HypernovA mod for Half-Life

What're you sorry about?

You guys have been placing bets for a while now: since around 2011. "Is it dead?" "Will my grandchildren have to play this for me?" Well, up until a week ago, no.

I was working very hard on HypernovA. But anyone who's been following me for a while will know I'm not happy until it's perfect. Well, my skills have been getting better and better, and so my level of perfection has been getting better and better. I restarted my development again this year, hoping it to be the final time. I was going to release either for Source, or Source 2. It would be awesome. A game focusing on Alyx and Eli? Showing the death of Azian? Showing Eli breaking down? His development from a scientist to a combatant to a leader, in a way Half-Life never showed. Eli was supposed to have an amazing story arc, and it would be amazing, still.

But I didn't stop because it would be too hard or it was taking too long. I don't mind that. I was still developing the first bits of it to try and make a jawdropping teaserlast week. I was doing well, halfway done with the teaser content. The issue? HypernovA is supposed to be a mod for Half-Life. It is nothing like Half-Life. That's not a problem with either of the games, they would both be good in their own right, but it just wouldn't fit. It would be like the Sonic universe in a dark world, and we all know how that turned out. The theme is radically different. HypernovA was about making the player helpless. Half-Life is about becoming the most powerful man in the facility. THAT is why I had to kill the mod. Not because it couldn't be done, but because it shouldn't. It would never feel like a Half-Life expansion.

So, I'm sorry I got your hopes up. I'm not sorry I started it though. I got SO much better. In fact, over the summer, I worked on an educational game at the University of California: Irvine. Today, I have my skills thanks to this mod, and thanks to your critiquing of it. Does it break my heart? DEFINATELY. Does it have to be done? Yes.

Also, quick note: This picture uses Half-Life, CS:GO, and Half-Life 2 assets as prototypes. I made many assets to replace them, but I had a while to go before I could finish it.

Is this the end for you?

Hell. No. This is just the beginning. I've got big plans, baby. This is what we've got planned for you:

• A game engine that combines modeling, image, coding, and level design tools into one bundle. This has been planned for a while, but I just started the day HypernovA ended. Hopefully, it should be able to support a modern standard of graphics. While I probably won't be able to create innovations in graphics, I can definitely do a lot of innovation in game engine tools. I won't go in depth, but we do have quite a bit planned. This, hopefully, will take around a year to develop a prototype we can build on.
• Two games that are radically different from one another; one written by me and one written by Error. We'll try keep these secret for a very long time, so don't expect to see anything for many years. These will be commercial games, though we won't put together a team very soon, as we both want to work a bit before forming the official company under which they will go. These games are story-centric, though have mechanics and aesthetics built with the story, so that every element enforces one another. They will likely change quite a bit over the coming years, as any game does.*Many more game ideas that may or may not come to fruition.
• A content-based website, on which users can sell or distribute their products, as well as download them do a library.
• Several other projects that we will not mention, but, if they succeed, they may become quite a game-changer, literally.

Also, one of my proudest achievements is that, over the past week, I have literally gotten Error to say, "You are on fire." He is impressed with very little, so take that as a good sign. There's lots to come, ladies and gentlemen, it just may take a while.

You will be able to find out about our future stuff through our InOrdinate Studios page, though it'll be some while before anything actually happens. Be sure to subscribe though, because we've got some amazing stuff coming up.

P.S (Error here): You can shuffle through some of the old stuff for our upcoming game through it's old page, Europe in Flames (Up on IndieDB and ModDB). The stuff's old and not even nearly all of it even applies, but it should provide an interesting read enough. I'll hopefully release some of the newer stuff soon, because I'm excited as all hell to do so. That, too, will be up on the InOrdinate page, so be sure to subscribe.

The Teaser Scrip

Yes, this is the script for HypernovA's opening sequence and teaser. I was going to use this to attract more people to work on the project. Keep in mind, this script was mainly made for me, so it may be a bit rough. Why is it written like a novel? I like it that way; it portrays feelings better. For this, I wanted my comrades to understand what I mean, and build it in a way they see works the best. Anyways, without further ado...:

