Vicarious Traumatization (Misinformation chapter released!)

[MaestraFénix]

Author: Maestro Fénix
.bsp filename: oc_vicarioustraumatization_01
Date of release: Misinformation chapter: 21/04/2013
Game Requirements: HL2
Suggested Players: 2 - 8
Estimated time to beat the map: 35 minutes - 1 hour (long).
Type of the game: Campaign co-op.
Size: 91mb on bz2, 211mb uncompressed.

Obsidian Conflict Map Database page: http://mapdb.obsidianconflict.net/map:v ... matization


Is recommended use FastDL in the server for a quick downloading of the files.

Mirrors:

Uncompressed: http://www.mediafire.com/?nbk6xfqzm7bkwt3

Compressed: http://www.mediafire.com/?yyk9sp8es866rsw

Map Database uncompressed mirror: http://www.mapdb.obsidianconflict.net/l ... server.zip


Description:

You are part of an expert H.E.C.U. squad, who are sent into Black Mesa to stop the alien invasion 48 hours after it started.

Your squad will learn soon that no plan survives the first contact intact...

Slowly, you will realize that you went directly into a hell, and that your objective will be soon the same like the rest of the survivors: ESCAPE.


Screenshots:


















Information:

After two years and a half working on this, after countless unexpected problems, lack of time due working on another projects, and overall, the complete remake from scratch that i had to do after change the plot, the secret project known to the public as "Project Back" is now revealed:

Vicarious Traumatization

The meaning of the title can be found here. I chose this title since the H.E.C.U. solders that are sent to Black Mesa are to help the survivors (and eventually, the world), but soon, they will find that they are on the same situation. Hopeless, they want to leave, but they know that they have the key to stop all this madness.

The name of the first chapter, Misinformation, sums up the general feeling of each soldier: all that they thought to known was incomplete, fake, or unrealistic. They have to act not following their objective, but using their common sense, having to adapt to the circumstances.

I made this campaign for Obsidian Conflict with the following objectives, after saw the important weak points that i found on every game:

• Enforce cooperation between players.
• A reasonable use of combat, puzzles and platforms.
• Decent story and background.
• Use the power of Source to create a decent world.
• Anti-griefing systems.
• 100% standalone*, so any player would be able to play it.

*Not true at 100%, since around a 25% of the content is from Black Mesa. There are plans to remplace that content for another on the future.


Features:

• 7 new weapons (3 of them secret).
• Boss fight.
• Custom props.
• New enemies.
• Random paths.
• Waiting Room (no more people rushing just when they end load the map. With this, the people will have 1 minute to load the map, allowing play it just in the beginning).
• Half-Life: Opposing Force Style.

Credits:

Map Stuff:

[N-N]Alligator: Black Mesa containers
raidensnake: VCDs, Scene animator
Menchi: Voice actor
Ereunity: Damage filter fix for the npc_hgrunt
Provenance mod: Health & H.E.V. chargers
Black Mesa mod: Some stuff (Models, Textures and Sounds)
Romka: H.E.C.U./Black Ops soldiers, original hand model
MasterChief: HL1 Helipad texture remake
Prototstar: Textures
WilliamT: Original CH-47 model

OST:

Oleg Sirenko: Invasion (from the Chernobyl Retrospective album), from Tunguska Electronic Music Society / CC BY-ND 3.0
Tillman Sillescu: Strike Eagle, published by Freeplaymusic.com

Weapons:

M4: Sephiris (Model, UV, Bake), Agent95 (Texture)
Combat Knife: Infallible (Model, UV)
M9: Sureshot (Textures, Model), Vagrant (Sounds), Vunsunta (Sounds), The Noid (Sounds), LakeDown (Sounds), IIopn (Animation & HL2 compile)
DEagle: Vasht (Model), Millenia (Textures), Teh Sterlok (Sounds), IIopn (Animation & HL2 compile)
M24: Vunsunta (Sounds), Iflip (Sounds), TheStealthyOne (Normal map), SixShooter (Textures), !NC!Furious (Textures), Murdock (Textures & Model), Chumpchange (Model), Endorphin (Model), Kais (Model), Bullethead (Model), IIopn (Animation & CSS compile)

Special Thanks to:

VALVe
Gearbox
Half-Life: Opposing Force
The Obsidian Conflict community
Interlopers
Snarkpit
The Whole Half-Life
Sven Co-op


Tips/notes:

• As the suggested players says above, is needed at least 2 players to play this map.
• Observe your surroundings, it will hint you what to do to continue.
• Cooperate, unity is strength.
• As a 1.35 bug, you will have to drop your pistol in order to pick some weapons. This has been fixed for the next version of OC.
• Although is defined by default on the cfg file of the map, player collision is needed.
• Admins: Since mp_weaponstay is enabled, you will have to care about those players who doesn´t stop spawning weapons (if the spawned weapons reach a big amount it will lag or even crash the server). There´s any way to avoid it, so make sure you kill/kick/ban them if you see them abusing this weak point.

