Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-07-24

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

This release also includes the custom FGD provided by the community with assets like entity-specific icons and models that might help the level designer.

Note: zhlt entities are not included in the FGD. You must add zhlt.fgd to your game profile configuration in the map editor.

If you already have a mod in development based on Half-Life Featureful read this article to get the idea how to apply the new SDK version for your project.

Changelog

Rain and snow weather effects

Added rain and snow effects similar to ones used in Counter Strike and Condition Zero, but toggleable and configurable.

Use the following entities to spawn rain and snow:

• env_rain - global or localized rain.
• env_snow - global or localized snow.
• func_rainvolume - brush entity for localized rain.
• func_snowvolume - brush entity for localized snow.

Both global rain and global snow can be present on the map.

The new demo map weather_demo has been added to the sample mod for rain and snow demonstration.

Other entities

• The special value *player is supported in most places where the *locus is supported to allow refer to the player. In singleplayer it will always find the player. In multiplayer it acts like *locus, but allow only players.
• Added Don't reset trigger counter on deactivation spawnflag for trigger_timer (can be useful when trigger number limit is set).
• Added Pass caller as activator spawnflag for trigger_relay.
• Added Ignore Hold Time spawnflag for trigger_camera.
• Added Stop by player input parameter for trigger_camera.
• Added Target when turned off parameter for trigger_camera.
• Added Calc Position as an option to calculate value from calc_position (this allows to calculate the value of one calc_position based on the other calc_position).
• Added Calc Velocity as an option to calculate value from calc_subvelocity (this allows to calculate the value of one calc_subvelocity based on other calc_ entities).

Console commands

• Now you can set the use-type sent via the fire command. Use fire on <targetname> or off <targetname> to send On and Off input. Use fire set <targetname> <value> to send the numeric input (e.g. for game_counter).
• The entities_count command now supports the argument - the classname - to report the number of entities having the specified classname.
• Add give_intentory and remove_inventory commands to give and remove player inventory items. This can be used for debugging purposes. The first argument is the item name. The second (optional) argument is the number of items of this type to give or remove.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-07-15

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

This release also includes the custom FGD provided by the community with assets like entity-specific icons and models that might help the level designer.

Note: zhlt entities are not included in the FGD. You must add zhlt.fgd to your game profile configuration in the map editor.

If you already have a mod in development based on Half-Life Featureful read this article to get the idea how to apply the new SDK version for your project.

Changelog

Fast recruiting

New commands recruit_followers and disband_followers allow players to recruit all nearby friendly NPCs or call off everyone who is following the player by pressing one button. This is similar to fast recruiting of ally soldiers in Field Intensity.

The list of monsters affected by these commands is controlled by features/followers.json file.

Feature changes

• New feature in featureful_server.cfg: vortigaunt_armor_charge. Enable to allow friendly vortigaunts to give armor to the player (similar to HL2, experimental feature). The amount of armor is configured by sk_vortigaunt_armor_charge skill value. The vortigaunt must have the free energy to perform charging.
• hud_color command is no longer available by default. Set hud_color.configurable feature in featureful_client.cfg to true to enable the HUD color configuration by user.
• Add hud_scale.default and hud_scale.configurable features to featureful_client.cfg.
• Removed hud_autoscale_by_default feature in featureful_client.cfg. Set hud_scale.default to 0 to enable autoscale by default.

Entities

game_player_settings

• game_player_settings now can set the player's armor to 0 (set =0 as value), add and substruct armor by a provided value.
• game_player_settings now can add and substruct the player's health.
• Spawnflags of game_player_settings are deprecated now. Weapons are now configured via parameters instead. It allows to remove specific weapons as well.
• game_player_settings can now remove the specified amount of ammo (use a negative value).

trigger_changevalue

• Added Treat new value as parameter for trigger_changealue which allows to tell how the new value is treated.
• Added Action parameter for trigger_changevalue.

Calc entities

• Added Scale factor parameter for calc_ratio.
• Added more transformations for calc_ratio (from later versions of SoHL).
• Added calc_numfromvec - calculate a single numeric value from the vector.
• Added calc_vecfromnums - calculate the vector from three numeric values.
• Added Max and Min parameters for calc_eval_number.
• The result of calc_eval_number is now getting stored only if evaulation has succeeded. Trigger after operation is now called only if evaulation has succeeded. Added Trigger on calculation fail parameter.
• Added Report as vector parameter for calc_eval_number.
• Added Mod, Find Max and Find Min operators for calc_eval_number.
• Added Third operand parameter for calc_eval_number - it allows to do computations on 3 parameters using the same entity.

