Gonna work the latest MapLabs competition brief into my last map for The Core.

Run, think, shoot, live. The four cornerstones of Half-Life gameplay. They don't accept GoldSrc entries, but I'm just using it as an excuse to get the map done. I won't be submitting it anywhere, but I will share screenshots here. Depending on whether I can be bothered, I may stream it.

Gonna look fairly Natural Selection then!

...Suuure? (I have no idea 😅 )

I honestly think that de_ maps get a lot more attention. It's certainly my preferred gameplay mode anyway.

Will it have more women in it than Half-Life does?

I would like to include female characters. Of course with that comes custom code, models, animation and voice recording. All things I would be fairly useless with currently.

When you say retro sci fi, are you meaning late 80s / early 90s stuff like Demolition Man, Escape From NY, Alien (in some ways DN3D) or we thinking more 70s / ""retro""

In terms of the aesthetics, it would be the kind of sci fi themes you would see in the 70s and 80s. Chunky machines, sharp angles, CRT screens and garish jumpsuits.In terms of the kind of stuff I would like from the community here, I would likely throw out the odd update here and there such as "OK, I want some posters for the recreational areas. Make your own ridiculous brands and products that you would flog to desperate colonist, hundreds of light years from home."

Obviously I would be thankful to anyone who wanted to pitch in with audio stuff, sound effects and music, even recycling stuff from your own projects that may or may not have seen the light of day. I would prefer to keep the mapping side of things to myself, but again, would welcome prefabs, entity setups, concepts to work from and anything else you think would be a cool addition to the levels.

So what kinda vibe are you going for with gameplay?

Survival horror elements for when things kick off, but I'd like it to be a fast paced, arcade FPS similar to Doom or Quake.

Are there any human enemies involved?

Very much so. The initial mod will feature the Elite Security and Planetside Operations (ESPO) team. They will become hostile once things kick off, due to a combination of a volatile working relationship between them and the crew and having a sudden opportunity.

What's gonna drive the main plot driver of the mod? Is there a villain? Is he separate from the Vull, and if so, what's he gonna do?

Yes and I'm not telling you yet.

I can't predict if I can help with coding when you start work in 2043, so ask me then.

Thanks... and yeah, OK. I deserve that.

So when do they find the mass effect relay?

It only seems similar to Mass Effect because of everything. Other than that, its wildly different...

Don't feel bad about rejecting Source. It's poop, and GoldSource has so much more charm

I don't. It is. It does.

You caught me... I forgot to list inspiration, but that's in there in some respects.

Thats $externaltextures command. And yeah as said before with modern stuff its best to remove that and the $sequencegroupsize commands altogether

How on Earth did I miss that... Alright, well thanks 303! That'll make my future mod models directory a little neater.

The Gildryte Chronicles

What is it?

The Gildryte Chronicles is a potential mod series that I intend to work on following the eventual release of The Core. I've decided to start documenting things here on TWHL as I would like to involve the community with the project as much as possible.

I've been doing various bits of research over the years, mostly via Twitter, to get a feel for what people look for in a Half-Life mod in terms of size, gameplay, narrative and of course release schedule. As is to be expected, most players are happy to wait longer for something that will keep them playing for an hour or more, rather than getting regular, bitesize maps or map packs. They also prefer a non invasive approach to storytelling, something that is delivered subtly if you care to seek it out and doesn't pin you down with lengthy sequences or walls of text. So basically, Half-Life players like Half-Life… Shocker!

The Universe

One key point is that this time I'll be building a mod series set entirely within my own universe. This is a big deal for me because it means it means I can introduce new mechanics or elements within the maps that are too outlandish for Black Mesa.

The bulk of the mods will take place in space, on starships or within colonies. The aesthetic I want to go for is retro sci-fi. The mods will be set in an alternate timeline where humanity became an interstellar space faring race in the 1970s, so think Alien's Nostromo and other such stuff.

The plot mainly revolves around two key elements, and I'm aware that the first is a hard science nightmare made entirely out of bullshit, so bear with me.

Gildryte: A crystalline material initially discovered during the Apollo 11 moon landing in a deep impact crater. It was quickly discovered to have massively valuable properties, specifically the ability to amplify an electrical current by a factor of hundreds of thousands. One researcher was quoted as saying, “I don’t want to get ahead of myself… but you could send a cruise liner to the furthest stars with nothing more than a car battery.”

After a decade of research, refinement, development and corporate espionage, it found its way into the public eye in the hands of one Dr. Sebastian Gildryte. In the coming years, more and more Gildryte was discovered on the moon's surface, as well as in the asteroid belt shortly afterwards. As more and more was brought back to Earth, Gildryte become a household name and by 1986 it is built into practically everything from radios, to cars and yes, interstellar cruise liners.

Tl;dr: Super crystal makey future machines.

