Will we be 'ON A RAIL' in HL2AM?

[GordonInOrbit]

'ON A RAIL' was one of the most exciting stages in Half-Life. You know what I'm talking about. The fact that you were in control a train car in an era where driveable vehicles were unheard of in FPS games . Taking the train car out for a spin, ducking behind the control panel to dodge incoming fire, mowin down aliens, Shooting track switch signs to change tracks.. you didnt forget that, did you?


so When I saw the first train in HL2, I was so awed I almost didnt mind being run over. Civil protection is gunning for you in the trainyard and amidst the gunfire you hear a train. Its getting louder and Doppler tells you that its not just background music and you're sure its headed in your direction.

I must say I was waiting for a pimped out train ride somewhere. I came across train tracks a lot of places but nothin that I could ride ;( . Sure enough, there was a train cart fitted with blade to slice up zombies(what was that all about?).

I mean no disrespect to HL2 vehicles.The dune buggy and airboat were fine in their own areas respectively. But what about a train ride? I mean they coulda easily fitted in a small train ride out of Ravenholm.

I hope they come up with a level on the lines of 'ON A RAIL' in HL2:Aftermath. The Source engine is capable of so much more!

[LittleB]

I HATED On A Rail. HATED HATED HATED. What a piece of crap level in the entire history of Humankind


Besides, the boat in HL2 was supposed to be the new On A Rail

[Megalomaniac]

Oh how i hated that...Airboat level was also annoying, i didn't mined driving the buggy, but no On a Rail..NEVER AGAIN! :x

[GordonInOrbit]

I thought the Xen stages were the piece of crap levels in the entire history of Humankind ...

Anyway,

LittleB when did you first play Half Life? For 1998 standards, i still think it was a pretty good level. Don't compare it with games that came out after 2000 ...

Besides, Boat and Rail are two different modes of transportation.

[ríomhaire]

no on the rail!

[Angry Lawyer]

I'd have preferred On A Rail if you didn't actually have to control the train, but simply shoot from it.
And I liked the content of the Xen levels. Hated the gravity, and the reliance on jump puzzles. The concept of Xen was brilliant, though.

-Angry Lawyer

[Edcrab]

I actually didn't mind On A Rail much at all. But then, I was (and probably still am) a die-hard train fanatic.

Lambda was far less enjoyable for me. *shudders*

[Megalomaniac]

whats wrong with your people :P Xen was the best part in the game(No Joke) it looked cool, the gravity was fun, there wasn't one thing i disliked about it.

[Samon]

i thought on a rail was superb.

[GordonInOrbit]

I'd have preferred On A Rail if you didn't actually have to control the train, but simply shoot from it.

Having to control the train and not being able to shoot was definitely one of the limitations of the old engine.

The HL2 engine will not not have this impediment. It has the potential to add much more functionality to the train.

Come on, Am I the only one who liked ON A RAIL??

[Loke]

Come on, Am I the only one who liked ON A RAIL??

Nope. :P

On a Rail wasn't the best chapter in the game, but it was at least better than Lambda Core… *shrugs*…

[GordonInOrbit]

And for the people who think ON A RAIL is all about being on a rail..

You are not on the train during the entire stage.

You get off frequently to combat marines and aliens, open gates, puzzles etc..

The train car also comes in handy for clearing out trip mines. you can just let it go on its own and catch up with it later when it stops at the gates.

You're free to take off on foot at any time unlike the dune buggy or airboat.

The train is not critical to level completion, but it does save a little walking time.

Why dont you go and play map c2a2.bsp if you haven't already...

[Kitfox]

I liked all the HL1 Chapters.

[DarkStar]

I thought On a Rail was fun!

C'mon, launching the satellite......the fight through the entrenched Grunt positions, that "Die Freeman" haphazardly scrawled on a wall. Very cool level.

