I played through Unforseen Circumstances in one sitting tonight. To some this might not seem like a big deal, but to me it is a very big deal because it's the first time I've gone through an entire level of Half-Life at one time. I was proud that I remembered a lot more than I thought I would. Some of the puzzles that stumped me the last time, came back to me fairly quickly.

Instead of re-telling the story like I've done in previous posts, I'm going to spend more time telling what I did differently and how I felt about it. Most of the readers wouldn't be here if they didn't already know something about half-life, so re-telling a story that most people know seems a little redundant, especially since I already did that in the beginning.

When I picked up I was right where I left off before finding the crowbar. Yes it was right in front of the door, which I should have remembered. I realize now that the game doesn't provide an obstacle without a way around it. I killed head crabs and aliens with the crowbar. I remembered to go over to any dead or injured guard where I found the pistol and after bashing some boxes continued to get ammunition. I didn't bother trying to kill every creature, as I realize it isn't necessary and a waste of ammo.

There was a part when you head back to the entrance to Black Mesa where you have to crawl into a control room. After seeing a blocked pathway I knew there had to be a way out from that room and I remembered the vent. There was also the part where you have to jump down the shaft and turn on the water. It's to get past a blocked path. I remembered that the purpose was to get the water on to then be able to float back to the top on the other side. From there I had to get past the collapsible bridge, a water way where I had to push boxes in to crawl across, and then use my jumping skills to get across some suspended boxes. These were all things that gave me fits the first time through. Soon after that I was into office complex and very pleased with my progress for the night.

The first time through I honestly never used quickload. I never even knew what the key was. But I made sure to use it, especially if I took an injury hit that I knew I could have avoided. I was careful when to quicksave, mostly right after I re-filled health and not after every little bit.

I felt better about the experience as a whole. I felt like I had a better grasp on what I was doing and didn't get bogged down with stupid things like not being able to find the crowbar. I don't think I'm going to be able to clear levels in each sitting, but I know I can think my way through things instead of getting so frustrated.

I use the "It's a Marathon, not a Sprint" because I know at my skill level, this is a long process ... but with the right training like I feel like I got on my first try, I can perform a lot better.

Here are some screenshots: (I'll still post these as a way to track where I've been)