Half-Life Mods

Timmay: What is the general storyline of Sven Co-op? (For those that don't know too much about it.)

Sven Viking: Sven Co-op has no single storyline, but rather is a base for any number of storylines. Each map or map series can have its own story, theme, and atmosphere… our mapping and replacement technologies (per-entity model replacement, per-entity sound replacement, etc.) allow for some very unique maps.

A lot are set in the Half-Life universe, but there are maps that cast the players as superheroes in a cartoon world, as adventurers in a medieval RPG, as crew members of an intergalactic trading craft, etc. etc.

Sven Co-op for Half-Life 2 will take this even further, although we won’t be concentrating on replacement technologies until after we have the basic gameplay features in and working well.

The Natural Selection 2.0 Release PR blitz is now well under way, and we are proud to present the next offering in the NS 2.0 saga: The Pre-Selection Teaser Movie, presented by Gworx Pictures preselection and NS www.natural-selection.org. This short teaser hints at what is soon (very soon!) to come in the first chapter of this 100%-rendered CGI film. Created by the makers of the famous Militia 1 and 2 films, we believe it's an instant classic. It is not to be confused with a trailer, as it does not show the plot of the upcoming movie, just hints at what to expect. The film is a svelte 6.5MB and is in Divx 5.0.5 format.
The file can be downloaded from here
Thanks readyroom.org!

The new Creative section on HLG has been launched. Here is a quote from a creative story that Jobabob has done:

"My fingers rested nervously on the cold steel of my gun, a conflict between flesh and metal. I’d heard all the propaganda, all the ‘motivational’ tapes were drilled into us back at basic. But nothing would stop the fear, or that irksome feeling that this was a one-way trip. My fellow crew looked anxious, laden with apprehension and fear, silence gripped our throats and gave no voices. Out the viewport, the looming presence of the S.S.Mercior blocked out the stars, our target, and the source of the alien infestation in the area. Sure this was a routine mission, at least back at command, for me nothing was routine, it was my first, and they’d put me in the initial wave, the ‘suicide company’."

More things will be added soon. If you wish to have your creative writings, comics, etc...please submit them to news@hlgaming.com

Check out this interview at http://shop.game.net/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=11142&mid=321046

How would you describe the game to someone who's not a hardcore FPS fan, why is it going to rock their world and have them running to upgrade their office PC to play it?
We've shown Half-Life 2 to a number of very casual or "so casual they don't" gamers. The characters and the world interactivity seems to be the key for them. Usually they tell us "it looks just like a movie, except I'll be in it", and we grit our teeth and say "Interactive Movie" is a Really Bad Thing, and they are not to say it again, or we'll take away their Half-Life 2 hat.

It seems like guns alone won't be enough - what else can you use to survive?
I was showing some people down in Hollywood the game last week, and was going through zombie town, showing how I could "Rambo" my way through with guns a-blazin, or I could "MacGyver" my way through by paying attention to the world and being clever (it's easier to be clever when you helped design the level, of course). We're trying pretty hard to reward people for thinking about what's in front of them and the tools the world gives them that could be useful.

The countdown to Natural Selection 2.0 release on July 31st continues. Our official news site www.readyroom.org has become the portal for all 2.0 information, and currently hosts links to dozens of screenshots and links the new-map flythrough movie. During the next week-plus of the PR blitz, readyroom.org will always be up to date with as much 2.0 info as possible. There are also several exclusive movies showing off new NS 2.0 features as well. We really think you'll enjoy them - links provided below for your convenience.
All new skulk wall-climbing code - Divx 5.0.5, 1.2MB
The grenade launcher clears a corridor under pressure - WMV, 1.4MB

If you have not noticed...the hl2 section on here has not been completed...it will be this weekend or early next week along the launch of a new section

If you have any news you would like to send us on anything half-life related (TFC, CS, DOD, NS, etc) please do so to news@hlgaming.com. This also goes with files. If you have a file less than five mb you can send it to us in the e-mail or if its bigger you will need to post it on a site or dcc send us it on irc (Check link on hte left).
We are also accepting anyone that needs hosting. We currently will not allow clans to be hosted on the site. You can e-mail me at hosting@hlgaming.com for hosting

HomeLAN Fed has posted an interview with Sven Viking and Jerig of the SvenCo-op team, talking a bit about Sven Co-op for Half-Life 2 which can be read here.

