Situation Outbreak
Half-Life 2
- Multiplayer First Person Shooter
Situation Outbreak
Half-Life 2 mod | Released Sep 13, 2009
Situation Outbreak is an Orange Box mod about the impending zombie apocalypse. Armed with nothing but a 9mm and a pair of brass knuckles, you must do whatever it takes to survive against the thousands of zombies that used to be your friends and neighbors. The cost of failure is nothing less than your free will. There are no heroes. No single person can save the world and there are not enough bullets to go around. The only thing left to do is to kill the damned, hoping that you don’t end up like them.
Zombie Mod: Source Review!
Zombie Mod: Source a mod that has potential but isn't applying it self enough so far.
Posted by wazanator on Jun 20th, 2009 digg this super bookmark
Review
I played one of the first versions of Zombie Mod: Source when it first came out and I thought back then "Wow this mod has some pretty good potential!" and I still think it does.
I've decided I'm going to write this review up in 4 different categories: Models, Maps, Game Modes and originality and will reward up to 2.5 points for each one.
Models:
The player models in "Zombie Mod: Source" are just simple reskins of HL2 City 17 citizens and Rebels. It's kind of weird if every single person during a Zombie outbreak is wearing long sleeves if you ask me (unless of course it takes place in some place cold).
The zombie models are also reskins of the original HL2 citizens and given the animations of the HL2 zombies (all except the poison zombie, btw thank you Grey Echo for your info). They look alright but they are still the same animations plus there giant long fingers look hideous, does the zombie virus in this game cause people to grow unnaturally long fingers or something? Grey Echo has said that they are working on the zombies being non solid and will hopefully have it fixed by the next update.
The weapon models I have to say look great. I can't complain about them, the WIP models also look great. The only one that looks bad is the bottle. You can hardly see it on screen and sometimes find myself wondering if I even have it out. The animation for it looks really weird to. I have recieved new recently that they will be fixing the bottle up so more so hopefully it will be better in the next update.
Points earned= 1.5 for decent skins of already made models and good looking weapons
Maps:
I don't even know where to start in this category. I'll start by saying these are some of the worst official maps for a mod. Most maps were to small and boring while one map featured copied content from a HL2 map.
I wasn't able to do any infection maps in the current version (1.4) of this mod as no one is ever on, so that's why the maps I reviewed are all maps that someone can do by themselves.
zms_ho_canals_beta
This map actually looks good and one of the few maps on this mod that I like. The survivors start on the top of the canal and have to shoot the zombies that are coming out of one end of a pipe and kill them before they reach the other end. While they are doing this the fast zombies are spawning above them to make matters worse. I did find some brush problems in this map plus it was a bit confusing at first as there was no indication as to what you were supposed to do, I finally figured it out after watching a zombie run into the other pipe followed by a losing message. There was writing above the pipe the zombies came out of but none above the one they were trying to get to some indication or in game text would make it easier to understand. This map is still being worked on and I look forward to the next update of it.
zms_sv_cabin_beta
I hate this map with a burning passion, I actually found my self wishing that I was playing cabin on ZPS then this rushed ugly garbage that is called a map. The building didn't even feel like a cabin, it felt more like someone who got bored one day and made a basic building in hammer and textured it to look like a cabin. There's a total of what 3 rooms in this building? This map was obviously not planed out. The outside didn't even have a proper skybox instead it has endless sky. The attic has a door on it for some reason that is oddly misshaped and the deck (if you can call it that) was just a floating brush attached to the house. This map didn't have any realism at all to it instead the player is presented with a small tiny house that they are expected to sit in and camp for the entire time, although this is the main point of the maps game mode expanding the outside and adding some more rooms wouldn't have killed them.
zms_sv_chapel_beta
This map actually would be fun to play if the zombies didn't spawn in weird shed type structures. The first thing I noticed wrong with this map was that the zombies that spawned in these "sheds" walked right through the solid doors. I was willing to accept this so I ran up to the chapel which I was assuming was the main attraction to the map. It looked alright outside but when I walked in the only thing I could say was WTF. It looked as if someone had tried to put something in that I can only assume is a joke(turns out it was). Inside I found a concrete looking structure with some statues and some other decorations and then there were the vending machines. For whatever reason some idiot thought putting random vending machines in the map was a good idea. That is something you put in a custom map not something you put in your mods official map that you want the community to grade your mod on.
