alright, now we’re getting somewhere, let’s have a +1 from everyone who is willing to contribute, then say after, in what way and a link to some work if possible. I’ll go first:
+1
Source Mapping
Texture Creation
Asset Creation
Link = My Sig
Let’s get this ball rolling…
Cool! I have a small list going already after having had several PMs from people too!
Cool, we do need to start with artwork and maybe some concept maps first so you should have time to get hammer chugging along again!
Great! you mind laying them out here? doesn’t have to be their names, just who you’ve got doing what so far!
make the tram part longer so it doesent seem so dumb, like you have to transport stuff from point a to point b or something
I’ll bring names to the table shortly - I am on with something right this moment and I need time to sit down and sort it properly! Needless to say at the moment we have had the following areas volunteered (some areas are shared):
If I’ve missed someone don’t worry, I’ll sit down tonight and go through it all!
While we are in a concept stage anyone can post their work, but for future positions (ie mapper, moddeller, texture artist) if would be useful is people can submit a link or post some of their existing work (or PM me if you don’t want it public).
I’m also going to look at setting something up to allow to colaborate a bit better this evening.
I just had a thought about continuity, are we going for this to be a map for the actual mod BM, or just a level for Ep2 to be released seperately, as if it’s for BM we can only go so far as blocking out, orange mapping and placeholders before the mod comes out no?
Or are we going for seperate?
I say openly assume and know it will NOT be a part of the mod, but work it and build it like it will be a part of the mod. Aim for the stars and you may get the moon. Either way you are still in a very heavenly place eh?
Also, I would highly recommend all participants fire up Half Life and to go through the Hazard Course with a fine tooth comb and make notes. What did you hate? What did you love? Assuming you dont NEED the HC to learn how to use the controls, what would be the overall purpose of the HC in todays world and in a Black Mesa world?
Edit: Scratch what I said - Read Catz post instead… These forums are full of ninja’s 
!
Also I understand it would be great to play an updated HC now, but let’s not rush this project - let’s just concentrate on getting it right and making it fun to both play and develop (this comes back to what Catz said about playing the current HC).
i think the hc shows you what to do in case of emergency
Hey Chotolarg, is that model some old work or did you just knocked that up in an hour 
If so then daymn!
I’d be happy to help out in mapping if you still need more mappers.
If you need someone to help map I’m defiantly game. As long as there is some kind of early version for me to look/work off of Ill get it down perfectly 
It’s awesome we have so many volunteers and thanks to the volunteers who I have spoken to already!
Just to sum up:
At the moment we want to determine a direction for hazard course, themes, settings, it’s place in the HL / BM universe - and I encourage anybody and everybody with ideas or suggestions to post them here!
We also want to hear from people who wish to contribute concept art and other design work (btw, thanks deathmonkey7 - I look forward to seeing what you produce!). We are also seeking volunteers in most other fields; However so that any work we do can ( a ) be of the highest quality and ( b ) have half a chance of standing up against BM itself we are asking for people interested to show examples of their work in the field they want to help out it.
This is not necessarily a method of excluding people, as this is a community project, more so we have you help out where you are best suited. You can post on here or you can PM me (you can also chat to me on Steam if you want). And as Catz said - if you want to help the best thing you can do immediately is play the hazard course through, make notes on what works and what doesn’t and post them here!
Amazing work so far guys, but I’m afraid I can’t offer any mapping skills or anything else that might be of some use.
I would hasten to add to what others have said though, and that is to make sure that you continue on what the Hazard Course is already. It’s simply an old section of the facility that wasn’t of any particular importance, which was seemingly hastily and inexpensively modified to be used as a HC.
In the HC you have old pipes, empty missile silos, coolant systems, vents, sewage works, fuel storage, waste deposits - all in a state of disrepair - some working, some not.
I personally think it would be a mistake to replicate the Hazard Course entirely - that would be nostalgic, but dull. I think Black Mesa have produced work that you recognise from the original, but has been altered in terms of size, appearance, materials, colour, technology etc.
So for me personally, I would keep these points in mind:
Make sure that everything is feasible. An electrically controlled mechanism that can be raised and lowered to form an obstacle course is awesome, but in real life would it be feasible? How much would it cost? How would you get it in there? How much would the installation cost?
That was part of the appeal for me of the original - that it seemed as though someone had just gone down there, seen a few pipes jutting out of the wall and gone, ‘okay, that could be used as an obstacle course.’ They aren’t looking to spend loads of money on it when they can just use the existing environment.
Don’t be afraid to steer away from the original Hazard Course. I think an exact replica of it would quickly become dull. Part of the reason why BM is so successful is that it contains sections which are new.
