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Half-Life - Guide
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Courtesy of http://www.planethalflife.com


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C O N T E N T S:
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1.) Half-Life Story
2.) Half-Life Allies
3.) Half-Life Enemies
4.) Half-Life Weapons
5.) Half-Life Walkthrough
6.) Half-Life Technology
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1.)  H A L F - L I F E   S T O R Y
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The majority of Half-Life's storyline was written by Marc
Laidlaw, Valve Software's resident wordsmith and author of
novels such as Dad's Nuke, Kalifornia, and The 37th Mandala.

Deep in the bowels of the Black Mesa Research Labs, a
decommisioned missile base, a top secret project is
underway. Information about the project is strictly on a
"need-to-know" basis, and as a low level research associate
you (Gordon Freeman) "need to know" very little. Each
morning you ride the train to work from the employee dorms,
you put on your environmental protection suit, you enter
the test chamber, and you run stress tests on whatever odd
devices have been delivered from some other nameless part
of the Black Mesa compound.

But this morning is different. This morning, your test lab
is suddenly the most important place on Earth-because
something is going seriously wrong. Maybe it's sabotage-
maybe it's an accident. Whatever the reason, reality is
getting all bent out of shape. One minute you're doing your
job, pressing buttons. The next thing you know, you're
staring into an alien world. Something huge with too many
arms is taking a bite out of your partner's face. An
explosion of unearthly light....then darkness.

Disaster. Sirens wailing. People screaming. And everywhere
you turn, people are dying--being eaten. Monsters are
everywhere. Monsters--there's no better word for them. You
head for the surface, to get the hell away from ground zero,
but the usual routes are unpassable--damaged by the
disaster, infested with headcrabs and houndeyes and
increasingly larger and hungrier creatures. Madness is the
order of the day. You enlist the help of traumatized
scientists and trigger-happy guards to get through high
security zones, sneaking and fighting your way through
riuned missle silos and Cold War cafeterias, through
darkened air ducts and subterranean railways where you must
ride a missle transport sled straight into the jaws of
slavering nightmare. When you finally come in sight of the
surface, you realize the aliens aren't your only enemies--
for now the government forces have arrived with heavy-
weapons goons, squadrons of ruthless containment troops,
and stealthy assassin gals. Their orders seem to be that
when it comes to Black Mesa labs, nothing must get out
alive....and especially not you, the guy who made it all go
bad. So much for the cavalry.

When your own species turns against you, where do you turn?
You've uprooted a bunch of nasty government secrets. You've
found a portal to another world, and an alien light comes
shining through. Can it get any worse over there? Some
things you just have to see for yourself.

•  Gordon Freeman

In Half-Life, you play Gordon Freeman. A native of Seattle,
Washington, Gordon Freeman showed high interest and
aptitude in the areas of quantum physics and relativity at
an extremely young age. His earliest heroes were Einstein,
Hawking and Feynman.

While a visiting student at the University of Innsbruck in
the late 1990's, Gordon Freeman observed a series of
seminal teleportation experiments conducted by the
Institute for Experimental Physics (see Bowemeester, Pan,
Mattle, Eibl, Weinfurter, Zeilinger, "Experimental Quantum
Teleportation," Nature, 11 December 1997) (see also
http://www.sciam.com/explorations/122297teleport).
Practical applications for teleportation became his
obsession. In 1999, Freeman received his doctorate from
M.I.T. with a thesis paper entitled: "Observation of
Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Entanglement on Supraquantum
Structures By Induction through Nonlinear Transuranic
Crystal of Extremely Long Wavelength (ELW) Pulse from Mode-
Locked Source Array."

Disappointed with the slow pace and poor funding of
academic research, and with tenure a distant dream, Gordon
cast about for a job in private industry. As fortune would
have it, his mentor at M.I.T., Professor Alex Kleiner, had
taken charge of a research project being conducted at a
decommissioned missile base in Black Mesa, New Mexico.
Kleiner was looking for a few bright associates, and Gordon
was his first choice. Considering the source and amount of
funds available to the Black Mesa Labs, Gordon suspected
that he would be involved in some sort of weapons research;
but in the hopes that practical civilian applications would
arise (in areas of quantum computing and astrophysics), he
accepted Kleiner's offer. Apart from a butane-powered
tennis ball cannon he constructed at age 6, Gordon had
never handled a weapon of any sort-or needed to... until now.




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2.)  H A L F - L I F E    A L L I E S
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These are the guys who will assist you throughout the game,
but you better treat them right! They can help you get
through security checks, provide you with useful information
(so listen carefully), will fight along side you (well, not
the scientists who cower in the face of danger), and can
sometimes provide a mending hand.

•  Security Guards (a.k.a. "Barneys")

Security guards are your friends. Tap them on the shoulder
and they'll cover you, fighting monsters that attack you on
the way. They can also help you open security doors, among
other things. Sometimes called "Barneys" due to their
resemblance to Barney Fife of Andy Griffith fame, Security
Guards may not be very bright but they can come in handy.
Security Guards won't hesistate to defend themselves and
their co-workers, so pushing them around is ill-advised.

•  Scientists

Your fellow co-workers and friends. Scientists may be
cowardly bunch, but they can be extremely helpful to you.
You won't be able to survive without their assistance, so
it's best to keep them alive. Scientists can provide you
with useful information and help you get into places that
you can't. Plus, they'll occasionally heal you when
severely wounded.




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3.)  H A L F - L I F E   E N E M I E S
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Artificial intelligence doesn't seem so artificial when
you're being stalked by a coordinated pack of Houndeyes or
double-flanked by night-vision-capable government agents.

Half-Life's aliens come in all shapes and sizes, but they
do have one thing in common: they aren't stupid. They'll
perform sophisticated threat assessments, recruit others
of their kind, and figure out ways to flush you from your
cover. Sometimes they'll even run away. Hey, just because
they're aliens doesn't mean they're suicidal.

Lucky for you, not everyone... or everything... in Half-Life
is out to get you. Know what you're dealing with and don't
go into battle unprepared.

•  Headcrab

The lowly headcrab is the first enemy you'll encounter, and
it's by far the most common. These guys love to dwell in
dark corners and other out-of-sight areas, trying to
surprise victims. The sharp limbs of the headcrab can
easily tear through your hazard suit, if you're not careful.
Never take headcrabs for granted. They're the most hated,
most annoying, and least understood of all xenofauna.
Headcrabs move clumsily but quickly. Its leap - if not
dodged - is not precisely fatal to its prey, for once the
headcrab has attached itself to the skull of a human host,
there commences a swift and horrible process of
"zombification" which gives the host a continued existence
of the most objectionable sort. If you or a companion are
ever unavoidably headcrabbed, you would be well advised to
put a bullet through the affected brain as soon as possible,
for only massive and irreversible damage to cerebral tissue
has any apparent effect on the headcrab's ability to
"drive" its victim.

•  Zombie

Want to know what happens after you've been headcrabbed?
Take a look. It sure isn't pretty, but don't gawk too long:
these guys would just love rip you open and play jumprope
with your intestines. Although slow and dimwitted (as
zombies tend to be), their long, sharp, claws are deadly.
Put zombies out of their misery by attacking them between
swipes.

•  Alien Slave

While many of the alien species collected and studied by
the Department of Xenotheric Husbandry exhibit a lifestyle
that might be characterized as "undesirable" in human terms,
the honors for most wretched existence must certainly be
granted to the slave-class of alien, xenotherium
subservilia. These pathetic creatures, bred for submissive
behavior and unswerving loyalty, will attack and kill
without mercy when so ordered by their superiors. In such
instances they will wage war with an insect-like vigor,
heedless of personal risk, fearing the wrath of their
masters more than any possible harm an enemy may inflict.
On the other hand, in the rare situations where the alien
slaves are out of the direct protection and supervision of
an overlord, they will flee without shame and may be
considered harmless. The slave species is hardy, impervious
to discomfort, and due to the requirements of its breeders,
undoubtedly possessed of extremely low intelligence. It is
all the more remarkable, therefore, given a breed incapable
of conceiving the idea of revolt, that the alien overlords
find it necessary to burden their slaves with a metallic
torque or slave-collar, which torments and eventually
executes any slave that unwisely attempts to remove its
yoke. Beware of the slaves' slow-charging energy attack,
which is powerful enough to fry you extra crispy with a
single blast.