zms_sv_cityblok_beta
This is another one of the few maps that I liked. It was okay but could use improvement. It felt small and it seemed you could only fight the fast zombies. The map was bigger then some of the others which was a plus. The map was also more open then the others and the zombies jumping off the buildings was a nice effect.
zms_sv_concrete_beta
First thing I have to say about this map is that it is way too small. Really were 2 entrances for zombies all you could think of along with some volcanic looking rock? This map instantly turns into a camp the 2 entrances and hope to god you don't run out of ammo map, in other words no skill involved at all. To add on to the lack of thinking when creating this map they put in 2 turrets along with a spot that you could climb up to in order to get a rocket launcher (you could even bring the turrets up here and never even have to worry about losing as the only zombies that could get you were the fast ones and the turrets took care of them) and some friendly npc's. I even found that if I stood in the cargo container I could setup the turrets so that they would shoot anything that came to the front of it, I even left to go make a sandwich came back and I was still alive with full health.
zms_sv_laststand_beta
At first when I first started up this map I thought cool finally a good map, and it is only thing is that zombies have a hard time finding survivors and at least one house is ripped from HL2 with a few changes (there might be a second one but I wasn't sure). The house was really easy to camp a second entrance on the other floors for the fast zombies would have been a good idea as the zombies comming up the stairs were to low and I found if I stood at the top I could shoot all that made it to the stairs with my pistol. I know creating a house can be difficult but a good house that is orginal would make that map better.
(there are pics of the upstairs they just didn't turn out as good because of the lighting)
This mod would be fun if they actually got some more good maps and fixed up a few of there current ones (probably the reason for the current contest). As an overall the maps were too small plus they just weren't interesting. Sure shooting zombies is fun but adding a additional challenge such as doing objectives would really help to keep the game interesting. The mod team needs to take a good long look at the maps they have in there mod and decide if they really want those maps to be what people think of this mod.
As a last note in this section I would like to encourage the ZM:S team to take some more time on their maps and try and make the quality better. Look at ZP:S they started out with few maps but at least there's looked good and played good.
Points earned= .5 for a few good maps and news that they will be worked on.
Game Modes:
Infection: I played this mode only when the mod first came out so I can't give an honest opinion of it right now (mostly because I can't find a server running a infection map that has people on it)
Survival: The best way to describe this is think L4D with more players and no moving at all just sitting in one spot most of the time mowing down zombies as soon as they are close enough. Sometimes the survivors even get friendly npc's and turrets on there team to help murder the zombies.
Escape: This is a game mode that plays like infection except with the twist that players must reach a certain destination before time runs out or before everyone dies. The zombie players are also given infinite lives. This mode would be much better off as being called "Objective" so that it can apply to a more broad range of maps (maybe some like ZPS objective maps)
Holdout: This mode is actually okay if a map is made right for it. I played both maps that are currently out I however only wrote a review for one (saves space). In short the one I reviewed applied the game mode right the one I didn't.... well lets just same imagine a castle in which you and your friends defend doors so that zombies don't walk past you. The castle looked good except you never had a chance to really see it as you were always defending the doors.
Points earned= 1.0 for some okay gamemodes
Originality:
The idea of a zombie apocalypse in which people fight zombies is nothing new to the gaming world. The name of the mod itself isn't even that original I find it hard to believe that no one could come up with a better name then "Zombie Mod: Source" that right there is generic and doesn't sound interesting at all I know Grey Echo has said that he can't change it but I'm just saying back then you couldn't have thought of a better name?
The things the team tries to point out as being unique such as their buy menu system is amazingly similar to CS:S's although it is original in the fact that no other zombie game i can think of has one.
Anyone else besides me notice that the zombie vision for this mod looks amazingly similar to ZP:S's? (they both function in different ways, they just look the same)
Points earned= 1.0 for not being as original but for adding some things that hadn't been in the same mod before making it unique.
Overall
Overall I would say this mod still has along way to go before it reaches the same quality as Zombie Master, ZPS and L4D. It's been off to a rocky start but hopefully they will improve there maps and come up with some new ones along with some more game modes. Right now it feels like a blend of ZPS and Zombie Master which is a good blend in the sense that you have both AI VS players and Players vs Players.
