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RE: [TCLUG:2431] Half Life?




> things that rule about half-life:
> sound.. 3d sound support (i belive)
> graphics .. reuqires 3d card (afaik)
> AI.. the best thing about the game.. plot, and very good AI... it is
> supposed to be much more cool than quake2..  need to see if it can top
> quake1 :)

	So far as I know, Half-Life does not *require* a 3D accelerator.
Obviously, it runs better with one, but the animations are done through a
"skeletal" system which makes it considerably easier for the PC to handle a
really *huge* number of polygons.  The base system requirements, if I'm
recalling correctly from the box label, are a Pentium 133 with 64 MB.
(Memory requirements might be lower, actually).  Again, obviously, you
probably *want* at least a Pentium 200+ with a good 3D card, but apparently
it's at least playable on older systems.

	The super-cool things about the game, in my opinion, are:
	-the levels are "continuous", meaning monsters, and even bullets can travel
from one level to the next
	-the creature AI is clearly differentiated -- little doggy-like things
attack in packs but flee if alone, giant bull-squids only attack you if
they're hungry, but ignore you if there's better prey around, Special Forces
attack squads set up ambushes and communicate your position to one another,
etc, etc.  Some "creatures" can even be enlisted as allies, or at least
rendered useful somehow.  (Ferexample, the game is littered with little guys
called "chum toads" who are harmless, and can be picked up and used as bait,
decoys, or just bounced off of walls.)
	-Last but not least, the game world is "realistic" -- guns and health
power-ups aren't just left laying around everywhere -- it's more like
Resident Evil, where guns & health are usually found in lockers or on
corpses -- places where you might realistically expect to find them.
Meaning, of course, that oftentimes in order to get a gun, you've got to
find someone who has one and take theirs.

	The net result is a game that looks to be the most immersive 3D shoot 'em
up in the history of the genre.

	There's a great preview of the game on www.gamespot.com, btw.  Still no
demo, although there's a pirated OEM demo that is supposed to only be
available with the purchase of a new Voodoo2 video card.  I haven't seen it,
though, and I don't know anyone who has.