Half-Life: Alyx/Missing Files

This is a sub-page of Half-Life: Alyx.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

A file called readonly_tools_asset_info.bin was discovered to have a plethora of data relating to files that had been removed from the game. It includes the names of each file, their path, and the size, however, it doesn't contain the actual files themselves. A link to this file is below.

It is possible to force the development tools to read the data from this file, which will cause the built-in asset browser to display the contents as if they existed in the release build (without the actual data, of course). In order to enable the functionality, replace the existing readonly_tools_asset_info.bin in the hlvr folder and add this line to gameinfo.gi file: disable_readonly_assets 0.

Models

References to models that were created, but weren't shipped in the final game.

Characters

characters/kleiner/kleiner.vmdl
characters/barney/barney.vmdl
characters/alyx/alyx_test.vmdl
characters/hahn/hahn.vmdl
characters/citizens/workers.vmdl
models/breen.vmdl

• Kleiner's model was shown in the Final Hours of Half-Life Alyx.
  • Interestingly, many of Doctor Kleiner's materials are still labeled as "Walter", the name of his original Half-Life model.
• A few leftover files indicate that at some point Barney was meant to be present and be a part of the story.
• Hahn is the early or real name of the Combine Scientist. According to The Final Hours of Half-Life: Alyx and several scrapped animations involving Eli, she was originally meant to play a more significant role in the story.
• It seems that "Citizen Workers" was a variant of the Combine Workers since they share a lot of files and assets between themselves.
• Apart from propaganda, newspapers, and a test audio file, there are only a few strings referencing Doctor Breen in the final game. However, his model was uncovered in the April 2020 leak.

"Worker Bob"

There are many textures and assets relating to the Combine Workers, with one of them being a variant referred internally as "Worker Bob".

characters/workers/worker_m_bob_tall.vmdl
characters/workers/materials/worker_bob_head.vmat

Weapons

Radio / Walkietalkie

There are leftover references for an item called item_hlvr_weapon_radio, and the materials for the model call the path props/max/walkietalkie. Like all the files in this page, the asset being referenced doesn't exist in the final game, resulting in an error model to show in its place.

Maps

Maps meant for the campaign that are not present in the final game.

a1_intro_world.vmap
a1_intro_world_2.vmap

a4_c17_tanker_yard.vmap

a5_vault.vmap
a5_ending.vmap

• "a1_intro_world" seems to have been the game's original introductory world, and the location of Eli's safehouse, referenced internally as "Eli Manor".
• "a4_c17_tanker_yard" would house a location referenced as "Rumpel building" where the player would encounter the character Hahn.
• "a5_vault" and "a5_ending" seem to be an early version of the ending maps, they reference a sequence called "manor_ending" as well as "ending_werehouse".

Personal Maps

"Personal" Maps can be found in 'maps/personal/[Developer Name]' which is where developers would test gameplay features, story sequences, among many other things.

stevek/barney_train_course.vmap
stevek/barney_encounter.vmap
stevek/barney_crowbar_throw.vmap
maps\prefabs\choreo\act1_barney_encounter.vmap

• There are a few maps that reference Barney, the folder is named "stevek" which likely belongs to Steve Kalning, a developer who has been working at Valve since Episode: One.
  • A few things can be pieced from this sequence based on the files being referenced: Barnacles and Metrocops would be present somewhere in the level, the player would encounter Barney at some point, a Combine scanner would be patrolling the area, and a crowbar would be used. The map also mentions the cut "vr_flashlight" weapon.

Trailer Maps

As the name suggests, these were created for the game's trailers.

a2_pistol/a2_pistol_choreo_dialogue_trailer.vmap
a3_tenements/pit_gate_trailer.vmap
a3_tenements/trailer_lobby_basement_reviver.vmap
a3_tenements/underground_trailer.vmap
personal/jasonb/a1_intro_world_1_elevator_trailer.vmap
personal/jaker/elimonitortrailer.vmap
personal/jaker/factory_interior_trailer.vmap
personal/jaker/factory_interior_trailer_hacking.vmap
personal/jaker/trailer_endtest.vmap
personal/jayb/a3_hotel_underground_pit_trailer.vmap
personal/olly/trailer_flashlight.vmap
personal/olly/trailer_guncatch.vmap
personal/olly/trailer_hotelstreet.vmap
personal/olly/trailer_vault.vmap

However, some point to an earlier trailer, referencing locations from the early stages of development that didn’t make it into the final version.

a1_intro_world/eli_hallway_trailer.vmap
personal/jaker/trailer_alyx_refuge.vmap
personal/jasonb/a1_intro_world_2_lab_trailer.vmap
personal/olly/trailer_guncatch_safehouse.vmap

Scrapped Sequences and Locations

Choreography, referred internally as "choreo" is a prefix for most scripted, animation-heavy, sequences in Valve games.

"Eli Manor"

This location appears in the map "a1_intro_world.vmap", which seems to have been the game's original introductory world.

choreo/a1_intro_world/eli_manor

Filename(s)	Map References	Dependencies
gman_room.vmdl	maps/a1_intro_world/dream_vault.vmap maps/personal/brianke/test_dream_vault.vmap maps/personal/jaker/test_introvault.vmap maps/personal/jaker/introworld_funcmonitortest.vmap maps/personal/brame/alyx_refuge_test6.vmap maps/personal/stevek/alyx_refuge_heist.vmap	models/characters/choreo/a1_intro_world/eli_manor/dmx/mesh/gman_room.dmx models/characters/choreo/a1_intro_world/eli_manor/dmx/animation/gman_room_idle.dmx models/characters/choreo/a1_intro_world/eli_manor/dmx/animation/gman_room_explode.dmx

• It's difficult to piece together the timeline of events, but the leftover strings suggest that the Combine, along with Hahn, were supposed to raid Eli's safehouse. The G-Man was intended to appear at some point before or after this sequence, as indicated by strings referencing a "G-Man room" and leftover animations labeled "Unstable G-Man."

"Tanker Yard"

The Combine scientist, also known as "Hahn", has leftover references to a map called "a4_c17_tanker_yard." The dependencies mention an alley, as well as both the exterior and interior of a place called the "Rumpel building," where a sequence named "rumpel_choreo" was meant to take place. The only asset from this sequence that made it to retail is the soundtrack, titled "a4_tanker_rumpel_creep".

Sound	Filename(s)
	a4_tanker_rumpel_creep

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