The Problem with source is that my computer can hardly run it. I don't know what the limits are because it ALWAYS lags. There's no cubemapping and no fancy hardware stuff like that. Consider like mapping blind, not being able to see what the map really looks like.
HL1 mapping is more fun because it forces me not to do the obvious. Like for HL2, rain and snow, fog, reflections, and all of that nice stuff is automatic and anyone can click around and make a nicely ambient map. That stuff isn't automatic in HL1, so when you DO figure out a way to simulate, people are all like "omfg waow!!1! Rox0rz!!!!lol!!!" That alone is worth the effort, it's appreciated.
Another Note:
I was testing the poison and healing poles for the first time. I cranked the poison damage up to 40, which is about right considering that the number is -20 health per second in game. The healing rate is 3 per second. After being exposed to the poison, you take additional poison damage for a few seconds after that.
I stood in the poison for a while and took 80 damage not realizing there was additional poison damage afterwards. I was gradually going to die. So i quickly dash around the corner to the healing pole. I dived into the circle with only 2 health left, I healed up to 5 health, but the friggin fall killed me! The fall damage from the top platform is only 6 health.
that belongs in the humiliating death forum. i got nasty-pwnt beta testing my map. XD