by Mr Bond
Monday July 19th, 2004
As we saw in a previous poll, the manipulator has already proved a crowd favourite. It promises to let players really use HL2's sophisticated physics to their advantage. This week, we asked what you plan to do with this gravity-defying weapon. Read on for the imaginations of stir-crazy minds!
From: Ryan Weber
Subject: What would i do with the manipulator?
I personally plan to master it as a weapon, as it yields both offensive and defensive capabilities, tearing objects from a wall (or even using corpses) as shields, waiting for an enemy to reload or retreat and then launching said corpse or object and killing them.
I could also use it to stack objects to reach otherwise innaccessable areas.
The Master Of The Manipulator will surely be a force to contend with, but it's unlikely we'll be able to pick up objects as large as corpses. From what we've seen, it seems that smaller objects (up to, say, the size of the wooden crate-thing in Ravenholm) will be fully liftable, whereas larger objects can only be pushed in energy-jolts. You can see this in action when Gordon pushes the buggy around in the E3 2004 videos.
The first person to complete the entire single player game using only the manipulator and a crowbar gets three and a half gold stars!
From: Kronicle
Subject: Mailbag: Manipulator
I just get so jittery when thinking about bashing things against walls and through windows. Also, throwing grenades back at enemies is cool. After slicing a through one crabby mooded zombie's arm, I'll take his falling arm from under him and beat him in the fase with it until he finally falls down crying in his puddle of blood. Mu ah ah ah ahahaha*cough*.
I don't know whether to respond or submit your home address to crime-stoppers. I fear the day when you figure out that the real-world has this kind of physics engine as well.
From: Chris Burns
Subject: Mailbag! RE:Manipulator
Grenades will also be tons of fun. Will it be possible to catch them in air and fling them back? I hope so. Will it be possible to use that push-beam to just knock them away? I hope so.
The last one I'll talk about is using physical objects in the world to get an advantage, from throwing heavy pieces of scenery to the example in the E3 2003 video of using a radiator as a bullet shield. How about stacking boxes and things to get to a higher place? The options are tremendous.
As seen in the 2004 E3 presentations, it is indeed possible to fling unexploded grenades back at the combine. What gets me is it took a sci-fi anti-grav weapon for a game to implement this. It's not rocket science to pick up a grenade, folks!
The manipulator's capabilities need to be finely balanced in the single-player game. Otherwise, what's to stop you using a shield/weapon like this the entire time, using it as a near invincible shield?
From: Shadow
Subject: HL2 Fallout Mailbag Answer
...I'd use it to play rugby using roller mine's and combines! Teeen Hut! Gordon shoots... he scores!
Congratulations on a fine job of confusing three sports.
From: Rick Snudden
Subject: Mailbag: Manipulator Gun
Something I'd plan to do with the manipulator is make a immensly tall stack of objects so I can get on top of buildings or past barricades. Who knows maybe it'll be an awesome way to get a shortcut. Also maybe you can steal a combines gun from their grip and send it hurling back towards them, ironic eh? ;)
I'm sure there will be limits on things like stacking objects, but go ahead and make that stairway to the Citadel!
From: Daniel
Subject: Mailbag
Im gonna blow a hole in the ground and escape to Chine.
Yes.
From: Jeff
Subect: What do you plan to do with the manipulator?
Well, 007, we've all seen that the manipulator has been severely powered down since Half-Life 2's (glorious) alpha days; projecting miniscule objects at zombies is clearly a far cry from the original "pick up a body and hurl it with all your might across the map" game. Therefore, my plans should be quite obvious to you: I'm going to mod the hell out of it! That's right — if something can move, you'll be able to move it. Want to play zombie bowling? No problem. Have a strange urge to juggle head crabs? Be my guest! Hell, I'll even let you send Alyx skyward if you so please!
After finishing the SP normally, something like this would be really cool. There's nothing like wreaking physically-simulated havoc on those carefully scripted story sequences!
From: Nathan Calder
Subject: mailbag: mulnipulator gun
One of the funniest things you could do is fire a watermelon at a combine soldier, ever since I saw that video showing of the phsics i've wanted to do this.
Also stealing a weapon from a combine and shooting them with it would be ok, but taking on of those round blades from ravehlome and beheading someone would be great
Nice one, eco-Gordon. In a world of automatic rifles, rocket launchers and shotguns, you choose the organic alternative!
I doubt you'll be able to steal weapons from living combine troops, but, of course, I could be horribly wrong.
Until next time, remember: zombies are people too!Post comments @ http://www.hlfallout.net/comments.php?id=7438
—Mr Bond, send feedback to mrbond@hlfallout.net
Written for HL Fallout - http://www.hlfallout.net
