[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norimori250.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Yo.]]
I have a [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa7aJW20PPjkG9KAZrzbA5A YouTube channel]]. Things I've uploaded to it (that are worth mentioning):

* A ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLfoQWN_dj8 music video]] using "Derezzed (The Glitch Mob Remix)" by Music/DaftPunk. Inspired by [[https://www.youtube.com/user/Khameleon808 Khameleon808]]'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN_MSyrq6-U Rerezzed: Legacy - The Glitch Mob / Daft Punk Derezzed Remix Music Video]].
* [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJti_JfaHF-w7l3SsQOvAlILo80Dyh0ez Let's Read: The Eye of Argon]], in which I read the infamously bad ''Literature/TheEyeOfArgon'', pronouncing the misspellings and mispunctuations. (In progress.)

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[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:My (unpublished) works]]
!![[DarthWiki/UnpublishedWorks Things I'm working on]] (or [[AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder thinking about working on]])[[note]]in order of how much I've been working on them lately (but not everything is on this list)[[/note]]:
* ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It covers the events of the games, as well as what happens in the days/months/years before ''VideoGame/HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''.
* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: An UrbanFantasy about {{A Boy And His| X}}… {{Druid}}.
* ''Homestay'' (placeholder title): About [[AuthorAvatar a Canadian girl who is obsessed with Japan]] and goes there on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestay homestay]].
* ''Qualia'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who finds a [[WildChild girl]] in a [[EldritchLocation very]] [[PsychologicalTormentZone strange]] [[GeniusLoci castle]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:A Treatise on Half-Life Play Order '''(WARNING: REALLY LONG)''']]
In November 2014, I found [[http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/13674/what-order-should-i-play-the-half-life-series-in this]] question asking what order the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series should be played in. This was a topic that I'd barely even thought of, let alone considered in any depth, since the franchise has a refreshingly linear storyline and release order. The games are chronological (i.e. no prequels or labyrinthine side titles), yet flexible (i.e. playing the ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' series first doesn't cost you much story-wise, any or all of the ''Half-Life'' {{Expansion Pack}}s can be skipped, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things where you play the ''Portal'' games, etc.). However, having recently thought about how the ''Half-Life'' expansions' release order may have affected their reception, and being someone who goes into SeriousBusiness Mode at the drop of a hat (especially if that hat is ''Half-Life''), I began to type out a reply, and before I knew it I had typed a whole damn ''essay''.

It was at this point that I noticed that the question had been posted in May 2012, and the most recent response had been posted in November 2013. Not wanting to necropost, since that would make me look like even more of a self-important douchebag than if I had ''merely'' posted an essay-length response to a simple question that ''probably'' wanted an equally simple answer, I chose to keep my silence. However, since I had apparently gone to all the effort of writing an essay about the subject — and since it was therefore a subject I clearly cared about, if only in the deepest, darkest, geekiest part of my soul — I decided to keep the essay until I could figure out somewhere else to post it. Might as well start here; and so below I have posted an edited and heavily expanded version of the original comment.

Though the technical purpose of this essay is to advise people who have no knowledge of the franchise, I didn't consider this while writing, and thus wrote it in a way that assumes the reader ''does'' have knowledge about the series, or doesn't care if they learn certain things about it before they play. Some reference is inevitable, just as any meaningful explanation of the benefits of ''Franchise/StarWars''' [[http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/ "Machete Order"]] will necessarily allude to certain things that happen in the movies. I used really awkward spoiler tags to resolve the rest; I hope you'll forgive me.

