Half Life: Alyx

[Timinator]

Did people watch this back in 2003/2004? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDAasL_-qas This was the tech demo for Half Life 2.  It blew everyone away massively back then, and looking at the upcoming VR game, has me thinking back to this, and the jump it made at the time. 

I can understand people would want something that can just run with the kit they already have, but sometimes you can't limit yourself, you have to push yourself and the industry forward.  Half life 2 could have just been new textures and maps for Half Life 1 but it wasn't and we were better for it, even if back then we had to wait 6 years.

things like looking around a shelf for ammo, manually loading your gun, then aiming it.  THere is no way in hell you could do that with mouse/keyboard or a controller.

[Darkness]

things like looking around a shelf for ammo, manually loading your gun, then aiming it.  THere is no way in hell you could do that with mouse/keyboard or a controller.

There are VR games which already do this and I can relate the comedy of my gun management failures.

1. See bad guy.
2. Need to reload.
3. Insert new mag.
4. Eject new mag.
5. Drop all mags.
6. Randomly remove other gun parts such as scope and PEQ.
7. Scramble round floor trying to pick up a mag.
8. Drop gun.
9. Get shot.
10. Die.

[Sssith]

Too much equipment.  Too expensive.  Very interesting demo and it makes me want to play it.  Then I am reminded that I don't have the necessary equipment.  My computer might be able to run the game, not sure about that, but not having the equipment for VR is a huge problem. 

The situation reminds me of when 3D went 'mainstream'.  The threshold for that equipment is lower than VR and yet that did not succeed.

[Timinator]

You mean 3D glasses for the movies etc? I’d say that was mostly a fad. Almost no tv picked up on it etc

I don’t think vr is going away. You are happy to have Both a pc and console. To me I wouldn’t want to spend hundreds on a console, that’s the type of cash that gets you vr hardware

[Pixie]

I occasionally think VR seems cool and maybe I should consider investing in it. But then I remember I have a tiny living space and tiny gaming room and I start to reconsider.

And then I see disembodied hands in a screenshot and it makes me nope right out of it entirely.

[Darkness]

My VR set up is quite a confined space but, I only use VR for playing Elite Dangerous or other sims, so I'm sat down and not moving much.  I simply won't waste my time playing certain games outside of VR now, as the experience is superior to a monitor in every way for me.

At some point I'd like to get VR set up downstairs, maybe over the Christmas break, just to play games that require more space.  That'd be a temporary measure though.

VR is definitely here to stay . Current tech is becoming cheaper and more advanced peripherals are entering the market to replace the current gen. VR headset ownership has doubled in the past two years and the tech is now well established, as is the games market to cater for it. Ofc VR is not going to replace traditional 2D gaming but, it is not just a gimmick like 3D and developers are keen to make use of it.

[Timinator]

Darkness thanks for that. As a vr user it’s great to hear a real story.

Pixie: I’ve seen threads about arms/no arms. Seems people have strong opinions. But when I tried some vr earlier this year. I didn’t notice or mind no arms. I was focussed on what I was doing (failing) rock climbing

[Timinator]

3 gameplay videos out today https://youtu.be/LTLotwKpLgk

Levels look pretty gorgeous. Similar style to half life 2 but just newer as you’d expect.  The teleport style movement is something I don’t think I’d be keen for.

Some new mechanics and some familiar ones.  Looks like the gloves have gravity gun powers

[Timinator]

Well its out now, in the topsellers, and overwhelmingly positive.  Also remember that gamers don't just give Valve a pass.  Their last single player game was Artifact which died an ugly death.  People have more half life after all these years.   

From a spoiler free review, it sounds like everything you want and expect in a half life game.  They mentioned a 15 hour campaign, you can get rewarded by looking around to find more ammo/stuff to upgrade and each area kinda unique to what you saw before.

Lots of talk of "you need to play/replay Half Life 2: Episode 2" so some of those story elements are relevant here.  Hopefully its not too many years till I get to experience this one day.

Maybe, just maybe I'll get to play it in an unspoiled fashion one day

[Sssith]

I recently read a article about how Valve is very anti-consumer.  Many valid points.

I will not be getting this game any time soon.

[Pixie]

Valve is very anti-consumer

... even compared to Epic? >.>

[Sssith]

Epic is its own shit show.

[Timinator]

I recently read a article about how Valve is very anti-consumer.  Many valid points.

Such as?

I guess as a private company, they don't have shareholders demanding the next quarterly profit increase.  They aren't demanding an annual release.

It also means they can do things that the community doesn't always like, eg make Left 4 Dead 1, then a year later make Left for dead 2 and kinda leave the first one for .. dead.  Then never make another after 2.

How many other companies can do that? That much creative control?  No Zenimax, or EA to threaten to close a studio, or kill your project. 

They are unique

[Sssith]

I will let you read it.  Just found it: https://www.engadget.com/2020/03/18/half-life-alyx-valve-steam-stockholders-boo/

Overall I am ok with Steam.  But they really answer to no one.

They are unique

Answer to no one.  Are unique.  Also equates to them being assholes at times.

[Timinator]

Why did that prick Henry Ford invent his motorised automobile, the vast majority just wanted a faster horse. 

Looking at that, they do list some things that have annoyed me to varying degrees, some if it was mainly the focus on Multiplayer games and just an absence of a Valve single player experience that isn't a card game.

Imagine if say Gabe Newell one day does a George Lucas, sells his share for a couple billion.    Whoever picks it up would crank up the sausage factory to full force.  Half Life the mobile game?  Portal the MMO with micro transactions? 

Aggressive profit only driven scum always ask fore more dividends: the eccentrc stuff would never get made.  We don't need another Blizzard, or maybe Rockstar would are enjoying printing money and should have released or announced GTA 6 years ago.