"Entities" { "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "Valley of Confusion" "origin" "-626.2700195 4980.430176 131.4100037 " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment234.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "David Speyrer" "synopsis" "Many players had a hard time orienting themselves in the valley. Before the fight, we send players to the sawmill without telling them how to get there. This was a way of familiarizing them with the map without any time pressure. Still, the size and nonlinearity of the map was confusing for first-time players once the battle began. The loudspeaker announcements that direct players to incoming striders initially referred to compass directions, which most players couldn't follow because they couldn't remember which way was north. We added White Forest Peak as a global landmark and distinctive local landmarks, like the cranes and the water tower, and referred to those landmarks in the announcements instead of compass directions. This helped, but some players still had a hard time knowing which way to go at any given moment. Our ultimate solution was the car's radar, which along with the landmarks, helps players go where the action is." "parser_id" "234" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "Where'd I Park My Car'" "origin" "-626.2700195 4980.430176 131.4100037 " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment235.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Ido Magal" "synopsis" "One problem we faced in this map was that players would abandon their car in the heat of battle and not be able to find it later. Given the time pressure and large scale of the map, some of these players couldn't succeed in protecting the base on foot. To address this we started by adding flashing hazard lights to the car, which helped when the car was in view, but we still saw players lose the car among the trees or behind hills. Eventually we added a vehicle locator to the player's HEV suit, so players could find the car wherever it was." "parser_id" "235" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "Onboard Radar" "origin" "-626.2700195 4980.430176 131.4100037 " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment236.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Jon Huisingh" "synopsis" "We wanted players to use the car as much as possible, both to move around the valley quickly and to run over hunters as a quick and satisfying way of killing them. To encourage this, and to help with orientation problems, we added a radar to the car which indicated the location of enemies. This made the car a more valuable tool in the battle and solved the navigation problem once and for all." "parser_id" "236" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "1. Audition/First Time Seeing Alyx" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment241.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "So I really don't think I had any idea what I was getting into when I auditioned for the game, because I really had no clue what Half-Life was, what Steam was, or what Valve was about. But I did have the feeling that it was something that was really heavy since when I was in the waiting room. Everybody that was sitting across from me just seemed like they were stars or recognizable faces. And then the first time that I sat down with the Valve team, they showed me some rough animations of Alyx and immediately I just couldn't keep my eyes off her. She actually looked like someone I could be related to, and that has never happened to me." "parser_id" "241" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "2. Kismet/Superself/Uber-Merle" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment242.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "So, the circumstances around creating Alyx were so kismet that it's almost a little scary. Because I mean if you think of the ideal super-self that you want to be, having bad-ass moves and being able to karate-chop everybody and then add onto that a writer to make you sound witty at every turn, it's like having an uber-self for me. So I immediately fell in love with Alyx." "parser_id" "242" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "3. Group Vision of Alyx" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment243.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "It constantly amazes me how many people are involved in creating her because everyone involved seems to have the same vision for her. And for so many people to have one mind about a character, it blows my mind. Very rarely do I get a piece of direction or script that doesn't ring true to how I feel about Alyx, and vice versa. And strangely enough, as soon as I try something out and something doesn't ring true, I'm usually not the first person to say it. Even though I might be feeling it, somebody else will say it. And it's just a testament to how in-tune everybody is about what kind of person Alyx is and what she would do, what she wouldn't do, what kind of girl she is." "parser_id" "243" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "4. Acting in a Game v. Acting for Film/Stage" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment244.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "A question I get asked a lot is, 'What is the big difference between acting for stage and film and then acting for a videogame?' Because this is the first time I've ever done a videogame. In general, in acting, it's helpful to have a director's clear vision from which to spring. Then the actor can run with the idea, play with it, imagine new things, fill it out and make it a tangible thing or a tangible character. And the great thing about videogame acting for me is that I'm completely unlimited. I'm not bound by what I can do physically or how I look or what kind of environment can be physically created. So the possibilities are completely limitless. There are no boundaries with this. So when we get together and we talk about what the scene is, when they set the stage for me and what environment I'm going to be in, I immediately get a complete high. And I can only imagine it is something like how somebody gets when they actually see the game, because it blows my mind, the pictures that they paint, about where we are, what situations we're in. So we discuss that a little and then from there we just kind of go on, I guess instinct is the only way I can really describe it, because I take what they give to me and kind of volley it back in the way that it comes out immediately. So I just go into my little dark booth and I can imagine that I'm anywhere. And it's the best--the best kind of make-believe for a storyteller, when you just aren't limited." "parser_id" "244" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "5. Different Takes on Dialog, Reworking Script in the Session" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment245.