I have been pwned by HL2.

[DD]

Never played HL, so I'm starting essentially blind in HL2. Fantastic setting, the environment is damned immersive. Just opened the second closed dam on the river (the one with the bloody annoying helicopter) and have been having great fun, though I'm not sold on the airboat - too difficult to control. Probably pretty realistic, however.

My FPS-fu is weak; when I first started playing, I was still in "Thief" mode, Thief 2 being the last FPS I played. Once I remembered that the "S" stands for "shooter" I was much more successful. For a mild-mannered scientist, Dr. Freeman is a helluva shot with a 9mm - frankly, for all the talk of the glorious physics engine, the weapon modeling leaves something to be desired. Sniping bad guys from 300 yards away is not typical 9mm pistol performance.... but I'll live with it.

Oh, any expansion should have the ability to lay the smack-down on whoever came up with the little flying buzzsaw gizmos. Fecking annoying as hell, though pulling a Barry Bonds on them with the crowbar is emminently satisfying.

[UsulofDoom]

Oh, any expansion should have the ability to lay the smack-down on whoever came up with the little flying buzzsaw gizmos. Fecking annoying as hell, though pulling a Barry Bonds on them with the crowbar is emminently satisfying.

The grav gun works great on them. Once you capture one in it you can throw it at a wall or an other gizmo.

[LawBeefaroni]

Oh, any expansion should have the ability to lay the smack-down on whoever came up with the little flying buzzsaw gizmos. Fecking annoying as hell, though pulling a Barry Bonds on them with the crowbar is emminently satisfying.

The grav gun works great on them. Once you capture one in it you can throw it at a wall or an other gizmo.

Pssst, don't think you get the g-r-a-v g-u-n until sometime after the boat levels.

[warning]

Oh, any expansion should have the ability to lay the smack-down on whoever came up with the little flying buzzsaw gizmos. Fecking annoying as hell, though pulling a Barry Bonds on them with the crowbar is emminently satisfying.

The grav gun works great on them. Once you capture one in it you can throw it at a wall or an other gizmo.

Pssst, don't think you get the g-r-a-v g-u-n until sometime after the boat levels.

But once he does he'll be pwning the manhacks.

[ChrisGwinn]

Oh, any expansion should have the ability to lay the smack-down on whoever came up with the little flying buzzsaw gizmos. Fecking annoying as hell, though pulling a Barry Bonds on them with the crowbar is emminently satisfying.

The grav gun works great on them. Once you capture one in it you can throw it at a wall or an other gizmo.

I played through the entire game, and never figured this out.

[Giles Habibula]

Oh, any expansion should have the ability to lay the smack-down on whoever came up with the little flying buzzsaw gizmos. Fecking annoying as hell, though pulling a Barry Bonds on them with the crowbar is emminently satisfying.

The grav gun works great on them. Once you capture one in it you can throw it at a wall or an other gizmo.

I played through the entire game, and never figured this out.

Right-click, then Left-click?

[LawBeefaroni]

Oh, any expansion should have the ability to lay the smack-down on whoever came up with the little flying buzzsaw gizmos. Fecking annoying as hell, though pulling a Barry Bonds on them with the crowbar is emminently satisfying.

The grav gun works great on them. Once you capture one in it you can throw it at a wall or an other gizmo.

I played through the entire game, and never figured this out.

Right-click, then Left-click?

You can also just left click when they're close. You have to punt them a few times that way though.

[DD]

I must have played through the dam 5 segment half a dozen times last night before I finally made it through. Hosing that @#$# helicopter down was pretty damn satisfying, let me tell you.

On other issues, I'm less than impressed with the grenades - don't seem to be very effective. Could be me, of course. And the AI is nothing to write home about, but then again, anyone that serves an oppressive, totalitarian regime like this one probably isnt' the sharpest crayon in the box anyway.

[Gryndyl]

I must have played through the dam 5 segment half a dozen times last night before I finally made it through. Hosing that @#$# helicopter down was pretty damn satisfying, let me tell you.

On other issues, I'm less than impressed with the grenades - don't seem to be very effective. Could be me, of course. And the AI is nothing to write home about, but then again, anyone that serves an oppressive, totalitarian regime like this one probably isnt' the sharpest crayon in the box anyway.

And who knows what's really behind those masks? Perhaps their intelligence has been...altered.

[msteelers]

Don't like the airboat?

Betting now open that DD quits at the dune buggy part. Odds 5-1.

