The computer game half-life (half-life in computing shortly HL) is a first-person shooter, which was developed and published on 31 October 1998 by the Distributor Sierra by the company valve. According to the manufacturer over 9.3 million copies were sold worldwide in the retail of half-life, the sales made via the steam distribution platform developed by valve are not known.[1] The successor of half-life 2 was released on November 16, 2004.
The title of the game is an allusion to the term half-life from the nuclear physics besides the literal meaning. Symbol for the game is a lambda (λ), the sign of the decay constant in physics.
The title of the game is an allusion to the term half-life from the nuclear physics besides the literal meaning. Symbol for the game is a lambda (λ), the sign of the decay constant in physics.
In half-life, the player assumes the role of Gordon Freeman, a with physicist who operates top secret research in a fictional, expanded the research complex missile test base called Black Mesa, in the solitude of the desert of New Mexico, United States. As an experiment to develop a new source of energy with crystals fails alien origin, the research facility is flooded with dimension gates from a parallel world. Gordon Freeman confronted not only with hordes of alien creatures from another world, but also with U.S. Marines, who have the order to eliminate anyone who wants to leave the area. As the Marines unable to deal with this situation, the black ops special command is forwarded. Its commands are without exception all living wipe in Black Mesa. The game mainly occurs using real, but also fictional weapons (such as the Gauß gun). Again and again, Freeman meets the mysterious G-man, an unknown who apparently intends to examine Freeman and offers him a job at the end of the game on his way from Black Mesa.
For the development of the story of the game, valve hired the horror author Marc Laidlaw. Leading the way was that the development of the plot was completely considered from the perspective of the player, so that no cutscenes interrupted the flow of the game. For this purpose, many events in the game world have been scripted and upon arrival of the player at one place certain triggered (so-called script sequences).
Although half-life technically based on a typical ego-shooter engine, put the game through the addition of elements from the genres of adventure and platform game genres n' run standards. For example, the player in many situations with skill needs to overcome obstacles such as power cables, fans, deep precipices, or toxic waste. In other scenes, such as sliding boxes must be positioned properly to reach higher positions or to get around the trigger of prison mines. Still, the game in the form of sentry and scientists includes also computer-controlled characters which help the player.
Half-life of one of the first games, which included secondary fire modes for weapons was in relation to the typical ego-shooter elements. Also stages, in which the player controls a bandwagon on Rails or operated fixed weapons like machine guns and heavy artillery provide some variation for guests.
German version
The English original was banned shortly after the launch in Germany by the then Federal Department for media harmful to young. In the German version, the player fights against robots, rather than against human soldiers, the aliens no longer bleed, the corpses of killed opponents dissolve slowly and also beschossene researchers sit down in this version shaking on the floor. This course of the game and the difficulty changes partially, because the kopfschüttelnden researchers draw the fire of automatically firing weapons into and they no longer target the player. She received a rating from the age of 16 from the USK.
Awards
Half-life has been named the game of the year 1998 by the German computer magazine of PC games. The computer games magazine GameStar gave the game a game fun rating of 92%.
Half-life received high ratings also from other magazines around the world. So it has been named the game of the year over 50 times and left so that the genre competitors unreal from the same year (also game-of-the-year awards received) behind him. The game received a Metacritic in height of 96 points.
Technology
The half life engine (code name: GoldSrc, or Goldsource) was created in 1998 from the of id Software's Quake engine licensed. The half-life engine similar to that of Quake I only in very little. The most important changes compared to the quake engine were the novel skeleton-based animation model, the switch to C++, the improved network subsystem (NetCode), the artificial intelligence of computer opponents (KI), the ability to make complex scripted scenes, and the graphics.
The diverse use of script sequences is used to convey of the story and improves the immersion.
The half life engine uses as the quake engine BSP trees to minimize the computational effort. Used textures with 256 colors, the engine itself renders but with 16 or 32 bit color depth. In addition, the network subsystem uses the quake-world technology, with the liquid playing over the Internet is possible.
A special feature of half life compared to other games at that time is that a level, of which there are 17 piece, not fully in one piece was loaded, but is divided into small sections, connected by well-defined transfer points within identical rooms. As a result, the player gets the impression that he is in a huge, contiguous complex. The only clue to the subdivision, the level is the momentary interruption of the game while charging, with the lettering "Load" appears.
At that time current technology was also used for the sound. For example, the sound procedures A3D and EAX produced the various space effects. The half-life soundtrack was composed by the in-house composer Kelly Bailey, who was responsible for the sound effects. The 27 pieces are included in the normal audio format on the half life CD and can be played on any CD player.
Weapons
A total of 14 weapons at your disposal are the players, some of them are also used by AI opponents.
The crowbar is the first weapon that met the player in half-life. It is used as a pure melee weapon in the first sections of the game, as well as at the opening of boxes with bonuses.
The pistol Glock 17 is the first gun of the player and is used also by the Black-Mesa guards. In addition to the crossbow and the Aliengewehr, it is the only weapon that can be used underwater. In the secondary fire mode, the gun shoots faster, but inaccurately. MP5 Glock 17 share and the ammunition supply.
