@@avantgardish_n_stuff beta combine soldiers confuse the fuck out of me. Some of them look like the retail while other look human, it looks like a mess.
@@avantgardish_n_stuff I'd love to but the thing is, there aren't any "3d" models of the Beta soldiers. That means I can't get any footage of them. I've seen the Concept art and they do look freaky, but I don't think a video with just concept art pictures and commentary is gonna be enjoyable.
@@RadiationHazardYT Hope you enjoy) This is the old screenshot from 2001 Half-Life 2 Beta, from testing AI, and there is an old model of Combine soldier.
Might be. The Jet ski's design from the concept art looks a bit off too, I think that might also be a reason for it to be cut. It didn't match the world design.
@@RadiationHazardYT It was. There is a map from, I believe, 2003 with the actual jetski and it would just bounce off any surface in a completely random direction. In Raising The Bar they mentioned how the jetski had to be cut because playtesters would get motion sickness from it.
@@HaliOnRepeat Makes total sense that they would get motion sickness from it. My guess is that they added the cage which surrounds the player in the airboat to give them a frame of reference.
Interesting how canals came to be. But damn the Half-life 2 beta had some great world building; I don't even care that it's a 1984 knock-off setting, it still looks pretty cool.
Yeah, the retail Canals are stretched, I agree. But the airboat made it fun for me. So my theory is - Somehow after the Beta Canals, you'd end up in one of the Ravenholm maps I showed in that video? There was one Ravenholm map that started from the waters (near the end of the video). You'd get out of Ravenholm and go to the Depot, Air Exchange, and then Borealis. Maybe? And thanks! :)
@@RadiationHazardYT Oh yeah, the quarry/quarrytown maps. Honestly, now that you’ve covered the entire canals - airex part of the beta, the connections and transitions between them are a lot more obvious, at least to me. I always used to think each chapter was completely separated from eachother and didn’t really connect very well.
that idea of the wall around the city somehow has a 'nice' vibe to it. I mean it supports the feel that the boondocks are not for living beings anymore to traverse.
to those wondering why the water looks like a rainbow, it looks like that because the combine polluted the water and that actually happens IRL if you throw gasoline in the water
For me, the Retail canals always seemed off somehow, a more American style of drainage systems than what we see in Eastern or Central Europe. Apart from the Soviet style flats, the layout in the retail didn't changed that much compared to the later beta revisions of the map.
When i beat the game i was shocked to find out that people didnt like water hazard. It was one of my favorite parts in the game, i thought it was so fun i didnt want it to end XD
The Kamov helicopters are interesting since the beta seems to take place in the US, judging by the signs. I get that the Combine would just use human tech for oppression duty but wouldn't they just use what's around in that area? Come to think of it the canals in HL2 are odd too, resembling either floodways or the paved LA river which aren't really common features of many towns especially not ex soviet, so you got this LA paved river aesthetic in a soviet worker city.
But here is the design changes over the years. 2000: Almost empty later version have some sort of hills but the map is currently broken. I only was able to see it through an unpatched build of mega build. 2001: The maps were closed in and broken buildings loom over the edges of the canals. The water was dirty unlike later versions 2001-2002: The first versions were basically reskins with a few additions from the 2001 maps but started to change in design later in 2002. Water was replaced to be clear to show off early displacements. 2002: The starting point was moved to the side of the wall as most of the buildings were changed to look more European. Models were starting to be used more in maps. The ways to get to the wall were a different story I will talk about in the next comment 2003: surprisingly its still closed but with a lot of details Pre-2004: Besides some details changed it is more close to the retail version 2004: canals entranced was now changed on foot instead of the bus crash. The maps are also more open.
The 2002 era had you escaping in a bus but crashes into a canal from the old friends story by Marc Laidlaw. This made it in all the way until the story was changed in late 2003. You would have to go through tunnels. You were to encounter manhacks, headcrabs, and the cut enemy hydra. Later revisions removed the cave like areas for a more cramped design.
This video is a little old but I just got an idea on what that shantytown was meant to do, maybe it was some old version of the last rebel station in retail where you get the airboat, instead of getting the airboat you get sent underground (Maybe to Eli's hideout? Pretty sure that was in a cave) If I try to interoperate parts of the beta with what came out in the retail release, that first citizen you meet in that little shack thing could be seen as serving a role like the guy in the old boxcar in retail who tells you about the rebel stations and sends you further into the canals. This was just a quick thought I had, dont have much else to say.
Route canal is great. As you advance on the level thru the day, the combine starts to wake up slowly to the freeman threat, reflected in how they start throw in more troops and hardware. By the time you get to black mesa East They went from opressive police state to fully engaged army. Now you know them and they know you.
Thank you. I accidently have looked at that in a video. I did a video on Missing Information Global Pack thinking that it was only MI stuff, but viewers pointed out the Global Pack has maps from Cremation Mod in it too.
No clue. That bit's a mystery. From what I read, Gordon would blow up the core at Air Exchange, "return to shore", and proceed to the Borealis. That return to shore part has me confused.
