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I was thinking of a mod for the last episode of HL2, that would make the entire sp campaign of HL2 and episodes into one game. For example you start "point insertion" and you play through all episodes to the last level of episode 3, without having to exit to game. Obviously, the first levels of each episode are locked until you complete the previous levels.

This mod would have:

* the most updated graphics from the latest episode.
* HDR for HL2 "Ep 0" maps
* HEV updated from Ep2/Ep3
* one Campaign consisting of all the episodes... (but you still lost weapons at start of each episode)
* Lost Coast integrated to campaign (maybe modifying maps from highway 17, lost coast and sandtraps to allow this)
* Maybe npc of later episodes added to the HL2 "Episode 0" levels
* Gibbing for humans npcs, only due to explosions or thrown objects (like zombies). Nothing exagerated like SMOD or HL1...

* New npc models

- Combine soldiers with different uniforms (skins) depending of the zone where they act ("skullbreaker"(green+blue) inside city 17 and citadel, Guards in NV (duh!), classic combine in the white forest and the brown "shotgunner" in the coast.

- Combine soldier using shotguns, with a small-modified version of the model/skin used in the respective zone. This would be by adding decorative shotgun shells to the belt or adding a backpack or changing the color of a small part of the uniform.

- Normal zombies with different versions: rebel, metrocop and citizen.
- Zombines using the different combine uniforms
- More variety of rebels; (having combine armor, pants, helmets; or old military stuff etc.)
- Metrocop elite! (just a few in the bunch of normal CPs)
- HOPEFULLY Real combine sniper (something that resembles the beta sniper)and pilot models. (You see just a plain soldier when you destroy the hunter-chopper). They dont need animations, just ragdolls...

* And possibly (enough to not alter gameplay)

- OICW model (clip of 30 smg ammo with more damage/precision + grenade launcher) to replace mp7 (smg1), but also adding a real smg1 mp7 (clip of 45 smg ammo + 30 pistol_9mm ammo) NO MORE MAGICAL MP7 THAT FIRES GRENADES!
- Making the SLAM available
- Making the flare prop of EP1/EP2 a collected ammo (like grenades, but throws flares)
- less probably, due to balancing problems, Tau cannon and/or combine sniper rifle...



Please tell me what would be possible, who is interesed, and in what you agree/disagree, etc. IN A POLITE WAY...

Hmmm.

I see no reason why you couldn't do a basic "HL2 + episodes" thing; I suppose if you decompiled the end/beginning maps for each episode, it wouldn't take an atrocious amount of effort to change "end game" to "load next map." (I'm assuming that this would require the owner of this mod already owning HL2 and all the episodes; VALVe and particularly their lawyers would most likely frown on anything else.)

That said ... do you know how much effort it would take? I mean, beyond just adding the SLAM to singleplayer in a few places. I'm talking about making entirely new models, and modifying existing models. Do you already have a working knowledge of how to do that? Or for that matter, how to decompile and edit maps, how to rearrange the displacement maps so that Lost Coast would fit there at all, much less "seamlessly"? I assuming you don't, because you asked what would be possible. Frankly, I'm pretty sure all of it would be possible, as long as you didn't mind putting a smegton of effort into it.

My gut instinct is telling me this feels like an "oversized, requires-a-team project which professional paid developers would balk at, much less a small group of fans who're doing it for free" that Adam has warned against multiple times.

I know that this is hard to make... especially the SLAM/lost coast part....

Have you loaded HL2/Ep1 maps in Ep2? There are models that doesn`t let you pass to a certain place.
For example in nova prospekt, there are some metal fence bended in the upper part, so you can jump over it... in Ep2 this fence (with the same model name) is bended in the opposite direction. And the buggy drives like the Ep2 muscle car (it even has lights, and no tau cannon)

Ok, ignoring what I said about the weapons, enemies, etc. Wouldn't you like to play HL2 with the Ep2 graphics update?

In synthesis, this is what would be logical:

* the most updated graphics from the latest episode.
* HEV updated from Ep2/Ep3
* one Campaign consisting of all the episodes... (but you still lost weapons at start of each episode)
(to do this there are some bugs to be fixed in Hl2 maps)



(Now that I read what I wrote in the first post, I feel like a stupid n00b) (In fact I wrote it like 4 months ago, in planethl)

Interesting idea, but sadly yet clearly a waste of good efforts. The little time it takes to switch games is painless once you've completed a game, okay installing it might take a little while or a long while.
HL2 with Ep2 graphics does sound awesome, yet the amount of effort required to port it are tremendous, that is even with the orignal Source .VMFs available. My thumbrule: If it involves decompiling, don't.

Custom weapons and new enemies sounds awesome. But instead, use the porting effort on something else: Making custom maps. Make a real mod instead of something pseudo modding shit. One thing that pisses me off are reskinned enemies for no reason, if the mod takes place in the HL2 universe that is. New enemies are however a very good idea.

Oh and the Combine Soldiers already carry shotguns occationally, ever played Nova Prospect? ;-)

But hey, learn your strenghts and use them to build a product with a solid premise and work dedicated on it. These kind of things are just silly.

Gibbing additions will take lots of work.

If you're looking for improved looks and additional content, try Fakefactory's Cinematic Mod for HL2, including EP1 and EP2 depending on version.

Seriously, v4 is akin to EP2, and later versions akin to Crysis.

NOTE: You will need a big expensive computer to run later versions:
As of v5 he ended support for 32-bit - he says it should still work, but makes no promises - states a minimum of 2GB RAM, 3GB Recommended(v4: 1 Min, 2GB Rec, and in v2 less than 1.5 can cause stuttering), and he has stated since v2 that you should have a monitor with a resolution of about 1600x1200 :(
With 2GB RAM and a 1440x900 resolution on XP SP3(32-bit) I can run v4 well, and haven't tried v5.

- It's got every version he released, as well as HL2 texture/model packs he did before starting the Cinematic Mod.

mmm, that looks quite nice, I'll give it a try and report back.

What does this have to do with Minerva... Put your posts in the right areas...