Second handgun of the game is the.357 Magnum. It is relatively durchschlagskräftig and precisely, their drum magazine comprehensive six shot must be downloaded but relatively slow. In multiplayer mode, the Magnum has a secondary fire mode approach is zoomed in to the target.
The submachine gun Heckler & Koch MP5 is the standard weapon of the soldiers or military robots. In addition to her magazine comprising 50 shot it oxidised in order Gewehrgranaten in the secondary mode. The primary ammunition supply is shared with the Glock 17.
Relatively early in the game the player also has a pump-action shotgun. It is loaded with eight shotgun shells, of which each a (primary fire) or two (secondary fire mode) at a time are oxidised in order. In addition to the players, some soldiers use the Pumpgun.
Only weapon with the rifle scope is the crossbow in the single player mode. The zoom is activated it with the key for the secondary fire mode. Curiously, in multiplayer mode, the bolts fired without zoom are explosive.
First heavy weapon is a rocket launcher available players. The missile is guided by firing a laser beam, in the secondary fire mode the target laser is switched off so that the rocket flies only straight ahead.
Gauß rifle and Gluonenkanone, sharing also the ammunition have science fiction character. The Gauß Rifle fires short, yellowish beams that are reflected under shallow angle also on walls and floor. In secondary mode, the beam is loaded up longer and thus more strongly, in addition the weapon in this mode has a strong recoil. In multiplayer mode, you can shoot with the Gauß rifle also through walls. The Gluonenkanone, however, fires a continuous beam of purple. In secondary mode, the beam remains set regardless of the position of the player to the same point.
The second "alien" Navy is the so-called Hivehand, which used the alien grunt enemy type. It has a stock of regenerierenden himself and maximum comprehensive eight shot ammunition. In the primary mode of fire homing projectiles are oxidised in order, which bounce off also on walls. In the secondary mode these projectiles are fired faster and harder, but without targeting.
As first alien weapon, there are small beetles (also known as snarks) which are thrown by the player on the ground and that attack all findable targets within their lifetimes by 15 seconds and explode at the end of the period.
There are even hand grenades, remote zündbare explosive devices (backpack bombs) as well as detention on the M18 Claymore mines with ignition by a light barrier.
Levels
Half life is divided into 17 chapters, which include sections of turn small the gameplay without major loading breaks appear contiguous and maintained so the voltage. Each of the chapter titles of the English original version and the German titles in brackets is specified.
Black Mesa Inbound (towards work): It the way shows a railway that Gordon Freeman brings to his workplace in Black Mesa, precise sector C, test labs and control facilities. On this trip, the dimensions of the complex are clear and the player gets to face some interesting things: transit system, scientists, and for the first time the G-man. This section represents the intro to the game at the same time. This combination of Intro and interactivity was sensational at the time, and was widely praised.
Anomalous material (abnormal matter): Gordon occurs - security guard according to late - started his service and moves, after he the hazardous environment suit (German: "Suit for hazardous environments", short HEV) created, deeper into the heart of the sector C into it. Arrived in the huge test Chamber the experiment begins, and Gordon pushes a Crystal sample into a kind of power generator: the disaster takes its course. Up to this point of the game, no opponent is countered, the scenes and the interaction with the environment serve only advance the plot.
Unforeseen consequences (unforeseen consequences): Gordon caused a resonance cascade (resonance cascade) with the sample; This means that he has opened several dimensional portals to an alien planet called Xen, from which aliens everywhere be teleported in Black Mesa and the surrounding areas into, has what severe structural damage to the complex result. Freeman finds the distraught survivors and is asked to get to the surface and to get help.
Office complex (Office building): The way to the surface is the involuntary hero through an office building full of aliens, security guards and scientists. He gets the information that was a rescue squad on the road, from which the survivors hope that help.
We've got Hostiles (enemy in sight): U.S. troops, the hazardous environment combat unit, storm Black Mesa and kill everything and anyone who comes to them in the way. Gordon learns now that the survivors of the lambda complex are at the other end of the Black Mesa and it is perhaps possible to close the dimensional portals; Gordon makes so along the way.
Blast pit (Explosionskrater): on the way Freeman is stopped first in a missile test silo by three huge tentacles, that the way obstruct him and attack him by hearing. Eventually he succeeds but, to kill the alien tentacles by the ignition of the rocket device and to penetrate further into the complex through the hole in the test Chamber.
Power up (energy): Gordon reaches the beginning of a rail system and must compete against a giant alien (Gargantua), which can ultimately be killed by the flashes of a generator. Gordon simultaneously switches voltage to the tracks and continues the journey on the underground rail system of the complex.
On a rail (on Rails): Gordon is informed by one of the security guards that he must shoot a satellite into space to allow scientists in the lambda complex to close the dimension Portal. He fights through the mined, soldiers lined railway network, finally reaches the rocket with the satellite and launches them.
Apprehension (arrest): Gordon walks through the old industrial plants in the Black Mesa, is finally running into a trap of the soldiers and is arrested. He is thrown into a waste press and his fate. At this point, the player loses all of his weapons and must begin again with a crowbar.
Residue processing (residue processing): Freeman rescues from the press and must fight now by the old automatic garbage disposal plant of the Black Mesa, which is full of dangers and toxic substances.
