Forget about Freeman, we are cutting our losses and pulling out! Anybody left down there now is on his own, repeat, if you weren't already, you are now fucked!
Come in, Cooper. Do you copy? Forget about Freeman. We're abandoning the base. If you have any last bomb targets, mark them on the tactical map. Otherwise, get the hell out of there. Repeat, we are pulling out and commencing airstrikes. Give us targets or get below.
Remember that sunset. The last sunset Freeman will be looking at in 20 years. The next time it will be near a hydroelectric plant, on a boat, fighting choppers and half-alien soldiers. THE last sunset of a still peaceful earth. No one would see it the next day, clouded by all the smoke rising from ruins of the Seven-Hour War.
Damn I didn't even think about that. Really sucks being Freeman. (But the Combine didn't show up the next day, Portal storms happened for a few months before they showed)
If you think about it, "Forget about Freeman" is one of the most badass sentences in videogames. And not only because chapter name pop-up is perfectly synchronised with same words in radio broadcast. Just think about it - you know that you are the target number one for HECU - you are main witness, you are one of the main reason why this operation has failed, you are armored, smart and very dangerous machine of death that killed a lot of their comrades. And suddenly they decide to forget about you - and you can figure out why. Because they met something bigger and a lot more dangerous than you. Something that you about to meet.
I like to think that when the marines knocked you out they could basically take over BM, the only reason they failed was because the part of the facility Gordon was near was a lab with an OP particle cannon, and a massive arsenal of weapons not so far away, he pretty much massacred them, which allowed the aliens to finish them off.
It's actually scary to see the army pull out and not being able to get the situation under control. You're the only hope for humanity from that point onward.
The main reasons the marines pulled out: didn't know what they were getting into too many Xen and RaceX to deal with hardly anyone got deployed Gordon killed a majority of them as well as destroying several APCs, Tanks and Apaches CIA Black Ops operators had started a civil war between them.
@@AndersonMallony-EricCF No, John's wife shouting AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA for the whole soundtrack. What makes Half-life and Black Mesa OST so good is that there's no voices.
One thing I noticed about the Chapter "Forget about Freeman!" is that the HECU are saying to forget about him and cut their losses, yet even after the events of the Black Mesa Incident and the Seven Hour War, humanity never forgot about Freeman. They chose to "Follow Freeman!" and eventually, he helped them overcome the combine.
it was beatiful when i first heard it, like if i somehow got a sudden skill boost, just headshoting those cunts and making them explode with smg grenades...
@@Crrrow Yes, but it's slightly understandable if you have a little bit of common sense. You can tell the word "again" from "human fought again combine" clearly meant against
"Come in, Cooper! Do you copy? Forget about Freeman! We're abandoning the base! If you have any last bomb targets, mark them on the Tactical Map! Otherwise, get the hell outta there! Repeat: we are pulling out and commencing air strikes! Give us targets or get below!"
There's something I really love about this track. In addition to the usual rock and techno you get from HECU and Black Mesa tracks, Forget About Freeman has a strong sense of panic and urgency, which makes sense. The Aliens are winning; they've almost won. The HECU is pulling out, even leaving their own men behind, and those stranded are without leadership or direction. Even if they stand no chance against the Xen invaders they have to get out of Black Mesa, before either the nuke or the Aliens kill them. The group you find at the end of the chapter is noticeably fleeing Lambda Complex, and their little camp is mostly packed up. I'd say by the looks of it, they got left behind and the last airlift left without them, then got shot down right outside the fence. That group was almost certainly about to blow that chain fence down and take off across the desert, as it was their only chance at survival. Unfortunately, a certain orange badass just happened to run into them.
A good thought. Yet, I doubt they would have made it far in the heat or that the tank would run out of fuel before they would get far. What I love so much, is how the HECU gets portrayed as humans, panicking as the tide turns. It made me have pity for those guys when they used their radios and felt regret for having to kill the Marines in Forget about Freeman. Though my guess is, they all had the same thought when attacking Gordon. "If we go down, we'll take you with us, Freeman!" I actually wrote sort of a fanfic back then when Surface Tension uncut came out, ending with Forget about Freeman. Was surprisingly one of my most liked stories. Sorry, I got sidetracked.
@@jessiegunther1079 Can I get a link to it? Sounds like an interesting read. Also, from the HECU perspective, they're just following orders. Half-Life and Black Mesa makes them sound sadistic and "evil" just so you'll be more inclined to kill them, but then again, you've been killing all their comrades in a most brutal and gorey fashion. Is there even anything left to bury?
@@xshullaw Sure thing, but I write it with little experience at the time, just as heads up. www.fimfiction.net/story/346607/black-bloom Well, technically, it's self defense The idea behind the story, I always found it odd that they kill everyone they find, while orders are to kill anyone connected to the project, plus also order to submit to interrogation, know what I mean? Plus, what about Service personal, we don't see them after the train ride at all, plus the residents. So I came up with this: The Marines are set into two teams: One for the clean-up, the other one to rescue anyone that's not part of the project, with the marine that's one of the main characters being part of the latter. trying to get a security guard and his wife out of danger, going even so far to kill fellow Marines to keep them safe. (Although, due to my inexperience, I couldn't think of guilt or consequences for that)
@@jessiegunther1079 Just finished the first chapter, and it's not as bad as you think. Only problems are very minor grammar and slightly robotic voice lines. But you have the sense to break your paragraphs accordingly (as opposed to giant blocks of text like most new writers) and you separate dialogue from those paragraphs (also very good). Edit: In the reviews it's been noted that in your Marine section there's a great lack of detail concerning the surrounding, and I have to reaffirm that's a big issue. Even the slightest details like "dirt and rocks" or "the cold grey hall" will automatically make anyone who's played Half-Life understand whether the characters are inside or outside. And unless the character is in an important location, further detail *isn't necessary,* since much the level design is either quite similar, or you can just inform us they are at the [level name] section, so we know what the surroundings look like.
