"The Freeman Returns" with The Official Orange Box Thread
- Thread starter The M.O.B
- Start date
Jaded Alyx
Member
AgentOtaku said:
My PC has the same CPU speed, same video card, and less than half the RAM yours has. I played at 1280 x 1024, and it was fine.
You have nothing to fear.
Jaded Alyx
Member
StoOgE said:
I'd pay good money to see that.
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
Pudding Tame said:
they come from different directions, are transported in, and move at varying speeds (some walk slowly, some move with impressive rapidity). with so many games actually boasting about that "ten seconds of fun" bullshit, i can't believe anyone could find an encounter as interesting and intense as the last one in episode 2 to be tedious. tedious is the last thing i'd call it
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
that's the one!
Okay, well the achievement's not too hard so far. Alyx is a good helper this time and there's always some good grav gun ammo lying around. I'm in the 4th chapter now. The introduction was great, but the
and the garage weren't that impressive imo. Maybe the pace picks up in this chapter.
Citadel Revisited
The Lamonster
Member
If you're looking for action, then yes the pace does pick up soon.Darunia said:
I just got the Orange Box 360 from Gamefly. Played about 45 minutes of HL2 and 5 mins of TF2.
I really want to like TF2 but I got my ass handed to me and really couldn't get into it. Is there any online guide or something I can read so I dont feel like such a fuckup playing it online?
Also... I have a sick t1 connection so I can host GAF TF2 games
I really want to like TF2 but I got my ass handed to me and really couldn't get into it. Is there any online guide or something I can read so I dont feel like such a fuckup playing it online?
Also... I have a sick t1 connection so I can host GAF TF2 games
Metalmurphy
Member
AgentOtaku said:
I have the exact same Specs (3.0 HT ?) and you can bump up everything to max settings except the shadows (set those to Medium) @ 1280x960 x2 MSAA and x4AF. You can even turn the motion blur on
I only noticed one bad slowdown the entire EP2, and it was right in the beginning of the game.
When the Portal storm happens
The Lamonster
Member
That part doesn't go so well with the 360 version either...Metalmurphy said:I have the exact same Specs (3.0 HT ?) and you can bump up everything to max settings except the shadows (set those to Medium) @ 1280x960 x2 MSAA and x4AF. You can even turn the motion blur onWhen the Portal storm happens
AgentOtaku
Member
Metalmurphy said:I have the exact same Specs (3.0 HT ?) and you can bump up everything to max settings except the shadows (set those to Medium) @ 1280x960 x2 MSAA and x4AF. You can even turn the motion blur onWhen the Portal storm happens
awesome!
good to know friend!
yeah its an ol' junker P4 3.0ghz HT 800mhz FSB
Captain Glanton said:
Absolutely. I think having the game being balanced is my only real concern for the game as well. Everything else looks fantastic; the co-op, setting, gameplay mechanics, etc. Since it's in Valve's hands, however, I trust that it'll be damn near perfect.
Hopefully we'll get some videos of someone playing as a Zombie soon. I'm curious as what your attacking selection is as a Zombie, and which types of Zombies you can be.
beelzebozo said:
I was leaning toward "tedious" at first, since every time I shot out and MD, the Hunters would lace into it and destroy it before it latched onto the strider. Once I realized the proper methodology, it became much more fun.
The vehicle controls did make things more cumbersome than I would've liked.
Metalmurphy
Member
rafman400 said:
I kinda given up on the challenges, some of them are REALLY hard, specially the less steps ones.
Captain Glanton
Banned
Thermite said:Absolutely. I think having the game being balanced is my only real concern for the game as well. Everything else looks fantastic; the co-op, setting, gameplay mechanics, etc. Since it's in Valve's hands, however, I trust that it'll be damn near perfect.
Hopefully we'll get some videos of someone playing as a Zombie soon. I'm curious as what your attacking selection is as a Zombie, and which types of Zombies you can be.
