For anyone that ever enjoyed an FPS game...this thread is for you

[DoctorGonzo]

Here is something you might want to see.

Basically, PC Zone magazine has posted the cover for next month's edition online. However, it is the image you see in the first link. As the release date progresses it switches to the next link, then the next, until image sc552.jpg appears.

Do yourself a favor. Start with the first link, and work your way up to sc552.jpg.

Satisfaction guaranteed.

Trust me.

I mean it.

Don't spoil it.

Go in sequence.

Do it.

http://gamez.nl/grafx/art/sc549.jpg
http://gamez.nl/grafx/art/sc550.jpg
http://gamez.nl/grafx/art/sc551.jpg
http://gamez.nl/grafx/art/sc552.jpg

Surprise!

The Edge magazine also posted this little gem on the last page of this month's edition. They always post a teaser for next month's issue on the last page.

http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~view/images.php?g=5

[Scott]

Never played HL.

[sCreeD]

Ah yes, HL. Nothing about it was revolutionary but its level design and the attention to detail excelled.

Unfortunately, only those with a Windows box got to play it. It almost became a joke how very much HL was desired for the Mac but never would be delivered. Will we get this one? Perhaps. The platform has recuperated since then and the OS has leapt forward.

Screed

Addendum Hm, HL available for PS2. Didn't know that. Might just buy to play it again. (Trying to avoid needing a Microsoft product in toto).

Anyone care to translate? http://gamez.nl/content/nieuws.phtml?id=5587

[Lemon Bon Bon]

Hmmm. Never played HL. Heard much about it.

Mac never got it.

I think we'll get 2 somehow.

But, Doc', I gotta tell ya, I'd rather have a Doom III inspired Marathon game!!!

I love Marathon!

Lemon Bon Bon

[Macasaurus]

ooo! I hope they come out with a mac version! Actually, if they do, my grades are prolly going to fall so fast... Hmm.... Never mind! i hope they don't come out with HL for mac! :-D

[rampancy]

Ah, HL. Probably ranks with Oni and Halo as one of the most bitter points in the memory of Mac gamers. I almost was about to burn my copy of Caesar III in disgust when Sierra let the axe fall on pretty much all of their A-list Mac titles: Half Life, Tribes II, Pharoah...

Will we get HL2? Hard to say. I don't know if Sierra is still behind this, but they probably are, since I think they own the rights to the franchise.

I for one wouldn't keep my hopes up. Sierra would probably come up with some half-assed excuse to say that a Mac port wouldn't be economically or technically viable for them. (i.e. marketshare, etc.) I really don't care, anyway. I've got a Marathon Rubicon, NOLF, Elite Force, and Red Faction to keep me busy.

Speaking of which, I think that the fact that Halo, AvP 2, Elite Force 2, and NOLF 2 (as well as the PPC 970!) are coming to the Mac will mean that us Mac FPS fans are going to be too busy to bother crying over HL2.

[Gargoyle]

Hmm HL2 might be nice. I still occasionally play CS (a hl mod) although the game is plagued with cheats. If there was a CS 2 that would be cool!

[DoctorGonzo]

Ah, HL. Probably ranks with Oni and Halo as one of the most bitter points in the memory of Mac gamers. I almost was about to burn my copy of Caesar III in disgust when Sierra let the axe fall on pretty much all of their A-list Mac titles: Half Life, Tribes II, Pharoah...

Will we get HL2? Hard to say. I don't know if Sierra is still behind this, but they probably are, since I think they own the rights to the franchise.

Sierra has been randomly canceling projects at the last minute for both the PC and Mac since about 2000. They develop a title, get it to late Beta, then shelve it.

All they are is Half Life Mods Inc, at the moment.

[Luca]

Originally posted by Lemon Bon Bon
Hmmm. Never played HL. Heard much about it.

Mac never got it.

I think we'll get 2 somehow.

But, Doc', I gotta tell ya, I'd rather have a Doom III inspired Marathon game!!!

I love Marathon!

Lemon Bon Bon

I have a feeling Halo 2 will be a lot like that. But not gory like Doom (I'm assuming Doom III will be gory like Doom I and II). I actually haven't played Marathon but I heard Halo is a lot like it.

[Not Unlike Myself]

Marathon ROCKS! I just flipped up the theme song from Marathon 2 in my iTunes. (goes to headbanging in background)

[DoctorGonzo]

Valve just announced that Half Life 2 will be shown at E3.

