Talk:Half-Life 2/Archive 4

'Missing Information' mod
Regarding the Missing Information mod, and what I wrote ("Valve-sanctioned") which has been tagged with a, I based that statement on a forum post by one of the developers: "Regarding the legality, we have asked valve plenty of times and the only thing we weren't allowed to go near was the code from the leak, we had our own coder, he coded the stuff from scratch." I know forum posts like that aren't good references so I guess if nothing else, "Valve-sanctioned" could just be removed. It is also strongly inferred, but not directly stated, in the release notes: "SPECIAL THANKS - Gabe [Newell] and the gang [Valve] for being team players!" Ziggur 12:01, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

Just removed the following: "This mod has not been sanctioned by Valve, and official permission has not been given for the distribution of this material. ". AFAIK there isn't any mod which is officially sanctioned and not made or bought by Valve (unless maybe Garry's Mod?), so a simple note MI is 3rd party should be enough. -- Jordi&middot; ✆ 12:39, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

City-Scanners Plagarized?
I thought you all might like to have a look at this:

http://i5.tinypic.com/142znms.jpg

This screen-capture was taken from an episode of 'Spider-Man: The Animated Series' entitled "The Spider-Slayers" (S1xE2). These devices look, move and sound virtually identical to Half-Life 2's 'City-Scanners'. If someone would like to add a mention of this to the page, or better yet, the Combine's technology page, feel free. If desired, I can provide a copy of the episode. —Ortchel 01:42, 12 June 2006 (UTC)
 * An eye surrounded by 'lashes' is a very natural design, and not enough to label something as being plaguarised. Hearing them and seeing them move would be interesting, though. --Tom Edwards 11:58, 12 June 2006 (UTC)

Spoiler in Story / Narration section
In the third paragraph of the Story / Narration section there is a quite big spoiler about the end of the game. Should it perhaps be removed or tagged as spoiler? Could a more experience wikipedian look into this? / Chebab 21:29, 12 June 2006 (UTC)
 * There is already a spoiler tag. Thunderbrand 01:09, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
 * No, not in that section. / Chebab 11:07, 17 June 2006 (UTC)
 * That's true, there were major spoilers outside the tags. I edited the tags to enclose all of them. Hope that's okay. :) OutlandishTeacup 07:21, 9 September 2006 (UTC)


 * There's also spoilers in the gameplay section... Johannes H.-Larsen 14:17, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Added front page nomination
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Today%27s_featured_article/requests Hopefully it can get front paged. Userpie 23:45, 3 July 2006 (UTC)

Voices.
I think the Half-Life articles (1 and 2) could use some voice actor coverage. -- Psi edit 02:13, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

move the page?
could we move the page to a new page called HλLF-LIFE2? As this is the Name described on the cover. you could then make the current page redirect to the article. Any comments? fwed66 17:00, 10 July 2006 (GMT)
 * It's generally discouraged. See archived discussion. ╫ ２５ ◀RingADing▶  16:22, 10 July 2006 (UTC) ╫
 * Also, the official name is not "Hλlf-Life 2", it's indeed "Half-Life 2". Linuxbeak (AAAA!) 00:28, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Still, why doesn't λ appear anywhere on the page, other than the image? 59.112.57.12 18:20, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

Does someone know who wrote this? I'd like to create similar template. Wyglif  SMS  08:09, 11 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Templates can be checked just like other articles. Here's the history link. Basically just link to Template:Name to check and edit. -- Jordi&middot; ✆ 08:14, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks, I started to figure it out just after posting this question. ;) Wyglif   SMS  08:16, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Half-Life 2 in Wii
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=53108

It will also appear on the Wii. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.108.106.148 (talk • contribs)
 * That news is from 2003. Thunderbrand 00:44, 15 July 2006 (UTC)
 * And how does that make it irrelevant? ~ UBeR 03:03, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Vivendi Universal as publisher
On the right-hand side of the article it says "Publisher: Vivendi Universal (expired)"

If someone has the knowledge, could a section be added regarding this? I'm rather curious; from my understanding, Half-Life (the first one) was developed by Valve and published by Sierra (a subsidiary of Vivendi), but how come Half-Life 2 ended up being published by Valve themselves?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks, JT
 * The details are here. They could probably be worked in somewhere - I'm suprised they aren't present as it is, in fact. --Tom Edwards 14:50, 12 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I didn't know that there was so much behind it. Thanks, but it seems that this has been worked into the main Half-Life 2 article. I'm not sure if others would like something a bit more detailed on the 'main page'--as of now, it's only a link under the "See also" section. --JT 19:14, 12 August 2006 (UTC)
 * FYI, don't include the  in internal links or they will screw up like that one just did. :-) --Tom Edwards 19:26, 12 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Hah, what an obvious solution that turned out to have! I've linked the word 'expired' to the contract dispute article heading. --Tom Edwards 19:29, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Length of Gordon's sleep
The article currently states:

"Official sources are conflicting about the actual length of this intermission - a story fragment written by author Marc Laidlaw for the development team puts the intermission at ten years, while Half-Life 2: Episode One's website puts this intermission as 'nearly two decades' after the end of the events of Half-Life."

