Why Halflife?
Frahg
Join Date: 2002-12-03 Member: 10432Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2002-12-03 Member: 10432Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">What drove the engine choice.</div> I'm not particularly fond of the Half-Life engine. It has more trouble than any engine I can recall with multi-tasking and I'd say once every other night some issue crops where I have to restart Half-life and reconnect to the server I was playing on. This isn't a big deal and it happens so often I instinctively correct it and continue on my way.
But in thinking about the faults of the Half-life engine I came to wonder why, with so many new, fancy, engines on the market the NS team chose to start with the antiquated Half-Life engine. Was it to draw from the very successful CS market (after all, I'd venture a guess that--because of CS--more copies of Half-life have been sold than any other 3D shooter on the planet). Or was it for a different reason.
I wonder. Is there anyone out there who knows, and--barring that--is there a designer who wants to respond?
--Frahg
But in thinking about the faults of the Half-life engine I came to wonder why, with so many new, fancy, engines on the market the NS team chose to start with the antiquated Half-Life engine. Was it to draw from the very successful CS market (after all, I'd venture a guess that--because of CS--more copies of Half-life have been sold than any other 3D shooter on the planet). Or was it for a different reason.
I wonder. Is there anyone out there who knows, and--barring that--is there a designer who wants to respond?
--Frahg
Comments
I've heard that Flayra chose half-life because of the market penetration. It's so easy, NS is free and everyone has half-life, why wouldn't everyone get NS?
another question would be can it ever be converted over to a new engine or could it have it's own? Don't know much programming so I dunno exactly how hard it would be.
I'm very happy with the game so it doesn't bother me. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
1 - The game has been selling for years. 3/4's of Americans now own Half-Life. (Okay, maybe not that many, but a ton)
2 - As with number 1, people have been modding HL for years, and there is tons of experience out there.
3 - Half-Life is 20 bucks new for that 1/4 of Americans that don't already have HL. (Teehee)
4 - Low system requirements. Even 3 year old machines can play Half-Life and it's mods.
5 - Has possibly the largest fanbase for any PC game ever.
6 - Valve is dedicated to the mod community, and still updates Half-Life with great new features.
7 - While aged, Half-Life's engine can still make pretty stuff. It's no UT2k3, but it's still good.
8 - Half-Life is relatively simple to start a mod for, and extremely simple to get publicity for it.
I had more ideas, which I forgot, mind you, but you get the idea.
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Heh, yeah all those great new features. Um what were they again? Lets see oh there was...um wait...then there was.....damn. Hey well at least they added the piece of **** HLguard that doesnt detect anything and even likes to falseley accuse noncheaters. I also like the fact that thier so called "updates" always seem to make me cry in agony as i see new bug and exploits. Like 2 patches ago when games (at least the mod Firearms) were getting a "Sticky" kind of lag that wasnt really lag, because valve screwed up on one of the sounds and didnt name it right (richochete sound or some ****.). Oh yeah i also like the crappy mods they like to add in those "updates" yay richochete!! sounds good to me guys!
Oh and about 4 of your reasons are based on player base.
My vote goes for ut2k3 but i would understand why they wouldnt (and arent) moving to a new engine.
1 - The game has been selling for years. 3/4's of Americans now own Half-Life. (Okay, maybe not that many, but a ton)
2 - As with number 1, people have been modding HL for years, and there is tons of experience out there.
3 - Half-Life is 20 bucks new for that 1/4 of Americans that don't already have HL. (Teehee)
4 - Low system requirements. Even 3 year old machines can play Half-Life and it's mods.
5 - Has possibly the largest fanbase for any PC game ever.
6 - Valve is dedicated to the mod community, and still updates Half-Life with great new features.
7 - While aged, Half-Life's engine can still make pretty stuff. It's no UT2k3, but it's still good.
8 - Half-Life is relatively simple to start a mod for, and extremely simple to get publicity for it.
I had more ideas, which I forgot, mind you, but you get the idea.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well I think all the points you made are true...
2 - True, but Immacolata said that it's pure C++. Any game that runs C++ would have experience even for OUT of the game. Go to Barnes and Noble. C++ for dummies!
4 - This is pathetic. Why doesn't he just make the game use ascii graphics, then? Sure, everyone may not have an Alienware, but something like Quake 3 wouldn't be that bad. Soldier of Fortune 2 runs on the Quake 3 engine: At max settings, it is a beautiful game. Compares to UT2K3. At minimum settings it looks like half-life... which is quite ugly.
Most games can be changed to accomodate slow computers. HOWEVER, the choice of half-life is retarted in that it can't accomodate FAST computers. People buy good hardware for a reason, and the choice of half-life is just... well, pathetic.
7 - THIS ONE IS NO SLIGHT AGAINST FLAYRA: At best, Half-Life looks like someone crapped on a Picaso painting smeared with turpentine.
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Heh, yeah all those great new features. Um what were they again? Lets see oh there was...um wait...then there was.....damn. Hey well at least they added the piece of **** HLguard that doesnt detect anything and even likes to falseley accuse noncheaters. I also like the fact that thier so called "updates" always seem to make me cry in agony as i see new bug and exploits. Like 2 patches ago when games (at least the mod Firearms) were getting a "Sticky" kind of lag that wasnt really lag, because valve screwed up on one of the sounds and didnt name it right (richochete sound or some ****.). Oh yeah i also like the crappy mods they like to add in those "updates" yay richochete!! sounds good to me guys!
Oh and about 4 of your reasons are based on player base.
My vote goes for ut2k3 but i would understand why they wouldnt (and arent) moving to a new engine.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Don't forget the pathes are always huge files that change next to nothing.
