Why Half-Life 2 is so great

[vinCe]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"Walter Mitty" wrote
> Vince wrote:
>> "Walter Mitty" wrote

>>>OK game, great graphics, but (by far) the most boring linear fps I ever
>>>saw.

>> How many FPSs have you played?

> Most. Why?

> NB : I'm not slagging Far Cry -

Sorry mate but you did use the phrase "..but (by far) the most boring linear
fps I ever saw.".

> just disputing the "non linearity" claim. A fact though : its the first
> FPS I never bothered finishing.

I think most people here agree that 'Far Cry' is not non-linear in the same
sense that 'Deus Ex' is.

 

[Guest]

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Vince wrote:
> I think most people here agree that 'Far Cry' is not non-linear in
the same
> sense that 'Deus Ex' is.

That's what I meant.
It (and Deus Ex and IGI) are linear in the sense that you have to
complete each level and achieve the same goal before you can proceed.
You can't just ignore your mission and pursue other interests if you
want to get any further (eg. you can on a very long hike in IGI but you
won't find the next level no matter how far you go).

They are non-linear in the sense that there are different ways to get
to that final goal. Take the training camp at the start of Far Cry. You
can charge in Rambo style. You can sneak in and steal the jeep almost
un-noticed. You can pick off the guards one by one and retreat back
into the jungle/water. You can destroy the fuel tank to create a
diversion. You can blow up a few barrels in the camp to create
damage/diversions. Or a mixture of the above. I've not tried it, but it
may be possible to ignore the whole place and run off down the track by
yourself to the next area.

Also the terrain allows you to roam more freely, particularly in far
Cry where the vegetation provides cover. If anything Deus Ex is the
most proscriptive of IGI Far Cry and Deus Ex, as the "stealth route"
and the "rambo route" are often quite obvious and separate.

It's a style of gaming. Some of us prefer HL where the set pieces are
unavoidable (but hugely enjoyable because they have been carefully
designed). Some of us prefer the feeling of freedom to create our own
path.

The perfect game? Probably something with the visuals of Far Cry and
HL2, the engaging and in-game (no cut scenes or extended scripted
sequences explaining the plot) storyline of HL1, the implementation of
the physics engine as used in HL2 (Far Cry has some lovely touches such
as rickety bridges you can destroy to keep the enemy at bay, but why
are all the crates superglued to the floor?), Far Cry's freedom to roam
the map and approach your target however you want, the weather effects
of IGI....

 

[Guest]

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On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 13:18:32 -0600, "Kroagnon" <kroagnon@kroagnon.com>
wrote:

>As for Quick Save, didn't one of the patches add that in officially? Beware
>of the quick save / load commands as they can break some of the scripted
>events in the game (at least they did for me, but I played it back in May so
>maybe it is all fixed by now.

I remember only one case where the unofficial quick save somehow
affected the game, it was in the later levels in the underground maya
ruins or something. But it didn't matter that much really, because
there was always the earlier generic save point where you could fall
back to.

 

[Guest]

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On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 15:26:18 +0100, Walter Mitty
<mitticus@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>> How many FPSs have you played?
>
>Most. Why?
>
>
>NB : I'm not slagging Far Cry - just disputing the "non linearity"
>claim. A fact though : its the first FPS I never bothered finishing.

You make about as much sense and difool.

 

[Guest]

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"riku" <riku@invalid.none.com> wrote in message
news:6qeuv0l8uos6bpgoh2m6oujrv65r0mtpfm@4ax.com...

> >As for Quick Save, didn't one of the patches add that in officially?
Beware
> >of the quick save / load commands as they can break some of the scripted
> >events in the game (at least they did for me, but I played it back in May
so
> >maybe it is all fixed by now.
>
> I remember only one case where the unofficial quick save somehow
> affected the game, it was in the later levels in the underground maya
> ruins or something. But it didn't matter that much really, because
> there was always the earlier generic save point where you could fall
> back to.

I had it happen during more than one of the helicopter attack sequences. I
had to fall back to earlier saves more than once.

To be fair, this is a shortcoming of Far Cry: no proper quick load/save out
of the box.

 

[Guest]

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"Kroagnon" <kroagnon@kroagnon.com> wrote in message
news:10vvj9jj9fepkee@news.supernews.com...
>
> "riku" <riku@invalid.none.com> wrote in message
> news:6qeuv0l8uos6bpgoh2m6oujrv65r0mtpfm@4ax.com...
>
>> >As for Quick Save, didn't one of the patches add that in officially?
> Beware
>> >of the quick save / load commands as they can break some of the scripted
>> >events in the game (at least they did for me, but I played it back in
>> >May
> so
>> >maybe it is all fixed by now.
>>
>> I remember only one case where the unofficial quick save somehow
>> affected the game, it was in the later levels in the underground maya
>> ruins or something. But it didn't matter that much really, because
>> there was always the earlier generic save point where you could fall
>> back to.
>
> I had it happen during more than one of the helicopter attack sequences. I
> had to fall back to earlier saves more than once.

I also recall it happening during the lab level where you had to defend the
chick while she performed some task - I had do that entire sequence without
saving/restoring as she never finished the task if I loaded from within that
segment.

 

[Guest]

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<chadwick110@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1106758809.814678.289520@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> Werner Spahl wrote:
> > On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 cr0n1k@hotmail.com wrote:
> >
> > > HL2 has a wonderful, inspired story.
> >
> > Yes? Then give us a short summary here, why it is so great...
> >
>
> An evil corporation, ruled by a dictator is implanting a virus in
> people's brains which removes their free will and makes them mindless
> followers. The dictatorship appears benign, as the public face of it
> constantly reminds all who will listen, but beneath the surface their
> is a dastardly plan to take over all the computing power in the world
> and use to some unspecified evil end (probably advertising).
<snip>

Chadwick, you're wasting your talent in this newsgroup. You need to head
for Hollywood. Can't wait for the movie version of your script above.

 

[Guest]

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"SpammersDie" <xx@xx.xx> wrote in message
news:dTSLd.132362$w62.101952@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

> >> I remember only one case where the unofficial quick save somehow
> >> affected the game, it was in the later levels in the underground maya
> >> ruins or something. But it didn't matter that much really, because
> >> there was always the earlier generic save point where you could fall
> >> back to.
> > I had it happen during more than one of the helicopter attack sequences.
I
> > had to fall back to earlier saves more than once.
> I also recall it happening during the lab level where you had to defend
the
> chick while she performed some task - I had do that entire sequence
without
> saving/restoring as she never finished the task if I loaded from within
that
> segment.

What patch level were you at? Still nothing if Quick Save works properly in
the latest patch.

 

[Guest]

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"Kroagnon" <kroagnon@kroagnon.com> wrote in message
news:1102asirh4td14c@news.supernews.com...
>
> "SpammersDie" <xx@xx.xx> wrote in message
> news:dTSLd.132362$w62.101952@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
>> >> I remember only one case where the unofficial quick save somehow
>> >> affected the game, it was in the later levels in the underground maya
>> >> ruins or something. But it didn't matter that much really, because
>> >> there was always the earlier generic save point where you could fall
>> >> back to.
>> > I had it happen during more than one of the helicopter attack
>> > sequences.
> I
>> > had to fall back to earlier saves more than once.
>> I also recall it happening during the lab level where you had to defend
> the
>> chick while she performed some task - I had do that entire sequence
> without
>> saving/restoring as she never finished the task if I loaded from within
> that
>> segment.
>
> What patch level were you at?

I don't remember - and I don't have the game installed at the moment, so no
way to check.