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75% OFF Black Mesa- Steam Autumn Sale '24

Don't let this deal FALL by the wayside...


The re-imagining of Gordon Freemans iconic journey through the chaos of the Black Mesa Research Facility... Now at a fraction of the price! Get Black Mesa NOW for 75% OFF during the Steam Autumn Sale Get it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/


[ 2024-11-28 00:45:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Black Mesa: Blue Shift "Focal Point" Now Available

About that Xen I owe ya..


We're excited to share the news that HECU Collective have released Focal Point, the next chapter in their Black Mesa: Blue Shift mod! Along with a bunch of fixes and feature updates, players will be excited to finally visit Xen through the eyes of Barney Calhoun. HECU Collective says this chapter is now their LARGEST yet!

ICYMI, here's their epic trailer for Focal Point:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdtIAzJdChQ

You can download the FREE mod on:


Steam Workshop https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2424633574 Or you can learn more about their updates, and download it on ModDB: https://www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa-blue-shift-remake/news/chapter-5-focal-point-release

You can support HECU Collective's efforts here:


https://www.patreon.com/Hecu_collective

Don't own Black Mesa? Get it at 75% off!:


https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/

Now get going, Calhoun!



[ 2024-11-17 16:04:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

75% OFF Black Mesa & Updates

Updates, Anniversaries, and Sales (Oh My!)


Lots of great things coming down the line for Half-Life Fans.

Black Mesa Sale and Update


Previously we released a Fall '24 Update as a Public Beta. With good feedback and insight from the community, we are making some necessary changes, and hope to push the update out to the mainline branch in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for an announcement on that. You can find more info on that here: Fall 2024 Public Beta In the meantime, Black Mesa is on sale for 75% off, from 11/14 - 11/18 https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/

Rogue Point Announcement


In case you missed it, we announced our new upcoming title Rogue Point Check out the trailer, and be sure to Wishlist it on Steam Now! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1843840/Rogue_Point/

HECU Collective's Blue Shift "Focal Point" Chapter Coming Soon!


Their team has been hard at work getting the latest chapter in Black Mesa: Blue Shift ready for release. You can see their latest trailer here: https://youtu.be/VdtIAzJdChQ

Half-Life 2, 20th Anniversary


November 16th marks 20 YEARS since Half-Life 2 released. It's been a long journey, and Half-Life 2 inspired us to create Black Mesa in the first place, so we can't wait to celebrate 20 years with the rest of the community! For some related news, check out this new video from NVIDIA and the Half-Life 2 RTX team! https://youtu.be/5FZ49Ou8zAE?si=6rbWLACR7BCMaGDZ More soon. Hope your November is going great!


[ 2024-11-14 20:34:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Rogue Point | Announcement and Info

We are incredibly excited to share with the community what we've been working on...

Rogue Point


Our new game will be a rogue-lite tactical co-op shooter that offers a strategic approach to high-octane combat. But that's not all...

Crowbar Collective x Team17


We've partnered with Team17 as our publisher, to bring you Rogue Point! Over the last couple of years, our team has been working on this title. It's been very difficult to not be able to share it with you all until now. While we will continue to support and cherish the work we did with Black Mesa, we wanted to take what we learned as a studio, and apply it to something new and exciting. Rest assured we'll have more info to share with you all soon. We hope you'll take this next step in our journey with us. We couldn't have done it without you all!

Wishlist on Steam


Wishlist Here

Watch the announcement trailer


here [previewyoutube=IYskrAYh31I;full][/previewyoutube] Follow the Rogue Point socials: Facebook Instagram Twitter/X TikTok Reddit


[ 2024-11-11 16:15:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

HECU's Blue Shift: Focal Point Release Date

Barney Calhoun's adventure continues!


HECU Collective have shared a new recording from Xen and it contains... the Focal Point chapter release date! No more Xen When for this mod too! If you're interested, watch the announcement video now! [previewyoutube=8V4qo3GuhWg;full]https://youtu.be/8V4qo3GuhWg[/previewyoutube] Along with the fifth chapter, their new release will also include a lot of great improvements and content for previous chapters as well!

Here's the short list of fixes and added features:


  • New and improved scenes for Living Quarters Outbound and Insecurity chapters;
  • Improved skybox textures, lighting and Post Processing in all earthbound surface maps;
  • Added responsive surface sounds to some environments that will be played with nearby explosions;
  • Improved all explosions SFX and added distance attenuation to them;
  • Added completely new surface properties for certain props with unique physics sounds. (E.g. barrels, tarps, monitors, crates);
  • Updated many BM and BM:BS textures/materials;
  • Various other visual improvements.
The updated mod will be available for download on Steam Workshop here: (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2424633574) and will also be available to download ModDB

We can't wait until **November 17th**!



[ 2024-11-06 19:01:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Fall 2024 Public Beta

Hello everyone, Welcome to Fall, and a Black Mesa beta patch post! We have pushed a build to public-beta that includes a bunch of fixes to some lingering issues, and WAY better Linux/Steam Deck support. ___________________________________________________________________

Highlights


  • Improved game start up for a smother first time launch and improved stability
  • Fixed an issue that caused the game to crash to the menu when changing video settings during gameplay
  • Fixed performance issue with moving wires (Thanks to npc_pigeon, narkvic, and the community)
  • Re-added DXVK for Windows as a launch option
  • Significantly better native Linux implementation and Steam Deck support
___________________________________________________________________

Detailed Patch Notes


Windows:


  • Reintroduced DXVK support on Windows.
  • Upgraded DXVK to version 2.4.1 and removed the redundant custom Vendor ID from the configuration file.
  • Improved the Qt runtime setup in the Windows Launcher to preload necessary libraries for ANGLE if needed.
  • Restored throttling policies and their application to game processes under power management.
  • Updated the launcher icon on Windows

Platform independent:


  • Resolved an issue that caused the settings to crash due to concurrent exclusive access to the internal game save file during gameplay.
  • Fixed the missing "_back" cable texture set, addressing visual inconsistencies.
  • Thanks to npc_pigeon, narkvic, and the community for their efforts in identifying the solution. These additional files effectively mitigate the engine's error messages about missing VMT files, enhancing overall performance in scenarios featuring moving ropes. This is particularly noticeable during the rocket elevator sequence in "On A Rail."
  • Aligned the Vertex Format in the Skin GBuffer shader with that of the Prop GBuffer shader to ensure consistency across shaders handling similar data.
  • Updated backup code for statically lit bump-mapped props, ensuring that props are marked as non-statically lit if the static lighting checksum does not match, preventing lighting artifacts.
  • Recompiled all Inbound Tram models using the newer Studio Model Compiler to resolve tangent-related issues and improve visual fidelity.
  • Enhanced the Job Pool to support more than 16 threads, optimizing performance for multithreaded tasks.
  • Updated DX Support Autoconfig to align Intel/AMD GPUs with NVIDIA, ensuring that the game launches at 1080p by default instead of a low 4:3 resolution like 640x480.
  • Introduced functionality to automatically run auto-configuration if the configuration version differs, ensuring that every installation reconfigures itself on the first launch after an update.
  • Addressed various issues within the game, resulting in improvements in several areas. Feedback from players who opted into previous beta tests indicates that the sporadic crashing they experienced has been resolved.

ToGL/Linux:


  • Updated ToGL/Linux shaders with the latest GBuffer changes to ensure the application of up-to-date rendering techniques.
  • Cleaned up the shadow filter state in ToGL/Linux, resulting in more accurate and stable shadow rendering.
  • Migrated ToGL/Linux to use the OpenGL 3.3 Compatibility Profile, enhancing compatibility with a broader range of hardware and driver configurations while maintaining access to modern OpenGL features.
  • Introduced an optional experimental Binary Shader Cache for ToGL/Linux, accessible via the -glusebinarycache command line option on Linux and native Steam Deck builds, which improves shader load times on supported platforms.
  • Resolved a half-pixel halo issue in the ToGL/Linux rendering pipeline, improving visual accuracy in rendered scenes.
  • Added per-triangle and optional per-vertex validation for studio models to resolve issues in ToGL/Linux related to static and dynamically lit models. A second pass for per-vertex validation can be enabled via the +r_studio_validate_vertices 1 command line argument.
  • Improved lighting buffer quality on ToGL/Linux to resolve a red hue in specular highlights, ensuring consistent visual output across platforms.
  • Added a missing window icon on ToGL/Linux to address a minor visual issue.
  • Configured default arguments for the Linux launcher to optimize display settings on Steam Deck, ensuring a better out-of-the-box experience for AMD/Intel GPU users.
  • Fixed debug assertions in Havok that leaked into the release build on Linux, preventing potential crashes during runtime.

Proton/Linux:


  • Forced the shipped DXVK configuration on Proton if no overrides are provided, enhancing compatibility with Proton 9.x and newer versions.

Tools:


  • Implemented proper support for mirrored UVs in the Studio Model Compiler, ensuring that newly compiled meshes do not introduce visual bugs due to incorrect tangent data.
___________________________________________________________________

What We Need Help With


  • Is the game getting flagged by any antivirus (Such as BitDefender)?
  • On AMD GPUs (7 Series) is the game still crashing on public-beta when players go underwater? We have not been able to replicate it on a number of machines with AMD GPUs, and people who have switched to our new test branch have not had the crash happen! Please file a support log on Discord if you touch the water in Unforeseen Consequences and the game crashes
  • How is Steam Deck and Linux Working? Is the out of memory crash still happening?
___________________________________________________________________

Troubleshooting Virtual Desktop Installed


If you have Virtual Desktop and the game will not launch, please try the following:
  • Check for a Windows update
  • Validate the game files
  • Install the following redistributables:
MSVC 2013 MSVC 2013 Update DirectX Redistributables: The game should now launch on the regular desktop. ___________________________________________________________________

Launch Options


Some information on the launch options and what they do. Black Mesa Default - This is the main option for people to use. This launch option uses DirectX 9C to render the game, and uses DirectX 11 to render the menus. Splitting the way we render the game gives a bit more performance, and gives us more support for rendering the menus. Black Mesa No Workshop - This will not mount workshop content to help rule out issues or crashes. Note: it is not foolproof. The best way to rule out mods causing issues with the game is by uninstalling the game, deleting local files for Black Mesa in the Steam directory, unsubscribing from mods, then reinstalling the game. Black Mesa DXVK - Renders the game through the DirectX to Vulkan conversion layer. This is a good option for certain cards that do not have great DirectX9 support. Note: Some issues are not 100% solved. Windowed fullscreen still acts as regular fullscreen It is possible to lose your mouse while in the menu. Pressing the console button (`) twice will fix this Black Mesa DX9 Fallback - There may be a situation where a specific hardware setup needs to be run in full DX9 (for both the game and UI in DirectX 9). We included this as a launch option to make troubleshooting even easier. Intel Arc Cards We have been testing on an Intel A750. The game seems to run fine on the card, but for some reason the new UI does not draw. You can hear the buttons when you roll over them with the mouse, but it is not displayed on screen. We will look into this to get the game 100% on Arc cards, but for the short term use -oldgameui as a launch command and let us know if there are any other issues that appear on Arc cards. ___________________________________________________________________

Known Issues


  • The monitor in AM is displaying four screens again :(
  • DXVK Windowed full screen still acts as regular full screen
  • In DXVK, it is possible to lose your mouse while in the menu. Pressing the console button (`) twice will fix this
  • Linux does not have sun lens flares
The best place to post feedback is in the Discord server so that our community manager, Cybrfox, can sift through it and get it to us for fixes! Thank you for all your support. Happy Halloween!


[ 2024-10-31 17:43:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Summer '24 Sale / Blue Shift "Focal Point" Trailer

What an August!


Black Mesa is now on sale for a limited timeit's the perfect chance to dive into Gordon Freemans epic journey. Whether youre a new player or revisiting the chaos of the Black Mesa Research Facility, nows the time to join the fight!

SALE is live from August 24-29


Focal Point Trailer!


But that's not all! The amazing HECU Collective team have just dropped a BRAND-NEW TRAILER for Black Mesa: Blue Shift's highly-anticipated Chapter 5: Focal Point. If you havent checked it out yet, make sure to download Black Mesa and experience the first four chapters of Black Mesa: Blue Shift. Dive into the action with Barney Calhoun, as he takes his battle to XEN! [previewyoutube=VdtIAzJdChQ;full][/previewyoutube] Watch the Trailer Trailer recorded and edited by ALLAN Soundtrack for trailer composed by Pawel Perepelica


[ 2024-08-26 17:26:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Summer 2024 News

Happy Summer, fellow scientists! Hope the axial tilt is finding you well. Black Mesa is discounted for the Steam Summer Sale, so tell all your friends! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ We also wanted to give a quick update on what we are up to.

AMD Water Crash


There is a known crash with certain AMD cards when you reach the water in UC. We are going to deploy a beta so we can get proper crash reporting and then fix the crash. In the meantime, you can use the two launch commands below to fix the issue: +nr_gbuffer_for_secondary_cams_enabled 0 +cl_mdldetailfx_enable 0 Details in our sticky post here.

Reimplementation of DXVK


We have re-implemented DXVK on the developer side of things. Weve got to do another round of testing, then put it up for public beta. We are also exploring ways for Linux to launch DXVK directly for a better Linux experience that is more in line with the Windows build of the game.

Intel Arc Cards


We now have an Arc card to test on, so we test on that to make sure the game works properly. We thought we had it all sorted on a previous patch, but we want to recheck it with proper hardware. If you encounter issues with ARC cards, you can use these launch commands to fix them: force_vendor_id 0x10DE -force_device_id 0x1180 -dxlevel 9

Start Up Crashes


We did a bunch of work with the last patch to make sure the game started and closed properly. Well look into these again (specifically the game startup) to make sure there are no lingering issues or that we didn't introduce new ones. Weve been very busy solving Unforeseen Consequences from our last patch and other things. Our community is extremely important to us and we want to be more consistent with patches, updates, and communication in general. We are very excited for what the future holds. We have been working tirelessly to get it out to the community. Soon. Again, we hope everyone is having a great summer (or winter, if you are down south). May your Steam backlog be plentiful!


[ 2024-06-29 15:28:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Black Mesa: Blue Shift "Focal Point" News/Update


Greetings Scientists!


Some exciting updates from our friends over at HECU Collective! If you're not familiar with them, their team has been hard at work developing the Black Mesa: Blue Shift mod. They recently sat down with LambdaGeneration for an interview, diving into the technical aspects of their development, and sharing some screen shots and game play footage. Check out the interview here: [previewyoutube=Dm87ypyCAYE;full][/previewyoutube] Also take a look at: ModDB "Focal Point" Article Focal Point Gameplay footage And be sure to grab their mod in the Black Mesa workshop HERE. We can't wait to see what they have in store next!


[ 2024-04-27 18:02:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Necro Patch Patch!

Hello again, scientist! Well this has been excruciating. We apologize for any scares and the inconvenience of having the game get reported as a virus. We have fixed the issue and also put up a number of other patches! Here are the patch notes:

Antivirus False Positive FIXED!


Weve implemented a temporary fix to stop antivirus programs flagging bms.exe as a false positive. We have a permanent fix in the works, so that this issue will not happen again. Downloading the update is all you need to do to have the game NOT get reported by your antivirus or Windows Defender (sometimes you have to restart Steam).

Temporary Removal of DXVK


As a result of our antivirus hotfix, we had to temporarily disable DXVK as a launch option. We plan to bring this back online as soon as possible in a future patch.

Improved Controller Support


  • Fixed an issue which prevented some Steam Deck users from climbing ladders or using trams
  • Fixed an issue where custom controller bindings were not persisting
  • Fixed an issue where controller camera movement would not obey iron sights sensitivity
  • Reworked Gyro Aim which is now handled separately in accordance with Steam Input best practices
  • Also added in_gyro_look_yaw_sensitivity and in_gyro_look_pitch_sensitivity console commands for controlling gyro sensitivity.
  • Revamped default controller layouts:
  • Official Layout for Black Mesa - Standard Controls. Our official bindings for devices without gyro support
  • Official Layout for Black Mesa - Standard Controls. Our official bindings for devices with gyro support
  • Official Layout for Black Mesa - Steam Deck Controls. Our official bindings for Steam Deck, adding trackpad support for the main menu
  • New Steam Input Game Actions:
    • Quick tripmine - for quickly placing tripmines.
    • Quick frag - for quickly throwing frags.
    • Use crowbar - for quick crowbar switching.
  • Added a console command, steam_input_show_bindings which will bring up the Steam Input configurator via the Steam Overlay.
  • A helpful guide on controller troubleshooting with Steam can be found here

Gameplay


  • Fixed an issue where auto-aim would aim at items the player was holding (like ground sentries)
  • Adjusted auto aim values in skill.cgf to have a longer range and be more magnetic

Dedicated Server Fix Soon


  • Still testing internally but we did fix:
  • Build process for dedicated servers (a compile switch was missing)
  • This should resolve some crashing issues with dedicated servers

Auto-Aim


As mentioned in the patch notes, we completely overhauled the auto-aim feature within the game. This can be configured by changing console settings in the game. Details here. If you would like to change the settings for the auto-aim permanently, all you have to do is go to Black Mesa\bms\cfg\skill.cfg and edit the numbers at the bottom of the text file.
We are interested to hear what people think of the auto-aim (most of us are terrible at playing the game with controllers).

Known Issues


Video Settings Crash


We are aware that if you change certain video settings WHILE in game, it can crash the game to the main menu and not let you resume the autosave it just created. We are looking into this!

Some UI Elements Need Localization


New HUD elements and controller options need to be localized

Invalid Game Configuration


If you get a message like below, simply restart Steam and re-launch the game.
Previous Necro Patch Notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/362890/view/4174347361777844150 Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thanks to everyone who helped us test AGAIN.


[ 2024-04-20 03:40:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Necro Patch Follow Up

Virus Detection False Positive


Were investigating why some antivirus software and Windows Defender pick up the game or one of the tools as malicious. Weve had tools flagged by different antivirus programs in the past, but never the .exe of the game itself. Needless to say, there are NO viruses within Black Mesa. Were a little worried that this false positive is due to new detection methods beyond our control, but as we said, we keep looking into the issue! (As of writing this we may have a lead as to what is tripping antivirus. We may have a workaround to fix it) We apologize if this spooked anyone. The last thing you want to see after buying a game is that type of alert.

Updated Launch Options


We updated the launch options to default to the game running in DirectX 9 and the UI running in DirectX 11. This helps ensure maximum compatibility across various target hardware. There is still the option to run the game using Vulkan DXVK. If your computer is having trouble running the game in certain spots, this is a good option to try. It does have drawbacks: it does not like alt-tabbing from the game, and it cannot do borderless fullscreen correctly (the game will run fine, but it will act like regular fullscreen). Finally, there is the DirectX 9 fallback, which runs both the game and UI on DirectX 9, in case your hardware setup requires it. So now when launching the game you will see: -Play Default -Play Performance Option (DXVK) -Play DirectX 9 (Legacy) If you have already set the launch option and want to change, simply right-click the game, go to properties, General, and click the drop-down under Launch Options.

Incoming Patches


Soon, we will release a patch with the following fixes:

Steam Input


  • Upgrading Black Mesa to use Steamwork V1.52 for better input implementation
  • [TO CONFIRM]: Fixed custom controller bindings not persisting
  • Fixed an issue that prevented some users from climbing ladders and using trams on Steam Deck
  • Lowering controller deadzone for better feel
  • [NOTE]: A helpful guide on controller troubleshooting with Steam can be found here

Video Settings Crash


We are aware that if you change certain video settings WHILE in game, it can crash the game to the main menu and not let you resume the autosave it just created. We are looking into this.

Dedicated Server


  • Fixed build process for dedicated servers (a compile switch was missing)
  • This should resolve some crashing issues with dedicated servers

Auto-Aim


As mentioned in the patch notes, we completely overhauled the auto-aim feature within the game. This can be configured by changing console settings in the game. Details here. If you would like to change the settings for the auto-aim permanently, all you have to do is go to Black Mesa\bms\cfg\skill.cfg and edit the numbers at the bottom of the text file.
We are interested to hear what people think of the auto-aim (most of us are terrible at playing the game with controllers). We may be increasing these values to be more magnetic with the upcoming patch.

Black Mesa and Steam Deck


A lot of community members have asked about Steam Deck verification. We dont think well be able to meet the requirements to get officially verified. Were very happy with the progress that we have made, but full verification was never our goal (the main blockers being true full controller support, and performance in our more demanding levels). For now, using Protons latest version or latest beta is the best way to run the game on Steam Deck. Proton has solved a number of issues we had in the native Linux version, so give that a try with our newly implemented Steam Input (right after we put out the ladder fix above) If you get any drifting using gyro aiming, try calibrating the Steam Decks gyro. (toms guide article on how to do this) Well keep an eye on Steam Deck and see if there is anything we can do to help make it even better going forward. There are some other issues we'll be follow up with with the community. Thank you, again!


[ 2024-04-18 17:49:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Necro Patch!

Hello, fellow zombie scientist! Weve just released an update to Black Mesa. Our goal was to improve performance, improve controller support, and fix a number of issues, without breaking your save files. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Here are the patch notes!

Key Updates


  • Improved performance of the game (Vulkan, UI optimization, New Renderer/New Post Post Process Optimization)
  • Fixed cases where game would crash on startup
  • Fixed UI flickering and artifacting
  • Fixed crash in the first map of Interloper that players were experiencing
  • Improved controller support using Steam Input
  • -Click here for detailed notes on adjusting controller support
  • Fixed hitch when weapon decals are first applied to gun
  • Re-enabled weapon decals by default

Rendering/Performance


  • Ported the game to DXVK 2.3.1 (first launch option)
  • Performance enhancements have been implemented for the New Renderer and New Post-Process systems, particularly noticeable in scenes featuring water
  • Fixed moss shaders and direction control for both vertex lit shader and skin shader (for props with/without phong)
  • Fixed halflambert/warp/specwarp related problems across all the shaders
  • Unlocked the even higher graphics setting in options menu
  • The lighting quality settings in the New UI have been updated to reflect recent changes.
  • Monitors and refract views can now leverage the New Renderer features
  • God Rays support has been added for the sun and local lights
  • -Note: God Rays are intentionally turned off for monitors and reflection views
  • Improved the blending quality of normal maps within 4-way blending
  • SpotLight cookies should now work on any orientation. Cookie sprite sheet no longer needs to be square.
  • Black Mesa now requests high-performance power management on Windows, which should reduce power throttling impacting performance
  • Implemented the ability to dump environment variables (-dumpenvironment launch option), assisting in resolving potential issues
  • Lots of misc graphics fixes
  • Disabled CPU-based backface culling for Func_Brush models
  • Disabled CSM for viewmodels for secondary cameras
  • Fixed flicker near Light Volume edges
  • Fixed Xog artifacts with cheaper water

Controller Support


Controller support for Black Mesa has now been given the love and attention it has been seeking. Black Mesa now fully supports and integrates with Steam Input, allowing both us as developers and you as the community to create your own custom controller bindings and share them! With Steam Input now implemented, we now have partial support the following devices:
  • Xbox Controllers
  • Playstation Controllers
  • Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers
  • We have also implemented proper Gyro support for Steam Deck!
To get started, simply navigate to the Steam Controller Layout configurator and select one of our official layouts and hit 'Apply Layout'. Details on how to use it here.

User Interface


  • Modified the Game/UI rendering synchronization, aiming for stable UI presentation across all three available modes
  • Updated the UI frame limiter logic to enhance the smoothness of frame pacing, which was particularly noticeable when vertical synchronization was active
  • Improved performance by optimizing the texture lock implementation within the UI
  • Resolved the issue where the UI occasionally failed to render at full size after resolution adjustments
  • Fixed alpha blending of UI with background map
  • Added a number of missing translators, including the 2012 mod translators (need to track down a list of who did what language)

Bug Fixes


  • Interloper A crash fix
  • Resolved the issue where the Tau Canon would crash upon the owner's demise
  • Addressed a potential hang issue upon exiting the game
  • A reflection bug involving Xen fog at extreme angles has been fixed
  • Transparency issues in fake water have been resolved, and it now supports New Renderer, New Post-Process, and CSM
  • Resolved outline artifacts present in alpha-tested materials
  • Resolved an issue where view models were improperly identified within one shader, leading to lighting and shadow inconsistencies
  • Fixed a bug related to the Diffuse Warp when using more than eight slots in the atlas
  • Fixed a Workshop Client issue related to double initialization, which had the potential to cause crashes

Known Issues


  • Alt-Tabbing while using Vulkan can sometimes crash the game
  • Anti-virus can sometimes flag the game as malicious even though it is not (well see what we can do about this)
  • Minor UI overlap errors on some ultra wide monitors
  • Some UI elements need localization
Next, we may look into more robust fixes that might break saves and switching over Linux support to Proton, but we dont have a timeline for that.

Blue Shift


Also, here is a sneak peak at what the HECU Collective has been up to with Black Mesa: Blue Shift. Check out their ModDB page and Discord for the latest news on their amazing work!

More to come. Thanks to our community for all the help testing and bug reporting! This went very smoothly thanks to your work. Hope everyone is having a great spring! Discord


[ 2024-04-15 22:25:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Mini Patch Rolling Beta

GREETINGS!


Weve pushed a patch to public beta. In this beta we are looking to confirm that: [olist]
  • Nothing that was working before has broken
  • Save files are intact for all players
  • The Interloper A controller crash is fixed
  • Graphics options are set, and stay set in the options menu [/olist]

    Weve also:


    • Fixed Moss shaders and direction control for both vertex lit shader and skin shader (for props with/without phong)
    • Fixed halflambert/warp/specwarp related problems across all the shaders
    • Unlocked the even higher graphics setting in options menu
    • Fixed video settings not staying set
    • SpotLight cookies should now work on any orientation. Cookie sprite sheet no longer needs to be square.
    • Local lights shadow sampling optimized. They now look better & should be faster on the highest settings.
    • Deferred lighting and NewPostProcess stability and support improved
    • Lots of misc graphics fixes
    • Updated translation files with community fixes
    • Added missing Italian translators Riccardo Rapuano and Andrea Franceschi

    You can access the beta by right-clicking the game on Steam, going to Properties > Betas > select public-beta in the dropdown menu.


    Sorry for the time away, but we have been focused on other things, and it was a massive effort to overhaul our deployment system. This centralized the source control and build systems for the game, and allows us to better maintain and release builds of the game. Our goal is to get a safe mini patch up on beta and thoroughly test it. We will push it to the mainline once we know it wont break anything. After that we may do a more involved patch that might break saves due to level edits. Well make sure to let everyone know if we release a more dangerous patch (remember you can always restart the chapter if something breaks).

    So with that, some questions:


    • What are some high priority issues with the game you would like to see fixed?
    • What should we call the mini patch and its follow-ups? Internally, we are calling it the

      Necro Patch


    Thanks for all your support! Be good to one another!


    -Crowbar Collective Team



    [ 2024-03-13 19:56:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

  • Share the Love : 80% OFF BLACK MESA

    Even headcrabs can be sentimental . We're trying to spread the love, by getting you some Black Mesa action, at a deep discount! Be sure to grab your copy of Black Mesa, NOW 80% OFF!


    [ 2024-02-14 16:01:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

    100K+ Overwhelming Positive Reviews!

    Can we take just one minute today to share how PUMPED we are about this? What started out as a labor of love, turned into this amazing adventure we are on today. We're extremely proud of what our team has built, and thrilled so many people are connecting with it. We couldn't have done it without all the love and support from our community! Game on, Scientists. Game on. THANK YOU


    [ 2024-01-30 16:45:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

    80% Off on Steam Winter Sale!

    Attention, scientists! It is time for the Steam Winter Sale! Experience the epic Half-Life universe like never before in Black Mesa, featuring modernized graphics and refined gameplay mechanics. As part of the Steam Winter Sale, Black Mesa is now available at an 80% discount! Take advantage of this fantastic deal from today, December 21st, through January 4th. Grab it before the offer ends! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-12-21 19:00:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Half-Life Stream! Sunday 2PM EST

    Back to where it all began. Come hang out, let's talk about the design of Half-Life, and take a trip back to 1998! https://www.twitch.tv/crowbar_collective


    [ 2023-12-15 19:00:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa: Blue Shift Focal Point December Article

    Greetings, all Black Mesa personnel! We would like to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of Captive Freight with you and talk about Focal Point! HECU Collective has been hard at work on the 5th Chapter: Focal Point and theyve just released an article showcasing some amazing graphics from it! We are aware that many of you have been asking about the release date, and you can now [url=https://www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa-blue-shift-remake/news/chapter-5-focal-point-december-2023-article]find out the expected time in the article here! We hope you enjoy discovering all the amazing work theyve been putting into their project! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-12-10 19:00:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Steam Autumn Sale!

    Attention, all Scientists! As the temperatures drop, daylight times become shorter, and the Winter Solstice is around the corner, I hope you are ready for the Steam Autumn Sale! Dont miss this golden opportunity, as Black Mesa will be at a magnificent 80% off! Face off against an army of classic enemies with better graphics and effects today! There has never been a better time to pick up the crowbar and play! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/


    [ 2023-11-21 19:00:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    80% Off on Steam Scream: The Revenge!


    Happy Halloween, scientists! Steam Scream: The Revenge is here! With it, we have amazing titles currently on sale, and among them is Black Mesa with an 80% discount! For some of our veterans headcrabs may be just another target, but for those that are sensitive to scary aliens and seek the thrill, make sure to visit our page before November 2nd! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-10-26 18:00:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa September Sale


    Attention, scientists! It is time for another sale! Step back into the world of Black Mesa and relive the legendary Half-Life story! Take advantage of the 80% discount, available from September 18th to September 25th. Act fast before the week is over! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-09-18 18:09:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa - Return of the Sale


    Greetings, Scientists! Don't miss the chance to witness Gordon Freeman's unlimited power with his mighty crowbar in Black Mesa's "Return of the Sale"! Get it now at 75% off from July 27th to 31st Check out the Discord for more information! Get the game today on Steam! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/


    [ 2023-07-27 18:43:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Steam Summer Sale!


    Attention, scientists! It is time for another Steam Summer Sale! Experience the epic Half-Life universe like never before in Black Mesa, featuring modernized graphics and refined gameplay mechanics. As part of the Steam Summer Sale, Black Mesa is now available at a 75% discount! Don't miss out on this fantastic deal from today, June 29th, through July 13th. Grab it before the offer ends! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-06-29 18:00:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Community Cosplay Contest!


    Greetings, Scientists! In the spirit of National Selfie Day, June 21st, we're thrilled to announce the launch of our Community Cosplay Contest! If youre interested in participating, all you need to do is dress up as a character from the Half-Life universe, take a cosplay selfie (or picture!), and submit it to the #cosplay-contest channel on the Crowbar Collective Discord! The winners will be chosen based on community votes. The top 3 cosplay photos that garner the most reactions will be declared winners, and the community members who submitted them will receive a Crowbar Collective Premium Pullover Hoodie! How to Join You may submit your cosplays starting today, until July 5th on the Crowbar Collective Discord server. Afterwards, we will lock the channel and allow community members to place their votes by reacting to the cosplay photos they like the best! The winners will be announced on July 12th! Rules 1. Only 1 entry per contestant 2. The cosplay must be of a character from the Half-Life universe. 3. Your submission must contain a physical item with your Discord username written on it to prove the authenticity of your cosplay. (e.g. a piece of paper) Editing the picture to write your tag on it does NOT qualify. 4. Partial cosplays are accepted (e.g. face only with accessories and/or make up, torso only pictures etc) but please make sure to have your Discord tag written and visible in the picture. 5. NO content allowed that can be construed as pornographic, NSFW, religious, or political. 6. After the submission period ends, we will lock the channel and allow all members to react to the entries to place their votes. Were buzzing with excitement to see all of your creative and impressive cosplays! For the latest developer updates and news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


    [ 2023-06-21 18:00:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

    HECU Collectives Black Mesa: Blue Shift Chapter 5 Focal Point Sneak Peeks

    Greetings, Scientists! Today we are celebrating Blue Shifts birthday, HECU Collective has been hard at work with Chapter 5: Focal Point for Black Mesa: Blue Shift! In order to make this day even more colorful, HECU Collective has prepared an article, showcasing their progress. We were also very excited to see these sneak peeks, as well as the one below, shared exclusively with the Crowbar Collective community! Check out the article for even more!


    [ 2023-06-12 18:00:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa 90K+ Overwhelmingly Positive Steam Reviews Giveaway!

    Greetings, Scientists! Today is a momentous day for Black Mesa, and it is all thanks to you! We're over the moon to announce that we've reached an incredible milestone with 90,000 Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews on Steam! Your support, passion, and engagement have propelled us to this achievement, and for that, we are deeply grateful. In honor of this accomplishment and our gratitude, we've decided to hold a special giveaway. We'll be sending out three exclusive Crowbar Collective Science Team Shirts to some lucky members of our community! You're invited to join the giveaway until June 9th! Don't miss this chance to get your hands on our coveted Science Team Shirts! Check out this link for more details!
    Once again, thank you to all our scientists for your tireless dedication and enthusiasm for Black Mesa. Your continuous support means the world to us! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates and news.


    [ 2023-06-02 18:00:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

    May the 4th Black Mesa Sale!


    Attention, all Black Mesa personnel! This May the 4th, we're inviting you to celebrate with us in a galaxy not so far away! Black Mesa is cutting its price like a lightsaber, and for a whole week, you can grab the game at 75% off! Head over to our store page between May 4th and May 11th to take advantage of this deal! Experience the Black Mesa facility, and unleash your inner Gordon Freeman, the scientist who might be able to give even a force-wielder a run for their money. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ A big thank you to YeetusNaggus for the art! Happy Star Wars Day, and May the Source, be with you! If you have already joined the rebellion, consider joining us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!


    [ 2023-05-04 18:04:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Announcing the Impression Contest Winners!


    Attention, all Black Mesa personnel! The voting period for our Impression Contest has come to an end, and the results are in! We are excited to announce the top 3 winners of the contest, who impressed the community with their outstanding character impersonations! 1st Place: TSGPrestonEvans#0315 2nd Place: Amicus#1000 3rd Place: kamaano#1615 Join us in the Crowbar Collective Discord Server to check out all the entries! A massive thank you to everyone who participated in the contest and to those who took the time to vote on their favorite entries. We truly hope you had fun during this contest! We will be contacting the winners shortly for the delivery details of their Crowbar Collective Mugs! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-04-28 18:00:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Crowbar Collective Impression Contest


    Attention, all Black Mesa personnel! We are thrilled to announce our Character Impression Contest! Put on your thinking caps and get ready to impersonate a character from the Half-Life universe. If you'd like to participate, all you have to do is record a short video clip (maximum 30 seconds) of you impersonating a character from the Half-Life universe, and submit your video in the #impression-contest channel on the Crowbar Collective Discord. The winners will be selected based on community votes, and the top 3 videos with the most reactions will win a Crowbar Collective Mug each! Submissions are open now! We will be holding the community vote in the #impression-contest channel from 21st - 28th of April, so be sure to submit your entry before the 21st! Rules: [olist]

  • Only 1 entry per contestant.
  • The impression must be of a character from the Half-Life universe.
  • The video clip should be in a widely compatible format (e.g., MP4, webm, mov) and must not exceed 30 seconds in length. Optionally you can upload to Youtube and share a direct link!
  • Contestants must be in the video; feel free to wear a mask. State your Discord username at the start or end of the video.
  • NO content allowed that can be construed as pornographic, NSFW, religious, or political.
  • After the entry period is complete, we will lock the channel and allow all members to react to the entries to place their vote. [/olist] We can't wait to see your fantastic impressions and celebrate the Half-Life universe with you all! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-04-14 18:00:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

  • Black Mesa Steam Spring Sale!


    Get ready to fight off those Headcrabs once again, scientists! Re-experience Half-Life with updated graphics and improved gameplay mechanics in Black Mesa. Put on your HEV suit and grab your crowbar, because the Headcrabs are hungry and waiting for you. Black Mesa is on sale for a limited time for 50% off! This offer is only available until March 23rd, so grab it before it's too late! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-03-16 18:00:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa's 3rd Birthday!


    Attention, all Black Mesa personnel, As the Crowbar Collective, we are thrilled to celebrate Black Mesas 3rd anniversary on Steam! It has been an incredible journey for us, from the early days of development to the game's final release on the platform. We're humbled by the incredible response we've received from players all over the world. The positive reviews, fan art, and support have been overwhelming, and we're grateful for every single person who has played and enjoyed our game. Black Mesa is a testament to the power of the Half-Life community, and we're honored to have been a part of it. We hope that our fan-made remake has introduced new players to the franchise and helped reignite the passion of long-time fans.

    3rd Birthday Giveaway


    In order to celebrate our 3rd birthday, we will be holding a giveaway! If youd like a chance to win a Crowbar Collective Stainless Tumbler, check out our Twitter post! To participate: - Follow us on Twitter - Like and retweet the 3rd Birthday Giveaway post on our twitter - Tag 2 of your scientist friends Winners will be chosen on Friday, March 10th! As we celebrate this milestone, we want to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported us along the way. From our team of dedicated developers, to the fans who have cheered us on, we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for being a part of our journey, and we can't wait to see what the future holds! - The Crowbar Collective Team


    [ 2023-03-06 18:59:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Announcing the Black Mesa Valentine's Day Baking Contest Winner!

    Greetings Scientists! We are excited to announce the winners of the Black Mesa Valentine's Day Baking Contest! We received numerous entries showcasing your creativity and baking skills, and we were thrilled by the response. After a week-long period of community votes, we are now ready to announce the winners! Without further ado, the winners of the Black Mesa Valentine's Day Baking Contest are: 1st place: Astraea#7019, with their incredibly baked Headcrab Cranberry Cloud Bread. Congratulations on winning the grand prize of It Takes Two!
    2nd place: republica#4037, with their delicious White Chocolate Hearts & Heart Crowbar, they have won the second prize of Cuphead!
    3rd place: John the Panda#0574, with their adorable set of Stained Glass Cookies. Congratulations on winning the third prize of Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime!
    We would like to thank all participants for their hard work and dedication to baking. We were amazed by the variety and creativity of the entries, and we are grateful to our community for voting to determine the winners. Join us on the Crowbar Collective Discord for future contests and more! Once again, thank you all for taking part in this contest, we are looking forward to more events in the future! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates, and news. - The Crowbar Collective Team


    [ 2023-02-27 19:08:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Valentine's Day Baking Contest!


    Greetings Scientists! Valentines Day is fast approaching, and we are excited to share that we are now accepting entries for our Valentines Day Baking Contest! If youd like to take part, all you have to do is take a picture of your home-made baked good or dessert, that includes a piece of paper with your discord tag written on it, and submit your image in the #baking-contest channel on the Crowbar Collective Discord! The winners will be selected by way of community vote. The top 3 pictures that receive the most reactions will be the winners, and the community members who submitted them will receive the following rewards: 1st place - It Takes Two 2nd place - Cuphead 3rd place - Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

    How to Join


    You may submit your entries until the 17th of February, after which submissions will close and the week-long voting period will start. The winners will be announced on February 24th.

    Rules:


    [olist]
  • Only 1 entry per contestant.
  • The dessert or baked goods must be homemade, pre-made ingredients, such as boxed mixes, can be used.
  • The dessert or baked goods must be in theme with Valentines Day. (Bonus points for coupling it with Black Mesa themes!)
  • The image must contain your discord user tag on a piece of paper in order to prove you have made this dessert.(It can be placed next to the dessert, does not have to be on it.)
  • NO text or symbols allowed that can be construed as pornographic, NSFW, religious, or political.
  • After the entry period is complete, we will lock the channel and allow all members to react to the entries to place your vote. [/olist] We are looking forward to seeing all our community members dessert making skills! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates, and news.


    [ 2023-02-06 18:58:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

  • Announcing the Community Hat Contest Winner!


    Greetings Scientists! The Community Hat Contest has come to an end! Thank you all for taking part in this event, it was a genuine delight to see all the cool hats! While we enjoyed all the entries in this contest, we can only have 1 winner! Hats off to @Shinotama#7918 for their excellent piece of headwear! Congratulations on the new Crowbar Collective Snapback Hat!
    If you would like to get one for yourself, you are welcome to do so here! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates, and news.


    [ 2023-02-03 19:11:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Happy Chinese New Year Scientists!


    Greetings scientists, We would like to wish you all a happy Chinese New Year and good luck with the year of the Water Rabbit! Dont forget to check for snarks in bunny suits before you put on your suits, scientists. We would also like to remind that the Community Hat Competition is still ongoing in the Crowbar Collective Discord. Dont forget to submit your entries before January 27th! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2023-01-22 19:00:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Enter The Crowbar Collective Hat Contest!


    Greetings Scientists! We are excited to share that we are now accepting entries for our community Hat Contest! If youd like to take part, all you have to do is take a picture of your hat, helmet, or other headwear, and submit your image in the #hat-contest channel on the Crowbar Collective Discord. The winners will be selected by way of community vote. The hat picture that receives the most reactions will be the winner, and the community member who submitted it will receive a Crowbar Collective Snapback Hat!

    How to Join


    You may submit your hat entries in the Crowbar Collective Discord until the 27th of January, after which submissions will close and the week-long voting period will start. The winners will be announced on February 3rd.

    Rules:


    • Only 1 entry per contestant
    • The hat can be bought, crafted, or otherwise acquired.
    • The image must contain your discord user tag on a piece of paper in order to prove you have this hat.
    • NO text or symbols allowed that can be construed as pornographic, NSFW, religious, or political.
    • After the entry period is complete, we will lock the channel and allow all members to react to the entries to place your vote.
    We cant wait to see all the different kinds of hats that youll come up with! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates, and news.


    [ 2023-01-20 19:00:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Happy New Year Scientists!


    Greetings scientists, A brand new year is upon us! We want to thank all the scientists that have made the Black Mesa community so awesome this year! As a reminder, the Steam Winter Sale is still ongoing as well as the merch giveaway for those who wish to enjoy Black Mesa for 75% off or win some merch as a new year treat! Have a safe, and happy New Years Eve. Well see you in 2023, scientists! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2022-12-31 19:00:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Steam Winter Sale & Merch Giveaway!


    Attention, Black Mesa personnel, With the Steam Winter Sale finally here, we wanted to do something extra for our wonderful community before 2022 ends. Thats right! Its time for a Holiday Secret Scientist raffle where you could win some of the new Crowbar Collective Merch! There will be 4 winners total, each will receive one of the crates below, so if you want to throw your hat in the ring to win some awesome Crowbar Collective Merchandise, join the giveaway here before January 5th!
    Black Mesa is now 75% off for the Steam Winter Sale! Get your Black Mesa access before January 5th here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2022-12-22 19:00:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa - Blue Shift Chapter 4: Captive Freight is Out Now!

    Attention, Black Mesa personnel, The time has come! HECU Collectives Blue Shift mods Chapter 4: Captive Freight is out now! If you havent seen the trailer showcasing the new chapter you can watch it using the link below. The new chapter is available for download on ModDB or the Steam Workshop. ModDB Download Portal Steam Workshop Download Dont forget to play chapters 1, 2, and 3 trying out the newest chapter, as the previous chapters have also been updated with new features, and bug fixes! Watch the Trailer Trailer recorded and edited by ALLAN Soundtrack for trailer composed by Pawe Perepelica Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2022-12-10 18:59:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Crowbar Collective Merch Store Has Launched!

    Attention scientists, We are pleased to let you know that we have launched a brand new Crowbar Collective merch store, just in time for the holidays! The store offers a wide range of themed merchandise thats sure to bring joy to any Black Mesa or Crowbar Collective fan. You can check out all the merch HERE! One tip before you head out scientists, the hoodies run a little on the small side. The medium sample we got fit a medium build, but was just a bit tight. The store has a 30 Day Make it Right Policy. We cant wait to see you walking around the facility in your new Crowbar Collective gear! We hope you all have had a great start to the holiday season! Thanks. - The Crowbar Collective Team


    [ 2022-12-05 21:41:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa - Blue Shift Chapter 4: Captive Freight

    Greetings scientists! HECU Collectives Blue Shift mod is receiving a new chapter! Chapter 4: Captive Freight will be out on December 10th! The new chapter comes with tons of new content along with bug fixes and additional features for previous chapters! Fixes and added features:

    • Critical bug fixes (No more softlocks and invisible cables!)
    • Gameplay improvements (Better Guidance throughout Chapter 3)
    • Visual improvements throughout all chapters (Better lighting and models)
    • Animations improvements
    • Performance optimizations
    • Addition of interactable telephones (Who leaves them all hanging?)
    • Support for more languages (Ukrainian, German, Czech, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and French)
    • Updated UI and its navigation
    • Barney's finally got his package delivered!
    Previous chapters will be updated as well, so be sure to check them out before you play the 4th chapter! You can download the mods here after the 10th!

