[ED]

I'll be getting this game, and no doubt itll require a unique cdkey for internet gaming, so I'll be shelling out the 50 bucks to play online. Just watched the 25 minute "demo", which I at first thought were just a bunch of scripted scenes, only to hear the Master-Geek (dude conducting the show) say most of the gameplay shown wasn't scripted.

I'm down. Yea yea, there have been countless HL2 threads, but I aint made one, and this is the first time I've seen this video. So HL2 is what - 2 and a half months away? October 1st. Something tells me we'll be getting a delayed date, but they seem to have come pretty far since news broke about the game. Are we finally going to get a game with real world physics (DEVESTATION can kiss my ass), that actually looks and plays good?

And VALVE has had 5 years to work on MP gameplay so here's hoping we get some truly innovative shit.

HAVING said that, the implications for mods come up, namely Counter Strike: Condition Zero getting left in the dust. I've seen the video for this thing. It looks like shit compared to HL2. Not to mention Condition zero (at last update) was a MP only game. ADD to the fact that it comes out a whole MONTH after HL2 and you have a game destined to arrive DOA. Who's gonna fork over more money for CS:CZ when you can just save it and wait for some intrepid techie to mod HL2 over to Counter Strike. Or better yet...

NATURAL SELECTION 2 BABY!!!!!

Yea, watching HL2 the only thing I could think of was, what are the devs who made Natural Selection, one of the most innovative and addictive TEAM!!!!!! mods in history thinking of doing with HL2? Right now, I'll say NS suffers from one thing, it's graphics. It looks good. But to capture the mood that it is going for, the HL engine just is NOT cutting it - at all. Looking at what's being done with HL2, shit I'm salivating at the thought of an ONOS who moves more fluidly, or any of the other aliens getting the movement type that was displayed by something like the STRIDER ALIEN (alien at the end that was like hella tall).

Not to mention all you sick, Day Of Defeat nuts who SWEAR that game is the be-all-end-all WWII mod (will never understand it). I'll give it up that a game using HL2's engine featuring WW2 combat would like killer.

Ok, rant over, I'm hungry. Just had to get that off my chest. I've been convinced. Thank god I got into this game with only 2 months to go. Hopefully they wont pull a GALAXIES and give us TBA.