However, can both pieces of information not be reconciled by the portal storms occuring ten years after the events of Half-Life 1? --Tom Edwards 08:33, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
 * What do you mean? That how Laidlaw's comment and the website contradict each other? Thunderbrand 15:04, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
 * The story fragment (IIRC) and the Kleinercast mention ten years, but they are both relative to the Combine's invasion, not Black Mesa. We had assumed that the Combine arrived shortly after HL1, but is it not possible for it to have in fact happened years later? --Tom Edwards 15:18, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Woah, I never considered that possibility. My mind has just been blown by the simplicity and elegance of this solution. 67.172.204.135 02:27, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

HL2: Deathmatch Image
You know the menu background of Half-Life 2: Deathmatch? I suggest we put it in the article at the "Multiplayer" category. It's commonly associated with the game and it has the never-seen Combine models that appeared at the pre-release screenshots of Half-Life 2: Episode One. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.196.106.128 (talk • contribs)

The Coast (Highway 17)
I've been meaning to ask about why thwere isn't any referance to the oast as se in Half-Life 2. Shouldn't someone (or myself) add a section to the Locations such as the Coast. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Brad92 (talk • contribs)

Defending something that got reverted
I realize the box-art thing is fairly trivial, but I think it's interesting enough trivia. This isn't "the pictures on the box are pre-rendered", this is "There is nothing even remotely close to what you're find in the game on the box". I know, hardly an argument... but dammit, I really like that piece of trivia. Maybe it could be added somewhere concerning the delay of HL2, since the pictures are obviously from an earlier version of the game? Scumbag 01:55, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I don't think it is really that neccessary. I stand by ZS's decision. Thunderbrand 17:47, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Development?
Is there any reason why this article has no "development" section? While I realize that some information will not be available as a result of Valve's decision to not publicize the game until late into its development, it seems to be standard procedure for featured articles on computer and video games. A little subsection on development should fit right in to the "Technical" section. If no one objects, I will begin research for one. JimmyBlackwing 06:45, 9 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Geoff Keighley's "Behind the Games" on Half-Life 2s development offers a good starting point. It would also be a good idea to think ahead preparing separating this aspect of the game from the main article in the future; the Half-Life 2 article is already awfully long as it is. ╫ ２５ ◀RingADing▶ ' 10:06, 9 September 2006 (UTC) ╫
 * Thanks for the tip. And that feature will come in very handy once I get going on this. JimmyBlackwing 07:41, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Retail vs. Steam (needs update)
"When sales figures were last announced, over four million copies of Half-Life 2 had been sold. Roughly 25 percent of all Half-Life 2 copies have been purchased using the Steam content delivery service; their exact number is between 750,000 and one million, depending on whether they are included in the figure of four million ."

If it's known before exact numbers that Steam copies make up 25% of the overall copies, their exact number is between:

A. Included in 4 million: 1 million. and B. Not included in 4 million: 1,35 million (25% out of overall sales of 5.35 million copies)

note6 (http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=news&id=648): "Half-Life 2 has been named Game of the Year by over 35 organizations and sold over four million copies worldwide. The intense, real-time gameplay delivered in Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One is made possible only by Source, Valve's proprietary engine technology."

note7 (http://www.steamreview.org/?p=16): "On a lighter note, the sales figures for Steam were indirectly revealed at AGDS when Valve’s speaker there, Mike Dunkle, said that ‘75% of their business’ came through retail channels. This could be taken two ways, customers or profits, but the gap between Steam and retail profit margins together with Doug Lombardi’s statement that Steam had been ‘wildly more profitable’ for Valve confirms it is the former. The latest official sales estimates are 3 million, and therefore Steam sales number either 750 000 if the 3 million includes them, or 937 500 if it does not." --213.216.199.6 10:44, 14 September 2006 (UTC)


 * I'm terrible at maths, so please feel free to make any corrections you see fit. :-) --Tom Edwards 13:06, 14 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Nah, I'll wait for further confirmation that it isn't just me being crazy. :-) I mean, we talk about featured article here. --213.216.199.6 16:37, 14 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Still waiting. :( --213.216.199.6 16:10, 12 October 2006 (UTC)


 * Above math aside, I took the liberty to make an edit as I saw an archived comment on this.


