Marik Bentusi said:
Yeah, I remember the wait between Half-Life 1 and Half-Life 2 and I know that the guys at Valve are perfectionists and that's why their games are so good. It's also clear to me that they haven't abandoned Half-Life, it wouldn't make any sense at this point.
I can't speak for anyone in that group but when I talk about communication with Valve, I don't mean that they should show us pics and vids about the game when they're obviously not ready.
I know how some fans reacted when ep2 was different than what was shown in the trailer at the end of ep1. I know they tend change a lot during the development and I understand that they don't want to show stuff too early.
However, with communication, I mean that they could tell us whether they're actively working on it or whether we should not expect anything for the next two years. It doesn't mean that they abandoned it, just that they work more on other project. There is evidence that they were working on it at some point but something changed. Maybe they just weren't happy to make a mere "episode" anymore and wanted to make a full-fledged game, maybe they took a break with the Half-Life games. I don't know and I don't care right now for the reasons but I'd like to know whether I can expect the next game before I finish my study or whether I shouldn't bother thinking about it because it will still take a very long time until it's ready for a reveal.
I'm fine with both. What I'm not fine with is the uncertainty. That's what?s frustrating for me, not the wait. That's what I think Valve doesn't handle well. It's pretty much the only criticism I have for that company. In interviews, they don't acknowledge the existence of the game but neither do they deny its existence. Again, saying they aren't working actively on it doesn't mean they won't ever release it, just not in the next few years.
I think that it would be beneficial for everyone if they told us that. For example, over the years, the expectations from fans have gone up a lot. Many expect the game to blow their minds in a way which maybe Valve won't be able to do and the longer it takes the bigger the expectations. Fans would be less frustrated and wouldn't pester them so much with questions about when the next Half-Life game would be released. We'd be more at peace with it. Of course some would do that but I believe it would make many people happy and it would make it easier for Valve.
But I have to say, that I only speak for me here. I know that the creator of that group has similar thoughts and intentions but with a group that big, it's nearly impossible that everyone thinks like that. Some really just want Valve to tell us things about the game even though they're not ready.
So, I can understand if not everyone wants to join the group. The biggest reason why I like it, is not because I think we could accomplish something. It's that Half-Life fans are united and try to do something together. We're not bothering Valve, we're not constantly sending them mails or spamming them in other ways. We don't threaten Valve to boycott their games if they don't talk to us. We send the message in a respectful and mature manner.
