Scornkeeper
@scornkeeper.bsky.social
A profile dedicated predominantly to posting Dark Interval facts and some Source Engine things. SFW.
See https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhbfQEaWd5MPiSEm4Ll23inE7ClMBWpYG for a collection of Source Engine shenanigans.
See https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhbfQEaWd5MPiSEm4Ll23inE7ClMBWpYG for a collection of Source Engine shenanigans.
Did you know November is the most Half-Life filled month of the year?
Besides HL 1&2, November in different years saw the releases of:
HL SDK (25.11.98)
Opposing Force (19.11.99)
Decay (14.11.01)
Source SDK (5.11.04)
HL:Source (16.11.04)
HL2:Deathmatch (30.11.04)
As well as Garry's Mod (29.11.06).
Besides HL 1&2, November in different years saw the releases of:
HL SDK (25.11.98)
Opposing Force (19.11.99)
Decay (14.11.01)
Source SDK (5.11.04)
HL:Source (16.11.04)
HL2:Deathmatch (30.11.04)
As well as Garry's Mod (29.11.06).
November 1, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Did you know November is the most Half-Life filled month of the year?
Besides HL 1&2, November in different years saw the releases of:
HL SDK (25.11.98)
Opposing Force (19.11.99)
Decay (14.11.01)
Source SDK (5.11.04)
HL:Source (16.11.04)
HL2:Deathmatch (30.11.04)
As well as Garry's Mod (29.11.06).
Besides HL 1&2, November in different years saw the releases of:
HL SDK (25.11.98)
Opposing Force (19.11.99)
Decay (14.11.01)
Source SDK (5.11.04)
HL:Source (16.11.04)
HL2:Deathmatch (30.11.04)
As well as Garry's Mod (29.11.06).
Before and after:
October 26, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Before and after:
Before and after:
October 26, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Before and after:
Lost Coast's 20th anniversary is near.
For years it made it a little sad that it's filled with these small but noticeable flaws that'd take very little work to fix.
The 2025 Anniversary Update mostly didn't touch LC. The flaws remain.
But, and I have it on good authority, this is about to change.
For years it made it a little sad that it's filled with these small but noticeable flaws that'd take very little work to fix.
The 2025 Anniversary Update mostly didn't touch LC. The flaws remain.
But, and I have it on good authority, this is about to change.
October 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Lost Coast's 20th anniversary is near.
For years it made it a little sad that it's filled with these small but noticeable flaws that'd take very little work to fix.
The 2025 Anniversary Update mostly didn't touch LC. The flaws remain.
But, and I have it on good authority, this is about to change.
For years it made it a little sad that it's filled with these small but noticeable flaws that'd take very little work to fix.
The 2025 Anniversary Update mostly didn't touch LC. The flaws remain.
But, and I have it on good authority, this is about to change.
Flat View in SLE is quite different from Hammer's. Working on DI, I wanted a way to tell, at a glance, tri counts on models that needed LODs and/or fade distances set for performance. It was then considered useful enough to keep.
It is also partially inspired by UE3's "shader complexity" view mode.
It is also partially inspired by UE3's "shader complexity" view mode.
October 20, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Flat View in SLE is quite different from Hammer's. Working on DI, I wanted a way to tell, at a glance, tri counts on models that needed LODs and/or fade distances set for performance. It was then considered useful enough to keep.
It is also partially inspired by UE3's "shader complexity" view mode.
It is also partially inspired by UE3's "shader complexity" view mode.
Making pre-creation previews of primitives was pretty fun and a little bit painful. To be true to the to-be-created shapes, it had to mostly be drawn point by point, line by line, w/ the sphere taking the longest to figure out.
I've wanted these previews for years and now I'm really glad.
I've wanted these previews for years and now I'm really glad.
October 17, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Making pre-creation previews of primitives was pretty fun and a little bit painful. To be true to the to-be-created shapes, it had to mostly be drawn point by point, line by line, w/ the sphere taking the longest to figure out.
I've wanted these previews for years and now I'm really glad.
I've wanted these previews for years and now I'm really glad.
My main inspiration for adding 3-Point Clipping was the BSP Editor. It goes back to 1996 & was used by Valve with HL before switching to Worldcraft.
Though 3-P. Clip. wasn't added to it until 2010s when fans started updating BSP (it being open-source).
I think it's damn neat.
bspquakeeditor.com
Though 3-P. Clip. wasn't added to it until 2010s when fans started updating BSP (it being open-source).
I think it's damn neat.
bspquakeeditor.com
October 16, 2025 at 9:21 AM
My main inspiration for adding 3-Point Clipping was the BSP Editor. It goes back to 1996 & was used by Valve with HL before switching to Worldcraft.
Though 3-P. Clip. wasn't added to it until 2010s when fans started updating BSP (it being open-source).
