Project Genesis Created 5 years ago2019-01-07 00:46:59 UTC by TranshumanShephard

My project is on hold for now until I can get a fully fixed and operational Half-Life: Opposing Force source code engine. Here are the details.

I don't have a name for it right now, so let's just refer to it as Project Genesis. Like Blue Shift and Opposing Force, the story will take place parallel to Half-Life. You will play as a scientist in an HEV suit fighting for survival against the alien invaders and the HECU grunts and assassins (both the male and female ones).

Now, question you're probably asking is, "Why this being an Opposing Force mod instead of a mod for the base HL1 game?" Well, because of the weapons, monster types, and other assets I want to include. I can do a few changes to the HUD, while trying to turn the night vision goggles into the flashlight, and getting the suit to talk and make sounds like the HEV suit instead of quiet like the HECU one. For the weapons from Opposing Force, I found the right view models for changing the player character's arms. Credit goes to someone called Cybermax:

https://gamebanana.com/skins/141507

I'm also looking to give Dr. Rosenberg a cameo somewhere in the intro part of my mod. I also have some characters of my own I would like to create, one of them guiding and helping the player character survive. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will hint that this supporting character may be a scientist in a lab overcoat, maybe with a different face. Will you travel to the world of Xen? Why yes, you might.

To be honest, I think something similar was done when Half-Life: Echoes was made. I looked it up on Mod DB, and it says that it's an Opposing Force mod. While I am uncertain, I think Residual Life is also an Opposing Force mod.

Sounds big, right? This may or may not happen. I hope someday it will. In the meantime, I have other projects, specifically a DOOM mod. Let me know what you all think. If you have questions, ask them. If you have modding tips and advice, lay those out as well.

Hl Echoes and Risidual life are mods based upon the Spirit engine.. Ever tried it ? You may not get the Voltigore but therefore all other Op4 monsters for choosing with it. Not to mention tons of custom models if you so desire.

https://www.moddb.com/mods/spirit-of-half-life

Spirit of Half-Life as a whole is a little bit unstable. It's best to just borrow and stitch features from it.

Also, you maybe already know this, but just in case, make sure that you have permissions from Cybermax to actually use that in your mod. My mistake in 2015 was that I was just downloading models and never crediting anyone nor asking for permission.

Most of what you described in regards to changing (NV to flashlight, talking HEV suit, HUD changes) won't be hard.

operational Half-Life: Opposing Force source code engine

A source code engine. Hah.

As for the mod's concept, well, I can't say much since I'm more into total conversions. But, good luck with the mod.

I always thought the vortiglores were annoying anyway, but that’s just me. As for getting permission from Cybermax, how do I contact him? Does Gamebanana have a private message system? I will of course give him credit. I don’t want to be like that guy who made Hunt Down the Freeman, who frequently denies the fact that he stole other people’s mods and assets without giving anyone credit.

I like the idea of using the Spirit of Half-Life code. I've been reading about it, and it sounds like it has some promise. Some, if not a lot. Meanwhile, I found this:

https://github.com/Hammermaps-DEV/SOHL-V1.9-Opposing-Force-Edition

I also found the .7z download link in the main folder. With bad internet, it's all slowly downloading as we speak.

Yes, GameBanana has got a private messaging system.

I strongly suggest to stay away from SoHL especially the latest versions.

If you want features from it, follow Admer's advice, take only what you need.

There has to be something I can use. It's not like I can open and edit Opposing Force's DLL file. That can't be done; and according to many Half-Life fans, such a procedure is forbidden. I'm not making an entire SDK from scratch. I wouldn't know where to start.

Also, putting some things from one source to another, they may not be compatible with one another; and the mod may not run.

They might not be compatible sometimes, but you can never be sure about things like these easily if it's your first time in the SDK. Trust me. Take your time and learn the basics of the SDK, because copying and pasting things you don't understand is definitely ending up in a mess at some point. But it won't be a mess if you understand most of it.

You have got a recreated (but incomplete) Opposing Force source code. You can fix whatever you can and complete what can be completed. After that, stitch some entities and features from SOHL that you need. Whether they are compatible or not, IntelliSense and the compiler will tell you that (and the engine once you test the features out, when they compile).

While learning the SDK, see how entities work. Read those tutorials up there. You'll get started with the server side stuff (entities, NPCs, weapons maybe), and then try some clientside stuff (HUD, view etc.), and then a combination of both. You may ultimately not need some (or in your case, most) of the things you make, but for the sake of learning, it's a good thing to do and try out different things. At least from my experience.

As time goes on, you will start creating your own entities from scratch without needing to look at other entities, and then you will fully know what to do.

I'm not making an entire SDK from scratch

Nobody has ever done that. Only Valve. You might be referring to recreating the Opposing Force code on top of the regular Half-Life SDK. You don't have to do that either, just take one foundation and complete it.

Well, I'm doing a build; and I keep getting an error file talking about a missing file called "vminmax.h". What is that file, and where does that go. That doesn't seem to be a file that goes to a HL project.

Nevermind. It seems that Norton 360 is deleting files at random, and none of them are corrupt.