got a bit further tonight, past that lift. But damn there's just tons of soldiers in this level. Feels a lot more like a modern shooter to me than what has led up to it. Still loving the game, but I need to figure out how to play in this more action-oriented style than the more methodical beginning of the game.
MrPopo wrote:If you have magnum ammo and a steady hand you can one shot soldiers with it.
OH. I was using the rapid fire gun, which is probably weaker huh? I'll try the Magnum next time. Got plenty of ammo I think cuz I don't use it as much.
+1 on the usefulness of the magnum; it seems to be best when you can sneak up on a soldier or two and hit them before they see you. I fall back on that rapid-fire gun a lot too, but it's my least favorite weapon of them all. I like my shooters on the sci-fi side, and when I use the M16-looking rifle against hordes of camo-soldiers the game feels too close to the modern trend in shooters. I should use the inter-dimensional insect bombs more often...
Made it to Lambda Core tonight, which means I'm over the soldier hump that gets me down (next year I'll play as one of those PS2 unlockable electrical bi-pedal aliens to spice that section up). Does anyone have advice in dealing with the insect-bomb pods that block the halls in "Forget about Freeman"?
In general it is almost always best in this game to use the guns that most quickly kill enemies. The bad guys deal damage quickly (especially in teams), and most of the combat is about trying to duck out from cover, shoot, and return to cover - there's not a lot of "guns blazing" sections.
In terms of my usage, I'd rank the guns thus. I'll spoiler tag this since it mentions weapons you don't see until about half way, but I think most of you would find it safe to read anyway
Crossbow - by FAR my favorite weapon in the game, if only because it is the only sniping weapon. It is also quiet, so it doesn't alert the enemy of your presence even after you've killed an ally. Almost every enemy can be one-shotted or two-shotted with this. I just wish there was more ammo for this gun.
Magnum - This is basically a slightly weaker version of the crossbow, but one that (more than any other) makes me want to argue for this game being played with a mouse/keyboard setup and at a high resolution. This gun can basically function as an accurate but loud long distance weapon or as a fast and efficient close range weapon. Also needs more ammo available.
Gauss Gun - I would rank this higher than the magnum if I felt like it was as accurate, but I somehow find the reticle to be harder to line up than I'd like. I basically never use the charged fire on this, as the gun is fast enough and powerful enough to kill most enemies as quickly as the magnum (if you can get the accuracy down). Again, ammo is scarce.
MP-5 "alt fire" grenades - There are more of these MP-5 grenades laying around than you might think, and they are also useful to one shot kill most enemies. Accuracy is less a concern given the blast radius, and this is my weapon of choice for multiple enemy encounters when I can't take things out from a distance first.
Only if I don't have these weapons do I use other things, as I find most of the other weapons in the game to be pretty poor for most scenarios unless it is one designed for the weapon (e.g. shooting a chopper with a rocket). That said, I would never use ANY of these on stuff like headcrabs (use the pistol as much as possible) or the barnacles (shotgun). I don't fire weapons at crates, either, as I kinda enjoy whacking them apart with the crowbar. I use hand grenades pretty regularly, too, when I am in a tight spot.
Anyway, those suggestions might not tell veterans anything they don't already know, but I hope they may help some of you n00bs get some ideas for when/how to use certain guns and thus best keep your ammo for the right scenario...
I played through Half Life and Half Life 2 about a year or so ago, so I was pretty interested in seeing how Black Mesa turned out. I have it installed on Steam, so I might get round to it before the end of the month...
dsheinem wrote:In general it is almost always best in this game to use the guns that most quickly kill enemies. The bad guys deal damage quickly (especially in teams), and most of the combat is about trying to duck out from cover, shoot, and return to cover - there's not a lot of "guns blazing" sections.
In terms of my usage, I'd rank the guns thus. I'll spoiler tag this since it mentions weapons you don't see until about half way, but I think most of you would find it safe to read anyway
Crossbow - by FAR my favorite weapon in the game, if only because it is the only sniping weapon. It is also quiet, so it doesn't alert the enemy of your presence even after you've killed an ally. Almost every enemy can be one-shotted or two-shotted with this. I just wish there was more ammo for this gun.
Magnum - This is basically a slightly weaker version of the crossbow, but one that (more than any other) makes me want to argue for this game being played with a mouse/keyboard setup and at a high resolution. This gun can basically function as an accurate but loud long distance weapon or as a fast and efficient close range weapon. Also needs more ammo available.
Gauss Gun - I would rank this higher than the magnum if I felt like it was as accurate, but I somehow find the reticle to be harder to line up than I'd like. I basically never use the charged fire on this, as the gun is fast enough and powerful enough to kill most enemies as quickly as the magnum (if you can get the accuracy down). Again, ammo is scarce.
MP-5 "alt fire" grenades - There are more of these MP-5 grenades laying around than you might think, and they are also useful to one shot kill most enemies. Accuracy is less a concern given the blast radius, and this is my weapon of choice for multiple enemy encounters when I can't take things out from a distance first.
