Black Mesa Source V5 - "They're still working on Xen?"
5,007 replies, posted
[QUOTE=TextFAMGUY1;46884643]It could mean any number of things, but not Xen. Xen is still a ways off![/QUOTE]
I'm assuming we're getting closer to the Steam release, with Xen releasing sometime down the road
Seems kind of weird to spend all this time going back and updating models and stuff when it's all functional and reasonably high quality, despite the climax not actually being in the game. Why didn't they start with Xen, then go back and touch up the stuff already there? I feel like the game is missing a lot more from not including Xen than it would from not including animation updates and some AI improvements.
good question, why are they upgrading the models before even putting in Xen?
[editline]10th January 2015[/editline]
and honestly don't tell me they will try to get retail released without Xen, nobody will buy it when it doesn't have Xen.
[QUOTE=Pigbear;46896866]good question, why are they upgrading the models before even putting in Xen?
[editline]10th January 2015[/editline]
and honestly don't tell me they will try to get retail released without Xen, nobody will buy it when it doesn't have Xen.[/QUOTE]
I'm not quite following your logic.
Are you asking the artist to make assets for areas that don't exist yet?
they make both at the same time
[QUOTE=Pigbear;46897025]they make both at the same time[/QUOTE]
We're talking about a small mod team here, not a triple a game company with tons of money and labor to spare.
Honestly I'd prefer the retail game to be a fixed version of what we already have, and if that means we won't have Xen for a while then that's perfectly fine to me.
Stuff they show ≠ stuff they work on
[QUOTE=OlegFreeman;46900122]Stuff they show ≠ stuff they work on[/QUOTE]
How can they show things they didn't work on?
But I really don't mind how the team spends thei development time (nor do I have the right to say), I just want to see a quality product.
*one man is posting pictures of new models*
"why isn't this xen?"
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;46900365]*one man is posting pictures of new models*
"why isn't this xen?"[/QUOTE]
"cuz they didn't even start working on it obviously"
they're allowed to legally sell it without xen but they are not allowed to legally sell it with unlicenced assets from former team members. hope this helps
[QUOTE=Juniez;46900431]they're allowed to legally sell it without xen but they are not allowed to legally sell it with unlicenced assets from former team members. hope this helps[/QUOTE]
That makes sense.
Brian just posted this new prop image in the bm forums.
[t]https://i.imgur.com/GJu86Hi.jpg[/t]
[URL="http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=593492&postcount=37"]http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=593492&postcount=37[/URL]
There is a new Community project
[url]http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showthread.php?p=593471[/url]
They want us to come up with codenames/slang for the HECU to call the various Aliens.
There's no way to get something like "cl_mdldetailfx_enable" working in HL2, is there?
[QUOTE=EksCelle;46897947]We're talking about a small mod team here, not a triple a game company with tons of money and labor to spare.
Honestly I'd prefer the retail game to be a fixed version of what we already have, and if that means we won't have Xen for a while then that's perfectly fine to me.[/QUOTE]
It makes it seem like they don't think Xen is that important if they'd release the game without it like they did with the mod. I'd rather have them finish the game fully instead of releasing an unfinished game for the second time, it would be better to have a fully complete game to play through the first time rather than have to wait even longer just to complete the game. It was sort of understandable with the mod as it took so long for that to be released and it seemed some people were giving up hope of it ever releasing (although i don't think that should have mattered really, it was a free mod so it wasn't like people wouldn't play it when it was eventually released), but they're planning on releasing a game that costs money but doesn't have an ending. It's been two years since the mod released without Xen and the game still isn't finished.
[QUOTE=Juniez;46865800]if they were going for fully iconic real life counter parts then they should have used the provided canon irl-weapons in the half life HD pack but no apparently that is going too far[/QUOTE]
I think the idle animations were what made me enjoy Half-Life. Don't know why.
also weapon feel please tell me they fixed the MP5 and the pistol from being fucking terrible
[QUOTE=Tuskin;46902030]There is a new Community project
[url]http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showthread.php?p=593471[/url]
They want us to come up with codenames/slang for the HECU to call the various Aliens.[/QUOTE]
Putting my slice to the table, I'm hoping that one of the finalized nicknames for the Headcrab Zombies is "Mawmen".
Also hoping that they keep the current scientist dialogue for the retail version. Unless it's buggy or out of place, it doesn't deserve a cut and could easily have revamped VA.
I think this is still a pretty fantastic contrast to the amount communication we were getting per-release. I mean, we weren't seeing ANYTHING, we hardly had any amount of assurance it was still being developed. Now, the major complaint is that we're seeing too much of the wrong thing -- but I'm still happy to hear anything from them.
Related but slightly off note, I hope they add more sequences In which you hear the hecu talking over the radio. Not necessarily like that scene in on a rail, but more so like in the beginning of forget about freeman. It would be cool to see how the conversation evolves as the game progresses, as they make up names for the aliens and begin to find out who freeman is. Maybe they can even have a scene where they address freeman directly, similar to how dr.breen talks to freeman in the citadel. It wouldn't take too much effort but will add a whole lot of immersion to the game. Just an Idea though.
