Just too bad that there aren't more monsters in hl2 :( 

just finished it. the best hl2 custom level so far! recommended. 

Can someone post more screenshots? 

Trouble is that maps like this just leave me with a 'want more, NOW' feeling. But there was no more coming!

Great while it lasted. 

enjoyed this a lot, looking forward to the next part!!!

Outside area reminded me a LOT of that halo map where you land on the beach and assault the base, and the inside bit was really cool too, very moody. 

HL map was also extremely moody. Reminded me lots, in a good way, of Aliens. 

very good map. afterwards, i felt like mike, too.
i wonder why there are not more maps like this (though i must admit i haven't checked yet). people shouldn't squander their gifts with starting pointless multiplayer mods, of which 75% will likely never be finished anyway, and instead create some simple but cool sp episodes... 

Judging by the screenshot URL, this map is made by someone from my old Uni, in fact, from my department in my old uni.

Interesting... 

That was the most fun I've had in a while, and it easily stands up there with the original levels. I would have liked a couple of secrets in hard-to-reach spots; I'm a compulsive asshole and check out every dark corner. I even stacked barrels five high and wrestled with twitchy physics long enough to get up to a high vent, but there was nothing in it, and when I tried to break through the back, I couldn't...
:(
This one:
http://www.planetquake.com/pjw/screenshots/min_vent.jpg

I also managed to get up on the rocks and on top of the island and bust0r shit and crash into clip walls at one point. But still, really tasty stuff. I'll go with Mike too--waiting for chapter 2. 

pjw has playeds too much of that game Trespasser :) 

I probably didn't read enough the first time around so this is good news (from Blues's News)

Minerva for Half-Life 2 [September 07, 2005, 09:55 am EDT] - 12 Comments
The first map from the Minerva single-player episodic modification for Half-Life 2 is now available (thanks Planet Half-Life and Ant). The map is the first of three from the game's first chapter, which is titled Metastasis, and word is: "The maps are linked by a common plotline, based in the Half-Life 2 universe but with ... extensions. Significantly influenced by games such as the Marathon and System Shock series, each map will feature enigmatic directions and instructions from an unknown third party, continuous with the well-received Half-Life 1 map Someplace Else."

Recap the important bit: first of three maps from the first chapter!! If the rest are like this then, bloody hell, I can't wait. 

Did it run unusually poorly for anyone else though? Same settings as HL2 and parts just chugged. :(

Looking forward to the next bit though, if the dude doesn't get hired first. HL-Nightwatch mappers seem to have a habit of doing that. :p 

Good map. Definitely a good map. Just really well done. A strong setting to it, like you're actually somewhere. Good designs, neat mapping. Not really extravagant architecture, I thought the boats were a little overused and the jail area was a little tired. But good apart from that. In-game quality really.

Good gameplay too, good value. Yes, a pity it is only combine. But they are pretty well used. I thought the balance was good, you get in trouble with the combine for a bit, then get a good stash of items. The electro-balls were a little annoying but fun once I figured out what to do. I died once, in the lower levels. Was quite hectic, not just the gameplay but remembering where the hell to do.

The atmosphere and story....yeah not bad. The messages were 75% good and 25% irritating which is well above part for custom-made "story" content. Some of them conveyed a nice element of mystery, but they got a bit too cheesey to finish.

So yeah it was good. The one thing I thought it could have done better was push away from typical HL2-ness a bit, but only the island itself really did that. Big up the next part, though. 

I really wanted to try this, and now I can finally run steam again, I downloaded it and installed it...

...and it won't run. It just crashes when I try to load it. I read one forum post saying that this is because of the amazing curved corners Steam update.

Anyone else had problems and know how to get it running? 

but I can confirm that the last two or three steam updates have been absolutely rubbish. They seem to just replace one problem with another, these days. 

It runs fine here...make sure you run HL2 standalone first, and then try it.

If that still doesn't work, try running the mod from standalone HL2. e.g. from the console of HL2. 

I had to get rid of the -heapsize switch... which was recommended by valve ages ago to cure the stuttering... which still occurs... CUNTS.

Anyway, the visuals of the mod were great, up there with Valve's own standard really, only with a lot less fancy scripting, animation and dialogue (for obvious reasons).

Good gameplay without much messing about, although some of the typical HL frustrations still occured, such as going into a new section without enough health, then dying, retrying, dying retrying, then finally winning.