Author’s Note
“This single player story is set in the ruins of an “ancient South American civilization” (a mix of some of them to be precise). The story is quite simple. Scientists have detected a strong energy signal coming from those ruins and have established themselves there to investigate.
Unfortunately they are not alone, and things start going wrong… This 7 minimod includes Vilcabamba and follows that same story. This time the textures are made by me. If you take 25 minutes to play it, please take 2 minutes to write some comments! 😉 “
Basic Details
- Title: Idol Hunt
- File Name: hl1-sp-idol-hunt.7z
- Original File Name: hl1-sp-idol-hunt.rar
- Size : 8.45Mb
- Author: Kasperg
- Date Released: 10 March 2007
- Sourced : TWHL Thread
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Meta Review Data
Statistics based on 5 comment(s) with meta review data.
Installed:
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 5 Users
Time Taken:
Average: 0 Hours, 52 Mins
Shortest: 0 Hours, 30 Mins by Hds46
Longest: 1 Hours, 30 Mins by Qwertyus
Total Time Played: 4 Hours, 18 Mins
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 5 Users
Time Taken:
Average: 0 Hours, 52 Mins
Shortest: 0 Hours, 30 Mins by Hds46
Longest: 1 Hours, 30 Mins by Qwertyus
Total Time Played: 4 Hours, 18 Mins
Miss me?
The Game?Half-Life.. You know.. That old one..
The Mod?Idol Hunt
The Author?Kasperg
Is It Good?Sorta.
—
Give Us A Story There, Bub:
Well. Stuff happened. There is a 30% chance that you might be Gordon “I have two modes: One for arse l**king, one for arse kicking” Freeman, with a Ph.d in Checking Stuff Out (Trademark of the Gordon Freeman Checking Stuff Out Incorporated). You must travel somewhere to check out why everyone is dead, why you are fighting aliens and more importantly, how many scientists it takes to screw in a light bulb. GMan is there, doing something for some reason and it’s up to you to stop him!
The Good:
Well, there’s one thing this mod deserved awards for, and that’s architecture. If you’ve ever played Tomb Raider, you will almost feel like you’ve grown breasts in Idol Hunt. The architecture and textures in Idol Hunt is top notch, and absolutely perfect for its setting as well as almost acting as a mirror image to Tomb Raider. While you don’t have large breasts to deflect incoming projectiles, you do have a HEV suit, which I suppose works good enough.
The Bad:
Sadly, nearly everything else. The map likes to ambush you. Infact, it’s almost guaranteed that your behind will be drowned of their contents by the end of the mod. Nothing really imaginative about the enemy placement. Items are practically random, and the game likes to refuse to give you ammunition and health before a big fight.
One big problem is the complete lack of a story. Aliens appear out of nowhere, and there no reference to the reason for their existance. The military once again pop their heads out and open fire on you for no reason. You are often given puzzles with no clues to them, and often have to learn specific death-giving lessons the hard way. Quick save is your best friend here.
The Ugly:
Oh god. There is one very deep burning problem with this. See, while this mod looks puzzle-riffic, it really ain’t. While some parts of the mod require you to turn a wheel or press a button, some don’t and it doesn’t tell you which is which. There are many times of which you must survive inhuman falls and break your legs repeatedly. You are repeatedly expected to jump across areas which, if failed, will flatten you into a form not unlike a pancake. This ain’t just a one-time deal: It happens repeatedly, almost as if the author is begging you to die.
In Other Words…:
It’s a nice mod that looks almost indifferent to those Tomb Raider games you might love so much. It makes leaps in architectural beauty that is quite unique in certain areas… But..
In gameplay, it’s painful and it’s not particularly exciting. It has puzzles that are both too easy as well as being obscure. The author loves to hide plot-specific requirements behind gargs and makes a lot of assumptions that you actually have enough health to survive the various problems it throws at you.
In general, it’s average. It’s 50% bad. It’s a pretty mod, but has a dull, average gameplay and the complete lack of a following story. The author actually acknowledges that the ending sucks
The Score? 6 out of 10
Ouch.
