sillyness with the gravity gun included, but satisfying fun with or without peeps from your friends list.HL2 runs between 130-280fps on my PC
HL2:Ep1 runs between 90-180-fps...
HL2:Ep2 runs between 65-120fps...
1280x 1024... everything maxed... AA set to 6x MSAA, and Filtering set to Anisotropic 16x...
Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz/1333MHz FSB OC'ed to 3.2GHz/1600MHz FSB
2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 800 OC'ed to 960
Sapphire Radeon 3870 HD OC'ed to 852/1271
Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit
HL2:Ep1 runs between 90-180-fps...
HL2:Ep2 runs between 65-120fps...
1280x 1024... everything maxed... AA set to 6x MSAA, and Filtering set to Anisotropic 16x...
Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz/1333MHz FSB OC'ed to 3.2GHz/1600MHz FSB
2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 800 OC'ed to 960
Sapphire Radeon 3870 HD OC'ed to 852/1271
Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
isamu said:
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is more like Deus Ex than other more ho-hum FPSs.
You should definitely try out Far Cry btw. The sea, the sand and a whole lot of trees to march through. Sadly, no dinosaurs.
F.E.A.R. is really bland as far as variety goes, but the gunplay is worth it, imo. Except for Max Payne, few game do slow-mo right. The game changes to the good stuff about halfway (more types of enemies, environments start to differ slightly -it's not much though- and other characters become important). Sadly, the reward from playing F.E.A.R. comes from 'sticking with it'.
And if you're going the Deus Ex route, than Unreal (even Unreal II, just for the environments) might also still be an option, but on this path you should absolutely check out System Shock II, Bioshock and the Thief series. Oh, and Vampire (the masquerade): Bloodlines.
Should you want something F.E.A.R.-like, than Alien versus Predator 1 and 2 (not available on Steam, I guess?) are the way to go (the marine sections). They might not have aged well though, but the atmosphere is solid as a motherf*cking rock (if you're a 'fan' of the movies, I guess).
And just for the gore: Soldier of Fortune. And for gravity fun: Prey. The Doom 3 (did I forget to say Doom 3 as a creepy FPS?) expansion also has a sort of gravity gun btw.
But I don't think any of that really goes on par with Half-Life though.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
It's because of the field of view. I had the same problem. You can change it by bringing up the console and typing something like cl_fov 90.Sylar said:I'm one of the few who can't play Half Life 2 because of getting violently sick from playing it. It really sucks. Usually I can manage up to the pipe puzzle before Water Hazard and not puke but once I hit that first lever to raise the water level, i'm gone. It sucks
But by the time I figured that out I lost all motivation to play the game. I quit after Ravenholm, somewhere around the sand dunes. Does the game get better or is it front loaded like HL1? (which I enjoyed)
Just bumped this thread since I was LTTP with Episode 2.
Finally finished it.
Strangely, I liked Ep. 1 more than Ep. 2. The latter definitely offered more variety with the outdoor environment, but I wasn't a fan of the caves or the end battle. Don't get me wrong, it was challenging and hectic, but the way to go about it was pretty lame.
Storywise, Ep.2 felt it had some unnecessary fillers even though it progressed the plot a little further than Ep.1....
The cliffhanger is just as worst as Halo 2.
HL (or most FPS) never really had good story-telling (what I mean is that, they never bother to conclude a story! See end of HL1, HL2 main), so I'm not expecting much from Ep. 3 with how they'll conclude the HL2 arc.
I think I'll try The Single Bullet achivement in Ep.1 now...
Finally finished it.
Strangely, I liked Ep. 1 more than Ep. 2. The latter definitely offered more variety with the outdoor environment, but I wasn't a fan of the caves or the end battle. Don't get me wrong, it was challenging and hectic, but the way to go about it was pretty lame.
First, I'm not a fan of the antlions, I hated them in Ep.1 and I hate the caves just as much. And the end battle...footballing the device to the Strider while Hunters are all shooting at you was not fun really!
