Forum posts

Not to be a dick, but if you can't think of anything at this stage then level design might not be your thing?

There are a lot of things to consider: What is the gameplay style you're going for? What is the player's ultimate goal in this area? Those two questions should drive what you make. Make a basic blockout that is fun to move around and fight in. Once you've nailed the feel, focus on making it resemble a place (don't worry TOO much about realism. Valve never did). Ask yourself, "What is the theme of this area?" Then you think about lighting and any scripting you need to sell that.

Where exactly are you trying to place your headcrabs that this fix is necessary? The pollen sprite means an NPC is too close to the level geometry. The fix is to move them away from the surface they're stuck in.

That guide (I only scan read it) seems to suggest using a scripted_sequence to move them into position for scripted events. That's fine if you want the NPC to remain in that position, but not for the sake of them acting like normal enemies. They will remain looping in their idle animation until triggered to leave their idle state.

Well that's not a lot of information to go on at all. I googled "terror-strike half-life" and two of the top three results were this very thread. Is it a mod? A server game mode?

Some ideas have been tossed around in Discord, but nothing has been decided currently.

Did you read the compile log? It failed to compile because of this error:

Error: Entity 5, Brush 0: SKY brushes not allowed in entity
Error: Brush type not allowed in entity

Find the brush entity that has a SKY texture and correct it.

I went outside

Gag stops an NPC's idle chatter, but not responses to being used unfortunately. One thing you could try is giving the "piss off" scripted_sentence a VERY long Sentence Time value.

First red flag is the Program Files directly. This seems to come with a whole bunch of permissions errors when running the compile tool .exes. I personally have my Steam folder in the drive root: D:\Steam\steamapps etc. Prevents windows doing stupid things like this.

The main problem however is all of those brush errors. Some of your brushes appear to have been completely malformed, either by vertex manipulation or some other means. Those coordinates are insanely off the grid. In JACK's top menu, use Map -> Go to Brush Number and search for those Brush #s in the log. Those brushes need to be removed or remake.

You are using a custom wad which is not present in either the cstrike directory or the valve directory. Where is valve.wad?

Your map has not compiled for one reason or another. There are a lot of factors to consider. First things first, post a copy of your compile log.

I'm afraid I don't know in that case. This is beyond my skill set.

I would assume you've modded the zombie soldier into the base Half-Life game, so I would expect you would need to add those zombie soldier values to your skill.cfg file

Seems like somebody joined the server and then dipped out without you noticing.

It sounds like your map is not compiling. Post the compile log and we can take a look.

Is it the same mod? Can I close one of these threads?

This sounds a lot like Half-Life: Twisted Causes...

I've never heard of this mod before. It seems it got an alpha release way back in the early 2000s, and you can find the homepage using the Wayback Machine. The download link however never appears to have been archived and Planet Half-Life is long gone.

There's a chance some of the veterans who still check in will remember this and have a copy floating about, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The ModDB page has comments from 2002 saying the project is dead, which I think was before TWHL even went online.

People still make mods for Doom, Duke3D and Quake and those are awesome! Goldsource is just as good. You're not too late.

Are there any existing screenshots/footage available that show what progress has been made so far? I wouldn't be able to offer any time myself, but you'd have a lot more luck recruiting team members if you can show that this is more than just an idea/concept.

If nothing playable exists yet, then it's too early to be recruiting team members.

Not as standard, no. The clip texture will allow projectiles and grenades and such through, but I believe these will also block NPCs as well.

You can do this with scripted sequences, assuming the model you are using has a suitable animation. Scientists for example have windive and crawlwindow animations. It would just be a case of setting up a sequence near the window and then triggering it to execute when the scientist gets within range. If you wanted other NPCs like Barney or the grunts to do it, they would need new animations.

If you wanted it to be dynamic, that might be a little more complicated and would definitely require coding. However given how the node graph works for AI in Goldsource, I suspect this would be quite tricky.

That makes me think that there is a problem earlier in the compile log. Can you post the whole thing?

Also I would suggest not using map names which match the original Half-Life campaign such as c1a0. Not exactly sure what the effect might be, but it could have issues when falling back to the map/node files in /valve/maps.

Yup, that's the most likely culprit. You can't have a . in a filename.

