WIP in WIP, post your level screenshots!

[D3ads]

So I might as well post about my current project here finally, since I've been doing so on the Discord for awhile now. Half-Life: Dark Matter is designed as if there was a fourth and final expansion to the original Half-Life from the perspective of a Black Operator named Kovac. I got the idea when I was replaying Half-Life for the 20th anniversary in 2018, I realised that although the Black Ops had appeared in a couple of mods, they certainly weren't done real justice, so I decided I would be the one to deliver it...

Since then it's evolved a fair bit, and I have seven others in a team working with me now, including brand new code! There will lots of new areas and also crossovers with existing areas as well, and the story will not only be in keeping with Half-Life 1, but also Half-Life 2 and even Alyx where appropriate!

This is my last ever Goldsource project*, upon completion I will be moving onto a newer and more modern game project, what that will be exactly is not known right now. Most of you guys know I've been working with Half-Life 1 for almost 22 years now, so I've got the experience and knowledge to pull this off, and the others have extensive skills in the field as well!

Main page: https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-dark-matter

An extensive FAQ which answers most questions: https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-dark-matter/features/frequently-asked-questions-20

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HLDarkMatter

and we also have a Discord server! https://discord.gg/yX4CfrH

Right now as we speak, Dark Matter has been nominated for the ModDB Mod Of The Year awards Top 100, in the Upcoming category! So if you guys want to vote for me, that would be awesome

Just follow this link:  https://www.moddb.com/groups/2020-mod-of-the-year-awards/top100#vote41984

and select Dark Matter on the bottom! If we win, there will be a new chapter reveal in advance of the media update next year!

Anyway, it wouldn't be the WIP thread without some WIPs, so here's a bunch of screenshots, more on the page above obviously!

I'll post more enviroments here as I make them! Enjoy.

*I might still work on something smaller for fun, if an idea arrises

[sn0wsh00]

Added some more details to the AIM map I was working on:

Italy/Inferno/Canals (more roofs):
 

Spoiler

 

Aztec/Ancient (more foliage):
 

Spoiler

 

Subzero/Monastery (more background stuff):
 

Spoiler

 

Cache (more foliage):
 

Spoiler

 

Also, I recently discovered that the game_player_equip entity kind of screws up CS:GO if you're trying to play deathmatch, arms race or demolition modes. In fact, if your game_player_equip is forcibly equipping players and you try to play in arms race mode, the whole game will crash. This means, on top of the 7(!) spinoff maps already planned, I'll be releasing a deathmatch/arms race compatible version as well.

Edited December 23, 2020 by sn0wsh00
spoilers

[Buddy]

On 12/18/2020 at 4:55 AM, D3ads said:

Stuff D3ads Said about Dark Matter

Great stuff dude, it seems like a great closer to your Half Life modding chapter, putting together everything you learned into one final product. Awesome

[blackdog]

On 12/18/2020 at 1:41 AM, sn0wsh00 said:

I've been working on a AIM/AM map for CS:GO, with a twist. The game initially plays out as a collection of six 1v1 matchups. After 15 seconds, the doors to each arena will unlock, allowing players to walk to other arenas, or to fight it out in the hallway connecting the six arenas. There will also be random sets of weapons each round (AK vs. M4, Tec-9 vs. Five-Seven, Sawed Off vs. Mag-7 and so forth).

Hallway that connects the arenas:
 

  Hide contents

 

 

This is an interesting project, but I think you need to work on the central hub. This is basically gonna turn out as a TDM, since there are not gonna be clear fronts (two distinct sides) where players will come from, and running up and down a corridor is not fun.

So I think you need to build a central hub that is more than a corridor, you need an arena that allows people to clash together in a fluid manner. It would work out even better if you could add verticality, placing the different 1-on-1 rooms on different levels. Imagine a mall with a couple of galleries or look up the Panopticon concept (where your rooms would be the cells).

Considering the concept you have, and considering reference like the aforementioned Panopticon, you can come up with something very interesting, like a "production room" located in the hub that overlooks the sets... this would give you the bonus opportunity to create some environmental storytelling.

