Hello and welcome to 2010. It’s time for the Mod Of The Year 2009,and what a year it’s been.
For those readers looking for a visual guide to 2009, may I suggest my Modwall 2009 to give you a glimpse of the releases.
So, without further ado, let’s start…
Clarification
Due to request from readers and voting irregularities this is the third Mod Of The Year 2009 vote. I have included the mods with an average of over 4.5 out of 5 plus Strider Mountain because this received a large number of Personal Favourite votes.
I considered just having R&D and SM as the final two choices because we all know it will be one of those but then I thought that readers may wish to vote for some other mods, to show their appreciation.
Unlike the previous voote, ther won’t be two parts, just this one. This vote will end 31 January 2010. I will post my mod of the year then.
Below is a list of the Readers’ Recommendations. Each title and image, link to the mod post, which contains screenshots, download details and comments. I have added a comment to each mod to give you a personal view.
Strider Mountain
AT 30,000 FEET… you are almost 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) above sea level. The human body is not made for these conditions. Temperatures are can plummet to -60F (-51C), the brain is starved for oxygen and each step is a new experience in pure agony. It’s difficult to breathe. It’s difficult to think. It’s difficult to move. And you still have to endure another 444 feet (0.14 kilometers) to get to the peak. So much for the good news.
One of the most anticipated and talked about mods of the year. More action than almost all the other mods put together!
Mission Improbable
A Resistance listening post suddenly goes off-air and you are sent in to find out what happened to the original support crew and get the station back online. Your journey begins as a rowing boat coasts towards the landing point. Who knows what you will encounter, both on the way up to the tower and on your way down.
A beautiful map that plays as well as it looks. The attention to details is fantastic, from the swing pots in the kithcen to the stunning views, this mod oozes quality.
Eye Of The Storm: Episode 1 – Half-Life 2: Ep2
You can play the Ravenholm mod now in preparation for the future episodic release of John’s travels, Eye of the Storm.
This is an incredible mod, which has a brilliant final battle, that reuses a simple, yet interesting area. I can’t wait for Episode 2!
Combine Combat
You play as Number 42, a Combine soldier sent to kill Gordon Freeman.
Want to try and kill Freeman? Well, this is your chance.
Research and Development
Research and Development is a puzzle-centric mod for Half-Life 2: Episode Two featuring an unarmed player but plenty of violent mayhem. The player has NO weapons and there is no shooting at all. However that does not mean you can not kill things, but 95% of the mod is about solving the puzzles that are presented to you in a very natural way.
HOLY HEADCRABS. This mod has set a new standard in puzzle creation and overall quality.
Dangerous World
You are Frank Harrison, a rebel, who lives near City 17. You wake up and find that the Citadel looks like it is about to explode and those scientists are urging you to flee the city. No need to tell you twice! Off you go and good luck, you will need it.
This mod contains some great areas and a really nice starting puzzle. It also makes good use of the standard voice acting.
Project 25
Make your way from Station 23 to Station 25, if you can.
A short but very sweet little mod that features some nice underground section and a really cool derelict building finale.
Calamity
A story based mod that leads you through a variety of interesting environments to your ultimate objective.
This one has recieved mixed reviews but overall it has been liked.
Sentenced to Death
A collection of three maps, where the player is seemily set for execution. Fortunately help arrives and events take a turn for the better, or do they?
An interesting start, where you need to follow the instructions carefully, or face the consequences!
Escape by =EX-Mo=
Another Escape mod. Work your way through various environments to finally reach the Buggy.
This mod has a difficult but clever start, but is worth the effort of passing.
Rebellion
In Rebellion, you play as Mandella, colonel in the Confederation, a powerful military force. At the beginning, you explore the mothership as you are asked by admiral Spade to attend your briefing.
This mod has a difficult but clever start, but is worth the effort of passing.
Joutomaa
White forest is gathering underground resistance fighters, as they straggle from the shattered remains of city 17 and surrounding areas.
This mod has a difficult but clever start, but is worth the effort of passing.
PlanetPhillip (2351)
andyb (1022)
Mel (819)
Goddess Alyria (424)
Stef (404)
Jasper (364)
AI (314)
piledriver (311)
Grey Acumen (298)
Kasperg (283)
18 January 2010 at 12:07 pm
Well, as you can see I have started the vote again. I have set the poll security level to the highest, which may cause problems for some users, for which I apologise.