The Osprey can be quite tricky to get working and can cause crashes or simply vanish if not properly configured. Take a look a this tutorial for a full guide to get it working. (Your video did not show the speed values, but these must be 300 or more)

Take a look at the sentences.txt file in valve/sound. This a reference file for all of the dialogue in the game and is referred to when making NPCs speak. You can record your own audio and reference it in a copy of this sentences.txt which you save in your mod's own sound directory (don't overwrite valve's)

You can the use a scripted_sentence entity in your level to make an NPC speak your lines.

Ah nice. Just got to my desk and saved me a job. Glad that's fixed.

I can take a look at the RMFs tonight, but that does sound like your trigger_changelevels might be too close to one another between maps. I'll take a look and let you know what I find unless somebody beats me to it

It's tricky to tell without seeing the map files, but if completing the first map kills the transition in the second map, this suggests to me that there is some duplication with the names or something. Also, does the transition from map2 back to map3 work? Likewise does the transition from map2 back to map1 work? It could also be that the trigger to the previous level is too close to your start point when changing level, and is being disabled to prevent an infinite loop.

Some further testing:

• Can you complete map1 and change to map2 via the trigger? - Yes
• Can you return to map1 from map2 via the trigger? ?
• Can you complete map2 and change to map3 via the trigger? - Yes
• Can you return to map2 from map3 via the trigger? ?

Hoo boy...

Some nice looking stuff in here.

I've never seen that unless the entity is standing on an entity like a func_wall... Are you able to upload the map and source file to the problem maps vault. Somebody can take a look.

Edit: According to Bruce's comment on the map you uploaded, your NPCs ARE standing on a func_wall. Dunno why your standard looking floor would be a func_wall, but that's your issue.

How do you mean? Like a key that can be used to unlock a door?

Whenever I've wanted to do that I simply make the key a func_button and have that point to a trigger_changetarget to open the door. You could also use a trigger_relay and use that as a Master for the func_door. There's a number of ways to make an unlockable door with a key/code.

How can HL be delisted? Why would Valve pull its flagship title from its own distribution platform? Unreal games are gone because Epic's pissy due to their so called "platform war" with Valve. They don't want the games sold on their competitor's digital storefront.

In their defence, Unreal was Epic's flagship series and that's been pulled from all digital store fronts (including their own) as well as other distributors such as GoG. It's highly unlikely that Valve will ever do this since Tencent probably had a hand in Epic's decision, but Fortnite is basically printing astronomical amounts of money for both companies so they can make all the shitty decisions they please sadly.

JACK is a level editor. You're talking about programming. You need to download the SDK.

https://twhl.info/wiki/page/Half-Life_Programming_-_Getting_Started

Did you download the SDK? Those files are definitely in there.

I just mean the "Not Toggled" flag might not make a lot of sense at first glance. It used to be "Is Not Looped" which I think is little clearer.

Good to hear that's done the trick! I figured it would be something simple in the end but a lot of things aren't particularly well labelled.

OK, so I've taken a look at the map you sent (I had to retexture everything since I don't have the .wad you're using) and I believe I've found the problem. Your ambient_generic should indeed be set to Start Silent, but also Not Toggled since they are not looping sound effects.This will affect your multi_managers though, since they appear to be set to target each sound twice? I assume to start and stop the sound. Not Toggled will mean you don't need to do this. Simply trigger the sound once, when you want it to play.

Quite the necropost, and this user no longer appears to be active. Maybe we helped with their various questions, maybe not. They never followed up on anything...

OK, I will aim to take a look at that tonight and get back to you.

Hard to tell just from the post but it sounds like you've done the usual trouble shooting. The main thing is that "Start Silent" flag should be checked if you don't want the sound to start playing as soon as the map loads.

Is it at all possible you could post the map to the problem maps vault? I'd be willing to take a look.

I probably meant bipod... In any case, looks like we're going D. LMG for Mendez. Next part should be considerably shorter and more digestible.

Best way to do this would probably be to use a game_counter entity. That will open the door as soon as you've killed the set number of enemies.

game_counter
name: lock
target: door1
Initial value: 0
Limit value: 3 (or however many enemies you want)

func_door
name: door1

Enemies (whichever monster_entity enemies you want to use)
TriggerTarget: lock
TriggerCondition: Death

even though tripod isnt canon

Not when Shepherd picks it up maybe... but it is there:

Just FYI, They Hunger zombies didn't use human gibs. They actually reskinned the alien gib model and edited the yblood decals and the BLOOD_COLOR_GREEN code to be red. This will affect all creatures though.