Questionable ethics (questionable ethics): Now enters the hero in a laboratory in which experiments on the aliens from the parallel world of Xen were made. This suggests to the fact that people even before the resonance cascade on Xen were and with Earth brought there domestic creatures.
Surface tension (surface tension): on the surface, a battle between aliens and soldiers has flared up and Gordon fights for buildings and tunnels to the lambda complex. He destroyed a range of military equipment and climbing on cliffs along. Finally, he reached the sealed entrance of the route to the lambda complex and hears on the radio that the soldiers withdraw. He blasted the sealed gate with a radio ferngesteuertem air raid and marched further towards the lambda complex.
Forget about Freeman (forget Freeman!): the military leaves Black Mesa and airstrikes begin. Gordon must forward themselves through water channels continue to fight.
Lambda (lambda core) core: Gordon enabled the reactor here first and get the secret Teleportationseinrichtungen to face, have opened the portal to Xen. It explains the remaining scientists that there is an alien, keeps open the dimension gate on the other side. He receives an order to teleport, to defeat this alien and finally close the portal to Xen.
Xen: In the strange, organic world does he get many famous aliens to face and sees dead scientists with HEV suits, which explored Xen before him - scattered everywhere. He finds a teleporter and activates it.
Gonarch's Lair (Gonarchs hiding place): Gordon must fight against a creature which possibly represents a mature form of the actually quite harmless head crab. The scene is similar to a typical final opponents fight, although it still is not the essence of (Gonarch) to the actual final boss of the game. The Gonarch is a good four-meter-long and three-meter-high spider-like monster which attacked Gordon with toxic slime and head crab.
Interloper (intruder): Freeman enters an Alienfabrik where cyborglike soldiers "manufactured", and fights through to a further portal to enter it.
Nihilanth: The final boss of the game. He has a number of heavy weapons, including a portal Launcher with which he can teleport Gordon in traps. Only when the protection of Nihilanthen, three yellow crystals is destroyed, Gordon can inject on his brain and beat him so.
End game (final): After his victory over the Nihilanthen, Gordon is considered G-man in reception of the mysterious. This revealed to him that he has monitored his actions in the course of the game and now offers him a job. The G-man makes it clear that Gordon has the option to agree or to beat a battle he cannot win. The player chooses the job by he enters a portal, appears the message "To be continued", and the game hides; he stops he - is provided by a huge army of alien unaided - and also hides the game.
Add-ons for Firefox
Two official Add-ons have appeared for half-life that for owners of half-life, who entered their game on steam for free, or in the generation Pack v3 and the half life 1 anthology in the trade are available. Both addons developed by gearbox software.
Opposing force
Main article: opposing force
Where in the October 1999 published expansion opposing force, the player assumes the role of Corporal Adrian Shephard, is sent as a member of a division of the U.S. Marines on an unknown mission according to Black Mesa and there survives a helicopter crash, only one of his squads.
The player device now similar to the original in a precarious situation between the alien and human soldiers - in this case the black OPS, a special unit of the Government, which is to cover up the use of the Marines and the entire Black Mesa incident. And again the mysterious G-man appears again and again. The fact that opposing force and half-life play at the same time, intersect the two storylines at some points in the game. You can see in the role of Adrian Shephard, out and back Gordon Freeman, the man who played half-life, disappear behind a corner or move into a teleporter Portal.
The Add-On offers to new weapons, such as for example the marine gun with laser sight, but also new tactical possibilities: it is now possible to climb on ropes or to swing by a rope to the next. Also collaboration with other soldiers is often necessary, such as a combined attack to start or to weld on a locked door by pioneer. Opposing force sold over 1.1 million copies according to the manufacturer's specifications.
Blue Shift
In blue shift, you will experience what is happening to the Black Mesa research complex from the point of view of watchman Barney Calhoun, the aim of which is to escape from the complex. Also in this add-on Gordon Freeman, you can meet a few times what linked to the games.
Exclusive part of the half-life port for Sega's game console Dreamcast should be originally blue shift, but was already well advanced project and blue shift separately released for the PC.
Anti cheat measures
The first tool with which the cheating in the multiplayer mode should be made more difficult, was the 2000 PunkBuster. The development for the half life engine in 2001, generally ceased due to lack of support on the part of valve.
At about this time was also cheating-death (in allusion to creeping death by Metallica), developed by the United Admins developers group. Is a cheat a player is detected, the tool block whose input so that it can no longer move his character. The most leagues recommend cheating death as anti cheat tool. Early 2006 the further development was discontinued by cheating death no programmers gathered to continue the project.
Valve integrated his own anti cheat tool valve anti-cheat (VAC) in his games. Since July 2004, VAC but no longer developed and early August 2005 replaced by the successor of VAC2, which is available for all games from valve. VAC2 is to deter this that a spotted fraud for the concerned steam account leads to the permanent exclusion from play on VAC secured servers.[4] The ban is engine-specific, which means that not all games an account from playing on secured servers are excluded.
In addition to these tools, that are running on the computer of the player's created also server plugins, requiring no installation on your computer of the player, for example the HLguard the United Admins or server log. The League get published a server plugin that monitors certain game parameters on the computer of the player and to discover so Cheatprogramme. However, server-side anti cheat measures reach not the efficiency of client-server tools.
