Half Life 2 question, 1st time player

Vad3r

Senior member
Nov 25, 2000
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I've never played or seen Half Life 2. Finally, will have my system on Tuesday.
So I've seen the Orange Box goes on sale Oct 9-10th. I will be picking this up for sure. I have been patient, waiting to play HL2 in all it's glory. This Orange Box sounds so good for a new player to the HL world.

So reading about HL2 the last day or so, I've come across this FF Cinematic Mod. It sounds and looks fantastic. I'm guessing some on here have tried it, it sounds very popular.

My question, how stable is it. As I've never played HL2, would you recommend installing it for a first time player.
I'm downloading it now, but wonder should I play through the game original and then install it. I'm dying to see it, but not at the cost of taking away from the experience, with frequent crashes.

system to be played on,

xp pro
gigabyte p35-DS4
C2D 6750
2 gigs ddr2
evga 8800 gts 640meg
 

Slick5150

Diamond Member
Nov 10, 2001
8,760
3
81
I'd install it. It just adds higher quality textures (makes some of the graphics REALLY good), changes the music a bit, and changes some minor gameplay mechanics.

 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
5,189
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DEFINITELY install it for the first time play man, you won't regret it, believe me, I know, because that's exactly what I did when FakeFactory released their first high-res textures mod for Half-Life 2 (well I did start a game but it wasn't finished, so I started up a new one with the mod and it made one heck of a beautiful difference). That game doesn't have much replay value (in single-player), so you better experience it at its fullest in the first run.
 

JBT

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
12,095
1
81
Its an amazing mod I highily recommend it. I personally do NOT like the classical music it puts in and much prefer the original music. I would see if there is a way to use the default music while using the high res textures.
 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: JBT
Its an amazing mod I highily recommend it. I personally do NOT like the clissical music it puts in and much prefer the original music. I would see if there is a way to use the default musc while using the high res textures.

Good point, I forgot to mention that !

Indeed the original Half-Life 2 score is better, and more fitting.
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
9,475
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I wouldn't bother with it, I thought it had a negative impact as the textures weren't up to snuff.
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
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Originally posted by: Zenoth
That game doesn't have much replay value (in single-player), so you better experience it at its fullest in the first run.

I've replayed HL2 six or seven times now.
 

schneiderguy

Lifer
Jun 26, 2006
10,769
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Originally posted by: JBT
Its an amazing mod I highily recommend it. I personally do NOT like the classical music it puts in and much prefer the original music. I would see if there is a way to use the default music while using the high res textures.

Just delete your Steam/steamapps/yournamehere/half life 2/hl2/sound folder to get the original music back. The original is stored in the HL2.gcf files in a different location so deleting your sound folder will only delete the fakefactory stuff
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,736
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Originally posted by: MmmSkyscraper
I wouldn't bother with it, I thought it had a negative impact as the textures weren't up to snuff.

I thought they were much... MUCH better than the originals if you have the hardware to run it all well. Over a gig of ram definitely helps though, as the textures take up a lot more space now.
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
9,475
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Originally posted by: gorcorps
I thought they were much... MUCH better than the originals if you have the hardware to run it all well. Over a gig of ram definitely helps though, as the textures take up a lot more space now.

I had 2GB and they just looked out of place or weird. Alyx in particular looked really bad. Maybe I had an early version or something.
 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: MmmSkyscraper
Originally posted by: Zenoth
That game doesn't have much replay value (in single-player), so you better experience it at its fullest in the first run.

I've replayed HL2 six or seven times now.

It doesn't suddenly mean that it has lots of replay value. It lacks it, and that is a fact. But that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy it, that's for sure. You see, Half-Life 2 is just like a book or a movie, it will always be the same thing over and over again, whatever you do when you play it. The game is exclusively and entirely based on and made of scripted events and triggered scripts, there is absolutely nothing "unpredictable" about it, it is completely linear.

It doesn't mean that the game is bad at all. It just means that because it's the same thing every single time that it lacks replay value (which in turn means that there is no actual reasons to play it another time in expectation that something different will happen, adding to the game's atmosphere or story line). Well, maybe that saying there is none at all would be exaggerating, which I would agree with on second thoughts, but there is definitely a negligible amount of it I would say.

It's all subjective and relative though, as everything is. However objectively speaking it is still a very well conceived and built-up game, on a solid but mysterious story-line. I do still like the game (or rather I should say I still like the game's story), but I just don't play it anymore. Just like most of the movies I've seen in my life (I only own something like four or five movies at home, but I've probably watched hundreds), I often don't see reasons to watch a movie again unless I couldn't understand the story the first time through, or unless it is a good comedy and I need some laughing after a tough day at work.
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
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Originally posted by: Zenoth
You see, Half-Life 2 is just like a book or a movie, it will always be the same thing over and over again, whatever you do when you play it. The game is exclusively and entirely based on and made of scripted events and triggered scripts, there is absolutely nothing "unpredictable" about it, it is completely linear.

Like a lot of games out there. Replay value isn't just based on whether events are unique, it's whether you want to play it again. I certainly never want to play something that's garbage again, even if it presents unique scenarios each time.


