Half life 2: Pendulum
Game Summary
“Pendulum” is a single player level in Half Life 2 in a hypothetical DLC. The level begins with Gordon starting in an area just on the outskirts of Ravenholm. Gordon must fight through standard zombies and fast zombies using the gravity gun with a newly discovered zombie trap, which involves objects tied to the ceiling. Eventually Gordon will make it to the factory in which they must fight through Combine soldiers and a zombie horde that were attracted to the turret firing.
Engine: Hammer (source) engine
Platform: PC
Development Time: 6 weeks
Team Size: Individual
Design Goals
Sketch of Level
The image on the left shows the early sketch of the vision of what “Pendulum” was going to be. This went through several iterations with numerous rounds of feedback to get the rough idea before getting into the editor.
The paper-prototype helped me think through potential problems before getting into editor.
Encounters for different styles
Pendulum trap combat
For about 75% of the level, the gameplay is focused around the pendulum trap with interesting ways for the player to engage in it. These combat spaces were designed with different philosophies compared to the final battle with the machine gun. I focused on several elements for these spaces:
The cover is designed to be more of a looping flow, with the ability to see through or over it.
Pinch points and tighter spaces around the pendulum trap so the player has the opportunity to use the mechanic effectively.
Only having enemies that rush towards the player so that the player can better position themselves between the trap and the enemies.
More traditional Half Life Combat
Building up to the final encounter, the player is given access to the machine gun that has been causing the player trouble. Coupled with finally getting an SMG and grenades, the layout for the level shifted:
Multiple full and half cover for the player to strategically move from cover to cover to get closer to enemies.
An “open firing lane” for the player to effectively use the machine gun against the Combine soldiers and Zombies.
More open space for the player to maneuver around to react to the enemy tactics.
Use subtle conveyance to guide the player
Leading lines
Using subtle lines with the way support beams, and trash to try to guide the players eye to where they are needing to go.
Framing
This is another method I used when trying to guide the player to the next location. Though this was not always feasible given the room layout, I did try to make sure the players goal was framed nicely and that the player had a clear view of where to go.
Adding layers of conveyance
Despite the use of leading lines and framing, I wanted to add a little extra conveyance for those who might miss it. This is where I used street signs to point the player in the direction they need to go.
On the top image, I used a walking sign to point the player to where they can enter into the factory. For the second image, the player is inside an old garage that has street signs plastered onto the wall. This sign is directly pointing to the door the player needs to go through.
Unique mechanic that fit in half life 2
Pendulum trap
Pendulum trap was designed to fit narratively within Half Life 2 Ravenholm area. As the Ravenholm chapter is centered around traps, this was something I wanted to expand upon in my level.
The goal was to create something that was not only useful to the player, but could also pose a threat if not careful. It is extremely effective at killing zombies, but can very easily damage the player if they are not careful.
