Half Life 3 files possibly indicate RPG elements

http://www.valvetime.net/threads/wha…-about.246431/

All speculation, of course, but possibly interesting. The references to VR suggest that these files are fairly current, and there's references to the Combine, quests, NPCs, and a day/night cycle. I am predicting that Valve will use HL3 to push Vulkan and its Steam Machines, which badly need some new publicity.

That link just times out for me.

Every couple of years, someone brings up something about HL3, and I get excited for a moment. I always end up disappointed though. HL3 has become the new Duke Nukem Forever.

Enjoyed Half-Life, didn't really like Half-Life 2. To me, Valve hasn't been relevant as a developer for a very long time.

Originally Posted by JDR13
That link just times out for me.

Every couple of years, someone brings up something about HL3, and I get excited for a moment. I always end up disappointed though. HL3 has become the new Duke Nukem Forever.

Link works for me. Perhaps being hit hard if the internet has exploded with speculation. As you say, "HL3 confirmed" has become a meme at this point. These files seem a bit more convincing, though, and I find it a bit more plausible with the launch of Steam Machines in November.

One of the reasons to discount it is that HL3 could just be a term for some tech used in their Source 2 games, based on earlier experimental stuff.

Ok, I was finally able to view it. As I expected, it's quite a stretch.

I gave up hoping for HL3 years ago, and I think it's probably just wishful thinking to believe this means it's finally going to happen.

It's a shame, because both HL and HL2 were very memorable for me.

Back in 1999 to 2001 I played a lot of counter strike…

its just more trolling from gabe, nothing new to see

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Enjoyed Half-Life, didn't really like Half-Life 2. To me, Valve hasn't been relevant as a developer for a very long time.

I replayed HL2 earlier this year and graphically it is still quite good and the gameplay is also solid … but OMG the amount of filler space and 'trash mobs' in there!

I always felt it played more like a tech showcase than an actual game. I got sick and tired of the endless linear driving around and stuff. I think I got around 75% through it before giving up.

I liked that horror level with the saw thingy, but overall it was very underwhelming.

That said, I also only really cared for the first few hours of the original Half-Life - which seemed like a more action oriented System Shock to me. Then it soon devolved into a spectacle shooter much like the sequel.

By that same token, I liked Portal - but felt the concept had been played out by the time it was over. Portal 2 was just more of the same to me. Left for Dead got really boring really fast - though the concept was cool. Team Fortress 2 is a terribly shallow "arena" shooter that just won't die but is also very slick and fluid.

Clearly, I'm not the target audience when it comes to Valve. To me, all their games scream of that forgiving casual mindset with designs that must appeal to everyone and their grandmother. Sort of like the gaming industry version of Disney.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
That said, I also only really cared for the first few hours of the original Half-Life - which seemed like a more action oriented System Shock to me. Then it soon devolved into a spectacle shooter much like the sequel.

I always took crap about not worshipping Half-Life even as a big shooter fan, and finding there were always other shooters I much preferred … glad I have a kindred spirit

Originally Posted by txa1265
I always took crap about not worshipping Half-Life even as a big shooter fan, and finding there were always other shooters I much preferred … glad I have a kindred spirit

Oh, I've taken my share of crap for that too, believe me

I think I would have been much more impressed with it if it wasn't for System Shock.

To me, SS was the obvious direction for first person gaming - and I couldn't believe my eyes and ears when Doom 2 and Half-Life became the darlings of both the industry and the audience.

Just shows how out of touch with the mainstream I am

I am with you. Only enjoyed first levels in HL1, and I didn't finish HL2 because it was just so monotonous (to be fair, I didn't buy it full price at release, but within the orange box many years later). It's just linear running -> physics riddle -> linear running -> physics riddle -> linear boatdrive -> physics riddle -> linear boatdrive -> physics riddle…

I mean it's not like games like Metro 1/2 or Call of Juarez - Gunslinger (two games I really enjoyed "recently") are full freedom, but there the shooter parts didn't feel like just being a way to showcase some physics riddles.

Also liked System Shock 1 a lot btw
Seeing the intro still gives me goosebumps

At this point I don't know how relevant can HL3 be if it's ever released. Like JDR13 said it has become the new DNF. I would very much prefer a new Portal game.
However the HL games have always been showcases for advancements in game engine (there was a lenghty video for the release of HL1 and HL2 basically introduced HDR for graphics and the physics in gameplay) so they might release HL3 for VR or something.

I just don't think that Shooters are exceptionally goot to demonstrate VR.
They might come into play later on when full body movement is integrated. But for now with shooters you will always have a certain disconnect due to the controls.

VR still has a very long way to go before it becomes a comfortable and practical way to play games, imo.

Well, I think for simulations like Elite Dangerous or Euro Truck Simulator it's already great when it releases. But for a shooter you would need additional stuff for the movement…or the shooter must be completely redesigned to never include rooms bigger than 2mx2m

Originally Posted by Luckra
However the HL games have always been showcases for advancements in game engine (there was a lenghty video for the release of HL1 and HL2 basically introduced HDR for graphics and the physics in gameplay) so they might release HL3 for VR or something.

I loved HL games just for this reason. They always moved the boundary. I also liked Crysis for the same reason. I don't play FPS games anymore (for lot of years now, I think Crysis 2 was last one I tried) but I would play HL3 if it tried to do something new.

I remember holding two game boxes in my hands back in december of 1998 and wondering which one to play during winter break. One of those boxes was Sin and the other one was Half-life. I don't remember why I picked half-life instead of Sin, but thank god I did, because thanks to half-life that xmas turned out particularly joyful. Anyhow later on the whole half-life thing ofcourse became an internet phenomenon and bunch of cool mods like Counter strike were released, but orginally the game was praised for it's orginal setting and great single player campaign. Multiplayer was initially just an afterthought. As for the other game, Sin.. well I got it few months later and it was a bug ridden game which ran very poorly on my pc. So I chose quite wisely back then.

Thanks to HL1, everyone kept waiting for Half-life 2. In some ways it was certainly worth of waiting, because the dystopian setting Valve had created was really cool thing to explore. However to my dissapointment, the game felt quite linear and gameplay was lacking a punch. Guns for instance had this "toy gun" feel.

Had lots of fun with Sin multiplayer though and the first levels of the campaign were awesome! Later on it had the same "problems" as HL1 in it's campaign with all the absurdities.
But there is one thing where Sin was especially outstanding: Loading Times.

You guys are bringing me back….

I had so much fun sniping people in Sin