ORION Beta 1.2 - Game Tutorial news - Orion: Source mod for Half-Life 2

ORION BETA 1.2 TUTORIAL

VERSION 1.0

Welcome to the launch of the Orion Source Multiplayer Beta 1.2! We appreciate all of the downloads so far and loved playing with you guys and hope you decide to continue playing. We are putting this tutorial together in order to ensure every player has the knowledge and tools required to get the full game experience from Beta 1.2. If you think we have left anything out, please just let us know by emailing me personally at:
david@prassel.com

INDEX:

THE BASICS OF BETA 1.2
FIRST TIME LAUNCHING BETA 1.2 / KEYBINDS / MOUSE SENSITIVITY / BROWSING GAME SERVERS / JOINING GAME

THE CLASSES OF BETA 1.2
ASSAULT / SUPPORT / SNIPER

CAPTURE THE FLAG & USER INTERFACE
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE GAME MODE FEATURED IN BETA 1.2

THE OSOR KIT & THE HACKING MECHANICS
HOW IT WORKS / WHEN TO USE IT / MAPS THAT FEATURE IT

THE JETPACK
HOW IT WORKS / WHEN TO USE IT

THE CLOAKING DEVICE
HOW IT WORKS / WHEN TO USE IT

THE WEAPON SYSTEM OF BETA 1.2
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EVERY SHOT

THE LEVELS OF BETA 1.2
INCURSION / GEODE / REACTOR / MYST / CATCHMENT / DORSA / SNOWDRIFT / SHADOW

THE BASICS OF BETA 1.2

Welcome to the new world of Orion Beta 1.2. Orion is a fast-paced competitive “twitch-shooter”. It features a classic Capture the Flag game mode, a variety of weapons, and unique player classes. To figure out what weapons will be the best for you as well as which class(es), continue reading.

FIRST TIME LAUNCHING ORION BETA 1.2
When you first launch Orion Beta 1.2, make sure you take a look at your video options, controls and mouse options. There are tons of new keybinds featured in Beta 1.2 and you should become familiar with them.

MOVEMENT:
SPRNT SHIFT
JUMP SPACE
JETPACK (ASSAULT) HOLD SPACE
CROUCH CTRL

NAVIGATION:
SHOW / HIDE OBJECVTIVE UI T
CHANGE TEAM N
CHANGE CLASS M

COMBAT:
FIRE WEAPON MOUSE 1
IRON SIGHTS / SCOPES MOUSE 2
MELEE ATTACK MOUSE 3
RELOAD WEAPON R
THROW GRENADE G
USE ITEMS E
FLASHLIGHT F
DROP THE FLAG B
SWITCH WEAPON FIRE MODE Z
CLOAKING DEVICE (SNIPER) 6
PRIMARY WEAPON 1
SECONDARY WEAPON 2
SIDE-ARM (PISTOL) 3
O.S.O.R KIT 4

COMMUNICATION
VOICE CHAT V
RADIO COMMAND MENU #01 X
RADIO COMMAND MENU #02 C

WHEN LOOKING FOR GAME SERVERS:
There is a slight bug (Engine based) that plagues only a few people. However, if you are not seeing any Game Servers appear when you click “Find Servers” – try UN-CHECKING the “Show Map List” box at the bottom of the server browser:

JOINING A GAME:
When you join a multiplayer game of Orion Source Multiplayer Beta 1.2, you will first be greeted with a Message of the Day. Click OK and bypass this. You are now presented with a Team Selection VGUI menu. There are two teams in Orion: The Carrier Marine Force (CMF) and the Altair Warriors.

There are no differences between the two teams besides the names at this point. So it doesn't matter what team you choose as they all have the same weapons and play the same until a future update.

THE CLASSES OF BETA 1.2

In the current state of the Orion Source Multiplayer Beta, both teams share the same classes, the same weapons, the same abilities and the same movement speeds. We are going to be updating the game over time adding a variety of new weapons, game modes, classes, equipment, levels and more in a future release of Orion. This is just a taste of what is to come.

