Action Half-Life Beta4 - Manual
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table of Contents:

* Premise / Introduction
* Movement
	o Basics
	o Long Jumps
	o Climbing
	o Dives, Rolls, and Prone
* Combat
	o Lag Comp
	o How Movement and Lasers affect accuracy
	o Bandaging
	o Reloading
	o Penetration
	o Footsteps
* Weapons
	o Choosing and Getting Weapons
	o Kung Fu Mode / Kicks
	o Knife
	o Hand Grenade
	o Pistols
		* Beretta
		* Colt 1911
		* Colt SAA 
		* Desert Eagle
		* .44 Magnum
	o 'Unique' Weapons
		* Akimbo Berettas
		* Akimbo Colt 1911's
		* Akimbo SAA's
	* Submachine Gun
	* Shotgun
	* Hand Cannon
	* Assault Rifle
	* Semi-auto Sniper Rifle
	* Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle
* Items
	o Kevlar Vest
	o Bandolier
	o Laser Sight
	o Silencer
	o Stealth Slippers
	o Flashlight
	o Night Vision Goggles
	o Holster
* Modes of Play
	o Deathmatch 
	o Teamplay	o Teamplay Without Rounds
	o Last Man Standing
		* LMS Without Equipment
		* LMS With Equipment
		* LMS With Random Equipment
* Commands / VGUI
	o Default Keys
	o VGUI Keys
	o Console Commands
* FAQ
* Credits



PREMISE/INTRODUCTION
--------------------

Action Half Life is designed to simulate the experience of being in an Action movie. Movies like Hard Boiled, Face Off, and Die Hard are the inspiration for AHL. AHL aims for something called 'Movie Realism.' This means that you can take a few bullets and keep fighting. You can fall from a two story roof and only hurt your leg. You can bandage a wound in seconds. This doesn't mean you're invincible however, as Headshots from large caliber weapons are instantly fatal, but a headshot even from a small pistol will put you within an inch of your life. Of course, stunts play a large part in action movies, and likewise, play a large part in AHL. Dives, rolls, and long jumps can be executed for style and tactical advantage. There's nothing quite like diving through a window and capping the bad guy in the head before you hit the ground. This is a game of style and fun, not obsessive realism. 


MOVEMENT
--------

Basics
If you have played Half-Life, or any other shooter, you should already be familiar with basic movement. If you aren't, play the AHL training levels. In fact, play the AHL training levels even if you have been playing FPS's for years. It's really cool. By default, the arrow keys move you forward, backward, left, and right. Shift ducks, and Spacebar jumps. Use the mouse to look around and aim. 
	
Long Jumps
Long Jumps are executed in AHL in the same way that they are executed in regular Half-Life. To do a Long Jump, run forward, hold Duck, and then press Jump. Unlike regular Half-Life, AHL allows you to long jump at any time, although you must wait a few moments between jumps. Also, Long Jumping will briefly lower your weapon, and you will not be able to fire while Long Jumping.

Climbing
AHL allows you to climb up and over small objects and walls. To climb, press and hold Jump while next to a wall or crate. If it isn't too high, you will notice your weapon disappear and will start climbing up. Once you have made it all the way, release Jump to stand and bring your weapon out. To cancel climbing up, simply let go of Jump. AHL also has standard ladders that can you can climb just like in regular Half-Life.

Dives, Rolls, and Prone
Dives are executed by pressing the Stunt button (Ctrl or Mouse3 by default) while moving. Diving will cause you to leap in the direction you were moving, going into a horizontal position, and crashing through any glass in your path. If you Dive forward, you will land on the ground in a 'prone' position. You can also go prone by pressing Stunt while ducking. While prone, you can slowly move from side to side with your sidestepping keys. Pressing the Back key will cause you to stand again. If you Dive to the left or right, then you will roll when you land and automatically stand back up. Side-Dives are good for evading enemy fire and getting behind cover quickly. Forward-Dives are good for getting close to your enemy quickly. It does take time to get up from a Dive, however, so use them wisely. A good way to retreat quickly while firing is to Dive backwards. This will end up with you lying on your back (you cannot move at all in this position) until you press Stunt again to stand back up. 


COMBAT
------

Lag Comp
Like some other Half-Life mods, and unlike previous versions of AHL, Beta 4 has incorporated Lag Compensation. This means that you don't need to lead your targets (except with knives, of course), because the server checks to see if your target was in your crosshair when you fired, and if they were, they will take damage. If you have a medium or high latency (150-300), this manifests as people dying half a second after you shot them. If you are used to leading your targets in online games, this may take some adjustment. Just pretend that you're in Single Player mode again, and you should be fine.

Accuracy
Combat in AHL has many features that you may be unfamiliar with. Many things affect your accuracy. First, if you run around with a sub-machine in full auto, jumping all over the place, don't expect to get too many headshots. Movement states in order of most to least accurate are: lying prone, ducking, standing, walking, and running. Jumping or just being in the air also decreases accuracy. Furthermore, your weapon mode and rate of fire come into account. Firing a weapon in auto fire is less accurate than semi-auto fire (if these modes are applicable). Firing in short bursts is also more accurate than simply holding down the button. Finally, if you have a laser sight and your current weapon can be fitted with one, your accuracy given a significant boost.
	
