Author’s Note
“The Lighthouse is my single player project I did for HL2. I wanted to break out into some larger, more expansive environments as well as work in a more realistic environment for a change. The map features a mix of going at it alone as well as working with a small “squad”.”
Basic Details
- Title: The Lighthouse
- File Name: hl2-sp-lighthouse.7z
- Size : 54.43MB
- Author: Victor A Lundberg AKA efx
- Date Released: 12 August 2007
Download Options
Screenshots
Click on the thumbnails below to open a medium size image. WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.
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Reader Recommendations
Total Downloads
Please note: These statistics are valid from December 2010
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2,315Overall
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1Today
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3Last 7 days
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9Last 30 days
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113365 days
Meta Review Data
Statistics based on 2 comment(s) with meta review data.
Installed:
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 2 Users
Time Taken:
Average: 0 Hours, 35 Mins
Shortest: 0 Hours, 10 Mins by Daken50
Longest: 1 Hours by agreenman
Total Time Played: 1 Hours, 10 Mins
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 2 Users
Time Taken:
Average: 0 Hours, 35 Mins
Shortest: 0 Hours, 10 Mins by Daken50
Longest: 1 Hours by agreenman
Total Time Played: 1 Hours, 10 Mins
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I probably have added too many screenshots but I really enjoyed taking them!!
his is a surperb mod. Plenty of variety regards environments and gameplay style. There are one or two puzzles but nothing to cerebral! I encounter one bug regarding the elevator but using a save point from a few moments earlier solved the problem.
[spoiler]
You start out in a prison, which isn’t particualrly inventive but it fits the story nicely. You are being helped by a couple of rebels and they often smooth the way for you. However, only you can do the really tricky stuff while they hang around waiting for you.
You move through some outdoor levels and into a very nice train ride which of course ends in disaster!
Make you way to the lighthouse and you are home free. Who said making your way would be easy! What follows are some really nice set pieces.
The ending is pretty good and has a little twist, so hopefully you were listening to the rebels talk to you in the hold up!
Talking of voice acting, the male voice is a little bland but more importantly the volume is too low.
[/spoiler]
I have no hesitation in making this the mod of the moment and recommend you download it and play it now! I’m really surprised it has been mentioned on other sites. Great work efx, more please!
Just got done playing this mod, not to bad! played well, but got stuck in a couple of places,like the old HL1 elevator thingy! I did encounter the elevator problem, like you did Phillip, have to try your fix!! and see what I missed! So what can I say but:
Unforninaly I can’t say
Like everyone else, Due to the fact during the beginning of the third level a dropship comes in and plows into my “Vital” Rebel friends.. I tried restarting the game Twice. same results. Rule 101 of drop ships, if there gonna shoot SHOOT THE PLAYER OR MAKE NPCS GOD For a Few seconds!
I find it hard to believe that this mod has been downloaded nearly 150 times and only two other people have commented.
This is a great mod and you should play it and review it now.
Maybe they have a very big list of TO PLAY mods. It’s only your fault 😉
Certainly above average but I did find some fundamental flaws in its design. Firstly your allies in the prison were a pain in the arse. If one of them dies it’s game over which was VERY frustrating considering you couldn’t tell them to move if they were standing there getting shot at. What made this worse was that every time this happened, when I loaded my game up again I couldn’t move. I could look around and shoot but the only way to move around was to jump and move in the air. I hate to restart every time this happened. Not good.
There were some other minor annoyances like the fire pit puzzle. The door next to it opened outwards because there was a barrel inside. Going round it was difficult without walking in the fire (which was VERY unforgiving with its damage).
The train was buggy as I couldn’t get on either carriage to begin with. I ended up falling between the train and the platform and couldn’t get out without noclipping. Also what was the point in fading to black in every tunnel? Just use the Z draw distance on your fog entity to make things invisible at a certain distance. The train ends blocked your vision anyway so it would have been fine.
One last thing, I had no idea the helicopter at the end was a friend because it was a Combine chopper!! I sat there firing rocket after rocket and wondering why it was moving or dying. In the end I realised it was there to pick me up (I missed most of the dialogue explaining about the chopper because it started without me).
The female voice was spot on, she even sounded very similar to the original HL2 female, but as Phillip said the male is uninspiring and too quiet.