[rampancy]

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno
I have a feeling Halo 2 will be a lot like that. But not gory like Doom (I'm assuming Doom III will be gory like Doom I and II). I actually haven't played Marathon but I heard Halo is a lot like it.

You haven't ever played Marathon?

http://bighouse.bungie.org/m1/

It's the original Marathon ported over to the open-source Aleph One engine, featuring various goodies like Open GL rendering, (somewhat rudimentary) TCP/IP network play, and high resolution textures. It's the full version of the game, totally free. What's best is that you can use it with the OS X native version of Aleph One (though the Carbon version is somewhat behind the Classic version in terms of features).

In addition to this, there's Marathon Rubicon, a massive third-party scenario for Marathon which is, essentially a stand-alone, freeware FPS. Rubicon isn't X native yet, but it does run in Classic.

[Stoo]

Marathon ROCKS! I just flipped up the theme song from Marathon 2 in my iTunes.

I was pleasantly surprised by how playable Marathon 2 is today. I played the demo on Total Carnage quite a few times.

[Luca]

Hmm, I tried Aleph One a couple months ago on someone's suggestion but it was really buggy and I couldn't figure anything out. It was disorienting seeing a 2D shooter after getting used to true 3D shooters where you can actually look up and down and not just side to side. But I tried it... not really bad, but not that good either. Still, I didn't give it much of a try. I wanted to download it again, see if any of the bugs were fixed, and maybe if the whole thing could become more playable... well, now the download links are both down!

[Barto]

I got to the second image before I realised it was HL2. I didn't like the first game, and I despised moki for not porting the leaked Mac port (which he has!) for all us AI readers

Barto

I've played HL on the mac. You don't want the version that exists. You wouldn't enjoy the game. Don't blame moki, I'm pretty sure if he even still had a copy that the software is not his intellectual property to post publicly.

[rampancy]

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno
Hmm, I tried Aleph One a couple months ago on someone's suggestion but it was really buggy and I couldn't figure anything out. It was disorienting seeing a 2D shooter after getting used to true 3D shooters where you can actually look up and down and not just side to side. But I tried it... not really bad, but not that good either. Still, I didn't give it much of a try. I wanted to download it again, see if any of the bugs were fixed, and maybe if the whole thing could become more playable... well, now the download links are both down!

The OS X version is still behind the OS 9 version; for unfathomable reasons, most of the programmers seem to still be focusing on developing the OS 9 version. Most of the bugs in the OS 9 builds have been ironed out by now. I think.

And yes, it's not really a "true" 3-D engine in that you really can't look "up" or "down". Well, what did you expect from a game engine released in 1994?

If you're having trouble with the download links, try going to http://source.bungie.org

[Luca]

Thanks for the link, I got it now. It's pretty good especially since it came out in 1994... I mean, my favorite game in 1994 was probably Shufflepuck Cafe or Carmen Sandiego, both of which I'd play on my SE/30. And then I moved to Escape Velocity which I got on a MacAddict CD in 1996. So it's pretty good, yeah. Except I can't figure out how to get anywhere. I kill the guys, run out of ammo, kill a few more guys, then run down endless passageways with no trace of guns or ammo anywhere, and I can't see anything and nothing happens... heh, pretty frustrating.

[rampancy]

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno
Except I can't figure out how to get anywhere. I kill the guys, run out of ammo, kill a few more guys, then run down endless passageways with no trace of guns or ammo anywhere, and I can't see anything and nothing happens... heh, pretty frustrating.

The "Action Key" (default: Tab) opens doors and allows you to access computer terminals.

Since you're new to Marathon, I'd suggest you try out Rubicon, or use the Aleph One application with the Marathon 2 demo files. Either way it's more accessible than Marathon Infinity's notoriously cryptic computer terminals and plot line.

[Luca]

Yeah, I got the action button to work, and I converted all the controls to something more familiar (WASD for forward+backward+strafe, mouse for turning), and I downloaded the Marathon 2 Demo files where you start out in a spaceship with a green interior.

I'll try some of the other mods, too. Thanks for helping me out.

[The Inevitable]

Here's a couple images and some information that was posted by "Lvnbrech" on the WWIIOL forums:

"At long last! The sequel to the best PC First Person Shooter of all time has been announced at a press conference with Valve in NY this afternoon.

