MINERVA: Episodic, Single-Player Half-Life 2
Poke646: Vendetta - posted by Cargo Cult on Saturday December 23 2006
Okay, it's still not MINERVA, but I did help playtest it. I suggest you play it too!
Poke646: Vendetta gameplay video
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Poke646: Vendetta gameplay video 2
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Poke646 website, with lots of download mirrors, screenshots etc. Highly recommended.
Edit 2006-12-23: Also, wishing you all a very merry Christmas/Newtonmas/other holiday of your choice and a happy New Year!
Article Comments (now closed)
2. Stupidity
Posted by Sirc at 4:38PM, Saturday December 23 2006
I've never been able to use any Half-Life 1 mods purely for the fact that I have NO idea where to put them when I upload them. It is a shame because I uploaded that game recently too. I blame the lack of instructions and/or my computer.
Oh well...
;P
3. To: Stupid
Posted by Max at 4:58PM, Saturday December 23 2006
Just install it to your Half-Life folder, it'll appear in your "custom games" section when you start up Half-Life, so just activate it and start the game.
That worked for me anyway.
4. You did what?! ;-)
Posted by Nesretep at 6:55PM, Saturday December 23 2006
You spent time playing another game rather than working to finish Minerva? Hmmm...I'm sensing that you think you're supposed to have a life other than just making this game....WHO TOLD YOU YOU COULD DO THAT! J/K
5. More Stupidity
Posted by Sirc at 9:43PM, Saturday December 23 2006
I just remembered I only have Half Life: Source so...
Meh...
I don't care enough now to bother...
People are allowed to play other games for inspiration... ;)
BUT FINISH IT BEFORE TOO LONG!!!
6. Awesome
Posted by M_Gargantua at 2:13AM, Sunday December 24 2006
Poke646 was awesome, Vendetta was awesome, great job on testing it.
I must ask though, if there was anything really pivitol that came out of your testing it?
7. Great Game
Posted by Mr Happy at 8:44AM, Sunday December 24 2006
Both this and the original are works of art Vendetta's soooo short tho :(
8. V for Vendetta
Posted by locworks at 11:20PM, Sunday December 24 2006
My two zlotys...
Pros:
- interesting plot
- realistic level design
- sweet puzzles (the low gravity room being my favourite!)
- balanced encounters (always look where to hide from the big bad <censored> and know when to run).
- short game duration*
Cons (trivial):
- I missed the nail guns from the first episode
- the clunky handling of the pipe makes headcrab bashing quite difficult
- unjumpable pipes in the area above the low gravity room (to the charge of noclipping, I plead guilty)
- flatness of some elements which should be 3D (inherent to HL1, I guess)
Overall: elegant and well executed. Much more enjoyable and playable than some recent HL2 mods (Cryshield, pour ne pas le citer)
*I find that the time I can dedicate to playing is greatly reduced with a three-week old baby in the flat. Short mods are good. ;-)
And Merry Christmas to everyone!
9. Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!
Posted by Cargo Cult at 11:47PM, Sunday December 24 2006
Random responses:
* Enter an old HL CD-key into Steam, and you'll acquire a fancy modern Steam copy for download straight away.
* The Poke646: Vendetta installer knows where your Half-Life lives. No intervention necessary.
* Other projects? Mwuhahaha!
* What came out of testing? Nothing pivotal, merely polishing and minor bugfixes. While I could point out some of the changes made as a result of my feedback, they're in no way pivotal - the mod was really solid and well-designed *before* I played it the other weekend.
* Unjumpable pipes: break the grating underneath, and crawl - much simpler.
Next step is persuading Marc Schröder et al to graduate to the Source engine, Much good could come out of that - as soon as they realise it's *not necessarily* a massive increase in workload... ;-)
And to everyone else:
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année !
Prettige Feestdagen en Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes Neues Jahr!
Veselé Vánoce a Šťastný Nový Rok!
С Рождеством Христовым и c наступающим Новым Годом !
Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!
Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!
(... Courtesy of a Polish friend working for the EC. If he's managed to insult you, let me know...)