@@xshullaw Well, as I said, I write that with little to no experience back then and the paragraphs are required to be that way for stories to be uploaded. But still, I hope you enjoy the story
Imagine being a HECU soldier being dropped into Black Mesa during the Resonance Cascade. You were dropped into what appears to be a messed up cross between an alien invasion and a sci-fi science experiment gone horribly wrong. You're the clean-up team. This was supposed to be a simple job, silence some government employees gone "mad", scientists who've gone and raised some unforgivable threat against the country. No, not just the country. These things pose a threat to all mankind, and you're standing in the middle of it all, your buddies getting shredded left and right by things you're sure came from some cheesy monster movie. Oh. but they're real, they're coming for ya. They just ate your squad mate and your point man's getting his head bitten off by one of those jumpers. What does your squad captain say in all of this? "Continue the mission, eliminate Gordon Freeman". Freeman? Supposedly the one who riled up the bowels of hell itself and is tearing through alien monsters and HECU soldiers alike. Soldiers sent in to clean up. Orders from some government suit-and-tie spook to get rid of one guy? None of it lines up until new orders come in: Forget about Freeman.
And to think when Black Mesa remastered the FORGET ABOUT FREEMAN chapter's radio message, they made the recorder sound desperate until he's eventually mauled, like the other HECUs in the Black Mesa Incident.
@@Xplainn93 Indeed, this, combined with the rumbling car park from the airstrikes makes it more dramatic. Even if it's just a game, everyone who made it out alive, should thank god. And the scripted dialogues, like the security guard saying he tries to find another way out when you reach the sewers, make you wish he got out alive, same for the guard and scientists during the final part of Questionable Ethics.
This track adds a much needed emotional weight to it's home chapter, in HL Forget about Freeman just felt like a throw away chapter between Surface Tension and Lambda Core, but here, the music screams "This is the final major action sequence with the marines", making their presence in the game go out on a much larger bang. Really incredible track.
Joel, if you’re reading this, I just want to say the synth at the end perfectly compliments the whole song. It goes from chaotic to like a “we’ve failed” tone. Gives me a lot of nostalgia for some reason.
"Forget about Freeman, we're cutting our losses and pulling out! Anyone left down there is on his own, repeat, if you weren't already you're now fu- *static* "
That's one thing I don't really get about Half-Life. With everything happening in pretty much any of the games, no-one has (audibly) dropped the F-bomb
Holy shit Joel Nielsen if you see this just know that I've literally went inside black mesa source's music folder and listened to your music outside gaming just cause its so cool imo!
***** agreed, if they build up alot of hype, despite after it being 10 years then it would only make an entire fanbase dissapointed with it. like *cough* battlefield 4 *cough* or titanfall, valve are smart and take their time with each game. except tf2 in wich they have almost given the whole thing to the community in producing new maps, weapons, hats wich we all get for free ^u^
To me, "Forget about Freeman" was a quote that always evoked a subtle kind of badassery. You're watching a well-armed, well-equipped military force be pushed back with heavy casualties, and when you hear news from them about a final decision to desperately escape, the first thing the soldier says is to forget about you. Not the huge alien army teleporting out of thin air, not the risk of a nuclear-level disaster, not the tremendously dangerous and unpredictable creatures they found - it is you that they are most scared of, a seemingly unremarkable scientist that hours before was just a cart-pusher but eventually became the biggest threat they'd ever encounter in the whole facility.
HECU: "FORGET ABOUT FREEMAN, WE HAVE TO CUT OUR LOSSES NOW!!!" Also HECU: *Calls out Freeman as soon as they see him and drops everything they do just to open fire on him.*
I still believe that Black Mesa is and will be the best ReMake, with that soundtrack and also made by fans, well done Crowbar Collective, They have created a great ReMake that marked a before and after.
@@tomboysupremacist Idk about Black Mesa but I do know that in Half Life, Blue Shift and Opposing Force the player sees ~600 military personnel die. Considering the normal size for a United States battalion this would mean the player witnessed the large majority of all US servicemen causalities during the Black Mesa incident. I find this doubtful, especially for the game Black Mesa, where there are far more soldiers then in the original Half Life. I find it far more likely that the HECU consists of several thousand soldiers. Perhaps a brigade
@@etherealkraken2662 think about it logically though. I can't imagine a special purpose unit like the HECU being larger than the Rangers. It's possible that not everyone we see is HECU, only the infantry. The pilots etc are marine air wing, tanks are from another unit, etc.
@@tomboysupremacist You could be right regarding the vehicle crews, but I still find it doubtful that Freeman witnessed/caused such a huge percentage of HECU causalities given the size of Black Mesa and the duration of the Black Mesa incident. Having such a specialized unit be so large would be very weird I admit, but it is obvious that the G-Man has quite a lot of influence concerning the HECU which could explain it's unnatural size
@@etherealkraken2662 well black mesa is one objective, i think the rangers have been deployed at regiment strength before so if they commit the whole regiment and most of them die then you could see 600 deaths easy
0:00 - 0:36 (HECU retreating, Gordon Freeman running) 0:37 - 0:48 (HECU spots Gordon Freeman and open fires) 0:49 - 1:10 (Gordon fights the HECU) 1:11 - 1:24 (HECU deploys their Abrams Tank) 1:25 - 1:36 (Gordon defeats the tank) 1:37 - 2:01 (HECU tries their best to defeat gordon) 2:02 - 2:30 (Gordon Freeman now tries to take a run through the lambda bunker) This soundtrack foreshadows everything what happened in the epic fight in "forget about freeman"
This is, without a doubt, my favorite song on the entire Black Mesa soundtrack. Aside from the fact that I can't help but air guitar at :49, it really builds up the tension for the battle and even seems to have a hint of sadness beneath all the awesomeness to highlight that the guys you're fighting have been abandoned. They have no hope of leaving so they only have their mission. This is basically their last, desperate attempt to take out Freeman and they're going to make it count.
This is my favorite video game soundtrack. I like to imagine that the intimidating and lower techno is the military, while the higher and more heroic sounding is Gordon Freeman. The lower techno gets more intense and hard, yet the simple one is fighting back against it and stands its ground, later booming back and taking it down. Reminds me a lot of the odds and the situation which takes place during this music! Pardon me if I name music terms incorrectly.
(Radio Turned Off), not only are we way behind enemy lines, we just missed the last flight out of here. I sure hope you brought some backup, poindexter, because we're gonna need it.
if you think of it, Gordan Freeman is the most badass video game character of all time. not only does he fight off an entire wave of maybe say 200 army troops, but also defeats the Xen creatures, and the Nihilanth. all while remaining a scientist (or should I say student) of black mesa's research. and even then he deliberately took down the combine that had defeated the earths troops in the 7 hour war. which is just.... wow. the 1 man army.
