gray_fox224
Junior Member
CrookedRain said:
Well, when things get hectic, they end up moving back. I agree with the previous posters here, the friendly AI was very annoying-even when using the back button(360) to direct them.
"The Freeman Returns" with The Official Orange Box Thread
- Thread starter The M.O.B
- Start date
Well, when things get hectic, they end up moving back. I agree with the previous posters here, the friendly AI was very annoying-even when using the back button(360) to direct them.
MrSardonic
The nerdiest nerd of all the nerds in nerdland
CrookedRain said:
Obviously, but that doesn't stop them being annoying as hell or deciding to follow you a few seconds later.
And you cannot execute a split-second melee attack in a chaotic shootout by switching to the crowbar.
Rabid Wolverine
Member
Officially on the Orange Box wagon. Playing Ep1 currently.
More than halfway through and the action is starting to pickup.
Im getting a load of random HL2 has stopped working errors in Vista Ultimate 64 when loading a saved game, into a new loading screen on the same level, and now once while playing which is peeing me off!
Sigh, sent a support ticket to Valve.
More than halfway through and the action is starting to pickup.
Im getting a load of random HL2 has stopped working errors in Vista Ultimate 64 when loading a saved game, into a new loading screen on the same level, and now once while playing which is peeing me off!
Sigh, sent a support ticket to Valve.
plaidtopia
Member
I'm playing through Ep. 1 for the first time and was forced to leave for work just when the
So far, I've been pleasantly surprised by Ep. 1, though. I knew almost nothing about it and love how different the
It's been a pretty unique experience so far, and I can't wait to see how it continues in Ep. 2.
strider attacks you in the train yard, after you've seen Barney off. I think and feel as though I'm ridiculously close to finishing it -- having had to leave right at that climactic moment has been absolutely killing me for the duration of my shift.
So far, I've been pleasantly surprised by Ep. 1, though. I knew almost nothing about it and love how different the
combat is as the lack of ammo early on and the reliance on your flashlight really forces you to work well with Alyx.
Beat episode 1 tonight.
Is it just me, or does Barney come off as kind of an asshole? :lol :lol A lovable asshole, but still...
It's always like -
Alex: "We'll sacrifice ourselves, acting as bait, to draw the Combine forces, which may or may not include a Strider, a gunship, and who knows what else, to give you guys some time."
Barney: "Okay! Sounds good!"
*hops onto train*
*rides off into sunset*
You'd THINK he would protest, but no, he always seems to happily accept your sacrificial plans. And yes, I understand that it was done for gameplay purposes, but it still amused me. Especially at the end as he rode away on the train. Gordon had to go through some SERIOUS shit right at the end, just because Barney didn't insist they get on the train with him :lol :lol
Is it just me, or does Barney come off as kind of an asshole? :lol :lol A lovable asshole, but still...
It's always like -
Alex: "We'll sacrifice ourselves, acting as bait, to draw the Combine forces, which may or may not include a Strider, a gunship, and who knows what else, to give you guys some time."
Barney: "Okay! Sounds good!"
*hops onto train*
*rides off into sunset*
You'd THINK he would protest, but no, he always seems to happily accept your sacrificial plans. And yes, I understand that it was done for gameplay purposes, but it still amused me. Especially at the end as he rode away on the train. Gordon had to go through some SERIOUS shit right at the end, just because Barney didn't insist they get on the train with him :lol :lol
MrSardonic
The nerdiest nerd of all the nerds in nerdland
Rabid Wolverine said:
I had the same problem with Vista Home Premium when I first tried to play HL2 and also once just after a loading screen during EP1. Try right-click > Run as Administrator and see if that helps - it seemed to sort it out for me.
The Lamonster
Member
No, Barney isn't an asshole at all. He's very aware that Gordon can handle anything and everything, which includes protecting Alyx.GDJustin said:
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
did they update barney's facial features pretty significantly between hl2 and episode 1? when i first saw him in the newer stuff, i was pretty impressed. maybe it was just the 5 o'clock shadow trickery
MrSardonic
The nerdiest nerd of all the nerds in nerdland
Anyone who has HL2 and EP1 definitely needs to download MINERVA - http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/MINERVA - it's really fucking good! I enjoyed it more than EP1 and it has some cool puzzles as well as some great battles.
Captain Glanton
Banned
Yup. I downloaded the 360 patch, and now I can't play online at all. Every time I try to join a game, I 'lose the server.'
Fuck you, Valve. I put up with your laggy, freezy POS for two weeks, and now I can't play it all.
I want a fucking refund.
Fuck you, Valve. I put up with your laggy, freezy POS for two weeks, and now I can't play it all.
I want a fucking refund.
If you're talking about the no more on-contact explosions after the first bounce change (which has been in the PC version for a while now), all it did was completely break the demoman's primary gun. Stickybombs are better than regular grenades in almost every situation now.Deacan said:
edit: Don't get me wrong, it's still my favorite class. I just don't use the primary fire anymore.