Since there are always successful cheater despite anti cheat measures, many leagues require players via the built-in demo function to record their competitions and present the request log files.
Because each player has an identification number (formerly WON ID, then steam ID), developed databases with IDs of cheaters provided on different Web sites on a virtual pillory. Also, so game server administrators easier known cheater to may exclude from their game server.
Valve Hammer Editor
The Hammer Editor (formerly WorldCraft) is a map editor that allows you to develop your own maps for half-life, half-life 2 and their modifications, one can but create to your own MODs. The editor supports only the two half-life engines.
It consists of five individual programs: the editor itself, where the map is created and with special objects can be equipped (lights, weapons, special effects, textures, etc.) and four compile programs with which the created map is then converted into a half-life-map file. These programs include the calculation of visibility, geometry, objects and the light.
The user (Mapper) can of square blocks, called brushes, which are provided with textures, composed landscapes and buildings and add light and starting positions of the players, equipment with so-called entities.
On the Internet, you will encounter a great mapping scene offering tutorials, textures, prefabricated elements (so-called prefabs), and also a large number of finished maps. The claims are very large and only who both playful and optically perfectly designed his map, can hope that obtained this more or less popular.
The Hammer Editor is currently available as version 4.0 for half-life 2 (November 2005), must only be downloaded through steam (free of charge). The editor is located in the program package of software development kit.alf life engine has settled in newer versions of blue shift: with the so-called high definition Pack increased polygon count of models and weapons later in the original game. This had any impact on the resolution of the textures. According to the manufacturer, the blue shift sold over 900,000 copies.
Characters
Gordon Freeman
Dr. Gordon Freeman is the protagonist in the half life series, the player is put in its role. Freeman is 27 years old and single. His doctorate in theoretical physics was Freeman am with after a dissertation on observations of Bellschen inequality. Following, he worked at the Institute for experimental physics in Innsbruck on research series to Teleportationseffekten, before he followed a job offer of his former Professor Dr. Kleiner and returned in the United States in the Black Mesa research facility in New Mexico as a quantum and astrophysicist to research.
After he forced has decided at the end of half life for a life in the service of G-man, Freeman spends several years in stasis. He is awakened after almost two decades. This is the beginning of half-life 2. The further fate of Freeman remains still uncertain but after half-life 2 and the subsequent episodes.
While playing, Gordon remains always silent, so that the player can better take on his role.
G-man
During the course of half-life, the mysterious G-man emerges again and again in different places and seems to observe the progress of Freeman's. One views the G-man however, he elegantly directed his tie, and disappears then. After Freeman has defeated the final boss at the end of the first part, the G-man is an ultimatum him: he works for him, or he "must compete in a battle, in which he has no chance for a victory".
Nihilanth
The first part of half-life ends with Gordon Freeman in the border world Xen to kill the so-called Nihilanthen. It involves an approximately 15 meters large floating alien. By his death, the formerly hostile Aliensklaven (Vortigaunts) are free.
Vortigaunt
The Vortigaunts are aliens from the border world Xen, have been freed in half-life by Freeman of the Nihilanthen and their metallic slave collar and since half-life 2 with the people working together. They have healing abilities, and fall on this that they can use green energy discharges as a weapon.
Barney Calhoun
Barney Calhoun is a security guard in Black Mesa, representing above all the role of a person in the entire half-life-story - in the second part - which has no idea about science. In half-life, you can see him at the start off a train out and also later in the game. In the add on blue shift the player may control it. Manages to him through a chain of lucky circumstances and cooperation with surviving scientists escape from Black Mesa. He also is a prominent member of the resistance against the combine rule in the second part.
Corporal Adrian Shephard
Adrian Shephard is the protagonist of half-life activities opposing force. His ABC-Schutzmaske is typical for him.
Otis Laurey
We can meet the weighty security guard Otis Laurey in the expansion opposing force and blue shift, beginning. He will assist in Opposing Force Adrian Shephard at various points of the game. Striking is his fondness for sweets, especially for Donuts, which is not to stop after the accident of Black Mesa. It is unknown whether he managed to escape from Black Mesa.
Dr. Rosenberg
Dr. Rosenberg 1 integrated expansion decay occurs only in blue shift and the PlayStation 2 version of half-life, but otherwise is mentioned in no other half life game. He is a scientist who works at the Teleportationstechnik as Dr. Kleiner. By his knowledge, he can flee with Barney Calhoun and Dr. Walter/Isaac Kleiner from Black Mesa.
Gina cross
The mystery Gina has her single appearance in half-life in the hazard course as the Director of the cross. Later you can see it only as an Easter egg at the beginning of blue shift, how she ride the hazardous material, which causes the incident, to Gordon Freeman. You could learn the name of that person at that time such as the G-man only by the name of the 3D model outside of the game. Later, Gina occurred in co-op mode of the PlayStation 2 version of half-life. There her name was mentioned, as well as her last name cross. Gina fighting cross in decay co-op mode with an another scientist named Colette Green the aliens who have invaded the Black Mesa.
Colette green
Colette Green fights with Gina cross in the co-op mode of decay.