Having been present at this meeting of developers and media, I got to witness the first running preview and in-game demo to leave the walls of Valve's Design Studios since development began way back when, after the release of Half-Life. And I must say, I was no less than awestruck!

At a glance, you could mistake this game for a DVD movie. The Half-Life 2 engine, built from the ground up, and boasting cinematic quality graphics at blistering frame rates, looks like it will easily topple Doom3's engine before ID even releases it!

The Dev team showed us a demo of a working alpha just to prove that the game's cinematic-style graphics were in-fact, being rendered real time. It was nothing short of amazing, especially considering that it was cutting 70fps in highest detail on a 1.7ghz processor and Geforce 4 Ti4200!

"We've tried to accommodate for the widest range of users possible. We felt that allowing gamers with lower end PCs to play with the highest settings would greatly increase the multiplayer potential and encourage the online community to really get behind Half-Life 2." commented Willam Sykes, source programmer.

As some people may also know, the tactical aspect of Half-Life 2 has been greatly increased over its predecessor. Weapons are now fully functional with gun jams, dirty barrels, overheating and weight. For example, in any in-game mission, one is expected to clear bullet casing jams, hold weapons steady (counteracting against weight) and perform maintenance tasks such as stripping, cleaning and polishing of weapons.

The Team are excited with the new tactical aspect which includes missions of the following varieties:


Radio operator missions where you take on the role of 'behind the main lines' support crew, skills in tuning radio frequencies and counter-acting for static will be essential in giving the fighting troops accurate bearings on targets


Co-ordinating scouting missions into unknown regions. Again, these require the player to stay at base with a radio and satellite uplink, communicating with fighting soldiers during battles.


Weapon Maintenance missions are completed before every main mission. In these preparation segments, players must ensure their firearms are fully functional and well kept. Failure to successfully maintain one's weapon reults in demotion and 'less action' in main missions.

Of course the above is only a TASTE of whats to come in the retail package. Expect a lot of the features that made HL1 so popular, like the adventure aspect and of course, slaughtering a LOT of ultra high resolution baddies! While I looked on at valve's demo, I thought it a shame that these baddies were ceasing to exist by Gordon's well-maintained firearm, as they were so extremely detailed it was a pleasure to watch them! The models were so realistic in-fact, that whilst watching the demo, I noticed the following:


All models have rising and falling chests/areas where lungs are used (this is helpful when you are unsure if enemies are dying, dead, sleeping or pretending!


All models are fully destructable in an unlimited number of ways. Say goodbye to shooting the whole head off an enemy. Depending where you hit it, the skull will fragment accordingly, and differently every time!


The sheer detail is ridiculous: actual hair/fur (not textures), sweat, dirt, cuts (can be made anywhere and of different severity Eg: a cut on the skin, right up to a limb coming off or an opening into the abdominal area etc)

"Along with the overwhelming abundance of eye-candy, this game has quite a few never-before-tried features incorperated into the adventure.

Players may be at first shocked to find that Valve has taken the standard mouse look of FPS and added in a 'turn head' type feature. This feature allows the player to look around while keeping the body and weapon aimed in a particular direction, and is controlled by the mouse (as are the body movements). This system, for example, will allow the player to observe an environment around them whilst still keeping a weapon trained on the many prisoners that are taken during missions.

Keeping in line with the new weapon detail systems (cleaning, unjamming, maintaining etc) a sidebar will be added that will allow the player to access his weapon cleaning kit quickly by toggling and then using the mouse to grab and apply tools to clean the firearms. After battles, it is quite common to 'take 5' and make use of the weapon maintenance kit in a quiet corner. The most impressive feature of the weapon maintenance kit is that the player will take control of the tools with the mouse. For example, when cleaning the barrel of a firearm, the player must move the mouse back and forth to move the wad inside the barrel. Players must also take care not to spill cleaning solvents with the mouse when applying them. Move the mouse too fast and you'll waste some good fluid.

Our first look at Half-Life 2 was an exciting experience to say the least. The team here at Deepgame Online News are looking forward to the inevitable flow of screenshots and movies that will spill forth from Valve's Studios over the coming months, and will keep you up to date with all the latest developments as the title progresses.

Keep an eye out this Friday as we will be releasing the first screenshots of Half-Life 2 for all to marvel at."

[709]

Marathon Rules™. Still, to this day, I love playing Marathon. The storyline is unmatched by any game. Ever.

