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Half Life 2 Graphic Mods

99% of all fan-made texture packs suck even though they're technically more impressive, in terms of resolution and detail.
 
Suairyu said:
Can't tell if you're joking. Just in case:
Visible cleavage fits neither her character (practical resistance soldier) nor the world design (oppressive, omnipresent regime).

Aw come on, how can you say no to boobies?
 
Does anyone know if the Cinematic Mod is working in Ep. 1 and Ep. 2?

I want to try out sexy-time Alyx and just a generally new looking game. I'm not here to say which look better (*cough* vanilla) I just wanna try it out. I've played HL 2, I dunno, 30 times. So changing things up could be good.
 
kamspy said:
Does anyone know if the Cinematic Mod is working in Ep. 1 and Ep. 2?

I want to try out sexy-time Alyx and just a generally new looking game. I'm not here to say which look better (*cough* vanilla) I just wanna try it out. I've played HL 2, I dunno, 30 times. So changing things up could be good.

He has a new version that works with all both episodes. He changed some maps around, though, and some might not like what he's done.

At least the models are optional.
 
I have never seen a single fan-made texture for any PC game that looked right. they always feel like they're trying too hard. MORE BUMPS, MORE WRINKLES, MORE MORE MORE.

Those Alyx models are just predictably depressing.
 
LCfiner said:
I have never seen a single fan-made texture for any PC game that looked right. they always feel like they're trying too hard. MORE BUMPS, MORE WRINKLES, MORE MORE MORE.

I remember looking at some texture packs for N64 games on emulator and they were all terrible. No consideration for how the environments were supposed to look, just "hmm, that floor is stone, so I'll make a stone floor that's loaded with way too much grainy detail and is a completely different hue," and "oh the walls are blurry, I'll make sharper looking ones that are also 50% darker than the original." The end result looks totally wrong because everything looks mismatched and thrown together haphazardly.
 
Well, the mod was good for a while because it was the only way to have the added effects from Episode 2 put into HL2. Since Valve updated it last year, a good deal of the appeal has worn off. I still think it's great the mod's out there, though. I love options.


LCfiner said:
I have never seen a single fan-made texture for any PC game that looked right. they always feel like they're trying too hard. MORE BUMPS, MORE WRINKLES, MORE MORE MORE.

Those Alyx models are just predictably depressing.

Some guy made some fan-made textures for RE4 PC by lifting them from the GCN version of the game, I think.
 
Truant said:
99% of all fan-made texture packs suck even though they're technically more impressive, in terms of resolution and detail.
I think that might be true for other games, but the pack in the comparison looks ok, it doesn't seem to change the visual style.
 
Suairyu said:
Can't tell if you're joking. Just in case:
Visible cleavage fits neither her character (practical resistance soldier) nor the world design (oppressive, omnipresent regime).
Oh c'mon. We can have a little fun with our modding, it doesn't matter if it's "bad design" or not.
See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCvpM6e9XIQ (Zelda)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-FRk0FX7co (Zero Suit)

Modding isn't just to make things more realistic. I highly doubt the modders who changed Alyx were thinking about realism or good design...
 
You decide:

pbFKp.jpg


QDWZS.jpg


RZtco.jpg
 
While FakeFactory changes the mood too much, people are being waaaaay too harsh on the modding community in this thread.

Modding is one of the things that make PC gaming awesome, and some devoted teams manage to fix and improve games, giving them more longevity and plainly making them better.

The best example of this is of course Oblivion (which not only makes the game 10x more beautiful, but also fixes some of its broken design elements). But some texture packs are great for Crysis and STALKER.

Just wanted to keep that on record.

Truant said:
99% of all fan-made texture packs suck even though they're technically more impressive, in terms of resolution and detail.
 
Theres a bunch of effort put into the new cinemod that looks great for the environments. Not too fond of the character models though :\
 
Why would you do that? said:
Those shots aren't that bad, but one thing that people seem to think is, more fog = better. I don't know why...
except on those shots it does look better. I think the point is to make it seem as if what lies beyond is another world/out of reach.
 
Why would you do that? said:
Those shots aren't that bad, but one thing that people seem to think is, more fog = better. I don't know why...

I think its context related, if the entire city is having a shootout your gonna get alot of debris in the air hence the fog.

In regards to the CM images above, those are selective, I agree those are the best shots on the page though. One of the shots I saw was from the coast area just had a massive low poly bridge as the centre piece in it randomly.

The maps look great in terms of lighting, I have issues with gun models that have nothing in common with the original, noiser maps and colour pallete issues. I still think its a great but not suited to my tastes. Its great the modder is aware of these gripes so he has made character models optional.

Whoever knocked down PC modding should be shot. There have been some great hl2 mods that I loved like subsistance, may payne 1/2 mods lets not get the epic counterstrike source zombie mod and countless others.
 
Barney's vest texture in the mod exemplifies everything wrong with this approach to updating graphics. Valve's original art, including the level of detail, was designed to cohere just right. Textures like this vest show a blatant disregard for almost all the elements that should go into a design in favor of simply being high resolution. And it's so goddamn ugly. Same problem with Leon's textures in RE4 mods I've seen.
 