    ModDB Mod of the Year 2022


    The ModDB Mod of the year returns for the 21st time. As is the case every year, now's the time to look back and give talented mod makers the recognition they deserve for their creativity throughout 2022. This is a department-wide effort! Let us all support and vote Black Mesa: Blue Shift as our Mod of the Year for 2022! Cast your votes here!


    [ 2022-12-03 19:00:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Steam Autumn Sale

    Attention, Black Mesa personnel, The Autumn Sale is about to go critical! Black Mesa is now 50% off during the Steam Autumn Sale. Suit up, and step into the Test Chamber before November 29th here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and announcements, and join our Discord server for game tips and tricks.


    [ 2022-11-22 19:00:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Half-Life 24th Anniversary

    Attention scientists! 24 years ago today, Half Life was released! We owe a lot to the Half-Life franchise, and it will always hold a special place as the series that Black Mesa came from. We are happy to have been a part of the source engine community all these years, and so today, join us in celebrating the 24th Anniversary of Half-Life! Are you feeling old yet? Lets hope not! Happy birthday Half-Life from the Crowbar Collective team!!
    Join us on Discord, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2022-11-19 19:00:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa X Intruder: The Winners

    [previewyoutube=pkupkoaO_fs;full][/previewyoutube] Greetings Scientists, At long last, we are doing a final update on the Black Mesa X Intruder mapmaking competition now that the judging process is complete. Due to unforeseen scheduling issues, we have prepared a wrap up video showcasing the winning maps and honorable mentions instead of the planned developer livestream.

    The Winners


    First off, we wanted to thank all the participants of the mapmaking collaboration between Black Mesa and Intruder for all their excellent submissions. We were very impressed with the amount of work that our community members put in, and thoroughly enjoyed getting to try them all out. While it was very difficult to pick from all the entries we received, the following 3 were our favorites:

    Third Place: Black Mesa South


    In third place, we have BlackMesa South submitted by Xixo. A map that is true to form, we could clearly see inspiration drawn from both games with an authentic atmosphere and sneaky routes to steal the package. We very much enjoyed getting the opportunity to play this map, and want to congratulate Xixo on making the top-3.

    Second Place: Foreseen Sequences


    In the runner-up position, we have Foreseen Sequences submitted by DoubleOSpanky. With interactive environment features like keycards, deadly lasers, and collectible tapes this entry spices up gameplay with a well designed and extremely detailed experience. This was an excellent map, and we were very impressed with what we saw! Thank you for creating such an interesting and creative map for us to play.

    First Place: Potential Energy


    Finally, the winner of the Black Mesa X Intruder mapmaking competition is Potential Energy submitted by ActionMan! This entry truly pushed the limit of Intruder Map Maker with a campaign style mission that has custom objectives, multi-round objectives, and moving vehicles it almost seems like this could be its own game! While there were many strong candidates for top prize, ActionMans was a cut above the rest. This was a fantastic map, and we want to thoroughly congratulate them for getting 1st place!

    Developer Wrap up Showcase Video


    To celebrate the hard work of our competition winners, we are releasing a showcase video to wrap up the map creation contest. Tune in to get the teams thoughts on what they enjoyed about each map! The final Black Mesa X Intruder wrap up video can be found here Thats everything that we have for you today. We enjoyed the opportunity to bring our two communities together, and are extremely impressed by all the maps that were entered. Thank you all for making this an amazing event. See you all later, scientists! -The Crowbar Collective Team


    [ 2022-11-09 19:03:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Announcing The LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa Winners!

    Greetings, scientists! At long last, we are finally ready to unveil the winners of our recent LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa mapmaking competition! We were blown away by all the entries that we have received and, despite how hard it was to pick out 3 winners, have finally determined the top-3 for this excellent event. Below are our top-3 from third place, to the grand prize winner:

    • Third Place: Taking 3rd place is Little Red Star by Midlou! Congratulations on a job well done!
    • Second Place: In 2nd, we have The Xenian by SNW! We were impressed by your work and appreciate your submission!
    • First Place: The grand prize winner of LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa '' is Biotech by BeefBacon! While it was difficult to pick a winner from all our great submissions, this one was the one that captured our imagination most. Excellent work, and enjoy your hard-earned prizes!

    Honorable Mentions


    It was really difficult picking these three maps out of all the ones that we received. Because of this, we also want to give an honorable mention to two of the maps that came oh so close to winning, but ultimately just lost out by a slim margin. These two maps are: 4th Place - Imposter, by Dolmo 5th Place - Shadows, by OnTheMatter Both of your maps were a ton of fun to play, and we appreciate you taking the time to create them! Full details and results can be found here. Again, we want to thank everyone who participated in the competition, and want to offer a hearty congratulations to our winners!

    Where to play the maps:


    If youre interested in playing the maps from the competition, we have just released an official collection of them on the Steam workshop. Additionally, you can go and download the maps from the ModDB web portal if you prefer. Go and give these excellent maps a try! Thats all for now, scientists! - The Crowbar Collective Team


    [ 2022-10-28 19:01:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

    LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa

    Hello, fellow zombie scientists!

    YOU are Challenged to Escape!


    Head over to the workshop to check out the new and spooky community map submissions from our recent LamdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa level design competition! Do you have the brains and the brawn to make it out alive? https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2877017092

    Thanks to Our Partners


    Thank you to all the designers who submitted an entry to the competition, and a special thanks to our partners at LambdaGeneration and ModDB, for hosting the event as a part of their series of LambdaBuilds competitions! We love community events, and we are grateful to have been able to run one with these two fantastic organizations.
    The turn out, and the quality of submissions, has blown us away. Winners for the competition will be announced soon, but we hope you will check out ALL the spooky submissions, and give them a play through in the meantime. Thanks to everyone that participated!

    Steam Scream Fest


    To celebrate this community event, Halloween, and the Steam Scream Fest Black Mesa will be available for 75% off until November 1 at 10:00 AM PDT. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Have a happy Halloween! Thanks again, scientists!


    [ 2022-10-25 17:02:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa Post-Competition Debrief

    Attention, Black Mesa personnel! Yesterday marked the official end of our mapmaking competition LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa. Before we get on to what's next, we want to take a moment to say thank you to both LambdaGeneration and ModDB for hosting this exciting event! We believe that these kinds of community-focused competitions are a great way to celebrate our shared love of Source Engine games, and are thankful to have had the opportunity to collaborate on Escape From Black Mesa with them.

    Next Steps:


    Announcement of the winners:


    Now that submissions are officially closed, our panel of judges are hard at work reviewing all the excellent maps that you submitted over the past few weeks. Given the volume of entries, we cant give an exact date for when the winners will be announced, but you can expect to get an announcement regarding the winning entries no later than October 31st.

    Official Map Collection Release:


    We also plan to release an official collection of Escape From Black Mesa maps on the workshop. While all maps are currently available for download, this collection will provide a quick and convenient way for you to see the hard work of your fellow scientists for yourself. The collection will be released by October 31st alongside the results.

    Post-event live stream:


    We want to be sure that the hard work of our community gets its chance to shine in the desert sun. Therefore, there will be a LambdaBuilds live stream showcasing some of the top maps that were submitted by our community members! The live stream will be hosted by the LambdaGeneration team on their YouTube channel, with the date and time to be announced later.

    Have you joined the official Black Mesa fan page?


    In case you missed it the first time, our friends at LambdaGeneration launched the official Black Mesa fan page last month. Here, you can keep up with news about the game, see awesome fan and community content, discuss and share your modding work, and more! Be sure to join your fellow scientists today on the LambdaGeneration website. Thats everything that we have to debrief you on today. Again, we appreciate LambdaGeneration and ModDB for hosting the competition, and are extremely thankful for all our wonderful community members who participated. For now, this is where we get off. - The Crowbar Collective Team


    [ 2022-10-19 19:00:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

    "LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa" is Still Going On!

    Hey there, scientists! We wanted to remind all facility personnel that there is still time to submit an entry for our mapmaking collaboration LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa. The deadline is only a couple of weeks away, however, so be sure to grab your crowbars and get to work! Alongside this reminder, we also wanted to share a few pieces of helpful information.

    Where to find help:


    If you are needing assistance with getting started on your map, need some tips or tricks, or are needing to reference the rules for the competition, the LambdaGeneration Discord channel is the place to be! The LambdaGeneration Discord can be found here.

    Uploading your submission:


    While we have your attention, scientists, we also wanted to provide you with some resources to assist you with uploading your submission to the Black Mesa workshop on Steam. The first link below will take you to a guide on uploading your submission to the workshop, while the second one will take you to a download for Crowbar, which is a Source Engine modding tool. This should help ensure that your submission to the competition will be successfully uploaded for consideration by the judges. Remember to read all the rules, and submit your entry via LambdaBuilds to be officially considered! Thats all for now! We are very excited to see what fun and creative levels our community comes up with, and we hope that you all have a great time making them! - The Crowbar Collective Team


    [ 2022-10-06 20:26:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    The Black Mesa X Intruder Map Making Competition Has Ended!

    Attention all science personnel!


    Today we are announcing that the Black Mesa X Intruder mapmaking competition has finally ended after two months of awesome work from both of our communities. While we are sad to see it go, we are also extremely impressed by all the hard work youve done, and are very excited to test each and every one of the maps that have been submitted to us. With that being said, here are the next steps for this event:

    Judging and Announcement of Winners


    The first order of business will be for both the Crowbar Collective and Superboss Games teams to look at and judge each of the maps that was submitted. From these, the developers will select a winner, as well as a 2nd and 3rd place submission. Given the time required to properly test and judge each map, we cant give an exact date that the winners will be announced. Rest assured, scientists, we will be working diligently through all the submissions, and expect to announce the winners in the near future. Stay tuned on our Discord and social media pages for the announcement of the winning maps!

    Final Developer Livestream


    Shortly after the announcement of the winners, both development teams will conclude their epic crossover event by playing with and against each other on the top 3 maps. You have all put a lot of hard work and creativity into your submissions, and we want to give our winners a chance to let their work shine! Given that the judging process could take some time, stay tuned for the date, time, and location of this livestream event. The announcement of the livestream should be shortly after we have announced our competition winners. Thats everything that we have for you today! We appreciate everyone in the Black Mesa and Intruder communities who participated, and hope you had as much fun making the maps as we will have playing them. In the meantime, its time for us to put on our HEV suit and get to work. The Crowbar Collective team Make sure to follow Crowbar Collective and Superboss Games!


    [ 2022-09-29 18:00:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

    LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa Level Design Competition

    Greetings, scientists! What is your favorite time of year? Ours is HALLOWEEN. We are excited to announce our Halloween Level Design Competition called LambdaBuilds: Escape From Black Mesa, a collaboration between LambdaGeneration and ModDB. We are obviously big fans of both groups, and have been wanting to do a level design competition for some time. So what better way to mix our favorite time of year with two really great communities? To kick off the festivities, Black Mesa is 75% off until Sunday! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/

    Theming: Eerie Escape Room:


    We want contestants to come up with their best design for a Black Mesa themed Escape Room. Maybe you are trapped in a science lab with horrifying Xenian creatures? Maybe you are stuck in the rubble after the resonance cascade? Maybe Gordon finds himself in the middle of a cactus maze and has to escape? Dont be afraid of sticking to the classic Black Mesa style, but dont be afraid to be creative either! While the theme of your map should be eerie, it's not necessarily horror. You dont need gallons of blood or terrifying creatures to score points, We are looking more for a creepy, unnerving, or foreboding atmosphere. Can you creep us out with just the level elements? Can you make us uncomfortable without resorting to combat against various creatures? While the focus is on the feel of the map, neither blood, combat, or other horror elements are against the rules!

    Scope:


    We here at Crowbar Collective love to see creativity through constraint. It is where some of our best ideas came from. You may have an idea for a really large, sprawling escape room but, given the scope of this contest, it may not be your best interest to try and tackle the whole thing. Pick a simple and compact idea and find creative ways to elevate it to the next level. Scope is one of the most difficult aspects of design to manage, and it is way better to keep it simple and build things up instead of having to pair stuff down at the last minute (ask us how we know). So, all that is to say, we appreciate simple designs, reuse of space, and finding clever ways to reuse what is already in the game.

    Prizes:



    1st Prize:


    • RTX 3070 TI
    • $100 Steam Gift Card (USD)
    • Custom Black Mesa Mouse Pad
    • Black Mesa Display Box

    2nd Prize:


    • GTX 1660 Super
    • $100 Steam Gift Card (USD)
    • Custom Black Mesa Mouse Pad
    • Black Mesa Display Box

    3rd Prize:


    • Corsair Keyboard
    • $50 Steam Gift Card (USD)
    • Custom Black Mesa Mouse Pad
    • Black Mesa Display Box

    Important Links and Information:


    [olist]
  • Submission form
  • Help/questions - LambdaBuilds section of LambdaGeneration Discord
  • Share WIPs/progress on our platform using #LambdaBuilds tag
  • Download final build/results on the ModDB page [/olist] Check out the LambdaBuilds infographic for complete rules, judges, and details.


    [ 2022-09-20 16:00:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

  • Black Mesa Turns 10 Years Old!

    Attention to all science personnel! Today marks 10 years since Black Mesa was released as the definitive way to revisit Half-Life on the Source engine! Were so proud of how far weve come since then, and are grateful for the tremendous support from our community over the past decade. Black Mesa wouldnt be where it is today if it wasnt for all of you. To celebrate this huge milestone, our friends at LambdaGeneration have released the Black Mesa sub-community on their website, which will act as the official fan page for all Black Mesa personnel! If you havent joined yet, please head here and sign up today! Furthermore, we are teaming with LambdaGeneration to hold a 10 year anniversary Gleam giveaway. Were giving away 3 sets of $50 Steam Physical Gift cards to the top 3 winners. To enter the giveaway, follow this link. Complete as many tasks as possible to earn more chances to win! The giveaway runs until September, 20th. Winners will be announced shortly after. Thank you for a great 10 years, scientists, The Crowbar Collective Team


    [ 2022-09-14 18:00:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    The Black Mesa x Intruder Mapmaking Competition is Live!

    Attention to all science team personnel! We are so excited to announce that the mapmaking competition featuring Black Mesa and Intruder has finally begun! Given that both of these titles are FPS games that developed out of a love of Half-Life, and its modding community, we thought that this mapmaking competition would be an excellent way for both the Black Mesa and Intruder communities to showcase their love for these games, and their creativity! With that being said, there are a few things we wanted to share with all you scientists:

    The Map Making Contest Has Begun!


    The Black Mesa x Intruder map making contest has officially begun! Use Black Mesa assets to create the best looking Intruder map possible! Submit your creations by August 28th on the official Intruder Discord server and Workshop. Please make sure to read all the rules here.

    Bundle Information


    To celebrate the launch of this epic crossover event, Crowbar Collective and Superboss Games have teamed up to release a bundle offering 50% off whichever of the two titles you dont currently own. The bundle is available until August 4th, so zip up that HEV suit and grab all your gear! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/27270/

    Stream Announcement


    Remember, Scientists! Grab those snacks from the cafeteria, and watch the Crowbar Collective and SuperBoss Games Devs play Intruder together on Twitch! Make sure to follow Crowbar Collective and Superboss Games! https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs https://twitter.com/SuperbossGames https://www.facebook.com/SuperbossGames


    [ 2022-07-28 16:58:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa x Intruder Livestream

    Attention all science personnel! Fire up those DalSYS computers! On July 28 at 12 PM CST, worlds collide as the Black Mesa and Superboss Games developers will be playing Intruder with one another in an epic crossover livestream event! The stream can be found at right here! While youre at it, make sure to check out Black Mesa and Intruder using the links below! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/518150/Intruder/ Crowbar Collective x Superboss Games https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs https://twitter.com/SuperbossGames https://www.facebook.com/SuperbossGames


    [ 2022-07-25 18:00:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa x Intruder Date Reveal!

    Save the date, Scientists! The Black Mesa x Intruder mapmaking competition is coming on July 28th, and its coming in hot! Dont miss your chance to take part in the best mapmaking contest ever created to win exciting prizes! https://youtu.be/kZbVvpejxL4 Stay tuned to our socials and keep up with the latest news: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Make sure to check out Intruder on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuperbossGames Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuperbossGames And reach out to other map makers and players on our Discord server. See you on the Island, Scientists. Trailer made by SepkoSFM Crowbar Collective x Superboss Games


    [ 2022-07-21 17:28:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa X Intruder Event Teaser


    Big day today, Scientists! The Administrators are excited to announce that we are collaborating with Superboss Games, the makers of Intruder, to bring all of you to the Black Mesa facility for an exciting new event, no HEV suit required! Coming soon, we will be hosting an epic mapmaking contest to solve the scientific problem of combining Black Mesa and Intruder together! https://youtu.be/eLKSEyx9utg Teaser made by SepkoSFM Join the other scientists on Discord, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more details on this exciting event! Crowbar Collective x Superboss Games https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs https://twitter.com/SuperbossGames https://www.facebook.com/SuperbossGames


    [ 2022-07-14 17:36:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Steam Summer Sale - 75% Discount!

    The Summer Sale is about to go critical! Black Mesa is 75% off during the Steam Summer Sale. Suit up and step into the Test Chamber before July 7th here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Join the facility on Discord, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news.


    [ 2022-06-23 18:05:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Weve hit 75,000 Overwhelmingly Positive Steam Reviews!

    Our Steam page is about to go critical - as we announce that weve surpassed 75,000 Overwhelmingly Positive Steam Reviews! We would like to thank every single scientist who has played and enjoyed the game so much over the many years. From our 2nd anniversary to the Noclip Documentary, the start of 2022 has been such a blast, and expect plenty of cascade-inducing events and announcements throughout the year! Join in the celebrations with us on Discord, leave your Steam review here to help us reach our next milestone, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest developer updates and news: bit.ly/3lQhVKs Look forward to hitting 100,000 real soon! The Crowbar Collective team


    [ 2022-06-10 18:25:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa 50% Off

    Black Mesa is about to go critical! Not only did Noclip release their Resonance Cascade-inducing Black Mesa documentary (watch below), but the game is now 50% off till 24 March! [previewyoutube=G_TcAxAKCAI;full][/previewyoutube] Tell your families and friends that this is the best time to purchase one of the iconic games ever made. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Dont forget to show your thanks and support to the Noclip crew by subscribing to their Patreon, and subscribing to their brand new YouTube channel. Noclip Patron Noclip Crew Youtube Channel Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements, and join our Discord server for experienced player guidance and support.


    [ 2022-03-21 18:00:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa x Noclip Documentary Out Now!

    The Administration and Noclip are proud to announce that the Black Mesa documentary is available to watch now! [previewyoutube=G_TcAxAKCAI;full][/previewyoutube] Join Danny and the Noclip team as they journey through our facility, discussing recreating Half-Life, from finishing Xen, and taking on the Nihilanth. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest Black Mesa news and announcements, and join our Discord server to celebrate this momentous occasion with us!


    [ 2022-03-15 17:30:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa x Noclip Trailer Released!

    Ga'glah! After months of behind-the-facility work, were proud to announce that weve been working on a documentary about Black Mesa, exclusively with Noclip! [previewyoutube=NGureVWbxHo;full][/previewyoutube] As you may know, Noclip is a crowdfunded media company dedicated to creating video game documentaries. We took them on a journey through our facility, discussing the two decades of development, and revealing how a team of fans went on to fix Half-Life's unfinished final chapter. The full 2+ hour documentary arrives later this month (March 2022), exclusively on their YouTube channel. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest documentary news and announcements, and join our Discord server to celebrate this momentous occasion with us!


    [ 2022-03-10 19:00:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Turns Two!

    Time flies so fast, Scientists! In just a blink of an eye, Black Mesa turns two today! We wouldnt be able to reach this milestone without the utmost support of our community, whose strength surpasses the Resonance Cascade. To celebrate this milestone, were giving scientists the chance to win one of two $100 Steam Gift Cards, and a Black Mesa key, from today till March 13th! Enter here: https://bit.ly/3tuKTCi
    Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements, and join our Discord server for experienced player guidance and support.


    [ 2022-03-06 19:00:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Lunar New Year Sale - 50% Off

    Happy Lunar New Year, scientists! To celebrate, Black Mesa is now at a Resonance Cascade-inducing 50% off. Suit up as Gordon Freeman and relive the iconic FPS game, but hurry. This discount ends February 3rd! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements, and join our Discord server for experienced player guidance and support..


    [ 2022-01-27 20:57:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Winter Sale - 75% Off

    Hurry up, scientists, I can't keep it open forever! Black Mesa is on sale with a 75% discount in Steams Winter Sale. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements, and join our Discord server for game tips and tricks.


    [ 2021-12-22 19:00:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

    60% Off In The Steam Autumn Sale!

    Pay attention, scientists! Fall for G-Man all over again with Black Mesa, now 60% off in Steam's Autumn Sale. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements, and join our Discord server for game tips, tricks and virtual Tesla Tacos!


    [ 2021-11-24 18:55:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

    60% off in Steams Halloween Sale!

    Our Headcrabs are hungry, scientists! So reach for that crowbar and this scarily good discount of 60% off, till November 1st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements, and join our Discord server for game tips, tricks and virtual Tesla Tacos!


    [ 2021-10-28 17:55:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Origin Custom PC Giveaway - Winner Announced!

    Our giveaway has gone critical! Were delighted to announce, after much anticipation, the winner of the Black Mesa x Origin PC custom PC! We raise our crowbars to:

    Andrew Y


    We mustnt forget the Runners-Up too, who each walk from the facility with a $50 Steam Gift Card and a Steam key: Ari Josu Gonzlez H Jaydel T Iddo K Miguel N Again, congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to seeing Black Mesa being played on this custom PC soon! See you soon, on future giveaways! Note: Origin will be contacting these winners directly via the contact information given during the giveaway. Dont forget to join in the celebrations on: Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/crowbar_collective Stay safe out there, and be good to each other!


    [ 2021-10-15 18:55:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update and Custom Origin PC Giveaway!

    Weve got some exciting stuff going on! Weve deployed a patch for the game (it will break saves), but more importantly, we have kicked off a BLACK MESA CUSTOM PC giveaway with ORIGIN PC! You have from now until October 6th to enter to win the ORIGIN PC pictured below!
    To really amp this up to 105%, we set the game to 75% off! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ The Custom Black Mesa PC Click the link below to enter to win this beautiful piece of custom hardware. The team at ORIGIN PC made sure it didnt just have brawn, its got brains too! Enter To Win Here! (https://bit.ly/3nECs6f) PC Specs

    • CPU - Intel Core i5-11600K
    • Ram Memory - 32GB of Corsair Vengeance White RGB PRO DDR4 @ 2666Mhz
    • GPU - EVGA RTX 2060
    • OS Drive - 480GB Force MP510 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    • Storage - 500GB BarraCuda Seagate HDD
    All in a sleek Corsair 4000D Airflow case (and did we mention it is custom?). The ORIGIN and Black Mesa team have been talking about doing a collaboration for years, and we finally were able to make it happen. We hope you are as excited for this promotion as we are. In addition to the PC, we are also giving away some Steam gift cards and Black Mesa game keys. You can enter until October 6th using the link above. The Sale Weve been 75% off before, but not since the game hit 1.0. The sale will last until Monday, September 20th at 10 AM PST. If you or one of your friends has been waiting to try Black Mesa, now is a great time to check it out! The Patch As we said before, this patch will break saves (sorry, we had to re-compile some maps for fixes) You may have to start the chapter again or continue by loading a map through the console. We went through a spreadsheet of issues reported by the community, fixed some issues with the game (big and small), and added some quality-of-life improvements for the game. Code Fixes
    • Fixed crash in Interloper A (offset enemy spawn in times).
    • Fixed the HEV chargers giving you the wrong charge amount.
    • Fix for No Free Edicts issue in Interloper (timer on Interloper Agunt Pods).
    • Optimized Interloper elevator sequence.
    • Fixed female scientists not healing you.
    • Fixed HEV scientist bodies showing revolver icon on item pickup.
    • Added enginetools.txt to the bin folder.
    • Implemented a fix for the new UI not working on Linux.
    • Fixed hangs on Linux when pressing the Escape button.
    • Fixed for the workshop on Linux.
    Options Menu
    • Fixed bug with video quality presets.
    • Added separate label for gamepad options in menu (scroll down in the menu).
    • Added enable/disable for vibration on controllers.
    • Added an option to invert the Y-axis on controllers.
    • Added sensitivity sliders for X and Y axis on controllers.
    Closed Caption/Translation Fixes
    • Fixed WGH subtitle crash.
    • Updated/fixed translation files based on community feedback.
    • Fixed Arabic not being oriented correctly.
    • Fixed text size during HEV bootup sequence on various resolutions.
    Design/Art Fixes
    • Fixed Lambda Core portal white screen bug (the spinny bits were killing players on teleport).
    • Fixed smoke clipping through distant blue haze on Surface Tension cliffside.
    • Slowed down bunker explosion animation on Surface Tension Cliffside to better portray sense of scale.
    • Fixed scientist falling speed in Office complex.
    • Fixed a small visual issue with the Taus sprint animation.
    • Fixed missing wall stripe near control room in Unforeseen Consequences.
    • Fixed weapons being removed if a satchel or snarks are thrown into portal 9 in Lambda Core.
    • Adjusted emergency shutters in Lambda Core to prevent players from backtracking where they should not.
    • Fixed rare softlocks in On A Rail (for the tram elevator by the rocket).
    • Fixed I/O in Nihilanth chamber that would cause player to have noclip in endgame.
    • Update to dm_crossfire skybox art.
    Thanks as always to our great community, and thanks to the team over at ORIGIN for doing A LOT of the heavy lifting to make this happen, and being great to work with. If you are in the market for some new PC hardware, give them a look! Stay safe out there, and be good to each other! Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: @BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/crowbar_collective


    [ 2021-09-15 17:50:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

    End of Summer Beta

    Hello again, Hope everyone is enjoying summer (in the upper hemisphere anyway, winter if not). If you are interested in helping us test a new patch (out on public-beta), wed really appreciate it. There are a few issues we cant reproduce on our end, so check out the Needs More Testing section if you have had any of those issues or want to help out. This Next Patch Will Break Saves We had to edit the levels for some of the fixes, which means we had to invalidate old saves to make sure it didnt break people's games. You can restart the chapter or load the map via the games console. Sorry for any inconvenience, hopefully you were not in the middle of a hat run! Code Fixes

    • Fixed the HEV chargers giving you the wrong charge amount.
    • Fixed female scientists not healing you.
    • Fixed HEV scientist bodies showing revolver icon on item pickup.
    • Added enginetools.txt to the bin folder (probably needs to be updated).
    Options Menu
    • Fixed bug with video quality presets.
    • Added separate label for gamepad options in menu (scroll down in menu).
    • Added enable/disable for vibration on controllers.
    • Added an option to invert the Y axis on controllers.
    • Added sensitivity sliders for X and Y axis on controllers.
    Closed Caption/Translation Fixes
    • Fixed We Got Hostiles subtitle crash.
    • Updated/fixed translation files based on community feedback.
    • Fixed Arabic not being oriented correctly.
    • Fixed text size during HEV bootup sequence on various resolutions.
    Design/Art Fixes
    • Fixing smoke clipping through distant blue haze on Surface Tension cliffside.
    • Slowed down bunker explosion animation on Surface Tension Cliffside to better portray sense of scale.
    • Fixed scientist falling speed in Office complex.
    • Fixed a small visual issue with the Taus sprint animation.
    • Fixed missing wall stripe near control room in Unforeseen Consequences.
    • Fixed weapons being removed if a satchel or snarks are thrown into portal 9 in Lambda Core.
    • Adjusted emergency shutters in Lambda Core to prevent players from backtracking where they should not.
    • Looking into fixing rare softlocks in On A Rail (for the tram elevator by the rocket).
    • Fixed I/O in Nihilanth chamber that would cause the player to have noclip in endgame.
    • Update to dm_crossfire skybox art.
    Needs More Testing
    • Attempted to fix crash in Interloper A (offset spawn in times).
    • Possible fix for huge FPS drop during the rocket raise in On A Rail.
    • Fix for No Free Edicts issue in Interloper (timer on Int barrels).
    • HEV suit pickup still crashing the game in some languages.
    • Implemented a possible fix for the new UI not working on Linux.
    • Fixed hangs on Linux when pressing the Escape button.
    • Possible fix for the workshop on Linux.
    Known Issues
    • Some RPG crates might not give you full RPG ammo.
    • Some MP maps may be missing minor props.
    • Chapter titles may be formatted wrong on higher resolutions (fixed on dev side).
    Thank you for your help and feedback! Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: @BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/crowbar_collective


    [ 2021-08-24 17:47:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Weve surpassed 60,000 Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews!

    The Black Mesa facility is proud to announce that weve surpassed 60,000 Overwhelmingly Positive Steam Reviews! From Barney quotes to your love of Houndeyes, your reviews have been a joy to read over the years and we wanted to share our 3 favorites to celebrate this achievement. If youve left one of your own or have another you prefer, share it with us in the discussion thread!


    But thats not all we have to celebrate. Weve also been ranked #106 in Steams Top 250 Best Games List, with over 65,000 votes! So come share in the celebrations with us on Discord, leave your Steam review here and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest game updates and news. Look forward to hitting the next milestone! The Crowbar Collective team


    [ 2021-07-19 19:01:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

    2021 Summer Sale - New Developer Update Inbound!

    Hello again, fellow scientists!

    Whats New?


    Weve been working on a number of small fixes to polish the game and prevent rare bugs. Here is a list of what we have been working on:

    Fixed on the Developer Build:


    Possible fix for huge FPS drop during the rocket raise in On A Rail Fixed missing wall stripe near control room in Unforeseen Consequences Fixed scientist falling speed in Office complex Fixed a small visual issue with the Taus sprint animation Fixed weapons being removed if a satchel or snarks are thrown into portal 9 in Lambda Core Adjusted emergency shutters in Lambda Core to prevent players from backtracking where they should not Fixed the HEV chargers giving you the wrong charge amount Fixed female scientists not healing you Fixed text size during HEV bootup sequence on various resolutions Added separate label for gamepad options in menu Added an option to invert the Y axis on controllers Added sensitivity sliders for X and Y axis on controllers Added enable/disable for vibration on controllers Fixed bug with video options when setting presets for quality Implemented a possible fix for the new UI not working on Linux Fixed hangs on Linux when pressing Escape button Updated/fixed translation files based on community feedback

    Issues to Fix/Look Into:


    Try and replicated the crash in Interloper A Looking into fixing the No Free Edicts issue in Interloper Looking into fixing rare softlocks in On A Rail (for the tram elevator by the rocket) Fixing smoke clipping through distant blue haze on Surface Tension cliffside Fixing some values where RPG crates dont instantly refill the players ammo Fix missing props in multiplayer maps Look into fixing the workshop on Linux

    The Next Patch Will Break Saves


    The Next Patch Will Break Saves. Players caught mid campaign can start a new game at the chapter they left off on, or load a map using the console. Sorry for any future inconvenience! We will warn everyone on our socials before the patch is released!

    Steam Summer Sale


    Till July 8th at 1pm EST You can grab Black Mesa at 60% off in the Steam Summer Sale! Please share this memo and help us reach as many scientists as we can.

    Community Multiplayer Playdates


    Sunday, June 27th at 12 PM EST The team will be playing multiplayer Sunday, June 27th at 12PM EST. Come join us for some fun. Saturday, July 3rd at 2 PM EST We are also planning a playdate for Saturday, July 3rd at 2PM EST (might change due to the U.S. holiday)

    Soon


    We have some other Streams and events we would like to do soon, and well be sending out the new patch in the next few months. Other than that, we may be quiet for a while until we can talk about what is next for Crowbar Collective. Until then, come hang out on our Discord and check out our Twitch to stay in touch! Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: @BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ https://www.twitch.tv/crowbar_collective Thanks! And have a great Summer!


    [ 2021-06-26 17:50:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen Museum Livestream with Composer Joel Nielsen

    Big day today, Freeman. It's been quite a journey for the science team but today is the 4th and final part of our Xen Museum Mod stream!
    To thank all those who have been watching, Black Mesas composer, Joel Nielsen, will be joining us to talk about the Xen soundtrack, sound design, and much more. So join us in 2 hours' time at 1:00 PM CST, on our Twitch channel, for our final playthrough. Dont forget to join us on Discord and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest Black Mesa updates! Till next time, The Crowbar Collective team


    [ 2021-06-04 16:01:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

    50% off Black Mesa Sale Final Day!

    Ah, there you are Freeman, You have (1) new message! You are receiving this notification because of your mandatory subscription to Black Mesas alerts. We would like to remind everyone that today, May 1st, is the final full day to acquire an official copy of Black Mesa at a mitigated cost; 50% off. Kindly take note, this anomaly will end officially on May 2nd. With our recent Xen Museum Update, our Mod Madness celebration and much more, now is the perfect time to step into the Black Mesa science labs! Dont forget to share your progress with us on the following sites: Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/ Till next time!


    [ 2021-05-01 18:29:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Mod Madness!

    Looking for some more Black Mesa? Youve come to the right place. The team took some time to play a bunch of our community mods, and we were blown away by the quality of the content on the workshop, but first...

    Some Reminders


    • The Dreamies are Friday, April 30th. Well be doing a stream beforehand of the Xen Museum. Tune in for some of the inside details behind the maps! 1PM EST.
    • Well then Twitch Raid over to the Dreamies live show.
    • Sorta related to below, Chon has updated On A Rail Uncut and uploaded it to the workshop. If you want a different take on OAR, check it out!
    • The game is still on sale for 50% off until May 2nd! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/

    Mod Madness


    Like we said above, there is some GREAT content out there. If you are in the mood for some more Black Mesa, or even something that feels very different, here are just SOME of the things on the workshop! (In No Particular Order)

    bm_escapade


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=873700194
    The transit system had taken Gordon to within a whisker of the surface, and safety. However the military, ostensibly there to rescue the facilities personnel, had cut power to all the surface access doors. The test reactor housed in Area 3's nearby laboratories offered a solution to this predicament. If Gordon could fire it up he should be able to redirect power to the access doors from the control room. The way ahead was dangerous, but with luck this would be the final escapade. Escapade is the (belated) follow up to my previous maps, Overtime and Quarantine. This will most likely be the conclusion to the series. Building all three has been a big learning experience and any feedback is most welcome.

    Last Awakener


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1837111536
    Survive the hostile environment and find the way to escape through elevator! A level inspired by ResidentEvil 2, hope you will enjoy :)

    Further Data


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2316239201
    Further Data is a brand new take on Half-Life: Uplink - Valve's demo of Half-Life. It's a personal project of mine featuring new maps, new voice lines, and miscellaneous assets. To play, press the "Steam Workshop" button on the main menu and Further Data will appear. If you use the old UI, use the command "map fd01".

    bm_quarantine


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=798988742
    Gordons misadventures in the Black Mesa ventillation system left him trapped within Sector C's chemical research wing. Like many areas of the facility, the wing had gone into quarantine following the resonance cascade in a vain attempt to contain the invading organisms. Gordon would have to find someway, or someone, to lift the lock down if he was to escape. Quarantine was my first fully complete map (though I must have started, and given up, on dozens). There are certainly things to improve on and any comments or suggestions are welcome. I nicked a few things from the offical maps, as well as some settings and ideas from Bravado, so thanks to the developers and Maki respectively.

    Superbus Via Inscientiae


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1086124981
    This is a Singleplayer custom map to Black Mesa. Gordon finds himself in the questionable territories of the Biodome Complex, but his goal of escaping Black Mesa remain the same.

    bm_overtime


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=799007153
    Although Gordon managed to survive the resonace cascade and escape the laboratories, the situation was rapidly deteriorating. His only hope of reaching safety was the Black Mesa Transit System. Typically the one available tram was on the far platform. With the bridging offices becoming increasingly overrun with hostile life forms Gordon would have to work overtime if he was to make it. Overtime is my second Black Mesa map and, in spirit, follows on from where Quarantine left off. I struggled with a few areas of this map and there is a visual bug with the tram that I've been unable to fix so, as always, comments or suggestions are welcome.

    bm_bravado


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=449141574
    While attempting to escape Black Mesa, Freeman's tram is halted by a military lockdown.

    bm_uncharted_territory


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1205460043
    On his return from activating the track power Gordon was having serious reservations about confronting the gargantuan creature lurking by the trains. Those soldiers who intercepted him must have come from elsewhere. Perhaps it's time for a change in direction? Uncharted Territory was an entry to the RTSL BlackMesaDoorVille mapping challenge. The goal of the challenge was to pick any locked door from the Black Mesa main campaign and build what was beyond it. Full details and all challenge entries can be found at http://www.runthinkshootlive.com/posts/blackmesadoorville/. Uncharted Territory originates from the Power Up chapter, specifically a short corridor that opens up after reactivating the power. It's located just after the final HECU battle, between the storage area that explodes and the collapsed stairs, and appears to be where the soldiers came from. The player starts in this short corridor from the main campaign. The doors leading in are now locked, and the previously locked doors at the far end lead to an unexplored area of Black Mesa (my map).

    Stojkeholm


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2320533262
    As the HECU tightens their grip on Black Mesa, an HEV-equipped scientist makes a desperate bid to escape the facility under the cover of darkness.

    Black Mesa: Blue Shift


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2424633574
    The first chapter of the Half-Life: Blue Shift remake, Living Quarters Outbound, is now released! Relive the Black Mesa Incident as Gordon Freeman's best friend - Barney Calhoun! This first chapter will show you the start of what looked like a typical work day at Black Mesa. This can be a showcase of our current capabilities in mapping, soundtrack and voice acting. We would also like you to share your opinion on whether you like what we have done or not.

    Access Point


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2161275016
    Explore a top secret storage facility in a frantic battle to reach the surface! Access Point HD Edition is a remake of my previous Half-Life map, Access Point. In this map, you'll have to fight your way through various warehouses and maintenence areas to find the last scientist who can open the blast door leading to the surface. But beware, you may not be the only one that have found your way down here

    Azure Sheep


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2288016896
    Today we are proud to release the new, better version of the mod. Our team put all their skills and effort to make your experience a lot better and more interesting. Also we are really grateful to Cyvo, who breathed a new life in it with his expansions.

    Hazard Course


    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2329457048
    Hazard Course Hazard Course features a complete re-creation of Half-Life's training level, including new dialogue and voice acting, HD models, textures, and detailed environments. Overview Developed by PSR Digital, Hazard Course is an add-on for Black Mesa centered around a completely new take on Half-Life's training level, "Hazard Course", featuring 6 maps, a wealth of new models and textures, an expanded introduction and outro sequence (based on the sequence exclusive to the PS2 version of Half-Life), and tons of new dialogue from the entire Black Mesa voice cast. This workshop item also includes the Five Nights at the Hazard Course bonus add-on. Originally built for our 2015 April Fools' joke, Five Nights at the Hazard Course is an unofficial minigame set in the Black Mesa Hazard Course, based on the horror game series by Scott Cawthon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these mods are short and sweet, others are a bit longer and engrossing. This list doesnt even touch on content like Juniez's Classic Weapons Pack, which is a great way to add a new twist to Black Mesa. If there are any other workshop mods you think we should check out, let us know here or on our Discord. We would love to promote even more mods for our game. Hope everyone is enjoying the game, and this stellar community content! Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/


    [ 2021-04-28 18:01:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen Museum/Dreamies/Sale!

    Hello everyone! Happy Spring? Is that what season it is? We may have lost track of time, but thats only because we have been working away on a patch, and some other projects. Lots to cover, so lets go!

    Steam Sale


    We are 50% off from now until May 2nd! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/

    The Dreamies!


    We also want to share how humbled we are to be a part of Dreamhack's Dreamies! Black Mesa appears in two categories: Wait Worthy and Refreshing Revive. It is an honor to be nominated, and we will be watching with excitement!
    You can watch the award show with us on Friday, April 30th on Twitch. We'll be doing a live stream to kick off the event! Twitch.tv/DreamHack

    Black Mesa Xen Museum



    We have an exciting, home-grown addition to the Steam Workshop. As you might have guessed, the Xen chapters went through a lot of iteration. We created a Xen museum so that players can explore many of the early, Work In Progress (WIP) versions of the levels. We also included an art gallery and some unreleased maps that have never before been seen! You can download the mod through the steam workshop. Simply click the link below, subscribe to the mod, and then launch it via the workshop tab in the game main menu. Click Here to Subscribe to the Mod Please Note that some of the WIP levels have a lot of issues, as they were unfinished AND the game code has changed a lot since they were made. Expect lots of junk in the WIP maps. The museum is divided into 3 different hubs: Xen, Gonarch, and Interloper. You can check out different versions of a ton of our maps, using the Intra-dimensional Portals within (Over 56 maps in all!).



    Patch Notes


    Last but not least, we have put out a patch to fix up a number of UI/Game issues and add translation files. Here are the detailed notes:
      Fixed in game Voice Over IP (VOIP) not showing icons on hud. Note: if your input device is not set correctly in windows, there will be no icons in game.
    • Added ability to change multiplayer character model/skin on new UI client.

      Implemented translators credits page!



    • Experimental Weapon Wheel for controller (hud_fastswitch 2).
    • Fixed mouse wheel support in options menu.
    • Fixed Reset Defaults setting select weapon to [ ] instead of mouse wheel.
    • Added support for multiplayer join menu navigation.
    • Fixed issue with game reloading after video settings change. Game will now save settings if you navigate to another tab.
    • Updated functionality for UI navigation with controller/keyboard.
    • Fixed issues related to random selection of UI items.
    • Implemented support for carousel navigation (New Game menu, Load Game menu, Save Game menu).
    • Improved support to change game bindings with controller/keyboard.
    • Added support to change key binding in cell with "A" button (Enter) press.
    • Fixed problem with option lists not appearing in UI navigation with controller/keyboard.
    • Update UI navigation functionality. Now users can navigate through alert boxes with controller/keyboard.
    • Fixed problem with UI navigation being enabled while dev-console is opened.
    • Fixed UI soft lock issue with disconnecting from single player game.
    • Fixed UI soft lock issue with disconnecting from multiplayer game.
    • Disabled default keyboard navigation functionality. It causes scroll over items and prevents custom UI navigation functionality work.
    • Added highlight to the menu button that has an active state to show user selection when navigating with controller/keyboard.
    • Update UI navigation logic. Added logic to store selected UI items when navigating to the next level of menu depth (to be able to select it again when the user goes up one level of depth tree).

    Additional Translation Files



    Arabic Portuguese (Brazilian) Greek Indonesian Japanese Lithuanian Spanish (Mexican) Vietnamese

    Supported Languages Now Include:


    Arabic Chinese Simplified Chinese Traditional Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Finnish French Georgian German Greek Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Norwegian Lithuanian Polish Portuguese Portuguese (Brazilian) Romanian Russian Spanish Spanish (Mexican) Swedish Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese More to come soon! Thanks! Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/


    [ 2021-04-26 19:00:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

    UI/Translation Patch

    Patch for previous beta. Fixed missing closed caption files. Fixes default key binding setting change weapon to [ ].


    [ 2021-04-24 16:39:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Translation and UI Patch

    Hello, Mesa friends! Hope the winter has treated everyone well. We here at Crowbar Collective are excited for spring and what comes next for us. But first off, we have a beta for testing further controller support, some UI bug fixes, as well as new translations. Please let us know if you see any persisting issues using controllers or with the new UI. Well be back soon to put the patch on the mainline and announce some fun events!

    Fixes Pushed to Beta


    • Added ability to change multiplayer character model/skin on new UI client ( Still needs translation strings).
    • Implemented translators credits page.
    • Experimental Weapon Wheel for controller (hud_fastswitch 2).
    • Fixed mouse wheel support in options menu.
    • Added support for multiplayer join menu navigation.
    • Fixed issue with game reloading after video settings change. Game will now save settings if you navigate to another tab.
    • Updated functionality for UI navigation with controller/keyboard.
    • Fixed issues related to random selection of UI items.
    • Implemented support for carousel navigation (New Game menu, Load Game menu, Save Game menu).
    • Improved support to change game bindings with controller/keyboard.
    • Added support to change key binding in cell with "A" button (Enter) press.
    • Fixed problem with option lists not appearing in UI navigation with controller/keyboard.
    • Update UI navigation functionality. Now users can navigate through alert boxes with controller/keyboard.
    • Fixed problem with UI navigation being enabled while dev-console is opened.
    • Fixed UI soft lock issue with disconnecting from single player game.
    • Fixed UI soft lock issue with disconnecting from multiplayer game.
    • Disabled default keyboard navigation functionality. It causes scroll over items and prevents custom UI navigation functionality work.
    • Added highlight to menu button that has active state to show user selection when navigating with controller/keyboard.
    • Update UI navigation logic. Added logic to store selected UI item when navigating to next level of menu depth (to be able to select it again when the user goes up one level of depth tree ).