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "So a lot of times we'll try a line in several different ways, like set a different mood for a different scene, or maybe just do a different take on a line. Like one might be, it sounds trite but, you know, one excited, one not so excited, or one a little more pensive and thoughtful. Suggestions are always thrown out there for new reads and it's the coolest kind of teamwork. It's not just''Here's your script. Go!' It's, 'Let's work this out, let's find the best middle ground,' and everything is always pliable. If it's not working, maybe we'll go back and do an instant rewrite or something, and for me that's creative heaven. Absolutely." "parser_id" "245" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "6. Focusing on Character instead of Stage Business" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment246.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "The other thing that's so great about acting for videogames... and I guess voiceover in general, but for this particular game is so amazing... I don't have to worry about hitting my mark, or playing to the camera or forgetting my lines. That's usually my biggest thing, you can see the wheels turning on camera because I'm trying to keep up with my lines. But this, they're all right there so I don't even have to worry about that and I can just worry about the delivery, the emotional vibe that needs to come across, and just be the sense of immediacy... I don't even have to worry about the words. So that takes a whole other level off to let the actor get down and into the work, which is really, really great. Which is why I love this job." "parser_id" "246" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "7. Keeping Alyx On Track" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment247.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "There's a lot of energy that goes into shaping Alyx and making sure she stays on the right path or stays true to the vision that I think we have for her. I want Alyx to be liked, I know everyone at Valve wants Alyx to be liked, but what is really great is that if I get off course or if I've been in the booth to long and I'm starting to sound a little naggy, then I have somebody who's there to pull me back and say, 'Hey why don't you try it this way,' or 'I think you're veering off course and starting to sound like somebody's mother.' Because I'm there to help, if you're lost'you know, the 'Get goings,' or stuff like that. To help keep the game moving and keep you on track. There's kind of a fine line. You don't want somebody constantly bothering you but you also want a friendly companion, somebody to help you out once in a while. So trying to not go one way or the other was a bit of a trick for us." "parser_id" "247" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "8. First Trip to Valve/All the People/Cake Topping" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment248.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "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" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "9. Heads A-Poppin?" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment250.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "A really cool experience was that, while I was at Valve I was talking to one of the animators in the hallway, and we were just carrying on the conversation, I was getting to know what he did, and I just happened to be looking over my shoulder and noticed that people kept popping their heads out of their offices. And one of the other guys noted to me that these people, bless em, they have to sit around and listen to my voice all day long. So for that voice to be chatting in the hallway was a little weird. I guess I kind of liken that, I can understand it, because the very first time I saw my voice on Alyx Vance's face, it was so bizarre. And so when I watch people talk to me for the first time and they've heard my voice as Alyx, they have the exact same expression and I'm like, I understand. I get it." "parser_id" "250" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "10. Multi-Ethnic Heroine" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment251.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "It means a lot to me to have a multi-ethnic heroine. When I was growing up, that didn't happen a whole lot. Maybe Storm from X-Men? It wasn't commonplace. So to have someone that's my type be in that kind of position is really amazing. I think it's a popular trend now, but that wasn't always the case." "parser_id" "251" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "11. The Alyx Vance School of Acting" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment252.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "I really consider working on Alyx, my acting school. Because it has stretched me, it has made me go deeper in my work, it's sharpened me up as far as being able to call on emotions, or really just imagination. A creative spirit is really just a lot of imagination, I think. And afterwards I always seem to be sharper in everything I do. I always have a good show at night or I always go onto the next job with a heightened awareness or heightened presence. And it's only helped me, so thank you Alyx for that!" "parser_id" "252" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "12. Final Scene" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment253.