I just finished it on hard mode and was moderately impressed by it…though I HIGHLY suggest playing it on medium or easy. I’ve played a lot of terrible and terrific mods and I must say this one was above average. Nice mapping– fantastic textures. A little dark, though it added a bit of mood to it. Could have had some creepy ambient sound to make it better. It had some funny parts such as the jumping where it’s as if your character screams in mid air. Loved the “You assemble the 2 pieces, thanks to your intelligence.” part too.
It did have some drawbacks though–
– not enough items. Very hard. ESPECIALLY on hardmode!
– Needs more enemies in certain places.
– Puzzles weren’t really enthralling. They felt like they were just there for no reason (except for that 3-laser-beam one. That was cool).
– There was too much “this is cliche” narrating text.
– Needs better ambience sound.
– You don’t have large breasts to deflect incoming projectiles
Anyhow, pretty good mod if you’re looking to waste an hour. If the author reads this, I highly suggest retouching some areas and making it into a sven-coop map pack. I think it would get some great ratings on that mod. Above all, good job!
Sexists!
What? I’m not allowed to make a Tomb Raider reference on the grounds that I’m a male? Men have breasts too, you know.
One point I didn’t touch on is the size of the architecture. Idol Hunt is dangerously claustraphobic, even more so then Half-Life maps usually are. There is not much leg room in most situations and it’s rare that you actually find a medium-sized room.
I was just picking Fluffy. If you men had larger breasts, you’d use them too … even to deflect bullets.
WHAT!? I find that offensive! I’m a male chauvinist!
No more talk of breasts please.
lol … okay Phillip.
I need some help if anyone would like to volunteer any. I was looking forward to playing this one, but I am getting the following error message:
Host_Error: FP_setview_1: not a client
I’ve never seen it before.
I just played it and definitely found the theme very well done (with excellent use of redone versions of the redone Tomb Raider textures, or something like that).
Combat was pretty generic, but some of the sequences were nice (making water flow to water wheels and the crystal puzzle mentioned earlier).
I don’t get a couple of the complaints earlier, there was only one part where I had to take fall damage (near the start) other than that I had no problems whatsoever with falls (or jumps). Also, while there are confined areas there were still plenty of more spacious rooms.
It’s definitely more of a theme and atmosphere pack than a gameplay and story one though.
Has anyone ever seen this error message before? Please help me …
Wow! my prayer has been heard! Vilcamba as a full mini-episode!
From what I have read, I think Kasperg has fallen in a very well known syndrome called: [evil-voice-over]MAPPER PROUD[/evil-voice-over]
Which consists in a proffesional mapper who intentionally tries to make his map as difficult and frustrating as it could get just for the sake of his kick-ass mapping skills, and even if that wasn’t the intention at all, Iike to think so. 😛
Anyway! I’m gonna play this, and think I’m playing the South-American version of Someplace else (hey! no one can complain about enemy positioning there, is Xen after all!).
If anyone else gets the error message on the first map load as I did above, Kasperg has recompiled the first map & updated the download on the TWHL Thread that Phillip has posted above. There were some other people there had the same problem as me.
Thanks for the comments!
I’ve heard people saying the gameplay is too easy and others say it’s too hard. I guess there are good players, and less experienced ones 😉 I’ve had no trouble dodging the gargs and taking no damage, so it’s possible to do. Other people have said there are too many items, while some protest about the lack of them etc. In the end, it all comes down to your combat approach. Sorry Fluffy, seems you gotta practice more! 😉
This was in fact mainly about the architecture. There are enough big and outdoor areas to dismiss “claustrophobic” as a valid interpretation.
I’m more of a deathmatch mapper and architecture student in real life, so singleplayer monster + item placement are not my strong point.
(and afro-dude, thanks for considering me a proffesional mapper, something which I have never said I was. Proud mapper? Maybe when it comes to some of my Source stuff…)
P.S.
If you think this minimod is bad, don’t worry. You didn’t pay me anything to play it, so no harm done 🙂
Hello there Kasperg!
I’m one of those players who really enjoyed this mini-mod of yours, this is what I was expecting when I played your map Vilcamba.
