I often see complaints that new mods don’t include new content, such as textures, modles, sounds etc. Personally I’m not too worried about those things because I prefer to have a great map and gameplay than new things just for the sack of it.
So, this week’s poll question is:
Would you prefer new enemies or new weapons in a new Half-Life 2 SP mod?
For me the answer is clear: New Enemies. I can download plenty of new weapons from a number of websites. What I can’t get are new enemies. Sure I can download new skins for existing enemies but that’s not the same.
Of course using a well-designed new weapon is a lot of fun and you only need to look at those download sites I mentioned (But didn’t link to!) earlier and you can find plenty of great new weapons.
The question is: do you agree with me?
Perhaps more importantly “What can Valve or the community do to make creating new enemies easier?”
Since we’re specifically talking about HL2, definitely enemies.
The weapons in HL2 mostly do the job (though I think the default SMG kind of sucks), but enemy variety is another matter. With the exception of the Combine, every enemy is either an annoyance, or kind of tedious (like the constant rocket reloading required for Gunships). Plus many fall into predictable suicidal melee tactics with no other attacks they can use.
Episode 2 addresses that somewhat, as both the [REMOVED – NO HL2 EP2 SPOLIERS PLEASE] have more sophisticated patterns than a majority of the original HL2 enemies, but it’s still an area that needs more expansion than the weapon side.
Both options would be cool, but I prefer new enemies aswell. Something like an implemented combine that could run faster, jumo high, ou know? Like those girls on HL1, dressed in black… They were even doing it in a HL2 mod that now is dead (Nigredo Studios or something). The enemies are more impressive. Weapons, the ones already there on HL2 are ok. A PDW Smg, some Pulse Rifle a shitty pistol, a magnum .357…
The weapons in HL2 are pretty minimal anyway to make it appear more realistic. The Combie control the weapons, so they make sure only a set amount and type are on Earth (except for the Crossbow, which is awesome, but I always feel seems homemade). So if new weapons are to be included, they should be something we know exists, but haven’t used. The Combine Sniper Rifle for example, or the Gauss Gun from the Buggy that can be hand-held (we know it can happen because we saw it in HL1)
As for enemies, it really depends. If the mod is about a new breed of combine soldier, then obviously it needs to be different from all the other Combine enemies (A desert camo elite with Hunter legs replacing his own for runing across desert plains). It doesn’t matter, as long as it makes sense.
Personnally i’d like to see some old enemies or weapons, conversions of race-x shocktroopers and other xenizens in a mod, also i’m sure the human resistance must occasionally be forced to use stockpiles of old earth weapons tripmines, m-16’s, tank’s etc.
But if forced to choose i’d go with new enemies rather than weapons.
It’s a shame the question is restricted to just enemies and weapons as I love to see new structures whether static of moveable. For example I loved the train in City 7 Toronto.
I also loved the new models in DayHard but new weapons do nothing for me.
Obviously more enemies. Why? simple: we all know how any enemy of half life 2 reacts, and ww know how to kill them in a way or another, or what weapon will do the better work.
But when you are against a new enemy, maybe he can surprise you when it attacks for the first time, and you have to find a way too kill it with your current arsenal. A new enemy gives more credit and fun than a new weapon.
And I not mean a “re-skin”.
A good example of this, for me, is the zombine: I never expected that thing to run so relentlessly, and no way about the grenade.
I honestly think that new weapons and enemies are always interesting, but not required. I think that new weapons can add a much needed edge to a mod, but new enemies can truly change it into a different game. I think that neither of these are needed for a better mod, but they are both good for giving a mod an edge that it may need to be appealing.
I always ask, which would advance the story more?
I would go for more characters. I could see a combine rival showing up to be good story.
Maybe old characters used in a new way. Retexture and redo the AI of some Civilians. Not all the civilians fought against the combine. most probably kept their heads down and got the heck out of Dodge.
A few of them probably came to resent the rebels and believe the Combine propaganda. Have them be a civilian Combine paramilitary force.
A lot of interesting story possibilities their.
Same with defecting Combine soldiers.
On the weapons side what I would like to see is Gordon get some ridiculously powerful gun and some nearby NPC, like Alyx, make some comment on “compensation”.
Otherwise, I would like the ability to carry less pistol ammo, in exchange carrying more Overwatch rifle ammo. Or being able to dual wield pistols later in the game, to give them a better rate of fire and make them more of a viable weapon.
-Oopla
I voted for new enemies, and this goes for any FPS mod, not HL2 in particular. Because every good FPS (including HL2) has a well balanced arsenal where you don’t necessarely need another machinegun variation or a rusty pipe in addition to your crowbar, or some such. But new enemies are always a fun addition.
Truly you need both new weapons and monsters to satisfy my critique. weapons aren’t usually very fun. they’re either remakes of guns we’ve all seen and used before and therefor not much different from one another, or they’re scifi and have a high chance of being not much fun to use.
to put it this way, I pretty much don’t play Half-Life 2 mods because they rarely ever contain new monsters.
strangely, I still love to play Half-Life 1 mods regardless… it was just a better game I guess.
Zeroth – http://www.GamesThatWontSuck.com
I’d prefer a new enemy over a new weapon. Most weapons often are a different version of an excisting weapon.
But what really would interest me is improved AI for the combine. Quite often they seem to be okay with standing right in the open. Taking cover and covering each other would be what I really want to see.
I also like Oopla’s idea. Dual pistols would actually give they pistol a live after it is your only weapon.
I am not for either. New weapons or new enemies can do nothing but improve a game. If they aren’t there, then I will not whine about it.
Agree with Oopla and Berrie on the AI – it’s not necessary to create new enemies (although nice to have) and new AI could add to the immersion effect – imagine undercover or disloyal Combine, enemies who become allies when you step in to save them from zombies etc.
That’s a great suggestion!
definitaly weapons
New enemies.
There’s a limit to how many weapons you can add to something before they start overlapping in terms of situational effectiveness. I already have 3 or 4 weapons that I generally stick to for all general circumstances, and only switch to other weapons for specific scenarios. Adding more weapons just has more tools that will get set aside in favor of a better known or more versatile/effective weapon.
New enemies = more problems to solve and more variety in how to solve them.
Why is there a limit? The only limits there really are are the ones we put on ourselves.
I’d like to see both really.. Weaponry, Grey up there says there is a limit.. What if you picked out the ones you wanted at the beginning of the game?…, If along the way you wanted to change your inventory, you had to choose one to exchange it with.. in another question here there was talk about alternate endings. What if there was a way to randomize it all..So that you didn’t exactly know what was coming..You could make an educated guess, but the computer is analyzing you as you go…throwing things at you that you were not expecting based on it’s gathered info on your predictability… It can be done..They just haven’t done it yet because they are selling this right now… When people tire of same old same old, they will bring out the next big thing.
I’ve watched the market, not just this one, but many different ones.. When the rave wears off the next big thing there is some thing new right behind it ready to be thrown on the market. They, whoever THEY are, are just waiting…..When the timing is right.. They will spring the trap… I’ve seen them do this over and over since I can’t even remember when…That IS the marketing game.