Use your imagination with how to recreate certain sections. For example, replace a dull room with a boiler room with insulation and pipes so that it seems like a maze, rather than the entrance and exit being so obvious, or better yet, use the action of steering the player around the room to become a task.
Make sure that everything is feasible. This is pretty nonsensical, but you’d be surprised at how many amateur mods have walkways and constructions that aren’t structurally sound. I don’t mean do all the calculations, but rather just make it look as though something is holding it up. The success of a map is always in the small details.
If this is an industrial section of the facility that is designed to be efficient and low-maintenance then you won’t find a fancy walkway with minimalist supports - you’d find big chunky girders with bolts and connecting parts clearly on display.
Lights would only be used sparingly and where they were needed. It’s no use to light a passageway with water running through it if no one will use it. Lights would probably be flashing, or off completely, or perhaps operated by a sensor to turn on whenever they detect movement or heat.
Glass would be used sparingly also, as it can easily become dirty or mouldy when left unattended, especially in that sort of environment. Glass is generally used to protect or insulate the viewer - neither of which really applies in the HC. Any person going down there would have ample protection and/or would come knowing what to expect.
Sounds would be a variety of industrial noises. Some equipment would be out of use and therefore silent, others would be behind walls or other barriers. Some machinery would be incredibly loud, others would quietly hum or come from far away and become eerie and echoed.
Wildlife would tend to come in the form of rats, cockroaches and spiders. The first one was certainly in the HC originally, and I’m almost certain that the second were as well. As for spiders, a couple of small cobwebs in a few places should do the trick, but they can easily become cliched.
There should be a variety of objects lying around. Some rooms should be neat and tidy where maintenance is relatively high. Other rooms should be far more untidy, with rubbish strewn across the floor and a variety of objects littering the room, preferably with some sort of theme instead of every object you can find. It’s all too easy just to bung a load of miscellany down and leave it at that.
Water could be used as part of the facility itself, but it could also have come from a leak from somewhere in the building. An old empty silo with mould on the walls, rubbish floating on the surface and a single drip with the relevant sounds and particles would look great. It’s when you have a unity of sound, light, modelling and particles that maps really start to come alive.
Personally I would rather the hologram didn’t use terminology that takes you out of the game, as in the original. Things such as ‘press the use key’ and ‘crouch and jump keys’ or something similar were used. We know how to play the game. This should largely be an aesthetic exercise, at most using the ‘Press E’ nodes that Valve used for HL2 etc.
Overall just keep the variety up, constantly changing the player’s focus by any and every means available. Change their direction, change the light and the quality of it, introduce new sounds, both ambient and stronger sounds and take advantage of particles, sprites and smaller details such as wires, lights, cables and structural supports. However, don’t overdo these things. It can be a tight balance.
I hope these notes were of some help and not too patronising.
I almost envision a hazard course where it is abandoned and unused and decaying. (not far from the truth?) That when you press the halo button to engage Gina the holograph, you get a recording that skips and only produces bits and pieces of the recording. (bits and pieces that would otherwise un-emerse you in the game) That you are left to try to figure out how to get thru the stage. Whether it means this part was a duck jump exercise, or if it was an exercise to learn how to use the flashlight or long jump.
Example: You approach a room where pipes are rusted and broken. That in order to get out or through the room, you have to duck and jump out of the way of broken pipes. The hologram in the original would have said:
but now because it is delapidated and unused, Gina will flicker, and you only get part of the recording:
Just my ideas.
Do you know what, Catz? I like that, a worn out, unmonitored Hazard Course, sounds really nice actually.
i started ass soon as i saw the thread
I started ass too.
Anyway, I’ve been reading all this, and actually must say I disagree. I think the HC is definitely run-down and make-shift, but I feel what everybody has said so far sounds too run-down. I think focus less on the run-down part and more on the make-shift. That said, I can definitely live with it if everyone likes the run-down concept more. Perhaps make it looks as if it has been very run-down but recently cleaned and more or less repaired so it could be a HC.
Also, something I noticed, and I’m sorry if this has already been mentioned, the HC is extremely linear. It seems as if the entire course was designed to be a course. It needs far more locked doors closets extra rooms etc.
I would have to agree with that post, makeshift is really the name of the game for the hazard course, and many other parts of Black Mesa; in the original HC for example you’re jumping through what looks like disused rocket hulls, and the firing range is just a storage room with crates and stuff to hide targets behind. I would push the makeshift aspect of the level; I think it would make it much more interesting than just some sort of derelict facility that happens to be perfectly suited towards teaching people how to use weapons and the HEV suit.
I have to say that I like the “make-shift” theme. Although I see where your coming from Catz, that does sound too run-down!
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.