Other entities

• Added Armor Damage and Do Armor Damage spawnflags for trigger_hurt_remote (compatibility with Sven Co-op).
• Added Player Invulnerable spawnflag for trigger_camera (compatibility with Sven Co-op).
• Added Position and Direction parameters for particle_shooter.
• Added Direction parameter for env_smoker.
• Added Landmark parameter for trigger_teleport (compatibility with Spirit of Half-Life).
• Added new entity item_pickup. It can give a specified inventory item to the player on pickup (as an alternative to player_inventory).
• item_security icon is no longer shown in history of picked up items on the security card pickup unless the HUD sprite is set explicitly in the entity parameters. In general it's advised to use item_pickup instead.
• Added Forward activator for trigger_timer.
• Added Trigger on arrival for info_teleport_destination (compatibility with Sven Co-op).

Bugfixes

• trigger_hurt_remote doesn't push the player anymore (it was unintended effect).
• Fixed Entity to play from parameter of ambient_generic not working properly sometimes.
• Fixed env_smoker not emitting the correct number of smokes after the repeated activation.
• Inventory items HUD icons are no longer shown again when reloading the game.

Player inventory changes

• The name length of player inventory items is no longer limited by 23 characters.
• Inventory items are removed upon player's death.

Console commands

• Added calc_position and calc_velocity commands to get the position and velocity reported by the specified entity.

FGD changes

• Added ZHLT properties to brush model entities (like func_wall, etc.). Note that you still need to include zhlt.fgd in order to have access to compiler-specific entities like func_detail.
• Added Glow Shell as render fx option in fgd.
• Improved descriptions of some calc_ entities.

Changes to the demo map

• Added examples of relative teleport and seamless teleport.
• Added an elaborate example showing the usage of trigger_changevalue and some calc_ entities.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-06-05

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

This release also includes the custom FGD provided by the community with assets like entity-specific icons and models that might help the level designer.

Note: zhlt entities are not included in the FGD. You must add zhlt.fgd to your game profile configuration in the map editor.

If you already have a mod in development based on Half-Life Featureful read this article to get the idea how to apply the new SDK version for your project.

Changelog

Player inventory items

A simple player inventory system has been implemented.

Configurable armor strength

The global armor strength for the mod now can be configured via sk_plr_armor_strength skill value. Default armor strength in Half-Life is 2 i.e. one armor point has the same value as 2 health points when player takes damage.

The armor strength can also be changed dynamically via game_player_settings.

Entities

• Added player_deployweapon - make a player deploy the specified weapon (if player has it).
• Added Do Save and Player can't use spawnflags for cycler_sprite.
• Added player_inventory to do operations on the player's inventory items.
• Added player_hasinventory to test if player has a specified inventory item.
• player_calc_ratio now can count inventory items as well (if Calc Param Type is set to Inventory item count and the Inventory item name is specified).

Bugfixes

• Fixed particle_shooter save-restore.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-05-24

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

Note: zhlt entities are not included in the FGD. You must add zhlt.fgd to your game profile configuration in the map editor.

If you already have a mod in development based on Half-Life Featureful read this article to get the idea how to apply the new SDK version for your project.

Changelog

Warpball templates

Warpball templates for monstermakers are now defined in the templates/warpball.json file. The old entity-based approach is still working but now is considered deprecated.

Configuring save titles

The save titles (the ones shown in the Load game menu) are now configurable via external file save_titles.txt (in original Half-Life they're hardcoded in the engine).

Entities

• Added player_capabilities - allows to disable/enable player's capabilities such as jumping, crouching, attacking and using (+use).
• Added player_speed - allows to change the maximum player speed.
• trigger_configure_monster now can dynamically change the monster's blood color.
• Add Ignored by classify parameter for monsters. E.g. one may set barney to be ignored by Alien prey class (which headcrabs belong to), so headcrabs won't see barney as an enemy while barney will still shoot them.

New configurable features

• dying_monsters_block_player - whether monsters block player movement while in dying animation. This is standard Half-Life behavior which becomes problematic when the dying animation is too long (e.g. bullsquid's one). This is standard Half-Life behavior which becomes problematic when the dying animation is too long (e.g. bullsquid's one).
• player_maxhealth and player_maxarmor to set the default maximum values for health and armor used in the mod. Alternative way is to set maxhealth and maxarmor in the map .cfg file. game_player_settings now also is capable of changing the maximum health and armor values.