    Additional Translation Files


    • Brazilian(Portuguese)
    • Mexican Spanish
    • Greek
    • Indonesian
    • Lithuanian
    • Vietnamese
    • Arabic
    • Japanese

    Supported Languages Now Include:



    • Chinese Simplified
    • Chinese Traditional
    • Croatin
    • Czech
    • Danish
    • Dutch
    • English
    • Finnish
    • French
    • Georgian
    • German
    • Hungarian
    • Italian
    • Korean
    • Norwegian
    • Polish
    • Portuguese
    • Romanian
    • Russian
    • Spanish
    • Swedish
    • Turkish
    • Ukrainian
    Thanks! Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/


    [ 2021-03-16 23:03:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

    50% OFF on Black Mesa at Steam Lunar New Year Sale

    Good day, Scientists of Black Mesa! We have a huge deal that you dont want to miss! As part of the Steam Lunar New Year Sale, Black Mesa will be available on Steam at 50% OFF! So, come aboard the Black Mesa Transit System and get your 50% discount by clicking here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa Be sure to hop on our Discord server and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates and news about Black Mesa. Dont let this Steam Lunar New Year Sale pass by, get your 50% OFF on Black Mesa right away!


    [ 2021-02-11 18:25:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Please Vote for us for "Outstanding Visual Style"

    Well, this is... Outstanding news! Were honored to be nominated for the Outstanding Visual Style Steam Award! We are blown away to even be in the mix with the other fantastic candidates. Thank you to all those who nominated us. If we could ask for yet another favor, please vote for Black Mesa in the Outstanding Visual Style category! Voting starts today, and ends January 3rd at 9AM PST. As a small indie developer, we are beyond floored with the amount of support we have had on Steam. The Art, Design, and Programming team worked extremely hard to make our game look great, and we are very proud of what we have accomplished. The Outstanding Visual Style award would mean a lot to all of us at Crowbar Collective. Oh, and we are 50% off for the Steam Winter Sale, too! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/





    In other news, we are releasing a patch for the sale that further improves controller support, adds new closed captions, and fixes some game crashes!

    Patch Notes:


    Crash Fixes


    • Fixed numerous crashes and memory leaks, including a major 30+ megabyte memory leak when loading maps
    • Fixed memory leak crash on multiplayer dedicated server
    • Fixed crash while using Potato settings
    • Added additional fixes to prevent soft lock in "Questionable Ethics"

    Additional Controller Support/Options


    • Added additional controller support for menu (reset key binds if needed)
    • Added auto aim slider to options menu
    • Most game settings now take effect without reloading the map
    • Added "Mouse Acceleration" and "Raw Input" to Options menu

    Closed Captions


    Added closed captions for:
    • Croatian
    • Czech
    • Georgian
    • Hungarian
    • Chinese (simplified)
    • Chinese (traditional)
    • Swedish
    • Polish
    • Danish
    • Korean
    • Dutch
    • Turkish
    • Romanian
    • Cleaned various closed captions and UI text files
    • Fixed Ukrainian end credits

    Bugs/Fixes


    • Fixed classic irons sight bug that stuck
    • Changed supply create health to break on one crowbar hit
    • Fixed chapter title cut off for "Forget About Freeman" on ultra wide
    Thank you again for thinking of us. Have a great holiday!


    [ 2020-12-22 20:20:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Labor of Love Nomination

    Black Mesa has been hugely successful throughout the mod years, throughout the porting to Steam, throughout the development of the Xen levels, and throughout our 16 years of development, all thanks to the overwhelming support of our community. We are extremely proud of what we have built, and it bears repeating that we could not have done it without you. So we have another favor to ask. If you could vote for Black Mesa as the Labor of Love Award we would be honored. We really believe this award embodies the blood, sweat, and tears that we have poured into this game year after year after year, and we hope that being nominated, and potentially winning this award will help bring the game to a new audience.
    If you agree, please vote for us, and help us spread the word on social media. Thank you for your consideration. Have a great Steam sale (and Holiday too)! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/


    [ 2020-11-25 20:32:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa: Definitive Edition

    We are happy to announce that we are releasing our final big update to Black Mesa as a free Definitive Edition update. Since March, we have worked to polish the game in terms of both art and design. If you have been waiting to try Black Mesa, now is a great time to dive in. Well continue to support the game to fix major bugs, and the known issues below.
    https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/

    Highlights of the Definitive Edition


    • Massive polish and art updates throughout the game
    • Complete lighting and gameplay pass to the chapter Power Up
    • Complete redesign of second On A Rail map (map B)
    • Significant optimizations across the whole game that will improve performance on low to mid range PCs
    • Outdoor art passes for Weve Got Hostiles, On A Rail, Questionable Ethics, Surface Tension, and Forget About Freeman
    • New shield and architectural art for Interloper
    • Full workshop support
    • Updated closed caption/translation files for:
      • English
      • Spanish
      • French
      • Finnish
      • German
      • Italian
      • Norwegian
      • Portuguese
      • Russian
      • Ukrainian
      • With all the languages from our Crowdin campaign on the way!

    Known Issues


    • Were still working on controller support for the main menu
    • Still have to add multiplayer player model select for new UI
    • Female scientists unintentionally do not heal player
    • Still have to release map source files (we are looking at the best way to do this)
    • Sometimes maps in multiplayer have their bloom blown out

    Media













    Changes Since Last News Post


    Code


    • Significant further improvements to workshop functionality. Mods should now be able to properly support a wide variety of custom content, without any need for a custom folder
    • Deprecated scenes.image. This means workshop content can now ship custom scenes without overriding Black Mesas scenes too.
    • Added a convar which allows users to disable all workshop loading functionality entirely. Add +workshop_disable 1 to the games launch options to try this.
    • Fixed Workshop crash bug related to multi-part VPKs
    • Smoothed out suit charger animations and increased update rate on players HUD, to make everything feel a bit punchier and smoother
    • Fix deferred rendering bug related to gbuffer, which should fix all the rendering artifacts/bugs and potential crashes related to secondary render targets: including reflection/refraction/monitors, etc.
    • Fixed soda cans from vending machines not colliding with each other
    • Added little color pops when the player picks up a health kit or a battery, just to help draw attention to that fact
    • Fixed a crash related to old depreciated flashlight sprites
    • The Multiplayer scoreboard can show up to 24 names now
    • Fixed key binding bugs related to the new UI
    • Added dynamic lights to chargers, Gargs, flames, and a few other things which shouldve had lights
    • Added support for justifying the closed captions to the right side of the screen, for the languages which do that
    • Fixed monitor functionality on the Surface Tension mortar screen
    • Fixed a bug related to newpostprocessing, where it wouldnt turn off completely when disabled
    • Reduced collision/rendering volume of newSpotlights by half for better culling and faster rendering
    • Fixed rotation bugs for newSpotlights and func_tracktrain, for a prettier game
    • Procedural dynamic lights have been disabled on potato quality mode for better FPS
    • Significantly buffed the Gluon gun in multiplayer

    Art


    • Improved fidelity of blood splatters
    • Fixed some of the charger lights occasionally being in the wrong position
    • Fixed flickering slime vines at end of Xen swamp level
    • Increased water frame rate in Lambda Core
    • Added additional architectural art to Interloper C1
    • Fixed car windshields to render objects behind them properly and sort better
    • Fixed multiple Interloper shields to display properly, including the Vort Village intro and the large circular shield in Interloper D
    • Fixed excessive shine on some rocks in ST
    • Fixed floating props in Xen B1
    • Added electric particles to knocked over radio tower in Surface Tension
    • Fixed rock collision in Surface Tension
    • Fixed green plant alpha cards in Interloper to work properly with gbuffer

    Audio


    • Fixed multiple issues with the in-game audio sliders. Fixed the sound effect slider adjusting everything except footsteps and gunfire, resulting in poor audio mix. Now you should be able to hear everything mixed as intended, which really improves the audio experience for anyone who has adjusted their audio sliders!
    • Major improvements to the in-game music entity, which fixes maps which use the more dynamic music system. Music tracks should blend more seamlessly and quickly as a result
    • Adjusted Inbound tracks so they finish slightly before the level transition. No more abrupt cuts in music!
    • Moved Surface Tension Dam fight song over to the new dynamic music system, so the piece properly underscores the fight now no matter how you play it
    • The music in the elevator fight in Interloper D is even smoother and cooler now!
    • Fixed many missing NPC sounds, such as reloads

    Level Design


    Game-Wide


    • Autosave pass on the entire game to reduce frustrating deaths that send you back really far in the level
    • Dynamic light optimization pass on the entire game to improve performance, especially on low to mid-range PCs
    • As always, many many small bugfixes and tweaks based on community feedback, that might not be mentioned here
    • Multiple balance adjustments game-wide to smooth out the difficulty curve and remove frustrating pain points
    • Significantly improved damage output of Guards (both Glock and .357) so they are much more worthy and effective companions now
    • Fixed several instances where the Guards arms would clip through his chest

    Anomalous Materials


    • Prevented the player from being able to use the HEV charger next to the suit pickup before the suit battery functions of the suit had initialized. This prevents an odd edge-case bug where if you did that, your HUD would disappear forever.
    • Moved the toilet paper slightly closer to the edge of the sink, to make it easier for players to grab
    • Improved lighting on AM lockers

    Unforeseen Consequences


    • Fixed player being able to prevent the tube headcrab from spawning in Map B
    • Adjusted some of the logic for the Map B headbanging Zombie, to better signpost when he comes out to attack you
    • Added a little hudhint for the Glock in Map B, so new players know about the alternate fire
    • Clipped off a spot in Map C where players could get stuck behind a cryo tank
    • Locked a door in Map C to encourage players to break things with the Crowbar, as a form of basic training

    Office Complex


    • Added more Zombies to the Map A post-Shotgun ambush
    • Fixed Guard interactions with the turrets in Map A

    Weve Got Hostiles


    • Significantly adjusted the Map C (warehouse/outdoor) fight to properly draw players outside and use the space more effectively. Added some barriers and adjusted the side of the bunker the players exit is on, to force players to run around the space a bit more than before. The fight is a lot more fun now!
    • Prevented the Osprey from being damageable via the mortars, which should fix instances where the Osprey is running around on fire

    Blast Pit


    • Fixed the missing VOX sounds that were added in the 1.5 beta
    • Adjusted the dying scientist in Map B so he doesnt turn his head to face you after hes dead
    • Destroyed one of the bridges in Map B as a callback to the HL1 iteration
    • Adjusted the scientist that gets killed by the Tentacle, to prevent him being completely frozen in place before the scene starts. Also fixed an edge case where players could get crushed by the door closing behind them.
    • Several fixes to the Guard that gets killed by the Tentacle, to prevent a weird edge case where he would sometimes become invulnerable
    • Fixed player being able to break the puzzle by pressing both generator buttons in quick succession in Map D
    • Fixed bad lighting on a pipe at the end of Map E

    Power Up


    • Clipped off some points where players could get stuck
    • Added an emergency light to the bottom of the lift that the HECU come down in Map B, to draw attention to the movement
    • Made the crate blocking the generator in Map B be invulnerable before the player goes down there, to prevent a scenario where the Houndeyes/explosive barrels would sometimes prematurely destroy the crate and cause the map to progress without the players intervention

    On a Rail


    • Substantial rework to the new silo puzzle based on community feedback from 1.5 beta. The puzzle is now properly linearized and better signposted with visuals. This should alleviate all/most of the soft locks and potential confusion during this section.
    • Added an elaborate series of cool scenes that play out if you bring the Guard with you up the silo. Give it a try!
    • Added corner pieces to silo platforms to help NPC with pathing and give the player more space to run around (and prevent falling between levels)
    • Fixed the elevator in the new silo so that players wont get crushed/stuck in the door when it closes
    • Adjusted the Marines throughout the chapter who are scripted to fire the RPG at you, so that they should now do so every single time without fail

    Apprehension


    • Fixed a bad decal that was showing up as a glitchy puddle in Map A
    • Re-arted the skybox outside the helipad in Map C to match the new art and style
    • Fixed some visible nodraw at the end of Map C

    Residue Processing


    • Clipped a tree that you could walk through

    Questionable Ethics


    • Further attempted fixes for a soft lock that was possible at the end of Map F, by running into the door before the scientist had fully played his sequence

    Surface Tension


    • Fixed many instances of shiny rocks from the previous beta throughout the chapter
    • Removed lots of old and ugly detail foliage models throughout Surface Tension and replaced them with newer ones
    • Rebalanced the Map A warehouse fight to reduce difficulty spike and improve gameplay smoothness/experience
    • Rebalanced Map A Apache to reduce his accuracy to of what it was before. He wont laser beam players quite as hard anymore (though he is still pretty accurate).
    • Adjusted a lot of the new art in Map A to use better/newer foliage and rock models, for consistency with the rest of the chapter
    • Many small tweaks to bits and pieces in the new Map B art to fix up things like visible world seams, floating rocks, etc
    • Added level fog to Map C (cliffside map) to help reduce visual noise and provide better layer separation for players, to help make the map more readable with the new art. We found a neat little trick here that allowed us to keep the existing sky fog effect while also using a different level fog effect simultaneously!
    • Rebalanced Map D whack-a-Gordon fight to provide the player with more cover and reduce difficulty spike
    • Fixed Guard in Map F being unresponsive past a certain point, he should now play out as he did before, with a few of his existing improvements
    • Fixed broken mortar and fuel truck in Map I end scene (this bug was insane on the code front!)
    • Added a trigger to Map F which deletes the Osprey gibs before you go up to the TOW Launcher, preventing a situation where sometimes the gibs would block your line of fire to the Abrams
    • Fixed TOW Launcher in Map F firing hilariously slow rockets

    Forget About Freeman!


    • New art for snark nests throughout Map A, to make it look beautifully disgusting and to match the infestation type found in Map B

    Lambda Core


    • Rebalanced the Map A Assassin fight to prevent players from cheesing it by simply sprinting to the end. Prevented Assassins from being able to jump onto the upper walkways and shoot down at players through the grate. Adjusted the container maze layout slightly to encourage players to move through it and fight in there. Added many supplies to help achieve the same goal. Spaced out Assassins into multiple waves, so the player doesnt end up fighting too many at once.
    • Added some signposting into the ladder the Scientist drops in Map B, so players are more likely to know where to go when the fight is over
    • Fixed Map B gun-range door not opening properly
    • Removed an extraneous Long Jump hudhint from Map H, as the player is already told about it so much

    Xen


    • Added a tumbling hat animation for when the player takes the Hat through to Xen
    • Changed Houndeye alert island sound used on the Houndeye island in Map A
    • Added an animation to the winch prop that pulls islands around, so that you can see something is happening even without looking at the islands
    • Fixed floating ground polyps under the Tree of Truth in Map B1
    • Fixed ugly areaportal when looking back into previous level while in Map C1

    Interloper


    • Further adjustments to the new forcefield models to boost visual quality and improve consistency
    • Cubemap pass on Map A1 (Gargathon) to help boost the visual quality
    • Fixed up the Gargantua lights on A1 to look better and to improve performance
    • Gave the Gargantuas things to do after the player has escaped in A1, so they dont just stand around...menacingly
    • Fixed visible world FarZ in Map B2
    • More art passes on Map C to help boost the visual quality
    • Art pass on the boxes which hold the Controller shield crystals in Map C2

    Nihilanth


    • Significantly improved performance in Nihilanths chamber for low/mid-range PCs

    Want More? Check Out Even More Patch Notes Since 1.0


    https://steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/2925611484592371252 Thanks Everyone. Stay safe and have a great holiday season! Make sure to follow us on Discord and Social Media as well! Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/


    [ 2020-11-25 04:04:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Definitive Edition Beta


    Hello everyone, and Happy Halloween! Black Mesa is a full 50% off until November 2nd for The Steam Halloween Sale. To celebrate we have released Black Mesa 1.5 to public-beta! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ To play the latest build, simply right click the game on Steam, click Properties, go to the Betas tab, and select public-beta from the dropdown menu.

    Black Mesa Definitive Edition Features (On Beta Branch)


    Power Up Powered Down


    We changed the chapter to have more cause and effect gameplay, and to better highlight the players overall goal for the chapter. You now have to fight your way through a darkened facility to get the lights back on, kill the Gargantua, and Power Up the tram. We also took the chance to really let our new dynamic light system shine, with some cool mood lighting!


    On A Rail Updates


    We have made large scale changes to the On A Rail rocket silo to better show the objective and subsequent solution. The rocket now gets the respect it deserves, and the chapter is a lot more nicely tied together now. We also completely relit the section to help guide the player, and to tell a better story. These changes are in addition to the revisions we made in the summer beta.

    Art Passes


    Weve continued our art passes to get all of the Earthbound natural environments on par with Xen. The artists and level designers implemented brand new art for all the outdoor environments, and refined the art previously seen in the Summer Beta.

    Weve Got Hostiles



    On A Rail




    Questionable Ethics



    Surface Tension







    Forget About Freeman!



    New Shields and Level Details For Interloper



    Full Workshop Support


    Weve improved the workshop so that it is easier for players to check out everything community mods have to offer. Changes include:
    • Fixed needing to manually add the custom folder for mods to work, now all types of mods should work just the click of the subscribe button
    • Enabled support for scripts, choreography and particles when shipped with mods, to better expand the types of content community modders can included
    • Fixed sounds and music not playing properly and requiring snd_restart to work
    • Added ability for mods to ship/edit skill.cfg and weapon .dmx files, allowing mods to now modify player health and damage settings
    • Added logic_playerproxy entity

    Now - if you are in the beta, and the mod has been updated to the latest version of the beta, all you have to do is click subscribe to use the mod. Please let us know if you have any issues with specific mods, and we will look into it or reach out to the mod creator.

    More Languages for Closed Captions


    We have implemented some of our new translations from Crowdin. Thank you to everyone who helped translate and proofread! Your support was phenomenal. We plan on implementing all completed translations into the full release of the definitive edition. Russian (redone from scratch) Italian Spanish French Finnish Norwegian German Ukrainian (new language) [strike]Croatian (new language)[/strike] (Completed, but not called by UI yet) [strike]Czech (new language) [/strike](Completed, but not called by UI yet) [strike]Georgian (new language)[/strike] (Completed, but not called by UI yet) [strike]Hungarian (new language)[/strike] (Completed, but not called by UI yet)

    Full Changelist


    Here is the complete list of updates (includes changes made for the previous summer beta)

    Code


    • Added dynamic lights to all health chargers and HEV chargers
    • Added corpse gib sounds
    • Added long jump bootup sequence
    • Added Agrunt pod breaking sound effect
    • Sunlight shadows (CSM) for viewmodels fixed for all quality settings. (These will not work on potato quality settings, for performance reasons)
    • Fixed freezing issue that would happen when closing pause screen too soon while saving game
    • Fixed Guard not being able to go from crouch to walk without going into idle pose first
    • Fixed scientists not healing the player when they are low on health (still have to fix female scientists)
    • Fixed crash when shooting an explosive barrel with shotgun
    • Fixed Guards in player squad from standing in straight line during combat
    • Fixed Vort hands glowing after attack has been completed
    • Fixed long jump Landing Jets to call string for translation files
    • Fixed crash with HEV bootup sequence when using translated text
    • Fixed crash in Surface Tension on Linux

    UI/Multiplayer


    • Added No Weapon Switch setting for multiplayer
    • Added disconnect button for leaving multiplayer
    • Added crouch toggle
    • Fixed key binds to allow keyboard and controller binds
    • Fix in game voice (VOIP) bind and display icon (now displays player icon and name)
    • Fixed singleplayer maps loading as multiplayer if you start a game from multiplayer
    • Fixed timer and frag count not being carried over into game

    Art


    • We Got Hostiles outdoor updates
    • On A Rail outdoor updates
    • Questionable Ethics outdoor updates
    • Surface Tension outdoor updates
    • Forget About Freeman! outdoor updates
    • All new shields and art details for Interloper
    • Made eye more reflective for houndeye
    • Floodlights now have off skin
    • Fixed incorrect vine flow direction in the vine cave in Xen B
    • Fixed clustered props in Lambda Core to light better
    • Fixed duplicate lift geometry in Lambda Core map E
    • Turned ladder hatch in Office Complex into a prop to fix lighting and sorting issues
    • Fixed OAR tram glowing in the dark
    • Added more developed skybox through all of Surface Tension Uncut maps
    • Fixed improperly lit props in Interloper map A
    • Added server props to Interloper factory columns
    • Added LODs to vehicle and hero props
    • Added hatch models for Interloper
    • Added trim to Interloper factor
    • Fixed foliage welding errors (floating props)
    • Recreated old desert rock props
    • Added new foliage assets
    • Added new rock assets
    • Added new Mesa assets
    • Added welds meshes to Interloper
    • Clustered props for Questionable Ethics Xen scene
    • Fixed floating props in Gonarch
    • Fixed props missing collision
    • Added new heart room art for breaking the shields at the end of Interloper C1
    • Fixed collision on first Interloper machine
    • New art for Power Up

    Level Design


    Game Wide


    • As always, a huge slew of fixes for bugs and softlocks found by the community, many of which are too small to mention here!
    • Clipping pass across the whole game to smooth out player collision and prevent nasty bumps
    • Added further clues
    • Added designated supply boxes game wide so players can better find resources these will always contain health, battery, or both. Note: other items can still be found in unmarked crates just like in previous versions of BMS, these new boxes are just for health/battery pickups. \Health/battery can also still be found loose in the world too.

    Unforeseen Consequences


    • Moved first combat headcrab spawn to in front of the player (Map A)
    • Fixed guard from standing on top of chair in scripted sequence... (Map B)
    • Drew attention to dead zombie legs in lab and HEV pickup (Map B)
    • Better drew attention to headcrab/monitor sequence by moving headbutting zombie elsewhere (Map B)
    • Nudged battery closer to edge of shelf so that it can be picked up without parkour (Map C)
    • Allowed player to pick up pistol at dead guard that was crawling toward health charger (Map C)
    • Improved freezer red valve puzzle (Map C)
    • Made player find red valve and bring it to socket to flood sewer to better iterate on mechanic from the freezer puzzle, and to better utilise the entire sewer space (Map C)
    • Rearranged barrels in sewer to let players distract barnacles (Map C)
    • Shortened vent crawl near freight elevator to reduce unnecessary downtime and improve player guidance and storytelling (Map D)
    • Fool proofed the houndeye explosion sequence to prevent an edge case where sometimes the bridge wouldnt explode but players would just fall through it (Map D)
    • Added suit zoom prompt during headcrab, bullsquid fight (Map E)
    • Added hidden goodies to better reward exploration (Map E)
    • Increased drama and number of houndeyes in final fight before Office Complex to better send
    • off the chapter (Map E)

    Office Complex


    • Fixed soft lock that could happen if you shoot headcrabs that get electrocuted at start of chapter (Map A)
    • Moved power for electrified water to light switch next to door (Map A)
    • Fixed bad trim on electrified water room (Map A)
    • Converted door ladder to model to fix lighting issues (Map A)
    • Changed Vort ambush to a Zombie ambush, to better reward and teach the player about the weapon, and to give the big Vort office fight more power (Map A)
    • Fixed metal grate that was playing wrong sound effect when hit (Map B)
    • Added Xog to freezer instead of legacy fog (Map C)

    Weve Got Hostiles


    • New art for outdoor sections (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed chapter title having ! in it (Map A)
    • Overhauled introduction scene with Guard in vent to feel more natural and be more like the original (Map A)
    • Reworked Rescued At Last! scene to better show story beat and give players a clearer view (Map A)
    • Improved hallway headcrab fight to be more interesting (Map A)
    • Choreographed scientist at tripmines to not follow player, to help boost Gman scene (Map A)
    • Blocked locked double doors to better signal to the player that is not the critical path (Map A)
    • Restructured environment to frame "12 Dumbass Scientist" scene to give players better and more natural view (Map A)
    • Increased volume of Im with the science team! voice line and changed one of the scientists to be a woman (Map B)
    • Better placed I am the one man who knows everything! scientist to look more natural and fool proof the trigger (Map B)
    • Fixed crush death in elevator to surface (Map B)
    • Rearranged warehouse so that the player is drawn into the combat space and so the player initiates the fight (Map C)
    • Fixed broken fog and added new style fog (Map C)
    • Made HECU continue to fire at you after you crawl into collapsing vent shaft; to pressure the player to move forward (Map C)

    Blast Pit


    • Added old style VOX announcements throughout Blast Pit to give subtle hints to the player about the status of the rocket and whats going on around them (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed radioactive goo not triggering Geiger counter (Map A and E)
    • Fixed area where player could get stuck (Map A)
    • Fixed overbright barrels due to water reflection (Map A)
    • Made it so player could not back out of room during tentacle attack (Map B)
    • Fixed scientist reappearing after being dragged out of window in tentacle attack (Map B)
    • Fixed security guard who absolutely refused to die to tentacle monster or rocket fire (Map B)
    • Fixed some visible seams in the world by the Tentacles (Map B and E)
    • Better highlighted which door goes where away from the Tentacles (Map B)
    • Better signposted status of rocket launch and required elements (Map C and D)
    • Fixed BSP seam as you descended final ladder (Map E)

    Power Up


    • Gargantuan update to the entire chapter. Check it out ;)
    • Fixed Gargantua lurking by window, blocking your escape to transformer (Map A)
    • Fixed ladder with no support structure. Everyone needs someone to lean on. (Map B)
    • Reworked combat scenarios with Grunts and Houndeyes (Map B)

    On A Rail


    • New art for outdoor sections (Chapter Wide)
    • Added better auto saves (Chapter Wide)
    • Redesigned chapter progression so you take the same tram all the way through the chapter now (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed multiple visible gaps in the world (Map A)
    • Completely redesigned rocket silo and map progression (Map B)
    • Redid silo lighting to feel spookier (Map B)
    • Added new workshop area at the beginning of the map to account for the fact that the player doesnt have trams to walk on and hide behind anymore (Map B)
    • Added new security area looking into the rocket hallway to help enforce the new circular nature of the map (Map B)
    • Added health before large vort/HECU hallway fight (Map B)
    • Improved ladder dismounts in rocket silo (Map B)
    • Relit and rotated skybox above silo to draw more attention and connect the two levels in the players mind (Map B)
    • Pushed back fog to include sky elements (Map C)
    • Fixed bad scale on ground blend textures (Map C)
    • Fixed clipping that allowed player to skip fight at the end of chapter (Map C)
    • Fixed truck headlight that was missing and fixed misaligned headlight lens flare (Map C)
    • Fixed bug where the Marine on the 50 Cal would not get off it when the player got near him (Map C)
    • Increased performance when rocket is raising (Map C)

    Apprehension


    • Added nice camouflage, asshole! scene to when Gordon falls in the water (Map A)
    • Added glowy chemlights to help guide the player through hole in underwater section (Map A)
    • Moved end of map door opening switch to a position where the player can properly see cause and effect to reduce player confusion (Map C)
    • Added second Assassin fight once the door is opened, to give the scene more impact (Map C)
    • Added some more health and environmental storytelling around the Assassin arena, to account for the increased difficulty and resulting need for exploration (Map C)
    • Adjusted final route before knockout scene to have it feel more like a natural progression for the player (Map C)

    Residue Processing


    • Fixed super bright cube maps in some outdoor areas (Map A)
    • Fixed bad red pipe coloration and join near the start of the map (Map A)
    • Replaced vent texture with model to prevent flashlight render issue (Map A)
    • Small bits of better environmental storytelling (Map A)
    • Removed crane physics puzzle as it was not fun or interesting (Map C)

    Questionable Ethics


    • New art for outdoor sections (Chapter Wide)
    • Added new prop and lighting to pod holding Alien Grunt (Map A)
    • Fixed HECU running into their own mines (Map A)
    • Choreographed HECU intro so that player now has to initiate the fight with HECU (Map F)
    • Added all new environment in Xen room (Map F)
    • Better lighting for scientist beyond surgery machine (Map F)
    • Fixed soft lock when transitioning to next Map (Map F)
    • Fixed various softlocks in Lobby (Map F)
    • Fixed dev texture on column in Lobby (Map F)
    • Added additional cover and tweaks to Lobby fight (Map F)

    Surface Tension


    • New art for outdoor sections (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed HECU shooting at you when behind security vehicle (Map A)
    • Fixed wall the player and NPCs could walk through (Map D)
    • Fixed doorway you could see through into sky (Map D)
    • Added HOLY SHIT! reaction to Guard to help make him feel more lifelike and like a character (Map F)
    • Added dynamic lights to exploded osprey (Map G)

    Forget About Freeman!


    • New art for outdoor sections (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed lasers not turning off when player kills turrets (Map A)
    • Fixed turret not being aggressive towards player/Guard (Map A)
    • Adjust Manta positioning/timing to hide the Manta pop in (Map B)
    • Added better fence for player to climb over, so players wont get confused and try to climb up on the fence (Map B)
    • Fixed player being able to get up onto large rock formation (Map B)
    • Made hospital beds static to keep the playspace from getting cluttered (Map B)
    • Fixed the manta/tank explosions from throwing health/battery pickups around the entire arena, getting them lost from where theyre supposed to be (Map B)
    • Fixed HECU from getting stuck on barrier (Map B)
    • Added some additional ceiling art in underground sections for higher fidelity (Map B)

    Lambda Core


    • Improved lightmap scales on many walls/floors for better lighting at no additional performance cost! (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed decals rendering incorrectly on walls (Map C)
    • Fixed sprinkler particles that floated in mid air in one hallway (Map C)
    • Simplified jumping puzzle in lower area under main core to prevent getting weirdly crushed and make the platforming easier (Map G)
    • Fixed interdimensional scene to show correct FOV (Map I)
    • Fixed bug where laser beams would kill the player as they jumped into the portal, occasionally not letting them progress into Xen (Map I)
    • Fixed bug where the player could sometimes both win and lose at the same time if they jumped into the portal at the exact right moment.

    Xen


    • Fixed leafs throughout chapter (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed human skulls spawning from barnacles where they should not (Chapter Wide)
    • Re-culled and clustered all foliage props to prevent weird artifacting and strangely cut off grasses (Map B)
    • Swapped whiteboards to better guide player for first plug puzzle (Map B)
    • Fixed floating prop at start of Xen swamp (Map B)
    • Fixed floating healing pool before second leaf gate (Map B)
    • Fixed healing pool that players would get stuck on sometimes (Map B)
    • Added small step after second leaf gate to help the player jump up (Map B)
    • Re-arted polyps in the Tree of Truth to give them higher fidelity and prevent some floating ones (Map B1)
    • Fixed windows in root walls by the Tree of Truth to better show objective progression (Map B1)
    • Highlighted tree trunk drop down into trip mine maze (Map B1)
    • Fixed see through rock due to model culling (Map B1)
    • Fixed Ichthys in last deep pool from not being able to swim (Map B1)
    • Fixed second plug puzzle being able to plug two ends of the same cord into one socket (Map C1)
    • Further refined last plug puzzle to be almost impossible to break (Map C1)

    Gonarch


    • Fixed human skulls spawning from barnacles where they should not (Chapter Wide)
    • Trapped player in early cave using a rock collapse to prevent backtracking and force them to use the fumerol to progress, to help players learn it is a key gameplay element (Map B)
    • Made sure player could not get to second level of crystal cave before using water crystal (Map B)

    Interloper


    • New art and detailing throughout the chapter to add an additional layer of polish (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed human skulls spawning from barnacles where they should not (Chapter Wide)
    • Fixed players falling into void and not dying (Map A)
    • Fixed hole in village the player could fall into and get stuck (Map A)
    • Fixed fire at the bottom of controller fight burning out too soon (Map A)
    • Gave Vorts in the Vort Village a few more things to do, and ensured they properly run and hide if the player starts trying to kill them indiscriminately (Map A)
    • Fixed missing rock backfaces (Map A1)
    • Clipped rocks by second jump pad in Garg chase (Map A1)
    • Fixed overlit Gargs at end of chase scene (Map A1)
    • Fixed player being able to clip into a green bubble vat (Map B)
    • Highlighted lift that is needed to find power plug at the top room puzzle (Map B)
    • Fixed brush clipping in pipe (Map B)
    • Fixed giant hole in factory (Map B)
    • Added water effects to Alien Grunt gestation chamber and connecting tube (Map B1)
    • Added checkpoint to first machine so if you fall down during the long jump, you dont have to just stand there and wait for the sweet, sweet release of a fiery death (Map C)
    • Adding revving up to 3rd machine to better telegraph to the player what is going to happen next (Map C)
    • Added grunt pods at end of conveyor sprint to give the section a tenser ending and to look less barren (Map C)
    • Better introduced barrels and cysts as a means of blowing stuff up (Map C)
    • Added healing crystal at start of upper cage fight (Map C1)
    • Significantly optimized elevator fight (Map D)
    • Re-arted the fog during the elevator fight to help further with optimization and to make pop-in look better (Map D)
    • Ensured that Alien Controllers are being deleted during Elevator fight once you leave their respective sections, to further improve performance (Map D)
    • Added explosions and nudges to get player off elevator at midpoint (Map D)
    • Fixed crush zone at top of elevator (Map D)

    Endgame


    • Fixed a really strange issue where the tram door in the final sequence would sometimes disappear for some players

    Known Issues


    • A number of world seams in ST B with new art
    • Floating polyp models in Xen tree hub (Xen map B1)
    • Controllers currently dont work in the menu
    • Female scientists unintentionally do not heal player
    • Still have to add multiplayer player model select for new UI
    • If players in multiplayer have same score and are in top 3, they will both get metals
    • Player rank sometimes shows wrong at the top of screen in multiplayer
    • Guard in Surface Tension F will sometime refuse to follow Freeman
    • Possible soft lock in 2 spots in OAR. The silo floor and the up elevator.
    • We still do not ship the mapsrc VMFs - we will do this for the final release of the Definitive Edition
    Thank you everyone, and have a great fall season! Make sure to follow us on Discord and Social Media as well! Discord: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMesaDevs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmesagame/


    [ 2020-10-30 01:26:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Community Translation Project

    Attention, Scientists! We have an exciting announcement and the launch of a new community-driven project around Black Mesa! We understand that you would love to see Black Mesa translated to your languages, and we have received numerous requests from players who wish to be involved in the process. We also want to make this happen! That is why we are starting a crowd translation project to translate Black Mesa into over 30 languages, but we will need the community's help! We prepared a Black Mesa project on Crowdin, a website that lets anyone help collaborate on translations. With everyone's help, we can bring Black Mesa to brand new languages and communities to give everyone the nostalgic feeling of fighting through the tunnels of Black Mesa once more. If you would like to help with any of the languages we have set, please don't hesitate! As translations are completed, they will be added to the game. Some processes and verifications need to be made once each language is complete, which we will discuss with you more in the future. You might notice that some languages have fewer words to translate. That is because we already have their translations done, and we need your help to see them to completion. If you would like to take part go to the link here: https://crowdin.com/project/black-mesa/ From there, choose the language and start translating whatever you can and however many you wish. It will be teamwork! Our staff will work with community members to verify and fix translations and implement them soon after. More exciting news about this project will come in the future. Please share this news with your friends, and let's bring Black Mesa to your languages! If you would like to discuss and coordinate this, join our Discord server, and use the #translate-bms channel. You can ask any questions or contact us if you have any questions about this through Discord, forums, or social media, as always. We will actively coordinate with you. Thank you, everyone! We are super thrilled about this, and we hope you are too.


    [ 2020-09-19 01:48:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Joel Nielsen

    Joel Nielsen


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    My name is Joel Nielsen, and I am the music composer and audio lead on Black Mesa. I joined the team in June of 2005, and am one of the few original members that made it through the entire development cycle.

    What was your first experience with Half-Life?


    I played a 'tram-demo' that was given out prior to Half-Life 1's release. I couldn't believe what I was seeing was an actual video game. How could computer graphics possibly look so real!? That was enough to seal my fate as a Half-Life-For-Life-r.

    When did your interest in game development begin?


    Most notably from the release of WorldCraft in my early teens. I loved creating replicas of buildings around my town that had interesting gameplay layouts and had an odd fascination with trying to create a working waterslide map. I would also end up placing large boxes around the entire levels to 'fill all the leaks', then wait days for it to compile. (and now you know why Chris Horn never let me touch a map on Black Mesa)

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role?


    Cowbell... Well that and simply learning how to work with audio and music in general. I jumped into Black Mesa with no prior experience. I began with more of a, "how hard could it be" mentality. Suffice it to say I quickly learned otherwise. Acquiring the skills required of good sound and music production has been one of the most convoluted rabbit holes I've ever been down. And because of that I also love it. Theres always something more to learn and improve upon.

    What was the most creative method you had to use to create a sound?


    I used a central-vacuum and some super-sized un-inflated balloons to make the suction sound for the vents in Xen. Also, and even more interestingly, the footstep sound for the flesh surfaces contains the light open-handed slap of a wet ass cheek. I'll let your imaginations fill in the rest of the blanks, but will add a hearty 'thank you' to my wife Kala, who has helped with so many aspects of this project.

    How difficult was the task of reimagining Xen musically?


    Quite honestly, it was a lot more enjoyable than difficult. I love being set free from a creative perspective and Xen gave me that opportunity. Musically it allowed me to breathe something fresh and unique into the world. And as you can tell I embraced that in full force. Adding a vocal track to every song. (oh yes, every single song has at least one female vocal track within it) I may have gone a little overboard in retrospect but I wouldnt change it if I could. A huge shout-out again to my lovely wife for all her work!

    What about the Xen sound design?


    Again, great fun. Taking a fairly regular sounding animal or environment, and then absolutely sonically mangling it beyond recognition was a welcomed change of pace from the very 'standard' sounds of the Earthbound portion. Unfortunately, some of the depth/detail is lost in-game, but if you crank the volume and listen close, there are many layers of complexity to a lot of them.

    Which piece of music from Earthbound would you most like to redo/replace but cant because it stuck too much?


    Definitely the Lobby shoot-out in QE. Many people seem to love it, which is great, but it also isnt very Half-Life-esque in flavor, in my opinion. Being that it would likely spark a small insurrection, I wont be making any modifications.

    Do you ever plan on releasing the stems to the soundtrack?


    Somewhat unlikely considering the time required to do such a thing. That, and I want to put out my own remixes every few years, so I never have to work ever again.

    Did you go to school for your respective parts of the project?


    Musically, I am classically trained and took lessons from age 3+. As for formal education? Yeah, definitely not. I barely have a high school diploma, if you count how little I paid attention in class or the grades... My method has always been; if you want to know how to do something, go learn it. Get your hands dirty, trying, and failing until you succeed. Don't let anyone or anything hold you back, and don't use your current reality as an excuse for why you can't. All success originates from an attitude of perseverance.

    So what now?


    Ill of course be helping with the next CC project. Outside of that, I have started my own game company where my small team and I are working on a unique indie MMO. Throw me a follow on twitter if any of that would be of interest. Love you all, you are an incredible community, and thanks for sticking with us to the end!


    [ 2020-09-05 16:26:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Mike Hillard

    Mike Hillard


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Im Mike Hillard, My handle is CornetTheory because Ive been a trumpet player for most of my life. In terms of games and mods, Ive been a level designer, musician, and digital artist since 2004. I am currently composing or covering chip/game adjacent music over here: https://soundcloud.com/michael-hillard I started down the path of voice acting because my Unreal Tournament 2004 level design friends needed voice samples for a mod. This directly led me to getting the role in Penumbra: Overture, and getting hired at a local radio station. Since then Ive acted in at least 8 commercial indie games, and many many mod projects. For Crowbar Collective I am primarily an actor, but over the years I have made tiny contributions in other areas, such as customizing vrad, programming the tau cannons wallshot particle effect, making small tweaks to the lighting on some earthbound maps, and manually editing the 2015 Multiplayer trailer on real VCRs.

    How did you get involved with Black Mesa


    By 2006 my local friends and I were obsessed with HLDM and making silly custom maps and player models. The Black Mesa team put out a general casting call for voice actors, so I decided to give it a shot. At this time, I did not start out sounding similar to Hal Robbins, but Im told they were not looking for a dead-on impression because they wanted several kinds of scientists. Eventually, after I was given the first script for the general chatter, I recorded the whole thing in one night out of excitement, and I started figuring out how to get the voice very close. I think it took about a year or two of practice before the similarity got to the point of fooling people with A/B comparisons; Just in time for the 2008 trailer.

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role?


    As soon as I joined the team, I moved away to college. So I had two options after that: Drive 6 hours one way to my house on weekends to use my own studio to record, or find out how to treat whatever dorm room I was in. I found that a lot of walls are too smooth to stick on foam, or too hard to hang up hooks for blankets. Kevin and I did a lot of skype calls, testing solutions. Some of which are pretty funny, but effective. For example, Buying a golf umbrella big enough to fit my mic and computer monitors, and covering the entire thing with a comforter. Eventually I built a 7ft^3 room within a room, and treated it with deadening moving blankets. When it came to driving home, I would have to disassemble my PC and lug it back and forth. After a few years I had assembled two sets of PCs and equipment, one for home and one for college. This also helped out when we started needing the female scientist lines, It made scheduling my mother [Lurana Hillard] easier, and we could act scenes together. The challenge wasnt only to get a good environment, but also to make my space and mic placements, etc. match Kevins setup. We were pretty strict about the sessions and I would always send test lines to compare before starting. I recorded all of the Scientists general chatter at least 3 times over the years. As more scripted scenes were created and added to the game, we needed to make it match how my voice and recording environment had changed.

    What software did you use for your work?


    Adobe Audition. When I worked in radio I had learned how to edit audio to make commercials. Back then it was Cool Edit Pro.

    What kind of microphones & preamps were used to record your vocals?


    Starting in 2007 through 2012, Kevin and I maintained using the MXL 990 condenser and M-Audio Delta 1010-LT for consistency. Windows updates and driver support ended the Delta card, plus it was a PCI only board. After that, I began using the Shure Super 55 and the Scarlett 6i6 also, shoutouts to the Cloudlifter for dynamic mics.

    When did your interest in game development begin?


    It began at a very young age, wondering how cartridges worked. But a real turning point was my older brother playing with WADED.EXE for doom. It was mind-blowing that you could make your own levels. I was hooked from then on. From Duke3d to Half-Life, and then to UT2004 where the majority of my released deathmatch maps are.

    Any favorite mods for Half-Life games?


    Half-Quake is one of the most unique mods out there, and it really shows off what Goldsrc can do. Sven co-op, for consistently adding crazy features to the engine itself. Earths Special Forces (The Dragon Ball Z mod) was fun to fly around in. SMOD for HL2 because of the shovel and bullet time. But, Rocket Crowbar will always be the gold standard.

    Anything you would want to add to Black Mesa?


    I wish we could pack-in the awesome Hazard Course remake mod by PSR Digital for Black Mesa.

    Do you accept pineapple on pizza or are you against it?


    Everyone is allowed to have their own preferences, but folks should just let people enjoy things. Personally I think pineapple on pizza is tasty.
    #TEAM RED SHIRT


    [ 2020-09-04 18:16:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Ben Truman

    Ben Truman


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Benjamin Truman, Design, and Narrative Lead. Comic author and teacher living in Tucson, AZ.

    What do you enjoy the most about Black Mesa?


    Half-Life was such a resonant work of art for me. I really enjoy seeing my passion for the game connect with other people. It means a lot when I hear that our game recaptured or enhanced a memorable experience from a players past. Its also wonderful to hear that our game has been an entry point to Valves franchise for so many people. I also do a fair bit of work on our Twitter (@BlackMesaDevs) searching for fan-made Half-Life content. One of my favorite things to do is drop a couple hundred likes on an unsuspecting artists houndeye doodle.

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role?


    Once Xen began, my writing job consisted of working against the idea that we needed dialog in Xen. When a design was struggling, it was only a matter of time before somebody would suggest audio diaries or a radio transmission from Earth to explain the objective. I wanted to preserve that sense of alone in the unknown once you reached Xen. That commitment meant we had to take special care when communicating our intention to the player.

