justsayinyaknow

I basically meant that (generally) everyone who has been talking about HL3 over the years is just referring to the next hypothetical installment.

You're right, must have missed that part. Regardless, whether it's HL3 or HL2:E3 I think it's safe to say it's not happening. I'd be surprised if Valve really is sitting on this project for the next big tech breakthrough they achieve. Hard to say.

My point was there are no arbitrary narrative components like computer terminals where you read a dead guy's email that explicitly explains the set up in text format. Or whatever, that seems to be a really common (lazy) way to tell a story.

I would argue that what you said is all about show vs tell. Which is a good thing for visual media.

That's definitely valid, but as someone who really has zero interest in VR in any capacity I feel a little cast aside. Obviously Valve has no obligation to make a product just because there is demand, but I know many many people who have left games behind entirely who would shell out for a new PC just to play a new Half Life. Again, there is no obligation it just sucks that I'm not in their demographic anymore.

Has any entry in the Half Life series really explained anything? We get little glimpses into certain events, some from different perspectives (like the Black Mesa incident). We never get the whole picture and what we, as the player, know is told to us by other characters or shown through events we experience.

With no official confirmation of either title, "HL3" has come to refer to whatever is next in the series. I've seen tons of comments across different sites that continue to "correct" this but I really don't think it is a distinction that needs to be made.