Dr. Arne Magnusson
Dr. Magnusson is not mentioned although in half-life, hitting him but at the beginning of the game in the room with a microwave where you can destroy his lunch. Only in half-life 2: one more learns episode two of him.
Dr. Walter/Isaac Kleiner
Dr. Walter/Isaac Kleiner is not mentioned in half-life and occurs only in blue shift and half-life 2. His first name is unclear, as he is called in HL2 Isaac, while in the first half-life parts of Walter Kleiner. A half bald, a horn-rimmed glasses is typical for him and a something naive and childish behavior. In the course of all half life episodes is to recognize that it must be a competent scientist who works on teleportation. At the end of blue shift, he flees to the output of the research complex along with Barney Calhoun and Dr. Rosenberg through teleportation.
For the development of the story of the game, valve hired the horror author Marc Laidlaw. Leading the way was that the development of the plot was completely considered from the perspective of the player, so that no cutscenes interrupted the flow of the game. For this purpose, many events in the game world have been scripted and upon arrival of the player at one place certain triggered (so-called script sequences).
Although half-life technically based on a typical ego-shooter engine, put the game through the addition of elements from the genres of adventure and platform game genres n' run standards. For example, the player in many situations with skill needs to overcome obstacles such as power cables, fans, deep precipices, or toxic waste. In other scenes, such as sliding boxes must be positioned properly to reach higher positions or to get around the trigger of prison mines. Still, the game in the form of sentry and scientists includes also computer-controlled characters which help the player.
Half-life of one of the first games, which included secondary fire modes for weapons was in relation to the typical ego-shooter elements. Also stages, in which the player controls a bandwagon on Rails or operated fixed weapons like machine guns and heavy artillery provide some variation for guests.
German version
The English original was banned shortly after the launch in Germany by the then Federal Department for media harmful to young. In the German version, the player fights against robots, rather than against human soldiers, the aliens no longer bleed, the corpses of killed opponents dissolve slowly and also beschossene researchers sit down in this version shaking on the floor. This course of the game and the difficulty changes partially, because the kopfschüttelnden researchers draw the fire of automatically firing weapons into and they no longer target the player. She received a rating from the age of 16 from the USK.
Awards
Half-life has been named the game of the year 1998 by the German computer magazine of PC games. The computer games magazine GameStar gave the game a game fun rating of 92%.
Half-life received high ratings also from other magazines around the world. So it has been named the game of the year over 50 times and left so that the genre competitors unreal from the same year (also game-of-the-year awards received) behind him. The game received a Metacritic in height of 96 points.
Technology
The half life engine (code name: GoldSrc, or Goldsource) was created in 1998 from the of id Software's Quake engine licensed. The half-life engine similar to that of Quake I only in very little. The most important changes compared to the quake engine were the novel skeleton-based animation model, the switch to C++, the improved network subsystem (NetCode), the artificial intelligence of computer opponents (KI), the ability to make complex scripted scenes, and the graphics.
The diverse use of script sequences is used to convey of the story and improves the immersion.
The half life engine uses as the quake engine BSP trees to minimize the computational effort. Used textures with 256 colors, the engine itself renders but with 16 or 32 bit color depth. In addition, the network subsystem uses the quake-world technology, with the liquid playing over the Internet is possible.
A special feature of half life compared to other games at that time is that a level, of which there are 17 piece, not fully in one piece was loaded, but is divided into small sections, connected by well-defined transfer points within identical rooms. As a result, the player gets the impression that he is in a huge, contiguous complex. The only clue to the subdivision, the level is the momentary interruption of the game while charging, with the lettering "Load" appears.
At that time current technology was also used for the sound. For example, the sound procedures A3D and EAX produced the various space effects. The half-life soundtrack was composed by the in-house composer Kelly Bailey, who was responsible for the sound effects. The 27 pieces are included in the normal audio format on the half life CD and can be played on any CD player.
Weapons
A total of 14 weapons at your disposal are the players, some of them are also used by AI opponents.
The crowbar is the first weapon that met the player in half-life. It is used as a pure melee weapon in the first sections of the game, as well as at the opening of boxes with bonuses.
The pistol Glock 17 is the first gun of the player and is used also by the Black-Mesa guards. In addition to the crossbow and the Aliengewehr, it is the only weapon that can be used underwater. In the secondary fire mode, the gun shoots faster, but inaccurately. MP5 Glock 17 share and the ammunition supply.
Second handgun of the game is the.357 Magnum. It is relatively durchschlagskräftig and precisely, their drum magazine comprehensive six shot must be downloaded but relatively slow. In multiplayer mode, the Magnum has a secondary fire mode approach is zoomed in to the target.
The submachine gun Heckler & Koch MP5 is the standard weapon of the soldiers or military robots. In addition to her magazine comprising 50 shot it oxidised in order Gewehrgranaten in the secondary mode. The primary ammunition supply is shared with the Glock 17.
Relatively early in the game the player also has a pump-action shotgun. It is loaded with eight shotgun shells, of which each a (primary fire) or two (secondary fire mode) at a time are oxidised in order. In addition to the players, some soldiers use the Pumpgun.