HomeLAN - First, when did the mod team decide to create a co-op mod for Half-Life 2?



Sven Viking - As soon as we had enough information on Half-Life 2 to realise how incredible it would be to bring some friends along for the ride, and enough information on the Source engine to consider what we could do with its power and scope. I can’t wait to play through the game by myself, but I’m even more excited about playing it with my friends, and I know a lot of other people who feel the same way. Of course, there’ll be a lot more to SC2 than just extra players.



Jerig - Because it's there? Working on making a mod for one of the most popular multiplayer games out there has been a kick, and the lure of doing the same for the sequel is even stronger. There is a lot we've learned from our first effort that we'd like to do better the next time, and also a lot of new features in Valve's new engine we'd like to exploit. There's a lot we were unable to do in the first SC, more things that because of early decisions we couldn't shoehorn in later, and many ideas we'd like to expand upon.

Half-Life mods.com have posted a new interview with them...you can check it out here.

Timmay: What is the general storyline of Sven Co-op? (For those that don't know too much about it.)

Sven Viking: Sven Co-op has no single storyline, but rather is a base for any number of storylines. Each map or map series can have its own story, theme, and atmosphere… our mapping and replacement technologies (per-entity model replacement, per-entity sound replacement, etc.) allow for some very unique maps.

A lot are set in the Half-Life universe, but there are maps that cast the players as superheroes in a cartoon world, as adventurers in a medieval RPG, as crew members of an intergalactic trading craft, etc. etc.

Sven Co-op for Half-Life 2 will take this even further, although we won’t be concentrating on replacement technologies until after we have the basic gameplay features in and working well.

Since some people out there dont know the full story aobut Natural selection...the NS team e-mailed me with information about it to post on here...

For those not in the know, Natural Selection is a Half-Life mod which is about to release version 2.0 on July 31st. From our 'About' page at http://www.natural-selection.org:

Natural Selection is an action-strategy game for the PC. It is a "Half-life modification", which means it is written on top of the Half-life game engine.

Multiplayer-only Half-life mod where one team plays marines and the other plays aliens. The humans must keep their cool and work together to assault an alien-infested spacecraft or colony. Marines vs. marines and aliens vs. aliens scenarios will also be supported in the near future.

"First-person strategy" with a real resource model and consequences for actions. Both sides are genuinely different and together they accommodate different play styles:

Marines :: Fighting skill is less important, strategy and communication take its place. Playing as a marine will be a tense experience with methodical planning and strategy, interrupted with action.

Aliens :: Playing as an alien will be an intense action experience, rewarding reflexes and alien heroics. Communication and coordination don't require typing.

Accessible, fast, mouse-driven interface: no keys beyond those used in Half-life needed.

Simple to learn and play, it is hard-core action/strategy for a mainstream audience.

Innovative social dynamics lead to memorable games.

Atmospheric indoor sci-fi environments full of steam, smoke and ambient soundscapes

Natural Selection v1.0 is now available for download from our "downloads" section. New features, maps and artwork will be added as feedback from players is received and the gameplay refined.

NS v1.0 has been downloaded over one million times, and has 15,000 unique players every day.

Natural Selection v2.0 represents a giant leap forward in the world of NS and is poised to take public and competitive play by storm.

Nearly every aspect of the game has been revisited and tweaked from feedback from hundreds of the top NS veterans and thousands of games played on public and private servers around the globe.

More info and screens at http://www.natural-selection.org and our sister news site, http://www.readyroom.org