Sep 15, 2021

Black Mesa - JMB

We’ve got some exciting stuff going on!

We’ve 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 didn’t just have brawn, it’s got brains too!

{LINK REMOVED}

(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

We’ve 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 Tau’s 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

Aug 24, 2021

End of Summer Beta

Black Mesa - JMB

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), we’d really appreciate it. There are a few issues we can’t 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 didn’t 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 Tau’s 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

Jun 26, 2021

2021 Summer Sale - New Developer Update Inbound!

Black Mesa - 0nefootinthegame

Hello again, fellow scientists!

What’s New?

We’ve 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 Tau’s 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 don’t instantly refill the player’s 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 we’ll 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!

Apr 28, 2021

Black Mesa Mod Madness!

Black Mesa - GTB79

Looking for some more Black Mesa? You’ve 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. We’ll be doing a stream beforehand of the Xen Museum. Tune in for some of the inside details behind the maps! 1PM EST.
We’ll 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.”

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Some of these mods are short and sweet, others are a bit longer and engrossing. This list doesn’t 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/