Never played HL though. Looks cool. Kinda Starship Troopers-esque.

[ZO]

Marathon was amazing indeed.

Nonetheless, I've never played a game as complete as HL. Awesome graphics, physics... and the attention to detail is/was amazing with surprises and twists everywhere. I have rarely ever jumped so much out my seat or screamed so much as with HL.

I really hope HL 2 will be available for OSX. Although I doubt it seeing that the code is basically tied to DirectX 9 from start to finish. And also the fact that Gabe hates Apple because he has a personal gripe with them (what a child, grow up) will probably ensure that we will never see neither HL1 nor HL2.

[Stoo]

Do Sierra or Valve own Half-Life?

[ZO]

Valve. And Gabe is VERY independent. Sierra is the distributor/publisher (I think) and in turn, they are owned by Vivendi (I think). The whos who is confusing

[Amorph]

Originally posted by ZO
Valve. And Gabe is VERY independent. Sierra is the distributor/publisher (I think) and in turn, they are owned by Vivendi (I think). The whos who is confusing

Maybe Apple can snap up Sierra while they're cherry-picking Vivendi.

[rampancy]

Originally posted by Amorph
Maybe Apple can snap up Sierra while they're cherry-picking Vivendi.

On the topic of aquisitions, an intriguing idea I saw tossed around on comp.sys.mac.games.action was the idea of Apple acquiring Blizzard. Which may not seem all that unreasonable, since Vivendi Universal also owns Blizzard (or so I've been told).

[ZO]

Originally posted by Amorph
Maybe Apple can snap up Sierra while they're cherry-picking Vivendi.

They could, yes... but as I said, Valve (and Gabe, head of Valve) is very independant. HL is HIS baby and is extremely jealous of it.

Trust me, I know.

If Apple were to buy Sierra, and Valve, you may still find that HL wouldnt come out for MacOS. Yes, the situation is THAT bad

[xmoger]

Sounds impressive, the article in CGW had less but different info.

Enemy and barney AI is greatly improved. Aliens pursue you, breaking through glass and wood to hunt you down. They can navigate rough terrain, move around obstacles climb and jump wherever their bodies would allow them in real life. I'm skeptical on this though. There was a lot of hyping the AI in the first one, and several of the examples given turned out to be scripted.

Physics modelling is extensive. The sound of gunfire is different depending on what type of room your in, the angle of impact, and the surface a bullet hits. Character eyes are modelled to move around and focus like our eyes. The article claimed you could tell if characters were looking at you, behind you, far away, whatever. Facial animation is also complex, using scripts that can be layered to combine different emotions that a character could feel. There's also volumetric explosions. I suppose fireballs could erupt out of small room and billow down the hallway without seeing all of those flat egdes of smoke and fire where they hit the ground and walls in other games.

Gun maintenance sounds a little excessive. Aren't most military weapons' MTBF measured in thousands of rounds?

[Stoo]

Gun maintenance sounds a little excessive. Aren't most military weapons' MTBF measured in thousands of rounds?

I hope it isn't as excessive as it was in System Shock 2, where guns required fixing after every magazine or they'd break.

[sCreeD]

Bump!

When the good Doctor created this thread with those pics, we were like "ho hum, some wizzy neat, hi-rez images that we'll only see on the box."

Well, the news is out and so are some screenshots.

O. M. G.

Will it run on anything but the latest hardware? Well of course not.

Will Mac users get to play? Chances are low.


Screed

[cybermonkey]

Originally posted by sCreeD
Bump!

When the good Doctor created this thread with those pics, we were like "ho hum, some wizzy neat, hi-rez images that we'll only see on the box."

Well, the news is out and so are some screenshots.

O. M. G.

Will it run on anything but the latest hardware? Well of course not.

Will Mac users get to play? Chances are low.


Screed

Us mac users should get this one, they stopped the port on HL because it was taking too long and the engine had already become outdated, so from what they said at the time, they would leave the port to mac of HL so they can work on HL2 for pc and mac. time will tell at E3.

[DoctorGonzo]

Originally posted by cybermonkey
Us mac users should get this one, they stopped the port on HL because it was taking too long and the engine had already become outdated, so from what they said at the time, they would leave the port to mac of HL so they can work on HL2 for pc and mac. time will tell at E3.

No, they stopped the port because they didn't want to maintain compatible netcode over two platforms.

HL2 is not coming to the Mac anytime soon.