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!A Treatise on ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' Play Order

Playing the games of the ''Half-Life'' franchise in the order they were released is a perfectly reasonable and fairly sensible option, seeing as aside from the ''Portal'' series[[labelnote:*]]i.e. ''Portal'' takes place before ''Half-Life 2'' but was released later; ''Portal 2'' takes place some number of years after ''Portal'', but otherwise its place on the chronology is unclear.[[/labelnote]], they were released in chronological order[[labelnote:*]]''Half-Life'' and its expansions [[POVSequel depict the same event from different perspectives]], so despite ''Blue Shift'' technically starting five minutes earlier than ''Half-Life'', you can still say they were released in order.[[/labelnote]]. This gives us:

!!Release Order

* ''VideoGame/HalfLife1''
* ''Half-Life: Opposing Force''
* ''Half-Life: Blue Shift''
* ''Half-Life: Decay''
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''
* ''Half-Life 2: Episode One''
* ''Half-Life 2: Episode Two''
* ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''[[labelnote:*]](technically released the same time as ''Episode Two'' as they were both included in ''The Orange Box'', but I would recommend playing the ''[=HL2=]'' episodes in one go, so I place ''Portal'' after ''[=EP2=]'')[[/labelnote]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}''

Now that we've laid the groundwork, let's take a closer look:

'''''Half-Life'' {{Expansion Pack}}s'''

The expansions will not really add anything to your understanding of the story going into ''Half-Life 2'', aside from telling you who [[spoiler:Barney]] is. Though the expansions were made by Creator/{{Gearbox|Software}} at Creator/{{Valve|Software}}'s request and have Valve's blessing, their canonicity is [[FanonDiscontinuity disputed by some fans]] for reasons ranging from {{Plot Hole}}s and [[SeriesContinuityError Continuity Errors]] to creatorship and [[{{Sequelitis}} perceived quality]]. Whether or not they are canon, the fact is that from a purely story-telling perspective, they aren't necessary and can safely be skipped. However, ''Opposing Force'' and ''Blue Shift'' are quite fun (''Decay'' is less well-received but still a good time-waster, and as a co-op game it can be played with a friend), and all three expansions really do ''expand'' the narrative by showing you other perspectives, other areas of the facility, greater insight into just [[ShoutOut how deep this rabbit hole goes]], and a sense of interconnectedness between disparate characters, who all experience the same event but have their own stories to tell. They make the story feel far grander and richer.

The expansions also lend to characterization: Knowing what [[spoiler:Barney]] went through in ''Blue Shift'' adds depth to his character in ''Half-Life 2''. Discovering that [[spoiler:Rosenberg]] tried and failed to stop the experiment and [[spoiler:was the one who called the military for help]] in ''Decay'' makes you think about just how badly the Black Mesa Incident must have been weighing on his conscience by the time [[spoiler:Barney found him in ''Blue Shift'']]. Seeing G-Man's actions in ''Opposing Force'' gives you a sense that there might be more to him than meets the eye. I personally feel that the expansions are richer than they might seem at first glance, and are an asset that deserves to be tapped. However, if you do play the expansions, I think most would agree that ''Decay'' can still be skipped, as it contributes little to the narrative and doesn't offer much in the gameplay department.

We also need to figure out where to put the "other stuff":

'''''Half-Life: Source'''''

A "[[VideoGameRemake remake]]" [-(read: "[[UpdatedRerelease half-assed Source port]]")-] of ''Half-Life''. By release order, it would go between ''Decay'' and ''Half-Life 2'', but I wouldn't really recommend placing it there. If you are going to play it at all, I would recommend playing it either '''immediately after''' ''Half-Life'', or '''instead''' of ''Half-Life''. I am inclined to say "instead". The graphics improvements aren't good enough to really justify buying and playing both games (except for the sake of thoroughness, I suppose), and they offer what is basically the same experience. However, ''Source'' does still feature more realistic water effects, slightly improved graphics, improved AI, [[WreakingHavok Havok-based physics]] (making {{Block Puzzle}}s far easier), and {{ragdoll physics}} (which is always fun). So I wouldn't say not to play it; only that if you do, there wouldn't be much point in ''also'' playing ''Half-Life''. But if you decide to play both, I'd hope it would be obvious that ''Source'' should be played second, so that you see the improvements.

