MINERVA: Episodic, Single-Player Half-Life 2

Only doing this to annoy you -

Have a moon:

Handy hint - when travelling home around 400 miles with camera, to encounter spectacularly clear weather and the best lunar eclipse in decades, remember to take your tripod with you.

All these shots were completely hand-held. Gyroscopically stabilised lenses are great, but not great enough to out-do the same lens without stabilisation, but with the aforementioned sodding tripod. Astronomy likes long exposures, 'cause there's bugger-all light. Duh.

Have an animation, running at a thousand times real-time:

Enjoy!

And the forum? I'll let the oft-maligned free will take its course. When the timer reaches zero, please exercise your democratic rights...

Article Comments (now closed)

Evan's gravatar

1. *takes the moon!*

Posted by Evan at 11:51PM, Monday March 5 2007

It is mine!

... Now back to work!

Yar Kramer's gravatar

2. Time, Dr. Freeman? (Time for the forum to be closed, that is)

Posted by Yar Kramer at 12:06AM, Tuesday March 6 2007

Is it really that ... time agian? It seems as if I've only just arrived ... ;)

-Arizona Durden-'s gravatar

3. Intresting...

Posted by -Arizona Durden- at 12:25AM, Tuesday March 6 2007

"free will" you say?

it seems almost as if the very patience and devotion of the acolytes is being tested by the mistress herself.... i look forward to see how things play out beyond THE END...

Sirc's gravatar

4. Chronologically Impaired

Posted by Sirc at 5:21AM, Tuesday March 6 2007

Definition: When a person does not follow the rules of time. Many effects can result from this. Perhaps only existing every other second, jumping ahead hours, or in the worse case scenario jumping haphazardly forward and backward in time every second.

Maybe "The Creator" is caught in such a rule bending phenomenon...

(Or perhaps, like me, enjoys goofing off too much...)

Yar Kramer's gravatar

5. Re: Chronologically Impaired

Posted by Yar Kramer at 7:13AM, Tuesday March 6 2007

I remember reading a short story about a guy who accidentally went millions of years into the future ... and in the process of returning he became visible for one second each year ...

Nesretep's gravatar

6. I see now said the blind man...

Posted by Nesretep at 2:46PM, Tuesday March 6 2007

Now the title of this entry in the blog makes more sense. I went to the forum to cast my vote and "make my voice heard" so to speak, and lo, I was only allowed a muffled squeak!

Despite the lack of the ability to post, I was encouraged by the fact that the votes are going in the direction of the forum staying around...

vecima's gravatar

7. can a vote be conditional?

Posted by vecima at 7:06PM, Tuesday March 6 2007

mine particularly, contingent on a lessening of the cheese content (not goot for the arteries, all that cholesterol), and perhaps a dash more godess's wisdom.

Nesretep's gravatar

8. Re: can a vote be conditional?

Posted by Nesretep at 7:27PM, Tuesday March 6 2007

I don't mind an absentee goddess as long as said goddess is ensuring that her avatar (Adam), and others involved, are working **diligently** on a certain project for which we all ever so patiently wait. :) Even so I muss say that I miss her presence on the forum as it always made for good conversation!

locworks's gravatar

9. tripods and a blood red moon

Posted by locworks at 10:24PM, Tuesday March 6 2007

The images are spectacular. Would you betray the camera's specs, exposure time etc?

Cyk's gravatar

10. Holy what!

Posted by Cyk at 2:35AM, Wednesday March 7 2007

I honestly I have no idea what is going on with this board thing. I forget this blog for a few months and this happens?

(this time, I'll have to subscribe to the RSS feed...)

Cargo Cult's gravatar

11. Camera and lens?

Posted by Cargo Cult at 3:13PM, Wednesday March 7 2007

Canon EOS 350D, and the 70-300mm IS lens.

Hardly high-end, but it seems to work - the top image is a heavily-cropped version of a full photo, without any scaling. I did monkey with the contrast and sharpness a bit.

Exposure? Initially, 1/320s, f8, ISO 200 - I was surprised how short an exposure was needed to take a properly exposed picture of a near-full moon. It is pretty bright - but the baleful reddish glow of the shadowed moon was much darker. 1/30s, f5.6, ISO 1600, or something silly like that.