Maybe I’m not one of those innovation hunters when looking for Half Life mods, I’m just looking for a good designed level-pack to play with, then I don’t care about anything else (only carnage!)
But seriously, successful mods like Azure Sheep, Peaces Like Us (which had some cool features here and there), none of them have really satisfied me as much as Poke646, Someplace Else, Vendetta, or in this case Idol Hunt. The level design is what really matters these days fo” me! (no matter how bizzare or strange I just wanna see blood and sweat [from the mappers] in those maps! >:D).
Whatever!, I love your mod. Period.
P.S.
Those silenced Vortigaunt teleporters annoyed me 🙁
Cheers!
The updated versions has been uploaded and the link edited. Enjoy!
My ability in combat doesn’t seem to be the problem here, rather being my reluctance to change headfirst into a garg while being in a small room.
I don’t protest the amount of items. I protest the places you *put* them. I went into the last battle (With the Gs and the Vs and the shiny things) with only 30 units of health. After rising in undeath a couple of times, I ended up repetitively spamming the room with grenades and shotgun shells.
My three points still stand. The mod requires people to do things against their own common sense (Jumping from a painful height, jumping over a painful distance when theres something that seems to tell you that theres a switch somewhere, not to mention the whole “Run headfirst into the garg” thing). The mod has little or no storytelling besides the intro, and the mod has no hints or directions.
I’ll tell more on the third one. During the last battle, after finally being able to defeat the evildoers using a combination of lead and explosives, I spontaniously died for little to no reason at all. Then it happened again. Only the third time did I realize that I was suffering from the executive headcut. It was frustrating me to no end, and I had to calm myself with a nice round of Punch the Baby before I could continue. Suddenly “Oh, so *thats* what you have to do. Doy! I am so stupid!”. Cue crappy ending.
The map did do one thing great, and that was causing me to imagine myself wearing a skimpy adventurer’s outfit, with large breasts and a large ponytail single-handedly massacring the world’s animal population with a pair of handguns with infinite ammunition. The textures and architecture is beautiful, and even makes most source maps look like crap.
I thought it was very enjoyable. The architecture & atmosphere was great. I had no problems making the jumps as others have & have not (mine could have been pure luck). I only died once with the garg but then successfully beat him. Puzzles were easy enough. I liked the idol pieces you had to gather to open certain doors. I didn’t find it clautrophobic at all & the detail was amazing. Atmospheric music would have made it much more enjoyable. Oh, and of course a better ending!
Funny but it seems the general consensus is that it was too easy. There is only ONE jump in which you forcefully take some damage in the whole seven maps. Unless you jumped everywhere witout looking >> poor gaming skills.
As I said in the readme, it would be possible to increase the puzzle difficulty, but not without falling into ridiculous or illogical events like what happens in Tomb Raider (like a random lever opening a very remote door just for the heck of it).
Idol Hunt doesn’t need an elaborate story because it is not a mod. It is a map-pack (inspired by a single map) made in three months which you can complete in 25 minutes (can you tell the difference?). Not even retail games have a great story arch in random 25 minute segments…
You’re not complaining about the minimod itself, you’re complaining about how it didn’t cover your personal expectations. Read map descriptions carefully to avoid it in the future! 😉 At least you like the architecture, and that’s where the focus was.
If you were playing with a “look for errors” mode on, all I can say is that any negative opinions about it only prove you wasted your time playing. I hugely enjoyed making it, and I’m glad most people liked it.
P.S. I’ll upload a youtube video walktthrough of how to defeat the gargs.
Nicely said. Although it’s always nice to know that there is more going on than just killing enemies.
With this I don’t mean it’s bug free or perfect in any way. But I usually speak about the positive things I see in maps, specially if the mapper in question has put at least some effort into his work. Constructive criticism is always useful (even though in this case I won’t make any more HLSP maps) but anything else is like drinking poison and expecting your opponent to die 😀
P.S. There was some sort of story. Gman steals an artifact, you try to escape and end up meeting him again just as he’s about to complete his own quest.
Thoroughly enjoyed the experience, though there were a couple of jumps that I couldn’t have managed, in spite of trying again & again, without noclipping, (shame on me I know…)
Worth a second or third play through…..
