It’s Half Life Alyx day today!
Discussion
nigelpugh7 said:
mackie1 said:
I just finished it at the weekend. I'm tempted to play through again on a harder setting. I see they've released to mod tools for it now so it'll be interesting to see what people come up with using the engine and assets.
Not sure what to try next... I guess Boneworks is probably the obvious choice but while my non-gamer wife would geniunely enjoy watching my play HL:A I doubt the same would be true of BW.
I thought it was time for an update.Not sure what to try next... I guess Boneworks is probably the obvious choice but while my non-gamer wife would geniunely enjoy watching my play HL:A I doubt the same would be true of BW.
So despite my Devoted half life fan status for 20 odd years, I have sad news to report.
The game, the graphics, and the gameplay, well it’s simply brilliant.
And the interaction, and challenge puzzles, are all so good it’s just almost too good?
And I think that’s the issue, as half life 1 and 2 players, on Xbox 360 and Xbox one, it’s great to play and easy to pick up where you were last time.
But this game, and the VR requirements for the play environment just make it too hard.
It’s the play area needed, the headset, the cables the whole Shabang and rigmarole to get it out, set it up and play, that makes it a ball ache..
There’s no easy way to just say, fancy a quick blast on half life?
And in minuites your would be playing and having fun.
The complexity of the whole setup for this, is for us the reason it’s not been played with at all.
And I do mean at all, I’ve played it twice,Tom has played it perhaps 5-6 times in total.
That’s not a good result for a setup that cost us over £2K and we did that on a budget.
So I asked Tom and his mates why they weren’t playing it, they answered, simply it’s too hard to get it all set up to play, then it’s actually a pain to play as the room isn’t big enough to play as we stumble and trip.
For reference we set it up in our dining room, it’s not a big room, but it’s 6M * 4M.
It’s still not enough for the whole set of movements.
And for me it comes down to what we loved about half life, you could sit on the sofa, spend a few happy hours playing and then just dip in and out as needed.
For alyx that’s just not the reality, it’s hard to get it all set up and running.
Even harder to play in , what we thought was a decent size room.
As as such you can’t just play it when you want for some fun.
And remember we have had a lot of time on our hands over the last four months.
And yet still it’s been played less than 10 times in total.
So we love it, but we don’t play it, and ultimately it’s going to sit in its box and never get played.
I’m sad to report I can’t see a full valve index and a mega powerful gaming pc being sold on for dimes on the dollar of what we paid for it ,,and very soon indeed too.
All you need to really have is enough space to hold your arms out all around you, and thats it
For getting it going, its the same as all VR, takes a minute or 2 longer to plug in the sensors and stick the system on your head?
VR is a different way to experience the games, it does take a touch more effort to get into the game, and the wires are a pain, standing and moving uses energy rather than slouching on the couch , its also less social as your in your own world, but for me and a good game, its totally worth thatr little extra effort
Im sure many will be happy to snap up an Index second hand(given the wait list, you might even make what you bought it for or close!)
satans worm said:
If you have a 6X4m dining room, and assuming the table is not bang smack in the middle, its a massive room to play in and more than enough, you know you teleport and not walk right?
All you need to really have is enough space to hold your arms out all around you, and thats it
For getting it going, its the same as all VR, takes a minute or 2 longer to plug in the sensors and stick the system on your head?
VR is a different way to experience the games, it does take a touch more effort to get into the game, and the wires are a pain, standing and moving uses energy rather than slouching on the couch , its also less social as your in your own world, but for me and a good game, its totally worth thatr little extra effort
Im sure many will be happy to snap up an Index second hand(given the wait list, you might even make what you bought it for or close!)
I know your correct of course, and i think the 6 seater dining table is half the issue, but it cant be moved easily without dismantling it.All you need to really have is enough space to hold your arms out all around you, and thats it
For getting it going, its the same as all VR, takes a minute or 2 longer to plug in the sensors and stick the system on your head?
VR is a different way to experience the games, it does take a touch more effort to get into the game, and the wires are a pain, standing and moving uses energy rather than slouching on the couch , its also less social as your in your own world, but for me and a good game, its totally worth thatr little extra effort
Im sure many will be happy to snap up an Index second hand(given the wait list, you might even make what you bought it for or close!)
We wont be selling though, Tom and his mates have bought some more games to play in VR, so at least they are using it.
I on the other hand still haven’t played Alyx for probably 3 months now.
I've got it purchased and ready to go but waiting until I'm back to 100% working in the office as space is a bit limited justnow and I'll give the room a proper tidy up and get sunk in to it. I've seen a few clips but avoided spoilers. I know I'm going to be s
tting myself at a lot of things 
tting myself at a lot of things What vr setup do you have?
I ask because with a wired and sensor system it is indeed too much of a faff, and that's before the system insists on updates every time you fire it up, and then argues that the usb 3 ports you used last month are now usb 2. That was the rift experience for me.
I now have the quest 2 and it is a totally different ball game. No sensors, no cables. Totally wireless. Power on and play. Want to play a pc vr game? Launch Oculus on the pc, tick one box to enable wireless pc vr and then put the headset on and enable it. Brilliant.