10. Minevera: Episode 3
Posted by Lewk at 3:35PM, Wednesday December 27 2006
I'd like a really juicy screenshot! Just one should do. Anyone else agree?
11. Half life install
Posted by Dan Forever at 2:09AM, Thursday December 28 2006
Holy socks: Surely you can register your CD key on steam (if you haven't already done so) and download it?
12. Really Cool
Posted by Lord_Baz at 10:58AM, Friday December 29 2006
That was awesome. Definately short though but an enjoyable couple of hours none the less. Still, that team is damn good and anything they do would rock!
Hey there's an idea, let's call them a a hit and run mod team, you only see them every 5 years but it's always worth the wait :D
13. Irrelevance
Posted by Cargo Cult at 1:37AM, Sunday December 31 2006
So, it's another evening of mapping.
Yep, I've got *loads* done. The first section of metastasis_3a is actually playable. And somewhat atmospheric.
Now, to decide on the exact level of expletives to be spat from dear Minerva's increasingly filthy mouth... ;-)
14. excitipating
Posted by vecima at 5:40AM, Sunday December 31 2006
i too am spending the latter part of this evening mapping...
you entice me, Mr. Cult, and the fact that metastasis 3 (Depth Charge, correct?) comes as more than one map blows my mind.
i have need minerva.
(and that bit of conjugation came out of the 'increasingly filthy mouth' of one recently earned of a degree of science - go america!)
15. Even more irrelevance!
Posted by xbskid at 4:27PM, Sunday December 31 2006
Well, it's been known that chapter 3 was going to be broken into two maps.. But now the question is: Will we get map 3a to play while you finish up 3b (And the resulting final packaging of Metastasis)? Or will you make us wait for both maps and the final package?
16. relavant to the irrelavance
Posted by Holy Socks at 5:07PM, Sunday December 31 2006
I think, and hope that we are getting both maps at the same time in one package, along with HDR versions of the two previous maps... hopefully...
17. I want it all
Posted by krisvek at 6:22PM, Sunday December 31 2006
I want everything, now. No compromise :-P
18. Life, the Universe and Everything
Posted by Cargo Cult at 6:38PM, Sunday December 31 2006
Yep, the grand-unified-Metastasis release as described by Holy Socks is what's being worked on. I know it's taken ages - but I *hope* it'll be worth it.... ;-)
Also, I've discovered a bug in this 'ere blog. Firefox fetching an RSS feed counts as a visit - messing up the 'new message' timestamp cookies in the process.
I may fix it. Eventually, however - since right now, there is more important work to be done!
19. something new
Posted by Au-heppa at 1:42AM, Monday January 1 2007
I really hope Metasis 3 would have something new more than just the mapping. For example, the stalker zombie?
Minerva 2 and 3 suggested that there's something extraordinarily scary in there. The third chapter would be perfect to finally show us what that scary is.
20. oooooooo
Posted by krisvek at 1:55AM, Monday January 1 2007
Maybe the first-ever custom Minerva art asset? Dum-dum-dummmm!
That would be cool...some kind of uber-robot A.I. death-mongerer weapon of total annihil-death.
Or mebbe just stalkers :)
The dramatic, scary thing being protected may just be part of the installation itself, like...a time machine, or a portal device, thus requiring no additional characters to fulfill.
21. Scary thingy
Posted by kast at 4:03AM, Monday January 1 2007
I'd think the scariest thing we could see would be Minerva herself.
I have a strange picture in my mind of SHODAN and Minerva sitting by a window over-looking the dark matter reactor, discussing philosophy over high tea. Oh, I wish I could create visual art of some sort...
22. more!
Posted by krisvek at 7:51AM, Monday January 1 2007
throw in Helios and/or Daedalus too! heheh
23. the stalkers
Posted by Au-heppa at 9:45AM, Monday January 1 2007
Well, I might even find battles against stalkers interesting since that was left kind of short in EP1. I don't know if they would do good in a battle, thou, they don't seem to have any melee animations and they only have that laser which is kind of boring.