Locational Damage
AHL also has locational damage. This means that if you get hit in the head, you take a lot of damage, and will often die instantly. A shot in the arm will take off less damage. A shot in the chest or stomach will deal medium damage. Leg shots deal half damage. Getting shot in the leg will also cause you to 'limp' until you bandage your wound. You will also limp if you fall from a great height and take damage. 

Bleeding
Bleeding is another aspect of AHL combat. Whenever you take damage from a weapon, you will bleed. If left untreated, this wound will slowly cause a lot of damage. To prevent this from happening, you can bandage your wounds. Unlike some other mods, you have an unlimited supply of bandages. Just press 'B' to stop the bleeding. Take cover before you bandage, however, as you will be unable to fire a weapon until you have finished bandaging. You will also be restricted to walking while you are bandaging. Furthermore, you leave a blood trail whenever you are bleeding. This can be a good way to track down a wounded enemy, but it's also a good way to get tracked down yourself. 

Reloading
Unlike regular Half Life and many other mods, all reloading is done manually. This means that you must press the Reload button (R by default) when you run out of bullets. With the Shotgun and Colt SAA, you have to hold down the reload button while all the shots are loaded. This allows you to control when you reload, and how many shots to put in the Shotgun and Colt SAA. Often, you won't want to take the time to fill those two all the way up. Reloading any weapon will take a second or two, so try to take cover first. It is usually faster to switch to another weapon then to reload your gun. If you have a holster, weapon changes are instant, and switching weapons when you run out of ammo is a very good idea. 

Penetration
All weapons except knives have some form of penetration. This means that they can be fired through walls and doors. The better a weapon's penetration is, the thicker the wall can be. If a bullet successfully penetrates a wall, it will hurt anyone on the other side. Many heavier weapons have good penetration. This means that the bullets will go through walls, doors, and Kevlar vests, and hurt people on the other side. Keep this in mind when taking cover from a guy with a rifle or Magnum. 

Footsteps
Whenever you run around in AHL, you make footstep noises. Most enemy players will be able to hear you coming if you are close, and you will loose the element of surprise. There are two ways to mask you footsteps. First, you can 'walk' instead of run, by holding down the Use button (U by default) while moving. Second, you can choose Stealth Slippers as your item. This will remove all of your footsteps, no matter how fast you're moving. 


WEAPONS
-------

Choosing and Getting Weapons
When you join a server you must select your starting weapons. You may also re-select your starting weapons at any time, and you change will be reflected the next time you spawn. In Deathmatch or Last Man Standing without Equipment, you may choose to start with either 10 Knives, or the pistol of your choice. You will pick up Unique Weapons and Special Items from various places around the maps. In Last Man Standing with Equipment and Teamplay, you choose three things. First, your sidearm, any pistol, is chosen. Second, You pick a Unique or Primary Weapon. Third, you select your Special Item. While you are playing any of these modes, you can drop a weapon or item and pick up a new one.

Kung Fu Mode / Kicks
Kung Fu Mode is hand-to-hand combat. It is always available, and is your last resort when you run out of ammo and knives. Don't take it too lightly, however. A single punch will deal 20 points of damage! If your punch connects, you will be able to throw a second punch very quickly. Kung Fu is available under the weapon menu. Secondary fire in Kung Fu Mode will throw a kick, which does more damage then a punch and knocks back your enemy. Sometimes it will also knock away their weapon.
Another option is the jump-kick. To jump kick an enemy, all you have to do is press the Jump button while you are next to him. This will cause you to lower your weapon for a second, and jump-kick him. Note: you can jump-kick any time, even when you have a gun or knife out! The target of you jump kick will take about 40 points of damage, and be knocked away from you. This is great fun when you find an enemy sniper standing on the edge of the roof. Just sneak up behind him and jump! He will most likely plummet to his death, and you will get credit for the kill!
You can also spin-kick at any time by pressing Stunt and Jump at the same time. This is especially useful if you are going forward at the same time. However, if you are actually pressing Forward while you press Stunt, you will dive. You have to let go of Forward just before you press Stunt and Jump. You may also kick by pressing secondary fire while in Kung Fu Mode. Both Spin and Jump Kicks will knock your enemy back, and has a chance of knocking the weapon out of their hands. 

Knife
The Knife is your basic slashing weapon. You always start with at least one, and you can pick up more from your slain enemies. Also, you can choose to start with 10 Knives as your starting weapon. You can only hold 10 Knives at a time, or 20 with a Bandolier. Knives can be used either for slashing or throwing. A knife slash will deal a heap of damage, and a thrown knife will usually kill instantly (unless you hit a leg or arm). When slashing with a knife, you want to aim for the neck and head for maximum damage. Also remember that like the punch, there is a delay between when you hit the button and when the slash executes. To switch between slashing and throwing mode, press secondary fire (Mouse 2 by default).
Throwing a knife is considered something of an art by many AHL players. Like a rocket launcher, you have to lead your target if you want to hit them. This means aiming ahead of where they're moving, instead of where they're at. Luckily, knife throws are not affected by accuracy considerations like movement and jumping. They always go the same way. However, since they are just thrown objects, they fall as they go, in an arc. This means that you will want to aim high for far away targets. Unlike rocket launchers, thrown knives don't have 'splash' damage, so you don't want to aim for the floor under your enemy. Hitting their legs could be a good thing, however. Since leg damage will cause them to limp and move more slowly, it will make them an easier target for your next shot. 
There are a few other properties of knives that are important. If a thrown knife misses it's target, it will stick in the wall behind it, and you can pick it back up. Thrown knives will not penetrate glass like bullets, but they will break it and fall to the floor for retrieval. Also, you can hold down the fire button to pull the knife back without throwing it. Thus, you can pull it back and then go looking for someone to throw it at. It takes about a second to pull it back, so this can be very useful for throwing quickly.

