"Entities" { "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "G-Man Sighting" "origin" "33.968750 1306.475586 866.031250" "angles" "0 0 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment117.wav" "printname" "G-Man Sighting" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Jeff Lind" "synopsis" "For attentive players, this is the first time we've allowed a glimpse of the G-Man since Half-Life 2. In Episode 1, we suppressed G-Man visitations completely to show that he had lost track of Gordon. But after Alyx's healing incident, earlier in Episode 2, he is actively watching again. Keep an eye out for him." "parser_id" "117" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Combine Sniper Rifle" "origin" "194.996262 758.973816 834.031250" "angles" "0 -45 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment116.wav" "printname" "Combine Sniper Rifle" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Ted Backman" "synopsis" "In Episode One, Alyx climbs up into a hidden room and uses a Combine sniper rifle to assist the player. The player never sees the rifle--only the targetting beam. For Episode 2, we decided to show the Combine sniper rifle and let the player know exactly where Alyx would be standing when she used it. However, making it visible and accessible to the player required us to come up with a way to make the rifle usable only with the vortigaunt's help. Though it's somewhat of a contrived and arbitrary device for keeping the player from using the gun, we felt it was a worthwhile trade-off, given that playtesters tended to enjoy the co-op sequence of Alyx assisting them from above." "parser_id" "116" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Poison Zombie Breathing" "origin" "618.179810 382.031250 674.031250" "angles" "0 -135 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment118.wav" "printname" "Poison Zombie Breathing" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Chris Grinstead" "synopsis" "The ambient sound of the poison zombie breathing was placed here to make the descent into the building scary. Although most of the team thought it was comical, there were a few playtesters visibly unnerved by it. One playtester stood at the opening to this room for a long time, afraid to go in." "parser_id" "118" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Sniper Beam Training" "origin" " 717.328735 851.968750 402.031250" "angles" "0 90 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment119.wav" "printname" "Sniper Beam Training" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Alfred Reynolds" "synopsis" "Training players who haven't played previous episodes is always a challenge. Those who had not played Episode 1 did not immediately understand that the Combine sniper beam was friendly. They avoided it, thinking it could damage them. Therefore we added this staircase scenario, where we re-introduce Alyx's sniper behavior and make a show out of her shooting a zombie to protect the player." "parser_id" "119" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Zombie Closet" "origin" "1147.180054 851.8200073 15.09999847 " "angles" "0 -177.7799987793 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment121.wav" "printname" "Zombie Closet" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Yahn Bernier" "synopsis" "This is an instance where observing playtests gave us ideas for tuning the experience. In an early version, playtesters would trigger the lights to go out and the zombies to wake up. Then, they would run out of the room and close the door. After seeing this repeatedly, we added a trigger allowing the zombies to open the door and chase the player." "parser_id" "121" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "The Dumpster" "origin" " 1743.968750 832.634521 -93.968750" "angles" "0 -60 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment122.wav" "printname" "The Dumpster" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Kerry Davis" "synopsis" "In this scene, we rigged an entity called a physics explosion to create movement among the boxes inside the dumpster. One playtester threw a grenade into the dumpster and the physics explosion entity caused the grenade to fly back out. The player was shocked, thinking the zombie had tossed back his grenade. Although this happened by accident the first time, we went ahead and set up the entities to make sure it would happen for every player who lobs a grenade into the dumpster." "parser_id" "122" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "The Fire Trap Parade" "origin" "834.310364 1082.742188 -234.922455" "angles" "0 135 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment124.wav" "printname" "The Fire Trap Parade" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Joe Demers" "synopsis" "Earlier in the level, we blocked the path with fire and forced the player to turn off a gas jet to continue. Fire traps of this sort were plentiful in Half-Life 2, but we could not count on players knowing or remembering how to use them here. Having offered some brief training, we now build on the mechanic by having the player work with Alyx to create a cooperative fire trap. Most players turn on the gas, at which point Alyx shoots a zombie on the stairs to create the wall of fire. This triggers a parade of zombies to come out of the door below and walk into the fire." "parser_id" "124" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Sawblade Training" "origin" "736.536194 1849.377686 -93.968750" "angles" "0 45 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment125.wav" "printname" "Sawblade Training" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Jennifer Seeley" "synopsis" "Sawblades were a prominent weapon in Half-Life 2 and we wanted the player to recognize them as part of their arsenal in the upcoming warehouse battle. After watching several playtesters ignore them completely, we decided to add this zombie pinned to the wall. Most players pull out the sawblade and instantly realize its potential for destruction. After that, they tend to find and use sawblades without further prompting." "parser_id" "125" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Warehouse Holdout" "origin" " 686.334839 2013.590332 127.622375" "angles" "0 -135 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment126.wav" "printname" "Warehouse Standoff" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Doug Valente" "synopsis" "The battle in the warehouse was created fairly late in the development of this map, when we realized that the level had a steady stream of combat but no real climax. We wanted to take advantage of Alyx's sniping abilities, building on the scene in Episode One where the player can punt boards off windows to give her a better view of attacking zombies. Here, we have the player removing tin roof panels to give Alyx a line of sight into the room below." "parser_id" "126" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Forklift