Storywise, Ep.2 felt it had some unnecessary fillers even though it progressed the plot a little further than Ep.1....
Alyx mauled by the Hunters and having to revive her was kinda going off-tangent from the main plot for the sake of extending the story. Find the damn extract, yeah yeah, and it was already obvious she was going to revive after that...but I wanted that done with to get on with the main plot! Impatient me I guess haha.
HL (or most FPS) never really had good story-telling (what I mean is that, they never bother to conclude a story! See end of HL1, HL2 main), so I'm not expecting much from Ep. 3 with how they'll conclude the HL2 arc.
I think I'll try The Single Bullet achivement in Ep.1 now...
akachan ningen
Member
anybody want a HL2 gift on steam?
Some people hate platforming and found it quite difficult. Honestly, it's significantly easier than most of Tick Tock Clock or Rainbow Cruise.isamu said:
My only troubles in that section were that I couldn't figure out where to go next (I tried launching myself back to the entrance to Xen, not realizing it was the entrance. I succeeded in getting there, realized I was going the wrong way and looked up the correct way.)
Deus Ex don't hold up like HL1, though. You move like a snail through giant 3D worlds. Half-Life 1 is much more fluid and despite being graphically outdated, still plays like current games... Although these days games tend to cut out the elaborate puzzles and platforming from HL1.
Troidal said:
Now if you're talking about concluding a story, well let me point out something very interesting to you. The series is not over and THEREFOR they're not going to answer all the questions, because if they did then there would be nothing storywise to look forward to in the next one. I guess you've never watched a movie trilogy or episodic TV shows or anything like that, maybe even read a book? Why not just sum up the whole story on the first page?
I'm sure you would rather them hand you over the story in writing(not too long though!) and point out every single thing that's going on because apparently you can't comprehend what isn't told. I'll give you a hint: it's called mystery. If you want something straightforward, go play the Halo series. But as you know, the cliffhanger in Halo 2 is just as worst as Episode 2.
POWERSPHERE
Member
Figured no use to bump a new thread, but man... This game is pretty amazing, and hella nerve racking... I can't help myself but to go and check out every house I pass when in the car... Good fun!
Disagreed. Halo 2 just *ended*, with little to no warning. I was shocked that we never saw a full-scale Earth invasion, as that neat E3 demo showed.Arch said:
Episode 2 had that neat climatic Strider battle and rocket launch. There was no doubt in my mind that the game was going to end right there. The end scene is definitely a cliffhanger but I certainly didn't expect the game to continue.
edit: Oh hay, I'm responding to a 3-month-old post.
never liked hl2 after loving hl1.
the game feels too long and dull, the atmosphere doesnt quite work and the best part of the original the weapon selection is very very lacking.
hl2 just has none of the fun the original did to me.
i tried the eps and found the pacing much better but i am now utterly sick of the gravity gun.
the game feels too long and dull, the atmosphere doesnt quite work and the best part of the original the weapon selection is very very lacking.
hl2 just has none of the fun the original did to me.
i tried the eps and found the pacing much better but i am now utterly sick of the gravity gun.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
I'm not being hyperbolic when I call this the best FPS (game?) of all time.
Just last weekend I played through all of HL2 again, and earlier today I played through Episode 1.
So, so good.
Just last weekend I played through all of HL2 again, and earlier today I played through Episode 1.
So, so good.
Yeah but it's awesome fun when you try to get by using the gas canisters and the blades instead of your "normal" weapons.AnkitT said:
Ravenholm is probably the part that regularly draws me back to HL2, it has a terrific ambience, it's fairly slow pacing (apart from the motherfucking fast zombies), and at some point you hear the chittering of the poison headcrabs...
The waiting for the lift part of EP1 (I think?) has a much worse effect on my nerves than Ravenholm. And it's nowhere as fun.
VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
Finally got to play the demo of this on my PC. I have the 360 version, but that is 720p, right? So I played it at 1080p with all the settings at high and it was gorgeous. The game holds up really well still visually.