Pistols
Pistols play a large part in AHL. Many players use nothing but pistols, quite effectively! All pistols follow the accuracy rules outlined in the 'combat' section. One thing that makes pistols so potent is the 'akimbo' ability. If you pick up two Berettas, two Colt 1911's or two Colt SAA's, you can wield them both at the same time, for twice the clip size, and double the style! There are a total of five different pistols, and three can be used akimbo. However, you can only hold four pistols at a time (two underarm holsters, two ankle holsters). This means that you can have 2 pairs of akimbos, or 1 pair of akimbos and two others, or four different pistols. If you already have four pistols and want to pick up another that you've found, you can drop a pistol by pressing the drop weapon button, P by default. Pressing the drop weapon button will cause you to drop whichever weapon you currently have out. If you have akimbos out, only one pistol will be dropped. You cannot hold more then 2 of the same pistol, and you can only hold one Desert Eagle and only one Magnum (carrying more then one would be a waste of space, since you can't use them akimbo).

A word about reloading pistols: The Beretta, Colt 1911, and Desert Eagle are 'clip' guns, reloading is very fast, but any bullets left in a clip before you reload will be discarded. This means you want to empty your clip before reloading. The Colt SAA and the Anaconda, however, are revolvers. This means that no bullets are discarded when you reload. This difference is also reflected in the ammo readout. The clip guns show how many bullets you have left in your current clip, as well as how many clips you have remaining. The revolvers show how many bullets you have in the gun, and how many bullets you have 'in your pocket.'

Beretta 
Loved by John Woo, and featured in 'Hard Boiled' and 'The Killer,' the Beretta does minimal damage. However, it compensates with a large clip (15), a high rate of fire, and the ability to be silenced. The Beretta makes a good sidearm for beginners because of its large clip and medium accuracy. 
The Beretta can be used in 'single shot' mode or 'automatic' mode. You can toggle between them by pressing secondary fire, the right mouse button by default. In single shot or semi-auto mode, each bullet must be fired by pressing the Fire button, Mouse1 by default. This will help your accuracy, but can be inconvenient for when you just want to put a lot of bullets in the air. This is where automatic mode comes in. Set to automatic, you can simply hold the Fire button down, and bullets will fly until your clip runs out. You can switch modes with Alternate Fire, Mouse2 by default.

Colt 1911
Wielded by Nicholas Cage in 'Face/Off,' the Colt 1911 is a medium strength handgun, which can take down most enemies with a few shots.  However the gun doesn't have a large clip, so you have to carefully pick your targets. Like the Beretta, the Colt 1911 can be silenced. A smaller clip means less ammo total, so getting extra clips with a bandolier is a good idea with this gun. The Colt 1911 can be silenced like the Beretta, for extra stealth. Like the Beretta, you can choose either semi-auto or full auto mode.

Colt SAA
The Colt SAA (Single Action Army) is your typical 'Cowboy' gun, popularized by John Wayne. It is fairly powerful, but highly inaccurate, so it is best used at close range. Also, reloading this gun is a one-bullet-at-a-time affair, and it can take quite a while to completely reload. Remember, you have to hold down the reload button to put more then one bullet it. Secondary fire for the SAA will cause you to fire very rapidly.

Desert Eagle
Used by the Agents in 'The Matrix,' the Desert Eagle is the pride and joy of the Israeli army. This is the most powerful clip-pistol in AHL, and only the .44 Magnum does more damage per shot. The DE has a small clip, but good accuracy. With the Desert Eagle, like the Beretta, you can choose either semi-auto or full auto mode.

.44 Magnum
The Magnum is the heavy hitter of the pistols. The Magnum is the single most powerful pistol available in AHL. It is also the most accurate. The downside is the slow rate of fire and low ammo capacity. Because every shot counts, the Mangum requires a steady hands and a good bit of practice. Secondary fire will cause you to fire more quickly then normal. This will lower your accuracy, of course, but can be useful for panic situations at close range. This is a good long-range pistol, however, and can even be used as a sniping weapon if you have a laser sight (although there is no zoom). The Magnum also has good penetration - it shoots through walls.

'Unique' Weapons
Unique Weapons are called unique because you can only hold one at a time, unless you have a bandolier. Otherwise, if you are carrying a Shotgun and want to pick up a Sniper Rifle, you will have to drop the Shotgun first, by pressing the 'drop weapon' button, which defaults to P. Whichever weapon you have out when you press the 'drop weapon' button will be dropped. 