The Vull: An mysterious alien race, discovered in deep space that is drawn to Gildryte. The Vull were first encountered by accident, during an incident which triggers the events which occur throughout the series. This incident will be the focus of the first mod in the potential series. From the outset, the only thing know about them is that they are extremely hostile to other lifeforms that may cross their path in their attempt to find and consume Gildryte.

Any progress yet?

Well, currently there is absolutely nothing besides this post and the ideas in my head. This hasn’t taken me away from The Core or anything like that and has purely been built up in my head based on the social media polls and ideas I have during whatever downtime I get.

What is the plan?

Ultimately, I want to tackle the mod on my own as much as possible. As mentioned previously, I would like to involve the community here at TWHL as much as possible. That includes everything from revising the story, creating textures to appear in the game (posters and wall art, computer screens and such) and I will definitely need support from people with coding experience.

I want the mod to FEEL different to Half-Life, which will mean tweaking enemies either by replacing their models or ideally adjusting some coding here and there. I know that ultimately it will still feel like a Half-Life mod, but I would like to give it something of an edge besides having new maps.

Probably the most drastic change will be the removal of hitscan weapons. I would like the player to be able to avoid all incoming attacks by moving around. Seeing as this will be a sci-fi themed mod, I would ultimately like bullet weapons to be replaced with laser projectiles.

So… not Source?

No. At this stage I think I will be sticking with GoldSource modding. I know the limitations, I can work with the tools and I just prefer it in general. So no, I will not be creating GC in Source. If others want to make mods based on this universe (for whatever reason…) I would gladly act as an advisor, but I don’t work with Source.

So what now?

Well, now I need to finish The Core. Sadly, this mod will have to be somewhat dormant until then. However, I would still be keen to continue getting things together in terms of the pre-production with input from you guys.

Afterwards, this will be where I post my updates, screenshots and other such stuff. Who knows when that'll start, but hopefully soon.

Yup, as Qwertyus said, get rid of that line in the QC file and you get one, maybe two model files if you have a texture file as well.

Come to think of it, I don't know what determines the appearance of the modelt.mdl file...

And now this from 3D Realms.Yes.

Just yes.

Happy to see people still have faith in The Core. I do want to finish it to the best of my ability, otherwise I would have rushed something out in the last year or so to get it over the line.

It has gotten to the point where I have seriously considered pulling the plug, but I won't let myself do it and I'm pretty sure Archie would actually, literally come to my house and kick the shit out of me...

That sounds like something he would say. It was likely true at the time.

Well, I committed three updated maps to the repo last night and one new one. This will be the last map I create for The Core. Once this one is done, and linked to the next chapter, that's it. That's not the end of development, obviously, but no more new maps from me. Can't speak for Archie of course.

I can't not think of Game Grumps, Potatis...

Hell, I'd pay to play it.

It's practically a retro FPS at this point, and there is a market for that kinda thing these days.

Truth.

It's getting to the point where I'm getting a load of new ideas for projects that I couldn't fit into The Core (not that I am looking to expand it any further, I'm all about finishing up what we have at this point.)

I've got an idea for a new mod I'd like to make and I've had the lore in my head for a few months. A whole new universe to play with, rather than using Valve's. Thing is, it will definitely need custom coding which means I would either need to learn myself or take on a coder to help me get things set up. Not something I am willing to even look into until The Core is out the door.

Man that 2001 trailer looked sick. I reckon if they had released that iteration within the year it would have been incredible and we'd have at least one more sequel by now.

Sigh.

Should probably finish this mod, huh?

I breifly worked on some new models for Hostage Situation, but never delved into mapping. That said, I do still have everything that existed of HS on my hard drive.

Every once in a while I see or hear something that reminds me of the various maps or mods I've worked on over the years that never saw the light of day. (Like The Core, amirite? Boom! Self burn.)

Ahem, anyway, I recently thoughts of a couple more and looked up the original thread which is now FOUR YEARS OLD! WHAT!? So, I've started this new one.

Unnamed Cryostasis mod

Premise
Way back when I first joined TWHL (Yes, I've been post diving) I started working on a map pack where the player started off in a cryo pod. After breaking out of the chamber, it was made apparent that the facility you were in was long abandoned and in complete disarray. The player would be guided by an AI via text messages on screen, similar to what was seen in Someplace Else (Though I am sure this was before that came out and I actually drew inspiration from a TWHL Mix map by then user "Hazardous!") The player would be tasked with taking data discs to different sections of the complex and restoring them to working order.

Progress
According to my old posts, I made a number of areas and took screenshots back in 2004 (which are long gone from the internet now), but the map I have in my head from back then was not particularly good. I remember I had the first few story points covered in the titles.txt file and the player could get as far as picking up the first data disc.

What happened?
I don't recall the reasoning, but I suspect I lost interest after realising that my attempts at mapping were very poor compared to the maps that inspired me. It would be of the many times in the past that I have been disheartened by a quality map or mod, rather than inspired.

