Is ENDGAME the final FIREFIGHT RELOADED update?
No. There are plans for more content updates in the future. During the refocusing of ENDGAME (as described later in this post), the focus shifted from ENDGAME being the be-all-end-all update, to it being a kind of "base" that future updates are built on. There are 3-4 updates that are currently in the planning stages, and more information will be provided when it is ready.
Help! My Playerbots/Allies/Citizens don't talk when they use my player model!
In the main menu, go to player model and click on the player model you selected, then restart the map or game. Alternatively, if you want to get every model working, use the debug_playerbot_add_missing_actors command once you're in a level, and restart the map or game.
Help! My Playerbots/Allies/Citizens don't use my player model!
Your player model is not supported as it does not contain the proper animations. Mod makers, use the debug_playerbot_check_incompatible_models command to get the QC code needed to get your player models working!
What happened to the HL2 Beta NPCs/Weapons?
The HL2 Beta NPCs and Weapons have been removed for mainly balancing purposes. While the content was also removed based on a Valve policy change regarding mods and their content that went into effect during ENDGAME's development cycle, this was only part of the reasoning behind their removal. This was mostly a balancing change that was thought of for both NPCs and weapons:
Weapons:
The Flaregun was removed as it had a low damage output and it's low ammo count and fire rare didn't fit the mod's fast speed. This weapon was repurposed as a secondary fire mode for the pistol, allowing you to shoot flares in rapid succession. The OICW was also originally removed due to overlapping with the SMG and AR2. However it was recently re-added (due to community feedback) with custom community-made assets and balance tweaks to make it a more viable weapon.
NPCs:
The NPCs were either incredibly hard to balance with the gameplay (Combine Guard, Cremator), serve no purpose (Elite Metrocop) or they no longer fulfill their original task due to a game breaking issue and thus turned out to be unfun to fight based on internal playtesting (Cremator).
A lot of this content was available since FIREFIGHT RELOADED's beginning, so it's understandable that some would be upset by this move. The small amount of content that remains were either made from community-made alternative assets, and/or the code/assets were already in the HL2 game files and the Source SDK. Any planned re-implementation of this content will be based on content made by the community (and credit will be given where it's due), or based on assets already included in HL2 and Episodes.
What happened to the Multiplayer Co-Op/Deathmatch modes?
FIREFIGHT RELOADED is based on the Source 2013 Singleplayer base, which doesn't contain the same security fixes as the Source 2013 Multiplayer base, used for many multiplayer mods. As a result, FIREFIGHT RELOADED has multiple security issues that make it nonviable for online play. In addition, moving the entire mod to Source SDK 2013 Multiplayer is unviable as that would involve re-creating the mod from scratch, when that time should be used for creating more content and features in future updates.
However, if you wish to play Multiplayer, and you trust your friends, you can still do that via the Developer Console or executing configuration files. Below is a list of commands you can use for hosting and joining games.
Server host:
sv_lan 0
maxplayers <2-4>
map
Players have two ways to join:
Direct connect:
connect
Server browser:
gamemenucommand openserverbrowser
Please note that any way to play FIREFIGHT RELOADED ENDGAME this way may cause stability issues. There are plans for eventually adding in easier ways for players to create private co-op sessions, but a server browser menu will not be made in GamepadUI due to the above security issues. Bugs and issues with this way of playing may also be fixed as well in future updates.
You can also use the pre-endgame beta branch for full multiplayer functionality. Please note that ENDGAME features have not been back ported to this version.
What took so long to develop the update?
FIREFIGHT RELOADED: ENDGAME took as long as it did because there were so many goals for the update that it went into perpetual development hell. There was really no focus until I rethought and restructured the update for a cleaner development process. In addition, I was focusing on other projects and college which meant I had little time to focus on FIREFIGHT.
What's up with the soundtrack? Why is it so inconsistent?
The soundtrack was produced between 2018 and 2024, where 2018-2023 was a period of time where I was just learning how to make music and how to use my hardware properly. I'm personally proud of what I made, but I understand if users don't like the soundtrack. The plan with future updates is to build on it with more consistent tracks based on user feedback with the soundtrack.
Why is the mod no longer published by Cobalt-57?
Cobalt-57 felt like it was better to give me control over the publishing of the project as they wished to have FIREFIGHT as a separate entity from the team. I don't fault them for doing this. I am happy I was a part of the team. The experience I had from working with Cobalt-57 contributed to my experience as a mod developer and has built the foundation for how I have approached projects. On another note, I highly suggest to check out their work on projects like The Wastes.