As those videos show, you don’t jump nearly as high or as far in BM as you do in HL2. I don’t really mind the jump mechanics in BM all that much, except for the fact that it’s wildly different than in HL2.
I don’t really get why they changed it. Jumping was fine in HL2. It also has crouch-jumping, anyway. If they wanted to put more focus on it, they should’ve just made obstacles a bit higher.
Just play with always run and it becomes much easier to crouch jump, but I’ll admit that it’s unfair for players who play without always run.
As someone who played Half-Life 2 first, and at the late time of The Orange Box no less, I do find the crouch-jump weirdly unnatural. I’ve never liked it really, as the idea that my character is tuck jumping into vents looks completely ridiculous in my mind’s eye. I guess it’s a technique that sort of “emulates” what in real life would be pulling yourself up onto stuff with your arms, but… yeah it’s weird, and I don’t see why people defend it as a necessary component of challenge to the game. I mean do you honestly think the game is “harder” for including it, and if so, that is somehow a good thing?
I also don’t get what all these people saying “Source games have always used it” are talking about. I play Half-Life 2, Episode One, Episode Two, Portal, Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, and Left 4 Dead 2, and I don’t think the latter three even allow crouch jumping. HL2, the episodes, and Portal never require crouch-jumping once, and I don’t recall ever feeling the allowing my entry onto higher objects with only one keystroke was ever patronising or somehow needed an extra feeling of control.
Considering the game used the HL2 style rolling/throwing for grenades, I don’t think it would be tarnishing the original game to update the movement to feel like Half-Life 2.
To be honest as someone who adores Half-Life 2 but could never get into the original game going back (the things that define the Half-Life series for me are the physics play and memorable characters, both things the original lacked, despite being groundbreaking in its own way at the time), I always saw Black Mesa as basically bringing the original up to HL2’s standards, so the presence of an age-old technique such as crouch-jumping felt really strange to me. Granted, I’m not the only target audience here, well aware of that, just saying.
Honestly I think the ideal solution would be to have some sort of options screen item that activates/de-activates a script that auto-crouch jumps at the points where it is necessary to progress through the game. That way HL1 veterans can keep their manual crouch-jumping if they want, and those who were introduced to the series in HL2 have the option of keeping the experience consistent.
Granted, I don’t know how difficult it would be to put in, but yeah.
^ What jezMM said.
I don’t have a ‘problem’ with it per say, but I think jumps that aren’t special in some way (noticeably higher/farther than usual) should be one button.
I also played HL2/E1/E2 and Portal/Portal 2 first, jumping felt WEIRD in BM.
Edited config, problem solved.
Btw, I still LOVE this game, having a blast.
P.S. Dr. Tub BM:QWOP needs to actually happen! :3 (maybe an… …abstract take on the hazard course?)
Am I the only person who used crouch jumps in HL2? They’re super handy for getting over the top of walls, getting through windowsills, clambering up crates, and other such things.
Also, has anyone captured from original HL to compare to both HL2 and BM?
I just tend to crouch jump every single time. Unless in DOD:S where at times I jump and land standing at the top of an objects so that I keep my original walking speed.
I’ve always enjoied crouch jumping as a feature. I always crouch jump in HL2 (where I’m pretty sure there are some secret areas you can only access by crouching). Anyway personally it makes things easier for me, but I guess that’s just personal.
It’s also not really “unfair” because you can crouch mid air to the same effect, so you don’t need to hold down sprint and crouch at the same time.
I don’t mind crouch jumping, but it is just ridiculous how much it’s done in Black Mesa. I mean, I can’t get over an ankle-high tripmine or wall without crouch jumping.
Then I look at it from my brother’s POV who doesn’t play Half-Life as much as me. He dislikes the crouch jumping. He says he doesn’t always know whether the jump requires a normal hop, a crouch jump, a sprinting run, or a sprinting run crouch jump. And seeing how he doesn’t quicksave every 5 seconds, sometimes he’ll get through a difficult event and then die because he jumped slightly wrong. Then he has to do the event all over again. It seems kinda unfair how the game expects you to do these crazy button combos more often than in Half-Life 1 or 2. I love Black Mesa but I have to agree with him when he says there’s a reason most non-valve games don’t have crouch jumping.
You’re not alone, sir. Gimme five! (PAP) 
IMO, crouch-jump is something realistic movement ever made in video game. Hey, imagine yourself jumping over a 3-feet table. Are you going to bend your legs (in this case, crouching) or just simply jump with your legs pointing straight toward ground? Be realistic people, get used to it. This is not COD. I believe most people complaining about a crouch-jumping never play Half-Life before, am I right?
I do not want to play BM running around like a demented squirrel on crack, so play with always run off.
That means I have to push 4 buttons in a certain sequence with my left hand in order to make any jump.
IMO this is a game breaker.
then play right.
4 buttons? Why do people insist in holding shift and ctrl at the same time.
Run->jump->switch finger position to ctrl->Perfect jump.
Do you know that bridge on the cliff with 2 jumps required? When you miss the jump you land by that helicopter that you just shot down. I have landed ON that chopper more than I have completed those jumps. I saved there when I finally made it and use that save every time now. On 6th play through with this very clumsy control system.
Sounds like it’s more a matter of your bad timing than the game’s controls.
bind crouch to C
Is there some way to turn always run on and off from the keyboard?
Hahahaha, so funny.
In another video he gives an explaination for all this, he just basically says : thank you haters, you gave me more views, so i got more money.
I also thought this was some 14 year old kid that only played COD and such, but it turns out to be an 30 years old guy that played Quake, Unreal and all those kind of games.
Anyways, back on topic.
I never had any problem with crouch jumping, even in this game.
After all these years playing source games, i became used to it, so no i don’t think it was overused.
I only realised this after i read all the complains about the jump mechanics, but i can understand that if some new players or gamers that have just been introduced to this awesome, can think this crouchjumping is troublesome or annoying.
I have been playin HL1 for 14 years. My last complete playthrough on hard was last July. I have no problem with jumping in HL but BM is a major pain. Most jumps require 4 buttons to be pushed, which I have problems doing. I am now finishing my 6th playthrough of BM and am getting better, but jumping still feels just plain wrong.
Tried binding different buttons but it didn’t work out. Reread this thread and found some help.
The idea of Zen.SS.SharpShooter in post #38 on autoexec.cfg settings is a huge help. It cuts the number of buttons needed from 4 to 2 or 3. Much much better.
Then I tried the idea of Xalener in post #44 about playing with the skill.cfg. Bumping the 3 jump parameters up 20 is another help.
It is a whole new game now and very nice.
You must really suck. Sounds like you have a lot more experience playing HL than me, yet you have way more trouble using BM’s jump system? It really isn’t that difficult. You don’t need to press four buttons at once. All you need to do is press crouch when you’re already in the air.
Don’t get me wrong, I wish they would have kept the movement/jump mechanics the same as in HL2, but it’s really not that big of an issue.
Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.