@@RadiationHazardYT My best guess is that they’d probably be the coast levels from the final game, but changed to fit the aesthetic, such as being more desolate, having more shipwrecks, and just generally being more bigger. It’s also unknown if the scout car/buggy was in the game before 2003, but I like to believe it was.
Bro really I was finished game again on phone with source engine but really wish there was episode 3 or half life 3 or sometimes somthing story just left me hanging man
How about a thumbs up for the exploding Combine soldiers?
Hi, do you want to make video about evolution of Combine soldiers?
@@avantgardish_n_stuff beta combine soldiers confuse the fuck out of me. Some of them look like the retail while other look human, it looks like a mess.
@@avantgardish_n_stuff I'd love to but the thing is, there aren't any "3d" models of the Beta soldiers. That means I can't get any footage of them. I've seen the Concept art and they do look freaky, but I don't think a video with just concept art pictures and commentary is gonna be enjoyable.
@@RadiationHazardYT hl2-beta.ru/index.php?topic=29048.msg33960;topicseen#new
@@RadiationHazardYT Hope you enjoy) This is the old screenshot from 2001 Half-Life 2 Beta, from testing AI, and there is an old model of Combine soldier.
"Unfortunately the jet skis controls were shit" that might've been the reason it was cut.
Might be. The Jet ski's design from the concept art looks a bit off too, I think that might also be a reason for it to be cut. It didn't match the world design.
@@RadiationHazardYT It was. There is a map from, I believe, 2003 with the actual jetski and it would just bounce off any surface in a completely random direction. In Raising The Bar they mentioned how the jetski had to be cut because playtesters would get motion sickness from it.
@@HaliOnRepeat Makes total sense that they would get motion sickness from it. My guess is that they added the cage which surrounds the player in the airboat to give them a frame of reference.
@@HaliOnRepeatit also states it was ”too much like running around on foot”, which makes sense since you would have stood rather than sat on the jetski
Interesting how canals came to be. But damn the Half-life 2 beta had some great world building; I don't even care that it's a 1984 knock-off setting, it still looks pretty cool.
Exactly. Some details like that huge wall closing around the city.
@GoTi4No They just said it's similar, not anything negative lol
Whoa, I never noticed the highway between every map. I’m glad you mentioned it.
Yeah, the retail Canals are stretched, I agree. But the airboat made it fun for me.
So my theory is - Somehow after the Beta Canals, you'd end up in one of the Ravenholm maps I showed in that video? There was one Ravenholm map that started from the waters (near the end of the video). You'd get out of Ravenholm and go to the Depot, Air Exchange, and then Borealis. Maybe?
And thanks! :)
@@RadiationHazardYT Oh yeah, the quarry/quarrytown maps. Honestly, now that you’ve covered the entire canals - airex part of the beta, the connections and transitions between them are a lot more obvious, at least to me. I always used to think each chapter was completely separated from eachother and didn’t really connect very well.
@@HaliOnRepeat Yeah man, it's been the same for me. Along the way, I've also figured out how these maps would have been connected (in a way).
been watching some of your videos for a bit now and they just keep getting better and better. keep up the good work!
Thank you! :)
4:44 This looks like something out of dying light 2 btw i'm glad you're finally getting recognised been there since 300 subs❤️
that idea of the wall around the city somehow has a 'nice' vibe to it. I mean it supports the feel that the boondocks are not for living beings anymore to traverse.
to those wondering why the water looks like a rainbow, it looks like that because the combine polluted the water
and that actually happens IRL if you throw gasoline in the water
Congrats on 200 subs!
Thank you! :) I appreciate your and everyone's support for the channel!
"Congrats on 200 subs!" now on 23.7k
For me, the Retail canals always seemed off somehow, a more American style of drainage systems than what we see in Eastern or Central Europe. Apart from the Soviet style flats, the layout in the retail didn't changed that much compared to the later beta revisions of the map.
The Beta Canals looked a bit confusing to me. It's like familiar and different at the same time.
@@RadiationHazardYT exactly, I always felt the Los Angeles canals from Terminator 2 slapped along some Black Sea geography.
Awesome Video!
"Canals is one of my favorite chapters"
Don't hear that every day.
Believe me, I have to hear a lot of things from people just because I like Water Hazard.
@@RadiationHazardYT I can imagine.
It's like the HL2 equivalent of liking Sonic 4, it itself isn't the worst thing ever, but everyone still hates it and hates you for enjoying it
@@mattfromwiisports9414 i dunno, Sonic 4 is so mediocre that i don't think anyone /really/ hates it. They would have to know it exists for that.
When i beat the game i was shocked to find out that people didnt like water hazard. It was one of my favorite parts in the game, i thought it was so fun i didnt want it to end XD
It's march 22nd (as of writing) and this video still hasn't gotten a single dislike! just shows how good your content is 😎😎😎
The Kamov helicopters are interesting since the beta seems to take place in the US, judging by the signs. I get that the Combine would just use human tech for oppression duty but wouldn't they just use what's around in that area? Come to think of it the canals in HL2 are odd too, resembling either floodways or the paved LA river which aren't really common features of many towns especially not ex soviet, so you got this LA paved river aesthetic in a soviet worker city.
