The Docks: A Half Life 2 Level

Screenshots

This page explains the process and decision-making when creating a stealth based level in the Hammer Editor for Half Life 2. The objective is to present the reasoning behind the chosen challenges that the player will face and what I want them to discover or feel while playing.

The level is designed as if it was a first-person stealth shooter using the Hammer Editor included in all source games, but this time I’ll be using the Half Life 2 version. I took references from Tom Clancy’s: Splinter Cell (Ubisoft, 2022), Dishonored (Arkane Studios, 2012) and Metal Gear V: The Phantom Pain (Konami, 2015).

Intrinsic Goals

The intrinsic goal of the level is for the player to progress through the story and that their decisions matter in their way of approaching the challenges, either by exploring or taking other routes.

Extrinsic Goal

The extrinsic goal of the level is that the player feels like a shadow in a non-stealth game that is Half-Life 2, trying to recreate what makes a stealth level interesting and rewarding exploration.

The player needs to feel rewarded for exploring and trying new routes, so every time that they discover something they will be awarded with ammo, weapons, health items or armor.

Literate Level Summary

The player enters through a construction zone that connects the city to the port warehouse via a pipeline and can be accessed by the builders’ ladders. At the time he arrives there is not so much surveillance and movement as it is nighttime, seeing the square with various cars that have to be transported, the two buildings and a small wooden harbour.

At the wooden post, he gets a crowbar and observes one of the security guards, having the opportunity to cut him down with a single blow to the back. He can then decide whether to break some wooden planks or a window, providing two different routes into the warehouse.

After entering and taking out the guards, you will come across an arrested civilian who asks for your help. With some codes you find on the floor above, you will be able to free him and the civilian will give you an access card to steal the confidential documents.

As soon as he gets them, an alarm will start to sound and the player must flee by shooting at the reinforcements that have arrived until he returns to the place where he first entered.

Gameplay Level Summary

The goal of the gameplay is to make the player feel like they are doing a silent approach. It was a challenge because Half Life 2 doesn’t have a stealth system, but thanks to the routes and the ways that the player can plan their entrance, it feels like they are following a plan.

The player will encounter better equipment during the level, starting with a crowbar, following with a pistol and finishing with an SMG to fight the guards back in the latest part of the level.

The player’s goal is to steal the confidential documents from the warehouse, dealing with the security and helping possible allies.

Flowchart

Cadence

Difficulty

Process and development

I started the process by writing in a notepad the GOALS, THEME, ELEMENTS, GAMEPLAY BEATS, QUESTIONS and the TEXT SEQUENCE.

First iteration of the level in notepad

Then I approached the development using the skateboard approach in development by Byrne Reese, meaning that whenever I iterate on the level it needs to be fully playable (in this case, the player must be able to get the book and escape).

First iteration of the level

Here the player is able to just walk inside the building, grab the book and exit. With no challenges or even weapons. I kept building on top of that, adding more and more challenges and paths.

Sketch to get an idea of how can the player enter.

After working on adding the sketch’s ideas, I made the ambience of the dock to get that feeling of entering a building at night.

I started to develop the second building, making a quick sketch about what will the player see when they exit the woodeen docks, so they can have a clear vision of a possible entrance. (PV = Player Vision)

After that I created the second building, a secondary path for the player. At the time the player wouldn’t be rewarded for entering that way, that’s why I started working on the inside of the building.

I started to iterate the rooms, along with the combat zones that the player will use after stealing the book. Then I added an entrance of the level for the player.

Soon after that, I contacted some friends and developers to help me with some playtests, and then iterating on that info to improve the covers and the overall flow of the level.

Constraints

I wanted to extend on the animations of the civilian but it was taking me a lot of time, so I focused on him giving only the keycard.

I coulnd’t make a truly stealth level because Half Life 2 doesn’t have a stealth system.

Post Mortem

Hammer Editor was easier than I expected, and there is a huge community that helps with the learning curve. In the middle of the development, I discovered Hammer++, a community made modification of Hammer that improved my speed when it came to develop the level. Thanks!

I’m happy with the result I achieved! I always liked the Source engine along their games, and this is the first project that I developed using the Skateboard Approach (which helped me a lot).

Furthermore, I would change the escape, specially since the players can “cheese” some enemies by using the doors and walls as cover, but overall I’m proud of what I achieved to make.

Thanks for reading,

Carlos Carbó

Want to play the level?

Playing a custom HL2 map requires a bit more work, I’ll try to explain here the steps.

You need to own a copy of Half-Life 2 and have it installed.
Download the .bsp file of the map here.
Then open the folder where Half-Life 2 is and search for:
- Half-Life 2\hl2\maps
- Drop the file there.
Activate the developer's console inside the game and assign it to a key.
When the console is open, write: map HL2_TheDocks_Map (should fill the text by itself)
Press enter.
Enjoy!

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