ASSAULT CLASS

This is the easiest class to play as if you are jumping into the Orion Source Multiplayer Beta 1.2 for the first time. It offers the best weapons that cover short, medium, and long distances. The assault class comes equipped with the JETPACK ability - Hold down JUMP (Space Bar) to activate it.
WEAPONS: FNC-30 Rifle / RNC-44 SMG / CV-10 Pistol / OSOR KIT
ABILITY: JETPACK

SUPPORT CLASS

This is the "HEAVY" of Orion. He packs a mean punch from a distance as well as up close. He can annihilate any jet packing foes or completely put to waste a cloaked sniper upon sighting. However, when he gets up close he can deliver a 1-kill shot from the combat shotgun. The only class to start with 4 grenades (extremely useful).
WEAPONS: TREK-79 LMG / TREK-12 COMBAT SHOTGUN / M-40 MAGNUM / OSOR Kit
ABILITY: INCREASED HEALTH / FOUR STARTING GRENADES

SNIPER CLASS

This class is extremely beneficial to any game outcome. They provide a great deal of cover as well as act as covert spies with the cloaking ability yand silenced SMG. The SNIPER class comes equipped with the CLOAK ability - Hit the "6" key to activate it.
WEAPONS: TREK TRG-22 SNIPER / MX-4 SILENCED SMG / CV-10 PISTOL / OSOR Kit
ABILITY: Cloaking Device

CAPTURE THE FLAG & USER INTERFACE

The current game mode in the Orion Source Multiplayer beta is classic capture the flag. Both teams start on opposite sides of the level and must make their way towards the enemy base, get inside, grab the flag and hustle back to their base to return the flag. THE FLAG MUST BE AT YOUR BASE IN ORDER TO CAPTURE.

INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS:
We have some interactive elements on quite a few of the maps. This requires the player to equip their O.S.O.R Kit (hacking tool) and disable keypads to gain access to enemy territory.

Once you successfully hack an enemy keypad, that doorway will be owned by your team and your teammates can go through as you please until the enemy restores it by doing the same exact method as disabling it.

HOW TO REPLENISH YOUR HEALTH, SHIELDS AND AMMO:

All of the levels have supply stations where you can get additional health, shields and ammunition. Simply get more by hitting "E" (Use) on the following types of props:

USER INTERFACE

There is a brand new user interface included with Orion so make sure you get familiar with all the bits and pieces to it to get the most out of your gaming experience.

GAME-MODE RELATED

These are User Interface segments related directly to Capture the Flag:
LOCATION: Varies.

You can ENABLE and DISABLE Objective GUI by simply hitting "T" on the keyboard. You can do this any time in the game and it is extremely helpful in finding the flag location and where to return it.

HEALTH & SHIELD / TEAM AFFILIATION

LOCATION: LOWER-LEFT

This is located on the lower left hand side of the HUD. This displays your team affiliation, current health, and current shields.

WEAPON DIAGNOSTICS

LOCATION: LOWER-RIGHT

This area of the HUD displays how much ammo you have, how much extra ammo you have, the name of your weapon, and the currently selected fire mode your weapon is using (you can change your weapon fire mode by hitting "Z").
Above this section is how many grenades you currently have.

ABILITY METER

LOCATION: MIDDLE-RIGHT (only appears when item is in use)

This area of hud displays both the fuel for the JETPACK ability as well as the amount of power left in the CLOAKING DEVICE.

TEAMMATE INDICATOR

LOCATION: Varies.

This is a very helpful tool when it comes to finding teammates in the levels. These floating blue circles represent where your teammates are in the game. Continue moving to it and you will find them!

THE O.S.O.R KIT & THE HACKING MECHANICS

The O.S.O.R Kit is a very neat tool. We are continually expanding on it and working on streamlining the mechanics that the OSOR kit presents. However, we are not fully there yet and we have created this section to help players identify how to use the kit.

In the current version of the Orion Source Multiplayer Beta the O.S.O.R kit has one use - to hack, disable and restore keypads. Most of the levels in the Source beta make use of this tool.

