Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that_excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to_not_
comment on any news about it. 😉
No, really!
Okay, not really. But almost, sorta, if you squint.
While Valve remains silent on the issue, fans are not so patient. And
fan-mod "Project Borealis", based on the leaked plot for HL3 (or, potentially, HL2 Episode 3) just got its own Steam page*, indicating
its coming close to release.
[Well, technically it's for the "Prologue" which is intended
as a sort of demo. There's no known release date for the
full game... yet.]
Will it be any good? Who's to say? The project is using the Unreal 5
Engine, which seems almost sacrilegious, and what little is shown on
that page isn't particularly jaw-dropping. It looks a bit more
cartoony than the Half Life games normally are, in my opinion. But
"Black Mesa" showed off how dedicated fans can be to making Half Life
look good, so I'm optimistic.
[On the other hand, there's always "Hunt Down The Freeman"
as a counter-example]
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that _excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to _not_
comment on any news about it. ;-)
* here it is: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
On 03/11/2024 16:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that_excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to_not_
comment on any news about it. 😉
I kinda agree, I love HL:1+2 but times, including my tastes, have moved
on. I really enjoyed Black Mesa but no where near as much as the original.
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 08:54 this Monday (GMT):
On 03/11/2024 16:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that_excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to_not_
comment on any news about it. ?
I kinda agree, I love HL:1+2 but times, including my tastes, have moved
on. I really enjoyed Black Mesa but no where near as much as the original.
I've never actually beaten either HL game..
On 11/3/2024 5:05 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
No, really!
Okay, not really. But almost, sorta, if you squint.
While Valve remains silent on the issue, fans are not so patient. And
fan-mod "Project Borealis", based on the leaked plot for HL3 (or,
potentially, HL2 Episode 3) just got its own Steam page*, indicating
its coming close to release.
[Well, technically it's for the "Prologue" which is intended
as a sort of demo. There's no known release date for the
full game... yet.]
Will it be any good? Who's to say? The project is using the Unreal 5
Engine, which seems almost sacrilegious, and what little is shown on
that page isn't particularly jaw-dropping. It looks a bit more
cartoony than the Half Life games normally are, in my opinion. But
"Black Mesa" showed off how dedicated fans can be to making Half Life
look good, so I'm optimistic.
[On the other hand, there's always "Hunt Down The Freeman"
as a counter-example]
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that _excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to _not_
comment on any news about it. ;-)
* here it is:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
Yeah, but what about Full Life? Are we bound to never experience that?
(I ask on usenet...)
On 11/3/2024 5:05 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
No, really!
Okay, not really. But almost, sorta, if you squint.
* here it is:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
Yeah, but what about Full Life? Are we bound to never experience that?
(I ask on usenet...)
On Mon, 4 Nov 2024 12:30:06 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 08:54 this Monday (GMT):
On 03/11/2024 16:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that_excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to_not_
comment on any news about it. ?
I kinda agree, I love HL:1+2 but times, including my tastes, have moved >> on. I really enjoyed Black Mesa but no where near as much as the original.
I've never actually beaten either HL game..
I'd actually recommend the original "Half Life"; I think it still
holds up pretty well both as a game and as an experience. The visuals
can be a bit rough (oh god, Barney, what's with your face?!?) so
you'll need to get past that, but if you can (and you enjoy the style
of cinematic FPS that "Half Life" helped invent) then I think it
remains a very playable game.
I'm less enured with "Half Life 2". Visually it was quite a treat back
in 2004, and it helped to usher in modern physics engines in
video-games, but the story just wasn't as interesting or relatable,
and the gameplay was rather humdrum. (It had a number of really boring
bits, like the boat-ride and the prison). The later episodic DLC
improved things (Episode 2 added some much needed characterization),
but it's still the lesser of the two games overall.