Nitecloud id say he was doing more than just trying to survive. If JUST wanted to survive then he would have just legged it out of black mesa and never would have came back. No, he helped fight back the army troops and also volunteered to jump into xen itself and defeat nihilanth.
+xX Tesco Value Noscopes Xx when freeman was put into stasis then came back on this bus, to him black mesa just happened so he in an instant for him is in another battle right after black mesa
1:11 This still gives me goosebumps to this day. Black Mesa has such an amazing soundtrack that really fits Half Life but also makes things more emotional and intense. It really does make you realize that what's happening is really bad and that the entire world has gone to shit, and while it may or may not be you fault, everyone you know is counting on you to fix it, everything hinges on your success, and failure is not an option.
This is a masterpiece. It really conveys the desperation of the military to try to get ahold of the situation. Aliens on one side, Gordon of the other, they were just screwed from the start.
This soundtrack was a really nice change of pace and came at the perfect time in the game. Masterpieces need two things: Talent and a shitton of luck. And both happened to the Black Mesa soundtrack.
Joel Nielsen deserves to be in the video game composing hall of fame, the soundtracks from this game are so memorable and amazing, this one in particular is one of my favorite, the drum part is incredible, and I love when the guitar comes in. This is probably the greatest game I have ever played.
Can I just say that this music captures so many different emotions at once. This guy learned from how the HL2 soundtrack was made when he produced these masterpieces, but this one has to be the magnum opus of all of the Black Mesa soundtracks. The desperation to survive, the will to survive, the courage to fight on when the best of the best couldn’t do it, and the drive to win, knowing that the guy that the military was hunting is now Humanity’s final fleeting hope. Makes you feel like you’re right there in the battlefield, ready to tear the enemies to shreds.
No matter how much time has passed after I've finished the game, I still listen to the soundtrack, it's just so incredible and fantastic to listen to it. Thanks Joel for making an unforgettable soundtrack.
this song really gives me chills everytime that beat drops with the guitars and drums..gives me the feeling of what the battle felt like between the xen, and the hecu, and last but not least, Gordon Freeman.
This specific track just brings such an awesome feeling finality and badassery. And after playing Half Life 2, the realization that this is the last time Freeman will see any other humans for ten years, it's also kind of sad. This whole moment just solidifies Gordon Freeman's legendary status.
FORGET ABOUT FREEMAN! WE'RE CUTTING DOWN OUR LOSSES AND PULLING OUT, EVERYONE LEFT DOWN HERE IS NOW FOR HIS OWN, REPEAT, IF YOU WEREN'T ALREADY.... WHAT? NO NO NO NO NO NO!
"Forget about Freeman! We are cutting our losses and pulling out! Anyone left down there is on his own! Repeat, if you weren’t already- What?…oh shit! NO, NO-
@@xotl2780 Don't forget Freeman was being guided (arguably controlled) by a time god (Gman) who specifically set every situation up to allow for Freeman's success. He wasn't doing it on his own at all
I'm writing my phd Thesis while i'm listening your Black Mesa OST. Such a motivating soundtrack that makes you feel like a badass scientist solving the problems that lie ahead. Thank you Joel!
My god, this soundtrack is *so good!* Why have I only just discovered this now? Thank you, Lythero, and thank you, Joel Nielson for creating all of this ear candy!
*"Come in Cooper, we’re abandoning the base. Forget about Freeman. We are pulling out! Repeat, we are pulling out! If you have any last bomb targets, mark them on the tactical map."*
I already thanked Joel Nielsen about this, but I want to do it here as well. Joel, thank you for this masterpiece! We are doing a great Taekwondo demonstrations on that track and we adore it! Be blessed! Looking forward to hear more of your amazing work.
What i love about this soundtrack is it just exemplifies how much the HECU Marines have been putting up with. First a messy cover-up job that results in being thrown into the fray against hostile aliens, eventually being co-opted and a hasty evacuation that leaves several stranded and abandoned and then finally becoming a clean up job for Black Ops...all the while unable to kill one physicist in a hazard suit. The song demonstrates to me that these Marines might never make it home, hell they won't, but they aren't going to leave their mission unfinished. Extra dimensional aliens or black ops be damned they may die, but they will try their hardest to complete their mission: Kill Gordon Freeman. Semper Fi.
this song is the best one in my opinion, as it literally shows how much of a machine you are, and how much you are capable of. you manage to take down almost a whole military worth of marines, and a ton of alien soldiers with just a suit, crowbar and some weapons. gordon freeman is a killing machine.
I'm not sure if "just" is justified here. Gordon got a ton of weapons including a rocket launcher and experimental stuff, and the HEV suit is extremely advanced and resistant
The Soundtracks you made for black mesa fits so well to the game and I enjoyed literally every track I heard. But this soundtrack "forget about freeman" still gives me goosebumps. So epic and Rocky at the same time. The best motivation source I have in life is game music and this is by far the most epic one. Can't wait to see more from you.
I still have the same goosebumps during all the scene when this Boom started to sound and involve me into that sunset of battlefield... This game and the music Joel made has saved me from a very hard time some years ago!
Crowbar collective: we need some music for a remake of an old silly science game Joel nielsen: say less you amazing bastards, *ROCKS THE SHIT OUT OF IT*
Joel this is by far one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard in my 15 years of existence, thank you for your musical genius being applied to black mesa
This was the first time ever in a game where I actually stayed back for a bit and formulated a plan before rushing in, and when I finally cleared the area and got into the garage, I looked back over the carnage I had caused before heading deeper into Black Mesa.
I love the scene in the sky. When you first arrive you see the last V-22 Ospary’s flying away from black Mesa. And the chaotic dog fight between the HECU fighter jets. And the nihilanth’s manta’s. It really conveys the fact the the marines are now in a full desperate retreat. So desperate their abandoning the squads that can’t make it to the evac points
And yet... It seems like his role came to an end... But opened a new portal, a new dimension to see through. Good job, Mr. Freeman. You've allowed my employees to get their job done. On my behalf I grant you a rest
There's such a beautiful and fitting sense of finality in this song. perfect for not only the last encounter with the HECU, but the last time Gordon sees the sun until 20 years later during the rule of the Combine.