'''''Half-Life 2: Lost Coast'''''

''Lost Coast'' is a {{tech demo| game}} based on a level that was cut from ''Half-Life 2'', and its main purpose is to illustrate [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_rendering HDR rendering]]. It is not canon and is very short, so there is no reason story-wise to play it. However, it's interesting to learn about HDR rendering and other aspects of the development process, and it's a fun way to spend 10 to 30 minutes. If you do play it, I believe release order makes sense here: Play it after ''Half-Life 2'', and before ''Episode One'' — and play it with commentary before moving on. This will ensure that you notice and fully appreciate the graphical improvements between ''Half-Life 2'' and the episodes. Otherwise there isn't all that much point.

'''''VideoGame/BlackMesa'''''

The excellent {{fan remake}} of ''Half-Life'' that you simply ''must'' play — [[ShoutOut no ifs, ands, or asses about it]].

[[https://www.youtube.com/user/ChristopherOdd Christopher Odd]] played ''[[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAE471DFC1542BCE9 Half-Life]]'', ''[[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL04D7BF13494AA427 Opposing Force]]'', and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_Goi54wf0fpfH_Qy1UNXIiXcRjg3JEe Blue Shift]]'', and then played ''[[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_Goi54wf0eI9TaYBxbrRrqDi3hCdPMr Black Mesa]]'', to give an ''immediate'', maximized sense of contrast between it and ''Half-Life''. I would recommend his way, as it will reward you with an enormous sense of awe (as you can see by watching his Let's Play), whereas playing it after the ''Half-Life 2'' series would dampen (though not destroy) the effect. Playing it after ''Half-Life'' but before ''Half-Life 2'' also means that you'll go into ''Half-Life 2'' not wondering who the hell [[spoiler:Eli and Kleiner]] are supposed to be, since you actually saw them in ''Black Mesa'', rather than having to be told (if you're lucky) which characters they were {{retcon}}ned to correspond to in ''Half-Life''. This alone makes ''Half-Life 2'' feel far more connected with ''Half-Life'', which basically takes care of the only noteworthy story-related criticism I have against ''Half-Life 2''.

So, you can wedge ''Black Mesa'' either immediately after ''Half-Life'', or immediately after the expansions (if you play them). I would probably recommend the latter, partly because it provides some padding (so you're not just playing through Gordon's story twice in a row), but more so because it would be quite jarring to play such a gorgeous game and then get jolted back into the [-(comparatively)-] trashy graphics of the ''Half-Life'' expansions. Once you go ''Black [-(Mesa)-]'', you never go back. :D Then again, it might not be jarring at all to someone who has played many old games before; perhaps it would only be jarring to people like me, who are used to newer games. So at the end of the day, it's up to you; the only concrete thing I will say is that you certainly should not play it '''before''' ''Half-Life''.

'''''Portal 2'' co-operative campaign'''

''Portal 2'' has a singleplayer campaign and a co-operative campaign. While it may seem trivially obvious that the singleplayer campaign should be played first and the co-op campaign second, I'm going to pick this apart anyway.

First of all, there's the question of whether you ''need'' to play the co-op campaign. From a story-telling perspective, the answer is "no". This may change if they ever release a ''Portal 3'', as the co-op campaign and its DLC ("Peer Review") both have {{sequel hook}}s that might become a lot more relevant; but for the time being, singleplayer is the the primary narrative, the binding thread. However, singleplayer and co-op ''are'' separate campaigns — co-op is not just "singleplayer with two people". It's a separate narrative with different characters. Co-op is its own experience — and, in my opinion, a great one. It is eminently ''worth'' playing — but if it's not your thing, or you just never get around to it, don't lose sleep over it.

As to play order: I'm not going to say that playing co-op before singleplayer will ruin the experience. In fact, I can think of one argument for playing co-op first: Singleplayer, unlike co-op, does not end on a {{cliffhanger}} or glaring {{sequel hook}}, so if you simply couldn't ''bear'' to finish the ''Portal'' series on an ambiguous note, by all means play singleplayer last. But that's all I will say in support of that order.