Hi, the video is so cool and interesting.
Any plans of talking about npcs or weapons?
Thank you :) I've been wanting to do a video on Cut Enemies/Characters since last month. I'll create that video hopefully sometime this month.
11:10 Oh my he said Shit. First time I've ever heard him say that...at least, from what I remember.
The east European setting is way more fitting
I remember there being more canal maps in the 2001-2002 and 2002 mappack
But here is the design changes over the years.
2000: Almost empty later version have some sort of hills but the map is currently broken. I only was able to see it through an unpatched build of mega build.
2001: The maps were closed in and broken buildings loom over the edges of the canals. The water was dirty unlike later versions
2001-2002: The first versions were basically reskins with a few additions from the 2001 maps but started to change in design later in 2002. Water was replaced to be clear to show off early displacements.
2002: The starting point was moved to the side of the wall as most of the buildings were changed to look more European. Models were starting to be used more in maps. The ways to get to the wall were a different story I will talk about in the next comment
2003: surprisingly its still closed but with a lot of details
Pre-2004: Besides some details changed it is more close to the retail version
2004: canals entranced was now changed on foot instead of the bus crash. The maps are also more open.
The 2002 era had you escaping in a bus but crashes into a canal from the old friends story by Marc Laidlaw. This made it in all the way until the story was changed in late 2003. You would have to go through tunnels. You were to encounter manhacks, headcrabs, and the cut enemy hydra. Later revisions removed the cave like areas for a more cramped design.
I think its kind of funny how the best moments of half life 2 are long vechicle segments and a resident evil style tech demo.
u explain very good
I don't own an airboat, I own a Mudskipper.
This video is a little old but I just got an idea on what that shantytown was meant to do, maybe it was some old version of the last rebel station in retail where you get the airboat, instead of getting the airboat you get sent underground (Maybe to Eli's hideout? Pretty sure that was in a cave)
If I try to interoperate parts of the beta with what came out in the retail release, that first citizen you meet in that little shack thing could be seen as serving a role like the guy in the old boxcar in retail who tells you about the rebel stations and sends you further into the canals.
This was just a quick thought I had, dont have much else to say.
Route canal is great. As you advance on the level thru the day, the combine starts to wake up slowly to the freeman threat, reflected in how they start throw in more troops and hardware. By the time you get to black mesa East They went from opressive police state to fully engaged army. Now you know them and they know you.
Half-life 2 beta feels so anime, just like HL1, especially that early shiny CGI-like citadel
Route Kanal is one of the best chapters from the half life universe. The metrocops are far more intimidating than the combine soldiers overall
I could see the fan made / updated maps in retail and making sense. A longer “canals” if you will.
I assume the shanty town was going to be used for the same thing it is in retail -- a couple small rest stops before continuing onward
1:15 - this place is extremely looks like HL1
Look up the Half life 2 Cremation mod for that "apocalyptic feel" :)
Thank you. I accidently have looked at that in a video. I did a video on Missing Information Global Pack thinking that it was only MI stuff, but viewers pointed out the Global Pack has maps from Cremation Mod in it too.
does anybody know what happened before the borealis in the beta? are they any dock levels? i thought that the air exchange was in the wasteland
No clue. That bit's a mystery. From what I read, Gordon would blow up the core at Air Exchange, "return to shore", and proceed to the Borealis. That return to shore part has me confused.
@@RadiationHazardYT My best guess is that they’d probably be the coast levels from the final game, but changed to fit the aesthetic, such as being more desolate, having more shipwrecks, and just generally being more bigger. It’s also unknown if the scout car/buggy was in the game before 2003, but I like to believe it was.
We only have dock maps from the 2002-2003 era when borealis was removed. It was to be the intro to the game but it was cut.
The Route Kanal chapter made me hate water levels with a fury of a thousand suns.
Bro really I was finished game again on phone with source engine but really wish there was episode 3 or half life 3 or sometimes somthing story just left me hanging man
0:07 heresy
Haha, cmon, I like that chapter. I know the majority does not.
@@RadiationHazardYT It's a great chapter, its just too long. If you look at a map of Half-Life 2 it takes up a good 40% of the game world.
Thank god this version was never released.
Some people say the HL2 Beta is better despite how unfinished and bare bones it really was.
WOW 3.94K subscribers
11:05 lol
The 2 dislikes are from the combine
1:33 whats the name of the music?
Im sorry I forgot the name of the track, but it is from the Black Mesa OST.
@@RadiationHazardYT thanks! also, didnt you make music?
I don't got a airboat.i only have a hev suit
“But unfortunately, the jet skis controls were shit” 😂😂😂
OST name?
Black Mesa - Inbound Part 2
@@RadiationHazardYT thank you
SPRINGFIELD!? XD
Who wants some canals without the c and the s?
i have one question why do you speak like g man?
looks cool but canal doesn't look eastern european