# Level Details

Title:
  Lab17: SlimeLab (aka SlimeLab Part 2)
Version:
  1.1
Release Date:
  May 22, 2005
Get It At:
  Lab17: SlimeLab
Readme:
  lab17_slimelab.html -- the file you are reading now.
Variants:
  Lab17: SlimeLab (lab17_slimelab.bsp; 52 spawn points)
  Lab17: Quake (lab17_quake.bsp; 36 spawn points)
  (See the story behind the assorted levels which make up Lab17, if you're interested.)

Author:
  Peter Jones
Contact:
  Contact Pete
Website:
  Pete's Place :: Mapping

# Play Information

Game:
  Half-Life
Game Mode:
  DeathMatch
Level Name:
  Lab17: SlimeLab (aka SlimeLab Part 2)
Players:
  3-16 for SlimeLab.
  2-8 for Quake (playable with 2, but can be a little slow.)
Known Bugs:
  Software display mode cannot handle this level!

Base:
  New level mostly from scratch, some architecture adapted from my Lab17: Storage.
New Graphics:
  A few signs.

Installation:
  Place the .bsp files in your valve\maps directory.

# Build and Compile Information (Reference)

Build Time:
  Under construction (on and off) for three months.
Editor:
  Valve Hammer Editor 3.4
Additional:
  The Gimp (1.2 and 2.0) [to make the additional graphics]
  Wally 1.51B [to assemble the WAD file]
  XP-Cagey's P13 release of Merl's 1.7 build of Zoner's HL Compile Tools (ZHLT_1.7P13)

## Final Compile Parameters

- `hlcsg.exe -wadautodetect -wadinclude lab17_slimelab.wad lab17_slimelab`
- `hlbsp.exe lab17_slimelab`
- `hlvis.exe -full lab17_slimelab`
- `hlrad.exe -sparse -extra -dscale 1 -bounce 1 lab17_slimelab`
- `opt_plns.exe lab17_slimelab`

## Compile Time (on 3GHz P4)

- lab17_slimelab: 18h 34m 50s
- lab17_quake: 22h 4m 37s

# Other

## Description

Mid afternoon.

This is Research Lab #17, buried deep underground on a remote island. When the subterranean river of slime was first discovered, along with its unearthly fauna and mysterious crystalline growths, a nameless branch of the government scrambled to install a research facility to explore its potential for military applications. Soon after construction was completed, the installation suffered structural damage due to the inexorable growth of the crystals embedded in the surrounding rock. In particular, part of the rail tunnel -- connecting the laboratory itself with the warehouse and the outside world -- weakened and collapsed.

This level consists of the laboratory itself, and living quarters for the handful of scientists who spend their days here poking and prodding slime to see what makes it tick. Or squelch.

The entry section and warehouse exist separately as Lab17: Storage.

## Story

What story? It's DeathMatch: just kill anything that moves, and have fun!

## Features

All the weapons can be found in this level, but they are not necessarily easy to pick up (in fact, the Egon Backpack is visible in the Quake variant, but not accessible. It hasn't moved from its location in SlimeLab -- but you'll know why you can't get it when you see how the level has changed.) Watch your step -- and don't go swimming.

## Feedback

I would appreciate feedback from anybody who likes (or dislikes) this level. If you have something to say about this level, or an error to report, please contact me. Without feedback, how can I hope to improve? :-)

## Playtesting

Both versions of this level have been extensively playtested by the following people, all of whom have made comments contributing to the finished product:

- Shaun Barclay
- Ben Davies
- Peter Jones
- Karen McKavanagh
- Kim Stallard
- Grant Wheatley

SlimeLab seems to be slightly slow with only three people, but four to six seem to work out pretty well. I suspect it would support as many as sixteen players before becoming too crowded -- this is a large level! Quake has a smaller playable area, and while it can be a little slow with two people, three or more plays quite well.

## Comments

### Revision History

#### Version 1.1 -- May 22, 2005

This is (hopefully) the final release of SlimeLab and Quake. I have fixed all the glitches I could find. The worst ones were:

- The force-field generated by the two huge crystals in the outer West area would occasionally not disappear again when it should; this has been overhauled and now works differently; hopefully the changes have fixed the glitch!
- It was possible to spawn inside the pushable barrels; this has been prevented.

#### Version 1.0 -- April 5, 2005

After playing SlimeLab for a while, and putting the finishing touches on Quake, it is time to release them to the rest of the world. Some of the features I have added to these levels will also be flowed back into Storage, for the sake of consistency. For a more detailed look at the history of the intertwined development of all four Lab17 levels, see Lab17: History.

### Known Bugs

- I really blew the budget with this one. (One just needs to look at the compile times to see that!) Some areas are just way too complex for the software display driver to handle. All I can recommend is that you run this level under the OpenGL driver, or not at all. I am sorry if this inconveniences anyone, but I really cannot see a fix for it without completely redesigning the level. I promise my next level will be a lot more playable for all.

## Other Credits

Thanks go to the following:

- Valve Software, for producing this great game, and giving us the means of creating our own levels.
- The Playtesters (listed above) for their feedback and suggestions which helped make this level better than it would have been without them. Also for their "gentle nudging", which helped me stay focused on finishing! Particular thanks go to Ben Davies; we have held several design discussions, bouncing ideas back and forth, and these levels would not be half as good without his input.
- evilchild for the bunk bed prefab, which I found at the Prefab Lab (under 'Decorative'.) My beds are (very) loosely based on his -- which I actually found to be a little on the large side, so my first step was to scale them down. All that remains from the original prefab is the mattress design...
- Carlos Salgado for his flatbed train prefab. It fit my pre-determined rail spacing perfectly. I found it at the Prefab Lab (under 'Vehicles'.)
- Brian J. Audette (AKA Lord Dakushna) for the clock prefabs. Ever since I first saw them I've been wanting to include them in a level. I ended up modifying them somewhat -- I tweaked the rotation speed of the hour hand for accuracy, and changed the shape (and colour) of the second hand -- but without this prefab I'm not sure I'd have known where to start. I found it at the Prefab Lab (under 'Decorations'.)

## Other Levels

### Half Life: Deathmatch

- LavaLab
- LavaLab: Erupt (variant of LavaLab)
- Lab17: Storage
- Lab17: Flood (variant of Lab17: Storage)

## Copyright and Permissions

This level is copyrighted 2005 by Peter Jones.

You MAY distribute this level through any electronic network (internet, FIDO, local BBS, etc) provided you include this HTML file, and keep the ZIP archive intact.

You MAY include this level in the map rotation of a "free" internet HLDM server, but if you do so I'd really appreciate an email to let me know you're using it! You MAY NOT include it on your server if you are charging for access to play on the server!

This level MAY NOT be included with any compilation packs UNLESS you ask me first and I grant permission.

You MAY NOT make a profit from this level without direct signed permission from me.

You MAY NOT modify this level (or any of the files in this distribution) in any way, nor may you use it as a base or template for your own level.

In other words: give it to your buddies, play it as much as you like, but give credit where credit is due, and if you are going to make money from this level, I want some too!