I'm of mixed feelings about "Black Mesa", the semi-official "Half Life
1" remake. Visually, it's quite good looking, and it mostly recaptures
the feel of the first game. At least, it does with the portions on
Earth (the Xen levels, which take place in the second half of the
game) are very different. But overall, the devs 'amped up' the
gameplay just a bit too much for my liking; the original "Half Life"
was a bit slower and had better balance between the quiet moments and
the action; "Black Mesa" is like playing "Half Life 1" at 1.25 speed.
[That said, I played Black Mesa shortly after release, and
it's been under continual development since then so maybe
that's changed]
All IMHO and YMMV, obviously. Taste in games is all subjective, after
all.;-)
No, really!
Okay, not really. But almost, sorta, if you squint.
While Valve remains silent on the issue, fans are not so patient. And
fan-mod "Project Borealis", based on the leaked plot for HL3 (or, >potentially, HL2 Episode 3) just got its own Steam page*, indicating
its coming close to release.
[Well, technically it's for the "Prologue" which is intended
as a sort of demo. There's no known release date for the
full game... yet.]
Will it be any good? Who's to say? The project is using the Unreal 5
Engine, which seems almost sacrilegious, and what little is shown on
that page isn't particularly jaw-dropping. It looks a bit more
cartoony than the Half Life games normally are, in my opinion. But
"Black Mesa" showed off how dedicated fans can be to making Half Life
look good, so I'm optimistic.
[On the other hand, there's always "Hunt Down The Freeman"
as a counter-example]
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that _excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to _not_
comment on any news about it. ;-)
* here it is: >https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
On Mon, 4 Nov 2024 12:11:06 +0100, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
On 11/3/2024 5:05 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
No, really!
Okay, not really. But almost, sorta, if you squint.
* here it is:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
Yeah, but what about Full Life? Are we bound to never experience that?
(I ask on usenet...)
Damn it, you beat me to it! You can't do the set-up like that and then
answer it yourself! It's not fair! ;-)
Seriously, even though it's an old joke, +10 internet points for the
snark.
I'm still waiting for somebody to (rightfully) bitch about my
click-baity headline though.
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
On Mon, 4 Nov 2024 12:30:06 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 08:54 this Monday (GMT):
On 03/11/2024 16:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that_excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to_not_
comment on any news about it. ?
I kinda agree, I love HL:1+2 but times, including my tastes, have moved >> >> on. I really enjoyed Black Mesa but no where near as much as the original.
I've never actually beaten either HL game..
I'd actually recommend the original "Half Life"; I think it still
holds up pretty well both as a game and as an experience. The visuals
can be a bit rough (oh god, Barney, what's with your face?!?) so
you'll need to get past that, but if you can (and you enjoy the style
of cinematic FPS that "Half Life" helped invent) then I think it
remains a very playable game.
I'm less enured with "Half Life 2". Visually it was quite a treat back
in 2004, and it helped to usher in modern physics engines in
video-games, but the story just wasn't as interesting or relatable,
and the gameplay was rather humdrum. (It had a number of really boring
bits, like the boat-ride and the prison). The later episodic DLC
improved things (Episode 2 added some much needed characterization),
but it's still the lesser of the two games overall.
I'm of mixed feelings about "Black Mesa", the semi-official "Half Life
1" remake. Visually, it's quite good looking, and it mostly recaptures
the feel of the first game. At least, it does with the portions on
Earth (the Xen levels, which take place in the second half of the
game) are very different. But overall, the devs 'amped up' the
gameplay just a bit too much for my liking; the original "Half Life"
was a bit slower and had better balance between the quiet moments and
the action; "Black Mesa" is like playing "Half Life 1" at 1.25 speed.
[That said, I played Black Mesa shortly after release, and
it's been under continual development since then so maybe
that's changed]
All IMHO and YMMV, obviously. Taste in games is all subjective, after
all.;-)
I loved all of those. Same for Opposing Force, Blue Shift, HL2's episodes, >etc.