24. And in Other News...
Posted by Sirc at 4:41PM, Monday January 1 2007
Yes... I love the Hitchhikker's Guide to the Galaxy series...
Anyway...
Can't wait to see the ending of the first Minerva. By the 'verbal' cues I surmise that we will be a sacraficial monkey wrench...
:D
I have advertised this game to many people and while none (to my knowledge) have joined here, I can tell you they wait with baited breath.
;P
25. Happy New Year All
Posted by Baffled at 6:38PM, Monday January 1 2007
I hope everyone had a happy Xmas and was able to welcome the New Year in style ( I noticed the time-stamp on Kast's post: 3am New Year's Day, now that's dedication, an example for all Acolytes!! ;-) )
So Late Summer 2006 has extended into January 2007, I'm going to have to take those dire warnings about Gobal Warming more seriously in future! ;-)
It seems MINERVA may have just one release a year, and this one is likely to be the Mother-Of-All-Releases, as the late, and not much lamented Mr Hussein might have put it. I'm sure it will be well worth the wait.
In the meantime has everyone seen this?:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rR8F_ik8A1I
26. Crossplayer?
Posted by kast at 1:14AM, Tuesday January 2 2007
Woh! No, not heard of this before. ANOTHER Valve release... amazing. On top of their ongoing HL series, there's TF2, Portal, Left4Dead and now this Crossplayer business... incredible.
Looks amazing. With an art director with credentials like that, it's bound to look and feel brilliant. And it would seem Valve and Arcane got a little chummy working on Dark Messiah. Can't be a bad thing, I say.
I'm sure PC Gamer UK will have something on it next issue. :P
27. crossplayer.... you'll get caught up in a... crossplayer
Posted by vecima at 2:30PM, Tuesday January 2 2007
after seeing that most intriguing teaser, i searched the arcane site for it, but could find nothing particularly usefull about this 'the crossing' game.
looks cool though... the city seemed alive, as opposed to the dead city 17. was that a soccer ball that went rolling down the street... i couldn't see any kids or other people playing, but i think it was.
anyway... what does crossplayer mean? am i the only one who doesn't get it?
28. CP
Posted by kast at 3:38PM, Tuesday January 2 2007
There's a lot of discussion at to what exactly crossplay is. Looking carefully at the clip, you can there's another character with a name tag floating above them, working alongside the player. So it seems like co-operative from that.
Ooh, I think I've got it. Two small teams of players fight along a linear series of levels, somewhat like Dark Messiah's multiplayer perhaps but with a single-player like storyline and progression.
Judging from the imagery, the 'cross' similar to that used by the English in the crusades, and the almost Samurai-like outfit of the guy at the very end... it would seem Crossing revolves around conflict between old secret organisations like the Templar or such. Very Deus Ex :P Deus Ex crossed with Matrix perhaps.
29. Minerva Icon?
Posted by xbskid at 5:11PM, Tuesday January 2 2007
I was just staring at my games window in Steam, and I noticed that the Dark Messiah 'M' looks too much like the MINERVA 'M' (At least in color). Adam, is there any possible chance you could redo the Metastasis icon sometime, and possibly incorporate the sword from the main Minerva site?
30. The Crossing (Pelican? Or Zebra?)
Posted by Cargo Cult at 8:53PM, Tuesday January 2 2007
I'm definitely intrigued. I'm guessing it's some variety of co-op gaming - but quite what the mysterious alteration is, we'll have to wait.
If it proves dependent on human-controlled opposing characters, I am hoping it's possible to play with friends, rather than random twits allocated off the interweb - one thing that puts me off multiplayer stuff is the sheer, immersion-killing idiocy of most of the players. ;-)
Also, it's not sub-Tolkien fantasy crap. I'm actually allergic to anything containing wizards, elves, dwarves and the like. World of Warcraft can go rot in a digital hell, for all I care - it's so *derivative* it's unbelievable. I'd find a twisted real-world setting much more palatable...
...
Icons? Coincidentally, I was thinking about that just earlier. I think I'm going to go with a variation of the Someplace Else one. For ... various reasons.
