Half-Life 2: Episode Two Delayed

Valve opens up in Leipzig on EuroGamer (thanks Petr) is an interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi about the next installment in the Half-Life 2 saga, focusing on the news that the game is not going to make it to retail until February of next year. Here's a bit that explains this disappointing news about a project what was said to be coming "shortly" when it was first discussed this past February (story):
No, it's just sort of classic Valve being overly aggressive on our dates. But we're aiming for Q1 right now and we're really far along in the playtest stage. You know, our thing is always that we're trying to make really good experiences and so we're going to manage to that rather than the schedule.
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88 Replies. 5 pages. Viewing page 3.
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48.
 
Re: *snort*
Aug 24, 2006, 19:41
48.
Re: *snort* Aug 24, 2006, 19:41
Aug 24, 2006, 19:41
 
Again. Expansion Pack > Episodic Content.

Which has nothing to do with this conversation, because Valve calls these episodes "Half Life 3."



God, that's scary, isn't it? A sequel more annoying and equally vapid as expansion packs...

Dammit, give me a full fledged sequel. I'll wait 4 years for it, happily. Don't give me these little appetizers between and not deliver a full meal.

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47.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 19:33
47.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 19:33
Aug 24, 2006, 19:33
 
Not really. A few friends that saw it at E3 supposedly were told by the Crysis guys that it was getting about 15-20fps on the dual-whateverthefastercardrightnowis. If that's true, it implies to me that one of them isn't going to get you looking that good

Since, OBVIOUSLY, Crytek will do no further optimizations between E3 and the game's release date.

Also, the comment of "crysis could be a pretty tech demo," made by someone seems farfetched, as Farcry had AWESOME gameplay.

Still, I doubt Ep2 will suffer from any potential release near Crysis. Even though it looks like Valve is going to UP the price on Ep2 rather than lower it, all the fanboys will still get it, and it will still be cheaper than a full game. So I don't think it will lose many sales because of that. Might even be the other way around.

Creston


Avatar 15604
46.
 
Re: *snort*
Aug 24, 2006, 19:26
46.
Re: *snort* Aug 24, 2006, 19:26
Aug 24, 2006, 19:26
 
So much for the whole "All three episodes will be here in 18 months" movement.

Again. Expansion Pack > Episodic Content.

We must try and remeber what it means though:

They didn't tell us eposodic content until it got close to release and they were caught with their pants down. I am sure they had a nice game that they were going to sell for full price and be done, but some moron came up with an idea in a board meeting - lets make episodes!

So now they are giving us shitty episodes (ep 1 - too many puzzles, not enough story, script hell! - I could tell when something was going to happen cause the screen would skip a frame - and I have a very good machine!)

So - now we are stuck with episodic content, full price (where are those savings they were talking about?) and if you wait 1 week, you can actually GET IT CHEAPER IN A RETAIL STORE.

They are doing a very good job of baiting us with videos and what not so that we forget the big picture. They are milking us. They are nickel and diming us to hell with this stuff.

Remeber when these great MODS were free and supported by the community! Now they don't release the kits to let us do that anymore. The have in affect killed MODS. I don't know of a GREAT mod I have played since AQ2. Actually, DOD is pretty good, BUT I HAD TO FUCKING PAY FOR THAT FREE MOD ALSO!

So here we are. I am sure this "update" will be 39.99 or some stupid thing like 38.90 and it will be another lackluster episode with more puzzles and characters that aren't new - and we will really be paying for "free upgrades" like Portal and TF2 (that was promised 6-8 years ago!)

I am sure had the resources been allocated long ago, TF2 could have been done by the community and been done. And we would all like it. By the fans, for the fans.

Am I going to buy Ep2? yeah. Why? Cause I can afford it, and it will be fun for the price. Am I pissed as hell though? yeah. But they have my balls either way.

Fuckers.

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45.
 
*snort*
Aug 24, 2006, 19:19
45.
*snort* Aug 24, 2006, 19:19
Aug 24, 2006, 19:19
 
So much for the whole "All three episodes will be here in 18 months" movement.

Again. Expansion Pack > Episodic Content.

Creston


Avatar 15604
44.
 
...
Aug 24, 2006, 19:09
44.
... Aug 24, 2006, 19:09
Aug 24, 2006, 19:09
 
And then on the PC there will be a pack that's just Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2, and we're still working out the pricing for that but it'll probably be somewhere in between Episode One [pricing] and full price.
I don't see the point of bundling a whole load of extra shit and then charging more for it - you just end up paying more for a lot of stuff you didn't even want. Sure I want to play Ep2, Portals and TF2 but what if someone only wants Ep2 or TF2? Well, they're fucked. As I've said before I'll tolerate $30 but anymore and they're just taking the piss... especially as TF2 will only have 3 maps, the rest being released over the next 18 months (if at all).

As for the delay. Again, they could have had Ep2 finished but no, they have to go and add in two extra games, increasing the price and delaying the game. I'm really unimpressed but not surprised. Unfortunately they've just given Smiley enough ammunition to never get tired and I won't blame him for having a go... I'm sick of this already.

Call me when Valve does something new and risky, rather than just regurgitating the same old content... and only then if it's release on time. I sometimes think Valve employees just piss up a wall to see who can get the highest, as it doesn't make sense how little content they put out - they can't even get episodic content right and they keep going on about how easy it now is for them.

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43.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 18:36
43.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 18:36
Aug 24, 2006, 18:36
 

the combat just feels like pointing and clicking for some reason.

Yeah, I totally know where you're coming from there; I think the combat in HL2+ is OK, but it's also one of the weakest aspects of the games.

That said, I did feel that EP1 upped the ante significantly in that regard over HL2, and by the looks of these videos, the large outdoor environments in EP2 seem to be going even further with that.. the combat in some of these videos looks pretty frikkin' intense to me.

I still say they need to bring back the giant slappy arm from HL1 though.

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42.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 18:34
42.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 18:34
Aug 24, 2006, 18:34
 
yea its the exact same damn area's we saw before.

Before in what, exactly?

41.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 18:21
41.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 18:21
Aug 24, 2006, 18:21
 
outdoor areas and what appears to be an Antlion hive.

Those are getting old.

They need to introduce something new.
I dont' understand why it takes so long to use the same landscape (generally) and write new scripts (AI Scripts - not dialogue)

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40.
 
Re: No subject
Aug 24, 2006, 18:16
40.
Re: No subject Aug 24, 2006, 18:16
Aug 24, 2006, 18:16
 
I am not--NOT--going to miss this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueuhj9WsDzk

A few years ago I remember someone at Valve critising the TF mods for Q3 and Unreal for being unoriginal, which at the time I thought was a bit rich considering all they'd come up with was TFC.

And now I see this... 2fort5? You've got to be kidding me, change the fucking record.

I got bored of playing this game last century!


39.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 18:11
39.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 18:11
Aug 24, 2006, 18:11
 
"Not really. A few friends that saw it at E3 supposedly were told by the Crysis guys that it was getting about 15-20fps on the dual-whateverthefastercardrightnowis. If that's true, it implies to me that one of them isn't going to get you looking that good. I don't know what sort of quality settings they used though, so that could make a huge difference. "

Note the difference between "dual-whateverthefastercardrightnowis" and "one whateverthehellisfastestwhenitcomesout"

On WoW - Sixis - 60 Paladin of Azure Brigade (Garona)
38.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 18:10
38.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 18:10
Aug 24, 2006, 18:10
 
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=66973

And then on the PC there will be a pack that's just Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2, and we're still working out the pricing for that but it'll probably be somewhere in between Episode One [pricing] and full price.

Fuckin cocksuckers.

37.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 18:05
37.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 18:05
Aug 24, 2006, 18:05
 
yea its the exact same damn area's we saw before.