I haven't played that VR one though.
On Mon, 04 Nov 2024 22:49:41 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
On Mon, 4 Nov 2024 12:30:06 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 08:54 this Monday (GMT):
On 03/11/2024 16:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that_excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since >> >>> "Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to_not_
comment on any news about it. ?
I kinda agree, I love HL:1+2 but times, including my tastes, have moved
on. I really enjoyed Black Mesa but no where near as much as the original.
I've never actually beaten either HL game..
I'd actually recommend the original "Half Life"; I think it still
holds up pretty well both as a game and as an experience. The visuals
can be a bit rough (oh god, Barney, what's with your face?!?) so
you'll need to get past that, but if you can (and you enjoy the style
of cinematic FPS that "Half Life" helped invent) then I think it
remains a very playable game.
I'm less enured with "Half Life 2". Visually it was quite a treat back
in 2004, and it helped to usher in modern physics engines in
video-games, but the story just wasn't as interesting or relatable,
and the gameplay was rather humdrum. (It had a number of really boring
bits, like the boat-ride and the prison). The later episodic DLC
improved things (Episode 2 added some much needed characterization),
but it's still the lesser of the two games overall.
I'm of mixed feelings about "Black Mesa", the semi-official "Half Life
1" remake. Visually, it's quite good looking, and it mostly recaptures
the feel of the first game. At least, it does with the portions on
Earth (the Xen levels, which take place in the second half of the
game) are very different. But overall, the devs 'amped up' the
gameplay just a bit too much for my liking; the original "Half Life"
was a bit slower and had better balance between the quiet moments and
the action; "Black Mesa" is like playing "Half Life 1" at 1.25 speed.
[That said, I played Black Mesa shortly after release, and
it's been under continual development since then so maybe
that's changed]
All IMHO and YMMV, obviously. Taste in games is all subjective, after
all.;-)
I loved all of those. Same for Opposing Force, Blue Shift, HL2's episodes, >etc.
Oh, don't mistake me. I generally enjoyed the games overall. But some
are definitely better than others. The original "Half Life" stands
tall amongst its peers; "Half Life 2", not so much. "Black Mesa" and
the various expansions are somewhere in between.
But if you're new to the franchise and therefore have no nostalgia or connection to the series? It'd be hard for me to recommend HL2, for
instance. Compared to modern titles (and even some of its
contemporaries) it doesn't really stand out. The original "Half Life"
was revolutionary and deserves a play-through. The latter games rely
heavily on that influence to make them worth playing.
TL;DR: we all should go replay the original "Half Life" now. ;-)
I haven't played that VR one though.
Just a note: there's a mod to play the "Half Life: Alyx" (a.k.a.,
"that VR one") without using a VR headset. Don't be tempted. It
seriously downgrades the experience to the point where it's really not
a very good game.
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't
have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or
something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is
about than trying it without the headset.
Oh, don't mistake me. I generally enjoyed the games overall. But some
are definitely better than others. The original "Half Life" stands
tall amongst its peers; "Half Life 2", not so much. "Black Mesa" and
the various expansions are somewhere in between.
But if you're new to the franchise and therefore have no nostalgia or connection to the series? It'd be hard for me to recommend HL2, for
instance. Compared to modern titles (and even some of its
contemporaries) it doesn't really stand out. The original "Half Life"
was revolutionary and deserves a play-through. The latter games rely
heavily on that influence to make them worth playing.
TL;DR: we all should go replay the original "Half Life" now. 😉
On 11/4/2024 9:53 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Mon, 4 Nov 2024 12:11:06 +0100, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:Click bait headlines are the norm.
On 11/3/2024 5:05 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
No, really!
Okay, not really. But almost, sorta, if you squint.
* here it is:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
Yeah, but what about Full Life? Are we bound to never experience that?
(I ask on usenet...)