Well done Kasperg, & thank you!
I don’t give a poo about the fact that I took damage. I give a poo about the fact that I spent 5 minutes looking around because my common sense told me not to make a jump capable of dislocating my ankles!
Or you could, say, make it more complicated but add hints? Like, say, everyone else does?
What, just because it lasts 25 minutes means you can slack on the storytelling? If the storytelling was there, I would praise it. It isn’t, and therefore, makes this mod feel like an aimless trunch through a dungeon full of nameless monsters for no reason. Just because you are too lazy to write a story, doesn’t mean you should skip it.
I am a player. I review the mod as a player. Therefore, all the faults I list are ones a player (atleast one like me) would dislike. I dislike the lack of story, and therefore, people like me shouldn’t play this mod because they might be disenchanted at the fact that it has barely a followable story. Thus, if you want to include the demographic of Fluffy, then you would have to address those faults.
I passed constructive criticism. I said the architecture was superb and the textures were superb. I told you to work on your storytelling, guide the player somewhat more and to work on your enemy placement.
Here’s the story I got so far (cleverly avoiding spoilers, of course). You go in to investigate why people are dead. A camp. Looks abandoned. They were working on some kind of idol. Dead bodies. Suddenly we’re killing aliens and marines. Die, die, die. Whoa, shiny thing. GMan. Shiny thing floating upwards. More killing. Die, die, die (for four maps). Whoa, GMan. Dude, shiny thing! Teleport.. GMan invincible. Crap, aliens, aliens. Big crystal. Boom. Ultimate power! WINNAR!
There are several questions I have for the map. What were the dead people doing there? Why am I being attacked by aliens that I won’t meet until the resonance cascade? Why am I fighting marines? Who shot JFK? Why am I chasing a 2D idol? Why does GMan want a giant crystal? Why are there alien markings on the wall? Are the ruins and aliens connected? How many scientists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Ect. ect.
But whatever. Reviewers exist to criticise. I’d rather have been a map maker, but I r 2 stoped.
With this I don’t mean it’s bug free or perfect in any way. But I usually speak about the positive things I see in maps, specially if the mapper in question has put at least some effort into his work. Constructive criticism is always useful (even though in this case I won’t make any more HLSP maps) but anything else is like drinking poison and expecting your opponent to die 😀
P.S. There was some sort of story. Gman steals an artifact, you try to escape and end up meeting him again just as he’s about to complete his own quest.[/quote]
Congratulations Kasperg!I enjoyed playing your mod and I got through it without any problems(your updated version of course).
It took me more than an hour because I love to explore everything and to relax and think out the puzzles…You’re right on your last comment;there is a short story to this.
The only puzzle(if it is a puzzle)that still has me wondering and smiling is this one:At the beginning,after dropping down the rope from the surface,I smashed a panel along the wall to the left and found a big clock behind it! Is there a purpose for this clock???
Thanks again for your good work, I had fun playing(it’s different and beautiful architecture)!’HAVE A NICE DAY’
About the Garg if you run arround the columns and activate all locks without crossing the columns Garg won’t appear.
BTW i’m stuck just after you activate the center door just after those three color beam you get down by a broken ladder and need to activate a bridge…it’s certainly too obvious so I didn’t detect what to do…
Like most of your work Kasperg I like it really much and I don’t complain about something…just estonished that with you quality of mapping (and coding) you’re not making a huge project for HL 1 or 2?
You have to jump! and it’s possible.
Yeah, sorry about that jump, Stef. There’s an autosave right before it, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. (I didn’t do any coding by the way! 😀 Everything is mapping, textures and some complicated entity setups.)
@LoneWolf65: I planned on showing the clock at the end of the minimod to show players how long they took. Unfortunately, the entities didn’t carry through the maps they way I wanted and I ditched the idea. You weren’t supposed to be armed at that stage! lol
@Fluffy: Seems reasonable. It’s just that your comments seem to imply I tried to make a compelling story but failed, which is far from the truth. People don’t criticise normal cookies because of not having chocolate chips! And I never said this map had chocolate chips, so I don’t know why you dissapointed was so great in that sense… 🙂
I’m not disappointed that the map did not have chocolate chips. I’m annoyed at the fact that because there are no chocolate chips, it tastes just like a regular cookie. The map could have easily been better with chocolate chips, but they were not added and therefore, the cookie received a lower rating.
