Overview
Need help playing Half-Life 1? Put on your HEV suit and read this guide!This guide will cover basic speedrunning information about Half Life, a supplementary guide to get through the game as fast as possible WITHOUT cheating of course and shared moments between Half Life, Opposing Force, Blue Shift and Decay.WARNING PEOPLE. This guide is FILLED with spoilers for the following gamesHalf LifeBlue ShiftOpposing ForceDecay (Two player console only at the time. You still need two players but you can pick up the mod FREE from http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-decay) This is a text guide, not a video walkthrough, so you may have to read words from time to time. Please don’t ask for video walkthroughs, I will do them on my own time. *LAST SPOILER WARNING* This guide will be spoiler filled, so if you like your games to have a bit of mystery, or just don’t like to be told endings, don’t read this guide at all.Seriously.
Introduction
Gordon Freeman. MIT graduate – Theoretical Physics. Black Mesa, NM facility researcher.
You arrive on a high-security tram and are told to put on your HEV (pretty much a Hazmat cleanup) suit and head over to the Anomalous Materials Lab.
The biggest day of your life unfolds and you soon realize you must fend for yourself and yet, you are hardly alone in this world.
How to Speedrun
When you play HL1 by speedrunning, it turns from a FPS to an action/stealth game. It is not advertised as a stealth game, so you should try playing something like Thief or Mark of the Ninja to get an idea of what’s required. Stealth is about efficiency. If you stick to that mind set, you will find time on your side.
Speedrunning can be very rewarding and can add to your reputation, as people constantly set new world records through videogaming, and other face-to-face sports. The record time for finishing HL1 was broken in 2013, which inspired Guides for Games to write this guide.
- Especially in Half-Life, speedrunning can be very frustrating. This guide is for tips and map directions. You are expected to troubleshoot things such as travel time (-ing), ammo restocking, health replenishing and combat.
- I recommend visiting [link] for even more technical help!
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Speedrunning Tips
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- I recommend doing a speedrun on Easy and doing the Training Room before going even more hardcore This way, you know the basics, and the map.
- Follow Map/Mission directions. Do not deviate unless you have found a shortcut.
- Kill minimal enemies (only the ones blocking your way). You can run past most enemies!
- Reload weapons while moving. Switch weapons DURING combat when you need to reload.
- Avoid triggering traps
- No sidequests. (eg. Nuzlocke challenges, saving all the guards, killing all enemies, etc)
- Don’t save scientists. Only save those needed for a mission or to activate a retinal scanner or keypad-locked door. You will see who you need to keep via trial and error.
- Keep going when someone starts talking to you. You don’t actually need to wait for anyone save for the intro and those ALREADY assisting you with security clearance. This ISN’T a turn-based game!
- When I give a specific direction (left or right) if you go the opposite direction you may find a weapon, suit power-up or ammo refills. Keep in mind, this takes precious time. I will show a few examples early on in the guide.
- I will make note of power ups (75% per charger, about 15% per pickup), medkits, and ammo ONLY if they provide early access to a weapon AND they are convenient, useful, and in the same direction you’re already going. Most dead guards and militia will drop weapons and ammo (depending on difficulty setting). Also, many suit power ups WILL be along your path. Just run close to them and you’ll automatically pick them up.
- Ignore power ups, ammo, and medkits in most crates, unless they are conveniently exposed (eg an enemy blows up a crate you are hiding behind) or you open them while running (Use MP5)
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Movement:
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- Look up when you crouch/long-jump
- You can run backwards. You can also deploy most weapons while moving, which can be very useful for the tripwires, but very hazardous when walking FORWARD with the grenade and rocket launchers, as it tends to alter the trajectory and explode in your face. Depending on your timing, you will likely walk into the grenade blast!
- Do the bunnyhop! Link: [link]
- Be mindful that enemy projectiles can break crates
- “Fall” down ladders and grab on towards the bottom to save time. Likewise, you can hop off suspended walkways, rocks, and ladders that end in a pool of water. Taking a little falling damage (depends on area) saves time. You can also crouch-walk down certain canyons.
- You can swim upward by looking up and holding the forward key instead of using the default swimming keybindings. Likewise with swimming downward and climbing up or down ladders.
- Some tripwires you can hop over, but don’t be macho. In most areas, you can use a pistol to activate a tripwire from a distance.
For Those Times You Need to Use Weapons
Attacking
Mouse 1 –
- Attacks with current melee weapon (infinite hits) or current gun. Leftmost ammo on-screen is consumed.
Mouse 2 –
- Alternate attack or options. Mostly affects ranged weapons (especially the backpack – which has a variable range to deploy). Consumes rightmost ammo on-screen. Usually a very high-damage attack The effect depends on the weapon.