[Lahire149]

Rail=Crap
Airboat=Fun (Imo)

[Nephtis]

The creators tryed to replicate the train on "Dark Energy" and "Our Benafactors"
But they failed. Bring on a HL:DM train map!

[ship]

I LOVED the airboat level. I'll never understand the complaints against that one.

[Flyingdebris]

i like driving vehicles in FPS games. Some people like walk the distances on foot. I enjoy running these people over.

[Sn4tcH]

On a rail... boo

Hated that...

Airboat... liked it for... the for a lil while. Did get boring though. tad too long.

[Qwert93]

No On a Rail. Please. I beg of you. The level stinks so badly that I almost wanted to puke. But more air boat levels would be nice.

[PunisherUSA]

lol, in HL1 done quicker, i saw a lil gimmick. You can skip the entire level by climbing up 1 floor from the start using tripmines as steps. Takes out about 95% of the lvl in 5 seconds :laugh:

[blinking halo]

i didnt think on a rail was that bad... it was pretty cool, just not my favorite level in the game. i didnt like the airboat section from HL2 much at all. and tbh i thought that, overall, HL1 was more fun than HL2

[DigiQ8]

I HATED On A Rail. HATED HATED HATED. What a piece of crap level in the entire history of Humankind


Besides, the boat in HL2 was supposed to be the new On A Rail
/agrees

[el Chi]

But then, I was (and probably still am) a die-hard train fanatic.<Holds gun to Edcrab's head> Why this is practically a mercy killing...

I quite like On A Rail, but then I also liked Xen... What!? Don't look at me like THAT.

[Edcrab]

<Perfroms slo-mo whirl-and-gun-grab-move-thing> My ol' Grandad was a Rolling Stock Inspector for British Rail. THE POWER OF THE TRAIN COMPELS YOU! <gun goes off and removes fingertip. As for whose it was, take your pick>.

I didn't mind Xen either, or at least quite as much as other gamers. Lambda's tail end was what got to me. Bloody teleporter "puzzles"...

[el Chi]

I liked Lambda also...
I think my least favourite was Apprehension, mainly because it featured Icthyosaurs. I'm not a fan of Icthyosaurs. Not even a little bit.

[Polaris]

I dont want this small train car but some big locomotion !

[Edcrab]

You liked all of Lambda and Xen?

It was your fingertip that went. All of them. And your head. And people call me a rabid fanboy... :eek:

[el Chi]

Fingertip? What? And I'm not a rabid fanboy, I just liked those bits... You can be so cruel sometimes, you know that?

[Jintor]

I quite liked On a Rail, mainly because of teh garg, and teh scientists running around screaming.

They were funny. Especially when Garg stepped on them.

[Loke]

I quite liked On a Rail, mainly because of teh garg, and teh scientists running around screaming.

They were funny. Especially when Garg stepped on them.

I can't remember there were a Garg in "On a Rail"?

Perhaps you are thinking of “Power Up”? It’s the chapter right before “On a Rail”.

[Megalomaniac]

The problem with the Airboat level was it was WAY to long, it was fun at times but one of my lest favorite, possibly the worst, next to Highway 17 which was to long and boring...

I don't see what was wrong with Xen, if someone would care to explain...

[Loke]

I don't see what was wrong with Xen, if someone would care to explain...

Many didn't like the jumping puzzles it had.

But I thought Xen was a pretty cool area, and I hope Valve includes it in Aftermath as I would love to learn more about it.

[Edcrab]

Fingertip? What? And I'm not a rabid fanboy, I just liked those bits... You can be so cruel sometimes, you know that?

You know? When you tried to carry out locomotive euthanasia and I overpowered you and someone's fingertip was blown off? It was yours. Yeah. Stick that in your Lamdba-loving pipe and smoke it!

What's ironic is that I didn't actually hate either section with a passion or anything- they were just, at least in my view, substandard compared to the rest of Half-Life. A bit like how OpFor ends with the clunky factory/warehouse section.