Sh1ner said:
Whoever knocked down PC modding should be shot. There have been some great hl2 mods that I loved like subsistance, may payne 1/2 mods lets not get the epic counterstrike source zombie mod and countless others.

Nobody has knocked down modding, just texture packs in general.
 
I can't take any part of the FakeFactory mod seriously - yes, it upgrades some textures and probably makes some areas look better, but the mod comes with naked Alyxes and replaces the game's soundtrack with cinematic orchestral shit.
 
Sh1ner said:
Whoever knocked down PC modding should be shot. There have been some great hl2 mods that I loved like subsistance, may payne 1/2 mods lets not get the epic counterstrike source zombie mod and countless others.
Or the wonderful Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 mods that add deleted content, use BG2 graphics in BG1, and seamless begin BG2 at the end of 1.
 
I always wanted to try these but back then I had shitty internet. Now that I'm hearing all these impression I'm kinda glad I didn't put in all that effort. Although I'm sure if I try some of these they'll be an upgrade in the grand picture

EmCeeGramr said:
I remember looking at some texture packs for N64 games on emulator and they were all terrible. No consideration for how the environments were supposed to look, just "hmm, that floor is stone, so I'll make a stone floor that's loaded with way too much grainy detail and is a completely different hue," and "oh the walls are blurry, I'll make sharper looking ones that are also 50% darker than the original." The end result looks totally wrong because everything looks mismatched and thrown together haphazardly.
That cel shaded pack for Ocarina of Time is pretty decent. Played a good chunk of that
 
ITT: GAF unfairly shits on modders.

Most high res texture modifications are a clear improvements on the vanilla textures and this includes the much maligned FakeFactory Cinematic mod.

The only real issue is the Alyx reskin and that is entirely optional.
 
DennisK4 said:
ITT: GAF unfairly shits on modders.

Most high res texture modifications are a clear improvements on the vanilla textures and this includes the much maligned FakeFactory Cinematic mod.

The only real issue is the Alyx reskin and that is entirely optional.
Nah, the Cinematic mod changes the actual art-style of the game and it adds shit that makes no sense at all. It looks like shit on every level. And so many texture mods are just the vanilla textures over-sharpened. That or they are just way too detailed for the actual geometry/polycount and look awkward as fuck.
 
DennisK4 said:
ITT: GAF unfairly shits on modders.
I kind of agree (obviously ridiculous Alyx ... immaturity aside).
The Combine computer from the Barney shots is one that leapt out at me.

Art style shifts I'm less impressed with, but I like attempts at improving environment geometry.
 
DennisK4 said:
ITT: GAF unfairly shits on modders.

Most high res texture modifications are a clear improvements on the vanilla textures and this includes the much maligned FakeFactory Cinematic mod.

The only real issue is the Alyx reskin and that is entirely optional.

Do you evaluate graphics strictly in terms of how detailed, how hi-res, and how high-frequency the textures are?
 
Bwa ha ha ha, and I thought Alex Vance was already a Mary Sue designed just to stroke the ego of the player. Now with this patch she strokes your ego while you stroke yourself.

Insane, borderline offensive cleavage and lingerie aside, I don't understand what drives people to do this. This patch could effectively be called "I'd rather have higher texture resolutions and normal-map the fuck out of everything then have what the creators of the game intended." It's like if you colorized an old black and white movie, but felt that no one would notice if you chose something other than hot pink or neon green.
 
godels rotating universe said:
Yes. Not even joking.
Thank you for replying for me....

:|


hey_it's_that_dog said:
Do you evaluate graphics strictly in terms of how detailed, how hi-res, and how high-frequency the textures are?
No, not at all. Most of the texture modifications I have used have been improvements even when they change the look quite a bit.

I don't understand this idea that the developers vision is somehow sacrosanct. Often modders are gaming enthusiasts that push the games in a more hardcore direction that the developers themselves are too afraid to take.
 
Campster said:
Bwa ha ha ha, and I thought Alex Vance was already a Mary Sue designed just to stroke the ego of the player. Now with this patch she strokes your ego while you stroke yourself.

Insane, borderline offensive cleavage and lingerie aside, I don't understand what drives people to do this. This patch could effectively be called "I'd rather have higher texture resolutions and normal-map the fuck out of everything then have what the creators of the game intended." It's like if you colorized an old black and white movie, but felt that no one would notice if you chose something other than hot pink or neon green.
Hear hear.
 
Stallion Free said:
http://www.abload.de/img/ntbzmetva.jpg
9 out of 10 texture packs look like dogshit. Cinematic Mod is the king of that pile of dogshit.
I like your taste.
 
Suairyu said:
Can't tell if you're joking. Just in case:
Visible cleavage fits neither her character (practical resistance soldier) nor the world design (oppressive, omnipresent regime).
Maybe whoever made these texture pack was hoping to affect Gordon's health in a positive way so as not to have to collect health pack so often.
 
hey_it's_that_dog said:
Do you evaluate graphics strictly in terms of how detailed, how hi-res, and how high-frequency the textures are?

In this case I'd say yes... the vest example was good, it looks like complete shit. I love texture packs for Oblivion and Morrowind but this is just horrible.
 
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