Linux Version of Half Life Has Re-touched Character Models?

[Gerowen]

I'm playing through the Linux port of Half Life and I've noticed something. In the process of porting it they seem to have upgraded some of the character models. I'm not sure if this is an update to all versions of the game or not, but I seem to remember some slightly less impressive character models when I played through the game previously. I've always checked the "High quality character models" option in the game, but these character models seem to have been re-drawn altogether. I've attached an image of the old school version of a guard and what they look like for me. Has anybody else noticed this? Is this a universal "update" to the game, or something they did for the Linux port?

[chrisj1968]

not bad, updated graphics ,smoother, rounder face

[nvllsvm]

Looks like they're using the high definition pack on it.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

Yep, as part of the port to OS X/Linux they made the HD pack mandatory (breaking lots of stuff in the process)

CS 1.6 is also apparently using CS:CZ models now, Valve haven't handled it well (i.e. the models are applied wrong, it's hard for mods to override them and it breaks things)

Edit: The HD pack has been broken since it was originally released and Valve haven't made any attempts to fix it.

[Skyfrog]

I had forgotten all about the HD pack. I remember getting it with Blue Shift many years ago and how awesome it looked at the time.

[DKAngel]

bout bloody time its only what 15yrs old :p

[Aergan]

I still don't quite understand why they didn't port the Source versions

[fusi0n]

  On 30/01/2013 at 18:46, Aergan said:

I still don't quite understand why they didn't port the Source versions

not sure either

[threetonesun]

  On 30/01/2013 at 18:46, Aergan said:

I still don't quite understand why they didn't port the Source versions

I thought people didn't like Half Life Source?

[fusi0n]

The need to port CSGO

[guitmz]

i believe he meant like black mesa... its an amazing game and it could have been done by valve

[Detection]

Why are they starting off with ancient games?

Wouldn't it have been better to port a new popular game to pull peoples interest over to Linux ?

[Som]

they should have just ported black mesa...

[Gerowen]

  On 30/01/2013 at 05:23, The_Decryptor said:

Yep, as part of the port to OS X/Linux they made the HD pack mandatory (breaking lots of stuff in the process)

CS 1.6 is also apparently using CS:CZ models now, Valve haven't handled it well (i.e. the models are applied wrong, it's hard for mods to override them and it breaks things)

Edit: The HD pack has been broken since it was originally released and Valve haven't made any attempts to fix it.

It seems to run fine for me, haven't had any major issues. I haven't had it crash, although I did jump down a hole and landed on top of one of the little creeper things that jump at you, and I was unable to get off him, I had to reload to an autosave, which only lost about 2 minutes of play time, but it was kind of weird. I've played the online multiplayer and haven't experienced any hiccups as of yet. Seems to be working good except for the one exception.

Edit: They're actively updating it too. Since I've installed it, every day I've started up Steam and when I go to play it there's an update to install. Just thought I'd post this since I just installed another one, they seem to be putting some real effort into making this a pleasant experience.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I have no doubt that Valve are working hard on making HL1/CS1.6 work fine on Linux, I just mean the HD models are "broken" and the way they're applied is wrong.

[n_K]

  On 30/01/2013 at 20:08, Detection said:

Why are they starting off with ancient games?

Wouldn't it have been better to port a new popular game to pull peoples interest over to Linux ?

Old games are the base of the new games and much simpler.

Easier to port the old game engines over and start porting the source game engines over with some of the base already done.

[nvllsvm]

  On 31/01/2013 at 00:41, n_K said:

Old games are the base of the new games and much simpler.

Easier to port the old game engines over and start porting the source game engines over with some of the base already done.

I highly doubt the current release of the Source engine shares much code with the old GoldSrc engine.

Is it so hard to fathom why Valve is porting two of their most popular games, however old, to a platform which they want to succeed?

[Detection]

  On 31/01/2013 at 00:41, n_K said:

Old games are the base of the new games and much simpler.

Easier to port the old game engines over and start porting the source game engines over with some of the base already done.

I understand it might be easier, but not sure it will have the effect they are looking for,

A lot of people who say they are hanging back from switching completely to Linux, is because of gaming, I'd have thought it more productive to give them something to get excited about

If I was waiting for Steam - Linux to bring games to the table, it would hardly tickle my taste-buds with Halflife 1

[n_K]

It's a bit like rockstar and GTA on consoles VS PC... Does it honestly take them one whole year or longer to port them over to PC?

[Detection]

  On 31/01/2013 at 00:50, n_K said:

It's a bit like rockstar and GTA on consoles VS PC... Does it honestly take them one whole year or longer to port them over to PC?

Probably not, but it brings in more $$$ doing it that way

PS3 has been re-sold how many times? 3 ? :laugh:

[Max Norris]

  On 31/01/2013 at 00:46, Detection said:

A lot of people who say they are hanging back from switching completely to Linux, is because of gaming, I'd have thought it more productive to give them something to get excited about

Ditto this; nothing wrong with porting Half Life 1 (it is a fun game even considering its age), but if they're trying to draw gamer attention to Linux, they're going to have to do something a bit better than a game that I bought, completed, lost interest in and eventually and uninstalled literally last century.

[Aergan]

  On 30/01/2013 at 20:01, threetonesun said:

I thought people didn't like Half Life Source?

People didn't like the fact they mismatched HL2 and classic HL1 textures, left the 22Hz wav sound and did nothing to the player/object models. Other than that, it was great.