HL2 singleplayer mod - "Handle With Care"
polycounter lvl 18
Howdy. Longtime semi-lurker here. Anyway, I recently finished the second episode of my single player HL2 mod "Handle With Care," part of a larger experimental mod series called Radiator. Reactions have been kind of all across the board, ranging from "Meh, this sucks" to "This has changed my life forever" - but I'm curious as to what game artists think... "Too much bloom?" 
(Issue 2, July 2009) HANDLE WITH CARE: You're struggling to repress stressful memories while your worthless husband moans and whines to that equally worthless marriage counselor.
WEBSITE: http://www.radiator.debacle.us
DOWNLOAD: http://www.radiator.debacle.us/01/#download
- You need Half-Life 2: Episode 2 installed.
(Issue 2, July 2009) HANDLE WITH CARE: You're struggling to repress stressful memories while your worthless husband moans and whines to that equally worthless marriage counselor.
WEBSITE: http://www.radiator.debacle.us
DOWNLOAD: http://www.radiator.debacle.us/01/#download
- You need Half-Life 2: Episode 2 installed.
Replies
First of all, I think what you're doing is great. I've spent a lot of time thinking about non-violent "action verbs" (thanks Warren Spector master class) that could be explored in first-person shooters, but I've never actually tried to make anything - nor have I seen anyone else really. So props to you.
Thoughts:
- The sound-loop idea was a good since the white noise encourages you to zone out a bit and relax, so in some way you are mentally prepped for a therapy session - except that the voice actor for Dylan was pretty irritating. I can only say his intonation on every line was like a child who was just told to go to his room. The mute button was an even better idea.
- I liked the concept that the player is working within the narrator's mind. It was an inventive way to introduce gameplay in a decidedly non-gamey environment (good), but you only used it to revisit the old standby of crate-based game mechanics (bad). I think Polaris was more successful almost solely for the reason that you attempted a new game mechanic.
- I used noclip mode to beat this after getting stuck inside the shelves, so I didn't have the patience to beat it properly. Climbing ladders while holding explosive crates with Source physics isn't too fun.
- My initiation reaction was that gay marriage therapy made the setting seem futuristic. This was probably the highlight for me because I realized that this observation was both funny and sad on different levels.
- The clever little memory labels in the crate room probably fleshed out more background for me than all the flashback sequences together. I would have liked to see some different moods here since the flashbacks all seemed to be gloomy, orange memories. I don't see much incentive to stay in a relationship with someone if my every memory of them somehow involved death.
Overall it's exciting to see someone try something new, much less release a mod for HL2. I read the liner notes for Polaris, and it's a shame that the forest navigation gameplay didn't work out because I would have liked to play that, too. Looking forward to the next one.