My only problem is m/kb controls. The mouse is great for aiming obviously, but WASD plus random keys for weapon switching and stuff is something a console gamer like myself will absolutely never get used to. I was able to beat the demo, but I can't imagine playing the entire game like that.
I'm guessing there is software out there that would allow me to use my 360 pad on games like HL2?
My only problem is m/kb controls. The mouse is great for aiming obviously, but WASD plus random keys for weapon switching and stuff is something a console gamer like myself will absolutely never get used to. I was able to beat the demo, but I can't imagine playing the entire game like that.
I'm guessing there is software out there that would allow me to use my 360 pad on games like HL2?
Yes you will. If I got used to a shitty pad scheme after years of mouse/keyboard, you can do the same.VanMardigan said:
And newer games usually fully support the wired 360 pad. HL2 doesn't, but all of the more recent Valve games do. Your best bet is Xpadder or Pinnacle Game Profiler, although it's just not the same as legitimate support.
VanMardigan said:
Oh you'll get used to it. My father who had never touched a PC game in his life got used to it. It takes a while to adapt, but you'd be amazed just how fluidly you can move when it's second nature. I can definitely do a lot of things I just couldn't do with a console controller (things like TFC rocket jumping that requires extreme precision).
Here's the easiest way to get used to it:
1) Buy Counter-Strike Source
2) Play
The CS:S addiction should kick in giving you plenty of play-time to adjust.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
yeah, trust me, you will get used to it if you keep playing.
I played through HL2 twice on 360 before finally getting a nice gaming rig to play it on. I loved it at the time, as I had never played a K&M FPS before that, only dual-analogue. By the end of my PC run through, I had totally adjusted to the K&M control scheme.
I can't even imagine playing it without it now, its so natural.
I played through HL2 twice on 360 before finally getting a nice gaming rig to play it on. I loved it at the time, as I had never played a K&M FPS before that, only dual-analogue. By the end of my PC run through, I had totally adjusted to the K&M control scheme.
I can't even imagine playing it without it now, its so natural.
WORST. ADVICE. EVER.TheExodu5 said:Here's the easiest way to get used to it:
1) Buy Counter-Strike Source
2) Play
The CS:S addiction should kick in giving you plenty of play-time to adjust.
VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
Well, I hold three fingers over W, A, and D. This means that I'm switching my middle finger down to S. The thumb is much better conditioned for directional movement, and obviously analog movement > WASD movement. Also, moving your fingers out to different keys is counterintuitive, and on a controller your fingers are mostly already resting on the other buttons you use to fire, etc.
I'ts an obvious advantage with a mouse for aiming, but I need a nunchuck attachment to simplify movement, weapon selection, etc. at the very least. kb/m will absolutely not cut it as a control scheme for me.
I'ts an obvious advantage with a mouse for aiming, but I need a nunchuck attachment to simplify movement, weapon selection, etc. at the very least. kb/m will absolutely not cut it as a control scheme for me.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
use the wheel to start with, but try and get used to using the number keys.
once you realise that
1 = ammo-less weapons (crowbar/grav gun)
2 = pistols
3 = SMGs
4 = Heavy Hitters (Shotgun/Crossbow)
5 = Explosives (Grenades/Rocket Launcher)
it becomes easy. Turn on quick weapon switch in the advanced keyboard control menu, too. Oh and remap the "switch to gravity gun" button from G to scroll-wheel click.
once you get the hang of this (WHICH YOU WILL), combat becomes so much more fun, as you'll be rapidly switching weapons much quicker and easier. The Gravity Gun is also way, way easier to use as a result.
once you realise that
1 = ammo-less weapons (crowbar/grav gun)
2 = pistols
3 = SMGs
4 = Heavy Hitters (Shotgun/Crossbow)
5 = Explosives (Grenades/Rocket Launcher)
it becomes easy. Turn on quick weapon switch in the advanced keyboard control menu, too. Oh and remap the "switch to gravity gun" button from G to scroll-wheel click.
once you get the hang of this (WHICH YOU WILL), combat becomes so much more fun, as you'll be rapidly switching weapons much quicker and easier. The Gravity Gun is also way, way easier to use as a result.
VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
Rez said:
This would kill me. Good thing there was virtually no weapon switching needed in the demo. I'd have to look down every time to see which numbers I'm pressing. It's not even mapped to the way you ALWAYS put your hands on the keyboard to type. And it's not standard across games, like controllers are with consoles.
I think the mouse scroll wheel weapon switching and mapping the gravity gun to scroll wheel click will be immensely useful, though. A much easer adjustment.
DieNgamers
Member
HL2 really is a unique experience. It's in my top 3 fps with Perfect Dark and Bioshock.
brain_stew
Member
VanMardigan said:
You absolutely will, just persevere with it. In the meantime, learn to use that scroll wheel to switch weapons and buy a Logitech MX518 and install uber options so that you have access to like 5/6 extra buttons on your mouse, that can be used to do whatever the hell you want.
With a M/KB setup I have like 15 or more action butttons, instantly at my control with no real movement of my fingers, nothing else can come close to that.
HL2 plays like shit with a control pad, its far too fast.
You may want to buy a different keyboard as well. Mine's got flat (but large) laptop style keys with a very small action which makes it ideal for games.
VanMardigan said:
Any PC game worth a damn has fully remappable keys, so yes, control schemes are common accross games if you want them to be. You're not expected to play as though its second nature at first, it takes a little while to build up that muscle meory, just as it did with a dual analog and just as it does for typing. Its absolutely worth the payoff, as nothing else can come close to the precision and options a good m/kb setup gives you.
By the sounds of your second comment though, a new mouse should absolutely be a priority. With my MX518 I can map crouch to a side button, grenades, to the top button, weapon switching to the wheel, a sensitivity switch to the bottom button and I still have 3 mouse buttons spare.
brain_stew
Member
VanMardigan said:
Absolutely not. The analog freedom of an analog stick if far too restrictive once put up against a mouse. You've got all the freedom of movement and the guaranteed exactness and precision with a m/kb setup. Mirror's Edge is the perfect example of this, I assumed it would control better with the "analog" controls of a controller, oh how wrong could I have been.
The left analog stick of a controller only ever tends to offer you two set speeds, and, as such, digital keys are a more than competant replacement. They also offer much., much quicker changes of direction, and quick strafing. See: Quake 3 rocket jumping videos.
Just persevere, it'll click, I guarantee it. Though go out and get that mouse to make things much easier to start with as well as better in the end once you're used to the setup.
VanMardigan said:
Just practice it right now.
Keep your fingers on WSAD, and try to hit 1-2-3-4-5 without looking. It becomes really natural.
Now, HL2 is a bit of a bitch since you can carry like 10 weapons at a time, but most games have 5 weapons at max (CS, CoD4). The only games where scrolling is advantageous is games like UT where there are weapons from slot 1-10.
Also, once you get used to numbered weapon switching, you can turn hud_fastswitch on so that hitting a number switched to the weapon automatically, rather than selecting it.
I'd say KB/M is very similar to an arcade stick. It takes a while to adapt to it, but becomes such a precise and comfortable way to control once you're used to it.
I also second the advice to purchase an MX518. Most importantly, it gives you two thumb buttons. Those two thumb buttons are incredibly useful for games like CoD4. In CoD4, I have my forward thumb button mapped to melee (knife), and the back thumb button mapped to grenade. It's incredibly natural, and you'll be able to use both of these far more effectively than with any other setup. The reason I recommend the MX518 (or G5) over any other mouse, is that it's the only one with really useful thumb buttons, imo. The rest of mice out there either have small/inaccessible thumb buttons, or they're right on your thumb causing you to click them when you don't want to.
brain_stew said:
You using the Logitech Illuminated? It's what I use and I loooove it!