Total points earned=4.0
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Half-Life 2Developer
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© 2002 - 2009 DesuraNET Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 764 modders online.
© 2002 - 2009 DesuraNET Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 764 modders online.
its pretty good
you pointed out all the flaws and i agree they are glaringly obvious but somehow i still manage to enjoy it from time to time
eh... it's still fun.
To be honest, most of the points you made in your review are blatantly incorrect. For instance, you mention that our zombies are simply reskins of the original HL2 zombies. They are not. Also, the zombie vision looks nothing like ZP:S's except that there is red around the screen - that's it, which is hardly enough evidence to say they look "amazingly similar". Additionally, I'm sick and tired of reading about how we steal content. In your review you talk about how we "stole" a map from a guy named "LILABILLY". This is false. We contacted the original author of the map, "lila", and he gave us permission to remake the map for ZM:S. Stop assuming we take things without getting permission first and get your facts right. Stop spreading shit that isn't true.
I realize you're trying to be constructive, and I respect that, but in reality you're not, and you don't come off any differently than any other 'haters' of this mod do, which is unfortunate.
I swear, by the end of this I was simply laughing - no offense. The only reasonable piece of information you provided was the laststand and HL2 building port. I will talk to Harrison about this. Again, I know you're trying to make good, constructive comments here about the mod, but you failed in that regard with this review, mate.
Lol I find this very funny considering everyone I've sent this link to agrees with me.
When I mean amazingly similar I mean amazingly similar. You can honestly tell me that you came up with the idea for zombie vision by yourself and weren't influenced at all by zps?
The zombie models look just like the ones from HL2 the only one I noticed that was different was the poison zombie (you took away the headcrabs). If you modified them slightly that doesn't make them original either.
I'm sorry about lila billy didn't know you got permission its not like you posted that any where or gave him credit.
I never once said that you stole content from another mod did I? All I said is that your mappers suck really really bad and that they copied some content. Thats the main reason the people I talk to don't like this mod is because of the maps.
Look I'm sorry you got a bad review. The other 2 weren't even that constructive I actually went into detail about what I liked and didn't like. I gave you 1.5 points for your models and would have given you more if your survivor models were original.
"The only reasonable piece of information you provided was the laststand and HL2 building port." You mean to tell me you find it perfectly normal for a map that's supposed to be representing its mod is okay for it to have random crap like vending machines lying around? Or what about the camp spots I pointed out in zms_sv_concrete_beta. How about the spot in zms_ho_canals_beta I posted a screen shot of a bug.
I notice in your reply that you avoid all the other points I made instead you pick out the things you know you can defend. What about your survivors are they original? What about your cabin map isn't it just the greatest? What about your totally original idea for your buy menu?
I even forgot to mention in my review that your so called "pick up and drop unique barricade system" is in Zombie master which has more players even though it is no longer being updated.
Stop trying to sound so stuck up like your running one of the best mods ever. The most players I've seen on your mod recently at one time is 2.Tell you what if you guys are desperate for players convert the cabin and lake maps from ZPS. That way the cabin and lake players will leave ZPS and go play your mod instead both sides win, we get rid of the people who like to sit in one place and camp and you get them, considering this is what most of your maps seem to be based around.
I really want to see this mod make it but the way you guys are going with your maps is horrible and will run this mod into the ground you guys just keep giving yourself a bad rep first with the whole allegedly stealing content thing and now your maps.
I'm done with you, to be honest. You are clearly looking to bring down something which you have no business in, and are intent on spreading false accusations in a wild and futile attempt to being down a mod and a mod team you clearly had strong negative feelings for even before you started playing the mod itself.
Anyhow, I've given this "review" a bit too much attention, considering its true worth. For the record, it's not the bad rating that got me ticked off here, but your disregard for presenting information accurately and in a factual manner. Shame on you, and the best of luck in the future for whatever it is you plan on doing with yourself.
Sure man I understand
BTW I would like to know what information it is that I gave inaccurately that way I can better understand where it is your talking about.
Also I'll remove what I said about Lila billy seeing as what I said has been proven to be false
And I honestly don't hate this mod I actually enjoy playing it from time to time when I'm bored along with zombie master
I couldn't fit all my problems with this review in a simple comment with a word limit of 2000, so I pastebin'd it. Take a look.
Pastebin.com
Fair enough I'll remove the thing you mentioned and change it with this "while one map featured copied content from a HL2 map." Does that sound fair enough?
