Xen

Black Mesa Archive Suggestion Box
#1

The Xen parts are secret, so any suggestions can be null.
But, about the Gonarch battle, i was thinking that it could be improved in some way.

Mainly the first part of the battle.
I was thinking of an arena like the ones seen in Episode I and Episode two were the player fights the “Antlion Queen?”

I thought of a circular area filled with destructible rock pillars with a healing pool in the inner part of that said area.
The area would resemble some type of alien ancient temple, with the healing pool surrounded by four undestructible alien “pillars”, like the moving
“towers” of Xen, only that these ones are smaller, a little bit taller than the destructible rock columns.
I thought about four or five layers of circling rocks columns around the central healing pool.

The level starts with Gordon in an open place where he sees the Gonarch, the fight starts and he escapes looking for a good place to fight.
As he retreats from Gonarch attacks, he reachs the forest of rocks that give him some temporary protection against the alien and allow for the killing of
baby headcrabs.
The Gonarch needs to hit the rock protections some times to be able to destroy each layer of rocks while Gordon can deal some damage to it.

Eventually, all rock protections are destroyed and there remains only the four circling pillars around the healing pool that would offer some protection until
enough damage is done to start the next round of the fight.

#2

You cannot suggest alien ancient temples, because those would modify the perception of Xen. As much as we know, Xen is a borderworld, something that lies on the edge or “collision zone” of multiple “dimensions” or “universes”, and Nihilanth’s subordinates moved to Xen when running away from Combine. They did not have (probably) enough time to build temples and let them become ancient. Also, “Temples” imply intelligence, which is not what most Xen creatures exhibit. For all we know, except for controllers, Vorts and Agrunts, all Xen species might have animal intelligence.

#3

I saw a concept art of xen before the forum crash where it was lots and lots fo rocks orbiting some sort of central mass to give a vague sphereish object. If anyone has this picture can they post it cause i’d like to use it in an overwiki article about xen to give an idea of what xen could possibly look like.

#4

The first Gonarch area already is a roughly-circular arena. I don’t feel that the destructible ‘safe havens’ would add to the experience - Valve have never included anything like this in similar arena-style battles as far as I can remember (the Strider at the end of Ep. 1 is the best I can think of, but its attacks are completely different to the Gonarch’s). Fighting out in the open is part of the challenge and is what makes the scene so intense.

It also already has a healing pool in a ‘safe’ place away from the Gonarch, on an island floating out to the side behind a large rocky outcrop. IMO this is much more plausible than a cage of indestructible rocks, and also makes the player safe from the baby headcrabs and the Gonarch’s ‘spit’ attack (for want of a more accurate, yet also more gruesome, description).

#5

there’s another healing pool in the second area if you fall through the web and land on one of the rock things, you go through a small cave thing and there’s a healing pool there

#6

So, I have a relevant question for a mod to answer - did enough data get lost to justify re-opening the Xen concept art community project? Or is that fan-content safe somewhere and already being used in production?

edit: answered (no) in another thread.

#7

all the old forum is lost , so my guess is that the whole concept art project is gone , don’t think of modifying xen too much , it still has to have the same base elements as the old one , nothing dramatic

#8

I really can’t wait to see Xen, should be amazing. Personally, Xen in half-life was a bit meh - but just in the source engine, it’ll look so much better.

#9

seen the hl source version? , it’s the same

#10

I guess they already have plans for Xen like they said they have
I don’t think the going to change anything…

#11

Actually, i said to “resemble some type of temple”, not a temple, yet i agree that a temple will be out of place, while the idea is to make the fight more interesting, not the “temple” itself.

Fair enough. In the original fight, once you know that you can hide behind the big rock, there is no need to fight the Gonarch in the open if you don´t want to do it, so that the objective of the open arena is nullified by this inacessible place for the Gonarch.
Yes, Valve has created similar arenas, but there is no need to argue about it.
Also, in the idea i posted, once the “rocks” are destroyed, there will be an open arena, as the Gonarch can pursue the player around the healing pool or inside it.
I am not defending this idea as if it should be considered, i am only explaining what i wanted to write in the OP.

#12

And how, exactly, is this relevant?

#13

Because the one guy said that Xen seen in Source engine would look a lot better than in the Half-Life engine, but in Half-Life Source it was in the Source engine but still looked the same.

#14

so it is half-life source with old half-life skin, and black mesa is cool.not troll is you think me are.

#15

I think he knew that by the way. He was asking since Half-Life Source was simply ported from the old GoldSrc engine and therefore not an accurate representation of the Source engine’s capabilities.

#16

he/you sayd that xen would look cool , by barely porting it to source , it was a contra-argument :stuck_out_tongue:

#17

Let me try again… friends.

I think in Black Mesa the recreated version of Xen will look greater than the original, because so far all of the remade areas in the screenshots are 100% thumbs up so Xen has to be 100% thumbs up as well.

#18

~this

#19

Bah, I think their Xen will suck.

#20

I like your “optimism” :retard:

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.