"Reloadable" rebreather

[Mktavish]

Wow, I never thought that my mod should be so interesting! :laugh: I definitely like the idea, although it's very similar to that pump feature in original gameplay I mentioned earlier, so I'd like to save this for later use. Your puzzle it too complex for such dull mod of mine. Maybe if you could simplify it somehow: for example not to use 3 switches, but only one...

 

I had actually started building another file to test out scripts that I thought were not functioning due to glitches. And used one less Drain Door Switch ... because #1 was there just for fluff.

 

Now something more specific to your content. Actually, I didn't solve the puzzle, bacuse... well, here's what I found so far:

 

1. all hatches are inaccessible/unusable

Until you break the pump running it in backflow mode , which places an explosion just above pump and turns on a klaxon light , but I didn't set up the light right for it to work yet ... then you can select Emergency Override at the Terminal to unlock them.

2. switch #1 doesn't do anything, switch #2 is broken (as mentioned in the terminal)

Yes #1 can disappear ... but it was suppose to turn on a slow drizzle which never turns off automatically like #3 does. However I guess it can become glitched if it's not activated first.

3. only switch #3 is usable - I used it 3 times to raise the water level

The pump switch is also usable (the one by itself inbetween the verticle beams. It lowers the water in 3 steps just like #3 Drain Door switch raises the water in 3 steps. So you can go back and forth between these 2 switches , raising and lowering the water Up & Down.

And when the water has been lowered to the lowest point. (pump switch displays dry message)

Then you can jump down in the lower sump area and activate the reverse mode. Which then you go back and run the pump in backflow mode raising the water to second highest point. And the pump breaks as is mentioned in the terminal log.

4. at the bottom of the pool there's valve that doesn't seem to do anything

ya only useable when sump pool dry. Wanted to have it useable anytime , but it then made things to complicated.

5. the layout is somehow wacky, but that's not much of a problem

I'm thinking you should build the next installment , just leaving space for all the puzzle pieces. Then I'll script it together with the changes on how you want the puzzle to function.

6. I like the terminal discussions - they definitely aid the idea of not-such-dull mod. I'd definitely like to have more of these in the whole gameplay... but of course they must fit in Half-Life lore...

7. according to the terminal, there's some flush pipe (or something) to Residue Processing, but I can't find anything of such thing in the GECK. So where should actually player end up after solving the puzzle?

So you never activated the waterfall comming out of Drain Door 2? With "The Breaker Bar" equipped , plus it has to be out . Then you can activate the manual valve for Drain Door 2. Which once you go out the maintenance hatch ... the water will start to rise to the highest point ... and you can then swim over to the other maintenance hatch (right side ceiling corner) Which will be what leads to Residue Processing.

8. Playboy magazine is nice easter egg, but I personally think it doesn't fit in Half-Life universe

Ya I was just trying to inject some humor there. Joking that Maynard Doovins , spends his time down there Jacking off. Through the dialogue in the Terminal and then finally looking at the contents of his tool box placed next to that rug. The player could then come to the conclusion of thats what's happening.

9. there's a crowbar that player probably have to use to make a progress in the puzzle (the stolen tools, right? :laugh: ), but it definitely has to be something different than crowbar, because there's already a crowbar placed in one of the earlier cells... hmm, maybe if I could remove it and replace with your meaningful version of crowbar (you know, mine is just laying around as an easter egg)

Yes I think it should have a different model , but didn't want to bother with another model for the test file. And maybe you don't even want it to be an equippable weapon?

 

So I guess now with how it worked for you , and me explaining how it should have worked. Give it another run , and then decide what you think needs to change about it. Plus maybe you should design the layout of the cell. I noticed you have a lot of your own Base-ID's for many kit pieces with different textures.

 

But what do you mean about saving this for later (what that other video shows) ???

That looks to be a completely different kind of puzzle with the teleporting and platform hopping.

Plus you still wanted something here to replace the cutscene & small trash compactor puzzle which leads to Residue Processing right ?

Edited November 20, 2016 by Mktavish

[Andyno]

1. yes, I wondered what is that X marker... but I never saw that explosion, of course.

2. so that's why I didn't make any progress - because I didn't turn #1 first?

3. yes, I noticed that, but I think it would be more realistic to completely drain the pool when activating it. But maybe you did it because the puzzle requires that, right?