Only weapon with the rifle scope is the crossbow in the single player mode. The zoom is activated it with the key for the secondary fire mode. Curiously, in multiplayer mode, the bolts fired without zoom are explosive.
First heavy weapon is a rocket launcher available players. The missile is guided by firing a laser beam, in the secondary fire mode the target laser is switched off so that the rocket flies only straight ahead.
Gauß rifle and Gluonenkanone, sharing also the ammunition have science fiction character. The Gauß Rifle fires short, yellowish beams that are reflected under shallow angle also on walls and floor. In secondary mode, the beam is loaded up longer and thus more strongly, in addition the weapon in this mode has a strong recoil. In multiplayer mode, you can shoot with the Gauß rifle also through walls. The Gluonenkanone, however, fires a continuous beam of purple. In secondary mode, the beam remains set regardless of the position of the player to the same point.
The second "alien" Navy is the so-called Hivehand, which used the alien grunt enemy type. It has a stock of regenerierenden himself and maximum comprehensive eight shot ammunition. In the primary mode of fire homing projectiles are oxidised in order, which bounce off also on walls. In the secondary mode these projectiles are fired faster and harder, but without targeting.
As first alien weapon, there are small beetles (also known as snarks) which are thrown by the player on the ground and that attack all findable targets within their lifetimes by 15 seconds and explode at the end of the period.
There are even hand grenades, remote zündbare explosive devices (backpack bombs) as well as detention on the M18 Claymore mines with ignition by a light barrier.
Levels
Half life is divided into 17 chapters, which include sections of turn small the gameplay without major loading breaks appear contiguous and maintained so the voltage. Each of the chapter titles of the English original version and the German titles in brackets is specified.
Black Mesa Inbound (towards work): It the way shows a railway that Gordon Freeman brings to his workplace in Black Mesa, precise sector C, test labs and control facilities. On this trip, the dimensions of the complex are clear and the player gets to face some interesting things: transit system, scientists, and for the first time the G-man. This section represents the intro to the game at the same time. This combination of Intro and interactivity was sensational at the time, and was widely praised.
Anomalous material (abnormal matter): Gordon occurs - security guard according to late - started his service and moves, after he the hazardous environment suit (German: "Suit for hazardous environments", short HEV) created, deeper into the heart of the sector C into it. Arrived in the huge test Chamber the experiment begins, and Gordon pushes a Crystal sample into a kind of power generator: the disaster takes its course. Up to this point of the game, no opponent is countered, the scenes and the interaction with the environment serve only advance the plot.
Unforeseen consequences (unforeseen consequences): Gordon caused a resonance cascade (resonance cascade) with the sample; This means that he has opened several dimensional portals to an alien planet called Xen, from which aliens everywhere be teleported in Black Mesa and the surrounding areas into, has what severe structural damage to the complex result. Freeman finds the distraught survivors and is asked to get to the surface and to get help.
Office complex (Office building): The way to the surface is the involuntary hero through an office building full of aliens, security guards and scientists. He gets the information that was a rescue squad on the road, from which the survivors hope that help.
We've got Hostiles (enemy in sight): U.S. troops, the hazardous environment combat unit, storm Black Mesa and kill everything and anyone who comes to them in the way. Gordon learns now that the survivors of the lambda complex are at the other end of the Black Mesa and it is perhaps possible to close the dimensional portals; Gordon makes so along the way.
Blast pit (Explosionskrater): on the way Freeman is stopped first in a missile test silo by three huge tentacles, that the way obstruct him and attack him by hearing. Eventually he succeeds but, to kill the alien tentacles by the ignition of the rocket device and to penetrate further into the complex through the hole in the test Chamber.
Power up (energy): Gordon reaches the beginning of a rail system and must compete against a giant alien (Gargantua), which can ultimately be killed by the flashes of a generator. Gordon simultaneously switches voltage to the tracks and continues the journey on the underground rail system of the complex.
On a rail (on Rails): Gordon is informed by one of the security guards that he must shoot a satellite into space to allow scientists in the lambda complex to close the dimension Portal. He fights through the mined, soldiers lined railway network, finally reaches the rocket with the satellite and launches them.
Apprehension (arrest): Gordon walks through the old industrial plants in the Black Mesa, is finally running into a trap of the soldiers and is arrested. He is thrown into a waste press and his fate. At this point, the player loses all of his weapons and must begin again with a crowbar.
Residue processing (residue processing): Freeman rescues from the press and must fight now by the old automatic garbage disposal plant of the Black Mesa, which is full of dangers and toxic substances.
Questionable ethics (questionable ethics): Now enters the hero in a laboratory in which experiments on the aliens from the parallel world of Xen were made. This suggests to the fact that people even before the resonance cascade on Xen were and with Earth brought there domestic creatures.
Surface tension (surface tension): on the surface, a battle between aliens and soldiers has flared up and Gordon fights for buildings and tunnels to the lambda complex. He destroyed a range of military equipment and climbing on cliffs along. Finally, he reached the sealed entrance of the route to the lambda complex and hears on the radio that the soldiers withdraw. He blasted the sealed gate with a radio ferngesteuertem air raid and marched further towards the lambda complex.
Forget about Freeman (forget Freeman!): the military leaves Black Mesa and airstrikes begin. Gordon must forward themselves through water channels continue to fight.
