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Black Mesa News

Crowbar Collective is Hiring!



Do you aspire to work on video games, or are you already in the video game industry? Crowbar Collective has some fantastic opportunities for those with an exceptional attitude and the skills to match it! We have put together a superb group of people throughout the years from all over the world, and now we are looking for more.

We are currently hiring for the following positions:
  • Character Concept Artist: Contract - 3-6 Months
  • Character Artist: Contract/Part-Time - 3-6 Months
  • Environment Concept Artist: Contract
  • Texture Artist: Part-Time - 10/20 Hours Per Week
  • Source Programmer: Part-Time
  • Business Developer: Full Time


To learn more and apply, go to our website by clicking here.

If these positions do not fit you, please share it with those who might be a suitable candidate.

We’re interested in building a team, not just a game. Come work with us!

Helping With COVID-19



Hope everyone is doing well during these tough times. Because we are a remote studio, work at Crowbar Collective is largely unchanged by the pandemic. Like everyone though, each of us has been personally affected by COVID-19.

To help, Crowbar donated $2,000 to various charities to support people on the front lines and those in need. The company gave:

$500 to Games Done Quick (who in turn raised over $400,000 for PPE!)
$500 to the CNY Food Bank
$500 to Meals on Wheels (North Syracuse)
$500 to RIP Medical Debt

We know this is a small step, and there is a lot more to be done, but we hope this will be just the first effort we can make to give back.

If you find yourself in a position like us, consider donating or volunteering for the many great organizations in need! Small donations can add up to big changes. If nothing else good comes out of this crisis, hopefully we can all see we are one big community, and the good can easily outweigh the bad.

Stay safe everyone, and wash... your... hands!


Discord- https://discord.gg/sDdzKx

Tips for Playing Black Mesa



Here are some tips and tricks for new and returning players to Black Mesa!

[h3]Try lowering the difficulty[/h3]
Getting frustrated? Just lower the difficulty. No one worth listening to will judge you. We think Black Mesa is probably a bit harder than most games released today. You can always notch it back up if things get too easy. We want people to experience the whole game, not hit a difficulty spike and decide to move onto other things. We tried to address this as much as possible in the design of the game, but if you hit a wall, just go around it!



[h3]Use your good weapons[/h3]
Don’t be afraid to use your good weapons. We built the game to make sure you would have what you need to progress. Maybe don’t go nuking headcrabs with your Gluon Gun, but don’t be afraid to start with the big guns for the bigger fights.



[h3]You can long jump in any direction[/h3]
The long-jump is not just for forward travel. You can jump in any direction. This is super important in fighting the bosses and gives you a great way to dodge all enemy attacks.



[h3]You can reload the rocket launcher as soon as you fire in unguided mode[/h3]
No need to wait for the rocket to hit when you are in unguided mode. Just hit reload as soon as it is clear of the tube, and Gordon will load a new round!



[h3]Power Slide[/h3]
We added a slide if you crouch while running. This is really handy for getting into tight spaces quickly, getting into cover, or lowering your profile as you emerge from cover.



[h3]The Hive Hand[/h3]
The Hive Hand is often put aside as a useless weapon, but it is excellent for taking out headcrabs, barnacles, hoteyes, and breaking objects/objectives. Using it in smaller fights is a great way to save ammo.



[h3]You can sprint any direction, and while holding onto objects[/h3]
A feature we added was the ability to sprint in any direction. This is super important in the later boss battles. You can also now hold onto objects and sprint, which makes life (and certain achievements) a lot easier.



also,

Games Done Quick and Hotfix 1.1 Patch Notes

Games Done Quick

GDQ is running “Corona Relief Done Quick” to raise money to fight COVID-19 through the end of Sunday (UTC).
https://gamesdonequick.com/

This is a great cause. Check it out on Twitch, and if you can, consider giving them a donation. Even small amounts can add up quick. We know a lot of people are having a hard time during this pandemic, so let’s all pull together and help each other as much as possible.

Hotfix 1.1

We have tested a patch extensively on public beta and have switched it over to the mainline for everyone to use. This fix should not affect saves, but please let us know on the Steam forums or Discord if you have any issues.

Patch Notes
- Fixed a bug related to the engine not detecting controllers
- Fixed HECU bullet spread distribution not changing based on difficulty
- Decreased HECU reaction time
- Balanced damage of frag grenades used by NPCs (higher damage radius)
- Added an option in new UI to toggle classic iron sights ON/OFF
- Fixed Xbow classic iron sights not rendering crosshair
- Fixed a crash related to marionettist
- ToGL/Linux: Changed/tweaked internal texture formats and video options to avoid visual issues on different dynamic lighting quality levels

Hope everyone is doing well. Good luck and stay safe!

Discord - https://discord.gg/qgBU3a

Ambitious Half-Life remake Black Mesa is now officially available and it's a beauty

Black Mesa, the Valve approved Half-Life remake from Crowbar Collective leaves Early Access with a much more modern take on the classic first-person shooter.