Half Life 2 Spoilers/Questions/Ect:

[primesuspect]

Ravenholm.... genius in level design...

[Crazy Joe]

Damn... Haven't gotten to the Gravity Gun yet... I only got as far as the sewers where they threw the barrels at you before I went to bed...

[EMT]

I have a question but I'll make it pretty vague so as not to spoil anything - is there a puzzle in which you need to make a large pile to get up somewhere? Pretty early on. I could zip a screenshot. It took me 30-40 mins to get up there and couldn't find any other way to do it... It really didn't seem like the intended solution, although now I'm really good at making piles to climb :)

At this point I'm in Ravenholm, I think. BTW, bought the regular edition in store and took me upwards of an hour to install and activate... argh.

[floppybootstomp]

I have a question but I'll make it pretty vague so as not to spoil anything - is there a puzzle in which you need to make a large pile to get up somewhere? Pretty early on. I could zip a screenshot. It took me 30-40 mins to get up there and couldn't find any other way to do it... It really didn't seem like the intended solution, although now I'm really good at making piles to climb :)

At this point I'm in Ravenholm, I think. BTW, bought the regular edition in store and took me upwards of an hour to install and activate... argh.

That sounds just like where I'm stuck atm. Driving me nuts :scratch: :wtf:

I've given up for tonight, shall persevere tomorrow...

[tcith]

I have a question but I'll make it pretty vague so as not to spoil anything - is there a puzzle in which you need to make a large pile to get up somewhere? Pretty early on. I could zip a screenshot. It took me 30-40 mins to get up there and couldn't find any other way to do it... It really didn't seem like the intended solution, although now I'm really good at making piles to climb :)

At this point I'm in Ravenholm, I think. BTW, bought the regular edition in store and took me upwards of an hour to install and activate... argh.


I was stuck at a point the other night (not the same as where you are ) went to bed - the next day I started it up and the solution was obvious straight away - I also ran around a place in Ravenholm and thought I was stuck in an alley and yes I coud pile stuff up, half way up the edifice I had created I could see the board running across to a window at the far end of the alley - Doh!

It is possible to bypass sections using the gravity gun - I know of people using it to bypass a water puzzle (it takes them alot longer)

[primesuspect]

Must get to nova prospekt.... Get into Nova Prospekt, start exploring.... die.... OMG HOLY **** IT'S 4 AM I HATE MYSELF ..

good night :shakehead

[Crazy Joe]

Ah... Nothing like playing some Halflife 2 at 4AM, huh Prime? I'm on the Raven-something-or-other level...

[primesuspect]

blergh. I played a bit through nova prospekt, long enough to beat the ant lion queen, through the part where the combine police are behind the force field with two sentry guns, and you have to crawl through the duct to get behind them to shut off the force field.

Tonight, I move on :ninja:

[tcith]

I got stuck in RavenHome last night... Probably because it was 6AM and I was missing something... I walk all around the place that I'm in and can't find a door or anything...

Ravenholm did that to me too - I wandered around - fumbled - those "fast crab heads" are scary muthers and the new crabs - then slept - went to work - giot home fired off where I left off and zipped through the level wondering "how the hell did I miss those exits" am in the next section now - God I love this game - playing slowly - I have no desire toi finnish it in "10hrs and 43min" I love to explore and often get past a section - save - then go back and have a look around at the things I might have missed or the many secret areas or solve the problem with more ammo and health :thumbsup:

[primesuspect]

Holy crap this is probably my favorite game of all time. It just keeps getting better and better. The vehicle levels are SO long. The bridge crossing was a work of pure terror. I was honestly scared. When you're standing on metal beams 200 feet above the water and the wind is making the bridge rattle, you get goosebumps.

Here's a challenge for you: On the bridge level, I was able to blow up the attack chopper in the control room, before heading back across the bridge. I had only the three rockets that you normally have at that point. How did I do it? :rarr:

[panzerkw]

Well I just beat the game and I'm mad as hell

[pseudonym]

Well I just beat the game and I'm mad as hell

Not another lame Halo2 ending??!!?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

/me runs off to beat the game.

[scott]

Steam question ?

I have a buddy ( Really ) who is an avid gamer, yet has no need for the internet. ( I know , he's odd ) which means he has no internet connection and has no desire to get one. The question is , Can he play HL2 ? My game seems to connect to Steam every time I play. Can it be played offline? If so he could take his machine to a buddies house to "Activate it" and then take it home to play. Or is Steam "Authenticating" every time it is launched ?

one of the "system requirments" is an internet connection.

I have tried launching HL2 with my modem off and it won't start. But after it is started I can turn the modem off and it still runs.

How do the retail versions work ? do they still load steam? or do they have a CD key.

