On A Rail

Half-Life Series
#1

A lot of people have complained that its not a fun chapter because its too confusing. To make it unconfusing, I have made a map (not to scale), showing that On A Rail isn’t really very complicated, it just folds back on itself a lot. Isn’t it neat?

0.1 entrance from Power Up; barney; gate; switch for gate at 0.1
0.2 elevator down; exit to 1.1

1.1 elevator up; entrance from 0.2
1.2 flooded track; electrical hazard
1.3 ramp up
1.4 ramp up
1.5 revolver ammunition
1.6 electrical hazard
1.7 crane hook blocks progress; houndeyes; bullsquid
1.8 houndeyes; entrance to corridor
1.8.A bullsquid; dead HECU
1.8.B HECU; headcrab ambush; rocket thrusters
1.8.C houndeyes; switch to extend bridge at E
1.8.D flooded room; bullsquid; extendable bridge
1.8.E bullsquid; dead HECU; grenades; satchel; broken elevator
1.9 bridge; bullsquid; barnacles
1.10 bullsquid; buckshot; stairs
1.10.A catwalk overlooking 1.7; revolver ammunition
1.10.B automatic turret; switch to remove crane hook at 1.7
1.11 elevator up; HECU; exit to 2.1

2.1 elevator down; entrance from 1.11; revolver ammunition; smg grenades
2.2 alien slaves; switch for 2.5
2.2.A stairs up; alien slaves; headcrabs
2.2.B HEV suit charger
2.3 HECU
2.4 HECU; player controllable turret; switch for 2.6
2.4.A stairs up
2.4.B HECU
2.4.C HECU
2.4.D alien slaves
2.4.E revolver ammunition
2.4.F stairs down
2.4.G HECU, alien slaves, revolver ammunition
2.5 gate
2.6 gate
2.7 tripmines
2.8 HECU
2.8.A HECU; alien slaves
2.8.B barney; revolver ammunition
2.8.C HECU; headcrabs
2.8.D HECU controlled turret
2.8.E tripmines
2.8.F tripmine; door to 2.9
2.9 rocket ship midsection; ladder down; exit to 3.1

3.1 rocket ship midsection; ladder up; entrance from 2.9
3.2 ladder down from 3.1; revolver ammunition; trip wires
3.3 automatic turrets; bullsquids
3.4 dead HECU; bullsquid
3.5 HECU controlled rocket turret; tripmine
3.6 tripmine
3.7 gate
3.7.A alien slaves
3.7.B alien slaves
3.7.C stairs up; tripmine ammunition; satchel
3.7.D HECU; switch for 3.10
3.8 tripmines
3.9 train
3.10 gate
3.11 player controllable turret; HECU controlled turret; HECU; switch for 3.12
3.12 gate
3.13 satchels; ladder up to HECU at 3.14; SMG grenades
3.14 elevator up; exit to 4.1; HECU

4.1 elevator down; entrance from 3.14
4.2 electrical hazard
4.3 tripmines
4.4 moving boxes overhead; HECU ambush; gate; switch for 4.4
4.5 ramp up
4.6 moving boxes overhead; tripwire; automatic turrets
4.7 HECU controlled rocket turret
4.8 electrical hazard
4.9 ladder down to 5.1
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#2

5.1 ladder up; entrance from 4.9; zombies; tripmines; tripwires; automatic turrets; grenades
5.2 HECU controlled turret; HECU
5.3 HECU
5.4 gate
5.5 sniper
5.6 rocket launch pad
5.7 rocket launch complex; dynamite; HECU
5.8 train; elevator down; exit to 6.1

6.1 elevator up; entrance from 5.8; tripmine ammunition; SMG grenades
6.2 train becomes uncontrollable
6.3 train crashes into water; HECU ambush; exit to Apprehension

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#3

That is an interesting idea. Of course, i’ve played half life so much (probably too much)
I’ve practically memorized the levels.

#4

I love the idea that this somehow makes it seem less complicated. Kudos for the effort though, very clear mapping.

#5

This is a map of the London underground rail system. As you can see, it’s significantly more complicated than On A Rail - and yet thousands of commuters and tourists use it daily with confidence. Are you dumber than a tourist? :stuck_out_tongue:
standard-tube-map.jpg

#6

thems fighting words! now wait till I come over to your country, get lost, panic, then eventually get back on track and tear you a new one!

#7

I didn’t find it confusing. Got pretty sick of the drab surroundings though.

#8

The problem is that OAR doesn’t have a map of itself posted every time you get off.

edit: you also didn’t include 1.8F, I don’t know if there was anything there or not.
It’s also interesting that the rocket bottom and midsection roughly line up when you align the elevators from part 1 and 2.

#9

You know what would be really neat? What if the devs included a map of the track system somewhere in OAR?

Also, I never really found OAR confusing, just go straight and keep going; you’ll eventually be at the end.

#10

I think garthbartin has it right; post maps for the current circuit/track at the “stops” so there’s some point of reference. Of course, anyone that has to turn-down texture detail will lose out.

I love that it takes 7 maps and 2 posts to explain something that’s “not that complicated.”

It’s not that OAR is really complicated; it’s getting around that’s complex. Yes, the tracks go in circuits, but sometimes it’s hard to understand which circuit you’re on and whether you threw the right switch or not.

Oh yeah… those switches. Could they be a little less Quake ][ and a little more like… um… reality? It’s pretty clear HL1 devs wanted something the player could control while riding the train, and shooting is more practical than hitting the use-key at the precise split-second that the player passes it.

Each switch is a simple toggle (one way or the other) so a wall-mounted panel or a big, red button with an indicator could suffice. The wiki mentions something about how they seriously trimmed-down the OAR maps; both for the sake of keeping the whole chapter on a single map-load as well as keeping the storyline… er… (god, I am going to say it… forgive me) “on track.”

:facepalm:

#11

god damnit, duggeek, i am disappoint in you now. you just had to make that pun! you can never be forgiven :hmph:

#12

Most people got through OAR the first few times by guesswork rather than knowing their way around.

I wonder if that was intended or just bad design… It’s an interesting mechanic, disorientating the player when they have a linear objective. OAR certainly gave the impression that the rails stretched for miles underground.

#13

These are the worst schematics I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s all diodes.

#14

The new Zelda DS game (Spirit Tracks) actually did the circuit switch really well. Whenever you came up to a fork a track switch lever would pop up that you could manipulate to choose left/right. In Half-Life just put a lever on the forward/back/speed panel that can be used by pressing left/right that chooses which way to go at all forks.

#15

There’s some capacitors in here

and here

#16

I missed those lol.

#17

@_@ my brain hurts make it stop.

#18

Really. On a Rail is NOT that complicated :freeman:

#19

That sounds like an excellent idea… ninja’d by the devs, go fig’. :ninja:

Sounds like a dramatic improvement, so instead of switching to pistol (to conserve precious ammo) the player “drives” the tram through switches. It’s a win because L/R strafes normally do nothing in tram mode. Fantastic! :awesome:

#20

You make it sound like you’re scrapping for ammunition - in Half Life? :smiley:

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.