I would recommend giving this mod a go as it’s quite nicely structured and the level design is, for the most part, above average. However, be warned, it can be buggy and the difficulty needs fine-tuning.
I mentioned that in my spoiler. Of course that fact that it wasn’t firing at you and was only firing at the Gunship was also a big clue.
I agree there were lost of minor irriations but overall I really enjoyed it.
There was one aprt where the the squad didn’t even follow me.
I didn’t have trouble with the fire pit and the door though. I used the window to get in.
The dialogue should not have been triggered until you were nearby to make sure you hear it. In the hectic firefight with the gunship I have to admit I didn’t really notice the chopper was firing at it. I was too busy ducking in and out of cover. I have been known to be a bit slow sometimes but I think it needed more visual clues. Maybe some fellow rebels getting out of the chopper?
I admit I pumped a few rockets into it before I noticed. Then I remember the previous dialogue.
Actuallt it would ahve been knida cool if this happen earlier in the mod. The mod could then branch. If you did shot the chopper the rebels continue to help you. If you shot it down, then the rebels turn against you too.
“THIS IS… SPARTA!!!” of the actual mods. A very creative, enriched and innovative mod. Victor (efx) has really put into a big effort for making these maps. The best part for me was the train ride. And, after all, I can definitely say that this mod is an eyecandy, with new spaces and differences between the majority of HL2 mods available around. Not that there are no good ones though. By the way, never shoot any of the helicopters you found, only dropships.
Oh I just forgot to add:
Phillip, my man, these images are too big. They load MB and some people don’t got a too good connection! I was writing and the recommendations did not even shown up!!
I’m hoping for feedback from the author. If it happens then I hope he will do a Version 1.1 after seeing the various excellent detailed reviews here. Sounds like he has lots of talent and therefore the bugs should be easy to fix.
I’m in “wait” mode for now.
From the bits I did play it looks really good but if the idiotic NPCs are going to stand there and die then I can’t be bothered wasting more time trying to save them.
Well I tried getting into Lighthouse Mod but when I reached the prison yard the uncontrolable 2 NPCs with you cannot seem to know what cover is & got killed too many times making it very unplayable.
I wont judge this mod yet maybe the author can make some changes like getting rid of the the dropship that fires on the 2 NPCs with me or permit it to land without firing & drop the troops off & fly away & then we can deal with the next threat.
Overall up until that part the gameplay was alright escaping to the surface with grenades & SMG in hand is cool & then later the shotgun the enemy placement was right on never too diffcult (played it on Normal skill) & health & armor placement was moderate & not overboard.
If theirs a way past the part im stuck im not gonna uninstall this mod just yet
To anyone who has problems with the dropship:
*spoliers lie here*
Here’s what I did (after a long period of trial and error) to avoid it:
1). Before approaching the closed gate that triggers the arrival of the dropship, go behind the container which is to the right of the gate.
2). Get the three SMG grenades lying there on the ground.
3). Don’t approach the gate yet. Instead, position yourself near the watchtower which is in the same yard (closer to the entry point doors, actually). There’s a Combine soldier hiding up there. When the trigger is activated near the gate and the dropship arrives, that guy emerges from his hiding place and starts shooting at you.
4). Aim at the top of the watchtower with your SMG, shoot a grenade and kill that personage. This way, you’ll have less trouble to deal with, when the dropship arrives.
5). Now, approach the gate. Listen to your NPCs talking a bit.
6). AS SOON AS you hear the sound of the approaching dropship, start running towards the watchtower. Hide yourself behind it so that the dropship doesn’t see you.
7). Your NPCs will follow you there (at least, they follow you). They may get a few bullets from the dropship’s gun, but, if you’re lucky enough, they won’t die. Once they approach you behind the watchtower, push them a bit/move around so that they are concealed from the dropship’s view, as well.
8). The dropship will deliver the troops and fly away. With luck, it won’t notice you.
This may take a few tries. I remember I got it from my third or fourth try. Save often too.
Here’s, btw, a tip on how to be able to restore your game during that scene and still be able to move normally without freezing due to that annoying bug:
1). Before approaching the gate (after killing that Combine on the watchtower), save your game.
2). Go to your saved games menu.
3). Delete ALL your AUTOSAVES and QUICK saves. Keep only the ordinary saved game slot near the gate.
