You, a lone scientist, wake up in the scattered remains of a sector in the Black Mesa Facility, the Aleph Centre for Scientific advancements and research (ACSAR). You don't know you got there, but you do know one thing: You need to get out of here!
Generic mod story aside, this a classic-style Half-Life 1 mod that I'm working on all by myself which is my first mod project where I didn't give up on making after three hours of creating nothing. There won't be really anything special aside from a few textures and models.
Constructive criticism is not only welcome, but appreciated, as I want to make this as good as I can.
Hopefully I will release a demo soon.
Planned sections:
The mod won't add much other than a few new textures (Mostly ones that are ported from Half-Life expansions and some which are my edits of existing textures) and a few models. I might've added some new entities (such as randomized items) but unfortunately I have zero coding experience as of currently.
Planning to realise a demo containing the first 5 or more maps, which will hopefully be soon (as in a few weeks)
Here are a few screenshots
Development screenshot of one of my latest maps
Another development (Had to remove the NPCs because of the yellow particles)
In-game screenshot
Ditto
Ditto (Just learned how to do good lighting)
Screenshots from the earlier maps (Chapter 1)
The first demo for Half-Life Aleph. Includes the first 6 maps.
Here's my detailed feedback on the demo:
- Don't include your configs or saved games in the archive. There are also many duplicate models here, it increases the file size for no reason.
- There are not enough scripted sequences involving people. They make the game feel alive and are one of the biggest strengths of HL. Use them in your maps.
- Every gun eject shotgun shells for some reason.
aleph_01:
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- Everytime a save is loaded the fade from black is triggered.
- The first two doors with glass open normally but the glass doesn't come back down.
- Overused computers. The area is nice, but you've placed the same computers (LAB1_CMP2) over and over. It would look much better with unique brushwork.
- I liked the semi-hidden area, but reaching it is weird. Why would a tiny basement room have two teleporters? It doesn't feel like a part of the world.
- Locked electronic metal doors make regular latch locked door sounds.
- The bathroom barnacle trap. I don't mind, but many wouldn't be amused by the surprise instant death.
- You can pick up the keycard without triggering the text.
- The dead scientist with the keycard clips with the toilet door. The door doesn't open at first and if you touch the door he'll sink into the ground. Move him further right.
aleph_02:
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- Touching the bookcase in the room with glass panels will make it slide forward. Did you accidentally set the entity to func_door?
- The player can get stuck between the debris.
- Fire extinguisher effect is cool, but it never ends. It also doesn't hurt the player.
- The small room near the sentry gun lasers doesn't have a light. Not talking about how dark it is, there's no ceiling light that is off, it simply doesn't exists.
- The bullsquid spawns facing away from the player, so he doesn't get to surprise attack.
- The glass part of the door you open with a button (the one with the red chair) sticks out of the door when it opens.
- The room with barney has a security door that is clipping with the wall when it opens. The red chair in this room is also passable for some reason.
- The next security door after this room opens and reveals a wall behind it.
- The rotating doors are extremely thick. Some have flipped textures, others don't have sound assigned to them.
- Locked electronic metal doors make regular latch locked door sounds.
- The forklift is passable.
- The hallway with the forklift has the logo (LAB1_FLR4D) on the ground but it's not centered and doesn't really fit that area.
- The eye scanner is really thin, the scientist doesn't hold it properly.
- You can push the elevator button, leave the elevator and the level change still happens.
aleph_03:
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- You can push the elevator button and open the doors without waiting. It'll still make elevator sounds.
- The rotating doors are too thick and the issue with the fire extinguisher is also here.
- The rotating metal door with glass can't open because the dead barney in front of it is blocking it. I also don't think a door like that should be rotating.
- Some doors are clipping when they're open (No lip parameters given). Others don't make sounds.
- The batroom doors clip with the toilets when opened.
- An office door has flipped textures.
- The rotated coolant barrel has holes in it. Tie it to detail entity.
aleph_04:
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- The "SURRENDER FREEMAN" decal is flipped, because the wall texture is flipped.
- The green rotating doors' handles clip with the wall when opened.
- A big chunk of the map can be skipped by pulling the lever from the other side of the glass.
- Gibs like the soldier legs bleed yellow and are solid. Make them monster_furniture.
- Touching the white bookcase also makes it slide forward here.
- The ladder in the room with the oxygen tank doesn't function properly.
- The forklift is passable.
- The fan here is rotating the wrong way.
- The tank clips through many objects while rotating. After you destroy it, the barrel part of the gun turret will stay while the rest will be gone.
- Some doors have flipped textures.
- The box pushing puzzle here is not clear to the player. I guarantee, many will get stuck in this part.
aleph_05:
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- The green rotating door has flipped textures.
- The player can manually destroy the explosive crate and the wall will still explode. You can even get stuck because once the crate is gone, the steam will block the path. Even if we push the crate to the place beforehand, it'll refuse to blow up when you activate steam. The player has to push it manually to it, which isn't ideal.
- The player can simply push the smaller boxes down the ladder and make the climb impossible.
aleph_06:
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- The camera here is rotating the wrong way.
Thanks a lot! this will help for future updates.
One more, for good measure :)
On aleph_03 - on the giant staircase at the end of the level, there's a big door with a button. Pressing the button causes it to slide to the right before turning 'on'. It's not supposed to do either of those. (It's easy to check - load aleph_04 and go back up the stairs)
Looks cool, checking it out
Great job! Keep it up
I really like the look of this!
Looking good!
Loving that maps, keep going
Nice job, I like the old-school design.