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[SC] Black Mesa Delays Xen

5K views 50 replies 29 participants last post by  kimosid 
#1 ·


http://steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/1453963283488180339
Quote:
Straight to the bad news: we are pushing back the release of Xen. We are truly sorry for getting everyone's hopes up and then delaying... again. We worked very hard to make December, but we are not yet ready. As a team, we take FULL responsibility for that. We have an internal deadline we are confident in, and we will be getting everyone more details as we get closer to that date.
 
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#4 ·
The updates look really good and the few screenshots of Xen capture the soul of what it looked like almost 20 years ago, with now modern looks.

They should have avoided making this type of definitive comment back in June though (the game costs money; it hasn't been free since 2015 and there are expectations to be met):

http://steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/2767873904708195662
Quote:
Unfortunately, as some of you may have already predicted, we are going to need to push back our planned release of Xen to later this year, in December. We know that this is not what anyone would want to hear, but after taking a long and hard look at what we want to achieve, we have decided that this is for the best. We do not want to compromise on Xen's quality in any way. That said, we consider December to be a do-or-die deadline.
And while they are at it, they shouldn't have postponed to December the date / timeframe when they plan to say when Xen will be ready; it doesn't sit right to announce a delay with a delayed response.

On another note, I can't help but wonder if this delay isn't to make the game's release coincide with the 20th anniversary of the original (well, not to the month, as that would be a year away still).

And while we're at it, maybe Valve has something up its sleeve to commemorate Half-Life's 20th anniversary too... ahem. Oh well, one can dream.
 
#5 ·
Delaying it *AGAIN*. lol Water is wet, but, at least they are making sure it's right!
 
#7 ·
2nd delay this year I believe. I'm not surprised.

I'm not one to get outraged over such a thing, but now that it's a paid product (a game instead of a mod) I wonder what's taking them so long. A near identical remake of Half-Life is not anything crazy to develop.
 
#9 ·
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Originally Posted by JackCY View Post

So what is different beside graphics? They take the old BSPs "stolen" from original HL and convert them to a newer format for different game engine I guess HL2 engine?
Nothing is different besides the graphics and inherent engine differences yeah. That was the design goal; these guys love Half-Life and wanted to make a 1:1 remake. Except Xen which is actually going to be altered in design.
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by boredgunner View Post

Nothing is different besides the graphics and inherent engine differences yeah. That was the design goal; these guys love Half-Life and wanted to make a 1:1 remake. Except Xen which is actually going to be altered in design.
From what I remember, they did redesign a number of maps. They dropped the Cliffs chapter altogether didn't they? I remember reading a lot of their blog posts describing how they had to change the map for it to make more sense and posting shots of old/new.

Anyway, it doesn't matter to me. I have the free version when they first released it and decided to wait until they're completely done. I'll buy it once it's complete.
 
#14 ·
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Originally Posted by ACleverName View Post

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Originally Posted by Aspateer View Post

I guess XEN is the new HL3....
We dont talk about HL3 anymore
frown.gif
You mean that in the "We don't go there [to Ravenholm] anymore" kind of way?

ninja.gif
 
#17 ·
Oh boy, nothing new. But i still burn with passion and wait for Xen to be released.

I was following the BM:S for 5-6 years probably. Yea, it was Black Mesa:Source back in the days, before Valve approached them and made sure that there is no confusion, for this to be considered a official remake.

I remember trying to play Black Mesa on my old PC.

It was so painful, that it had to ran on Lowest settings and hitch non-stop. At least it was free.
1 year later, when it got Greenlighted, i managed to buy new PC.

And, oh boy.

IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING HALF-LIFE REMAKE EXPERIENCE I HAD.

The music.
The voice acting.
The sounds.

THE DAMN DARK FEELING.

After it got greenlight-ed, i bought it as well, just so i can support the developers.

For those, who haven't tried the game, i highly recommend it. Its like the original Half-Life, but with modern graphics and way better representation of dark sci-fi game.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by boredgunner View Post

Nothing is different besides the graphics and inherent engine differences yeah. That was the design goal; these guys love Half-Life and wanted to make a 1:1 remake. Except Xen which is actually going to be altered in design.
great
wink.gif


because i hated the platformer part of xen as much as i loved its weird, truly alien look.
 