[SANICADVENTURE2]

*Not true at 100%, since around a 25% of the content is from Black Mesa. There are plans to remplace that content for another on the future.

What's wrong with using BM:S content? You can use it, it has a Creative Commons license so you can use it for your map or even your own mod, you just can't win money by using their stuff and you have to tell somewhere that you're using their stuff.

Now, let's check the map!

[MaestraFénix]

*Not true at 100%, since around a 25% of the content is from Black Mesa. There are plans to remplace that content for another on the future.

What's wrong with using BM:S content? You can use it, it has a Creative Commons license so you can use it for your map or even your own mod, you just can't win money by using their stuff and you have to tell somewhere that you're using their stuff.

Now, let's check the map!

As is known publicly, Neico is on contact with the BM DEVs in order to mount their content into OC. If this gets true, it would mean that this campaign would need have BM installed and mounted.

[SANICADVENTURE2]

*Not true at 100%, since around a 25% of the content is from Black Mesa. There are plans to remplace that content for another on the future.

What's wrong with using BM:S content? You can use it, it has a Creative Commons license so you can use it for your map or even your own mod, you just can't win money by using their stuff and you have to tell somewhere that you're using their stuff.

Now, let's check the map!

As is known publicly, Neico is on contact with the BM DEVs in order to mount their content into OC. If this gets true, it would mean that this campaign would need have BM installed and mounted.

hmmm it's not a bad idea to support BM:S content mounting. It's a free mod so there will not be too much trouble with using their content (as it can happen, for example, when u use ep2 and a guy who doesn't have ep2 try to play a map that needs ep2).

I downloaded your map and I don't know why i got a lot of error models, missing sounds and when i go with noclip to a place where there are supossed to be zombies the game crashes. How do i install the map correctly? Client didn't work, even I was unable to select the map from console. Downloaded server and the map run but with some missing models and stuff :/

[MaestraFénix]

I downloaded your map and I don't know why i got a lot of error models, missing sounds and when i go with noclip to a place where there are supossed to be zombies the game crashes. How do i install the map correctly? Client didn't work, even I was unable to select the map from console. Downloaded server and the map run but with some missing models and stuff :/

Make sure you install it on the correct folders. Server has the uncompressed files, client has it for the FastDL.

[SANICADVENTURE2]

I downloaded your map and I don't know why i got a lot of error models, missing sounds and when i go with noclip to a place where there are supossed to be zombies the game crashes. How do i install the map correctly? Client didn't work, even I was unable to select the map from console. Downloaded server and the map run but with some missing models and stuff :/

Make sure you install it on the correct folders. Server has the uncompressed files, client has it for the FastDL.

First I installed the client download, all files were in .bz2 format and didn't work.

Then I installed the server version and finally I was able to run the map but I still have missing stuff.

I think I do everything right :/

Maybe I screwed the instalation by installing the server after the client?

[MaestraFénix]

First I installed the client download, all files were in .bz2 format and didn't work.

Then I installed the server version and finally I was able to run the map but I still have missing stuff.

I think I do everything right :/

Maybe I screwed the instalation by installing the server after the client?

Pretty much.

[TESLA-X4]

You have to extract the content from the .bz2 archive files, the client will not do that for you (it only decompresses them when downloading them from a fast dls server while loading, and only then. That's Valve's fault there). You can use 7-Zip to open them, but it's going to be pretty tedious given the significant number of files.

[SANICADVENTURE2]

You have to extract the content from the .bz2 archive files, the client will not do that for you (it only decompresses them when downloading them from a fast dls server while loading, and only then. That's Valve's fault there). You can use 7-Zip to open them, but it's going to be pretty tedious given the significant number of files.

So better get the server version wich has the uncompressed files right?

EDIT: Download the server version.

[Neico]

Why is this even under released? There are so many points that I'd have to complain about, I'd say it's in the best case an early beta...

[MaestraFénix]

Why is this even under released? There are so many points that I'd have to complain about, I'd say it's in the best case an early beta...

Alright, show it. Aside from the unknown crash, that i´ll try to change some stuff to fix, everything is fine.

[SANICADVENTURE2]

I played the map and I'm sorry to say that the gameplay is poor. I found some anoying bugs. The map end was bugged/bad designed because even with 5 players we were unable to find the code for the final platform and the npc spam was insane.

There's a place where there's water that is suposed to be toxic slime. I recommend to change the texture for another more apropiate and if you combine it with the proper sound it will be superb (HL2 has what you need).