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Heh, yeah all those great new features. Um what were they again? Lets see oh there was...um wait...then there was.....damn. Hey well at least they added the piece of **** HLguard that doesnt detect anything and even likes to falseley accuse noncheaters. I also like the fact that thier so called "updates" always seem to make me cry in agony as i see new bug and exploits. Like 2 patches ago when games (at least the mod Firearms) were getting a "Sticky" kind of lag that wasnt really lag, because valve screwed up on one of the sounds and didnt name it right (richochete sound or some ****.). Oh yeah i also like the crappy mods they like to add in those "updates" yay richochete!! sounds good to me guys!
Oh and about 4 of your reasons are based on player base.
My vote goes for ut2k3 but i would understand why they wouldnt (and arent) moving to a new engine.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Intergrated voice comm.
VAC (Which is not HL Guard) and does not give false positive. (It did in the beginning when people didn't reboot their servers or tried to play on a Linux box. This has been fixed.)
Soon to be a Perma WON ID ban on all secure servers when caught cheating.
Valve will help Modders with engine specific information.
4 - This is pathetic. Why doesn't he just make the game use ascii graphics, then? Sure, everyone may not have an Alienware, but something like Quake 3 wouldn't be that bad. Soldier of Fortune 2 runs on the Quake 3 engine: At max settings, it is a beautiful game. Compares to UT2K3. At minimum settings it looks like half-life... which is quite ugly.
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Ugly? I think the maps of Ns are quite beautiful, also well created. Good light effects and use of shadow.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Most games can be changed to accomodate slow computers. HOWEVER, the choice of half-life is retarted in that it can't accomodate FAST computers. People buy good hardware for a reason, and the choice of half-life is just... well, pathetic.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well thanks for sharing. If you leave now, how fast can you be out with your new UT2K3 mod? I always love it when peopel dis' something for it's looks exclusively. Shows how little awareness they have.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->7 - THIS ONE IS NO SLIGHT AGAINST FLAYRA: At best, Half-Life looks like someone crapped on a Picaso painting smeared with turpentine.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well you're slighting away real good anyway. There's been plenty of reasonable explanation to WHY HL was chosen. And you don't like how it looks? Fine, but is it necessary to make such nasty comparissons? Why, you good sir, sounds as smart as a guy who ... nah, shan't fall to that level. Good riddance.
I was crapping in my pants when I first played HL, and that was 3 years ago. It doesn't compare to the new ones, but its far from ugly...
I guess the word pretty and ugly are pretty difficult to define; everyone has their own version of beauty.
(Before HL the only other FPS' I played were the Marathon Series, from Bungie--great games, those)
/shrug It doesn't really matter.
Also, keep in mind that 2 years ago, when development on NS started, the UT2k3 engine wasn't even around. I think the UT2k3 engine is wonderful, but it would have been ridiculous to even suggest switching over to a completely new engine just as the mod was nearing its final stages of development.
<b>Edit:</b> NegaBenji beat me to it.
Because it created a godly game is always a good answer =D
Unless of course the UT2003 has like 5x more capability and could deliver amazing gameplay i say who cares.
And frankly, i don't think i'd like to buy a new game for NS (although i would =D ).
HL might be fugly compared to UT2k3, but it still looks better then DOOM 95. Not to mention HL has the LARGEST user base. I saw on Gamespy at one point (using the Gamespy Arcade thingy to play)
Half-Life: 140,000 Players Currently
Quake 3: 9,000 Players Currently
Jedi Outcast: 7,000 Players Currently
Battlefield 1942: 5,000 Players Currently
Unreal Tournament: 3,000 Players Currently
hmm...why stay HL? more people play/own HL then the top 10 other FPS Online games.
For your information, UT2k3 and HL use totally different approach to make game modifications. HL uses the game SDK that provides the VC++ source code, the programmer play with the code and create the desired changes. UT2k3 uses the extremely powerful UScript for modding purposes, it is external to the game engine and has a slightly higher learning curve because it is unfamiliar to most people (not to mention it is totally OO).
Also, there <b>IS</b> a UT2k3 mod similar to NS that is under developement. It is called Battle Command <a href='http://mods.moddb.com/611/' target='_blank'>http://mods.moddb.com/611/</a>
Looks promising if they can actually find a coder and get things going, the last time I checked, they have some nice looking gun models.
Btw, UT2k3 runs fine on my 1Ghz 384mb Ram rig with a GF2MX400 32Mb.
My box is only sub-par. I DO have a Geforce 4 4600, but with a slow processer, it can only work so much before the processer limits it's output.
And I have UT2k3, full settings, and average 60 frames.
Now here's my question: Why does Flayra insist on making NS accomodate people with slow computers, when it's a <b>90 meg download</b>? Gee everyone has cable but you know, they may just not have anything over a TNT 1 and a 386.
Correctemundo. It really dosnt as long as the graphics are efficient and alow for an enjoyable experience. Anyone not enjoying NS?
First of all, UT2k3 hasn't been out long enough to declare it 'game of the year'. Unreal Torunament 1 was a nominee for GOtY a couple years ago. What Ut2k3 (Remember: NEW GAME) has won was just about every award they gave out at E3.
PcGamer: "...UT 2003 Platinum GOTY Collector’s Box when it inevitably shows up next year."
XGR: "Top that with it being a definite contender for Game Of The Year for 2002"
Gamespy: "...have created what may be the definitive multiplayer first-person shooter." Aug 06, 2002
What a bunch of crap.
Who the hell cares if it looks like poop in a toliet if:
A) It's easy to pick up and play.
B) It's fun
C) It can acomplish all the desires you could want to program into the game just like every other FPS out there...
Seriously, why choose another engine just because it has better graphics?
HL has a bigger fanbase, and mods are well respected on the HL engine.
HL is also easy to code for since it uses C++, a well reconized laungage.