If you have a writer friend handy, you can just get him to write a story. Like, say, me. But I digress.
Ok. So you open a box of regular cookies and you’re annoyed that they don’t have chocolate chips?
Something I’ve never understood about reviewers is when they talk about the things that are not there and/or were never advertised:
-Idol Hunt has crappy or non-existing modern buildings.
-Lack of custom models.
-No use of vehicles.
-No boss fight against Nihilanth.
-No custom music.
-Only three bullsquids in 7 maps.
I could go on like that for ages…
When I review maps I only talk about what’s there and how it could be easily improved. Not about what could have hypothetically been there without giving any tips whatsoever. That’s the EASY way to criticize.
But that’s just my opinion 🙂
Writing is an integral part of any interactive fiction. Half-Life has a story. Chaser has a story. Final Fantasy (any of them) has a story. This is what leads me to expect a story, and I criticise it based on the fact that a storyline is one of the core principles of an interactive fiction.
I judge maps based on four things. Appearance. Playability. Substance and errors. Appearance includes three things: Architecture (how it looks), Textures and Storyline. All these three things contribute to the appearance of the map. How does storyline fit in? Storyline confirms what I see. Storyline tells me what I see is, rather then telling me to rely on what I think of them. Those marines appear to be marines, but the storyline could actually point out that they are perchance FBI agents come to take over the world.
I judge all maps based on this, and if there is something missing, I will point it out.
So, in other words, maps like Half-life:Uplink have “a story” because a scientist tells you to activate a satellite signal via a wav file? That makes “interactive fiction” for you?
Then this minimod has a story too. The one you make while playing through the maps. The one you imagine when you see Gman taking away the idol. The one you think about when you see the devotion-like paintings in the gargantua doors. The character you play is just as lost as you are and asking himself the same questions.
I’m always mapping, and end up getting tired of what I’m doing pretty easily. Vilcabamba was short as hell, Sandscroll was anticlimatic. My Star Trek minimod was abandoned…
I’d rather not do a story than do a bad one just to please fans of “fiction”. As you said, you can play Final Fantasy instead.
You don’t have to expect anything from my maps since they are not for sale. They’re just something offered to you for your enjoyment. If you don’t like it, then I’m really sorry. The problem stays with you 🙁
Is it really hard to improve your products just because you can’t be bothered to do it? It’s not like a storyline will *detract* from the quality of your writing.
I wouldn’t be so annoyed if you didn’t attack my reviewing just because you are too lazy to improve yourself.
Comment removed by PlanetPhillip.
To Kasperg and Fluffy.
I am at work now but will be carefully reviewing all comments made and will remove anything I feel too inflammatory.
I respect both your rights to express yourself and defend your map but it seems to have become more than that.
If you wish to continue your discussion please do so privately.
Fine with me. All I was saying is that people confuse “being a lazy mapper” with “having different priorities”, as the website in my name sort of proves 🙁
Is there a chance you could remove the part of “*First bug. If you die in the first level, the intro message shows up again…etc” from the map description? That one was fixed in the current version.
Phillip, with all due respect, Kasperg has every right to defend his work … especially if he feels he’s being attacked or berated by Fluffy which I feel is the case. We all know that Fluffy quite enjoys these tiffs & loves it to know the more he provokes someone. Fluffy, you know as much as well. I really feel Fluffy is at fault here, not Kasperg. That’s just my opinion and only say anything because I feel bad for Kasperg to come to your site only to be treated this way when all he’s trying to do if provide us with entertainment.
Hey, can we hold Game Court for situations like these upheld with bondafide penalties?
Kasperg, please don’t be discouraged from continuing to visit PP for all that it has to offer. Phillip puts so much hard work into his site and I’m sure was thrilled to add your minimod for all of our enjoyment.
I, for one, really enjoyed it as I’m sure other’s will too. It’s a shame that you won’t be doing anymore HLSP maps!