4. I wanted to turn the valve when the pool was drained, but there's no way to get back up, because there's no stairs, ladder... by the way, I forgot to mention yesterday: I'd rather not to use ladders in the mod. I used it only once in one of the first cells, because I didn't want to recreate that section of the cell. Later I used stairs everywhere where ladders should be.

5. next installment? You mean the section after solving the puzzle?

7. no, I never activated that waterfall, because I had no tool, which can be obtained only after you gain access through that hatch. And like I said before - all hatches were inaccessible/unusable. Anyway, that 2nd hatch (that should lead to Residue Processing) should be replaced by a door. Also that 1st hatch should be replaced by something different than a teleport.

9. yes, it would be more realistic to not to have it as an equippable weapon.

 

I gave it 3 runs, and didn't make any progress. Perhaps if you tell me how to access that inaccessible hatch...

 

Nope, teleporting puzzle is something completely different. Here you can see how player is activating 2 valves to raise the water level:

https://youtu.be/pTM-3bWQ7eU?t=1265

But those valves were not functional - the player firstly had to activate 2 pumps. 1st pump is here:

https://youtu.be/pTM-3bWQ7eU?t=874

2nd pump is here:

https://youtu.be/pTM-3bWQ7eU?t=1067

Regarding that cutscene:

Actually, I thought that this is what you imagine as a replace of a trash compactor... but if you got another ideas how to realize that, I'm all ears!

Edited November 21, 2016 by Andyno

[Mktavish]

1. yes, I wondered what is that X marker... but I never saw that explosion, of course.

Yes the explosion is placed at the xmarker at the end of running the pump in backflow mode ... and the klaxon light is suppose to turn on also , but it isn't set up correctly. However it still activates the text line option in the terminal where you can unlock the hatch.

2. so that's why I didn't make any progress - because I didn't turn #1 first?

No , Drain Door Switch #1 doesn't do anything to progress the puzzle ... its just there for fluff ... and its activation can become glitched. And come to think of it ... Drain Door #3 is fluff also ... as will become apparent when I explain the process to solve the puzzle later.

3. yes, I noticed that, but I think it would be more realistic to completely drain the pool when activating it. But maybe you did it because the puzzle requires that, right?

The valve at the bottom of the pool (which is a switch really) doesn't become usable until the pump pool is drained. So you jump down and activate it , which displays a message that the pump is set to run in reverse.

4. I wanted to turn the valve when the pool was drained, but there's no way to get back up, because there's no stairs, ladder... by the way, I forgot to mention yesterday: I'd rather not to use ladders in the mod. I used it only once in one of the first cells, because I didn't want to recreate that section of the cell. Later I used stairs everywhere where ladders should be.

It is possible to jump up on the pump , then forward jump up one of those discharge pipes , while facing up. But you can become stuck between the pipes. The log text of the pump mechanic requesting a ladder down there is suppose to be hinting to the player of how it is done.

On ladders ...there are 2 ladders inside the maintenance shaft ... but they only function one direction (up) and they are just there because of how the puzzle ended up ... an after thought really.

5. next installment? You mean the section after solving the puzzle?

I mean a re-designed version of this puzzle ... if you want to even use it.

7. no, I never activated that waterfall, because I had no tool, which can be obtained only after you gain access through that hatch. And like I said before - all hatches were inaccessible/unusable. Anyway, that 2nd hatch (that should lead to Residue Processing) should be replaced by a door. Also that 1st hatch should be replaced by something different than a teleport.

Yes they can be real doors , I just used those because you can place them anywhere without the kit piece needing to accommidate them.

Would be nice to not have to teleport into the maintenance shaft , but its sort of necessary for the puzzle that the player comes out above the water level. But maybe a redesign could work ... if you even want to use this.

9. yes, it would be more realistic to not to have it as an equippable weapon.

Ya I can do a simple "Player.GetItemCount BreakerBar == 1" and the breaker bar can be a misc item.

 

I gave it 3 runs, and didn't make any progress. Perhaps if you tell me how to access that inaccessible hatch...

 

1 - You need to drain the pump pool first ...

2 - Then activate the reverse valve at bottom of pool ...

3 - Jump up on the pump then jump forward facing up on one of the discharge pipes.

4 - Then run the pump control switch which will raise the water , blow up, and set the emergency condition.

