Boxwar mod for Half-Life

Boxwar was originally released in 2002.

Website: Web.archive.org

This mod can only run on the WON version of Half-Life (patch version 1.1.1.0). If anyone can port this mod into the Steam version of Half-Life, let me know.

--Description (taken from Planet Half-Life)--
Those of you who cut your FPS teeth many years ago may remember a little minimod for Quake 2 by the name of CrateDM. The idea was incredibly simple; everyone was a crate in a level full of crates. Before you begin to roll your eyes, consider this one simple fact; when you stop moving, you blend into the background. Thus sets the stage for one of the more unique gaming experiences out there. First, however, it should be emphasized that Boxwar is not *precisely* a CrateDM port. For one, it's not made by the same people. Secondly, the weapons for Boxwar are modified to fit the setting a little more accurately, as opposed to CrateDM, which used only the existing weapons. Lastly, while not a huge difference, Boxwar does let you select from two types of boxes. It doesn't grate on the eyes as much as its predecessor.

Playing a game of Boxwar is quite simple. The format is free-for-all deathmatch, but as mentioned above, you can become a part of the scenery by properly placing yourself and standing still. It's also worth pointing out that the screenshots here have been brightened considerably; the maps are a little dark, making it even harder to be sure exactly which boxes are brushes, which are "corpses," and which are players training their weapons on you. In more congested maps, you'll see far less movement, as players are much closer together and are more likely to see movement. It's not terribly uncommon to have a smaller room filled with silence until someone tries to slip by, triggering multiple shots fired in their direction. Do you dare to move? Was that crate there the last time you looked? The tension can be almost as much fun as the kill itself.

As mentioned above, the weapons have been redesigned somewhat. Since you're playing as boxes, your arms are planks of wood. The actual weapons work pretty much the same way as they always did, but you won't find any tau cannons or egon guns here. You're limited to modified versions of the pistol, shotgun, crossbow, rocket launcher, and snark (now a termite). Crates of TNT are also a weapon. They seem to work like hand grenades, but it was a little difficult to verify for sure, since they tend to give your position away. Of course, that may be a small price to pay for reducing your opponents to a pile of broken 2x4s. It's also worth noting that there is a version of the HPB bot available for Boxwar, but I don't recommend using it; not only does it preclude online use, but the bots just aren't all that bright.

As with mods like Rocket Crowbar, Scientist Hunt and Snow War, Boxwar isn't the kind of thing that you play in order to be competitive or prove skill; rather, it falls under the category of "weird fun." Just select a box style and have fun sneaking up on people. It's really rather eerie to see the boxes gliding around the rooms and hiding. In fact, a third-person view feature lets you position yourself properly among stacks of boxes to blend in more effectively. If you can make it without being seen, you can often hide yourself higher up on a stack of them for a real surprise to anyone who's watching at eye level.

Similar mods:

• CrateDM (Quake II)
• CrateDM3 (Quake III)
• CrateDM (Unreal Tournament 2004)