ToyMachine228
Member
Heading to bed after some Halo 3 tonight but I'll grab the Orange Box patch tomorrow. Are there any documented changes so we know exactly what's in it?
* Reduced network bandwidth usage in multiplayer.
* Improved overall game performance.
* Arranged search results to favor preferred host conditions.
* Improved searching for ranked games.
* Addressed a possible false report of too little storage space on larger hard drives.
http://www.primotechnology.com/2007/10/27/xbox-360-orange-box-gets-its-second-update/
* Improved overall game performance.
* Arranged search results to favor preferred host conditions.
* Improved searching for ranked games.
* Addressed a possible false report of too little storage space on larger hard drives.
http://www.primotechnology.com/2007/10/27/xbox-360-orange-box-gets-its-second-update/
Captain Glanton said:
That is because their are still people playing the game that don't have the patch yet. When I got disconnected and told to patch a lot of my friends didn't. I was voice chatting with them while they were still in the same game I was in before I was forced to patch. They must be rolling the patch out in regions. I couldn't join the game again after I patched and they couldn't join my server until they got the patch about 20 minutes later. So you won't get that error by tomorrow when everyone has the patch.
Idioteque said:
I am playing through Episode 1 now and find it so much more enjoyable on the 360 than it was on my laptop last year. It might have something to do with graphics and performance, yes, but also this time around, I'm noticing much more the interaction with Alyx (or rather, just her script and facial expressions).
Also, after all the epic craziness of the end of HL2, the more claustrophobic levels don't really get to me as much anymore. I think these episodes really need to be played in sequence, with no bullshit 1.5 year wait in-between.
But yeah. Graphics in HL2 and its episodes just get better and better.
And Alyx is one of gaming's greatest characters.
Just finished HL2, for the second time and it's on to Episode 1 for me. I gotta say the game ends on a high note. Some final thoughts
The Good:
-Variety! a whole lot of concepts introduced one after another to keep the game fresh. Pretty amazing actually, considering the game is relatively long.
-Storytelling. HL2 is very well crafted in this regard.
-Atmosphere. The game conveys it very well. And it's nice to see something different from your regular space marine stuff
-The game treats you like an adult. Nothing is spoonfed, I wish more games were this way
-The classic HL2 puzzles ofcourse
The Bad:
-AI. Friendly and enemy AI really blows. I don't know why this was overlooked, but it's really bad.
-Weapon choices. There wasn't really a mid ranged weapon at all. The SMG sucked ass and the combine rifle was basically a souped up version of it. Granades didn't have any weight to them at all either.
-variety in encounters. The combine are all the same and it's always the same type of encounter. Not much fun.
The Good:
-Variety! a whole lot of concepts introduced one after another to keep the game fresh. Pretty amazing actually, considering the game is relatively long.
-Storytelling. HL2 is very well crafted in this regard.
-Atmosphere. The game conveys it very well. And it's nice to see something different from your regular space marine stuff
-The game treats you like an adult. Nothing is spoonfed, I wish more games were this way
-The classic HL2 puzzles ofcourse
The Bad:
-AI. Friendly and enemy AI really blows. I don't know why this was overlooked, but it's really bad.
-Weapon choices. There wasn't really a mid ranged weapon at all. The SMG sucked ass and the combine rifle was basically a souped up version of it. Granades didn't have any weight to them at all either.
-variety in encounters. The combine are all the same and it's always the same type of encounter. Not much fun.
ToyMachine228
Member
traveler said:
I think a damage increase was called for. I haven't tried it out yet, but given the range of the flamethrower it should do some heavy damage. I'll get the patch and try it tonight.
Witchfinder General
punched Wheelchair Mike
Fuck, playing Half Life 2 again just reminds me how frustrating and fucking awful the driving sections in the game are. I mean, they're horrible to the point of wanting to stop playing alltogether.
I had to stop playing for a while, but I'm now in Nova Prospect in HL².
Oh and I loved the 'targetted advertising' achievement.
Controlling the antlions is amazing, I love how even throwing bait at towers has effect! They come flying in and wreak havoc. It's so cool to just walk around, throwing a limitless supply of pheropods. Incredibly cool weapon. The weapon that makes me feel like a badass is the Pulse Rifle. I feel almost invincible carrying it, the sound it makes is so powerful and devastating.
Oh and I loved the 'targetted advertising' achievement.
TTG said:
The funny thing is, if you listen to the commentary, they make it quite clear that the player IS completely spoonfed throughout the entire game. They do it so subtly well, though, that you don't even notice.
Take the
turret defense sections in Nova Prospekt for example. In the first encounter, you are faced with a relatively easy attack in a fairly defensible position. This makes it easy for the player to set up and monitor the turrets without feeling too pressured. Near the end of that first encounter, once you've gotten the hang of it, manhacks are sent in to force you to learn to simply trust the turrets to do their work while you deal with external threats.