One thing that really bugged me was the snacks in Black Mesa.
Don't get me wrong, I fucking love the idea of the whole copyright parodies they had going with Cola Bola and Alpine Hue and all that, and a lot of the spoof candies they have are great, but it feels like aside from Mountain Dew and Coca Cola, they only parody things that are popular in the UK. Like I'd never even heard of Quavers, Mr. Porky, or Walkers, and I'd understand if the game were set in the UK, but it's set in New Mexico. Seeings how pretty much all the NPC's in the game sound American, why not make all the foods American spoofs?
Sars Bars and tittles are steps in the right direction, but I think it'd really make it a lot more enjoyable whenever you find clutter somewhere to see a package of r&r's or a Deeses' package or something along those lines.
I realize it's borderline nitpicky, but it really does bug me that I didn't recognize like half the brands they were spoofing, and the other half were blurry as hell due to sharing a 512x512 texture with all the other snacks.
[QUOTE=Old Hermit;46906983]One thing that really bugged me was the snacks in Black Mesa.
Don't get me wrong, I fucking love the idea of the whole copyright parodies they had going with Cola Bola and Alpine Hue and all that, and a lot of the spoof candies they have are great, but it feels like aside from Mountain Dew and Coca Cola, they only parody things that are popular in the UK. Like I'd never even heard of Quavers, Mr. Porky, or Walkers, and I'd understand if the game were set in the UK, but it's set in New Mexico. Seeings how pretty much all the NPC's in the game sound American, why not make all the foods American spoofs?
Sars Bars and tittles are steps in the right direction, but I think it'd really make it a lot more enjoyable whenever you find clutter somewhere to see a package of r&r's or a Deeses' package or something along those lines.
I realize it's borderline nitpicky, but it really does bug me that I didn't recognize like half the brands they were spoofing, and the other half were blurry as hell due to sharing a 512x512 texture with all the other snacks.[/QUOTE]
walkers are lays
[QUOTE=Theuaredead;46907254]walkers are lays[/QUOTE]
No, I get that, but the problem is all the variations of it they use are all the British kinds, from what I can tell. We don't have Lay's French Fries or Quavers.
Even then, the name Rambler's is a pun off Walker's, as to walk and ramble mean basically the same thing. It just sorta irks me that only three or four of the fake brands I've seen in-game really immediately pop out as an obvious joke of a brand I knew beforehand.
Another day, another Brian's new prop images folks. Enjoy. ;)
[t]https://i.imgur.com/dvfPCYl.jpg[/t]
[URL="http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=593529&postcount=43"]http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=593529&postcount=43[/URL]
[t]https://i.imgur.com/WrhTgoB.jpg[/t]
[URL="http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=593532&postcount=44"]http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=593532&postcount=44[/URL]
edit: And also, this one as well.
[QUOTE=bkdale86]Big AM pic. 3rd console on the end has yet to receive the redo.[/QUOTE]
[t]https://i.imgur.com/OTDfTx2.jpg[/t]
[URL="http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=593535&postcount=45"]http://forums.blackmesasource.com/showpost.php?p=593535&postcount=45[/URL]
[QUOTE=Juniez;46900431]they're allowed to legally sell it without xen but they are not allowed to legally sell it with unlicenced assets from former team members. hope this helps[/QUOTE]
This man hit the nail right on the head. Would we really be redoing models for no reason instead of working on something important? Why would we do that when we have such little time and resources in the first place? You're seeing the work of one single modeller on a team of 40 people. It's not everything we're working on! Brian only ever posts his own work.
[QUOTE=nightlord;46903966]It makes it seem like they don't think Xen is that important if they'd release the game without it like they did with the mod. I'd rather have them finish the game fully instead of releasing an unfinished game for the second time, it would be better to have a fully complete game to play through the first time rather than have to wait even longer just to complete the game. It was sort of understandable with the mod as it took so long for that to be released and it seemed some people were giving up hope of it ever releasing (although i don't think that should have mattered really, it was a free mod so it wasn't like people wouldn't play it when it was eventually released), but they're planning on releasing a game that costs money but doesn't have an ending. It's been two years since the mod released without Xen and the game still isn't finished.[/QUOTE]
In order for us to release with Xen, we would have to keep you waiting for even longer, without anything to hold you over, and with relatively little communication as we plan to keep Xen mostly under wraps until release. We thought an updated and improved SP with a polished, constantly updated (for free) MP component would make people happier than waiting for ages for Xen, with no word in between. We appreciate that it might not be what everyone wants, and that a lot of people are eagerly awaiting Xen, but we think it is the most sensible option both for ourselves and our fans. It will be added in a (and I stress again!) FREE update later down the road. Plus, having some financial support while working on Xen would be extremely nice for a lot of team members, who are honest, hardworking people. There's A LOT that we're working on that we haven't shown and discussed yet. That's still to come.
