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08-20-2006, 11:34 AM
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#1 |
 Join Date: Jun 2006
Reputation: 41
Posts: 4,998
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Episode 2 FAQ - All in one and one in all
H A L F - L I F E 2 -----EPISODE TWO----- Frequently Asked Questions: What is Episode Two? Half-Life 2: Episode Two is the second in a trilogy of new games created by Valve that extends the award-winning and best-selling Half-Life adventure. Half-Life, as well as its sequel and the episodes, are science fiction thriller single player first-person shooter games, relying heavily on character interaction, accurate physics accompanied by physics gameplay, immersiveness, state of the art graphics and sound and generally finely tuned linear gameplay. How can I get this game? Episode Two has been released for the PC, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 as part of the Orange Box, a bundle which also includes two other new games: Portal and Team Fortress 2. For the PC, you can buy the game either on Steam or retail (in which case it still needs to be registered on Steam). There is also a stand-alone version of the game. Please note that neither Half-Life 2 nor Episode One is required to play Episode Two. What is Team Fortress 2? Team Fortress 2 is the sequel to the game that put class-based, multiplayer team warfare on the map. It delivers new gametypes, a signature art style powered by Valve's next generation animation technology, persistent player statistics, and more. Unlike other "class-based" games that offer a variety of combat classes only, Team Fortress 2 packs a wild variety of classes which provide a broad range of tactical abilities and personalities, and lend themselves to a variety of player skills. Play as the flame-throwing Pyro, the room clearing Heavy, or the Spy, a master of disguises. Other classes include: Scout, Sniper, Medic, Engineer, Demoman, or Soldier. TF2 features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date - and the most exciting class-based action ever created. What is Portal? Portal is a new single player game from Valve. Set in the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories, Portal has been called one of the most innovative new games on the horizon and will offer gamers hours of unique gameplay. The game is designed to change the way players approach, manipulate, and surmise the possibilities in a given environment; similar to how Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun innovated new ways to leverage an object in any given situation. Players must solve physical puzzles and challenges by opening portals to manoeuvring objects, and themselves, through space. For additional information, please view the Portal FAQ. What's the story so far?
What's new in Episode Two in terms of gameplay? Episode Two extends the Half-Life gameplay with unique weapons (strider buster), vehicles (the muscle car), and newly-spawned creatures (antlion grubs, antlion workers, antlion guardian, hunters). In addition, there are NPC companions (Alyx and a vortigaunt), new environments (open forests, underground caves, abandoned villages) and a new character (Dr. Magnusson). This episode's focus appears to be on travel and vehicles, and it sees Gordon Freeman and the series' other major characters moving away from both the ruins of City 17 and the entire area in which it is located and into large outdoor forest environments. The gameplay has less linear sections and there are more secrets because of the locations involved. What's new in Episode Two in terms of technology? One of the advantages of the episodic release cycle is that it gives developers the ability to incrementally improve the technologies that they use. Episode Two features a number of new technological improvements apart from HDR and the commentary system introduced in Episode One. The graphics engine now supports expansive, outdoor environments. Foliage rendering now make use of alpha-to-coverage to provide better foliage detail and anti-aliasing. Dynamic soft shadows have also been introduced along with a new particle system. The physics system has also undergone an overhaul with the introduction of cinematic physics that allow very large-scale interactions. Finally, there is a subtle motion-blur effect. Episode Two also contains support for multi-core processing systems and takes advantage of some DirectX10 graphics cards functions, but only to achieve certain optimisations. What are the minimum requirements for the PC version? The minimum system requirements are: 1.7 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, DirectX 8 level Graphics Card, Windows Vista/XP/2000, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection. Please note that to fully enjoy the graphical aspect of the game one would need a much more powerful system. The recommended system requirements follow: Pentium 4 processor (3.0GHz, or better), 1GB RAM, DirectX 9 level Graphics Card, Windows Vista/XP/2000, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection. The game also requires at least 1338MB of hard disk space. How long does the game take to complete? The initial idea was that it was going to be the same size as Episode One but it turned out to be slightly longer. The average completion time is 6h 40m. The distance Dr. Freeman travels is comparable to that in Half-Life 2, because of the gameplay involved. For more information, please view the Episode Two stats page. How much does the game cost? On Steam, Half-Life 2: Episode Two's price on its own is $20. Half-Life 2 Episodes Pack costs $30 while Half-Life 2 Orange Box costs $50. Episode Two is also part of the Source Premier Pack and the Valve Complete Pack. As far as retail is concerned, The Orange Box costs $50 for the PC and $60 for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The Half-Life 2 Episodes Pack is also available for the PC for $30. The prices are in United States dollars. As with previous releases, owners of any packages updated to include Episode Two will not be given access to the game retroactively. Are there any promotional videos?
Useful Links
Special Thanks
Last edited by Naurgul : 04-28-2008 at 03:30 AM. Reason: final stuff |
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08-20-2006, 11:49 AM
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#2 |
 Join Date: Jun 2006
Reputation: 0
Posts: 406
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Nice going, Naurgul!
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08-20-2006, 11:54 AM
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#3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Reputation: 0
Posts: 422
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Thank you very much! Stick please!
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08-20-2006, 01:47 PM
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#4 |
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Reputation: 3
Posts: 235
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Yay! I vote sticky!
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08-20-2006, 04:10 PM
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#5 |
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Guest
Posts: n/a
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Sticky Say We All!
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08-20-2006, 05:40 PM
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#6 |
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Join Date: May 2006
Reputation: 1
Posts: 4,081
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Nice job!
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08-20-2006, 08:36 PM
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#7 |
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Banned
Join Date: Aug 2004
Reputation: 0
Posts: 4,213
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Yes, you can use the format, thanks for asking
   /Vote for sticky |
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08-20-2006, 09:24 PM
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#8 |
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Guest
Posts: n/a
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Does Half-life 2: Episode 2 require Half-life 2 or Half-life 2: episode 1 to play?
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08-20-2006, 11:09 PM
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#9 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Reputation: 0
Posts: 409
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this definetly calls for a sticky.
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08-21-2006, 01:51 AM
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#10 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Reputation: 0
Posts: 422
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Quote:
great question.. i'd like to know too. |
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08-21-2006, 02:02 AM
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#11 |
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Reputation: 41
Posts: 4,998
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Thank you all for the positive comments. I'm more interested in suggestions and critisism, though...
I've made some changes since the initial version. I removed the single-player question replacing it with a minor reference in the what is EpTwo question. I added a TF2, a Portal, a price, a other game requirements, a Steam and a website question. I also slightly improved the syntax in some other instances. I am probably not going to bother posting for every update I make, and I'll try to process suggestions and critisism as fast as possible. I'm looking forward to more feedback! Last edited by Naurgul : 08-21-2006 at 02:25 AM. |
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08-21-2006, 03:20 AM
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#12 |
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Reputation: 3
Posts: 235
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I thought it will be released by december.
 About the info, there is not much more you can add, i think. Will the game be avalible only on steam? |
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08-21-2006, 03:30 AM
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#13 | ||
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Reputation: 41
Posts: 4,998
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Quote:
Quote:
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08-21-2006, 05:46 AM
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#14 |
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Volunteer Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2005
Reputation: 912
Posts: 37,776
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Very nice
Sticky! |
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08-21-2006, 08:49 AM
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Reputation: 3
Posts: 235
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Where is the Mod, This must be stickyed...
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