Pre-Disaster Planning Thread

This has nothing to do with anything, but it seems Mumpel007 has graced us with the first BMPD fanart!

Took a break from Office Complex to play around a bit with the second map of Questionable Ethics, and man does it look good all cleaned up.


















Not sure if I want everything this bright, Aquatics in particular I always imagined as naturally somewhat moodier, but for a few hours' work I'm very impressed.
Don't worry, though, I'm still planning on having the Cafeteria Update out some time this month.

This is an amazing project! I would very much like to join you guys. I was doing exactly the same thing for the original Half-Life and got stuck on some problems that i couldn't solve. Then i found this wich is actually much better since it's Black Mesa.
I'm not the most gifted mapper around and i'm still learning alot about hammer, but i think i can still help. It's my "dream" to rebuild/fix the entire facility including everything and that is part of Black Mesa and make it look like a fully working facility. I also like the idea of making a logical transit system for all sectors, levels and sublevels and so on, and to find solutions for parts that do not seem to connect logically in the original maps (fortunatly the Black Mesa devs have already fixed alot of these connections imo). And alot of area's are still undiscovered and should be added to the whole.

--In short: I really hope i can help because i'm eager to do what i can to make this as beautiful as possible! (Sorry for any bad English)

Welcome aboard! I'm having a lot of trouble getting the Cafeteria Update out right now, so I've to some degree put new stuff on hold, but once that's done with I'd welcome a chance to work with you on the transit system.

great! So do you guys use this forum to communicate or some other platform? Im currently working on a blueprint/map of the transit system layout. At least for the known locations and stations.

That would probably be a good thing to post here.

Looks really nice indeed!

It gives us another vision on the facility!

Ok here it is. The first iteration of the Black Mesa transit system map. It contains all notable locations and some that have never been visited (as far as i know) i have used the Half Life wiki for most locations. The order of stations is based on a huge map (credits to the builder _Duel) in minecraft that contains all 4 parts in one complex (Half life, Opposing Force, Blue Shift and Decay). This helped me to pick a logical order because i could see the location of every station. However i haven't changed any canon information.

Every point on this map is a station were you can actually board a train. I assumed that every main line is continuous loop track. There are several lines that don't loop on the map because i don't know were they might go after there last station. They might return but maybe there are other stations, junctions or intersections.
Of course everything is open for debate so let me know what you think.

i would like to start with the on a rail chapter in the mean time. If thats ok with everyone

Sure, show me what you can do!

With the Uncut version in it?

well i just figured out that thats kind of a problem. I would love to use the uncut version for obvious reasons however i cant find any access to the source files. Unless i decompile the bsp's but thats kind of theft and creates bad brushes and stuff. If anyone knows were i can find the source files that would be great. Otherwise im thinking of making my own uncut version. That resembles the uncut version that we know and love.

i'm working on the original maps that are also included in the uncut version but does anyone have any suggestions for the OaR uncut maps?

Well, I could give you some advice for mapping in general (but it does apply to OaR).

Due to the overall size of OaR, some areas might just be too far apart to connect. So it would probably be a good idea to decide early on which areas you want to connect, and which ones you're willing to leave inaccessible. Just make sure the areas you're trying to connect aren't too far apart, though. Big connecting areas will often take more resources to build (and detail), and let me just say that I've learned from experience that those resources get used up a lot faster than you might think. Once you've established what areas you're going to connect, formulate a plan. If you're looking to improve the quality of your maps, the best thing you can do would is plan out your maps in advance. Not only will planning mean you'll be able to have a better idea of what your map is going to look like, but it also will allow for you to make revisions to your map more easily (trust me, I know firsthand that nothing will destroy your productivity more than having a plan). It should also be noted that your map might be very different from what you had planned- especially when it comes to planning connecting areas. This usually happens when you learn you aren't going to have enough space to build a connecting area the way you originally wanted- and can be somewhat difficult to avoid unless your plans have precise measurements. When this happens, I'd say the best thing to do would be to simply revise the area so it fits within the space you have- and unless you want to, you don't really have to plan out your revisions.

And while we're on the topic of connecting areas, I would recommend doing the largest ones first, and working your way down. This way, you'll have the most resource-intensive areas out of the way, and don't have to worry about not having enough resources to make your connecting areas. Once you have all the connecting areas built, you can then proceed to make the extension areas (the areas that branch off the main path rather than connect two paths). Since these areas aren't going to lead anywhere, size isn't too important- if anything, extension areas are just a good way to use your remaining resources (don't use all of them on mapping, though- if you want to add things like NPCs, lights, and scripted sequences, you're going to need to leave a bit of room). And speaking of resources, make sure you keep an eye on them. Although the limits may seem generous, they actually can get used up relatively fast, depending on how you're building your level. I'd recommend running a quick VRAD-only compile after you've finished an area to get a good idea of how much more you can fit in. The one you're going to have to keep an especially close eye on is 'entdata'. Depending on your level, this may already be fairly full- so you'll have to be careful not to exceed its limits When I mentioned leaving a bit of room for lights and scripts earlier, I was referring to the entdata limits- as this ultimately dictates the maximum amount of stuff you can have in your level).

Of course, my most important bit of mapping advice its this- make sure to have fun!

If anyone would like to summarize my TL;DR paragraphs, add anything, or point out that I stated something blatantly obvious, let me know.

Thanks for your advice. I have been planning what to do with the OaR maps and it depends on wether or not i can get access to the vmf files of the uncut mod for starters. However i dont think this will happen and so im making plans for a similar uncut version. Also with offices and maybe an big outdoor area.

I dont completely understand this part. You mention that i can run out of recources , particulary entities, but when you enter a new map through a triggerchangelevel isnt it so that your resources are "refilled" again?
Im not so sure about side area's not leading anywhere since Black Mesa might not be so lineair as it seams. Especially with a more complex transit system.

When I mentioned "running out of resources", I was talking about running out of resources on an individual map.

Hopefully that cleared things up a bit. If not, just let me know.

thats exactly want i wanted to know, thanks!

Can someone explain me is this a mod where you play in a safe-like environment or something?

Sort of. It's expanded maps of the Black Mesa facility completely restored to its pre-disaster state, for people who are curious about how the facility worked or who want to RP. The incredible complexity of the BMRF was always a huge draw for me in both HL1 and BM, and exploring that with more moving parts and without headcrabs every ten feet has always been a little dream of mine (I can't of course speak for the other people working on the project).

Later on, we are (or at least I am) considering making it a fully-interactable mod similar to Half-Life Induction.

Currently working on my Unforeseen Consequences map again (after too many distractions with other mapping and gaming), and would definitely love to help with creating a mod eventually. Induction was a lot of fun for me and I've always wanted to restore the BM facility.