You don’t know much at the beginning.

You can’t remember anything from your previous life or how you came into this cage of glass in which you have been living several weeks and in which these scientists have performed cruel experiments on you.

But what you know is: you want to get out and pay them back!

Your friend and fellow scientist, Bob, is missing. Rumour has it that he fled the country after selling company secrets, but you know he would never do such a thing.

Last time you saw him he was talking of “nearly exposing the administrators’ malpractice” and “preventing an accident that could destroy this world”. He wasn’t very specific about anything but he seemed sincere.”

Author’s Description: “On The Boardwalk is a Half-Life 2: Episode 2 level I designed as a change of pace from the normal combative levels.
In this level, Gordon has made his way down to the beach, and finds himself trapped inside a strange carnival where he must win four non-combat carnival games….”

ETC finished with Freeman heading into the teleporter. Where it took him was not revealed.

ETC 2 continues from this point.

So, where did Freeman go?

Originally, ETC stood for Earthquake Test Centre, but now that’s been forgotten.

All that matters is that you find yourself in a BM-style base with aliens and army trying to kill you.

It’s clear that you need to find a way out.

In fact, there’s a working portal, if only you could reach it!

Hello and welcome to Around the Community 012, a collection of news items that caught my eye.

We have some videos and interviews this week, along with a timeline and a Black Mesa layout.

Please remember, these articles are NOT a list of ALL the news that’s been released in the past week or so, just items that I wanted to highlight.

After proving your skill and cunning by escaping the Black Mesa complex alive, you have been called on by a shadowy organisation – the Alien Counter-Insurgency Bureau – to help protect mankind from the threat posed by Xen.

Tonight, the A.C.I.B. has need of your special abilities to counter a new threat to civilisation. You have been given a rendez-vous in the warehouse district of the city to receive your mission briefing.

I used to be snacking all the time, I was an eating machine. But one thing I never did was snack when I was playing video games. I was too immersed in the game itself and I wanted to keep my fingers clean too, so that I wouldn’t have to clean my keyboard!

But if I were to play something like Nintendo’s Wii with friends then a bowl of chips or similar would all be part of the ritual and fun.

Of course, my gaming sessions don’t last for many hours or into the witching hour, but I suppose you young’uns need all the sugar you can get!

One thing I do always have on my desk is a bottle of water though, certainly couldn’t live without that when playing.

This is the continuation of DAV Train.

After reaching the Osprey you think that you are safe and going home but you don’t realize that you are being follow by an Apache helicopter.

Eventually he damages your Osprey and you crash, finding yourself on the run again…

This maps tries to bring a different ending for the Half-Life game when you reject the offer of the G-Man.

After you decline the G-Man offer he arrests you and puts you on a train to be transported to a base where your memory will be erased and converted to a cooperative member. In the middle of the journey you will be transferred to an Osprey to conclude the transfer to that base. It is here that the maps take place.

When you arrived, something happens and you hear some aliens and a battle going on. You realize that the aliens invaded this facility too. You manage to escape using the distraction of your guard and now you have to get to the Osprey so you can escape..

I think I am slowly coming to the conclusion that the reason for making mods has changed.
Again.
Perhaps this is obvious to you but I’ve never really thought about it before.

Author’s Notes: “My first Half-Life levels. Your mission is to blow up the power generators located in the underground of the complex.

In these levels Scientists are neutral and Barneys are ENEMIES!”

Author’s Note: “Hard Hat Required is a Half-Life 2: Ep2 level focused on novel environmental hazards, extensive non-structural BSP use to make up for a lack of usable meshes, and re-use of space.

It was created over six weeks with no modified code allowed, and is my first level in the Hammer Editor.”

You start as a worker on a fuel line, fixing some pipes, working on some kinks; you know that type of stuff. When the next thing you know, a rival company has hired a small ‘faction’ of troops to come in and collect the data from the mainframe(s). Your objective is to stop them using whatever means necessary! Even if it means destroying the mainframe! You can’t let this data leak!

Find Alyx! She has been taken prisoner by the Combine.

We are pretty sure where she is being held but there’s no direct route or way to confirm.

Work your way through various areas until you reach her

This is a simple 3-map mod, where you must move through a multi-story building that is the process of being constructed.

Army grunts are waiting for you, so be careful!

Take your time and explore – there is enough health and ammo available for you to reach the roof.

You are sent to an underwater base.

Your objective is to reach and destroy the “machine”.

Don’t expect an easy time!

After escaping with the scientist in Rescue 9-1-Freeman you find yourself with him dead and no where else to go but forward!

This time, you are intercepted by an old friend and that’s when things get a little tough.

As always, keep going and kill everything that is in your way.

Hello and welcome to Around the Community 011, a collection of news items that caught my eye.

Got some mod news, a couple of videos and a competition to tell you about this week.

Plus a reminder about two projects I am working on.

Two things got me thinking about this week’s poll question.

The first has completely slipped my mind but the second was a news item on the BBC reporting that dogs kidnaps (or should that be dognaps?) have treble in the last year in the United States of America.

Your objective is to reach the captive scientist and escape with him.

Of course, there are a lot of obstacles in your way.

At one point, stealth is required, otherwise your mission will be compromised.

A short, one-area puzzle mod, which will require some sharp thinking.

It was made in 9 days for a competition.

Even though this is a hard map the reward is great!

A year ago, a wealthy businessman by the name of Edward Marsden bought the ancestral home of the Von Creep family seemingly with the intention of renovating it for residential use. It has now come to light that this man has been using the castle for illegal operations and as a base for a crime syndicate from which he has made most of his wealth illegally…

Finding yourself falling through a vent, you need to work your way to a Combine portal.

This will provide the means for your escape.

Don’t rush through, as there are many twists and turns, plus caches to find. Good Luck!