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Post #1
For a fairly important project (just a project I need to pass to graduate high school, no big deal) I decided to make a level using hammer and Half Life 2. The problem is that I'm really shitty when it comes to creating some sort of story, and my perfectionist attitude doesn't really help. Does anybody have any ideas or inspiration that I can use to help me get going? I do have these constraints though:
-I'm going to be presenting to adults/parents
-I would also like to emphasize things like setting a mood using lighting, sounds, and textures, pacing, puzzles, and a story.
-The presentation can be 10 minutes max, so I would at least want to display the points listed above during that time.
you can probably see why it is so difficult for me to come up with something decent, with my lack of creativity along with these "guidelines". Any kind of help would be appreciated.
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Why did you choose hammer if you have a supposed lack of creativity. You have a brain, thus you have a subconcious, thus you have the dreams and the imagination you need.
Reality is an illusion, in our minds we can take what we know to be true, and mix it with other things that we believe to be true. We can control our environment.
The map you make has to come from your own story. Work with something simple, avoid water and puzzles involving it as you arn't going to create anything worth looking at. Make sure you have ep2 and using that engine to make the map in as you then have the benefits it brings (more props etc).
You can drop me a line on steam if you like. skeeter423. I am an oldschool games tester and newschool games designer :)
Oh, and read my blog, it might get the neutrons whirring.
http://darkironphoenix.blogspot.com/
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lol, thanks for the philosophical reply
. I wouldn't say that I completely lack creativity (maybe a bad choice of words). I can take an idea for an environment and make it in hammer fairly well, but like i said, i'm really bad at coming up with a decent story. I'll be sure to hit you up if i need more help 
edit:
hm, I can't find your profile on steam...
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I have to post this far too often.
Here is a happy sheep. If this doesn't inspire you, nothing will.
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FOOOD!
I have to eat that far too often.
*eats it alive
Ok...ontopic:
First choose a theme. This is so you know what style to map in, and how the past brought you to this point. As an example here, i'll use post apocalypse.
Next think of a time period. Again, an example, 2013.
Then, choose a place. This is the place you will utalise existing architecture from, warping it to your own needs and story. I'll say london.
So, my story. The year is 2013, and the earth has been hit by a series of solar flares, plunging it into darkness and anarchy. As a scientist and survivor of the old ways, you have been chosen to track down the fusion core that powers the reactor at your lab. If you fail, the raiders will eventually find the lab and plunder it's secrets, and killing the hundreds cowering in the underground facility.
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You choose post apocalyptic all the time.
Are you made of nuclear radiation or something
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Yes...that's why i eat live sheep. But only if they are happy.
Technically, that story wasn't post nuclear. Post apoc doesn't mean post nuclear, it just means after a fall of civilisation.
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So you let the sad sheep live because they don't want to live and want their life to end?
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make a pleasant mountain lodge somewhere in the mountains. it's a good homey mood that a lot of people can relate to.
make sure to have a lit fireplace.
and make it nice.
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Go for a really retro look, like pixelated textures and purely colored polygons.
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Shit, this actually works
I just saw this and I had tons of ideas and a sudden urge to map
Stop that.
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I was gonna say "A brothel" for the lulz, but then I read the part where you said you had to show it to your parents.
Ok, how about a more family friendly suggestion. How about a mansion that's romantically themed? Like it's night out and there's a deck in the back where you can see the full moon, there's a hot tub, and inside there's a fancy fireplace with a fur rug on it, and a big bedroom with candles and chocolate.
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Make a classy old timey hotel and its a murder mystery.
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lol thanks for all the suggestions guys. The only thing is that I can't just make a map that looks pretty (I could do that with no problem *smugface*). I need something with some sort of gameplay element. Also, something I really should have mentioned in my first post but I forgot, I'm pretty much working with vanilla HL2 Ep2. I can use custom textures and some models if i need to, but as far as doing heavy modding I don't have the experience to do that.
An idea/theme that has been in my head recently was the idea of an alien abduction or invasion. Something like a 1950s B-movie lol
That would be amazing to actually do, but it would be hard using mostly vanilla stuff and having only 10 minutes of gameplay. Wow i got really inspired by watching that
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If you get inspired by the 1960's stuff, watch every episode of the avengers you can find on youtube.
It might give you a few ideas.
Heres one to get you going:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=677YmSL0oU0
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Just download GoldenEye Source and use the materials from that to create my idea, badda bing badda boom.
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Well...an idea for showing off your work to adults would be to use a non violent premise. If you have weapons, they can be used as tools, rather as tools to kill things with.
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How about my romantic mansion idea? It's the opposite of violent!
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Make a romantic murder mystery mansion where the murderer turns out to be an alien.
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What a twist!
For once it's not the butler!
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Intergalactic Clue?
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