    How did you get involved with Black Mesa (If you joined later on?)


    I became involved while attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for Game Art & Design. Some of my friends asked if I wanted to join as a 3D modeler. I declined and pitched myself as their writer instead.

    Did you go to school for your respective parts of the project?


    Despite attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for Game Art & Design, there were hardly any classes that dealt with design. The emphasis was on modeling/texturing/animating in 3D. Im lucky that I got involved with the team when I did because I was quickly losing interest in school. Black Mesa let me breakdown my favorite game and analyze the entire design. I also got to adapt the existing script, write new dialog, direct voice actors, choreograph big scenes in 3D, and design gameplay sequences. This project gave me the chance to pursue the exact education I was seeking. I also had a lot of support for all my creative endeavors from both of my parents. I would say my real education came from my Dad, a comic author, and an illustrator. I was introduced to a lot of comics and movies from all over the world while I was growing up. I learned a lot about visual storytelling and narrative by hanging at his side.

    What software did you use for your work?


    I used Faceposer for all the choreography work.

    Any recommendations for people wanting to get into game design?


    I usually point towards this Gamasutra article about Shigeru Miyamotos influence while creating the original Mario (Im especially partial to that one because it says sequential illustration is the foundation of game design). I like to think of that article as a point-of-no-return for beginner designers. Once you understand the basic game structure in that article, you see it everywhere.

    Any favorite mods for Half-Life games?


    I have fond memories of some Half-Life multiplayer mods, like Action Half-Life, Firearms, Science and Industry, Counter-Strike, TFC, but the most important Half-Life mods were always the singleplayer experiences. The biggest ones for me were the Neil Manke/Black Widow Games U.S.S. Darkstar and They Hunger series that came on PC Gamer CDs. I also liked a short mod called Deliverance. I dont know if Gunman Chronicles counts as a mod, but that also sticks out in my mind.

    When did your interest in game development begin?


    My love of games began early on. I would fill up notebooks with game ideas. These were usually just little pencil or marker screenshots of imaginary games. I would draw up character rosters for fighting games and side-scrolling beat em ups, with lists of detailed stats. When my family got a PC at home, I started making games with a program called Klik & Play that I received as a holiday gift. I eventually got into 3D level design after playing Duke Nukem 3D. I dont think I knew the Build Engine existed until I stumbled across a How-To book for the software at a bookstore. After that, I purchased a Quake level editor from Electronics Boutique in the mall but quickly returned it. I struggled and failed to understand the Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight editor. I was frustrated that nobody in my life knew how to work this stuff. But, Half-Life really compelled me to learn Worldcraft on my own. Once I figured out the basics, I was hooked. I searched all over this new frontier, the internet, to find info on the program. I would print out tutorials from Handy Vandals Almanac and read them over and over again, trying to make sense of them. This all came in handy when I had to start developing in Source on Hammer.


    [ 2020-09-03 18:01:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Anthony Stone

    Anthony Stone


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    My name is Anthony Stone and I am one of the long-standing level designers for Black Mesa. I have worked on much of the AI encounters and logic events across the game as well as building a few of the maps from scratch. I am the teams encyclopedia of how everything works.

    What was your first experience with Half-Life?


    My first experience with Half-Life almost didnt happen. I had no idea what I was getting when I first Installed the game and only installed it because I wanted to play Counter-Strike which was a mod back then. I began the game just to see how the graphics looked on my new PC of the time. I started playing it and was confused at first a 10 min tram ride and then I arrive at Anomalous Materials and walked around offices with no real gameplay insight. This was very unusual. I put the game down at that point with no real intent to go back to it, but Im glad I did. The next day I booted it up to show my brother the game I was dubbing the work sim when I got to the residence cascade. I was blown away and finished the game over the next day or so.

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role?


    Not the most difficult thing for me personally, but a difficult thing to watch was the differences in opinion on art and style across a group of very talented people. Everyone on the team is super good at what they do and everyone has an opinion of what works and what does not. This tends to do areas over and over again in order to really master the idea the team is going for and can cause a considerable headache if you dont check your ego at the door. You are going to have to have many hands-on your work and you may see things you really slaved over get ripped out or changed. It could be a hard pill to swallow for some. It can lead to bitter feelings or discontent but in the end, we all just want the best product that flows well in the end.

    How did you resist getting burnt out over such a long development process for Xen?


    MUSIC!!! LOTS AND LOTS OF NEW MUSIC! Seriously, I can keep working for hours with music I have not heard before. It makes the hours fly by. Just no country music please and for my wifes sake keep me away from dubstep.

    When did your interest in game development begin?


    I originally started making maps for the HL2 leak way back when and then moved into making Counter-Strike Source maps. There was something super satisfying about creating content and seeing how people enjoy it and the way they play it. It also was a great creative outlet for my mind. I always loved to build stuff and this was a great way to take things in my mind and get them into a 3d world I could actually visit.

    Was there ever a time you were close to giving up and quitting?


    Yes and no. There was a point where we had to choose to release the Earthbound section of the game or keep fighting on to get XEN done as one major release of the game. I was very on the side of we should put out what we have rather than take the additional years to finish the full game with no end in sight. I set an ultimatum for myself. So while it was not giving up I felt very strongly that we needed to give our fans something. It never came down to it because we did release. Truth be told it probably would not have left anyways

    How often do you watch youtube videos/Twitch streams of Black Mesa?


    I am so guilty of this. I love to watch streamers play my work. When it first came out, I would watch a few hours a night. Nowadays I check it once or so a week if I am super bored. Ill never get tired of seeing people blow themselves up calling the lift up in the trip mine puzzle in Surface Tension.


    [ 2020-09-02 18:00:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Nathan Ayres

    Nathan Ayres


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Im Nate! Lead Animator, VFX, Simulations at Crowbar.

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role?


    The limitations of trying to make a good looking game in 2020 on an engine that first came out in 2004.

    How did you get involved with Black Mesa (If you joined later on?)


    I was one of the first 5 people on the team, in early 2005. Back then they had no animators at all so my mere application meant I got accepted immediately haha.

    How difficult was the task of reimagining Xen?


    The planning did not fall primarily on me, but it was incredibly challenging for all involved. Much of the difficulty was the immovable pillars of the original Xen campaign itself. Jumping puzzles have aged very poorly in FPS games, but weve got this long jump module that we have to use. We have to brainstorm emergent gameplay with only like 3 enemies (headcrab, bullsquid, houndeye) that were all early-game enemies that stopped being challenging 10 campaign hours ago. We have to make non-linear and alien-feeling levels without the aid of objective markers, tooltips, cutscenes, or any of the other crutches that modern gamers are used to.

    Any recommendations for people wanting to get into game design?


    Join a mod project for a game youre passionate about. Theyre full of like-minded people just trying to have fun and make something cool. Theyll let you make mistakes and learn the skills you need while on the job.

    What do you want to improve about Black Mesa?


    Im very proud of the end product we shipped and dont think there are that many areas it could have been better. But parts of the campaign could have been shortened so the whole experience was a little tighter in places. Its not really an issue compared to so many modern games that pad their campaigns with pointless stuff, but just in further pursuit of a perfect FPS, there are sections of Black Mesa where youre kinda thinking how much longer until this part is done?

    What was the worst part of developing Black Mesa in your role?


    The Source engine had several limitations that made it very difficult to get the types of animations the Xen campaign demanded. In any game engine, most movement is controlled by bones. Thats easy to visualize with a character like a human that anatomically has a skeleton, but bones are also controlling the pieces of a building as it blows up, or the pulsing of a protozoa membrane in Xen. With regards to bones, Source does not support bone scaling, it has a 128 bone limit per model, and each vertex in the model is only allowed to be influenced by 3 bones. These are all limitations that modern game engines do not have and it caused a lot of headaches. Many of the bigger destruction models were split into 5-10 parts and reassembled back together in Hammer to get around that 128 bone limit. When youre dealing with something like a barrel cactus swelling up to a huge balloon and bursting, that should be just a couple of bones being scaled up. But Source cant do that, which means you need point clouds of bones all over the model moving outwards to achieve the same effect. Only 3 influences per bone also meant those bone clouds had to be pretty dense or else you would get jagged deformations instead of smooth. I had to develop all sorts of strange pipelines to work around these limits.

    If you had unlimited time, money, and help, what game would you make?


    Id love to see a game with the crazy weapons and enemy types of Painkiller combined with the intricate level design of Half-Life. I also think technology is at the point where, with a little engine resource re-allocation and gated level design, we dont need to have disappearing corpses, we can use bodies and gore as part of the gameplay loop.

    Where did the purple hat come from?


    That was the result of several inside jokes. There was an application we got early on in development that was over-the-top ridiculous (we later found out it was submitted as a joke). And we started imagining how this applicant might dress himself, and one of the artists whipped up this purple hat. Our Level Designers love to cram their maps full of easter eggs, and then Half-Life 2 Episode 2 with the gnome run gave them the idea to do a hat run.

    Any movies or other games besides Half-Life you took inspiration from during development for your role specifically?


    Oh, lots. Anytime a good FPS game came out in the last 10 years wed be like oh we need X, Y, and Z in Black Mesa! For the Xen campaign, probably DOOM 2016 was the strongest influence in terms of how to craft cool boss encounters, and lots of sprawling vertical levels with minimal navigation hints (though they did have objective markers like everybody else these days).

    Having now seen Valves interpretation of Xen elements in a modern engine (HL: Alyx) are there any elements of this interpretation that you would like to have included in Black Mesa Xen?


    We knew that our Xen was going to be dramatically different from Valves, and in turn both of our versions dramatically different from what Laidlaw originally envisioned. Comparing Half-Life Alyx and Half-Life 1, you can pretty much see how thats the same artistic vision, despite a 20-year graphics jump. But Half-Life 1 to Black Mesa Xen, absent the iconic Half-Life fauna, you wouldnt peg those to be the same universe. And we knew that. It was part of our core strategy to break from the original Xen campaign and forge our own path. We didnt want 6 hours of green-grey levels, we wanted to experiment with distinct biomes and different color palettes, so it was an intentional choice for us.


    [ 2020-09-01 18:07:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Johnathan Welsh

    Johnathan Welsh


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Ive been a level designer at Crowbar Collective since around 2007. My first task after joining was to rework Undertow and bring it up to the standards of other multiplayer maps we had at the time, although that version was never released and was subsequently redone again; it was still a great learning experience. Following after Undertow I started work on the later parts of Unforeseen Consequences (the coolant labs & lower canals sections) & then onto assisting with detailing and level design work on a few parts of Questionable Ethics. Following the mod release in 2012 I & others set about working through the large number of bug reports we had received and endeavored to resolve all possible combined with making level design & visual improvements where possible. A few old blog posts I wrote regarding the fixing endeavors can be found here & here if you are interested in reading more. I also assisted in detailing & optimization work on the multiplayer map Crossfire. My primary focus for Xen development was assisting in extra detail work that was needed on the Xen chapter followed by early blockout work and assisting in arting sections of the Gonarch chapter; in particular the headcrab canyon and water cave & assisting in detailing sections of Interloper chapter both interior and exterior.

    When did your interest in game development begin?


    Id always enjoyed tinkering with map editors that came with games I played like the Age of Empire series & Red Faction, but I think my interest in modding and then subsequently game development stems from being introduced to Half-Life modding by an old secondary school friend of mine. He was part of a modding community called TWHL (The Whole Half-Life) from there I started to experiment & make levels for various competitions they ran and then onto joining various Half-Life and Half-Life 2 mods before joining Black Mesa.

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role?


    I dont think I could point to one specific thing but trying to figure out creative ways to overcome hurdles that are thrown your way due to engine limitations and such has been the general gist of working as a level designer while on Black Mesa.

    What was the worst part of developing Black Mesa in your role?


    When the Hammer model viewer would break constantly requiring it to be restarted. But then realizing that I could fix it by simply closing the browser and moving the mouse cursor between the 3D & 2D views to resolve the issue instead of restarting the entire program: that was definitely a boost to my productivity when it came to arting levels and in particular the various parts of Xen.

    Did you go to school for your respective parts of the project?


    While I didnt directly study game design, I did however for Graphic Design & Communication which indirectly helped in regards to composition, lighting & detailing among others for my role as a level designer & environmental arting.

    How often do you watch youtube videos/Twitch streams of Black Mesa?


    I try to watch streams of Black Mesa when I have the chance, usually lurking, however. Theyre a great source of seeing a wide spectrum of people playing your game and seeing if something does or doesn't work to perhaps try and improve it. My particular favorite thing to do is watch people's reactions to seeing parts of Black Mesa for the first time, the reveals of Xen & Gonarch and its subsequent chapter-long battle never get old to see.

    Any favorite mods for Half-Life games?


    Poke 646 is usually one that springs to mind whenever I think of old Half-Life mods that I had a lot of fun playing, But I think special mention should be given to the many multiplayer based mods that I have sunk many hours in to like Day of Defeat, The specialists and in particular Natural Selection which was a personal favorite with its interesting gameplay & setting. In recent years Half-life: Echoes has been a standout, along with Caged, Year Long Alarm & Azure sheep among others.

    Do you accept pineapple on pizza or are you against it?


    I will always accept pineapple placed atop a delicious pizza, especially on a sourdough base.


    [ 2020-08-31 18:02:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Craig Mirfin

    Craig Mirfin


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Hi, my name is Craig Mirfin and in my spare time, I am a Level Designer on Black Mesa. I joined the team over 5 years ago mainly to work on the Multiplayer map Bounce and then moved from multiplayer to start on the daunting task of creating the Xen Levels. My day job is as a Senior Level Designer at Studio Gobo working on AAA games like For Honor and the recently released Hyperscape. I really do owe this position to working on Black Mesa, not only giving me the chance to work with a great team of people but to prove to myself that I could do level design as a career. It's been a hell of a ride these last 10 years but so worth it. Crowbar Collective. About That Beer I Owe You! :)

    What do you enjoy the most about Black Mesa?


    It allows me to relive Half-Life with a new coat of paint :) Hopefully playing Blackmesa feels like you are playing the old Half-Life with those rose-tinted glasses off, yet still getting the same buzz from the game. It's a testament to the talent in the team to ship what a lot of people thought wasn't doable.

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role?


    When I first started fleshing out the first few Xen maps it was extremely time-consuming with how displacements work and how to smooth subdivide them. As Xen is mainly organic, you couldn't really rely on the traditional BSP method of creating environments. We were really just trying to find how far we could push displacements. After the first year of Xen development we doubled the number of displacements we could have, which not only allowed us more flexibility but also kept us away from hitting displacement limits on a daily basis. Also, a huge hurdle jumped was with subdividing displacements. At the start a Xen map would still take 10 hours to subdivide until we began working with Wormwall which reduced this to minutes, resulting in a huge increase in productivity.

    How did you get involved with Black Mesa (If you joined later on?)


    I had spent 3 long years prior creating a 5 map L4D2 campaign and after a little break after releasing this I wanted to get back on the Hammer horse and luckily Crowbar were looking for Level Designers, I applied as I love creating maps. It was only after I got the gig that I was told the team had been greenlit to go commercial. I soon moved from multiplayer to Xen.

    What was your first experience with Half-Life?


    I had just been given a 486 PC from work and the IT guy gave me a copy of this game called Half-Life... I was hooked. Little did I know that would be my route into Game Dev as a career years later.

    Any recommendations for people wanting to get into game design?


    I think if you feel it's too late to get into game design then think again. I got into game dev very late in life (I was about 44 :E) If you're passionate about game design then do something off your own back, be it a game jam, modding project, or be actively testing a project. Doors open, you make great contacts and things happen. The key thing is to enjoy what you do and never give up. If someone is better than you... so what.. try and learn, don't be afraid to ask questions and aim to get better. Never let that put you off. Always leave your ego at the door and your passion for what you do will shine through. All the above is still true if you're just starting out What are you waiting for? They're waiting for you in the Test Chamberrrrr.

    Was there ever a time you were close to giving up and quitting?


    Yes. Working full time and then in your spare time, takes its toll on your mental health, family, and friends. It's a huge commitment but I hope this has paid off with what the team has achieved.

    When did your interest in game development begin?


    A very very long time ago. As a kid I was hooked playing games, it was a way to let my imagination go wild. I used to write small games on a ZX81 and then later ZX Spectrum. Got into modding Duke Nukem on the build engine in my early 20s, then got into the Hammer Editor and never looked back.

    Anything you would want to add to Black Mesa?


    When designing the temporary science base in Xen map 1, I always wanted to add a tiny glimpse of human life via some kind of transmission from Kleiner on a screen. Just to add a little human narrative in what is a chapter devoid of human contact. Nothing that would outstay its welcome but I felt by the time you got to the polytunnels it would have been a nice call back to the science team on earth. Maybe Ill add this as a Mod at some point that could lead onto a small side narrative to flesh out the base a little more.

    Any movies or other games besides Half-Life you took inspiration from during development for your role specifically?


    The science polytunnels were inspired by watching the Martian. I wanted them to have this vulnerability as the film had. It was a simple design that worked well with what shapes I was trying to create. I worked closely with Spencer and luckily we were on the same page with the design. I did intend it to be bigger but it was easy to get distracted from the main star which is Xen. Fun fact, I designed the little white Xen creature containers based on the scene in the film Evolution. That underground cave in the film always reminded me of what Xen should look like and they had cool science gear that fitted well with the black mesa style. Also, the tripods and theodolites are a call back to when I used to be a Civil Engineer as I did a lot of surveying and thought it was the kind of low tech that the science team would have.

    How does the development pipeline work between the LDs, artists, and audio engineers?


    I think the Level design on Black Mesa is a little different from a normal industry studios approach. Most Level Designers (LD) would only really block out and then pass to Level Artists (LA) but with Black Mesa, there's enough art already in-game that the designers can set dress a level to a very high standard. This is more of a modding mentality that I personally think helps bridge the LD/LA gap. Its something Ive really pushed for in my daytime LD work which has proven to be a very positive thing.


    [ 2020-08-30 17:52:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Kevin Sisk

    Kevin Sisk


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Hello, my name is Kevin Sisk, and I was initially brought onto in late January 2007 to voice the security guard NPCs in Black Mesa. Over time, I slowly branched out into other departments and lent a helping hand. Departments such as: - Audio Editing for the Character(s) Dialog, - Sound Design here and there for things like the overhead vox systems, the retinal scanner (one of my favs), etc - Recorded some alien voices/SFX, etc. - Worked bunch on the in-game scenes /choreography, - Even have done a bit of 3d modeling for a few things. Oh yeah, I also voiced the Gman...tee hee.

    What software did you use for your work?


    For straight-up voiceover editing, I typically used Adobe Audition 3.0, and FLStudio for some of the more electronic-based sound design bits I did on the project.

    Do you accept pineapple on pizza or are you against it?


    All I know is my gut says "maybe"

    How often do you watch youtube videos/Twitch streams of Black Mesa?


    Pretty often. I always look for YouTubers who have never experienced the Half-Life saga in any shape or form. Im always surprised to see when someone decides to play "Black Mesa" first instead of Half-Life then goes straight into Half-Life 2 afterward. I suppose this is a testament to the good word-of-mouth that Black Mesa gets for being a respectful recreation of the original even though we put our spin on things in quite a few places. That said, I would encourage ppl to play the original HL at some point, so as to better understand and appreciate the historical significance it brings to the first person shooter genre, and how far the HL series has come since that first outing.

    Any favorite mods for Half-Life games?


    The Hunger" was a favorite of mine back in the day. Good zany zombie-killing fun.

    What kind of microphones & preamps were used to record your vocals?


    For Microphones, I used an MXL 990 condenser which currently interfaces with a Focusrite 2I2 USB Preamp. In the earlier days, the 990 would have instead plugged into a Behringer Eurorack 1202 analog mixer and then that mixers output went into an M-Audio Delta 1010LT sound card. It was good for the regular conversation type vo and shouting loudnesses, but the noise floor on the mixer made the more whispery stuff a little tough to handle in post. Once I got the Focusrite though, the newer recordings had like 15+ dB less noise overall and made my life a lot easier. BOOM. HEADSHOT. NOW - ISH (2018)
    THEN (2009)


    [ 2020-08-29 18:48:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Shawn Olson

    Shawn Olson


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    I got into Half-Life and Counter-Strike when they first came out. I immediately got into level design in Worldcraft and modeling in 3ds Max. I made several CS maps for my local gaming group over the years and moved to Hammer when Source came out. My desire to make some more artistic levels was hindered by the unfriendly tools in Source. Fixing what I felt to be a broken pipeline turned into a decade-long adventure of creating Wall Worm, becoming the technical artist on Black Mesa and Product Owner at Autodesk for 3ds Max. Im a family man who doesnt really watch much TV or even play many different games. I have been playing the same set of multiplayer games for decades now (CS and Battlefield mostly, though recently Pubg too). The way I see it is that a game doesnt get boring just because its old--just like basketball never gets old for me. I play CS with my family and close friends; if Im not playing with people I actually know, my interest wanes quickly. When it comes to single-player games, I get more enjoyment from creating games than from playing them. At Black Mesa, my role ranges from building pipeline tools between 3ds Max and Source to making some assets here and there, assisting other artists to complete their tasks and teaching teammates how to use various functions and workflows.

    What do you enjoy the most about Black Mesa?


    There are many things that I love about Black Mesa. For me, as cool as Black Mesa is, the game itself pales in comparison to the opportunities it gave me. Most importantly, Ive made some great friends. Professionally, Black Mesa helped add a higher level of legitimacy to my work with Wall Worm in the eyes of a wider audience. Black Mesa gave me the opportunity to learn to work with others in a way I had not really done before; facing the challenges of working with a remote group of talented but wildly diverse personalities was a valuable experience for me.

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role? Hammer.


    One of the things I hoped to accomplish when I was hired in 2015 was to move the whole team to a 3ds Max pipeline that did not use Hammer. While I was well acquainted with the Source communitys deep attachment to Hammer, I naively expected it would be different on our team. As it turned out, I was never able to get our level designers to embrace 3ds Max. They saw the value in what the artists were doing with Max by sculpting the landscapes, but for one reason or another, the level designers did not want to make the leap. So we settled on a hybrid pipeline of Hammer to Max to Hammer. The challenge for me was that I knew the file formats, capabilities, and limitations of both Hammer and Max better than anyone else--so knowing that the hybrid method of constantly round-tripping exported data was not ideal weighed on me all the time. Iteration was severely hampered because of this, in my opinion. This was probably the greatest frustration I had. Eventually, I gave in to the reality that the setup we had was not going to change. It worked well enough for the rest of the team to be satisfied, and some of the conventions we developed did make it a little more smooth over time. Learning to accept that was a valuable lesson for me--you may believe you have the right way to do something, but there are always many ways to skin a cat. In the end, we were able to make a game that we all get to share pride in.

    What software did you use for your work?


    3ds Max.

    Did you go to school for your respective parts of the project?


    No. I actually dropped out of high school. There are many paths to education. I dont recommend that path for all people, but the only thing you really need for most fields is a willingness to learn and make yourself better. If you really want to learn and you set goals for yourself, you can learn what you need to succeed. Education should be seen as a lifelong journey.

    Any recommendations for people wanting to get into game design?


    Just do it. It seems cliche, but thats my view on a great many things. You learn by doing things. Thats how Ive always approached everything. Its also what Ive tried to instill in all of my children. My son wanted to be a fitness trainer Im glad he just decided to do it! The same principle certainly applies to games.

    How did you resist getting burnt out over such a long development process for Xen?


    I started in 2015, so I didnt have to wait as long as most of the other members. For the most part, I didnt have to resist burnout. Even with a few frustrations, I felt lucky to be part of the Black Mesa adventure. Working with creative people invigorates me. And the guys became my friends. Below is a picture of Brian Dale and I visiting the Wright Patterson Airforce Museum together.


    [ 2020-08-28 17:56:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Brian Dale

    Brian Dale


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Ive been with the team from the beginning. Im the 2nd oldest (was the oldest until Craig joined). I originally started as a concept artist and that role changed many times over the years. I eventually moved to a 3d artist/ environmental artist.

    What do you enjoy the most about Black Mesa?


    Learning how to do new things and meeting a bunch of cool artists over the years.

    What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role?


    My lack of personal time to work on things usually around the holidays due to my real job and having to shoehorn things into an outdated engine.

    What software did you use for your work?


    Photoshop, Substance Painter, Quixel suite, 3DS max, silo3d, World Machine, and blender.

    What was your first experience with Half-Life?


    The original game that came out in 1997. Did you go to school for your respective parts of the project? No, I am in the medical field. I started working on the mod as a hobby.

    Any recommendations for people wanting to get into game design?


    Start using a 3d modeling program and practice, practice, practice. You should also learn to use a substance painter. Start small and work your way up to more complex things. Do your own mods of things and dont expect to get paid or have success. Expect to fail a bunch and learn how to do something better because you learned what NOT to do. Also, learn to take CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and change your work.

    How did you resist getting burnt out over such a long development process for Xen?


    I had to treat it like a job sometimes which was difficult when it was just a free mod. When it became a commercial project, I really had to treat it like a job (even though I have a full time plus job). I worked most of my vacations to get my stuff done. Sometimes you have to just walk away from the computer for a week or 2 and then go back and keep plugging away.

    If you had unlimited time, money, and help, what game would you make?


    A game similar to BF 2142 and something along the lines of X-wing series. Would love to remake wing commander in the style of the box art from the original.


    [ 2020-08-27 21:47:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Spencer Rose

    Spencer Rose


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Hey, I'm Spence! I have been working off and on with the team since 2005 when the project was in its very early days as a Half-Life 2 mod. I had a small amount of experience making maps for Half-Life and initially joined the team as a level designer. My earlier work is found in Black Mesa Inbound, Surface Tension, and On A Rail where I built level geometry and re-imagined a few puzzles and gameplay spaces. In more recent years I've worked as an artist, supporting the team for the Surface Tension Uncut and Xen updates. Now, I continue to contribute as a principal artist for experimental and upcoming projects. Outside of Black Mesa, I've contributed to two other games built on the Source engine, and as an independent developer, I've contributed to a handful of other game-related projects and teams. If you want to know more about my work or my contributions to Black Mesa you can check out my portfolio website at commonspence.com. Aside from games and digital art, some of my other biggest interests and hobbies are photography, model-building, and traveling. I love new foods, different languages, and meeting all types of people from all over the world!

    What do you enjoy most about Black Mesa?


    Working with the team over the years has been rewarding. Everyone has an infectious enthusiasm and Im constantly able to learn new things and grow as a developer, which is one of the best aspects. Also, all of the feedback from players and fans is incredibly motivating! So much work on Black Mesa was borne out of genuine love for Half-Life, and its an honor to have contributed in some small ways.

    What was the worst part of developing Black Mesa in your role?


    The pure volunteer nature of the project was a help and a hindrance at some points. In the early days, we were all working in our spare time and for the fun of it. That's not always sustainable, especially when it comes to fixing bugs, design revisions, or things that might not be as fun. In more recent years, as an artist, it was difficult working with the Source engine while concurrently working on other projects in Unreal 4 or Unity. You become very conscious of the limitations and workflow differences between the engines and find yourself wishing for something that combines the best of all of them.

    Did you go to school for your respective parts of the project?


    I've attended four different schools throughout my time working on Black Mesa - and only graduated from one of them, well after I began working on the project ;) I never expected to go into a career doing creative things with computers, and the ways I spent my time and efforts in school reflect this. After years of working on games and studying other things, I returned to university and graduated in 2016 with a BSc in Creative Technologies. It's only loosely related to the work I contributed to Black Mesa, but the course did better prepare me to take on other roles and think across different disciplines as an independent developer.

    What would you be doing if you werent part of the Crowbar Collective team?


    It's anyone's guess, but most likely working on other games or content for them. If I had pursued my earlier career ambitions, then I'd probably be flying or driving some kind of vehicle - or, alternatively, building physical things instead of digital things.

    Was there ever a time you were close to giving up and quitting?


    I have come and gone from the team on multiple occasions - I think anyone that works on a project over the course of ~15 years will feel like giving up or quitting at some point, especially considering the volunteer nature of the team for many years. Leaving the team to work on other projects or develop new skills has allowed me to take on new challenges and roles on each return. While I think it's been beneficial (and necessary) from a personal perspective, I think that it's allowed me to make better contributions to the team as well.

    How much does using Wallworm improve workflow in the Source engine?


    It's safe to say that the art process for Xen would have been impossible if it wasn't for these tools. The Source engine is not particularly artist-friendly as it is - before switching over to the Wallworm tools, I was using a series of batch files and scripts to compile models and materials. There were a lot of points of failure and a lot of manual effort required to create art assets - not to mention an entire scene. While the tools don't (and can't) solve all of the workflow issues with Source, they do offer a much smoother "pipeline" to work with. What used to be a lengthy process of preparing and compiling assets can now be done in a few clicks, greatly accelerating things - and also reducing frustration for artists, an important consideration :) Creating and compiling models is only part of the process - one of the other strengths of the tools is the ability to work directly with map geometry and create entire levels through the modeling program. In this case, we did a lot of terrain sculpting and object placement in 3dsmax, which is far easier than it would have been in Hammer editor. We were also able to take clusters of props, merge them, and perform boolean operations to remove the parts that would be occluded by geometry or otherwise hidden in-game. These kinds of workflow improvements allowed us to create levels that were more detailed (and performant) than anything that we could have created with Hammer alone. All of this allowed us to spend more time with the "fun" (or at least, more creative) parts of starting up the level, and I think that's the most important workflow improvement.

    Any favorite mods for Half-Life games?


    Are all the classics (Counter-Strike, Team Fortress Classic, and Day of Defeat) still counted as "mods" these days? :) I've played a lot of single-player mods for Half-Life...Azure Sheep, They Hunger, Point of View, Poke646 were some of my all-time favorites. I played the heck out of Natural Selection and Science and Industry, too!

    If you had unlimited time, money, and help, what game would you make?


    Probably some type of simulation/construction/management game. I've always wanted to make something like Sim Tower (or more recently, Project Highrise) but in an isometric style, like The Sims. Of course, I don't have unlimited time, money, or help, but I still work on this project from time to time as a way to improve and expand my programming knowledge. There are a lot of challenges to solve when it comes to things like pathfinding and AI, and I still have a lot to learn and many prototypes to build... More recently, I've been developing some ideas for simulation games based on the industrial revolution, or exploring the lifecycle of coal over 100 or 200 years, through periods of increasing industrialization before an extensive decline. I don't think I'm a particularly skilled designer, but it is fun to build out game ideas drawing on history or the world(s) around us.

    Do you accept pineapple on pizza or are you against it?


    - Yes, I accept it. Especially if there is bacon or ham on this pizza ^^


    [ 2020-08-26 18:01:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Chon Kemp

    Chon Kemp


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    My name's Chon, I'm 28 years old and I'm from London. Im the Lead Level Designer at Crowbar Collective. I mostly make sure all the Level Designers (LDs) cages are stocked with enough food and water to keep them alive and mapping! Jokes aside, my role at Black Mesa is really split into two prongs here: the Level Designer aspect and the Lead aspect. My attention has been split roughly 50/50 between the two areas across my time in the role. The first prong of my role is the Level Design side of things. All the LDs have contributed to our game in two overarching capacities. Firstly, each LD has their own set of maps that they realized the majority of the work on, making those maps their babies in a sense. My babies so-to-speak are Surface Tension maps G, H and I, Xen B1 (the Descent-inspired tree), the final map of Gonarchs Lair, map A1 (Gargathon) and all 3 B maps in Interloper. Secondly, every LD has worked on every map in some meaningful way or another; be it design reworks, environment art and polish, scripting, bug fixes, feedback, etc. There wasnt a map in all of Xen that I havent had some influence in or done some work on, and this is true for every LD on the project. I also played a very heavy hand in all the rebalancing and overhauls we did for the 1.0 release of Earthbound. Because of all these things together, us LDs are basically the everymen of the team.
    The second prong of my role is the Lead side of things. In this capacity, my role is about defining specific tasks and milestones for the LDs/maps, and also making sure that every LD has what they need to get their current set of tasks done. Game development is a highly collaborative process, and Level Design is probably the most collaborative field within it. This is because we bring together everything made by all the other talented and amazing departments, while simultaneously designing the maps core gameplay and layouts. Thus, a lot of the time I wind up coordinating with the other department Leads (art, sound, animation, etc) or individuals within those departments, to make sure things get done properly based around whats currently needed; simultaneously making sure that anything we do add serves our gameplay and design purposes. Feedback and direction plays a huge role in this. Literally anyone can give feedback, but giving good, relevant, actionable feedback in a concise and easy to understand way is a significant obstacle, particularly across an online team. A major part of my role is ensuring that I give LDs good, clear feedback on their work that continues to advance the game and get it closer to being finished. I also wind up giving other departments lots of feedback too, as we work together so much. As part of that same process, its also my job to decide what feedback we choose to take from the community. You guys are absolutely chock full of brilliant suggestions and are constantly finding creative (or depressingly simple!) ways to completely break our game, and I serve as the LDs way of sifting through it.
    But thats not to imply that LDs have no say in the matter! One of my great prides as the Lead LD on Black Mesa is that I think weve struck a perfect balance between direction/management and autonomy/freedom. Our LDs are free to alter the maps in any way that they see fit outside of the Leads feedback/directives as well, and we are always open to new and interesting ideas from anyone. But at the same time, I feel that I am able to provide a solid sense of direction and purpose to LDs, which helps keep the ball rolling. Im really proud of it!

    How did you get involved with Black Mesa (If you joined later on)?


    I started out among the modding community for Black Mesa all the way back in 2012, when Black Mesa itself was a mod. I ended up making 2 mods for it called Surface Tension Uncut and On a Rail Uncut, which aimed to restore map sections that the Black Mesa Team had cut out of their interpretations of those respective chapters. At the time, I was an absolute mega-fan of Black Mesa. I must have played it all the way through AT LEAST 10 times or more, and evangelized it to ALL my friends! This stemmed from me being a huge fan of Half-Life in general and also of the Source modding community in general. My only previous experience in Level Design had been making crappy Counter-Strike maps to play with my friends, as well as some maps for another Source mod called The Hidden. Being such a huge fan of Black Mesa and having played it so much with the original for comparison, I had come to appreciate the brilliance of its Level Design and was fascinated by how they had re-interpreted this very basic old world! I remember the idea of Surface Tension Uncut came to me one day when playing through Surface Tension in Half-Life. I got to a section that wasnt in Black Mesas interpretation. It was an extremely blank and open section with no detail or real thought put into it, and it had a bounce pad going to the upper floor of this giant concrete structure. And I suddenly thought hey, this bit would look really cool in Black Mesa as a destroyed car park. As I continued to play through, I realized that none of these Surface Tension maps had made the cut and that their humans vs aliens scripted combat was something that Black Mesa had sorely been missing. I just couldnt get the idea of that destroyed car park out of my head, so I just...fired up Hammer and started trying to make it.
    I managed to put together the car park and some of its surrounding areas. Ive always been very reserved (shocking for a game developer, Im sure!), but at that moment I felt proud enough of myself to want to share what Id done with others. So I just whacked together a thread on the Black Mesa Forums showcasing a couple of crappy Hammer screenshots of it, saying that it was part of my idea to bring back cut parts. The response was amazing and supportive! The people who replied had loads of interesting things to say, and I started to engage with the conversation, and I found myself getting totally sucked into it! The rest is history! The community was vastly supportive and offered me so much fantastic feedback and conversation throughout development. I will always be appreciative of everything they did for me. Thats something which has continued to this day, as you guys have continued to support our entire team through thick and thin. When I finished On a Rail Uncut towards the middle of 2013, I was approached by the Black Mesa team and asked to hop on board to help develop some maps for an upcoming multiplayer component. How could I ever have turned that down?! For a fanboy such as myself, there was no greater honor, and I remember feeling at the time as if they must have overlooked hundreds of far more talented Level Designers in favor of me, something which humbled me and made me strive to do the best I possibly could. After I joined the team, I was told that Black Mesa was actually now going to be sold as a retail product and that the team had some big plans in store. It was all just...so surreal and incredible. I dont know where I got my immense luck from, but Im thankful for it all!
    I became the Lead Level Designer towards the end of 2018, in the thick of our insanely challenging Xen development. I helped see Xen through to the end, through what was a very tough time for the team. It remains (and likely always will) the single proudest achievement of my entire life. Its not perfect, but its ours. And its wonderful.

    Did you go to school for your respective parts of the project?


    I learned how to do Level Design by simply opening Hammer one day at the age of 15 and trying to make a map of my house for Counter-Strike: Source (which I was borderline addicted to at the time). As I hit obstacles that I couldnt figure out myself, I consulted internet tutorials for my specific problems, often in the form of random YouTube videos or forum threads on Source modding forums. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of making the map, so I just kept trying to make better and better maps, and that was how I got into Level Design for real eventually, modding for Black Mesa. Game design (like most forms of art) has so many different ways that you can approach it from a learning perspective. It really does come down entirely to who you are as a person and how best you learn. For me, learning by doing was the most effective approach, and is one I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who is capable of learning in this manner. I loved being able to take things at my own pace, not having to listen to long-winded explanations of basic things that I was able to puzzle out just by mucking around in the editor. I made my own mistakes and took my own lessons from them, forcing myself to stay honest along the way. Sometimes they might have been the wrong lessons, but thats how life works sometimes! There were some downsides to this approach, however. In the past, I mostly mapped by feel and by the seat of my pants, and I think it showed in a lot of my early work. Across my time in development, I learned to think a lot more like a proper designer: puzzling and planning things out better and with the bigger gameplay picture in mind. Being able to hone in better on the player direction and encounter design, knowing what works and doesnt work. I think if Id gone to a school to learn about the process of Level Design, I might have been able to get a head start on learning some of these basic principles a lot sooner. Theres an absolute ton of merit to learning Game Design in a school too, but that wasnt the way that worked best for me, and Im glad I took the route I did!

    What software did you use for your work?


    I almost exclusively use Hammer, which is typical for the Source engine, as its the only Level Design tool. As such, it is also pretty much the final vanguard of the old-school Level Design tools. Its a vastly different workflow and toolset to what any modern game uses, such as those on the Unreal Engine or Unity. Hammer is heavily designer-driven compared to more modern workflows, which I would say are often more artist-driven now.
    In an attempt to bridge the gap between the Absolutely Ancient Software and modern tools, most of the LDs (myself included) dabbled in a bit of 3DS Max and Wallworm. Wallworm is an amazing tool developed by our resident superstar Shawn Olson that allows 3DS Max to read and write to Hammers VMF format, among a million other amazing things. This allows us to use 3DS Max for Level Design and Environment Art, giving us the benefits of many different kinds of modern workflow despite our ancient engine. Truth be told, I didnt use Wallworm anything like as much as I should have. I mostly used it to import and subdivide displacements (the natural-looking geometry from which outdoor environments are built-in Source). It would take 18+ hours to run the subdivision process for an entire map in Hammer, but ~30 seconds in 3DS Max! The subdivision process was something we often had to re-run any time we made some kind of meaningful layout change, so this saved us vast amounts of time across the whole of development. Im not exaggerating when I say we would not have finished Xen without this tool. Our artists made far, far greater use of it than the LDs did, too!
    As a Lead, I also made pretty extensive use of Google Docs and Paint 3D to provide feedback and art/design direction to the Level Designers and other departments too. My drawing skills are absolutely horrendous, but luckily, Ive always been able to make do with very ugly scribbles over screenshots, coupled with a lot of text. As this Q+A has probably already shown, Im no stranger to writing a lot!

    What do you enjoy the most about Black Mesa?


    Please allow me to gush for a minute here. I think Black Mesa is the most fascinating and interesting remake of any video game ever, period. I felt this before I had even joined the team myself! There arent many remakes that have the balls to drastically change things from the original and put their own spin on it. Thats because, typically, thats not really what remakes are meant to do, and not why fans would play them. And theres nothing wrong with that at all, either! But, Black Mesa is so unique because it is a fan reinterpretation of an absolutely beloved classic; one of the greatest shooters of all time, one which changed the genre forever. It would have been so much easier to play it safe(r) and just stick with a graphical remastering. Instead, it became its own beast, with its own identity and strengths and weaknesses, but still the distinct flavor of the original. Sometimes we go quite close to the original. Sometimes we go completely wild and do something totally different (case in point: Xen). Sometimes it works, and perhaps sometimes it doesnt. Everyones going to have a different opinion on that particular aspect! And thats whats so fun about it. I think anyone who plays our game has a list of things they preferred in our game over the original, and a list of things they preferred from the original. That facilitates some really interesting discussion. We dont really aim to replace the original or one-up it. I view us as a companion piece to the original. They elevate each other. And thats really awesome, in my view.
    And the best part is, regardless of what you liked or didnt like, theres really no denying that this game is the truly ultimate fan labor of love. The team worked for free on this for more than 8 years before the prospect of money even became a discussion. It was never even on the cards until Valve approached us. Then, when the product actually did go retail, we poured our hearts and souls into making Xen this epic, huge experience; attempting to build an awesome, original piece of new Half-Life content. A real swan song to the Half-Life universe. At the time, we were not aware that Valve was going to make Half-Life: Alyx. We were trying to use Xen to honor that universe in our own special way. On top of that, we even went back and revisited numerous parts of Earthbound, making continuous tweaks and bugfixes, ending up with a version of the game which is vastly improved over the mod version in so many ways that I think fans werent really expecting or even asking for. In an alternate world, we probably could have just made our own version of Xen relatively close to the original, released the mod version as-is coupled with Xen as the retail product on Steam, and still have been fine overall. But we didnt do that. We chose the harder path. We worked on the game for 7 years after we had gone Early Access. And it was because we loved our game and we loved the Half-Life universe and wanted to do something special with this amazing opportunity we were given. All games have had blood, sweat and tears poured into them by a developer team who loves what theyre doing. That isnt something unique to Black Mesa, really. But I do think that Black Mesa is a particularly special and beautiful example of that!

    How did you resist getting burnt out over such a long development process for Xen?


    When a project has gone on this long and been this challenging, burnout is really just an inevitability. We have all been through it, a lot. That is doubly true for those of us on the team who work full-time jobs in addition to Black Mesa, such as myself. Throughout the majority of Xen development, my daily routine on the team was to work 9 - 5 at my full-time job, and then come home and work on Black Mesa until ~1am, then repeat across the week, often with one day on the weekend thrown in too. I worked like this for literally years. It was even tougher during the crunch periods (leading up to releases), where Id normally work the whole weekend too. It was really tough! I think theres one key factor that kept everyone on the team going despite these kinds of schedules. We have always loved what we are doing and believed in our game and believed in us as a team. I think anyone on the team will tell you the same thing. We are all driven by passion. Thats why Black Mesa even existed in the first place. Passion, and determination. Its helped pull us out of some of those dark tunnels when the going has gotten tough. Which it has done on many occasions! When even that passion wasnt enough, my solution was usually to just take some time off until I felt I had the creative juices flowing well enough again to come back to it. This typically would happen when someone on the team shared something cool or asked for input, or a new task emerged that needed some help, which was never that far around the corner. Working on some of those new things would help ease me back into the flow again, and would help me overcome whatever I might have been stuck on. The other massive thing which has always helped was the incredible support and response from the community. There have always been naysayers and mean/negative voices out there (and I have read them more than most on the team!), but they are mostly drowned out by those who have loved what weve done, and believed in us and our game. We cant thank them enough.

    How often do you watch youtube videos/Twitch streams of Black Mesa?


    All the time! Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes its a beautiful experience. But its always necessary and important for us to learn as designers! Often a player will get hopelessly stuck on a section of the game, and then Ill watch them go down the wrong path, press use repeatedly on everything in sight except the thing they can actually use, completely miss the answer thats right in front of them, and just entirely not understand something that we poured loads and loads of effort into carefully designing and refining. Without meaning to, sometimes Ill even feel annoyed about it as I watch! But I always end up reminding myself: we made this game for the players. Half-Life style design is unique in that almost every single element of the gameplay is exclusively communicated through the environment. If a player struggles with something, thats almost always on us. Room to improve! On the flip side, there are also many times where Im watching streams or videos of our game and a moment or section of the map just lands perfectly. The stars will line up, and a scene will unfold exactly as we designed it, to the letter. Or the player will give off a wonderful reaction of excitement or enjoyment, or just stop to marvel at the visuals, or will comment on something we spent ages working on; even really small obscure details. Its seeing those moments play out for others and provide them with enjoyment/a good experience that makes me feel proud to be a game designer, and proud to have worked on this project. Ultimately, we just want others to have a fun and memorable experience!
    Its that mixed bag that makes this art! It is really valuable to have the ability to see which things worked and didnt work for players, across such a wide spectrum of people. And this is only a relatively recent tool that has become available to us, I would say even within the last 10 years. So its a tool that we appreciate and use across the whole team. On the team, we are often sharing playthroughs and streams of our game, and discussing them among ourselves. Why someone got stuck here, what didnt work here and why, and what we can do about it in a future update. This was particularly valuable for us during the early betas throughout Xens development. It helped make us better and helped us make a better game.

