For this recurring segment, we will be highlighting the five biggest stories on ModDB for the prior week. Whether it's new mod announcements, major mod releases, or important stories that affect the mod scene as a whole, you'll find them rounded up here each week.
The Week of August 3 2018
Operation: Black Mesa is a total Source remake of Half Life: Opposing Force. Using the Source engine, the developers plan to recreate the Black Mesa research Facility as it was seen by Corporal Adrian Shephard of the H.E.C.U. Half-life: Opposing Force is still an amazing game, although it is not nearly as amazing as it was when it was released.
With the source release of System Shock (1994) from Nightdive Studios, as well as the upcoming "Source Port", various new features in the game engine have been discovered, as well as new ones meant to come. The previous "deck" editor from InkyBlackness reached its limits, so it was necessary to think of a brand new editor: HackEd.
With Rise of the Republic out August 9th, modders will have access to more unit parts and more scripting options as well as the Mod Filter Creative Assembly brought into Total War: Rome II with Desert Kingdoms back in March.
Goldhawk Interactive, creators of the Xenonauts series – an indie take on the original XCOM turn-based tactics games – has announced that their Kickstarter for Xenonauts 2 has succeeded, and will include the mod support stretch goal – despite falling just slightly short of the target.
...So ANYWAY, good to see that things are looking up for various modding communities, with the release of new tools and editors. I loved Long War for Xcom Enemy Unknown and its sequel, the potential is always there for those types of mods to further enhance the experience, I can't wait to see what people will come up with in Xenonauts 2.
It's also nice to see some news from Tripmine Studios, with those types of projects you have to be patient and give them space (even if it ends up leading to nothing), but it's always good to see the devs show such commitment, keeping their followers up to date on what they are doing.