4). Start trying out that scheme I described above. You may now make new quicksaves/normal saves.
5). If your NPCs die, while you’re trying to hide behind the watchtower, and you get the MISSION FAILED (whatever) screen, DO NOT LOAD your saved games/quicksaves yet manually. Rather wait for the game to try to load an AUTOSAVE.
6). As you have deleted all your AUTOSAVES earlier, the game will not find anything to load up, so the screen will go black.
7). As soon as it happens, you can load your quicksaves/normal saves manually. I used quicksaves only, so I am not really sure if normal ones work.
8). As soon as you load a save, you will return to your manually saved position, but you will still be able to move. Voila.
General advice: do not rely on your NPCs… Try to kill all enemies by yourself. I know, it’s hard, but, this way, there’s less worrying about NPCs dying. After the end of that map with the dropship *spoilers* you won’t have to worry about NPCs anymore, thankfully.
Phew, what a hard mod it was to complete (due to the bugs, of course)… But, in the end, I rather liked it. And, yes, the bugs took quite a lot out of my enjoyment. The train ride was fun, and so was the *spoilers* attack on the combine bases in the end.
Definitely
Does anybody know how to make the train leave? I’ve got all 3 allies with me and they are following me. But they won’t get on the train, and if I get on the train myself, nothing happens.
Allright, I finished it now. After trying about 10 times, the train did finally leave. Still don’t know why it wouldn’t first. So, I think this is a good mod. I didn’t have any serious bugs myself, and the allies didn’t die too much on me either. There’s one thing I can say about this, just like Mr.N said: Don’t rely on them. Make sure you’re ahead of them, and you’re on point in every fight. You shoot much better than them anyway. You shouldn’t have any problems then.
well so far mr.n hit it.trying to like this but seems more work than play,on to saving the allies so I can finish this
I have problems over the stairs at the beginning, near the fire. I tryed to jump. No results.
Anyone help?
Yes, I think I know what you mean. There’s a room just past there with a grey door that seems closed. But if you bump into it a few times, it will trigger the next level. It just doesn’t always work.
Chopper + Vital NPC’s =
There is no way I could beat this mod with the
chopper killing thoes NPC’s in less then 5 seconds every time.
I am also stuck in the elevator no matter what saved game I use.
BTW – here is what the author says on his sight about the voiceovers:
“I have finally decided to release my HL2 map, The Lighthouse for public consumtion. I hope that you, if you decide to play it, enjoy it. I ended up having to scrap the finalized voice overs because of me moving to europe but it should work anyway as long as you can put up with the temp stuff in it.”
I love the mod and want to get “unstuck” so I can finish it!
this is an odd one, not in story or well the saved games seem to change as did the buggy ness. ilike it overall but some weird stuff with this one. gonna try it again w/a new save folder.some of the sticking points seem to be the game? been fun though.
I have compressed and uploaded my saves from this mod: The Lighthouse Saves.
I don’t know which save you will actually need and don’t have time to open Steam and load the game to find the right one.
I suggest you backup your current saves for this mod then copy mine into the folder and reload Steam and start the mod again.
Hope that helps.
can someone help me out here. I’m at the end (I think). I’m at the lighthouse – everyone dead, and I’ve cleaned out all the buildings. I’m wandering around and nothing’s happening. According to others comments and all the rocket ammo laying around, there should be an air assault. Did I miss the trigger? Where is it?
Though frustrated at times with “squad” play, on balance I liked this mod. Will review further after completing.
Yes, it sounds like you missed a trigger somewhere. Try apporaching the lighthouse itself.
To not get stuck push the 2 rebels into the lift first then go in to the back.Dont block the start panel since the male rebel is the one to activate the lift.
Yes, it sounds like you missed a trigger somewhere. Try apporaching the lighthouse itself.[/quote]
I tried that and also replayed from oldest save (last “load level” screen). Same thing occurs. I don’t have squad mate, who wouldn’t jump from cliff-side building and follow to light house complex. Could that have anything to do with it. I noticed earlier events wouldn’t trigger unless squad was in specific locations (breakout,& train). Frustrating, so think I’ll move on to another mod.
not sure why prior comment says from annonymous, since I was logged in. But, new to this site so unfamiliar with routines. comment from me – “chuckanut”
Despite a few fairly serious bugs, it’s still a fun add-on. I’d give it a 6.5 out of 10. If you can pretend that the bugs are intentional puzzles in the game, then
First I got a headcrap stuck in a hole under the floor, all the game went to some sort of freakin 1 fps slideshow with the crab jumping splat splat splat. Finally I managed to kill it and the game went back to normal… Then some invisible walls here and there, then the elevatore bug and finally, in the watchtower courtyard… nothing happened! No trigger, no combine, no helicopter, nothing… I’m giving up now…
It’s a real pity, cause the design is fine and the progression is well made.
