Comments on: Lake 17: Inland Beach – Chapter 01 – Half-Life 2: Ep1

By: Blue Lightning

Blue Lightning — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:31:52 +0000

I agree with tommiezat about how it went downhill after the opening, except the opening I thought was not good either. Right off the bat your dealing with a sniper, and a Strider, and a bunch of manhacks. Your fighting in one area for so long, it feels as if no progress is being made. The picture showcasing this game is a beautiful picteresque lake, but dont let that fool you into thinking your going to be spending much time around it’s shores. You’ll be too bush dodging sniper rounds to take in any scenery.

By: Hec

Hec — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:38:54 +0000

Ok so i love the 7hr War and nobody tell me about this one!!, i like the concept altough i never feel i was into the 7hr war, i think that’s a big expectative any mod into that specific topic is going to face as a hindrance, i mean here i felt in an environment alredy taken by the CMB, and i didn’t see any relevant really linked to the 7hr war, and probably valve itself is going to have to launch some official add on or mod in order to expolde the HL franchise in the future, but i don’t know really. Appart for the 1187 mod and this one, i’m still expecting some good stuff about the smashing CMB invassion to earth during the 7hr war, so i hope this project is lookin forward to be completed, but i really think that the guy or team who’s developing this project, is or are just too ambitious and we certainly can not know if they reach their goals, here in 2011 probably this atempt failed….

By: Olrick

Olrick — Thu, 26 May 2011 19:46:12 +0000

A good and tall map that will take you half an hour.
Mapping is OK but I think there are too much detail, I couldn’t fight properly in the house for example. Gameplay is good with balanced action and some puzzles but playability isn’t well optimized.
Absence of scenario is compensated with GMan appearance at the end that reveal the thing get just started.
So an high potential mod and mapper, sadly it looks aborted.

By: tommiezat

tommiezat — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:34:21 +0000

as i continue to go thru all the maps again this is one i didn’t care for much. too many doors to nowhere or brick walls. opened one room near the end and it was the outside of the map. there just wasnt enough testing or corrections made to this prior to its release and that gave me a bad taste for it.
I agree about the silly sheet metal and box stacking, theres no thought to it, it just wastes time trying to place them “just right” . unless i missed something at the very start what was the point of the rebel girl telling you to head to the basement??? IMO that didn’t make sense and was a bad directive. I did enjoy the opening with the sniper, that took some strategy and thinking to accomplish but for me it all went down from there.

By: s.anchev

s.anchev — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:21:51 +0000

The beginning is really hard, wow, that’s not a way to begin a map…

Anyway, what’s up with chapters 2 to 7? I don’t like to play an “unfinished” mod, even if it is great, there is some frustration…

Are there any news?

By: h

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:57:18 +0000

I give ”Play it now” recommendation, because it’s wery interresting Mod.
I give 5 stars for gameplay, because the author made a good balance between action/battle scenes and Puzzels.
But I give only 3,9 stars for level design:The map structure/idea with the sniper on the hill and so on is pretty good, but laggy (invisible/not textured walls, a barnacle, who was on the ground, etc.)
P.S. For the whole mod i would give 4,8 stars.
P.P.S. If this author would proceed with his levels, he would be a good mapper

By: h

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:38:20 +0000

You aren’t death! The end of the Mod was six hours before your death:”Hour 1 complete! You have six hours to live…”

By: planetphillip

planetphillip — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:41:58 +0000

Both the FileFront and GameUpdates worked for me, but anyway, I have edited the code to display the images and also added three more mirrors.

By: Jike

Jike — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:01:39 +0000

The downlaod links are broken.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:55:53 +0000

Excellent first chapter – really enjoyed playing it. The puzzles were quite good. Never needed to use the sheet metal, but the lasers had me stumped for a short time. The phantom doors were strange. All in all a good balance between action and puzzles, but I would have liked something a little more scenic. Still, the opening sequence, played on Normal, was quite a trial by fire. Once that was over, nothing seemed quite as difficult.

By: Anon-01592

Anon-01592 — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:03:22 +0000

Epic game, Just freakin epic. Loved it so much

By: Old Scratch

Old Scratch — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:40:20 +0000

Has the author ever continued this story?? I haven’t played yet, but I”m DL it as we speak, and I’m curious.

By: shawn

shawn — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:01:55 +0000

Very solid mod, with a lot of very good combat. I did find the sheet metal ramp and stack the barrels puzzle numbing. It’s simply plodding, without much creativity. I prefer those little problems to be creative problems, not stacking problems. Some of the puzzles in HL2 were interesting, as in the one where you have to push the barrel under a grate to get it to change position. I encourage the modder to aim for puzzles such as that one.

