Starting now and going through until the end of February 2020.
Rules:
1. Every member must work from the base map. Stick within the room space - 1024x1024x224.
2. You can carve into the walls, floor and ceiling, add balconies, windows, lighting insets... whatever you please, as long as the player stays within the room space and nothing extends too obviously into where someone else's room will be above or below.
3. We're descending the tower this time, but that shouldn't make any difference to how the map is navigated (see the base map).
4. Make it as easy or difficult as you like, you don't even need much gameplay, just some reason to enter the room before moving downstairs. It could be as simple as pushing a button to open a door out in the hall.
5. Custom content of all kinds welcome (textures, models, sounds), please just prefix things with the the first three letters of your name (e.g. str_potplant.mdl). I'll merge all the textures into a single WAD before release to keep things neat and tidy.
6. If you're using third party content (with permission) please include a text file with the appropriate credits, otherwise no stealing, obviously!
7. You can change the hall as much as you please to suit your idea. Add another door, move the existing door down the hall, add lasers, Snorlax, anything that doesn't greatly alter the shape of the hall. Just make sure you pass through the purple weapon stripper at the end, where a level change will occur.
8. There's a light_environment and an info_texlights included in the space outside the stairwell window. Please don't alter the environment light (or the skybox), it's facing south into your room if you want to add windows. Add whatever you need to the info texlights.
9. Final compile will be done with Vluzacn's ZHLT v34, and the -full vis and -extra light parameters. if you're using any specific compile commands, let me know.
10. Don't do anything Half-Life wouldn't do. By that I mean no porn or sweary tirades, this is a community project. I don't expect any problems, just keep it M, not R.
11. New this year is a collectible Half-Life CD included in the base map. Hide it somewhere in your floor, if players find them all something cool might happen in the last map. If you don't want to put it in your room that's fine, just leave it out in the hall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can participate?You must have an account on the TWHL website or be on the TWHL Discord, so you can send Strider your level. That's the only requirement - you can be of any skill level. We will accept any completed map that obeys the rules outlined above. Teams are allowed.
Where do I send my floor?
Send your map source files (in RMF, JMF or MAP format), and all required custom content to Strider - either via private message on TWHL or contact him via Discord at @Strideh#3588. If you want to submit your floor to the TWHL vault, you can -- however, it's probably better if you can keep it as a surprise.
Can I use custom decals?
To be safe - no. Goldsource has some special logic surrounding decals, and it can be difficult to get it working correctly. Decals can be replicated using sprites, see The303's tutorial: http://www.the303.org/tutorials/gold_sprite_p3.htm
Should I create a texture for the map name in the hallway? (example picture)
No, Strider will complete these textures at the end of the project, to ensure consistency. When sending your files, include a title for your floor so the texture can be created.
What progams do I use to create my map?
See the Tools and Resources wiki page for options. The tutorials on the Wiki can help you get started.
Most people these days use the J.A.C.K editor and VHLT v34 compile tools.
I get an error when compiling the map in JACK, how do I fix it?
If you get an error like this:
File -> Save As and save your map with a new name. Use this file from now on, and it will work correctly.I've never used SOHL before, do I need a special setup for it?
No - mapping for SOHL is the same as mapping for vanilla HL. In your editor of choice, add a new config for TWHL Tower 2 and add the "spirit18" (from the mod folder) and "zhlt" (from your compile tools) FGD files. The mod folder should be twhltower2, all other settings are what you would expect them to be. Be sure to playtest your map using the TWHL Tower 2 mod, as there are minor incompatibilities between vanilla HL and SOHL. Unless you're doing complicated entity work, you probably won't experience any issues.
What extra functionality does SOHL provide?
The main functionality is "entity parenting" using the "moves with" entity property. This lets you attach one entity to another so they move together, and can be a very powerful tool when used correctly. Unfortunately all the features of SOHL aren't documented very well. You can find details on many of the changes here: spirit-1.2-docs.zip. If you know C++, you can search the source code here: Spirit-of-Half-Life-1.8--VC2010.
Why are sparks appearing above my NPC's sometimes?
This is a quirk of SOHL being compiled in debug mode. The final mod will be compiled in release mode, and the sparks will be gone.
The .rar download doesn't work for me, is there an alternate download link?
Try these:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10S3FhabfMQ3C-0UnuC1J-XEREZAQJ0pg/view?usp=sharing
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/640147115917443072/642492288802488340/twhltower2.zip
Please let me know if I've missed something, or messed something up, I'm rusty with Goldsource.
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