Halflife2.net: How many maps will the Lost Coast level/s take place on and what are the system specs for being eligible for these maps? Any idea at this time when the expansion will be released?

Doug Lombardi: Lost Coast is the HDR level. It will require at least a 2GHz processor, 1 to 2GB of RAM, and the very latest GPU from ATI or NVIDIA. Once Lost Coast has shipped, we will be updating the Source SDK to include support for HDR authoring, and future Valve game releases will feature HDR modes in the video settings for those with the horses to run it.

Many have touted HDR in their engine or game. As a result, there are many different definitions of HDR. Here's the list of features we're including in our HDR spec:

Blooming. Used by designers to create a "blurred effect" on the bright edges in a scene, emulating a camera's overexposure. This feature has been added to other applications and is often mistaken as a full implementation of HDR.
HDR Skybox. Authored by painting multiple exposures of the sky to allow for real-time exposure adjustment. For Lost Coast, over 16 variations of the HDR skybox were created.
HDR Cube Maps. Generated by the engine, using the HDR skybox in conjunction with the HDR light sources and HDR light maps. HDR Cube Maps allow for an object's reflection to be cast in a manner that more accurately corresponds with the brightness of the source.
HDR Water Reflection/Refraction. Wherever the reflection of a light source is extremely bright, "white hot" spots occur along with blooming on water. A similar effect may be witnessed when under water looking out toward the sun.
HDR Refraction Effect. HDR light is transmitted through refractive materials, and takes on relevant properties of those materials (as when sunlight passes through the stained glass in Lost Coast's Monastery and then casts colored light).
HDR Light Maps. Generated through a radiosity process, taking light bounces/global illumination into account. This may be witnessed inside the Monastery on Lost Coast, on walls opposite the windows where the sun is "blowing out" the wall.
HDR Light Sources. Uncompressed light values provide a higher range of light values for designers to draw from in any given scene.
Exposure Control. Enable "eye adjustments" to allow you to see a different range of details in dark scenes than in overbright areas.

Halflife2.net: When Day of Defeat: Source approached beta and screenshots and movies started getting out into the internet, a lot of feedback I've seen suggests that some people aren't happy with the way that the Source engine doesn't seem to be using its full potential in this game. Are these opinions an accurate representation of what the finished product will be?

Doug Lombardi: We had some similar opinions once the beta began and that's why we've been pretty quiet about DoD: Source in the past few months. We are, however, getting ready to show everyone what we've been up to, and I think folks will be quite pleased with how it's evolved.