•  Barnacle

Named for Dr. Louis Donaldson, its discoverer and first
victim, the air-barnacle (through a freak of convergent
evolution) resembles an unnaturally large member of the
terrestrial subclass of Cirripedia, which includes the
common goose-neck barnacle. But while the mundane barnacle
passively filters nutrients from shifting ocean waters, the
xenomorphic dry-land variety takes an extremely active role
in the capture of any lifeforms unfortunate enough to enter
its habitat. They have been occasionally mistaken for
stalactites and light fixtures, and the investigator who
values his life should always perform a thorough advance
survey of ceilings and before entering caverns and
corridors. If you are unfortunate enough to get caught by
a barnacle, shoot at its mouth to free yourself. React
quickly, or you're food.

•  Houndeye

The common "houndeye" or "sound dog" is a pack-animal par
excellence. A houndeye apart from its pack is an unhappy
and vulnerable creature, but in groups of three or more
they will exhibit resonant behavior, emitting destructive
harmonics capable of rupturing the internal organs of their
prey. Deafness and migraine headaches are only two of the
symptoms reported by survivors of houndeye attacks. However,
if well-fed, they will not engage in harmonic behavior
except when threatened and during their seasonal mating spree.

•  Bullsquid

The natural range and habitat of this supreme predator
remain uncertain. While bearing signs of aquatic
specialization, the bullsquid's powerful limbs and
characteristic neurotoxic (and reportedly psychoactive)
"venom-squirt" suggest it has adapted to a terrestrial
environment. It is possessed not only of a ferocious
appetite (necessary to support its immense bulk) but also
of an overwhelming libido. In short, the bullsquid will
attempt to eat or mate with almost anything that crosses
its path, without regard for species or any apparent
reproductive necessity, since dissection clearly indicate
that every gastropolypus is hermaphroditic. Additionally,
it has been speculated that to fauna of its native
environment, the bullsquid's phlegm might have aphrodisiac
qualities; but in terrestrial mammalian creatures, it is
uniformly lethal.

•  Alien Grunt

Footsoldier of the invading army, this alien myrmidon
relies on telepathy for coordination with its troops, but
is no less dangerous when encountered in isolation. Like
many inhabitants of the Portal Dimension, it appears to be
a colonial creature, harboring several varieties of organic
parasites which complement its destructive nature. Most
dangerous are swarms of "thornets," heat-seeking autonomous
"insects" which breed in their host's paracoelomic cavity
and are only too happy to attack and consume the first
thing they see upon release. The gleaming partial body
armor at first appeared to be the product of an advanced
weapons technology; but closer examination of the occasional
moribund specimen has shown it to be a biologically extruded
exoskeleton, synthesized from a diet rich in certain
xenotic minerals. This suggests that long separation from
the Portal Dimension, and a diet deficient in alien ores,
might lead to the eventual weakening and demise of the
alien troops. It is not, however, recommended that Earth
rely on poor nutrition to repel the invaders.

•  Tentacle

Exhibiting characteristics of both the plant and animal
kingdoms, it is speculated that the immense specimens
reported for this highly sensitive xenosuctorian are a
function of the Terran atmosphere. Lacking eyes, ears or
other animalian sensory organs, h. sensitiva is nevertheless
capable of detecting and targeting emitters of motion and
sound in its immediate vicinity, by some process which is
incompletely understood. The Tentacle, like some orchids
and bromeliads, is most likely an epiphyte, deriving
nutrients from the air and detritus; which theory is
supported by the observation that h. sensitiva does not
appear to eat what it kills, but conceals its prey beneath
its root mass and absorbs the byproducts of decay. Stay
quite in the presence of tentacles, and/or distract them
if you want to stay alive.

•  Ichthyosaur

With this thing roaming around in the water, nothing is
safe. A ferocious predator, the Ichthyosaur can ravage even
the most hardy prey in seconds. Don't let its large size
fool you; the Ichthyosaur can easily move through the water
at great speeds.

•  Snark

Snarks are very simple creatures with limited capabilites.
But if a snark is allowed to get close, they can cause
quite a bit of damage, especially in groups. Snarks can be
somewhat tamed and used as weapons, but due to their
limited mental capacity they'll attack whatever they can
find. Including their "master."

•  Garg

This blue badass can take insane amounts of punishment.
Don't bother trying to take this guy out using conventional
methods, you'll only waste your ammo. Oh, and don't get too
close. Garg doesn't like people invading his space. Don't
make Garg angry.

•  Alien Controller

This flying freak doesn't show up until later in the game,
which is a good thing. They attack with energy blasts and
are very hard to kill due to their constant movement.

•  Big Momma (AKA Gonarch)

Ever wonder where baby headcrabs come from? Now you know.
Don't mess with Big Momma; if she doesn't crush you to
death she'll send out her babies to lend a hand. This is
one bad mother.

•  Baby Headcrabs

Isn't that cute? Baby headcrabs are much like regular
headcrabs, except that their smaller size makes them much
harder to kill. In other words, they're even more annoying.

•  Grunts

These guys are here to clean up that little mess you made,
and they aren't exactly happy to see you. Grunts are
usually armed with a 9mm Assault Rifle and a healthy supply
of grenades, but you'll encounter some packing shotguns,
rocket launchers, or operating turrents. These guys aren't
kamikaze morons; they're experienced troops. They'll work
together to take you down. Listen to their radio chatter
carefully, as their communications may contain clues.

•  Assassins

Like women in skintight leather? Well guess what: they
don't like you. You don't want to mess with these government
trained killers. Assassins possess great speed, agility,
marksmanship, and stealth. One of the toughest enemies
you'll encounter, and by far the most intelligent. These
ladies know that the quickest way to a man's heart is
through his sternum.

•  The Man in the Suit

There is no intelligence available for this individual. His
motive, role, and identity are unclear at present.




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4.)  H A L F - L I F E   W E A P O N S
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What would a shooter be without weapons? Not much! You can
expect to see a lot of the weapons from the original
Half-Life, but you can also expect to see a lot of new
stuff. New means of destruction await your twitchy trigger
finger, and we've got all the details below.

•  Crowbar

This is all you start out with. You're going to have to
kill somebody with the crowbar and pick up his gun if you
want something that shoots. You can also use the crowbar
for more practical things breaking windows, prying things
open or just plain smashing them apart.

•  Glock 9mm Pistol

Just your plain old 9mm pistol, don't waste rounds because
you will have to reload. One shot, one kill. Additionally,
you can hold down the alternative fire button to pop off a
rapid succession of rounds at the sacrifice of accuracy.

•  .357 Magnum

This handheld cannon can easily rip a nice-sized hole
through the enemy, and coupled with its "zoom" feature
(alternate fire), can also be used as a great sniper gun.
The only drawback to using this baby is the seriously
skewed view you get from the recoil, but its fair fire-rate
more than makes up for it.

•  Assault Shotgun

The shotgun is a Franchi-Spas 12 semi-automatic assault
shotgun that loads from the bottom. Spread open some head
with a barrage of led. You know the drill, but now you can
see the walls turn to swiss cheese.

•  MP-5

The MP5's rapid-fire already makes it a formidable weapon,
but its alternate fire, the "on-contact explosive" grenade
launcher, makes it one of the most devastating weapons in
the game. Aside from the mass genocide you create by using
this weapon, it also comes with some really cool graphics
that raise "immersion" to a whole new level. The MP5 also
spits out tracers as it fires, so you can see where your
firing in low lit areas.

•  Fragmentation Grenade

Hand-grenades are pretty standard in Half-Life. There is a
three-second delay, so don't hold it too long or it'll blow
your boxers off. It doesn't have a built in ticker, so you
can be all sneaky with them and stuff.

