Half-life only revolutionized the genre because it was popular. Other games before it, such as System Shock, were more revolutionary than Half-life, and it (System Shock) came out just after Doom 2.
Half-Life vs. Halo
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Johnny Rotten
Regular
No half-life revolutionized the FPS industry because it was the first mainstream shooter to
- clearly and explicitly tie a storyline straight into the gameplay
- feature computer controlled 'NPC' ai's that followed along and assisted the player
- have in engine/in game scripted cutscenes
- have complex enemy ai routines (scripted or otherwise)
- clearly and explicitly tie a storyline straight into the gameplay
- feature computer controlled 'NPC' ai's that followed along and assisted the player
- have in engine/in game scripted cutscenes
- have complex enemy ai routines (scripted or otherwise)
Johnny Rotten
Regular
Ozymandis said:
Sure did! Classic saturday sci fi matinee stuff! Of course it wasnt so much WHAT the story was, as it was the MECHANISMS used to TELL the story.
There were several distinct AI types in the game, the marines and assassins being only two (although they were the most obvious). Unreal had decent AI, but it was much rougher than HL. They didnt use the environment, and they didnt display the same coordination (primitive as it was) as the half life marines did.
Asking whether Half-Life or Halo is better is like asking whether Starcraft or Warcraft 3 is better. They are both so great, it is hard to decide!
I personally prefer Halo because it is more combat-oriented... there is never a moment where you are stuck wondering, "What boxes or buttons do I have to push to get over there?"; the game is grenade-throwing alien-slaughter from start to finish. I've never been a fan of puzzles in First Person Shooters, but if there's one compliment I can give it's that the button-pressing and box-stacking puzzles in Half-Life were MUCH less odious than most other games. (Trespasser and Jedi Knight 2, anyone?)
Half-Life's level design was MUCH better than Halo (with the exception of the end levels); I don't think any other game has come close to the quality of HL's levels. Max Payne had several exceptionally good singleplayer levels, but they were very short, HL's levels were huge.
HL's difficulty levels really weren't much of a difference compared to Halo's - hard vs easy you dealt half as much damage and took twice as much, while you take >10 times as much damage from Legendary difficulty compared to Easy. (partly because Halo's Easy difficulty is so retarded, you could sit in place and watch your shields regen faster than enemies can hurt them) However, the smaller spread in difficulty levels in HL meant that AI allies were balanced on all difficulties, while Halo's marines will do all the work for you on Easy or Normal, but on Legendary they die in seconds.
Although HL and Halo belong to two different generations, they are similar in their accomplishments. Half-Life took the "shoot tons of aliens" FPS genre established by DOOM to a new level, adding an immersive plot line, intelligent scripted and unscripted AI, and top-notch level and enemy design. On the other hand, Halo took the genre established by Half-Life and dumped in loads of "cool factor"; the Covenant, Sentinels, Flood, and general weapons + vehicle design are all very very cool and just fun to play.
I personally prefer Halo because it is more combat-oriented... there is never a moment where you are stuck wondering, "What boxes or buttons do I have to push to get over there?"; the game is grenade-throwing alien-slaughter from start to finish. I've never been a fan of puzzles in First Person Shooters, but if there's one compliment I can give it's that the button-pressing and box-stacking puzzles in Half-Life were MUCH less odious than most other games. (Trespasser and Jedi Knight 2, anyone?)
Half-Life's level design was MUCH better than Halo (with the exception of the end levels); I don't think any other game has come close to the quality of HL's levels. Max Payne had several exceptionally good singleplayer levels, but they were very short, HL's levels were huge.
HL's difficulty levels really weren't much of a difference compared to Halo's - hard vs easy you dealt half as much damage and took twice as much, while you take >10 times as much damage from Legendary difficulty compared to Easy. (partly because Halo's Easy difficulty is so retarded, you could sit in place and watch your shields regen faster than enemies can hurt them) However, the smaller spread in difficulty levels in HL meant that AI allies were balanced on all difficulties, while Halo's marines will do all the work for you on Easy or Normal, but on Legendary they die in seconds.
Although HL and Halo belong to two different generations, they are similar in their accomplishments. Half-Life took the "shoot tons of aliens" FPS genre established by DOOM to a new level, adding an immersive plot line, intelligent scripted and unscripted AI, and top-notch level and enemy design. On the other hand, Halo took the genre established by Half-Life and dumped in loads of "cool factor"; the Covenant, Sentinels, Flood, and general weapons + vehicle design are all very very cool and just fun to play.
CaptainHowdy
Regular
Ozymandis said:
Uhm, saying Halos Story is better?
Space Marine Vs PLanet Full of Hostile Aliens, that had not been done before(cough, Doom..cough..Unreal..)
Johnny Awesome
Veteran
Well, looks like someone didn't play all the way through Halo. 
Johnny Awesome
Veteran
I agree.
I like Halo a bit better mainly because of the co-op play. we need more co-op play in FPS damnit! I loved Doom I & II because of the great co-op play.
Halo has a great storyline as well. Many people have said good things about the Halo novel. (which describes events that happen before the game)
I need to dig out my copy of HL and play it again.
I loved Doom I & II because of the great co-op play.Halo has a great storyline as well. Many people have said good things about the Halo novel. (which describes events that happen before the game)
I need to dig out my copy of HL and play it again.
BenSkywalker
Regular
PS2 HL had coop.
darkvenom_12
Newcomer
halo vs half life
1 word. multi-player. thats why half like sucks and halo is being played by millions of people all over the world. if a half-life were made for x-box that had multi-player without needing x-box live i wouldn't turn my back on it, but you have to be lonely to play a game with no co-op mode. "why fly solo?"
1 word. multi-player. thats why half like sucks and halo is being played by millions of people all over the world. if a half-life were made for x-box that had multi-player without needing x-box live i wouldn't turn my back on it, but you have to be lonely to play a game with no co-op mode. "why fly solo?"
TurnDragoZeroV2G
Regular
My lord, this has to have some place in the record books.
scooby_dooby
Legend
Holy crap, I didn't even know we could access threads this old!
Admittedly I never played finished HalfLife, so I won't vote.
Admittedly I never played finished HalfLife, so I won't vote.
1 word. multi-player. thats why half like sucks and halo is being played by millions of people all over the world. if a half-life were made for x-box that had multi-player without needing x-box live i wouldn't turn my back on it, but you have to be lonely to play a game with no co-op mode. "why fly solo?"
Uhmm. the most widely played online first person shooter in world, if Im not mistaken, is Counter-Strike with something like 6 billion minutes logged each month.
Being that CS is a free mod for HL, I wouldn't say HL multi-player sucks especially when you consider the other 15 or so other well known mods that offer both versus and co-op play.
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