Damn it, you beat me to it! You can't do the set-up like that and then
answer it yourself! It's not fair! ;-)
Seriously, even though it's an old joke, +10 internet points for the
snark.
I'm still waiting for somebody to (rightfully) bitch about my
click-baity headline though.
On Mon, 4 Nov 2024 12:30:06 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 08:54 this Monday (GMT):
On 03/11/2024 16:05, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Honestly, despite this post, I can't really say I'm that_excited_
about this project. I'm done and over with "Half Life"; it just
doesn't excite me anymore. If it ever does come out 'for real', it
isn't a must-buy for me; that time has passed. Still, it's expected
release has been a running joke for so long (it's been 20 years since
"Half Life 2" came out!) that I can hardly be expected to_not_
comment on any news about it. ?
I kinda agree, I love HL:1+2 but times, including my tastes, have moved >>> on. I really enjoyed Black Mesa but no where near as much as the original. >>
I've never actually beaten either HL game..
I'd actually recommend the original "Half Life"; I think it still
holds up pretty well both as a game and as an experience. The visuals
can be a bit rough (oh god, Barney, what's with your face?!?) so
you'll need to get past that, but if you can (and you enjoy the style
of cinematic FPS that "Half Life" helped invent) then I think it
remains a very playable game.
I'm less enured with "Half Life 2". Visually it was quite a treat back
in 2004, and it helped to usher in modern physics engines in
video-games, but the story just wasn't as interesting or relatable,
and the gameplay was rather humdrum. (It had a number of really boring
bits, like the boat-ride and the prison). The later episodic DLC
improved things (Episode 2 added some much needed characterization),
but it's still the lesser of the two games overall.
I'm of mixed feelings about "Black Mesa", the semi-official "Half Life
1" remake. Visually, it's quite good looking, and it mostly recaptures
the feel of the first game. At least, it does with the portions on
Earth (the Xen levels, which take place in the second half of the
game) are very different. But overall, the devs 'amped up' the
gameplay just a bit too much for my liking; the original "Half Life"
was a bit slower and had better balance between the quiet moments and
the action; "Black Mesa" is like playing "Half Life 1" at 1.25 speed.
[That said, I played Black Mesa shortly after release, and
it's been under continual development since then so maybe
that's changed]
All IMHO and YMMV, obviously. Taste in games is all subjective, after
all.;-)
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:[snip]
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core
functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't
have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or
something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is
about than trying it without the headset.
I don't like wearing the VR stuff. :( I'll wait for the holodeck version. :-P
I have both on steam, I just haven't beaten them ^^
On 05/11/2024 16:00, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Oh, don't mistake me. I generally enjoyed the games overall. But some
are definitely better than others. The original "Half Life" stands
tall amongst its peers; "Half Life 2", not so much. "Black Mesa" and
the various expansions are somewhere in between.
But if you're new to the franchise and therefore have no nostalgia or
connection to the series? It'd be hard for me to recommend HL2, for
instance. Compared to modern titles (and even some of its
contemporaries) it doesn't really stand out. The original "Half Life"
was revolutionary and deserves a play-through. The latter games rely
heavily on that influence to make them worth playing.
TL;DR: we all should go replay the original "Half Life" now. ?
I think they did a good job with Black Mesa as instead of trying to just >replicate HL:1 in the source engine they instead went for keep the
essence of it but tighten up some of the levels and also remove some of
the more frustrating aspects (jumping anyone?). On a Rail no longer
drags and the finale of Blast Pit isn't an exercise in quick save/reload >until you finish it.
HL:2 obviously didn't standout as much as HL:1 but I still think it's a
good example of how giving levels a different feel keeps the interest
going. Another more minor aspect I like about it is how it's a tutorial >through play instead of press this key messages. Who didn't like getting >used to the gravity gun by playing fetch with dog?
On 05/11/2024 15:20, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
On 11/4/2024 9:53 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Mon, 4 Nov 2024 12:11:06 +0100, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:Click bait headlines are the norm.