Puzzle" "origin" "130.613892 3593.557373 -85.968750" "angles" "0 -60 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment127.wav" "printname" "Forklift Puzzle" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Joshua Weier" "synopsis" "As much as possible, we try to create small surprises for the player that aren't related to combat at all. With this forklift puzzle, we wanted to trick the player into assuming that once they operated the lift, the puzzle would be solved. However, the player soon realizes that the obvious solution is actually a bit of misdirection." "parser_id" "127" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Toxic Waste Training" "origin" "1046.595581 2856.019531 -218.178192" "angles" "0 -135 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment129.wav" "printname" "Toxic Waste Training" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Mike Blasczak" "synopsis" "In previous versions of this level, the platform opened directly into this pit of toxic waste. Playtesters who didn't recognize the waste as something harmful, would jump straight into the pit. We changed the path so the player could make a safe landing and slowly come to understand the toxic threat." "parser_id" "129" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "SMG Grenade Spot" "origin" "1523.488037 1915.927490 -124.500092" "angles" "0 -112 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment130.wav" "printname" "Narrative Props" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Mike Dunkel" "synopsis" "We always look for opportunities to add narrative touches in our levels. The idea behind this chair, the submachine gun, and the beer bottles is that someone used to sit here, drink beer, and drop grenades into the pit of zombies. We give the player the opportunity to re-enact this experience by giving out unlimited grenades and spawning zombies as soon as the player reaches this spot." "parser_id" "130" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Breaking the Bridge" "origin" "4299.992188 2446.486328 659.034119" "angles" "0 135 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment132.wav" "printname" "Breaking the Bridge" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Jay Stelly" "synopsis" "Although this bridge is not the first occasion for cinematic physics in the episode, it was the original test subject we used to develop our effects. In early prototypes, the bridge started off in its broken position--it was a static object the player had to navigate to retrieve the car. When we incorporated the cinematic physics, we thought this bridge would be a great opportunity for players to see an immense piece of the environment transformed before their eyes. The bridge collapse not only showcases the cinematic physics, it reminds players of the growing threat from the superportal, and sets up a navigational puzzle they must use the car to solve." "parser_id" "132" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "The Jalopy" "origin" "-383.805023 2133.613525 706.031250" "angles" "0 90 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment134.wav" "printname" "The Jalopy" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "David Speyrer" "synopsis" "The original Episode Two vehicle was dubbed 'The Jalopy,' which says something about how uncool it was. Early feedback was that it seemed too similar to the HL2 buggy. We decided to redesign it so that players would feel excited rather than disappointed when they saw the car. Alyx's original line when she first saw the Jalopy echoed the feelings of many early viewers: 'What a wreck! Forget about White Forest...we'll be lucky if we make it to the end of the block.'" "parser_id" "134" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" "Alyx As a Passenger" "origin" "-495.054962 2096.873291 706.031250" "angles" "0 -180 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment114.wav" "printname" "Alyx as a Passenger" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Kathy Gehrig" "synopsis" "Having decided that we were going to rely on a car to get to White Forest, we had to figure out how to get Alyx into the vehicle. Games often accomplish this by moving their characters close to the vehicle and then teleporting them inside in a very visible and jarring manner. We knew this would ruin Alyx's believability as a character, so she had to smoothly get into a vehicle the way you would expect a person to in real life. This was no small task given all the strange angles and positions the player could work the vehicle into. Alyx also needed multiple entries into a vehicle, given that the doorway she wanted to use could be blocked or otherwise inaccessible. This also provided interesting moments for Alyx where she could vault over the hood of the vehicle in a very heroic fashion. The interaction between her and the vehicle was intriguing just by itself. Once we were sure she could enter and exit the vehicle convincingly, we then had the task of making her believable as she sat next to you. Our first experiments revolved around Alyx reacting to the physical nature of the vehicle. When it crashed into a wall, she needed to be jolted. When you went around a bend, she needed to lean with the momentum of the car. These details were crucial in making her feel like she was really going along for the bumpy ride with you. We also wanted her to be very aware of her surroundings and what the player was doing while in the vehicle. If you ran over a zombie, she needed to echo the internal reward the player felt for accomplishing the feat. If you were about to hit the wall, we wanted her to flinch and react to the impending collision much as the player at home would be doing. There was a fine balance between making her too much of a backseat driver or having her be too quiet next to you. Ultimately, we wanted Alyx's presence in the vehicle to seem so natural that players would never consider it anything other than normal." "parser_id" "114" } "entity" { "classname" "point_commentary_node" "targetname" " Alyx Vance: It takes a village" "origin" "-455.408844 1806.207031 738.031250" "angles" "0 135 0" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment248.wav" "printname" "Alyx Vance: It Takes a Village" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge: Voice of Alyx" "synopsis" "I don’t think I really got the full scope of what Alyx Vance is or how she’s created until the first time I went to Valve headquarters. And what was really important was that I got a better idea of how big the team was. I mean, a lot of people work really hard to make Alyx Vance who she is. You hear my voice and it’s easy to say, That’s Alyx or Jamil is Alyx. But that is so not the case. These people spend hours in front of their computer or writing their scripts or dreaming up this beautiful person, and I’m just the cake topping really." "parser_id" "248" } }