The helicopter fights were very good, perhaps a little too easy. The last fight was a little too easy also, and involved that too frequently seen problem in a lot of shooters where you can back up around a corner and wait for the enemy to come around that corner one by one and pick them off. There’s got to be a better way to choreograph fight scenes. One solution is to have something implacable behind you that forces you forward into confrontation not entirely on your own terms. A flock of manhacks, a tank…?

Am I the only one who found the early sniper way too difficult? It was tough enough to duck behind cover, but that guy could shoot *through* trees! I eventually had to go to god mode to get through.

By: Clunkfish

Clunkfish — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:40:53 +0000

I’m surprised at some of the lukewarm comments about this map – I thought it was excellent. Difficult but not impossibly so, I like the environments, the puzzle with the lasers is pretty obvious really, and yes manipulating sheet metal/oil drums/crates with the gravity gun so you can climb up is tedious but part of the authentic HL experience. If it does get put together with the next 6 parts then it promises to be one of the best mods out there.

One thought – who in HL2 world nailed together all those crates with nothing in them? I mean, what’s the point? And wouldn’t they have used a nailgun? Be nice to find one of those (like in Manhunt) to use against zombies…

By: geekofalltrades

geekofalltrades — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:40:46 +0000

A good map overall, but the author makes absolutely no effort to immerse you in its environments. Beyond the first level, there were doors that opened onto blank walls, and the placement of weapons, health and ammunition were unrealistic throughout. Perhaps the most blatant example is near the end where six or seven rocket launchers are laid side to side on the ground in a combat arena, with a nice row of rockets right next to them.

By: mel

mel — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:35:34 +0000

Yes, agree with most of the previous comment this is good mod which need a bit of polish in places, also a bit jumpy and sticky near the start. It certainly shows a lot of promise with further chapters to come, let’s hope the author gains plenty of good experience along with helpful feed back.

For a fairly short first chapter it certainly has some hard encounters and tough puzzles, I managed to beat the lasers by jumping both at the same time. I got feed-up with the sheet metal puzzle found this annoying.

It would be great if the author can turn this into a mod starting with a cleaned up chapter 1, which really packed some action and gameplay for a short first chapter.

By: bkadar

bkadar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:01:28 +0000

also at the lasers,once the valve is turned and the water up i went to the end lg pipe and to the floor bottom without the water effect, had to climb the rocks to get back up to the water,it was above me?i like the quirks mod get.a few adjustments an this is a keeper.

By: fragmaster

fragmaster — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:40:58 +0000

Screenshot number 5 “Funniest Moment”

After doing away withe the Manhacks The combine sniper & combine guards plus the Strider go near the lake i found one straggler of a combine guard apparently he decided to take a deep swim in the Lake well combine gear must be Waterproof & Has a Repirator & maybe thats their past time when not killing Humans.

Well he fired at me when swimming in this Lake i guess they swim with their clothes & weapons on including their Hand Grenades which popped to the surface then make splashie puddle ripples well Beats me How to see him & Beats me How the Baby Eels didnt sting him I guess Combine Guards Are More Friendly to highly Dangerous creatures of all planets they conquer.

If he decides to finish his swim Throw him a BULLET BEER WOULDYA )

By: fragmaster

fragmaster — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:18:07 +0000

Sortie your Right once you installed the map in your steam directories you play it & tend to forget that it was even there much later on.
From what i hear on the grapevine Strider Mountain wont be a sourcemod but will be instead be released on an installer program.
But lets take for an example OffShore the half-life 2 episode 2 SP Modification which was released in several beta versions which of course were sourcemods i guess that what keeps it popularity over a time.
Some find problems when its installed sourcemod wise.
You see it on your Steam Installed & Your Steam Favorites but dont forget the other stuff write down in your Journals & possiblely Lake 17 will be a Source Drivin Mod.

Speckman your solution to the laser puzzle is quite simple & very difficult what i did without no-clip or cheats was:

waiting on the second side after killing the barnacles The last Barnacle is a bug which should be corrected well anyways watch the Lasers when

The Bottom Laser spreads away from the Top Laser Beam Jump through The Gap & Duck instantly after & The Take your Crowbar quickly break the double crates & the Valve can be Turned.