Oh, and yes, I'm cruel, but it's only 'cos you love it really.

[Adabiviak]

I don't recall disliking any part of HL1 (or 2, for that matter). The first time I played them is always the best, so judging by which levels get the most replay, I would have to say that the extended jumping levels in HL1 I'll usually noclip through. Fun the first couple of times, though.

[Samon]

I liked Lambda also...
I think my least favourite was Apprehension, mainly because it featured Icthyosaurs. I'm not a fan of Icthyosaurs. Not even a little bit.

Thats the reason i loved Apprehension so much - the Ichthyosaurs. Love em :naughty:

[Sufferin-rebel]

lol the first time i saw them, I crapped one lol... anyway On a Rail was good.. To me, Lambda core was good... Made a change from checking my back every 2 seconds if a Headcrab was there lol... Anyway It was better having some Puzzles lol

[Dr. Freeman]

i thougth "on a rail" was a fun part in the game.
how did u not like it? :|

[MuToiD_MaN]

On a rail was awesome
The airboat was more awesome
The highway was boring
Xen was awesomely frustrating

Ooooh!! :O
I just had the BEST idea!

An airboat level ... ON XEN!! :cool:

It could have jumps where you have to leap from one asteroid with a glowing pool to another, but since the gravity is low you can make the jumps football-fields long. And I guess the airboat wouldn't work as well in the hypothetically-thin atmosphere Xen must have, so it'd have to be like ... a rocket boat! Yeah! Damn I need to write this sh*t down and send it to Valve :P



</joke>

[el Chi]

You know? When you tried to carry out locomotive euthanasia and I overpowered you and someone's fingertip was blown off? It was yours. Yeah. Stick that in your Lamdba-loving pipe and smoke it!<el Chi implodes> What!?

Oh, and yes, I'm cruel, but it's only 'cos you love it really.Some...

[Solver]

On A Rail, IMHO, was rather good, but too long, should have been about a quarter shorter, as all that train riding got boring somewhat.

The reason I prefer HL2 over HL1 is that there were no sections I disliked in HL2. Loved the airboat, Highway 17 and everything else. In HL1, I hated Residue Processing with a passion (only good thing - can be done fast), and didn't like Xen a lot either (awesome atmosphere and concept, sucky gameplay, clipping bugs on Interloper).

[Sufferin-rebel]

u just wait for that Half life 2 mod (http://www.blackmesasource.com) that will convert HL1 to the Sauce enginge.. it will R0x0rs my B0x0rs :P

[Loke]

I can't wait to see how Xen will look like in Black Mesa: Source. :)

[jverne]

I HATED On A Rail. HATED HATED HATED. What a piece of crap level in the entire history of Humankind


couldn't said it better myself! :)

[Solver]

u just wait for that Half life 2 mod (http://www.blackmesasource.com) that will convert HL1 to the Sauce enginge.. it will R0x0rs my B0x0rs :P

Sauce engine? Chilli?

[MikeL15]

I really liked the trail levels of HL1... Not really the level, but just riding the train... it got kinda boring though after awhile... I just went back and played HL1 and it wasnt as much fun playing it again. And when you got to use the bigger train car, like that had more cover and could go faster, you ended up crashing it after 10 seconds :(. But like in HL1 multiplayer, the trains were so much fun. Lol... good times, just me and my brother and my friend. It was awsome... but im not gunna explain...

But actually, I noticed there wasnt any trains in HL2 and I was kinda disapointed. The airboat was really fun, but got frusterating in a few parts. Never really cared for hw17, the damn antlions always knocked my buggy over :(. I cant express how much I wanted to slaughter those f***ing antlions.. just run them over a thousand times mashing them again and agin... and they NEVER STOPPED COMING!!!