Also, I fixed the RSS-vs-cookies bug. I think. It took all of five minutes - done while I was waiting for a work-in-progress metastasis_3a.bsp to compile, before anyone complains.
31. Odd unavailable error with steam.
Posted by ducbian at 3:44PM, Wednesday January 3 2007
Currently when I try and launch minerva or any 3rd party mod (Poke 646, Rock 24, etc..) on steam I get the "this game is not currently available" error. Steam support don't seem to be interested in resolving it because it's obviously third party related.
It's clearly not an issue with minerva or it wouldn't happen with so many other mods, I've tried all the usual suspects such as deleting the clientregistry.blob and removing everything but the steamapps/username/ folder and reinstalling steam but strangely if I create a desktop link then whatever mod it is works fine, anybody have any thoughts / suggestions?
32. so... when?
Posted by Procyon at 3:50AM, Thursday January 4 2007
We are all waiting for you Adam.
33. Yes, Adam.
Posted by xbskid at 3:12PM, Thursday January 4 2007
You are one of us now.
One of us.
One of us.
(Etc.)
34. re: so...when?
Posted by vecima at 6:59PM, Thursday January 4 2007
Running a little late today, aren't you, Adam?
C'mon, Adam! You trying to get me into trouble?
Ah, Adam. If I'd known it was you, I'd have let you in. Everyone's heading for the surface, but I think they're crazy. If we stay put, someone is bound to come rescue us.
Were getting out of here! Forget about Foster!
Foster, you fool!
They're waiting for you Adam, in the test chamberrrr.
Adam Foster, in the flesh - or, rather, in the hazard suit. I took the liberty of relieving you of your weapons. Most of them were government property. As for the suit, I think you've earned it. The borderworld, Xen, is in our control, for the time being... thanks to you. Quite a nasty piece of work you managed over there; I am impressed. That's why I'm here, Mr. Foster. I have recommended your services to my... employers, and they have authorized me to offer you a job. They agree with me that you have limitless potential. You've proved yourself a decisive man so I don't expect you'll have any trouble deciding what to do. If you're interested, just step into the portal and I will take that as a yes. Otherwise, well, I can offer you a battle you have no chance of winning... rather an anticlimax after what you've just survived. Time to choose...
...It's time to chose...
...Wisely done, Mr. Foster. I will see you up ahead.
35. Bravo
Posted by kast at 9:49PM, Thursday January 4 2007
Very nicely done, Vecima. :) Absolutely makes me want to go back and play the whole damn thing again :P
36. Solution to above bug
Posted by Hello, my name is... at 8:34PM, Friday January 5 2007
I get the "game is not currently available" for every Steam game, including all of the Valve ones. Are you right-clicking and using the context menu to launch games? That's what I always instinctively try to do. That error message always pops up, so I click on the button on the lower right of Steam. That always works.
37. D:
Posted by xbskid at 5:03AM, Sunday January 7 2007
Okay, Adam. I shelled out for an X1950 Pro. Can I playtest MINERVA stuff now? D: Please?
38. Linseyhappy
Posted by vecima at 5:49AM, Monday January 8 2007
what's with these idiots?
anyway, on to the meat & potatoes of my post:
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39. Slightly Mixed Metaphor...
Posted by Sirc at 5:46PM, Monday January 8 2007
It is always a little bit sad when you see the bare bones of a post...
ANYWAY...
I will be the carrots to the others sticks... Work however long you need to make the game good, no rush.
(Just be aware that there is lynch mob forming from impatience...)
40. MINERVA undressed
Posted by Baffled at 2:41PM, Tuesday January 9 2007
For some time MINERVA has been one of a few mods on the Steam "Game Mods" page to be without an image icon. I figured that would change with the refit released yesterday, but no, the situation is much worse! MINERVA is now the *ONLY* featured mod to appear nude without an image!!!
http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=free&tab=mods&cc=--
This can't be allowed, ACTION THIS DAY!!!!, as Churchill would have said.