Intro wrote: I looked forward at the screen. It cut the dark in a green glare, as I sat, enthralled in what I was doing: typing. I knew not time it was, nor what I was typing. I knew only that I was working...and working...and working. I heard a creak, and turned around, eager to break the monotony of typing. I saw nothing but the lobby behind me, lit only by the moonlight. I sigh. Loneliness is gripping me, and I have no outlet, no way to quench it. I swiveled back on my chair to return to my duty: typing. The clacking of my mechanical keyboard made the only noise in earshot. I hear another creak, and turn around. I see nothing, but just as I'm about to turn back around, I see a flash of blue in the corner of my eye, and check again to see a man staring at me. Then he was gone.Someone's there. I don't recognize him, but it's someone. I dash out into the hallway, bursting through the door. The lights are off, except for the ones that I let on so I could work, though I don't remember turning them on now. Whatever. I'm in too much of a rush to care. I get into the lobby, running, and stop to look around. I see him nowhere. The creak happens again, and I trace the sound to its source. The man was white, as though he was empty, and his hair was pitch dark, and I felt the same emptiness in it, despite the stark contrast. His soulless green eyes took me in. His blue suit stood for authority and his briefcase emphasized it. I shivered.I didn't care. The void left by my loneliness was filled by one of curiosity. I ran again, eager to catch him. I sprinted up the stairs, but as I leapt into the cafeteria he was in a moment ago, with tables toppled and pushed aside, he was nowhere to be found. I stepped closer. Slowly, a chill formed against my ear, and I heard the whisper, "Hello, Doctor Vancccccce." I took a sharp turn, to find the man four meters away. I was taken aback. Through the window, I felt protected. From here, I was...afraid. He looked human, but it didn't feel that way."What are you?"He didn't answer. He smiled. Everything about him was off. There was a minute of silence before I saw what stood behind him. Out of the side of his leg stared two eyes at me, clutching the...thing. I took another step forward after realizing who it was."ALYX," I yelled in surprise. My heart sank as I remembered him, "get away from her you son of a bitch." I stepped closer, but I could not run. I wanted to, but I couldn't reach her."Preparrrrre for Unforesssssseen Consequences," the figure said. I reached again, but a door of pure light closed on it. I jumped, and then it closed.I cried. What was it? Where is Alyx? I pushed myself up. I had to find her. I had to-I stopped. Again, in the corner of my eye, I saw something. Two beasts, with limbs bent awkwardly, skin bronze and hard as armor, and eyes that glowed red in the dark, stood side by side. The smaller one hard bolts coming out of it, but they were still, and I knew it immediately. I traced the one large eye of the more awkward creature to find three soldiers. Two leaned against a wall and on the floor, with scorches marked across their chests. The third stood in the middle, in the middle of a shout. This was her last stand. Her hand was on her M202 grenade launcher, one projectile was in mid-air. I looked back at the beasts. The behemoth stood large next to the smaller one. It was twice my size, easily. Its skin was smooth but hard; covered by chitin. This was a warrior. I traced up its body to its eyes. They blinked. They blinked. Oh my God, I thought, they blinked. I stepped backwards as its body moved mechanically, raising its arm, as large as an entire human. Pulling its punch, it reached deep. I closed my eyes."AAAAH," I screamed. It was dark, but I saw the outlines. My closet. The end of my bed. It was safe. The nightmare was over.Keep in mind, this is specifically for the opening segment, used as the trailer. After this, Eli is comforted by his wife, and spends some time with his family before going to work. I planned so much of this, and the game, like Half-Life, would blend a lot of different things. Kleiner and Barney would care for Alyx when you fought, and Barney would often fight alongside you. As you grew more powerful, the rage that built inside you after your wife's death overtook you, and you became aggressive even to your friends. After a conflict with Barney, you realise how hopeless you are, and how much of a fool you were, until you meet him again. You grow into a leader, not a ticking time bomb. Eli would go on to fight the HECU, and fight the aliens back. Where Gordon fights single-handed, Eli leads. The game would go on to retcon the game, showing Eli's leg being bitten off, and the escape from Black mesa.

Bonus: The old script

Here's a VERY old script I found lying around on Dropbox. It shows how far I've come, both in terms of writing and game design. Imagine if I HAD released the game earlier? It literally hurts just re-reading this.

Old wrote: Pitch black, as far as the eye can see. Where am I? As the lights flicker on, I look around until my gaze meets a pale man, wearing a blue suit. "Dr. Vance", he says, "I've been anxious to meet you. My colleagues have warned me of otherwise, but I have faith in my decision. In you." "Uhh, well, frankly, I have no idea who you are.", I respond, taken slightly aback. His low, stuttering, slithering voice answered, "Me? It doesn't matter who I am. I am but an administrator. I have come to warn you. Leave. Take Azian and Alyx and leave." "Why to whe...wait a minute, how do you know their names?" Instead of speaking, he pointed out the window. Cautiously, I looked. It was hell. Almost Indescribable. There were soldiers, marines taking arms against creatures I've never seen before. They battled it out, but the outnumbered monsters easily beat them. They had no chance. I looked back to tell the man to stop it, but he had disappeared. As the lights turned off and the room darkened, I heard my name being called in the distance. Eli. Eli. Eli."Aaaaah", I moaned, springing up from my bed. As I looked to my wife, she comforted me and told me it was just a dream. I put my head in my hands to recover, and then kissed her. Azian Vance, the most beautiful woman in the world. She kissed me, and then went to care for Alyx. She was the pride of my life, my baby girl. I came after her, watched from the doorway as she hugged Alyx, before coming in to play with her.As I got dressed, I thought of the haunting words from my dream. What did he mean. Tightening my tie as I walled out the door, I had more questions than answers. I kissed Azian again, and took a sip of my coffee. I turned around, and grabbed Alyx, flinging her into the air. Her smile warmed my heart as I grabbed her again. Noticing the clock, I bade the family farewell and ran out the door."Hey, Guthrie, how's Lucy?", I asked my friend on the way to the tram."Better than ever. She's pregnant", he responded."What, really? Congratulations, man! Wait, why're you looking so gloomy?""I don't know if I can support him. it's no secret I'm not the best scientist in here.""Yeah, but what you WILL be is an amazing father. I can tell. And trust me, you're not the worst. *whispers to the side: YES HE IS.*""I heard that!", he replied, laughing.Black Mesa Research Facility was the company of my employment. I spent 11 years working there, and made some titans of friends. We worked for our sponsor, the US government, creating inventions such as gravity manipulators, smart weapons, and, most recently, teleportation.

Well... That's it. Those are the sad news. As much as it does suck, if you have something to ask: ask. We'll try to be here, answering.