    If you had unlimited time, money, and help, what game would you make?


    You know those escape rooms where you have to solve puzzles to get out of a room youre trapped in, before the timer expires? Id make one of those, but with the entire Black Mesa Research Facility. Id pay thousands of skilled actors to portray the entire resonance cascade, and wed build an entire Black Mesa experience in real life. The facility is just so bloody cool and Gordons journey across it is honestly my favorite of any video game ever. Id love to just walk the length of it. We probably couldnt do Xen, though, unfortunately... Funny story thats sort of tangentially related to this. Back when I first started working on Black Mesa, I needed to set up a business bank account so I could keep the money separate from my other income sources. I, therefore, had to do an interview with a business representative at the bank. She was really nice to me, but she seemed to know very little about computers in general and even less about video games. I really struggled to explain to her what Level Design was, as I couldnt even get her to understand what 3D assets were! She interpreted my explanation (which Im sure probably wasnt very good!) to mean that I actually built locations from video games out into the real world. I showed her a picture of dm_gasworks, and she asked me how long it took to build that in real life! Im sure it was no fault of hers, but that misinterpretation always stuck with me as being really funny! And thus, that was what inspired my stupid idea above.

    What would you be doing if you werent part of the Crowbar Collective team?


    Crying myself to sleep every night over how hollow and meaningless my life really is. Actually, I guess it would be the same!


    [ 2020-08-25 17:59:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Chetan Jaggi

    Chetan Jaggi


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    My name is Chetan Jaggi. I am the Lead Programmer. I am from India. I joined the team in 2015. I love video games & anime. In the last couple of years, I have developed a new hobby of killing myself in the gym & I love it very much.

    When did your interest in game development begin?


    12th Grade. I used to be an outdoor person. I used to play a lot of cricket, (& little bit soccer) and yea video games in the arcades. During that time in India most of the science students would either pick a doctor or an engineering degree after school. I was always fascinated by physics. I used to watch all those afternoon shows about space and time on the Discovery Channel after school. I liked programming as well, I enjoyed making small webpages in HTML and programs in c++. I was making small games in c++ like hangman, tic tac toe (it eventually evolved into a 10K+ lines monster), etc. Before 12th grade in school, I always thought games like Street Fighter, Doom, Mario, etc were alien tech, aliens come in their little ships and drop them off on this planet for us to enjoy. Even the internet was new for us in those times. I used to update Windows XP sp1/2/3 on a dialup connection (fun times). Eventually, in that year I came to know about Hammer/Steam and the fact that Half-Life 2 has been made in c++ and something called Directx9. Only then I realized the full potential of C++ or programming in general. I was already pretty comfortable with C++ and Half-life 2 sealed my fate. I have already developed a fairly big text-based tic tac toe game in dos based turbo c++ 3.0 with an option to play against AI or 2nd player on the same pc. It was 10K + lines code written on pieces of paper and then typed into turbo c++ during many cybercafe sessions backed up over 10 times in 2 floppy disks. This was before my parents bought me a PC. It was exciting throughout the development and when I showed it to others & teachers my excitement was off the charts. So I had a little bit of experience of what I am getting myself into and seemed like the best option moving forward. Although my initial interest and learning efforts were spent more in learning hammer making maps, etc but I was good at programming and there were almost 0 jobs for a level designer or game designer during those times so I focused more on programming later in the college.

    Did you go to school for your respective parts of the project?


    I have a bachelors degree in computer science but I learned absolutely nothing in college that helped me either on Black Mesa or any other job/project. During my early 20s, it was sorta necessary to have a degree to get a job at any decent company so like millions of other teenagers I also prepared for entrance exams for engineering college and enrolled in one of them. But by the end of 1st year, I came to a realization that I would be learning absolutely nothing that would help me with game development or becoming a better programmer in general. The Education system was not that great and I was a little bit selfish about how I wanted to spend my time. So I bunked a lot of classes, spent some of that time trying to learn about game development and the rest of it playing CS/TF2, etc & calling everyone on the server noobs. I tried to learn about game development as much as possible, whether making small maps in Half-Life 1 hammer or making small games in turbo c++ (dos based c++). I made sure my grades/marks were decent in both internal and external exams to secure a decent degree and keep teachers happy. Some of my teachers including the head of our dept were supportive/helpful even with bad attendance so that helped a lot as well. I was initially more interested in level design and hammer things, I spent countless hours experimenting with maps, making face masks for HL NPC, photoshop, 3ds max, etc, but there was no job other there for a level designer or a game designer back then, there were very limited options even for a game programmer. So I focused more on programming later in college.

    Any recommendations for people wanting to get into Game Development?


    First of all, play a lot of games of different types and genres. Spend enough time in each game to understand why it's good or bad. You should be able to explain in detail why you like or dislike a game. Try check reviews/general feedback of some of those games and try to understand what others like or dislike about it etc. Learn at least one technical skill whether its programming, concepts in Photoshop, animation in a 3d software like max/Maya, etc Try to be as good as in it as possible. At the end of the day everyone on the development team will contribute as a designer but most of the time you will be hired based on your technical skills. So pick at least one and master it. It will take some time and a lot of hard work but you will get there eventually. Try to get into modding, many games have a developer or modding SDKs. Pickup the SDK for your favorite game and start experimenting with it both for learning game design and developing technical skills. If you are interested in game design try modifying gameplay in some way whether its changing damage of guns in a competitive shooter or spells in Dota, just make changes as you see fit and share it with people. Gather feedback and earn what works & what does not. Just make something whether it's a small game as programmer, concept arts, some animations, etc, whatever make something, put it up on a website, forums and maintain a blog or portfolio website. And with each project try to aim a little bit higher than the previous one to incrementally increase your skills and experience. Also, don't be afraid to send out resumes or apply for job positions. Maybe follow some of the industry people in your field on Twitter/Linkedin many of them have open DMs sometimes for questions.

    How did you get involved with Black Mesa (If you joined later on)?


    I was looking for the next job/project in 2015 so I sent a lot of emails including one to crowbar collective since they were looking for people. I got a reply back from the crowbar collective for a Skype interview and I got hired shortly after that. I always wanted to work on something Half-Life since Half-Life/Doom/StreetFighter was one of the games that inspired me to get into game development. I have tried to get involved with black mesa at least once (if not twice) before and I am happy it all worked out this time. It will take some time and practice but you will learn it eventually. Don't be afraid to reach out but at the same time don't spam anyone either.

    Do you accept pineapple on pizza or are you against it?


    I think pineapple/chocolate or any sweet/fruit on a pizza is the most sinful sin you can ever commit.

    What was the worst part of developing Black Mesa in your role?


    Being limited by DirectX9 technology. Theres so much we could have done both in terms of visual quality and performance if we had DirectX 11 support. We have an amazing art team. You give them 10% improvements in the technology and they would convert it into a 100% improvement in Game quality. There are a lot of small things that have become normal in any current-gen game but we couldn't do it because we were limited by DirectX 9 but in terms of visual quality and performance.

    Any favorite mods for Half-Life games?


    Ricochet. YES, I LIKED RICOCHET for all of 10 hrs or so I played it. I played many mods for halflife 2 and I dont even remember most of their names. One of the story based ones was Coastline to Atmosphere that I thought was pretty interesting. There was one more mod called Synergy that allowed us to play HL2 in coop, it was janky but I played a couple of maps and it was enjoyable.

    Would you rather fight 1 Gargantua sized Headcrab or 100 Headcrab sized Gargantua?


    I hate bullet sponge bosses so I would say 100 headcrab sized Gargantua. But if the question was IRL then I would select 1 Gargantua sized headcrab and just hide under the bed all the time ezpz.

    How difficult was the task of reimagining Xen?


    In terms of technical challenges again we were limited by Dx9 and the engine itself. There were a lot of limitations & old tech, we tried to raise the limits and upgrade a few parts wherever we can but still, it was nowhere near current gen engines or tech. In terms of game design, I was in charge of both the boss fights with animation lead Nate and we faced a lot of challenges with both Gonarch and Nihilanth. Gonarch was the first boss battle we worked on and one of the first things we did was revamp the Long Jump mechanics. Ctrl + jump for a long jump only in the forward direction wasnt that fun and it was very limiting in Gonarch. We wanted the player to always keep eyes on the Gonarch while moving around so we would know what he is doing next and the player can react accordingly. Even before Gonarch, we always wanted to improve long jump anyways and it felt like a good time to finally do it during the early phases of Gonarch development. We changed it so that we have two different boosting mechanics one for horizontal long jump on double tap, in the direction of movement( in any direction), and second to act as a mini air break of sorts to either stop during horizontal long jump or prevent falling damage. Each consumes a certain amount of mana/charge from LongJump(LJ) meter which changes over time at a specific rate. One of our main goals of the fights was to encourage movement as much as possible. During gonarch battle in both the arenas GonarchA & the final battle in the Lair, it was crucial to use long jump to dodge his attacks or reposition yourself. It was challenging to convey or remind players about the fact that they can Long jump in any direction. Even during our internal testing a lot of times people would forget about that when playing for the first few times. We tried to solve this by adding a long jump puzzle/tutorial in earlier xen levels (although it was a simple straight jump) , added hints on the loading screen and we added a reminder popup in gonarch A. We don't really like to spam cards or text/images on players face but this was one of those moments where it felt necessary. Another challenge was to encourage players to use RPGs for more damage on gonarch so we spammed RPG ammo crates all over the place as a hint to the player or a subconscious scream USE RPG. Nihilanth had its own challenges. In HL1 it was a big bullet sponge blob in the center of a room, you spam all your weapons and done. His attacks were very limited as well. I think the only aspect of Nihilanth that everyone quickly agreed upon was skipping teleportation to different rooms attached or behavior, no one wanted to do that in our version of Nihilanth. Otherwise, the team was so divided on this boss battle. We did a lot of experimentation and prototyped around 15+ attacks/variants, ranging from spawning waves of minions, 1000 different variations of energy balls, beams, etc Our goal was to make it feel a bit less bullet spongy, encourage movement and teach the player as the fight progresses. We also wanted to keep it a little bit towards the easier side for most of it. Well, it gets all sorts of crazy in phase 4 but it lasts for only 5-10 secs. One of the biggest concerns was that we are adding a lot of new attacks or behaviors which have never been used in the game before this battle, so players had no idea what is going on whenever they see these new attacks for the first time. Eventually, after a lot of experimentation, we decided to limit the number of different attacks, we added a lot of visual/audio telegraphing and we kept the same attacks for all the phases, we just made them harder to dodge in later phases. Another thing that took me few attempts to figure out was portals, I wanted to use variations of portals tech for Spawning minion ( so they would walk inside the area through portals instead of usual appearing out of thin air), for spawning those props that are thrown at the player and yea i was considering dropping the moon. But there were a lot of technical challenges and not a lot of time since Nihilanth was one of the last things we worked on before release. But I am happy that after a few prototypes I was on the right path. I got portals for spawning props working without much instability or impact on perf so we shipped that. Also a shoutout to Oleksandr Palamar who did some physics magic during the final hours to polish the actual projectiles logic to make them feel so great. In the end, it all worked after 1000+ rounds of testing & iterations and we are pretty happy with what we shipped.


    [ 2020-08-24 17:56:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Chris Horn

    Chris Horn


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Ive been a level designer for Crowbar Collective since the very early days, first starting as an early tester for a friend on the project in late 2005 before joining the team in the middle of 2006 just after the Alpha 5 leak, about 6 months or so into development. Originally it was to add a helping hand in remaking everything again from scratch post leak, but also as I had some interesting tech I thought could be useful for skybox development, and my old modification was winding down at the time. I delayed joining earlier as I was at the time working on a Christmas release Counter Strike Source map CS Xmas. My primary task was to plan and build Questionable Ethics from scratch as it was one of the few chapters that had no development at all on it bar a single concept drawing and some early textures. This later grew into work on Blast Pit, Surface Tension, and various small bits here and there. In mid 2012 to late 2018 I took over as Lead Level Designer in order to design the primary development plans and layouts for Xen, based on earlier prototypes Id been working on, and focused primarily on Gonarchs Lair, Xen and Nihilanth and also drive Multiplayer forward, with Crossfire as my primary DM map. Im currently Xen lead and Senior Developer with a specialization in planning and environmental storytelling. I also designed one of the largest in-game easter eggs I think exists, with the Pizza Code Mystery ARG.

    How difficult was the task of reimagining Xen?


    Development started on the initial prototyping of Xen way back in 2008, where a few of the team, myself included, started to create some baseline prototypes and map concepts, using my earlier work in Questionable Ethics as a basis. The earliest works included a test map and various prototype props that made it into the mod version of the game.
    (the earliest map of Xen c2008 - by me :3) The planning process for Xen took approx 6 months, which I completed whilst we started to convert the game into a retail project, and took on the task of starting Multiplayer maps and gameplay. The Process for which was a complicated comparison look at the original, beta Xen maps from Valves perforce server and collated old references and original concepts from various wikis and fan sites. I then designed each and every area of Xen to Nihilanth with a focus on progression, links to the original in key areas; maintaining a flow of gameplay towards an end goal, providing an ideo locator in the form of the great tower (a mirror to the Citadel in the Half Life 2 game) and including some of the original cut content, but in a more logical and story driven way (the swamps). The full process and all the reasoning behind every plan detail is far too long to include here, but I will provide a collated plan from my originals to show that the entire section was designed to not overlap and lead linearly from start to finish. Eventually, we moved on to blocking out the chapters, which at first was a direct overlay conversion from my original drawings, using the numerical notes as a guide. This was then refined over the next few years as we tested gameplay, cut and redesigned areas based on feedback, before pushing into a full art pass and polish phase at the end.

    Any movies or other games besides Half-Life you took inspiration from during development for your role specifically?


    The primary games over the years Ive taken inspiration from include titles like Farcry (the original 2006 game), Stalker Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat (for Blast Pit), Rainbow 6 Vegas for the ST Dam map and various mixes of labs for Questionable Ethics from games like Quake 2 and 4, Farcry. I have a very large collection of films, but oddly didnt really use any for reference (Apart from Indiana Jones and the Last Cruscade to complete an easter egg a friend came up with in the pub one night). Other references for things came from Kew Gardens and The Eden Project for plant references and my own urban exploration adventures for alot of the early Blast Pit style guides (Tunnels 300ft under the cliffs of Dover and lost napoleonic forts)
    (Southforeland Deep Shelter - by Me)

    How far are you planning (or have planned) to go with the ARG?


    ARGs are interesting things when they spread out from the original intent, originally the ARG was set to be in 3 component parts, the initial beginner puzzles to ease people into it, followed by a single harder puzzle that would unlock an interactive and far harder section, which in turn would then complement the release of Xen with an even harder and more complex section of puzzles. However work constraints and timings as well as the non-continuation of the storyline tie into Multiplayer (which was originally planned to have a storyline built into the environments - you can see the only real public part of that storyline in the multiplayer trailer mock commercial we did). The ARG itself is now gigantic and very multilayered, as to how far it goes is entirely secret, the complexity may increase or decrease depending on the participants and the future is not entirely set, whilst being both complete and not. It is important to remember that not every mystery can be entirely solved and nor should it, or it ceases to be a mystery. I can say that I already started to plan the final phases of the ARG storyline and that of the Dr Horn character, and it may or may not lead to something big (or even small with big ears). Is there a conclusion - probably. Have we reached it yet - not yet. Is it solvable - for that people will need to construct more than just where Dr Horn has gone, what he has become and how pizzas tie into it, the conclusion will not be the solution but the beginning of an end that starts a new chapter. Its just not that linear and probably full of bugs... :3*58[-(1.3065321(*50]-9)1(]8;.3[5-5($41538360];32(2?9[608[638255[:904::0[8279-68$]1$10(-9*)60$353$8-*96.87]35)

    Do you accept pineapple on pizza or are you against it?


    As the world's leading and only authority on Pizza I can confidently answer this question in detail, the conclusion you should all in future refer to as fact. (this is not a democracy, proof is not needed) Firstly, Pineapple rated in the top 10 pizza toppings according to Huffington Post, now admittedly it was 9th just above Spinach but I digress. More importantly, we have to take into account the use of Pineapple as a foil to flavour, combinations of raw pineapple with cheap ham squares is usually the reason people hate pineapple on pizza. Should you, however, roast the chunks and lightly smash them in order to glaze and release more juices, whilst dulling the acidic edge it can really work well with pulled pork or even pepperoni, as it cuts through the fat without being overwhelming. In short, most of you havent had Pineapple on pizza done well. (This is also an argument that can be made with Marmite, but that is beyond the scope of this factoid). Many argue from the position of authenticity, claiming that it's not Italian. This is clearly nonsense, as Pineapple existed in Italian cuisine before Pepperoni ever did, and things like Corn and Ranch dressings are hardly traditional. Also I had a delicious Ham and Pineapple pizza in a pizzeria restaurant at 1AM on a hot summer night in the port town of Salerno, stonebaked properly by an authentic Italian pizzaiolo, it was great. (I also had a pizza alla fiorentina, which has the spinach and egg but now I'm starting to reminisce about food... ) In short, it's not only fully acceptable, it's one of the more popular toppings that has sadly become a meme. If you dont like it, dont eat it, all the more for me.

    If you had unlimited time, money, and help, what game would you make?


    Im a big fan of role playing games like The Elder Scrolls or Zelda. Having played Breath of the Wild recently, and plenty of Skyrim I would love to combine the two gameplay styles with that of a puzzle game like Myst but potentially with a cute style and open quest design system. Im also a big fan of the Silent Hill games, so a horror puzzle game mixed with the Amnesia style system perhaps in VR would be fun. My biggest problem is scope, when I plan something I tend to plan very big and work down from there rather than expanding into feature creep, but with unlimited time and money the game would have everything, detailed character arcs for every NPC, every book would be readable and have relevance to quests and puzzle solving, there would be an entire library dedicated to helping the player solve some of the puzzles and a little professor living in his observatory to get advice about books and puzzles from. Immersion being the key focus, whilst combat wouldnt be very important at all outside of specific stealth and or story components. The difficulty would be in how hard the puzzles were, and there would be multiple levels of this to choose from. As with all vast highly detailed story worlds, a trilogy would likely be needed. Who knows, perhaps this will one day be a thing. Dr Horn ~ Out.


    [ 2020-08-23 17:52:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Matt Young

    Matt Young


    Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective.


    Hi! Im Matt, and Im a 23 year old Environment Artist. I've been contracting with Crowbar Collective since 2017, but I recently came on as a full-time artist in 2020! I was one of the handfuls of people that helped create environment art for the Xen chapters. Recently, Ive been touching up the outdoor environment art for Black Mesa's earth levels, as well as other things Im not allowed to talk about yet! If youd like to follow me on my art journey, my Twitter is @Matt_in_3D.

    What was your first experience with Half-Life?


    I found Half-Life before I even hit 10 I was lucky to get my own PC at such an early age. It was from a local universitys surplus exchange where they would liquidate old computers and other electronics, we got it for maybe $20. My family made a habit of going to this surplus every week to dig around for random cheap parts to collect, and one day I ran across a Soundblaster card still in its original box. I opened it to find the driver CD alongside a few demos, one being a Half-Life: Day One disc, so I took it home and tried them all out. Considering I dont recall what the other demos were, Id imagine you can guess which game stuck with me. I still have it!

    When did your interest in game development begin?


    Ive definitely always had an interest in design. Looking back, I feel like it was accelerated by the games that shipped level editors alongside them. Younger me was so infatuated by these customized toolboxes that I could use to make my own stuff, just like the real developers. With existing assets and endless amounts of time, it was so easy to create new designs or rip apart and study the levels that the developers made. I spent as much time just experimenting in the editors for Starcraft, Trackmania, Pro Skater, Marble Blast, and Age of Empires just as much as I did playing the actual games. Eventually, I dipped into the larger editors like UE3 and Radiant, so it was only a matter of time before I stumbled across Half-Life 2 and Source SDK. I taught myself Hammer in middle school as my main hobby and eventually started making levels for Garrys Mod in early highschool, which is what led me to meeting and joining the team at PixelTail Games to work on GMod Tower, a social party game for Garrys Mod. After a few more years of working on GMod Tower designing levels, around the time I finished high school, I realized that I was drawn more towards environment art over level design, and the only way forward was to learn how to model and texture assets for games. Towards the end of GMod Tower and starting development on its spiritual successor Tower Unite, I solidified my modeling skills and created levels inside Unreal 4 (including lots of minigolf courses).

    How did you get involved with Black Mesa (If you joined later on)?


    I joined at 19, so Im the youngest on the team by a far mile. Before applying, I had played the mod as a fan just like everyone else and was totally blown away at what they had pulled off. I officially came on board at Crowbar Collective as an artist in 2017, but a few years prior, I actually tried to apply as a level designer in 2013 while I was still in high school. Although the team liked my designs, since I was 16, I was turned away because I legally couldnt sign the non-disclosure agreements. However, they encouraged me to apply again later! After Black Mesas early access launch, Crowbar put out a call for artists to help work on Xen, and I knew it was the right time to apply again Im happy I did! The young puns never stop rolling, but the team has been extremely supportive of my environment art journey over the last few years. I cant thank them enough for the opportunity I was given.

    What do you enjoy the most about Black Mesa?


    Around the time I joined, I started doing playtests for the Xen and Gonarch levels, which were still in Blockout and disconnected from one another. Youd load up the individual map in the console, play the design experiments, and at the end, you typically got met with a cat texture that shipped with HL2 to signal the ending.
    Even though I ran through the game a tiring amount of times, it was such a cool thing to watch the level design come together over time and see those rough concepts get developed into the final overarching flow. I definitely thrive on the energy of a team coming together to create something bigger than any one of us could create alone.

    What software did you use for your work?


    For Black Mesa, I work exclusively inside 3ds Max using Wallworm Model Tools. Rarely do I ever actually open up Hammer anymore! Most of our materials were authored in Substance Designer / Painter.

    How much does using Wallworm improve workflow in the Source engine?


    The difference is staggering! Its so easy to sculpt displacements, place foliage, paint blends, and I can create brush systems in a fraction of the time in comparison to Hammer. It sets you up to embrace iteration and get your ideas flowing, rather than getting worked into a corner with complicated brushwork! You can create entire level designs just by plotting down some splines and letting the walls construct themselves. Plus, Wallworm Pro is totally free to download now! Shawn has worked closely with us to make the Source art pipeline faster than it ever has been before.

    What was the most difficult moment for you working on Black Mesa?


    Even though Wallworm vastly improves how you can approach environment art, working in Source in the modern day when objectively better tech exists requires a special level of patience. At certain points, it can feel like getting things in-game is more difficult than creating the actual art itself. After 10+ years, I can confidently say I equally love and hate Source. Breaking free from Hammer and transitioning into 3ds Max was tough, as I had to throw out deep-rooted habits from my level design years that only really were pertinent for creating BSP, but in the long run was invaluable to developing better mentalities and approaches for creating art. In terms of the art itself, I think that each chapter of Xen presented its own unique challenges to tackle, but Interloper certainly was a larger one due to the demands of this otherworldly organic art inside an engine thats tailored for the exact opposite circumstances. A lot of it combined fleshy, alien material and bones that were fused to metal parts that level designers created with BSP, so figuring out how to handle the transitions between the hard and fleshy shapes was a challenge for sure. It took a lot of good effort from everyone on the team.

    What do you want to improve about Black Mesa?


    Ive enjoyed updating up the older outdoor earth sections with new art, so Ill continue to do that until they cut me off! :)


    [ 2020-08-22 18:03:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs: Adam Engels

    Adam Engels


    • Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Crowbar Collective. Im 35 years old and live in central New York. I started gaming on the original NES and got to grow up with the video game industry. I split my time between gaming and being active outdoors. Today I try to maintain that as a game developer and a volunteer firefighter. I started on the team as an artist, became the art lead, then project lead, and now have the honor of owning the company. These days I manage the business, help manage the team, and provide direction for the games we make!
    • What do you enjoy the most about Black Mesa? Ive been really enjoying the new HECU combat we added with 1.0. During the early years of the mod, a lot of us worked in bubbles, as we had not yet quite figured out working remotely around the world. To this day I am still impressed by the level of detail put into the environments, and how the team made the Black Mesa Research Facility come to life. I am still finding new things after over 14 years of being on the project.
    • What was the most challenging hurdle that was overcome during development in your role? Ive had a few roles throughout my time on Black Mesa, each with their own unique challenges. I would have to say the hardest part has been maintaining a business and an international decentralized team. There are a lot of resources for learning art, there are some good resources for learning design, but business is like a black hole of information.
    • What software did you use for your work? I pretty much live in Google Docs these days...
    • How did you get involved with Black Mesa (If you joined later on?) I was in college and our group heard about a remake of Half-Life being made by a mod team. We all figured it would be a great portfolio piece to get hired in the industry, so a lot of us applied. One of us got on the team as a level designer, and worked to get a bunch of us on the team!
    • How did you resist getting burnt out over such a long development process for Xen? It was difficult, especially being an all-remote team. At the end of the day, it was our love for the original game, and the crazy good work in progress posts by the team that kept us all going. You may be stalled, but seeing the fantastic progress made by others could motivate you out of it!
    • Do you accept pineapple on pizza or are you against it? I love pineapple on pizza. Dont @ me!
    • When did your interest in game development begin? It actually started with watching how movies were made in middle school. I used to watch Movie Magic on the Discovery channel, and I loved to see how everything came together. After movies like Jurassic Park and The Matrix, I got more and more into 3D modeling, took CAD classes in high school, and started messing around with the Hammer Editor (called World Craft at the time). I applied to one college for Game Art and Design and got in.
    • If you had unlimited time, money, and help, what game would you make? The game were making now ;)
    • What is your favorite weapon to use in Black Mesa? The MP5 is my crutch...


    [ 2020-08-22 02:23:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa on GeForce NOW!

    A lot of you have requested for Black Mesa to be on NVIDIA GeForce NOW. Your wait is finally over! We are excited to announce that Black Mesa is now available on NVIDIA's cloud gaming service. See you in Xen, Scientists!


    [ 2020-08-21 21:13:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Meet the Devs of Black Mesa!

    Greetings, Scientists! We will be starting a new series called "Meet the Devs" where you will get a chance to meet the majority (not all) of the talent behind Black Mesa. For the next two weeks, we will release a daily series of questions and answers where the developers themselves answer several sets of questionsboth personal and their experiences while they have gone through the years of development of Black Mesa. This is an opportunity for everyone to meet the team and get some behind the scene information. You can also expect answers to some frequently asked questions, answers about Hat Run discussions, and even an arg challenge embedded in the series. The following will be the order they are shared with each dev interview coming out daily: [olist]

  • Adam Engels
  • Matt Young
  • Chris Horn
  • Chetan Jaggi
  • Chon Kemp
  • Spencer Rose
  • Brian Dale
  • Shawn Olson
  • Kevin Sisk
  • Craig Mirfin
  • Johnathan Welsh
  • Nathan Ayres
  • Anthony Stone
  • Ben Truman [/olist] We will begin this tomorrow (8/21) and end on September 3rd, so keep an eye out! If you have any follow up questions about any of the devs, feel free to comment under each announcement, and we will answer them. Thanks, and we are excited to tell you all more about "the many faces" behind Black Mesa.


    [ 2020-08-21 02:15:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

  • Black Mesa Workshop Showcase Winners!

    Greetings, Scientists! Black Mesa has well over 1,000 workshop creations, with many of them being fantastic, it is tough to pick favorites. But recently we held a vote to decide on what the communitys overall most favored creations were! The winners of this vote are: 1. On a Rail - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=608116737&searchtext=On+a+rail 2. Particle Enhancement Project - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1945786736&searchtext=Particle+Enhancement+Projec 3. Azure Sheep Part One - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1905759382&searchtext=Azure+Sheep 4. Black Mesa Character Expansion - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2068862348&searchtext=Character+expansion 5. HD Pack Styled Sleeves - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=565475370&searchtext=hd+pack These are one of the many masterpieces created by fans, and we want to showcase them and others. These workshop submissions will be showcased by the developers during a live stream in the near future! Congratulations to the winners, and thank you everyone for participating!


    [ 2020-08-14 03:33:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

    On A Rail Livestream Special Featuring Chon Kemp

    Join in as Crowbar Collective's very own Chon Kemp aka DIGITAL SPORTS livestreams On a Rail! Chon will be streaming Half-Life's On a Rail and providing commentary on its design. He will also be streaming the Black Mesa version of On a Rail with his mod On a Rail Uncut installed and hosting giveaways in between games! Don't miss it this Sunday at 4 PM GMT only on our Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/crowbar_collective


    [ 2020-08-07 05:32:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Steam Workshop Showcase

    Greetings Scientists, There has been an amazing amount of fantastic workshop items for Black Mesa over the years, and we would like to showcase the best there is to offer! We will be showcasing the best-voted workshop items on Discord, Social Media, Steam, and possibly developer live streams! We would like the community to participate in this as well! Anyone can nominate their own or their favorite workshop items in the #workshop-nomination channel on the Discord server! After the nominations are all in we will create a vote for everyone to participate in and pick their favorites. To join the Discord server and participate follow this link: https://discord.gg/crowbarcollective


    [ 2020-07-25 19:19:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Multiplayer Public Beta Playtest

    The Black Mesa team will be doing a community play session on Thursday, July 2nd! Come face off against the Devs, and try out the new multiplayer beta! The goal is to play the game and have fun, but well be tracking any bugs or issues along the way. We will also be streaming the games on the Crowbar Collective Twitch channel. https://www.twitch.tv/crowbar_collective (Note: Our gameplay tests have been super smooth, but some UI issues have not been fixed yet like character select, and the MP disconnect bug).


    [ 2020-06-30 15:31:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Summer Sale 2020


    Happy Summer Sale! The game is 35% off for Steam Summer Sale 2020 (June 23rd - July 9th). We have a bunch of stuff going on, so lets get right into it! [previewyoutube=3N_r8WDyTYE;full][/previewyoutube]

    Public Beta


    We have pushed a build to public beta to test the changes we have made so far for the next update. We have fixed or improved a TON of things in the game, but here is a quick overview: -New art throughout earthbound to get the natural environment art more on par with Xen
    -Full clipping pass to the entirety of the game to prevent getting caught on random environmental obstacles and to allow more smooth navigation -Fixed weapons not playing animations correctly in multiplayer (pistol, shotgun, tau) -Improved combat encounters (including fixes to HECU shooting through walls and getting stuck) -Various improvements to environmental storytelling and scripted sequences -Lots of fixes to small visual bugs like floating props, missing faces, and holes in map
    The game should feel much smoother and more polished. How to opt into the public beta

    Purple Hat Live Stream


    Friday, June 26th at 6PM the Black Mesa project lead, Adam Engels, will be running through the game and attempting to get the The Rarest Specimen achievement. Well be giving away keys to multiple games, including Black Mesa, during the playthrough. Check out Crowbar Collectives Twitch channel for the scheduled stream times!

    Multiplayer Public Beta Playtest


    The team will be doing a community play session on Thursday, July 2nd at 3PM EST! The goal is to play the game and have fun, but well be tracking any bugs or issues along the way (Note: Our gameplay tests have been super smooth, but some UI issues have not been fixed yet like character select, and the MP disconnect bug).

    Black Mesa Game Box and HEV 3D Print


    Weve hosted the Black Mesa game box file so that anyone can download it and print one for themselves. Its a large print size, but we are interested in seeing mini versions of the big box :P We've also host the files for the 3D print of the HEV suit.
    Link to Box Print Link to HEV 3D Print

    One Point Five


    We have even more for the future 1.5 patch, including: -A big change to one chapter we are really excited about, but dont want to spoil yet -UI enhancements and improvements -Full controller support -Additional art improvements for chapters, including Interloper -Continued bug fixes and polish Well have more updates and reminders soon. If you wanna stay up to date with all things Half-Life, check out our social media links below. If you have technical issues, or just want to chat with the Black Mesa developers and our community, check out our official Discord!
    Thanks all! Stay safe and be good to each other. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/


    [ 2020-06-26 03:11:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Crowbar Collective is Hiring!


    Do you aspire to work on video games, or are you already in the video game industry? Crowbar Collective has some fantastic opportunities for those with an exceptional attitude and the skills to match it! We have put together a superb group of people throughout the years from all over the world, and now we are looking for more.

    We are currently hiring for the following positions:


    • Character Concept Artist: Contract - 3-6 Months
    • Character Artist: Contract/Part-Time - 3-6 Months
    • Environment Concept Artist: Contract
    • Texture Artist: Part-Time - 10/20 Hours Per Week
    • Source Programmer: Part-Time
    • Business Developer: Full Time
    To learn more and apply, go to our website by clicking here. If these positions do not fit you, please share it with those who might be a suitable candidate. Were interested in building a team, not just a game. Come work with us!


    [ 2020-05-19 08:15:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Helping With COVID-19


    Hope everyone is doing well during these tough times. Because we are a remote studio, work at Crowbar Collective is largely unchanged by the pandemic. Like everyone though, each of us has been personally affected by COVID-19. To help, Crowbar donated $2,000 to various charities to support people on the front lines and those in need. The company gave: $500 to Games Done Quick (who in turn raised over $400,000 for PPE!) $500 to the CNY Food Bank $500 to Meals on Wheels (North Syracuse) $500 to RIP Medical Debt We know this is a small step, and there is a lot more to be done, but we hope this will be just the first effort we can make to give back. If you find yourself in a position like us, consider donating or volunteering for the many great organizations in need! Small donations can add up to big changes. If nothing else good comes out of this crisis, hopefully we can all see we are one big community, and the good can easily outweigh the bad. Stay safe everyone, and wash... your... hands! Discord- https://discord.gg/sDdzKx


    [ 2020-05-01 20:55:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Tips for Playing Black Mesa


    Here are some tips and tricks for new and returning players to Black Mesa!

    Try lowering the difficulty


    Getting frustrated? Just lower the difficulty. No one worth listening to will judge you. We think Black Mesa is probably a bit harder than most games released today. You can always notch it back up if things get too easy. We want people to experience the whole game, not hit a difficulty spike and decide to move onto other things. We tried to address this as much as possible in the design of the game, but if you hit a wall, just go around it!

    Use your good weapons


    Dont be afraid to use your good weapons. We built the game to make sure you would have what you need to progress. Maybe dont go nuking headcrabs with your Gluon Gun, but dont be afraid to start with the big guns for the bigger fights.

    You can long jump in any direction


    The long-jump is not just for forward travel. You can jump in any direction. This is super important in fighting the bosses and gives you a great way to dodge all enemy attacks.

    You can reload the rocket launcher as soon as you fire in unguided mode


    No need to wait for the rocket to hit when you are in unguided mode. Just hit reload as soon as it is clear of the tube, and Gordon will load a new round!

    Power Slide


    We added a slide if you crouch while running. This is really handy for getting into tight spaces quickly, getting into cover, or lowering your profile as you emerge from cover.

    The Hive Hand


    The Hive Hand is often put aside as a useless weapon, but it is excellent for taking out headcrabs, barnacles, hoteyes, and breaking objects/objectives. Using it in smaller fights is a great way to save ammo.

    You can sprint any direction, and while holding onto objects


    A feature we added was the ability to sprint in any direction. This is super important in the later boss battles. You can also now hold onto objects and sprint, which makes life (and certain achievements) a lot easier.
    also,


    [ 2020-04-29 09:04:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Games Done Quick and Hotfix 1.1 Patch Notes


    Games Done Quick


    GDQ is running Corona Relief Done Quick to raise money to fight COVID-19 through the end of Sunday (UTC). https://gamesdonequick.com/ This is a great cause. Check it out on Twitch, and if you can, consider giving them a donation. Even small amounts can add up quick. We know a lot of people are having a hard time during this pandemic, so lets all pull together and help each other as much as possible.

    Hotfix 1.1


    We have tested a patch extensively on public beta and have switched it over to the mainline for everyone to use. This fix should not affect saves, but please let us know on the Steam forums or Discord if you have any issues. Patch Notes - Fixed a bug related to the engine not detecting controllers - Fixed HECU bullet spread distribution not changing based on difficulty - Decreased HECU reaction time - Balanced damage of frag grenades used by NPCs (higher damage radius) - Added an option in new UI to toggle classic iron sights ON/OFF - Fixed Xbow classic iron sights not rendering crosshair - Fixed a crash related to marionettist - ToGL/Linux: Changed/tweaked internal texture formats and video options to avoid visual issues on different dynamic lighting quality levels Hope everyone is doing well. Good luck and stay safe! Discord - https://discord.gg/qgBU3a


    [ 2020-04-19 02:39:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa 1.0 Patch Notes


    Hello, Science Team! Launch day is finally here, complete with a brand new trailer! We are making a big push to let everyone know that Black Mesa 1.0 is OUT! Please share this great news with your friends and followers on any social media platform.

    New Trailer


    [previewyoutube=YkBrNGeFwoU;full][/previewyoutube]

    1.0 Patch Notes!


    We have been working exceedingly hard to bring you Black Mesa. Since the full release of Xen (0.9) we have done a complete overhaul pass on the combat design and guidance for all the earthbound levels, redesigned the HECU marine AI, upgraded the Vortigaunts AI, and built a new, modern user interface. At launch, well be right here to fix bugs and add quality of life improvements. After that, we will be taking a break before starting up on any big updates. So, without further delay, here is a detailed change list for Black Mesa 1.0!

    Overhaul



    Game-Wide


    Our time in Early Access gave us lots of opportunities to beta test new content and talk with our community. We took what we learned during the development of Xen, and applied it to the Earthbound Chapters. - Improvements to every major combat arena in the game - Redesigned puzzles for clarity and intention - Enhance environments to highlight objectives

    Art


    We took a number of sections throughout the game and updated them visually to help the game feel more cohesive. We also made better use of the dynamic lights that we created for Xen.



    Artificial Intelligence


    HECU



    -Better utilize cover and movement in general -Put suppressing fire on players last known location and where they expect you to be -Use grenades more strategically and more often -New environmental analysis lets them track, flank, and move in for the kill -Use weapons and abilities depending on their class -Occasionally use RPGs (grenadiers) -Use under barrel MP5 grenade launcher (commanders) -Drop med kits properly (medics) -Marines wearing a gas-mask will now use alternate, radio-filtered, deepened voice lines, which sound much more like the original HECU! -Use more voice lines and communication

    Vortigaunts



    The Vorts got an upgrade too, with features from their Interloper counterparts and new features to make them more fun to fight! -Dodge on spawn or dodge when player aims at Vort -Better navigate to the player -Use close-range charge attack (Dispel) -Use dynamic lights when attaching -Vorts AI now behave differently depending on how brave or scared they are feeling, which is based on damage taken / done to the enemy.

    Balance


    -Slightly nerfed assassins to have lower health and accuracy -Nerfed Abrams 50 cal damage to make it less murderous -Buffed Apache 30mm damage slightly

    Code Fixes


    -Optimized sun shadows -Optimized dynamic lights -Fixed bug with popping sun shadows -Removed view punch from smaller caliber weapons -Fixed trip mine hitbox -Added dynamic lights to portal effects -Fixed NPC teeth being black or bright colors -Made sure all tripod and ceiling turrets use tracers -Fixed gravity in Earthbound -Fixed HECU calling wrong SMG animation -All new, modern user interface -Expanded options with descriptions and performance cost
    -Fixed HEV chargers giving you 76 charge instead of 75 -Fixed slide sound effect playing each time the player crouched -Changed tank machine gun accuracy for better game play

    Workshop Mods Warning


    Lots of mods have not been updated to work with the new version of the game. Until they are updated, they may (and probably will) cause all kinds of strange and seemingly unrelated bugs. If you want the best Black Mesa experience, make sure that you do not have any mods installed. If you have had mods in the past, it may be worth uninstalling the game, deleting all local files in Black Mesa, then reinstalling the game.

    Level Design


    General


    -The entire game has been subject to a huge number of bug fixes and improvements throughout. The following notes wont mention every single fix, but will detail the most important ones! We scoured the community for things to fix. -Removed all old dynamic lightstyle VRAD lights and replaced them with new gbuffer dynamic lights. These will look better and perform better. -Full dynamic light pass across the whole game. Lighting should be much moodier and dynamic throughout. -Updated lightmap scales across many chapters, so baked lights will be more defined and have nicer shadows. This will result in generally nicer looking lighting. -Implemented CSM volumes across every outdoor map, which should substantially improve performance at no visual cost

    Black Mesa Inbound


    -Updated title card to take up more of the screen -Fixed various dynamic light errors -Totally re-arted outdoor/cave sections -Fixed tram not casting sun shadows

    Anomalous Materials


    -Updated lighting for HEV suit holder room -Updated down lights to have crisp shadows -Went through light maps and increased resolution (now that we are no longer using light styles) -Updated Vortigaunt Xen scene with newer environment visuals -Removed light style lights and replaced them with new dynamic lights

    Unforeseen Consequences


    -Fixed headcrabs on platform elevator from spinning around 180 degrees as they landed -Fixed various console errors that may have been affecting performance -Fixed houndeyes spawning in and facing wall away from player -Updated coolant/valve puzzle to better teach core valve mechanics and for better player guidance in general -Improved design of AM machine control room to force the player into the space -Improved player guidance throughout the chapter and added player drop downs and closed doors to prevent confusing backtracking, or breaking danger sequences -Improved box jumping puzzle -Improved lighting for the Lamarr jar -Changed ladder skins to red to help them stand out from similarly colored walls -Improved sewer water section to show the player the ladder exit before they find the valve to raise the water level, allowing you to know where your end objective is before activating the flood -Improved platforming/jumping on the crane boxes section -Improved Crowbar pickup by highlighting it with door movement -Added rewards for exploration -Added guidance light to first retinal scanner to help new players

    Office Complex


    -Fixed bad autosaves throughout -Added cover to first ceiling turret section -Added new dynamic lights to elevator -Added clip ramped steps for better player and NPC navigation -Added more dramatic lighting for the help my buddy scene where you can first get the shotgun. In addition -...moved the Shotgun back to its rightful place with the Guard in this chapter! -Updated map C freezer puzzle, to better illustrate cause / effect and utilize the entire space -Improved all shortcut doors given consistent signposting (use wooden boards) -Improved changed ladder skins to red to help them stand out from similarly colored walls -Removed end valve/fire hazard, to streamline the end of the chapter.

    Weve Got Hostiles


    -Fixed consistent crash that occurred when using closed captions at lower resolutions -The HECU overhaul really shines in this chapter! -Re-timed music start cue and added an explosion before it so it transitions in less abruptly -Replaced dynamic lights and shadows in the transitioning elevator between map B and C

    Blast Pit


    -Fixed janky dying scientist so he doesnt just pop when he dies -Substantial improvements to Tentacle AI -Added art to map E to make it feel more like youre heading down the shaft where a giant tentacle monster just lived. -Moved the first .357 here, to match HL1! -Added xog volumes to areas with radiation liquid

    Power Up


    -Multiple fixes to the Gargantua to make him behave better throughout -Added xog volumes to bottom of water section in map B

    On A Rail


    -Removed redundant console in Map A opening puzzle to streamline progression -Added alternate route in Map B office fight vs 50 cal, to allow flanking. Also changed approach path to provide more cover to the player. -Fixed bug in map B where battery light would show through the world -Overhauled launch pad fight in Map C so that the player must use the entire space and a variety of different angles and tactics.

    Apprehension


    -Overhauled opening barrel puzzle for map A to remove redundancy, better signpost the various stages of the puzzle, and encourage more exploration of the initial arena. -Overhauled lighting around the shark cage to better signpost objective. -Mood lighting across the entire chapter to enhance the ambiance and also better direct the player in multiple places. -Removed soft lock where players could put barrels in the crushers and lock progression.