I think it's damn neat.
bspquakeeditor.com
Though 3-P. Clip. wasn't added to it until 2010s when fans started updating BSP (it being open-source).
I think it's damn neat.
bspquakeeditor.com
Did you know that in Hammer, if your selection is obstructed by something (like a transparent model), you can click Page Down to "cycle selection" and select what's behind the obstruction?
In SLE the hotkey's shared with '3' (faster to reach).
(Page Up and '4' do the same in opposite direction)
In SLE the hotkey's shared with '3' (faster to reach).
(Page Up and '4' do the same in opposite direction)
October 15, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Did you know that in Hammer, if your selection is obstructed by something (like a transparent model), you can click Page Down to "cycle selection" and select what's behind the obstruction?
In SLE the hotkey's shared with '3' (faster to reach).
(Page Up and '4' do the same in opposite direction)
In SLE the hotkey's shared with '3' (faster to reach).
(Page Up and '4' do the same in opposite direction)
September 2005.
New school year begins and I learn from classmates about a new-ish game "Half-Life 2" (had no Internet, didn't read gaming magazines, didn't know).
I've been playing HL2 for 20 years now. While I have many favourite games, this one's the dearest, and must've influenced me the most.
New school year begins and I learn from classmates about a new-ish game "Half-Life 2" (had no Internet, didn't read gaming magazines, didn't know).
I've been playing HL2 for 20 years now. While I have many favourite games, this one's the dearest, and must've influenced me the most.
September 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
September 2005.
New school year begins and I learn from classmates about a new-ish game "Half-Life 2" (had no Internet, didn't read gaming magazines, didn't know).
I've been playing HL2 for 20 years now. While I have many favourite games, this one's the dearest, and must've influenced me the most.
New school year begins and I learn from classmates about a new-ish game "Half-Life 2" (had no Internet, didn't read gaming magazines, didn't know).
I've been playing HL2 for 20 years now. While I have many favourite games, this one's the dearest, and must've influenced me the most.
HL2 Lost Coast Trivia
Those who pay extreme attention may notice that each time you start Lost Coast, a board falls from the sky and splashes near the Fisherman.
This is because on spawn, one of the boards on Helicopter arena clips into scaffolding collisions and gets forced out by the physics.
Those who pay extreme attention may notice that each time you start Lost Coast, a board falls from the sky and splashes near the Fisherman.
This is because on spawn, one of the boards on Helicopter arena clips into scaffolding collisions and gets forced out by the physics.
August 30, 2025 at 9:39 AM
HL2 Lost Coast Trivia
Those who pay extreme attention may notice that each time you start Lost Coast, a board falls from the sky and splashes near the Fisherman.
This is because on spawn, one of the boards on Helicopter arena clips into scaffolding collisions and gets forced out by the physics.
Those who pay extreme attention may notice that each time you start Lost Coast, a board falls from the sky and splashes near the Fisherman.
This is because on spawn, one of the boards on Helicopter arena clips into scaffolding collisions and gets forced out by the physics.
HL2 Lost Coast Trivia.
A rock near the ship wreck was intended to have seagull poop splattered over it. Except, it was moved during development. The decals ended up being too far from it, & they use the wrong class (work only on brushes).
Not to worry: just shy of 20 years later, I fixed it all.
A rock near the ship wreck was intended to have seagull poop splattered over it. Except, it was moved during development. The decals ended up being too far from it, & they use the wrong class (work only on brushes).
Not to worry: just shy of 20 years later, I fixed it all.
August 29, 2025 at 10:19 PM
HL2 Lost Coast Trivia.
A rock near the ship wreck was intended to have seagull poop splattered over it. Except, it was moved during development. The decals ended up being too far from it, & they use the wrong class (work only on brushes).
Not to worry: just shy of 20 years later, I fixed it all.
A rock near the ship wreck was intended to have seagull poop splattered over it. Except, it was moved during development. The decals ended up being too far from it, & they use the wrong class (work only on brushes).
Not to worry: just shy of 20 years later, I fixed it all.
HL2 EP2 nonsense:
Sifting through the code, came across command "striderbuster_allow_all_damage 0". It prevents anyone but player from detonating Magnusson Devices.
"Sweet", I thought, "I'll just switch it on and let rebels blow up Striders w/ bombs."
Well it works. But it also blows up the game.
Sifting through the code, came across command "striderbuster_allow_all_damage 0". It prevents anyone but player from detonating Magnusson Devices.
"Sweet", I thought, "I'll just switch it on and let rebels blow up Striders w/ bombs."
Well it works. But it also blows up the game.
August 2, 2025 at 10:19 PM
HL2 EP2 nonsense:
Sifting through the code, came across command "striderbuster_allow_all_damage 0". It prevents anyone but player from detonating Magnusson Devices.
"Sweet", I thought, "I'll just switch it on and let rebels blow up Striders w/ bombs."
Well it works. But it also blows up the game.
Sifting through the code, came across command "striderbuster_allow_all_damage 0". It prevents anyone but player from detonating Magnusson Devices.
"Sweet", I thought, "I'll just switch it on and let rebels blow up Striders w/ bombs."
Well it works. But it also blows up the game.
The last part of the trail: cut, but not forgotten.
The EP2 Trailer shows a control room near the rocket's engines. That early map has a script w/ rebels dropping a crate; bunch of stuff spills out. Including pumpkins.
So, rebels had a pumpkin operation spanning the region.
Also, Sweepy's there.
The EP2 Trailer shows a control room near the rocket's engines. That early map has a script w/ rebels dropping a crate; bunch of stuff spills out. Including pumpkins.
So, rebels had a pumpkin operation spanning the region.
Also, Sweepy's there.
July 30, 2025 at 2:31 PM
The last part of the trail: cut, but not forgotten.
The EP2 Trailer shows a control room near the rocket's engines. That early map has a script w/ rebels dropping a crate; bunch of stuff spills out. Including pumpkins.
So, rebels had a pumpkin operation spanning the region.
Also, Sweepy's there.
The EP2 Trailer shows a control room near the rocket's engines. That early map has a script w/ rebels dropping a crate; bunch of stuff spills out. Including pumpkins.
So, rebels had a pumpkin operation spanning the region.
Also, Sweepy's there.
HL2 EP2 Trivia: The Pumpkin Trail
Ep2 adds pumpkins. The first 3 can be found at the farm before the Advisor. There're dead rebels; stands to reason they visited/used the farm. Station 21 isn't very far.
Next 4 are after White Forest Inn, on the road to WF Base. The inn also was used by rebels.
Ep2 adds pumpkins. The first 3 can be found at the farm before the Advisor. There're dead rebels; stands to reason they visited/used the farm. Station 21 isn't very far.
Next 4 are after White Forest Inn, on the road to WF Base. The inn also was used by rebels.
July 30, 2025 at 2:31 PM
HL2 EP2 Trivia: The Pumpkin Trail
Ep2 adds pumpkins. The first 3 can be found at the farm before the Advisor. There're dead rebels; stands to reason they visited/used the farm. Station 21 isn't very far.
Next 4 are after White Forest Inn, on the road to WF Base. The inn also was used by rebels.
Ep2 adds pumpkins. The first 3 can be found at the farm before the Advisor. There're dead rebels; stands to reason they visited/used the farm. Station 21 isn't very far.
Next 4 are after White Forest Inn, on the road to WF Base. The inn also was used by rebels.
HL2 EP2 Trivia:
It's been known since 2007 that Ep2 Lamarr has an unused animation "lamarr_space" where she's floating.
Only now I found out the pre-release version of Ep2's last level, from March 2007, calls for a Lamarr camera entity before rolling credits. The entity, however, is missing.
It's been known since 2007 that Ep2 Lamarr has an unused animation "lamarr_space" where she's floating.
Only now I found out the pre-release version of Ep2's last level, from March 2007, calls for a Lamarr camera entity before rolling credits. The entity, however, is missing.
July 29, 2025 at 11:48 PM
HL2 EP2 Trivia:
It's been known since 2007 that Ep2 Lamarr has an unused animation "lamarr_space" where she's floating.
Only now I found out the pre-release version of Ep2's last level, from March 2007, calls for a Lamarr camera entity before rolling credits. The entity, however, is missing.
It's been known since 2007 that Ep2 Lamarr has an unused animation "lamarr_space" where she's floating.
Only now I found out the pre-release version of Ep2's last level, from March 2007, calls for a Lamarr camera entity before rolling credits. The entity, however, is missing.
DI Trivia (it's been a while):
DI's Combine Soldiers, Metrocops, Citizens, and Stalkers have extra AI to shoot already dead enemies "for good measure". It may seem trivial, accidental and hard to notice, but it was intentionally copied from Alyx's Episodic AI (the only such instance in the games).
DI's Combine Soldiers, Metrocops, Citizens, and Stalkers have extra AI to shoot already dead enemies "for good measure". It may seem trivial, accidental and hard to notice, but it was intentionally copied from Alyx's Episodic AI (the only such instance in the games).
July 26, 2025 at 10:52 PM
DI Trivia (it's been a while):
DI's Combine Soldiers, Metrocops, Citizens, and Stalkers have extra AI to shoot already dead enemies "for good measure". It may seem trivial, accidental and hard to notice, but it was intentionally copied from Alyx's Episodic AI (the only such instance in the games).
DI's Combine Soldiers, Metrocops, Citizens, and Stalkers have extra AI to shoot already dead enemies "for good measure". It may seem trivial, accidental and hard to notice, but it was intentionally copied from Alyx's Episodic AI (the only such instance in the games).
HL2 investigation:
The broken pistol texture in Arkane's Ravenholm is the usual pistol texture from HL2; they must've changed the UV and not the texture. I painted the recognisable elements here. The dead giveaway to me is the little circle above the index fingertip, comes from the grip part.
The broken pistol texture in Arkane's Ravenholm is the usual pistol texture from HL2; they must've changed the UV and not the texture. I painted the recognisable elements here. The dead giveaway to me is the little circle above the index fingertip, comes from the grip part.
July 22, 2025 at 12:53 AM
HL2 investigation:
The broken pistol texture in Arkane's Ravenholm is the usual pistol texture from HL2; they must've changed the UV and not the texture. I painted the recognisable elements here. The dead giveaway to me is the little circle above the index fingertip, comes from the grip part.
The broken pistol texture in Arkane's Ravenholm is the usual pistol texture from HL2; they must've changed the UV and not the texture. I painted the recognisable elements here. The dead giveaway to me is the little circle above the index fingertip, comes from the grip part.
HL2, decided to freshen up this area for a side project.
July 15, 2025 at 6:55 PM
HL2, decided to freshen up this area for a side project.
In HL2, I've always loved this crude brush security camera in the first level of Entanglement. Now I just found out it has two counterparts in its last level, albeit tucked away in an out of bounds area. They serve to guide actual camera entities when Alyx uses the monitors.
July 14, 2025 at 9:59 AM
In HL2, I've always loved this crude brush security camera in the first level of Entanglement. Now I just found out it has two counterparts in its last level, albeit tucked away in an out of bounds area. They serve to guide actual camera entities when Alyx uses the monitors.
If you see this, quote post with a robot that isn't from Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who or Transformers.
Robot Grunt from Half-Life
Robot Grunt from Half-Life
July 10, 2025 at 6:59 PM
If you see this, quote post with a robot that isn't from Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who or Transformers.
Robot Grunt from Half-Life
Robot Grunt from Half-Life
HL2: a test of replacing regular toxic slime (lightmappedgeneric that uses a cubemap) with flowmapped water shader (based on Alien Swarm) that combines realtime reflection and flowing sludge layer on top.
July 5, 2025 at 7:41 PM
HL2: a test of replacing regular toxic slime (lightmappedgeneric that uses a cubemap) with flowmapped water shader (based on Alien Swarm) that combines realtime reflection and flowing sludge layer on top.
Turns out there's another such window on the first staircase, facing the raid corridor. Both windows are also set up to be breakable, but they share data, so breaking one affects the other.
June 29, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Turns out there's another such window on the first staircase, facing the raid corridor. Both windows are also set up to be breakable, but they share data, so breaking one affects the other.
HL2 Trivia:
In Point Insertion, this white window has a small wall behind it, secluded in its own tiny sky box. It was apparently meant to be visible, but the white light-emitting brush was not set up to be invisible like every other window in the level.
In Point Insertion, this white window has a small wall behind it, secluded in its own tiny sky box. It was apparently meant to be visible, but the white light-emitting brush was not set up to be invisible like every other window in the level.
June 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
HL2 Trivia:
In Point Insertion, this white window has a small wall behind it, secluded in its own tiny sky box. It was apparently meant to be visible, but the white light-emitting brush was not set up to be invisible like every other window in the level.
In Point Insertion, this white window has a small wall behind it, secluded in its own tiny sky box. It was apparently meant to be visible, but the white light-emitting brush was not set up to be invisible like every other window in the level.
DI Trivia:
The crane in Eli's Junkyard is mostly based on the ДЭК (DEK) 401 model. Some artistic liberties were taken here and there. The main point of it was to replace the brush-based crane from the leak.
The stats, for those curious, is 3757 tris and 2048x1024 texture size.
The crane in Eli's Junkyard is mostly based on the ДЭК (DEK) 401 model. Some artistic liberties were taken here and there. The main point of it was to replace the brush-based crane from the leak.
The stats, for those curious, is 3757 tris and 2048x1024 texture size.
May 27, 2025 at 6:54 PM
DI Trivia:
The crane in Eli's Junkyard is mostly based on the ДЭК (DEK) 401 model. Some artistic liberties were taken here and there. The main point of it was to replace the brush-based crane from the leak.
The stats, for those curious, is 3757 tris and 2048x1024 texture size.
The crane in Eli's Junkyard is mostly based on the ДЭК (DEK) 401 model. Some artistic liberties were taken here and there. The main point of it was to replace the brush-based crane from the leak.
The stats, for those curious, is 3757 tris and 2048x1024 texture size.