The co-op campaign chronologically begins after the singleplayer campaign ends, and I would bet any money that Valve created the campaigns with the expectation — conscious or not — that they would be played in that order. This ties into my second argument: Player training. Co-op is not easy, both because of the difficulties inherent to coordinating with another player, and because the puzzles are far more intricate. Co-op is not easy, and it will be that much harder if you try to play it first. In the same way that ''Portal'' carefully layered player training so that you aren't too overwhelmed to understand and enjoy the challenge, playing singleplayer first will layer your training so that you already have a good understanding of ''Portal 2'''s puzzle mechanics before trying to tackle co-op.

My final argument is a matter of my own personal opinion: I think the puzzles in the co-op campaign are way more awesome than the ones in the singleplayer campaign. When I finished singleplayer, I felt some measure of disappointment in the puzzles. I can't put my finger on it, but they just lacked a certain something. The co-op campaign 100% rectified this — not only was I not disappointed, I was blown away. I don't know if this is merely because co-operative gameplay by its very nature allows for more interesting and complex puzzle design, or if the puzzle design was also just plain ''better'', but either way the result is the same: I think co-op is a cut above singleplayer puzzle-wise. If you end up feeling the same way, you'll be glad you played co-op last. If you ''don't'' end up feeling the same way... I apologize for misleading you.

The list is thus extended as follows:

!!Extended Order

* ''Half-Life'' and/or ''Half-Life: Source''
* and optionally:
** ''Half-Life: Opposing Force''
** ''Half-Life: Blue Shift''
** and even more optionally:
*** ''Half-Life: Decay''
* ''Black Mesa''
* ''Half-Life 2''
* and optionally:
** ''Half-Life 2: Lost Coast'' [-(commentary optional but recommended)-]
* ''Half-Life 2: Episode One''
* ''Half-Life 2: Episode Two''
* ''Portal''
* ''Portal 2'' singleplayer campaign
* ''Portal 2'' co-operative campaign [-("Peer Review" DLC optional)-]

However, while the above list is a fine order to play the games in, I will be so bold as to suggest a slightly different one:

!!Revised Order

* ''Half-Life'' and/or ''Half-Life: Source''
* and optionally:
** ''Half-Life: Decay'' [-(can be skipped)-]
** ''Half-Life: Blue Shift'' [-(alternatively, switch with ''Opposing Force'')-][[labelnote:*]]Yes, I realize that if one skips ''Decay'', this would make the play order of the expansions no different from before.[[/labelnote]]
** ''Half-Life: Opposing Force''
* ''Black Mesa''
* ''Portal''
* ''Half-Life 2''
* and optionally:
** ''Half-Life 2: Lost Coast'' [-(commentary optional but recommended)-]
* ''Half-Life 2: Episode One''
* ''Half-Life 2: Episode Two''
* ''Portal 2'' [-(alternatively, play one or both campaigns between ''Portal'' and ''Half-Life 2'')-]:
** Singleplayer campaign
** Co-operative campaign [-("Peer Review" DLC optional)-]

'''Rationale for Reversing the Expansion Trilogy'''

My reasoning for playing the expansion packs in reverse order:

From watching [=LPs=] and reading about people's opinions on the expansions, I get the impression that ''Opposing Force'' is the favourite. ''Blue Shift'' was not as well-received as ''Opposing Force'', and ''Decay'' was not as well-received as ''Blue Shift'', either by critics or — from what I can tell — by fans. I think that one reason for this is that they were released in the "wrong" order. What I mean by this, is that each expansion de-escalated, which is bad. You don't release games of the same series and setting in decreasing order of length, excitement, fun, and introduction of (good) new elements. You can reduce one or two or even three of these aspects, but only if you adequately compensate for it in the remaining area(s); and you don't reduce all at once, or allow a net reduction. But that is what they did, and it's backwards.