There's a story in EGM [maybe from the spring?] that gives some of that info. I think there's a 'tank' zombie, a 'jumper' zombie [maybe], and a few others.
Imperial Hot
Banned
Jesus christ man. Are you some sort of prodigy?rafman400 said:
I like how Valve fucks with the player's head a little during the antlion standoff in Episode 2.
Towards the end you have a pretty tough battle with just two lights on a couple tunnels lit up. You've yet to see all three lights.
....but then all three lights go off. Griggs and Sheckly lose their shit. "Three lights! THREE LIGHTS!!"
...but then it's just the Vorts, and you're like "Whew... I knew they wouldn't make me"
So you're all relieved, convinced that it's over. But then all three lights DO go off, only now for real :lol
....but then all three lights go off. Griggs and Sheckly lose their shit. "Three lights! THREE LIGHTS!!"
...but then it's just the Vorts, and you're like "Whew... I knew they wouldn't make me"
So you're all relieved, convinced that it's over. But then all three lights DO go off, only now for real :lol
Masta_Killah
Member
Can anyone explain to me the importance of the G-Men? Im new to the HL universe. I read the wiki for the games, but the entries dont seem to have much information on them other then giving Freeman a job(only played HL2 so far). Also, I just got the grav gun in HL2, so I didn't read past that part in the wiki. Does it explain in more detail the role the G-Men later in the game(episodes)?
Pudding Tame
Member
beelzebozo said:
Yeah, but it's the same thing every time. Kill Hunters with the car, then sticky bomb the Strider. It could just be me, and I'm playing on the 360, but driving a car with a wider turning radius than a Carnival cruise ship isn't adding to the experience, especially when you often have to do a 180 to get the hunter who just jumped out of the way. (and yes, I'm using the E-brake.)
I'm not saying the entire encounter is tedious, as I said before it's pretty cool to start off with, but after the third or forth Strider it simply becomes way too repetitive for my taste.
And because you brought up the "ten seconds of fun", I'll use it an excuse to bring Halo 3 into the conversation to help further explain my irritation with that part, as Striders do kind of compare to Halo 3's Scarabs. The difference between the Strider encounters and the Scarab encounters are in the variety the player has to tackle their respective enemy. In Half Life 2 you're pretty much just given one way to kill a Strider in any encounter, whether it be rockets, energy balls, or sticky bombs.
The Scarabs on the other hand give you more choices on how to take them down; Do I board or not board? If I do board, do I take out the legs or try to jump on. Do I clear out the Scarab or go straight to the energy core. If I don't board, can I use a tank, Hornet, or missile pod to blow off the protective plate in back. Do I have an angle to simply snipe at the core without taking off the back plate. That along with the various vehicles you can use to engage the Scarab gives the variety needed to make the Scarab encounters fun, despite the fact that the same basic principle is used to kill them in every encounter.
Masta_Killah
Member
Icy said:
Ah cool. Guy(s?) sounds freaking creepy though. Maybe its all a matrix type deal, where Freeman is living in a fake world? :lol I get a very Mr. Anderson type vibe. I wonder if the Matrix was an inspiration.
Pudding Tame
Member
Masta_Killah said:
Half-Life preceded the Matrix by four or five months actually.
EDIT: BEATEN!!!
Jaded Alyx
Member
To those playing HL2 for the first time, how many G-Man sightings have you seen?
Buttonbasher
Member
None on first playthrough. Haven't really been looking though. On second playthrough I'll be looking harder.Jaded Alyx said:
I don't even care if these episodes take over a year to do; as long as the quality is maintained, the duration between release dates only serves to build my anticipation... Which is insane when you think about it because my anticipation and expectations are continually raised but somehow Valve manage to exceed those expectations.
The Portal/Aperture Science tie-in only made Portal that much more awesome... I mean, from a gameplay perspective it was simply amazing, and with the HL-universe behind it, the subtle narrative touches make it so much more perfect.
