Half Life 2: Episode 3 update?! (Updated 8/28)

[n2a newt]

 

TL;DW - Mark Laidlaw, the lead writer for the Half Life series and who left Valve last year, recently posted a letter titled "Epistle 3" (Episode 3)  to "playa" (players) which contain names and content extremely similar to those in the half-life series.

The full context for why this is happened is still under investigation. Someone by the name of Jackathan already took the letter and translated the names to half life (link below). 

 

If this is what we all think it might be then my god, I honestly don't know how to react.

Let me know what you guys think. 

 

Link to Original letter from Mark Laidlaw: https://github.com/Jackathan/MarcLaidlaw-Epistle3/blob/master/Epistle3_Original.md

Link to translated letter from Mark Laidlaw: https://github.com/Jackathan/MarcLaidlaw-Epistle3/blob/master/Epistle3_Corrected.md

 

Update - 7/28

If anyone is still interested, VNN released their follow up to the original announcement:

 

[DrMacintosh]

you just added more months onto the release date you fool 

[JaegerB]

2 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

you just added more months onto the release date you fool 

By now, HL3 is coming some time in 3067.

[Changis]

2 minutes ago, JaegerB said:

By now, HL3 is coming some time in 3067.

that soon? *preordered*

[JaegerB]

Just now, Changis said:

that soon? *preordered*

*every no mans sky fanboy ever*

[Changis]

Just now, JaegerB said:

*every no mans sky fanboy ever*

it WILL be good.. probably.. or atleast barely playable after 8974563 updates.. 

[JaegerB]

2 minutes ago, Changis said:

it WILL be good.. probably.. or atleast barely playable after 8974563 updates.. 

Unfortunately, it's an alright game. It's just been unfortunately paired with the dumbest developer. Imagine if it hadn't been developed by a buffoon who strutted around making shit up that never ended up in the game. It might have actually been popular.

[Changis]

Just now, CUDA_Cores said:

Just remember, the day you die....

 

Half life three will be released 

Valve should just have a static image saying "Halflife 3 out tomorrow" (like the bar signs that say "free beer tomorrow"

[Changis]

Just now, JaegerB said:

Unfortunately, it's an alright game. It's just been unfortunately paired with the dumbest developer. Imagine if it hadn't been developed by a buffoon who strutted around making shit up that never ended up in the game. It might have actually been popular.

i was talking about HL3

[JaegerB]

Just now, Changis said:

i was talking about HL3

Oh shit, that was a pointless rant then...

[Changis]

Just now, JaegerB said:

Oh shit, that was a pointless rant then...

not as pointless as HL episodes 1&2 now

[Eaglerino]

8 minutes ago, JaegerB said:

Unfortunately, it's an alright game. It's just been unfortunately paired with the dumbest developer. Imagine if it hadn't been developed by a buffoon who strutted around making shit up that never ended up in the game. It might have actually been popular.

I dunno, they used the same model as DayZ and PuBG, release unfinished and claim you'll fix it later. Work sometimes

[Amaranth]

Worst case this is an interesting piece of fanfiction (and more of an Episode 3 than we'll likely ever see).

[JaegerB]

Just now, Eaglerino said:

I dunno, they used the same model as DayZ and PuBG, release unfinished and claim you'll fix it later. Work sometimes

DayZ, it worked. PuBG, not too sure. "Oh, we won't introduce microtransactions till we've fixed all the bugs (like lowering graphics settings giving an actual advantage)." *releases microtransactions literally a month later*

[Amaranth]

8 minutes ago, Changis said:

not as pointless as HL episodes 1&2 now

Eh, they're still fun to play so I wouldn't call them pointless.

[Herman Mcpootis]

strange, i was expecting more "Half-life 3 confirmed" memes by now

[Changis]

3 minutes ago, Amaranth said:

Eh, they're still fun to play so I wouldn't call them pointless.

in a way, but the fun diminishes when a story gets going and abruptly halts.. it's SIN episodes all over

[Changis]

1 minute ago, herman mcpootis said:

strange, i was expecting more "Half-life 3 confirmed" memes by now

[Cookybiscuit]

Pretty much confirms it's never getting a release then.

