Episode 3 Update news

I called this update the final update before release because it is. Its just a matter of will the next update be the full mod release or the first half mod release. But that something will be released is for sure!

I did place a comment a few hours ago in which i already explained a few things but for those that didn't read it will explaine it in short again. Normally i visit Moddb daily, check the comments and track about everything that there is about source mapping/modding.

But the last few weeks i did put so much unnessesary pressure on myself about having delayed the release date about one million times that i couldn't just visit hear anymore and read peoples thoughts. Even when everyone was only very nice.

Its some old tic of mine, which happens with each release. So i only visit about 4 times moddb the last 6 weeks or so. In the mean time i have been working very hard daily as usual. My dream was to try to enter somewere in the moddb 100 list. But i didn't take any effort after all, i just went on mapping and fixing issues. Were does the mod stand, and what have i been doing then all these weeks?

Well, i am a real noob in orginazing, or better said a real mess. Still seem i to be able to release something every few years, so it does work. But it also does give a lot of stress, losing files and making the same mistakes again and again. So for the last few weeks i have been going over the first 22 levels. Most of them were made 3 to 5 years ago and it does amaze me how must i did learn in the last 2 to 3 years, and, how messy i did work back then.

So to my horror i noticed that 5 levels had a way to high enddata, from around 106% to even 114% !!! [enddata is data that comes from compiling a level from a map (.vmf) file in to a playeble map (.bsp file). And it may not be above 100%] I simply don't understand i never did notice this back then, more so when i fixed the few bugs! More strange was that these few levels were still playable very well, although one had the white flash bug [when hit or damaged the screens turns white for a second, very nasty bug].

Even more strange is the fact that some levels who had to much enddata and therefore did had this white flash bug, now suddenly didn't had it anymore, before making the enddata lower. And to make it compleet, other levels who did had to much enddata, but didn't had the flash bug, now suddenly did have it!

This is all sooooo confusing and frustrating. All i can think of is that it is caused by one of the Valve/Source updates. This makes me very scared for the near and further away future. What will future Valve updates cause for destruction?! Another problem is that one dr.Kleiner scene doesn't work anymore (he does walk and act but doesn't talk anore/move his lips. All 8 Kleiner scenes did work fine, and now one is broken for some reason, without me changing anything!

I still need to look in to that one scene problem. But all that enddata is now fixed. That is what i have been fixing all weeks. For that i did need to cut all those 5 levels in to 2 parts. Which makes that each level need a new end or start build on to it, and all levelchange triggers and entities had to be renamed, same with all other levels behin them.

How about the release then, this month?

Well, i really want to release at least a part of it, when a full release is not possible. Because i simply can't delay it anymore, also don't i want to anymore. I really do my very best to release the full mod at the last around 26 or 27 december. But, should this not be possible, then i am thinking about releasing at least the first half or even 2/3.

(snow on ship on screen above is still early beta version and is looking much better and more detailed now)

My biggest problem with such a release is the mirror servers. Because when a mod is released then other sites place also a article about it with sometimes there own download links. And it is impossible to track these all down, which would make that those downloaders only get to play half the mod, even when the full mod is by then already also released. But, that is then just a risk i have to take. And another extra reason to get it all done on time.

About the screens shown here, some of them show maps that already have been shown here, but with different screens.And then there are a lot new levels, I could name a list of all things i still need to do but i think its best i just keep working on now instead of puting more times in to this update.

Last but not least i want to thank those who keep following this painfully slow process and keep giving great feedback! Its really a joy to visit here each time and read it all!

And now i have explained this all i am very much at ease again so i can start visiting here again daily and answer immediatly your questions and or reviews when you have them.

But as i said, its best i now quit writing and work on. Here are the other screens i have for this update. I didn't take them specially for this update as i am used to do. But to save time i just looked through my screenshots folder and took some of them.

These screenshots are taken so i can point out issues to myself, to remember they need to be changed and or repaired. This makes that some of them are maybe not that great, and i believe there are even screens which show the default HL2 weapons and not the mod weapons.

This is because i map (and compile/test) out of my default HL2 ep2 folder and not the mods folder. The weapons only show up in my mods folder and that is why you see the default ones sometimes.

This is also why i don't have a movie or trailer now, would take around 6 hours at least to make and although i really love making them i think its better to mod on.

Well, that was it. Sorry again for the time between the updates.

Greetings and see you end december!

(or in the comments in the mean time.)

Leon

( We end with a sunny picture, lol ...)