Hmm MonsE bout the A.I. in HL2 would that mean IF the NS team eventually decided to go to that engine that their could possibly a single player game??? that would be amazing <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Valve has shut down lots of sites for posting leaked HL2 pics, so I suggest taking those down...
EDIT: Some info I dug up:
-ALL objects in the game world are affected by the physics
-Movement speed of HL will be retained
-Drivable vehicles in both single and multiplayer
-Engine technology scales based on your system specs
-Known locations: City17 in east Europe, a harbor, a jail, the suburbs, a dried up ocean, an icebreaker (large ship)
-Multiplayer is important and multiple game modes will be supported
-The editor is called 'Hammer' and will be included, sounds like a complete development environment for maps, mods etc.
-TF2 will be using the HL2 engine, once they decided to use the HL2 engine they stopped giving information as they didn't want to blow anything relating to it. TF2 will 'arrive soon'.
EDIT: More stuff I dug up...
-Half-Life 2 is scheduled for a September 30th release.
-Yes, you're still Gordon Freeman, and yes, the story assumes you went to work for the G-Man.
-Half-Life 2 takes place in a European city called "City 17."
-Headcrabs will be back! Although some of the Xen aliens will be your friends?
-Barney is back. And so is Half-Life's original writer, Marc Laidlaw.
-While the new engine has all sorts of fancy features, it's still designed to work on lower-end machines. Apparently a 700mhz processor and a video card capable of running DX6 is enough, although a 2ghz with a GeForce4 is recommended.
-The girl in the promo art is named Alyx, a daughter of a scientist who factors into the story somehow. She's not playable.
-Scripted Sequences will be more interactive.
-Half-Life 3 is planned, so expect another cliffhanger ending.
re: peoples' concerns about texture alignments, curved surfaces, and whatnot:
Why was Half-Life the brilliant game it was? The answer isn't its graphics, but its plotting, scripting, AI, &c. Sure, maybe HL2 won't have the most advanced engine out there, but I'll wager its storyline and sheer fun factor will blow D3 (and many more) out of the water.
although don't forget scripting doesn't exist in the same way anymore. As far as I can tell, the map always has interesting things the AI can play with, but I'm sure they can set higher priorities to certain items as well. Maybe force the AI to pay attention to something. ex. the hydra, when it stabs the guard and pulls him back, likely the hydra was told by some property, that was activated after Gordon arrived, that there's a guard up there that could really use a little love. Perhaps they can set something akin to an AI signature. That is, the higher the value, the more easily the AI will pick it up and pay attention to it.
There will still be scripting. Check the notes about lack of cutscenes, etc.
<!--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-->Half-Life 2 takes place in a European city called "City 17."<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
From what I've read, it's a "European-ISH" city. Not necessarily in Europe and one magazine theorized that it might be a human habitat on an alien world. (Although the simpler explanation that it's IS in fact a European city seems more likely.)
This thread is probably 15 pages longer than it needs to be for repeated pictures and information. People, please try and make sure your image hasen't been posted already >_<. And I agree with you MonsE.
<!--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-->From going through more of these pics (nice job, folks), I can say that it's very unlikely there will be true curved surfaces in HL2.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
in this pic the column looks like a smooth surface.
Not sure. But the arch in that hallway is definitely not truly curved, in pics I've seen. I guess it comes down to how much you care about little graphical details. And go walk around your house, or town, or city. You woun't see a lot of true curves in buldings, for the simple reason that they are expensive and inefficient in architecture. Cuvry engines that are fine for sci-fi silliness like Doom or Quake doesn't seem like it's worth the resource hit on PC's for a game based mostly in modern times...
<!--QuoteBegin--Paladin+May 3 2003, 10:48 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Paladin @ May 3 2003, 10:48 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> www.cstrike.de has posted 4 HL2 Pictures. 3 of them are old ones but this one below is new. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Actually that one is old too. But, about the pic, how low poly can you get? I hope it's for demo purposes, because the top looks like #### and even the HD Pak had a higher poly shotty.
Also, Havok's site, which Havok being the engine being modified that's to be used, has a video, that I'm guessing is the physics for the beloved zombie so far.
Apparently, you will start the game with a LOT of (modern)weapons(like the mp5 and the oicw), but you will shortly after lose them all after being captured. ^-not sure, can't find where I found that info. Im however sure that they somewhere said "you will hit the ground running, there'll be no long intro scene"...I wonder if that's a good thing or not.
Since I haven't seen these shots in the thread so far, I'm going to post some shots from the PC Gamer insert that came with the magazine. The insert was basically 16 pages of pictures, and a lot of those pictures were already in the magazine proper.
i really hate the difference between these two scans. the top one looks beautiful, almost realistic. then you have what probably will be what the game looks like. next week seems so far away.