''Opposing Force'' is the longest and most action-packed of the expansions, introduced new [[spoiler:alien]] enemies and weapons, and showed us the perspective of someone not affiliated with Black Mesa — and by the same token a new class of ally (the HECU Marines).

''Blue Shift'', on the other hand, not only gave us nothing ''new'', it didn't even give us the ''old'' — it was shorter than ''Opposing Force'', it didn't give us any of the enemies or weapons that had been newly introduced in ''Opposing Force'', and it didn't even show any [[spoiler:black ops assassins]][[labelnote:*]]Because [[spoiler:Barney left the facility]] just a little after they showed up.[[/labelnote]], which we'd been having fun killing since ''Half-Life''. Nor were there any boss fights[[labelnote:*]]I'm not a huge fan of ''Opposing Force'''s {{boss battle}}s, but at least it ''had'' bosses. And in case you were wondering: No, [[spoiler:a few Marines rushing in just before the teleporter is ready]] is ''not'' a boss fight.[[/labelnote]]. It ''de''-escalated.

''Decay'' was even worse. Aside from having a limited release[[labelnote:*]](Playstation 2 only, though an unofficial PC port was created... ''seven years later'' — by which time it had become beyond irrelevant, as every other game in the franchise so far aside from ''Portal 2'' had been released in the meantime, so the story had moved way past the point where anyone had any reason to care what had happened to two scientists whose story was barely even relevant back when ''Half-Life'' was the whole story)[[/labelnote]], it was dull and tedious. The only new elements it introduced were a new character[[labelnote:*]]Not counting our new protagonists.[[/labelnote]] (Dr. Keller), a ''very'' short mission that you play as two vortigaunts (which you need an A grade on all missions to access and is hardly a huge selling point in the first place), and co-operative gameplay (which was poorly executed). The overly puzzle-oriented gameplay and ill-conceived co-op make ''Decay'' unexciting compared to its predecessors, and thus serves to bog down rather than enhance it. This in combination with the repetitive elements of "[[spoiler:something about a satellite]]" and "[[spoiler:resetting the thing]]" makes it clear that Gearbox has [[JumpingTheShark gone one game too far]]. ''Decay'' was a game that covered no new ground because ''there was no new ground to cover'' — or if there was, Gearbox didn't even come close to finding it. ''Decay'' was the very definition of superfluous.

In addition, the sparse encounters with generic [=NPCs=] (be they ally or enemy, alive or dead), the dearth of interesting or climactic fights, the mission-based system which spirits you away from one location to the next, and the lack of effect the game's final mission — the [[spoiler:resonance reversal]] — actually has on the incident, gives the impression that the protagonists exist in some kind of bubble, where nothing in this incident is really affecting them and they aren't affecting anything in it; in contrast with all previous games, which give you a clear sense of having an impact on others and being affected by others.

Something that ''Blue Shift'' and ''Decay'' both suffered from was the lack of G-Man encounters or intervention, which contributes to the sense that in the grand scheme of things, their stories don't truly matter. But in ''Decay'' it's even worse, as unlike Barney, who at least [[spoiler:escaped and]] reaped some benefit from his adventure (and even [[spoiler:went on to become a main character in ''Half-Life 2'', giving ''Blue Shift'' relevance!]]), ''Decay'' abandons its protagonists ''in medias res'' once they've served their (non-)purpose, leaving the rest of their journey and their ultimate fate up to speculation. Unlike Gordon, Adrian, and Barney, after all Colette and Gina went through they had no discernible effect on their own fate ''or'' on the course of the incident. Nor do they have any mention or appearance in any following games. So the player is given nothing for their effort and has nothing to show for slogging through increasingly disappointing games. They are left with a bad taste in their mouth.