Finally played it, I had also several issue especially for the lift cage with the 2 rebels. Rest was ok for me I think the gameplay and the way it’s handle is really good and enjoyable voice acting could be better and there are defenetly no real puzzle for arround 1h30 of playtime it’s enjoyable in a well realized archtiecture.for the fire I just used box to climb to the first floor…and at the end I was shooting at the shoper and noticed it was a friend…
Perhaps this isn’t the greatest story ever told but we are presented with an HL2 tale set among familiar surroundings. You make your escape from prison with the help of the rebel forces and have to fight your way to the Lighthouse to be air-lifted to safety. So, what (if anything) makes this any different from countless other HL2 prison escape plots? Read on …
This is one of the many HL2 mods that falls into the category of mediocrity, being neither a classic nor in any way a bomb. What is offered is well designed and technically faultless from this player’s point of view. However, I cannot account for those experts that find cracks and flaws in every scene. For me, the game works well with a nice flow in its progression and a good balance of action, puzzle solving and interaction with friendly AI.
Overall, the friendly NPCs work well which is not always the case with HL mods. Here the authors have used them wisely to enrich the plot and gameplay so that they are there when needed without getting in the way. There are a few sequences where you will need to provide cover for them and make sure they don’t get killed. For the most part they will react well by either taking cover or forcing the issue at the forefront of the action.
The set designs and textures are more than adequate if nothing in the way of outstanding or mouthwateringly new. The early levels follow a similar pattern to the original HL2 prison environment and it’s not until we catch a ride on that HL2 train that the mod shows some uniqueness; but no more on that point – go see for yourself. The rest of the mod is set in typical HL2 coastal surroundings and again, is well constructed without breaking any new ground.
The action, which consists mostly of Combine engagements, has been thoughtfully planned and executed by including AI involvement with the rebel forces. To some extent this negates the difficulty level of the mod and most players will experience few problems playing in hard mode. As well as Combine troops with their supporting scanners, both drop and gun ships make their appearance to beef up the action. However, with plenty of ammo and health throughout the mod, the means to win through these gunship encounters are always close at hand.
Overall this is an admirably designed mod with plenty of action and whilst it’s not overly challenging, it does contain much to keep the player’s interest without reaching any new heights. There are a few puzzles for the player to work through which fit neatly into the course of events making the player think at times in the midst of battle. The voice acting is a mixture of good and weak with the female voice sounding very clear and professional while the male voice is weak and hesitant, but then most girls can talk well.
Negatives
– Limited use of the HL2 cast.
– Weak voice acting.
– Nothing much in the way of new content.
Positives
– A complete story and game.
– Plenty of action.
– Good use of NPCs / AI.
Summary
Maybe mediocre is the wrong word to describe this mod and by the end of these conclusions I will come up with something more fitting. The mod has few peaks or troughs and takes the middle road to success giving the player plenty of action without ever over stretching or offering much in the way of new challenges. The set design takes a similar course being neither new nor special but more than adequate in construction and appearance.
This is a good, honest and enjoyable mod and I have no hesitation in recommending that you go play it now.
WHAT FOLLOWS IS A MAJOR SPOILER.
Jumbles Wrote;
From the bits I did play it looks really good but if the idiotic NPCs are going to stand there and die then I can’t be bothered wasting more time trying to save them.
cubedude89 Wrote;
There is no way I could beat this mod with the
chopper killing those NPC’s in less then 5 seconds every time.
Mel’s Response;
It could be that both your comments maybe putting off readers from playing this mod, which is a shame if the case.
I think you are referring to the sequence in the small courtyard where once you try the door a Combine Gun/drop ship turns up.
It’s not too difficult to keep the NPC’s alive. Once you have tried the door, move as close to the far wall as possible this gets the NPC’s out of the way of direct fire. Once the ship departs you can take down the Combine above after which the door opens.
