I actually am aware of that. Regarding ‘‘how’’ the scientist was doing it, well, I don’t think Valve expected most people to give it that much thought. I’m always open to trivia, unlike some people. Back to what I was saying with my other comment, I just think it would be neat if there was some sort of Black Mesa-equivalent (possibly a more realistic one?).
They might do this in the steam release the keyword being might because it’s not really a bug or game breaking glitch.
I don’t know if this has been suggested before, but how about having the weapons in the beginning placed the way they were in HL?
The Crowbar should be right after the lasers, because the security guard can easily get killed by the zombie so you’ll often get the pistol before the crowbar.
Beating the houndeyes to death with the crowbar annoys me, so why not have the pistol be dropped by the dying security guard?
I also miss the Shotgun being in that little side room where you save the security guard behind the gate from the zombie.
The feeling of accomplishment after you kill the Tentacles and getting the Revolver was nice. As in, “Good job on destroying that massive space creature! Here’s a fancy new gun for you!”
@coldroll: Actually, it could mess with some stuff unless they change the events sothis doesn’t happen
@EksCelle: The weapon balance is far better off the way they have it now. Having no weapon in the beginning, more horror-focused aftermath of the resonance cascade makes you feel helpless and adds to the tension, giving an extra incentive to keep the guard alive. The guard getting killed by the zombie is due to the weaponless player leading the guard to get up close to the zombies, which is generally not supposed to happen, given that the player has no weapon and would likely keep distance from enemies. Giving the player a weapon also minimizes the point in having the flares mechanic, the one time in BM that you use physics objects to kill, which is supposed to bring back memories of episode 1 and HL2 itself, for returning players.
Having the pistol be acquired later is there to incentivize the mini-quest, for lack of a better word, involving the hiding scientist. It also means that players, who will want the firepower the scientist claims of, will further investigate the 2nd floor, probably noticing the solution to the puzzle on the way. It also gives the player a rewarding short term goal that puts a clear direction to their travels for a time, which is good for those not sure what to do after the RC.
The shotgun was replaced with the Python (.357 Magnum), to keep the progression of firearms logical. In HL1, if I recall, the revolver is first found at the end of blast pit, after you already have the MP5 and SPAS-12, which the player would probably use more than the revolver at that point. The revolver not only had the essential same firepower against the enemies you face at the time (vorts, houndeyes, and headcrabs: All 1 shot kills if I recall) as the shotgun would have at close range, but made more sense than the SPAS-12 in the context of a weapons locker for an office.
The reward for killing the tentacles was mainly watching them burn and die from a rocket engine going off in their faces(?), because the player feels that he/she made a large impact on the environment, removing a seemingly insurmountable obstacle by outsmarting it. I never really saw the gun as a reward when I played HL1, just as a weapon drop to prepare for the next battle.
That video is ridiculous and the scientist that is supposed to be Eli wasn’t originally Eli so killing him was obviously retconned. The video is obviously a joke/satire on how Valve fans come to conclusions to easily.
I’m pretty sure it was just satire.
Of course it was satire, but it -IS- something in HL1, and while it’s an extreme example, it shows how you could get weapons early if the guard was revived, and gives a reason for BM to not revive him.
Maybe that’s why they didn’t include the scientist reviving the guard after all.
That guard deserved better though.
I though the reason that guard didn’t get up was more because of dialog and scripting. Seeing as the devs would have to have teh scientist and guard say something if the guard is saved, doing which would spoil the dialog from Eli that is just around the corner.
I don’t think it would necessarily spoil the dialogue that Eli and Kleiner give Gordon. The lines for the scientist and guard could be simple like needing to check the guard for any other injuries or coming to terms with the horror around them. The possibilities for dialogue are endless, and it doesn’t detract too much from the carnage in the area or the importance of Eli.
So, we all know about the update with BMRF.us, and it’s EAS message. Could the devs add this message in the game? If would make sense to be placed in Office Complex, when the scientist tells you he heard the transmission that rescue was coming. I think it would really add to the immersiveness, and to the sense of scale for this disaster. I mean, gordon knows he’s at ground zero, but it’s gotta sink in when the surrounding 75 miles are being evacuated: shit really hit the fan, more than he might have thought.
That would actually be really cool! If the devs don’t do it, someone could always mod it in. It’s an easy tweak.
What about digital pdf-artbook with compilation of old concepts, renders, iterations of maps etc?..
Pretty much this, yeah. Provided you have the voice actors on hand, you can write pretty much any kind of dialogue to explain anything away. Hell, that’s one of the stronger points of Black Mesa. Sections where you previously just had to abandon people will now have those people talk and give a reason for why they’re staying behind. “Yeah, I’ll look for a way out that doesn’t involve swimming through shit and leeches.”
Off the top of my head, you could have the scientist resuscitate the soldier and say something along the lines of “Gordon! Thank goodness you’re here! I need to stay with Francis, please check on Eli!” A good voice actor can pull that off pretty easily.
edit
Actually, here are a couple of suggestions on the same topic - conversations that might be good to include.
*Office Complex: I’m leading a small army of guards and scientists when I come to a locked door, forcing me to go through the refrigerated area. It would be nice if, when first reaching this area, the group would stop and say something along the lines of “Gordon, we need to take a break. I’d suggest you do the same, but if you want to scout on ahead, I won’t stop you.” Then they pick a chair and sit down. When Gordon returns and opens the door, have them reactivate.
*Office Complex: There’s a lady doctor in the refrigerated area running from on e of those hentai tentacle monsters. I save her and she proceeds to just idle in the fridge. Maybe give me some way to save her, or at least have her show up with the other survivors in the mess hall area when I return there. Hell, at least give her some dialogue so she feels like a real person rather than a bot.
*Lambda Reactor Core: Either prevent me from taking the guard down by the maintenance room with me, or else give him some dialogue when we get to the outflow basin and I have to dive into the coolant. Something along the lines of "Are you kidding me? You want to swim with that? Do you even know what that coolant thing is? Pretty sure that’s poisonous, doc. Say, don’t those HEV suits have helmets?
I am playing through Black Mesa again. I am at the very end of Office Complex. My problem is with the G-Man sighting. On the top of the stairway most players will focus on the fight against the last zombies and vortigaunts in the corridor before the elevator shaft… while the G-Man walks away unnoticed.
This could be fixed the way it is in Half-Life: the G-Man should only come when we are right at the door, some kind of sound effect might also help ppl notice him.
Make it easier to get health from the Scientists
Not sure if this has been addressed yet, who all remembers that that one part of Black Mesa where the sniper shoots the scientist who runs out to help the dying security guard? I guess they didn’t account for other factors.
There are many npcs who ignore us completely after saying or doing their scripted parts, and that is really bad.
As for the scientists healing us - is that even implemented? Never menaged to make them do it.
It’s implemented, but extremely rare.
I think they’ve said they’re either re-balancing it to happen more often, or finished doing so.