Scott

[floppybootstomp]

I bought the DVD version, it has a CD Key. I did install Steam, but I had the option not to.

To activate the game, I had to register at Steam, give them my CD (DVD) Key and I received a message saying it was allowing me to unlock the HL2 files. The DVD also contained Counter Strike.

When I start the game, a Steam window comes up, but I'm not sure if it's connecting to the Steam server or not.

I'm wondering myself what would happen had I chose not to install Steam.

[scott]

The more I think about it. There must be a way to play offline. What if you had it on your laptop ? You could only play when your on your network. That can't be right. What if I wanted to play on the patio or an airplane? There has to be an offline mode.

I just checked "add and remove programs" and steam is not a seperate item.


Scott

[aznherb36]

oh man, all this HL2 talk make me jealous!! :confused:

[primesuspect]

There is most certainly an offline mode.

[panzerkw]

Anyone beat it yet? Anyone get the ending? Anyone as pissed off as I am about it's lack of closure?

[pseudonym]

Just beat it. I thought the ending was good, there was closure on that chapter IMO.

[scott]

OK Prime spill the beans how can I start the game in offline mode?

The properties tab of the game says it is "ready" but if I try to launch HL2 from the desktop icon ( with my internet connection disabled) It just sits at the "updating Steam" screen , and does not launch.

??

[pseudonym]

Agreed, I'd like to know this too.

[^Ben]

Well if im offline it usually just gives me the option.

DO you have it set to log out everytime you exit steam?

Do you right click the steam tray icon and click "exit" or "exit and logout"

I also saw something about copying some files over from the steam folder to make it work on a PC without internet, but i can't find it anymore.

[GnomeWizardd]

yea same thing prime i wanna do offline mode!
OMG i am at the bridge i swear its amazing the ravenshold level about made me crap my pants once or twice at 3 am this morning

[^Ben]

Steam Client Update Released
November 19, 2004, 3:03 pm · valve
A small number of Half-Life 2 customers have been experiencing problems while playing the game, and we have traced these issues to corrupt Steam cache files. We've released a Steam update to help resolve these issues. If you have been experiencing problems such as crashing during gameplay or startup of Half-Life 2, please restart Steam and then click on one of the links below. Steam will then automatically verify your cache files. The verification process will take roughly five minutes to complete.

To validate Half-Life 2 click here

To Validate Counter-Strike: Source click here

To Validate Half-Life 1: Source click here

We're also investigating a solution for the sound skipping problems a small number of users are running into. We'll have a solution for this as soon as possible.

* return to news page

Just incase you have theese problems.

[GnomeWizardd]

w00t fixes my in game crashing! i was about to go nuts!

[primesuspect]

There's no trick. When you start steam and do not have an internet connection, it'll just start in offline mode. I just did a test. Disabled my network adapter, launched steam and launched HL2 and started playing. It works fine.

[GnomeWizardd]

/me is off to play more HL2

[primesuspect]

omfg i am so frustrated.

I am on "entanglement" - the second part where you have to fend off the endless wave of police with the three stupid sentry guns. I CANNOT WIN THIS PART

:grumble:

[panzerkw]

Prime, if I remember correctly this section of the game has 2 corridors which are straddled by two short passageways. The near passage has 3 turrets and recharge stations, while the far passage has nothing much.

The trick is to use steel drums and boxes to block some ways of entry, forcing the combine soldiers to use only one avenue of approach.

First off, I set the boxes to block the primary entryways (the ones with the forcefields). This will slow the combine soldiers down considerably. I block one side of each passageway with steel drums. The combine will probably totally ignore one of the drums and instead head to the other passageway, and they'll shove that drum aside. But again with some boxes there with them it'll slow them down.

The AI seems to follow the path of least resistance, so what you're doing is making the soldiers only take one passageway.

Then comes your turrets. I set them up in the middle of one of the corridors. One faces one forcefield entryway, one faces the opposite direction, and one I place diagonally so that it can cover one of the passageways AND one of the forcefield entryways.

The entryway which you come into the area through is where most of the soldiers come from, so place your double turrets in that direction.

After you set them up, the combine start streaming through. Again, most of them will be coming from the direction you came from. Equip the Shotgun and don't waste your time firing at the soldiers. Your sole job here is to cover your turrets. The combine will mostly ignore you and try to knock down your turrets. Blast anyone who gets too close to your turrets (which is why I recommend the shotgun, you'll be at close range and you need to take these dudes down fast).

Occassionally a well placed combine grenade will knock down one of your turrets. If that happens run out there, pick up the turret, then raise it up a bit to stand it back up, then set it back down. It'll then resume firing. Of course the best thing is to actually grab the grenade and toss it back at the combine!