But I didnt think the fish thingy was that scarry when I went back to play hl1... I swam with it a few times... it was fun :D lol... the AI was soo bad for it though, like when it tried to get you inside the cage, it wiggled back and forth really fast lol. But i didnt like the big mosters you cant kill, but have to go by them to beat the level...

And I didnt think the Xen levels were too bad... the jumping puzzles were easy... run, duck, jump... simple... but some parts i got lost, or it was hard cuz i didnt know what to do/where to go... but it was still fun...

Anyways... that just about sums it up : P

[special-ed]

Omfg!!!!oneonetwentybillion Hl2 Was Based On Trains!!

[MikeL15]

Um... not really... there were alot of train parts, but you never got to ride one cept for in the beginning, and/or drive one, which is the main thing we want..

[Mr.Awesome]

*preparing for beating*

i... liked... on a rail... and... the... xen levels

[MikeL15]

Psh... screw you all... ima go play Halo2 now :D

[Jintor]

OMG HE PLAYS HALO2 LYNCH HIM!!!!!!

:thumbs:

[special-ed]

Wow the first halo 2 player I met online that can actually speak proper english, maybe not some 12 year old?

[BRODIEMAN2k4]

I hated on a rail, nothing is more frusterating then falling off and having to wait till it comes around back. Usually i just jumped on the rail and killed myself

[special-ed]

I see hl1 and hl2 as one giant game with no "levels" all taking place on the same day. (for Gordon)

[MikeL15]

Wow the first halo 2 player I met online that can actually speak proper english, maybe not some 12 year old?
Yur, i r not 12 i r 15 hole yrz old!!i!one!1!

Ya sorry, I just had to do that... but really, HL1 was basically one big game all in one day with no actual levels really... just loading points. I cant remember one time in HL1 where you were in one spot and in the next level you werent in the same spot you left the last level... HL2, there are a few spots where you end up in a new place in a few levels but not too many.

[Kingreaper]

Yur, i r not 12 i r 15 hole yrz old!!i!one!1!

Ya sorry, I just had to do that... but really, HL1 was basically one big game all in one day with no actual levels really... just loading points. I cant remember one time in HL1 where you were in one spot and in the next level you werent in the same spot you left the last level... HL2, there are a few spots where you end up in a new place in a few levels but not too many.
Isn't that a GOOD thing?

It improves immersion

[Op For Guy]

Psh... screw you all... ima go play Halo2 now :D

I am a fan of Halo 2 and Half-Life 2 :smoking:

[MikeL15]

I am a fan of Halo 2 and Half-Life 2 :smoking:
Well... Im a fan of Half-Life 2, Halo 2 and Doom 3. I dont get why players of one game hate the other games so much. They are all fun in different aspects and its not like they copy off of each other or did something that made the other games fans mad... and all of there graphics are awsome...

But yes Kingreaper, that is a good thing... not to many games I know of that are based all in one day and you actually need to walk to get to a place, rather than just porting the player there...

[Kangy]

I enjoyed Apprehension, Lambda Labs, Xen and On A Rail.

I'm all of your worst nightmares.

[Edcrab]

Nooo! Nooo! Nooooo...

...wait, I actually quite liked all of them too. 'Cept Lambda.

Your attempt to terrify us failed!

I have to admit I'd have liked to have seen more trains in HL2. Well, more interactive trains- I mean, a highspeed razortrain was just begging for a level or two set onboard one. Big fast moving Combine super-train- what's not to love?

Oh, and you're MY wife now, Dave...

[GonzoBabbleshit]

I enjoyed 'On a Rail', Can't wait for BMS :D

[Mechagodzilla]

I suspect the main reason there aren't any on-train missions in HL2 is the mapping issues that would arise.
If the train moves at, say, 200 kph, then Valve would have to model 200 kilometers of backdrop for one hour of gameplay. Upwards of that if the player is slow, or stops to see the sights. They'd basically need a random real-time terrain generator to make it work at all.

The only other options would be to put the player in a time limit, or use a very slow train set in a curvey underground path, almost exactly like in HL1.