HI kasperg! I was armed because I went back after retreiving the crowbar and pistol! I never cheat…LoL! Like I said, I explore a lot. Cheers!
Don’t remove that comment. I put it in to end this argument. I fold. I retreat. Kasperg is the winner. I am the loser. That is how it goes.
Kasperg has every right to defend his work. I have every right to defend my reviewing. Don’t put the fault on me just because you hate me, Alyria. We both came out of this in benefit. I gave Kasperg advice on what he can do to improve his map. I learnt not to put so much emphasis on storyline.
Fluffy, please go to the forum for a new post:
I really like it Kasperg, great job man and mostly a great moment of gaming for me!!! and this is both or aim have plasure creating or playing!
Hope you come with other things in the future
Cheers
I am just amazed how so many reviewers can find so much to say about this mod. This is a very limited mod, apart from the well constructed sets the gameplay is very limited, combat is, well hardly worth the effort. For such a short mod it’s very empty in content with the end set being too cramped in design to be worthy of a duel with the largest of all the HL1 foe.
I would’ve never guessed a short mod would have less content than a longer one, wow.
By the way, the description says it’s a minimod, not a mod. No game content has been modified at all besides the splash screen! 😉
I guess you missed the point.
I’m not entirely sure why this minimod has been so emotive and I would like to publicly apologize to Kasperg for the treament he has recieved here.
The following comments are not directed at any commentor in particular, just everybody!
Everybody is allowed to express their opinion but it should be done in a polite way. No snide remarks or veiled insults.
Comments like:
Are unhelpful and not wanted on PP. If somebody missed the point then explain what you were trying to say. Sorry Mel but you seemed to have caught my wrath.
The same goes for all other similar and sarcastic comments, including those of the authors.
from now on I’m going to be wielding my iron fist instead of my velvet glove.
Are unhelpful and not wanted on PP. If somebody missed the point then explain what you were trying to say. Sorry Mel but you seemed to have caught my wrath.
The same goes for all other similar and sarcastic comments, including those of the authors.
from now on I’m going to be wielding my iron fist instead of my velvet glove.[/quote]
I agree with PP! ‘my Opinion’: It’s wonderful to see experienced mappers doing their best to make a name for themselves and to give us FPS players a chance to have some fun and enjoy new gameplay! “Maybe learn something about the business too”! For all of you “Freeloaders” out there that all you think about is criticism, think twice!
My comments are without malice! Thanks again to all you great mappers out there that bring great enjoyment to ol’timers like me and I must say, some “nostalgia’
Have a Nice Day! From LoneWolf67
Ok Phillip I take you point and bend to your better judgement. However you did say “explain what you were trying to say’
Sorry Phillip but I dont think it was I sarcastic comment, it certainly was not intended to be one, just a comment of surprise that the author had not seen the point I was making in my short review. I will attempt to explain in more detail.
Surely it must be more demanding on the author ability to create a balance of gameplay and content within, relative to the duration the game. One of the keys to the success of games such as C to A is the author’s wonderful ability to feed the player challenging content throughout. I was disappoint with this mini-mod, it did not take the opportunity to exploit possible situation offered by the good set designs, I kept ” E-ing” the panel images thinking this was a good opportunity to open a secret area, or lead to a new level or just explore. The jump referred too, could have been handle better with the inclusion of an alternative route by way of a triggered passageway or hidden stairway. The near end boss scene was out of place with a poor choice of foe, almost any other choice of combat in the setting would have worked better. The author did not take the opportunity to feed the player content and situations that his set design potentially offered.
Mel.
It appears that I am under attack, will all intersted parties please read my initial comments #47, I dont think that any snide remarks or veiled insults are within.
I think the last observation about the final boss is valid. I was so tired of the theme it’s actually a miracle there’s a recognizable ending, as poor and dull as it is.
The gameplay is limited, because both my time and singplayer mapping experience were also limited.
It’s not like this minimod was advertised for a year as the greatest breakthrough in HL history. It’s an expansion of a short map which in turn was a tribute to Tomb Raider. I might have done a poor job in parts of this map pack, but I can see that myself. I’m sorry I couldn’t do any better.
