Elfface posted:

Probably already known, but...

Today I learned that everyone in the original Half Life is that guy from Police Academy/Spaceballs who does sound effects. The game only allowed certain types of thing to make noises, and inanimate objects were not among them.

Every time a security guard presses a button and it goes 'beep', the guard is saying 'beep'. Ordinarily, just a funny quirk. It doesn't matter what process creates the sound so long as it sounds right to the player.

However, Half Life also had a simple lip-flap script to make NPCs animate when they're talking, and though they do their best to hide it by having them lean into the panels, this script is still running for sound effects.

This even applies to Gordon's model if you force 3rd person. When he fires a shotgun, he's yelling "blam". When he recharges his suit, he's saying "Nyeeeeowwww bleephmmmm bleephmmm". When the suit says "Welcome to the HEV Mk4 Protective System" Gordon's mouth is moving.