For vaguely proper astronomical purposes, I really ought to use a tripod. For something more serious, a poncy powered equatorial mount would be nice. And somewhere dark to use it!

Jay Osbourne's gravatar

12. Part 3

Posted by Jay Osbourne at 3:05PM, Friday March 9 2007

So when, oh when is part 3 of Minerva Metastasis being released? I need HD room and HL2 is just sitting there hogging up space. Not to mention, Metastasis is my fav and I cant wait to play!

Sincerely, Jay Osbourne

kast's gravatar

13. PATIENCE

Posted by kast at 7:02PM, Friday March 9 2007

Some. Time. This. Month.

Hopefully.

Siman's gravatar

14. COOLL

Posted by Siman at 2:12AM, Saturday March 10 2007

O AHHHHH hmm where have i seen this before o yah in the sky........... na j/k i did this before with my cannon gear and tripod in my back yard it is fun till the people next door click his light on.... and everyone get used to yah hopefully this month it has been going on for the last 3 months it has made me get be patient since i started my own mod it is a pain and it doesn't help that it is in c++ i use c but I'm adjusting to it.

Jerry's gravatar

15. And the Mineverva 3?

Posted by Jerry at 6:44PM, Sunday March 11 2007

More of a year to release a damn map?

silence's gravatar

16. Lovely.

Posted by silence at 11:59PM, Sunday March 11 2007

People always have time to be impatient. And nasty. And unappreciative. And totally without understanding of the effort and time put forth and set aside. Lovely.

Mercer's gravatar

17. Waiting

Posted by Mercer at 9:02AM, Monday March 12 2007

Waiting is.

Don't worry, Lady Minerva will reveal all in due time

Lewk's gravatar

18. High expectations

Posted by Lewk at 12:48PM, Monday March 12 2007

The sad thing is, I have High hopes for a terrific ending. I hope I'm not dissapointed... I also hope it gets erotic! :D

Nesretep's gravatar

19. Re: jHigh Expectations

Posted by Nesretep at 1:09PM, Monday March 12 2007

You might just be dissapointed on that last point there, Lewk. Erotic is NOT Minerva's style, nor is Metastatis 3 the end. It is the 3rd of 9 parts, so we have a long way to go! Hold on for the ride!

Yar Kramer's gravatar

20. Re: High expectations

Posted by Yar Kramer at 12:19AM, Tuesday March 13 2007

... erotic. What.

Okay, I can't think of anything anyone here could possibly attribute to Minerva that's less characteristic of her. Except possibly "giving a straight answer you can take at face value."

kast's gravatar

21. straight answer

Posted by kast at 12:50AM, Tuesday March 13 2007

the problem is it's possible she's told us several things simply and honestly. but how can you tell amongst all her riddles and cynical jokes?

vecima's gravatar

22. get "HIGH EROTIC EXPECTATIONS" for free... v14gr4 available if needed

Posted by vecima at 3:02PM, Tuesday March 13 2007

erotic? sure.

what? none of you have ever teased someone eroticly by speaking in riddle? i think that's one of the best ways to spice up a situation...

i won't go any farther, as it might be deemed inappropriate. however, i do remember one of the minerva sites (albeit an april fools site) hailing MINERVA herself as a 'hawt baeb'.

kast's gravatar

23. 'hawt baeb'

Posted by kast at 3:34PM, Tuesday March 13 2007

She certainly gets my pulse racing. Though being dropped into a combine fortress island under heavy fire might have something to do with it...

Sirc's gravatar

24. The Looming Release, Stess To Cease

Posted by Sirc at 6:24PM, Tuesday March 13 2007

There's a masochist's turn on... lol

I wonder what the creator thinks of these lustful thoughts?

Maybe a few pictures added to the sight for 'fan service.' ;P

I seriously expect double entendres to start appearing now, whether from the creator or the fans.

I find it funny that a text only 'voice' has somehow transformed the stress of fellow players to such 'fanciful' thoughts.

What Say You Avatar of the Mistress?

parm's gravatar

25. Minerva: WOULD

Posted by parm at 6:28PM, Tuesday March 13 2007

There's something very, very wrong with you people.