Bugfixes

• Fixed monsters sometimes not finding the nearest node when they're on stairs. This is a bug from original Half-Life. Whether the fix is applied depends on the value of findnearestnodefix cvar (set to 1 by default, which means the fix is enabled).

Codebase changes

• ALLOC_STRING called on the same data won't request the string allocation again. Instead it will reuse the cached value if such string has been already allocated on the map.
• UnpackRGB is now shared between client and server code. Added PackRGB.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-05-13

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

Note: zhlt entities are not included in the FGD. You must add zhlt.fgd to your game profile configuration in the map editor.

If you already have a mod in development based on Half-Life Featureful read this article to get the idea how to apply the new SDK version for your project.

Changelog

Configuring the ammo amounts in ammo and weapon entities

The new features/ammo_amounts.cfg file allows you to customize the ammo provided in ammo_ and weapon_ entities by default.

This is an experimental feature.

Changes to the sample mod

• The new demo map is included in the sample mod - flyers_demo - for demonstration and testing of the osprey and apache.
• Previously missing models/blkop_tailgibs.mdl has been added to the resources.

New features in featureful_server.cfg

• door_rotating_starts_open_fix - when enabled, fix the bug with func_door_rotating becoming unresponsive after the first use if it has Starts Open spawnflag. This feature is currently left disabled by default just in case some existing map relies on this behavior.
• warpball_at_monster_center - if enabled, when env_warpball is used as a template effect for monstermaker, create the effect at the monster's body center by default, instead of monster's origin (which is usually at the monster's feet). The feature is enabled by default. If you want the old behavior, set the warpball_at_monster_center to false in your features in featureful_server.cfg.

Entities

• The values of the parameter Warp at monster's... of monstermaker now have a different meaning. Any positive value means to create a warpball effect in the center of the monster's body. Any negative value means to create effect at the origin. And 0 (default) means to create at the position depending on the warpball_at_monster_center feature.
• env_warpball now can define a second sprite that will be played along with the first one. sprites/xflare1.spr is provided as default second sprite in the fgd. You need to manually set the second sprite on existing maps if you want warpballs to create two sprites.
• Added Smoke position parameter for env_smoker.
• Added Instant spawnflag for multi_manager, multi_trigger and multi_sequence. By default targets with 0 delay will be triggered only on the next frame after the multi_manager has been triggered. With this flag such targets will be called instantly.
• You now can provide custom keyvalues for the monster spawned via monstermaker. In the editor toggle SmartEdit (like you do with multi_manager) and add keyvalues you want to forward to the monster prepending the key names with # symbol. This allows to set some parameters that can't be set via monstermaker otherwise (e.g. bodystate of monster_barney).

Bugfixes

• Fixed opfor grunts coming from osprey without weapons.
• Fixed osprey and apache sounds not stopping if they were replaced with a sound replacement system.
• Fixed flocking flyers sounds not being replaceable with a sound replacement system.

Codebase changes

• Added GetWeaponData and SetWeaponData functions for weapons to tidy and deduplicate some prediction code.
• ALLOC_STRING is now a function instead of the macro.

Repository changes

• The features/ directory is no longer included in the automated builds. This is to avoid situations when someone wants to try the latest version and rewrites their features/ directory with the default one by accident.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-05-01

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

If you already have a mod in development based on Half-Life Featureful read this article to get the idea how to apply the new SDK version for your project.

Changelog

Per-monster sound replacement

Now monsters have a Sound Replacement File parameter. These files define sound replacements for the monster entity. See example in sound/female_pain.txt.

This feature is quite experimental and needs more testing.

The demo map update

The demo map was extended a bit to include demonstration of more entities and features.

Captions changes

• Number of captions is virtually unlimited now (as opposed to maximum 256 in the previous releases). Note that you're still limited by the number of sentences depending on the engine (2048 on the modern GoldSource).
• The length of the caption is virtually unlimited (as opposed to maximum 599 characters in the previous releases).
• Added support for the forced caption duration (the hold time). See example in sound/captions.txt.
• Added more HL sentences to the sample sound/captions.txt.

New features in featureful_server.cfg

• gauss_fidget - allows to enable/disable the Tau-cannon fidget idle animation.
• medic_drop_healthkit - whether medic grunts drop healthkits upon dying.