As for the new look for STEAM, I'm not sure I like the new skin/colour schemes, they look unfinished somehow. What is it about VALVe, that has them thinking that everytime they improve one thing they must break something else at the same time? Are they trying to maintain some kind of karmic balance or what?
41. Re: MINERVA undressed
Posted by Lewk at 3:56PM, Tuesday January 9 2007
I too noticed the lack-there of icon within steam for minerva. But is it really that big of deal?
Secondly, I personally like the new steam skin. But even when it comes down to it, not everone will be pleased. Again, is it really that big of deal? Before long, you will be accustomed with it, and it will no longer worry you.
The only time I'd complain, is if they changed it to some sort of horrific concerning skin, maybe with porn or expletives. I think there shouldn't be fuss. Anyways, there is an option to download custom made skins, there's plenty about, look for one and call steam your own...
42. expletives
Posted by vecima at 6:36PM, Tuesday January 9 2007
what was that?
oh, i must have nodded off agian.
the door still isn't open. how long have i been
down here? feels like it's been months.*
i keep dreaming about those poor children. not poor as in deserving pity, but just poor. lacking money. i've got to do something about it, but even if i beleived in those quacks, there hasn't been a trained shrink for over a decade. thanks again oh dear benefactors. i had everything going my way. a deal with my empowered buddy, a chance to live in a warm island paradise. i made money on the suffering of those kids, but what the hell. they were pretty much dead anyway. you can't stand in the way of science, and all that.
i should stand up. my legs hurt. my head hurts. where the hell are you? can you hear me? no use shouting now. i'll probably just attract soldiers. are we disconnected? i'm freaking starving. open this damn door if you can hear me before i pass out from hunger. i'm a man of science. i've never had to put up with something like this before.
'i've never heard a rat whine so loud.'
what the hell was that? hello? was that a transmission or... or am i hearing things.
no. just the imagination. i know because there was no cackling modem noise in my ear this time. what was it then... it's familiar.
'i've never heard a rat whine so loud.'
i remember. i said it to a young boy just before putting the lights in his cage out. he cried even more in the dark. that was the whole point.
my ears are ringing and i feel sick to my stomach. i don't want to remember the rest...
he moaned and cried in pain, with no idea what sort of concoction was pumping through him. he clenched his stomach and laid on his side on the steel bench. the only thing in his cage aside from the toilet, which was already nearly full of his vomit. i stepped in to my office. at least i couldn't hear the wretched crying in there. i picked up an orange pill bottle and read the label. Alplax®. i took three of them. i was starting to need more. maybe it's just in my mind but when they're called xanax they just seem to work better. though my bottle of brand name ran out only about a week after i got there. those would have to do. i left the office and was surprised that the crying had stopped. that only ever meant one thing: another tally under the 'no' column on my report sheet, and a recording of the time. 4:25 am. i decided to go to my quarters and lie down though i never slept in those days.
my vision is now blurred. i swear it's not tears. my stomach feels worse than before, a quivering and convulsing knot. my ears are still ringing and i'm paralyzed. i swear i'm not crying but i'm paralyzed. i blink and for a moment i can see clearly. i see my hand, shaking and clutching the magnum i found topside. that will probably be the last light of day i ever see.
my teeth and lips sting for a split second when they feel the cold steel of the barrel. i wrap the trigger around my finger, and exhale. my vision is blackened.
i somehow always thought the end would be different. grander. i see absolutely nothing.
i open my eyes and see the magnum on the floor. i guess i couldn't do it. i guess it's a damn good thing i'm too weak to do unto myself what i do unto others. at least i can sleep now. good god, i've got to snap out of it. that has no bearing on the current situation.
i'm ready whenever you are. i hope she caught the cynicism there.
*hint hint, adam.
43. That Reminds Me
Posted by Sirc at 6:38PM, Tuesday January 9 2007
I hate bots and people who set up links to their websites for no particular reason. I'm guessing this is a bot because of the bad english. Also don't click on the link, we don't want to encourage it...
*Twitch*
Anyway, the question for the symbol becomes what represents Minerva the most?
