Lost Coast Examined

[Liquidize105]

Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=60881) brings word of an in-depth overview at Bit-tech.net (http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2005/09/14/lost_coast_screens/5.html) on Valve's soon-to-be-released Lost "NO Definite Release Date" Coast.

As you know, Lost Coast is Valve's High-Dynamic-Range lighting effects showcase built atop of a small portion of the game material which was cut from the final game.

The good news is that anyone capable of running Half Life 2 is able to enjoy Lost Coast, and the bad news is that a technology show piece is still a show piece - it's intrinsic gameplay value is an expected pittance.

[bapenguin]

From the article it sounds like Lost Coast got bumped AFTER DoD: Source, or just around the same time.

[Varsity]

Yes, it's coming out after DOD. They apparently grew tired of waiting for the R520 to be released (all but confirmed to be required for Lost Coast to go live) and changed their plans.

Gabe looks like he's going to explode with glee in those photos. Little wonder with a monitor like that!

Edit: Why do they never use a decent level of AA (http://www.bit-tech.net/content_images/lost_coast_screens/18b.jpg)? Why dammit?

[Taco]

I haven't been following Lost Coast at all. It's a freebie or part of a larger bundle I'm hoping?

[TheKeck]

I haven't been following Lost Coast at all. It's a freebie or part of a larger bundle I'm hoping?

Yeah, it's a freebie with any version of HL2.

[Achilles]

Hey if it gives me more half life 2 I’m getting it. And I think you meant “value” instead of “valve” in the last sentence. I think you’ve got valve on the brain.

Lighting my not factor too much into gameplay unless you’re Alan Wake, but it sure makes everything look more real, which changes the feel of the game.

[TheKeck]

Edit: Why do they never use a decent level of AA (http://www.bit-tech.net/content_images/lost_coast_screens/18b.jpg)? Why dammit?

If you needed further proof, the 1024x768 2xAA screenshots featured in this article were taken on a 1.6Ghz Centrino notebook with only 1GB of RAM and an aging 128MB FireGL graphics card. True, it ran at 10FPS at High Detail, but it was playable enough to appreciate the overall achievement.

Apparently they weren't working with the highest end system to take those shots.

[Liquidize105]

Personally I want to check out LC before DoD, and with Aftermath hitting in Nov. presumably, and Sin, Dark Messiah, maybe even TF2 :cool:

[StANTo]

Amusingly when I went to backup Steam it automatically selects Lost Coast to backup. So we've already got the content, it's already part of Half Life 2, it's just inaccessible until we have the unlock key.

[Tennistoad]

Man I'm so sick of Valve and their lies....If they don't know when it's coming out just shut up about it..they are so into the free advertising of these web-sites and magazines that they seem to say anything to get the space.. Case in point..on 1up and computer games magazine they said that lost coast would be in your hands while you were reading this... Yeah that was two weeks ago.. And don't even get me started about that goty edition..
This is why I'm starting more and more to like console games.... Plug and play the way it was meant to be....

[The Mystery Cow]

This is why I'm starting more and more to like console games.... Plug and play the way it was meant to be....

To be honest, I think console games are worse in this regard. Sure, they may be plug and play. But most of the time they're also rushed to the finish line to meet some arbitrary ship date and are filled with *uncorrectable* bugs, glitches, or just plain crappy gameplay balance.

I'd rather Valve take its sweet time and release it when it's *done*.