What? No download link right at the top? What's going on? IS THE MOD DEAD?
Certainly not dead! Far from it, actually, as work on 'Surface Tension' and version 0.60 still continues. However, Surfaces Tension is the largest of Half-Life's chapters and thus it takes a while to work my work through this chapter. I really want to redo all of the terrain, which takes up a lot of additional time. It will be definitely worth it.
Going through the maps and fixing up issues can get quite tedious at times, so I work on other bits in between to keep myself sane. As with other updates, I'm going through older chapters to add content and fix issues. 'Office Complex' has received full support for detail textures for instance!
In a previous article I've pondered whether I should update the original Half-Life models. There is the offical HD pack that came with Blue Shift (and PS2 Half-Life), which will bring you better looking models. However, in some cases the HD pack changes the models a bit too much. The MP5 is suddenly an M16, the Glock is swapped for a Beretta, etc. There is also a large group of people who just enjoy the lower poly art a bit more.
So, I've finally come to the decision to enrich the original models for this project as well. Here are some of the new models that you will find in the next alpha build (0.60):
The models were based on the original mesh but I've added extra details and polies to make them look a bit better. In some cases I've upscaled the original textures and redid the UV maps. In other cases they received completely new skins, such as the shotgun (now clearly a Glock 17) and the shotgun (now resembling the SPAS-12 a lot closer). The crowbar now has an actual texture, rather than just a coloured chrome effect.
Next to the weapons and items, I also want to update the monsters and NPCs to have higher definition textures and meshes. Here is the first example I've made: the Alien Grunt. This is a new variant with a death pose (who has lost his hivehand), which will be featured in the upcoming 'Surface Tension'.
Today's article was a bit of a different kind of update but I hope you've enjoyed reading it nonetheless. If you're more of a visual person, be sure to check out the playthrough of Office Complex below, which will showcase the new models:
Looks great! 😺
I think you can use these models by BrussTrigger for npc's: Moddb.com
And I don't like new guns models, because they don't match the original hl style.I'm talking about shotgun and handgun. Probably, you should upscale original textures and models. As for the textures on maps, they are fantastic! Reminds me hl resrced for xash3d. Good job, man!
Thanks! If the models aren't up to your taste you can easily swap them yourself of course. I do like to receive feedback and suggestions but ultimately I'd like this MOD to be my personal vision of an improved Half-Life and not just to please everyone, because someone is going to complain about the models not being high poly enough and then the next is going to tell me that the style isn't low poly enough.
That's also why I don't want to just toss in other people's model packs.
Got it, tnx for answer! In fact, I agree with you.
Just a heads up, the medkit texture in the HL2 leak is identical to the one in HL1, but at a higher res