Half-Life Alpha
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This article is non-canon. |  |
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The subject matter of this article does not take place in the "real" Half-Life and Portal universe and is considered non-canon. |
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This article is a stub. Maybe you can help by expanding it. |
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| Half-Life Alpha | |
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January 8, 2013[1] |
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GoldSrc (early) |
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Half-Life version 0.52, simply referred to as the Half-Life Alpha in its documents, is a leaked build of Half-Life dated September 8, 1997. Originally intended for game publications, the build was released to the public in early 2013.
Contents
Overview[edit]
On December 31, 2012, a Reddit user, jackaljayzer, showed a photo of the CD-ROM of an alpha build of Half-Life, version v0.52, dated September 8, 1997, intended at the time for game journalists. On January 8, 2013, the contents of the disc were released.[1] It contains an early and simplified build of the game consisting of six chapters, a technology demonstration spanning across three maps, and one multiplayer map, an early iteration of Stalkyard.
Version 1.3 of Worldcraft editor and its compilers are packaged with the game. Presumably they were meant to be tried out by the press, as there's a manual for novice-level users included. The editor and tools are functional (if inconvenient to use) and allow for building levels that can be launched in the Alpha.
The CD-ROM image also contains an early 11-track version of the soundtrack, including different versions of "Diabolical Adrenaline Guitar" and "Hurricane Strings".
Included documentation[edit]
Half-Life Readme.doc, titled Half-Life Alpha Notes, describes the contents of the CD-ROM, instructions on launching the game, using batch files, setting up user configuration, and using the in-game console.
WalkThru.doc gives a detailed walk-through of every chapter.
HLSynopsis.doc, titled HALF-LIFE Synopsis, explains the overall story pitch.
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HALF-LIFE
Synopsis The Portal Device is a dimension-spanning gate of unpredictable power, constructed in a decommissioned missile silo. So far no one has ventured through the Portal, but there has been a steady flow of odd creatures coming to our world. You are a weapons research scientist who has never touched a weapon—until now. An accident in the Threshold’s power core fractures the local fabric of spacetime, and hordes of creatures begin spewing into our world through the fissures. Monsters are everywhere, and your co-workers are dropping like flies. You head for the surface but the usual routes are unpassable—damaged by the disaster and infested with monsters. The silo security guards are in a state of primal terror and looking for someone to blame. The obvious scapegoats are the scientists. Namely, you. In your flight to the surface, you acquire a device which means the difference between victory and annihilation—but you don’t realize whose victory, until too late. As the Portal experiment’s first human subject, you are cast into the alien world to confront the ultimate horror…to cut off the invasion at its source. In Half-Life, you won’t just go head-to-head with an alien boss—you will fight it from the inside out. |
Technology Overview.doc, titled New Technologies Behind Half-Life, describes in detail the numerous technological advances of the game, such as expanded color support, skeletal animation, AI, player immersion, and improved sound effects.
corporate backgrounder.doc provides the overview of the company, their products (Half-Life and "a second unannounced game in development" - likely referring to Prospero), and short company biographies of the team members.
Playable chapters[edit]
- The Portal Device
- The Office Warrens
- The Security Complex
- Alien Research Lab
- Communications Center
- Reactor Lab
Notable characters[edit]
Technology demos[edit]
Behind the scenes[edit]
There is a glowing texture system used for animated surfaces, similar to the one used in Half-Life 2. These textures glow in the dark, and does not require another form of light to be lit up. They only work in the software mode. It is believed that this is done by use of an alpha map as a second layer. Furthermore, some textures in the final game appear to carry the extra data used for this technology. It is not possible to create a glowing texture using the tools provided in the SDK. The glowing textures don't work when the texture files are edited in any way.
Gallery[edit]
Photo of the disc.
The Portal Device.
The Office Warrens.
The Security Complex.
Communications Center.
Scientist model.
Security Guard model.
The splash screen displayed when launching Alpha's Worldcraft editor.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Finally got a copy of that Half-Life Alpha disk up. See inside for link to files on Reddit (January 8, 2013)
External links[edit]
Full Developer Playthrough on YouTube (unofficial)
Tech Demo Gameplay on YouTube (unofficial)