    Residue Processing


    -Reworked navigation around the trash compactor to stall the player a bit more (gives the doors more time to open so theres less of an awkward pause), and better direct the player. -Entirely re-arted Map A opening section. -Significant streamlining across the entire chapter to reduce length of backtracking and make the path clearer and easier to discern for players. -Substantially improved performance throughout the chapter

    Questionable Ethics


    -Improved signposting in the lobby fight to make the origins of each wave clearer to players

    Surface Tension


    -Several major performance fixes and optimization tweaks throughout the chapter. -Completely redesigned and re-arted Map A (dam map). Every combat encounter on the map was redesigned and the Apache fight was improved. -Added structure to the end of map B to help guide the player better and highlight the exit -Replaced all old HL2 rock models with new, beautiful models -Foliage pass in many places across the chapter -Moved around some cover and rocks in map C to help the player -Fixed the Apache fight in map C to use proper health values and move between phases -Implemented cinematic physics rocks at the end of the Apache fight in map C -Reduced difficulty in the whack a Gordon section (removed some I/O logic that makes it so the Marines always know where you are) and improved player guidance -Fixed bug in the whack a Gordon section where the tank would blow up a wall randomly for no reason, even after it had died -Art pass on transition from map D map E. -Added a system to eject high velocity gibs when you kill the snipers -Art pass on map Es trip mine warehouse. Now with 200% more explosives! -Reworked map Fs intro sequence so its more like you are coming into the middle of a conflict, rather than some Alien Grunts randomly standing around waiting to die -Lighting / guidance improvements in map Fs bombed out building -Door to the bathroom in map H will now close behind you so you cant escape the Snark sequence just by backtracking

    Forget About Freeman


    -Redesigned map B big finale fight. Now features considerably more aerial action and a big bang for an opener! -Re-arted the snarks devouring HECU scene to better reflect the prominence of the alien infestation throughout. -Redesigned map B underground garage fight to more prominently highlight the aliens vs HECU aspect.

    Lambda Core


    -Substantially improved player signposting and direction across the 3 hub-like maps (C, D and E). -Several guidance and path improvements to map C, particularly the main path by the huge turbine, to let player flow through easier. -Significant optimizations across all Maps C, D, E, F and G. Performance should be drastically improved for all users. -Several lighting improvements between maps D (orange map) and E (blue map), to better visually differentiate them and reduce player confusion. -Simplified several paths around Map D and E to make navigating to your destination easier, and also massively simplify backtracking to map C. -Multiple new dynamic lights across maps D and E to help guide the player better. -Improved signposting on the Map G teleporter puzzle to make it feel less like trial-and-error. Burns now appear around each teleporter youve gone through, so you know which ones youve tried. The right answer teleporters gain a new sparkly particle effect once youve used them a first time, so its easier to remember. -Overhauled Map I finale sequence before the teleport to Xen. You now no longer take falling damage (as previously intended), the combat is now centered entirely around controllers, and the core navigation of the arena has been rebuilt to facilitate better flow around the arena and serve as a light bit of long jump training.

    Xen


    -Added missing collisions to many props

    Gonarch


    -Fixed crash when you shoot Gonarchs mortars (again) -Fixed some logic in map B where the Gonarch could randomly be missing during the crystal cave sequence -Fixed bug in map C where Gonarch wouldnt show up for the final chase -Added missing collisions to many props -Re-balanced Gonarch AI for all the difficulty modes

    Interloper


    -Fixed bounce pads during chase in Map A1 to always put the player where theyre meant to go -Fixed map D glass at the end of the elevator section sometimes not shattering -Fixed transition bug at the end of map D so players will always transition at the end -Fixed sucky vent in map D1 to fix a rare case where players could fall through it out of the world -Added another layer of lasers to the bottom of D1 to prevent rare bug where players could fall out of the world

    Nihilanth


    -This was already perfect so we did not need to fix even a single thing on this ;)

    Endgame


    -Fixed tram door occasionally going missing for some players Thanks. Hope everyone enjoys Black Mesa!
    Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2020-03-06 17:21:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa 1.0 Beta 3

    Hello again, fellow scientists! I bet you werent expecting to hear from us again so soon! Weve just pushed another update to the game based on feedback from yesterdays beta. As with the previous beta, you can find the latest update on the public beta branch. We found an issue with the updates deployment which meant that certain maps werent updated when they should've been. This led to some bizarre issues (which were not present on our internal build) with rainbow/pitch black cliffs in Surface Tension map A, or Gonarch C being unbeatable. Those issues should be resolved now. We have also deployed a few major UI and AI improvements. As always, please let us know what you think! As with the previous beta, we are mostly on the look-out for game-breaking issues. Here is a small changelog specific to just this new beta only. When 1.0 goes live on March 5th, we will post the full changelog for all of 1.0!

    UI


    • Fixed bindings layout.
    • Fixed layout for new Video Options tooltips.
    • Fixed missing translations.
    • Fixed Engine crash with New UI on exiting the game.
    • Fixed sensitivity bug with the Invert Mouse Look" option.
    • Fixed manual saves limit bug.

    HECU


    • Removed old Combine code responsible for spontaneous rushing and other quirks.
    • Rushing now occurs less and is more dependent on distance. The HECU will tend to rush less now if theyre further away from you.
    • Fixed infinite looping of melee schedule. Now rather than standing there hitting you repeatedly, there is a 50% chance of retreating after each attack.
    • Added a new Cat and Mouse behavior which is used while in cover or holding assault points. This is much closer to how HL1s Marines behaved and is more engaging to fight. If you attempt to approach their cover point, the HECU will now try to suppress you with "extreme force," while still remaining in cover. They will then immediately try to hide again after being exposed.
    • Fixed the LOS checks performed before firing. Now they are much less likely to accidentally shoot each other in hectic scenarios, as they will take into account their weapon LOS before each shot, rather than before bursts.
    • Fixed Grenadier with RPG running around for a while instead of focusing on firing. Now he should fire as soon as he finds an adequate position, with no delay.
    • Fixed rocket spawn position for Grenadier with RPG. It no longer shoots from just below his head anymore.
    • Increased suppression point query radius. This causes HECU suppression behavior (where they fire at your position when they can't see you) to occur more often and have a chance of covering a bigger area.


    [ 2020-03-02 18:41:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa 1.0 Beta 2

    Hello again, Black Mesa friends! We have pushed another build to public beta on Steam. This is the second revision to the 1.0 update, which will take us out of Early Access on March 5th! If you are interested in helping us test, we would greatly appreciate it. You can find instructions on how to opt into the beta here. https://steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/1711867920418803575

    Whats in this Beta


    Since the last beta, we have tackled any important issues that were raised by the community, along with eliminating the previously known issues list. Moving forward, we are most importantly looking for any major game-breakers or issues with the UI. We also believe that all the achievements should now be fully working for everybody. Those of you who struggled to earn some achievements in the previous beta, please attempt to do so again. If you experience any further issues with them, let us know!

    Known Issues


    At this point, we have addressed most of the issues (if not all of them) with the game that we intend on fixing for 1.0. The goal of this beta is mostly to check that the game is fully functional and ready for the final release, start to finish. Please let us know if you run into anything major.

    Thank You!


    Most importantly, a big thank you to everyone who helped us test this beta, and all the betas thus far. Your feedback was invaluable and we have absolutely loved pouring through your notes and thoughts! The previously mentioned MASSIVE 1.0 changelog will be shared with you all once we have set 1.0 to the main branch on Steam, so those of you who would love to devour every little detail will be able to do so.

    PAX East


    Finally, we are currently at PAX East! In case you didnt see our last update on this, please check it out here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/1716372156954041181 If youre at the convention, please stop by Booth 24081 and check us out, have a chat, and play our demo! Were having an absolute blast so far!
    Thank you, and have a very safe and productive day. See you all for the 1.0 RELEASE on March 5th!


    [ 2020-03-01 18:22:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Fear Not The Long Road


    In March 2006, two of my college classmates got onto the Black Mesa mod team. I applied as an artist, and they more or less vouched for me. The team hired me without even completing an art test. From there I became the art lead, a partner in the new Crowbar Collective LLC, project lead, and eventually owner of the company. As I write this, I am realizing that we plan to FINISH Black Mesa exactly 14 years to the month from when I first joined the team. 14 years working on a single project, with a dedicated team, that had a vision, and saw it through. There are probably a fair number of people who if you asked them Do you want to own a video game company?, would say Yes! Absolutely. Whatever it takes!, but it is easy to commit to something when it is guaranteed. If instead in 2006 someone said to me This will be difficult. You will consider quitting multiple times, and it is going to take you at least 14 years to complete. I am not sure I would have signed up for that. Who would have blamed me if I didnt? For the majority of its development, Black Mesa was a volunteer project. Even after we got the green light to sell the game, we still did not make any money until late June of 2015. I have heard you should never work for free, and I really couldnt disagree with that more. I did multiple free side projects in college that either eventually paid off, or got me connections I otherwise would not have had. I learned communication and leadership skills in my volunteer fire department. I got my first game industry job because of my free work on Black Mesa, and then after a round of layoffs, my job BECAME Black Mesa. The thing that was supposed to be a portfolio piece to launch my career, became my career, and I would not have been in that position if I didnt commit to the work as a volunteer. The key to doing work for free is it has to be important to you AND it has to be important to other people. For Black Mesa, the quality of the source material, and the excitement of the community when we would post even the smallest amount of media is what kept us going. The fact is, all roads are long roads. If you fear that, youll shy away from choosing the one that excites you most, and has the biggest reward. Not everyone is going to have reliable friends to pull them onto projects, not everyone is going to have the opportunity to own a video game company, but if there is something you want to accomplish theres nothing left to do, but to do it. You can not win the game if you dont play. Through luck, hard work, and maybe a bit of ignorance we didnt shy away from our goal of bringing this game to completion. We are proud of what we built. We think this upcoming 1.0 release is the best, most polished, and most fun version of the game yet. The anticipation and excitement around our project is beyond flattering. Black Mesa is a video game, it is our video game, and it has its strengths, and its flaws. As Leonardo da Vinci said, Art is never finished, only abandoned and while we plan to fully support this game after 1.0 with bug fixes and more, it will never be a perfect game. This is not to downplay, or make excuses, but as the person who drafts most of these media posts, I think it is important to break away from the marketing and the hype. Before Astroneer launched, they made a blog post about managing expectations for their game, and it really resonated with me, and inspired me to someday write a post like this one. We are super excited to have Black Mesa be complete, but acknowledge it is not perfect and wont ever be perfect. I hope that everyone has something that inspires them as much as Half-Life inspired us. I hope that everyone embraces the setbacks and challenges that come, and I hope no one fears the long road in front of them. Black Mesa 1.0 will launch Thursday March 5th on Steam. Thank you, -Adam Engels -The Black Mesa team https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/


    [ 2020-02-25 02:57:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Crowbar Collective at PAX East!


    Crowbar Collective and Black Mesa will be at PAX East this year in Boston, MA, booth 24081, located on the map below (and be sure to check out the super handy app):
    The expo will be from February 27th to March 1st and there are still some passes available. Come say "hi" to some of the team, check out the game, take a picture in the HEV suit, and get some free stickers (if we have any left)!
    This is our first big convention, and we are excited to see everyone, and experience PAX for ourselves. We plan to have more information for everyone about the game in the next few days. Hope to see you there! Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2020-02-22 03:58:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Beta for 1.0

    Hello Black Mesa friends, We have pushed a build to public-beta on Steam. This is our candidate for our release out of Early Access! If you are interested in helping us test, we would greatly appreciate it. You can find instructions on how to opt into the beta here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/1724246478625804044

    What We Are Looking For


    Most importantly, game breakers. We obviously want the 1.0 experience to be as smooth and enjoyable as possible, so if you find any crashes or progression blockers, please let us know so we can fix it. The game has been very stable during our internal testing, but we need to test on a wider set of players and machines. We are also looking for difficulty spikes. Throughout all of earthbound we rebuilt combat spaces and upgraded the AI of the HECU and Vortigaunts. We think this dramatically improves the combat in the game. Let us know what you think, and let us know if there is a section that feels too hard. In addition to redesigning the combat spaces, we took time to make sure the player path is as clear as possible. Let us know if you find any part of the game unclear. We still have some sections of the game that make you stop and think, but we made a huge effort to keep the players momentum up throughout the game. Lastly, we need help testing the achievements. We now have 50 total achievements, so if you have trouble completing one, let us know on the Steam forums or Discord.

    Known Issues


    As youd expect with any 1.0 release, we worked to have the most stable and complete game possible. We think the main game is solid, but we do have another patch on the way to fix what is found in the beta, and to finish off the new game user interface. Here are some quick notes on what you might find broken in the game: User Interface -The new UI cant launch MP listen servers -Workshop section of new UI is not working -The Xen maps do not display the correct chapter title for save files -The godray setting will not save in the settings menu -The new UI occasionally flickers -Manual saves show a screenshot of the UI, not the game -The developer console needs some polish -Searching for games online takes too long -Other misc UI errors If you need to use the old UI for any reason, launch the game with -oldgameui. Besides that, we dont expect much wrong with the game. As always, we want to hear about everything you find, but we will be focusing on the issues listed in the section above for 1.0. We will be back soon with a MASSIVE change list that details the entirety of the 1.0 update! Thank you, and have a very safe and productive day.
    Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2020-02-12 21:26:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa 1.0 Preview


    Happy Lunar New Year from the Black Mesa team! We wanted to let everyone know we are close to having a release candidate for Black Mesa 1.0! We also wanted to give an update on what is going to be included in the full release, what our road map looks like going forward, and to mention we are 20% off for the Lunar Sale. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/

    Beta for 1.0


    As soon as it is ready, we will push the build to public beta like we have in the past. After lots of internal and external testing, we will patch the build as needed, and finally, FINALLY (FINALLY!!!) release Black Mesa out of Early Access! This is a huge deal for us. The team has put in a ton of effort to improve the game in ways big and small.

    1.0 Preview


    The biggest change we have made is a complete overhaul of the HECU AI. Soldiers will now lay down suppressing fire, flank your position, communicate more, throw grenades more effectively, use their MP5 grenade launchers, and more. We have also evaluated and changed a number of the combat spaces to better utilize the AI and to reflect what we have learned since we first built Earthbound. It has been a lot of fun redesigning areas of the game to work better, and to use creativity through constraint to make the most of our levels without completely rebuilding them. The team watched a number of playthroughs and identified sections in the game where the pace came to a grinding halt. We redesigned or fixed these sections so that players can keep up their momentum. In addition to the design, we evaluated the art as well. We took what we learned in Xen and updated A FEW sections of Earthbound to better match Xen and current graphics standards.

    We will fully support the game after our launch, and plan to expand upon this process to give the whole game an upgrade while keeping the performance the same.

    Road Map


    1.0


    As mentioned above, we are close to a release candidate for Black Mesa 1.0. We will test the whole game internally, push the build to public-beta for even more testing, patch the build if necessary, then release the game in full.

    1.5


    We jokingly call this Black Mesa: Definitive Edition, but dont worry, it will not be any type of re-release or paid content. After 1.0 we will take a few months to go through the game, identify rough spots, and polish the art on Earth and Xen. Wed also like to continue to improve the workshop and organize team and community events to document as much as we can about the Source engine and how to best use it. We dont have a scope for these events yet, but after years of loving/hating/fixing/breaking the Source engine, we would love to help others get information and solve problems.

    Thanks Again


    We like to sign off these updates by thanking the community, but know they are not canned lines or something we tack on to look grateful. We are really proud to have been able to finish this game, and it would not have been possible without our patient and helpful community. I dont think it has fully set in that we are almost done with Black Mesa. We REALLY look forward to some low-pressure fun updates for this game, as well as starting in on new projects. Thank you for the support, thank you for the constructive criticism, and thank you for all the time spent in our game. We will be back soon with release notes and a beta! -The Black Mesa Team Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2020-01-26 07:12:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen Released - Happy Holiday Sale!


    Happy Holidays! Did you remember to get your Steam tokens and cards today? Xen is OUT, Black Mesa is on sale for 20% off, lots of other great games are discounted, and I am sure everyone has caught up on their gaming backlog in anticipation of the Steam Holiday event, right? Yeah, neither have we...

    Xen is OUT!


    We have pushed a major patch to the Xen levels and released the full game on Steam mainline. This means you can play a polished and tested version of all Black Mesa without having to switch into public-beta. If you have been holding out for Xen, this is what you have been waiting for! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ With this update, we not only bring the beta over to mainline, but also implement feedback to refine the difficulty, increase player guidance, fix bugs, as well as increase performance throughout the Interloper chapter. See the detailed change list below. The game is still in Early Access (EA), so that we can get even more data and bug reports from a wider set of players and machines. We will be watching people play the game and listening to how we can further improve the game for the next big update to take us out of Early Access. In addition to polishing the levels, we want to look at the game as a whole before switching out of Early Access. Note: It is extremely likely that workshop mods will currently break the game in strange and unexpected ways. During the beta we noticed odd issues caused by seemingly unrelated mods, such as players long jump modules not jumping them far enough. If you are experiencing strange issues with your game, try unsubscribing from all your workshop mods. This may resolve some issues. In the future this will hopefully be less of a problem, as workshop modders update their mods to work properly with the latest version of our engine/game.

    Road Map


    With the Xen levels complete, we have got a lot of questions about what is next for Mesa. Here are our current plans. Keep in mind these are our plans; they can change based on new priorities and new data.

    0.91 and Achievements


    There may be more bugs found as the game gets played by a wider audience. We will fix any major bugs as they come up, and also implement any small quality of life changes for the levels. We have a new set of achievements that are ready to be implemented for the Xen levels. We would like to release both of these as soon as possible, but if no major issues are found right away, we may roll these fixes and achievements into the 1.0 release.

    1.0 Release


    We will do a thorough review of the games systems and levels to work out any bugs and broken bits for our release out of EA. This includes:
    • A Multiplayer Pass. There will not be any features added to MP for 1.0, but we do need to make sure all the current features are working and work well.
    • An AI Pass. The alien AI between Earthbound and Xen is completely different. We want to evaluate if it can be ported back into Earth without breaking the gameplay balance. We also want to look at the HECU Marines and make sure they are using all their features, and see about reining in some bad behaviour.
    • Workshop Pass. We would love to utilize the workshop for our own experiments and to see what the community can do with our assets and tools. The first step in this will be making sure all the workshop systems are working properly and improve usability.
    • Bug fixes and refinements to the entirety of the game. With Xen, Gordons adventure clocks in around 15 hours. We want to make sure there are no major sticking points, and that everyone has the best Black Mesa experience they possibly can.

    Earthbound Update


    After the game leaves EA, we would like to go through and touch up Earthbound to make sure we are using all our new graphical features, improve gameplay, and try and make the whole game feel cohesive. We jokingly call this the Black Mesa: Definitive Edition but the scope will be fairly small. We want to add a couple of gameplay improvements based on what we have learned over the years, and add a couple of visual improvements now that we have a lot more experience making natural structures using Wallworm. A major goal of this update would be to add these changes without drastically affecting performance.

    0.9 Change Log


    We took in A LOT of feedback from the last beta, and worked hard to get some major improvements to performance in Interloper and other chapters. Here is a comprehensive list of what we have changed and improved in this update. Thanks as always! The betas have been more valuable they we ever thought possible!

    Build Changes


    • Fix for static / screeching sounds - rebuilt the soundcache. Please let us know if this does not resolve issues with static / screeching sounds for you. We think this fix should resolve the issues for everyone but we need reports to know for sure.
    • Fixed Interloper / Nihilanth / Endgame not unlocking correctly.
    • Fixed missing song in On a Rail. This was a bug and not an intentional choice!
    • Fix for the Rare Specimen achievement not triggering in Lambda Core.
    • Fixed some Vort sounds. They were not being properly positioned by the engine, so now will play correct positional sound.
    • Optimized sound code for Controller energy ball attack. Helps with performance, especially when lots of Controllers are attacking you.
    • Fixed "Always Run" (again!)
    • The player will no longer drop items if they are holding them and walk onto a bouncepad. This helps with the purple hat!
    • Fixed incorrectly written / formatted names in Credits. Tidied up some elements of the credits in general.
    • Fixed Sound Effect and Music volume sliders. You can now turn down or up sound effects and music independently. Also added a Master Volume slider that controls overall volume.
    • Last, I am the last...

    Gonarchs Lair


    • Fixed map B mortar related crash. Also fixed crash related to shooting the gonarch mortar in mid air.
    • Reduced Gonarchs health in the final battle. Health reduced from 3300 3000, meaning it now requires 3 less rockets to kill him.
    • Fixed basalt columns in the final fight. There was a bug where the basalt columns in the Gonarch final fight would either deal far too much damage or even one-shot the player.
    • Updated Gonarch death sequence for higher impact.
    • Re-balanced Gonarch final fight on hard difficulty.
    • Fixed incorrect web texture in map C chase. There was a breakable web texture on an unbreakable web which was causing a lot of players to die during the map C chase, because they thought they could go down a route which they actually couldnt.
    • Various visual and lighting improvements throughout the chapter.
    • Soundscape improvements throughout the chapter for better blending.
    • Fixed RPG colliding with acid mortar fire in Gonarchs Lair final fight.

    Interloper


    • General optimisations throughout all Interloper maps. This should improve general performance for everyone.
    • Optimized dynamic light settings throughout all Interloper maps. This should improve performance, particularly on lower end systems. In some places this has improved performance quite a lot.
    • Fixed the no free edicts crash in map D.
    • Split maps C and D for significant performance gains (10 - 20 fps) on CPU bottlenecked systems. No extra content has been added. Map names used to be Interloper C, C1 and Interloper D. Maps are now Interloper C, C1, C2 and Interloper D, D1.
    • Fixed map A crash.
    • Lighting, player guidance, and pathing improvements across all Interloper maps.
    • Significantly re-balanced elevator fight throughout map D. The fight now starts much slower/easier and ramps up throughout. Controller spawns are much more spaced out, and the dynamic cover system on the elevator has been significantly tweaked to provide much more cover for the player, and variance in where the player is covered from. You now only face a full-on 360 assault of controllers during the final pull-down sequence. Otherwise youll always have cover.
    • Fixed Controller telekinesis explosive barrels sometimes one-shotting or dealing massive damage to players, and significantly reduced their damage. Changed these barrels from 120 explosive damage + uncapped impact damage (physics) to 45 explosive damage with no impact damage.
    • Many visual and lighting improvements throughout map D.
    • Reduced panel health in elevator fight in map D. All panels should be a bit easier to break now, reducing the amount of time you spend at the final stop.
    • Removed cover barriers in the middle of elevator in map D. This makes it easier to path freely around the elevator without getting stuck now.
    • Fixed many spots in map D elevator fight where you could get crushed against walls, killing you for no reason. A lot of players died to this, as there were multiple causes. We have resolved most of these now.
    • Fixed a bug in map D elevator fight where some Controllers could use electrocluster attack. They were not meant to, and this made the fight harder than it was supposed to be, as the electrocluster attack significantly limits your movement.
    • Reduced panel playertouch damage in map D elevator fight. Previously, if one of the spinning panels touched the player, it would break and deal 20 damage. This has now been reduced to 10 damage. This makes the spinny panels more forgiving if you fall into them.
    • Added sirens to closed ceiling doors in map D elevator fight. This should help make players more aware that getting crushed against the ceiling is potentially imminent.
    • Fixed elevator visibly clipping through surrounding geometry.
    • Fixed player clipping in/out of massive healing pool in map D1. It was very hard to climb in/out of the pool, it is now buttery smooth. And there is also now a mega HEV crystal in the middle. This replaces an old (and redundant) healing shower slightly earlier in the level.
    • Fixed some floating props in map D1.
    • Made the parkour pistons alternate in map D1. This makes it a bit easier to climb up if you missed one upward timing.
    • Adjusted island positioning on tower top sequence in map D1. This makes it take a little bit longer to get to the tower top from the starting island (giving the sequence a bit more length and pacing), and is also easier to jump around than before.
    • Many visual improvements and tweaks to the tower top sequence in map D1.
    • Split map C1 (conveyor sprint) song. The song is now in 3 parts, so players cannot end up doing the 2nd half of the conveyor sprint with no music playing.
    • Made the map C forcefield hearts glow. We had a bug where these did not glow, so were not attracting player attention as much as they should. This will make them easier to see and understand now.
    • Made map C ledge drop down before machine 3 more clear. We noticed a lot of people got confused here so we removed the top platform.
    • Reduced length of Vort Village intro sequence. Removed an unnecessary wave animation that one of the Vorts does in the introductory sequence, to reduce the amount of time the player has to stand around watching them.
    • Fixed many map skips across the entire chapter. Its a bit harder now to break maps by totally skipping certain sections or doing some clever jumping.
    • Removed a few illogical healing showers in certain parts of the maps.
    • Fixed broken hologram screens on map B.
    • Fixed lots of pod pile ups across map C. This can also help performance by preventing pods from building up (they are performance hungry).
    • In map B, Vorts will now fear you and run away if you attack them unprovoked.
    • Potentially fixed gibs floating above water in map B2.
    • Fixed B1 first control room controllers that did not attack the player.

    Nihilanth


    • Fixed Nihilanth voice lines. There was a bug where in Phase 1 he would only use his lines where he tells the player to die.
    • Fixed Nihilanth shield panels (phase 2) not breaking in 1 RPG hit.
    • Fixed Nihilanth song. Increased its volume and stopped it from pausing mid-song.
    • Fixed collision of healing crystals not recessing into ground when crystals do.
    • Nihilanth now has 50% damage resistance in phase 3 scripted intro, so that players cannot cut his health down too far and shorten Phase 3.
    • Disabled the radioactive trigger_hurt when the player gets pulled into Nihilanth at the end of the fight. This fixes a rare bug where players can die after killing Nihilanth.
    • Sped up the final teleport out at the end of the Nihilanth fight. Should make it less likely that players will clip into Nihilanth.
    • Increased effectiveness of Gluon against spinning panels for shield pylon. The Gluon was too ineffective against the shield pylon panels, which didnt play well considering we taught the player to use the Gluon against these in Interloper. The Gluon now does 1.5x damage against the panels.
    • Buffed Nihilanth mortar attack. Damage is the same, but falloff is reduced significantly, so the player will feel the effect of higher damage if they are stood on the edge of the attack.
    • Buffed Nihilanth energy balls attack. From 8 damage at all phases to 12 damage in phase 1 / phase 2, and 20 damage in phase 3.
    • Buffed Nihilanth telekinesis attack. Doubled speed at which he throws his projectiles at you.
    • Re-balanced Nihilanth fight on hard difficulty. The fight should provide much more of a challenge now on hard difficulty.
    • Fixed glitched clavicle on Nihilanth death animation.

    Endgame


    • Fixed being able to fall out of the tram.
    • Fixed a bug where the player could move around inside the invisible room and cause issues during the good ending.
    • Added teeth shader to gbuffer. This fixes the issue where G-Mans teeth were rendering in black.

    Known Issues


    • Minor exploits and collision bugs. The community has done a great job finding exploits and collision issues. We will be fixing these with the next major update.
    • Glowing pink and green props. Some PCs have a small number glowing props. We hope to have this corrected with a hotfix (requires map recompiles).
    • Saving holding items is broken. If you save while holding a physics object, when you load that save the object will float in air. We also hope to address this in a hotfix soon.
    • Multi colored NPC teeth. The fix above for the teeth being completely black, may cause them to be rainbow colored on some machines. We will investigate.
    Hope you enjoy! -Crowbar Collective Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2019-12-24 02:29:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Complete Beta


    From Start to Finish


    The whole of Black Mesa, from beginning to end, is available on public-beta. Check out the known issues below, and give it a go! We are so pumped to have this out. We appreciate the feedback from the community; as we said before, it has proved invaluable.

    How to Opt Into the Beta


    -Select Black Mesa in your library -Right click and go to properties
    -Select the BETAS tab at the top right -Click the drop down and select public-beta

    Beta Release Notes


    -Added Interloper C, Interloper C1, Interloper D, Nihilath boss battle, Endgame -Changed grenade aim point to be center screen for easier aiming -Fixed sprint animation playing while swimming -Fixed shotgun misfire after reloading -Fixed RPG unguided mode in Earth levels -Fixed having to press shift after each level load with Always Run enabled -Tons of small changes and fixes to the Xen chapter -Fixed Nihilanth intro model -Fixed most area portals rendering black -Fixed leaf sounds, and ability of certain objects to fall through them -Fixed cave long jump in Xen B to be more forgiving -Fixed houndeye path kill brush in Xen B1 -Key lit bullsquids on bullsquid path -Minor improvements to art and guidance at end of Xen B1 -Fixed missing sun lens flare in Xen C -Fixed missing sun lens flare in Xen C1 -Fixed players being able to skip puzzle in Xen C1 -Fixed third plug puzzle so that short cord can not be used in long cords place -Tons of small changes and fixes to the Gonarchs Lair chapter -Fixed some lids not blowing off in Gonarch A -Fixed crashes when player jumps on physics objects (like the rock columns in Gonarch) -Fixed hard transition from Gonarch A to Gonarch B -Improved player guidance -Added red lights to all fumers to better highlight them -Added gate on second ledge before crystal cave so that player can not back track, and soft lock the game -Increased frame rate in crystal cave -Improved fire trap -Put explosive barrels next to each crystal in water cave to better explain gameplay element -Removed fire from Gonarch final fight -Lowered Gonarch green fire damage and screen shake -Tons of small changes and fixes to the already released Interloper maps -Remove first tentacle that could easily block player path -Fixed model darkening at start of Interloper A -Improved player guidance -Removed phys objects that were on player path -Small art fixes -Made long jump path clearer and easier at end of Interloper A -FIXED CRASH IN INTERLOPER A! -Better key lighting for player path in Interloper A1 -Fixed most of the water seams in Interloper A1 -Minor art and bug fixes in Interloper B -Better player guidance in Interloper B -Fixed players skipping mechanic intro and breaking area portals at start of Interloper B1 -Improved player guidance in Interloper B1 -Minor art and collision fixes to B2 -Interloper B2 no longer fades to black at the end of the level ;)

    Known Issues


    Overall Difficulty. We suspect some parts might be too hard or too easy. Well be watching play throughs and taking feedback to find these issues and fix them. Performance. We have improved performance across the game, and targeted specific areas to increase the frame rate on all machines. Even with these fixes, there are still some areas we want to improve. For now, don't be afraid to lower your settings if you are getting low frames. Factory Breaks. We are guessing players will be able to find creative ways to break the factory maps. We dont expect any of them to be full blockers, but we are anxious to see what players can do to these complex setups, and how we can mitigate issues. So it is finally out, on beta, for everyone to play. We hope you enjoy it. We will be watching. Thank you! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2019-12-06 23:35:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Upcoming Complete Beta Known Issues


    Happy December! We've been murdering ourselves to get the Complete Black Mesa Beta out to everyone. We are really proud of what we have built, but there are still some rough edges we hope to smooth out. Like before, we wanted to mention some known issues, but first just some of the fixes weve implemented:

    Notable Fixes


    -Full pass on Xen and Gonarch levels for bugs and player guidance -Fixed crash when player jumps on physics objects -Fixed most crashes in the first map of Interloper -Changed grenade aim point to be center screen for easier aiming -Fixed sprint animation playing while swimming -Fixed shotgun misfire after reloading -Fixed RPG unguided mode in Earth levels -Fixed having to press shift after each level load with Always Run enabled

    Known Issues


    Achievements. There has not yet been a second achievement pass. The team has a list to implement, and we would like to open it up to the community to crowd source ideas that we might not have otherwise thought of. Performance. We have improved performance across the game, and targeted specific areas to increase the frame rate on all machines. Even with these fixes, there are still some areas we want to improve. For now, don't be afraid to lower your settings if you are getting low frames. Floating Ragdoll Bodies. The NPCs still float in the air after dying in some sections. Weve implemented some fixes, but they can still float from time to time. Options Menu. Some options are being stored incorrectly. We will continue to make sure the settings work correctly on the new UI. The new UI will now be a focus for a post-beta update. Factory Breaks. We are guessing players will be able to find creative ways to break the factory maps. We dont expect any of them to be full blockers, but we are anxious to see what players can do to these complex setups, and how we can mitigate issues. These are some of the fixes and known issues we have in the upcoming beta. Get ready to play the finale to Black Mesa. Its been a long road, but we are so close. Well be back very soon with a release post! Thank you to our community. Your support and testing has proved invaluable. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2019-12-05 03:55:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

    November 19th Mini Update


    Happy Half-Life day!


    We worked hard to have a full beta ready for today, but we are still grinding on a few things. Heres where we are at: Interloper -Fixing crash in first map of Interloper (Interloper A) -Fixing performance in Interloper control rooms (Interloper B1) -Fixing performance in factory maps and polish tasks (Interloper C and C1) -Final art for Interloper D Nihilanth is COMPLETE and we are reviewing it for release Endgame is COMPLETE and we are reviewing it for release We have a short internal timeline to address the list above. We are anxious and excited to get this last section of the game out, and see what the community thinks of it all. In addition to the work we have completed on Interloper, Nihilanth, and Endgame, we have also completed revisions on all released maps based on feedback (mostly Xen and Gonarchs Lair, but Earthbound as well). We hope this will be the most polished version of the game yet released, and will continue to implement feedback as we watch you guys play Xen! Get ready for Endgame.
    Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2019-11-20 04:16:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Happy Halloween!


    Happy (almost) Halloween! I cant speak for the whole team, but this is one of my favorite times of year. I hope it has been treating everyone well. We wanted to update everyone on our progress, and mention we are discounted 40% for the Steam Halloween sale. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ We are dropping in art and final refinements for our LAST 5 MAPS. We cant believe we are just 5 levels away from having a completed game. While it has been quite a challenge, it is surreal to be getting down to the last bits. We want to make sure the art and design in Interloper, Nihilanth, and Endgame are as polished as they can possibly be, even for a beta. The team has a plan in place to go back and check the entirety of the game in preparation for some important upcoming dates.
    Our major focus is of course making sure Interloper, Nihilanth, and Endgame are as good as they can possibly be, as well as:

    • Fix crashing in the first map of Interloper
    • Address bugs, performance, and refinements for Xen
    • Address bugs, performance, and refinements for Gonarchs Lair
    • Address bugs, performance, and refinements for released Interloper levels
    • Test and fix major issues for the Earth levels
    Hope everyone enjoys the season. Well have some more spooky Interloper for you soon. Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2019-10-30 09:44:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Interloper Beta Part 1


    Interloper time! We have pushed 5 maps of the Interloper chapter to Steam Public Beta. Give em a play and let us know what you think! The team has been crunching hard to release the last chapters, and the game has been fighting us every step of the way. We will be releasing the last 3 maps of Interloper shortly, after a final art and polish pass. Our current plan is to release Nihilanth and Endgame with those maps, but we may stagger the next releases to better refine the last fight and to get more concentrated feedback from the community. While we've been focused on completing Interloper, we have also been making fixes to the previously released parts of the beta. Here are some fixes and known issues:

    Xen and Gonarchs Lair Fixes


    -Improved godray performance in all maps Xen -Increased performance in Xen B lower swamps (as you exit the door) -Fixed zombie HEV flashlight sprite when turned on by I/O -Model collision and material type fixes -LOD fixes Gonarchs Lair Map A -Fixed RPG not tracking Gonarch hitbox -Slightly increased Gonarch hitbox -Fixed black area portal -Updated healing island particles -Removed dynamic light god rays for performance -Fixed a crash involving the Gonarch mortar Gonarchs Lair Map B -Fixed flashlight and other dynamic lights not displaying in starting cave -Tinted burnable webs so that the player can tell the difference between webs they can break and webs that need to be burned -Fixed material types on textures and models so it no longer sounds like you are walking on solid glass -Blocked web window that looked like the player could pass through -Added lights and wires to better guide player on the critical path -Player clipping pass -NPC clipping pass (It should be much harder to get the Gonarch stuck or floating off cliffs) -New and updated model collisions -Lighting fixes for guidance and better Gonarch visibility -Minor art fixes Gonarchs Lair Map C -Fixed all breakable webs to break in ONE hit -Fixed breakable web hitbox collision detect (it was too thin) -Lighting and prop improvements for player guidance -Fixed oil that was not slippery, allowing player to break start of final chase -NPC clipping pass -Player clipping pass -Better highlighted player path in first chase -Fixed columns in final fight being able to kill you in one hit -Updated and fixed model collisions (still some objects missing collisions, like the crystals) -Removed some player obstacles to make the first chase feel smoother -Fixed players being able to long jump into start cinephys and get stuck -Removed collision from certain ceiling props to make sure they do not stop the player -Removed fire fumerol from final boss section -Reduced screen shake caused by fire damage -Lowered damage from Gonarch fire Interloper Known Issues Interloper Map A -Occasional crashes in village -Alien Grunt sometimes gets stuck in his animation sequence at the start of level
    -Some models missing collision -Dynamic lights are occasionally off map-wide Interloper Map A1 -Sun shadows popping in at the end of the level -Texture seams in water models
    Interloper Map B1 -Waterfall particle early in the map ends too soon
    -Elevator outside control room 1 sometimes shoots you into the death ceiling, causing a cheap death. -Player occasionally gets stuck in "sucky vent" -Bad performance in the control room 1 and 2 -Water missing refraction effect while underwater -Seams between water models Were really looking forward to watching everyone play these levels. We will continue to polish and improve performance, as well as implement any feedback from the beta. Thank you everyone for you patience and feedback! https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2019-10-01 01:57:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Interloper Beta 1 Known Issues


    We wanted to have the first Interloper beta out last Friday, but we ran into two bad crashes in Interloper map A and B that were not present in earlier compiles. Weve fixed the crashes and are doing some final tests on Steam. In the meantime, here are some other known issues for the upcoming beta:

    Interloper Map A


    • Alien Grunt sometimes gets stuck in his animation sequence at the start of level
    • Some models missing collision
    • Dynamic lights are occasionally off map-wide

    Interloper Map A1


    • Sun shadows popping in at the end of the level
    • Texture seams in water models

    Interloper Map B1


    • Waterfall particle early in the map ends too soon
    • Elevator outside control room 1 sometimes shoots you into ceiling causing a cheap death.
    • Bad performance in the control room 1 and 2
    • Water missing refraction effect while underwater
    • Seams between water models
    Were really looking forward to watching everyone play these levels! We will continue to polish and improve performance, as well as implement any feedback from the beta once it launches.


    [ 2019-09-30 10:42:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Interloper Mini Update


    Hello everyone, Heres a teaser for the upcoming Interloper release! (link to higher resolution). We are testing release candidates for Interloper A, A1, B, B1, B2. Well have news on Interloper C, C1, and D when we put out the first set of maps (theyre close!), as well as details for what is left on our to-do list for Nihilanth and Endgame. We also want to use this mini update to highlight some of the work we have been doing to the already released chapters based on the beta feedback (still more to implement). Well continue to update the maps as the team and community finds issues. Improved godray performance in all maps

    Xen


    Increased performance in Xen B lower swamps (as you exit the door) Fixed zombie HEV flashlight sprite when turned on by I/O Model collision and material type fixes LOD fixes

    Gonarchs Lair Map A


    Fix RPG not tracking Gonarch hitbox Slightly increased Gonarch hitbox Fixed black area portal Updated healing island particles Removed dynamic light god rays for performance, and because it wasnt having the desired effect Fixed a crash involving the Gonarch mortar

    Gonarchs Lair Map B


    Fixed flashlight and other dynamic lights not displaying in starting cave Tinted burnable webs so that the player can tell the difference between webs they can break and webs that need to be burned. Fixed material types on textures and models so it no longer sounds like you are walking on solid glass Blocked web window that looked like the player could pass through Added lights and wires to better guide player on critical path Player clipping pass NPC clipping pass (It should be much harder to get the Gonarch stuck or floating off cliffs) New and updated model collisions Lighting fixes for guidance and better Gonarch visibility Minor art fixes

    Gonarchs Lair Map C


    Fixed all breakable webs to break in ONE hit Fixed breakable web hitbox collision detect (it was too thin) Lighting and prop improvements for player guidance Fixed oil that was not slippery, allowing player to break start of final chase NPC clipping pass Player clipping pass Better highlighted player path in first chase Fixed columns in final fight being able to kill you in one hit Updated and fixed model collisions (still some objects missing collisions, like the crystals) Removed some player obstacles to make the first chase feel smoother Fixed players being able to long jump into start cinaphys and get stuck Removed collision from certain ceiling props to make sure they do not stop the player Removed fire fumer from final boss section Reduced screen shake caused by fire damage Lowered damage from Gonarch fire More updates soon! Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N


    [ 2019-09-21 03:19:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Gonarch HotFix #1 - Code Fixes


    We hope you guys are enjoying the latest beta. We've been watching and listening closely to your feedback, and we have pushed our first hotfix. This is a code patch to fix bugs and beta issues with the Gonarch and the new UI. We will have additional code and level fixes in future hotfixes/updates. Thank you so much for your continued testing!

    Gonarch and Bebcrab AI Changes


    • Gonarch AI now behaves differently and deploys different attack patterns based on Easy/Normal/Hard difficulty.
    • Fixed bug causing Gonarch to do 250 damage on melee attacks
    • Fixed bug causing Gonarch to spawn 60 bebcrabs instead of 15 in lower arena battle
    • Gonarch shove damage in map B chase reduced by 50%
    • Gonarch shove damage in map C chase reduced by 70%
    • Gonarch shove view punch and knock back amount greatly reduced
    • Gonarch AI tweaks for final lair arena battle.
    • Fixed a crash related to Gonarch mortars
    • Fixed a loophole where Gonarch could die/gib in map A and final upper arena
    • Fixed Gonarch physics throw attack not respecting cool-down system under certain conditions
    • Minor Adjustments to chase AI to make it more forgiving, reduce melee attack damage, and scale based on game difficulty setting
    • Bebcrab jump height reduced to 20 units high, making it much less likely they clip one of your rockets
    • Bebcrab damage reduced by 50%
    • Bebcrab max count in final upper arena reduced by 33%

    New UI Fixes / Changes


    If you are interested in testing the work in progress UI, use -newgameui as a launch command.
    • Fixed major performance drop when using new UI
    • Singleplayer game is now paused when UI or Console is Activated
    • Brought up default Qt behavior for key Auto-Repeat
    • Game Console: Command Input now has history
    • Game Console: Partial Autocomplete implementation (WIP, expect bugs)
    • Game Console: Log Area now 1-2% faster than old UI
    • Added "Enable Developer Console to the Game options screen
    • Advanced Settings Menu is now fully hooked up

    Known Issues


    • Bebcrabs can still be tracked by RPG. We are testing changes to have them not track/collide with RPG rockets. We think the change in jump height has addressed most, if not all of the problem. Let us know what you think!
    • Columns in the final fight arena still kill the player in 1 hit. This will be fixed in a future level update.
    • It is still possible to get the Gonarch stuck in certain areas of the level. We are testing level fixes to address this.
    https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N Twitter - @BlackMesaDevs Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs


    [ 2019-08-11 02:14:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen/Gonarch Beta is LIVE!


    Testing... Testing...


    Beta time! Weve pushed all of Xen and Gonarchs Lair to the public beta branch on Steam. The technical beta was just 3 maps, the complete Xen and Gonarchs Lair is 9 maps. Thank you to all who tested and who will test for us. We think the feedback so far has made the levels in the technical beta significantly better, and it would not have gotten there without the fresh eyes of the community. Interloper, Nihilanth, and Endgame will follow after this beta and will double the map count to 18 total maps.

    Earthbound


    Earthbound has had a soundscape overhaul, fixes to game breaking bugs, and recompile of all the maps. If you take a trip through the earthbound chapters and find any game breakers, please let us know.

    Soundtrack


    Also a reminder, the complete Xen soundtrack is available NOW. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqWbjZ_t9qDlY08FPwztA2wXoil0mzusM Also available wherever you buy or stream music.

