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As much as I'd like to see this, Ross has stated in one of the monthly videochats that he knows the voice actor for Barney in Black Mesa (Kevin Sisk). It's far more likely he'd have Sisk voice Barney, as he manages to replicate Shapiro's voice almost perfectly.

Earth prior to the Combine invasion is definitely far stronger than Earth *two whole decades* after the invasion.

#Subject 36: The issue of mental health and its illness is a very serious one, and I'm glad that in recent years, it is actually being treated as one. You would normally be disregarded as a 'freak' if you were to reveal the fact that you yourself from a mental illness, whether it be schizophrenia, dementia, or whatever. I do feel as though that the people that really risk the integrity of the new movement are politicians - namely, those that are very passionate when it comes to guns. You know the type. Whenever a mass shooting comes up, rather than actually argue about gun safety and how to prevent further gun violence, politicans will just point towards "mental illness" and be done with it. This pisses me off for two reasons: a) You're essentially fearmongering. Society is infatuated with the idea of "us vs. them" - just look at scripture or literature. When you point towards the people that have to deal with their own personal hell, and say that *they're* to blame, you're giving the public a group to despise and ignore. This is dangerous because *these* are the people that need help the most. b) I have to deal with mental disorders myself. I suffer from anxiety disorder, as well as depression. So when I'm apparently one of the many people that will commit the next mass shooting, I'm obviously not going to appreciate the notion. Besides, mental health is a rather common issue. There's no way you haven't met a single person that doesn't suffer from some sort of disorder. For years, I hid my issues from others, and when I finally talked to my mother about it, she was honestly surprised since I "seemed okay."

Sorry for the lack of forum responses! I forgot my password and put off recovering it for a few months, but now I'm back. I've been thinking of ways to open up a small hub for Stark's Mind so that people can discuss it, but the series is too small for that I believe. I'll just use this forum post for the occasional update, question, etc,. Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the series. It's a lot of fun to make these episodes, but the real kicker is when you manage to entertain people. Hope you stick around for the future episodes! I think that the series is constantly improving with each episode, so I hope you do! I'm thinking about redoing the first few episodes as they pale in comparison to the more recent episodes in regards to quality, though I'll probably do that in the future. I actually was thinking about contacting Ross, but I really just wanted to get the episode out. I originally made a small teaser trailer for the series before I bought my new computer which showcased Stark's conversation with Freeman - except, the viewer would only be able to hear Stark's end of the call. As a side note, I'll try my best to have small cameos in future episodes. And if the time comes, I'll ask Ross if he'd like to do some voice work for the series. It's far off, though, but only time will tell.

"The law of physics is now my bitch." Something like that. FM's Freeman seems to be the type that's fascinated with experimental technology. A gun that can manipulate gravitational force? Freeman will probably be too busy climaxing before he can really look at the weapon with a clear mind.

Glad you feel that way! Nice to see that people enjoying the route I've taken for the series. Funny you mention Felix's Mind. Keep an eye out in future episodes! And as a little side note, I had originally planned to have something similar to Felix's Mind by way of Stark being Freeman's cousin. Didn't really enjoy the idea, and just went with a former co-worker. I'm looking into ways to rid the voice lines of that background noise. I'm fairly amateur when it comes to recording audio, so if you could provide me a video or tutorial as to how remove the background noise, I would appreciate it! Additionally, I've updated the LATEST EPISODE section of the original post. If you've already gone over the first six episodes, be sure to check the seventh episode. If you like the series, stick around!

Hey, thanks for the replies and feedback so far, guys. It's nice to see people that enjoy my work! Makes me feel all fuzzy inside, haha. I've been busy with school work and studying for exams so apologies for the late reply! Definitely going to make Stark have precognition as an actual ability now. But seriously, thanks for the heads up. I try to add delays to his reaction, but when I'm editing, I tend to feel as though his reactions are a little too late, so I adjust it, hence why it seems as if he saw the event before it even happened, like you said before. I guess I'm just basing it off of my behaviour in real life since I'm quite jumpy, haha. Again, thanks. I'll try to tone it back a bit. In game, the Resonance Cascade has only been going on for a few hours(?), I presume. Stark has only come across the bare bones of the situation so far, if you will, which is why he's only slightly disturbed and anxious. But, as the series progresses and the situation begins to get out of hand with far more psychological consequences, Stark will inevitably suffer - something that I'll try to make apparent. It'll be exciting to explore that, honestly (makes me sound like a sadist). The one moment I can't wait to do is Stark being forced to fight the HECU. Just thinking about it is fun. Glad to hear that you see the character in that way, since that's what I was aiming for. Don't want to spoil anything, but I can say that Stark isn't Gordon's cousin, if that's what you're thinking. The "characters are related" trait isn't something I really enjoy, and besides, Felix's Mind played on that trope perfectly. I can say that they have known each other for quite a while, which I (as I have said before) will explore as the series continues on. It's always nice to have subplots, no? Thank you for the compliment again! I personally feel as though the first two episodes are the weakest, but I guess that's largely in part due to me being a perfectionist. And if you enjoy it, that's great! Hope you enjoy the rest of the episodes - both released and upcoming!