So incredibly smooth. So incredibly quiet. So pricey. :lol
brain_stew
Member
Oh, and don't get me wrong, I can totally understand you having problems but then if someone had never used a controller before, they'd be in for just as much hell (if, not, even more) if they were to pick up a Dual Shock for the first time. Just believe us when we say its worth the payoff.
VanMardigan said:
It really isn't once you're used to it. Try skill jumping in games like Quake/TFC, or try bunny hopping in the games that allow it. There's no way a thumb stick is fast or precise enough to pull that off. Now, mind you, to achieve that precision, I probably press the WSAD buttons maybe 5-10 times per second, but when you're accustomed to it, that feels incredibly natural. That's really at the highest level of play though.
AniHawk said:
You trying to be the third Drinky Crow / Astrolad now? :lol
VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
brain_stew said:
How do you do WASD without moving your fingers?
As much as I hate the Wii console hardware, and aside from the fact that you are probably being sarcastic, IAWTP. The Wii is the best compromise for me, because I get pointer control, but also analog movement and buttons on the nunchuck. The keyboard is just a lousy gaming input device, even if I'm halfway competent with it after countless hours of frustratingly learning how to use it to move and select stuff.
brain_stew
Member
TheExodu5 said:
Yup, they're a decent size, and very easy to reach. The very top button (the one above the scroll wheel) is permanently mapped to "g" through my Logitech drivers (with uber options) so that's my permanent grenade button, and it sits right under my middle finger.
Having 6 action buttons + a scroll wheel under your fingertips is pretty damn cool. Add that to, space, e, q and shift and you've 10 action buttons ready for you without any real movement of your fingers (all whilst maintaining full movement and aiming control) at all, more than enough to cover all the major functions in most games, and much more than the meagre four buttons (no I won't count those God awful clicky sticks, eurgh) within the same sort of range of your fingers on a controller.
brain_stew
Member
TheExodu5 said:You using the Logitech Illuminated? It's what I use and I loooove it!
So incredibly smooth. So incredibly quiet. So pricey. :lol
Nah, I've got something very similar looking (slim keys, fully backlit etc.) from Saitek and I love it, a bargain at £20!
DieNgamers
Member
I play it that way, it's much more comfortable than wasd for me, being a lefty:
movement: cursor buttons < ^ v >
jump: right shift
duck: right ctrl
reload: backspace
action/pick up: kp ins 0
sprint: enter (the big one )
Shooting etc with the mouse, obviously.
movement: cursor buttons < ^ v >
jump: right shift
duck: right ctrl
reload: backspace
action/pick up: kp ins 0
sprint: enter (the big one
)Shooting etc with the mouse, obviously.
brain_stew
Member
VanMardigan said:
Then go ahead and use a Wii remote/nunchuck setup, it'll work just fine, after 10 minutes setting up. You'll sharp see why its a bad alternative, though.
Heck, plug in your controller and just hold it in your left hand whilst mapping the relevant keys to it. Its a PC, how you play the game is upto you. Still, doesn't change the fact that the kb/m setup absolutely offers the most direct and precise control as well as putting the most control options at your fingertips but if that's not important to you then you can use something else.
To me, Xen was the most disappoint part of the original Half Life game. It was just this barren world with randomly floating islands in an abyss of green and purple skies. The maps looked half-arsed and rushed. I was expecting a more deep and thorough alien homeworld, to be honest.isamu said:
HL2 was a great game and I loved it at the time, but in hindsight it did have some pacing problems (Sandtraps).
HL2: Episode 1 is, IMO, the weakest game in the series, which is saying a lot given how much I enjoyed the game. It was pretty cool fighting alongside Alyx, but by the end of the episode you realize that not much happened.
You got out, you went back in, you blew shit up, and you left again
HL2: Episode 2 was much better. It did a lot to drive the plot forward and struck the perfect balance of combat, simple puzzles, and story. It also introduced a lot of new elements to the HL2 universe... something that HL2 Episode 1 failed to do.