It could work as a continuation of the ravenholm mines level though, riding in a minecar through the tunnels.
Ooo, that would be nice.

[eatbugs]

Valve most probably wanted to try out fresh ideas and left out the rails levels.

[MikeL15]

But the rails were fun! But the minecart idea would be awsome... like, Donkeykong meets Half-Life... (the mine cart levels in Donkeykong were my all time favorite levels in that game... although its really old now)

But I would just like a long, never-stopping ride, not all the puzzles and stuff that where in HL1...

[eatbugs]

Iremember the mine carts in Donkey kong. Those were good times

[MikeL15]

Iremember the mine carts in Donkey kong. Those were good times
Heh... maybe we should make a Donkeykong mod for HL2! Lol... it probly wouldnt work out to well though...

[eatbugs]

Yeah I was just thinking that, then I remembered I know nothing about modding

[MikeL15]

Lol me neither... but it would still be cool... all we can hope for is a minetrain level in HL2:A now...

[Jintor]

Haha, imagine getting blown out of barrels, and collecting bananas and doing cartwheels in first person veiw.

Arrrr...

[kupocake]

Something I recently noticed in the PC Gamer UK article:
Bangers and Ash
As the Citadel erupts, Gordon and Alyx will need to find some kind of transport to reach the minimum safe distance with their friends. A Trebant is one option, but maybe they'd be better served by a train
So in other words, PC Gamer are heavily hinting that the escape from City 17 will be made "On A Rail". As a passenger or a driver? Time will tell...

[Jintor]

In other words, PC Gamer is LYING!

Whee!

/me carries on with his mad delusions.

[GordonInOrbit]

There's gonna be a train level in HL2AM whether you like it or not.

I really hope we get to drive a full locomotive complete with 9-10 cars and an airhorn.

The combine should catch up with us on another train. There should be train battles
with CP's and we should be able to run on the roofs, jumping from from car to car ... Somethin like Under Siege 2. :)

We should pick up rebels and weapons on the way and all of us heading to a common destination for a major battle... full scale war.

Wheee!

[StardogChampion]

They couldn't have put in a train level since their stuttering engine wouldn't have been able to cope with all the new models it has to load every 100 metres.

[MarcoPollo]

On a rail sucked. It felt like I was playing "Area 51"

[Zeus]

On a rail was horrible compared to the vehicle levels of hl2

[Didymium]

How can anyone not like any part of Half-Life? That's like... umm... eating an ice cream with chocolate coating and then stop half way through because you don't like it without chocolate. :O
Anyway, I AM a hl fanboy. I honestly think that the original game is 10 times better than the second one (and that's about how many times more I've played it through).
With that being said I can go on and tell you that in the beginning I didn't like On A Rail, but for some reason I'm liking it more and more. Maybe I've leart to like it.
I also think that Xen was the second best part of the entire game (the best beeing the train ride at the beginning). Oh, and if you think Xen is frustrating you haven't played one of the greatest sp mods ever, Half-Quake: Amen.

[BigJack]

in my onpinion the vehicle bits ruined hl2. the whole thing of hl1 on a rail was that u felt like a real person inside a train and u could duck, fire ur gun etc, jump off. in hl2 it felt like a driving sim.......

[MarcoPollo]

That's like... umm... eating an ice cream with chocolate coating and then stop half way through because you don't like it without chocolate. :O

No it's not! You need to work on your metaphors. It's like Eating a really good Hot Fudge sunday with nuts on it and you don't like nuts but you still eat it and It's awesome and after words you still love it but you don't like nuts still......yeh

[Samon]

in my onpinion the vehicle bits ruined hl2. the whole thing of hl1 on a rail was that u felt like a real person inside a train and u could duck, fire ur gun etc, jump off. in hl2 it felt like a driving sim.......

I really don't know where you got that impression, but ah well :cheers: