User:Fitzroy doll

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Revision as of 05:24, 19 January 2007 by Fitzroy doll (talk | contribs) (→‎Projects: - new project ready for download.)
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Website

Amphibian Mods is a collection of working download links to quality single player maps and mods for many different first person shooter games, including Half Life and Half Life 2. The site includes instructions for running all maps and mods from the command line.

Projects

Css sci fi 5.gif

CSS SCI FI is a single player modification for SMOD which uses maps from Counter Strike: Source as the setting for classic Half Life 2 "Counter Combine" action. CSS SCI FI mixes random generation of enemies and resources with map-specific scripting to create a fully realised and readily replayable game. The scripts used to achieve this were originally conceived by the SMOD author and have been expanded and elaborated to create a new HL2 SMOD experience.

By adapting code from the SMOD author’s mapadds, I’ve written custom lua/mapadd files for 15 of the standard CS:S maps. The mapadds combine randomness with specific scripting to provide a realistic but fun experience.

Part of the goal of the project was to ensure that all sounds, textures and materials in CS:S appear as expected, without breaking anything in HL2 single player. In this the project is a success, right down to the ringing bells in Inferno (with the exception of detail shapes and fishpools, of course).

The script files are designed for SMOD 38, HL2 and CS:S. They have not been tested with other SMOD meta mods such as SMOD: Tactical and SMOD Redux but I can't see why they would not work.

This project was also a test to see how much editing you can do outside Hammer, with only the two script files to work with. The information I gained from this is all posted on my website, below. If anyone finds solutions for the problems I encountered, please let me know.

Project home page: CSS SCI FI

Wishlist for HL2 Single Player Mapping

  1. Allow HL2 single player, both in the game and in Hammer, to mount multiple GCFs, for example, the CS:S and HL2 GCFs. This should be doable with the Gameinfo.txt but at present it does not work. This is important as it will allow mappers to make use of resources in both locations without extracting or redistributing content. The only way to achieve this at present is to use a modified client and server dll, which is a poor workaround for something which should not be a problem in the first place. See Mod_Content_Usage for more on this issue. Actually I've changed my mind on this issue. Every now and then I come across an old mod for Half Life (GoldSource) that fails to load because cstrike.wad could not be found. I'm sure at the time the designer imagined that everyone would have Counter Strike, so why not include it. Well now, almost 10 years later, that's not the case. By counting on the player having multiple games, you are limiting your audience and limiting the longevity of your work. In any case, if you want to play HL2 enemies in CS:S settings, check out CSS SCI FI!
  2. Enable friendly fire for citizens. I've noticed that the Combine can accidentally shoot one another but the rebels never do. I know this can be done with mods but it would be nice to have in game.
  3. enable the Func_fish_pool in HL2 single player. I want fish that swim around, not just murderous leeches!
  4. enable Bullet_Penetration_in_Counter-Strike:_Source for HL2 Single Player. Who doesn't want to "wall" a combine? The bullet decals appear on the other side of the wall as if this was happening, but no damage occurs. I realise that this could be a problem for scenarios such as the end of Lost Coast (and the end of Episode 1 for that matter), but it would be a nice feature.
  5. enable the Detail_Props#Detail_Shapes in single player. It makes more sense for HL2 single player to have this feature, because processor overhead is less of an issue in HL2SP than it is in CSS or DODS.
  6. fix the HDR warning for the skybox when you compile a map. Every map I compile, including the SDK examples, contains these warnings:
Creating default cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials:
skybox/sky_day01_01*.vmt
Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.

No such variable "$hdrbasetexture" for material "skybox/sky_day01_01rt"
Can't load skybox file skybox/sky_day01_01 to build the default cubemap!
This happens because the tools seem to expect you to be undertaking HDR_Skybox_Creation, even though it should be perfectly possible to map without the use of HDR.
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