•  Satchel Charges

The satchel charge can be easily slid across floors, or
thrown into foxholes, windows and/or doors. Each charge is
detonated with a radio device and their splash damage is
larger and causes more damage than the grenades. Use
extreme caution.

•  Trip Mines

Once set they emit a laser beam 90 degrees outwards. Once
that beam is broken by anything, the mine explodes. They
can be placed anywhere, including floors and ceilings.

•  RPG (Laser-Guided Rocket Launcher)

The rocket launcher is Laser-Guided which means wherever
you point the guide the rocket follows. Kind of like a
homing effect. Wherever the laser is set, that is where the
target falls. You can opt to enable the laser targeting
system, thereby giving away your position, or turn it off
to conceal your location. The RPG's velocity is slowed down
tremendously in water and acts like a torpedo.

•  Gun Turrets

There are big gun turrets and little gun turrets, but both
can kill you. They're motion sensitive and will follow your
movements around an area, spraying bullets at you with
alarming accuracy.

•  Crossbow

Though it is not the most rapid firing weapon it is the
most accurate. Used as primary fire, the crossbow has
explosive tipped bolts (arrows) that explode on contact.
It does a fair amount of damage, but the actual blast
radius is far smaller than it appears. The crown jewel of
the crossbow is in fact in its alternate fire - When
switched into alternate fire mode, the crossbow becomes a
sniper's dream.

•  Gauss Gun

An experimental, highly unstable weapon. One of the most
important abilities is that it can shoot through walls,
making it so that you can't take cover against it. The
gauss's primary fire shoots out tiny spurts that are only
effective in close to medium range due to its erratic
spread.  You can charge up the gauss by holding down
alternate fire; the longer you charge it up, the stronger
it gets. The longer you charge it up is directly
proportional to the thickness of the wall you can shoot
through. Lookout campers, retribution has come.

•  Gluon Gun

The Gluon gun (AKA "The Egon") is a prototype weapon
developed by the Black Mesa Weapons Research Facility. It
emits a constant stream of energy that disingrates anything
in it's path. The Gluon Gun and the Guass Gun share the
same ammo.

•  The Hive-hand

The hivehand has eight hornets to begin with, and
automatically regenerates them slowly after you shoot them
out. It's a great weapon for medium to long range, but once
an enemy gets close enough, the hivehand is rendered almost
useless due to its slow fire rate (after the initial burst).

•  Snark

Toss a few at these at an enemy and watch them tear flesh
from bone. Make sure they have targets to attack though,
because if none are found, they'll turn right back around
and head for you. The Snarks explode after 10-15 seconds.




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5.)  H A L F - L I F E   W A L K T H R O U G H
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•  Opening Sequence
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1) Ooh and aah at the giant complex around you.

Potential spies: if you want to get a closer look at some
of the stuff you're passing by, jump out the back of the
tram onto the rail as soon as you can. Then you can run along
the rail and take a longer look at things. You can actually
jump on top of the tram as it decends down the first lift.
You might need to quickly press the left and right strafe
buttons as you tag behind the tram in order to keep up with it.

# Episodes

Anomalous Materials
Unforeseen Consequences
Office Complex
We've got Hostiles
Blast Pit
Power Up
On A Rail
Apprehension
Residue Processing
Questionable Ethics
Surface Tension
Forget About Freeman
Lambda Core
Xen
Gonarch's Lair
Interloper
Nihilanth



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•  Anomalous Materials
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1) Follow the green stripe to the locker room, then go left
to the HEV room. Press the button on the computer console
to open the storage door for the suit. Walk up to the suit
in the chamber that just opened and you'll don the suit
automatically.

Amusement: Press the button on the main lobby guard's desk
to watch everyone freak out.

2) Follow the blue stripe to the security door, the guard
will only open the door for you if you're wearing your HEV
suit. Once inside, it's a straight walk down a few halls
and up an elevator or two. Use the buttons on the elevators
to make them work.

3) Once inside the test lab, you'll have to listen to the
two scientists talk for a bit, then they will open the door
for you.

4) Inside the test chamber, climb to the platform, wait for
the switch on the console to open, and then press the switch.

5) Climb back down and walk over to the cage. When it opens,
get behind the cart and push it into the particle beam. Then
pay attention, this is a cool part. 



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•  Unforeseen Consequences
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1) That test didn't go off too well. Get out of here by using
the broken retinal scanner to open the door. Pick up the
health kit, and watch the scientist administer CPR if you're
so inclined. Start retracing your steps back the way you came.

2) Be sure and duck under the lasers when you come to them,
and use the crowbar you find to smash through any glass barriers.

3) You'll come across a security guard putting holes in
some strange mutants. You can walk up to him and press the
use key if you want him to tag along, or you can put some
holes in him yourself if you want the gun.

4) If you want to go back to the tram, whack or shoot the
sparking button to open the big doors. Dunno if that's the
best way out, though.

5) Instead, try smashing the vent panel on the ground behind
the front desk. Duck to crawl inside. Avoid the headcrabs
and exploding machinery, and jump up on a tipped-over mainframe
in order to exit the room through another duct.

6) Traverse the hallways. After encountering some alien
doggies, open a door to the right and climb the ladder. To
the right you'll find a scientist who will be more than
willing to open a retinal scanner you'll find up here. You
can pick up some ammo as well as some hand grenades.
(Conspiracy theory: did you see the G-Man?)

7) Keep walking. You'll come across a new alien who beats
his way through a solid metal door but goes down pretty
easily. Also, there's a med station behind the dumpster.

8) Jump down the hole into the sewer area. Wade to the
right to find a wheel, which you'll need to turn in order
to flood the pipe. Then swim over to the second hole, and
climb out of it.

9) You'll come into a big room. Go up the ramp and push the
lever, then run around and get on the descending lift. Enjoy
the ride down, except for all those headcrabs which will come
jumping down on top of you.

Wimps: if you stand in the right spot on the lift, the
headcrabs won't come down after you.

10) When you come to an L-shaped grating bridge, watch out --
it collapses under the weight of a freshly teleported alien.
Instead, hop up on the wall pipes and follow them around.
Then whack open the grating and crawl through the air ducts
(you'll be spending a lot of time in these).

11) You'll come out into a large area with a broken bridge
and things hanging from the ceiling. You can try walking
under one of these rope-like things, but you'll probably
regret it. Instead, jump in the water and swim to the left,
then around the bend to the right and up the ladder.

12) Go through a few doors and passages until you come to
a big pit with boxes hanging above it. Make like Mario and
jump from box to box, until you make it to the other side
of the pit.

13) Keep walking until you come to an elevator. Press the
button to open it, then press the button inside to use it.



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•  Office Complex
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1) After exiting the elevator, break the grating on the wall
near the floor. Don't go too close to the big electric wire --
see what it does to those poor headcrabs?

2) Inside the vent, crawl to the right. Bust the grating
and be careful for more tongue monsters in the ceiling. Turn
off the power by going through a door in the room and pressing
a switch.

3) Then exit the room through the same doors which locked
you out before. Walk by the now-powerless electrical wires
and bust through the window.

4) First, go to the left and bust through a bunch of boxes
with your crowbar. You'll find a shotgun, as well as a guard
who is being ambushed by a mutant. Help him out with your
newfound firepower -- he'll open the gate for you, and you
can pick up some goodies.

5) Continue back and jump through a window into a room flooded
with water. Don't touch the water -- it's electrified. Hop from
table to table over to the power switch to kill the juice.

6) Whack open the grille in this room and jump into another
ventilation shaft. You'll face some headcrabs and then a
head-lopping fan (remember to duck).

7) You'll crumble the floor and fall into another room. Push
the big and small crates so they're undernath a ladder up in
the ceiling, then jump up from one to the other to the ladder.
Crawl through, breaking vents along the way, but pause a
moment before jumping out the last one. That scientist wasn't
as cautious.

8) Jump out and take care of the security gun. You can get
physical and take it on mano a mano with your pistol and
shotgun, or you can deftly crawl underneath it and flip the
switch to deactivate it.

9) Go up the stairs a few times. You'll come across a room
with a boarded-up doorway. Break the planks and keep going.

10) You'll come to a giant meat locker. Open the door using
the handle to the left. Inside, walk left and press a switch
which will start a trolley above you that moves back and forth.
Go back, climb a ladder, crawl around a bit, and then hop on
the trolley when it comes past you. Then, smash the crates on
the trolley and jump off the other side into another shaft.

11) Crawl through the shaft, jump up into another shaft,
and continue until you jump out in front of a set of stairs.

12) Go up the stairs, and find the elevator shaft. You'll
have to make a big leap across and grab onto the ladder on
the other wall.

13) Edge around the shaft and keep climbing ladder. Poor
scientist man.

Weird sight: watch what happens when the scientist hits the ground.

14) Once you're on top of the elevator, smash another grille
and drop down inside. Use the flashlight to help you find the button.



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  We've got Hostiles
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) Go down the corridor and around the bend to the right.
From now on you'll have to watch out for little red laserbeams
crisscrossing your path. Tripping them will activate painful
sentry guns. Jump over them or duck under them whenever at
all possible. Also, beware for whitish-blue laser beams,
these indicate tripmines, which will explode when anything
(you, a box, an enemy, anything) crosses their path.

2) You'll play a game of cat and mouse with the sentry guns
and a bunch of teleporting monsters here. Eventually you'll
come upon some boxes which you'll need to hop over.

3) On the other side of the boxes is a particularly clever
trap: red tripwires, a slippery floor, and an open elevator
shaft. You can try to hop the trip lasers, or you can bounce
a few grenades around the corner to take out the sentry guns.
Be careful, though: if you break the glass on the wall switches
near the big thick doors, alarms will go off and the doors
will slowly seal shut, which doesn't help you much if you're
on the wrong side.

4) Be careful with the tripmines on the other side of the
thick door. I recommend remote detonation via grenades.

5) Continue forward and up the ladders.

(Conspiracy theory: try shooting the G-Man you'll see up
above. He must have some sort of personal force field.)

6) In the next room you'll see a scientist run up to a soldier,
thinking he's being rescued. Naturally, he's mistaken. (And
the plot thickens...) Don't bother saving the scientist (you
won't exactly be a boy scout by the time all of this is over)
and don't bother trying to reason with the soldier either.

(Sadists: if you do save the scientist down here, try
positioning him in front of the explosive barrels and then
blowing everything up. Watching scientists gib never ceases
to amuse me.)

7) Go up the lift by pressing the button. Up here you'll see
some another scientist getting his, and there will be three
soldiers waiting for you, as well. Be careful! Soldiers will
flank, retreat, and work together against you. The best way
to survive an ambush, as veterans will tell you, is to run
straight into it. The same logic applies here.

8) Go up the stairs and through the door. After passing under
some tongue monsters, go to the left, but watch out for the
red triplasers and a couple of sentry guns.

9) After getting through that area you'll watch a few more
scientists getting cut down, and you'll have a few more
soldiers to deal with.

(Lure one underneath a tongue monster, if you can. It saves
ammo and it's fun to watch.)

10) Loop around up the stairs and go down another hallway.
You'll have to deal with the tongue monster convention again.

11) You'll come to another big room with some soldiers
waiting around. Do whatever you need to in order to take
them out, and then loop around the catwalks to make your
way down the floor level. Enter the freight elevator and
press the button to go up.

12) The surface! Finally! You're free! Well, not quite...
outside, you'll find quite a few soldiers to deal with, as
well as frequent airstrikes and a chopper which circles around,
dropping more troops. You can play a game to see how long
it takes before you die or, if you'd rather keep going, find
the bunker near the middle of the outdoor area and dive down.

13) Down here, open the door, watch the debris fall, and
then jump down after it. Hanging around only brings more
and more soldiers deciding to "drop in." Find another
ventilation shaft and go down it.

14) Wander around the vent shafts all you want, but the way
out is by dropping down below the spinning fan blades (squeeze
up against the corner so you don't hit them). Then exit
the fan chamber through the middle vent. Crawl along that,
up a ladder, through another vent, and you'll come out in
a room which you saw quite a while ago. A scientist will
give a speech about what to do next. Do what he says by
pressing the button to open the silo door, then exit.



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Blast Pit
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) Whack through the barrier and continue on. Press the
button in the control room to summon the elevator, then
climb down and press the button to ride the elevator back
down into the bowels of Black Mesa.

Fun with fire: the side room next to the controls have lots
of high explosives. See what happens for yourself.

2) Hop on the little train that you find and press the use
button to activate the controls. When you see big big
yellow arrows, press forward to go forward and backward to
go back. Not too complicated.

3) Zoom down the track but be careful when you reach the end.

Olympic hopefuls: practice your Greg Louganis impression
by seeing how far you can launch into the slime pit.

4) Hop up on top of the now-stopped train to reach the
ledge which circles around the slime pit. Climb up the
ladder on the other side and drop down into the big open
pipe up there.

5) Jump out of the pipe again, and go to the left to climb
up a ladder. Run on top of the pipes around and to the
right, then jump off, over the rail, back onto solid ground.
Go down and to the left, then jump off into the slime. Run
quickly over the the slanted pipe, run up it onto the big
lift, then press the button to start the long journey upwards.

6) Travel around the outside edge of the big deep pit,
killing monsters along the way. Those small canisters you
see lying around can put some hurt into an alien if you
shoot them, but they can put some hurt into a walkway too,
so be careful.

7) Use the switch to open the airlock, then step inside.
Use the switch inside to travel through to the other side.

8) What's all this banging you hear? Listen to what this
poor dying scientist has to say, then keep going.

9) HOLY CRAP!

10) Trying test-firing the rocket. Damn.

11) These three tentacle things don't seem to have any eyes,
but they have some very acute hearing, as the scientist up
a ladder on the other side of the control room will tell
you. They will hear your footsteps you if move too fast,
they will hear your landings if you jump, they will hear
you fire your gun or bang your crowbar. And then they will
squish you.

12) I hope you have some grenades left... since the tentacles
are attracted to sound, make some big booms to throw them
off by tossing a grenade away from you. The tentacles will
go after that noise, giving you some time to haul ass.

13) Make your way down to the second level of the test
chamber and whack your way through the boarded door while
the tentacles are distracted.

14) Go through the airlocks, and then across the catwalk.
If it's been destroyed, you'll have to walk the balance
beam on the pipes to the right.

15) Go down the hallways, then down the ladder you'll find.
Smash the grating in the floor and crawl down the long ladder.

Thrill seekers: see how far down the shaft you can fall
before grabbing the ladder. I've gotten to about three
feet from the ground before.

16) Run along the pipe and go to the left. Climb up the
ladder you'll find.

17) Smash the grating above you and go through the doorway
to a room with a ginatic fan. Climb down the ladders to the
switch below the fan blades.

More ladder fun: test your mettle and try leaping from the
top walkway all the way down to the ladder underneath the
fan. How Gordon Freeman manages from having his arms torn
off escapes my understanding.

18) Here's a nice test of agility. You have to turn on the
fan and then get above it before the blades start spinning
too fast, otherwise you'll be knocked down into the chasm
(one wonders who designed this.) Press the switch then run
back to the ladder, and try to time it just right so you
miss the fan blades as you climb up.

19) Now that the fan is on, take advantage of all the moving
air and jump above the fan. You can fly! Smash the wood
with the crowbar and maneuver your way down into another
ventilation shaft. (One notices that the wood, which must
be exceptionally heavy, falls straight down.)

20) Crawl through the shafts, whacking where necessary,
until you fall out and make your way to the Oxygen/Fuel
control room. Turn on the oxygen and the fuel by pressing
the respective buttons. You'll notice that little air
bubbles start moving through the pipes, indicating the
flow has been restored.

21) Follow the bubbles back to where you came from.

