Strangle Yard
Half Life 2
Document Date: 1/29/2007
Designer: Adam Reynolds
Intended Level Delivery Date: 2/8/2007
Strangle Yard
Half –Life 2
Table of Contents
Revision Notes ................................................................................................. 3
Quick Summary ............................................................................................... 4
Overview......................................................................................................... 4
Objective Summary.................................................................................. 4
Campaign ............................................................................................... 4
Mission Location ...................................................................................... 4
Mission Difficulty ...................................................................................... 5
Mission Metrics ........................................................................................ 5
Details ............................................................................................................ 6
Level Atmosphere/Mood ........................................................................... 6
Story ...................................................................................................... 6
Major Areas/Visual Themes ....................................................................... 6
Alleyway / Backyard ........................................................................... 6
Map Objectives ........................................................................................ 9
Challenge Highlights ............................................................................... 10
Actors .................................................................................................. 10
Player ................................................................................................ 10
Key Actors ......................................................................................... 10
Father Gregori ................................................................................. 10
Supporting Actors ............................................................................... 11
Black Headcrab ................................................................................ 11
Fast Zombie .................................................................................... 11
User Interface ....................................................................................... 11
Gameplay ............................................................................................. 12
Gameplay Mechanics ........................................................................... 12
Map(s) ............................................................................................... 12
Key ................................................................................................ 12
Four Questions ...................................................................................... 12
Sketch(s) ........................................................................................ 12
Level Progression Chart ............................................................................. 14
Walkthrough/Detailed Map Description ........................................................ 15
Area 1.1 ............................................................................................ 15
Area 1.2 ............................................................................................ 18
Adam Reynolds
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Level Design Document
Strangle Yard
Half –Life 2
Revision Notes
12/19/05 – Initial version of document
Adam Reynolds
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Level Design Document
Strangle Yard
Half –Life 2
Quick Summary
The player has to maneuver through father Gregori’s traps.
Overview

The player begins outside of a building in a type of alleyway. This alleyway
has a series of headcrabs and some fast zombies. It also has some physics
puzzle traps that are available for the player to use to their advantage. The
player rushes through the alley crushing nearby fast zombies and headcrabs
working their way to the end of the alleyway. As the player reaches the dead
end, they discover they can use a car in order to bypass the large fence. The
player leaps over the fence to discover a series of traps that father Gregori
has setup. The player can use these traps to their advantage. The other trick
with the traps is that they can kill the player at the same time if not careful.
The player moves towards some rotating blades that are located in a strange
setup. If the player runs into the traps, they will surely die. The player throws
some metal into the trap or hastily runs through some of them to take control
of the trigger and use them to their advantage against the headcrabs. The
player then ventures forward towards some pitfall that Father Gregori
created. The player uses the sturdy planks to their advantage and does not
fall into the pit. The player then dodges a few more headcrabs and a zombie
or two. The player then escalates towards a stairwell that unfortunately has
some missing pieces. The player is given the choice to attempt the jump or
modify the stairwell with some physics objects. If the player falls though they
will take serious damage. Once the player scales the broken stair well they
move to safety to the window on the edge of the building jumping through
and moving on to the next area.
Objective Summary
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Get to father Gregori who is on the higher ledge of the buildings at the end of
the alleyway.
Kill the headcrabs
Kill the zombies
Stay alive
Campaign

Stranglehold: A small alleyway that has zombies and headcrabs frequent the
area often. This alleyway also leads to Father Gregori’s living quarters. The
player is to move through the set of traps that he has set.
Mission Location
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Ravenholm
Night
Fall
Brisk
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Strangle Yard
Half –Life 2
Mission Difficulty
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The start of the level begins at a medium pace. The player is introduced to
some headcrabs and a fast zombie as well as a puzzle element.
Within the middle the pace is toned down a bit for the player to just move
through the puzzles.
The end of the level will have a cool off period once the player surpasses the
last of the headcrabs.
Mission Metrics
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The play time is estimated to be around two to three minutes
2048x1024
Estimated to be the size of a football field
Visual Themes:3
o Old buildings
o Alleyway / Backyard
o Pitfall
o Room inside building
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Level Design Document
Strangle Yard
Half –Life 2
Details
Level Atmosphere/Mood

