Out of the Blue

Spoiler alert! Today is the 25th anniversary of Half-Life, Valve's original first-person shooter. We'll call this the game's lead-210 anniversary, since its half-life is 22.3 years according to Wikipedia and that's as close as we can find to an isotope with a 25-year half-life. The celebration of the occasion is fully underway, including Friday's announcement that the game has received a big update, and is currently free-to-keep on Steam. So get moving! They're waiting for you Gordon. In the test... chamber.

Obituary: Suzanne Shepherd Dead- ‘Goodfellas’ And ‘Sopranos’ Actress Was 89.

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18.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 14:02
18.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 14:02
Nov 20, 2023, 14:02
 
Prez wrote on Nov 20, 2023, 08:28:
But is his recommended rating greater than 69%? What about in the last 30 days?
I hate you.
Avatar 58799
17.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 13:31
17.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 13:31
Nov 20, 2023, 13:31
 
Best moment in my first HL playthrough, was freaking out when I first ran into the enemy soldiers. Their AI was like nothing we'd seen at the time. Heck, even Quake, which I love, had some pretty simple enemy AI that usually just blundered into your line of fire.

HL enemies reacted to your tactics. They ran away if you charged, tried to flank you if you camped, and even reacted to you throwing grenades. This was ground breaking at the time.

There was a wonderful moment, burned in my memory, when I approached a manhole and was just getting ready to climb down the ladder, but I heard some soldiers talking down at the bottom, but couldn't see them. So I tossed a grenade down and was amazed to hear one of them yell "Grenade!". Boom! Climbed down to find both of them blow to bits. So satisfying.

"Turns out I’m 'woke.' All along, I thought I was just compassionate, kind, and good at history. "
Avatar 22380
16.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 13:29
16.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 13:29
Nov 20, 2023, 13:29
 
WannaLogAlready wrote on Nov 20, 2023, 04:45:
jdreyer wrote on Nov 20, 2023, 03:36:
... ... ...
I hear you have a new president? 😲
Out of desperation, our ever ignorant people chose Milei, a histrionic, deranged, dangerous clown wielding a chainsaw in rallies (wish it was a joke, google it).

A populist and rabble rouser, loves Trump and admires Margaret Tatcher.
Hates Brazil's Lula and Pope Francis, and had recent warm contacts with the ultra right in Spain which is falsely contesting the legality of the actual Spanish government.
Insurrectionist Brazil's Bolsonaro supports our Milei, Tucker Carlson came to interview him.

Wants to dollarize the economy with an absurd debt in dollars, I suppose will start printing our own U.S. dollars as no one will give real ones to us.
Announced he will shut down the Central Bank, but has to change the constitution for that, with a minimal presence in Congress.

Supports free sale of guns (not a thing here, we are Japan-like in that regard, till now).
Opposes abortion.

But at least people didn't elect as president the actual corrupt Economy Minister who sunk the peso and generated between 3 or 4 millions poor during his management.

I'm so ... happy ?
Yeah, it sounded like a choice between awful and terrible. 😔
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
15.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 10:17
15.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 10:17
Nov 20, 2023, 10:17
 
I remember the day my cousin was playing Half Life on his PC back when I didn't have one. Just watching him play, I thought it was some cinematic experience for the time. That the game must of cost a fortune to purchase and that only a select few had access to it, lol.

Fast forward a year later and I finally had access to my own PC. I recall doing whatever it took to get Half Life on it, so much that I ended up learning about pirating and had to do it. I mean, at 13 years old, I didn't have much $$$ on me, lol. It was quite an experience despite not having good PC gaming skills yet. My mouse/keyboard skills weren't there yet and I recall the marines being difficult to deal with. I believe back then I made it as far as the garbage compactor situation and think I stopped there.

Nowadays, after playing tons of FPS games and then full playing through Black Mesa 3 times, I'd say, it is definitely one of the greatest single player FPS games ever made.
Avatar 16605
14.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 09:42
14.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 09:42
Nov 20, 2023, 09:42
 
I look at the world today and cannot help but see some parallels with the world that existed in the early 1930s.
"Just take a look around you, what do you see? Pain, suffering, and misery." -Black Sabbath, Killing Yourself to Live.

“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Avatar 21247
13.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 08:28
Prez
 
13.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 08:28
Nov 20, 2023, 08:28
 Prez
 
But is his recommended rating greater than 69%? What about in the last 30 days?
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Avatar 17185
12.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 04:45
12.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 04:45
Nov 20, 2023, 04:45
 
jdreyer wrote on Nov 20, 2023, 03:36:
... ... ...
I hear you have a new president? 😲
Out of desperation, our ever ignorant people chose Milei, a histrionic, deranged, dangerous clown wielding a chainsaw in rallies (wish it was a joke, google it).

A populist and rabble rouser, loves Trump and admires Margaret Tatcher.
Hates Brazil's Lula and Pope Francis, and had recent warm contacts with the ultra right in Spain which is falsely contesting the legality of the actual Spanish government.
Insurrectionist Brazil's Bolsonaro supports our Milei, Tucker Carlson came to interview him.

Wants to dollarize the economy with an absurd debt in dollars, I suppose will start printing our own U.S. dollars as no one will give real ones to us.
Announced he will shut down the Central Bank, but has to change the constitution for that, with a minimal presence in Congress.

Supports free sale of guns (not a thing here, we are Japan-like in that regard, till now).
Opposes abortion.

