MINERVA: Episodic, Single-Player Half-Life 2
Entirely gratuitous screenshots article - posted by Cargo Cult on Saturday October 6 2007
... to make up for the lack of pre-release shots, perhaps?
Enjoy!
Article Comments (now closed)
2. Eye candy
Posted by Terrapin at 7:44AM, Saturday October 6 2007
I guess you don't really notice how beautiful the environments in Minerva are when you're playing. I'm too busy looking for subtle plot hints, killing things, and generally ruining the Combine's day. But wow, those really do look cool.
Great job Adam.
3. Pretties
Posted by Naurgul at 9:40AM, Saturday October 6 2007
Oh, nice. I wish I could take screenshots so good. Now, I suddenly have an urge to pick up photography!
4. lovely
Posted by kast at 12:32PM, Saturday October 6 2007
yeeees, beautiful stuff :-) That little island is the perfect place to walk about with a ready screenshot button.
I particularly like the fourth one down - it's interesting to see the fast headcrab's running style. You don't usually have the opportunity, what with desperately trying to bring one's shotgun to bear d gun them down.
5. Wow!
Posted by Mr. Bunny at 12:40PM, Saturday October 6 2007
These really highlight all the careful attention put into every cubic unit of the map! Beautiful! I'm fond of the 6th and the 10th.
6. Going Down......
Posted by Baffled at 2:37PM, Saturday October 6 2007
The last one represents for me the most scary part of the game.
Plunging downwards into the dark unknown, the elevator just kept going down and down.... *shivers*
MINERVA really is, quite literally, a work of art.
You could make some really nice posters out of MINERVA screenshots, it's all so atmospheric.
I loved the architectural detail, and the mechanics of the complex in M3. Those shaped doors felt so functional, and even when they were damaged, responded accordingly, opening slowly and haltingly. Great stuff.
7. Number 8
Posted by fuzz at 2:52PM, Saturday October 6 2007
I only just thought, shouldn't the globe in number 8 have some sort of marker for the island? I'm going to have to go back and check now.
8. Just a question...
Posted by Nesretep at 5:17PM, Saturday October 6 2007
What resolution are the pics at, Adam? I ask because they would make some great wallpaper!
9. Expanding on the matter
Posted by Cargo Cult at 8:12PM, Saturday October 6 2007
Try clicking on the thumbnails for the 1440x900 originals? ;-)
10. Re: Expanding on the matter
Posted by Nesretep at 8:59PM, Saturday October 6 2007
I *did* notice the originals were there, I just didn't know what size they were. I usually run my desktop at 1024x768 and I guesstimated they were bigger than that.
11. Saved for the possible future past
Posted by Sortie at 11:31PM, Saturday October 6 2007
Saved the screenshots incase my computer and I get propelled into the past, so I can ruin your development by distributing such screenshots to the public.
12. On a semi-related note...
Posted by Terrapin at 12:05AM, Sunday October 7 2007
Adam, I noticed that the Minerva homepage states that this is to be her "final transmission". Does this mean Chronoclasm / Out of Time is canceled? Don't get me wrong, Metastasis is awesome, and rest assured I'll be playing it for many months to come (already gone through the whole thing 3 times... I have no life), but I'd just like to know if there is more to come in the uncertain future.
13. The Grandfather Paradox
Posted by Baffled at 12:10AM, Sunday October 7 2007
But Sortie, if distributing those screenshots in the past somehow did manage to ruin the development of Metastasis, then how could those screenshots exist in the first place?
I urge you to consider the wider consequences of your future actions in the past, before it is too late!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_paradox
Having said that, I'm not sure why the development would be so ruined ( to say nothing of why you would wish to commit such an act of cultural vandalism ) , unless Adam had a fit of pique and abandoned his project, or altered it so as to not resemble the screens that you had leaked.
Either way, Sortie must be stopped for all our sakes!
14. Blockhead! ;-)
Posted by Baffled at 12:24AM, Sunday October 7 2007
"Final Transmission IN BLOCK"
Metastasis is a Block of data in the Extent that is MINERVA methinks ( I've only the vaguest idea what I'm on about here, mind ).
Sorry for the double post, but our posts crossed in the err post..
15. Inspiration...
Posted by Cargo Cult at 12:36AM, Sunday October 7 2007
What if I was inspired by those leaked, anachronistic screenshots?
As for blocks of data - yes, Out of Time is still in my head. Note the disabled 'NEXT' link on the Metastasis page.
16. Wish
Posted by Draco13 at 12:41AM, Sunday October 7 2007
I wish I could see those beautiful graphics while playing. But my old laptop P4 2.4Ghz with an old 64Mb ATI card can't afford the beauty.
On the other hand, this is one of the wonders of HL2. It can be played on old computers smoothly, sacrifying only some graphics beauty.
I plan to buy a new computer soon, so I'll replay Minerva to its full beauty potential.
Thanks Adam
17. next??
Posted by Ace at 1:08AM, Sunday October 7 2007
Is it just me or does the title "Out of Time" seem like a big ol' spoiler in and of itself? Or hint at least?
Also, fan fiction is great, but I wouldn't mind also seeing a bit of official fiction to tide us over. We know Adam likes to write short stories.
http://www.hylobatidae.org/minerva/blogsheep.php?action=articleinfo&id=30
Maybe we could get an official Minerva short story??
18. Out of Time?
Posted by SenatorPalpatine at 1:37AM, Sunday October 7 2007
What's wrong with Cronoclasm as a name? I like it better then Out of Time. Also, people will get OoT confused with the real OoT.
