/vr/ - Retro Games

>>9246567
>It's literally the same plot as Doom (ie, a science base unleashes monsters)
From a rather reductionist standpoint it is. But in reality only Half Life has a plot, Doom is just a series of disconnected maps.
>I honestly don't know what people mean when they use this expression (set pieces).
Highly scripted encounters with an emphasis on spectacle. HL2 is full of them, but HL1 has a few too (eg. Blast Pit).
>How is it more meaningfully linear than most singleplayer maps from Q1, 2, or Unreal?
From what I remember Quake is the same as Doom, explore the level, look for secrets, find keys, backtrack, open locked doors. Half Life gets rid of all that and builds the levels as long "worms" where you are constantly moving forward.
>How is it more cover-based than other FPS games/How is having soldier enemies in a video game a modern idea?
It has entire levels with hitscan-only enemies that can take you down with a few hits, can use grenades and have semi-unpredictable AI. So you have to use cover and aim for the head instead of sliding left and right dodging projectiles (like when you are fighting the soldiers from Doom)

They are pretty different from where I stand.