'''Summary'''

# Following the long, action-packed ''Half-Life'' with the shorter, easier, more puzzle-oriented ''Decay'', will give the player a nice breather before they have to dive back into the grittier stuff. In theory, that is. It might have the opposite effect of being even more jarring than the release order's gradual progression from "exciting" to "lackluster". If someone new to the series could test this out and let me know, I would greatly appreciate it.
# ''Decay'' is a good follow-up to ''Half-Life'' story-wise, as it follows two employees who are participating, albeit behind-the-scenes, in the same experiment Gordon is. Thus it has far more immediate relevancy to Gordon and the Black Mesa Incident than ''Blue Shift'' (which follows someone in a different line of work who has nothing to do with the Incident aside from [[spoiler:being a friend of Gordon's]], which you don't find out until playing ''Half-Life 2'') or ''Opposing Force'' (which follows someone who isn't even connected to Black Mesa). Playing ''Decay'' first also means that when you meet [[spoiler:Rosenberg]] in ''Blue Shift'', you'll already know his history, and have a deeper understanding of what he means when he says he's [[spoiler:"partially responsible for all of this"]].\\
If the player chooses to skip ''Decay'', the first argument still holds for ''Blue Shift'' as compared with ''Opposing Force'' — it holds more immediate relevancy and is shorter and easier.
# By playing the expansions in order from shortest/dullest to longest/coolest, ''Opposing Force'' will seem like an awesome, slam-bang finish to the expansion trilogy, rather than ''Blue Shift'' and ''Decay'' seeming like pathetic and disappointing sequels in a trilogy that started out with so much promise. Save the best for last, am I right?\\
However, after some thought, I realized that there is also a good argument for putting ''Blue Shift'' last. While it would be a less exciting finish, the player will leave the ''Half-Life'' series on an optimistic note, and with a good set-up for [[spoiler:Barney's re-introduction in ''Half-Life 2'']]. They also might be more forgiving of (or at least less agonized by) ''Opposing Force'''s {{cliffhanger}}[[labelnote:*]](and perhaps less [[spoiler:disappointed]] when they later find that [[spoiler:[[AbortedArc Shephard's story hasn't been picked back up]]]])[[/labelnote]] if it isn't the series finale. However, the latter benefit would likely be conveyed equally well by following up the expansions with ''Black Mesa'' as recommended on the list, and the former benefit isn't too important; so this is presented as an alternative.
# There isn't much wiggle room as to the placement of ''Black Mesa''. As mentioned, playing it before the expansions is an option, and I suppose you could play it ''between'' any two expansions, though I don't know why you'd want to. But I really can't recommend placing it any lower on the list than after ''Portal'', and even that I say with reluctance. The more distance you put between ''Half-Life'' and ''Black Mesa'', the less impact ''Black Mesa'' will have, both because you're dulling your memory of ''Half-Life'', and because the later games are graphically impressive enough that ''Black Mesa'' won't look that much different or more advanced by comparison. The only reason I hesitantly make an exception for ''Portal'' is that it's short enough not to deaden your memory of ''Half-Life'' too much, and different enough from the main series stylistically that it would still be pretty obvious how much farther ahead ''Black Mesa'' is graphically. Still, there's no real reason to place it there, and I still think it will diminish the effect.
# I put ''Portal'' between the ''Half-Life'' series and the ''Half-Life 2'' series for two reasons. The first is that chronologically, ''Portal'' takes place at least a few weeks after ''Half-Life''. Because of this, playing it after the ''Half-Life'' series, rather than waiting until after the ''Half-Life 2'' series, will give greater relevancy and context to [=GLaDOS=]'s allusions to the Black Mesa Incident and Combine occupation[[labelnote:*]]The lines aren't spoilers, but they're tagged for the sake of people who want to keep everything a surprise: [[spoiler:"Things have ''changed'' since the last time you left the building. What's going on out there will make you ''wish'' you were back in here. I have an infinite capacity for knowledge, and even ''I'm'' not sure what's going on outside. All I know is, I'm the only thing standing between us, and ''them''." "Maybe you'll find someone else to help you. Maybe Black Mesa. THAT WAS A JOKE. HAHA. FAT CHANCE."]][[/labelnote]]. The second reason is that breaking up the ''Half-Life'' series and ''Half-Life 2'' series with a completely puzzle-based game in an entirely different setting will a) give the player another breather, and b) give the player a sense of time passing and other things occurring between the ''Half-Life'' and ''Half-Life 2'' series — which is good, since ''Half-Life 2'' takes place about 20 years later.