On 11/3/2024 5:05 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
No, really!
Okay, not really. But almost, sorta, if you squint.
* here it is:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
Yeah, but what about Full Life? Are we bound to never experience that?
(I ask on usenet...)
Damn it, you beat me to it! You can't do the set-up like that and then
answer it yourself! It's not fair! ;-)
Seriously, even though it's an old joke, +10 internet points for the
snark.
I'm still waiting for somebody to (rightfully) bitch about my
click-baity headline though.
Yep although I have seen content creators basically saying if they don't
do it then you just don't get the views. There's also those that they
feel 'pressured' into covering the big games instead of what they'd
actually like to cover. Why bother covering a indie TT game with an
in-depth review when you can get twenty times more clicks by making one >titled The New Version of WH40K is Crap and WG Are a Bunch of Crooks!
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:48 this Wednesday (GMT):
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:[snip]
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core
functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't
have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or
something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is
about than trying it without the headset.
I don't like wearing the VR stuff. :( I'll wait for the holodeck version. :-P
Is it too big for you?
On Wed, 6 Nov 2024 10:18:17 +0000, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, JAB wrote:
On 05/11/2024 16:00, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Oh, don't mistake me. I generally enjoyed the games overall. But some
are definitely better than others. The original "Half Life" stands
tall amongst its peers; "Half Life 2", not so much. "Black Mesa" and
the various expansions are somewhere in between.
But if you're new to the franchise and therefore have no nostalgia or
connection to the series? It'd be hard for me to recommend HL2, for
instance. Compared to modern titles (and even some of its
contemporaries) it doesn't really stand out. The original "Half Life"
was revolutionary and deserves a play-through. The latter games rely
heavily on that influence to make them worth playing.
TL;DR: we all should go replay the original "Half Life" now. ?
I think they did a good job with Black Mesa as instead of trying to just >replicate HL:1 in the source engine they instead went for keep the
essence of it but tighten up some of the levels and also remove some of >the more frustrating aspects (jumping anyone?). On a Rail no longer
drags and the finale of Blast Pit isn't an exercise in quick save/reload >until you finish it.
HL:2 obviously didn't standout as much as HL:1 but I still think it's a >good example of how giving levels a different feel keeps the interest >going. Another more minor aspect I like about it is how it's a tutorial >through play instead of press this key messages. Who didn't like getting >used to the gravity gun by playing fetch with dog?
IMO, HL2 put its graphics so far ahead of level design that levels were extremely limited and it became essentially a corridor shooter, with a
few open levels that didn't go anywhere except to another corridor.
It was very impressive to look at, at the time, but the gameplay was wash rinse repeat. So it aged very poorly.
On Wed, 6 Nov 2024 10:18:17 +0000, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, JAB wrote:
On 05/11/2024 16:00, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Oh, don't mistake me. I generally enjoyed the games overall. But some
are definitely better than others. The original "Half Life" stands
tall amongst its peers; "Half Life 2", not so much. "Black Mesa" and
the various expansions are somewhere in between.
But if you're new to the franchise and therefore have no nostalgia or
connection to the series? It'd be hard for me to recommend HL2, for
instance. Compared to modern titles (and even some of its
contemporaries) it doesn't really stand out. The original "Half Life"
was revolutionary and deserves a play-through. The latter games rely
heavily on that influence to make them worth playing.
TL;DR: we all should go replay the original "Half Life" now. ?
I think they did a good job with Black Mesa as instead of trying to just
replicate HL:1 in the source engine they instead went for keep the
essence of it but tighten up some of the levels and also remove some of
the more frustrating aspects (jumping anyone?). On a Rail no longer
drags and the finale of Blast Pit isn't an exercise in quick save/reload
until you finish it.
