The first time you read this, you probably don’t know i’m an independent videogame developer. Yes, here is the game I started last year https://www.moddb.com/games/luke-kemeny. It’s made with game maker, software that compared with source engine is like comparing a tube tv to a lcd flat screen. Game Maker is meant for beginners just starting to program and learn all about everything that goes into making a game. Lets just say I’ve been using this program for almost a year, trying to develop my own top down shooter.
I know my game is no where near close to black mesa source, but the time and development stages are most likely the same. Start with an idea, put it on paper, learn the program (if you have to), make the first objects, begin coding the engine (with black mesa that is already done), and bam you have a prototype (or first playable). After this, the story probably falls into place (with black mesa that’s already done) and hard core development starts. Tons of more objects are created and experimentation goes into effect. After this long stage is completed, the developer/developers can now focus on creating the levels (trust me it takes a long time to create art, sound, code, objects, scripts, and story). If I where to predict where this stage of development started for black mesa, it would be early 2009, after looking at the timeline https://wiki.blackmesasource.com/Time_Line.
This means that it took roughly 4 years to create everything in the game. Now back to early 2009- The developers probably only focused on creating levels (every game developer I know doesn’t finish the first level until the game is nearly finished). This is where I can relate to. In my game, after creating the engine and everything that makes the game “work” I began to make levels. Immediately I started making soo many changes to the 2nd level I almost completely changed the game. It’s this stage (creating levels) it takes the longest. In fact, after working on the game for only a year, I took a moment to reflect on my project. It took me a year to design the game, and now i’m only just starting to make levels. To tell you the truth I think my game is worth crap, unless I keep making changes to it. I think this is what make’s a game go from a year of development, to a couple years of development. You can change whatever you wan’t, but unless you want the game to be crappy, it’s gunna take years to make it just right.
The black mesa developers have a life, and I don’t think they work on this game all day every day. I worked on my game for hours on end during summer vacation until my eyes starting burning (lol exaggeration, but seriously), and it took me all summer to finish the engine and combat system and physics and everything. They are just working on this in their free time. however black mesa source has a large development team of I think 40.
All of this data points in one direction. The developers want to make the best possible game they can, and it’s going to take years to do that. It is 2011, and I predict the team is done changing things. I think they are solely creating levels. Although I never got this far for my game, there’s still a lot to be done. The game could be in alpha or beta mode right now, but definitely not include single player. This has me thinking that they are nearly done working on the last levels, and after that comes testing (which I think will be 2012). Finally I think the game will be released late 2012. A game like this would probably never release a beta or demo because it’s a single player game, that has taken years to develop and first thoughts could be scrutinizing.
I think Black Mesa Source is going to be the best pc game of all time…well a remake, but still really good (I forgot to point out that when starting to create levels, you never update anything because theirs nothing to update, and you don’t want to spoil the game.) This is why their has been no updates. I think we’ll be hearing some good news in 2012 like an actual release date.
Of course I could be completely wrong…(damn like half an hour to write that :O)