Monsters

• New monster monster_civilian - generic friendly npc with scientist-like behavior. Doesn't have the healing ability. Suitable for making civilian npcs like construction workers or unarmed npcs from Condition Zero Deleted Scenes.
• Commented out monster_gus and monster_gus_dead in the fgd. This monster was from Cleaner's Adventures and wasn't enabled in the game code anyway.
• Customizable Fly Speed, Turn Rate and Check Distance for monster_flyer_flock.
• Added Alert friends and Friends can alert me parameters for talk monsters.
• Monsters with Tolerance level set to Absolute are now not alerted by friends death by default (it still can be forced via Friends can alert me parameter).

Entities

• New entity player_hasweapon - check if player has a specific weapon. Can be used as Master.
• New entity player_hasitem - check if player has a specified item (suit, flashlight or longjump). Can be used as Master.
• New entity trigger_skill_test - fire a trigger depending on the current difficulty.
• New flag Fade sprite for env_smoker to automatically fade smoke sprites (by default the entity relies on fading in the sprite animation).
• New parameter Scale unit type for env_smoker (historically the entity used tenths of the scale, i.e. 10 meant scale 1).
• New entity player_calc_ratio - calculate the absolute or fractional value of player's health, armor or ammo amount.
• trigger_compare has a new way to fire a target depending on the condition. Now you can define test type and triggers for pass and fail. The old triggers work independently from the new ones, but it's not recommended to use both approaches at the same time.
• trigger_compare now can be used as a master. The state depends on the evaluation of the chosen condition.
• The parameter Fire On Equal To of trigger_compare now uses a different internal key name. The old key is still supported, but considered deprecated.
• New entity env_extinguisher to produce a fire extintinguisher effect. Ported from Field Intensity.
• New parameter Starting frame for env_model. The negative value allows randomizing the starting frame.
• momentary_door now has an associted Calc Ratio value (like in Spirit of Half-Life).

Bugfixes

• Fixed player being able to pick up the same ammo item multiple times when the pickup policy allows picking up by pressing +use button. Thanks b0rdie for reporting.
• Fixed not being able to set custom model and custom model scale for monster_flyer_flock. Thanks 23-down for reporting.
• Fixed setting Gun State parameter with some custom Barney models. Thanks 23-down for reporting.
• Now if sk_rgrunt_explode skill is not defined, the hand grenade damage is used as a fallback.

Client input changes

• Windows version now uses SDL2 to handle mouse and joystick input when running on the engine version post 2013 update (when SDL2 was added to the engine). The old non-SDL2 input handling is still supported when running on the older versions.

Codebase changes:

• ARRAYSIZE is now a template constexpr function instead of the macro.
• The virtual function IsTriggered now returns bool instead of BOOL.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-03-14

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

Changelog

Ammo changes

• The max ammo carry per each ammo type can be configured via features/maxammo.cfg file (example included).
• Increased the max ammo the player can potentially carry - now it supports showing up to 4 digits in HUD.

ParticleMan implementation

ParticleMan is an additional library made by Valve that is used to spawn particle effects in Counter Strike and Day of Defeat. While Valve's ParticleMan is a separate closed-source library, it can be reimplemented in the client.

• The ParticleMan reimplementation by @SamVanheer added to the SDK.
• Added a new client command test_particles to spawn test particles with ParticleMan.

Entities

• New entity particle_shooter - create particles with ParticleMan. Designed after the entity from Day of Defeat.
• Buttons are now allowed to play scripted_sentences.
• New parameter Delay Before Reset for trigger_relay which allows to ignore consequent calls to trigger_relay until the specified time has passed since the last call.
• New suffixes for multi_manager delays values: forward and reverse to forward or forward-reverse the use type the multi_manager has been called with to its targets. E.g. if multi_manager was triggered with On use type, all targets which have #forward suffix in the delay value will be triggered with On. All targets which have #reverse suffix in the delay will be triggered with Off in this case.

Cvar changes

• The client cvar cl_satchelcontrol has been renamed to _satctrl and set to 0 by default (classic satchel control behavior).
• New client cvar _grenphys added to let user control whether they want the anniversary hand grenade physics or not.
• Note: weird cvar names is the result of user info buffer being limited to 256 bytes.
• New cvar cl_pmanstats to show ParticleMan stats.

Other changes

• Added previously missing func_vehicle to fgd.