22) Back at the tentacles, move down to ground level and
smash your way out another doorway. I hope you have grenades
to spare, since you still have the long trek back up.

23) You'll have to make a few big leaps here, so be careful.
Go through the airlock and across the catwalk, then turn
the corner to the right.

24) Walk out onto the catwalk and press the elevator button.
Down comes the elevator. Hop in, and press the button to
descend. On the way down the elevator will experience
technical difficulties. You'll have to jump out and latch
onto the ladder to the left, again showing off Freeman's
arms of steel.

25) Climb down the ladder and go over to the scientist, who
is too scared to go turn on the power himself. Luckily
you're more courageous.

26) Go over to the big power room. Press the button to
summon the spinning-platform thing, then ride it to the
other side and climb the ladder. Be careful not to let the
spinning-platform things knock you off and into the pit;
that would be bad.

27) Once you make it up to the top, press the switch to
start up the generator, then jump on top of it and down the
other side to press the other switch. The generator will
start sparking and shooting beams of electricity, which is
a good thing. Make your way back down, and then go climb
back up the long ladder.

28) That water puddle you crossed earlier is now electrified.
You'll have to drag some boxes which are lying around over
to the water, and shove them across. Make a bridge as far
as you can, then jump up on then and leap across. Make your
way back to the tentacles, hopping gaps in the floor where
needed.

29) Use your grenades and your stealth to climb back up to
the top of the test chamber, then go down to the control
room. If everything is turned on like it should be, go
ahead and press the "Test Fire" button. It's like burning
up ants with a magnifying glass, only about a thousand
times bigger.

30) Reenter the now-empty test chamber and climb down into
the pit previously occupied by the tentacles. You'll
continue down a bit and then end up in a big pool of water.

31) Take a deep breath and swim down, then over to the side
of the pool. You'll see that you can swim up and out.

32) You could try hitching a ride on top of one of those
floating barrels if you really wanted, or you could just
hop on top of the pipes instead. Follow them along, jumping
from pipe to pipe, until you come to a wheel that you have
to turn to extend a section that's missing. Jump down inside
one of the big pipes and run along it.

33) Watch out for the big fall here. You can go down the
the breaking pipe and take damage, or try and set it off
carefully without falling down, and then getting down along
the side route. Either way, there are a lot of health packs
at the bottom (along with some new toys).



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Power Up
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) When you come to a large room where two soldiers are
fighting a... big thing, dont bother helping them. Instead,
run over to the tunnel on the left.

Conspiracy theory: that G-Man is everywhere.

2) Once inside, take the left hall up the stairs. Be careful
around the broken pipe with the flame spewing out. It'll
kill you instantly -- but it'll also kill any monsters that
wander by it.

3) Crawl up the ladder and bust through the barricades to
enter a control room. The dying guard will tell you what
you'll need to do to continue.

Sadists: you can whack, shoot, or blow up the guard, and
while he'll unleash a barrage of empty threats, he just
refuses to die.

4) Exit the control room and jump down into the hole. Follow
the passageway until you come to two red doors and a wheel.
Spin the wheel to open the doors.

5) Climb your way up to the top, but be sure to stop and
watch the bullsquid fold a marine in half.

6) Continue on, dodging soldiers all the way. After
crossing an open area with sandbags in the middle, go up
the ramp and to the left. You'll need to go down that lift --
but first you need to get rid of the tripmines in the way.
You can try to lure the alien doggies into setting them off,
or you can shoot them while the lift is descending, or just
toss a detpack down and blow it all up.

7) Once down the lift, follow the path down the stairs
twice to a flooded room. Watch out for tiny swimming worms
which will impede your progress and are really hard to hit.
Try using the crowbar on them.

8) Use the crowbar again to smash the boxes that are
stopping the pistons from pumping. This will prime the
power and drain the water.

9) Climb up one flight of stais and go press the button
in the small control room. This will re-activate the power
(as evidenced by the arcs of electricity which will start
shooting about).

10) Head back up the lift and backtrack all the way back
to where you first saw Big Blue.

11) When you see him he won't be very happy. You can try
taking him on if you have ample grenades, or you can be
clever and let him chase you down the big tunnel to the
left. Run like hell between the two giant electro-thingies,
and press the switch when the monster is between the two.
Not quite as dramatic as the tentacle barbecue, but what
the hell.

12) Go back to the idling train and drive it onto the
rotating platform. Jump off and go back up to the control
room and pull the switch to rotate the platform and position
the train to continue. Cap the guard in the head one time
for luck, then jump out the window and board the train to
continue on, bashing through the barrier at full speed.



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  On A Rail
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) When the train stops, listen to the guard's story about
where to go next, and then hop off the car and press the
switch to raise the gate. Continue driving merrily along.
(If you time it right, you can kill the guard when he just
begins to speak and he'll continue his monologue despite
the obvious problem of being dead.)

2) Keep driving until you see a little rail-switching sign
with an arrow on it. Shoot it quick to switch the tracks
so you'll continue straight instead of looping around to
the right.

3) Stop when you come upon a platform with a bullsquid and
a set of stairs. Mount the stairs but be careful of a
sentry gun behind some crates. Toss a grenade to take it
out. Once it's clear, throw the switch to move the big
hanging hook that was impeding your progress.

4) Back on the train, shoot the next track-switcher to turn
to the left and continue down the tunnel that was blocked
before.

5) You'll take a trip up a spinning elevator with soldiers
picking you off from all angles. Once you have this under
control, continue down the railway, stopping to open a gate
in you way. Eventually the tracks will end and you'll need
to continue on foot.

6) Go down the left hallway but be careful for a big
artillery gun around the next turn. Avoid it however you
want, then turn right and go through the blast doors. Climb
down the ladder and find another train car.

7) As you continue down the railway, watch out for red
lasers in your path which will activate more sentry guns.
Also, there are some soldier with mounted rocket launchers
which can be foiled simply by ducking behind the controls
of your train car.

8) When your train car stops again, hop off onto the
platform, killing a few aliens along the way. Down a
corridor you'll see a doorway to the left which is blocked
by some boxes. Use your duck-jump to get over them (jump
up, then hit crouch while you're in the air.) Use the switch
you find to raise another gate, then get on the train car
again and keep going.

9) As you cononue you'll come to another great firefight
with some hiding soldiers and a big artillery gun. Liberal
use of grenades is recommended, and the switch near the big
gun will open the gate so you can continue.

10) Keep going, watching out for incoming rockets and big
hanging boxes. Shoot the track-switcher to continue straight
ahead. At the next gate, take the ladder down and keep
going down the train tracks.

11) Keep going, killing mounted guns and soldiers all the
way. You'll go through a set of doors with a nasty trap
behind it (lots of things to deal with.) Enter the little
complex to the right of that big slanty-floored hole in the
ground.

12) Here's a nice puzzle. You could try to walk up the
stairs, if you wanted to trip the red triplasers and blow
everything to hell. Instead, push the two boxes around the
side of the stairs and use them to bypass the triplasers
entirely.

13) Go find the control room and launch that damn rocket
already.

14) After the fireworks, go back down (be careful around
the triplasers again) and through the blast doors. There
will be a newly opened passageway to your left, where
you'll find yet another train to ride. 



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Apprehension
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) There's no way to make the train stop. Either leap off
before it jumps the track, or ride it into the water pit.
Once in the water, you'll see three barrels which are tied
down. Swim down and open the lock to release the barrels,
which will float up to the surface, forming a makeshift
bridge.

2) Cross the bridge and jump down into the water on the
other side. Down near the floor under the water you'll find
an exit which you'll need to follow. Look for air pockets
along the way so you won't drown.

3) After emerging from the water you'll see another
scientist dying in a creative way. Unfortunately you're
going to need to go into that water too. Climb up to the
top floor and talk to the scientist about what swimming
around down there, then go jump into the shark cage and
grab the crossbow. The cage will fall into the water and
you'll need to kill the big monster using either the
crossbow or your 9mm pistol, both of which fire underwater.