 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: MmmSkyscraper
Originally posted by: Zenoth
You see, Half-Life 2 is just like a book or a movie, it will always be the same thing over and over again, whatever you do when you play it. The game is exclusively and entirely based on and made of scripted events and triggered scripts, there is absolutely nothing "unpredictable" about it, it is completely linear.

Like a lot of games out there. Replay value isn't just based on whether events are unique, it's whether you want to play it again. I certainly never want to play something that's garbage again, even if it presents unique scenarios each time.

That's exactly where it becomes subjective.

Even though I like Half-Life 2, I would still prefer a "garbage" game (in comparison) that presents something unique each time I start it up and play, than a game where I know exactly what, where, how and when things will happen. In terms of video-gaming though it stretches a little apart from the examples of books and movies I gave, I concur.

With a book (one that wouldn't be based on a movie), the reader can make his own visions of the locations and characters (especially when the writer left such details for imagination to interpret). So even though a book is always the "same thing", the reader can make it a little "different" each time, if he/she wants to. For example I own the The Lord of the Rings books, all three of them, but I must have read them all at least three or four times so far, despite the fact that I have seen the movies as well, simply because I still, sometimes, prefer the way I myself envision a chapter, or an event.

With visual and audio entertainment, where you interact with the entertainment itself, such as video games, things are presented to you and forced at you visually. The story is "as is", along with the characters and their personalities, as well as locations and perhaps other details I am missing here. You need to contend with the creator's imagination, and there is limits everywhere. You cannot think by yourself for what a character would say, or what a location might look like, but instead you need to make it "like it is" in your imagination. So each time you play it the only thing left to give fun/satisfaction with is the linearity of it. Linearity isn't bad, is it just a different mentality. If you actually do enjoy linear things, that is good when it comes to games like Half-Life 2, Doom, Quake, Prey, etc.

But there is another way to do things, and it is a non-linear way. Such games are not numerous, so of course the majority likes linearity, since it was the only thing that was feasible to create in terms of video games for decades since it started, up until only a few years ago, when coding allowed for dynamic events. Games like Diablo II started the non-linear elements in games to the best extent of it (different monsters spawning locations each time you start up a game, different monster types, different items dropping, different map layouts in some places, different prices for items, different gambling results, and a few others I might forget). And despite its age, Diablo II is still being played to this very day by tens of thousands of players each hours of the day.

Another example of non-linearity is the Grand Theft Auto series, starting with the third installment. The cars in the streets, they spawn at different intervals, the vehicle types are different, the pedestrians are different, where they go is different, even though the missions are not, however *how* they will unfold could be different due to the unpredictable immediate surrounding of the scripted scene. Again, despite its age, some people still play that game, and the ones released later on which also adopt the same formula (having non-linearity mixed in with a solid linear game base to let it have a distinct goal, so not to have the feeling to play in a pure sand box of chaos and non-organized and ultimately useless events). Two other examples, within the first-person-shooter genre, are Bioshock and S.T.A.L.K.E.R., which the later obviously features the most.

In other words, what I tried to say, is that it isn't because I "want to play" a linear game again that it suddenly means it has replay value. It just means that I appreciate the linear events occurring in it even though I know there will be nothing new to see, hear or interact with. Replay value, in my opinion, has to be measurable. And just "wanting to play it again" has no value, but the simple desire to re-experience the known events once more, like a book, as a decent example.
 

Vad3r

Senior member
Nov 25, 2000
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thanks,

I read a few having trouble with it, but sounds like more don't have any issues. Guess I'll install it for my first time playing it. I'll remove the fakefactory music.

Can't wait for next weekend.
 

Canai

Diamond Member
Oct 4, 2006
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I'm downloading it now. Version 3.0. Hour and a half or so till it's done.
 

Cabages

Platinum Member
Jan 1, 2006
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Ya, thanks for reminding me about this OP. I was going to go through in preparation for episode 2. This will make it look much nicer.
 

Cabages

Platinum Member
Jan 1, 2006
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Originally posted by: Vad3r
Originally posted by: Canai
I'm downloading it now. Version 3.0. Hour and a half or so till it's done.


is Version 3 more stable ?. I only ask cause I downloaded V4

FF Mod V4

I think hes talking about version 3.0 of the hi-res version. The one you linked to is the cinematic mod which includes some new (and some very weird) skins for some of the characters, along with the new soundtrack. Hi res version just has the better looking textures.

I guess its just up to you which one you prefer, but I guess ill try both out.
 

DAPUNISHER

Super Moderator CPU Forum Mod and Elite Member
Super Moderator
Aug 22, 2001
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I haven't played it in quite awhile, but I really liked how effective a headshot with the pistol became.
 

Stas

Senior member
Dec 31, 2004
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i played HL2 3 times. indeed, it's like a movie or a book. but just as such, you forget all the details with time. I replay this game almost every 8-10 months. and I love it every time. i kept waiting for FF to update their pack, now I'mma replay it with new textures. I knew about the pack since the day it came out, i just wanted to wait for the fullest one, thus best experience :)