But at least people didn't elect as president the actual corrupt Economy Minister who sunk the peso and generated between 3 or 4 millions poor during his management.

I'm so ... happy ?

This comment was edited on Nov 20, 2023, 05:00.
Avatar 58799
11.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 04:13
El Pit
 
11.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 04:13
Nov 20, 2023, 04:13
 El Pit
 
The first Half-Life is still one of my absolute favorite game. How Valve told the story in game was great. Then the shocking moment when I found out about the warring factions (military vs Xen vs scientists/guards)... Wow. One of the big Wow moments in gaming I had. Thx to all the people that worked on that game, you gave me a great memory for the rest of my life.
"There is no right life in the wrong one." (Theodor W. Adorno, philosopher)
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes." (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi)
10.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 03:36
10.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 03:36
Nov 20, 2023, 03:36
 
WannaLogAlready wrote on Nov 19, 2023, 12:09:
Yay !

Though Half Life 2 being still unfinished/discontinued is a shameful disregard for loyal gamers.

---------------------------
Also 25 years ago, Bethesda published a game I loved but is forgotten and ugly now:
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, 1998.

To commemorate that ugliness, Starfield has, as of today, a 69% global score on Steam, entering proudly its full brown "Mixed" stage.

I hear you have a new president? 😲
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
9.
 
Re:
Nov 20, 2023, 01:45
Prez
 
9.
Re: Nov 20, 2023, 01:45
Nov 20, 2023, 01:45
 Prez
 
Of all the horrible shit I read about what's going on in the world, that article on the mysterious dog virus scared me more than anything I have heard in the last 15 years.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Avatar 17185
8.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 20, 2023, 00:38
8.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 20, 2023, 00:38
Nov 20, 2023, 00:38
 
Happy 25 Half-Life!

Thank you Blue for your OotB posts, the jokes always give me a chuckle.
Avatar 58180
7.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 19, 2023, 20:40
7.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 19, 2023, 20:40
Nov 19, 2023, 20:40
 
Happy Anniversary to the 2nd best game ever made! (the 1st being Quake, of course)
Avatar 571
6.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 19, 2023, 19:25
6.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 19, 2023, 19:25
Nov 19, 2023, 19:25
 
Both my dogs got that respiratory thing. Not fun. The 1 year old Airedale caught it while at the vet to get neutered. Came home and a few days later started coughing. A week later he was at the pet ER (on a weekend of course, when the regular vets were closed) after he was struggling to breathe. They took a x-ray of his lungs and found a significant case of pneumonia. They wanted to keep him over the weekend with IV's for a grand total of ~$6k. Nope. I love the dog but we'll take him home and do what we can... We did keep him there for a few more hours with a IV dose of antibiotics and fluids. That was about $1k for the day... They told us there was something going around that had not been figured out yet but they had several dogs pass away from it. We brought the good-boy home and with a strong antibiotic regiment he started getting better.

Then our other dog (Goldendoodle) got it. Thankfully our regular vet was open and we got him on the same antibiotic and he recovered OK as well.

Not fun watching your dogs struggle to breathe and trying to keep them comfortable.
5.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 19, 2023, 18:12
5.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 19, 2023, 18:12
Nov 19, 2023, 18:12
 
Kind of sudden seeing as it was Jimmy who was taken to care first.
A pair of worthy lives.
So many fake barely humans burdening the world.
Avatar 58799
4.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 19, 2023, 17:28
4.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 19, 2023, 17:28
Nov 19, 2023, 17:28
 
RIP Rosalynn Carter 96
"I expect death to be nothingness and by removing from me all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism." Isaac Asimov
Avatar 58135
3.
 
Re: OotB: U.S. plumber bracing for 'Brown Friday' after Thanksgiving.
Nov 19, 2023, 15:59
3.
Re: OotB: U.S. plumber bracing for 'Brown Friday' after Thanksgiving. Nov 19, 2023, 15:59
Nov 19, 2023, 15:59
 
My dog, much like myself, is a hermit. The only other dogs she sees are my parents' dogs, who are also hermits.

I'm glad of that. I'd lose my mind if I lost her.
"Just take a look around you, what do you see? Pain, suffering, and misery." -Black Sabbath, Killing Yourself to Live.

“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Avatar 21247
2.
 
Re: OotB: U.S. plumber bracing for 'Brown Friday' after Thanksgiving.
Nov 19, 2023, 12:28
2.
Re: OotB: U.S. plumber bracing for 'Brown Friday' after Thanksgiving. Nov 19, 2023, 12:28
Nov 19, 2023, 12:28
 
Yeah, I remember a story (I think on NPR) about holiday mishaps. And one of them was a guy who was super excited to use his newly installed garbage disposal while fixing Thanksgiving dinner. He just peeled the potatoes into the sink and used the disposal. The pipe filled with the material, clogging and effectively turning into potato concrete. He ended up having to replace a couple feet of drain piping....

D'oh!
“Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.” -- Carl Sagan
1.
 
Re: OotB: 25 years!
Nov 19, 2023, 12:09
1.
Re: OotB: 25 years! Nov 19, 2023, 12:09
Nov 19, 2023, 12:09
 
Yay !

Though Half Life 2 being still unfinished/discontinued is a shameful disregard for loyal gamers.

---------------------------
Also 25 years ago, Bethesda published a game I loved but is forgotten and ugly now:
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, 1998.

To commemorate that ugliness, Starfield has, as of today, a 69% global score on Steam, entering proudly its full brown "Mixed" stage.
Avatar 58799
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