[bluefugue]

I disliked Water Hazard on the first playthrough but enjoyed it more when replaying it. It's an awfully pretty level, maybe the best looking section of the game IMO. Or maybe I'm just dazzled by all that shiny water.

[DD]

Don't like the airboat?

Betting now open that DD quits at the dune buggy part. Odds 5-1.

It's a bit too twitchy for me, but then again I'm a 37 year old fart with 2 kids, not a hyper-active 13 year old.

[Daehawk]

The shotgun is my wep of choice for the flying razor bots. The grav gun is best used on the little seeking electro mines that stick to you on land..grab one and toss it in the ocean.

Its funny but I really thought the vehicle parts just dont fit into the game at all. And worst is you cant really get into them because everytime you turned a corner you have to stop and get out to do something before going on. Very lame. Shoulda just left them out. I have this feeling they added them in because of the ones in Far Cry.

[Rhett]

Biggest problem I had with the airboat was the motion sickness thing. Never had *any* problems with motion sickness before (whether on a boat, plane, car, or video game) until the airboat. Had to play for about 20 minutes and then quit (stomach would get very quesy). Get up, get some water, chill for 15 minutes and then come back. Cant really complain too much though, since it was a very mild thing compared to alot of people.

[Odin]

The shotgun is my wep of choice for the flying razor bots. The grav gun is best used on the little seeking electro mines that stick to you on land..grab one and toss it in the ocean.

Its funny but I really thought the vehicle parts just dont fit into the game at all. And worst is you cant really get into them because everytime you turned a corner you have to stop and get out to do something before going on. Very lame. Shoulda just left them out. I have this feeling they added them in because of the ones in Far Cry.

The reason the gravgun is great against the manhacks is 2-fold. For one, it's a no-ammo, never-miss solution. In addition, you can hold onto them and they're deadly against soft targets - basically you get a chainsaw in your hands.

As for the vehicles, they're a big part of one of my fundamental beefs with HL2. Don't get me wrong, it's a great game, with outstanding visuals and very good gameplay. But plot-wise, 3/4 of the game feels like you're just trying to get somewhere so the real game can start. That is to say, you start out feeling like you have some sort of goal to accomplish. But before you can go after that goal, you have to meet up with some friends. Then you get separated and need to go meet up with them the long way. Then they disappear and you have to go rescue them. The long way. And all this time, I'm thinking "geez, I can't wait to get back to my original objective, whatever the hell that was." So for me, the bulk of the game felt like I was just travelling from point A to point B, not really accomplishing anything. It left me unsatisfied.

Of course, that could change at the end. I got to a jumping puzzle that I "think" is near the end of the game and just sort of lost interest. I suppose I'll go back and finish at some point, but those damn jumping puzzles just get on my nerves.

Sith

[ImLawBoy]

I thought the sand buggy was better than the boat, because I could stop more frequently to easily explore (even when it wasn't really necessary). Plus, it had a much cooler engine sound.

[DD]

Mmwmwwaaahahaaahaa - the grav gun rivals the Duke Nukem shrinker as best weapon EVAR!!!1!!!!111!! So many ways to pulverize the zombie....

[Freezer-TPF-]

I enjoyed the vehicle levels. One thing I like about HL2 so far (I'm a few levels from the end) is that the gameplay does change up from time to time instead of the same old FPS tactics from start to finish. You seem to get new toys, new types of gameplay, and changes of pace at regular intervals.

Did anyone else find the hidden alien prophet/madman in the water hazard level?

[DD]

Did anyone else find the hidden alien prophet/madman in the water hazard level?

Huh???

[disarm]

Did anyone else find the hidden alien prophet/madman in the water hazard level?

you mean the one hidden way back in a large pipe where you have to walk through radioactive stuff? if that's who you mean, then yes

there are actually several of those vortigaunts that will ramble on about their people and your fight from the first game (they all say the same thing).

[Freezer-TPF-]

Did anyone else find the hidden alien prophet/madman in the water hazard level?

you mean the one hidden way back in a large pipe where you have to walk through radioactive stuff? if that's who you mean, then yes

there are actually several of those vortigaunts that will ramble on about their people and your fight from the first game (they all say the same thing).

Yep, that's the one. It seemed like he just had a rolling script consisting of all the vortigaunt dialogue lines in the game. I was hoping to find a little more back there to make up for all the damage it took.

