Despite the imminent release of EX beta 5.05 coming up I was day dreaming on my way home from work tonight about another mod concept.
HL2 ThrillMatch
Having trawled through more of the Source SDK code than I care to recall it occurs to me there a re a few mods that could be made quite easily to add depth to the basic HL2 DM. The concept was to wrap all these mods up and call it "ThrillMatch"
There are quite a few weapon and weapon-like bits of code in the SDK that apparently never got finished. Seems like it wouldn't take all that much to make them usable. Here's my shortlist:
- Combine Sniper rifle - Crossbow alternative, using Python ammo. Valve have been teasing us with this look but don't touch since the release of HL2 all those years back. (1)
- Flare gun - Ignite targets, uses flares as ammo, basic pistol damage for a direct hit. (2)
- Ice axe - Crowbar like melee weapon (2)
- Fire Extinguisher - Put out fires started by the Flare Gun, push phys objects, create cover
- Medikit - Heal Allies, uses small med canisters as ammo
- EMP tool - Special triggers, change mines ownership, carry an energy core
- Alyx Gun - Alternate SMG
- Man Hacks - Terror weapon, smart grenade
- Repeater - Father gregori's rifle, python like performance and ammo (1)
- Flashlight - Yeah let's do the Doom 3 thing, weapon or light, your choice (2)
- Scope - See things far off, no reason why rebels or combine should have the HEV's zoom (2)
Some gameplay tweaks are pretty easy too:
- Adjust accuracy based on movement speed and stance (already applied in EX).
- An aim/iron sight stance for each weapon to further increase accuracy.
- Combine any of the weapons marked (1) (plus the combine assault rifle) with any of the weapons marked (2) as secondary fire.
- Encumbrance for weapons and ammo (too much weight slows you down).
- Pick ups shouldn't re-spawn until the player who collected them dies (server option).
- Inventory screen, to manage all those extra weapons and combos.
- Ammo donation (USE allies to give them some of the ammo you are carrying).
- Team auto balance server option (by # of players, by clan tag or by kill/death ratio).
- Vote for the next map during the intermission.
Zombies as a third team would be pretty fun, but i'm not sure about having them wielding guns or letting them totter around as headcrabs...
Some extra map entities suggest themselves:
- team armory - pick the default gear all members of a team spawn with
- manhack dispenser - give out 1 manhack per player on USE
- random item spawner (appears as a combine crate, so you don't know what you're going to get until you crack it open.)
- random item powerup
Which leads on to some powerups:
- Damage Multiplier - 30 seconds of 2x damage
- Unlimited sprint - No encumbrance and sprint always on, for life
- Super Gravity Gun - 30 seconds of the super gravity gun
- Hero Mode - Not so easy this one. Only 1 player at a time, the player gets transformed into a team specific "Hero". "D0g" for the rebels or a "Hunter" for the combine. D0g is 122x93 units, every power-up spot would need at least that much room, to allow for hero transformations.
Some more game play modes might be fun, these are pretty cliche but:
- Generator Gambit - CTF, with power cores
- F! Freeman - Escort or assassinate Freeman (complete with HEV and gravity gun) on his way to rescue Alyx. One rebel player randomly gets picked to play as our science geek hero.
Some modern gameplay staples like Achievements:
- 1,10,100,1000 kills with each weapon
- 1,10,100,1000 victory on each map
- 1,10,100,1000 power core captures
- 1,10,100,1000 Rescues as Freeman
- 1,10,100,1000 Freeman Kills
Multi-player vehicles are often mentioned, but I suspect difficult to do, they might be worth looking into for such a project.
HL2 DM cries out for some decent bots. Again that's tricky code though.
