hl2 mapping vs hl1 mapping/buying a pc Created 16 years ago2007-10-29 17:55:09 UTC by zeeba-G

I have mapped with halflife 1 for probably around 3 years. The computers I have mapped on are ones that are just good enough to do so that my parents have bought over the years. I dont think they are that good of computers because over time they would usualy "quit working" where I could no longer test maps I had made in hammer. Also they are usualy laggy during mapping which usually just causes me not to finish maps. Or while working on a complex map for hl1 they would begin to show up missing walls or entities after testing the maps while no bugs were apparent. I use hammer to make houses because Im becoming an architect but hl1 has its obvious problems like fake looking water, not so great lighting, dull textures and so on. I actually dont even have hl2 because I dont think this computer would handle it so I just want to know a few key things that would help me decide weather I should buy a new computer for hl2 or just stick with hl1. First of all, I am wondering if mapping for hl2 is somewhat similar to mapping for hl1 i.e. would it be easy to pick up. Another few things I really would like to know are -Can you make much more complex maps in hl2 than hl1 with more entities and faces and without it being laggy, Are all of the textures better and clear and does hl2 come with lots of them, Is the lighting better, do problems come up a lot with its mapping program, Is the working grid smaller? Also I notice in a lot of hl2 maps that there are many prefabs and models in most maps i.e. trees that heater thing and so on. Is this because hl2 comes with lots of them? and basicaly is it worth me paying a crap load of money to get or should I just stick with good old gold. Also, If I buy a computer how much would I have to spend to get hl2 running smoothly"Right now I have a little over 1000 to possibly spend" but I would like to spend as little as possible.

"Is it worth all that money?"

-kasperg hopefully I can get your opinion.

a little over 1000 to possibly spend

1000 walnuts? gg on currency there.

Source mapping is very similar to HL1 mapping, and some of your questions are downright rediculous.

Are all of the textures better and clear

Your current PC might not run the game, but it could run screenshots, right?

and the prefabs you mention are models.

Yea I said prefabs/models and my questions aren't rediculous, I really want to know if its worth spending that many "dooolllaaarrrsss"

well you could be talking pounds, euros, ruples...

Not everyone here uses US dollars.

Also yes, HL2 mapping is almost identical to HL1 mapping, with the added necessities of cubemaps, soundscapes, 3d skyboxes, ect. Models are used much more widely, and yes HL2 alone comes with a metric shit-ton. Almost 3000 I think. Maybe more?

Grid is same size, textures similar but 512x512 on average, and are simply scaled .25 in hammer, just like you would in HL1 to make more detailed textures. Additional effects any materials might have are labeled nicely in hammer for you.

You're over thinking this a bit, basically. It doesn't take long at all for an experienced HL1 mapper to make the jump to Source. Buy a computer that can run HL2 flawlessly. You'll love it.

That shouldn't be hard... I'm running a p4 2.66ghz w/ 1gb DDR Ram an AGP ATI x700 (yes im an agp noob =P) and half-life 2 runs perfectly next to all the time.

1000 walnuts? gg on currency there.

well you could be talking pounds, euros, ruples...

Not everyone here uses US dollars.

His profile says he lives in Texas.

You should be able to build, maybe even buy, a computer capable of running Half-Life 2 very smoothly for about 500 dollars these days. Less, depending on how much stuff you can salvage from your current machine/s. Personally, I could find one on my local Craigslist for about 300 that would handle it fine.

You'll also want to prepare for the future. You'll be glad you did.

I've got two 2 2.2ghz processors, 2 GB of RAM and a Nvidia 8600 on a 1400x900 widescreen. Laptop. It was expensive, yes, but I wont need to upgrade for a long time.

Yeah, your budget is very reasonably and you're easily be able to build / buy a computer with good enough specs. Is it just the base unit or monitor, speakers, etc too?

Awesome! Maybe Ill try to actually use parts from my old one. Hopefully I can get a good deal getting someone to build me one and not get ripped off because I dont know jack about computers. Thanks for the helpfull information blitzkrieg and thanks for pointing out the obvious srry. Srry is there anyway you could find a good deal comp for me that I could buy that would run hl2 smoothly, 300 bucks for one would kick a! "all I need is the computer itself" I have monitor, keyboard, etc.

I bought my computer for 350, it runs HL2 and the Orange Box beautifully. A grand would be a beast, for me, anyways.

Well, 300 is considering that you bought it used, likely without a monitor, and it had good enough specs to be able to run HL2 well, but not really any more modern games.

Of course, if you have 1000 set aside, it would make things a whole lot easier, and you wouldn't have to worry about the future much. If you were building a new computer, I would recommend your budget be somewhere between 600 and 1000, but since you're buying it's probably going to end up being right around 1000. If you're buying new, you really don't want to get anything dated.