36.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 17:58
36.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 17:58
Aug 24, 2006, 17:58
 
I don't mind the on-rails shooter that HL2, CoD, etc are.

I usually don't, as it's the only way to get a plot across properly. The only way to make sure the player sees all there is to see.

I just think the combat in HL2 feels exceptionally soft. Behind HL even. I loved everything else, but the combat just feels like pointing and clicking for some reason.



For the record, Episode 3 will entice us with Portal deathmatch.

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35.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 17:44
35.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 17:44
Aug 24, 2006, 17:44
 
HL2e1 gameplay felt dated. I'm imagining the more open Crysis will only add to this.

I guess I can understand that, although the only thing that separated FC from HL2 is huge open islands from my experience, the weapons were that same semi-realistic-besides-pumping-a-full-clip-to-no-luck style that many games share nowaday.

I don't mind the on-rails shooter that HL2, CoD, etc are. At least it makes things a lot less boring when you accidently take the wrong turn in the jungle and get lost spending 5-10 minutes trying to find life, only to see you've skipped a good amount of the action. I don't think that happened in FC, although it was certainly problem in other open games.

This comment was edited on Aug 24, 17:46.
34.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 17:37
34.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 17:37
Aug 24, 2006, 17:37
 
Not really. A few friends that saw it at E3 supposedly were told by the Crysis guys that it was getting about 15-20fps on the dual-whateverthefastercardrightnowis. If that's true, it implies to me that one of them isn't going to get you looking that good. I don't know what sort of quality settings they used though, so that could make a huge difference.

But yea, there's room for multiple games for all but the dumbest of fanboys.

33.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 17:24
33.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 17:24
Aug 24, 2006, 17:24
 
Whatever the hell it takes to run Crysis, I will be buying it. I haven't been so astounded by graphics since the first time I saw Wing Commander 3.

They were running it at E3 with dual-whateverthefastercardrightnowis, so presumably when it does come out you could get reasonable performance with 1 whateverthehellisfastestwhenitcomesout.

That said, yeah, buy both, although knowing Valve E2 could be coming out ALOT later than Crysis.

On WoW - Sixis - 60 Paladin of Azure Brigade (Garona)
32.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 17:22
32.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 17:22
Aug 24, 2006, 17:22
 
Whatever happened to gameplay over graphics (barring extreme situations) that was always so popular here, does everyone lose it when a pretty game comes out?

I do not mean graphics, for the record.

HL2e1 gameplay felt dated. I'm imagining the more open Crysis will only add to this.


The combat feels flat in HL2 games, guys pop up, take some hits, fall down. Yes, sure, zombies are supposed to do that, but every enemy mostly does. Something just feels very stale about the way the guns fire and interact with the enemies. It requires an enormous overhaul. Everything else about HL2 holds up, including the graphics (for now), but that's all secondary to the combat, considering the gameplay is mostly combat.

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31.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 17:22
31.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 17:22
Aug 24, 2006, 17:22
 
Scotts, don't bother, this (Valve-bashing) is a friggin' hobby for these guys. Don't deny them their fun by feeding common-sense into the equation.

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30.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 17:20
nin
30.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 17:20
Aug 24, 2006, 17:20
nin
 
HL Ep2 is just running thru the same city (again) fighting the same enemys..AGAIN.

Dude, have you even watched the trailer?

edit: Scotts beat me to it...


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This comment was edited on Aug 24, 17:21.
29.
 
Re: Managing to Quality
Aug 24, 2006, 17:20
29.
Re: Managing to Quality Aug 24, 2006, 17:20
Aug 24, 2006, 17:20
 
HL Ep2 is just running thru the same city (again) fighting the same enemys..AGAIN.

That'll be kind of hard, considering City 17 went boom in Episode 1. Unless you meant to say Episode 1.

Videos release of Episode 2 (Check them out on Youtube, if your so inclined) have shown large, outdoor areas and what appears to be an Antlion hive.

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