Half-Life 2 (PC)

[mid]

Can someone confirm the frankly bizarre news I've heard that the only current way to get the HL2 Stress Test (so you can see if your machine stands a chance of coping with the game) is to actually hand over the money for a preorder?

That seems completely ass-backwards to me; the reason I want to run the test is to know if there is any point in me buying the game.

[Chadruharazzeb]

It's news to me, this porting thing. All I ever saw bandied about was "Half Life remake!!" and thought they'd done a huge overhaul on it. I intended to play it before HL2, and tbh I still will so I'm not overly bothered

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/show...7&page=1&pp=15 comparison shot if you haven't already seen it.

There are mutterings that the BBFC are going to make the game 15, thus overuling the PEGI rating.

[Concept]

Can someone confirm the frankly bizarre news I've heard that the only current way to get the HL2 Stress Test (so you can see if your machine stands a chance of coping with the game) is to actually hand over the money for a preorder?

That seems completely ass-backwards to me; the reason I want to run the test is to know if there is any point in me buying the game.

The reason there's been no available benchmarks to download is because to do that you'd have to install the Source engine onto your PC. And after what happened last year, Valve were never going to let that happen.

If you took part in Counterstrike Source: Beta the VST also became available.

But Valve already confirmed that the VST is a Source graphical effect benchmark test, not for Half-Life 2. I emailed Erik Johnson about it at Valve a couple of months ago to ask about this very thing.

We have been focusing on optimization a fair amount in the past couple
of weeks, so it's quite possible that you saw the benefit of this work.

The VST is actually a way to measure the performance of the Source
engine's rendering pipeline, not how Half-Life 2 will perform. Half-Life
2 will use a number of the visual effects you see in the test (and a
number that aren't represented), as well as a number of other subsystems
like AI, physics, and sound spatialization to name a few.

While I'm super happy to hear that we've sped up the game for you, I'm
even happier that we can do these kinds of things with Steam. This is
the kind of feedback that would have had latency on the order of months
previously, where now we're down to days (or hours in some cases).

Erik

-----Original Message-----
From: Gabe Newell
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 9:56 AM
To: Erik Johnson
Subject: FW: VST Update Confusion

[Concept]

There are mutterings that the BBFC are going to make the game 15, thus overuling the PEGI rating.

I haven't heard that, but it makes sense. I'm aware the game was in the hands of BBFC before Vivendi announced gold status, although if they have chosen to rate Half-Life 2 15+, then I'd imagine it has to have already happened.

The packaging and disc pressing is probably full swing in production now for all the different versions.

[Ish]

I just read the Edge review. It sounds fantastic. Not long now

[Chadruharazzeb]

Isn't this out yet?

[Concept]

Console yourself with the fact that the first of the big three is released tomorrow.

[ascender]

Argh?!?!?!

The wait is now officially driving me mad. My tiny little mind can't comprehend how the game is finished, done. In fact, 99% of it is actually on my PC now. But I can't play it.

[Spatial]

Its kind of odd, but now they've given a date, I'm able to coast along until the 16th.

It was the not knowing any kind of release date that was the killer for me.

Doesn't mean to say the game isn't always in the back of my mind though

[Concept]

Unfortunately, I'm like Chad and Ascender.

Putting on a brave face, consuming myself with some other games, yet the shadow of Half-Life 2 lingers over everything.

[ascender]

I'm in the states when its released and even thorugh I've bought it on Steam I'll really have to resist the temptation to buy it over there on release day. Even though I won't have anything to play it on, it'll seem like a great idea at the time. And the wife will shake her head.

[Concept]

I know what you mean.

The completist in me is tempted to pick up the Collector's Edition just for the physical cases, manuals and discs even though I've already bought Gold over Steam.

I wouldn't like to be in your position when the game drops and the scene goes insane for it over in America. It'll be a nightmare not being able to play it.

[Chadruharazzeb]

On one of the HL2 forums I was reading today someone said that the Collectors Edition was now coming out on the 23rd Nov, a week after the normal/ Steam relase! I hope he was just joshing or I'll be even more impatient than I am now, somehow.

[Concept]

To be honest, it's looking bleak for the Collector's Edition when it comes to anywhere outside of the US.

The offer has even been pulled from GAME's website now.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Damn your ass sir! You could have at least offered a comforting lie!!

I'm going to have to resort to drastic measures here if it's true.....