I ask because with a wired and sensor system it is indeed too much of a faff, and that's before the system insists on updates every time you fire it up, and then argues that the usb 3 ports you used last month are now usb 2. That was the rift experience for me.
I now have the quest 2 and it is a totally different ball game. No sensors, no cables. Totally wireless. Power on and play. Want to play a pc vr game? Launch Oculus on the pc, tick one box to enable wireless pc vr and then put the headset on and enable it. Brilliant.
Griffith4ever said:
What vr setup do you have?
I ask because with a wired and sensor system it is indeed too much of a faff, and that's before the system insists on updates every time you fire it up, and then argues that the usb 3 ports you used last month are now usb 2. That was the rift experience for me.
I now have the quest 2 and it is a totally different ball game. No sensors, no cables. Totally wireless. Power on and play. Want to play a pc vr game? Launch Oculus on the pc, tick one box to enable wireless pc vr and then put the headset on and enable it. Brilliant.
Yep we’ve got the valve index VR kit, which as you say covers both the player and the room in cables, not to mention the only room we have spare that’s big enough to give the play on area is the formal dining room in our house, and Mrs P only allowed that for about 3 months! I ask because with a wired and sensor system it is indeed too much of a faff, and that's before the system insists on updates every time you fire it up, and then argues that the usb 3 ports you used last month are now usb 2. That was the rift experience for me.
I now have the quest 2 and it is a totally different ball game. No sensors, no cables. Totally wireless. Power on and play. Want to play a pc vr game? Launch Oculus on the pc, tick one box to enable wireless pc vr and then put the headset on and enable it. Brilliant.
I won’t be buying another VR headset though, just can’t justify it!
External sensors are significantly better for tracking though, but I understand it creates a lot of "faff" to setup or dedicate a room to (as per Nigel's post). I'm lucky enough to have a spare room I've left mine setup in, so I just pop on the headset and away.
As mentioned, seated sims (flight/racing) ? You'll never go back after VR. However, tracking not so much of an issue there so the inside-out headsets are much better.
As mentioned, seated sims (flight/racing) ? You'll never go back after VR. However, tracking not so much of an issue there so the inside-out headsets are much better.
MattyB_ said:
External sensors are significantly better for tracking though, but I understand it creates a lot of "faff" to setup or dedicate a room to (as per Nigel's post). I'm lucky enough to have a spare room I've left mine setup in, so I just pop on the headset and away.
As mentioned, seated sims (flight/racing) ? You'll never go back after VR. However, tracking not so much of an issue there so the inside-out headsets are much better.
I went from 3 sensor Rift CV1 to Quest 2 and I've noticed no difference in tracking other than when you put your hands low and very close to your body, and that's rare. It's a bit of an overplayed difference - you don't notice any difference in teh real world.As mentioned, seated sims (flight/racing) ? You'll never go back after VR. However, tracking not so much of an issue there so the inside-out headsets are much better.
I sold me CV1 setup for the same it cost to buy a Quest 2.
Cabled VR is horrible - and that's the tether, not the sensors.
Griffith4ever said:
MattyB_ said:
External sensors are significantly better for tracking though, but I understand it creates a lot of "faff" to setup or dedicate a room to (as per Nigel's post). I'm lucky enough to have a spare room I've left mine setup in, so I just pop on the headset and away.
As mentioned, seated sims (flight/racing) ? You'll never go back after VR. However, tracking not so much of an issue there so the inside-out headsets are much better.
I went from 3 sensor Rift CV1 to Quest 2 and I've noticed no difference in tracking other than when you put your hands low and very close to your body, and that's rare. It's a bit of an overplayed difference - you don't notice any difference in teh real world.As mentioned, seated sims (flight/racing) ? You'll never go back after VR. However, tracking not so much of an issue there so the inside-out headsets are much better.
I sold me CV1 setup for the same it cost to buy a Quest 2.
Cabled VR is horrible - and that's the tether, not the sensors.
Narcisus said:
Griffith4ever said:
MattyB_ said:
External sensors are significantly better for tracking though, but I understand it creates a lot of "faff" to setup or dedicate a room to (as per Nigel's post). I'm lucky enough to have a spare room I've left mine setup in, so I just pop on the headset and away.
As mentioned, seated sims (flight/racing) ? You'll never go back after VR. However, tracking not so much of an issue there so the inside-out headsets are much better.
I went from 3 sensor Rift CV1 to Quest 2 and I've noticed no difference in tracking other than when you put your hands low and very close to your body, and that's rare. It's a bit of an overplayed difference - you don't notice any difference in teh real world.As mentioned, seated sims (flight/racing) ? You'll never go back after VR. However, tracking not so much of an issue there so the inside-out headsets are much better.
I sold me CV1 setup for the same it cost to buy a Quest 2.
Cabled VR is horrible - and that's the tether, not the sensors.
It's fair to say the cable ruined the experience for me, after getting over the initial wow of it all.
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