[QUOTE=Old Hermit;46906983]One thing that really bugged me was the snacks in Black Mesa.
Don't get me wrong, I fucking love the idea of the whole copyright parodies they had going with Cola Bola and Alpine Hue and all that, and a lot of the spoof candies they have are great, but it feels like aside from Mountain Dew and Coca Cola, they only parody things that are popular in the UK. Like I'd never even heard of Quavers, Mr. Porky, or Walkers, and I'd understand if the game were set in the UK, but it's set in New Mexico. Seeings how pretty much all the NPC's in the game sound American, why not make all the foods American spoofs?
Sars Bars and tittles are steps in the right direction, but I think it'd really make it a lot more enjoyable whenever you find clutter somewhere to see a package of r&r's or a Deeses' package or something along those lines.
I realize it's borderline nitpicky, but it really does bug me that I didn't recognize like half the brands they were spoofing, and the other half were blurry as hell due to sharing a 512x512 texture with all the other snacks.[/QUOTE]
A large portion of our level design team is British (myself included) so this probably had something to do with it!
[QUOTE=TextFAMGUY1;46909486]
In order for us to release with Xen, we would have to keep you waiting for even longer, without anything to hold you over, and with relatively little communication as we plan to keep Xen mostly under wraps until release. We thought an updated and improved SP with a polished, constantly updated (for free) MP component would make people happier than waiting for ages for Xen, with no word in between. We appreciate that it might not be what everyone wants, and that a lot of people are eagerly awaiting Xen, but we think it is the most sensible option both for ourselves and our fans. It will be added in a (and I stress again!) FREE update later down the road. Plus, having some financial support while working on Xen would be extremely nice for a lot of team members, who are honest, hardworking people. There's A LOT that we're working on that we haven't shown and discussed yet. That's still to come.
[/QUOTE]
People already have been waiting a long time for Xen with no idea on when it is coming or how much work on it has been done. It's been over two years since the mod released without it and we don't even have a general idea of how much longer it's going to take. Releasing it without Xen does make it seem like it's unimportant, i get that it isn't done and some people don't want to wait, but it's an important part of the game and releasing an unfinished game for the second time, once again just for the people who are impatient, doesn't seem right to me.
It was a bit different with the mod as some people were losing interest and thought it was never going to be released, but that shouldn't have really made any difference. It was a free mod, it's not as if those people would have refused to download and play it because it took so long when it eventually was finished. Releasing a game that costs money isn't the same situation though, unless the game is planned to be Early Access for several months/years it should be feature complete on release. If Xen is only a few months away then it seems best to wait for it. Having a game that costs money but lacks a significant part of the game, including the ending, is going to give people bad first impressions. Multiplayer is being added before the singleplayer is even finished, it's not really "Polished and improved Singleplayer" when it's not even finished.
The mod is great and i will get the new version when it's released, but after all this time i was hoping Xen would be near completed and the same mistake wouldn't be made twice. I don't even know why you'd keep Xen so secret, it's not as if no one knows what Xen is going to be like. I'm not saying the team is bad or anything like that, it's clear a lot of work has gone into the game, but it seems to me like some of the priorities are wrong, after the mod was released the first thing done should have been finishing Xen rather than the multiplayer and other additions. It seems like just because the game can be released without Xen, it's going to be. It's like saying "Give us the money now, you can have this unfinished game and get the ending to it in a few months/years, but have all these other things we did instead". How is that any better than waiting so people can play the full game on their first playthrough? When is Xen even taking so long?
[QUOTE=nightlord;46910476]It's like saying "Give us the money now, you can have this unfinished game and get the ending to it in a few months/years, but have all these other things we did instead".[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=TextFAMGUY1;46909486]It will be added in a (and I stress again!) FREE update later down the road. Plus, having some financial support while working on Xen would be extremely nice for a lot of team members, who are honest, hardworking people.[/QUOTE]
Let the team have their money, they deserve to have that well-earned cash. You'll get your alien border world dimension eventually.
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if progress on Xen speeds up once Black Mesa is released on Steam. Some team members may decide they've had a good run with Black Mesa and leave to do other things, but there will still be a good number of people on the team who'll be free to work on Xen assets.
[QUOTE=nightlord;46910476] I don't even know why you'd keep Xen so secret, it's not as if no one knows what Xen is going to be like.[/QUOTE]
IIRC they're making their own version of Xen, no-one knows what it is going to be like.
[QUOTE=Tuskin;46912195]IIRC they're making their own version of Xen, no-one knows what it is going to be like.[/QUOTE]
To be fair, they're trying to keep it faithful, so there's only a handful of options. Sure, nobody knows exactly what it's going to look like, but it's not like there's an insane amount of wiggling space for them apart from it just looking impressive. The artstyle is already set in stone.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