I'm pretty sure if you wanted the zombies to use human blood and gibs, I figured it would just be a case of changing their bloodColor from BLOOD_COLOR_GREEN to BLOOD_COLOR_RED, as shown in your screenshot. I'm guessing that hasn't worked?

Hoo, boy. This took some time to write. I promise that after this establishing chapter, the next few will be a lot shorter...

---

It was a Tuesday seemingly like any other. The intense heat of the mid-morning New Mexico sun cut through the air and baked the black asphalt. The chirping and buzzing of crickets and cicadas could be heard from every direction on the desert plains surrounding Greville Military Base, along with the distant rhythmic thud of boots on the ground. A cacophony of shouts, grunts and curses emanated from the obstacle course to the South. Then above it all, a deep, booming voice filled the air.

“Mendez!” A large silhouette of a man was standing atop a wooden climbing tower, shouting in the direction of the tents at the start line, “Hey, Mendez!”

“Jesus,” Mendez stood, arms folded and rolled his eyes. He had been taking refuge from the heat in the limited shade offered by tents, “Is that Jackson?”

A short, thin haired man was sitting nearby, rifling through a field medical kit. He looked up, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his note and squinted at the distant figure, “It looks like a grizzly bear wearing PT gear. Sooo yes.”

Mendez sighed, as the obnoxious figure began doing star jumps, “He’s beaten my time again.”

“Most likely. What was it anyway?”

“One minute fifteen.”

“For the whole course? Sheesh.” replied the man, wiping sweat from his forehead and rising to his feet.

“How about you?”

“Slower.” he replied, while making his way back towards the starting line.

“Come on, Guts,” Mendez groaned, “I don’t go in for this competitive bullshit. I’m just curious.”

“And your curiosity is your best quality I’d say,” replied Guts, waggling a finger as he backed away, “Stay curious, Mendez.”

By this point Jackson had descended from the tower and was jogging alongside the obstacle course towards the tends, a beaming, idiotic grin stretched across his face. He snapped two finger guns at Guts as he passed him, “Time?”

“Nope.” Guts replied before breaking into a jog himself and disappearing into the course.

Jackson slid across the gravel to a stop under the canopy, a foot away from Mendez. He folded his arms and tilted his head, seemingly expecting an explanation, “I know heard me.”

“One minute… ten.” Mendez winced

Jackson sucked in sharply through his teeth, “Oooh, buddy. Even when you’re lying you’re too damn slow. One minute and two seconds.”

“God damn it,” Mendez dropped his arms to his sides, “There’s no way I’m topping that. Beat Gutierrez though. O’Keefe too.”

Jackson raised his eyebrows and threw up both hands in mock awe, “Oh shit. A middle aged sawbones and a guy who spends most of his day balls deep in the mud on the firing range?”

Just then a shrill, Irish voice emerged from somewhere inside the obstacle course, “Go fuck yourself, Jackson.”

Jackson grinned for a moment, then his expression fell as he scanned the other men present in the tent. “Man, where the Hell is Dobbs?”

“Haven’t seen him,” shrugged Mendez, “O’Keefe said he’d been summoned to command HQ or something, early this morning.”

“Son of a…” Jackson clenched his teeth, “Look, man. I ain't exactly the nervous type, you know that right?”

“Of course.”

“Does it not bother anyone else that our squad leader is never here with us during PT?
We’re supposed to follow this guy’s lead and yet we’ve never seen him run the course or fire a shot on the range. Not once. Where the Hell does he go every day?”

“I dunno, man,” Mendez shook his head, “Nobody else seems concerned.”

“Nobody else would say a damn thing if they were. Dobbs spends his day filling out paperwork and brown nosing the officers over in command while we’re out here busting our-”

“FOX COMPANY!” Dobbs’ voice rang out amongst the din, stopping the men dead in their tracks. Some stumbled over obstacles while another man lost his footing on a balance beam and plummeted into the muddy water below, “FORM UP ON ME! MOVE IT!”

“Speak of the Devil,” Jackson rolled his eyes.

Within a minute, everyone in the company had untangled themselves from their various training exercises and formed a grid on the tarmac, facing Dobbs. He was not in his PT gear, instead he was decked out in urban camouflage fatigues and a red beret, an MP5 submachine gun hanging from a strap over his shoulder. He paced from one side of the group to the other then back to the centre.

“Alright boys, at ease. High command has ordered that training be cancelled for the remainder of the day. We’ve got a job to do. Disaster response in the local area. Get yourselves cleaned up, get your shit together.I want to see everyone on the landing field, deployment ready in fifteen minutes. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir,” the group responded in unison.

