[HL2:EP2] Spherical Nightmares

[WizardExt]

I have just released Spherical Nightmares, a Half-Life 2: Episode Two single-player mod. Something that started as a "small" school project, but ended up being long development process. I had previously only done multiplayer level design, mostly for Quake 2 but was really eager to create an interesting single-player experience in the Half-Life 2 universe.

Here is the trailer:

Official website: http://www.sphericalnightmares.com/

ModDB: http://www.moddb.com/mods/spherical-nightmares

How to install:

1. Extract to ..Steamsteamappssourcemods

2. Restart Steam

3. The mod is now listed in your Steam game Library

Comments, feedback and high fives are very much welcome.

I hope you enjoy it!

Edited February 28, 2013 by WizardExt

[Drakeee]

Will play this evening! Looks good

[Algor]

Awesome to see some campaign content. This is a nice chunk of work, took me an hour to play through! Looks like you really got your hands dirty to learn a lot of systems and make different kinds of gameplay. My recorded playthrough demo here;

http://thealgor.com/public/sn1.zip

My main impression was this was like a Groundhog Day story, but I only experienced it once so really its nothing like Groundhog Day. If I am to believe my player character just keeps doing this over and over, why wouldn't he try drastically different things each time? The scripted moments didn't really sell the experience for me, and most of them were silent and awkward. In the end I never understood who the guy was I was chasing after, myself? Having dialogue would really help sell the mood you are going for. Honestly, even though at first I thought it was a Lost reference, I was more interested in the sphere / vanishing island visual storytelling but it never amounted to anything.

I think the main issue for me was the encounters.

• The encounters all felt the same. The player starts at one end of an arena, a whole shitload of guys spawn at the other end and flood the space. Most of the AI seemed to assault the player, so I really just had to sit in one spot and not die (which at times was very difficult). This can be a useful mechanic to create pressure, but it does not encourage the player to move around and use the space you have spent so much time building. It also makes the AI look really dumb, how they all just go to the exact same spot to get killed. I don't think HL2 ever has anywhere near this many active enemies at once. You should definitely work on making the encounters different, where the AI are falling back or looking like they are really trying to defend something, and use less enemies but spawn reinforcements as the player pushes well into the space.

• Never enough cover for the player. I almost never seemed to have cover at the entry to an encounter and when there was, it was usually crouch cover. At this point I almost disregard crouch cover entirely and I have found players don't even consider it as an option. Try to consider cover as player height and upwards, and change the size for variety.

• I died nearly 10 times on the Hunter fight and if this wasn't the only time I was playing this I would have rage quit. The encounter was a clusterfuck and there was no clear best way to tackle it. One attempt I gave up and tried to run for what appeared to be the exit door and it was locked? After the combat was over it magically unlocks?

• The hall with dozens of headcrabs was painful as well. It is really annoying to fight fast moving small enemies, let alone this many of them at once.

• I would recommend reading this article and even many of the comments;

• http://www.fullbrigh...-encounter.html

The puzzles were another pretty weak area. In almost every case I found the solution first before I even knew there was a puzzle. Oh, here's a battery, and another, well I might as well bring these to the center of the level for when I find where they go. In the beginning, all of the doors have a blue keypad next to them and are locked, and the one the player goes through is the same except it's sparking? Using common terminology like doors with a red light are locked and doors with a green light interactable is a good place to start.

Other notes;

• Many of the interactable buttons should read as interactable buttons and have a clear state change when the player interacts with it. Press a button on an elevator and get an audio response is one thing, but to have it glow or depress is another. If a device needs electricity to work, make sure everything in the area is powered down or lit by alternate sources (natural or alien)

• After I did the puzzle where the player got the pistol, couldn't I have just shot the device with the shotgun I already had? It also made no sense an important piece of equipment was behind a grate wall.

• There were some silly things like a lock placed on the handle of a door? Makes no sense.

• In the first elevator I moved forward to hit the button and was pulled onto the ladder volume before I even knew it was there.

• Way too many vents and similar ways the player has to get into them by jumping onto stuff and then moving along the top of stuff in the room to reach it.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Algor

[blackdog]

Looks very intersting, i'll try to play it asap. Meanwhile will spread the word.

[WizardExt]

Thank you Algor for your feedback! The demo you recorded is 1-2 seconds long? Anyway, here are some answers to your feedback:

If I am to believe my player character just keeps doing this over and over, why wouldn't he try drastically different things each time?

Answer: Yea, that's the thing. Gordon is on this island where they do human behavioural tests. So he has memories of previous tests that he has seen or been through. For each new run, more things you remember and can connect. But you can't see the whole picture yet. This is just one of many runs. Yes, you are following yourself. Having dialogue is not an option, since you are Gordon. The whole mod is meant to feel very abstract and not in-your-face.