Lambda (lambda core) core: Gordon enabled the reactor here first and get the secret Teleportationseinrichtungen to face, have opened the portal to Xen. It explains the remaining scientists that there is an alien, keeps open the dimension gate on the other side. He receives an order to teleport, to defeat this alien and finally close the portal to Xen.
Xen: In the strange, organic world does he get many famous aliens to face and sees dead scientists with HEV suits, which explored Xen before him - scattered everywhere. He finds a teleporter and activates it.
Gonarch's Lair (Gonarchs hiding place): Gordon must fight against a creature which possibly represents a mature form of the actually quite harmless head crab. The scene is similar to a typical final opponents fight, although it still is not the essence of (Gonarch) to the actual final boss of the game. The Gonarch is a good four-meter-long and three-meter-high spider-like monster which attacked Gordon with toxic slime and head crab.
Interloper (intruder): Freeman enters an Alienfabrik where cyborglike soldiers "manufactured", and fights through to a further portal to enter it.
Nihilanth: The final boss of the game. He has a number of heavy weapons, including a portal Launcher with which he can teleport Gordon in traps. Only when the protection of Nihilanthen, three yellow crystals is destroyed, Gordon can inject on his brain and beat him so.
End game (final): After his victory over the Nihilanthen, Gordon is considered G-man in reception of the mysterious. This revealed to him that he has monitored his actions in the course of the game and now offers him a job. The G-man makes it clear that Gordon has the option to agree or to beat a battle he cannot win. The player chooses the job by he enters a portal, appears the message "To be continued", and the game hides; he stops he - is provided by a huge army of alien unaided - and also hides the game.
Add-ons for Firefox
Two official Add-ons have appeared for half-life that for owners of half-life, who entered their game on steam for free, or in the generation Pack v3 and the half life 1 anthology in the trade are available. Both addons developed by gearbox software.
Opposing force
Main article: opposing force
Where in the October 1999 published expansion opposing force, the player assumes the role of Corporal Adrian Shephard, is sent as a member of a division of the U.S. Marines on an unknown mission according to Black Mesa and there survives a helicopter crash, only one of his squads.
The player device now similar to the original in a precarious situation between the alien and human soldiers - in this case the black OPS, a special unit of the Government, which is to cover up the use of the Marines and the entire Black Mesa incident. And again the mysterious G-man appears again and again. The fact that opposing force and half-life play at the same time, intersect the two storylines at some points in the game. You can see in the role of Adrian Shephard, out and back Gordon Freeman, the man who played half-life, disappear behind a corner or move into a teleporter Portal.
The Add-On offers to new weapons, such as for example the marine gun with laser sight, but also new tactical possibilities: it is now possible to climb on ropes or to swing by a rope to the next. Also collaboration with other soldiers is often necessary, such as a combined attack to start or to weld on a locked door by pioneer. Opposing force sold over 1.1 million copies according to the manufacturer's specifications.
Blue Shift
In blue shift, you will experience what is happening to the Black Mesa research complex from the point of view of watchman Barney Calhoun, the aim of which is to escape from the complex. Also in this add-on Gordon Freeman, you can meet a few times what linked to the games.
Exclusive part of the half-life port for Sega's game console Dreamcast should be originally blue shift, but was already well advanced project and blue shift separately released for the PC.
Anti cheat measures
The first tool with which the cheating in the multiplayer mode should be made more difficult, was the 2000 PunkBuster. The development for the half life engine in 2001, generally ceased due to lack of support on the part of valve.
At about this time was also cheating-death (in allusion to creeping death by Metallica), developed by the United Admins developers group. Is a cheat a player is detected, the tool block whose input so that it can no longer move his character. The most leagues recommend cheating death as anti cheat tool. Early 2006 the further development was discontinued by cheating death no programmers gathered to continue the project.
Valve integrated his own anti cheat tool valve anti-cheat (VAC) in his games. Since July 2004, VAC but no longer developed and early August 2005 replaced by the successor of VAC2, which is available for all games from valve. VAC2 is to deter this that a spotted fraud for the concerned steam account leads to the permanent exclusion from play on VAC secured servers.[4] The ban is engine-specific, which means that not all games an account from playing on secured servers are excluded.
In addition to these tools, that are running on the computer of the player's created also server plugins, requiring no installation on your computer of the player, for example the HLguard the United Admins or server log. The League get published a server plugin that monitors certain game parameters on the computer of the player and to discover so Cheatprogramme. However, server-side anti cheat measures reach not the efficiency of client-server tools.
Since there are always successful cheater despite anti cheat measures, many leagues require players via the built-in demo function to record their competitions and present the request log files.
Because each player has an identification number (formerly WON ID, then steam ID), developed databases with IDs of cheaters provided on different Web sites on a virtual pillory. Also, so game server administrators easier known cheater to may exclude from their game server.
Valve Hammer Editor
The Hammer Editor (formerly WorldCraft) is a map editor that allows you to develop your own maps for half-life, half-life 2 and their modifications, one can but create to your own MODs. The editor supports only the two half-life engines.