4) Underwater, find the red wheel and spin it to open up
a nearby door. You'll have to open it enough to give you
some leeway since the door closes once you let go of the
wheel.

5) Go down the hallways and along the slippery catwalks.
Be careful for crumbling floors; those fishies in the water
look hungry. You can leap across the gaps in the floor, but
just barely.

6) When you get to the electrified steel-mesh wall, either
jump through the hole, or jump down into the water and swim
like hell through the opening down there.

7) Climb up the stairs and then get to the opposite side of
the engine room by either pushing the crates over to the
broken ladder, or turning on the pistons and jumping,
Mario-like, from piston to piston, being careful not to get
squished.

8) Find your way into a closet where a scientist open a
door for you into a giant freezer area. Don't bother
dawdling -- run as fast as you can, through the ice and
snow, since you'll be taking cold damage all the way. Take
the ladder down and out of the frigid area.

9) Keep on going up the elevator and listen to the guard's
abbreviated speech. You'll get your first taste of the
trained assassins now. They're small and quick, so be
careful. An easy way to deal with them is to set a tripmine
around the corner from where you're hiding, and wait for
them to blow themselves up. Otherwise, burst in there with
guns blazing and make sure all three are dead.

10) Go up the ramp and spin the wheel to open up the door
on the other side of the warehouse. Go through the door,
but don't bother trying to defend yourself from the
pummeling you're about to get.

11) After the short cutscene, you'll be stuck in a Star
Wars-ish trash compactor which is slowly compacting. Hop
up from box to box to make your way out of the compactor,
then go behind the walls of the compactor to procure a
crowbar and then drop down a smashed grate. 



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Residue Processing
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) Headcrabs seem a little tougher now that you don't have
any big guns! Make your way to the big tower and spin the
flow control wheel, which will raise or lower the platform
inside. You'll want to get on it while it's going down. Go
through the ventilation shaft you'll see.

2) Inside will be a guard taking care of some headcrabs
for you. Wait for him to run away and then follow him.
You'll find his corpse (or what's left of it). Take the
pistol.

3) Return to the room you jumped down into, and climb up
the side of the big nukage vat. Jump from debris piece to
debris piece, and go down the pipe.

4) Next you'll come to a vat with two big stirring devices.
Wait until they point to each other to move from one to the
other, and keep moving along the pipe.

5) The next room has a whole set of vats with big plungers
going up and down. Hop on the tops of the plungers as
they're going down or up and make your way across to the
next pipe.

6) Your path will be pretty straightforward. Duck under all
the big grinding machines and you'll eventually come to a
room with three conveyor belts emerging from a pool of
slime. Press the three switches so all three conveyors are
moving forward, and then go to the control room and press
the button to stop the crushers from operating. You'll have
to move quickly since they'll turn back on after only a
short time.

7) Keep riding the conveyor, being careful not to get
squished.

8) Hop down the conveyor belts until you get to two right
next to each other. Take the left one, but watch out for
two tripmines blocking your path. 



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Questionable Ethics
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) After taking care of the doggies, you can either jump
over the fence and lose some health in the process, or
shoot the big electrode to open the door.

2) In the next room will be a new type of alien behind some
thin glass. If you get too close, or press the big button,
he'll get out. You can stick around to take care of him but
there aren't any rewards for doing so.

3) You'll come into some sort of laboratory with two cells,
which hold some goodies. Try going into the control booth
and pressing the button -- it's a great way to get rid of
the headcrabs, and also works on soldiers if you can lure
them in.

4) Wander through the complex, watching soldier vs. alien
fights and taking out the winner, until you get to a series
of hallways with false ceilings. There are four laser beams
that you have to turn on in this area (as well as a
wonderfully macabre sequence before getting the gauss gun).

5) Once you've turned on all four laser, try test-firing
the super-laser. Then try pushing a box so it obstructs the
blast shield and fire again. Don't you just love science?

6) Jump down the newly created hole, but try going down via
pipes and boxes so you don't lose too much health.

7) You probably should stop the weird operating machine
before leading out the scientists, but you'll need one to
activate the retinal scanner in order to go out the front
door. There are some sentry guns hanging around outside so
be careful. (Reward the scientists by giving them an up
close and personal look at the electro-machine in the room
near the beginning of the section. Whee!)



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Surface Tension
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) After some soldier firefights you'll come to a nice big
dam area. You can bypass all of this and just jump into the
water if you want, but it's more fun to blow up the
artillery gun and the helicopter and see some nice explosions.

2) In the water you'll have to watch out for another of
those big fishes. Make your way to the tower in the middle
of the lake and press the switch inside it to open up the
passageway through the dam.

3) Swim down near the bottom of the dam and spin the red
wheel to open up the gates so you can pass through. (I
still don't understand how Gordon slides through the dam,
but otherwise it doesn't spill a drop.)

4) Run along the canyon and climb up the ladder and through
the pipes. Then climb up the ladder to the top of the
building. Be careful, though, since there's another Apache
circling around waiting for you.

5) There's another tentacle monster in the next area but
you can ignore it if you stay out of range. In fact, you
don't even need to go there -- find the other passageway
between the rocks. Watch out for sand-burrowing headcrabs
and, more importantly, buried landmines, which will end
your adventure very quickly.

6) Creep around the perimeter of the minefield and find the
red wheel. Spin it and then drop down the newly opened
storm drain.

7) At the end of the pipe you'll notice that there isn't
much ground to work with. Be careful where you step, and
watch out for soldiers and sentry guns that can pick you
off quite efficiently. Long-range crossbow sniping does
wonders here.

8) Slide down the big pipes to get down part of the cliff,
and work your way right until you come to a cave. Inside
you'll find a new rocket launcher, which you can test out
on another Apache helicopter which is hovering outside.

9) After climbing up all the ladders and navigating the
pipes you'll come out in another great soldier firefight.
Use whatever tactics work for you.

10) Around the corner is a stationary tank which doesn't
provide much of a threat unless you stand still for too
long in its line of fire.

11) After opening the gate, you'll encounter another
tank-type thing which you'll have to dodge using the boxes
and ledges.

12) Through the next gate is a large building which you'll
have to circle around to the right. Watch out for snipers
hiding above. When you get to a minefield, throw grenades
or shoot your MP5 to clear your path.

13) Blow up the barrels to turn off the power, then climb
up the tipped tower onto the roof. Turn left and find the
big gaping hole in the roof, and jump down.

14) Follow the scientist's advice: be very careful! You
can't touch any of the tripmines in this area or you'll
nuke the whole place. You'll have to jump and duck under a
bunch, then in the large room, find the elevator platform
against the far wall and break the box on it so it won't
trip a laser when the elevator is raised.

15) Make your way into the control room and use the switch
to raise the elevator, then get on the elevator and jump
onto the center platform. Press the button to go down.

16) This next section will be familiar to anyone who has
played the Team Fortress Classic map "Hunted," but the way
through it is a bit different. Make your way past the tank
and turn right around the bend. Enter the building to the
right and go up the stairs, where a helpful security guard
will show you into a veritable armory.

17) Next, go out the window and tiptoe along the ledge
until you can jump across the alley onto a big box. Climb
up the ladder and traverse your way through the bombed-out
building into the open courtyard. There's a big helicopter
above that has a great death scene, if you can spare the
ammo to blow it up. Find the big gun to the right and aim
it at the double doors to blow them up.

18) After going through the big doors, watch out for loads
of baddies. Around another corner you'll find a mounted
machine gun which is useful for dispatching the many aliens
which will come after you down the slanted hallway. When
they're all gone, continue up and walk onto that weird-
looking crater (these will be all throughout the rest of
the game).

19) On the roof, wait for the fighting down below to stop
and then drop down and kill the survivors. On the right
will be another grating for you to smash, and then you'll
encounter some snarks. The best strategy is to run away
until they explode (one wonders how they managed to survive
all these years).

20) Keep going along the tunnel until the soldiers get
trigger-happy and blow open the shaft you're in.

21) After killing all the soldiers below you, use the
switch hanging from the ceiling to lower one of the car
platforms, then ride it up and jump out the hole in the
wall.

22) Once outside, use the mounted gun to blow open the
sealed door, and then blow apart all the monsters that come
out.

23) Go down the hallways and witness another big soldier/alien
fight. However, you'll need to jump across the hole in the
catwalk to continue on.

24) Outside, launch via the crater thing onto the roof of
the building and go down the pipe. Be careful crawling
through, however, as a soldier has the right idea and
tosses in a detpack. Quickly crawl back and hide underwater
to survive.

25) Once out of the pipe, find the guard at the top of the
stairs, who you'll need to bring down in order to have him
open the door for you, i.e. don't kill him.

26) Once outside again, go over and have the guard open the
other closed door inside the little booth. After passing
through a hallway you'll come upon an irritated Big Blue.

27) Don't bother fighting him! Run away as fast as you can,
and launch over the wall using the bouncy thing into the
pool of water. Climb up the pipe and look at the controls
on top of the tower. It's a miniature map of the large open
area you're in now. One button moves the vertical line and
the another moves the horizontal line, while the middle
button calls in an airstrike. Position the intersection of
the two lines to approximately where Big Blue will now be
trying to beat down the gate, and then call in an airstrike
to eradicate him.

28) After he's gone, take your time in repositioning the
airstrike to blow up the three other things you'll need to
move on: the big slanted wall on the opposite corner of the
open area, the walls around that slanty wall, and the big
electrical tower in front of you.

29) After these three have been demolished, walk across the
fallen tower, over the crumbled wall, and through the
blasted doors.



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Forget About Freeman
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) As soon as this level starts you'll be confronted with a
quickly crumbling ceiling. Don't try to find a nook or
cranny to hide in; there aren't any. Instead, wait for the
third chunk of ceiling that falls in front of the railing.
Hop on it and jump over the railing into the next room.

2) You'll hear an interesting message on the radio in the
next room, and you'll find a switch which activates a
ceiling sentry gun. Use it to take out the monsters which
will jump out at you in the next room.

3) If you've played the deathmatch level of the same design
this level should seem pretty familiar. Go down the ramp
and take a turn to the right (to the area where the RPG is
in deathmatch. There'll be a covered hatch that you'll need
to open; be careful of the snarks inside those weird egg
pod things.

4) Go down the hatch and take one of the "west" tunnels by
jumping over the grating. Continue on down the passageways'
you'll need to jump into some water and go under-over-around
some crushers. Watch out for the alien fish in the big
water hole; you can ignore him as there's nothing in there
that's worth it.

5) After going through the water, destroy the turrets and
kill the soldier waiting for you, then go up the ladder
back outside. There's another stationary tank that you can
either dodge or blow up; once past it, take the elevator
down.

6) When you come to another big stationary tank, you can
jump up on it and fire it at the door to blow it up. Lots
of monsters come pouring in, though, so be ready.

7) Be careful going through the door you just destroyed,
as there's a big gun waiting to blow you apart. Turn left
and go through the doors.



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
• Lambda Core
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) Take the big freight elevator down into the Lambda
Complex. After a few rooms you'll come into a big warehouse
area where a few more female assassins are just waiting for
you. Once you take care of all of them, go up to the top
level and work around the side walls and go down the elevator.

2) You'll come into a big room with a couple of alien
hornet-shooters to dispatch. Once you destroy them all, a
scientist will open a door on the right-hand side of the
far wall and let you through.

3) Don't kill the scientist (yet)... he needs to open a
security door for you. Once he does, though... happy
hunting.

4) Once you go up the little lift you can go to the right
where a holier-than-thou scientist introduces you to the
egon. Show him just how easily you ca bring yourself to use
it on living creatures... if you know what I mean.

5) Go up the elevator and find a large area with a big
water pool underneath. Here you need to find two pump rooms
and turn on the pumps. There's a path to the left and a
path to the right -- you'll have to work your way through 
a bunch of linear rooms brimming with monsters but it's
nothing you can't handle by now.

6) Once both pumps are activated, find the auxilary reactor
and dive down into the water. There's an underwater
maintenance shaft that will lead into the main core.

7) In the main core you'll have to climb up ladders and
time your movements so you don't get sliced in half by
revolving electric beams. Be careful!

8) When you come to an elevator shaft with a broken
elevator, climb up the ladder and jump off into the upper
level.  Watch out for steam valves which can hurt you (or,
conversely, can hurt the monsters). Around here you'll
also be introduced to the mysteries of the floating blobs
of energy which can teleport you all over the place. (You
can also discover how the G-Man seems to appear and
disappear so suddenly. That sneaky bastard!)

9) Around here comes the part of Half-Life lovingly
referred to as the "really lame jumping section." Through
the door into "Core Level B" you'll find a series of
teleporters leading you higher and higher up a shaft.
You'll have to discover which teleporters lead you where --
and you'll also have to watch out that if you teleport to
a higher level, the rotating platform will be beneath you
at the appropriate time.

10) You'll reach another room which consists of platforms
which not only revolve, but move up and down as well.
You'll need to ride around the outside to activate the
switches, then jump into the newly-opened teleport chamber
in the middle.

11) After climbing up a ladder and running down some
corridors you'll reach a stronghold where you'll be
informed about the next stage of your journey. Stock up on
health and ammo -- you'll need it. Be sure and take the
long jump module too.

12) When you reach the giant room with the big teleporting
machinery in the middle, get ready for a fight. Once the
scientist starts to power up the teleporter, wonderful new
flying Alien Controllers will start popping out of nowhere
and flinging fireballs everywhere. The scientist has a
pretty crappy glass enclosure he's working inside (what
happened to the bulletproof glass that's everywhere else
around this place?) and the flying aliens will be trying
to take his ass out just as much as yours. Liberally use
the egon and MP5 to keep the scientist happy until he
instructs you to jump into the portal that's appeared. Do
as he says. 



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Xen
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) The oh so wonderful jumping puzzles continue. Here on
this alien world, you'll need to make liberal use of that
long jump module. Use it to leap from platform to platform,
and then jump onto one of the moving platforms when it
comes close.

2) Make your way down onto the bottom bun of the big alien
hamburger and find a little crack in a wall that you'll
find. Outside it you'll see a little pool of water which
emits a strange noise and has little snowflakes that appear
and disappear around it. If you stand in it, you'll slowly
regain health; a very good thing when you see what's coming
up soon.

3) Inside the crack is a big room with three strange
mushroom-type things. "Use" all three to open up little
receptacles on top of them, then crack open the viney cage
holding three little floating butterflies. Through some
sort of alien magic a new portal will open for you to enter.



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Gonarch's Lair
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) Gonarch must be the name of the gigantic mommy headrab
which you will quickly confront on this level. Its weak
spot is that big hanging sac hanging underneath it. While
firing away, be sure to keep your distance as its claws can
eviscerate you instantly; other threats include big
poisonous globs that it can shoot at you, and little baby
headrabs which do 1 point of damage (but they add up if you
let them continue).

2) After you shoot it enough Gonarch will run away down a
cavern. Follow it onto the second battleground. You can
drop down a hole in the corner which will lead you to a
healing pool which can come in handy. Use the bouncy crater
to propel yourself back up into the action. The hornet gun
is a good albeit slow way to hurt Gonarch; the hornets go
straight for the fleshy underbelly, although it takes quite
a while to put a dent in the thing.

3) After Gonarch flees for a second time, watch out for a
big drop. Once underneath Gonarch, keep firing at the sac
until it drops down through the web into the little cavern
with you. If you're smart you'll have placed a couple
detpacks right where Gonarch drops down onto, and you'll be
able to blow it apart quickly enough.

4) Hop down into the pit created when Gonarch died. Be sure
and use the healing pool before going through the teleport.



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Interloper
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) This next area can really suck if you're low on health
or ammo. Rather than wasting your time trying to kill every
single alien hanging around, loop around to tbe backside of
the big floating island and find a cavern that takes you
down inside.

2) Once inside, you'll need to make your way through a
series of rooms, bashing your way through webbing every
once in a while, until you come to the side of a large
column which lowers and raises.

3) Hop on the column and ride it all the way to the top.
You'll have to rely on your jumping skills again; jump from
platform to platform, until you come close enough to a
flying-manta-ray creature to jump on its back. It'll
shuttle you over to a another little floating platform with
a teleport on it. (If you have some juice left in your
gauss gun and you don't feel like dealing with all the
aliens roaming around this level, you can charge up your
gun while riding up the initial column and gauss-jump to
the teleport. It's a tricky process -- you have to aim in
the exact opposite direction as the little island, and fire
the gun at the right time so you're launched far enough to
hit the platform but not too far as to fly right over it.)

4) In this next area, make your way into the cave where
you'll find a Big Blue lurking around. When he starts to
chase you, jump up into a little side passageway of the
cave and let him pass by, then jump down behind him and
keep going.

5) Make your way past the three tentacle creatures (you
should know how to do this by now) and around a few bends
will be another teleporter.

6) You'll arrive inside some sort of alien factory. At this
point the aliens will mostly ignore you, so wait until
you're sure you've been noticed before killing everything
that moves. Take the cog-elevators up the the conveyor
belts. Take the conveyor that isn't blocked by a force
field and keep going.

7) You'll see lots of strange keg-like things sitting
around. Try not to shoot any as alien grunts will pop out,
and you don't have enough ammo to take care of them all.
There will be one keg that blocks your path, however, so
you'll have to deal with at least one.

8) Find a sort of vent shaft in the corner of one room with
little glowing lights inside. Jump in and drop down until
you come out into another room.

9) There will be lots of alien controllers and slaves to
deal with, but you'l have to make your way up to the very
top of the room, where there's a spinning teleport thing.
Go up ramps and spinning cog platforms to make your way to
the teleporter. Before you go through, make sure that you
have ample health, as the final boss awaits. 



/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
*********************************************************
•  Nihilanth
*********************************************************
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1) The entity behind all of this chaos and strife turns out
to be a really big alien baby. You'll be dropped into a big
cylindrical room with Nihilanth floating in the middle.

2) Use the spikes sticking out of the floor to your
advantage! You do not want to be hit by the blue balls that
Nihilanth throws, but the green balls are worse -- they
home in on you, making them impossible to dodge, and they
teleport you to secondary rooms where you have to hop up
platfoms or bouncy craters to make your way through another
teleport back to the action. Whenever you think the big
baby is about to toss a green ball, block its path by
hiding behind the spikes until the danger is gone.

3) To weaken Nihilanth, you need to destroy the 3
green-crystal triangles which are high up on the walls of
the room. The easiest way (at least for me) was to turn off
the red dot on the RPG, aim carefully, and quickly take all
three out.

Little-known fact: the material that makes up the three
green triangles protecting Nihilanth is the same as the
crystal sample which you pushed into the beams to start
this whole mess in the first place. Valve Software
originally intended to make this connection more obvious 
but never did.

4) Once all three green triangles are destroyed, Nihilanth
is ready to have his ass kicked. Take the bouncy craters to
vault yourself up above his now-opened skull, and unload
the strongest weapons you have into his exposed brain. MP5,
egon, shotgun, whatever you have will work; you can even
toss in snarks or detpacks, and the true warriors will pith
Nihilanth's brain using the crowbar.

5) Once Nihilanth bites the dust, watch the fireworks and
then prepare yourself for the final confrontation. Choose
whatever path you decide suits you best. 


..:: THE END ::..




+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+
////////////////////////////////////////////////////
---------------------------------------------------
6.)  H A L F - L I F E   T E C H N O L O G Y
---------------------------------------------------
////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+

Half-Life is based on the Quake(tm) engine by ID Software,
with Valve's own enhancements to the engine, such as 16-bit
and 24-bit color and MMX support, as well as being
developed to take full advantage of 3dfx's Voodoo2.
Half-Life is based on a whole new level of proprietary
technology creating a extremely rich and original gaming
experience.

•  Rendering

    So you don't want to have to buy a special hardware
accelerator just to get 16-bit color, colored lighting,
blurring, translucency or other cool visual effects? Then
don't. Half-Life has developed all these features in
software so now they're an integral part of the game play,
not just eye-candy. Of course, if you do have Open-GL,
Direct 3D or MMX hardware, things will look mind-bogglingly
cool.

•  Skeletal Animation System

    Hand-in-glove with a demand for realistic lighting and
color effects is a desire for monsters that look and move
as realistically as possible. To accomplish this goal, the
engineers at Valve have created a skeletal animation system
for monsters. Rather than store a discrete set of polygonal
meshes for each key frame of animation, as traditional
action games do, the skeletal system moves the "bones"
within a monster and deforms a mesh and texture map around
them. There are a number of advantages this gives Half-Life
animators as they build more compelling and complex
monsters: Smoother and richer animation Half-Life players
will see much smoother animation than in typical action
games. While both sprite- and mesh-based animation systems
are based on a fixed keyframe animation rate, which is
typically targeted at the lowest common denominator system,
Half-Life's skeletal animation system does not limit the
number of frames in an animation. For instance, a typical
walk cycle may have as many as 80 frames in Half-Life, as
compared to only 4 in some sprite-based games.

•  Monster AI

    Half-Life's monsters and life-forms are alsoremarkably--
even terrifyingly--intelligent. Valve has created a
technology that imbues Half-Life monsters with tactical
intelligence, multi-character cooperation, and a supreme
will to live. The result is a menagerie of new creatures
whose intelligence and unpredictability make them truly
formidable adversaries. Traditionally, game AI is a set of
hard-coded if-then decisions for every possible situation
that could confront a monster, such as, "If there is a bad
guy in this room then shoot at him." Valve took another
tack, designing a module-based AI system that provides
practically infinite flexibility and monster growth potential.

•  Decal System

    With Dynamically changing surfaces/Decals Surfaces in
Half-Life are dynamic. They can change over time or as the
player interacts with them. Damp walls may grow mossy,
water will ripple as the player moves through it and,
through the use of "decal" technology, hard surfaces will
retain the scars of a previous firefight. Decals--spot
painting effects over existing textures--also make it
possible for opponents to leave threatening graffiti on
walls, or for blood, water and smoke to leave their marks
on both surfaces and characters in the game.

•  Real-Time DSP

    The sound in Half-Life is astounding due to DSP sound
which calculates the direction of a sound and the size and
material a room is made of to alter that sound accordingly
to fit the area, a gunshot outside will sound different
than a gunshot in a metal room or underwater. This also
saves disk space since the sound is being altered over and
over instead of many sounds that hardly get used. This is
sure to make your ears smile.




•  To Activate 3rd Person View


you can bring down the console by pressing the '~' or '`'
key. It is near the 1, Tab, and Esc keys. 

Half-Life lets you play 3rd person view a la "Tomb Raider"
style, where you see a yourself (Gordon model). Bring down
the console and type this in: "thirdperson" or
"chase_active 1" (no quotes).

To change position of seeing your character, type the any
of the following variables into the console:

Variable 	Description

cam_idealyaw 0  see from behind
cam_idealyaw 180  see from front
cam_idealdist 64  sets preferred distance from model for the chase camera
cam_idealpitch 0  sets preferred pitch for chase camera
chase_back 100  sets preferred camera distance from the player when backing up
chase_right 0  sets preferred offset to the side for chase camera
chase_up 16  sets preferred offset up for the chase camera

To disable the 3rd person view, type this into the console:
"firstperson" or "chase_active 0"

Be careful when you play 3rd person view. Here are some
reasons to take into considerations:
1. Don't mind about not seeing the HUD (Heads Up Display),
like health, armor, ammo).
2. Don't mind about not being able to aim accurately.
Basically no crosshair.
3. Don't mind about not being able to hear what the HEV
announces.
4. Don't mind seeing where you get hit (HUD red signs).