[Kael]

Oh, any expansion should have the ability to lay the smack-down on whoever came up with the little flying buzzsaw gizmos. Fecking annoying as hell, though pulling a Barry Bonds on them with the crowbar is emminently satisfying.

The grav gun works great on them. Once you capture one in it you can throw it at a wall or an other gizmo.

My favorite part of the game so far is picking up the saw blades laying around ravenshome with the gravgun and shooting them at zombies. Its like a super powered frisbee and the effect is... well... very satisfying.

[ChrisGwinn]

Oh, I understood how to use the grav gun. Me and the grav gun were good pals. It just never occured to me to use them on the manhacks.

[DD]

"We don't go to Ravenholme anymore."

Yeah, well sister, I ain't you!

I don't know who decided that having an overgrown lawnmower blade sitting 3 feet off the floor in the middle of a room was a good idea, but the judicious application of the grav gun makes me the Lawnmower Man!

"Here zombie zombie zombie, here zombie... <WHACK>" Big grins all around...

[ChrisGwinn]

Did you ever through paint cans at zombies? They actually get covered in paint. You can paint walls and other meshes as well.

[Goonch]

Did you ever through paint cans at zombies? They actually get covered in paint. You can paint walls and other meshes as well.

Yeah, I did that. It was pretty funny. I purposely wanted to see how many zombies I can cover in paint.

[Coskesh]

I've been stuck for a while, and actually haven't played the game for a couple of weeks due to it. I'm in the prison - at the second spot where Alex tells me to setup turrets and to hold out as long as I can. I believe you have a total of 3 turrets you can setup and the enemies can come from 4 different locations (area is like a 'H' where you are defending the middle segment that connects 2 halls).

The AI always ends up throwing nades that topple my turrents then they overwhelm me. Any suggestions?

[Odin]

I've been stuck for a while, and actually haven't played the game for a couple of weeks due to it. I'm in the prison - at the second spot where Alex tells me to setup turrets and to hold out as long as I can. I believe you have a total of 3 turrets you can setup and the enemies can come from 4 different locations (area is like a 'H' where you are defending the middle segment that connects 2 halls).

The AI always ends up throwing nades that topple my turrents then they overwhelm me. Any suggestions?

I'm pretty sure i ended up running around finding boxes and crap from all over the level and dragging it to the cell block before jumping down. And since the enemies don't actually come running toward you until you set up the last turret, there's lots of time to position everything where you want it. If you block up the entry points, the guys can't get through and the turrets can mow them down when they try. This level almost beat me, too - thank goodness for strategy guides.

Sith

[Freezer-TPF-]

First tip - use the grav gun to set your turrets back up ASAP if they get toppled. Also, if you see a grenade land at the base of your turret, a good trick is to pick up the TURRET with your grav gun and move it out of the way briefly until the grenade goes off, then set it back down. If I try to pick up the grenade with the grav gun and fling it away, it usually just goes off in my face because I'm too slow.

Also, provide fire support for your turrets with the SMG or pulse rifle, or grenades if the baddies bunch up in a doorway. Just be ready to switch to the grav gun in order to reset or rescue your turrets.

Before you set up the turrets, use some crates and barrels to block off one of the short cross hallways (I blocked off one end of the hall with the big ammo box) to help control traffic flow. I made my stand in the hallway that had the big blue control panel thingy. That way, baddies were only coming in through the far ends and through the hallway with the health and turret lockers. Now you have only 3 doors to defend and 3 turrets. Set them up the best you can in your hallway to cover each entrance, and try to make them difficult to shoot or grenade from multiple entrances by putting them around little corners, etc.

And lastly, don't panic! Unload on the baddies with your own guns and keep an eye on your turrets, and you should make it.

[ChrisGwinn]

Make sure you don't try to defend the whole cellblock. I setup in the short cross hallway with the health/energy dispenser. Put the guns in there with you, set back a ways from the hallways - like this

|.......|
+G-G+
|.......|

That way, the guards have to walk immediately in front of the guns in order to shoot them. That makes it harder for them to gang up or use grenades. I seem to remember setting all three guns facing one direction and facing the other direction on my own, but it might have been two/one. Stagger them a bit so that one grenade can't take down more than one gun. Face away from the majority of your firepower - you'll hear them if they get knocked down. You take one side (I used the shotgun) and they take the other.

I never pick up grenades with the grav gun. I just flick them away - use the push instead of the pull.