In Deathmatch, there will be only a set number of each on a given map. That means that if a guy is killing you with the only Shotgun, and you want it, you have to kill him and take it out of his cold, dead fingers. This is also true in Last Man Standing without Equipment. In Last Man Standing with Equipment and Teamplay, you can choose which one to start with, regardless of other people's choices. This will usually mean that there will be multiple people carrying a Submachine Gun, for example. In Last Man Standing with Random Equipment, everyone is randomly assigned a weapon (there can still be multiple people with the same weapon, however) Akimbo pistols and Knives are not Unique in either respect, but you can choose to start with them instead of a Unique Weapon. The restrictions on Akimbos are discussed in the 'Pistols' section, and you can have up to 10 Knives at a time, or 20 with a Bandolier.

Akimbo Berettas
Blessed with a high ammo count and average accuracy, Akimbo Berettas are a good selection for many players.  There is nothing more stylish than rushing an enemy, both guns blazing. Additionally, they are the only akimbo pistols that can be equipped with silencers making them perfect for infiltration. The primary fire will let loose a steady stream of bullets that seem to last forever. This is good for whittling your enemy down if you can keep moving so they have trouble hitting you. Secondary fire will fire bullets out slower, and thus, with greater accuracy. This is good if you're fighting over a greater distance, and if you are trying to get headshots. 

Akimbo Colt 1911's
The Akimbo Colt 1911's are much like the Akimbo Berettas, but with smaller clips and more powerful shots. Like the Akimbo Berettas, primary fire will spit out bullets at a somewhat rapid pace, while the secondary fire will grant more accurate, slower shot. Like the single Colt 1911, a Bandolier is useful for getting more ammo.

Akimbo Colt SAA's
The Akimbo Colt SAA's  will make you feel just like John Wayne. They are rather powerful, and fairly accurate to boot. Like the single Colt SAA, the Akimbos take a long time to reload, so don't try it in the middle of a firefight. The primary fire is just like the other two Akimbo guns, and the secondary fire fires slower, and more accurately. 

Submachine Gun
One of Hollywood's favorites, the Submachine Gun is a very flexible weapon, useable for both close-combat and medium-ranged firefights. Even though a single shot isn't that deadly, the high amount of ammunition and high rate of fire makes it the preferred selection for many players. You will find that the Submachine Gun works well with all items. There are better weapons for specific instances, but the Submachine Gun is probably the best all around weapon. 

Shotgun
As seen in 'Hard Boiled,' the Shotgun is the perfect close-assault weapon, thanks to its good fire rate, damage and ammo capacity. Victims won't stand a chance against its buckshot at close range, and it causes a fair amount of damage at medium range. However, the 'spread' of the pellets that each shell spits out widens over distance, so shooting an enemy from afar will only serve to piss him off. Since you want to be close to your victim, Stealth Slippers can be used to sneak in. Since it is done one shell at a time, reloading a Shotgun takes rather longer then most other weapons. Remember to hold down the reload button to get more then one shell!

Hand Cannon
As seen in 'The Road Warrior' and 'Desperado,' the Hand Cannon is a fierce weapon at close range. Basically consisting of a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun, the Hand Cannon can fire one or two shells with enormous spread, but enormous power. A point blank shot from a Hand Cannon will not only kill your enemy, but also hurl him across the map! Unfortunately, this weapon is useless at long or medium range, so Stealth Slippers or Kevlar are advisable to allow you to get close to your prey.  The Hand Cannon only holds two shells at a time, which can be fired simultaneously by pressing the primary fire button, or individually by pressing the secondary fire button. Reloading is a simple matter that takes about two seconds. 

Assault Rifle
As seen in many 'military' action movies, the assault rifle is best used for medium-ranged fire support. It's a bulky weapon, which decreases your movement capabilities when fired. While firing, you will only be able to move at a very slow pace. Furthermore, you will be unable to fire while diving with the Assault Rifle. You can still fire once prone, however. Once you open fire, it will tear through your opponents with its high damage and good penetration. Also, the Assault Rifle can tear through walls, pillars, or most sorts of cover that the enemy may be cowering behind. As they say: you can run, but you can't hide from an Assault Rifle. 

Semi-auto Sniper Rifle
The Semi-auto Sniper Rifle offers both precision and a good fire rate. From a secure position you can pin down an enemy team easily, giving your team a good chance to rush them. Unfortunately you can run out of ammo very quickly, so don't waste ammunition or choose a bandolier to get additional clips. Aim for the head if possible, as a chest shot won't always kill by itself. Secondary fire will change your zoom level. There are three levels of zooming, plus un-zoomed. Silencing a sniper rifle is not a bad idea, since that will hide your muzzle flash and keep your location concealed. It also allows you to miss without your target noticing. Don't fire while moving, though, as your shot will be completely off. You must be standing still to snipe accurately!

