Overview
Power Outage is a single-player Half-Life 2 short level.  Gordon Freeman must fight his way into the remote arctic prison, Angel Mogila.  The level is a small area of roughly the same scope as a single area in a larger Half-Life 2 level.  Consequently the module is a slice of what would be a larger level.  This level features stealth gameplay using a custom designed night vision effect and custom AI controllers to enable stealth gameplay.  The player can elect to rush the level at a higher margin of difficulty.  Power Outage also features destroyable power transformers that knock out the lights in each section of the level.

Highlights: Power Outage equips Gordon Freeman with a toggleable night vision ability.  This required three sets of lights -- one set of permanent lights, one set of destroyable motivated lights that deactivate when power is destroyed, and a third set of fill lights that turn on and off with the night vision to provide even believable lighting for the effect.  The complex lighting pushed Source SDK to the limits of what its lighting system supports.

Highlights: Combine soldiers have AI support scripting that manages their detection capabilities.  When the player sneaks in darkness, the Combine soldiers can only spot Gordon with direct line of sight at close range.  When the lights are on, the Combine soldiers behave normally.

Highlights: Close range headshots score instant kills.  This allows the player to sneak up and assassinate guards in an extremely satisfying manner.

Highlights: Power Outage teaches new usage of grenades, focusing on creating situations where grenades are tactically potent and encouraging the player to make skillful grenade shots to destroy transformers and knock out the lights.  Unlike bullets, the grenades destroy transformers instantly.

Role of Scripting in the Project
Power Outage uses scripting to set up and control it's night vision mechanics and control the detection of Combine soldiers.  This level makes use of scripting in the following ways:

• Scripting controls the UI for the night vision and the shadow state.
• Scripting toggles which set of lights are active when the night vision is activated and deactivated
  
• Touch volumes are activated in scripting to detect whether the player is in a lit area.  Destroying sets of lights removes the volumes from play.
• Destroyable transformers link to sets of lights.  When destroyed each transformer disables a set of lights.
• Scripting toggles the AI's detection state when the player moves between lit and unlit areas.
• Scripting triggers AI response when transformers explode, allowing the soldiers to react to the destruction of the units.