Science and Industry
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Science and Industry is a unique, multiplayer, teamplay mod for the computer game Half-Life. Players assume the role of a security guard for one of two fictional corporations Amalgamated Fluorodynamics (AFD) and Midland Carbide Labs (MCL).
The main objective on the standard map type is to capture enemy scientists (who are non-player characters) while defending your own. This is accomplished by locating your enemies research labs, hitting one of the scientists there over the head with your briefcase and then taking him back to your company's administrator.
Additional scientists increase the rate of a company's income which can be considered the team's score.
Scientists also research new weapons, implants, armor upgrades and devices for their company. Each time a new technology is completed, players vote for the next one to be researched.
Originally an April Fool's joke, Science and Industry 2, a sequel for the Half-Life 2 engine, is planned.
Current version of the game is 1.1, released on December 14, 2006.
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[edit] Gameplay
Players spawn in the Cloning Facilities of their company, where they can find weapons and ammo crates, as well as health and armor chargers. At the start of the game, the only weapons available are a briefcase and a pistol, but this arsenal grows bigger as new weapons are researched by the scientists. Players decide which technology to research next by voting for it. The available technologies are divided in 5 branches: Weapons, Armor, Implants, Devices and Process Upgrades.
Players decide to either defend their company or attack the other company. It is usually recommended to have both defending players and attacking players. Attacking consists mainly of reaching the other company's laboratories, grabbing a scientist by knocking him out with the briefcase, and carrying back to the administrator. If a player dies while carrying a scientist, the scientist stays on the ground unconscious for a limited amount of time before teleporting back to his laboratories. During that time the original carrier or one of his teammates can pick up the scientist again. Some maps feature alternative objectives such as stealing resources (discs, biospecimen) or breaking computers. Defending consists mostly of protecting the company's laboratories, this is usually done by defending key areas (entries to the laboratories), killing intruders, and defending unconscious scientists.
So Science and Industry is similar to a Capture The Flag type of game, with a dynamic gameplay (players start as a simple security guard with a pistol and end as a biomechanical super human with a whole arsenal) and elements of strategy due to the choices players make when voting for technologies.
[edit] Objectives
A standard game lasts 30 minutes. The company with the most money at the end wins.
The main way to earn money is to have more scientists than the enemy. Each company starts with 3 scientists, so a company is making more money than the enemy corporation if it employs at least 4 scientists.
Some maps feature other objectives than capturing and protecting scientists. A first kind of alternative objective is breakables: these are computers or machinery that can be broken and cost money to replace. A second kind of alternative objective is resources: these are computer discs or research specimen that can be stolen and give a cash bonus.
Players also cost money to their company each time they die, since cloning them back to life is not free.
[edit] Weapons
- Briefcase (Mêlée weapon and used to capture scientists; becomes very powerful with the right implant.)
- Pistol (Starting weapon, low damage, very accurate.)
- Shotgun (High damage CQB weapon.)
- Tommy Gun (Medium damage midrange weapon.)
- Akimbo snUZIs (Pair of low damage but very accurate SMGs.)
- Note The Tommygun and Uzi's are the same, Sense 1.1
- Grenade (Timed explosive, similar to the one found in Half-Life.)
- Flesh-Eating Virus (Grenade like vial, eating up foes from within)
- Crossbow (High damage sniper weapon, similar to the one found in Half-Life.)
- Tau Cannon (Powerful energy weapon. Kicks player in opposite direction of fire allowing what is known as ‘Tau Jumping.’)
- Rocket Pistol (Fires medium damage rockets.)
[edit] Devices
- Radio (Plays annoying music that disturbs near-by scientists, reducing their efficiency)
- Cloaking Device (Enables the player to become invisible)
- Mindray (Increases the efficiency of the targeted scientist)
- (also lowers the other sides Scientists Efficiency)
- EMP Cannon (Can disables enemies' implants as well as Satchels, Tripmines and Radios)
- GI-Destabilizer (Causes sickness to the near-by enemies, slowing them down and making them vomit)
- Satchels (Explosives triggered remotely, like the ones found in Half-Life)
- Tripmines (Explosives triggered by a laser beam, like the ones found in Half-Life)
[edit] Implants
- Leg Upgrades (Increase the player's speed and reduce falling damage)
- Muscle Fiber Replacements (Increase health and mêlée damage, lower weapon recoil)
- Super Jump Module (Longer jump in the direction you face, either horizontal or vertical, also enables jumping off walls)
- Optical Implants (Enable zooming abilities on all weapons, increase damage of hitscan weapons)
- Ammunition Replicators (Increase the amount of ammo a player can carry and automatically replicate the ammo of the weapon the player is holding)
- Regenerative Biotechnology (Slowly regenerates health)
- Armor Upgrades (Increase armor)
- Regenerative Armor Technology (Slowly regenerates armor)
[edit] Movements
There are various non-obvious ways of moving in Science and Industry. These techniques are considered advanced skills, they allow the player to move faster and reach higher areas. A tutorial demo is available in the game to present these movements:
- Bunny Hopping: Performed by making alternating left and right half-turns with the mouse while jumping. The forward key must be released after the initial jump. The player keeps getting faster while bunny hopping and can turn freely while in the air. This technique is inherited from Quake.
- Strafe Jumping: A technique close to Bunny Hopping, this time performed without releasing the Forward key. This technique allows a player to move faster but only in a straight line (almost no air control). Strafe Jumping comes from Quake 2.
- Super Jumping and Wall Jumping: With the Super Jump Module researched, a player can perform a longer jump by holding forward and hitting the jump key. The jump is longer in the direction faced. A player can therefore perform a high jump by looking upward, or a long jump by looking straight ahead. This technique can also be used in the air as long as something solid stands behind the player, thus allowing Wall Jumps.
- Explosion Jumping: Explosive weapons will quickly propel the player in the air but inflict damage in the process. The rocket pistol and crossbow are the most frequently used.
- Tau Cannon Jumping: Charge the tau cannon, point at the wall or ground, then let go. The player takes no damage and is quickly propelled through the air. The most common weapon jump, and the fastest way of moving.
- EMP Cannon Climbing: Players can slowly ascend walls without taking damage. Seldom used.
- Crouch Sliding: Players can crouch after jumping to slide on the ground. This technique comes from Quake 4.
