Mapping for HL1 Created 20 years ago2004-11-18 08:43:18 UTC by Wrangler249

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This is a question that has been bugging me lately, Will I keep on mapping for Half-Life 1, or switch solidly to Half-life 2?
Which would you choose?

Yep.

I am currently finishing a Mod (The Last Mod), which is set in HL1, the sequel (if there is one, IF this one gets done) will be set in HL2 engine.

I think HL1 mods are going to die off a lot (hey no shit) but I think people will still use HL1 because of its familiarity and simplicity to pick up and map for in comparison to HL2.

Cant wait for the HL2 FDG to be released though and yes I know, you can get it from the Leaked version but the leaked HL2 FDG doesnt work. You cant spawn monsters.

Good idea Tycell. Sequel in HL2... I like that.

There will be a need for HL1 mod's for a while yet, the main reason for that is that some people can not afford the hardware to run HL2.
Software levels were still being downloaded ... correction... 'Are' still being downloaded.

One thing still holds true...
If you design a good level, it will be downloaded.
If it is exceptionally good... it doesn't matter what platform it was made on...
The largest market for HL1 Mod's is Asia and Central Europe.
This market is LARGE... and with China coming online at an alarming rate you have two options...
1. Be 1337 and 'dis' all sub-standard technology, widoz and muppysoft.
2. Create HL1 and watch the hit counter revolve.

[Ask SlayerA where the majority of Minimicus downloads come from these day's]

My piss poor home site "built with NOF" (not in notepad cause I can't code for shit) recieves a handul of hits a day... 'about 5'... lol....
But the referer tells me that every hit is looking for Half-Life Modification and Half-Life Single Player Mod.

If you are still not convinced, then why are people still building Quake Maps??
Why is Q2 still the most active forum base around??

the map I am working on is my first and last serious project for/with HL1 : in my opinion, HL1 is totally dead for ages, and the only thing that make it survive is CS and maybe NS, which are going to switch to upgraded versions (CS:S) with HL2, and in addition Hammer/Worldcraft is now a crappy editor next to what has been released for some years (UnrealEd, Doom3, SandBox, ...), then I really see no point to still map for HL1 ...

J.C is kinda off track with the "HL1 is totally dead" thing, but he's got a point...

The biggest crowds will download HL2 mods - not HL1. And furthermore, the biggest mods will no doubt be multiplayer mods.
The future isn't looking too bright if you're a strict Half-Life mapper who's looking to be famous, like it or not.

I doubt I'll be mapping for HL1 much anymore. Gunna stick around here properly again once I've completed ?, of course.

My plan is to keep the Half-Life executables, so I can have to option of running HL1 maps. But like most people, I am switching to mapping for HL2.

I am sure there will be a continuous demand for HL1 maps for some time to come, but it'll gradually trickle off.

When was the last time you played a cassette tape for music?

when I wanted to hear "kick down the walls" from Toto (Kingdom of desire, 1992) : a song there is on the tape, but for some reason not on the CD. ok that was years ago ...

You proved my point, J.C.

The technological momentum is relentless. The latest version of anything takes over the predecessor. It's just the cycle of life, plain and simple.

Half-Life 2 will take over the original, and there isn't anything anyone can do about it.

It isn't even a bad thing.

Even though Andy has a point regarding the people in Asia and South America, but they're not relevant to our community. Do we even have a single member from Asia at TWHL?

And true, it's not a bad thing at all. Progress is good. That's how humanity improves itself.

I can't imagine going back and play the original Doom. There wasn't even mouse freelook! And the original Wolfenstein? It didn't even support mouse movement.

It isn't even a bad thing.

looks like you never lost your job because the softs you master aren't "the lastest ones" : I am unemployed for 5 years because I focused on Director while it's flash that is finally go so popular. ok you may tell me "just switch to flash", but that isn't that easy to always always always forget everything you painfully learned to always always switch on a new technology that the first years is just crap (always crash, not compatible with anything, awful interface ...), and when it's finally good, something f#ck#ng new has just been released : ...

but yeah progress is good, from a carthesian point of view at least ...

(well, I fear this discussion is going off-topic ...)

what can we call "progress" ?
who define/build it ?
who take advantage of it ?

definitely, I consider myself a victim of the "progress" : while it could be so much better for everyone to educate people, learn them to think by themselves "what do I really want ? what do I really need ?" and stick to "good" things, masses are restricted to superficial things, and looks like to be addicted to the "new" mark. I am trying to work on the video games industry for about 3 years, but every every times this is always the same story :

_not the right soft
_not the right skill
_not the right time
_not the right place
_not the right guy
_never enough, never enough, never enough ...

I keep on learning new softs and working on my portfolio the whole day, but everytime that's just wrong, off-topic ... out of date : the industry changed technology, what people want now is totally different, well man we don't need you ...

progress is killing me.
I hate progress.

I will take a look on Hammer4 as soon as possible, but that means most experiences I got on Hammer 3.5 is now not anymore useful, before the warcraft 3 map editor, before the AvP2 lithtech map editor, before Director Lingo, before Amstrad BASIC ... what I noticed on an other hand, is that everytime it's easier to learn a new soft, when there is a relationship with what you already know, but that is still tiring, so useless, so fast, so senseless ...

One thing we do know is that we cannot escape or avoid progress, whatever it is. It's as nebulously defined as politics or fashion, but no one can deny its existence and power.

We just gotta roll with it, go with the flow. Antagonizing it and despising it doesn't get anywhere, because progress has no emotion and it doesn't care about the people it affects.

The game development industry is particularly brutal in that respect. Next to the entertainment industry, it's probably the most demanding and most whimsical career that anyone can pursue.

Have you read about the fiance of the EA employee? It was widely publicized on the internet, and the "hazard" of working for a game company is well known. People have to be prepared to face such a struggle when they decide they're going to go into the industry. It's cut-throat and cruel.

but it's not mentioned in the notice when you got your "omg I wanna be a game designer" enlightment

I totally agree with what you said ... I already heard about that EA employee stuff, could you gimme some links about that please ? is that story official ? serious ? can we conclude it's general ?

omg if I cannot be a game designer, what will I do with that poor life ? cursed to buy what the others decide ...

That story about the EA employee is not only true, but official. In fact, I also read about it on the Los Angeles Times (very respectable journal).

Here is a link that contains the original text of the letter:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/ea_spouse/

If anyone is looking for a career in gaming and still want a social life and maintain his/her sanity and health, consider yourself forewarned.

When was the last time you played a cassette tape for music?

I did 5 min. Ago

VINAL4EVA!!!!

Oh yea.. And HL1 !!!!!!11One!!!!11one!!!111!!!