Apollo XXX Created 9 years ago2015-03-21 09:08:52 UTC by freedslave

Here's a first scratch of a scenario for one map but there are already a lot of question to bring it all together.
Is there a big voice to tell the countdown loud enough to be heard across all the base and outside?

The player starts in a Spatial Research Building fraught with GIs. A fuse is about to be launched.It can be seen through a window standing on the launch pad. There is a building with an elevator to bring the pilot at the entrance on top of the fuse. This "tower" and the fuse are separated by a gap that is fullfilled with a gateway which deployment must be activated from the base by the player.
He must find a scientist because he's the only one who can activate the countdown by a eye recognition locker.
He has to bring him alive to the command board to launch the countdown, reach the tower and go up before the ignition.
Then again he must bring the scientist to the fuse entrance to open it by an eye recognition locker.Once aboard the fuse lands up (earthquake, big roaring...). Then the scenarii misses me. Could be another map on any alien planet...
Where should I start to make this happen in Halflife ?

Where should I start to make this happen in Halflife ?

Open Sledge / Hammer?

I've heard from a lot sources that you should start planning your map before even touching your computer. So take a pencil and a piece of paper, and start sketch the layout of your map.

I've heard from a lot sources that you should start planning your map before even touching your computer.

That rests entirely on your style of working. I've very rarely worked from a plan when mapping. I tend to use photographs for inspiration if anything.

So you are an one armed mapper? Well you should start with one of the things you described, like an elevator. You will also be able to make the rocket in a very similar way you would make an elevator. Learn how to put monsters in a map and how to control them, like monster_scientist in your case. Play with env_sprite to learn to make the flames and smoke effects. The earthquake (env_shake?), roaring (ambient_generic) and so on. Don't try to make everything at once, make many small maps and learn how to create certain things then it will be way easier to make a larger project. I suck at mapping but well that's my advice to a beginner. Good luck =P

My way of mapping is this.
1. Open Hammer.
2. Mash in everything I can think of.
3. Find a pattern and interesting gameplay puzzles.
4. Delete everything.
5. Use the info from step 3 to create a good map.

Like a puzzle as usual. I hate puzzles !
It becomes extremely puzzling when each piece of the puzzle is itself a puzzle and so on for the sub piece ...
I'll do several tries but it's not yet in the top 5 of the Map vault.
There's TWHL to help !
Thank you

I dont know about you, but I really do NOT like timed sequences, and on top of that, it sounds like you have to escort a scientist to stop said time sequence. Escort missions are also the worst thing ever. So the whole thing explodes because "I'M GOING TO STAY HERE AND WAIT FOR MY COLLEAGUES"

I write my levels like a paper.
I write down a one-line main idea for a map, then i break it down into the major sections
each one of those major sections gets details.
once you have the script down, you move to paper.

For example: Hero must avoid capture and launch a missile.

• There's a valley in there me must cross
• There will be heavy resistance in the form of [enemy]
• the missile is located [location]
• the player starts at [location]

then you build each of those ideas and tie them into eachother.
Just basic overhead views with maybe some perspective sketches in there to set the theme.
Once you have your overviews, you just start mapping what you have on paper.
block everything out with basics, add 1 level of detail then start doing scripts and triggers. once those work perfectly, i usually start adding in more detail and messing with lights.

Now you don't have to follow that structure to the letter because i always deviate from it. But a wise man once told me "You always need a plan because you need something to deviate from."

to me, the more creative time i spend doing prep-work, the easier it is to map because i can spend time mapping what i have already created instead of creating something from scratch in-editor.

I have Halflife on Steam. The game can be launched from the Steam library. It's a statement.
When you are in Hammer Editor and want to run a map you choose File, Run, Run the game...
Another statement.
I have a gadget mouse with 3 sticks which allows me to play Halflife with all the main command by the right hand scope. The device needs a driver that runs in the background while playing.
3rd statement.

If I launch HL from Hammer (Run..) the device is not recognized.
For it to run I actually have to untick Run the game... after compilation then switch to the Steam lib, press Play.and launch the map by the console map mapname however Hammer and Steam both launch the same HL executable hl.exe.

An advice on this issue please. It would be great to use Hammer and HL with my dear gifted usb mouse.

Hmm... Does it also seems like you can't move around or hear any of the in-game sounds? If that's the case, just click with your mouse. If that doesn't work, alt-tab out of the game, and then bring it up again. I've found this is a bug when you load the game from Hammer. I suspect that it' because the window currently loaded is hammer, even if half-life is displayed. I hope this helps you.

It won't help my mouse.

I noticed Steam launches HL by the command steam://rungameid/70 while Hammer launches the local exe with a few build params.

It's certainly a missing command to put in the Expert tab of the Run Map [Advanced]

Oh, wait. I'm using a different command then the stock one to launch Half-Life from Steam through Hammer.
Uncheck the box next to the $game_exe command.
Create a new command, and make it point to your steam.exe.
Make the parameters: -applaunch 70 -game (yourmod)

You made it !

Command
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe

Parameters
-applaunch 70 -game valve +map $file -dev -console

Are you a Steam user ?

http://samuel.dumont.pagesperso-orange.fr/file/hammer.png

I think it's time to say thank you

Yes, I'm a Steam user. Otherwise I wouldn't use the Steam launch command.

What are your favorite games ?
Have you got the Commando series ?

I suggest you use a front end for compiling your maps, it's much less of a hassle. I would suggest my own, but it's not entirely bug free and has some issues, but it will compile fine if you set it up correctly which is pretty self explanatory.

Otherwise, use Sledge's built-in compiler, and while you're at it, use Sledge for mapping as well.

Advertising!

Hey Fisherman, It's a bit strong.
I hardly handle the hammer's compiler.

Hi,
Is it possible to make a trigger_changelevel change for a random .bsp ?
The New map name param would be a variable randomly chosen among a few different bsp name (in an array...).
Maybe with its SmartEdit, adding Key, Value ?
room=r1,r3,r4,r5,6,r7
i=random number
map=room[i]

You could probably overlap the triggers and randomly active the Masters. (multisource)

It's that simple ? ;)I thought it would be harder.

I'll get to know what's a Master and how to overlap the triggers of a Multisource.

Thank you for the very quick answer !

Overlapping anything just means to put it in exactly the same place as something else.

Masters are multisource entities defined in another entity's "master" field. An entity will not activate unless it's master have been triggered.

Just going by the title of the map one would think it is an adult-rated [game/movie] set on the moon.

Had to say it.

Any trigger has a "Master" that needs to be active for the trigger to work. Make a multisource to act as the master. Check out an example: http://twhl.info/vault.php?map=6046

I always have an adult-rated [game/movie] set on the moon in my mind.
Those poor colors sweat over my thought and get down through the keyboard if you know what I mean.
...

Anyone could explain me what's the Lip param of a func_door entity ?

Normally, doors will move their full height/width/breadth when opened. The lip parameter changes how far the door moves.

Example:
You have a simple door that opens upwards and is 128 units tall.
Without lip, it will move 128 units up when opened.
With a lip of 28, the door will move 100 units up when opened.
With a lip of -28, the door will move 156 units up when opened.

While on topic, does it do anything on func_door_rotatings?

It wouldn't appear to, at least not on the quick test I did just now.