From Planthalflife.com:

We got a little Steam/Half-Life 2 news today. Here is what Valve had to say:

Over the next month or so there will be a couple of interesting releases via Steam, in addition to the upcoming Counter-Strike map cs_compound.

First, we'll be releasing an update to Half-Life 2: Deathmatch that will include the Slam, Stunstick, and the Crowbar. We're not ready to release the contest winning maps just yet, but we will be releasing a new map we've built at Valve to tide people over while we sort out the contest winners. There will also be a release to Counter-Strike: Source around the same time that will address a few minor issues.

One feature that we'll be adding to the Source engine in the coming months is high dynamic range lighting. To showcase this we've taken a part of the Highway 17 chapter of Half-Life 2 and worked it into a single level that incorporates HDR along with some new gameplay. We're calling this short level "The Lost Coast," and it will be made available free of charge to Half-Life 2 customers that meet a specific set of high end hardware requirements. We'll be publishing those requirements soon.






Looks like doom 3 might have a little competition in the dynamic lighting department.

sexy.

I guess I need a new PCI-e, now..... dammit.

uhhh... this isn't adding the lighting of doom3 it's basically turning the HDR on for a level designed specifically for the HDR features of the engine... doom3 doesn't need to be brought into this at all

and as many have said before (this is after all a few days old) ABOUT FRIGGIN TIME! we've been waiting for HDR in HL2... now we will have it... now if they plan to enable it for the main game... that is what i'd also like to see though i doubt they will

Yeah, what I was gonna say.

HDR is basically something that brightens and adds depth to lighting. So far, while playing CS:S, I haven't noticed much of a difference/need for it. Seems kinda useless. Maybe when I decide to pick up HL2 again I'll see something cool using HDR (actually, most likely, as its probably targeted towards the sp game)

People actually use weapons OTHER than the grav gun?

I don't think they've implemented the HDR yet.



And wtf is the Slam?

You pick someone up and drop them onto the floor of the ring.

They have, I can tell. Was playing some CS:S last night and noticed it.

Slam gun--think modified conc rifle.

I played CS this morning, didnt notice a thing and there hasnt been a steam update yet.

What card do you have?

Does this strike anyone else as absurd? If steam detects that you meet the reqs, you will have access to the download, otherwise, you are screwed? I hate spyware.

Unless you've seen the list of exactly what the Doom 3 engine can do, I'd not mention it.

I do find it kind of stupid...but it doesn't really affect me, since I'm fairly sure I meet requirements, so hey.

I think they just phrased that wrong, and really meant they will provide it to everyone, but only those who meet the req's can play it, for obvious reasons.

The Doom 3 engine already has HDR.

And is capable of much more, including soft shadows, before someone starts complaining. I personally think both engines have great features, but I don't think Source will last much longer unless it is drastically changed.

But don't turn this into a D3 vs HL2 thread, please.

Well, there's not many other places to go

Personally, I think that HL2 has its lighting effects optimized for a more realistic experience. It pulls it off, I'll give it that. But the problem with the Source engine is, unless you're modding it, you don't get a physics engine. You have to outsource for that, costing you even more money.

Of course, I don't know how it is to mod for either engine...though I may soon. We'll see.

I don't see how they could have added it in already; neither CSS nor HL2 have had any updates since before that news was posted.

As for the slam, I honestly have no idea, but the people around the halflife2.net forums seem to think it's the tripmines from nova prospekt... Dunno if that's accurate information at all, but that seems to be what everyone's throwing around

In terms of modding, Doom3 wins outright...:p

Yoshi, thats 'cause its not implemented yet. Thats why your not noticing anything. HDR adds a great deal of lighting realism, its not something that when enabled, goes unnoticed.

What? There are so many modding groups for HL2.

Also, whatever happened to people waiting for gameplay instead of graphics, graphics, graphics...

Wait wait, I'm confused... is HDR released yet? Is it out, and we can simply turn it on in the options? O_o

As are there for Doom 3. The Source engine was not built for longetivity. Or if it was, Valve didn't do a good job of it. Doom 3 just has so much more going for it in the future...Not to say Source and HL2 won't last long, it's just that technologically, modders will run into the cap faster.

It's probably because they don't want to give support to the 9999 people who would complain if they downloaded it and it didn't work. If it was the other way around, you'd probably complain that they won't support people with lower end computers, and that steam is crap.

That water is pure sex.

Sex?

If it's sex... it's certainly wearing a condom.

The whole shot looks more plasticy than far cry.

I think that's a concept sketch of the map they will release with it, not an actual ingame screenshot.

...That's a drawing, folks.

Seriously, how can people confuse screens or renders with drawings?

So what exactly does HDR do?

The slam isn't supposed to be a gun, it's something like a mine.

you hit the nail on the haed.

If a program sneaks around and transmits info about your system to another party w/o your consent before it does it, (just like steam does in this instance), then that more or less classifies it as spyware.

I got it in FarCry and didn't notice. At least not on the 6800GT. It doesn't add THAT much to the scenery.

Tofu--weird, why did I have the idea of a gun that is basically a conc rifle then...

uh, no except you can willingly uninstall steam if you wish. spyware tries to hide itself.

look, when you install steam, you let it search your computer in order to work to its fullest. if it doesnt, there could be a conflicting file or a corrupted one that it didnt get to catch. it's not like it makes your internet browser pop up ads, or anything.

it's just the arguements against steam are very weak, thats all ive seen. it's quite simple as to why such a complex game would need to know whats on your PC, especially once that is constantly updated to optimise gameplay/graphics/etc.

I used to be 100% anti-steam until I tried it. Since then, I have to agree with Cazor; All of the arguments I've seen against it are really, really weak

I used to be pro-Steam until I tried it.

I used to be pro-your-mother.

...

Yeah... Doom3 engine rocks, HL2 is fun, CS:S is fun... uhhh... want good mapping utility for both... umm.. that's all?!

what the hell are you smoking... there is not and has never been HDR implimented in CS:S

and i doubt there ever will be