Codebase changes

• The minimum required C++ version now is C++11, instead of C++98.
• Ammo types registration is now separated from weapon precaching.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-02-13

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

Changelog

Half-Life Anniversary changes

Some Half-Life Anniversary changes were merged from hlsdk-portable. Thanks @nekonomicon

• Improved handgrenade throw physics.
• Improved spawn spot randomization in multiplayer.
• Fix gauss sound on level transition.
• Added HL anniversary fix for pushable acceleration
• func_vehicle implementation
• Fixed snark throwing when player is on the edge.
• Applied new satchel controls.

More changes related to HL anniversary will be merged in the next version.

Cvar changes

• New client cvar cl_satchelcontrol to control the preferred control scheme. 0 is for legacy, 1 is for anniversary.
• Changed how pushablemode cvar works. Now 0 means anniversary mode (default), -1 means legacy mode and 1 means XashXT mode. The special value 2 (which meant the SoHL mode) has been removed.

Configurable features

• gargantua_larger_size - when enabled, make Gargantua's size equal to one from Opposing Force. This fixes the problem with some projectiles (e.g. shockroach and hornetgun ones) not properly hitting the monster.

Other changes and fixes

• Shock trooper and voltigores now have a 'hate' relationship to the player instead of just 'dislike'.
• Picking up items by +use (when the pickup_policy value is not 0) is no longer allowed through the walls.
• Fixed a bug when colorable crosshair didn't restore properly after using a func_tank.
• The number of sentences limit on server were increased to 4096. Note that the maximum number of sentences still depends on the engine. It's 4096 for Xash3D, 2048 for HL anniversary and 1536 for HL pre-anniversary.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2024-01-12

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

Changelog

Support for subtitles

Mods can use sound/captions.txt and sound/captions_profiles.txt files to define captions.
Sample files defining captions for some sentences on the first two maps of "Anomalous Materials" chapter are packed with the mod sample.

HUD scaling

Added hud_scale client cvar to control HUD scaling. 1 means the original scale. 0 means autoscale depending on the screen resolution. Note that support for high definition sprites from the anniversary patch will be added later.

Configurable Weapon Layout

Weapon layout can be configured in features/hud_weapon_layout.cfg file. The format is described in the sample file.

Entities

• trigger_configure_monster can configure more monster's parameters: Free Roaming, Gib Policy and Size For Grapple.
• Added dead turret entities: monster_miniturret_dead, monster_sentry_dead and monster_turret_dead
• Added Custom amount parameter for ammo entities.
• Added Custom Initial Ammo parameter for weapons.
• Added Delay after blocked parameter for monstermaker. If not zero, this is used instead of spawn delay before trying to to spawn the monster again, if the spawn was blocked before.
• Added Don't fire look target for trigger_camera.
• Added scripted_following entity and the Followage policy parameter for following monster (Experimental).

Bugfixes

• Fixed HUD not showing after 'fullupdate' command.
• Fixed repeatable scripted_sequence with Walk or Run move type not properly working after it got interrupted and triggered again (Half-Life bug). Thanks @Aynekko for reporting.
• Fixed scripted_sequence being unresponsive when it has Idle Animation and Turn to Face move type (Half-Life bug).

Configurable features

• Color values in hexadecimal form can be prefixed with # symbol instead of 0x.
• hud_autoscale_by_default - whether hud_scale value is 0 by default (meaning autoscale).
• crosshair_colorable feature and corresponding cvar. Allows crosshair color to depend on the chosen HUD color. Requires a sprite with white crosshairs to apply colors properly. Experimental feature, not enabled by default.

Half-Life Featureful SDK 2023-12-11

The mod sample is included in the archive, with the test map and assets

The provided FGD has an extended format used by J.A.C.K. and won't work with Valve Hammer Editor!

Changelog

• The glow shell effect (applied by the shockroach projectiles) now wears off over time from osprey and apache.
• Fixed Desert Eagle not ejecting a shell upon firing.
• Fixed the Half-Life path finding bug when the fleeing monster couldn't choose a spot as a cover because the enemy couldn't build a path to this spot.
• Don't report missing HG_HOSTILE and ST_HOSTILE sentences (as they're optional)
• The entity with game_playerdie targetname is now triggered upon the player's death in singleplayer as well.
• The pain indicator sprite color doesn't blend with the HUD color anymore. This prevents pain sprite rendering green or other weird colors depending on the HUD color.