Late last year a pp reader posted a review about a map which went against the general consensus. Everybody has a right to their own opinion and if somebody doesn’t like a mod that most people do then that’s fine.

Well, most of the time it’s fine.

Art mods, Alt Mods, or whatever you call them are changing the way we think about modding. With me today is Robert Yang, one of the leaders in this revolution.

Robert Yang and I discuss them and their impact.

This recording was originally made for Podcast 17, but due to some scheduling issues we decided to post it here.

Starting in an apartment building you need to make your way through City 21 until you reach the port.

Of course, along the way you are attacked by numerous Combine enemies.

Your only hope is a fishing boat.

Can you make it there alive?

No story, no setting, nothing.

Just an enclosed sewer area with zombies coming out of the radioactive slime.

How many can you kill?

What’s all this obsession with multiple endings?

I don’t get it. Really, what is the obsession with multiple endings?

I understand that gaming can and probably should offer us something we don’t get in real life but this one just doesn’t make sense to me.

Starting in a small lab, you need to find your way out of a section of Black Mesa.

There are plenty of enemies and obstacles in your way.

Take a good look around, as you may find some hidden caches.

You wake up in a dark alley, not knowing anything. What has happened anyway? You struggle after the truth and answers.

Answers you want to know in the darkness and fear, which makes your heartbeat race like violent blows against your head.

Where do “they” come from? What has happened? Are you just turning insane?

I found a mod on ModDB yesterday and a few reviewers were saying that it had stolen content. I am now in a quandary: I want PP to have everything single SP mod available but I don’t want to post something that steals content from other mod makers.

To be honest, if modders steal stuff from retail games, I don’t mind too much, but if it is from other modders, that seems a little unfair, although I accept there’s no real difference.

Want to win half-Life 2? Maybe you have a friend who wants it? Either way, all you need to is imagine what the tagline of HL3/Ep3 would be.

In case you don’t know, the tagline is the a form of advertising slogan and is usual used just after the name of the product.

I’ve owned X-Boxes, Playstations, and even have a Wii collecting dust at home. They’re fun but none of them come close to the PC gaming experience.

Here are my 7 reasons why….

Take a stroll through Black Mesa, do Dr. Arne Magnusson a favour and then take a ride on the transit system – that is if you can get it working!

But wait! There’s a little detour you have to make before you can continue.

Good Luck.

Sounds pretty obvious, doesn’t it? But I wonder if players put certain mods to one side until “they are in the mood“.

I certainly have to be in the mood for difficult Portal mods, I just can’t play unless I am in the right frame of mind.

But that’s about it for me, everything else I just play when I need to play it.

I just play everything as it’s released, assuming I have the time.

What about you?

Quick note: I’ve been pretty ill this week and spent all day in bed yesterday and plan to do the same Saturday and Sunday. This is the only update the site will have for at least 3 days, maybe more. Sorry!

Just a simple never-ending map with various zombies.

No matter where you go, they can reach you.

How long can you survive?

I have no idea where this poll question came from, it just popped into my head.

I rarely replay mods, even after months or years, so playing it again immediately after is totally alien to me.

I do know that many readers replay the games regularly, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to replay mods.

Let me know of any interesting stories or anecdotes you have of replaying stuff.

Wikipedia defines Flashbulb Memories as “a highly detailed, exceptionally vivid ‘snapshot’ of the moment and circumstances in which a piece of surprising and consequential (or emotionally arousing) news was heard.”

We normally associate flashbulb memories with incredibly sociological events and I in no way want to belittle these types of events or their consequences by comparing our mini-memories of videos games to these events.

In May 2011 I conducted an email interview with Aaron Hutton, maker of Dissolution. Originally, I published this on MODoftheWEEK but since that’s dead, here it is.

“Dissolution is a science fiction, single-player mod for Half-Life 2 that mixes adventure and action game-play. Set in the year 2089, in a universe dominated by a mega corporate entity, Xterrier, the player awakes in a hidden lab to the voice of the mysterious Wilson.

Guided by Wilson, the player must make their way through the ravaged Xterrier 581c colony, making use of any and all resources they can get their hands on in order to survive, all the while attempting to piece together the events leading to the colony’s collapse and their own identity.”

So, you probably saw that thing about some toy being stolen from some toy fair.

Forgive the condescending “some” but I really don’t think it’s news.

“Prisoner is a set of maps for the game Half Life. Unlike most custom Half Life levels, Prisoner does not feature new weapons, monsters, or gameplay elements.

In fact, Prisoner does not feature any weapons, monsters, or gameplay of any kind. Prisoner is a small art project about virtual space and first person perspective.

Well, here’s an interesting interview I just had with the guys working on Operation Black Mesa and Guard Duty.

There’s an announcement at the beginning, along with a couple of exclusive screenshots, one piece of concept art and a wallpaper.

I am sure the guys will be dropping by, so if you have any questions for them, just ask, although I can’t guarantee they will answer them.

“Your goal is to open the main door, by finding 4 numbers to the door code.

There is no story. Just do whatever you want to do and have fun. Try everything in gameroom.”

My first thought after I heard “Dear Esther” had recouped its investment in the initial 6 hours after release was “so what? Bully for them”.

Not that I don’t wish the authors success – I do. I’m certainly not a fan of mods that turn retail mid development but that doesn’t mean I want them to fail. If there are enough potential buyers then that’s great.

I sat down with Tero a few days ago and we recorded this fairly impromptu interview.

We talk about his most recent release, Last Zombie and then move onto his previous release Water.

Apologies for my constant “uming” and “ering” and for Tero’s mic noise.

I hope you enjoy the interview.

Water is a third person puzzle solving adventure type of game with an unique look and gameplay.

It’s a story about a mermaid, and fish men who aren’t fish men. A story that brings you into tears and fears.

It’s about fish people, harp instruments, swimming, and crazy priests.