Got a Quick Suggestion? - Small suggestions that don't need their own thread

Black Mesa Archive Suggestion Box
#241

I don’t call Xen a second part of the game since it’s shorter than your travel in BMRF. I hated the first time become it was like a new gameplay introduced (non linear, verticals elements, etc.) and finding my way to next chapters more complicated.
Althought Xen was even more empty than BMRF.
If HL wouldn’t have a quick save, traveling Xen would have been a pain.

Now I don’t think cutting throught jumping part and vertical elements is the key to make it more enjoyable. Those elements were Xen essence, things that make that world far more different from earth where most of the time your path is plain and on the ground. Since EP2 (antlion cave, mines) and Lost Coast, valve prouved us that traveling verticaly isn’t boring or fun.
I think making clearly visible objectives (more visible portals) or path (maybe play on color or materials) is the key to help the player without suppressing whole parts and giving him the impression of space.

#242

I meant more from like middle of surface tension to the end of the game.

#243

I like this idea, although if you make the route to the goal too obvious it would make xen seem too linear. I’m not sure how to explain it. Xen was so open and it lended to it being alien by at least the illusion of unlimited space. I almost wanted to go exploring all over Xen. But I feel like the first level of xen should have been less difficult. They didn’t ease you into the jumping puzzle type of game play like they normally do. You didn’t get a chance to get a feel for the environment or the new gameplay of jumping puzzles before being forced to do it in a place where failure means death.

#244

True. You wouldn’t want to get rid of them completely as they are Xen’s signature gameplay in a way, but you could reduce it and decrease the frustration. I think Valve have improved an enormous amount in terms of level design. They’ve managed to make vertical gameplay that isn’t so frustrating. I think the reasons are partly:

  • They never have vertical gameplay for very long. Once in a while it can be a fun and exciting change to gameplay, but it quickly gets boring and frustrating.

  • A lot of their gameplay simply looks vertical but is in fact more horizontal. The area in Nova Prospekt in HL2 where Breen talks to the Combine Overwatch and you have to make your way up two flights of stairs is an excellent example. You’re obviously moving up, but the only combat you see is usually horizontal or, if indeed it is vertical, it’s within your line of sight so that you don’t feel caught out.

  • A lot of the more vertical gameplay provides plenty of cover for the player to observe their surroundings.

#245

The most frustrating thing on Xen is the doom if you miss your jump but it can’t be changed.
We can at least make long jumps more maneuvrable and improve the level design to fit your points which resume very well the situation.

#246

I’m pretty sure that this was already suggested, but, I really think that weapon sounds needs to be a little bit louder. Especially the glock.

#247

You’ve no idea what they sound like in-game, you’ve only heard them in a heavily processed trailer with loud dramatic music played over them.

There’s no possibly way you can know whether they need to be louder or not.

#248

But you could just make ten louder and still have ten be the highest.

#249

Slightly OT, but is anyone else impressed by the fact that the BBC iPlayer’s volume controls go up to 11? Nice touch, I feel :smiley:

#250

Maybe it defaults on 9 just so you can have the satisfaction of turning it up to 11 :smiley:
.

#251

Yeah, but these go up to eleven.

#252

Will the vortigaunts have shackles? or is it just the ep2 model?

#253

Make the radioactive material have lots of steam. HL1’s had steam, but old graphics didn’t do it justice.

#254

  1. I always found stupid the way the scientists are waiting for you in a corner, and at your first sight they start their speech like a vocal synthesizer reading lines of text. :retard: I seriously hope this will be fixed, make the NPCs act more real. Before the RC, some scientists could lean against a wall (not in a gay way). After the RC, they should act like they are scared, and not stand on the floor like poor idiots, they are NOT supposed to know that Gordon will meet them, so there is no reason that they stand in the middle of a corridor and are looking in the direction which you are coming from. :retard: I’m essentially referring to this.

  2. I also think you should add some new bullet impacts. The default Source’s metal bullet impact is unrealistic, it rather should look like this (like in L4D). Maybe can you make a mix of the two, depending on what you shoot? :stuck_out_tongue:

  3. Please, do not make the scientists say stupid things like in the original. I mean, you know: it’s the appocalypse, zombies are coming from everywhere, there are corpses on the floor, a security guard is being eaten by a zombie, missile are fired on the research facility, and: “Do you know who ate all the donuts?” :meh: I know that it’s just a game, but hell, does the citizens say that in HL2? I doubt it.

#255

No. They say “Sometimes I dream about cheese.” which is so much more dramatic and scary.

#256

Anyway, I hope it will be removed.

#257

I was thinking for some time about HEV suit charging process and i think that it will be good if we could see how is he charging it like on health he will connect some cable and on Power he will connect cable from the station. (srry if it was already suggested)

#258

What’s wrong with scientists talking about the lack of donuts prior to the alien invasion? There were no aliens or zombies around when I heard the line.

#259

Scientists also say this after the Resonance Cascade. It’s random.

#260

Still doesn’t matter. Cracks me up every time i hear it.

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.