Half-Life 2: Enhancement Mod

[Porky-da-Corgi]

i'm not trying to be a hater but i cannot resist the urge to say that you are, at the very least, contradicting yourself...it sounds like you will do some of the things i was postulating about, ie rebuilding levels from scratch and developing new detailed brushwork, etc (which is a route very similar to that of black mesa source). i guess i am itching to see enhancement in realms other than textures and models.

The levels aren't being re-done from scratch, just having certain parts remodeled- like 3D modeled windows and doors on all the building (except for ones you can't see too well, or are just background props). BM made the maps from scratch, we're just building off the originals.

Here's some map pictures for ya:







Just so you know, none of these pics have the new textures in them, they're still being worked on a lot.

[Gary]

I remember it being pretty painful to fix decompiled hl2 maps...

[Epifire]

Wondering how the old skyboxes are gonna look when you guys get around to them.

[Sathor]

I remember it being pretty painful to fix decompiled hl2 maps...

I hope they rebuild the entire brushwork.

Do you, guys?

[Porky-da-Corgi]

A concept for one of the secret areas being worked on- the docks from the E3 video.

It's currently accessible by going down one of the side streets in the first level.

[joe_rogers_11155]

now we're talkin

EDIT: I never realized how much we rely on idioms!!

[Epifire]

A concept for one of the secret areas being worked on- the docks from the E3 video.

It's currently accessible by going down one of the side streets in the first level.

I made a whole level based on the E3 Ravenholm so you got my full support there.

[Hollow]

Can't say I'm that impressed with that ravenholm 'concept' when all it is, is a moon slapped onto the sky and everything desaturated to the max and blue set to overdrive.
Also those window models just look like brushwork converted to propper models. I can barely tell the difference in comparison to a vanilla HL2 shot, even if it is 3D and not a texture. It's really not adding anything that stands out to the overall composition.

[Porky-da-Corgi]

Can't say I'm that impressed with that ravenholm 'concept' when all it is, is a moon slapped onto the sky and everything desaturated to the max and blue set to overdrive.
Also those window models just look like brushwork converted to propper models. I can barely tell the difference in comparison to a vanilla HL2 shot, even if it is 3D and not a texture. It's really not adding anything that stands out to the overall composition.

That's why it's called a 'concept', it's just a general guide line for the mappers to build off of.
Eg. of it in-map:

Still heavy WIP.
Ravenholm in this mod will be a lot darker though, and actually look like it's at night, maybe with a few flares or better moonlight to give this area more life.

I'm sorry, but you must not notice details very much, the windows alone make a massive difference in the look of the maps. Just compare it to a shot of the vanilla game, the windows are all flat, and ugly. Now they're 3D, and actually have rooms behind some that you can see into, and even get into in some cases.

[Major Banter]

I'm sorry, but you must not notice details very much, the windows alone make a massive difference in the look of the maps. Just compare it to a shot of the vanilla game, the windows are all flat, and ugly. Now they're 3D, and actually have rooms behind some that you can see into, and even get into in some cases.

Hollow's a professional level designer, the man knows his stuff, and I can see where he's coming from. The issue lies with the engine itself. I've no doubt comparing the screenshots directly to the original game will show a wealth of difference, but it's a wealth of difference with a game that's now 7 years old, in an engine 8 to 9 years old.

Compared to modern standards and fidelity, the absolute best efforts are only going to produce mediocre results. That's not your fault - that's just Source. Unless you heavily invest in shaders to help hide the decrepit BSP system and help you incorporate models more effectively into a desperately needed reworking of the old City 17 geometry, it's inevitably going to look like it's from the last decade. Little things like modelled windows just aren't enough, sadly.

Again, that's not your fault, and I applaud the progress you've made so far, but you will have to be prepared for the fact people will never really latch onto it unless it's a bona fide complete revamp, a la City 17: Episode One. Source will always be a thorn in your side here. Still, it's your mod, and keep up the good work. If you believe it's worth doing, then do it, but be prepared for many people to remind you that it's a thankless, frustrating task that will not achieve stunning results.

[Epifire]

They already do have some new shaders in there that I knew of. Like that surface scattering (SSS) one.

I don't expect this to go full on Blackmesa Source styled revamping but any update in quality for the existing content is appreciated to me. Name pretty much says all with enhancement, it doesn't invoke the use of rebuild or revamp just to enhance the current state for those who would want to make use of the increase in quality.

I understand where Hollow and the Major are coming from but I think their intent of the design is not near as full scale as some may have been thinking. I see it as giving a bit more quality as in the sense of a new coat of paint for the old game. If they happen to do more with it all the better, but I'm not gonna blame them for setting out to do it just because there isn't a huge massively insane difference from before. Don't know if there is something in their description that I missed but that is what I got out of it.

[Stormy]

I have been refraining from posting in this thread but for some reason it really irks me that all of this effort is being expended on something that will inevitably fizzle. You won't get half as many people playing this all the way through as you would if you made a stand alone mod. By this stage everyone who has played HL2 has played it to death. Even if you guys make mass amounts of new content, secret areas and new events, the public are going to see this as "HL2... again" unless you have some really amazing marketing techniques and can get across to the community why this is different to just playing through the original and having a nostalgia trip.

Is it because your team has no story writers? Are you guys bad at level/map design so you want to use the already successfully established base of the valve maps? Are you just practicing your skills so you can go onto better things? Is it a matter of choosing a task that can be easily broken down into smaller tasks so you can do it in your spare time? Is it a desire to tackle a project that isn't too grandiose?

I'm not trying to insult, you appear to have a great team of talented artists there. I just get the feeling these skills would be better used on a mod that will really contribute to the pool, rather than a rehash of a 9 year old game which isn't even that bad for its age. In short: 'Y U NO MAEK REAL MODS?!'

[The Vman]

Hi everybody, I'm the fx guy


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRRlgY3C8Lo&list=UUWh5L56UUK-NDtxB0MHqJbg&index=3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6LxW86uTEI&feature=player_embedded

How the hell do you get embedded videos to work on this site?

[Hollow]

I'm sorry, but you must not notice details very much, the windows alone make a massive difference in the look of the maps. Just compare it to a shot of the vanilla game, the windows are all flat, and ugly. Now they're 3D, and actually have rooms behind some that you can see into, and even get into in some cases.

It doesn't make much of a difference because everything geometry, textures & shader wise does nothing to support the overall composition. the added detail to the windows adds nothing to the aesthetic of the buildings, because the buildings look crap in the first place, being from a game from almost 9 years ago.

If there's anything I'm known for on this forum is my love of intricate detail and composition. So yes, I do notice details more than most.

Also thanks Banter for the supportive words, but the whole pro level designer thing isn't something I like using when providing criticism and I don't really think my opinion is any better than the next (may come from a more experienced standpoint though I guess).

Also adding to what Stormy said, yeah. I can't say I support this mod to be honest. I just predict it's a long winded promise that never delivers the goods. But don't let that stop you from the learning the hard way of modding.

[Plague]

This is hardly the state of any project where you begin casting judgement, let alone nitpicking about details.

Focus on the first portion of HL2 up to the train station entrance(before the plaza), then make a fancy video showing what you changed and then make it a larger media release.

All you're gonna get here is critique on what you post, so get something done and show it off for more effective responses.