Office Complex

Office Complex, the fourth chapter of Half-Life, brings Gordon Freeman to Sector D Administration.

Architecture

Much of the area is comprised of tile floors and concrete walls. The doors and trim are made of red metal. Offices have carpeted floors and brush desks with wood tops. Several parts of the chapter require the player to climb through air ducts to get around obstacles, such as the beginning where the player has to climb into a duct to get around a locked door. You can use these ducts to lead players to hidden objects of interest, like ammunition or suit batteries.

Environment

Several offices are trashed much like the earlier parts of the game, such as the flooded one near the beginning. To add variety, leave some mostly intact. Vending machines and trash cans are also found occasionally, namely in communal areas around offices. Consider placing diplomas and whiteboards on office walls and couches and bookshelves in resting areas to increase visual interest.

As seen in c1a2c the sector does have some more industrial areas, such as the freezer area. You should put down a few icy patches where the player could unwittingly stumble into enemies.

NPCs

Scientists and security guards should be common. Placing security around areas with multiple enemies should be done to give players some extra firepower. Scientists can sometimes be seen being dragged into air ducts and ceiling tiles by unseen aliens. Dead scientists are also a good idea when done conservatively.

Aliens should include headcrabs (usually falling out of the ceiling), zombies (often seen eating dead scientists), bullsquids (primarily in the more industrial areas), and vortigaunts. Vortigaunts are usually seen in groups of three, whereas headcrabs are usually in groups of two or three, though possibly more.

Maps

The following .bsps comprise this chapter.

• c1a2
• c1a2a
• c1a2b
• c1a2c
• c1a2d

Note:c1a2d isn't required to finish the game.

Gallery

• 

  Entrance.

• 

  A resting area with a dead scientist and the ceiling broken in from a falling headcrab

• 

  Part of the freezer area. Note the bullsquid

• 

  A hallway, with more detailed walls and zombies feeding on corpses

Expand/Collapse Half-Life ChaptersExpand/Collapse
Hazard Course t0a0	Black Mesa Inbound c0a0	Anomalous Materials c1a0	Unforeseen Consequences c1a0c
Office Complex c1a2	"We've Got Hostiles!" c1a3	Blast Pit c1a4	Power Up c2a1
On a Rail c2a2	Apprehension c2a3	Residue Processing c2a4	Questionable Ethics c2a4d
Surface Tension c2a5	"Forget About Freeman!" c3a1	Lambda Core c3a2	Xen c4a1
Gonarch's Lair c4a2	Interloper c4a1a	Nihilanth c4a3	Endgame c5a1