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Weapons: a Short Explanation
Here is a list of weapons you can find. As you may have noticed, there are placeholders for many weapons in this game. If you miss a weapon the first time it’s available, sometimes you can find one by opening a crate or by walking over a dead soldier or security guard.
If you don’t see a chapter listing for a weapon, use CTRL+F and cycle through this document by searching for the name.
- You will need some before hand, but at the finale of Apprehension, you lose all your weapons and regain them gradually. You can pick up just about everything at once in a weapons cache in the Surface Tension Level.
- There is another cache at the end of “Lambda Core.”
- Other caches are easily and quickly accessible as well.
- Searching for ammo takes time. Just aim for the stashes and ignore most enemy encounters.
Weapons
- Crowbar – Melee weapon. Opens crates, picks locks. Found in Unforseen Consequences.
- Pistol (standard sidearm) – Low ranged damage. High ammo-carrying capacity. Best spent on zombies, headcrabs, Vortigons, and such. Mouse 2 for rapidfire. VERY handy versus barnacles. Use Mouse 1 to deactivate tripwires from a safe location. Mouse 2 for barnacles.
Found in Unforseen Consequences; “the time after you climb up the elevator and meet a barney shooting zombies neer the first part. once hes finished the zombies off. kill him. you get a pistol early.” – COTA-PU.12983 - Revolver aka Magnum – High ranged damage. Moderate carrying capacity. 1-shots many things, including alien slaves, humans, and turrets. Available early game.
- Grenade – Standard explosives. Toss one up down or all around. Low ammo capacity. Available in crates in Unforseen Consequences.
- MP5 – Fires a minimum of about 3 rounds when you hold the Mouse 1. Very fast volley of bullets. High ammo capacity. Mouse 2 is the grenade launcher, which can be activated early-mid game in the level, “We’ve got Hostiles.” Use wisely. Shares ammo with the pistol. Useful against soldiers.
- Shotgun – Good for headshots, moderate damage all-around. Moderate – high ammo capacity. Available early game.
- Crossbow – Fires scrap metal rods. Highly damaging. Mouse 2 gives you scope and crosshair. Low ammo capacity. Best saved for bosses, icthyosaurs and long-range shots.
- Rocket launcher – Fires explosives. Use carefully. Mouse 2 toggles laser guide. Very high damage. Very low ammo capacity. Use for hordes, tough enemies and distant traps.
- Tau Cannon (Orange) – Very high ranged damage. 1-shots many things. Mouse 2 will charge, for VERY high damage attack and will deplete more ammo. Moderate ammo capacity. Shares ammo with Gluon Gun
- Gluon Gun (Blue) – Fires a beam of energy. High damage. Moderate ammo capacity. Shares ammo with Tau Cannon. Available in Lambda Core (given by scientist).
- Hornet Hand – Homing missiles. Low damage. Very low ammo capacity. Missiles self-replenish. Mouse 2 fires a volley of remaining ammo (and they are shot straight forward). Used by Alien Grunts. Available starting in Chapter “Questionable Ethics.”
- Backpack – High damage explosives. Mouse 1 to toss 1 forward. Mouse 1 again to detonate OR Mouse 2 to toss another one. Very low ammo capacity. Save for tough enemies and distant traps. Found in Chapter “On a Rail.”
- Tripwire – High damage explosive. Mouse 1 to place. Short set up time. ANYTHING that comes in contact with the blue light/wire will cause an explosion. Very low ammo capacity.
- Snarks – These fast critters will eat you alive. Literally. Also, anyone else. Very low ammo capacity. Moderate-high damage, especially if you toss them all nearby. They are small and hard to target. Best used in pits and rooms with many enemies you must eventually pass. Hopefully they will all destroy each other, otherwise you’ll have to put down the remaining Snarks. They self-destruct after almost a minute. Snark Mines are not available to you, but are found in the Chapter “Forget about Freeman!”. They can be activated via the moving past the lasers on the sides or by attacking the mine itself. They release 4-5 Snarks each which – independantly – function the same as the Snarks YOU can use. Don’t send Snarks after Snark Mines. Also they seem more hungry for people than monsters.
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Hitbox details – what to aim for in combat
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- New enemies introduced will tend to have more defense buffs than earlier entities.
- *General hitbox tips* Always aim for head. Otherwise, try the stomache area
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Special normal entities:
- Zombies – aim for head (gets rid of headcrab + host)
- Soldiers – aim for head
- Alien Grunts – aim for stomache
- Snarks – Don’t get close, just wait for them to self-destruct (about a minute from spawn time). If you have to, use the pistol or an explosive.