[Master Disaster]

57 minutes ago, n2a newt said:

 

TL;DW - Mark Laidlaw, the lead writer for the Half Life series and who left Valve last year, recently posted a letter titled "Epistle 3" (Episode 3)  to "playa" (players) which contain names and content extremely similar to those in the half-life series.

The full context for why this is happened is still under investigation. Someone by the name of Jackathan already took the letter and translated the names to half life (link below). 

 

If this is what we all think it might be then my god, I honestly don't know how to react.

Let me know what you guys think. 

 

Link to Original letter from Mark Laidlaw: https://github.com/Jackathan/MarcLaidlaw-Epistle3/blob/master/Epistle3_Original.md

Link to translated letter from Mark Laidlaw: https://github.com/Jackathan/MarcLaidlaw-Epistle3/blob/master/Epistle3_Corrected.md

Either Laidlaw be trolling like a motherfucker or Valve are about to stir up the hornets nest.

 

I've said in the past that I suspected Valve might have been holding HL3 back until Source 2 was finished. Its entirely possible that HL3 exists in a form Valve are not happy with so they shelved it until they got their new engine ready and got it ported over.

 

That said I've also said that I think Valve have moved beyond making games and only care about making skins and loot crates these days.

 

I want HL3 however I also worry that it cannot live up to expectations anymore. The hype train would be so massive that it would derail from overcrowding before it even left the station.

 

Valve, IF you are planning to release HL3 then it better be the greatest game ever created otherwise you're signing your own death warrant (at least as far as making games goes).

[Brooksie359]

50 minutes ago, JaegerB said:

DayZ, it worked. PuBG, not too sure. "Oh, we won't introduce microtransactions till we've fixed all the bugs (like lowering graphics settings giving an actual advantage)." *releases microtransactions literally a month later*

To be fair I think pubg is a bigger success than DayZ so I would have to say it definitely worked for them because at the end of the day that's all that really matters for the ones creating the game. Also from what I have heard pubg has been quite good at listening to the community and making changes to the game accordingly like being able to go over terrain being added after people complained about not being able to.

[JaegerB]

5 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

To be fair I think pubg is a bigger success than DayZ so I would have to say it definitely worked for them because at the end of the day that's all that really matters for the ones creating the game. Also from what I have heard pubg has been quite good at listening to the community and making changes to the game accordingly like being able to go over terrain being added after people complained about not being able to.

Players have been complaining for months about the fact that when you lower graphics settings, some props disappear (grass, bushes etc), exposing players behind them. It's a gamebreaker and they've done jack about it.

[Derangel]

Laidlaw is having some fun. He posted on Twitter that what he wrote was fanfiction.

 

 

His wording pretty much solidifies that HL Ep3/HL3 is never going to happen. Valve has no professional writers left, at least not ones that would work on a big, narrative driven, game like Half-Life. People fawn over a dream that is never going to come true, Valve does not care about the single player experience anymore. Valve makes 100s of millions every year from Steam and their multiplayer titles, there is no reason for them to care anymore.

[Brooksie359]

3 minutes ago, JaegerB said:

Players have been complaining for months about the fact that when you lower graphics settings, some props disappear (grass, bushes etc), exposing players behind them. It's a gamebreaker and they've done jack about it.

That doesn't mean they aren't trying. It could be that it's not an easy fix. Also the game is still super popular so it doesnt change the fact that the method of doing prerelease still worked very well for them. 

[JaegerB]

2 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

That doesn't mean they aren't trying. It could be that it's not an easy fix. Also the game is still super popular so it doesnt change the fact that the method of doing prerelease still worked very well for them. 

The steam reviews aren't exactly flattering.