In case you're wondering where all the HL2 previews and screenshots online are, it turns out there's a seperate media embargo for online sources. Bleh. :(
<!--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-->According to multiple unconfirmed sources, the Half-Life 2 online press embargo ends Thursday, May 8th. This is all rather convoluted, but print magazines were allowed to publish articles on Half-Life 2 after April 28th (or so), but the embargo was broken and scans of the articles leaked out everywhere. And CNN was allowed to post a preview, despite the embargo. Anyways, May 8th is the date sites like GameSpy.com, GameSpot, and IGN are allowed to post their previews and hopefully we'll get some better quality screenshots we're actually allowed to post. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin--RoyGBiv+May 5 2003, 10:03 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (RoyGBiv @ May 5 2003, 10:03 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> i really hate the difference between these two scans. the top one looks beautiful, almost realistic. then you have what probably will be what the game looks like. next week seems so far away. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Ahh--the difference between tuning YOUR video card for game-performance vs eye-candy. It's up to you.
^ Know what contrast and monitor lighting is? Probably is what makes the difference, try adjusting your monitor, you'll be surprised.
Oh, and thank A LOT Greedo for these screens. Long time no new screens were out <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->.
what are you guys talking about? it's the same picture just a different scan. which means whoever scanned it probably messed around with it. i want the "real screenshot" of it. has nothing to do with monitor or video card settings.
"<b>Anyways, May 8th is the date sites like GameSpy.com, GameSpot, and IGN are allowed to post their previews and hopefully we'll get some better quality screenshots we're actually allowed to post.</b>" -PHL
Let's just hope, I'd like to state, I have still not actually read any of the articles scanned.
Okay this is the way I figure it, you start the game in a huge battle with a bunch of weapons fighting for your life than a huge monster comes and you have to start running where the G-Man comes and saves you or you get lost and end up doing your own thing.
Multiplayer will obviously not be TF2 but will definately be something new, amazing, and spectactular if they neglect to say what it is. Definately something never seen before.
Anything can be used as a weapon... That includes picking up objects and throwing them... Hell maybe you can even shoot out a chandelier and have it drop on an alien and kill him... Although that's not very likely but I did read in a preview where a grenade actually blew a computer out through a window and knocked over a fence which landed on a guy and killed him... No scripts, nothing, just plain old physics... Now that's fricking amazing!
Roy, different magazines, different quality, different scans, different quality... The only way you're getting the real screenshot is if it is directly from the computer and even that depends on what quality the computer was running at and what version of the game they were testing. I think this is one of the first screenshots taken meaning it was taken pretty soon after the engine was finished so don't expect much. They've still got 4 months to fine tune the game, it's more than enough time to squash any bugs and make the game look good assuming they haven't done that already. PLUS the bottom screenshot looks more realistic in the fact that we aren't all glowing yellow when out in the real world.
Now what should be extremely interesting is the use of smart A.I. The A.I. has learned to use stairs and such and now that means Barney will be able to follow you from floor to floor and that includes bad guys too. Running don't mean sh*t unless you got one hell of a hiding spot. But you guys already know that <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Plan on taking a LONG break from school and work and whatever else you do in life... If I remember correctly, if you played the game nonstop, it would take you at least either 36 hours or 3 days to finish the entire game. I think it was 36 but I don't remember. And can we say replay value in the fact that you aren't forced to do something in a certain way anymore? This game is gonna keep you hooked for a long time, even after you've beaten it for the hundreth time... Okay maybe not but you definately won't throw the game in the closet once you're finished.
Should be interesting to see what May 8th brings us, probably nothing new but you never know.
And that's my 2 cents <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> Don't argue, just correct mistakes, this is just an opinion <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif'><!--endemo-->
Comments
EDIT: Some info I dug up:
-ALL objects in the game world are affected by the physics
-Movement speed of HL will be retained
-Drivable vehicles in both single and multiplayer
-Engine technology scales based on your system specs
-Known locations: City17 in east Europe, a harbor, a jail, the suburbs, a dried up ocean, an icebreaker (large ship)
-Multiplayer is important and multiple game modes will be supported
-The editor is called 'Hammer' and will be included, sounds like a complete development environment for maps, mods etc.
-TF2 will be using the HL2 engine, once they decided to use the HL2 engine they stopped giving information as they didn't want to blow anything relating to it. TF2 will 'arrive soon'.
EDIT: More stuff I dug up...
-Half-Life 2 is scheduled for a September 30th release.
-Yes, you're still Gordon Freeman, and yes, the story assumes you went to work for the G-Man.
-Half-Life 2 takes place in a European city called "City 17."
-Headcrabs will be back! Although some of the Xen aliens will be your friends?