Special boss entities:
- Gargantua – defense and health is always high. Don’t fight with non-explosive weapons unless you have to (also, “Power Up” is the only required Gargantua fight to progress in storyline. In fact, please view our OTHER guide for details on how to skip the “Power Up chapter”). If you WANT to fight it, toss multiple grenades and/or activate tripwires. I suppose you could aim for it’s “mouth” but you won’t be able to do that much damage early in the game, with your weapon set. You can avoid combat entirely by skipping this chapter, or by switching on the generator and having the Gargantua follow you and be electrocuted.
- Gonarch – Underbelly only
- Nihilanth – Destroy crystals on wall, then aim for underbelly, then cranium (you literally have to get a shot at it’s insides up there)
Half Life Anthology and Focal Points
This section was graciously compiled by Vladimir Zarzoff. =D
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There are four games in the original anthology, Half Life, Opposing Force, Blue Shift and Decay. All of these are avaliable on Steam, except Decay, which was a Play Station exclusive and is now a free mod for PC. These all take place at the same time, and Valve has put a lot of care into these games to make sure that everything is in sync, even to the minute! Here is a rundown of the chapters in the games which happen at the same time, starting with Half Life.
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- Hazard Course (Optional) : Not really a focal point, but the hologram that teaches you the basics is Gina Cross. In Decay one of the chapters is called Hazard Course where you walk through the remains of the course after the Ressonance Cascade is triggered.
- Black Mesa Inbound : While traveling on the train, you pass a security guard who is trying to get int a door. This is later shown to be Barney Calhoun, the protaganist of Blue Shift. This level takes place at the same time as the end of the Blue Shift level Living Quaters Outbound and the start of the level Insecurity.
- Anomalous Materials : The Blue Shift level Insecurity and Decay’s first level Dual Access.
- Unforseen Consequences : As both Freeman and Calhoun were knocked out by the Resonance Cascade, and Adrian Shephard wasn’t involved yet, Gina Cross, Colette Green Dr Keller and Dr Rosenburg were the only major characters who were awake, and therefore covered more ground than any of the others. As it’s never explicitly said, but is implied, we can assume that this takes place during the Decay level Code Green, which is four chapters after Dual Access.
- Office Complex : The Decay level Crossfire and presumably the BS level Duty Calls happen.
- We’ve Got Hostiles : One of my all time favourite levels marks the start of Opposing Force with the level Incoming!, marks the BS level Captive Frieght, where Calhoun finds a captive Rosenburg and frees him, thus meaning that he will no longer be in Decay, and the Decay level Intensity.
- Blast Pit : Shephard is unconcious, Calhoun is rescuing Rosenburg, and Cross Green and Keller are still trying to reverse the Resonance Cascade.
- Power Up has calhoun go to Xen in the level Focal Point and returns in Power Struggle, Cross and Green fighting off several creatures from Xen in the level Rift and thus ends the Decay storyline, Shephard still unconcious, and remaining that way until the Half Life level Questionable Ethics, where he finally wakes up. 3/4 games seem to have the protaganist unconcious for a long time at the start.
- On A Rail : Calhoun and the scientists he is protecting are still getting ready to escape.
- Apprehension : The final level in Blue shift, deliverance, has Calhoun try to teleport, but something goes wrong. He is teleported to several places, including a vent where he can see an unconcious Freeman being dragged away by two HECU. Calhoun then returns to the space he was supposed to teleport, which ends Blue Shift.
- Residue Processing : Scientists are still trying to revive soldiers, but with no success. Except for one…
- Questionable Ethics : The end of this level is where Shephard finally regains conciousness and starts the Opposing Force level Welcome To Black Mesa.
- Surface Tension : The OF levels We Are Pulling Out! and Missing In Action take place during this level.
- Forget About Freeman! : The OF levels Missing In Action and Friendly Fire happen.
- Lambda Core : OF levels Friendly Fire finish and We Are Not Alone start.
- Xen : The OF level We Are Not Alone finishes when this level does.
- Gonarch’s Lair : Shpehard has returned to Earth and is now in the level Crushing Depth.
- Interloper : Shephard reaches an old industrial area and finds a barnacle which can be used as a grappling hook in Vicarious Reality.
- Nihilanth : Shephard has to open a Valve and a Gearbox to kill a pit worm inspired from Star Wars in the appropriately named chapter Pit Worm. After Freeman finshes off the Nihilanth, Gman picks him up and puts him into a stassis, leading to the events of Half Life 2 and thus ends Half Life. Shephard however has still got three more chapters to go through, Foxtrot Uniform, The Package and Worlds Collide. But in the end he has the same fate that Freeman does. He gets put into stassis. Shephard however has not come out of it yet…
Half Life Text Speedrun
If you’d like to check out the text guide on speedrunning through Half Life and skipping chapters, click on the link below.
[link]
Thank you for reading!
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