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Entropy : Zero 2 News

Entropy : Zero 2 is eligible for the Labor of Love Award

Hello everyone! It appears that Entropy : Zero 2 is eligible to be nominated for the Labor of Love Award, and other Half-Life 2 mods appear to be eligible for the Steam awards.

The Labor of Love award is supposed to celebrate a game that has been supported with updates. If you like the updates we have been releasing, such as our Steam Deck UI update in 1.5.5, please consider nominating us!

Half-Life 2: VR Mod - Episode Two is eligible for the best VR game, so please consider them as well! We would really appreciate to see Half-Life 2 mods and mods in general nominated in all categories for which they are eligible.

Release 1.6.2 published to beta branch for testing

We have pushed an updated build of Entropy : Zero 2 to a new release branch for testing. (Release-1.6)

[h2]Changelog[/h2]

[h3]1.6.2[/h3]
Changes
  • Fix Wilson not tipping or fidgeting after his introduction in c3_1 (i.e. removed some now-obsolete contexts)
  • Fixed bug where developer overlay text could appear over beast home nodes
  • Added a new feature for mods where health vials can be picked up and stored by the player (Does not effect EZ2) (https://github.com/entropy-zero/source-sdk-2013/pull/223)
  • Added new Crab Synth NPC for mods and future content (https://github.com/entropy-zero/source-sdk-2013/pull/226)
  • Added new Arbeit personality core NPC for mods and future content (https://github.com/entropy-zero/source-sdk-2013/pull/227)
  • Added new Mortar Synth NPC for mods and future content (https://github.com/entropy-zero/source-sdk-2013/pull/229)
  • Players can give friendly Combine assassins dual weapons
  • Fix for bug with Combine assassin vantage points
  • Added Manhack ammo type to EZ2


[h2]Unused Content[/h2]

The Crab Synths, Mortar Synths, and Arbeit Personality Cores do not appear in the main campaign, but they are available for use and experimentation by modders. Like the Combine Assassins and Combine Husks introduced in 1.6.1, these come from sequel-related experiments and are included with the main game for simplicity and to keep them independent from our development cycle.

These NPCs do not have any accompanying demo maps, so in order to spawn them, you must use "npc_create npc_crabsynth", "ent_create npc_mortarsynth" (not npc_create), and "npc_create npc_arbeit_personality_core" commands in the developer console.

Note that mortar synths may spawn in the floor when created in this way. Use the "ent_teleport !picker" command successively while facing one in order to get it out of the ground.

[h2]How to get the update[/h2]

If you would like to test out this new update, please set your Entropy : Zero 2 beta branch to "upcoming". For more information about beta branches, please check out our Entropy : Zero 2 version guide.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2861987007

Release 1.6.1 published to beta branch for testing

We have pushed an updated build of Entropy : Zero 2 to a new release branch for testing. (Release-1.6)

[h2]Changelog[/h2]

[h3]1.6.0[/h3]
Changes Unused Content
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKf37rZ7e1Q

[h3]1.6.1[/h3]
Changes Unused Content


[h2]Unused Content[/h2]

The Combine Assassins and the Combine Husks do not appear in the main campaign, but they are available for use and experimentation by modders. They stem from experiments for where we plan on taking the E:Z series going forward. However, for simplicity's sake, we've decided to release them publicly with the game so that the community can use them without relying on future installments that may or may not happen (or may not even use the default variation of either NPC).

If you're curious to see what they look like, you can find a new "Combine Assassin Demo" map in the Bonus Maps menu demonstrating the new assassins. The husks don't currently have their own demo map, so for now, you must create them via the "npc_create npc_husk_soldier" and "npc_create npc_husk_police" commands in the developer console.

[h2]How to get the update[/h2]

If you would like to test out this new update, please set your Entropy : Zero 2 beta branch to "upcoming". For more information about beta branches, please check out our Entropy : Zero 2 version guide.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2861987007

1.5.5 update is live

[h2]Entropy : Zero 2 Version 1.5.5[/h2]
Overwatch is requesting all units refresh and resolve. Update is live. Acceptance is mandatory.

Version 1.5.5 is going live on the default branch of Entropy : Zero 2 today. This version will include Linux support, Steam Input and the new Gamepad UI. You can find the full changelog below.

If you encounter any issues with version 1.5.5 that were not present previously, please let us know on the Steam forums! For other issues, you can find our troubleshooting guide here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2857173498

[h2]Changelog[/h2]

[h3]1.4[/h3]
  • EZ2 runs natively on Linux
  • Steam Input is used for controller support
  • EZ2 runs on Steam Deck


[h3]1.5[/h3]
  • EZ2 uses new Gamepad UI
  • Glownome's chest projectiles now properly appear as blue


[h2]Gamepad UI[/h2]

Release 1.5 adds a new menu interface called Gamepad UI. This is the same UI which was added to Half-Life 2 and Portal to support the Steam Deck. Its source code was published on GitHub, so we've decided to integrate it into Entropy : Zero 2 alongside the other Steam Deck-related changes added in release-1.4.



Gamepad UI was mostly designed to be used for the Steam Deck alone, but since it has several major advantages over the default UI, we adjusted it so that it can be the universal menu replacement for all users.

[h3]Troubleshooting[/h3]

When loading your saves, you may see a warning which looks like this:


This is only a warning, it does not necessarily mean there is any problem with your save file. Since version information is only saved in Release 1.5 onwards, all previous saves will give this warning.

Press "Ok" to load the game normally. You should be able to continue your game. If you run into any issues, please consult the troubleshooting guide.


[h2]How to disable Gamepad UI[/h2]

If you need to use the default menu again, you can currently do so by going into the game's properties and typing "-nogamepadui" in the game's launch options.

[h2]How to play E:Z2 with a controller using Steam Input[/h2]



If you have a Steam-compatible controller plugged into your PC, you should be able to launch Entropy : Zero 2, navigate the menu, and play the game natively.

Note that the Options menu may require you to use your controller's right stick and right trigger (depending on your controller and config) to simulate mouse input.

You also cannot skip the intro videos with a controller.

[h3]Troubleshooting[/h3]

For any issues you encounter, make sure you're using the correct controller configuration. You can find your controller configuration properties in the Steam Overlay, or through a distinctive gamepad button when you have the game selected in your Steam library.

If this does not resolve your issue, please let us know.

[h2]How to play E:Z2 with a Steam Deck/on Linux[/h2]



If you are using a Steam Deck/Linux machine, you should be able to launch Entropy : Zero 2 with the Steam Linux Runtime by default. Make sure Steam isn't configured to launch the game with a specific compatibility tool (e.g. Proton).

[h3]Troubleshooting[/h3]

If you encounter an issue while playing the game on a Steam Deck/Linux machine, make sure E:Z2 is not set to be launched with a specific compatibility tool in the game's properties. If you need to confirm this in-game, you can easily identify whether you are playing Entropy : Zero 2 with Proton by looking at the game's italicized subtitles. Proton does not render these properly and each letter may appear cut off.

If you have verified that you are not using Proton and cannot resolve your issue, please let us know. You could also try switching to Proton and seeing if you can reproduce the issue with it.

[h2]Steam betas and versioning[/h2]

If you are currently on the 1.5 public beta branch for testing, thank you! You may wish to set your branch back to default. You can read more about betas and versioning in this Steam guide.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2861987007

Entropy : Zero - Uprising Mod Released

Happy Easter! We are pleased to announce the release of a new mod for the original Entropy : Zero called Entropy : Zero - Uprising.


Entropy : Zero - Uprising puts players into the boots of a different Civil Protection Unit right at the beginning of the City 17 uprising from Half-Life 2, moments before the destruction of the Nova Prospekt teleporter.



As a mod of the original Entropy : Zero, Uprising requires only the original Entropy : Zero to be installed through Steam. The mod will install into your "steam/steamapps/sourcemods" directory and will appear in your Steam library as a separate game.



Entropy : Zero - Uprising won ModDB's Best Upcoming Mod of the Year 2022 award, and the recognition was well deserved. Entropy : Zero - Uprising's campaign is said to take around 3-5 hours to complete with a fully developed narrative including voice acting. While Entropy : Zero - Uprising is created by a separate team not officially affiliated with the Breadmen, several of us have playtested or otherwise assisted with the mod and can attest to its quality. Entropy : Zero - Uprising is an amazing Half-Life 2 mod that tells an ambitious story.

The mod is available to download on ModDB. Go check it out!
https://www.moddb.com/downloads/entropy-zero-uprising-episode-1