5 - Then go back to the terminal on Interface Options , and select the "Emergency Override / Unlock Hatches"

6 - Go into the maintenance shaft and find the breaker bar ... then activate the manual valve in there for Drain Door 2

You have to have the breaker bar equipped + drawn like your ready to hit something.

7 - Go back out the maintenance shaft ... watch the water fill up to the height of the platforms at the maintenance hatches.

8 - Then swim to the hatch in the far corner ... which doesn't do anything presently because it's not connected to a Residue processing cell.

 

Nope, teleporting puzzle is something completely different. Here you can see how player is activating 2 valves to raise the water level:

https://youtu.be/pTM-3bWQ7eU?t=1265

But those valves were not functional - the player firstly had to activate 2 pumps. 1st pump is here:

https://youtu.be/pTM-3bWQ7eU?t=874

2nd pump is here:

https://youtu.be/pTM-3bWQ7eU?t=1067

Regarding that cutscene:

Actually, I thought that this is what you imagine as a replace of a trash compactor... but if you got another ideas how to realize that, I'm all ears!

 

Hmmm was any of that in the first video you linked ... funny I didn't see it if it was.

But yes it does seem similar to this one.

Obviously though my puzzle idea is to complicated or the clues aren't good enough ... probably some of both.

 

And so now with you understanding my idea to replace the cutscene and trash compactor. What would you like to do for that now.

If this is a bit similar to the later puzzle ... doesn't mean you can't still do that one later ... this can be a warm up. Just depends on how much you want to stick to the original half life. IDK ... i guess I just didn't understand about replacing the stuff , like it still needed to be like it.

 

Add edit : On jumping up on the discharge pipe ... if you kind of get a run at it continuously hitting jump , but having your mouse look view facing up + must be offset left or right of center between those 2 pipes. Otherwise you will getting stuck between them preventing you from getting higher.

Trust me it does work ... but if you don't want to mess with it , just toggle clip mode with the console "TCL"

to get out of there. But turn it back on before you run the pump switch ... because I think it will glitch it out with it turned off.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Mktavish

[Andyno]

Alright, I finally finished your puzzle. Although I somehow enjoyed it, I decided to not to add it to my mod, because it's too complex. Actually, it reminded me one of those unforgiving Puce Moose's mods where the player had none or very little hints of what to do. Now let me ask you something off topic: why you don't create your own puzzle based mod? It looks like you really got a brain for this. :yes:

Anyway, like I said - it's too complex... if you could possibly make some lite version of this...? For example player has to increase flow, so it flushes him out of the pipe that ends in the beginning of Residue Processing level...

 

I can't stick to the original Half-Life, because I don't have a trash compactor, right? ;) But what I'd like to stick with, is ending of the level - I mean player has to come out of pipe (in your puzzle it was that second hatch).

[Mktavish]

Well that's alright if you don't want to use it ... I had said I wouldn't consider it a waste of time. Most of the time was spent trying to get the water moving scripts working. And that's knowledge I can use on all kinds of things now ... so no worries.

 

So you think I should make a whole mod of puzzles like this eh ? Hmmm IDK maybe. I've got my wasteland home mod to get back to sorting out. So in the mean time ... I'll just be content with making puzzles for other modders :happy:

 

Sure I'll give it another shot with it more simplified. Do you want to build the area though ? just throw something together because you mentioned the layout was wacky. Or I could just give creating the whole thing another go ... so you can have the first impression experience to gauge the puzzle again.

Flushing player down a pipe though ... not sure how I would do that , except just teleport the player. Or move the player independently of the water ... but would have to disable their move controls atleast.

By the way ... the maintenance hatch could just open into a pipe. But I get it , you don't like square little doors ... LOL ... could just use a sewer entrance grill ... like all those drain door pipes are also doors that can be used for teleport when linked with another door.

[Andyno]

OK, I'll try to figure something out, and then I'll send you another version of my mod. But if you want, you can meantime also try to make your version...

 

Yes, I was thinking about that teleporting too - I can't imagine how this should be performed without it. Anyway, it was just a blind shot. I was also thinking about a feature I used in my first mod. In this video...

https://youtu.be/rKZ9qBfdsE0?t=636

... you can see a waterfall coming from a pipe. The player had to turn off the pump to stop the waterfall flowing, so he could proceed to next area of the level. While I don't want to repeat this feature in present mod, maybe you'll get some inspiration from it...

 

Ahh, you got it - I don't like small square doors. :laugh: