Valve unleashes Half-Life 2: Deathmatch

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Confirming suspicions, Valve releases a new multiplayer mode alongside the game's SDK; Steam instantly swamped.

When Half-Life 2 was released, many were disappointed that its only official multiplayer mode was Counter-Strike: Source, a re-creation of the original terrorists-vs.-commando Counter-Strike using Valve's Source engine. Well, it now appears that may soon change. When it released a patch for the stuttering problem that plagued many Half-Life 2 players, Valve announced that the game's Software Developers' Kit (SDK) would be released with a " surprise for the community."

Today, gamers were given a pretty strong hint at what that "surprise" would be. An image (pictured) appeared on the news page for Steam, Valve's download service, which appears to show a multiplayer deathwatch set in a map from Half-Life 2, not Counter-Strike: Source. A quick right click of the image gave further credence to this since, since it is name is "HL2DM.jpg"--the "DM" presumably being for "deathmatch." Above the image was a single word--"SOON."

News source: GameSpot

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#1 harrisonh1 on 01 Dec 2004 - 16:25

woo hoo.

(6 replies) #2 Mx² on 01 Dec 2004 - 16:35

This is amazing

#2.1 Callaway on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:15

finally, a reason to buy HL2.

#2.2 GL_RandomHero on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:18

The reason to buy the game was its single player.

#2.3 chorpeac on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:23

WTF...Haven't you even attempted or wanted to try to play single player?? This game will knock your underwear off!

#2.4 welshkid on 01 Dec 2004 - 18:42

wow looks great!

#2.5 Suddenly_Dead on 01 Dec 2004 - 22:22

From all accounts, it can be insanely laggy. This is possibly because of the maps having way too many movable objects.

Anyways, the big reason to buy Half-life 2, like Half-life 1, is because of the single player and the eventual multiplayer mods (and CS, if you're unlike myself and like it). Not that the DM wouldn't be fun, but having tons of mods to play and switch up the game play should be pretty interesting.

#2.6 Radium on 02 Dec 2004 - 03:29

It looks great!

Yeah, I expect many modifications and great maps for multiplayer! Real maps this time, so far games have only had boring maps, Counter-Strike have some nice maps but the gameplay is really boring and repetitive.

I still haven't tried the game. The sound stuttering problems have scared me but I'll be getting it for christmas.

And about the lag in deathmatch/multiplayer. What CPU do you have? Does it lag much?

#3 Neobond on 01 Dec 2004 - 16:36

YES!

#4 RaWShadow on 01 Dec 2004 - 16:43

Is it just me or is that magnum revolver way too powerful

(3 replies) #5 Mx² on 01 Dec 2004 - 16:44

The magnum revolver is one of my fav weapons

A headshot instant kill lol

#5.1 i like chips on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:24

yeah but it's harder to aim

#5.2 Surr3al on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:11

the magnum revolver was always really powerful, in hl1 and 2

#5.3 Varsity on 02 Dec 2004 - 09:32

It's easy to aim - in fact it's the most accurate gun in the game! Combine it with the HEV zoom exploit and it's a serious weakness. I'm sure it'll be sorted in time.

#6 qdave on 01 Dec 2004 - 16:48

amzing....going to try

(1 reply) #7 cub-x on 01 Dec 2004 - 16:51

oooohh boy.. can't wait till i get my CE version

#7.1 divertom15 on 02 Dec 2004 - 01:39

haha you didnt buy it from steam ill just rub it in your face that you bought retail

#8 i like chips on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:25

I would just like to say that Valve owns me

#9 wd40 on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:29

It's OUT!!! Close Steam and reopen it to update.

#10 _Dom_ on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:37

It Has Been Released!!!!!!

#11 piercehead on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:41

Totally funny- especially the fan!!!
Shame it's (unsurprisingly) so bloody laggy.

#12 Yakkob on 01 Dec 2004 - 17:53

Just had a good half-hour on this and totally loved it.
0wned a load of yanks on thier own server.
YEAH!!!!!!

Bring it on.

@Piercehead If you're in europe (UK) it will be laggy, as there is only US servers up at the mo.

#13 Gian-Pa on 01 Dec 2004 - 18:00

NICE but all servers are full or have lag

#14 vas on 01 Dec 2004 - 18:25

was fun when i tried it earlier this morning. very cool addition to an already good game.

#15 harrisonh1 on 01 Dec 2004 - 18:55

I got into a nice 8 player game and I must say that it was AMAZING. So much fun shooting random objects at each other.