It is a dark alleyway / backyard to two areas within Ravenholm. The map
takes place at night with cloudy skies and a full moon. There are crows
pecking away at dead bodies that are littering the back alleyway. Father
Gregori is waiting for Gordon to get through the series of traps he has set
that leads to his living quarters.
Story
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

Introduction
o The mission follows a similar dialogue to that of the typical Ravenholm
missions. The player is to meet up with Father Gregori within his living
quarters and is told to watch the traps.
In-Game
o The player begins outside of a doorway of a building they just came
from in a previous area.
o The player is pushed towards a series of puzzles and enemy
encounters the first of which is a series of car gravity puzzles.
o The next puzzle the player encounters a large fence they have to scale
by using the car puzzle.
o Father Gregori yells to the player to watch out for the incoming traps
and to be careful.
o The player moves through a series of propeller type traps that are
spinning rotors that can kill on impact.
o The player has two options of throwing materials either to break the
rotor traps or try to time it to get past it and use the traps to their
advantage against the zombies and headcrabs.
o The player then moves toward a rickety pitfall area where they have to
use the gravity gun in order to move the planks in place to create a
bridge to move over to the next area. Once the player moves out of
this area they move into the stairwell that is missing some pieces and
the player can pickup to complete the construction of the full stairwell.
o The player makes it up top and is attacked by a fast zombie, the
player eliminates the fast zombie with brute force and then enters into
Father Gregori’s living quarters.
Extro
o The player meets up with Father Gregori.
Major Areas/Visual Themes
Alleyway / Backyard

Littered with garbage and strange traps and concoctions the player uses some
of these to his cause. This will be the main setting the player interacts with,
within this level. The alleyway contains garbage and debris of its last
occupants, many of which are dead. It has the look of an alleyway but its true
purpose in the past was that of a backyard. A connected garage to one of the
old inhabited buildings gave Father Gregori a way to use those spare parts to
his advantage in order to take out the deadly foes that lurked within the area.
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Strangle Yard

Half –Life 2
Visual References
o Models/Architecture
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
o
Textures/Lighting
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Strangle Yard
Half –Life 2
o
o
Characters/Vehicles
o
Black Headcrab
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Fast Zombie
Father Gregori
Map Objectives
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
Get to Father Gregori’s living quarters and meet up with him.
Kill all hostiles within the area
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Half –Life 2
Challenge Highlights
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Combat
o Crowbar and the Gravity gun play a big role within the combat of this
level.
Puzzles
o There are several puzzles and traps within this area, the first being the
car pulley. The car pulley system kills enemies and can be used to
bypasses certain areas.
o There is a physics puzzle involving rotors and spinning metal that the
player can use to their advantage or against themselves if they don’t
use the tools properly.
o Another physics puzzle involves the gravity gun and laying down
boards in order to bypass a pitfall.
o The last puzzle the player has to do in order to complete the level is
build a bridge using the gravity gun and some nearby metal scraps.
Actors
Player
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Model
o Gordon Freeman
Inventory
o Gravity Gun
o Crowbar
o Pistol
o HEV Suit
Start Location
o Outside of building in alleyway / backyard
Motives/Objectives
o Find Father Gregori and his living quarters
Key Actors
Father Gregori
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Model(s)
o
Inventory
o Shotgun
Motives/Objectives
o To drive the player to the end of the level
 Warns the player’s of the incoming perils within the vicinity.
Starting Location
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Strangle Yard
o
Half –Life 2
Half-way through the map
Supporting Actors
Black Headcrab
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Model
o
Motives/Objectives
o To annoy and aggravate the player
o To kill the player
Uses Within Level
o To mix up the pacing of the area as well as to kill the player
Fast Zombie
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Model
o
Motives/Objectives
o To annoy and aggravate the player
o To kill the player
Uses Within Level
o To mix up the pacing of the area as well as to kill the player
User Interface
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In-Game Information
o The player is given a series of text overlay messages that notify them
of the objective
HUD Elements
o Health / Armor / Ammo
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Half –Life 2
Gameplay
Gameplay Mechanics

The player learns the use of interactive elements such as physics and useable
items and switches within this level. The true core mechanic this level is to
introduce is the interactivity the environments really do contain.
Map(s)
Key
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Challenge Highlights
o Several of the challenge highlights consist of the player using physics
elements or “traps” in order to get past the enemies as well as father
Gregori’s traps.
o Fast zombies are hard to run away from and use their speed and
agility to hassle the player as they progress through the level.
o Black headcrabs surprise and attack the player at a moments notice.
Objectives
o Get to father Gregori’s living quarters
o To survive
o And escape the traps
Skill Tests
o There are several timing puzzles as well as agility puzzles.
Area End
o The level ends once the player reaches the window sill of the living
quarters of Father Gregori
Four Questions
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Why is this fun?
o I believe this map is fun because it allows the player to delve deeper
into the uses of physics within the game.
What makes this sequence interesting/memorable?
o I believe that the car combat mixed with the flavor of bridge building
used in order to bypass the pitfall area’s create a memorable
experience.
How will you communicate to the player what they need to do?
o The level will be linear giving the player the proper direction. Also
Father Gregori will be giving feedback to the player through
communication.
How can the player break it?
o By standing still and dying
Sketch(s)
Adam Reynolds
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Strangle Yard
Adam Reynolds
Half –Life 2
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Level Progression Chart
Strangle Yard
Level Progression Chart
Time (min)
Terrain/Objective
Opponents
Challenges
Wow Moments
New Skills/Weapons
Legend
1 square = 30 seconds
Forest Exterior
Challenge Highlight
Wow Moment
New Weapon/Skill
0
1
2
3
Rebel Camp
Combine Roadblock
Black Headcrab / Fast Zombie
Black Headcrab / Fast Zombie
Car physics puzzle
Rotor Blades Pitfalls
Headcrab Combat Staircase Puzzle
Entering the Level
Pistol / Grav Gun / Crowbar
Alleyway
4
Walkthrough/Detailed Map Description
Area 1.1

Gameplay
o The player begins located outside of a broken down building.
o The player then sees a few gears and cables as well as the supported
cars.
o The player then uses one of the gears in order to bypass the first car
and lift it up.
o Once the player lifts up this car, they can then jump onto the car and
use its height gain in order to jump over to the other car.
o One or two headcrabs begin their assault on the player.
o The player kills the headcrabs and moves towards the next car and
lifts it up with the crank in order to bypass the area.
o The player is then welcomed to a broken down alleyway with an old
garage in site.
o As the player moves forward, they are welcomed to another trap.
o A fast zombie leaps from a roof from the building nearby and attacks
the player
o The player kills the fast zombie and almost runs into the rotor trap.
o The player moves forward and notices a giant pit of spikes an a giant
fence blocking their path to the next area.
Strangle Yard
o
o
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Half –Life 2
The player then uses their gravity gun to hit the car floating by a cable
and times their jump perfectly and lands upon the car.
Once on the car the player is able to jump over the pit and the fence.
Dialog
o Father Gregori yells “ Come help me brother, and be careful of my
traps”.
Visual References
Alleyway but not as claustrophobic
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Strangle Yard
Half –Life 2
The alleyway littered with junk and debris. Some of the debris will be set ablaze.
Alleyway with garage area
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Area 1.2

Gameplay
o This area is a little fast on the pacing
o The player leaps over the fence by riding on top of the car.
o As the player lands they almost jump in a trash pile that is on fire.
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Strangle Yard
o
o
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o
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o
o
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o
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Half –Life 2
Black headcrabs jump from different angles towards the player and the
assault begins.
The player moves forward and almost runs into a few rotor traps.
The player decides to throw a barrel at some of them and it disables
and destroys the traps.
As the player moves through the area crouching they are assaulted by
more headcrabs.
The player then realizes that if they just tried to dodge the traps they
could have been used to kill the headcrabs rather now the player has
no defense except for their offence.
The player then kills the headcrabs and progresses forward and runs
into a fast zombie.
The player kills the fast zombie and notices another pitfall but isn’t
sure what to do immediately.
The player then discovers a series of wood and metal piles with plans.
The player begins to build the bridge with these wood plans and metal.
The player is about to cross the pit with a headcrab leaps out from the
bottom of the pit attempting to attack the player but instead instills a
quick surprise.
The player then moves forward towards a noticeable stairwell / fire
escape.
As the player begins to climb, they notice some missing steps.
Realizing the last puzzle allowed the player to find a way to cross the
pit, they realize that they can do the same here.
Exploring in a nearby pile the player discovers a long metal plank,
which allows them to cross to the fire escape.
Two fast zombies leap down as the player sets up the crossing plank.
Visual References
Fire escape
Adam Reynolds
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Strangle Yard
Half –Life 2
Fires within the alleyway
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