Hello there, all! I'm here to share with you my first ever web series on YouTube. It's taken me multiple years to finally get my work started, as I first had the idea back in 2013, and have been unable to properly begin on it until now. But, it's here, and I'm finally comfortable enough to share it with everyone. WHAT IS STARK'S MIND? Stark's Mind is, well, a Mind series, of course, that is played in Black Mesa. The overall summary of Stark's Mind is that it takes place in a parallel universe, in which the Freeman's Mind version of Gordon Freeman is unable to attend work on May 16th, 200X (I have the series set in 2009). A former co-worker who was forced to leave the company, Vincent Stark, is called by Freeman, and is asked if he could act as a sort of body double, as Freeman would regret losing this type of job, despite the fact that he has issues with the company. Stark, who coincidentally looks like Freeman, is given an ultimatum (that will be explored as the series progresses) by Freeman, and reluctantly acts as his body double. The events of Half-Life (Black Mesa) then occur, albeit with Stark acting as a Freeman stand-in. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Initially, I really wanted to just create a Mind series for fun. Over time, however, I thought of all the possibilities I could explore. I'm fairly well versed in the Half-Life lore, so I plan to incorporate very important aspects into the series and discuss them. The Mind genre fits best for what I would like to do now - the seriousness of the Resonance Cascade. Half-Life is a story in which a regular man is thrust into a situation that pits the Earth against a threat like never before. A story of consequence, action, and adventure. I want my series to embody that mold, and the Mind genre is so easily controllable, that you can take it in to new ground. We had Freeman's Mind explore a side of Gordon Freeman that was absolutely unexpected, but what about from a normal person? How would they react realistically? I've never seen a Mind series that heavily focused on these themes, and I hope to accomplish this once the series starts to pick up pace. Additionally, I'm a huge fan of Ross Scott's work. I personally believe that Freeman's Mind and Civil Protection are the best pieces of Machinima we've received yet. Ross put thousands of hours into his work, and with his movie now known to us, I felt as though the series could also serve as a sort of tribute or homage. Not just to Ross, but perhaps the entire Half-Life community, since we've all been waiting for content for so long. We can only do so much to stave off the wait for Half-Life 3. So, in short, Stark's Mind to me is a series that serves as a juxtaposition to Freeman's Mind that explores the themes and story seen in Half-Life. A series that pays tribute to Valve and Ross. And, a series that I've been wanting to do for a long time. A passion project, essentially. CONCLUSION So, a summary of this post is: Stark's Mind is a passion project that aims to recreate my experiences with the Half-Life storyline and embrace them fully - albeit with a stand-in protagonist as Freeman's Mind has already been done. The series is quite amateur, and I'm still learning how to improve on my editing skills. The first few episodes are a bit shaky, but the later ones are okay, in my opinion. The quality of the voice over lines aren't exactly the best as I record in my room, and the writing is mediocre at best, since this is the first time I've done something like this. But, there's only room for improvement from here on out, right? I'll link the episodes down below. One thing I heavily value is feedback and criticism. Please, if there's something that you think could be done better - editing, voice acting, writing - leave a post! I appreciate all criticism - positive and negative, as it gives me an outline as to what I should try to improve upon most in the series. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy the series, as well as where it leads to in the future. FIRST EPISODE (very rough): CG-4QEjfFGQ LATEST EPISODE: 25CQEMzPF2k

Hello, everyone. I've been a huge fan of Freeman's Mind / Civil Protection ever since I first stumbled upon the series back in 2007/08. Over the years, I've felt compelled to create a Machinima series of my own. I've had a few attempts at test videos, and they look decent - to say the most. But, I'm not as experienced when it comes to video game web series, and I was hoping I could get some assistance with a little video effect I've been wanting to replicate. You see, I'm doing a Machinima series in Black Mesa - akin to Freeman's Mind. So... a mind series in Black Mesa, basically. I'll share the first few episodes when they come out. Been wanting to do this for quite a while. Anyways, as the title says, I need help when it comes to motion blur. I'm not as technical as Ross is, so I'm basically clueless as to when it comes to recording at 180FPS/using scripts to smooth out motion/etc. I was just hoping if anyone could help me on creating an effect similar to the motion blur seen in Freeman's Mind, or just suggest ways of creating said effect. Thanks.

"Oh yeah, the President's fine. He totally did not get his head blown apart on national television." "Oh my god, his head is a portal! He keeps the universe in his head! I want it! YES! It's breaking apart! That means I get to be the new god! That's how it works, right!?"

G-Man: Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman... Rise and... shine... Gordon: [drowsy from being in stasis] ... Wait, wuh? [wakes up completely soon after, and rants after seeing the G-Man] Oh shit, it's you! Where am I, what have you done!? Goddamn feds using their stupid ass technology just to catch me! You guys aren't worth shit! My doctor's degree is worth more than your lives!