Also you should reconsider some of your "puzzles" because most are hard to figure and are pointless or to simple (I dunno why you abused the 2 player button usage).

Finally say that the map is too short and no one liked those guns that take half of your screen (medkit and the m4a1)

I wish you don't take it bad, but the map needs a lot of improvement. Especially on the gameplay and level design.

For me it's an alpha version far from a beta.

3/10

PS: Not everything is bad. I like the usage of custom content, it gives some fresh aire to the Obsidian content.

[MaestraFénix]

I played the map and I'm sorry to say that the gameplay is poor. I found some anoying bugs. The map end was bugged/bad designed because even with 5 players we were unable to find the code for the final platform and the npc spam was insane.

At the end, at the left side where the Vortigaunts spawns, you can open the gate. If you look closely, you will see a clipboard. Pressing the use button will display the code.

I even used waypoints to make know the players that they have to split on two groups: Those who defends the spawn and those who go inside. Just cooperate.

There's a place where there's water that is suposed to be toxic slime. I recommend to change the texture for another more apropiate and if you combine it with the proper sound it will be superb (HL2 has what you need).

No, it isn´t toxic slime, just radioactive toxic.

Also you should reconsider some of your "puzzles" because most are hard to figure and are pointless or to simple (I dunno why you abused the 2 player button usage).

If you aren´t able to look closely to know what to do, you shouldn´t play this mod. The dual button are for avoid rushing, forcing all the players to move together.

Finally say that the map is too short and no one liked those guns that take half of your screen (medkit and the m4a1)

35 minutes-1 hour for a map is too short for you? Sorry, this isn´t Minerva Metastasis. About the size of the medkit and the M4A1, just ignore it or use the ironsights. Is not a problem.

[SANICADVENTURE2]

I played the map and I'm sorry to say that the gameplay is poor. I found some anoying bugs. The map end was bugged/bad designed because even with 5 players we were unable to find the code for the final platform and the npc spam was insane.

At the end, at the left side where the Vortigaunts spawns, you can open the gate. If you look closely, you will see a clipboard. Pressing the use button will display the code.

I even used waypoints to make know the players that they have to split on two groups: Those who defends the spawn and those who go inside. Just cooperate.

There was a clipboard there? Hmmm :/. It's a bit hard to figure that a small prop has the code when you have are on stress because you have an alien grunt spam right behind you with lots of papers on the floor. I see the point on splitting the players on two teams, i have nothing to say with that, it's OK, but the idea it's not good focused.

There's a place where there's water that is suposed to be toxic slime. I recommend to change the texture for another more apropiate and if you combine it with the proper sound it will be superb (HL2 has what you need).

No, it isn´t toxic slime, just radioactive toxic.

Whatever it is. That radiactive toxic liquid looks like harmless water. You should use another water texture with a dangerous semblance. Take a look on BM:S textures, it has pretty good radioactive liquid textures that will fit perfectly. Even portal has a water that looks dangerous and will warn the players about the consequences of falling into the liquid.

Also you should reconsider some of your "puzzles" because most are hard to figure and are pointless or to simple (I dunno why you abused the 2 player button usage).

If you aren´t able to look closely to know what to do, you shouldn´t play this mod. The dual button are for avoid rushing, forcing all the players to move together.

I see your point but I think you abused that. Maybe another way to prevent rushing would be better (maybe more enemies? sequences?) than putting 2 player buttons everywhere. I say nothing else.

Finally say that the map is too short and no one liked those guns that take half of your screen (medkit and the m4a1)

35 minutes-1 hour for a map is too short for you? Sorry, this isn´t Minerva Metastasis. About the size of the medkit and the M4A1, just ignore it or use the ironsights. Is not a problem.

Real game time: 30 min

Spent the rest of time at the end part or stuck in the place after the helicopter "waiting for rest players" (witch also has somethig wrong with the door portal and people even thought that you had to mount inside the truck). Probably a group of 5 players with map playthrough knowledge will be able to end the map really fast.

About the guns. Should people understand? "I don't give a shit about that, I'll leave it with uber big size because I'm too lazy to reduce the size after all the work"

Answered!

[MaestraFénix]

Talked with him about this, so i´ll resume:

1: The enemies are there for avoid camping. Maybe i´ll add something to make the clipboard more visible, but nothing more. I doubt about making the corridors longer.

2: Custom texture failed, that´s the water. Water has an elevate damage for avoid the players "surfing".

3: Both agreed. A common problem on OC, there aren´t any easy solution to fix it (maybe lives, but nothing oficial).

4: He wanted to said that players who played before the map could beat on 30 minutes the map. Gun size becomes irrevelant after a while.

Changes will be done, that´s sure (for fixing that strange crash bug), and at the same time, i´m doing some improvements.