I just fully locked in for 3 hours, and I just had this on repeat. Didn't even know how much time went by until I was done. This song just bangs so hard
Gordon Freeman has PTSD from me and the HECU back in black mesa. I fired a few shots and ran the fuck out and fought during the 7 hour war and joined Civil Protection. I'm a rebel in disguise.
Really has an alien sound to it, makes me think of a bunch of HECU Marines fighting like hell against Aliens. Especially 0:36, it gives off the impression like something alien's getting involved.
I love it how everyone knows who Gordon Freeman is at this point.
@DynoKaiser true
@DynoKaiser I think he was talking about the fact that all Marines knew who Freeman was at that point.
You've caused enough damage to the HECU that every single marine knows your name.
Every. Single. One.
@DynoKaiser In-universe, I mean.
And yet nobody knows about Shephard and his accomplishments. I feel bad for that guy.
Gordon Freeman when he sees the tank
"I think his mate saw me."
𝐆𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬
"YES, YES HE DID."
Ah yes a tf2 reference
lol meet the sniper cit.
wait how’s you get times new Roman font in youtube
Look, mate, you know who has too many feelings?
@@octavius7582 A lad who bludgeons his wife to death with a golf trophy.
Yes I know i'm a month late
Forget about Freeman, we are cutting our losses and pulling out! Anybody left down there now is on his own, repeat, if you weren't already, you are now fucked!
***** Were all dead! Noo!
OH-OH SHIT NONONONONOOO- *static*
Come in, Cooper. Do you copy?
Forget about Freeman.
We're abandoning the base.
If you have any last bomb targets,
mark them on the tactical map.
Otherwise, get the hell out of there.
Repeat, we are pulling out and
commencing airstrikes.
Give us targets or get below.
Forget about freeman half of our military is murdered captain! captain? wait no no! AHH! - *static*
yeah mr freeman killed him its not like the soldier was fired or anything.
Remember that sunset.
The last sunset Freeman will be looking at in 20 years. The next time it will be near a hydroelectric plant, on a boat, fighting choppers and half-alien soldiers.
THE last sunset of a still peaceful earth. No one would see it the next day, clouded by all the smoke rising from ruins of the Seven-Hour War.
Poetry
Nice
semi-peaceful earth*
Damn I didn't even think about that. Really sucks being Freeman. (But the Combine didn't show up the next day, Portal storms happened for a few months before they showed)
Too bad Black Mesa was destroyed, I wanted to work there
If you think about it, "Forget about Freeman" is one of the most badass sentences in videogames. And not only because chapter name pop-up is perfectly synchronised with same words in radio broadcast.
Just think about it - you know that you are the target number one for HECU - you are main witness, you are one of the main reason why this operation has failed, you are armored, smart and very dangerous machine of death that killed a lot of their comrades. And suddenly they decide to forget about you - and you can figure out why. Because they met something bigger and a lot more dangerous than you. Something that you about to meet.
They're leaving because the operation failed, nobody knows about the Nihilanth
nah im pretty sure the operation failed because of the hundreds of hostile aliens and the hundreds of casualties they were suffering
@@quinncox5669 no he's talking about the gargantua.
@@dachel683 I REMEMBER seeing that and just going 'NOPE' and running fast as I could, threw a satchel and it did NOTHING.
I like to think that when the marines knocked you out they could basically take over BM, the only reason they failed was because the part of the facility Gordon was near was a lab with an OP particle cannon, and a massive arsenal of weapons not so far away, he pretty much massacred them, which allowed the aliens to finish them off.
It's actually scary to see the army pull out and not being able to get the situation under control. You're the only hope for humanity from that point onward.
...... and then The 7 hour war happened
Not even just the army , HECU were literal special forces and the fact they lose shows how screwed everybody was
@@semaj00 HECU were sent in limited numbers and with no knowledge about what they are getting into
* Hazardous envirement combat unit or H.E.C.U Not '' Army ''
The main reasons the marines pulled out:
didn't know what they were getting into
too many Xen and RaceX to deal with
hardly anyone got deployed
Gordon killed a majority of them as well as destroying several APCs, Tanks and Apaches
CIA Black Ops operators had started a civil war between them.
The Fact that Joel still Hearts comments to this day is pretty Poggers.
Thanks for being such a great community!
@@JoelNielsenMusic np.
@@JoelNielsenMusic No, thank YOU for your awesome music!
3
@@E_Scorching waht?
Nice how the Black Mesa soundtrack really captures the spirit of the original game/soundtrack
@weezy weezy Except Xen
@@martinmarianoalonso Whats wrong with Xen? Too 'synthwave'?
@@AndersonMallony-EricCF No, John's wife shouting AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA for the whole soundtrack. What makes Half-life and Black Mesa OST so good is that there's no voices.
@@martinmarianoalonso IMO the vocals made the song even more epic, but I do agree it doesn't fit too well with Half-Life.
@@AndersonMallony-EricCF mom
One thing I noticed about the Chapter "Forget about Freeman!" is that the HECU are saying to forget about him and cut their losses, yet even after the events of the Black Mesa Incident and the Seven Hour War, humanity never forgot about Freeman. They chose to "Follow Freeman!" and eventually, he helped them overcome the combine.
@weezy weezy w h a t
@weezy weezy it is tho, its even connected to portal 1 and 2
@weezy weezy bruh hl2 is literally the sequel to the original game. It takes place after the events of black mesa.
@@aguywhocommentsonthings3362 Probably wants attention. There's no fkn way anyone would've thought of Half-Life 2 being non-canon.
@@redex3933 well you would be surprised with some people but maybe your right but its still stupid to say that.
friends: "what music do you listen to?"
me: "you wouldn't get it"
@@chompchompch Yeah, but it's hard to say that sometimes.
I feel that with my life...
"Yeah bro I listen to battle music"
Indeed
what music do you listen to
you wou- ah forget about it
*Climbs out of pipes and hears this track*
OH ITS ON
it was beatiful when i first heard it, like if i somehow got a sudden skill boost, just headshoting those cunts and making them explode with smg grenades...
Northern Epsilon on hard mode as well
@@Crrrow OtHeR lAnGuAgEs ExIsT, you're basically saying that non-English speakers are automatically inferior to English speakers.