The encounters all felt the same. The player starts at one end of an arena, a whole shitload of guys spawn at the other end and flood the space. Most of the AI seemed to assault the player, so I really just had to sit in one spot and not die (which at times was very difficult). This can be a useful mechanic to create pressure, but it does not encourage the player to move around and use the space you have spent so much time building. It also makes the AI look really dumb, how they all just go to the exact same spot to get killed. I don't think HL2 ever has anywhere near this many active enemies at once. You should definitely work on making the encounters different, where the AI are falling back or looking like they are really trying to defend something, and use less enemies but spawn reinforcements as the player pushes well into the space.

Answer:The encounters do give you freedom to handle it "your" way. If you were standing still, that's what you did. Each encounter is designed so that you can choose your approach/style.

Never enough cover for the player. I almost never seemed to have cover at the entry to an encounter and when there was, it was usually crouch cover. At this point I almost disregard crouch cover entirely and I have found players don't even consider it as an option. Try to consider cover as player height and upwards, and change the size for variety.

Answer:There are a lot of covers in each encounter. Maybe the train section of the mod exposes you more than other levels. But yes, there are mostly medium height covers; crates, concrete barriers, vehicles, metal plating.. But to ignore them as cover, is something I don't understand. Even if you don't crouch, they cover 50% of your body and allow you to shot at the same time. Crouching gives you 100% cover. But you do have an interesting point with player-height cover, I could have many more of those and will have in future projects.

I died nearly 10 times on the Hunter fight and if this wasn't the only time I was playing this I would have rage quit. The encounter was a clusterfuck and there was no clear best way to tackle it. One attempt I gave up and tried to run for what appeared to be the exit door and it was locked? After the combat was over it magically unlocks?

Answer: The Hunter encounter really puts you to the test. The checkpoint is just before it, high up giving you an overview of the area and tells where the power-up crates and explosive barrels are placed. Before entering this encounter you are given a lot of .357 Magnum Revolver ammo. Those hints are a good starting point. After that, the best logical approach is to take them down one at the time.

The door is a small puzzle, with planks blocking on the other side. It's solved and unlocked after the encounter.

The hall with dozens of headcrabs was painful as well. It is really annoying to fight fast moving small enemies, let alone this many of them at once.

Answer: I could have used fewer probably. But their design is still small and fast. Personally I love them, great contrast to other, slow moving enemies, like Zombies, Barnacles or other slower moving Headcrabs.

The puzzles were another pretty weak area. In almost every case I found the solution first before I even knew there was a puzzle. Oh, here's a battery, and another, well I might as well bring these to the center of the level for when I find where they go. In the beginning, all of the doors have a blue keypad next to them and are locked, and the one the player goes through is the same except it's sparking? Using common terminology like doors with a red light are locked and doors with a green light interactable is a good place to start.

Answer: Here I think you are right. Some of the puzzles could have been setup a bit different. In general they are a bit weak, in terms of being puzzles. I don't think the batteries are the biggest problem though, they are not in plain sight. And if you happen to find a battery in Half-Life 2, you will predict an upcoming puzzle.

About the doors. Here, if there is a keypad, you don't have access. If the keypad is broken, then you have access. And I am very visible about what doors can be opened and not, with it being a model (with handle on it) or a brush with just a texture on it.

Many of the interactable buttons should read as interactable buttons and have a clear state change when the player interacts with it. Press a button on an elevator and get an audio response is one thing, but to have it glow or depress is another. If a device needs electricity to work, make sure everything in the area is powered down or lit by alternate sources (natural or alien)

Answer: Ye, some buttons lack feedback. Like the generator and the lift in the cave. I use glow/sprites on all the puzzle-buttons, but I get your point and I agree.

After I did the puzzle where the player got the pistol, couldn't I have just shot the device with the shotgun I already had? It also made no sense an important piece of equipment was behind a grate wall.

Answer: At this point, most people have Pistol. It's also given here, a second time, with unlimited ammo due to the puzzle. Of course you can use the Shotgun, I see no problem with that.

I agree about the area, it makes little sense.

There were some silly things like a lock placed on the handle of a door? Makes no sense.

Answer: It's just a design thing. But yepp, I could agree that it makes no sense.

In the first elevator I moved forward to hit the button and was pulled onto the ladder volume before I even knew it was there.

Answer: I am glad you found the right path automatic. I had some issues with ladders in general.. I wish I could see your playthrough, but I your demo only plays for 1-2 seconds, for me.

Way too many vents and similar ways the player has to get into them by jumping onto stuff and then moving along the top of stuff in the room to reach it.

Answer: Yepp. But at the same time, that's how Gordon Freeman find his way forward in Half-Life; through vents. It's a natural progression in this universe. But I hear you, too many vents and jumps getting to them. My ventilation needs are settled, I will feature much less of them in the future.

Edited March 7, 2013 by WizardExt