Half Life 2: In Perspective

[Flamezdudes]

...And? So what's there to discuss? You don't like Alyx? Fine.

 

[Owlslayer]

I quite liked Alyx, she made the game a lot more interesting. Running trough a bunch of zombies with a shotgun alone would have been boring. However looking how she handled them was much more entertaining.
Also, besides helping out at combat, she made the game more interesting with all her emotions and her personality.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I liked Alyx myself. I thought she was a well written compliment to the game. She never got in my way, anyway.

Exactly. I loved Alyx to bits, thought she was a shining example of how do design a friendly AI.

And speaking of Half Life... I have a very special something I've been working on almost finished...!

How to do friendly A.I.: A guide
Have the follower be generally useful, not a burden, and help the player achieve their goals.
Don't nag the player when they don't hurry up or do well, but rather encourage them when they succeed.
Don't be a burden.
Fill in some story, keep the plot going forward.
Don't be a mother fucking burden.

I really wish more developers would take a leaf out of Valve's book.

My number 1 rule for them:

Be invincible. Dom on insane drove me mental.

Best example I can think of for having it done well was Barry in Alan Wake. he was always a help rather than a hindrance.

 

[Outright Villainy]

My number 1 rule for them:

Be invincible. Dom on insane drove me mental.

I think Alyx can tecnically die, but I've never seen it happen. I mean I could sit in a corner and hide, go make a cup of tea and come back and she'd be in good shape.

Competence!

At least most A.i. partners these days are better than natalya from goldeneye. I used blood her up with mines for fun. Very cathartic.

[small]Fuckin' Natalya...[/small]

 

[MiracleOfSound]

My number 1 rule for them:

Be invincible. Dom on insane drove me mental.

I think Alyx can tecnically die, but I've never seen it happen. I mean I could sit in a corner and hide, go make a cup of tea and come back and she'd be in good shape.

Competence!

At least most A.i. partners these days are better than natalya from goldeneye. I used blood her up with mines for fun. Very cathartic.

[small]Fuckin' Natalya...[/small]

Yep I've had Alyx die once alright, it was in the Combine base after meeting Eli in captivity. I don't know if she becomes temporarily vulnerable or if she's just generally killable but that's the only time I've seen it happen!

 

[A Pious Cultist]

I can think of when she displays a palpable interest in Gordon is where she says "Gordon....Take care of yourself", but other than that, I can't think of anything even flirtatious, let alone bimboish.

Bimboish? Not wai. Flirtacious? Ya rly.
Most of her encounters in the episode her nervously eyeing the floor and shuffling (and I while thinking about Gordon's crowbar). Gordon has no personality... so... she's basically flirting with the player... and that kind of makes it a little uncomfortable to me, I'll assume that's what the OP meant by "bimboish".

 

[Tomo Stryker]

I can think of when she displays a palpable interest in Gordon is where she says "Gordon....Take care of yourself", but other than that, I can't think of anything even flirtatious, let alone bimboish.

Bimboish? Not wai. Flirtacious? Ya rly.
Most of her encounters in the episode her nervously eyeing the floor and shuffling (and I while thinking about Gordon's crowbar). Gordon has no personality... so... she's basically flirting with the player... and that kind of makes it a little uncomfortable to me, I'll assume that's what the OP meant by "bimboish".

(Black Preacher Voice) Amen Brotha! And another playa sees tha light! (Normal Voice) Nah, I'm not sure what Valve was doing when they gave Alyx's voice actor that script "Gordon, is there room for two in that suit?" Episode One I believe.

 

[Vhite]

I dont like her but thats mainly Gordons Fault.

 

[ThisWasAWaste]

I've never thought of her as a "side-kick"... that term is usual a demeaning term that implies that they are inferior to the person they are with. She is a primary character in the story who just happens to stick with Gordon for certain parts of the game. She always handles her own and I've never once been forced to restart because she died or anything of that nature. I think a more adequate term would be companion.

IMHO all the characters in the game are very well developed, and the fact that you have time to "bond" with Alyx helps make the ending of EP2 resonate a bit more.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Here's that Half Life thingy I promised:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.231018-Gordon-Freeman-Saved-My-Life

 

[1blackone]

In reply to Furburt, I have never seen any other character used in such a way where there are mods to strip the character of any clothes. I mean I don't go around the internet looking for this stuff but if Valve had inserted a Vortigaunt instead of Alyx would the game be the same hit that it is now?

Can you tell me what Valve has to do with a fan's character mod? How is it that OTHER people making Alyx a sex symbol is somehow the fault of Valve? Please, just critique what came in the PACKAGING.

Not what OTHER games are doing with their female characters. Not how OTHER gamers just see a female character in a game and assign sexuality to her--even if it isn't there. (Let's be honest, she has a 1 inch gap at the midriff and her forearms exposed, and im pretty sure there wasn't a shower scene or catfight mudwrestling in the game).

Base your opinions just on the game. Its like you are unfairly using the game as some tenuous conduit to attack OTHER games that use the "sex sells" formula. That's irresponsible and immature.