@@Crrrow Yes, but it's slightly understandable if you have a little bit of common sense. You can tell the word "again" from "human fought again combine" clearly meant against
Lanxerun My fir st try I did not even get a single headshot
"Come in, Cooper! Do you copy? Forget about Freeman! We're abandoning the base! If you have any last bomb targets, mark them on the Tactical Map! Otherwise, get the hell outta there! Repeat: we are pulling out and commencing air strikes! Give us targets or get below!"
"FORGET ABOUT FREEMAN WERE CUTTING OUR LOSSES AND PULLING OUT! ANYONE LEFT DOWN THERE NOW IS ON HIS OWN! REPEAT IF YOU WEREN'T ALREADY YOU ARE NOW F-"
gives me the creeps just to imagine that words ¨forget about Freeman¨ .. all is lost, and You.. are in your own. Just like life
Actually "Forget about Freeman" was planned to be called "You're on your own".
+Simple Tiger Such chapter name wouldn't have made sense in the context of HL1, since Gordon always was on his own.
Gordonkris Which is likely the reason why it was changed.
pls don't forget me ;(
+Gordon “The One Free Man” Freeman i wont
+Gordon Freeman “The One Free Man” Is Freeman ! GO
Adrian Shephard
Hah no
Come without HEV suit bitch
Adrian Shephard
U wanna go nigga?
A great piece to symbolise Gordon's last large encounter with the HECU.
HECU last stand
There's something I really love about this track.
In addition to the usual rock and techno you get from HECU and Black Mesa tracks, Forget About Freeman has a strong sense of panic and urgency, which makes sense.
The Aliens are winning; they've almost won. The HECU is pulling out, even leaving their own men behind, and those stranded are without leadership or direction. Even if they stand no chance against the Xen invaders they have to get out of Black Mesa, before either the nuke or the Aliens kill them.
The group you find at the end of the chapter is noticeably fleeing Lambda Complex, and their little camp is mostly packed up. I'd say by the looks of it, they got left behind and the last airlift left without them, then got shot down right outside the fence. That group was almost certainly about to blow that chain fence down and take off across the desert, as it was their only chance at survival.
Unfortunately, a certain orange badass just happened to run into them.
A good thought. Yet, I doubt they would have made it far in the heat or that the tank would run out of fuel before they would get far.
What I love so much, is how the HECU gets portrayed as humans, panicking as the tide turns. It made me have pity for those guys when they used their radios and felt regret for having to kill the Marines in Forget about Freeman. Though my guess is, they all had the same thought when attacking Gordon. "If we go down, we'll take you with us, Freeman!"
I actually wrote sort of a fanfic back then when Surface Tension uncut came out, ending with Forget about Freeman. Was surprisingly one of my most liked stories. Sorry, I got sidetracked.
@@jessiegunther1079 Can I get a link to it? Sounds like an interesting read. Also, from the HECU perspective, they're just following orders. Half-Life and Black Mesa makes them sound sadistic and "evil" just so you'll be more inclined to kill them, but then again, you've been killing all their comrades in a most brutal and gorey fashion. Is there even anything left to bury?
@@xshullaw Sure thing, but I write it with little experience at the time, just as heads up. www.fimfiction.net/story/346607/black-bloom
Well, technically, it's self defense
The idea behind the story, I always found it odd that they kill everyone they find, while orders are to kill anyone connected to the project, plus also order to submit to interrogation, know what I mean? Plus, what about Service personal, we don't see them after the train ride at all, plus the residents.
So I came up with this: The Marines are set into two teams: One for the clean-up, the other one to rescue anyone that's not part of the project, with the marine that's one of the main characters being part of the latter. trying to get a security guard and his wife out of danger, going even so far to kill fellow Marines to keep them safe. (Although, due to my inexperience, I couldn't think of guilt or consequences for that)
@@jessiegunther1079 Just finished the first chapter, and it's not as bad as you think. Only problems are very minor grammar and slightly robotic voice lines. But you have the sense to break your paragraphs accordingly (as opposed to giant blocks of text like most new writers) and you separate dialogue from those paragraphs (also very good).
Edit: In the reviews it's been noted that in your Marine section there's a great lack of detail concerning the surrounding, and I have to reaffirm that's a big issue. Even the slightest details like "dirt and rocks" or "the cold grey hall" will automatically make anyone who's played Half-Life understand whether the characters are inside or outside. And unless the character is in an important location, further detail *isn't necessary,* since much the level design is either quite similar, or you can just inform us they are at the [level name] section, so we know what the surroundings look like.
@@xshullaw Well, as I said, I write that with little to no experience back then and the paragraphs are required to be that way for stories to be uploaded. But still, I hope you enjoy the story
Imagine being a HECU soldier being dropped into Black Mesa during the Resonance Cascade. You were dropped into what appears to be a messed up cross between an alien invasion and a sci-fi science experiment gone horribly wrong. You're the clean-up team. This was supposed to be a simple job, silence some government employees gone "mad", scientists who've gone and raised some unforgivable threat against the country. No, not just the country.
These things pose a threat to all mankind, and you're standing in the middle of it all, your buddies getting shredded left and right by things you're sure came from some cheesy monster movie. Oh. but they're real, they're coming for ya. They just ate your squad mate and your point man's getting his head bitten off by one of those jumpers.
What does your squad captain say in all of this? "Continue the mission, eliminate Gordon Freeman".
Freeman? Supposedly the one who riled up the bowels of hell itself and is tearing through alien monsters and HECU soldiers alike. Soldiers sent in to clean up. Orders from some government suit-and-tie spook to get rid of one guy?
None of it lines up until new orders come in:
Forget about Freeman.
A terrible and terrifying feeling, that's for sure. AS soon as I would get the order, I'd focus on getting out of there, probably slightly panicking.
Need this in black mesa: opposing force, would be one hell of a horror game
@@Discussion4Peace Actually, there's a mod in the workshop where you play as marine
And to think when Black Mesa remastered the FORGET ABOUT FREEMAN chapter's radio message, they made the recorder sound desperate until he's eventually mauled, like the other HECUs in the Black Mesa Incident.
@@Xplainn93 Indeed, this, combined with the rumbling car park from the airstrikes makes it more dramatic. Even if it's just a game, everyone who made it out alive, should thank god.
And the scripted dialogues, like the security guard saying he tries to find another way out when you reach the sewers, make you wish he got out alive, same for the guard and scientists during the final part of Questionable Ethics.
This track adds a much needed emotional weight to it's home chapter, in HL Forget about Freeman just felt like a throw away chapter between Surface Tension and Lambda Core, but here, the music screams "This is the final major action sequence with the marines", making their presence in the game go out on a much larger bang. Really incredible track.
I love how the song sparks the "OUT OF MY WAY" energy in such an epic way.
they had to make a run for the extraction so yeah
Joel, if you’re reading this, I just want to say the synth at the end perfectly compliments the whole song. It goes from chaotic to like a “we’ve failed” tone. Gives me a lot of nostalgia for some reason.
"Forget about Freeman, we're cutting our losses and pulling out! Anyone left down there is on his own, repeat, if you weren't already you're now fu- *static* "
Static censor
That's one thing I don't really get about Half-Life. With everything happening in pretty much any of the games, no-one has (audibly) dropped the F-bomb
@@rfg-gs Same in Left 4 Dead, no f bombs
tempname1312 probably to keep it from being an 18
"What? oh sh*t NO NO....."
Holy shit Joel Nielsen if you see this just know that I've literally went inside black mesa source's music folder and listened to your music outside gaming just cause its so cool imo!
It's the Half Life 2 meme man! And Joel even saw and
nice seeing ya here
Yeah
@@kidkangaroo5213 xd
@@winternightst7001 h
Gordon Freeman: Exists
Military: ight ima head out
''Forget About Freeman!'' that is what VALVe apparently is saying us ;_;
***** agreed, if they build up alot of hype, despite after it being 10 years then it would only make an entire fanbase dissapointed with it. like *cough* battlefield 4 *cough* or titanfall, valve are smart and take their time with each game. except tf2 in wich they have almost given the whole thing to the community in producing new maps, weapons, hats wich we all get for free ^u^
***** yes, unlike our friends EA or activision
***** *sarcasm*
***** i was being sarcasting, EA and activision are milking their users for money with DLC's unfinished games and worse
***** good
To me, "Forget about Freeman" was a quote that always evoked a subtle kind of badassery. You're watching a well-armed, well-equipped military force be pushed back with heavy casualties, and when you hear news from them about a final decision to desperately escape, the first thing the soldier says is to forget about you. Not the huge alien army teleporting out of thin air, not the risk of a nuclear-level disaster, not the tremendously dangerous and unpredictable creatures they found - it is you that they are most scared of, a seemingly unremarkable scientist that hours before was just a cart-pusher but eventually became the biggest threat they'd ever encounter in the whole facility.
HECU: "FORGET ABOUT FREEMAN, WE HAVE TO CUT OUR LOSSES NOW!!!"
Also HECU: *Calls out Freeman as soon as they see him and drops everything they do just to open fire on him.*
To be fair to them, I think they assume you're going to fuck them up on sight.
shingshongshamalama@ to add to this. They probably would also want to avenge the fellow marines you killed
They had like 3 tanks outside already, but the alien aircraft destroyed them
Then they didn't have a chance with just one tank
I still believe that Black Mesa is and will be the best ReMake, with that soundtrack and also made by fans, well done Crowbar Collective, They have created a great ReMake that marked a before and after.
2020.... post Alyx...... Forgotten no more
Maaaayyybbbbeeeee
He's still been forgotten lol
"Forget about Freeman! We're cutting our losses and pulling out! Anyone left down there now is on their own! I repeat, if you are-"
"Shit!"
I repeat! If you are shit
Forget about Freeman! We're abandoning the base! If you have any last bomb targets, mark them on the Tactical Map
"What? Oh shit! No! NO! NO-" *Signal cuts off.*
Oh no
An entire Marine expeditionary force, several thousand strong, was rendered combat ineffective after two days.
Two days.
i can't imagine the HECU being more than a battalion strong
@@tomboysupremacist Idk about Black Mesa but I do know that in Half Life, Blue Shift and Opposing Force the player sees ~600 military personnel die. Considering the normal size for a United States battalion this would mean the player witnessed the large majority of all US servicemen causalities during the Black Mesa incident. I find this doubtful, especially for the game Black Mesa, where there are far more soldiers then in the original Half Life. I find it far more likely that the HECU consists of several thousand soldiers. Perhaps a brigade
@@etherealkraken2662 think about it logically though. I can't imagine a special purpose unit like the HECU being larger than the Rangers. It's possible that not everyone we see is HECU, only the infantry. The pilots etc are marine air wing, tanks are from another unit, etc.
@@tomboysupremacist You could be right regarding the vehicle crews, but I still find it doubtful that Freeman witnessed/caused such a huge percentage of HECU causalities given the size of Black Mesa and the duration of the Black Mesa incident. Having such a specialized unit be so large would be very weird I admit, but it is obvious that the G-Man has quite a lot of influence concerning the HECU which could explain it's unnatural size
@@etherealkraken2662 well black mesa is one objective, i think the rangers have been deployed at regiment strength before so if they commit the whole regiment and most of them die then you could see 600 deaths easy
0:00 - 0:36 (HECU retreating, Gordon Freeman running)
0:37 - 0:48 (HECU spots Gordon Freeman and open fires)
0:49 - 1:10 (Gordon fights the HECU)
1:11 - 1:24 (HECU deploys their Abrams Tank)
1:25 - 1:36 (Gordon defeats the tank)
1:37 - 2:01 (HECU tries their best to defeat gordon)
2:02 - 2:30 (Gordon Freeman now tries to take a run through the lambda bunker)
This soundtrack foreshadows everything what happened in the epic fight in "forget about freeman"
I couldn't agree more.
The best part is the fighter jets and helicopters.
Gives me the feels everytime
*F O R E S H A D O W I N G*
Usually after the fight I just stay outside and just watch all the planes and Manta Rays go by!
Usually 1:11 is when the tank goes down, honestly.
This is, without a doubt, my favorite song on the entire Black Mesa soundtrack. Aside from the fact that I can't help but air guitar at :49, it really builds up the tension for the battle and even seems to have a hint of sadness beneath all the awesomeness to highlight that the guys you're fighting have been abandoned. They have no hope of leaving so they only have their mission. This is basically their last, desperate attempt to take out Freeman and they're going to make it count.
Concuerdo
Este es de mis temas favoritos :D
Y buena descripción :)
This is my favorite video game soundtrack.
I like to imagine that the intimidating and lower techno is the military, while the higher and more heroic sounding is Gordon Freeman. The lower techno gets more intense and hard, yet the simple one is fighting back against it and stands its ground, later booming back and taking it down. Reminds me a lot of the odds and the situation which takes place during this music!