HL:2 obviously didn't standout as much as HL:1 but I still think it's a
good example of how giving levels a different feel keeps the interest
going. Another more minor aspect I like about it is how it's a tutorial
through play instead of press this key messages. Who didn't like getting
used to the gravity gun by playing fetch with dog?
IMO, HL2 put its graphics so far ahead of level design that levels were extremely limited and it became essentially a corridor shooter, with a
few open levels that didn't go anywhere except to another corridor.
It was very impressive to look at, at the time, but the gameplay was wash rinse repeat. So it aged very poorly.
Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, 6 Nov 2024 10:18:17 +0000, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, JAB
wrote:
On 05/11/2024 16:00, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Oh, don't mistake me. I generally enjoyed the games overall. But some
are definitely better than others. The original "Half Life" stands
tall amongst its peers; "Half Life 2", not so much. "Black Mesa" and
the various expansions are somewhere in between.
But if you're new to the franchise and therefore have no nostalgia or
connection to the series? It'd be hard for me to recommend HL2, for
instance. Compared to modern titles (and even some of its
contemporaries) it doesn't really stand out. The original "Half Life"
was revolutionary and deserves a play-through. The latter games rely
heavily on that influence to make them worth playing.
TL;DR: we all should go replay the original "Half Life" now. ?
I think they did a good job with Black Mesa as instead of trying to just >> >replicate HL:1 in the source engine they instead went for keep the
essence of it but tighten up some of the levels and also remove some of
the more frustrating aspects (jumping anyone?). On a Rail no longer
drags and the finale of Blast Pit isn't an exercise in quick save/reload >> >until you finish it.
HL:2 obviously didn't standout as much as HL:1 but I still think it's a
good example of how giving levels a different feel keeps the interest
going. Another more minor aspect I like about it is how it's a tutorial
through play instead of press this key messages. Who didn't like getting >> >used to the gravity gun by playing fetch with dog?
IMO, HL2 put its graphics so far ahead of level design that levels were
extremely limited and it became essentially a corridor shooter, with a
few open levels that didn't go anywhere except to another corridor.
It was very impressive to look at, at the time, but the gameplay was wash
rinse repeat. So it aged very poorly.
I enjoyed HL2 and its episodes. I remember buying The Orange Box from my >local Best Buy during Thanksgiving week. I wasn't planning to play TF2
and Portal 1. Oops, those games were good too! Great package.
On 07/11/2024 00:42, Zaghadka wrote:
On Wed, 6 Nov 2024 10:18:17 +0000, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, JAB
wrote:
On 05/11/2024 16:00, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Oh, don't mistake me. I generally enjoyed the games overall. But some
are definitely better than others. The original "Half Life" stands
tall amongst its peers; "Half Life 2", not so much. "Black Mesa" and
the various expansions are somewhere in between.
But if you're new to the franchise and therefore have no nostalgia or
connection to the series? It'd be hard for me to recommend HL2, for
instance. Compared to modern titles (and even some of its
contemporaries) it doesn't really stand out. The original "Half Life"
was revolutionary and deserves a play-through. The latter games rely
heavily on that influence to make them worth playing.
TL;DR: we all should go replay the original "Half Life" now. ?
I think they did a good job with Black Mesa as instead of trying to just >>> replicate HL:1 in the source engine they instead went for keep the
essence of it but tighten up some of the levels and also remove some of
the more frustrating aspects (jumping anyone?). On a Rail no longer
drags and the finale of Blast Pit isn't an exercise in quick save/reload >>> until you finish it.
HL:2 obviously didn't standout as much as HL:1 but I still think it's a
good example of how giving levels a different feel keeps the interest
going. Another more minor aspect I like about it is how it's a tutorial
through play instead of press this key messages. Who didn't like getting >>> used to the gravity gun by playing fetch with dog?
IMO, HL2 put its graphics so far ahead of level design that levels were
extremely limited and it became essentially a corridor shooter, with a
few open levels that didn't go anywhere except to another corridor.