18 January 2010 at 1:40 pm
I’ve voted. Just once. It works.
18 January 2010 at 2:09 pm
Votified.
No problems.
Just to be sure I tried to vote 3 times. But only my first was counted. *thumbs up*
18 January 2010 at 2:43 pm
Glad to see you’re picking yourself up and dusting yourself off again, Phillip.
I too have submitted my vote and checked to see if a second vote could be cast. Likewise only my first vote has been recognized.
With the inclusion of the “most personal faves” search, it might be worth considering, for NEXT year, making the list include the top 10 average rated mods for the year along with the top 10 personally faved for the year. The total number of mods would vary based on how many mods made the top 10 of both lists.
Either way, I definitely agree that it’s worth including more than just strider mountain and research and development. R&D is pretty much certain to win, but I still want to see what other mods fared well in the post that is made to announce teh winner.
18 January 2010 at 3:19 pm
That was my thought too. Pity I didn’t think of having the PF list created sooner.
18 January 2010 at 5:51 pm
I voted once and hope this will be the last time for 2009 MOY. For sure something needs to be done different for 2010 and I am guessing Phillip will sort-it. I hope SM wins but probably it will be R&D, which I am still playing but not enjoying. I am pleased Eye of the Storm is getting votes. It would have be interesting to see if this had gone down to a two mod vote-off whether EOS votere would have switched to SM and made a very close finish.
Just one word to one reader who is no doubt thinking of jumping on my back, I am allowed not to like a mod and thus not enjoy it.
18 January 2010 at 6:26 pm
glad you have redone the voting as the guys who spend hours making these maps should be recognised for there efforts and all the hours of enjoyment it gives me and others,i think r&d will win it but all the maps where of high standards and all a pleasure to play but we all have favourites,i hope 2010 will bring more maps like r&d and strider mountain keep up the good work phillip
18 January 2010 at 7:40 pm
Done. Wouldn’t mind if R&D won though
19 January 2010 at 12:11 am
Hard decision between strider mountain and research&development, but I like action still a bit more than puzzles
19 January 2010 at 1:36 am
Voted.
For next year’s contest, maybe some themed categories could be voted on, along with the grand MOTY award.
- Best Puzzle Design
- Best Combat Design
- Best Level Design & Art
- Best Story Design
Something along those lines.
19 January 2010 at 1:19 pm
Please see this forum thread for all the proposed themed categories I proposed in December 2009.
19 January 2010 at 3:38 am
Voted once
19 January 2010 at 1:04 pm
I’m glad that you decided to give it another go Phillip! I submitted my vote, I almost went for my second favorite Mission Improbable because I figured R&D has got it in the bag.. I couldn’t go through with it though.
19 January 2010 at 1:13 pm
That’s one of the reasons I prefer the survey method, you can’t see what other people are voting for, not do you expect to.
I think it’s possible to turn of the display of the poll but I think too many people would complain, as it goes against what we expect.
19 January 2010 at 3:56 pm
Now that was wonderfully simple ! Good man !
19 January 2010 at 4:55 pm
It’s almost unfair. How should any mod win against R&D?
20 January 2010 at 10:03 pm
I voted once too. Wouldn’t even try to see if it’s possible to vote multiple times this time around. OneManOneVote!
20 January 2010 at 11:13 pm
This looks better. Because it is simple and effective
I wish Mission Improbable was second, I wanted to vote for it too, but too bad it has to compete with R&D.
21 January 2010 at 4:25 am
thanks phillip,
22 January 2010 at 6:05 am
Just finished my marathon mod replay and I have to say that I forgot about the quality of some of these.
Even then, I still have to go with R&D.
Dangerous World may have overtaken R&D for me but there were just a few bugs and design points that really got to me.
03 February 2010 at 7:09 pm
OK I’m a huge fan of Strider Mountain and voted for it but I have to admit that Research & Development was by far and away the best Source Mod. Very glad it won. It deeserved 1st place.
Strider Mountain rightfully came 2nd in my view as it was the best HL2 Mod for me. It might even have won had it not been released full of bugs.
Glad to see Dangerous World in 3rd.
Project 25, Mission Improbable, Eye of the Storm and Joutomaa were all top class but unfinished works to me. I hope they get finished off and released for the 2010 MOTY; very much looking forward to them. At this stage my money is on Mission Improbable.
03 February 2010 at 8:40 pm
Did this disappear for anyone else off of the front page? Had to search for it to find it again.