At the end Alyx warns of the "Mother Lode" of soldiers, which are mostly Combine Shotgunners. These are very dangerous, so do what you have to to keep your turrets up. If your turrets fall the shotgunners will all go for you and you will NOT survive.

Worst thing that can happen is one combine grenade knocking down all your turrets. Although you want all your turrets close to each other, don't make it so close that one grenade can knock them all down.

Remember that the key to getting through this is to use the steel drums and boxes lying around the block passageways to slow down the soldiers and make them go where you want them to go - right into your turrets' field of fire.

Good luck!

[primesuspect]

man panzer, thanks a ton for all the info.

I was able to beat it using a totally different method, which is one of the great things about this game.

I didn't even think of using the boxes and barrels. Duh for me :rolleyes:

What I did was set two of the sentries up in one of the corridors and one in the other. The trick for me was to never stop moving and never try to "stake out" any one area. I would run constantly, using the shotgun, in a circle. Of course I would have to pick up the sentries at every point since the combine were focused on knocking them out. Eventually, I was able to survive by constantly running, dodging, picking up sentries, and firing.

That was, so far, the hardest part of the game for me.

[panzerkw]

I played through the game on Normal, and this was one of the parts that made me go OMG WTF I CAN"T BEAT THIS for awhile. But don't worry it gets better down the road.

On another note I played CS:Source today and I really enjoyed it. One thing though is that the sniper rifles seem even more dominant now than with CS 1.6. I think it's because the players move more slowly in general. I went 42 and 10 on a server using mainly the automatic sniper rifle (teh pwn). But there's a new infusion of fresh new players to rank on now which I guess is more fun. I'm impatient for DoD:Source though.

[comfortable]

I liked the ending. This is probably one of my favorite games of all time (besides Kaboom! on Atari.) I absolutely loved the gameplay which progressively improved as the game drew on.

I didn't try to finish it off in one sitting, because once I started playing, I realised that this game was worth savoring every moment.

Loved it!

[GnomeWizardd]

omfg i am so frustrated.

I am on "entanglement" - the second part where you have to fend off the endless wave of police with the three stupid sentry guns. I CANNOT WIN THIS PART

:grumble:


is this before or after teh nova jail place?

[Shorty]

Im in nova prospekt but Im stuck :(

I've killed an ant lion queen/protector and have come up a corridor. Open the gate by going into the side passage, up the stairs and into a control room kinda lookout.

Going back downstairs and back into large corridor, there is a turret past the door and two behind a blue forcefield (around the left corner).

Anyone ?

I also want to add that Nova Prospekt is an immense level. OMG.. action!! :D

Best level so far. Intense does not do it justice!

[GnomeWizardd]

Im in nova prospekt but Im stuck :(

I've killed an ant lion queen/protector and have come up a corridor. Open the gate by going into the side passage, up the stairs and into a control room kinda lookout.

Going back downstairs and back into large corridor, there is a turret past the door and two behind a blue forcefield (around the left corner).

Anyone ?

I also want to add that Nova Prospekt is an immense level. OMG.. action!! :D

Best level so far. Intense does not do it justice!


I think i know where u are talking about i am not far past that. throw a grenade over the force field to knock over the two turrets. after that gimmie 10 min ill go reload that area and rememver what i did

[primesuspect]

shorty, look for a grate leading into the ventilation shafts (a la Half Life 1) that will lead behind the force field.

[Shorty]

shorty, look for a grate leading into the ventilation shafts (a la Half Life 1) that will lead behind the force field.
Cool.. will do later on :thumbsup:

prime :respect:

[FormFactor]

Yes truly amazing game, Loving every minute of it. I keep getting stuttering sound. And frequent lag in the form of split second pauses. Anyone know any tricks to reduce those issues?

[primesuspect]

I think the stuttering sound was fixed with an update. Restart steam and see what you get.

[pseudonym]

Another tip for the sentry part. Whenever you get senties, carry one with you!! That allowed me to cover each entrance with a sentry turret and then run back and forth between them destroying everyone that poked out their ugly head. Works great till a turret goes down from a grenade and then it gets hard again.

The last level is also the best ever, you'll all realize why pretty fast ;)

[primesuspect]

Yeah, if you carry the sentry with you, you can have an extra one in the teleport chamber. It helps!

[GnomeWizardd]

i am at the area when i got ported back to the main spot with the chick. How long is this game? lol

[Nomad]

I just beat it :(

[croc_]

I had to start over, because of a problem I had with the "backup game files" option in steam. I was at the jail cell (most annoying level EVER). Even though I have already played all of these levels, its still fun.

[Squill]

In my opnion the game is kinda short, I was kinda disapointed that I beat it so quickly, but the ending does leave it open for Half-life 3 , or expansion packs.

