So i heard that BM is getting a new engine

Black Mesa Archive The Cafeteria
#1

So BM is getting a better engine so that it’s Xen World would be much better. https://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3201361

Would that mean rewriting most of the codes for the game?

If so, I think it would be nice if the M4 would be reworked in game as the automatic weapon of the HECU, and the MP5 as the BM Security Weapons, after all wouldn’t it make sense? The BM development team kind of changed the aspects of weapons to fit their vision of the game, like now the MP5 has 30 rounds instead of 50, and has 150 rounds spare, etc. there are changes to make the game more realistic.

That doesn’t mean that we should go realistic all the way, like making it magazine-based, projectile based bullets that are affected by gravity like Battlefield, etc. But rather it would be nice that the Devs would extend their plans a bit to include M4 within BM.

I think they could fit the M4 here. So, what if the MP5 has 30 + 120 rounds, that is the standard weapon of the BMS at later games, but the HECU has the M4 instead with 30 + 60 of rounds? I mean after all, it would have been even more realistic that soldiers use AR-15, as well as the M203 would be best fit to the M4.

With the upcoming Xen, and some parts of Black Mesa, there would have been wide-open areas that the MP5 would do so poorly. The M4 assuming even tighter spread, higher recoil, and lower rate of fire and if coupled with two-round bursts, it would have great effectiveness at long-range, tougher enemies that the MP5 would less ideal to tackle with. And with less ammo, it would be a niche role too that doesn’t rob MP5 the spotlight of being go-to weapon for most cases. After all, that less ROF would make the M4 less ideal to deal at closer ranges.

#2

The Steam version of BM is running on one of the most recent versions of Source 1, so that’s probably what you heard.

As for your suggestion, it would just make the MP5 redundant if you can have a better machine gun that would be available more often. Besides, the MP5 is fine for the tight environments most of the game is set in.

#3

Xen would be large-scale right? I played HL1 before, and i swear Xen is frickin large, along with some places within the Black Mesa, after all it’s just not corridors and stuffs. I swear I remember that level after the Interloper with the unkillable tentacle and the gargantuan at the same level was pretty large.

In a sense, yes they are redundant, but the thing is that the MP5 has more ammunition than the M4 and so it won’t be used as often. Although perhaps it should be like the HL2’s AR2 where there’s only 2 extra magazines.

And with the M4’s most-likely higher damage, it’s best to tackle harder foes like the Grunt and would have a niche role like other weapons. And it should have less fire rate, tighter spread and stronger recoil that would make it much more better in long-range combat. The MP5 being a weaker weapon would be the all around weapon for tackling weaker enemies.

#4

Oh, cool, this debate again. All the same arguments and justifications, too, neat.

M4’s not gonna happen. Lots of effort, minimal reward.

#5

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Authoring_a_weapon_entity
https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/AK47_weapon

Then again, that’s for the SDK Tool. And considering that the resources are already there, maybe it’s easier than you think.

#6

Never said it was difficult, there’s just better uses of time and resources, and the effort outweighs the reward.

#7

“Lots of Effort”, but okay its =/= to hard.

But having more fun is quite the reward. That’s the point of video-games isn’t it?

That doesn’t mean “Hey let’s also add portal guns, prostitues, combat mechs, jets to fly, silly GMOD stuffs, and tanks, they are fun right?”, but what i am asking if the Devs could just take this inconsideration as they rewrite the codes into the new engine and implement the M4 as a standalone weapon, after all it’s not difficult as you said it. And considering the seemingly plethora of arguments about the M4, means that there are lots of people who would actually want this and take interest, and so there would have been lots fun for such an itty-bitty-little M4 implemented like the AR2 of HL2.

Lastly, if i remember correctly, they did said that they will release it “When it’s done” so it’s not like they’re in some sort of tight schedule right? So they kind of have all the time they need. The resources are already there, so it could be just coded within the game, like how adding a new weapon entity as shown in the SDK link above.

#8

But… It’s already on a “new” engine. The Steam release is on the latest branch of Source. Considering how much effort it apparently was to move from Source 2007 to Source 2013, I very much doubt they’d change engines again.

#9

Well, it’s on a modified TF2 branch, which is the latest they could use without breaking everything.

#10

The link says that it’s available for Source 2013. Though the new engine as it seems is still the Valve version – probably source 2016, or Source 2 or something.

#11

That would be the updated free version, but I think it never got released. The steam version is on a modified TF2 engine.

#12

Yeah, but they said that the new engine is for the final release with the Xen.

#13

No. Our retail engine is modified TF2, with a lot of 2013, 2009 and Portal 2 stuff in it. And a few additions of our own, with more on the way. That’s the engine. It’s our own Black Mesa hybrid. The engine you see in the retail release is the one we’re sticking with. But we’re going to continue to make many modifications and improvements to it over the course of EA, all in preparation for Xen.

Regarding the M4, a while back we had a spirited, long debate about it. It was ultimately deemed redundant from a gameplay perspective. We don’t feel the need to change the original that worked so well, in this regards.

#14

xD

“Need” sure, “Want”? I mean it might look redundant, but perhaps it’s how it’s implemented. Like if it’s high-damage, low ammo-reserve and less abundant ammo it might have more of a niche-role, compared to the MP5. It’s like the Magnum for the MP5.

#15

It’s too late to add a new weapon. Besides, it’s not just adding the weapon assets and code, they’d need to go and rebalance all the levels, enemy placement and what have you to make the new gun fit. It’s just not worth the effort for a machine gun that only ups the damage a bit.

#16

Also I’d like to point out that the thread you linked is from 3 years ago and has no developers posting in it.
It’s a load of speculation based on heavily outdated information.

As for the M4, I have no doubt that if someone hasn’t made a workshop replacement for the Mp5, they will.

#17

sigh How about you upgrade the mod version so I can get a stutter-free version of the game without paying A little over $10 just to stay updated? The mod version that runs on Source SDK 2007 only plays stutter free if affinity is set to only one CPU core, and not only that the MSS32.dll is from 1994, which has a crap ton of bugs and is partially responsible for the stuttery gameplay. I cannot invest money into Black Mesa Retail as a poor university student.

Yeah, it’s my loss, yeah, whatever. I would rather promote equality by also updating the free mod version instead of leaving it as a buggy “legacy” that it is. Maybe, just maybe if I could coax my parents into buying me some Steam Wallet money, then I would stop my ranting and raving.

#18

“Equality” isn’t “I get what I want, and I get it for free”.

This thread is just the Let’s-Dreg-Up-Old-Drama-That’s-Been-Decided-And-Isn’t-Gonna-Change-And-Continue-To-Complain-About-It-Anyway Thread.

#19

Holy crap, I thought you were serious until I read this. Good show!

#20

I can’t believe people still argue over the M4 after a decade of development.

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.