In no way are my comment meant to discourage any author, with the mini-mod in question the author has obvious talent, the set design and textures within are far superior to many HL custom games on offer. I do understand that a lot of work goes into giving players hours of fun, free fun at that and have said so many times on PP. I can only added that I am sorry if the author was none to please with my original comments and would like to encourage him to continue his good work and build on his ability to design good sets furbished with fine textures.
Mel,
I wouldn’t call it better judgment, just how I want to run my site.
This is always going to be the problem of quickfire- textual communication. There are bound to be misunderstandings. And I apologize for misunderstand your reply. In my defense it “Sounded” that way when I read it. But I wasn’t only talking about your reply; there are plenty of others all over pp that are sarcastic.
You then go on to post a fantastic explanation. Clear, polite and detailed. A perfect example of the type of content I would love to see more of here on PP. If the author doesn’t agree well then, that’s his or her perogative to reply in the same way.
It wasn’t my intention to attack you personally, just use you comment as an example. I apologize of you took it personally. I agree that none of your comments contained snide remarks or veiled insults. Again that was a reference to other commenters.
Your last comment shows that no malice was intended and for that I thank you.
Hopefully this won’t stop you from posting your reviews on PP.
Phillip,
Thank you for your above comment the content of which was most appreciated. I am sorry that the whole issue occurred and I will take care in future that my comments are correctly scripted.
Gameplay:
Expanding on the release of Kasperg’s Vilcabamba a short series of maps follow with the former include as the first level, making the once short and sudden ending map to a small, yet enjoyable episode. Starting off in the already released level, Vilcabamba, working as an introduction things become very similar throughout each of the other parts doing simple tasks such as pulling some levers or jumping gaps. The action in this one is again moderate and nothing really poses much of a threat except for those Gargantuas. Although there isn’t anything outstanding in this release, it is still an enjoyable set of maps lengthening the story and keeping a steady flow, implementing some interesting elements making the location seem more mysterious.
Design:
Following a similar stucture to Vilcabamba in the other maps, the theme is continue on using similar texture and lighting techniques, with a few outside locations to change the tone of mood. Constructions are tidy and keep things simple in a good sense but the design eventually gets repetitive and lacks variety during the last two maps. Elements such as leaves growing on the side of the brick and rocks emphasis the age of these ruins and add a bit of colour in some places where a mix of yellows and greys are used.
Conclusion:
Enjoyable gameplay within well structured ruins, good design but lacks some form of variety in the last two maps.
Rating: 78%
i hunt idols and so far found 2. well, one and two halfs. now I must jump. man it seems impossible, but if I scream and go splat enough I have to make it. hehe.
so far its a great mini map pack. reminds me of aztec bain with all the great temple work. looking forward to the next idol pic
sadly I am learing to cope with the end. sniffle sniffle. fun mod.
I got tat problem too in COUNTER-LIFE when the lag is over 85
Great graphics, average gameplay, weak ending. That’s all.
Thanks for taking a look! (and seeing where the focus was).
Thank goodness that was the last thing I mapped for HL1 🙂 I’m guessing a Source version of this would be very different in terms of puzzles. Someday perhaps.
Thanks for the reply Kasperg. I tried to keep to the point.
This minimod looks great. I just play the mods and maps here on PP.
Personally, I couldn’t map my way out of a wet paper bag.
Do you have work in progrees and/or a website?
Cool mapping, good gameplay. Nothing incredible, but fun to play. The one leak is CD music wasn’t used.
I haven’t finished this one yet. I’m a bit stuck on one part. It’s the part where there are 4 levers that light up some things above the door. On the left is a door which a gargantua pops out, and on the right is a door that has a lever that leads to a stash of grenades. i’ve pulled each of the levers that are color coded. How do I get to the next map?
Thanks for any help.
H
All four colours above the door must be on at the same time.
As the mod title already says, you’re about to retrieve an idol in some Aztec-looking area, good luck!