It consists of five individual programs: the editor itself, where the map is created and with special objects can be equipped (lights, weapons, special effects, textures, etc.) and four compile programs with which the created map is then converted into a half-life-map file. These programs include the calculation of visibility, geometry, objects and the light.
The user (Mapper) can of square blocks, called brushes, which are provided with textures, composed landscapes and buildings and add light and starting positions of the players, equipment with so-called entities.
On the Internet, you will encounter a great mapping scene offering tutorials, textures, prefabricated elements (so-called prefabs), and also a large number of finished maps. The claims are very large and only who both playful and optically perfectly designed his map, can hope that obtained this more or less popular.
The Hammer Editor is currently available as version 4.0 for half-life 2 (November 2005), must only be downloaded through steam (free of charge). The editor is located in the program package of software development kit.alf life engine has settled in newer versions of blue shift: with the so-called high definition Pack increased polygon count of models and weapons later in the original game. This had any impact on the resolution of the textures. According to the manufacturer, the blue shift sold over 900,000 copies.
Characters
Gordon Freeman
Dr. Gordon Freeman is the protagonist in the half life series, the player is put in its role. Freeman is 27 years old and single. His doctorate in theoretical physics was Freeman am with after a dissertation on observations of Bellschen inequality. Following, he worked at the Institute for experimental physics in Innsbruck on research series to Teleportationseffekten, before he followed a job offer of his former Professor Dr. Kleiner and returned in the United States in the Black Mesa research facility in New Mexico as a quantum and astrophysicist to research.
After he forced has decided at the end of half life for a life in the service of G-man, Freeman spends several years in stasis. He is awakened after almost two decades. This is the beginning of half-life 2. The further fate of Freeman remains still uncertain but after half-life 2 and the subsequent episodes.
While playing, Gordon remains always silent, so that the player can better take on his role.
G-man
During the course of half-life, the mysterious G-man emerges again and again in different places and seems to observe the progress of Freeman's. One views the G-man however, he elegantly directed his tie, and disappears then. After Freeman has defeated the final boss at the end of the first part, the G-man is an ultimatum him: he works for him, or he "must compete in a battle, in which he has no chance for a victory".
Nihilanth
The first part of half-life ends with Gordon Freeman in the border world Xen to kill the so-called Nihilanthen. It involves an approximately 15 meters large floating alien. By his death, the formerly hostile Aliensklaven (Vortigaunts) are free.
Vortigaunt
The Vortigaunts are aliens from the border world Xen, have been freed in half-life by Freeman of the Nihilanthen and their metallic slave collar and since half-life 2 with the people working together. They have healing abilities, and fall on this that they can use green energy discharges as a weapon.
Barney Calhoun
Barney Calhoun is a security guard in Black Mesa, representing above all the role of a person in the entire half-life-story - in the second part - which has no idea about science. In half-life, you can see him at the start off a train out and also later in the game. In the add on blue shift the player may control it. Manages to him through a chain of lucky circumstances and cooperation with surviving scientists escape from Black Mesa. He also is a prominent member of the resistance against the combine rule in the second part.
Corporal Adrian Shephard
Adrian Shephard is the protagonist of half-life activities opposing force. His ABC-Schutzmaske is typical for him.
Otis Laurey
We can meet the weighty security guard Otis Laurey in the expansion opposing force and blue shift, beginning. He will assist in Opposing Force Adrian Shephard at various points of the game. Striking is his fondness for sweets, especially for Donuts, which is not to stop after the accident of Black Mesa. It is unknown whether he managed to escape from Black Mesa.
Dr. Rosenberg
Dr. Rosenberg 1 integrated expansion decay occurs only in blue shift and the PlayStation 2 version of half-life, but otherwise is mentioned in no other half life game. He is a scientist who works at the Teleportationstechnik as Dr. Kleiner. By his knowledge, he can flee with Barney Calhoun and Dr. Walter/Isaac Kleiner from Black Mesa.
Gina cross
The mystery Gina has her single appearance in half-life in the hazard course as the Director of the cross. Later you can see it only as an Easter egg at the beginning of blue shift, how she ride the hazardous material, which causes the incident, to Gordon Freeman. You could learn the name of that person at that time such as the G-man only by the name of the 3D model outside of the game. Later, Gina occurred in co-op mode of the PlayStation 2 version of half-life. There her name was mentioned, as well as her last name cross. Gina fighting cross in decay co-op mode with an another scientist named Colette Green the aliens who have invaded the Black Mesa.
Colette green
Colette Green fights with Gina cross in the co-op mode of decay.
Dr. Arne Magnusson
Dr. Magnusson is not mentioned although in half-life, hitting him but at the beginning of the game in the room with a microwave where you can destroy his lunch. Only in half-life 2: one more learns episode two of him.
Dr. Walter/Isaac Kleiner
Dr. Walter/Isaac Kleiner is not mentioned in half-life and occurs only in blue shift and half-life 2. His first name is unclear, as he is called in HL2 Isaac, while in the first half-life parts of Walter Kleiner. A half bald, a horn-rimmed glasses is typical for him and a something naive and childish behavior. In the course of all half life episodes is to recognize that it must be a competent scientist who works on teleportation. At the end of blue shift, he flees to the output of the research complex along with Barney Calhoun and Dr. Rosenberg through teleportation.
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