Bolt-action Sniper Rifle
Featured in 'Saving Private Ryan,' the Bolt-action Sniper Rifle is a long-range expert's weapon. With most hits being fatal, the bolt-action sniper rifle is a very powerful weapon. But this power has its price, in most cases you have to take an enemy down with a single shot or you may be in big trouble. This makes the quick-drew Holster and Kevlar vest the player's best friends when using the rifle. A silencer can also be used to hide your muzzle flash, and thus, your location. As with the other sniper rifle, don't fire while moving, as your shot will be completely off. You must be standing still to snipe accurately!


ITEMS
-----

In many action movies, some characters exhibit special traits, such as being a crack shot, being a quick-draw, being able to move silently, or having a silencer, bulletproof vest, or night-vision goggles. To match this, AHL has a set of items, each of which will give you a specific advantage. To balance this, you can only have one at a time. If you want another item, you'll have to drop the item you are carrying with the Drop Item button (I by default). Also, many items can be turned on or off, such as the laser sight or flashlight. To turn an item on or off, press the On/Off button (O by default). In Deathmatch and Last Man Standing without Equipment, there will only one of each item on the map, so if someone has the silencer, and you want it, you'll have to kill them and take it. 

Kevlar Vest
The Kevlar Vest is your basic bulletproof vest. It is very effective against smaller guns, but Rifles, Shotguns, and Hand Cannons, and Knives go right through them. If someone is bothering you with a Submachine Gun or Akimbo Berettas, the Kevlar Vest will double or triple your average lifespan. 

Bandolier
The Bandolier allows you to carry more ammo. It usually doubles your maximum capacity for spare clips for all of your guns. This includes your starting clips. This means that you will start with almost twice as much ammo when you choose to start with a Bandolier. The Bandolier also allows you to carry an extra Unique weapon, but it doesn't allow you to carry more then four pistols. Being able to carry a shotgun and a sniper rifle can be incredibly useful. You still only start with one Unique Weapon, however. You have to get the other from a corpse. 

Laser Sight
The Laser Sight will improve your accuracy for any weapon that it is applied to. However, it cannot be applied to Akimbo Pistols, Sniper Rifles, Shotguns, or Hand Cannons. For example, using a Laser Sight with a Submachine Gun will dramatically improve your headshot frequency. Using a Laser Sight with a .44 Magnum will give it very good accuracy, even while moving. Be careful, as enemies can see your dot as you approach. If you are sneaking around, turn it off until you need it. You can turn the Laser Sight on and off with the 'On/Off' button, which defaults to 'O'. Note: do NOT use the dot for aiming! The bullets go to where your crosshair is, not necessarily where the dot is! 

Silencer
The silencer is a staple of covert ops. When you need to be discreet, silenced weapons are your best options. Some weapons cannot be silenced: Colt SAA's, Akimbo Colt 1911's, Desert Eagles, .44 Magnums, the Shotgun, Hand Cannon, and Assault Rifle. For the others, using a Silencer will eliminate the muzzle flash and greatly reduce the firing noise. This can be especially useful of dark maps where your muzzle flash and noise give your position away. Even on well-lit maps, snipers often use them to conceal their position. 

Stealth Slippers
Stealth Slippers remove your footstep noises. Most experienced players can hear enemy footsteps approaching, and are alerted. Wearing Stealth Slippers allows you to sneak up behind enemies and shoot them at close range. For this reason, Stealth Slippers are usually coupled with the Shotgun, Hand Cannon, or Knives. You can turn the Silencer on and off with the 'On/Off' button, which defaults to 'O'.

Flashlight
The flashlight can be used in dark areas to illuminate stuff in front of you. Unlike regular Half-Life, there is no 'battery' or other restriction. You can keep it on for as long as you like. Be careful, it can reveal your position to enemies. One nice feature of Flashlights is that if you shine one on someone with active Night Vision Goggles, they will be temporarily blinded. You can turn the Flashlight on and off with the 'On/Off' button, which defaults to 'O'. 

Night Vision Goggles
The Nigh Vision Goggles can be used in dark areas to allow you to see in the dark, for a limited distance. Unlike HL: OpForce, there is no restriction on how long you can use Night Vision Goggles. You can use them all the time if you want to. Beware, if someone shines a Flashlight at you while the Goggles are active, you will be blinded temporarily. It is very difficult to aim when you can't see. You can turn the Night Vision Goggles on and off with the 'On/Off' button, which defaults to 'O'.

Holster
The quick-draw Holster allows you to instantly switch between weapons. Since it normally takes a few moments to change weapons, this can come in very handy. Snipers love this weapon because it allows them to draw their sidearm if they are ambushed. This can also be useful for weapons that take a long time to reload, like the Shotgun. If you run out of ammo, you can switch to your sidearm to continue fighting without interruption

Grenade
Choosing the Grenade as your item will give you one standard-issue fragmentation grenade. Although it is chosen as an item, once you are playing, it is treated as a weapon. Once you have thrown your grenade, you may pick up another item. You may carry two at a time, and you will drop any unused ones when you die. To throw a grenade, select it as your weapon (category 1), and press fire to throw. Secondary fire will change the power of your throw, from short to medium to long. You can hold down the fire button to pull the pin without throwing it. Thus, you can pull the pin and then go looking for someone to throw it at. It takes about a second to pull the pin, so this can be very useful for throwing quickly. Beware: if you die with the pin pulled, the grenade will drop and detonate five seconds later, so try not to get shot in the middle of all your teammates. Grenades can cause more damage then any other weapon, so use them wisely.