#16 GambitADSL on 01 Dec 2004 - 19:52

in general if you are having problems downloading off steam, i find if you change your regional settings to somewhere else in the world, you can sometimes connect where servers are less swamped.

#17 Hills420 on 01 Dec 2004 - 19:57

I can't wait to get home. I left Steam on this morning when I left...

#18 Xero on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:08

You won't have it lol. Unless it was released last night. You need to restart steam to get it. It only takes a few min for me at least.

(1 reply) #19 Surr3al on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:12

I wonder if all the physics work is being done on the server side, because if it is that would explain the lag.

#19.1 Varsity on 02 Dec 2004 - 09:33

Yes, all the damaging objects are serverside. How would you kill people if they weren't?

(1 reply) #20 sin™ on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:25

Anyone else having probs displaying certain player models? Some show up as freakin' walkin porkupines.

#20.1 i like chips on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:35

haha no. that's why it's funny

#21 devinlamothe on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:34

Haha, the best is slamming someone in the back of a head with a radiator.

(1 reply) #22 Dark Warhawk on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:46

if they fix the lag and some more modes CTF, teamdeath match and what not, then it will be very playable. as of now though its junk

#22.1 starjax on 02 Dec 2004 - 18:07

It comes with 2 maps, playable with deathmatch or teamdeathmatch. Haven't experienced the lag, but have had friends who have experienced it. I suspect it may have to do with a learning curve on how to run a server among other things.

#23 dougkinzinger on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:54

Nice....very nice.

#24 obake on 01 Dec 2004 - 20:59

I played this last night right when it came out (got into one of the first 10 servers posted!), but it was laggy as all hell, unsurprisingly. I played again today, and it kicks ass. The GG is the greatest weapon EVER. Silky smooth 16-player DM, complete with physics, is might impressive, IMO. To be fair, though, the server that was on is just down the street from me, and I only had 3 latency on it.

#25 [C]Cathode on 01 Dec 2004 - 21:22

Lucky for some, eh?

It's mighty fun; can't wait for some new maps and optimised physics!

#26 Jstphish on 01 Dec 2004 - 21:41

This is the game that makes me want a newer PC to handle those graphics. I can imagine how much fun DM would be. *Sigh*

#27 ubelphenix on 01 Dec 2004 - 23:05

tried this today, it's completly awesome... the gravity gun is just awesome

(2 replies) #28 [ timko ] on 01 Dec 2004 - 23:23

EAT MY SINK

:o

#28.1 virtorio on 02 Dec 2004 - 00:18

WILL DO

#28.2 Fagutish on 02 Dec 2004 - 10:19

Sorry, I got the TOILET BOWL

#29 Another_Paul on 01 Dec 2004 - 23:49

This is excellent.

(1 reply) #30 Hills420 on 02 Dec 2004 - 02:25

I cannot even play this POS because of the lag. Its unbearable!!!!!!!

#30.1 2xSilverKnight on 02 Dec 2004 - 03:27

it's you noob !

And choose a good server and not with 32 players !!!

these maps are perfect for like 8 players

#31 2xSilverKnight on 02 Dec 2004 - 03:28

Steam news about yesterday's release

[QUOTE]
Last night at about 9:00 PST, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch was released. Earlier today there were about 12,000 simultaneous HL2DM players. People seem to have gotten the hang of tossing toilets and radiators and cars at each other pretty quickly.

Immediately after the release of HL2DM last night, users who run Source Engine games (including Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source) under DirectX 7 or who run with less than the recommended amount of RAM were affected by a game crash. This caused them to be unable to run HL2 or CS

for a short time. Shortly after midnight PST, we released a fix which cleared the problem up.

We're planning a small dedicated server release soon to improve weapon re-spawn behavior.

Also, If you're handy with Hammer (Valve's level editor), be sure to enter the HL2DM map contest.

We hope everyone's enjoying the game.[/QUOTE]

#32 DOGglee on 02 Dec 2004 - 04:48

great!

#33 X-Spyder on 02 Dec 2004 - 05:09

seriously laggy

#34 SoLiD_MasteR on 02 Dec 2004 - 08:16

LaGGy

but so damn fun

#35 GRex on 02 Dec 2004 - 15:27

Excellent!!!

#36 2xSilverKnight on 02 Dec 2004 - 19:21

it's not laggy if you go on a good server !!

#37 Hills420 on 10 Dec 2004 - 23:37

I still get lag on fast servers. ummmmmmmmm

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