Ex-Valve Writer Reveals What Might Have Been Half-Life 2: Episode 3's Story (eurogamer.net) 46
New submitter stikves shares a report from Eurogamer: Ex-Valve writer Marc Laidlaw, who worked on Half-Life, Half-Life 2 and its episodic expansions, has published a summary of the series' next chapter on his blog. Titled, "Epistle 3," it details Gordon Freeman's next adventure. Except, likely for copyright issues, the whole story has been genderswapped. So Laidlaw's tale speaks of Gertrude Fremont, Alex instead of Alyx, Elly instead of Eli, and so on. Naturally, Laidlaw's blog is currently down due to traffic, although you can read a backup of the page on Archive.org, or on Pastebin, where the names have been corrected.
Third post! (Score:1, Informative)
Since Valve can't...
It's Fan Fiction (Score:2)
Even if it is by one of the HL writers.
https://twitter.com/marc_laidl... [twitter.com]
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But it's the closest we're ever likely to get to closure after over a fucking decade; especially as it comes from one of the writers.
THIS is all valve had to do. Say to the community "OK we messed up we can't produce HL2EP3 or HL3 so here's the story and/or plot outline. You've got the tools and assets in the source engine, feel free to make a mod based on the story".
That is what enrages me the most about what they did, they could've let the loyal fans who BUILT the damn company by throwing money at them fo
Re: It's Fan Fiction (Score:4, Interesting)
No, it's a story with audience participation via game elements. A story which ended on a cliffhanger in act 2. People who bought act 2 basically on spec (of the forthcomingness of the final act) have cause to feel insulted by the failure to deliver on the part of the storyteller, as they have the additional investment from the participation in the previous acts.
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It's only a failure in technical terms. Valve promised 3 episodes and never delivered episode 3. But episode 2 actually ended that particular story arc. Valve would either need to start a new arc for episode 3, or finally start to address who and what the Combine and/or G-Man really are. They didn't want to do that, so they just bailed out of the whole thing.
Also, the introduction of the Borealis signaled some kind of crossover with the Portal universe. "Epistle 3" above completely avoided that. In fact, it
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The Combine, like the minions of "hell" in Doom, are a collective of extra-dimensional beings that were subjugated into service under the Advisors via mental compulsion, much like the Ur-Quan were compelled into slavery by the Dnyarri. Later the Vortigaunts rebel, much like the Kzer-Za did.
The story behind Half-Life really isn't all that deep and mostly just rips off the story from better games.
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> We built your company
No you bloody didn't.
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Ah! That's never going to happen to me because you see, I... eh...
D'oh!
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It always amazes me how most people consider reading a book, going to a theater play or to an art exhibition as profound activities worthy of spending time on, whereas playing video games is a time waster for kids.
Consider that today's video games have multi-million dollar budgets, have dozens if not hundreds of people creating unique art assets, 3D models, sounds and music for an interactive experience the player can participate in. A good video game is an agglomeration of art, music, and other cultural a
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He's right. People could make art but they don't.
Re: It's Fan Fiction (Score:2)
Skip the 'couldn't live up to the hype' posts? (Score:5, Insightful)
Articles on HL3 invariably contain the cop-out comments that "it couldn't live up to the hype" so Valve might as well pass on it. Except that's crap - there's gaps between classic games and movies all the time but that doesn't stand in the way of them getting made. It was 8 years between the release of Deus Ex: Invisible War and Human Revolution, but that didn't stop the sequel from being a critical and financial success. Or when the thing is made, it's used as an excuse for dreck - the problem with Phantom Menace wasn't Jar Jar or Lucas's shitty directing, it's because the fanboys just couldn't be happy with any sequel. /sarcasm
No, what's happened here is that Valve has gotten fat and lazy off of Steam. Why do all the haaaard wooork of actually making something when they can just charge a percentage as a publisher? It's a shame that Valve didn't spin off it's game development into a subsidiary ten years ago, to leave it's Steam team focused on the store and a Game team to focus on Portal 3, Half Life 3, and a Portal Life to wrap up that universe.
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Valve has no interest in releasing HL3, and that's why they never, ever spoke about it.
I hope I'm wrong, but probably not.
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I wouldn't expect them to make HL3, even though I'd really appreciate it if they did and I don't care about it not living up to hype (and I have way more money to spend on games than I did when HL2 came out).
They left HL2 unfinished, though, and really should have released episode 3. They can even call it "Episode 4" if the number three is that objectionable!
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There will probably never, ever be a HL3, or a conclusion to the Half-Life series.
Pretty much all the writers for Valve have left in the past year. At least, all the writers for Half-Life. There is a very unique writing st
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I don't think Valve ever came up with a story that was strong enough to conclude HL2 after episodes 1 & 2...
Which is the irritating problem with following the J. J. Abrams method of story arc creation (ie. just make it up as you go along and hope that it all works out in the end). Mass Effect was a great example of this too, with its extremely half-assed conclusion to an otherwise well-written story.
Once you realize that you're going to turn a game into a franchise (when you release the sequel), come up with at least a few compelling story arcs and make sure that you keep them viable throughout the series. Be rea
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That's why reason why if I were god of the universe I would make a mandate that all story arcs must be run past Joss Wheadon or JMS for quality control. B5 in particular had flexibility in characters and story arcs (
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Which is why I brought it up. But it sucked because Lucas sucks at writing and directing, not because "it had been toooo looong". Contrast the prequels to Force Awakens, or even better, Rogue One - good movies that came out long after the original trilogy.
That's just going back to the 'can't live up to the hype' chestnut.
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They need to fire whoever is in charge of game development at Valve. He's got George Broussard syndrome.
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My opinion is that the devs are under immense pressure to live up to the hype, which of course is compounded by their rabid fanbase. Half Life 2 being leaked to the public early was probably a huge blow to morale. That being said, I also get the desire to wanting to live up to the original hype of Half Life 2. Half Life 2 was a pretty big revolution in game quality of the time. I think they'd prefer the next Half Life to be a big game changer like this. If a Half Life 3 is ever to get made, I'd put my money
Barney (Score:2)
Everyone would love you for this, and it could be a much smaller game than a full-blown Half Life 3 if you need a stop-gap test-balloon type of title.
Sight. (Score:2)
Why the hell you think that would stop you being sued for copyright infringement, I can't fathom.
Read more in my latest book: Harriet Petter and the Quarter-blood Princess.
There's parody (e.g. Barry Trotter books) but you have to be REALLY careful even then. This guy's going to get sued.
F8ck V8lve (Score:1)
F8ck V8vle, F8ck Gabe Newell, F8ck dota-playing lazy valve employees who won't make video games any more. F8ck valve hardware gathering dust in my drawer.
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Fake Vatevle?!
HL3 (Score:1)
They should just make HL3 and Portal 3 into an half-arsed open world sandbox with micro-transactional hats and be done with it. Then no one ever wants to talk about HL again.