It was very impressive to look at, at the time, but the gameplay was wash
rinse repeat. So it aged very poorly.
I still enjoy it even though yes, like HL:1 it is essential a corridor >shooter. It's not that I dislike more open world games but to me that
often feels that they aren't that much different from a corridor shooter >expect that it takes five mins to get from the one you've just finished
to the next one and you have a mini-map to tell you where it is.
On Wed, 6 Nov 2024 19:00:03 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
I have both on steam, I just haven't beaten them ^^
Have you _played_ them, though? Or do they exist in your library just
to bolster The Number?
(Not that the latter is a bad thing, of course. I would never speak
evil of The Number. Please don't report me to the Inquisition. I
couldn't face another session with the Comfy Chair.)
Although it's forgivable if you haven't played "Half Life" at all.
With so many other, more modern titles to choose from, it's easy just
to pick one of those and just skip that silly game the old timers keep harping on about. A lot of what made "Half Life" so memorable --so revolutionary-- is taken for granted today. It's just what we expect
from a modern FPS, which took the "Half Life" formula and gave it two
decades of polish.
So going back and playing "Half Life" today it's hard to see what the
fuss is about; it seems a rather ordinary shooter with decades old
graphics. As I've maintained, I still think it's a terrific shooter
-it has (mostly) excellent pacing, good level design, and satisfying
AI. But it doesn't stand out against stuff like "Dead Space" or "Call
of Duty CMXXVI" or "Horizon Zero Dawn". It's merely good-not-great,
with the further downside of being butt-ugly. You have to put in
effort to appreciate it ... but it's worth it.*
* These posts are not sponsored by Valve. But they should be. Call me,
Gabe; my rates are reasonable! ;-)
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:48 this Wednesday (GMT):
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:[snip]
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core
functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't
have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or
something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is
about than trying it without the headset.
I don't like wearing the VR stuff. :( I'll wait for the holodeck version. :-P
Is it too big for you?
Yes, and I wear an external hearing aid so it doesn't fit. I don't even
like wearing glasses!
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 02:19 this Thursday (GMT):
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote: >>> Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:48 this Wednesday (GMT):
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:[snip]
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core >>>>> functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't >>>>> have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or
something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is >>>>> about than trying it without the headset.
I don't like wearing the VR stuff. :( I'll wait for the holodeck version. :-P
Is it too big for you?
Yes, and I wear an external hearing aid so it doesn't fit. I don't even
like wearing glasses!
Ah, yea.. I wear glasses too, and it makes VR kinda annoying to use.
On 11/7/2024 10:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 02:19 this Thursday (GMT):
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote: >>>> Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:48 this Wednesday (GMT):
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:[snip]
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core >>>>>> functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't >>>>>> have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or
something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is >>>>>> about than trying it without the headset.
I don't like wearing the VR stuff. :( I'll wait for the holodeck version. :-P
Is it too big for you?
Yes, and I wear an external hearing aid so it doesn't fit. I don't even
like wearing glasses!
Ah, yea.. I wear glasses too, and it makes VR kinda annoying to use.
Humm... I never tried it, but I assumed it would work at least with short-sighted people, considering the monitors are right in front of
your eyes? Or am I completely off mark there?
Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 10:59 this Friday (GMT):
On 11/7/2024 10:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 02:19 this Thursday (GMT):
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote: >>>>> Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:48 this Wednesday (GMT):
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:[snip]
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core >>>>>>> functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't >>>>>>> have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or
something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is >>>>>>> about than trying it without the headset.
I don't like wearing the VR stuff. :( I'll wait for the holodeck version. :-P
Is it too big for you?
Yes, and I wear an external hearing aid so it doesn't fit. I don't even >>>> like wearing glasses!
Ah, yea.. I wear glasses too, and it makes VR kinda annoying to use.
Humm... I never tried it, but I assumed it would work at least with
short-sighted people, considering the monitors are right in front of
your eyes? Or am I completely off mark there?