I cannot comment on the steam skin since I will not look at steam until Minerva is done. So... No Pressure...
And now, RANDOM TRIVIA!
I'm day nine into my New Year's resolution of no caffiene. I can honestly say its easier to sleep at night.
How goes your New Year's resolution? (I don't know if this is politically correct or not, everone I've met says they celebrate the new year....)
44. A fix, for MINERVA, and for me
Posted by Baffled at 9:04PM, Tuesday January 9 2007
Well it's fixed, there's now an icon, so all's well.
I tried to give up caffeine once, Sirc, and I felt awful for three days or so before returning to my several rather large and strong cups daily. I have no willpower whatsoever. I suppose I have to admit to being addicted or at least to needing a stimulant of some kind in order to function.
This year's resolution revolved (note past tense already) around getting fit and I almost (very nearly) bought one of these last week before, before my laziness reasserted itself:
http://www.gymworld.co.uk/prodpage.asp?ProdID=922
(can laziness be assertive...?)
Speaking of stimulants, Vecima, your last few posts seem suggestive of an elevated errm...level of enthusiasm ;-)
Congrats on graduating btw.
45. I don't Drink Tap Water Though...
Posted by Sirc at 1:36AM, Wednesday January 10 2007
It is not that I'm addicted to caffiene, it is that it would be healthier for me to not drink it. The biggest problem with this resolution is that almost all the things that I usually get drinks from (Machines and Restraunts) serve little caffiene alternatives. Giving rise to conspiracy theories on caffiene itself...
Laziness (Personified) can be assertive. In fact the problem with laziness is it is often the most assertive of the 'emotions'.
46. the easiest resolution
Posted by vecima at 3:36PM, Wednesday January 10 2007
my resolution one year (not sure which) was to stop lying to myself, so i started by no further making new years resolutions.
thanks, baffled. it feels damn good, i must say, to be out of school...that's probably why i seem enthusiastic. my last semester was pretty hellish with all of the projects that refused to be finished untill after exam week. bleh...
...i was always sitting there in a box with a bunch of geeks staring at a computer (i'm a geek myself, so i'm not bashing, just... identifying). now that i'm out of school with a degree in computer science (i actually don't have the physical degree in hand yet, but i already have a job) things are going pretty well. so anyhow, now i'm looking forward to 45 years or so of sitting in a box with a bunch of geeks staring at a computer. oh and during that time my casual caffeine use is unstoppably bound to become a habit, then a flat out utter dependancy.
by the way, i can't promise you folks would like it, but i recently went out and saw the film 'children of men' and to my tastes it was quite good. one of the better films i've seen with urban combat as part of the backdrop, and quite a few intense chase scenes. (not the over the top chase scenes of say a bond film, but suspensful none the less).
47. On A Tangent... As Always...
Posted by Sirc at 8:08PM, Wednesday January 10 2007
People say distractions are completely negative.
I beg to differ. Sometimes you need a distraction to help pass the time while your waiting for something else. As long as we keep posting about interesting things, the new Minerva will be at our 'door step' before we know it!
So please continue...
48. informal introduction
Posted by asmodeus at 4:41AM, Saturday January 13 2007
I've played the first two installments of minerva and decided to join this board in hopes of getting up to date with the topic and such. With that said, it's good to be here.
49. And Time Marches On! (Since when did it have legs?)
Posted by Sirc at 9:02AM, Saturday January 13 2007
Welcome to the fold...
MUHAHAHAHAHA!!!
And now back to reality...
With development of the second map arises the question of whether it will be 'slighly bigger' or 'twice the size' of the previous maps. The answer may explain our wait...
50. yah your right
Posted by Siman at 10:11PM, Saturday January 13 2007
Yah your right it isn’t MINERVA. WHERE IS THE RELIESE DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry if it sounds like I’m getting like aggravated but you know all the previous posts haven’t been about the game and we need a place to talk about MINERVA and a place to talk about a release date.