By: fragmaster

fragmaster — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:03:59 +0000

Positives :
Excellenet level design very creative pathways
Combat is well designed offering plenty of action
Right amount of Ammo & Supplies
Intresting use of Puzzles

Cons :
Some Combat can get intense for 1sTimers youl die alot & after a few deaths youl get the idea on how to play it
Doors that open to blank walls
Some Puzzles take alot patience to complete
Save often because as it is their is no Auto-Saves

Gameplay : played this on Normal skill for 1sTimers try on either Easy or Normal skill level

Conclusion : A fresh Atomosphere that adds alot to Half-Life Single-player Gaming.

Since im a Beta tester : Not Rated

As a Gamer

By: Denizen

Denizen — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:53:14 +0000

Indeed a rather enjoyable map.

By: planetphillip

planetphillip — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:38:58 +0000

but otherwise is that it?

Almost, look for a door near the Combine tanks.

By: Gypsy Jim

Gypsy Jim — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:22:10 +0000

I quite enjoyed this map to be fair, but wonder if I missed something…After the gunship battle and the abseiling combine appear, what then? I can’t find a way forward, I did find a door that lead me into a “behind the scenes” area, that I suspect shouldn’t have happened, but otherwise is that it?I too got stuck, behind a pile of crates, and one of those burned out tankers….I’d rather play a map I don’t have to use “Noclip” on, but still I didn’t find it a major hassle I suppose…@ Speckman, you can jump the lasers on the far side, though you have to be lucky not to die a few times in the attempt!

By: Zeek

Zeek — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:17:12 +0000

Enjoyable little map, more than one way to solve the second sheet thing but why bother, if you are going to put in a puzzle use something original that makes the player have to think.

By: Yochanan

Yochanan — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:56:43 +0000

How about “Play it now” and “Play it later”? Sure, it needs a little work, but it’s Chapter 1 of 7 apparently. I enjoyed this mod a lot, though had a little trouble getting on the pipes in the laser room and positioning the sheet metal as well. It was challenging, and the placement of the enemies kept me on my toes.

Play it now but definitely play it later after the author finishes the rest.

By: dethtoll

dethtoll — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:42:24 +0000

Pretty colours! Obviously it has a few things that kinda stick out for the proposed timeline, such as the HEV suit and definitely the gravity gun, but with a little bit of work and some new models this could be an excellent mod.

By: bkadar

bkadar — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:19:42 +0000

“You play the role of one of thousands of citizens who gave their lives on the day of the 7 hour war,”

i start dead?or before i WILL die? or a ghost. wanna be Dr. ghosty freeman.
cant wait to play this thanks pp for keeping them coming.

By: Speckman

Speckman — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:13:28 +0000

This is a rather enjoyable map, with the exception of a few things. One of which is the laser room, I’m not sure how this is supposed to be solved but I shot off one of the crates and used it as a platform to jump onto the pipe. Another is that the sheet metal was annoying, there is something called proffered carry angles that snaps an object a certain way when you pick it up and it would have made that much easier.

It would be best to make it a mod if there are more files than just the map itself.

There are a variety of locations and plenty of scenarios. Overall worth playing.

By: Sortie

Sortie — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:46:19 +0000

This mod seems rather promising, the mapper has some realistic goals and are releasing with an episodic schedule, like MINERVA. All the guy need is some experience, which he’ll undoubtfully get from releasing the first chapter. I look forward to playing this and perhaps send back some useful critical feedback.

Well, the problem is that it is not released as a SourceMod and because of this many players are likely to completely forget about this mod once they’ve installed it, and it’s hard to get to play it too. I recommend re-releasing this as a mod, or doing it from Chapter 2 and forward. It’s not required to have any custom programming to make a SP mod, just a gameinfo.txt and a few config files and at least one map, and to figure out the rest, simply look at another mod to learn how it’s done.

By: planetphillip

planetphillip — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:08:23 +0000

I found this map via Grinder74 (A Polish Hl2 review site) and am glad I did. OVerall I really enjoyed this mpa and certainly hope we see more from the author. There were plenty of environments and a variety of enemies.

There were a couple of points I was curious about, the laser being the main one. The Interlopers link in the BAsic details links to a thread where the regulars of the site rip into the author. I think a little bit harsh, but then the author responds and it turns a little nasty.

I felt the puzzle with the sheet metal was really a pian in the butt and gave up after over 5 minutes of trying to get the damn thing in position. It’s a good little puzzle and the first oen slipped into palce immediately. I actually think this is Valve’s fault for not giving us more control over the items we hol,d with the garvity gun.

The map looks ike it could have done with a little more beta testing. I got stuck once (See image 09) and some doors open to nothing. Anyway, minor issues but they still should have been fiixed before release.

All in all, I say Play It Later but definitely play it. Let’s hope the series gets finished.