    Known Issues


    As we posted earlier, here are some known issues in the current beta. Please report any issues you find to the Steam forums or our Discord. -The flashlight and other dynamic lights occasionally cut out, then return when you go into the next room. We are investigating. -In the last map of Gonarchs Lair, Gonarch might be frozen when he should be playing a stabbing attack. Youll know it when you see it. -DO NOT USE OLD SAVES. It will cause issues. -Linux is launching, but we are still working on getting the graphics to display properly. We apologize for this taking so long.
    -You will see large black voids in the levels if you look back the way you came. These are the areaportals (an optimisation technique) not interacting correctly with the fog/xog. We have a simple fix for this that will go in for later patches.
    -Some props have the wrong material properties. This is most noticeable in Gonarchs Lair where it sounds like you are walking on boxes instead of rocks. -We have greatly increased performance across all maps, but there is still a noticeable frame drop in the Xen swamps as you leave the door into the lower swamp. -Beneathicles (underwater barnacles) dont respond to Gluon or explosive damage. This makes them a bit of a pain to clear, but will be fixed! -Long jump sound effect sometimes plays on map load. We havent yet been able to pinpoint why this his happening or why it only happens on some computers. -Knockback Houndeyes occasionally push you into and through walls, causing the player to get stuck. -Occasional crash to desktop in Gonarchs Lair chapter. We think it is something related to the mortar attack. -In order to fix a crash, HEV crystal chargers temporarily do not have a dynamic light.
    -Bebcrabs sometimes walk on 2 legs instead of 4 its hilarious.
    -Gonarch can occasionally run past you in an important chase sequence. We have tweaked the map to fix this, but it may still happen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you again to all who have participated, or will participate in the public beta. We may be a bit quiet with updates as we grind and grind in order to wrap the rest of the game up. Hit us up on the Discord if you have any questions! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N Twitter - @BlackMesaDevs Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs


    [ 2019-08-02 01:40:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen/Gonarch Beta Known Issues


    Hey all, We are compiling release candidates of all 9 maps for deployment testing. Unless we find a truly game breaking bug, it will be set live on Steam public beta August 1st. Just one of our levels can take up to 20 HOURS to compile, so it can be quite the process to test final maps. Major issues found by community testing will either be fixed in a later hotfix, or with the release of the rest of the chapters. Before you are able to jump in and help us beta test this Xen thing, please take a quick look at some of our known issues (to help avoid duplicate feedback on things we are already aware of): -Linux is launching, but we are still working on getting the graphics to display properly. We apologize for this taking so long.
    -You will see large black voids in the levels if you look back the way you came. These are the areaportals (a technique used for optimisation) not interacting correctly with the fog/xog. We have a simple fix for this that will go in for later patches.
    -Some props have the wrong material properties. This is most noticeable in Gonarch where it sounds like you are walking on boxes instead of rocks. -We have greatly increased performance across all maps, but there is still a noticeable frame drop in the Xen swamps as you leave the door into the lower swamp. -Beneathicles (underwater barnacles) dont respond to Gluon or explosive damage. This makes them a bit of a pain to clear, but will be fixed! -Long jump sound effect sometimes plays on map load. We havent yet been able to pinpoint why this his happening or why it only happens on some computers. -Knockback Houndeyes occasionally push you into and through walls, causing the player to get stuck. -Occasional crash to desktop in Gonarch Chapter. We think it is something related to the mortar attack. -In order to fix a crash, HEV crystal chargers temporarily do not have a dynamic light.
    -Bebcrabs sometimes walk on 2 legs instead of 4 its hilarious.
    -Gonarch can occasionally run past you in an important chase sequence. We have tweaked the map to fix this, but it may still happen. We wanted to talk about these first, so players know what is out there before they dive in. As always, if you have any issues or crashes please go to our Discord or post them on the Steam forums (avoid questions in the news update as it is really hard to respond to them). A personal thanks to all the devs who burnt some serious midnight oil getting this together. We will post another news update when the update goes live! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N Twitter - @BlackMesaDevs Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs


    [ 2019-08-01 01:55:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

    July News


    Greetings! We are working on final polish for Xen and Gonarchs Lair, as well as dropping in the final art, lighting, and fog for Interloper. In addition to that, heres a quick update for everyone.

    Sound Track


    First we are pumped to announce the full Xen sound track will be released on August 1st. It will be available pretty much wherever music is. Coming soon...

    New Bloom


    Bloom takes bright objects and blurs their color around the edges to create a softer image. When this was first implemented into the Source engine, the effect was in its infancy in video games. Since then, there have been lots of advancements and revisions to how bloom is done. We upgraded the bloom in Black Mesa to a more modern standard. We implemented a new bloom process and changed the values to work on both earthbound and Xen. The bloom values can be controlled through console commands per level.

    New UI


    This has been one of the longest running and challenging projects we set out to do, but we are really happy with how it is coming together. The goal is a better menu: removal of (irrelevant/out of date) options, clearer (preferences/selections/settings), and more controller support.

    All the menus and text smoothly animate, which you can see below. https://imgur.com/1ALygMo We are not 100% sure when the new UI will be fully functional, but we are hoping to have it testable with the next beta on August 1st. As usual, time is flying by! We hope everyone is enjoying their summer. If you would like to chat with us consider joining our Discord. It is the quickest way to get in touch with developers as we also use it for development. If you are having specific game breaking issues, you can report them on Discord or on our Steam forums. As always, make sure to have a detailed description and your system specs (including your video card). Thanks everyone! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N Twitter - @BlackMesaDevs Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs


    [ 2019-07-18 04:08:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Some Release Dates


    Hope everyone in the states had a good holiday, and everyone is having a good summer overall. We wanted to give an update on what to expect for Xen. Thank you so much to everyone that played the technical beta and reported bugs! It was extremely positive and motivating for us. We have already fixed a large number of the issues reported, including some we never would have found on our own. The amount of quality feedback from our community has prompted us to update our release plans. On August 1st we will roll out the complete Xen AND Gonarch's Lair chapters to public beta. Soon after (think weeks, not months), we will release the concluding chapters, Interloper, Nihilanth, and Endgame to public beta: The same rules apply as before: If you want to be a part of cutting edge testing and don't mind helping us squash some bugs, this beta is for you! Otherwise, we suggest you hold out a little longer. We think this staggered release will allow us to more thoroughly test all components of this massive game, and catch bugs faster. Once we can ensure a smooth launch, we'll push the whole Xen campaign out of beta for everyone to enjoy. Thanks again for the feedback and comments. We will be back shortly with an update showing off some new stuff! We are still on sale for 60% off until July 9th. As far as we know, this will be the last major sale before the release of Xen, so now is a great time to grab it for yourself or a friend! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/ Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N Twitter - @BlackMesaDevs Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BlackMesaDevs


    [ 2019-07-06 16:35:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen Technical Beta


    HAPPY STEAM SUMMER SALE! We have some big updates for everyone, and Black Mesa is 60% off. https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/

    Technical Beta


    We are excited to release our tech beta! Its the first 3 maps of the Xen chapter (which has 6 maps total), continuing Gordons adventure from the cliffhanger ending of Lambda Core. With the full Xen campaign clocking in at 19 maps, the beta is only a taste of whats to come. The purpose of this beta is to collect bugs and feedback on a range of different computers. We have made significant improvements and changes to the Source engine, and we want the game to run as smoothly as possible. If you want to be on the bleeding edge of testing, opt into this beta. If you want the polished, complete Xen experience, you should wait. It wont be long!

    How to Opt In


    First right click Black Mesa in your game library. Go to Properties
    Then click the BETAS tab and select public-beta from the drop down...
    It will download a bunch of stuff, then you will have access to the Xen levels for the beta! If you have not unlocked all the chapters, you will need to enable the developer console and unlock them. Go to Options, Keyboard, Advanced, Enable Developer Console. Bring up the console and type sv_unlockedchapters 19.

    From there, simply click New Game, then scroll over to the Xen chapter (the chapter images were intentionally left black).

    Long Jump


    The beta drops you in just after Lambda Core. A big part of the last fight in LC is teaching the player how to use the long jump. If you jump straight into Xen, remember the long jump is triggered by pressing the jump button (space) twice rapidly in ANY direction. You can then use the W, A, S, D to control Gordon in the air.

    Bug Reporting


    We are looking for specific graphical/technical/performance bugs, especially on lower end systems. If you have any issues, please report them on our Steam forums or on the Xen-Bugs Discord channel. Please include your graphics settings and system specs or we wont be able to properly diagnose the problem. Though our focus is performance, we are also interested in what was clear, and what wasnt for the layout and design. If you got stuck somewhere or were confused by something, let us know. Please unsubscribe from all workshop mods if you are testing!

    Discord


    Our Discord is live! Please join us, hang out, and chat. Make sure to check out the server rules. The TL:DR;, its a SAFE FOR WORK server about Black Mesa, Half-Life, and Games. Please keep discussions outside those categories to other servers and have fun! PLEASE NOTE, we have heavy server restrictions at this time. We will dial it back as soon as possible.

    Known Issues With the Beta


    -Linux has not yet been built. Windows only. -We have not tested all of Earthbound or Multiplayer for this beta. If you find issues, feel free to report them in the proper channels.
    -Running the game at 4k resolution at max settings may drastically lower your frame rate -Ragdolls freak out in water. If you shoot an Ichthyosaur or Hoteye in water, their body and gibs may freak out. This is fixed on the developer build. -Plant lights dont retract when you are near them. This is fixed on the developer build. -Laptop screens show shadows that are behind the screen. Fixed on the developer build. -Missing collision on some of the plants and roots in the swamp -Cookie lights (lights that cast on the ground) are broken on the HEV battery. Fixed on the developer build. -Players occasionally gets stuck on small healing pools -Probably a few things we are forgetting. Feel free to report any bugs and well add them to our tracker!


    [ 2019-06-25 19:07:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

    June Mini Update


    We have a couple things planned for later this month, but we wanted to give everyone a mini update, so no one thought we had disappeared for the summer. Here are just a few of the improvements/fixes we have been working on alongside Xen.

    Fixed Rocket Launcher Guidance


    One of the biggest issues we had in all of Black Mesa was the rocket launcher. It would track strangely, and made fights with helicopters harder than they needed to be. This was super apparent when we started locking down the Gonarch fights. We rebuilt the RPG tracking and re-added the cross-hair elements to give players better feedback for when it was in guidance mode.

    Added Stumble Animations to Zombies


    This is a great feature in the Half-Life episodes. It adds a layer of immersion and strategy, so we implemented it into Black Mesa.

    Buffed Tracers


    Like the stumble animations above, this is a small change that really helps the overall feel of the game. We increased the size of tracers fired by the player, and fixed a bug that blocked them from being fired by HECU and other NPCs.
    Thats all for right now. Well be back later in June. Thanks! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/


    [ 2019-06-11 04:42:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    May News Update


    Hello from the Black Mesa team! We have been GRINDING on this Xen thing, so lets get right into where we are at:

    Xen - Final Art/Polish


    We are driving though each of the six maps, capping off the final tasks, and doing little bits of housekeeping to make the levels shine. We are also taking a hard look at the performance of each level to make sure the game runs as smooth as possible on the myriad of machines out there. Thus far, we have made significant progress with deep engine optimisations, as well as several sweeping game-wide asset optimisation passes. We are also looking into other engine fixes, such as batch rendering for props and displacements to further increase performance.

    Gonarch - Final Art/Polish


    We now have Gonarch arted and lit, with all the technical effects and animations implemented. All thats left is to polish the animations and effects, and to make sure the player clipping is smooth throughout (as well as some water features). We are really proud of the many encounters, interactions, and fights with Gonarch throughout the chapter, and cant wait to see how they play out there in the wild. Show em, Giphy...




    Interloper - Design Lock/Art


    Were design locking the chapter while also building out the art and lighting. In order to get the art completed in record time, both the artists and level designers are creating placeholder assets so that we can detail the play space, then simply drop in the final art by overwriting the placeholders. We want to keep Interloper mostly under wraps, and the parts we do want to show off aren't quite ready for the spotlight. So instead, here is some art to give everyone a hint of what is in store for Interloper: Old Concept for Interloper Exteriors By Eddie Hinestroza
    Interloper Materials By Mark Foreman
    Console Models Built with Modularity in Mind By Robert Chinner

    Release



    This is how we plan to release in the coming months: Technical Beta - This will be a couple of maps to test the latest engine, and test the performance of our maps. This will be public, but more or less of a stealth release for people who are interested in helping us test. This way we can test on a lot of machines quickly, and have time to implement any crucial feedback. Open Beta - After we have implemented the feedback from the technical test, we will push the entire game to open beta. This will give us testing for the rest of the levels to again make sure the game releases as smooth as possible. Release - Though we are expecting all the betas to run well, if you have been waiting for the full Black Mesa experience, this is what you want to wait for. Once we know the beta does not set peoples machines on fire, we will switch the full game over to the main Steam branch and announce its full release! After this, we will continue to monitor feedback and ideas from the community for Xen, and release periodic bug fixes and updates.

    Discord


    In addition to these staggered releases, we plan on launching a public discord to work in conjunction with our Steam forums. This will be a great place to chat, report bugs, and get mini updates from the team. We are not sure when we will be launching this, but it will probably be with one of the betas. This is one of the ways we hope to engage a bit more with the community, and provide more regular updates and interactions.
    Soon!

    Thanks Again


    Apologies for the silence over the last few months. We have been really diving into our work. Every once in a while we poke our heads up to see how far we have come, and how close we are to finishing this massive undertaking. We have more planned updates and fun stuff to show off on the way to the borderworld! Thanks! https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/


    [ 2019-05-02 12:28:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

    January 2019 News Update


    Hope the new year started off great for everyone. We are really happy with the progress we made this month. We wanted to show some of it off and keep the information flowing while we wrap up the last 5 chapters. Gonarch Our biggest effort went into getting the entirety of the Gonarch chapter arted. Now it is in the hands of our animators, who will take the artists hard work and destroy it! Displacement/Sculpted/Arted - By Matt Young
    Cinematic Physics - By Russ Briggeman
    Nihilanth No pretty pictures for this one, but we would be remiss if we didnt mention we have made huge strides with the end boss of Xen. Our lead programmer Chetan Jaggi and lead animator Nate Ayres have worked together to build out an entire feature set of attacks, defenses, AI, as well as effects for the Nihilanth. Now were balancing all these features and building the planned finale. Id normally say more to come but we probably wont have any more updates on this last fight as we want to keep it a surprise for everyone. Before and After In October we revisited some of our released media and posted some #Blocktober dev diaries. Here is the comparison of how far these shots have come since when we first posted them (You can open the image in a new tab for better viewing). Full disclosure: I did some light Photoshop work to make them read better at size and because our sun effect is just a bit too hot in its current form.

    We really enjoyed putting together the #Blocktober posts, and want to do more write ups like it in the future. Again, hope the new year started off great for everyone! Well be back with more updates before launch. -Crowbar Collective


    [ 2019-01-31 17:31:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

    December 2018 News


    Hope everyone enjoyed last months trailer. Here are some additional updates and features we have added for the upcoming Xen release.

    New Features


    Screenspace Fog ("Xog")


    Using the GBuffer that we've developed for our new Dynamic Lights, we've added a dynamic, very flexible new fog system that replaces Source's legacy fog. The new "Xog" can be configured on the fly with instant results ingame, it can change over time with I/O, and it can vary in density and color based on height. Best of all, it's very inexpensive to render, costing about as much performance as a single dynamic light. Our level designers were slack-jawed when they saw how much it improves the look of the whole game, bringing a true sense of scale to the levels.

    New Alien Grunt NPC (Agrunts)


    Our original Alien Grunts were tank enemies that shot ridiculously powerful homing bees. They fit relatively well into the tough, cover-laden final levels of Earth. In the vast, wide open spaces of Xen however, they became extremely frustrating to fight. The new Agrunt is the most mobile, unpredictable enemy in the whole game besides our assassins. They'll leap onto different platforms, find a way to outflank you, get in your face, and unleash a devastating secondary "hornet hurricane" attack. As a much-needed balance, the bees from them no longer home in on you, and individual bee damage has been lowered. https://youtu.be/NFzgbYpybL0

    New Controller NPC (Xontrollers)


    The player only encounters Controllers once in the released game. They were a good, if a bit simple, final enemy type for the Earth bound levels. For Xen, we drastically expanded their abilities, turning them into a kind of overlord or mini-boss. We don't want to spoil everything about their new abilities -- but mind-control, telekinesis, and crystal-powered shields are just a taste of what players can expect.

    Improved Vortigaunt NPC (Xorts)


    These were another straightforward enemy from Earth-levels. We mostly teleported them straight onto the player and expected them to be gunned down in a few seconds. For Xen, we have worked them into a much more intelligent, emotional creature. In keeping with the original Xen, they won't be hostile to the player by default.

    Flashlight Shadows


    Flashlight shadows are back! Last patch we switched to one of our new dynamic lights, but couldnt quite solve all the issues with shadows. For Xen, the flashlight will be positioned on the player to look like it is casting from lower on your chest. This creates interesting shadows and adds to the atmosphere in dark environments while still having a usable flashlight.

    Soft Particles


    Better late than never. This is a feature that's been in other Valve games, but for some reason has been broken in Black Mesa, even from our very first mod release. No more hard-edged particle clipping!
    (Notice the hard edges in the first image below)

    Running With Objects


    Anyone that's tried to get the secret purple hat through Surface Tension has already begged us to enable running while holding objects. Turns out we need this for certain Xen sequences, so wish granted!

    Chapter Updates


    In addition to the improvements above, we have been grinding away at locking the final bits of design and arting for all our Xen levels. While building momentum toward release, our goal is to lock down the chapters in order so that we dont have to dedicate resources to them, and so all the subsequent chapters go faster and smoother. Here is where we are at: Xen (~2-3 Hour Estimate) This chapter is completely design locked, most of the art is done, and we are polishing the levels to be release ready. Left on the to-do list is merging art, polishing art, unifying skyboxes and effects across all 6 maps, optimizing maps, and finally a clipping pass. Gonarch (~1-2 Hour Estimate) These maps are design locked and are going through the art process. The goal is to be mostly art completed, and start in on its many animated scripted sequences in January. We learned a lot arting Xen and refined our pipeline to be more efficient going forward. There are also half the maps (3) in Gonarch as in Xen, so we got that going for us. Interloper (~2-3 Hour Estimate) This chapter is design complete, but needs refinement to lock the chapter. The goal is to have this chapter design locked in the next few days so that level designers and artists can start in on detailing it. Interloper is currently 6 maps. Nihilanth (Super Secret Time Estimate) We have started in on the core gameplay coding of the final boss. We wanted to avoid having the big boss be just a bullet sponge, so we have kept the design fluid and kept the environment interactive and dynamic. Most of the static art for this level is completed, but it still needs scripted animation set pieces. Endgame (About 5 mins) Endgame is locked, but needs some final animation and graphics updates. Endgame will be the last chapter we do a pass on, as it is dependant on a lot of final art from the other levels. Even in its current state we are very happy with how it plays out. We assume most of the people reading this have already pulled the trigger on buying the game (thank you), but we do have to mention that we are 60% off for the Steam Winter Sale! Black Mesa makes a great gift for friends and family. This will be one of the last sales before we ship Xen!
    Thanks for reading we plan on having a small news update and dev blog in January. Have a great holiday! -The Mesa Team


    [ 2018-12-22 05:45:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Half-Life is 20! - Xen Trailer!


    Happy Birthday Half-Life! Wed like to thank Valve for creating this masterpiece; an important part of gaming history. Nobody on this team would be where they are today if it werent for this amazing, inspirational game. We are lucky to share in a tiny bit of their legacy.

    The Xen Trailer



    The Specimen will be delivered to you in a few (months) To Celebrate Half-Lifes 20th Anniversary, we have something special to share. Our first trailer for Xen! Be sure to go full screen and crank it up to 11! https://youtu.be/TAIJich73NY James McVinnie has once again done an amazing job with presenting our game. Everything in the trailer was captured in-game, and we hope to polish and improve our visuals as we get the entirety of Xen up to our standards.

    Xen Timeline



    Morning, Mr. Freeman. Looks like youre running late. Our goal is to release Xen on Steam in Q2 2019. This will allow us to finish Xen to a place where the entire product is stable, smooth, and most importantly...fun! We are already happy with the design state of Xen as it stands currently: almost everything is design locked and functioning as intended. We are going to be using the remaining time between now and launch to bring it up to our art and polish standards. Playtests show that all of Xen will take roughly 6 hours to complete; longer for those who like to explore. The levels and design for Xen are largely original work (with cues taken from Half-Life), rather than just simply a remake of Xen. We are extremely proud of what we have created, and will be showing off some of our deep graphics and NPC changes later in December, as well as a breakdown of where each of the chapters stand.

    Thank You



    Thanks, Doc. As always, thank you to our incredible community. The positivity and support is what keeps this team going. I got to go the Retro Game Con here in Syracuse, New York, and it was amazing to meet people who have stuck by our game since the mod days. I really cannot express how it made me feel to have people come up to our table and thank us for our work, and encourage us to keep going. Retro Game Con was a great reminder of just how supportive and positive our community is. Lets keep that going, not just on Steam or the internet, but everywhere!
    Again a huge thank you to all our fans who have stuck by us through all these years. Xen WILL be out in 2019, Half-Life will turn 21, and we can finally buy it that beer we owed it.


    [ 2018-11-19 12:13:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    #Blocktober - The Swamp

    Happy Halloween! For our last installment of #Blocktober, we thought we would tease something weve not shown yet (aside from a small tease in a dev blog post a long time ago). The Xenian swamp!
    There is a lot of lore around Half-Lifes development cycle that talks about the larger plans, cut levels, and more planned locations for Xen. Due to time or technical reasons, many of these ideas never made the final cut. One of these was the idea of the Xenian swamp. The area was actually briefly seen during Half-Lifes resonance cascade scene, but was never revisited beyond that, though it is quite likely that Valve originally intended for you to end up back there at some point during the Xen chapter.

    Paper Plans


    We wanted to bring this back in our version. Our Xen is all about realised potential. We thought it was a really cool touch to get a tantalising glimpse of the unique and interesting alien environment at the start of the game and then actually get to explore it much later, near the end of the game.
    The original layout of the swamp was made by Xen Lead Chris Horn, and was intended to follow a river upstream across several branching paths, each leading to different encounters and gameplay areas. Quite a lot of our ideas and designs for Xen were originally more non-linear in nature, as an attempt to change things up from the linearity of the Earthbound sections. This was something which would later adjust, as we became more accustomed to Xens design and core ideas, and figured out what worked and didnt work.
    This was the initial blockout with some rough prop placement and with the major gameplay elements from the plan blocked out. This map was meant to be sprawling and winding; feeling like a confusing alien environment. As you reached the maps conclusion at the top of the river, you would get to higher ground, and be able to look back across the maze you just navigated.

    Revision, Revision, Revision


    This map went through a large amount of revisions. The early versions didnt play particularly well. It was far too easy to get lost and difficult to keep track of your progression and location, and we also found that lots of memorable gameplay sections and encounters were being missed. Things werent framed well in general because players could approach from multiple areas, and it was all too much to manage for players and designers alike. This led into the maps first major rework, similar to how the first map of Xen had been totally reworked (you can see details in our previous #Blocktober post). In fact, this was done by the same mapper! The first key idea which helped bring the map forward was to make it feel more Xen and less terrestrial by breaking the map up into several floating islands, which had somewhat collided together: thus allowing the river to flow across them. The idea was that this would help players track their progression better by allowing them to mentally tick off sections of the map as they got through it. This helped a lot, but didnt solve all the problems.

    Across many, many revisions, the valley/canyon maze following the river eventually gave way to a more interesting and complex path and cave puzzle, that further gave way to something even more ambitious, which we wont spoil. Over time, the map became more linear, directed, and focussed, which benefitted it hugely. Due to its enormous complexity and size, the map also eventually turned into 2 maps! While a lot of the core ideas were maintained and developed from the original blockout, the overall look and shape became unrecognisable. This maps design and what we learned from it is something we really want to talk more about in detail after Xen has shipped. The multiple loops of iteration and feedback took this map from one of our most troubled, to one that we are most proud of. This was probably the toughest map to develop in the Xen chapter. It was a lot of work, and the lessons were hard, but we hope youll think it was worth the effort once you get to play it. We sure do! Finally, here is an aerial shot of the same map, in its current state, matching the shot from the earlier blockout images. The shot below illustrates the top left quadrant from the earlier blockout image.

    Steam Sale


    Now is also a good time to mention Black Mesa is on sale for Halloween! Until November 1st we are 60% off!


    [ 2018-10-31 20:40:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

    #Blocktober - The Cave

    Hello again, We continue #Blocktober with another section weve shown off previously, the Xen cave. This part shows up after last weeks arch island, and exists in the same badlands biome. The goal was to call back to the original Half-Life, where water and life collected more on the interior of the Xenian land formations.

    Concepts


    The initial concept by Xen Lead Chris Horn was to have a bridge, built by the scientists in order to cross the dangerous water. The bridge would mysteriously have a section missing and the player would need to long jump the gap in order to proceed.

    The Blockout


    We planned on having islands throughout the cave that the player could explore optionally. This would create a risk vs reward scenario as the player would have to jump over water that MAY (OR MAY NOT) contain Ichthyosaurs.
    An initial subdivide of the blockout geometry with sculpt changes to help shape the caves look.

    Feedback


    After we added the bridge from the initial concept, we ultimately decided that while it may have looked cool, it lead to the whole cave section being a simple straight shot which provided minimal gameplay. There was little chance that the player would fall into the water and it didnt encourage exploration, due to how direct the player path was.
    From there, we changed the plan. Working as much as possible with our existing geometry, we forced the player to long jump between platforms, added more obvious resources for the player to find through exploration, and made the path to the exit much more indirect. This lets the player take in more of the environment and makes them feel like they are progressing through a challenging environment, instead of simply following a line.
    This was a paint over of the existing environment by Project Lead Adam Engels, designed to help convey the intended new look and feel. The Level Designers did a great job of building new gameplay out of the shape we had already created. A great example of creativity through constraint.

    Iteration


    Things start to come together here with better lighting, some stalactite placement, and underwater foliage props.
    Throughout the process, we iterated on the shape of the cave to feel more natural and support gameplay. You can see in the image below (brightened for visual clarity) that we lowered the ceiling and the height of the outcroppings on the left and right of the players view.

    Dialing In


    By identifying problems and addressing them in iterative passes, we were able to utilize more of the environment, improve/maximise gameplay, and still keep optional risk vs reward sections in the playspace. This is a design process that we have followed throughout the entirety of Xen. After these revisions, we handed the scene to Level Designer/Artist Spencer Rose to push it up to the quality of something that was worthy of a public screen shot. He further sculpted the displacements, propagated the cave with assets made by the art team, and used lighting to guide the player through the scene; for instance, making the hole in the ceiling stand out with lighting and volumetric rays (which subliminaly point to the cave exit). He also tweaked the water to look more alien and unique. The new water added some much needed contrast to the environment.
    We hope this was an insightful peek into our design process. More to come for #Blocktober!


    [ 2018-10-20 13:06:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

    #Blocktober - The Badlands

    Happy fall from the team, We will put out some tasty updates soon, but FIRST it is #Blocktober! We wanted to not only post images, but also show how our maps have progressed and evolved.

    Xen A - The Badlands


    For the first map of Xen, we wanted to capture the desolate feeling of the original HL1 map, while putting our own spin on it. In the original, the desolation of the outer islands gave way to more life as you accessed the interior of the level, which was a theme we expanded on across multiple maps. Our version of the badlands is rocky, with patches of water and arid plants, but no soil for true, vibrant Xenian life to grow. This is the first of the multiple biomes that players will progress through in the Xen chapter.

    First Blockout - Houndeye Arch Island


    This was the first version of the Houndeye Arch Island, following our original and detailed plans for Xens first map. This was built directly off the paper plan. This first version was extremely basic in scale and style, and although it captured the core ideas, we would not truly understand some of the underlying flaws in its construction until we progressed further down the art pipeline.

    First Blockout and Art Experimentation


    We began to experiment with textures and artstyle, using the early version of this island as a base. We originally went for something colored similarly to the original Xen, except utilizing a dark base rock to bring about the feel of a desolate wasteland. We took a more realistic approach to the skybox, using brightly colored nebulae to remind the player of the original Xen feel, but attempted to keep it more grounded in reality. The environmental light source was a giant black hole in the sky, which we eventually deemed too distracting.

    Here you can see the art continuing to evolve as we sculpted the island a bit more and started utilizing some new props and textures. The arch prop was amazing, but we felt like it did not fit the way the island had been built. And this led to...

    Second Blockout


    It was at this point we identified some of the fundamental issues with the way the map had been constructed. It was not hitting the correct notes for scale or for player guidance. One of our mappers did a significant rework of the entire map, rebuilding every island from scratch, aiming for a far better sense of grand scale. For the screenshot, focus on how the surrounding landscape frames the arch in a better way:

    Second Blockout and Art Experimentation



    It was with this second revision that we continued to build the maps art style. The green Xenian feel from the original was moved to a later map, to represent a more lush Xenian biome. We went with giving the Badlands a purple feel. The screenshot shows how we changed to more of a galaxy cloud style skybox, heavily inspired by Homeworld. We made progress on the lighting and the feeling of the level. We trimmed the island down, and made the arch feel like a gateway to the rest of the map, to guide the player and frame the next section.

    Final Art Pass


    Lastly, there is the more completed level, which we have shown off previously. We completely rebooted the skybox, based the level lighting off of it, and did a proper rock and small foliage pass. We went for lighter base textures for the rock to better play with the light colors and feel. Even this shot, which we considered final art for the game, has seen a number of improvements on the dev side since we previously revealed it.
    Thanks for reading. More to come.


    [ 2018-10-09 01:03:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Summer Update


    Summer Sale


    Hope everyone is having a great summer. Black Mesa is now on sale for 60% off! It’s a GREAT time to pick up the game at a discounted price ;)

    Xen


    There has been lots of progress on Xen. We have started external playtesting. The first two chapters, "Xen" and "Gonarch's Lair", clock in around two hours. For reference, all five chapters of Xen in HL1 can be completed in approximately one hour! We are really excited to show our work to everyone, but we also want to save the majority of Xen as a surprise. Here is a brief breakdown of our current progress in each chapter:

    Xen - Final Polish


    We have locked the majority of the Xen levels. Most of the design and art is completed, and we are polishing one or two rough edges in the design.

    Gonarch’s Lair - Art


    As you can see, we have a good amount of art completed for Gonarch. We are doing some last minute design revisions to get the gameplay tight and consistent throughout the chapter, and then we can drop in our already created art. As you might guess, this chapter is very heavy on code and animation. The first map is locked, the second map is finishing its main art pass, and the final map is undergoing some design iterations, with some art already implemented.

    Interloper - Final Gameplay


    This chapter has gone through a hefty number of positive and ambitious design revisions since we started it. We are really happy with the direction and iterations that have gone in, for all five maps. They are very close to gameplay complete, and are playable start to finish. We are currently finishing the modular art pieces, trimming some of the chapter’s “fat”, and polishing the last of the rough design edges to produce a streamlined and action-packed conclusion to Xen’s main story. As Interloper is a significant departure from the rest of Xen, our intention is to get Xen and Gonarch’s Lair completed through the final polish stages first, before shifting the entire team onto Interloper at once, to finish this chapter up in one quick fell swoop.

    Nihilanth - Gameplay/Art


    The art for this level is completed. Without giving too much more away, we have a really exciting evolution for this chapter, and we are starting the final push to get this chapter completely coded, scripted, and animated.

    Endgame - Final Polish


    This chapter is locked. There are some dependency assets and some polish we have to implement once the rest of the game is complete, but other than that, it is ready to go.

    Multiplayer Playdate - 6-30-18


    The Black Mesa devs are getting together for a play date on on Saturday June 30th at 12:00 PM EST (midday). We are looking forward to filling some servers, blowing off some steam, and having a good time.

    Celebrating 20 Years of Half-Life


    Oh cool, so it’s already JUNE. Time flies when you are [strike]grinding toward a deadline[/strike] having fun. As many of you are probably already aware, Half-Life will be TWENTY this November. We obviously plan on doing some BIG THINGS to celebrate the game that inspired us and became such a huge part of all our lives. One of the events planned is Black Mesa (Crowbar Collective) having a booth at Syracuse’s Retro Game Con November 3rd and 4th. Stop by if you are in the area and chat with us. I went last year as a guest and had a great time (and got some sweet video game themed magnets too). More info on this event to come. We are also considering doing a dev marathon stream of Black Mesa, Half-Life 2, Episode 1, and Episode 2. Would anyone be interested in watching us do that? We would have to figure out the logistics, as we are all not in one place, but that is something that sounds like a good time to us. There are some other big ideas we would really like to do, but can’t talk about just yet. If you have any ideas, please let us know!


    [ 2018-06-21 23:27:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Fixes and Multiplayer Servers


    Hey all, A quick mini update for everyone.

    Fixes


    We have deployed a number of fixes for the latest version of the game. We fixed:
    • The tentacles in Blast Pit not responding to explosives
    • Problems with CSM on lower settings and improved CSM performance
    • Humvee using experimental texture that caused FPS drops
    • Invalidated old saves as we forgot to set that with the first deployment. Sorry if that inconvenienced anyone.
    We are currently troubleshooting
    • Flashlight not working on some machines with dedicated video cards
    • Game not launching on some machines
    • Black screen on Linux when launching

    Multiplayer


    We also found a nasty bug on our Linux servers. We are working on getting that sorted as soon as possible. For the time being our MP servers are down. Once we have them up, we will plan a play date so we can REALLY test the servers and blow off some steam with everyone! Thank you to everyone who reported bugs and helped the community fix problems.


    [ 2018-05-01 04:43:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Daily Deal - Black Mesa, 60% Off

    Today's Deal: Save 60% on Black Mesa!*

    Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

    *Offer ends Wednesday at 10AM Pacific Time


    [ 2018-04-30 17:00:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen Engine Hotfix and Public Release


    Xen Engine Public Release


    We have patched the latest version of the Xen Engine and released it to everyone. Please let us know on the Steam forums if you run into any game breaking issues. As we have mentioned before, this is important to test our new features so that the Xen release can be as flawless as possible. We will probably do one more “Engine” release just before we drop Xen, in order to make sure that everything is running smoothly on everyone's machines. We want the Xen release to be as close to a simple content release as possible! Here is what is in the latest patch:

    April Patch List


    Fixed screen freezes / crashes on Radeon RX 3XX 4XX 5xx cards! Fixed most dynamic shadows flickering and improved the overall quality and performance Fixed most dynamic lights flickering on lower quality levels Nvidia GPUs (and some AMD GPUs) CSM quality and perf improvements Fixed CSM not working on some AMD cards Fixed decals flickering in some maps Fixed full screen blur when using dynamic light godrays Fixed zombie headshots with the crossbow. Now when you headshot a zombie using the crossbow, they will no longer spawn a live headcrab. Fixed assault points for Houndeyes Added texture scrolling for dynamic light cookie textures Fixed tilemap animation bug in light cookie textures. Fixed rim lighting not working with old light entities Fixed Phong/skin shader specular not working on static props Flashlight intensity and range increased Settings optimization for new deferred lighting and shadows December Patch Notes

    Known Issues


    Flashlight Doesn’t Have Shadows We have a more advanced plan for the flashlight in the works. This will be deployed at a later date. Haloing Around Props/Object MSAA is causing outlines around certain objects. MSSA is a performance killer and we hope to have a better solution for anti-aliasing with the Xen release. To remove the haloing/outline, simply turn off MSAA. Dynamic Shadows Flickering On Moving Dynamic Lights These should be completely fixed, but if you DO get them try: Try running the game in windowed borderless mode. Try turning off Vsync, lowering your overall settings, or turning off dynamic shadows entirely. Stencil Shadows We have removed the old Source stencil shadows. This helps performance and fixes the double shadows that happen in outside environments where CSM is used. We plan on using new dynamic lights to get more realistic shadows in key interior sections. Always Run Always run has an issue where after every map load you have to press “shift” for it to work. We will be fixing this for Xen. Outlines Around Weapons If you move the screen fast in areas using dynamic lights, you may see small outlines around your weapon. This is very minimal and is something we will look into fixing.


    [ 2018-04-29 22:04:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

    April News Update

    LOOT ME$A


    Here’s some more info on the upcoming LOOT ME$A! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BJ7drbyLZY&feature=youtu.be Of course we are kidding. We wanted to take the time to inform everybody about our REAL game updates.

    XEN


    We’ve made a lot of progress since December. With the exception of a few places (mainly loading between chapters), Xen is playable from start to finish. The levels have had multiple gameplay passes to get them to where we want them in terms of fun and challenge. While we worked on these iterations, we built art in parallel so we can implement the art as soon as the gameplay gets completely locked down. We’ve put a lot of effort into some levels to get them ready for outside testing. We look forward to getting feedback and see what we can do to support Xen and Black Mesa, even after we leave Early Access. We want to continue to make the best game for our community, old veterans and new players alike. In that spirit, here are our latest updates:

    PUBLIC BETA


    There have been a few major issues with our new renderer. The bugs fought tooth and nail, but we think we have solved most if not all of the major issues. We are preparing a patch for the Public Beta that we will switch to mainline as soon as possible. Here are just a FEW of the big ticket items we fixed for the Public Beta: -Game crashes on certain Radeon graphics cards -Shadows and lights not rendering properly on certain Radeon graphics cards -Fixed full screen blur that was associated with dynamic lights using god rays -Fixed dynamic shadows flickering as the light cast onto perpendicular surfaces -Fixed decals flickering in maps We have a lot of work left to do, and we have decided not to give timelines so that we do not let our community down again; however in the grand scheme of Black Mesa we are VERY close, and we are super excited about delivering our version of Xen! We hope everyone has a good week, and we will have more info on our beta patch soon.


    [ 2018-04-09 18:46:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Welcome to Loot MESA!


    Loot Boxes


    Black Mesa is introducing some exciting changes to encourage player creativity with new character and weapon skins. These skins are cosmetic only and are designed to increase player choice in our game. These skins can be used in single player or online to show off each player's individual personality. Skins can be found in Black Mesa’s new loot crate supply drop system. As players play the game, they will occasionally be rewarded with a loot crate supply drop. Players can then buy key badges to gain access to a random skin within the supply drop. We spent a lot of time creating and balancing this system so that players could express their creativity, and because it was such a requested feature before we released out of Early Access. Here’s a look at some of the Season 1 skins:

    9MM Golden Gun Skin



    9MM Digital Camo Skin



    Loot Mesa Easter HEV Skins



    Last Freeman Standing ROYALE


    We have also added a new game mode, Last Freeman Standing battle royale! Players can now run, shoot, and think in an ever shrinking arena, to fight to be the last Freeman, in this fresh and exciting new game mode.
    Happy Holiday from the Black Mesa team!


    [ 2018-04-01 07:49:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Steam Sale, December Update, and Patch Notes


    Happy Holidays, and happy Steam Winter Sale everyone! Black Mesa is currently $4.99, our largest discount yet. We released an update for Black Mesa (currently on public beta) that adds real-time dynamic lights, lens flares, god rays, and a host of other features to the existing earthbound sections of the game. The goal of this update is to get the released version of the game as close to our internal build as possible. This way, the final Xen release can be closer to a simple map drop; with less potential for engine and code issues affecting players on their first time playing Xen. We are hoping to test the engine and solve all feature and performance problems before the real release, so that everyone can enjoy our definitive vision of the game without issues. As promised, here is an update on where we are at with developing the Xen chapters.
    We are striving to make sure Xen is fun, well thought-out, and cohesive. Each chapter has its own theme and artstyle, and we are developing them in parallel to ensure they are all at the same high standard of quality. Xen, in its current form, is made up of 14 maps across these final 5 chapters, with each map alone being significantly larger than the originals. We are putting our full effort into completing Xen in a timely manner so that everyone can have the complete Black Mesa experience!

    Screenshots From the Update







    Upcoming Feature


    Improved Prop Lighting While developing Xen, we realized the existing Source lighting just wasn't accurate enough. In the original Source, up to 4 lights are allowed per object and there is no self-shadowing. This works fine for small or medium sized objects, but for something like a massive, detailed rock archway, the limitations appear. In the screenshot, the vines hanging under the arch do not appear properly in shadow, and the arch looks strangely flat because only 4 light samples are being taken. Our new static lighting supports all the nearby lights in the scene, self-shadows correctly, and also works seamlessly with both our new skydome lighting and our new dynamic lights. This makes a big difference "merging" the objects with their environment. Left is the old style of prop lighting, Right is the new:

    The new lighting is much less flat overall, displays colours which are truer to the scene’s real tone, and shadows in a much more appealing and realistic manner.

    Patch Notes


    New Features


    Dynamic Lights - Full featured dynamic lights that are able to cast real time shadows, project textures, and emit volumetric light (godrays). These have been implemented across earthbound to help amp up the visual fidelity and “nextgen-ness”. Lens Flares - New entity that creates a lens flare with customizable colors, styles, and effects. These have been implemented across earthbound too; only on lights we deemed very bright or important enough to warrant a lens flare. Overhauled CSM and Godrays - Cascade Shadow Maps (CSM) have been totally rewritten and now run better than before. Godrays are completely overhauled to run smoother and operate off of a new entity that automatically gets the sun angle from the environment light. New Crossbow Scope - Crossbow scope no longer uses an in game camera to zoom in. This makes the scope easier to aim and increases performance by removing a second rendering pass. It also fixes a number of visual bugs with using the scope throughout the game. Image Based Ambient Lighting - Lighting can now be generated based off of the skybox image. This allows mappers to have significantly more accurate environmental lighting, which automatically takes into account the nuances and difference colours of the sky. This is unlike any other version of Source, where environment lighting is simply one flat colour picked by the mapper. 4 Way Texture Support - 4 way texture blends are now supported in engine, each with their own bump map, specular map, and procedural blending options. This allows for much more variety in texturing natural landscapes, as most older versions of Source only support 2 way texture blends. Color Correction - All existing earthbound maps now utilize color correction. Better Hammer Compiles - Hammer now uses current windows themes and the compiler does not block you from continuing to use Hammer; running in a separate batch window (similar to CSGO). Added Support for $treesway - Props can now move in the wind using tree sway. This creates more much more dynamic looking natural environments, with a very small performance cost. Implemented Hammer Instance Support - Hammer can now instance other VMFs to support modular level design. Improved Blood Particles - Updated and improved blood particle effects for NPCs, to not look as blocky and unrealistic. New Long Jump Mechanics - Modified long jump mechanics to be more similar to modern day games (press “jump” twice to long jump). Added a long jump recharge meter and “mana” mechanic to keep people from spamming long jump in both single and multiplayer (the long jump has a limited charge, with a medium base recharge rate, and the jumps consume this charge). Added a small “pop jump” mechanic to allow course corrects while player is mid air. Dynamic Light Implementation - Moved all existing old Source dynamic lights over to our new dynamic lights system. This should improve visuals and reduce hitching when a dynamic light is activated (such as explosions, flashlight, Xen portal, muzzle flash, etc). Doubled Source Displacement Limit - Max number of displacements allowed per map from 2048 to 4096. This allows the creation of more detailed and expansive natural outdoor environments. Fixed Hammer Shaded Textured View - No more horrendous fullbright mapping!

    Bug Fixes


    NPCs Fixed HECU not holding weapons correctly Fixed scientist ties jiggling out of control when FPS is low Fixed instances where Vort would not react to player Fixed ragdoll errors after loading a saved game Fixed rappelling HECU sometimes getting stuck in Osprey Fixed helicopter rockets getting stuck underwater Fixed grenade throw mechanics, grenades should be much easier to throw now Fixed crash from blowing up zombie HECU Fixed HECU turrets not shooting at zombie HECU Added IK (Inverse Kinematics) setup on Houndeye/Bullsquid Fixed Houndeye hitboxes, ragdoll, and gibs Added glow back to Houndeye’s blue stripes Fixed skinning on Houndeye Fixed player being able to pick up assassin’s pistol Fixed and improved Alien Controller AI and combat Fixed Agrunt hornet tracking to be more fair, making the Agunts more fun to fight Updated Vort eyes Fixed Vorts getting stuck after loading a save game Multiplayer Added HUD icon for players using voice chat in multiplayer Added hit indicators in multiplayer Fixed UI spectate bugs in multiplayer Increased crossbow zoom sensitivity in multiplayer Fixed satchel being able to be thrown through the ground Fixed TOW launchers in Crossfire breaking if you moved them too much Fix fast weapon switch getting turned off in multiplayer Fixed ent_create not respecting sv_cheats Fixed filter_damage being able to crash servers Miscellaneous Temporarily removed blood on weapons and hands, to fix the engine hitching when the effect is first applied Fixed Tau firing with limited ammo. The Tau will not longer auto fire if you do not have enough ammo for a full charge. Fixed Tau overcharge not hurting the player Fixed soundscapes not playing underwater Fixed maps crashing if there were no lights in VMF Fixed UI errors with certain translation files (Russian, Chinese) Fixed shotgun shells disappearing during reload animation Fixed missing translations in Italian closed captions Split last map of Lambda Core into two maps, for better performance Fixed VRAD to always pay attention to “Disable Vertex Lighting” in Hammer Fixed crossbow aiming too high when zoomed in Fixed various crashes and bugs when using the workshop tools

    Known Issues


    Dynamic light shadows sometimes flicker Wall decals sometimes flicker Props sometimes “pop” with different lighting values Shadows from dynamic lights sometimes flicker on surfaces tangent to light, or when light is moving very fast When using dynamic light godrays, the game is slightly blurred Player occasionally gets stuck in Inbound tram when turning corner; issue fixes itself Cameras in game are off angle Gman gibs are wrong in multiplayer Crossbow will force you to descope after firing a shot in multiplayer Thanks! -The Black Mesa Team


    [ 2017-12-24 02:18:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Bad News, Good News


    Straight to the bad news: we are pushing back the release of Xen. We are truly sorry for getting everyone's hopes up and then delaying... again. We worked very hard to make December, but we are not yet ready. As a team, we take FULL responsibility for that. We have an internal deadline we are confident in, and we will be getting everyone more details as we get closer to that date. Thank you again to our community and Early Access supporters. The funding from Early Access has allowed us to hire many new talented developers, and has allowed older developers to put more time in the project. Simply put, Xen has proven to be an enormous undertaking, and while we are managing it to the best of our ability, it is proving to take longer than we estimated. The good news is that we will be releasing a large update in December to test all of the new features that have been developed for Xen. We have changed a number of things within the Source Engine, and we want to make sure they all work on the myriad of PCs out there. By enabling the new tech on the Earthbound section of the game, we can get the engine/code fully stabilized on Steam before we drop the final chapters. In December we will also have an update on where our Xen chapters stand, show some additional media, and deploy the engine update. Here are some features that will be in the update:

    Lens Flare


    We've created a custom lens flare entity, and have added lens flares to important light sources in the game. Don’t worry, we will spare your eyes and not go overboard with our new lens flare tech. We think it adds a nice layer of polish to the Earthbound lighting and we hope to use it to really sell the alien feel of Xen... and add endless frustration to the debate about whether or not Gordon wears a helmet.