 * What can be concluded from the roots (1 2) of all this; well, not much:
 * {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: small; text-align: center; width: 25%;"

! Channel ! Retail ! Steam ! Units sold (Sales) ! Profit per unit ! Overall profits ! Income ! "Business"
 * "lyons share"
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * "wildly more profitable"
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * 75%
 * 25%
 * } --213.216.199.6 19:25, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

Gold Steam Package vs Collector's Edition
Someone please clean up this article regarding information about the Gold and Collector editions. I notice they have been considered one and the same (i.e. the Collector's edition is referred to having the same content as the Gold steam package, which is grossly incorrect). The Gold package contained the music CD, DoD Source and all the extra trinkets, but the Collector's edition only had the HL:Source and T-Shirt as well as the Primer. I'd make the changes but I can't be arsed; just want to bring it to attention. -- PanicAttack 12:10, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

WikiProject?
I've proposed a half-life WikiProject. If anyone's interested, please add your name add your name here. Thanks! -- Selmo  (talk) 23:59, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Spoken Word version of page
I've created a Spoken Word version of the page as of December 22, 2006. It's my first attempt at creating a Spoken Word article, so please let me know how it turned out, or if you have any suggestions or corrections. Thanks, Rahzel 08:49, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * [[File:Thumbsup emote.gif]] You did good, it was clear and it had NPOV attitude for the 99,99% of the first 15 minutes that I had time to listen. But could you do some re-reading and editing at the end of the lead paragraph, I'm the one to blame. --213.216.199.6 15:06, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * You did well, but if I may make a suggestion: try talking more naturally next time. Others may disagree, but I think over-enunciation isn't always a good thing. I appreciate the effort you took to make yourself easily understandable though. Just one more minor thing: I've always heard "Mesa" pronounced "May-sa", but yours sounded more like "Meh-sa". Is "May-sa" just a regional pronunciation in my area? --132.177.122.117 19:56, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your suggestions. I guess I was trying to focus on reading slowly (as per Spoken Word guidelines, which suggest reading about 20% slower than a normal pace) at the sacrifice of sounding natural.  You could easily be right, though.  Also, I believe you're correct about "Mesa" being pronounced May-sa (I went back into the game to check, and Alyx always seems to say May-sa).  I mis-pronounced it once (the very first time I said it!  Ouch!) in the recording, pronounced it correctly each subsequent time, and forgot to edit the first one to sound correct.  I think that my Midwestern accent, though, doesn't help with me pronouncing the long A sound in Mesa anyway!  It seems to want to come out as "Meeeeaaysa".  Haha.  Anyway, thanks for your tips! Rahzel 00:47, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

January 11
Well, looks like Half-Life 2 will finally get to be on the Main Page on Thursday, January 11. I think we should use this time to shore up the article in preparation. Thunderbrand 19:01, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Box Art
Someone recently added one of the other Box Art images to the infobox. In my opinion, this isn't needed and only adds clutter and confusion to an otherwise clean article. It also pushes the infobox significantly down the page, where it interferes more with the body and other images in that area of the page. I'm removing it, if you think it should stay post here for discussion. --Rodzilla 04:09, 3 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I agree with the reversion to the single box art image for the reasons stated above. -- Rydra Wong 04:32, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Frohman
Hi. What's the justification for this edit? : I think that see also link add significant value to the article. If it's not acceptable, it should be included as a link somewhere relevant in the text. Having a notable webcomic devoted to it is a benefit to HL2, not a detraction from it. I have never edited either article, but as a casual reader, I saw that webcomic as the only significant ommision in the article.--GunnarRene 11:23, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
 * The link is quite out of place in that section - I believed it was already mentioned in the article, seems it isn't - but I think it would be more logical (and sensible) to direct the path HL2 --> Garry's Mod --> Concerned. If anything, I believe that Concerned should be given a bigger representation in this article than just See Also. If you must restore it, do so, but try not to undo the other parts I removed with that edit. —Vanderdecken∴ ∫ξφ 12:01, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

References..citing..etc..
Why wait till this article hits the main page to start the source boxs/tags etc? This kind of thing should've been done (although some of it is fairly nit-picky) way before the article hit the main page. Detracts from the article greatly. Geologik 02:43, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Perhaps these things should have been considered in the process of granting this article FA status. Some people don't see an article until they hit the front page. It's a fact. A lot of front page articles get a lot of editing because they're featured there. That doesn't mean they aren't applicable for Wikipedia's policies. ~ UBeR 03:06, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Well I guess you're taking over..so have at it, meh. Geologik 03:12, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia is open for everyone. ~ UBeR 03:23, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Source Engine using Havok physics
I believe the loading screen of Half-Life 2, and other games with the traditional VALVe startup movie state that it uses the havok physics engine, with a link to their website.

Just checked, and yes, it does. Uploaded to imageshack for reference. http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4714/havokks9.png Posted this due to the 'citation needed' in the main article, and I have no idea how to cite it.

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.89.22.218 (talk) 03:50, 11 January 2007 (UTC).


 * Another reference : -- Esurnir 04:02, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Page vandalism
Someone please lock down this article to prevent vandalism. just made an ediit restoring the last known version of this article. thanks.

Agreed. Just changed a childish piece of vandalism. I think this article's prominence on the home page and its subject matter are attracting this stupidity. Xue hanyu 14:51, 11 January 2007 (UTC)Xue_hanyu