DescentBB

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:21 am**

I just came home from the store with half-life 2 in my greedy lil' paws. Seems I can't actually install it yet till 2:00 am my time tonight (11/16) because Valve's Steam validation servers for HL-2 won't be online till 12:00 am PST! Oh well, hope this game was worth the wait.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:24 am**

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 3:33 am**

it'd be pretty funny if there were already a crack for that.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 4:13 am**

If you would, could you give a brief review? I'd like to figure out more about what the game is like, but the lack of a demo makes that tricky...

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 4:20 am**

releasing the demo AFTER the game is released has got to be one of the best marketing strategys ever hey.
all the people desperate to see the game asap will buy it the hour it hits shelves, a demo for these people is more of a RISK than anything else, they may not like the demo.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:33 am**

I agree w/ roid. Releasing a demo after the game's release is smarter. And it's definitely better than not releasing one at all.

But yea, I'd like to know more about the Half Life 2.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:40 am**

Sage wrote:I'd like to know more about the Half Life 2.

Extermely engrossing single player FPS with amazing physics and facial animations. The entro had me in awe at simply how much I felt like I was in the world they were portraying.

Also very difficult with a lot more puzzles than most FPS games.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:55 am**

Sounds nise. Yea, lot's of people have been talking about it. Some guy on the Doom3 forums said the graphics are outdated. Like a year old, because that's when the game was supposed to be released.

I don't really care much though, Graphics are NOT what makes a game great, you understand me? They just enhance MY experience.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:59 am**

Ha! Personally I wasn't all too fond of Doom 3's graphics.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 6:31 am**

Sage wrote:I don't really care much though, Graphics are NOT what makes a game great, you understand me? They just enhance MY experience

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 6:35 am**

Doom3 Forums are filled with cat molestors and F14 pilots, not to mention Kali Duke Server refugees. That is the same type of person that would say Call of Duty is the foshiznit when it comes to graphics( Q3 Engine ROFL)

Doom3 is based on OpenGL
HL2 is DirectX 9/PxlS2/3

Two different animals

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 6:49 am**

I'll be getting a at around 4pm today when I finish work. The EB I pre-paid mine at is in a shopping mall that is open 24/7 but the stores aren't open those hours. I stopped by this am at 7 but the store wasn't open.

I'll just be happy to get my Collector's Edition today

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:00 am**

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:09 am**

Tetrad wrote:

Yeah Tet, I'd throw it to her

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:43 am**

a friend just explained the physics to me, like the gravity gun, and i must say that it's made me interested in halflife2 for once. i shall have to see this, just to check out it's physics. eventually.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 10:17 am**

I might buy it just so I have it whenever I can get a system to run it

That might be a long time though...Personally from what I've seen Doom3 doesn't hold a candle to HL2. I've got a game on the PS2 that looks pretty damn close to Doom3, so it doesn't really strike me as revolutionary in the graphics department.

The gameplay is the biggest factor in games for me, graphics are just window dressing. Nice graphics add to the experience of course but good physics and gameplay are king.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:05 am**

The Inquirer has word of problems with Half-Life 2 authentication, specifically with buyers of the boxed CD version:

Players who have rushed out to buy the game today and have tried to activate this afternoon have been greeted with the message, below, that they cannot complete the authentication process and so can't play the game. Many of the gamers that we spoke to were outraged. One told us that he "... Waited ****ing years for this game to come out and now can't play it? I've got the damn discs in my hands! It's outrageous! I want it now!" Similarly strong-worded conversations were had with other gamers.
VUG hope to have the problem fixed as soon as possible. Thanks Jambolia

They better have this fixed by 5 PM EST. This is BS. I'm sorry but having to authenticate to play single is BS. What if I don't have internet connection at home? Did they not think of this? Or do they think that people who live in the country can't afford high end PC's to play this game on.

Strike 1

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:25 pm**

omfg!!1`@ not strike 1!!!

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:42 pm**

Got my download voucher. Now all I need is a machine which will play the game!

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:19 pm**

as of 8min ago it out on the BT networks

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:02 pm**

I would purchase Half Life 2, but my machine is a pile of $#!%.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:26 pm**

I'm pondering it. Right now, I'm running an Athlon 2100 XP and a Geforce 4Ti with a gig of ram

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:55 pm**

CDN_Merlin wrote:They better have this fixed by 5 PM EST. This is BS. I'm sorry but having to authenticate to play single is BS. What if I don't have internet connection at home? Did they not think of this?

They did, and they don't care. You do only have to authenticate ONCE to play singleplayer, and if it doesn't detect an internet connection after that it puts you in offline mode.

As far as the release date goes, that's because of Vivendi's contract that says that Valve cannot make the game available (via steam) before it gets on store shelves. They also can't charge less. VU is hedging their investment with these contractual obligations.

But seriously people, if you're going to buy the game, don't buy the box. Order it off steam. You're giving valve more money, can play it almost instantly, and you'll have to use steam anyway to play the boxed version.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:15 pm**

The fact that the box doesn't have a manual makes Steam less unattractive. I always wanted to buy the boxed version, now I might just end up downloading the game through Steam.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:04 pm**

ThunderBunny wrote:I just came home from the store with half-life 2 in my greedy lil' paws. Seems I can't actually install it yet till 2:00 am my time tonight (11/16) because Valve's Steam validation servers for HL-2 won't be online till 12:00 am PST! Oh well, hope this game was worth the wait.

I thought you hated anything that wasnt D3.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:18 pm**

HEY !! I know! We could make a D4 mod out of the HL2 engine!! OMG TAHT KICK@$$!!!!!!1!!!!!

(just kidding.. Just Kidding)

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:37 pm**

DCrazy wrote:The fact that the box doesn't have a manual makes Steam less unattractive. I always wanted to buy the boxed version, now I might just end up downloading the game through Steam.

It does come with a nice card with a summary of controls.

I get the impression if Vivendi forced them not to relase via steam, Valve would not have killed more trees.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:58 pm**

getting the game from steam is awesome. coming back from my 830 class and figuring out that i somehow, magically, had a copy of half life2 was unbelievably awesome.

almost as awesome as the game, which, as long as it holds up at the pace its at (im only at level 3 in it), is the best game ive ever played. Bar none.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:06 pm**

I might pick up this game if I was confident my system could run it.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:11 pm**

Same here J, I'll wait till the Demo hits the web and check it out.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:55 pm**

I prefer having the boxed copy. I got the DVD version and love it. Still took about 1 hour to validate and unlock the files. What a load of crap that is. Imagine if I wasn't on broadband?

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:16 pm**

1st single player game i played in like 5 years, and actually have as much fun as multiplayer. Last game i played 5 years ago offline was...gasp...half life 1.

Guess valve knows how to do it right

btw i am stuck at the water level, lol

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:38 pm**

this is the end of every other pc game developers hopes and dreams.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:44 pm**

Max, what part of the water level? There's lots of water in the game.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 10:18 pm**

When a new game like Half-Life 2 hits, it spreads around the office of a game company like wildfire.

Based on what I saw of it today, I think it looks far better than Doom 3. For one, it's rendering a more realistic environment than a generic space station gone awry, so the bar is intrinsically raised higher. That said, the city sure looks great. Nice shadow effects everywhere. And for two, the textures are crisp and sharp, much like Unreal 2K4's textures and very much unlike Doom 3's blurry "low res" stuff.

Don't really know how it does with animated lights, which for all intents and purposes were Doom 3's biggest schtick, but it does the static lights very well.

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:01 pm**

Duper wrote:HEY !! I know! We could make a D4 mod out of the HL2 engine!! OMG TAHT KICK@$$!!!!!!1!!!!!

(just kidding.. Just Kidding)

Believe it or not, that's half the reason I'm interested in it... if it has good vehicle support I could do a mod and rip off the Pyro to make a mission more interesting.

However, again I would wait for a demo to make sure I can run it, and that it does what I want it to. Chances are it's not powerful enough for an Obsidian 2 unless the scripting engine is EXTREMELY good, but it might make for some interesting practice in the meantime.

Is there a boxed version for just CDs, or will I have to buy a DVD drive too?

Posted: **Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:08 pm**

I'm wondering if HL2 will be as modable as HL1. anyone heard?

Posted: **Wed Nov 17, 2004 1:14 am**

Duper wrote:I'm wondering if HL2 will be as modable as HL1. anyone heard?

I think I read somewhere that they put a great deal of effort into making the game as modable as possible. Can anyone confirm?

Posted: **Wed Nov 17, 2004 1:19 am**

CDN_Merlin wrote:Max, what part of the water level? There's lots of water in the game.

never mind. i got it figured out

Posted: **Wed Nov 17, 2004 1:22 am**

wank, sigh *** intrinsically *** sigh, wank

introverted cynical banter, once again so predictable

may a headcrab eat your last stemcell

DescentBB

I've got Half-Life 2...do you? :)

I've got Half-Life 2...do you? :)

Re: I've got Half-Life 2...do you? :)