MODES OF PLAY
-------------

AHL features several modes of play. Each one has unique features that you should be familiar with before you play them. There are six modes: Deathmatch, Teamplay with or without rounds, and three variations of Last Man Standing. 

Deathmatch
This is your basic 'shoot anything that moves' mode. You start with only a pistol and a knife, though you can opt to start with 10 knives instead of a pistol. The objective here is to kill as many people as possible as fast as possible. You get extra credit for staying alive, too. If you get four kills in a row without dying, you get 2 frags per kill after that. If you get to six kills, you get 3 frags per kill, and so on, up to a whopping 16 frags per kill! Staying alive that long is hard though, as there are no health packs of any kind. Once you take damage, you keep it until you respawn. You will be able to pick up more ammunition for your weapons, however. You will find various ammo items lying around the map. 

Teamplay
Conventional AHL Teamplay is based on rounds. When you join a server running in Teamplay, you will first be asked to join a team and sub-team. Each sub-team has a different model, so there can be many player models per team. After that, you will be able to choose your weapons and item (see 'Choosing Weapons'). You can choose to change your team, sub-team, or equipment at any time by pressing Backspace. In Teamplay, the objective is to eradicate the enemy team, by killing them all. The last team standing wins. It is possible for a tie to occur if both teams die within a few seconds of each other. Every time a team wins a round, a point is added to the team's score. At the end of the map, the team with the most points wins. Individual scores are not displayed until the end of the map, and the scoreboard is not sorted by players' scores. This is to promote playing as a team, for the team, not for your own score. 
Do not shoot your teammates. If you kill three teammates on a given map, you will be punished. Depending on the server settings, you will either be kicked and temporarily banned from the server, or you will be put in TK-Punishment mode for a few rounds. While you are in TK-Punishment mode, you cannot use any weapons or items, and you cannot punch or kick. You are basically a sitting duck waiting to be shot. If you kill a teammate who is currently being TK-Punished, it will NOT be counted as killing a teammate. This allows the Victims of Team-Killing to take revenge on their backstabbing teammates.
If a teammate accidentially kills you, you can forgive him by hitting the key bound to "tkok" (Defaults to "F").

Teamplay Without Rounds
Teamplay Without Rounds is just like conventional Teamplay, only there are no rounds. This makes it sort of like a Team Deathmatch. The same TK rules apply, so don't shoot your teammates. You also still get to choose your weapons and item. 

Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing has three separate modes, which will be discussed individually. However, the basics for all three are the same. LMS is based on rounds like Teamplay, but basically, everyone is on his own team. This means that everyone spawns once, and the last one left alive wins. In LMS, your score is your frags. You get the same bonuses for killing lots of people without dying (as in Deathmatch), and you also get a five-frag bonus every time you win a round. This means that you want to kill as many people as possible during a round, but you also want to survive to the end. Unlike Unreal Tournament, AHL LMS gives you only one life, so use it wisely. 
	
LMS Without Equipment
In LMS Without Equipment, you can only start with a pistol or knives, just like in Deathmatch. The other weapons and items will be available in various places around the map. Also, there will be extra ammo available around the map. This mode is essentially Deathmatch with rounds and LMS scoring. When you join a game, you will be asked to choose your equipment, and you can re-select it at any time by pressing Backspace. 

LMS With Equipment
In LMS With Equipment, you choose all your equipment at the beginning, just like Teamplay. This mode is essentially Teamplay with everyone on their own team by themselves. When you join a game, you will be asked to choose your equipment, and you can re-select it at any time by pressing Backspace. 

LMS With Random Equipment
In LMS With Random Equipment, you have no control over what you start with. A randomized set of equipment will be given to you at the start of each round. If you don't like what you got, kill someone and take his or her stuff. There is some intelligence to the randomizing algorithm, so it is unlikely that you will get a Hand Cannon, Magnum, and a Silencer, but it can still happen. This mode is where well rounded players shine. To be a true master of AHL, and especially Random LMS, you must be proficient with all of the weapons and items. This is also a good mode to learn with, since you will be exposed to various combos that you may not have thought were effective, but turn out to be useful. 


COMMANDS / VGUI
---------------

AHL has no keys bound by default. If you go to the "Configure Keys" menu and click on "Use Default Keys", those binds will be used: 

Default Keys
W = forward
S = backwards
A = walk left
D = walk right
U = use
Mouse1 = attack
Mouse2 = alt attack
Ctrl = stunt
Shift = duck
Space = jump
C = weapon/item selection menu
R = reload
I = drop item
P = drop weapon
B = bandage
O = switch item on/off
Y = say
T = team say
F = forgive a teamkill
PgDn = command menu


VGUI
AHL makes use of Valve's VGUI in-game Graphical User Interface. This is used for Selecting Weapons, Items, and Changing Teams. You can also access Radio commands, Taunts, and Help screens. When you access the 'Root' menu (by pressing Backspace), your view will lock in place, and a curser will appear. You can use this curser to click on the buttons and menus of the VGUI. Keyboard support is also available. You can press a number to press the corresponding button. Enter will press 'Done' and Spacebar will press 'Random.'


