Just wanted to take a moment to clarify the use of Recommendation Images.

I believe some users haven’t read the guide to using them and maybe don’t fully understand the reasoning behind them.

Let me start by explaining why I created such a unique system.

I’m not a mapper or modder (yet) but that doesn’t stop me from imagining maps when I see certain images or photos.

These 7 photos are ones that when I saw them I thought “Mmm, that might make part of a cool map.”

They are not in a particular order.

I should mention that no consideration has been made for engine limitation. I understand that engines can’t create everything in the images, but that doesn’t mean a clever modder couldn’t use the idea as simple inspiration, hence the title of the post.

All the images enlarge.

If you have images that do the same for you, please add a link in the comments.

Pocket tens!! I can’t believe he only had pocket tens!

We are on one of the tables at the Venetian, in Las Vegas. James, Andy, a few rabbits and I have been playing poker for a few hours now and I’ve been losing – mostly, but that’s all part of my plan!

It’s coming up to 2:45am and Andy seems to be coming into his zone, I’ll have to be careful. I need to get them off balance.

“So, what you guys been working on?”, I say as casually as possible.

Playing as Gordon Freeman, you are a “person of Interest” and the Combine want you.

Your objective, as stated on the screen, is to escape City 17.

Can you do it? The Combine will do their best to stop you.

As the game begins, Shephard is part of the clean-up operation. After his transport aircraft is taken down by an Alien Aircraft and he is cut off from the rest of his unit, the “clean-up” mission is abandoned and Shephard joins forces with the scattered survivors seeking escape.

Before the first chapter of Half-Life: Opposing Force, a short introduction is shown.

As Adrian Shephard and his fellow HECU comrades are approaching the LZ (Landing Zone 117) at the Black Mesa Research Facility, his plane (codenamed Goose 7) is shot down by alien aircraft, along with several other V-22 Ospreys (the first one is codenamed Goose 3).

The rest of the opening sequence consists of Shephard continually losing and regaining consciousness, seeing conflict between the Xen aliens and the Marines who survived the crash.

This competition received two entries. I admit, I was hoping for more, but maybe next time.

Below are the two entries.

You can either save to your computer with a right click, or if you have a compatible browser just left click and they will play.

You are a captured citizen who wakes up in a pod, stranded in unknown snowy surroundings, just after you were lost from a “combine-dropship-pod-container

Soon you discover that you are not alone in the facility: A group of mad and dangerous humans with weapons are inhabiting the facility too.

With the recent news about the new community features for Steam and the Grid View Icons I got to wonder how effectively I use Steam.

I started to use categories and found they only seem to be visible in List view and then I wondered how many other features I was missing – just like I wonder for users of THIS website.

After all that thinking I decided to write an article about using Steam effectively. So, as well as my own research and investigation, I would like to harness the readers’ experience and knowledge!

Please send me you tricks and tips for getting the most out of Steam and I will post as much as I can. I may even create a video instead, as it’s often easier to see these things in action, rather than just read about them.

I would prefer an email but you could also post a comment. Just know that this is a temporary post and will be deleted once the article/video has been published.

TIA!

The training chapter of Opposing Force. Adrian Shephard is bumped to the top of the Advanced Training list.

Shephard and his comrades are trained by Dwight T. Barnes, Marine Drill Instructor, in Santego Military Base, Arizona.

He works his way through the training exercises overlooked by Drill Instructor Sharpe until he is ready for the field.