For me at least, its still a bit blurry unless you're wearing your
glasses too. I know there are perscription VR lenses, but obviously
those would be way too much of a hassle unless you own a pair.
On 11/8/2024 10:10 AM, candycanearter07 wrote:
Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 10:59 this Friday (GMT):
On 11/7/2024 10:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 02:19 this Thursday (GMT):
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote: >>>>>> Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:48 this Wednesday (GMT):
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:[snip]
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core >>>>>>>> functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't >>>>>>>> have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or
something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is >>>>>>>> about than trying it without the headset.
I don't like wearing the VR stuff. :( I'll wait for the holodeck version. :-P
Is it too big for you?
Yes, and I wear an external hearing aid so it doesn't fit. I don't even >>>>> like wearing glasses!
Ah, yea.. I wear glasses too, and it makes VR kinda annoying to use.
Humm... I never tried it, but I assumed it would work at least with
short-sighted people, considering the monitors are right in front of
your eyes? Or am I completely off mark there?
For me at least, its still a bit blurry unless you're wearing your
glasses too. I know there are perscription VR lenses, but obviously
those would be way too much of a hassle unless you own a pair.
I suspect it isn't how close the projection is to the eyes but how
"deep" and far away the objects in view are projected to be. If that
makes sense.
Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote at 01:52 this Saturday (GMT):
On 11/8/2024 10:10 AM, candycanearter07 wrote:
Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 10:59 this Friday (GMT):
On 11/7/2024 10:40 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 02:19 this Thursday (GMT):
candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:48 this Wednesday (GMT):
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:[snip]
Of course, that's only to be expected, since you're ripping out core >>>>>>>>> functionality. But if you're tempted to experience the game and don't >>>>>>>>> have a VR headset, just watch somebody play it on YouTube or >>>>>>>>> something. You'll get a much better appreciation of what the game is >>>>>>>>> about than trying it without the headset.
I don't like wearing the VR stuff. :( I'll wait for the holodeck version. :-P
Is it too big for you?
Yes, and I wear an external hearing aid so it doesn't fit. I don't even >>>>>> like wearing glasses!
Ah, yea.. I wear glasses too, and it makes VR kinda annoying to use.
Humm... I never tried it, but I assumed it would work at least with
short-sighted people, considering the monitors are right in front of
your eyes? Or am I completely off mark there?
For me at least, its still a bit blurry unless you're wearing your
glasses too. I know there are perscription VR lenses, but obviously
those would be way too much of a hassle unless you own a pair.
I suspect it isn't how close the projection is to the eyes but how
"deep" and far away the objects in view are projected to be. If that
makes sense.
Yeah, like how far away it's perceived?
Humm... I never tried it, but I assumed it would work at least with >short-sighted people, considering the monitors are right in front of
your eyes? Or am I completely off mark there?
Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
Humm... I never tried it, but I assumed it would work at least with >>short-sighted people, considering the monitors are right in front of
your eyes? Or am I completely off mark there?
VR headsets come with lenses that change the eyes' focus point to be
distant (about 1.5m is typical I beleive), which is more comfortable
for people. Near-sighted people need to either wear their glasses or
get prescription lens inserts.
Project: Borealis - Prologue https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
And it's out. What the heck, I grabbed it (it's free!) and am
downloading it as I write. I'll at least give it a look and see if my
first impressions is more "Episode 2" or if I get a whiff of "Hunt
Down The Freeman".
Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 18:57 this Tuesday (GMT):
Project: Borealis - Prologue
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215490/Project_Borealis_Prologue/
And it's out. What the heck, I grabbed it (it's free!) and am
downloading it as I write. I'll at least give it a look and see if my
first impressions is more "Episode 2" or if I get a whiff of "Hunt
Down The Freeman".
Aw man, it's Windows only? :(
At least its free, so I can test it on Proton.
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