FAQ
---

Q. Where can I download Action Half-Life? 
A. It can be downloaded from http://ahl.action-web.net

Q. I can't use the mouse to select VGUI menu options!!
A. Make sure you set 'hud_capturemouse' to '1'. If that doesn't work, try vgui_emulatemouse "1". Unfortunately, sometimes WikkedGL causes the mouse to not be usable even with these two settings on.

Q. Does AHL include Single Player support? 
A. Yes, sort of. You can play the regular Half-Life levels with AHL weapons and physics. Due to AHL's more realistic damage system you'll experience a few situations which are impossible to survive without cheats, though. Also, you could get stuck in some maps. Use standard map changing cheat codes to get around this.  Furthermore, you may loose weapons when changing levels normally. Use standard cheat codes to re-arm.

Q. Does it include bot support? 
A. No. "Beta 3 had bot support, but these were unreliable so bots have been temporarily removed. However, Rich Whitehouse, maker of the famed Jumbot, is currently working on a bot for AHL"

Q. Why do I get this CL_ParseServerMessage error? 
A. This a bug in Half-Life that occurs when you first try to join a server. It is caused by you having you model set to a non-Action Half-Life model. Try selecting a model from the Multiplayer->Customise menu and  then reconnecting. Alternately, run HL with the command line  "hl.exe -game action", then select a model, quit, then run it again and  try connecting (By quitting out you ensure your player model has been set  to an AHL player model). 

Q. How do I choose a new crosshair or set other client side options?
A. All client side options (crosshair choice, deathcam etc) are    located in the 'multiplayer->customise->advanced' section in HL.

Q. How do I change teams?
A. Bring up the Command Menu and select 'change team'.

Q. How do I change my equipment?
A. Bring up the Command Menu and select 'change equipment'.

Q. How do I use the radio? 
A. Bring up the Command Menu and select your message in the radio sub-menu. However, it will only work in Teamplay.

Q. How do I add my own custom messages to this radio menu?
A. Edit commandmenu.txt

Q. How do I use gestures? (ie. wave, taunt) 
A. Bring up the Command Menu and select the gestures sub-menu.

Q. Why do I die when I get shot? 
A. The damage in Action Half-Life is high. One or two shots is usually  enough to kill anyone  (Especially a shot to the head). Learn to use  cover and how to roll/dive out of the way. 

Q. My health keeps going down when I get shot, what do I do?
A. You need to bandage. Hit the key you bound "heal" If your health is really low (5 or less), don't bother...
 You are going to die anyway... might as well go out in a blaze of glory...

Q. I can't hit anyone, what gives? 
A. Your accuracy is effecting by things like movement, stance and rate  of fire (to an extent). Try standing still when you go to fire, or  better yet crouching. If you are using a fully automatic weapon, try  keeping to short bursts. 

Q. What does 1337 mean? 
A. 1337 (or l33t) stands for 'leet', as in 'elite'. 

Q. Why do I get TK-Punished for shooting enemies who start next to me?
A. Many teams have 'sub-teams' composed of different player models, they are not your enemy. Everyone who starts out next to you is a teammate.
If a teammate accidentially kills you, you can forgive him by hitting the key bound to "tkok" (Defaults to "F").


Console Commands

+commandmenu	- brings up option menu (change team, weapon etc)

+stunt 		- the Stunt button, used for dives, etc.

+change		- brings up the weapon selection menu, enter is always bound to this.

 tkok		- forgive a teamkill

 heal		- used to bandage your wounds if bleeding/limping

 dropitem	- drop your current specail item

 useitem		- switch your special item on/off

 dropweapon	- Drops your unique weapon(s)

 weapon		- helpful command for :
		a) switching to or between unique weapons
		b) unzooming
		c) putting pin back in an armed grenade
		d) switching to last used weapon

 radio <sentence> - radio this message to everyone directly 
		(for making custom shortcuts etc)

 gesture <animation> - do this gesture
		(for making custom shortcuts etc)
		valid gestures : point_forward, point_up, wave_forward, 
			wave_stop, flipoff, taunt & salute

 ignoremode	- Cycle through ignore modes 
		(broadcast, broadcast & radio, all or none)

 say_team %L flag - add location information to message
		eg. say_team "Taking fire near %L" would come out as
			Oddjob [TEAM] : Taking fire near East Avenue
			
 say_team %V flag - add ident information to message
		eg. say_team "I can see %V sitting on his arse" would come out as
			Oddjob [TEAM] : I can see Agent Smith sitting on his arse
			
 say_team %O flag - add ident location information to message
		eg. say_team "Enemy %V spotted near %O" would come out as
			Oddjob [TEAM] : Enemy Agent Smith spotted near East Avenue

 say_team %W flag - add weaponname information to message
		eg. say_team "I'm using a %w" would come out as
			Oddjob [TEAM] : I'm using a shotgun

 say_team %I flag - add itemname information to message
		eg. say_team "I'm have a %i" would come out as
			Oddjob [TEAM] : I'm have a laser sight

 say_team %H flag - add health information to message
		eg. say_team "I'm on %h" would come out as
			Oddjob [TEAM] : I'm on 50% health"