Look at something like de_studio to see how they integrated the concept, and I am thinking of de_biome when I think of the production room

Edited December 24, 2020 by blackdog

[Anarchy]

My first map created for CSGO. Its small for 1v1 and my goal was to learn. I have published it on the workshop. If you find any mistake let me know and be a harsh judge because I dont want any mistakes for my next maps. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2334095275

[D3ads]

Thanks guys, Dark Matter came SECOND in the Upcoming Mods vote!

https://www.moddb.com/groups/2020-mod-of-the-year-awards/features/players-choice-best-upcoming-mod-2020

https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-dark-matter/images/mod-of-the-year-2020-second-place

Big thanks to everyone here who voted! Here's a couple of WIPs from the Xen chapter called Hostile Takeover (it was a working title for DM, now a homage to the cancelled expansion by 2015). Check the moddb links below for a synopsis!

https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-dark-matter/images/chapter-hostile-takeover

https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-dark-matter/images/chapter-hostile-takeover1

Edited December 28, 2020 by D3ads

[sn0wsh00]

On 12/24/2020 at 9:28 AM, blackdog said:

This is an interesting project, but I think you need to work on the central hub. This is basically gonna turn out as a TDM, since there are not gonna be clear fronts (two distinct sides) where players will come from, and running up and down a corridor is not fun.

So I think you need to build a central hub that is more than a corridor, you need an arena that allows people to clash together in a fluid manner. It would work out even better if you could add verticality, placing the different 1-on-1 rooms on different levels. Imagine a mall with a couple of galleries or look up the Panopticon concept (where your rooms would be the cells).

The map will have a radar, so that should make it easier to infer where friends and enemies will be coming from. Also, for one of the spinoff, I plan on having all surviving players teleport to a seventh arena, with Ts and CTs teleporting to distinct sides.

Nevertheless, taking your advice, I decided to overhaul the hallway on the original map so that it feels less hallway-ish. First, I widened the hallway to make it more like an atrium. I also transformed the corridor so that it'll look like three distinct sectors, with the two end sectors connecting to three arenas each. With this, I hope to visually nudge players into checking the two adjacent arenas first before moving across the map to check the other three arenas, hopefully reducing the amount of back and forth running.

Here's a comparison GIF of the changes (I did not record the coordinates for the original screenshot, so this comparison won't be perfect):
 

Spoiler

 

And here's another screenshot of the revamped connecting area:
 

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Edited December 28, 2020 by sn0wsh00
spoilers

[blackdog]

Nice one @sn0wsh00. Just wanted to clarify my point about the TDM is not much about teamwork, players are used to play DM and is fine, my point was about the flow, as all good DM maps let you flow in circular paths (so you're never stopping).

Well done with the changes, it looks more structured already.

[Buddy]

That is too flat, other than that it does look like the retail game

[MadsenFK]

Acres (Wingman)

Gonna try and learn some more about custom assets and materials with this project 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by MadsenFK

[D3ads]

On 12/29/2020 at 7:44 PM, Buddy said:

That is too flat, other than that it does look like the retail game

That's just the camera height making it look a bit like that:

In the retail maps, the terrain top is completely flat!
 

[That50'sGuy]

I'm still workin' on porting HLA content to Source 1. It's not much, but it's coming along!

It's not really challenging, it's just time consuming to do since it's quite a long process for even just 1 model. Though textures can be rather quick.

Car models have proven to be most challenging since they have different textures for both the inside and outside. And they aren't separate like the car models in CS:GOs Dust 2. So I have to manually select every polygon that makes up the interior, and temporarily make the interior it's own model to add the texture. Then I can combine the two together again. It can take hours to do this, but I'd say it's worth it.

Foliage hasn't proven challenging. The only thing I have to do is try to re-create how the S2 wind effects look with the S1 $treesway technology. Having a high scrumble setting usually recreates the look well.

Dynamic props are the only thing I'm not sure I'll be up for. I have no idea how to port over the animations for the model. But if by some miracle I figure it out, I'll be one happy fella!

I'll update y'all soon! I hope your new year has been great so far!

Edited January 5, 2021 by That50'sGuy

[blackdog]

Awesome stuff @That50'sGuy, you planning on releasing a pack for mappers?

Sure should be fine, but have you checked that Valve won't get mad for this?

[That50'sGuy]

1 hour ago, blackdog said:

Awesome stuff @That50'sGuy, you planning on releasing a pack for mappers?

Sure should be fine, but have you checked that Valve won't get mad for this?

Releasing a pack was indeed my intention! I was amazed at all the content in the game and thought to myself "CS:GO mappers would have a field day with all this!".

As for your second question, that's actually something I never thought of. I've heard in the past that Valve doesn't have issues with people using Valve assets in other Valve-Made games. But I'll probably see if there's a way to ask them.

Edited January 5, 2021 by That50'sGuy

[blackdog]

I was more thinking of the HL mapping community, being able to integrate more with the most recent game, remaster some maps/mods or just allow people that don’t have Alyx to play something in theme with that would be great.

You might accidentally become responsible for people recreating Alyx for the peasants that don’t own VR @That50'sGuy

Edited January 5, 2021 by blackdog