The only one that I still have a problem with is the house from HL2 but if you don't want to remove it go ahead not my mod not my problem.
Frankly, I don't care what you have a problem with. I took a solid fifteen minutes answering each and every one of your primary problems with the mod, despite the fact that I could have simply deleted this review when I saw the blatant misinformation and lies it contains. I've given you plenty of answers to work with, so I highly suggest you make any and all necessary edits to make this review factual, otherwise it's going straight to the trash. I'll let you figure out exactly what those problems are, rather than waste my time typing up something you clearly won't read or comprehend in its entirety.
There I rewrote more of it and even gave you an extra point.
What is your problem with me anyway? All I meant in my last comment was that I really don't like mods using copied content for HL2 as I feel it is not being very professional, I even said that it's your mod not mine and you can do what ever it is you wish with it.
And was taking 15 minutes really that big of a deal? I felt they were questions that needed to be answered. I'm sorry if you had to stop doing what ever it is your doing to answer them.
And who really cares if I think that zps is the best game/mod ever? That doesn't mean I stick strictly to it I just think zps is really fun.
Echo, you can't argue that the zombie vision does not look exactly like ZPS's. Holy shit. There are clearly veins or whatever around the screen, just like ZPS. This is not an original idea, no matter how much you argue. It wouldnt bother me at all if you didn't insist that it is a fresh idea.
Just in general, instead of flaming this guy and ignoring his opinion, how about trying to take something from it and improve your game? God, I'm sick of your shit. I thought you left the team and this mod had a chance. Maybe some day it will be amazing, but I'm sure it would be more amazing had you no part in making it.
I love the mod and have no quarrel with the other developers, but I must make it clear that I disagree with you.
I've not yet been able to play ZombieMod: Source - but I've always heard good things about it. I will save judgement for myself.
Regarding this review...it was a bit long-winded and nit-picky in some places. Where you could have supported the mod, you basically just ripped it apart. I didn't feel like you were trying to be constructive (even though your further comments did).
Overall, pretty unforgiving. But in the end, the points are not the points - the point is creating. I think the Zombie Mod: Source team is still creating their mod.
Their variety of gamemodes is amazing, I can't believe there are so many! Anyways, this isn't my review - I just wanted to voice my support for what they're doing. Be well.
Thanks Matthew, I appreciate it.
Realy like it. But I think you should(can't spell it) reskin the broken glas bottle to something else and reskin the zombie hands. Sorry for my bad english, im Swedish :P
Ops, comented wrong xD But I like this mod :D
In the actual versions, there are some things that aren't right, but the gameplay its pretty fun
(for example, the mp5k and the sniper are the hl2 beta models, and the arms... well, its a HEV resking (wich I could hardly notice at earlier times :P)
The MP5K isn't from HL2 beta, though the sniper is. And yeah, you're right about the current hand/arm set. There's not much we can do about this though until I get the time to edit the original HL2 hands, which is hard without destroying the current weapon animations.
Pretty good review if u ask me.
He sure pointed out what ever it was he wanted to point out though.
Quite long and arguementive and judgemental.
But hey,some people just cant help them selfs.
I still find this mod quite believeably fun though.
REALLY.
one of my best friends and i loved it at first when the first version came out.
we just wanted the mod to creat there own modeled weps.
And finally they are =)
Love the mod. i support it no matter what happens.
Im going to try not to be so picky about the negative side of the mod since im sure the team is still working on changes.
So im gonna stick with looking at all the new and positive parts of this fun mod.
Thank you glad someone understood my review
If you had ALITLE more expiriense in skins, you would know that their current weapons in 1.4 is acually allowed skins you can get in FPSBANANA.COM
Most of it is by a fabulous skinner named "Modderfreak" and his friends, like the beretta, m4 so on. So the "Okay" weapons are acually very awesome, but not ZM:S original content. The maps are probably irrealistic, and thats the only thing you should be looking for, realism and gameplay.
Some of the things I could say, the hl2 citizens. Long sleeves is realistic because it will protect you from zombie bites in a very small scale, but they are probably DUMB survivors. They could use other models, ofcource.
Most of the weapons will be replaced or stuff like that and theyr gonna add a new hud and probably a weapon pickup mode, so you have to pickup weapons as you find them, not buy them or something. that is a very - in this mod.