In fact if you want i could use my forums for this
51. Oh ho?
Posted by sKn at 8:51AM, Sunday January 14 2007
And here I thought the man said before the new year :p I direct you eyes to the source code of http://www.hylobatidae.org/minerva/forum/. You're looking for a little bit that looks like this:
<!-- as for the continuation of your adventure - late summer, early autumn? Love, Minerva! -->
Ahmm.
53. Sourcy
Posted by kast at 1:07PM, Sunday January 14 2007
I believe that message was referring to late summer/early autumn of 2006. :P
54. Ignorance Reloaded
Posted by Sirc at 7:38PM, Sunday January 14 2007
When the last update was released, was it to much fanfare from the creator?
Or was it like a quiet mouse sneaking in a field?
Just Gauging...
55. Emergence.
Posted by silentcircuit at 11:17PM, Sunday January 14 2007
After watching for quite some time, it has been determined that this hour would serve as well as any.
And with that said...
Hello.
There are any number of us, floating out in this great electronic abyss with eyes and ears tuned to your lovely little band of frequencies, mister Foster.
You've developed quite a following.
56. I can wait
Posted by asmodeus at 2:14AM, Monday January 15 2007
There are a couple good mods coming out sometime near january-february, namely Nuclear Dawn, Black Mesa Source and probably Neotokyo or Insurgency. If not Minerva then something else appropriated to burn my time, what I'm more interested in is the continuation of the story and what exact route it's going to take. I can wait a while longer if said time will bring a bit of fine tuning.
57. Multiplayer mods... blah!
Posted by Au-heppa at 10:31AM, Monday January 15 2007
Mods like Nuclear Dawn and Neotokyo indeed look good, but since they are multiplayer only they don't intrest me a one bit. Where are all the good single player mods? Where are the poke646, They Hunger, Azure Sheep mods of today? Of course there's They Hunger Lost Souls, but they are not doing it for free. Rogue Threat looked promising, but they haven't got any updates lately.
Black Mesa really is our only hope of a good mod with a long story and new enemies, etc.
Minerva of course is amazing too, but it's lacking of new enemies and material. Someone really should start making a singleplayer mod in the episodic form, every episode would introduce a new weapon and or a new enemy/character.
58. January-February
Posted by Cargo Cult at 5:02PM, Monday January 15 2007
I'd be really, really surprised if any of Nuclear Dawn, Black Mesa, Neotokyo or Insurgency were to get released that soon.
While the screenshots shown so far are all incredibly impressive, I haven't seen all that much evidence of actually playable games that are nearing completion. But still, I am definitely looking forwards to their releases.
The absence of larger, released single-player mods may be in part because everyone feels the need to work on something *huge* - forgetting that you need a hell of a lot of determination and will-power even to finish something small.
If I'd realised how big MINERVA was going to be, I'd have never even started. But in many eyes, it's a small mod... ;-)
59. episodic single player
Posted by vecima at 5:29PM, Monday January 15 2007
that's also the sort of thing i'm working on... the first episode (probably 4 or 5 maps) should be out perhaps spring. but i promise nothing.
also, those of you to whom screenshots and constant updates are important, dont bother waiting for this project... we aren't bothering with 'media' untill maybe a few weeks or a month before our initial release.
i guess this message was just to let you know that, there is something on its way...
60. Release dates?
Posted by asmodeus at 3:25AM, Tuesday January 16 2007
You should have checked their forums, most of them promise a release date or beta within a month or so. Multiplayer mods can be exciting. I'm looking forward to perfect dark source having played the original for the n64. There's always Nightfall: Initiation which has a good setting and concept but refuses to release any information about a release date and contains no more than one or two screenshots on their homepage.
61. Well that's part of a problem
Posted by Lord_Baz at 10:35AM, Tuesday January 16 2007
People now expect mods to have the polish of a commercial game without the cost and it's not all that possible unless you have a dedicated team and a plan.
Nuclear Dawn I haven't been following all that much but I think it actually is getting close to launch or atleast public beta in a few months but don't quote me on that.
Insurgency is apparently close too, and that is looking like a fantastic game.
As for the massive black mesa? This year? Not going to be happening. I only lurk on their forums but it's pretty clear they run on a "When it's done" timetable and that applies to their media releases and to be honest. I like it that way.
If you want new info every week then you bog down the developers who try and crank out what you want and by the time it's out... there is no surprise.
I'm happy for the devs to release when they see fit. Even if it is an agonizing long wait ;)
62. Black Mesa
Posted by Sirc at 2:21PM, Tuesday January 16 2007
I think it is funny about Black Mesa's 'When it's done' style in that when it is released, people will be shocked at its unheralded arrival.
But the shock is half the fun, Isn't it?
63. The shock...
Posted by kast at 5:05PM, Tuesday January 16 2007
Especially if you have a heart condition. ;)
64. Exactly
Posted by Lord_Baz at 6:58AM, Wednesday January 17 2007
The black mesa team should line up an elaborate prank before they announce it's release. The amount of people that keep saying "Oh it hasn't updated in thirty minutes, guys it's dead" or "Dudes, they're just retracing the levels, these guys are over-rated" (I wish I was making that up. Steam Forums) is absolutely ridiculous.
65. Black Mesa
Posted by asmodeus at 3:40AM, Thursday January 18 2007
If you look on the homepage they state that they're in their 2nd and final stage of media updates. Shortly beyond the 2nd stage is a video release and thereafter, a closed beta. Of course they won't give an exact release date but, I still doubt it'll show later than late summer.
As for the steam forums, those people can be ignored; they have no idea what they're rambling on about. Two other similar half life remakes, Barney's Tales (blue shift remake) and Operation Black Mesa (opposing force remake) are also being worked upon but I don't see a release date for either unraveling. I also checked out the Rogue Threat Moddb page. Their last update was about a year ago, they're dead.
66. Not Quite
Posted by Lord_Baz at 10:04AM, Thursday January 18 2007
Actually, the recent media updates they had was one update split into two. The "Final" you refer to was the media update on the 17th of december.
It is fairly safe to say that they are less than 50% complete and any number that does not come from a developer is quite safe to ignore.
Video updates are a fair distance away and they are not going to be releasing a public beta as far as I know, I'm fairly positive that it will be released as a complete game.
I wouldn't rule out those other mods yet, given Black Mesa was started in 2004 (Yeah, it IS that old) and most big mods do require huge amounts of co-ordination and effort.
I agree with the steam forums though, I read the Black Mesa thread for the sole purpose of my amusement.
67. Black Mesa
Posted by asmodeus at 9:21PM, Thursday January 18 2007
I am quite curious as to where you found that information. I've skimmed the forums fairly well and the most I've received as a confirmation is "soon"...
Most great mods do take a while to complete though. I'm guessing they'll take the half life 2 approach and startle everyone with a sudden release. Half Life is a long game, I'd personally like to see what they've done with Xen.
I don't think anyone on the steam forums has anything better to do than play leapfrog with the usual "it's dead", "no it's not" delirium. The BMS thread has been split 4 times already.
68. Sew
Posted by Lord_Baz at 2:43PM, Friday January 19 2007
Most of that information I gathered from the forums. A couple of the dev's are true forum dwelling types and have said a few key things. Most of the time you'll just get a "Eventually" comment from the dev's because alot of the questions get asked every day. Try sorting through the "questions" thread. There was going to be a video in this media update but they decided to move it to a later date. They also plan more media updates, given last year they updated a grand total of four times. (Might of even been less)
Yeah. It's a huge thread that's for sure, I think it's heading for another split actually, given it's current size.
69. Well,
Posted by asmodeus at 12:02AM, Saturday January 20 2007
I've already lost interest in the release date of BMS. It's evident that BMS isn't going to launch anytime soon, although it is nice to know the devs are always there for my pitiful whining and questions.
Article is now closed for commenting.
1. Sorry
Posted by Holy Socks at 1:22PM, Saturday December 23 2006
I really want to play this game, but my old copy of half life has stopped working :-(
But this game does look amazing, I just cant believe what they have done with the HL1 engine.