-Barney is back. And so is Half-Life's original writer, Marc Laidlaw.
-While the new engine has all sorts of fancy features, it's still designed to work on lower-end machines. Apparently a 700mhz processor and a video card capable of running DX6 is enough, although a 2ghz with a GeForce4 is recommended.
-The girl in the promo art is named Alyx, a daughter of a scientist who factors into the story somehow. She's not playable.
-Scripted Sequences will be more interactive.
-Half-Life 3 is planned, so expect another cliffhanger ending.
Why was Half-Life the brilliant game it was? The answer isn't its graphics, but its plotting, scripting, AI, &c. Sure, maybe HL2 won't have the most advanced engine out there, but I'll wager its storyline and sheer fun factor will blow D3 (and many more) out of the water.
ex. the hydra, when it stabs the guard and pulls him back, likely the hydra was told by some property, that was activated after Gordon arrived, that there's a guard up there that could really use a little love.
Perhaps they can set something akin to an AI signature. That is, the higher the value, the more easily the AI will pick it up and pay attention to it.
All conjecture of course.
<!--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-->Half-Life 2 takes place in a European city called "City 17."<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
From what I've read, it's a "European-ISH" city. Not necessarily in Europe and one magazine theorized that it might be a human habitat on an alien world. (Although the simpler explanation that it's IS in fact a European city seems more likely.)
in this pic the column looks like a smooth surface.
Actually that one is old too. But, about the pic, how low poly can you get? I hope it's for demo purposes, because the top looks like #### and even the HD Pak had a higher poly shotty.
Also, Havok's site, which Havok being the engine being modified that's to be used, has a video, that I'm guessing is the physics for the beloved zombie so far.
<a href='http://www.havok.com/products/game_dynamics/demos.html' target='_blank'>http://www.havok.com/products/game_dynamics/demos.html</a>
Check their other stuff too, pretty impressive.
^-not sure, can't find where I found that info. Im however sure that they somewhere said "you will hit the ground running, there'll be no long intro scene"...I wonder if that's a good thing or not.
-EDIT- And the old marines were much cooler in Half-Life than HL2 IMO -EDIT-
<!--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-->According to multiple unconfirmed sources, the Half-Life 2 online press embargo ends Thursday, May 8th. This is all rather convoluted, but print magazines were allowed to publish articles on Half-Life 2 after April 28th (or so), but the embargo was broken and scans of the articles leaked out everywhere. And CNN was allowed to post a preview, despite the embargo. Anyways, May 8th is the date sites like GameSpy.com, GameSpot, and IGN are allowed to post their previews and hopefully we'll get some better quality screenshots we're actually allowed to post. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ahh--the difference between tuning YOUR video card for game-performance vs eye-candy. It's up to you.
Oh, and thank A LOT Greedo for these screens. Long time no new screens were out <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->.
Let's just hope, I'd like to state, I have still not actually read any of the articles scanned.
Multiplayer will obviously not be TF2 but will definately be something new, amazing, and spectactular if they neglect to say what it is. Definately something never seen before.
Anything can be used as a weapon... That includes picking up objects and throwing them... Hell maybe you can even shoot out a chandelier and have it drop on an alien and kill him... Although that's not very likely but I did read in a preview where a grenade actually blew a computer out through a window and knocked over a fence which landed on a guy and killed him... No scripts, nothing, just plain old physics... Now that's fricking amazing!
Roy, different magazines, different quality, different scans, different quality... The only way you're getting the real screenshot is if it is directly from the computer and even that depends on what quality the computer was running at and what version of the game they were testing. I think this is one of the first screenshots taken meaning it was taken pretty soon after the engine was finished so don't expect much. They've still got 4 months to fine tune the game, it's more than enough time to squash any bugs and make the game look good assuming they haven't done that already. PLUS the bottom screenshot looks more realistic in the fact that we aren't all glowing yellow when out in the real world.
Now what should be extremely interesting is the use of smart A.I. The A.I. has learned to use stairs and such and now that means Barney will be able to follow you from floor to floor and that includes bad guys too. Running don't mean sh*t unless you got one hell of a hiding spot. But you guys already know that <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Plan on taking a LONG break from school and work and whatever else you do in life... If I remember correctly, if you played the game nonstop, it would take you at least either 36 hours or 3 days to finish the entire game. I think it was 36 but I don't remember. And can we say replay value in the fact that you aren't forced to do something in a certain way anymore? This game is gonna keep you hooked for a long time, even after you've beaten it for the hundreth time... Okay maybe not but you definately won't throw the game in the closet once you're finished.
Should be interesting to see what May 8th brings us, probably nothing new but you never know.
And that's my 2 cents <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Don't argue, just correct mistakes, this is just an opinion <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif'><!--endemo-->