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Black Mesa: Source (Aug 15, 2005)

Another busy week...

I must admit being very excited about Black Mesa: Source. Not simply because it's reviving a game I have incredible respect for, but because it's an enormously large, noble and challenging effort. So when I see a picture like this:

...I get very excited. RabidMonkey, I salute you.

However, this single screenshot is much more than that, and level designers should take note of how it has evolved from the original version. Granted, it's clearly still in development, and this is only a single shot, but it's worth examining some of the cool features.

My personal highlight of the shot are the long shadows on the facing side of the dam, which just look exceedingly cool. However, the four posts at the top strike me as a particularly interesting (if apparently minor) technique to disrupt views from one end of the dam to the other. If it were a CS map, those posts would play a very important role for across-dam battles.

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user comments

Tom at 11:53 on Aug 15, 2005

It does look great. I wonder if it'll be as amazingly bastard hard as the HL1 version.

Graham at 14:56 on Aug 15, 2005

This is also my favourite shot of the mod. Saw it in the recent issue of PCG and was, like, "Woah, when did this mod start looking good?".

Couple of the other screens still look a bit naff though.

dave at 16:56 on Aug 15, 2005

Graham: yeah, the other shots are what keep me from being *very* excited. Not quite enough imagination and inventiveness in them as there needs to be if the conversion is to be worthwhile...

Mathew at 17:12 on Aug 15, 2005

Dave, I have a question. I recently got into mapping after I visited Valve a few months ago, and right now I'm working on my first real map, testmaps aside. It's a CS map set in a city, and I'm wondering what should put in in or around the streets to disrupt views, sort of like the posts on the dam.

I have to agree with you though, the dam shot is probably the best thing BM:S has released so far.

dave at 18:22 on Aug 15, 2005

Mathew: you got to visit Valve? Whoa, nice one!

As for the city, well, cities come in many shapes and sizes, and styles. It really depends what sort of city you're going for as to how you can control gameplay. Obviously, creating a whole city would be impossible, but even creating a New York street would be a challenge because of the large view range and vastness of the place...

Mathew at 21:23 on Aug 15, 2005

I got the rip because I live right next to Bellevue, where Valve is located. That and one of their programmers sort of invited me in a chatroom that was set up for the HL2CTF match between Valve and the community. Anyways, I'm actually basing the city off of Bellevue, and one of the bombsites will be made to look like the building Valve is located in, as an injoke. I'll put the obvious things like lampposts, fire hydrants and powerlines in, but my sidewalks are really thin. I think I can get away with it though since most people will probably run around on the streets anyways.

Oh, one question. I'm trying to save on brushwork by using overlays. My first test is by using it for a door you can't open. The only problem is, in the test map I made the overlay is all black, and you can only see what it lookms like if you shine some light on it. Do light entities need to be in maps for the overlays to work?

Mathew at 21:24 on Aug 15, 2005

Arrg, I hate typos. Rip should be trip.

dave at 21:34 on Aug 15, 2005

Mathew: not sure why the overlay doesn't work, you might want to try the VDC or VERC forums.

As for streets, maybe a bus or truck or something could help break up the area a little, some sort of vehicle? That's the problem with streets - they're long, usually flat and straight.

Mathew at 22:26 on Aug 15, 2005

A truck would work. One of the buildings by the CT spawn will be a parking garage for the the two high-rises that will be the bombsites. A tipped over truck would work near that area. The garage will probably be sniper heaven.

I'll try to get an exact layour set up. This was just a little test with the cs_assault materials that bloomed into a map.

pyropowered at 02:50 on Aug 22, 2005

overlays sometimes dont work if the ambient light is off. Cubemaps may also be a problem. you can try resizing the overlay and see if that brings any results.

skinner at 13:27 on Aug 23, 2005

dave - is that gayvatar thing of you and bruce??

Kalashnikov at 01:35 on Aug 25, 2005

"Woah, when did this mod start looking good?".

Thats a rather offensive statement sir, however everyone is entitled to their own opinions. It is something to see that there still are some people unappreciative of the respect that many of the Black Mesa: Source developers have for Valve's original work.

I understand that not everything is amazing, but as many people see it: it is the largest and most momumental undertaking ever by a third-party modification team. We cannot give you advanced architecture that makes some mods look good: because this is a cold-war facility, and a lot of time is taken to continue that feeling throughout the facility. The majority of mod teams out there can design in worlds that differ GREATLY from that of the real world, but with Black Mesa: Source we strive to create believable and actually logitisical environments that not only look cool, but make sense. As said before, many modifications can do extensively curved areas, include random out-jettings from walls, et cetera: but does the area make sense and it is functional?

I have great respect for many developers and their respective mods, and only a handful of them have a shadow of their predecessor to live in: Fortress Forever being one of them. We, also, have to live in the shadow of Half-Life 1's and strive to redevelop the game, while keeping it intact and fun. We respect comments, but constructive criticism makes our job much easier: because it lets us KNOW what doesn't make the mod look good.

We design levels that work, not only ones that look cool.

RabidMonkey at 00:04 on Aug 26, 2005

Ooh, a mention at DaveJ's blog!

I'm quite honored, glad you like it =]

Anonymous Idiot at 00:27 on Aug 29, 2005

Glad to see your still around Dave, hope uni is still treating you well (unless you've graduated already!).

Not seen you since your HLRally mapping :)

Cheers for the post on our mod, much appreciated to hear something like this from yourself

PCPro32 at 01:07 on Aug 29, 2005

RabidMonkey: And you deserve it. The amount of work to get the curve of the dam so smooth and angled must have taken ages. many would have had a more half-assed approach to it.

also,
Mathew: I think some scafolding might help to brake it up a little too. It could also provide a sniper point. As long as its not too well covered/advantage giving.
Also, a bus stop could help break up up the street, and add some cover against enemy fire.