Game Editors

[Lord Rahl]

I have been using map making tools and game editors for a good long time. Nothing more great than having new maps to use in you favorite games. I have had great maps I made in unreal to great maps in old school DukeNukem3D. (To bad that game only runs on my old computer) But anyways, the point of this thread is to ask if anyone here on kirupa has made half-life levels or better yet, half-life mods? And my main question is what would be the best to use for a program for this subject? The only two half-life editors I remember are Worldcraft and Hammer. Are there new ones or is there a different one to use to make mods? Or are these programs just the ones to do it?

[Lord Rahl]

Well, using hammer now and got wad files and all. Just need tutorials on how to use this editor if anyone has a location to any it would be helpfull. Thanks

[Disco-Stu]

http://collective.valve-erc.com
They've got up-to-the-minute stuff on Hammer and other such things, as well as tons of tutorials.

BTW, if you like working on maps and such, Battefield 2's map editor is coming out soon and I've already started work on a mod. I'll post on this forum later with details once I've laid everything out (art needs and such). Good mappers are a rare resource. ;)

[ElectricGrandpa]

...I remember are Worldcraft and Hammer.

These are actually the same program. Worldcraft was renamed to Hammer by Valve. It's basically the only program worth using for modding HL(as it is made by Valve). The best site to learn about editing HL maps and making mods is Valve's own VERC http://collective.valve-erc.com/

Check it out, it has everything you'll need. Making maps for HL2 is VERY fun. I've made a bunch of physics test maps, with cars on a carousel, person launchers, that kind of stuff. It's pretty sweet.

-Matt

[ElectricGrandpa]

I should also add that they've just released this site: http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Main_Page

It should also be a huge help for you.

-Matt

[Lord Rahl]

Awesome. Thanks a buntch! Just started messing around with Hammer now and already got rooms and texture going. :smirk: Just trying to figure out how to get the models in now like lighting and stuff. I'll check out the sites. And thx once again.
Oh and Disco-Stu, you said Battefield 2's map editor is coming out soon. Got a specific date or time when? Love checking out new editors to see the limit of what I can do.

[Lord Rahl]

Hmm, got a good tutorial showing lots of stuff, but nothing that helps me load up models and actors and such. Any info you guys got that could lend me a hand? Takes me a bit to get used to game editors sometimes.

[andr.in]

I made a map for Counter-Strike: Source (using the nwe Hammer of course), but it was a very small foggy wet and moist swamp... the only problem was that bots could see through the fog :P

[Lord Rahl]

Need a little help here. I can't figure out how to get Entities in this. Can't find any folder that contains these files. :cantlook: Anyone got some help info?

[Patriotxcountry]

BF2 Mods:
http://www.planetbattlefield.com/bf2/tweakin/mods/

BF2 Mod Tutorials:
http://www.planetbattlefield.com/bf2/tweakin/tutorials/

BF2 Editor:
http://www.planetbattlefield.com/bf2/tweakin/editor/

I've got my own mod in development at the moment. We have been designing the content for a few months, coming up with gameplay, characters, logistics, etc. Our team should be together by september to begin implementation. Nearly all mods end up going through development but are never made, I'm trying everything to make sure that this never happens to ours. Spots may become available for the team in october/november.

PXC

[Disco-Stu]

Nice. I worked on Bid For Power (2nd largest quake 3 mod ever), and Existence (a matrix mod for half-life). Then I started the college thing and dropped off the map. Now I'm switching majors over to Game Design and need some projects for my portfolio when I graduate. Let me know if you guys need any 2d.

[Lord Rahl]

Ohhhhh, I like the way this BF2 Editor looks. Think i'm gonna have to check more of this out. :drool:

[Lord Rahl]

Disco-Stu and Patriotxcountry, you both said you worked on some mods before. Well I have worked on game engines before aswell but only levels and my skills were limited. In fact it took a long time for me to figure out how to make a catapult that works properly. Not to mention sky boxs. (though sky boxs were kinda easy to figure out compared to rest) Anyways, have not had much time to work on Half-Life mods or anything and I wanted to know how it is to work on it? Is it hard, hard in certain areas? Length in time to make and so on. I have a idea for a Mod and I wanted to know what its gonna take to make it. A basic idea of what it may take anyway. Thanks.

[Patriotxcountry]

Typically, a mod is not something that you are going to get done by yourself. It could be but the mod is probably going to suck really bad, or you're extremely talented.

If it is a total conversion mod, then it will be difficult unless you can put a team together: artists, programmers, modelers, level designers, etc. It is almost like a mini-game studio. Everyone works on their specialties and it makes things go by much easier.

As far as difficulty working with the code, I couldn't tell you because I haven't taken a peek under the hood yet.

Check out this mod it was made by approximately 16 college students for Half Life 2. It is a very good mod considering it was done in 5 months (while juggling school, life, other projects)

http://students.guildhall.smu.edu/eclipse/

[Lord Rahl]

Its a very uniqe mod. I figured it would go this deep as to needing a team. My only porblem is I don't know enough about hammer and I am having difficulties that I doubt I could find or create a team at the moment. But anyways, thanks for the info. Now I know what I will need to do.

[Patriotxcountry]

No problem. I myself am going to be going through everything we need to do to successfully create our mod. Once we are assured that we have our wits about us, we will begin building a larger team.

PXC

[Lord Rahl]

One last question. I guess I kinda don't as much about this file as I was hoping to learn in a short amount of time. Its much more difficult to me then the UT editor or WarlordBattle cry editor where it was good old drag and drop. Mind pointing me out to any (hopefully alot) tutorial sites that start from the very beggining on how to work with modeling and terrain building? Just about anythign will help. Having problems with even beggining load up on what to put in all the executible boxs. Got a long tiem before I can do much. :bored: