This is currently $10 on Steam. I'm tempted - it looks like potentially a lot of fun. A lot of the videos on Youtube are insipid - sexually suggestive or dumb facial expressions - but building rockets, or playing dominos with humans...those could be fun things to do.
Anybody played around with it? If so, do you think $10 is an acceptable price?
Any advice is more than welcome. (Even if you want to advise me on other matters for some reason. )
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
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I have it. It's great. It pretty much manages to be the best physics sandbox and machinima/comic maker in one.
You do have to have a game with the Source engine. If you don't, then buy the Orange Box because it's the best package of gaming ever released, pretty much. Plus, you get access to all of the ragdolls and props from whatever games you buy: HL2 Ep.2, Team Fortress 2, etc.
It's really fun to, for instance, make funny scenes with characters. Posing is a bit difficult, just takes a bit of finesse. Here's a few scenes I've made. The Garry's Mod webpage also puts up challenges from time to time, with a theme that people make scenes from. I highly, highly recommend that you check out the "Last Stand" ones.
Building stuff is incredibly rewarding too. Just messing around with the props at first, making makeshift vehicles, and whatnot is a good way to get used to the interface. When you get used to it a bit more, try making catapults or trebuchets or robots or giant spheres or helicopters or...well, the sky is pretty much the limit. If you keep looking on YouTube some of the contraptions people have made are downright mind boggling. I'll try to find some of the ones I've seen in the past and post them here if anybody is interesting. The interface is very simple, and if you've ever had any experience with any sort of CAD you'll pick it up instantly. (But don't worry if you haven't, it's simple and clear.)
Multiplayer also has nearly no limits. The construction servers are ALWAYs entertaining, because you can just drop in and see what kinds of crazy things people are making. There are an immense amount of mods (mods for a mod, lol) with lots of different game types.
Honestly, I love it. It's easily worth $10. Posing ragdolls is more difficult than it could be, and posing faces is a nightmare, but that's only one small portion of what you can do with GMod.
Posts: 290 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I read that it was free but then Valve bought him out. In return for $10, you get kept up to speed on updates automatically, and you get a presumably better tested and higher quality product. Also he now has a license for the full Source engine instead of just APIs.
I think I'm going to order it. I spent $10 on lunch today, for goodness sake.
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
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I think that the free version is still available, but it hasn't been updated since the pay one started.
Posts: 2437 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I didn't know you need a game with the source engine. I have Portal, would that be sufficient?
Posts: 2489 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Yep. But I think you only get the characters/models included in that game - you don't get stuff from HL, CS, TF2, etc.
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Yeah, Portal runs on the Source engine, so you should be good to go. (Although...I'm not sure if you would get any of the props or ragdolls from HL2, which composes the majority of construction in GMod. There isn't a lot with Portal, but I'd have to double check.)
Anyway, yeah, GMod used to be free. Valve didn't buy him out, per se, but they offered the chance for him to sell the mod on Steam. They've given him access to a lot of their development resources, and just helped the product become better. The current version of GMod 10 is vastly superior to the original GMod 9, and is well worth the $10.00.
Posts: 290 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Speaking of Portal, does anyone have any Trustworthy sites that have user generated content for Portal?
Posts: 2489 | Registered: Jan 2002
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I own Gary's Mod, but don't have it installed right now. Thats one of the problems with a small Hard drive. :\ But for 10 dollars, it's worth it. It's a lot of fun, and you can do a lot with it.
Posts: 349 | Registered: Oct 2007
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