Lewk's gravatar

26. 9 parts???

Posted by Lewk at 1:52PM, Wednesday March 14 2007

Since when did it change to 9 parts? Where did I miss that bit of juicy info? I only have ever read that Metasis was 3 parts...

Oh and there's nothing wrong with me, I'm just a horny lil' bugger.

kast's gravatar

27. Parts

Posted by kast at 2:49PM, Wednesday March 14 2007

Yes, Metastasis is 3 parts. However, MINERVA is planned as 3... stories. Metastasis is the first of these.

Au-heppa's gravatar

28. how often?

Posted by Au-heppa at 6:05PM, Wednesday March 14 2007

Knowing that Adam will (probably) release Minerva 3 this month, which is any day now... how often do you check this site for updates in hopes of "Third transmission has begun!"

kast's gravatar

29. updates?

Posted by kast at 8:11PM, Wednesday March 14 2007

Roughly once every two hours on adverage :P

Sortie's gravatar

30. So often.

Posted by Sortie at 10:12PM, Wednesday March 14 2007

Well. I come here every day or two, just checking if there's any new blog updates, which is getting rare. Well, first time commenter too.

RocketKiller's gravatar

31. Can't wait

Posted by RocketKiller at 2:00AM, Thursday March 15 2007

Aww man it's been so long sence the Metastasis 2 came out and it was awsome this game will probly be as good or better then HL2 when all the chapters are finished.. it would be awsome if adam foster made a leval thet involved a human/combine space stasion orbiting earth . XD

vecima's gravatar

32. human/combine space stasion orbiting earth

Posted by vecima at 8:47PM, Thursday March 15 2007

no.

the combine don't have space stations.
instead they have citadels. sort of like an interdimensional warship, they travel to this realm (appearing instantly), and deliver a payload of death, oppresion, and pain.

kast: MINERVA WAS planned as 3 parts, but counting pegasus isn't that going to be 4? does that lessen the rest of minerva to only a further 5 parts (rather than 6)?

i tend to think that adam will decide how many parts exactly the whole story will be when he gets around to preliminary design.

Au-heppa's gravatar

33. no spaceships? no deathstar?

Posted by Au-heppa at 10:21PM, Thursday March 15 2007

what makes you think there couldn't be space ships? althou, I must agree I can't imagine the concept of the combine structures/tech in space. I most certainly can't imagine the human combine soldiers in space.

But in Raising the Bar some of the short stories, specially in the one they were in the Antarctica, the description sounded to me like there was a bigger combine ship (something that might have the ablity to go to the outer space).

kast's gravatar

34. Ships in HL1

Posted by kast at 11:31PM, Thursday March 15 2007

Wasn't there a satellite or station or something mentioned in Half Life 1, sometime around when you launch the missile? I don't remember the plot from around that point very clearly (if you hadn't guessed already :P)

I imagine the Combine might have commandeered that.

MrBunny's gravatar

35. Worldwide Portal Array

Posted by MrBunny at 12:05AM, Friday March 16 2007

@kast

I seem to remember in HL1 when you launch the missile, there is a scrolling message around a holographic globe that reads: "Global portal array: Offline."

Sortie's gravatar

36. Re: no spaceships? no deathstar?

Posted by Sortie at 11:39PM, Friday March 16 2007

Some substory in anartktika? Sounds like the place Mossman is doing that video in ep1. Please explain.

Yar Kramer's gravatar

37. That's No Moon ...

Posted by Yar Kramer at 2:30AM, Sunday March 18 2007

While I make no comments on how likely it would be, I do admit that a space station would be cool. *glances at Project: Quantum Leap, which has a slightly different version of Someplace Else* ... though I can probably do without Bill the Evil Genius Headcrab.

vecima's gravatar

38. satellite? yes. combine? no.

Posted by vecima at 4:01PM, Monday March 19 2007

the satellite in hl1 wasn't a comine utility.

Sortie's gravatar

39. Hl1 Satalite.

Posted by Sortie at 9:41PM, Monday March 19 2007

Well. Many theories I've read regarding that satalite, state that it was human tech. But they used it in order to create the Portal storms worldwide.

So. I guess it's now, but I wonder what happened to it ever since. :\

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