Push the button, Gordon. Push it. I don't know why we can't do it, but you should push it. Hey.

[sanspoof]

So, the new Half Life episode. I can't help but notice that there are a few sucky things about the characters (not least that the NPCs are always sucking up to Gordon and asking him things as if he can answer). The worst, though, is Alyx. I can't believe how completely null a personality she is. She's like some idiot fanboy's idea of what a perfect

Comments

[schwa242]

I just got Half-Life 2 yesterday, and Alyx immediately reminded me of the young characters from the children's edutainment series "Little Einsteins". Always there to smile and tell you good job from across the screen. Only with curves.

[derspatchel]

"Very good head shot, Gordon! Oh no, here comes another headcrab zombie! D'you think you can do it? Good job! Let's find the red key. Can you find the red key? Try smashing the crates. Great work! I think I love you"

Half the reason (hurr) that Half-Life 1 was so much fun was that Barney made such a great supporting NPC and, I think, the only NPC in such a game that I actually wanted to protect. If my dog dies in Nethack, I feel a sad feeling for a moment, but then it passes (and I have to wait for an altar before I try reading these new scrolls.) I tried to keep Barney alive every level he was with me. He wasn't too much support firepower-wise, but there was just something about how I'd be wildly flailing about with my crowbar at flying headcrabs and he'd take a few tenative shots with his pistol and go "Yeah! Got one!" You wanted to chuck him on the chin and go "Good work, lil' soldier."

...kind of like how Alyx treats Gordon... HEY, WAIT

[sanspoof]

Yeah, that was definitely in the mix; the implication that she could just go off and do all the world-saving all by herself. I mean, she's a genius, isn't she? And can fix helicopters?
Her dad's a big mass of Loving Unreproachableness too, but he's on screen less.

[unpleasant]

This is my feeling about Aleks. She has been written to be almost carelessly superior to Gordon. She scales four story buildings to break into extremely fortified locations by hacking into alien technology while dodging ridiculous threats and does so seemingly without effort. I mean, who the fuck is Gordon in comparison? I don't ever recall Gordon easily excelling the way Alickz does- he's a skin of his teeth, deus ex machina type victor. It's absolutely true she's an Mary-Sue Mate, but I think the unintended consequence is that she makes Gordon (ie the player) look less than stellar in her huge patronizing shadow. I want to BE as her, not interact with her.

[sanspoof]

Right, right, which is why her baseless worshipfulness of Gordon is especially rankling. It's like the 1950s in here.

[unpleasant]

I have a really hard time ignoring how written- for lack of a better word- she is. As in she's been given these amazing skill sets but her author cripples her by enforcing the totally literary idea that she's not the main character and thus can't really effect the main storyline. And it's Clearly her author that's so crippling her because there's never any in-world explanation given as to why she's been sitting on her thumb waiting for Magic Future Gordon. It's like the writers felt that her proximity to Gordon and her gender were her greatest character traits and then willy-nilly filled in the badass score card with no regards to their implications. Her easily impressed behavior seems like an aspect of a much bigger, more basic problem with the author trying to have her wear a baffling large supply of hats. Except, you know, the one that would fit her character best- main active participant

[unpleasant]

And I should stop talking.

[sanspoof]

NEVAIR

[pixelfish]

I am always bummed when my dog (or cat) dies in Nethack. It almost kills that iteration of the game for me, and then I feel like I should start a new one. I am that much of a pansy.