Garry's Mod
| Garry's Mod | |
|---|---|
 Garry's Mod Logo | |
| Developer(s) | Team Garry |
| Publisher(s) | Valve Corporation |
| Designer(s) | Garry Newman |
| Engine | Source Engine |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PC |
| Release | 2005 (Original release) November 29, 2006 (Steam release) |
| Genre(s) | Physics Sandbox |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Garry's Mod or Gmod is a modification for the Source engine. It is a physics sandbox game that allows the player to manipulate objects and experiment with physics.[1]
Garry's Mod requires the user to own one Source engine based game (games including Source SDK), such as Half-Life 2 or Team Fortress 2, and that the Source game has been used at least once. This ensures that the necessary program files are provided to Garry's Mod. The game can be bought in a pack over Steam bundled with other Source games.
Overview
Garry's Mod was created in 2005 by Garry Newman. It started out as a mod that allowed users to rope things to go together, and it made the pistol shoot out manhacks. Since then, the game has gone through ten versions, adding more and more features until it became the established community-based sandbox game it is today. With the tenth version of Garry's Mod, the version numbers were dropped, and it has now become simply Garry's Mod.
The current version of Garry's Mod receives regular updates via Valve's Steam service. Garry's Mod has been available for purchase on Steam since November 29, 2006.[2] It is also now referred to as a 'Game' by Steam itself, rather than a 'Mod'.
Also, a free version called "GMod 9" has been released, since it became obsolete with the newer versions coming out. It lacks many of the new features in the priced Gmod, but is still heavily populated and has a large community.
Gameplay
Garry's Mod allows players to manipulate props from any Source engine game installed on their computer (or ones created by the community) using the Physics Gun, or Physgun, a blue version of Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun that allows objects to be picked up from any distance, adjusted in mid-air and frozen in place. A second, multi-purpose gun called the Tool Gun can perform many tasks such as weld objects together or rope them together with ropes or controllable winches, plus hanging lights and lamps, doors and buttons, or whatever the community is able to code it to perform.
Custom content
Garry's Mod features an implementation of Lua, which allows users to create their own weapons and gamemodes. These gamemodes can completely change the genre of the game. Some examples are Roleplay, Stranded, SpaceBuild, Melonracer, and Zombie Survival. Game servers for Garry's Mod will automatically send any custom content running on them to the client when they are joined (providing the server has been told to send the client the file through Lua[3]) The game has an website for these community creations.
Another example of a mod for Garry's Mod is WireMod, an addon implemented in the physics sandbox as objects and components which can be used to add increased functionality to existing contraptions and objects built within the game. The components range from simple buttons and lamps to expression gates, CPUs, hydraulics and many others. An example of a contraption built using WireMod would be a smooth elevator (one that does not move so fast the player is thrown about) or a drivable car which does not require use of the numpad. Advanced contraptions like 3D scanners or self-aiming cannons are also possible.
The Phoenix-Storms Model Pack is a pack which includes many geometric objects (such as cylinders, cuboids, and even plane parts) to allow more precise building.
Reception
Garry's Mod 9 has won nine Mod of the Year awards.[citation needed] In 2005, this included the Mod of the Year award at GameSpy,[4] ModDB,[5] and PC Gamer US.[6] GameSpy praised the game for being simple yet versatile, and noted the mod's unique quality that distinguished it from other notable mods.[4]
References
- ^ "Garrys Mod". ModDB. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ "Steam - Garry's Mod".
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Garry's Mod Lua Wiki - Resource.AddFile". Team Garry. 10-2008. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "GameSpy: PC Mod of the Year 2005". GameSpy. 2005-12. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Mods of 2005". ModDB. 01-2006. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "???". PC Gamer. 2006-01.
{{cite magazine}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help)