# I would not recommend placing anything between the ''Half-Life 2'' games, except for playing ''Lost Coast'' between ''Half-Life 2'' and the episodes. The ''Half-Life 2'' series is a seamless, linear narrative: Aside from Gordon briefly being unconscious between games, ''Episode One'' picks up right where ''Half-Life 2'' left off, and ''Episode Two'' picks up right where ''Episode One'' left off. And I especially don't recommend placing ''anything'' between the two episodes, not even ''Lost Coast''. Honestly, they're really one game, and they're both fairly short — it took me less time to play both of them combined than it took me to play ''Half-Life 2''. The time it takes to exit ''Episode One'' and start up ''Episode Two'' is as long an intermission as the story needs. Which isn't to say you shouldn't do ''anything'' between playing them. ''Ideally'' the episodes should be played in one go, but it's not a huge deal if they aren't. Take a minute, take a day, take a week. Time doesn't matter — it won't really hurt the narrative flow. I just wouldn't condone wedging another game from the list in between, because that ''would'' hurt the narrative flow.
# I place ''Portal 2'' after the ''Half-Life 2'' series for the same reason I place ''Portal'' after ''Half-Life''. ''Portal 2'' takes place some time after ''Portal'' — it's not stated how much, but from the condition of the facility, it's generally taken to be at least a decade or two. The ''Half-Life 2'' series being played between the two ''Portal'' games will give the player the sense of at ''least'' that much time passing. Lastly, I would far rather see a player end their adventure on ''Portal 2'' than ''Episode Two'', if only for the sake of their emotional health and sanity. ''Episode Two'' gives us a [[spoiler:dark, upsetting]] ending, something of a {{cliffhanger}}, and certainly a story that is only partly done and just begging to be finished, with no telling how far we still have to go to reach anything resembling a satisfying conclusion. (One game? Two? ''[[BerserkButton Three?]]'') Finishing with ''Portal 2'' will at least give the player some closure by letting them see Chell finish ''her'' story (or at least this chapter of her life), and do so on a happier note by [[spoiler:finally escaping]]. While playing co-op mode (even — or rather, ''especially'' — if you play the "Peer Review" DLC) would somewhat undermine this closure and return the player to a sense of the story being unfinished, it would at least be a less agonizing note to end on than ''Episode Two'' — it's more of a SequelHook than a {{Cliffhanger}}. However, as noted on the list, on this point I am flexible, and I would alternatively suggest that ''Portal 2'''s singleplayer campaign, or even both campaigns, be played immediately after ''Portal''. In either case the player gets an even greater sense of time passing between ''Half-Life'' and ''Half-Life 2'', and in the latter case — which puts ''Episode Two'' last of all — they end the series with an appropriate and unmitigated level of desperation for ''Half-Life 3''.\\
\\
Because what would a ''Half-Life'' fan '''''be''''' if they were not as desperate for ''Half-Life 3'' as the people who started reading so much into everything Valve does that "HALF-LIFE 3 CONFIRMED" [[MemeticMutation has become a meme]]?


So. There it is. I guess you could say it's my ''Half-Life'' version of Machete Order. Wait, no, that's too presumptuous. Well, in any case, I'll call it... Crowbar Order. It's not as catchy, but at least that way if anyone ever wants to criticize it, they can say that it's an appropriate name because I'm "crowbarring" [-(i.e. shoehorning)-] games into places they shouldn't go. :D

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If you actually read all that... I applaud you. I don't think I would have. Yeesh. Maybe I'm not the only one here with too much time on my hands. ;)

If you are inclined to give me any feedback, feel free to PM me. Please be polite and constructive. :P
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