Overview
MSCM is a big command menu and set of scripts for Half-Life.It packs a lot of useful commands into an user friendly interface.It comes bundled with a few sprays and a modified version of crossfire that allows monster spawning.
Download links
If any of these links is dead, please let me know in the comments.
I will fix that as soon as possible.
Installation and configuration
If you already have your own autoexec.cfg file instead of replacing it with mine,
append the following line to it:
Drag valve_addon into Half-Life’s main directory (the one where the .exe is located).
If you don’t have your own autoexec.cfg drag the valve folder too, to replace it with mine.
Make sure you have Options > Video > Allow custom addon content enabled.
If nothing happens after putting valve_addon in your game’s files, just copy contents of this folder to valve located in your game’s main directory.
You have to bind Toolgun to a key to be able to use it:
The command menu should be bound to H by default, but in case it isn’t:
Most of the commands in the menu are considered cheats by the game.
Go to Server settings > Allow cheats to enable them.
You can also use the console command:
Kick all bots from the server before doing that. Changing sv_cheats while bots are added might crash the server.
Monsters and items can be spawned only when they’re loaded by the map.
For example: you can’t spawn hgrunts on a map which doesn’t have them by default, or
place medkits on a map which doesn’t have any medkits.
Don’t forget to enable monsters before you try to spawn them.
Server settings > Allow monsters
Older versions of the game might require a map restart after changing this option.
Entity spawning
There is a very annoying limitation regarding entity spawning in Half-Life.
You can’t spawn entities (monsters, items, ammo packages etc.) that are not on the map by default.
For example: if the map maker didn’t put zombies on the map, you can’t spawn any zombies there.
If you try to, the server will crash and you’ll end up in the main menu.
The same applies to any object that has its own model, sprite or sound.
There’s yet another annoying limitation regarding monsters.
They will always spawn inside you, because the only way to spawn them is to use the give command.
I implemented a workaround to this problem but it’s far from perfect.
Anti-stuck is a set of scripts that manipulate gravity allowing you to spawn monsters without getting stuck inside of them. As I already mentioned, it’s far from perfect. It doesn’t work at all when you are trying to spawn flying objects. It often malfunctions when you are trying to spawn something while standing on top of an existing entity.
If you want to use it in multiplayer you need rcon access.
Smaller monsters like rats and headcrabs use a simplified script that doesn’t change the gravity.
You will not need rcon access for these.
It’s possible to disable Anti-stuck in the “Monsters” tab.
In multiplayer, if your ping is high, the gravity may not reset to default after spawning a monster and you’ll be stuck in the air. I tried to make a workaround to that by making anti-stuck send a lot of sv_gravity commands to rcon, but what a surprise it still doesn’t always work.
The best way to get around that is to make a bind that resets the gravity do default.
Just spam the bound key when the gravity doesn’t reset.
Of course, it’s all multiplayer related stuff. If you’re playing alone, or you’re the host, you don’t have to worry about any of these.
Some entities in the “Monsters” and “Items” tabs have tags next to their names.
Below you’ll find their meanings.
Note: Rats are not deletable, but can be killed with explosions or gluon gun.
Map
The menu comes with a map: mscm_crossfire.
It’s a modified version of crossfire that allows spawning monsters and adds various things to make the gameplay more fun.
Disclaimer: I am a bad mapper, the map may be unoptimized and buggy.
- improved lighting
- a possibility to spawn any monster or item
- you can fight on the rooftops and on top of the base
- a stationary machinegun on the rooftops
- two driveable go-karts (they’re actually trains, vanilla Half-Life doesn’t support real cars)
- a train that will transport you to the base and back
- hev chargers and jump module in the base
- a secret hideout
- a secret button that engages a HECU raid
- a secret portal to Xen
Don’t spawn monsters in the center of the heli pads. There’s a hidden trapdoor in here and spawning a monster will make you stuck in it. Also forget I said anything about a hidden trapdoor.
I might update this map in the future. It lacks a few things in my opinion.
I can give the .map file to anyone interested in editing it, but beware – it takes a very long time to compile.
If I update mscm_crossfire or make a new map, I’ll post it here.
Toolgun
Toolgun allows you to bind various actions to a single button.
Below you’ll find a list of available tools and their description.
Deletes NPCs: monsters, scientists etc.
It can also delete activated tripmines.
Spawns a puddle of blood where your crosshair is pointing at. Works just like spray.
Spawns gibs and blood at your position. This tool is useless just like the blood sprayer, but it’s still there because why not.
Pressing the toolgun button with this tool activated will place a tripmine and automatically give you a new one. It’s good if you want to place a lot of tripmines quickly. Make sure you have tripmines equipped before using it. Otherwise you will just shoot whatever gun you have in your hands.
Useful when you want to detonate a lot of satchel charges. When you run out of them, press the toolgun button. It will automatically drop the detonator and give you new ones, so you can continue throwing them around. Dropping the detonator is necessary. You won’t be able to pick new satchel charges without doing that.
This tool allows you to quickly keep spawning the same monster without having to open the menu.
Spawns a HECU grunt where your mouse is pointing at. It will crash the server if the map doesn’t have grunts spawned on it by default. Too bad you can’t do this with the rest of the monsters.
Press the toolgun button to decrease the gravity and jump, release it to turn gravity back to normal and fall. It won’t work on multiplayer unless you have rcon access. Note that this will affect all players on the server when you use it.
Press the toolgun button to zoom in, release it to zoom out. It always resets the FOV back to 90. If you used custom FOV, you’ll have to set it back manually. Or you can always edit line 33, column 116 of mscm.cfg and put your custom FOV there, but please do that only if you know what you’re doing.
If you have the jump module, you will instantly long jump after pressing the toolgun button, without having to use the standard duck+jump combination.
Gives you 7 medkits (enough to max out your health).
It will crash the server if medkits do not exist on the map by default.
Gives you 7 batteries (enough to max out your HEV).
It will crash the server if batteries do not exist on the map by default.
Combines quick heal and quick HEV.
Do I really have to explain this one.
It will display stats of the monster you’re looking at.
When you’re looking at an object it will display its model, sprite (if it has any), and texture names.
It will work only if developer mode is enabled. You can see outputs of this command in the console.
Makes the toolgun do nothing. No one will ever use this button.
Custom music
You can play custom music in game using the Music Player.
Go to your game’s directory, then open the valve_addon or valve folder (depending on where you extracted the menu’s files). Here you should find another folder called mp3.
Put all your mp3 files inside this folder, and name them with numbers from 01 to 15.
It should look like this:
The Track 01 button in the menu will play 01.mp3, Track 02 will play 02.mp3, etc.
If you want the buttons to display the names of your songs, you will have to manually edit them in by editing commandmenu.txt.
Usage in multiplayer
When you’re the host, there shouldn’t be any problem at all. In case you’re not the host, you need to enter the server’s rcon_password in the console to use commands that change server, gameplay, physics or map settings.
If your ping or packet loss are high the commands may not always work.
There might be an issue with rcon, where you get banned for “rcon hacking attempts”.
It happened to me twice when I was testing the menu on my friend’s server, but it doesn’t seem to be the command menu’s fault, so I can’t do anything about it.
Editing the menu
If you know how to create your own command menus, and you want to edit mine and perhaps add some of your own stuff, I have bad news for you. Command menu has a limit of 40 submenus, and my menu reached this limit. If you try to add any more submenus, the game will crash. You can still add buttons, but I’m almost sure that they are limited too.
Screenshots
Special thanks
Special thanks to:
For letting me test everything on his server.
Check out his rcon management tool.
[link]
For checking this guide for errors.