Now take a look at the second encounter involving turrets. Having taught the player how to set a good defense with them, Valve clearly felt free to up the challenge and require more out of the player. Rather than giving you a single easily defensible position, they provide an entire floor with plenty of rooms for the player to choose from and take advantage of. However, none of these locations are quite as easy to defend as the command station where the first attack took place at. This greater freedom both allows the player more freedom to try out his new ability and the Combine forces more space in which to execute their attack. Increased challenge is also provided by a greater number of enemies, easier openings for grenades, (which are the ultimate threat to a turret defense) and Alyx's constant reports of more and more soldiers, which make for a significantly greater feeling of tension.
The third and final encounter involving turrets is, arguably, easier than the second, but it does something the other two didn't. If the first turret section's purpose was to teach the player and the second one's was to demand mastery of the ability from the player, then the third turret defense's point is integration. The best strategy for the second segment was for the player to hole up in a room and let the turrets do the dirty work, while watching for grenades and keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't get knocked over. In the final one, players have to run about the enviroment, which features multiple points of entry, and help the turrets in the fight. The turret defense is merely one part of the player's arsenal in this instance.
Now take a look at the second encounter involving turrets. Having taught the player how to set a good defense with them, Valve clearly felt free to up the challenge and require more out of the player. Rather than giving you a single easily defensible position, they provide an entire floor with plenty of rooms for the player to choose from and take advantage of. However, none of these locations are quite as easy to defend as the command station where the first attack took place at. This greater freedom both allows the player more freedom to try out his new ability and the Combine forces more space in which to execute their attack. Increased challenge is also provided by a greater number of enemies, easier openings for grenades, (which are the ultimate threat to a turret defense) and Alyx's constant reports of more and more soldiers, which make for a significantly greater feeling of tension.
The third and final encounter involving turrets is, arguably, easier than the second, but it does something the other two didn't. If the first turret section's purpose was to teach the player and the second one's was to demand mastery of the ability from the player, then the third turret defense's point is integration. The best strategy for the second segment was for the player to hole up in a room and let the turrets do the dirty work, while watching for grenades and keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't get knocked over. In the final one, players have to run about the enviroment, which features multiple points of entry, and help the turrets in the fight. The turret defense is merely one part of the player's arsenal in this instance.
That was just one example of how Valve "spoonfeeds" players, though. If you look throughout HL2 and its episodes, I'm sure you can find more.
(That whole thing actually looks like one of the commentary tracks from the Episodes. I didn't go in expecting to write that much. :lol )
Herpes Reasons
Banned
update is up for orange box 360.
edit:no more stuttering. i can actually enjoy the game now.
edit:no more stuttering. i can actually enjoy the game now.
viakado said:update is up for orange box 360.
edit:no more stuttering. i can actually enjoy the game now.
What do mean by stuttering? IN TF2 you mean? Or were you getting framerate hiccups in something else?(I havent played ep1 or 2 yet but so far I havent had a single problem)
And what is next for the series? As a console gamer that has never had a good enough PC to run the HL games I havent really been following the series(aside from playing the Xbox version of HL2 and the PS2 version of Half-Life
). So are they planning another episode or are we going to get a full-blown sequel next i.e. Half-Life 3?beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
does anyone turn on music while they play tf2? i have to say every time i play it seems conspicuously silent, to the point of being. . . unnerving and a little boring
voltron said:And what is next for the series? As a console gamer that has never had a good enough PC to run the HL games I havent really been following the series(aside from playing the Xbox version of HL2 and the PS2 version of Half-Life
We're supposed to get Episode 3 next. As far as Half-Life 3 goes...I'm clueless. I've read that we're going to get Half-Life 3, and that these episodes are just a prologue to it. At the same time, I've read that we're not getting it, and these episodes close out the Half-Life series. *shrug*
In a way I hope we do get Half-Life 3, if just for the technical advances. If you look at the original Half-Life, and then look at Half-Life 2, the improvements are astounding. If Valve would be able to achieve that gap again...it would just be insane to see how real Half-Life 3 would look/feel, let alone play.
VideoMan
30% Failure Rate
Salmonax said:
There's a video that explains how to lodge the gnome in the car pretty well.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vnV_C1pg0Oo
Also, at the helicopter train track part
You can fling it's mines back at it with the gravity gun to kill it. It won't start dropping mines until the car's moving so you have to drive, hop out, grab a mine and fling it, then get back in the car and drive...repeat until victory.
Witchfinder General
punched Wheelchair Mike
voltron said:
What did they add for the 360 release? I agree that it still looks lovely as I was sitting there playing the game on my 1080p LCD and thinking that it looks better than it did on my PC running on a 9800 Pro (128 ram), 1 gig Ram, 3.0Ghz on a 19" CRT.