Once you get to the enemy side of the map you will start seeing some doors locked down with keypads next to them. To get inside you must hit the "4" key to equip the OSOR kit and hold down Mouse1 while looking directly at the keypad to disable it. Only let go once it has reached 100% or if you are getting shot at. It is best to take a teammate with you to disable these objectives so they can provide some cover while you hack.

HOW TO HACK:
STEP 1- Equip O.S.O.R Kit
STEP 2- Look directly at the keypad you want to hack
STEP 3- Hold down Mouse1 until the hack is 100% complete.

Once you successfully hack an enemy keypad you will be granted access to the rooms past that door. However, keep in mind the enemy can restore these keypads to block off your route again - so make sure to keep an eye on them as it will be a constant battle!

THE JETPACK

This is the feature that most fans are downloading Orion for, so let's make sure you know how to get the most use out of this ability!

WHO GETS IT
Currently, the only class in the game that can use this ability is the ASSAULT class.

HOW TO USE IT
Using the Jetpack is very easy. Simply spawn as an Assault class and hold down "Jump" (Spacebar) to activate it.

HOW TO "REALLY" USE IT
There are different ways of getting the most juice out of the jetpack. It has an interesting set of mechanics that allows any player to jump right in and use the Jetpack - but only over time will they master it.

If you start running normally and activate the jetpacks, you will go decently far. However, if you are in a full on sprint and THEN activate the Jetpack, you will go even farther. Keep this idea of moving mechanics and how they affect the jetpack in mind when playing and you will surely notice a difference. Once you get quick enough the Jetpack is a great tool for evading enemy gun fire as well as reaching vantage points.

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW?
The Assault group also has NO fall damage so jetpack as much as you want. You keep the same accuracy as you do on foot as you do in the air, so keep that in mind!

THE CLOAKING DEVICE

The CLOAKING DEVICE is truly the gem of the game. Only after a good amount of play time will you truly see the greatness of this ability. While it is slightly bugged still (and we are working on it), it can be used in a great number if situations.

WHO GETS IT
Currently, the only class in the game that can use this ability is the SNIPER class.

HOW TO USE IT
Using the CLOAKING DEVICE is very easy. Simply spawn as an Sniper class and hit the "6" key to activate it. It only lasts for 20 seconds so make sure to use it wisely as it does need to recharge.

HOW TO "REALLY" USE IT
There are a variety of ways to use the cloaking device. Some of the best situations to use it in are:

FIRST WAY
-While hacking keypads (can't be seen).

SECOND WAY
-After a teammate grabs the enemy flag and is leaving there base - hide outside near a crate and activate your cloak and wait for any enemies that were following the flag carrier and mow them down.

THIRD WAY
-To hide from an enemy while low on health.

FOURTH WAY
-To get to a position where you plan on sniping from.

THE WEAPON SYSTEM OF BETA 1.2

The gun play is the heart and soul of the beta 1.2 release. There are varying elements that come into play in the player to player combat. We are going to be discussing most of those ways below, however, the rest will simply come to you after extensive play and time with the weapons.

THE SPINE OF THE WEAPONS
The weapons in Beta 1.2 use a stance-based weapon system. What does this mean? It means your accuracy is affected by the way you are moving when you fire your weapon. So standing still and not moving would be the "default" accuracy. Here is how certain movements affect your accuracy:

IMPROVING ACCURACY:
-Standing still
-Crouching
-Using Sights / Scopes

DECREASING ACCURACY:
-Jumping
-Sprinting (can't shoot)
-Swimming
-Jetpacking (slightly)

The great thing about this is that you can do a variety of each movement and it can either make it neutral, enhance your aim, or decrease it. So if you wanted REALLY good aim, simply find a great vantage point and use your sights / scope AND crouch at the same time.

DAMAGE CONTROL:
Orion Beta 1.2 uses body groups and hit locations for damage application. Keep this in mind when you get into combat as where you shoot affects how much damage is being dealt. The Chest, Stomach and Head is where you want to aim as it applies the most damage. Legs and arms render less damage.