Pardon me if I name music terms incorrectly.
the combat music in Stalker(call of pripyat) has a somewhat similar style, if you wanna check it out
Will do! Thanks for the suggestion
BananaPistachio I put that in my head.
Thank you.
HQDefault Don't thank me, thank Nielsen.
BananaPistachio Thanks Nielson!
No matter how many times I listen to this, it just sounds so good, and perfect! Legendary music if you ask me
"Forget about Freeman! We are cutting our losses and pulling out, anyone left down there is on his own!"
- Hazardous Environment Combat Unit Officer
(Radio Turned Off), not only are we way behind enemy lines, we just missed the last flight out of here. I sure hope you brought some backup, poindexter, because we're gonna need it.
Let's get the hell outta here.
if you think of it, Gordan Freeman is the most badass video game character of all time. not only does he fight off an entire wave of maybe say 200 army troops, but also defeats the Xen creatures, and the Nihilanth. all while remaining a scientist (or should I say student) of black mesa's research.
and even then he deliberately took down the combine that had defeated the earths troops in the 7 hour war. which is just.... wow. the 1 man army.
+Mr.Nonexistent hes more than just an army.
Hl he was a scientist trying to survive. Hl2 he was a hero of humanity.
Wait what?
Nitecloud id say he was doing more than just trying to survive. If JUST wanted to survive then he would have just legged it out of black mesa and never would have came back. No, he helped fight back the army troops and also volunteered to jump into xen itself and defeat nihilanth.
+xX Tesco Value Noscopes Xx when freeman was put into stasis then came back on this bus, to him black mesa just happened so he in an instant for him is in another battle right after black mesa
Chernobyl Bear sorry but i dont understand what you are saying :(
Another epic firefight. Thank you so much, Joel Nielsen.
1:11 This still gives me goosebumps to this day. Black Mesa has such an amazing soundtrack that really fits Half Life but also makes things more emotional and intense. It really does make you realize that what's happening is really bad and that the entire world has gone to shit, and while it may or may not be you fault, everyone you know is counting on you to fix it, everything hinges on your success, and failure is not an option.
This is a masterpiece. It really conveys the desperation of the military to try to get ahold of the situation. Aliens on one side, Gordon of the other, they were just screwed from the start.
This soundtrack.. this game.. it's amazing. Absolutely amazing.
This soundtrack was a really nice change of pace and came at the perfect time in the game.
Masterpieces need two things: Talent and a shitton of luck.
And both happened to the Black Mesa soundtrack.
Pov:When Uzi (Absolute solver) from Murder drones comes to earth and kills first the HECU Marines.
0:48
@@NotKazuraMiller1557What.
@@NotKazuraMiller1557 😬🤨
Joel Nielsen deserves to be in the video game composing hall of fame, the soundtracks from this game are so memorable and amazing, this one in particular is one of my favorite, the drum part is incredible, and I love when the guitar comes in. This is probably the greatest game I have ever played.
0:48 when the bass dropped. It instantly gave goosebump. What a piece of music!
Personally, this is my favourite game in the series
+British Nerd Dude, it's a mod.
thefreegamer91 not anymore, steam release. I just find it my favourite
British Nerd It's still a mod...?
thefreegamer91 Sorta
British Nerd Um, no. It's still a mod. without HL2, you can't play it, therefore it's a mod.
I wonder what inspired Joel to create this one track? It is marvelous
I love to watch the F16s and Xen flying mantas fighting eachother above :)
Jesus christ it's you again.
It is indeed a beautiful sight and a nice detail
those are AV-8B Harriers but indeed its lovely
@@nierax327 AV-8Bs are more beautiful than F-16s change my mind
@@nierax327 F-16s in the original, Harriers in Black Mesa.
The line "Forget About Freeman" is just so cool
Can I just say that this music captures so many different emotions at once. This guy learned from how the HL2 soundtrack was made when he produced these masterpieces, but this one has to be the magnum opus of all of the Black Mesa soundtracks. The desperation to survive, the will to survive, the courage to fight on when the best of the best couldn’t do it, and the drive to win, knowing that the guy that the military was hunting is now Humanity’s final fleeting hope. Makes you feel like you’re right there in the battlefield, ready to tear the enemies to shreds.
waiting for the day Joel Nielsen releases more music... i cant get enough of this!!
No matter how much time has passed after I've finished the game, I still listen to the soundtrack, it's just so incredible and fantastic to listen to it. Thanks Joel for making an unforgettable soundtrack.
"why is black mesa music so good"
- my friend
feel honorred
this song really gives me chills everytime that beat drops with the guitars and drums..gives me the feeling of what the battle felt like between the xen, and the hecu, and last but not least, Gordon Freeman.
it really does give you the vibe doe ...😳
Okay, maybe this sounds stupid, but we need Gordon for Smash Bros.
I feel like he’d play kinda similar to Snake
His final smash would be causing a resonance cascade
Looks like I've found another man of my #gordonfreeman4smash religion!
Can anyone make actual moveset, please?
@@valoch3187 Say no more fam:
ruclips.net/video/pyBlTAvppjg/видео.html
Gordon freeman should have something like a Crowbar, a Mega Charged Gravity Gun, A USP Match. And also a bugbait, oh yeah and also a shotgun
This specific track just brings such an awesome feeling finality and badassery. And after playing Half Life 2, the realization that this is the last time Freeman will see any other humans for ten years, it's also kind of sad. This whole moment just solidifies Gordon Freeman's legendary status.
20 years
its 20 years
Also doesnt he see other humans in lambda complex? no?
The last sunset the freeman will see the next one he saw in 20 years
FORGET ABOUT FREEMAN! WE'RE CUTTING DOWN OUR LOSSES AND PULLING OUT, EVERYONE LEFT DOWN HERE IS NOW FOR HIS OWN, REPEAT, IF YOU WEREN'T ALREADY.... WHAT? NO NO NO NO NO NO!
"Forget about Freeman! We are cutting our losses and pulling out! Anyone left down there is on his own! Repeat, if you weren’t already- What?…oh shit! NO, NO-
Almost 10 years later, and some things simply do not age. Wonderful piece. Absolutely worth the weight for Xen.
Some of the most badass soundtracks in video game history. Nobody will ever forget this.