Ya know, I'm sick of using that excuse myself, "I don't think my comp will handle it." I hope soon that I get a new machine with the right stuff, given I can pay for it.

Either way, I hear ya on this one. I have to spend the money so I can keep up with the strain of my homework alone.

I wish goldsource didn't have the limits, but I'm counting on the fast level changing to compensate for the mapping limits. Smaller maps with higher-res textures and all of that. I'm thinking 2-4 rooms per map for 6D. I'm loading them up.

Moral: Just learn to use it wisely. Plus the popular idea seems to be higher polycount because most of the newer machines can handle them. For multiplayer maps though, still keep the r_speeds low. Lag frags are gay.

And, for some reason, when you scale a texture too low in Source, it turns black, at least for me it did, which for Goldsource I could do the same with no error.

And, for some reason, when you scale a texture too low in Source, it turns black, at least for me it did, which for Goldsource I could do the same with no error.

How small did you scale it?

when you scale a texture too low in Source, it turns black, at least for me it did

Yeah, how small dude? Do you think you scaled it to a point where your machine couldn't render it?

Can someone answer these questions?

-Can you make much more complex maps in hl2 than hl1 with more entities and faces and without it being laggy, does hl2 come with lots of textures and sprites, Is the lighting better? oh yea and does hl2 have some kind of terrain editor where you dont have to use vertex manipulation?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

zeeba-G - here is answer http://projectd2.com/topmap/topmaps4.html

holy shit dude, some of that stuff is nuts.

spending that many "dooolllaaarrrsss"

No need to be snidey. I assumed you weren't British, American or Australian due to your lacking ability to type in understandable English.

My english is fine. Thanks for the awesome pics lex, thats exactly what I needed.

Let's face it. Even with its share of bugs, Hammer4 pwns Hammer 3.x in the little things that matter. Sure, it takes longer to compile but you could always make a HL2 map look like a HL1 map and it would compile faster. You wouldn't worry about r_speeds ever again. World geometry in HL2 is very cheap to render (check out my map Serene), and models always make things look prettier. A pity that HL2 has a very defined theme (that applies to the texture set too).
I feel the difference everytime I change from HS to The Citizen.

Can't tell too much from the screne shot but it does allow me to understand that hl2 can handle more.

A pity that HL2 has a very defined theme (that applies to the texture set too).

Not really. Once you get into mods that have their own content sets (eg Eternal Silence lol) that theme is completly lost (Eternal Silence is a space mod on the source engine which includes flyable space craft complety with their own weapon systems.)

Also Ep2 content, you will have a bit more range. Obviously mountainous outdoor areas will be easier, but also remember things like the antlion caves.

I want to do a map where part of it is an antlion cave, I just loved that part so much.

Obviously, I was talking about the default materials you can use without having to make your own. HL1 has more generic materials, sort of speaking. It would be very hard to make an abstract HL2 map with default materials (excluding the dev textures) that would look clean. The HL2 texture set doesn't have textures for red/green/yellow/blue etc. the way you find them in HL1.

Well, 300 is considering that you bought it used, likely without a monitor, and it had good enough specs to be able to run HL2 well, but not really any more modern games.

Umm, no. I built this computer. 350 was for everything but the monitor and a hard-drive.

Who buys used computers?

Building seems the best choice but I don't know much about computers so im kinda stuck... I just found an old computer in my garage and put it in my room, erased a lot of stuff on it, and got hammer 3.4 running good on it thow slightly laggy. Is it easy to build a computer if someone tells you all the parts you need to buy to run hl2. Say like Luke, if you told me what I needed, Could I get the stuff and build it or get the stuff and have someone build it for me for cheap?

I couldn't do that, but I'm sure someone else is qualified to. I'd end up getting you something that isn't the best for your money or something.

Putting a computer together is a matter of common sense, really. I'm sure there's hundreds of guides, too.

And why the hell didn't I quote what srry said? Admin, assistance?

I only said buying used because honestly it's the least expensive way for him. He said himself he can't build, and I'm assuming he doesn't want to take the small amount of time to learn, so why pursue that any more? We KNOW building is better.

If you were to build, me, Luke, or a ton of other people here could tell you some parts to use, but I'd recommend doing it yourself. If anything goes wrong, you'll know what it is.

Im completely willing to learn. Please tell me parts I need. Ill start reading about building computers plus I have a neighbor that could help me.

If the graphics card doesn't fit in the motherboard, just cut the gold stuff off so it fits.

PROTIP: Save money by using a gluestick wherever you need solder.

[ignore me]

koo koo kachu

zeeba-G - for 300$ & no skill with hardware best solution is buy second-hand PC.