Please check all screens that i have uploaded, there are 18 new ones so i had to upload them in 2 groups. And beside those screens there is a new game play movie. It is rather long, over 5 min.
Please do remind that everything is still WIP (work in progress). The weapons for instance are not the final versions, i just use them for now but before release i will choose the final ones that are then available on line. Some people accuse me over the years of steeling models and textures, without first checking the readme.txt of my mods, or the credit list in the mod itself. Because i always ask the makers of these assets first if i may use it, and of course do they get the credits for it in the text file and the credit list. Hopefully i have cleared this now ones and for all.
The name of the mod,
till now it was called "Rooftop Retreat" (as a working title). And now it is time to finally release it's real name, and that is; " The Closure ", unofficial Half Life 2, Episode 3
I have choosen this name for severel reasons. First because the mod starts where Valve left us with Episode 2, (Alyx father died). As some of you know have i made together with Baltic, TB and Cubedude89, in the last 6 years 2 large SP-mods (: Coastline to Atmosphere, and Strider Mountain) and a smaller sp-mod called Final Project Diary, and a small SP-mappack. And because this is my 3th large Sp-mod it is called Episode 3.
"The Closure ' has to do with that this WILL be my final Half Life2 (ep2) SP-mod. After so many maps (around 50) and years (6+) it simply is time to move on to newer engines and games. And even finally start with indie game development. I know i said this about 1,5 years ago also and then i still made Final Project Diary, but because that one wasn't as good as i hoped it would be i decided to make one more. Just so i can close my HL2 modding time with a bang.
Because i really do my best to make this the best mod i ever made.
A lot of people ask me when this one will be released. Well, when i have learned something over the years then it is that you never should talk about possible release dates in advance because you never can keep that date. Still, i really want to release this mod before the end of this year. That would be a great time for release. There is still a whole lot to do, not so much qua mapping. I just have to make one more large map, and i have to change some things in the already existing 11 maps. But there still is the fact that a lot of textures don't have bumpmapping (as can be seen on the screens and in the movie(s) ). And i really do want to add that future to a lot of the custom textures that i use. And then there still is the issue of character animation......
Need help of a Character Animator !!
As can be seen and read in the previous news update did i think that i had the help of a great animator. He did start very enthusiastic but after only 2 days he didn't reply anymore, till now.
After that another animator did contact me, that he wanted to help me out with the animations. And again, also he didn't reply anymore after only a few mails between us. Don't know what it is that they decide to act like that, because what the mod needs for animations is not that hard, and also not that much. I just need a few character animations of a npc that sticks for instance a sticky bomb to something, etc. So, is there a animator out there that wants to help me build this? It is a huge part of the story and therefore very importent. I will place again, (a 3th) job add here on Moddb, but should you want to contact me about it then just email me, or use the pm function here on moddb.
Well, that was it for now.
Don't forget to watch all 18 screens and the movie.
thanks for checking this new update,
SPYmaps
Great work, Spy-Maps :)
Careful with the Aliens' pulse rifle ...
Its a sweet weapon though!
Nice designs of the level layout. And I like the in-your-face aliens that pop-up from walls.
I can't wait, that looks REALLY great! And I will definately track your project when you move to another engine, your mapping in source is really great, but I guess you'll do better in something like UDK.
Good to see you posting another informative update Leon - hope your well. Outstanding quality as always sir; beautiful mapping ! Hope you find a solid animator soon.
" Moving on " again, eh ( razz ) ?
Awesome!
thanks guys, i always love to read the comments, it really gives you as mapper/modder a feeling of that it is worth to put in all the time and effort.
good news, now the mod does have a animator!!!
he is GREAT!!!!
and his animations are absolutely realistic, cause he uses MOCAP,
(motion capture). you know, that system where a guy has a suit with white small balls attached to it, and then he is filmed from many different angles with camera,s. and then the movements are used as animations for npc's. so its like you see a real man moving!!!
only a very few people have this system at home, and he is one of them, and, he is making the animations for this mod.
this is simply a dream coming thru. although there is a big problem, i always thought it was possible to make npc's with custom animations AND face posing, (lip sync), but this is so hard that no one has succeeded to get it to work, ever, in a custom made mod. but, i have thought of a way around this problem, so it is already fixed, even when it means i have to make each scene exactly twice, (smile).
leon
I never understood Leon's habits of unnecessary texture and skin replacements... but whatever
thanks for commenting Jike,
although i am a bit surprised by your comment because i only started with actual modding (adding custom content other then maps) with my this new mod and my previous one (Final Project Diary), other than those i always used original game assets.
that i choose to do so now is because i have seen and worked for so long with the original HL2 stuff that i want something new. and this is the same for many other mod players. its very clear that mods with much custom content are much more popular as 'just' original HL2 mods (or actually we should call them then mappacks).
and specialy this new mod has a whole lot of custom content, that is true. i even try to get it close to a TC (total Conversion).
hope you still will like this new sp-mod Jike,
leon
You burn through ammo pretty quick in that video. I hope you increase the ammo carry amount.
For me, the SMG grates on me the most, but I do agree that sometimes the replacement choices seem odd. There was one of your maps that had a bunch of doom 3 textures that seemed out of place. Personally, I don't need new content, but it is nice to have.
Very good looking stuff :) I didnt know you did so many Mods...Ill have to check them out sooner or later.