Neonite City

Premise
Neonite City was inspired by Midgar in Final Fantasy VII. The player was to take on the role of a security officer in the upper level of the city. This level was for upper class citizens, all high rise buildings, fountains and clear skies. The lower levels of the city were populated by the underclass, lowlifes and criminals coexisting with animals mutated by pollution. During a routine security drill, an organised group from the lower level was to attack the upper city, resulting in the player dropping into the squalid and darkened depths below.

Progress
I recall having a lot of the lore planned out for this universe, though it was terribly written. I had also busied myself with making new skins for a lot of the default Half-Life models. One that sticks in my mind was an android reskin for Barney, pale skinned and exposed wiring around his blackened eyes. When it comes to maps, I think I made one, literally a tram station leading to a corridor.

What happened?
Attempting to make the upper city look anything like what was in my head with Half-Life's resources was impossible. This completely crippled my motivation to work on it any longer. Nowadays I would be fine, with far more experience with mapping as well as texture creation, but the lore was so terrible looking back that I don't even know why I was so excited about it.

Let's hear yours. Would be interesting to see if anyone who posted in the last thread has had any mods fall apart, or even succeed since then.

Looking forward to playing the entries tonight (or at least trying to depending on family and responsibilities.) I've not touched Portal since finishing Portal 2 so will be interesting to get back into that.

And the vote is now open. Thanks to everyone who entered and those who tried.

The TWHL community vote allows each user to vote for up to three entries, but since there are only three, please be sensible about it.

Happy to hear it. Hope it's going well. Looking forward to seeing these maps

Awesome. Thanks Pebs.

Has someone been watching Bandersnatch?

Honestly had to look that up... So no.

You guys might know by now, be it via my multiple choice fan fictions or my love for dialogue options in RPGs, that I am a sucker for player choice.

More recently I have been turning the idea over and over in my head that this could be applied to mapping. Using triggers and trigger conditions, you could create a short map that could be replayed a number of times and each player might have a different experience. What's more, you can have minor choices within these choices to expand on the idea even more so. Here's a quick example I had in my head one evening while walking to the car.

Premise
The player and their allies need to power up a teleportation system using a unique power module. This module is common, used by a number of nearby systems, so there are a number of options available to the player.

Option 1 - The Cargo Area
The cargo area uses a power module to power its heavier equipment. This is not being used currently. as the cargo area is being used as an outpost by the marines. You can go in guns blazing and take them out, or you can use a ventilation system to sneak into the area and take the module with minimal amount of fuss from the grunts. This might depend on a choice the player made much earlier which determines which weapons they currently have available. In the end, whether you take out the grunts or not, you have a power module

Options 2 - Help the marines
Prior to heading into the cargo area, there is a service window with a call button. Using this causes one of the grunts to come to the window. After speaking with one of your allies, (the player is mute after all) the grunt says they will hand over the module if you go into the basement and deal with a rogue scientist who is causing them problems (hacking into the security system and activating various defenses to keep the grunts from progressing).

The player heads into the basement, dealing with automated security systems like turrets, laser grids, tripmines, etc. Once they reach the scientist, they can kill them outright, prompting a message from the grunts and they provide the module via some automated delivery system or a cargo elevator or something.

Option 3 - Help the scientist
Alternatively, the scientist will offer the player a unique weapon and a power module stored in the basement if they escort them to a locked door. The player can have the scientist follow them, but doing this will trigger a hostile response from the grunts. A squad of grunts pour into the basement after the scientist unlocks the door and the player gets the module.

Option 4 - Security systems
Finally, the player can go to a new area entirely and take a power module from a security station. Taking this will cause hostile aliens to flood into the area as the countermeasures are taken offline, but the player might get plenty of ammo and medical supplies from the area.

On top of all of these choices, you could trigger different responses from your allies when you return to them, depending on how you handled the situation. This can all be done within one map, or a series of maps, and while it might result in a lot of work for an ultimately shorter gameplay experience, it would greatly improve the replay value. Or maybe it would be a huge waste of time. What do you guys think?

One week to go. The final stretch. How's everyone doing?

I went Claire A/Leon B my first run. Still working on the B campaign. I'm really impressed with how it turned out as well. My PC has to settle for medium settings sadly. It's getting on it years. Didn't diminish the experience however, and I absolutely loved it. Can't wait to jump back in tonight and hopefully wrap up Leon B so I can dive right back in with Leon A.

Definitely getting this as soon as it becomes available. I was waiting for news of a Hornet DLC. They revealed a whole new game. Those crafty Australians.

We're almost at the half way point. Happy to see a bunch of you showing progress and I'm aware that others are working but keeping it to themselves.

I will sponsor the winner again, via a US$100 Steam gift certificate.