“Sir?” a voice broke the silence. A sodden man, drenched from head to foot in filthy water raised his hand.

“What is it, Symanski?”

“...What’s the situation, sir? Where are we going?”

“You will be given a full briefing once we’re in the air,” replied Dobbs. He glanced toward command HQ briefly, then back to the company, “Have any of you boys heard of Black Mesa?”

“Great winery, sir.” came one response.

“Yes, thank you,” Dobbs sighed, “I can assure you that is not our destination. Anyone else?”

A hand sheepishly emerged within the group.

“Gutierrez.” Dobbs nodded

“The research facility, sir?”

“That is where we’re headed, yes. And That’s all you need to know right now. Fifteen minutes, people. Get your asses moving.”

The company turned in unison, formed a neat line and marched hastily to the barracks. With the exception of the occasional hushed whisper, everyone was silent. They entered the building and filtered into the shower block, discarding their PT gear as they entered. Mendez pushed past a couple of guys and headed for the shower next to Guts. He turned on the water, glanced around the room as the steam started to rise, then sidled up next to him.

“Guts?” No response. He was fixated on the taps in front of him. He hadn’t even turned on the water. “Gutierrez.”

Guts snapped out of it, looking at Mendez before sheepishly turning on the water.

Mendez looked over his shoulder. He ensured nobody was paying them any mind before turning back, “What is this Black Mesa thing?”

Guts slowly raised his eyes up to meet Mendez, “I don’t know much, okay? We’ve had a small presence stationed there for a while. Security detail that assists their in-house security force. Only official word I’ve heard is that they’re conducting weapons research. Pretty advanced stuff.”

“Doesn’t seem too unusual. We’ve got places like that all over the country,” pondered Mendez.

“That’s just it though, we haven’t. Black Mesa is enormous.” Guts lowered his voice even further, now barely audible above the rushing water, “I knew a guy who was stationed there. Said he couldn’t take it anymore. Got reassigned up north. Way up north, like Idaho or Montana or some shit.”

“What? Why?” Mendez whispered

“He couldn’t tell me anything, naturally.” Guts said, “He mentioned… He mentioned animal control or something like that.”

“What a load of shite!” O’Keefe’s voice pierced the silence as Mendez and Guts spun around to see him standing right behind them, “Military grade animal control for a fuckin’ research facility? Just how big are these fuckin’ lab rats?”

“Keep your voice down, dammit.” Guts snapped, “Look, I only know what I heard but these eggheads are up to some really weird shit.”

There was a loud bang as the door to the shower block burst open and slammed against the wall. Dobbs stood in the doorway, surveying the group. “Time’s up, ladies! Gear up! Move move move!”

The men returned to their bunks quickly and quietly. Each one opened their footlockers and retrieved a set of urban camo fatigues, combat boots, gloves, belt, webbing and a water canteen. At Dobbs’ order, they lined up at the foot of their bunks for a very rushed inspection and then marched quickly out of the building, stopping off at the armoury along the way. Mendez shuffled along with the line patiently, his mind constantly going over what Guts had said. He barely registered when it was his turn at the window.

“Hello?” the supply officer rapped his knuckles on the counter.

“Sorry, Mendez. Uh, private.”

The supply officer turned, and checked a number of lockers before returning to the counter.

“Private Mendez. Joseph E,” he started passing items through the window, “One M2 helmet, one M50 Respirator, one kevlar vest.”

He bent down out of sight and then reappeared with a hefty khaki backpack which he opened and started placing items into.

“What’s th-” Mendez started.

“Three spare air filters, green tinted respirator lenses, two days worth of MREs, sleeping bag, IFAK and refuse bags. Last but not least,”

A) …MP5 Submachine Gun, five magazines and two hand grenades”
B) …SPAS-12 pump action shotgun with folding stock, 8 rounds in the tube and 24 reserve and two hand grenades.”
C) …M40A1 Bolt Action Rifle, five rounds fully loaded and four spare mags and two smoke grenades.”
D) …M249 light machine gun, tripod and a thousand rounds.”

---

Cast your votes now to chose a loadout for Mendez. I hadn't intended to make them the central character but it just kind of fell into place. Also please do share any feedback or input that you have. I'd love to hear it.

I use button_target instead of func_button because for some reason func_button never works for me, i think its pretty bugged.

Curious... I've literally never had issue with a func_button in over 20 years.

Lip is always blank by default. That shouldn't break anything.