Pro’s:
-Superior graphics, new textures, prefabs, objects, etc., good level designs
-Unique flair
-Good balanced combat
-Puzzles
Con’s:
-Not everybodies taste of level layout & design
-Balancing about ammo and health in the first half
-Weird story
Great level design, but gameplay could be more entertaining and balanced. Also some puzzles are solving in a similar way.
Manually
Hard
1 Hour, 30 Minutes
Well, first I have to say, Kasperg is a really versatile Modder, if you see all his portfolio of HL1,2 maps and mods, you’ll see what I mean.
Now I know this little cool mod was launched back in 2007, so is natural that some recommendation just don’t place this in better places. But my recommendation just wants to stand out that this is a pretty nice mod from Kasperg made for HL1, is the natural enhancing and improvement of the “vilcabamba” map, and here we have a coherent story nicely told inside the mod, with a great pre-Columbian architecture and textures all the way.
I also believe this kasperg’s mod deserve just more recognition that the one poor-average it has had so far, some scenes into the mod are just clever, and is a show that you don’t necessarily need lots of combat and mayhem in order to have a great mod, instead some clever puzzles and cool story.
Overall I’d say Idol Hunt feels like a classic work form a classic modder as Kasperg is, and now in 2013 I’d love to play more of his work for HL1 I hope he would be able to mod in HL1 some maps at least again, that would be pretty cool.
Manually
Medium
40 Minutes
Here we have an expansion and continuation of Kasperg’s map Vilcabamba, which was a puzzle map with some light combat set among some pretty well-done Aztec buildings and ruins. Idol Hunt keeps that theme and honestly it’s one of the highlights of this pack.
The puzzles are fairly straightforward – you won’t have to do too much head scratching to figure them out, and there are patterns among the puzzles to make things familiar. There are a decent number of enemies waiting for you, and several others that show up unexpectedly. Later on you’ll find some health pools that can heal you all the way, but in the meantime if you get caught offguard you might be in for a tough time because health can be found here and there but there are no large caches or health chargers to be found until the last few sections of the mod.
In all, there are some clever touches here and the setting feels fresh. Worth your time if you’re looking for a puzzle-style map pack.
Manually
Medium
38 Minutes
Honestly, I think this mod deserved more praise.
First of all, let’s look at the textures, which are probably the best part of this mod. They are from Tomb Raider 1, an amazing classic. The setting is even more TR1-ish, and I just found out that this mapper made another map called Vilcabamba, a TR1 level, so I guess Kasperg is in love with that game.
The gameplay was decent and the enemies were well placed, but the thing is that Aliens and Tombs don’t match, personally.
Oh, and BTW, if you get the “Not a Client” error, then just get the 1.1.1.2 patch. It’s unofficial, but just do it.
Overall, I think this mod is very underrated and I highly suggest you play it.
What a great little mod!
There’s really only so much Black Mesa and Xen you can take, so it’s always nice to see different settings, especially when they are so beautifully designed. Architecture and atmosphere are great, and textures and lighting are just beautiful and very well done.
Emphasis is not on puzzles or fighting, so gameplay may be limited, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially as any serious flaws or big mistakes are avoided, contributing to a good flow and a smooth experience.
The only thing I found a bit distracting was mixing soldiers and aliens as enemies, without explaining why they are there or what they are doing there, but as this (mini)mod has no story, this is forgivable.
I played this mod on medium difficulty and did not experience “many times of which you must survive inhuman falls and break your legs repeatedly”. Also, it should be self-evident to make a quicksave before some dangerous jump or fall. (Seems like some people really suck at even the most basic things.) It was challenging, but never overly hard or even unfair. I didn’t find it claustrophobic at all and also experienced no lack of hints or directions.
Clearly this mod would have benefited from some atmospheric music and some nice secret areas, which would have made this a “Personal Favorite” of mine.
In the world of HL mods, this is something quite special – and impressive!
Manually
Medium
1 Hour
Some puzzles are easy, while some are just poorly designed. Combat is nearly unbalanced especially when you get to fight controllers and gargs.
I haven’t played Half-Life mods in awhile. This is a good mod with various custom textures, nice setting but terrible balance which is making this mod very hard on hard mode.
Manually
Hard
30 Minutes