[Freezer-TPF-]

I never pick up grenades with the grav gun. I just flick them away - use the push instead of the pull.

/me slaps self in head. Doh! I should have thought of that.

[Giles Habibula]

I've been stuck for a while, and actually haven't played the game for a couple of weeks due to it. I'm in the prison - at the second spot where Alex tells me to setup turrets and to hold out as long as I can. I believe you have a total of 3 turrets you can setup and the enemies can come from 4 different locations (area is like a 'H' where you are defending the middle segment that connects 2 halls).

The AI always ends up throwing nades that topple my turrents then they overwhelm me. Any suggestions?

My golly that was the single most frustrating part of the entire game for me. I musta restarted 30 times trying to keep uprighting my damn turrets. I finally just gave up and ran around like a crazy sumbitch shooting, gathering ammo, and what little health there was. using that method, I came out of it finally with like 5% health remaining and a tiny bit of pistol ammo. I was twisting in my chair and cussing so much I spit on the monitor.

[ChrisGwinn]

The key is to remember that in a one-on-one fight, soldiers will have a decent chance to take down your turrets. In a two-on-one fight, turrets will chew soldiers to bits. Never let them fight just one turret. It's really tempting to split them up and try to cover all the enterances, but it just doesn't work well.

[Jancelot]

Hint for the prison cell fight:

There is one corner that does not have an upper level access. It only has the bottom grate. I put boxes in front of half of that grate and put one turret facing it. Now my back was clear. I put the other two facing down the long hall just before one of the cross hallways. I boxed up the far cross hallway. All I had to do was occasionally upright a turret and defend 2 directions (in front and the cross hallway with emphasis on the cross hallway). It was fairly easy using that method. But I'll readily admit it took me a loooong time to realize that corner was different.

[jonsauce]

It's a bit too twitchy for me, but then again I'm a 37 year old fart with 2 kids, not a hyper-active 13 year old.

I loved the airbot section, but I guess I'm probably a hyperactive 23 year old. No kids yet, just a wife.

Give yourself more credit, 37 isn't that old!

[Giles Habibula]

...And why, speaking of turrets, are there always two boxes that hold two apiece, which gives you a total of...three? Where's the fourth turret?!?

[Giles Habibula]

It's a bit too twitchy for me, but then again I'm a 37 year old fart with 2 kids, not a hyper-active 13 year old.

I loved the airbot section, but I guess I'm probably a hyperactive 23 year old. No kids yet, just a wife.

Give yourself more credit, 37 isn't that old!

Ah, to be 37 again, eagerly awaiting the release of Windows 98. Those were the days, sonny. All we had back then was games like Daikatana...And we liked it!

...Or Alzheimers got me...

[Coskesh]

Wow! Thanks for the tips guys, so much stuff u can do with the gravity gun that I hadn't thought of in this thread.


Thanks!

[msurby]

I just redid this level the other day. Here are a few tips:

1) Bring an extra turret. Since I knew this was coming, I brought one of the earlier turrets with me. It took some scheming to get that sucker through the electrified water room, but I did it. 4 turrets >> 3 turrets.

2) Block off access. I brought down all of the crap from the office above to help block entrances. The big table was awesome for this.

3) Set up the turrets in the turret hall just like Chris illustrated.

4) Climb into an empty turret locker, crouch down, and blast anything that comes into your field of vision with a shotgun blast (1 hit kills at that range). This is almost cheap, but *very* effective.

This is basically how I did it the first time, but that was without steps 1 & 2. I had this huge pile of dead combine in front of me by the time I was done. The extra turret and the blocking made my personal pile *much* smaller.

[DD]

FWIW, I just finished the buggy level - actually found it to be much more fun than the airboat, possibly because you're armed the entire time. And the driving is very reminicent (sp?) of "Mafia." Now doing the Tremors thing and having a good deal of fun, till that big ugly sucka whomped me 3 times in a row. As it was almost 1 am, I decided to call it quits until tonight.

Is it just me, or is the pulse rifle less useful than the submachine gun? It seems to me that it fires more slowly, holds far less ammo, and since there is no scope it's less than useful for picking enemies off at long range. Maybe it packs a much bigger punch?

And I have to say that the .357 is great fun for pulling the headshot on the police/guard types - one shot drops

----

Am I right in thinking that the Laslo speech given by the guy in the antlion canyon was a backhanded reference to the "Lazlo" character in the 1985 Val Kilmer classic Real Genius?

Or should they up my medication?