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Human Error Coop: Beta 1.0.6 Patch Released And Source Code Release

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Human Error is an episodic series of mods taking place in the HL2 universe, as part of the greater “Half-Life 2: Short Stories” series. Episode One was released in February of 2010, and it is by far one of the best HL2 mods we’ve ever played. It represents a return to the days when Half-Life mods were refreshing, innovative, amazingly detailed and just all around excellent. Episode Two, or Human Error 2, if you prefer, is on a sort of hiatus, as the HL2:SS team is currently busy with their new project: Water.

Human Error Coop: Beta 1.0.6 Patch Released And Source Code Release

The team also did Human Error Coop, which features Traitor Mode, a game mode where you and your friends/random internet strangers take the role of the 4-man Civil Protection squad from Human Error (Noah, Eloise, Larson and Anders), tasked with protecting an Overwatch base from a Resistance attack. You must protect the base’s mainframe from the Resistance AI attackers. Of course, there’s a catch. At the start of each round, one of the players is anonymously chosen to be the Traitor. He must use subterfuge to sabotage the base’s interface terminals, so that the Resistance can destroy the mainframe, while simultaneously maintaining his cover. If the Traitor is caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he must switch allegiances and fight alongside the rebels. Just like Human Error itself, Traitor Mode features some very interesting and innovative gameplay mechanics. It lacks some of the polish, but it’s just as impressive and well done.

Human Error Coop has just received a new patch, updating it to version Beta 1.0.6. Map voting is added, and a number of smaller bugs are fixed. Two official HL2:SS servers have also been established for Traitor Mode, which is delightful, since the main problem with the mod is the lack of servers. You can find the patch at ModDB or at the official HL2:SS website. The team’s recent source code release should also be of interest to anyone interested in the mod. They’re previously given away the code for their interactive Manhacks, and their Alien Grunts and Controllers, but this is the motherlode itself. You can download the source using Tortoise SVN, from this page. Note that much of the code is quite old and was created at a time when the team wasn’t as experienced as they are now. They then go into detail on Human Error’s future:

So, with this release, you might be wondering: what about Human Error – Episode Two? Well, currently we are working, as you might know, on Water. Water is a third person adventure-puzzle game, and it’s the type of thing we might be interested in doing more of down the line. Whilst doing mods within the Half-Life 2 universe is easier and has its own appeal, creating our own worlds is starting to become much more interesting.

Human Error took more than two and a half years to finish. In my opinion, this is already quite a long time to do a single episode. The idea to work on the same thing right away is not the most interesting one. As a mod developer you want to be able to try new things and new ideas, rather than be stuck on the same project with ideas and story you already came up with years ago – you don’t want to keep working in the same framework. If you were working for a company, you might not have a choice. But as mod developer, you want a shorter time span for your project. Currently Water is supposed to take about a year to develop, and we plan the same for our next project. That’s not to say Human Error – Episode Two doesn’t exist however. We already have some plans and ideas for it, but nothing that really make us all that excited.

We don’t really have anything like the Controllable Manhacks, which for us was a big hook the first time around. The plan was, at one point, to make HE2 part as a co-op campaign, but making a multiplayer mod needs a bigger crew, with more playtesters and servers to test the mod on. It’s something that would be harder to organize for a team that has always been a little on the small side. So, whilst we haven’t given up on Human Error, right now our minds are on other adventures. With Water we are trying out all kinds of new gameplay features that we wouldn’t be able to do in the FPS world of Human Error, and we’re having a lot of fun doing it. Hopefully you’ll like it too.

Sounds good. It may be a while until we see Human Error again, but we’re sure when we do finally see it again, it’ll be the best it can possibly be. And Water also looks very promising. Speaking of Water, the team is looking for two voice actresses for the mod’s pain sounds, attacking sounds, laughter, breathing sounds, etc. The two characters in question are Water herself, and the mod’s main villain. If you’re interested, be sure to contact Au-heppa, or Henri. And, if you’ve never played Human Error: Episode One or Human Error Coop, be sure to check them out at HL2:SS’s official site.

2 Comments

  1. Human Error is by far one of my favorite Mods for Half-Life 2. I honestly wish they were working on HE. but its understandabull that they want to keep fresh. I can’t wait to see their next game, they have sure made a fan boy out of me. I realy want to play HE. again so badly, but my stuped motherbord died. So until the Holliday season I suppose. :/

  2. Why have I not heard of this before?! :O

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