Author’s Note
“My purpose for this level was to create a self-contained experience that does not require FPS expertise. I set my limitations to puzzle-based challenges using basic movement and interactivity. I created the entire level, handling the BSP, terrain, texture placement, optimization, flow, weapon placement, lighting, scripted events, AI scripting, model placement, and sounds.”
- Title: Blockwork
- File Name: hl2-sp-blockwork.7z
- Size : 979.16kB
- Author: Andrew Dobbs
- Date Released: 23 April 2008
Download directly into MapTap [979kB]
You MUST have MapTap installed before using this link.
You can still use it with MapTap once you have downloaded it.
- Copy blockwork.bsp into your Half-Life 2 Maps folder.
- Launch Half-Life 2
- Open the console and type map blockwork.
- Press enter/return or click the Submit button.
- Play and Enjoy.
Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.
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Please note: These statistics are valid from December 2010
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794Overall
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2Today
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2Last 7 days
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8Last 30 days
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53365 days
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 1 Users
Time Taken:
Average: 0 Hours, 17 Mins
Shortest: 0 Hours, 17 Mins by JellyBeanDude27
Longest: 0 Hours, 17 Mins by JellyBeanDude27
Total Time Played: 0 Hours, 17 Mins
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I was disappointed with this map. I like puzzles and I was hoping for more. Creating something other than an FPS is a worthy goal but I feel the author’s implementation was lacking.
To start with he told me which keys to use, which I find very annoying because nearly everybody I know has changed then from the default, which means they are wrong. Surely there is a way for the system to “read” which keys I use for which functions. If not, then explain that.
Next, the NPC were simply ragdolls and that provided little if any motivation to act. Perhaps if they were all alive and I had to save one, whilst killing the other three then I might have had more motivation.
Next up are the names “Squishly” and “Crispy” are two examples. Alyx became Ann for some inexplicable reason.
The first puzzle was embarrassingly easy, now the author probably thought that the first puzzle should “ease” the player in, but there’s a difference between easing them in and downright patronizing them!
Also I challenge the idea that these are really puzzles. I completed the second puzzle first time, which shows that it can simply be a case of trial and error. Perhaps if the contents had different fuel that ignited different materials and were labeled with their contents, then maybe I could have “solved” the puzzle.
I gave up on the next puzzle for two reasons. Firstly it was agonizingly slow. You had to wait a long time for each operation to finish before the next one took effect and secondly because I tried jumping along the edge and got stuck. Jumping into the liquid killed me. Where is the benefit to the player in doing that? Simply killing a player when he tries something is either bad design or thoughtless planning, take you pick.
Regular readers can probably tell I am a little angry and to be honest I don’t really know why.
I truly applaud mappers who try something new but feel that this could have been soooo much better and it’s a pity it isn’t.
Phew, I better take some deep breaths now.
So, in closing. It’s not as bad as my brief review makes out but only play it if you are a very patient player and want something different but not too polished.
[riffly_audio]B6089456C44911DD8B8DD7618271DB70[/riffly_audio]
Very nice audio review. I hope there will be more.
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I actually thought this was fine. Not as much fun as Too Many Crates, but fine.
It’s short and the puzzles are simple–the second and third were just cases of trial and error. No penalty for failure, just keep trying. (If there had been a penalty for failure, I might have gotten annoyed though, because there was no indication of any way to solve it beyond trial and error.)
The last puzzle was only “complex” in the sense that I was a little stressed about “getting over there” in time. I didn’t bother trying to move without the platforms, as Phillip did. I figured since I didn’t have the suit I couldn’t run, and the platforms were probably faster. (And that the author probably made sure the platforms were fast enough for you to complete the puzzle successfully. He did.)
So if you want to spend maybe 20 minutes playing something different, give this a go.
You didn’t miss much, Phillip, the puzzle you quit on was the last.
Anyway, this isn’t too horrible but definitely needs much more work. The first and third puzzles aren’t really even puzzles. They’re just pressing buttons. Maybe there was something deeper than I thought on the third but I just put all the squares next to the fuel containers than stepped on the button twice and won. The second might have puzzle elements but I wish there was a less tedious way, perhaps put the ragdolls under you so it doesn’t have to position the camera differently and immobilize the player. Otherwise I just trial and errored it. The third I actually kind of like, it’s interesting and pretty fun in my opinion. I do agree that the water that kills you is pointless though. I actually really like the atmosphere, it’s kind of like a lab in Ravenholm and the observation windows with GMan and Kleiner in them were very mysterious. If you’re patient and like puzzles, play it. Otherwise, skip it.
Manually
Medium
17 Minutes
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