19. RE: Out of Time
Posted by kast at 5:24PM, Sunday October 7 2007
I have to wonder how many times various acolytes have explained this :P
The name 'Chronoclasm' was changed to 'Out of Time' in order to place that... chapter, story, whatever... AFTER Metastasis on the Steam games list.
What this means for the third set of levels and any further sets, I don't know. How far does Adam intend to go with MINERVA but we could be running out of letters. :P
20. Alphabetical order
Posted by Terrapin at 6:29PM, Sunday October 7 2007
I can see it now... Minerva episode 15: Xenophobic Zymurgy.
21. Name
Posted by Anschluss at 7:20PM, Sunday October 7 2007
So Adam just wants alphabetical order? Replacing "Chronoclasm" with "Out of Time" seems to be a heavy price to pay for that. I urge our benefactor to reverse this decision!
22. ATI Mobility IGP 7000
Posted by Birdoman at 7:43PM, Sunday October 7 2007
It plays, but without the pretty bits. I can't see the force-field thingys as displayed screenshot 10. :(
But still, an amazing experience nonetheless.
23. Holyc rap
Posted by xbskid at 4:55AM, Monday October 8 2007
I finished Metastasis earlier today. I mean. Wow. There was that one bit after the Medusa thing that scared the crap out of me, but holy crap. I NEED MORE.
24. I remember those!
Posted by Mercer at 7:52AM, Monday October 8 2007
Hehe, it is rather hard to just sit occasionally and take in your surroundings whilst playing MINERVA. But when you do, it is really rewarding...
25. Just Finished!
Posted by DJA at 1:23PM, Monday October 8 2007
Hey Adam,
Just finished playing through the most recent chapter of Minerva and just had to tell you what an astonishingly polished and more importantly fun-as-hell game it is. Everything just seems effortless, the pacing, design, flow and story and I appreciate that none of these things are at all easy to do at all, let alone to such a high standard.
Thank you for doing this (and for free!)
26. To my fellow Acolytes...
Posted by Nick at 7:10PM, Monday October 8 2007
...I present a short, hopefully sufficient review of Metastasis, just make sure your pop-up blockers are on.
http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=548609
Quote;
"In conclusion, this is a highly competent and seemingly professional single player mod for Valve's HL2/Ep1, achieving what few single player FPS manage, in a free package, including a rather well done plot. If you're looking for something to tide the time before Episode 2's release in two days, MINERVA: Mestasis is definitely worth a look and the time. So, please come join us Acolytes of Minerva. "
And if anyone has a walkthrough to Someplace Else I'd be much obliged. *cough*
27. Bad laptop
Posted by Yar Kramer at 9:16PM, Monday October 8 2007
Yeah, I wish my own laptop was halfway-competent enough to show things that pretty, too. (I'm stil holding out for a new computer ...)
28. Am I the only one...
Posted by Errant at 1:49AM, Wednesday October 10 2007
...Who spent ages looking at that globe (and the one of the moon) for hints?
C'mon...
Maybe a location of Chap 2 or even of the Island....
No dice though.
30. Yargh, Part 2.
Posted by Vodkarn at 9:34AM, Wednesday October 10 2007
Was hoping someone could help me here -- ever since I downloaded the third installment of MINERVA, I get errors that say "A.I. Disabled," and then I cant destroy boxes/the A.I. cannot die, and stands there.
31. Ep2
Posted by macc at 6:16PM, Wednesday October 10 2007
Damn, Ep2 was awesome! A little shorter then expected, completed it in under 6 hours and I had no hurry.
But it's defenetely a lot better than Ep1 and the graphice are stunning!
32. Perhaps Our Regal Templars Are Listening
Posted by Sirc at 10:01PM, Wednesday October 10 2007
So, just beat Portal, and it gave me a thought. Could the 'crazy gameplay' in MINERVA 2 possibly involve Portal? Admittedly, I don't think the two could be combined so readily, however it could be very... dastardly. Relevancy aside, I was surprised by its ending as well as MINERVA's. You'd think I would stop liking surprises so much by now...
33. About the names and chapters...
Posted by Procyon at 12:57AM, Thursday October 11 2007
Calling "Out of time" instead of chronoclasm is stupid...
If do you really want an alphabetical order, the give names such as: "Minerva Chapter/Episode 1: Metastasis; Minerva Chapter/Episode 2: Chronoclasm"
34. See Above For More
Posted by Vodkarn at 1:27AM, Thursday October 11 2007
I beat HL2:Ep1 in 4 hours. EP2 is SHORTER? Christ...
PS. Any help with the 'A.I. disabled' thing?
35. a bit longer
Posted by macc at 2:41AM, Thursday October 11 2007
Ep2 is longer than Ep1, but not much, I think maybe an hour.
36. ..
Posted by Ace at 4:04AM, Thursday October 11 2007
Vodkarn, check the forums, I'm pretty sure that problem was covered.
37. About the names and chapters...
Posted by locworks at 3:02PM, Thursday October 11 2007
"Minerva Chapter/Episode 1: Metastasis" is a mouthful and not very sexy.
And the good folk might find the mentions of "chapter" and "episode" a tad confusing, especially when:
- M: M is made up of chapters
- there is a certain core game in the Steam list that uses the Episode bit.
- M: M is an Episode 1 mod
- M: OoT might be an Episode 2 creation
Article is now closed for commenting.
1. First comment!
Posted by SenatorPalpatine at 6:52AM, Saturday October 6 2007
Ooooh, pretty screenshots...
Cool stuff, thanks.