    Dynamic Lights


    We’ve shown some dynamic lights in the last update. Here are a few other sections that got the dynamic light treatment. Lights can simply cast light, cast shadows, and even cast volumetric godrays. Security Joop with Dynamic Lights and Lens Flares
    OAR Rocket Launch with Dynamic Shadows, Light Rays, and a Lens Flare

    4 Way Texture Blends


    We incorporated a 4 way texture blending system like the one seen in Counter Strike: Global Offensive, and improved upon it. Our level designers have 4 texture layers to blend, each with its own bump map and environment map (SSBM OR Normal Bump). Like other versions of the shader, level designers and artists can blend between the 4 layers procedurally using light and dark values of the diffuse textures.

    Image Based Ambient Lighting


    Lighting can now be generated from the image of the skybox texture. This gives level designers a very quick and accurate base lighting for outdoor maps. The example below has just a light_env in the scene, with no colors. All colored lighting is created automatically from the skybox image.

    CSM and Godray Performance


    We’ve improved the performance on Cascade Shadow Maps and Godrays and made them both more straightforward to implement on the Hammer side. Godrays are now placed with our newLight_Dir entity and automatically get ray angles from the light_env. Rays not only run better, but look smoother as well. Environment Light Godrays
    Rays From New Dynamic Lights

    Xen Concept Art


    Concepts as seen in PCGamer. In addition to the Xen screenshots we have released, these Interloper concepts highlight the difference in environment types we have.

    Black Mesa 60% Off


    We are also on sale until November 28th for the Steam Thanksgiving sale!

    Stay Tuned


    We will have a bunch more information next month!
    (Old SFM Test By James McVinnie)


    [ 2017-11-24 19:40:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Source Engine Security Fix


    We recently became aware of an exploit that allows remote code execution via Source multiplayer. We patched the current build of the game to protect our players. More information about it here: https://oneupsecurity.com/research/remote-code-execution-in-source-games


    [ 2017-08-08 02:48:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Summer Media Update


    Happy summer all! We hope that everyone is having a great start to their summer. To celebrate, we proudly present to you our first public screenshots of a Xen exterior. All running real-time, in- game, with no edits.
    Unfortunately, as some of you may have already predicted, we are going to need to push back our planned release of Xen to later this year, in December. We know that this is not what anyone would want to hear, but after taking a long and hard look at what we want to achieve, we have decided that this is for the best. We do not want to compromise on Xen’s quality in any way. That said, we consider December to be a do-or-die deadline. To soften the blow of the bad news, here are some additional tidbits and updates regarding what we have done for Xen so far. Example of the Level of Detail We Are Going For
    Interloper Map B Scale
    New Dynamic Light System As part of our continued efforts to bring Xen’s graphics up to the best possible standard that they can be, we have upgraded Source to a new deferred rendering system that supports fully dynamic lights! These new “next-gen” lights cast real-time light, shadows and god rays. These won’t replace all the lights in the game, but we can use them in many special cases where we want the lights to be particularly gorgeous. These lights are much better optimized than other Source implementations of dynamic lights, and are more robust.
    Not only will this new lighting system help crank parts of the the game up to 11 in terms of graphical fidelity, these will also be powerful tools for modders as well! Color Correction We’ve started a color correction pass for the whole game. The goal is to better unify the game’s visual style and to add full screen effects during the more intense sections. Most of these effects will be quite subtle, but here is a more noticeable example.
    Weapon Holds We fixed the soldiers holding the weapons wrong. It took some serious animation trickery to retarget the bones on top of the existing Half-Life 2 animation library, but it worked well once we figured it out. No more hands clipping through the guns!
    Thanks as always to you guys, our wonderful community, for your support! As always, we will continue to work at full speed on Xen, and we hope to have more updates, information and media for you guys soon.


    [ 2017-06-20 07:59:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Play with the Devs at 6PM EST (in about 30 mins or so)

    We just may have some other guest developers swing by as well. Server: Deathmatch NYC 3


    [ 2017-01-20 22:26:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen Holiday Screenshot

    Happy Holidays! The team remains, as always, hard at work on Xen! Currently our specific focus is on gameplay: crafting a fun and cohesive experience from start to finish. We want our version of Xen to feel like it really belongs with the rest of the game in terms of mechanics, cohesion and progression. But we also want to push the boundaries and explore this unique and varied setting; to build an experience that feels both fresh and familiar to players from all walks of Half-Life veterancy. While our Xen is certainly going to be gorgeous, we are first and foremost really committed to making sure that the gameplay works on every level. To give a bit of an exciting tease into what we’re doing at the moment, and as our own little holiday gift to you lot, please enjoy our first ever publicly released screenshot of Xen!
    We will have more media for the community in the coming months, as well as more detailed updates as to how we are progressing. Right now we are up against a tough deadline, but we are committed and excited to work towards it and to finally unveil the definitive Black Mesa experience for everyone to enjoy. Be kind to each other out there, and again, have a happy holiday!


    [ 2016-12-22 06:40:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Halloween Update - Hotfix Patch 1

    We have released the first hotfix patch for the Halloween Update! Enjoy! This addresses a few short term issues with the last patch.

    Patch Notes


    • Displacement collision hitching: Fixed issue with collisions on displacements on Linux builds. This meant the player would hitch when walking on terrain surfaces, and also affected Linux multiplayer servers.
    • ZECU crash: Fixed ZECU model from crashing the game/Hammer editor, due to duplicated vertices.
    • Russian subtitle selection: Fixed Russian subtitles not showing up at all when language is selected.
    • Black Mesa Publishing Tool: Publishing Tool fixed (for real real this time!). Will now launch properly and works correctly.

    Coming Soon to a Hotfix 2 Near You!


    A second hotfix patch is in the works, and we hope to have that one out relatively soon too. The next patch has these things currently planned (but not set in stone):
    • A fix for non-English characters displaying incorrectly.
    • Updating the mapsrc folder to have the latest versions of our maps (including MP maps).
    • Adding a VOIP icon to the HUD for multiplayer.


    [ 2016-11-03 20:00:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Xen Timeline

    Happy Halloween! We wanted to use the holiday and the sale to announce our rough timeline for Xen. We are currently targeting a summer 2017 release. We will keep you up to date on our progress and we plan to show off some media as we finish developing Xen to give everyone a glimpse at what we are working on. Why so Long? We can’t overemphasize how much work it was to get the game on Steam. Most of our effort before launching was put into porting to the retail engine and getting the game to work better than it did in the mod. Since release, the team has been focused on developing Xen. We even planned our updates to have features that would help improve the earthbound levels and Xen (for example CSM). We want to do Xen the justice it deserves, and have it be the definitive climax to the Half-Life 1 story. To do this we have completely redesigned and expanded the Xen levels to what we think Valve would have done without the limitations of the time. To help illustrate this, here are some comparison shots of our levels to the original Half-Life levels in Hammer. Not only are our maps substantially bigger than the originals, there are more of them as well. Comparison of HL1 and Black Mesa's first Xen Map
    Comparison of the first map of Interloper
    As always we want to thank our awesome community for supporting us in Early Access and for being as passionate as us about Half-Life. We have been working really hard on Xen and we hope you are as excited as us to see the full release of Black Mesa. We’ll have more in game media to show off in the near future! Patch We also wanted to quickly mention that we have a patch coming for our latest update. This patch fixes: -The hitching on Linux multiplayer servers and on Linux single player -Russian closed captions -UI fonts being broken for people that do not have Steam set to English -Workshop publish tool not launching -ZECU torso crashing hammer and the game Thanks! -The Black Mesa Team


    [ 2016-10-31 09:59:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Halloween Update


    Highlights!


    • Linux client beta!
    • Added the ZECU - Zombie Marines
    • Translations - Added Russian closed captions!
    • Added new security Joop model
    • Workshop publish tool is working again
    • General workshop improvements (all workshop items must now be VPKed to work)
    • VOIP works in multiplayer


    Model Changes


    • Added all new security Jeep models
    • RPG and Tau weapon viewmodels can now have blood on them
    • Fixed MP5 tracers originating from above the gun

    Programming Bugfixes


    • Fixed the ragdoll T-pose bug. There should be no more instances of ragdoll corpses standing up in the T-pose position when loading a save.
    • Re-added the cool Tau and Gluon gib effects from the mod. Now the gibs get their fizzy electric effects, as they did before!
    • Disappearing weapons bug is fixed in multiplayer. We believe we have resolved the bug related to your weapons sometimes disappearing in multiplayer when you respawn. Please report it to us again (with steps to reproduce, if possible) if you experience it.
    • Fixed voice chat in multiplayer
    • Fixed “double crouch” bug, aka “schrodinger’s crouch.” Fixed a hitbox bug related to rapid crouching that would make the player’s hitboxes always stay crouched, even while standing
    • Reduced physical scale of player viewmodels to ⅕ their original size. This has no impact on the size of the viewmodel in game (as it’s a scaled projection), but means there will be no more weird lighting bugs on the weapons, as their scale is now accurately represented. We also rescaled all the particles and associated weapon drag cvars to match the new weapon scale
    • Crossbow Bolt is now a simulated projectile with a speed of 8000 (from 2000). The old Crossbow bolt moved at the max speed allowed by the physics engine, so we switched it out for a tracer with a simulated speed. It is now far more useful as a long range sniping weapon, as intended. Cvar viewmodel_lag changed to cl_viewmodel_lag now using different scaling
    • Fixed violence_hgibs and violence_agibs options
    • Implemented SetPointsPerFrag for mp_gamerules
    • Updated engine internals to Valve upstream
    • Fixed multiple crossbow bugs
    • Fixed multiple minor crashes and bugs

    Language Updates/Fixes


    • Added Russian closed captions
    • Fixed UI not displaying translated UI prompts and chapter titles
    • Updated and fixed Finnish translation files
    • Updated and fixed German translation files

    Singleplayer Level Design


    bm_c0a0b
    • Fixed lighting on the helipad
    bm_c1a0a
    • Fixed casserole explosion particle disappearing or not showing at all
    bm_c1a1e
    • The crates during the platforming section are no longer physics objects, and are now static. This is to compensate for a physics engine bug which made jumping around here very unresponsive.
    bm_c1a4d
    • Fixed airlock steam particle not appearing
    bm_c2a2a
    • Added blocks on the tram lift platforms to stop the achievement hat from falling through them
    bm_c2a4a
    • Hopeful fix for players getting stuck in the world after reaching the top of the ladder in the crusher
    bm_c2a4f
    • Made the door at the end of the agrunt trip mine hall solid until the sequence has been triggered
    Surface Tension
    • A minor foliage and rock overhaul in a few places throughout this chapter
    bm_c2a5b
    • Added a block to stop players getting stuck behind a rock near the start of the minefield
    • Fixed a houndeye spawning under the ground near the start of the level
    • Fixed misaligned sprites next to the storm drain console
    bm_c2a5h
    • Fixed pipe explosion not killing the player

    Multiplayer Level Design


    Crossfire
    • A prop fade distance pass has been done which should result in a frame rate improvement in many areas of the of map for users
    • Fixed visible nodraw near the middle of the map
    Bounce
    • Fixed various texture issues due to CSM
    • Fixed floating props
    • Added extra details for jump pads including props and overlays
    Known Issues
    • Crossbow Zoom has weird interactions with FOV settings. This will be addressed in a later update by us overhauling how the Crossbow zoom works.
    • Crossbow aims high
    • Minor shadow errors on Linux.
    • GUI hints for VOIP are missing
    Note: This update does not contain Xen. We are working on Xen and hope to have some media to talk about soon!


    [ 2016-10-28 03:33:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Surface Tension Update - Patch 2

    Note: This update does not contain Xen! We are hard at work on Xen. This is a small stability update aimed at lower-end users.

    Programming


    • Fixed a number of potential crashing issues on low-end graphics cards.
    • Fixed an issue with the depth buffer that was causing the game to crash for some users.
    • Fixed some instances of the "Disable CSM" option not working properly.
    • CSM/depth buffer will now be disabled completely by default on low-end graphics cards that are not officially supported.
    • Fixed mat_hdr_level & mat_tonemapping_occlusion_use_stencil convars not working properly. This will hopefully help to resolve a sporadic issue for some users where the game would turn dark after a few seconds. If your game turns dark after a few seconds, try setting mat_tonemapping_occlusion_use_stencil to 1 in the console.


    [ 2016-07-12 17:14:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Play Date!

    Come play with Devs on our NYC3 DM server! Happening now!


    [ 2016-07-10 19:21:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

    60% Off Till July 4th! Only $7.99


    Hope you all enjoy the Summer Sale! If you have not yet checked out Black Mesa, now is a great time. Quick Recap of Our Features

    • 12 Hours of Intense FPS Gameplay!
    • A Complete Reimagining of the Half-Life Experience
    • 3 All New Surface Tension Levels Added last Update
    • New Dynamic CSM Shadows
    • Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch Multiplayer with 10 Maps
    Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far!


    [ 2016-06-23 19:15:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Surface Tension Update - Patch 1

    Note: This update does not contain Xen. We are working on Xen! This is a small hotfix patch to resolve some of the issues with the Surface Tension Update.

    Programming


    • CSM should now be functional and working correctly on AMD cards.
    • French and Portugese translation/captions are added and fixed in the main menu.
    • Fixed a bug where disabling CSM would cause it to set to “very low” when you next start the game.
    • Potentially fixed the “CSM ghosting” bug where a weird overlay would appear on the screen if you enabled CSM.
    • Fixed a bug where the godrays option would reset when the game is restarted.
    • cl_autoweaponswitch cvar added to disable automatic weapon switching, if needed.

    Level Design


    C2A5G (Surface Tension Uncut)
    • Fixed a bug where if you backpedal through the door that leads to the car park at the beginning of the map, it would close and could not be reopened again.
    • Fixed invulnerable AGrunt at the helipad if the player tries to save the Osprey.
    • Fixed alternate vent route Headcrabs from clipping with the player and being invisible if they the player jumps over the vent gap.
    • Fixed various conditions that allowed the player to exit via the bomb trap room and get into the TOW courtyard that way.
    • Add player clips to prevent exploitation of the map.
    C2A5H (Surface Tension Uncut)
    • Fixed a bug where the hangar Guard choreography would get broken if you went to the hangar door exit before reaching the part of the level where you actually meet the Guard.
    • Corrected hanger security door to use the correct sounds like the rest of the doors in the map.
    • Player clipped the dumpster by the jump pad to prevent the player from getting stuck.
    • Removed the fence behind the guard shack to prevent the player getting stuck.
    • Ladders on the fire escape now work in case the player decides to use the jump pad to get on them.
    • Fixed 50Cal getting tank projectiles stuck in it.
    • Add player clips to prevent exploitation of the map.

    Multiplayer


    • Fixed a bug where sv_ranked would crash servers on startup.
    • Generated loading screens for dm_crossfire, dm_rail, dm_power and dm_chopper. All official maps should now have proper loading screens at all resolutions.
    • Added some graphical detail to a few areas in dm_rail as well as a playerclipping pass to make projectiles get caught less on silly obstacles.
    • Fixed c2a5h and c2a5i showing up on the multiplayer map list.

    Miscellaneous/Notes


    • Several big community mods have been broken with the last update. If you see missing textures or any strange behaviour, those are likely the cause. On a Rail Uncut is also broken and will cause texture errors in a few places in the game, particularly On a Rail. The author is working on fixing these issues.


    [ 2016-06-05 12:03:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Surface Tension: UNCUT Now Live!


    Our latest update is now live. Check out the new an improved lighting and extended version Surface Tension!

      New Features Include:
    • Surface Tension: UNCUT
    • High definition CSM shadows
    • Faster load times
    • Improved AI
    • Official closed caption support for Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, and Spanish
    You can check out the full patch notes here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/362890/discussions/0/364041776188597284/


    [ 2016-05-15 01:37:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Upcoming Update - Cascade Shadow Maps and Surface Tension: Uncut

    Coming Soon


    Here’s a quick glimpse of what we are polishing for our next update. You’ve hopefully already seen our preview of Surface Tension: Uncut over at Lambda Generation. We are very excited to see how the community likes the uncut levels. We’ve done a ton of work since we’ve shown those screen shots, and even improved our AI for the Alien Grunts and Vortigaunts to help make this chapter be as fun and engaging as possible.

    Cascade Shadow Maps


    Our BIG announcement though, is that we have implemented Cascaded Shadow Mapping, or CSM into the Black Mesa engine. CSM brings the visual quality of the game to a whole new level. It’s hard to describe in words what CSM does to the game, so we’ve added a few screenshots below to give you a better idea. Notice the crisp shadows on the world and weapons, that originally weren’t there.




    Why work on these instead of that other thing?


    First, there were a lot of community members asking for this addition. One of our developers, Chon Kemp, added these levels into the mod version of the game, and people wanted to see it in the official version. To show we hear what the community is asking for, and as a small thanks for the people who have already bought the game we completely rebuilt the last three maps of Surface Tension based off of Half-Life (side note you can play Chon’s On A Rail: Uncut on the workshop). Second, Surface Tension did not feel complete without its later levels. The end of ST is the part where the H.E.C.U start to lose, and it sets up the events for Half-Life 2. It’s a very important part of the Half-Life story. Third, CSM was an absolute must for us to reach our vision for bringing Xen to life. We've brought CSM to you in this update as a little tiny taste of what is to come. We hope this excites you as much as it excites our team! Surface Tension: UNCUT was the perfect opportunity for us to test CSM and get it functioning on our already completed earthbound levels, as well as a number of other techniques to be used in completing Xen.

    When with this be released?


    You can expect the Surface Tension Update to launch later this month. The new update will also include a large number of bug fixes and other improvements to many parts of the game.


    [ 2016-05-06 03:58:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Midweek Madness - Black Mesa, 50% Off

    Save 50% on Black Mesa during this week's Midweek Madness*!

    *Offer ends Friday at 10AM Pacific Time


    [ 2016-01-26 18:05:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa Main Client Patch - 0.2.1

    We've released a patch to Black Mesa main client + Fixed bouncing Bolts from the crossbow in MP + Fixed a bug in the balanced spawn system + Fixed Shotgun Collision model + Fixed various spelling errors and missing .wav files in dialouges. + Fixed the Crossbows lighting origin + RPG rocket won't clip with the rocket when reloading. + Dr. Kleiners head and hands are now properly smooth (smoooooth as jazz) + Fixed blood not splattering on the MP5 + Fixed the where placing 11 satchels crashed the MP server + Crossfire Optimization increased - will run much smoother now. + Added muzzle flash dynamic light checkbox to options menu. + Added godrays enable checkbox to the options menu + Minor optimizations made to netcode. + Fixed 'FIX IT DENIZ' skin on monitor in UC. + Fixed game_round_win Entity to actually win rounds. + Polished the workshop tool. (There are still some things that need to be fixed, and will be fixed in upcoming patches). All workshop content and addons will now be read from the SteamApps/Workshop/Content/362890 folder, instead of the previously used black_mesa/addons folder. This update may corrupt and break save files. If you're experience any issues with old loads, please restart the game at the start of that chapter. You can do that by clicking "New Game" on the main menu, and picking the latest chapter you were on. Additionally, if you are experiencing issues with missing models or textures in-game, you have a legacy error with mods. If you have subscribed to any mods since launch and are experiencing these issues please do the following steps to fix the issue. 1. Unsubscribe from all Black Mesa mods 2. Go to ***SteamAppsworkshopcontent362890 (where *** is the location to where your steam games may be) 3. Delete all folders within this folder 4. Launch Black Mesa, and you should be good to go. Once you do this, you should be able to re-subscribe to any and all mods that you want. Not sure which mod to download first? Why not try On a Rail Uncut - now officially released on the Steam Workshop.​ - ːvortː (Edit: it is known that the "Workshop Addon" button does not work in the Main Menu. It will be fixed in a subsequent patch)


    [ 2016-01-25 01:54:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Crossfire Update now Live!

    See official forums for patch notes! Enjoy and Happy Holidays from the Crowbar Collective. - ːvortː


    [ 2015-12-22 03:46:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

    The December Update, Part 2!

    Welcome to December Update, Part 2. You can read Part 1 of our reveal about the December Update here. Important Point: This update WILL NOT contain Xen. We are hard at work on Xen and are preparing media to show to you guys. But there will not be a release of Xen soon and we still do not have a timeframe for it. Here are some more interesting details for what's to come in December's Content Update 2. This list is not exhaustive. The update is huge and there's going to be A LOT of stuff.

    Godrays


    Godrays (also known as Crepuscular Rays if you want to be more scientific) are the first of the new graphical features we have written with Xen in mind. We're testing them by deploying them publicly on our existing singleplayer and multiplayer maps. Very pretty, and highly customisable per level - useful for modders and level designers.


    Shell Ejection


    Marines and other players in multiplayer now eject weapon brass when firing. Seems like a small touch, but in a big firefight with multiple Marines it can actually add quite a lot to the atmosphere!

    AI Tweaks


    We've started our first round of AI tweaks. There will be more to come. One big one was tweaking the way Marines react to Alien Grunts. They used to use grenade avoidance behaviours to try and escape the Alien Grunt's Hornets, which led to some very odd behaviours in fights between them. They now no longer do that. They would also try and avoid their own grenades which led to some odd behaviour too. They don't do that anymore, either.

    Multiplayer Tweaks and Changes


    Multiplayer has seen quite a bit of love for this update, though there's plenty to come for you singleplayers too! Firstly, all of the base multiplayer code was completely rewritten from scratch. This is HUGE. MP should now be far more responsive, better performing, and less buggy/crashy.
    • Fixed prediction/lag compensation on the Crossbow. Zoomed fire should now be extremely responsive and reliable.
    • Added subtle spawn effects/sounds for weapon and player spawns.
    • Added a "walk" function.
    • Unlocked all movement related cvars to allow us to better tweak movement and feel to match HL1.
    • Removed some Taus and ammo from most maps, to better match the fact that the Tau is really, really powerful now.
    • Better colours on the scoreboard/coloured killfeed and coloured chat for better clarity.
    And many more! We may reveal more later!

    Bugfixes


    • Fixed .357 Guard being unable to fire.
    • Fixed Hivehand falling through the elevator on C2A5E.
    • Headcrabs now properly inherit momentum when shot off Zombies instead of just falling to the ground.
    • Crossbow's lowered sensitivity when zoomed in now works properly. No more weird feeling.
    And many more! We may reveal more later here too!

    Crossfire, and a Singleplayer Update


    Next part, we will talk about the main MP focus of the update: Crossfire! That's right, Crossfire is coming in the December Update, better than ever! And we also have a Singleplayer Update lined up for Content Update 2, which we suspect a lot of you have been anticipating and excited for (reiteration: it is NOT Xen!)
    Work in Progress. Map is still being polished! Join us soon for the next part!


    [ 2015-11-23 11:49:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

    The December Update!

    You may have previously seen the Crossbow Update which we posted on our forums. We figure it's time to give you a bit more than that, as we've been quiet for a while on the communication front. We are very hard at work on the massive Content Update 2 (note: the update will not contain Xen, it's not ready yet) which we are going to release as a big update in December. We originally had two patches planned, but we decided to merge them together into a big one! We historically have been all about surprise updates, but now we want to be more open to show people that we are making progress, and to hopefully build some excitement for the December update. So throughout this month we will be posting previews of the coming features. You will be able to find these regularly on the Steam forums and on our public forums, though we will post major snippets here too. What you are about to see is just a very small taste of what's to come!

    New Crossbow Model


    CU2 will feature 3 new weapon models. The Crossbow, the Shotgun, and the Gluon. All are completely new models/textures. The Crossbow has also been completely reanimated. Here you can see the new Crossbow model in action:

    Weapon Drag


    We have added weapon drag. It's a seemingly small feature, but it adds a lot to the immersion. You can set how much sway you have as an option. So you can blow it out if you love it, or turn it to zero if you hate it. There also is an editable amount of weapon bob when you walk.

    New Gluon Model


    We made a new Egon model. It is very similar to the last one, but more polished and without the deleted back faces.

    G-Man Arms


    We created some Gman arms, so when you select him in MP, the arms are accurate. He also no longer explodes into HEV gibs!

    Some Bug Fixes!


    • Fixed Steam Cloud
    • Flashlight is now brighter and has a wider radius!
    • Fixed satchel detonation to be faster and not switch mouse buttons on last satchel
    • Fixed the MP5 grenade spawning from then center of the screen when fired
    • Score persist on leaving and rejoining a MP match
    Remember, this is a very small sample of what's to come. Stay tuned for further information about the December update. It's going to be awesome!


    [ 2015-11-05 11:38:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Patch: 0.1.1

    Hello Scientists! Today we introduce a small patch that resolves some of the recently reported issues. Please find the patch notes below: Patch Notes: * Fixed wrong texture being displayed on _mp glock. * Fixed glock idle animation pop. * Replaced $basealphaenvmapmask with $normalmapalphaenvmapmask. * Removed autoaim settings from options. * Fixed zombie hands in singleplayer. * Fixed chargers not working with some savegames. * Disabled autorun by default. * added Single Player Source files in bms/mapsrc. * added bm_mp_environments.vmf in bms/mapsrc. ... we're not joking. Thats all the .vmf's for Black Mesa Single Player. Enjoy :)


    [ 2015-07-25 02:44:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Fix for Issues with Latest Patch (Content Update 0.1.0)

    We just released our first major content update for Black Mesa. You can read the details here! If you are having strange issues with the latest content update, it is most likely to do with using old save games from before the update. It appears the issues do not happen if you start a new game. If you are experiencing weird bugs (such as having zombie hands in SP, health chargers not working, sprint being stuck always on), try starting a new game from whatever chapter you were on. You will lose your progress in the chapter, but the bugs will be resolved. You may still find sprint is stuck permanently on. If that is the case, you just need to untick "always run" in the Black Mesa tab of the options menu. We apologise for the inconvenience, but the way Source handles saves with updates is unfortunately something we have very little control over. Thanks for playing, we hope that aside form this minor blip that you guys love the patch!


    [ 2015-06-16 08:46:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Content Update 0.1.0

    Happy summer everyone! We are very excited to introduce our first content update to you, 0.1.0. This update contains new features, a new deathmatch map, and bug fixes that will enhance your experience with our product. Please find the changelist below:

    UPDATE HIGHLIGHTS


    New map dm_stack!
    -Added G-Man as a playable multiplayer character. -Added first person zombie hands model for zombie scientists -Added first person zombie hands model for zombie guards -Added first person guard hands model

    DETAILED UPDATES


    SINGLE PLAYER CHANGES


    General
    • Fixed some music tracks not being affected by the music volume slider in the audio options (Office Complex, Blast Pit, Surface Tension & Lambda Core)
    Unforeseen Consequences Map A (bm_c1a1a)
    • Fixed blocking the crashing elevator with physics objects.
    Map C (bm_c1a1c)
    • Fixed z-fighting pipe model.
    Map E (bm_c1a1e)
    • Fixed canal bullsquid scene triggering late if the player took the lower pathway.
    Office Complex Map A (bm_c1a2a)
    • Fixed various prop shadows.
    Blast Pit Map D (bm_c1a4d)
    • Fixed player getting pushed under the lift and out of the map when falling.
    Apprehension Map B (bm_c2a3b)
    • Made freezer entrance scientist a non-critical npc once the door has been opened to prevent a save loop if killed by the player after entering the freezer.
    Map C (bm_c2a3c)
    • Removed glock that was left in accidentally for testing purposes.
    Residue Processing Map A (bm_c2a4a)
    • Various miscellaneous console error fixes.
    • Fixed Barney being unresponsive if the player saves him from death.
    Map B (bm_c2a4b)
    • Various miscellaneous console error fixes.
    Map C (bm_c2a4aC)
    • Various miscellaneous console error fixes.
    Questionable Ethics Map E (bm_c2a4e)
    • Fixed broken soundscape.
    Map F (bm_c2a4f)
    • Various miscellaneous console error fixes.
    Map G (bm_c2a4eg)
    • Various miscellaneous console error fixes.
    • Fixed several broken overlays.
    Map H (bm_c2a4h)
    • Fixed car model having the incorrect orientation.
    • Fixed some brushwork that had been moved accidentally.
    Surface Tension Map G (bm_c2a5g)
    • Added in bounce jump pad decal.
    • Fixed floating pipes near the water tower.
    • Fixed floating debris from destroyed wall.
    Forget About Freeman Map A (bm_c3a1a)
    • Added in bounce jump pad decal.
    • Fixed a visible nodraw area near water.
    Lambda Core Map H (bm_c3a2h)
    • Fixed an issue with the sounds at the end of the final teleporter sequence, where you sometimes would not hear the scientist telling you to “jump now!”. You should be able to hear him all the time now.

    MULTIPLAYER CHANGES


    dm_stack!
    • Added dm_stack! dm_stack is a brand new, outdoor, fun map designed for smaller player counts.
    dm_gasworks
    • Adjusted weapon placements in quite a few places:
      • Gluon Gun has been moved slightly (though is still on the same tower), to a position up high. It is now perched on top of a pipe on the same tower, and can now only be reached by hopping up to it from the railings, so requires 2 (simple) jumps.
      • Both uranium packs removed from Gluon spawn.
      • Removed one uranium pack from the hole Tau Cannon spawn.
      • One of the batteries on the tower bridge replaced with a uranium pack.
      • Added a clip of Crossbow ammunition on the red tower.
      • Removed a clip of Crossbow ammunition from the middle building.
      • Added 2 frag grenades in the top middle shack on the surface.
      • Replaced the MP5 by the forklift with a Shotgun with one ammo pack.
      • Adjusted the positioning of the RPG Fort’s pickup so the RPG no longer appears to be floating.
      • Removed both batteries from the ibeam on top of the elevator shaft. Removed one uranium pack from there too.
      • Added 2 frag grenades by the planks in the control room (which form a ramp to drop out the control room window).
      • Removed one ammo pickup from the Shotgun on the upper catwalks in the underground cavern.
      • Added a second MP5 grenade to the MP5 pickup on the underground tower.
    • Tweaked lighting and player direction in a few areas:
      • In the underwater swimming routes (01 and 02), added caution stripes surrounding the entrances to make them much more obvious to players.
      • Brightened up the lighting surrounding the swimming routes to make them stand out more.
      • Added a large spotlight shining onto swimming route 02, to make it stand out better as a major route.
      • In the underwater part of the elevator shaft, added a fill light so the underwater section is no longer dark.
      • Added a red light at the base of the elevator ladder, to make the route more apparent.
      • Significantly brightened up the light from the elevator shaft teleporter, to make that part more obvious at a first glance.
      • Next to the conveyor drop down, turned on a light next to the double doorway, to make that major route area less dark from outside, and improve player visibility.
    dm_subtransit
    • Reverted the tram back to the original 1-car style. The DREADNAUGHT is no longer ingame, we felt that while it was fun, it was too buggy to be reliable or useful.

    MODEL CHANGES


    • Added first person zombie hands model for zombie scientists
    • Added first person zombie hands model for zombie guards
    • Added first person guard hands model
    • Updated first person scientist hands
    • Added G-Man as a playable multiplayer character.
    • You can now get blood on the MP5.

    PROGRAMMING CHANGES


    • Fixed the ragdoll bug where occasionally the Vortigaunts/Marines corpses would spawn in a T-pose/be behaving extremely oddly after loading a save game or level transition.
    • Adjusted RPG reloading mechanics to be more in line with HL1. Now, if you fire your RPG with the laser on, you cannot reload it until the rocket has detonated. If you fire with the laser off, and press reload, you are able to reload it even while the rocket is still in the air.
    • Adjusted Shotgun reload so you can interrupt the reload properly by firing, and it will fire instantly, instead of waiting for the current shell to be loaded first.
    • Tau Cannon adjustments:
      • Tau Cannon full charge time in MP is reduced from 1.5 seconds to 1.25 seconds, to better match the original Half-Life.
      • Tau Cannon full charge ammo usage reduced from 12 uranium to 10 uranium, to better match the original Half-Life.
      • Tau Cannon jump velocity reduced from 1100 to 850, to bring it closer to HL1 and to make it a bit less ridiculous and easier to control.
      • Tau Cannon hitreg fix - fixed a bug in the Tau Cannon’s hit registration that was making it register unreliably.
      • Tau overcharge volume reduced from SNDLVL_100dB to SNDLVL_norm.
    • Crossbow adjustments:
      • Zooming in with the Crossbow is now instant in MP. Welcome back, quickbow!
      • The Crossbow’s zoomed shot is now properly lag compensated, so should now register more reliably.
    • Voice chat is now enabled in MP and is bindable via the options menu!

    Reminder:


    Please be sure to restart your Steam client and download the latest update. Running a dedicated server? Please be sure to run an update to bring your build up to date. Players running on the new client version will not be able to connect to out of date servers. As always, be sure to report any issues you find in our discussion forums and thank you again for the support. :bms_crowbar:


    [ 2015-06-15 23:44:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Hotfix 0.0.2.2

    This hotfix contains a critical fix that affects dedicated servers. Please find the changelist below:

    Changelog:


    • Resolved a fault preventing "steamclient.so" from executing which prevents the Linux dedicated server build from being public.

    Reminder:


    Please be sure to restart your Steam client and download the latest update. Running a dedicated server? Please be sure to run an update to bring your build up to date. Players running on the new client version will not be able to connect to out of date servers. As always, be sure to report any issues you find in our discussion forums and thank you again for the support. ːbms_headcrabː


    [ 2015-05-19 20:31:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Hotfix 0.0.2.1

    This hotfix contains a critical fix that affects dedicated servers. Please find the changelist below:

    Changelog:


    • Resolved an interface issue in "engine_srv.so" that prevents the Linux dedicated server build from launching.

    Reminder:


    Please be sure to restart your Steam client and download the latest update. Running a dedicated server? Please be sure to run an update to bring your build up to date. Players running on the new client version will not be able to connect to out of date servers. As always, be sure to report any issues you find in our discussion forums and thank you again for the support. ːbms_headcrabː


    [ 2015-05-19 03:18:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Patch 0.0.2

    The new patch is released! Introducing Black Mesa 0.0.2. This is a much larger patch than the last one. We hope that this patch has resolved most of the serious performance issues and stuttering in multiplayer. Please find the full changelist below:

    PROGRAMMING CHANGES


    • Performance fixes: Dynamic lights removed from muzzle flashes and explosions. These were causing stuttering and performance issues in MP, which should now be fixed. Dynamic light options removed from menu as they no longer do anything.
    • Loading screens: Our flashy loading screen system now works properly for MP on secured servers (the majority of servers). Previously they only worked on unsecured and listen servers. Also made some updates to the loading screens' appearance to make them a bit nicer.
    • Spawn system: Fixed all players penetrating each other to death over a single spawn point during round resets.
    • Chat box exploit: Fixed a recently discovered bug which affects all Source games and allows players to execute commands on all players using the chat box, potentially crashing the server.
    • Tripmine hitbox: Doubled the size of the Tripmine hitbox to make it easier to shoot.

    BALANCE CHANGES


    WEAPON TWEAKS Crowbar
    • Crowbar range reduced from 76 to 40.
    • Crowbar force reduced from 20 to 13.
    • Crowbar attack speed on hit (singleplayer) reduced from 0.2 to 0.25 (is now 4 hits per second instead of 5 - is now the same as 2012 mod release).
    • Fixed weird recoil issue where if hitting the same spot repeatedly, the player's view would drift to the right.
    Glock
    • Glock singleplayer damage reduced from 9 to 8 (to maintain 9mm parity with MP5).
    MP5
    • MP5 spread (cone of fire) increased from 1 1 0 to 1.75 1.75 0.
    • MP5 horizontal recoil increased by factor of 1.75.
    • MP5 singleplayer damage reduced from 9 to 8.
    Shotgun
    • Shotgun singleplayer damage per shot increased from 6 (48 total) to 7 (56 total).
    • NPC Shotgun damage increased from 15 to 20.
    DIFFICULTY TWEAKS
    • Enemy damage multiplier for hard difficulty increased from 1.5 to 1.75. Hard difficulty just got harder!
    ENEMY TWEAKS Alien Grunt
    • Agrunt health increased from 96 to 120.
    • Agrunt Hivehand minimum range decreased from 256 to 128 (they are more inclined to use their Hivehand in close range, now).
    • Agrunt Hivehand max range increased from 2048 to 4096 (they are more inclined to use their Hivehand at long range, now).
    • Agrunt Hivehand usage increased and strengthened significantly:
      • Hivehand minimum burst size (minimum random number of bees fired per burst) increased from 3 to 5.
      • Hivehand maximum burst size (maximum random number of bees fired per burst) increased from 5 to 8.
      • Hivehand minimum rest interval (minimum random time between bursts) decreased from 2 to 1.
      • Hivehand maximum rest interval (maximum random time between bursts) decreased from 6 to 3.
    Alien Slave
    • Aslave health increased from 60 to 70.
    • Aslave zap damage increased from 20 to 30.
    • Aslave zap cone increased from 0.6 (roughly 50 degrees) to -0.70710677928 (135 degrees). They are now significantly more accurate when firing at you now.
    Apache
    • Apache rest time (rest time between bursts) increased from 2 to 3.
    • Apache charge time (how long it takes to charge a burst) increased from 2 to 3.
    • Apache max burst count (maximum random number of shots fired per burst) decreased from 40 to 30.
    • Apache min burst count (minimum random number of shots fired per burst) decreased from 30 to 20.
    • Apache burst hit max (how many times maximum he will hit you before he stops his burst) decreased from 5 to 4.
    Assassins
    • Assassin damage bug fixed. Damage is now 5 (used to be 12!)
    Ichtyosaur
    • Ichtyosaur health increased from 260 to 310.
    LAV
    • LAV damage increased from 5 to 8.
    Marines/Human Grunt
    • All Hgrunt healths increased by 10.
      • Commanders: Health from 60 to 70.
      • Grenadiers: Health from 50 to 60.
      • Grunts: Health from 50 to 60.
      • Medics: Health from 40 to 50.
    • The amount a medic can heal a fellow marine was increased from 25 to 30.
    • Increased Marine accuracy very slightly by reducing their spread from 6 6 0 to 5 5 0.

    MAP CHANGES


    SINGLEPLAYER TWEAKS

    MULTIPLAYER TWEAKS


    • Weapon canisters dropped by players now use their HL1 behaviour - they drop the weapon + ammo that the player was using when they died. Previously they just gave you all the ammo the dead player was carrying.
    • Respawn time for all suit battery pickups increased from 15 to 30.
    • Respawn time for all chargers (health and suit) increased from 15 to 30.
    • Capacity of suit chargers reduced from 75 to 50.
    • Many changes have been made to the multiplayer maps. See full changelog for more details.

    MODEL CHANGES


    • Changed the world models for the RPG and Tau to reflect their new viewmodels.
    • Updated the Hummvee to use proper specular and normal maps. Fixed lighting errors on it and improved its look significantly.
    • Fixed bad collision on some M35 (truck) variants, where players would get stuck inside them.
    • Updated the blast door model used in Surface Tension.
    • Fixed some of the pipe corner props so they are properly made of metal, insead of plastic.
    • Fixed the model properties on the Lambda Door to make it metal instead of plastic.
    • New models for the MP5 grenade and RPG ammo. Both should be more visible and unique looking now.

    SDK CHANGES


    • Updated the modelviewer images for the new weapons (the old ones were extremely out of date).

    Reminder:


    Please be sure to restart your Steam client and download the latest update. Running a dedicated server? Please be sure to run an update to bring your build up to date. Players running on the new client version will not be able to connect to out of date servers. As always, be sure to report any issues you find in our discussion forums and thank you again for the support. ːbms_crowbarː


    [ 2015-05-19 01:48:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Black Mesa
    Crowbar Collective Developer
    Crowbar Collective Publisher
    2020-03-06 Release
    Game News Posts: 170
    🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse
    🕹️ Partial Controller Support
    Overwhelmingly Positive (109206 reviews)
    The Game includes VR Support
    Public Linux Depots:
    • Black Mesa Linux [131.05 M]
    Relive Half-Life in this highly acclaimed, fan-made recreation.

    Main Info
    Black Mesa is the award winning fan-made re-imagining of Gordon Freeman's landmark journey through the Black Mesa Research Facility. Relive Half-Life, Valve Software's revolutionary debut, and experience the game that raised the bar for the entire game industry all over again!

    Key Features
    Nostalgia has never felt so fresh - Expect tremendously detailed environments, old-school tough-as-nails combat, and a gripping story with memorable characters. The all-new soundtrack, voice acting, choreography and dialogue create a more expansive and immersive experience than ever before!

    Heavily updated single player experience - The over 10 hour single player experience has greatly improved from the mod release; new visuals, new voice over, updated gameplay encounters, stability changes and more. Xen is not part of the Early Access release, but will included as a free update when it is ready.

    Black Mesa Multiplayer - Fight with or against your friends, in two game modes across 10 iconic maps from the Half-Life universe including Bounce, Gasworks, Stalkyard, Undertow and Crossfire!

    Custom Modding Tools & Workshop - Use the same tools as the developers! Create your own mods, modes and maps for Black Mesa and Black Mesa Multiplayer and then share your work, and subscribe to others, on the Steam Workshop!

    Complete Steam Integration - Collect the full set of trading cards, backgrounds, emoticons, and achievements! Steam Cloud, Steam Workshop and partial controller support!

    Run. Think. Shoot. Source..

    MINIMAL SETUP
    • OS: Ubuntu 14.0 or Greater
    • Processor: 2.6 Dual Core Processor or GreaterMemory: 4 GB RAM
    • Memory: 4 GB RAM
    • Graphics: 2 GB Dedicated Video Card or GreaterNetwork: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 20 GB available spaceAdditional Notes: Does not support the Nouveau display driver
    RECOMMENDED SETUP
    • OS: Ubuntu 14.0 or Greater
    • Processor: 3.2 Quad Core Processor or GreaterMemory: 6 GB RAM
    • Memory: 6 GB RAM
    • Graphics: 3 GB Dedicated Video Card or GreaterNetwork: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 20 GB available spaceAdditional Notes: Does not support the Nouveau display driver
    GAMEBILLET

    [ 6085 ]

    8.25$ (17%)
    2.59$ (74%)
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    16.00$ (60%)
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    GAMERSGATE

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    10.79$ (46%)
    1.5$ (90%)
    12.59$ (37%)
    1.0$ (90%)
    4.95$ (67%)
    12.0$ (60%)
    1.1$ (89%)
    9.74$ (35%)
    0.9$ (92%)
    2.0$ (80%)
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    0.87$ (71%)
    4.25$ (79%)
    5.0$ (50%)
    2.25$ (89%)
    5.0$ (50%)
    8.0$ (80%)
    3.0$ (85%)

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