You already knew that the Army would fail in preventing the alien invasion when they can’t kill a scientist with a crowbar.
To be fair, doctor Freeman has a special suit made to deal with all kinds of hazards, was armed to the teeth and more.
An entire, interplanetary species, eons old, and having already conquered an unfathomable amount of the known universe couldn't defeat the Freeman.
@@xotl2780 Don't forget Freeman was being guided (arguably controlled) by a time god (Gman) who specifically set every situation up to allow for Freeman's success. He wasn't doing it on his own at all
I swear, the music in this game is a blessing.
I'm writing my phd Thesis while i'm listening your Black Mesa OST. Such a motivating soundtrack that makes you feel like a badass scientist solving the problems that lie ahead. Thank you Joel!
thesis? GORDON FREEMAN THESIS REFERENCE? PHD DOCTOR FREEMAN?
@@omelette_official Hahaha
@@omelette_official i got my results... i did it!
My god, this soundtrack is *so good!* Why have I only just discovered this now?
Thank you, Lythero, and thank you, Joel Nielson for creating all of this ear candy!
Man the Black Mesa OST is just amazing. Good job Joel.
Genuinely everything in black mesa was made with so much love and effort it’s insane, and this music is no exception. Well done!
This has to be one of the greatest remakes of all time. It is a passion project, made by fans, for fans and more.
*"Come in Cooper, we’re abandoning the base. Forget about Freeman. We are pulling out! Repeat, we are pulling out! If you have any last bomb targets, mark them on the tactical map."*
You're a goddamn genius, this sounds like Hard Technology Rock, Vortal Combat, and Sector Sweep all were combined, and was turned up to 11.
when I played this part in the game it was pure chaos I love it.
I already thanked Joel Nielsen about this, but I want to do it here as well.
Joel, thank you for this masterpiece! We are doing a great Taekwondo demonstrations on that track and we adore it!
Be blessed!
Looking forward to hear more of your amazing work.
MY ARM
DO OT
Alex Iva hm...hm...*gasp* I mean DO IT
Best song in the mod, hands down. I LOVE this soundtrack!
What i love about this soundtrack is it just exemplifies how much the HECU Marines have been putting up with. First a messy cover-up job that results in being thrown into the fray against hostile aliens, eventually being co-opted and a hasty evacuation that leaves several stranded and abandoned and then finally becoming a clean up job for Black Ops...all the while unable to kill one physicist in a hazard suit. The song demonstrates to me that these Marines might never make it home, hell they won't, but they aren't going to leave their mission unfinished. Extra dimensional aliens or black ops be damned they may die, but they will try their hardest to complete their mission: Kill Gordon Freeman. Semper Fi.
this song is the best one in my opinion, as it literally shows how much of a machine you are, and how much you are capable of. you manage to take down almost a whole military worth of marines, and a ton of alien soldiers with just a suit, crowbar and some weapons. gordon freeman is a killing machine.
I'm not sure if "just" is justified here. Gordon got a ton of weapons including a rocket launcher and experimental stuff, and the HEV suit is extremely advanced and resistant
The song made me feel so badass when I was playing the game
First black mesa track that hit 1M views
And hopefully not the last
The Soundtracks you made for black mesa fits so well to the game and I enjoyed literally every track I heard. But this soundtrack "forget about freeman" still gives me goosebumps. So epic and Rocky at the same time. The best motivation source I have in life is game music and this is by far the most epic one. Can't wait to see more from you.
We all love you very much Joel! Thank you so much for creating these mighty soundtracks for us to hear! :)
I still have the same goosebumps during all the scene when this Boom started to sound and involve me into that sunset of battlefield...
This game and the music Joel made has saved me from a very hard time some years ago!
Does nobody talk about how the ending of this ost is absolutely beautiful !?!?!
This song is SO EPIC!!!
I love this track so much. You can feel the defeat and desperation in it.
Crowbar collective: we need some music for a remake of an old silly science game
Joel nielsen: say less you amazing bastards, *ROCKS THE SHIT OUT OF IT*
Joel this is by far one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard in my 15 years of existence, thank you for your musical genius being applied to black mesa
This was the first time ever in a game where I actually stayed back for a bit and formulated a plan before rushing in, and when I finally cleared the area and got into the garage, I looked back over the carnage I had caused before heading deeper into Black Mesa.
This is one of the most riveting and disturbing pieces of music I've ever heard. It fits the terrifying and epic scene of this level.
I love the scene in the sky. When you first arrive you see the last V-22 Ospary’s flying away from black Mesa. And the chaotic dog fight between the HECU fighter jets. And the nihilanth’s manta’s. It really conveys the fact the the marines are now in a full desperate retreat. So desperate their abandoning the squads that can’t make it to the evac points
Even after finishing the game like 6-7 times, i still come back to listen these amazing songs.
Thank you Joel for making a masterpiece for our ears
And yet... It seems like his role came to an end... But opened a new portal, a new dimension to see through.
Good job, Mr. Freeman. You've allowed my employees to get their job done. On my behalf I grant you a rest
This is hands down the best song in the game
now if you look to the sky, you can see our local HECU marines being chased by manta rays... absolutely beautiful to watch
There's such a beautiful and fitting sense of finality in this song. perfect for not only the last encounter with the HECU, but the last time Gordon sees the sun until 20 years later during the rule of the Combine.
I just fully locked in for 3 hours, and I just had this on repeat. Didn't even know how much time went by until I was done. This song just bangs so hard
When this soundtrack goes hard, it never under delivers
Gordon Freeman has PTSD from me and the HECU back in black mesa. I fired a few shots and ran the fuck out and fought during the 7 hour war and joined Civil Protection. I'm a rebel in disguise.
Also this was a reference to that soldier that ignored the science team member and shot at Freeman and ran.
when there's a school evacuation and the class forgets about you
And much like the game... nobody will ever truly know what you've been through.
*Perhaps, best track in Black Mesa.*
11 years old AND STILL A BANGER
was just expecting that small part from the original with a tank and a few grunts but it was really a true sendoff to the surface
I consider this to be Gordon Freeman's sort of "theme song". Partially sorrowful and fully badass. I can't stop listening to it.
Really has an alien sound to it, makes me think of a bunch of HECU Marines fighting like hell against Aliens. Especially 0:36, it gives off the impression like something alien's getting involved.