I f*cking love this package -- not one part is weak. It's my game of the year thus far by default.
I think it's 8 or 11... be sure to check monitors when you walk into rooms with displays.
The Portal/Aperture Science tie-in only made Portal that much more awesome... I mean, from a gameplay perspective it was simply amazing, and with the HL-universe behind it, the subtle narrative touches make it so much more perfect.
I f*cking love this package -- not one part is weak. It's my game of the year thus far by default.
Jaded Alyx said:
I think it's 8 or 11... be sure to check monitors when you walk into rooms with displays.
Bought the orange box on the european release, already finished the "story mode" for Portal wich was all kinds of awesome gameplaywise and story wise. I'm realy amazed at how the game manages to teach you to use the portal to solve problem. When i first saw the trailers, I thought I'd never be able to use the portals efficiently! Great great game.
Began HL2 a few days ago, currently at the boat sections. Good game so far, lives up to HL!
Still need to try out Team Fortress...
Began HL2 a few days ago, currently at the boat sections. Good game so far, lives up to HL!
Still need to try out Team Fortress...
Jaded Alyx
Member
-Rogue5- said:
I know, I'm a Half-life vet, I'm just curious about people experiencing it for the first time.
Jaded Alyx said:
Barely any that I could remember. Unlike HL1, I found that the game really only "rewards" G-man sightings to those who pay attention. He doesn't just walk plain across your view, but rather only at key times in your vista
teeheeheehee
The ones that I remember off the top of my head include
during the boat ride at the first red warehouse, after an intense firefight (it was either after the fight in "follow freeman". or across the rooftop after you assault the combine government base). Also, I remember seeing him when traveling through the city 17 buildings around when you meet up with Barney.
Pudding Tame
Member
Jaded Alyx said:
Not counting monitors, just the meeting with the New Little Odessa guy.
Given the recent talk about the G-man (ep 1 & 2 spoilers)
Is it me or does it look like the G-Man either ochestrated the taking or allowed the taking of Gordon Freeman by the Vortigaunts. Given that Alyx is important to the G-man the best way to keep her safe would be to keep her united with Gordon. We also know he has higher-ups and rules he has to follow, so in order to disguise his own agenda he had to have a situation that looked to be out of his control with Freeman's abduction. Of course this leads to more what and why questions that just have no answers at this point.
Just finished Ep2 today - bloody amazing. Valve's games just seem so spotless. Level design, set pieces, and visuals generally being improved on the old(ish) engine all make me very happy.
totally blew me away!
Anyone else find this little nugget?
The first baby combine encounter in the barn
Anyone else find this little nugget?
One of my buddies was actually kind enough to give me his really old copy of Half-Life for the PC today. I just made it to
in Blast Pit. Half-Life aged very, very well. The graphics aren't extremely pleasing to look at, but the gameplay...my god. It's so good, it makes me forget this game is nine years old. I get the same feeling I had when I played through Half-Life 2 the first time; total bliss.
this weird gigantic tentacle thing
Gamer @ Heart
Member
Besides the bridge in EP2, where else is the G man?
Buttonbasher
Member
About to wrap up Episode 2, and I'm thinking I should maybe go back and play through the original Half-Life. I've never played it. The problem is... I run a mac. The ONLY port of the game I've been able to find (so far) is for the PS2.
Couple questions about the PS2 version, if anyone knows -
1) ...Is it good? It got positive reviews, but GAF knows better than most reviewers. Is there any reason I'd want to NOT play it on the PS2?
2) Is it available anywhere for a not-ridiculous amount of money? Amazon has used copies for like $37 but that's crazy.
Couple questions about the PS2 version, if anyone knows -
1) ...Is it good? It got positive reviews, but GAF knows better than most reviewers. Is there any reason I'd want to NOT play it on the PS2?
2) Is it available anywhere for a not-ridiculous amount of money? Amazon has used copies for like $37 but that's crazy.