Blimey Satch, that's awfully generous of you. <3

Behold! A thing being done!

Awesome.

Yup, what the penguin said. We're pretty chill like that.

Does it strictly have to be HL1 / Source or is something like Sven Coop applicable?

I would say base games only, given the rules regarding custom code.

Can the entry be made of multiple maps?

Absolutely.

Brand new please. Wouldn't be fair otherwise.

A new mini competition is a go! As the brief states, your goal is to make a singleplayer map that focuses on a theme: Ascension.

As this is a mini competition, you must manage your time effectively. Don't bite off more than you can chew, and leave plenty of time for testing. Good luck and have fun!

You're truly doing God's work... by which I mean Gaben

My understanding is that the early access maps are unrelated to the full release. I'd double check but I'm pretty sure that's the case anyway.

VoidPoint recently added a new map to the early access version of Ion Maiden and it was an absolute blast to play through. Really looking forward to the full release later this year.

An engine has absolutely no bearing on a games quality and the idea that modern games have to have ground breaking graphics to be considered a masterpiece is absolute untrue.

My game of the year for 2017 was Hollow Knight. A 2D metroidvania made in unity by two people. Everything from the game play and narrative was made to work to the genre/engine's limitations and absolutely nailed it.

Yes, atmosphere is important, but this is something that can be achieved with even the most dated engines. Duke Nukem 3D went for a very lighthearted tone and the build engine was perfect for it back in 1996. Duke Nukem Forever however, kept jumping from one engine to the next and the final result released in 2011 was completely fucked.

The last I heard, Valve was working on a couple of titles based on VR and I just sighed. I'm sure VR is a fantastic experience, but it is a gimmick and not a particularly accessible one.

Also, while the time of Quake and Half-Life style games might be over in the AAA market, indie games like Dusk, Ion Maiden and 3D Realms unannounced Quake Engine game give me a lot of hope. Valve was tiny when they worked on Half-Life, so perhaps the smaller indie devs are the ones to pay attention to these days.

Or perhaps I'm just getting old and "Kids these days wouldn't know a good game if it kicked them in the nuts."

No custom code, period. Entries will be base game code only, so no Spirit of Half-Life or whatever.

Any other custom content is fine, but as I said, not the focus of the competition and essentially just wasted time. It will be based purely on the map and how it complies with the theme.

I realise now I only confirmed this to Dimbeak, but there will be a mini compo running in February. It'll be exactly four weeks long.

The idea isn't to build something enormous, just something that fits the theme. Four weeks is plenty of time for a mini compo I say. That's probably MORE than most of the RTSL VILLES had.

Strangely enough, the day I posted this thread, Gggmanlives uploaded his thoughts on Metro Exodus and states that it plays a lot like the Highway 17 sections of Half Life 2.

Looking at the recently released footage, I think he might be right.

It's a linear FPS game with larger open sections and it's mainly about traveling across a very hostile environment with a train and some other vehicles here and there, clearing the path ahead. Sounds more like On A Rail. Lots of enemy variety, different ways to approach situations and plenty of different weapons too. Maybe this is one to watch.

It seems that as time goes on, more and more people are now coming around to the idea that the Half-Life series will not be getting any official follow up games. Neither Half-Life 2: Episode 3 or Half-Life 3 have been even vaguely hinted at by Valve in any official capacity.

So my question is this. Why has there been no real successor to the Half-Life series?

First and foremost, what is it that we all love about the Half-Life series to begin with? Is it the narrative? The environmental story telling? The moment to moment game play? If you really think about the main plot of Half-Life, the story isn't really all that original.

Science experiment goes wrong. Aliens appear.

Yes, you can dig deeper and deeper into each of those points. The Gman's involvement in the whole thing, how the combine tie into it and so on, but right now we don't have any answers to a lot of the questions.

So what is to stop some other team coming along and making their own Half-Life? What really is the reason that Half-Life holds such a special place in so many people's hearts while other FPS games come and go without a backward glance.

For me it would be this. Half-Life is about variety, especially when compared to modern shooters. The environments, the conveyed emotion, the enemies, the weapons. Every single aspect of Half-Life shifts and changes with every new encounter.

You learn tricks which you use against certain enemies. (Vortigaunts need to charge their attack and will always hit if they have line of sight. Houndeyes charge can be interrupted by attacking them. Headcrabs can be dodged and then take a moment to wind up for another attempt.)

It doesn't SEEM like a modern AAA developer should have any major issue making a game with the same level of variety, but why has this not happened do you think?

Yeah, my system drive space does appear to fluctuate wildly at times, but it's never been an issue more than being a little unusual. I couldn't be happier with Windows 10 for gaming and at the same time I simply could not do my job without Ubuntu. So I'm happy. Nothing needs to change.

I have never experienced Windows 10 rebooting without my consent. So again, a non issue.