Only if I don't have these weapons do I use other things, as I find most of the other weapons in the game to be pretty poor for most scenarios unless it is one designed for the weapon (e.g. shooting a chopper with a rocket). That said, I would never use ANY of these on stuff like headcrabs (use the pistol as much as possible) or the barnacles (shotgun). I don't fire weapons at crates, either, as I kinda enjoy whacking them apart with the crowbar. I use hand grenades pretty regularly, too, when I am in a tight spot.
Anyway, those suggestions might not tell veterans anything they don't already know, but I hope they may help some of you n00bs get some ideas for when/how to use certain guns and thus best keep your ammo for the right scenario...
Hmm...I don't entirely agree with your choices,but we likely have differing playstyles. Here's my thoughts on all the weapons:
Crowbar - No ammunition! I stick with this for headcrabs, zombies, and barnacles whenever they are easily in reach.
Pistol - Good for barnacles. If you've ever read anything about the Tunnel Rats in Vietnam, you'll also understand the pistol's usefulness when crawling through a narrow space, such as a vent. This also works wonders for destroying tripmines. I wouldn't use this against the marines unless you're fairly good at lining up headshots.
Magnum - As Ds pointed out, this handcannon basically operates as a loud sniper rifle. Its limited ammunition stinks, but I have yet to find a situation where this one wasn't useful. With headshots, it will easily one-shot marines and Vortigans. Also works for the ninjas if you're fast enough. I love this gun.
MP-5 - This is basically just an extreme rapid fire pistol, but weaker. I prefer to use this as a way to provide covering fire when running between cover, or when I want to harass enemies who are trying to come out of cover. But the grenade launcher makes this gun a beast, especially if you can peg explosive barrels with them for an even bigger boom. It also works wonders for when you have to fight a group of marines and they are all behind cover.
Shotgun - The alternate fire is what makes this my weapon of choice for dealing with most interdimensional beings. Since it fires two rounds of buckshot instead of one, it deals double the damage on what is already a powerful close-range weapon. Perfect for Vortigans, Bullsquids, and Houndeyes. Just make sure to pop in and out of cover when using them, and don't let the Houndeyes corner you. For marines, pop them at close range in the head, but this really isn't the gun to use against them.
Crossbow - Despite its power, I actually don't care for this weapon so much. Ammunition is too scarce, there really aren't too many places to snipe with it, and the rate of fire is horrendous. Yes, it does massive damage, and yes, it is quiet. But I only use this weapon to thin a crowd before going in with something I prefer using.
RPG - I rarely use this unless I'm firing at helicopters, tanks, etc. While I like it, the rockets can be avoided easily, and I have to stay out of cover to guide a rocket with the laser.
Tau Cannon - Another weapon I absolutely love, it can do both rapid fire or charge up for a bigger boom. Just don't charge it up too much, or it will explode on you. I love to use this against Alien Grunts when I have the ammunition for it.
Gluon Gun - Powerful, but eats through ammunition like Rosie O'Donnell and cake. I rarely use this one because you get it so late, and it uses the same ammunition as the Tau Cannon.
Hivehand - Little damage, but small homing projectiles and regenerating ammunition makes this one of my favorites for popping marines or aliens behind cover. I tend to shoot this down corridors as I walk up to find out if anything is behind it. The sudden trajectory of the projectiles and the screams will tell me what I need to know.
Grenades - I use these to sometimes flush out enemies, to get at groups of them, or to surprise them with a bang. It's not as fast as an MP-5 grenade and doesn't detonate on impact, so be sure to practice a bit playing with their physics. And don't forget to cook them!
Satchel Charges - I use these for protecting points mostly, though you can use them offensively if you're fast on the trigger after a throw. You can use alternate fire to throw multiple satchels.
Laser Tripmines - Again, a defensive weapon, though these work wonders if you know something is coming. With the right positioning and explosives/gunplay, you can funnel enemies into these suckers. Fun times.
Snarks - They tend to bite me on the ass a fair bit, but I can't help loving these guys. Throw them from a vent. Throw them off a balcony. Throw them out the door. Just remember to get the hell away from them once you do.
DocHauser wrote:Anyone checked out Black Mesa yet?
I played through Half Life and Half Life 2 about a year or so ago, so I was pretty interested in seeing how Black Mesa turned out. I have it installed on Steam, so I might get round to it before the end of the month...
I'm midway through Surface Tension on my Black Mesa playthrough, right around the minefield area. Everything has been redone. Sometimes it's altering the flow a bit (the opening level railroads you a bit more after the resonance cascade so you see a few more of the scripted events) and other times it's a major change (On A Rail's length is cut in half, but I felt like this was a good thing).
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
I'm stuck. I'm still in On A Rail... there's a part where the little cart thing you're riding hits a door labeled 'Secure Access' and I can't figure out how to get that damn door to open. Popo?
noiseredux wrote:I'm stuck. I'm still in On A Rail... there's a part where the little cart thing you're riding hits a door labeled 'Secure Access' and I can't figure out how to get that damn door to open. Popo?
describe more...is this the place with the tunnel blocked?