[primesuspect]

Yeah I beat it yesterday. The end was pretty cool, I thought. Doesn't really explain much. I was hoping for at least a BIT more closure.... :eek3:

[^Ben]

Time mister freeman?

If you think about the story you actually end up with more questions then answers :(

[Squill]

Yeah I beat it yesterday. The end was pretty cool, I thought. Doesn't really explain much. I was hoping for at least a BIT more closure.... :eek3:

the end was cool and your right it did leave you hanging big time, I was hoping I would get more info on the combine and why their at earth and what's up with city 17 in general. But oh well, maybe they'll release expansion packs and explain everything.

[^Ben]

Basically this is what I gatherd(and read)

The resonance cascade was not stopped in the original half life and the xen populace started to invade earth, then out of nowhere the citadels arrived(instantaneous) slap bang in the middle of citys, earths defences tried to mount a defensive but was crushed within 7 hours. The administrator from black mesa, Wallace Breen surrendered earth to the combines and in turn he became the human face to the occupation of earth.

I also belive that they captured a gonarch to make head crabs, so they could herd people into the major citys by firing the capsules with the headcrabs into villages etc etc.

The CP's are just normal citizens with better food and bedding.

The soldiers are genetically modified.

Those "things" making the striders and gunships are former citizens that they captured and have genetically engineerd them.

That's all for now ;)

[primesuspect]

hahahah "gonarch"... It's a gonad and a spider... Gon and Arch... Holy crap it's a testicle with 8 legs.. I love video game developers. They have the same sense of humor that I do.

I WISH THERE WAS A GONARCH IN HL2 :cool:

[GnomeWizardd]

oh man i beat it and i was hoping to hook up with the chick at the end she clearly loved me! lol :bawling:

[^Ben]

If anyone has the sound stuttering problem they are going to be putting out a fix tommorow.

The wonders of steam :)

[panzerkw]

Basically this is what I gatherd(and read)

The resonance cascade was not stopped in the original half life and the xen populace started to invade earth, then out of nowhere the citadels arrived(instantaneous) slap bang in the middle of citys, earths defences tried to mount a defensive but was crushed within 7 hours. The administrator from black mesa, Wallace Breen surrendered earth to the combines and in turn he became the human face to the occupation of earth.

I also belive that they captured a gonarch to make head crabs, so they could herd people into the major citys by firing the capsules with the headcrabs into villages etc etc.

The CP's are just normal citizens with better food and bedding.

The soldiers are genetically modified.

Those "things" making the striders and gunships are former citizens that they captured and have genetically engineerd them.

That's all for now ;)

Also, the benefactors have a suppression field going which prevents humanity from reproducing. Kids don't exist in this world. Alyx might have been one of the last children born.

So rather than killing us all, the Combine is using humans for slave labor (and god knows what else) and letting them die out naturally. Pretty sick :mad:

[primesuspect]

It seems like the combine is using humans as an energy source somehow....

[^Ben]

Shall we set up a different topic for conspiracys for HL2 ?

I got a ton :D

Also those people who where having problems with offline mode check the steam news button.

[CyrixInstead]

What I'd like to know is, if the dark matter machine blew up in the end and G Man slowed time down for Gordon, what about Alyx? Did she die or did he save her or what??

~Cyrix

[KingFish]

Sounds like you'll have to wait for Half Life 3, which has been delayed until 2010 or so.

[aznherb36]

oh man, just a question, how long can you guys play without getting a like dizzy?? I played for like 4 hours when I first got it and it gave me such a bid headache. Now I can only play for like 20 minutes :confused:

[CyrixInstead]

What, 2010?? :eek2: That's some year far far in the future that only appears in sci-fi films!!!! I hope ur kidding Kingfish!! Mind you, if it were another 6 years in development, it would be 2010...

~Cyrix

[CyrixInstead]

Prime, you never did tell how you destroyed the chopper on the bridge level with only 3 rockets. Pray tell how you did...

~Cyrix

[GHoosdum]

Two words: "EASY MODE" ;D

[primesuspect]

No way ... I used grenades from the SMG as well as the three rockets. I went to the "door" end of the bridge control room, broke out the window, ducked down under the ledge, and when the gunship would come around that side of the building I'd pop up and arc a grenade right onto the sucker. Three of those + three rockets == pwnage :D

[B_R_A_D_Y]

I'm stuck on "Entanglement" the part with the three gun turrets, I set them up but the guards won't attack. Forcefields are up and the doors are open. It's definately not "AI_Disable" that's messing it up. I've put the turrets through the forcefields and some guards attack, albeit three. This doesn't appear to be the way it's meant to go down. Any suggestions on what to do? It's doing my head in. First problem I've had through the whole game.