 weapon_fists		 - Kung Fu mode :)
 weapon_knife		 - Knife
 weapon_frag		 - Grenade
 weapon_beretta		 - Single Beretta
 weapon_colt		 - Single Colt 1911
 weapon_saa		 - Single Colt SAA
 weapon_anaconda	 - .44 Magnum
 weapon_de50		 - Desert Eagle
 weapon_akimbob		 - Akimbo Berettas
 weapon_akimcolts	 - Akimbo Colt 1911
 weapon_akimsaa		 - Akimbo Colt SAA
 weapon_mp5		 - MP5K Submachine gun
 weapon_m4		 - M4 Assault Rifle
 weapon_hc		 - Handcannon
 weapon_shotgun		 - Shotgun
 weapon_msg90		 - MSG90 Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle
 weapon_50cal		 - .50cal Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle


CREDITS
-------

Akimbo Team Productions (The God Fathers)

Dwayne 'Oddjob' Douglass     - Game Designer, Lead Modeler, Animator
Evan 'Ace12GA' Prentice      - Modeler
Markus 'RaVeN' Hastreiter    - Audio Director, Press Liason
Martin 'rogue' Oberhaus      - Art Director, Press Liason
Christopher 'Moore+' Moore   - Player Skins

Action Half Life Staff (The Cleaners)

Stuart 'Payback' Crouch      - Coder
Nathan 'LPlasma' Purkeypile  - Modeler, Animator
Ildegardis 'Deimos' Briceo  - Modeler, Animator
Elliot "Skammy" Pembrook     - Modeler
Jason 'JT+ 'Thomas           - Player Skins
Brian 'Hondo' McClelland     - Mapper (ahl_cliff2_snow, ahl_nocredit)
Russell 'DOOManiac' Weed     - Mapper (ahl_doombank)
Stafford 
 'The Octave Doctor!' Bawler - Mapper (ahl_innercityxl, ahl_skylounge)
Nicholas 'Vektuz' Lawson     - Mapper (ahl_clinic), Code support (and loads of it)
Nick 'Drumdude' Cramer       - Mapper (ahl_hkheat, ahl_hbraid)
Dirk 'banana' Schraeer       - Mapper (ahl_astorage, ahl_bananamans)
Christian 'Luebbi' Evraert   - Lead Beta tester and a whole lot more
Colm McSky                   - Manual Author

Additional Kudos (The Cannon Fodder)

_sleepi_                     - Hand models
Michael "Mel" Groezinger     - "Saint" Player model
Nicholas D. Wolfwood         - "Pain" Player model
Mark "quamosity" Lang        - "Ghostdog" skin
Chris 'aUsLanDeR' Wallace    - NT and Linux server
Tony "Crosshair" Germaneri   - Linux / Win32 servers (5 of 'em!)
Zaphod                       - Linux development server, linux support
Nikolaj 'Musicmad' 
 Christensen                 - Linux server
Adrain 'Pink' Finol          - Code support
Paul 'Pablo' Flaherty        - stalkyard.loc and Quality Control
Jason 'Ikkyo' Gripp          - code support
Dennis 'Nyles' Schwarz       - Weapons Info
Thorsten 'Borg' Schwalb      - Barrysworld Liason
BarrysWorld                  - For holding on even when they were dying (BW 4EVA!)
Stewart 'Skunk' Thomas       - Wireplay Liason
Wireplay                     - for letting us have direct access :D
Tim 'CHPX' Lang		     - Installer logo + use of his bandwidth to upload the installers
Corey 'DaShit' Chambers      - Press Liason


Other Action Half-Life contributors (Dead Men Walking)

Bartender 		      - Not A Whole Lot
Cail 		  	      - original coder/grenade code
Andrew Babb 		      - voice actor
Jordan Weber-Flink 	      - voice actor

 
Special thanks to our player model contest entires:   

	Brian 'Evil Bastard' Collins (Michigan, Drake/Shaft[model only])
	Rikki Knight (Wasabi, The_Fist)
	Neal "Guplik" Corbett (Carrianne)
	Eric Spitler (Ivan)


Extra Special Thanks (those people at the end of the credits who you never see)

* All the beta 5 testers

* Rich Whitehouse for writing us some kick ass bots

* Menacing UFO Gangs for their music on the old DOOMBank map

* The Original A-Team (Cail, Pietro, Vain, Bartender) 
  without whom none of this ever would have happened!!

* Valve for generating a LURVE/HAET relationship (MOSTLY LURVE!!!)

* You, for waiting patiently whilst we got things sorted.

* Merlin and Framer for hosting our message board and generally putting up with our shit.

* Anybody we forgot! (if we did we are sorry... drop us a line and we will remedy it ASAP!)

* Mind Vision software for Installer VISE

	The installer for this product was created using Installer VISE	from 
	MindVision Software. For more information on Installer VISE, contact: 

                MindVision Software 
                7201 North 7th Street 
                Lincoln, NE 68521-8913 

                Voice: (402) 477-3269 
                Fax: (402) 477-1395 
                E-mail: mindvision@mindvision.com 
                http://www.mindvision.com	 
