User:Yolkbird/Sandbox

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.

To do: Search magazine scans for suitable pre-release screenshots; this is a good start. Other things that I'll add when I make more sections: 'gruntdm1' has an earlier version of the conveyor belt texture. This map's version number is also 29 (compared to retail's 30) 'hldm1' is close to this map, but has replaced the old on-touch wall medkits with chargers, and removed some crates. I found a pre-release screenshot of the 'battle' map. Find it again and get a link. The 'assault' map and Valve's Team Fortress connections are already obvious, you know what to do... 'c2a2_ects' info: Another version 29 map. Later version than a version that was shown for E3. Stukabats removed, cart textures were better aligned.

"Forget About Freeman!"

c3a1c

To do: Find pre-release screenshot of this map. Yes, there is one (although it's only a brief glimpse of its hallway) Screenshots comparing this map to c3a1b. Additional screenshots in the September 1997 prototype, and Half-Life: Uplink (satellite dome comparison) There are embedded textures in this, make note of these textures: 'tnnl_w12a' is an earlier version of the final texture; this early version is in the halflife.WAD file found in the September 1997 prototype. The trigger texture is a cropped+downscaled version of the 'generic41' texture from the September 1997 prototype; it's still named as such.

A cut map present in this build that appears to be an earlier version of the final c3a1b. The map uses the same version number (29) as the maps in the September 1997 prototype.

c3a1c	c3a1b

Instead of leading into a hangar with a fight against human and alien grunts like in the final c3a1b, there is a hallway that leads to a dome containing a satellite transmitter. A Stukabat is placed at the top of the dome, using the cycler entity as a placeholder.

September 1997 prototype	Prototype	Half-Life: Uplink

This appears to be an iteration of a story element from the cut Communications Center chapter, where the player would have been tasked to tune a satellite in order to progress. The idea would finally see the light of day when it was recycled for the storyline of Half-Life: Uplink.

Xen

Although most of the Xen levels are near completion by this build, some of the levels contain interesting differences. The majority of the levels would be finalized by the Net Test 2 build, save for minor entity differences.

To do: Take screenshots of the map; particularly the center island's cave & xen bug cage design. Record cutscene that plays at the beginning of the map.

c4a1

The layout is virtually complete at this point. Interestingly, the map begins with a panning cutscene, although it appears to be unfinished as it ends abruptly.

Prototype	Final

There is a Long Jump Module placed near the player's starting point, and the medkit and battery near the Survey Team member's corpse is missing.

Prototype	Final

The cage holding the bugs has a more detailed design, which would be simplified to a cylinder by the second Net Test build.

Prototype	Final

Gonarch's Lair

To do: Mention pre-release screenshots for c4a2 and c4a2a. They come from the PC Accelerator magazine, from the Dec 1998 and Jan 1999 editions respectively. The desert background in the Jan. 1999 c4a2 screenshot is the result of the game falling back to the 'desert' skybox or the previous level's skybox when there's no set skybox in the level. There's a possibility the screenshots are from an earlier build than the net test version, as the skybox is set correctly in this build.

c4a2

To do: Take screenshot of the healing pool's location in this build, compared to final.

The first map in the chapter Gonarch's Lair, containing layout differences; notably with the placement of rocks and the location of the healing pool.

Prototype	Final

The placement of the landscape allows the Gonarch to walk around the large rock in the center completely. In addition, raised portions of the ground are higher. The Gonarch is set to run out of the cave in this build, which would be changed to walking by the second Net Test build.

Net Test 1 prototype	Net Test 2 prototype

There is a Long Jump Module placed near the corpse of a Survey Team member, which would remain in the second Net Test build despite the map otherwise being finalized.

c4a2a

To do: There is a mistextured part of the level, is it worth mentioning?

The second Gonarch's Lair map, which contains layout differences, particularly with the pit at the center of the second arena.

Prototype	Final

The floating rock above the pit is longer in this build, with it extending into the pit. Additionally, there is no web floor that the Gonarch can walk on.

Prototype	Final

The small area inside the pit has a different design in this build, with a fully connected path to a healing pool as well as decorational Xen flora. The cavern leading to an alien trampoline is missing a ledge, and each cave overall is positioned closer to the surface.

Prototype	Final

The cavern leading to c4a2b has an additional ledge for the player to land on while descending.

c4a2b

To do: Record the Gonarch's death sequence in this build. Recordings of the sequence in its 'correct' form and 'broken' form?

The third and final map in Gonarch's Lair, this map has minor layout differences.

Prototype	Final

The path leading to the final arena is slightly longer in this build. There is no slippery floor in this build; instead, when the Gonarch jumps down into the arena, a trigger_push entity is triggered to forcibly shove the player down into the arena.

Prototype	Final

The texture used for the web floor in this build is '{xeno_17c', which would be changed '{xeno_6b' by the second Net Test build. In addition, the webs do not break halfway through the final fight with the Gonarch.

To do: Video goes here?

Most of the notable differences with the map lies with its scripted sequences. The animation used when the Gonarch jumps into the arena is fall2, which would become unused by the second Net Test build when the generic jump animation was used in the sequence instead. In addition, the Gonarch's death sequence is different: instead of exploding and releasing a horde of baby headcrabs on death, the Gonarch falls to her death when the webs she is standing on breaks, with the floor blocking a portal to Interloper breaking soon after. The func_breakable floor blocking the portal is set to only break when triggered, which was oddly un-set by the second Net Test build.

Due to the placement of the Xen Trees and its behavior to attack when anything touches it (with the exception of the Gonarch), the web gibs that spawn when the Gonarch dies end up touching the Xen Trees, which makes them attack. Amusingly, this can result in a Xen Tree hitting the Gonarch, breaking her death sequence and making it appear as if the Gonarch fell through the map.

Nihilanth

c4a3

Identical to retail, with the exception of the map's fade-in transition being absent.

Early Interloper

Although the Interloper maps are nearing a final state in this build, earlier versions of the factory portion of the chapter exist in this build, under the same level categorization as Nihilanth (c4a3). More fascinatingly, it reveals that the versions of these maps that were accidentally included in Half-Life: Source, as well as leaked on multiple occasions were earlier versions.

To do: A lot of screenshots. Comparisons between c4a3a/b/c from this build and c4a1y/x from HL:S and leaks, as well as any suitable comparisons for final game equivalents. Notes: The leaked map sources are extremely dark when compiled. The lack of a lights.rad file means that many light fixtures that would emit light in the Net Test build do not in the leak versions. It may be better to take screenshots of the leak versions in fullbright. Look at pre-release media for any early Interloper screenshots. I know there's an early Nihilanth screenshot and screenshots from these maps, but not much else.