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "This final Episode 2 scene was... unbelievable. Before we even started working on it, the team sat me down, and they did a little show and tell of the animation they had. I think they were hesitant to show it to me but just from that rough animation I was so moved, I mean, immediately moved to tears. I felt like I had just been gut-punched and I immediately felt it, and I was like, let's go, let's get on this. It shouldn't surprise me by now because I've been working on Alyx for so long now, but every time we come to the table to do a new scene or to lay down some new material, I am always blown away, and this scene was the epitome of that feeling. I was so pumped to get in there and start working on it. They're always upping the ante and always taking it to the next level, but this time, this scene is different. Cause this time, Alyx loses. And I think this is a... I don't think, it is a major sacrifice. You see her carrying around the wounds of her mother that she lost, but her dad made her who she is. Her dad taught her, her dad groomed her, and I think most importantly... he loved her. This script was a gift and a gut-punch all in one. When you give me something like that, it really motivates me to try to knock it out of the ballpark. I love, love playing Alyx. I have to say, it's definitely my favorite acting job I've ever had - hands down." "parser_id" "253" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "13. Stage Door Story" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment254.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Merle Dandridge" "synopsis" "As I'm sure a lot of people know, I perform on Broadway. And sometimes people will show up at the stage door with Alyx Vance posters to sign or just an encouraging word about the game. 'Oh my gosh, I saw in the playbill that you played Alyx Vance!' It gets me so hyped when people come up to me and are excited about the game. Because I don't get that immediate feedback that I get on stage every night, so when somebody tells me that they liked it face to face, it's really exciting to me. So I guess a couple of people have taken pictures with me at the stage door. And I went through a phase where I wanted to know what people thought of the game, so I was looking on message boards and checking out what the chat was, and I found that thread that had a picture of me with somebody at the stage door. They were talking about, 'Look, this is me with Alyx Vance!' And the first response was, 'She is so ugly!' I thought that was cute." "parser_id" "254" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "Custom Autosaves" "origin" "-626.2700195 4980.430176 131.4100037 " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment237.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Steve Bond" "synopsis" "We made some small changes to our autosave system as a result of tuning the final strider battle. Autosaves are the periodic checkpoints where we can restart the player's game after death, so that they don't have to worry about replaying more of the game than necessary. In playtests, we observed that most players depended on our autosaves to restart after dying, rather than using their own quick-saves. But because the fight allowed players so much freedom, some players ended up with an autosave that left them in a no-win situation. Low on health and pinned down by hunters, or too far from the base to defend the rocket in time, some players failed thirty or more times before finally giving up. To address the no-win situation, we extended our autosave system to monitor health over time, and to only perform the autosave if the player was deemed safe for a reasonable period of time. We also prohibited autosaves when striders were within a certain distance of the base; this ensured there was always enough time to defeat them." "parser_id" "237" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "Gman mood" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment239.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Tim Larkin" "synopsis" "We sometimes use sounds to set a mood rather than to literally underscore the onscreen action. The G-Man sequence, for example, relies heavily on the use of abstract and ambient sounds. We wanted the soundscape to have the deadened, internalized quality you get from putting your hands over your ears, so we started with recordings from inside a womb. If you listen closely, you can hear internal gurgling noises as well as muffled heartbeats. We then added various other effects around the rythym of the heartbeat, plus long tailed reverb. None of the door or transition effects are literal interpretations, but are obscure metal and feedback sounds created to work in sync with the observable action. All of these things contribute to the scene's dreamlike quality." "parser_id" "239" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "Vorts calling" "origin" " " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment240.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Tim Larkin" "synopsis" "Creating the sound of the vort's call was a refreshing break from scoring huge explosions or the bridge destruction. We wanted something subtle that would communicate the vort's general nature as well as its specific cry for help. It can be hard to tweak the sounds so hard while still giving an organic quality to the voice. To design a sound that contained a sense of the alien personality, without just sounding like another animal call, we found a way to add and process overtones while subtly altering the phrasing of the pitch. The resulting sounds give the impression that the Vorts are in fact communicating among each other with a dynamic dialog of calls as opposed to speech." "parser_id" "240" } "entity" { "classname" "" "targetname" "designing entertaining combat scenario" "origin" "2813.52002 -2154.149902 -33.90999985 " "angles" "" "precommands" "" "postcommands" "" "commentaryfile" "#commentary\ep2-comment238.wav" "viewtarget" "" "viewposition" "" "prevent_movement" 0 "speakers" "Tom Leonard" "synopsis" "The Inn is designed as a crafted experience that is controlled but not linear. The encounter is intended to create a heightened sense of danger without actually being particularly dangerous. The idea is to create opportunities for some memorable unscripted combat moments by keeping the player a bit on their heels. Normally, Alyx is out of frame during combat and soldiers don't survive very long. By encouraging the player to move back from the windows, the map creates space for Alyx and the soldiers to exhibit interesting behaviors that reinforce the mood of the seige." "parser_id" "238" } }