But ofcource, you are not a part of this mod, so I belive some of your facts are not true. This can get people to hate this mod, so please ASK to get the right facts before you make up lotsa stuff.
If you find a part that you know is not true (such as the past lila billy concern) Please PM and I will change it.
While on the topic of how ZM:S does use content made by others but with permission I would like to ask the developers if they would mind adding a List of people that have contributed to this mod somewhere on this site. (such as the weapons) As I think they deserve credit
Um, ZM:S dont have Z vision. If you knew ZPS alot, Z vision is more of a "light up" vision. the ZM:S vision is all the time and their zombie vision is red. All of your screen gets red. Thats it. WRONG facts.
Apparently not everyone reads everything :/ Go back and re-read what I wrote, I said at the end of the sentence about zombie vision "(they both function in different ways, they just look the same)"
they dont even look close tho? zms vison is blood spatterd all over the screen and zps has like vains or somthing, the only thing i see in common is the color red,
They both have the general shape plus the zps one reminds of blood every time I see it.
There really is no correlation, mate, other than the fact the outside of each is red. Otherwise, they are completely different, which is why the claim that they look the same is completely ridiculous.
Not trying to start a war but I have to know. Is the zombie view outlining the same one I saw on Fpsbananas as a skin for the zombie vision for zps?
No, and I take offense to that, considering I created ZM:S's zombie vision myself - both the texture and the shader. Stop trying to find any possible similarities with ZPS. It's unprofessional and clearly shows your bias in the matter. That's the main problem I have with this review, and I while I appreciate your corrections, I don't appreciate how you continue to make false accusations in this discussion.
maybe game ,pde where no zombies are being controlled by real players? :)
Redownloading again guys.
I was in the test for the initial release, i really enjoyed playing the game. It was simple, sure, but it worked.
I am going to get 1.4 and test it out with my gaming community.
I would like to get back into testing this mod, and im pretty sure my commnity would be interested too. There are two professional game testers in my group.
As a writer studying at university, i should be able to write you a review of 1.5 that is not biased, and takes it as it is. Ive played every zombie mod there is, and i can honestly say, this is DEFINATELY not a ZPS clone.
Anyways. good work. I really want to try out 1.5 !
I didn't think I was biased at all considering that I told why I didn't like certain things. If anything you are being biased as you were once part of the dev team for this mod. (not really professional if you write a review over something you helped)
I never once said that this mod is a clone of ZPS. You would have to be pretty stupid to think that it was considering ZPS doesn't have bots. The only times I mention ZPS is when I compared there official maps to this mods maps, I also mention ZPS when I suggested a objective mode and when I said at the end that this mod hadn't quite reached the quality of ZPS, L4D and Zombie Master.
I suggest that next time you think out your posts a little bit more clearly and actually read the review and I honestly doubt that you have played every zombie mod out there.
Getting into a flamewar wherever you can is'nt a good plan for publicity.
Read before you type, perhaps. I never stated you said that at all.
As to playing 'every', not likely at all, but i have a good 40+
When reviewing a mod, you need to review the mod for what it has. The moment you begin comparing to a real game, or another mod, your review becomes biased depending on what you felt of those.
It was a well constructed review, but as the developers pointed out and showed you, most of your points were wrong. You eventually edited some of this, but argued with the developer for a bit which was silly.
Having been in the testers, it makes a review more credible being able to compare to previous versions. This is why i am playing 1.4
I plan to review and point out what has changed, been fixed, improvements, give some criticism and suggestions, etc.
Besides, you change your opinion too much :P
The main problem I had with this mod is the maps. I felt that they didn't work hard on them enough before releasing.
Plus there was no way for me to tell what was donated and by who (really should have a list somewhere)
On a sidenote, i believe your review is not credible due to you not playing infection mode.
And your claim of 'never anyone playing' is silly.
I had a fantastic game with FOURTEEN players last night.
There always seems to be 2-3 playing.
The infection mode is the best currently, and its maps are the ones most furnished and that look the best. It has about 6 maps.
Sort of a late post. Anyway WOW fourteen is that like an all time record for this mod or what!
Are you the biggest douche or what? This mod's just starting out. I remember a time when your precious ZPS wasn't so popular.
I remember a time when people accused you of stealing other peoples work with out getting permission...