#21 ·
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Originally Posted by xenophobe View Post

From what I remember, they did redesign a number of maps. They dropped the Cliffs chapter altogether didn't they? I remember reading a lot of their blog posts describing how they had to change the map for it to make more sense and posting shots of old/new.

Anyway, it doesn't matter to me. I have the free version when they first released it and decided to wait until they're completely done. I'll buy it once it's complete.
Yeah but then some other modders came in to restore authenticity to the two chapters they altered, Surface Tension and On a Rail, with mods called Surface Tension Uncut and On a Rail Uncut. Black Mesa now includes the former by default, the latter is on Steam Workshop and will be included by default in the final version I think.

All the chapters are there, barring Xen and beyond, as far as I know.
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Originally Posted by TheReciever View Post

I forgot about this game, was going to try it out when it was a mod but then it was paid and never thought about it again.
They didn't do an entirely bad thing here. The free mod version still exists, but it will forever be incomplete. It was built on Source engine 2009 I think (or maybe 2007), while the paid version is on Source 2013 with new models and updates that the mod version never got including Xen once it's out.

So both versions exist, the paid version is noticeably better and you would think has more of a guarantee of being finished.
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by boredgunner View Post

Nothing is different besides the graphics and inherent engine differences yeah. That was the design goal; these guys love Half-Life and wanted to make a 1:1 remake. Except Xen which is actually going to be altered in design.
I see. I don't mind it being ported to a newer engine although I wonder how Valve responded to it, that they "borrowed" assets. Or did Valve release HL1 as open source now? I think only the old Quakes were that was just engines, not levels/assets?

TheReciever: same here, I heard about it before, then forgot about it and now find out the Xen is still not in it, which means it's pointless to replay HL if major part of it is missing.
 
#23 ·
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Originally Posted by JackCY View Post

I see. I don't mind it being ported to a newer engine although I wonder how Valve responded to it, that they "borrowed" assets. Or did Valve release HL1 as open source now? I think only the old Quakes were that was just engines, not levels/assets?

TheReciever: same here, I heard about it before, then forgot about it and now find out the Xen is still not in it, which means it's pointless to replay HL if major part of it is missing.
Valve's initial response, when it was a newly announced mod over a decade ago, was just something along the lines of: "We knew this would happen. Go for it!"

After the mod released in 2012 to critical acclaim, they let (and maybe even suggested, as they did with Cry of Fear) they monetize it and turn it into a game instead of a mod.
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by boredgunner View Post

2nd delay this year I believe. I'm not surprised.

I'm not one to get outraged over such a thing, but now that it's a paid product (a game instead of a mod) I wonder what's taking them so long. A near identical remake of Half-Life is not anything crazy to develop.
it's not identical, it's completely re designed.
 
#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdoublejj View Post

it's not identical, it's completely re designed.
No it's not. Either this is a bizarre case of you just making things up totally out of the blue (seriously how the hell can anyone believe it is completely redesigned???) or you didn't understand my post and thought I was saying it is technologically identical, which is obviously not the case as Black Mesa clearly isn't a GoldSource product LOL.

Black Mesa follows Half-Life's script and level design exactly 99% of the time, when you factor in Surface Tension Uncut and On a Rail Uncut. Literally Half-Life but with 2007 graphics and sound. Almost nothing is redesigned.
 
#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by boredgunner View Post

No it's not. Either this is a bizarre case of you just making things up totally out of the blue (seriously how the hell can anyone believe it is completely redesigned???) or you didn't understand my post and thought I was saying it is technologically identical, which is obviously not the case as Black Mesa clearly isn't a GoldSource product LOL.

Black Mesa follows Half-Life's script and level design exactly 99% of the time, when you factor in Surface Tension Uncut and On a Rail Uncut. Literally Half-Life but with 2007 graphics and sound. Almost nothing is redesigned.
i remember seeing news articles or blogs or what ever talking about how they were re designing the levels and the layouts from the original were quite different.

https://forums.blackmesasource.com/index.php/Thread/13252-they-just-changed-too-much/

https://www.sacurrent.com/ArtSlut/archives/2012/09/19/stunning-and-mostly-polished-black-mesa-is-a-near-perfect-redesign-of-half-life

https://www.mapcore.org/articles/interviews/interview-with-jean-paul-jarreau-black-mesa-level-designer-r19/

new engine and level design, i'd say that's a notable re design.
 
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