Nice review Mel!I liked it too
I have big problem with the train! It just doesn’t go, all my 3 allies got on the train, me too, but the train doesn’t go! I reinstalled the game, but now every time I load a saved game, A.I. is disabled. I used Phillip’s saved games, but there are just too far from where I am, I mean the saves are lighthouse2, lighthouse 3 and then lighthouse9 and lighthouse10. I need lighthouse4 to 8 at least, because I don’t want to miss the entire mod. Is there anybody who could help me with a saved game or with an advise? Thank you in advance.
Otherwise, nice mod, but too buggy.
I am a bit surprised that no one has come to your help bordo. I am not much of an expert on such problems, but normally find reloading the map that is giving trouble and/or Enabling NPC via the console solves such isues.
bordo,
Sorry for not helping you. Now, I just replayed the section and recorded lots of saves, just before the train and just after. The link is here: Lighthouse Saves 2
But, here’s what I did. Firstly I forced the two comrades onto the train by standing in front of them and walking forward. Then I go to the last carriage and get on. The rebel with the rocket launcher follows me but doesn’t enter the train. I then move forward to the far end of the carriage and the train starts moving.
The rebel then runs along the platform and gets to a set of steps and then disappears.
If the above doesn’t work try the saves.
Thank you very much!I appreciate this and I’ll try playing again this very good mod!
Short but a very good mod. A Nova-like for the first part and infiltration in the second. I enjoyed it!
Nice Mod 😀
I think this COULD be a good mod, but why have stupid problems/errors when they pop up the 1st time you play it?!? I mean, I know it has not been beta tested, but some things/problems are OBVIOUS! My fellow freedom fighters are constantly getting killed in the courtyard, and upon reloading, I cannot move either. Didn’t this ever happen to the author? After all, it happened the first time I played… ANd then the stupid elevator, I figured it out after a half a hour, that I had to literally “push” my hemoriod tag alongs in. To me, these should be obvious “flaws”.
I really like it but it did have a few problems. It froze up on me a few times and it is a problem keeping all your buddies alive but they were a good part of the story and they added more to the story and were great fighters most of the time. I liked having them with me as the base had more enemies then one man need take on by himself. I thought it was well balanced and the fire fights were spread out so you were not in one constant battle. I liked the puzzles and the train ride had great scenery, up till the end,-lol-I hope the author expands on this as I like the ocean setting. Maybe he could use The Coast chapter from hl2 in part 2 of this. The fortress there would be perfect for this game. Play this one and if it freezes up just re-boot it and it should play all the way through with no problems.
Looks to be broke. Probably a Steam issue. I loaded a couple of the maps manually but some things didn’t trigger.
Manually
Easy
10 Minutes
I appreciated the early game scripting. Felt very Half-Life, even if it was occasionally buggy.
Tense, chaotic combat that puts you in uncomfortable cover situations. Early on there was a combat encounter with Combine coming at you through an open door while simultaneously potshotting you from behind the fence. Good showcase of Combine AI as they flanked, used cover, and coordinated both like a cohesive team.
Detailed, crowded environments add to the combat claustrophobia.
Mapping is top tier. Loved seeing a splash of outside world through those windows just before the double doors open to reveal a beautiful courtyard under somber, grey lighting. Emulates Valve’s “reveal” style which is surprisingly rare. It’s like so many modders never played Half-Life games before making their own mods.
A bit heavy on the music, but it did slap on occasion with excellent timing.
The train through the countryside was sublime. Atmospheric and meaningful.
This whole area is filled with breathtaking scenery that feels so Valve-like. Gives a sense of scale and the grandiose as brooding, yet curious music saturates the air. These chapters feel like they could belong in a Half-Life game. There’s something nostalgic about the subtler details, like the way power lines get sucked toward gunships.
Voice acting was good, but I would’ve loved to see rebel voice lines when you interact with them. That’s an easy win for worldbuilding that a lot of mods neglect.
I didn’t experience any of the issues described in prior reviews. Kinda weird since it’s like 17 years later and should be even more broken, but I certainly can’t complain about that. Fantastic mod and highly recommended. Make sure you pick up the steampipe patch from moddb and good luck avoiding bugs.
Manually
Medium
1 Hour