I'd like to suggest a change regarding the current server setting as I think returning to a late 1990s or early 2000s with some tweaks and modifications would be the best option in terms of fun for most of players.

First of all I'd like to give my first impressions. I have loved what I've seen so far, the map is cool and well crafted, the factions fit within the environment and RP quality is good overall as far as I could notice but I am missing some essential things, some things that made Black Mesa and Half Life overall the captive and interesting universe everyone loves.

The first thing I think that feels really really off is the 2025 setting along with the interpretation of the Combine withdrawal and the reconstruction of Black Mesa after all the chaos and problems that it caused for the humanity. While I have to say I find the proposal to be original, I don't think it is the best case scenario for the exploitation of what the BMRP could be. I would propose something different instead that I'll try to summarize here:

1) The setting: I'd bet for a late 90s early 2000s BMRF setting prior to the incident where Xen is being discovered and the first expeditions are being sent to the borderworld. The first expeditions triggered some portal anomalies that allows Xenian creatures alongside with Vortigaunts to spawn around the Black Mesa facility given some specific conditions without reaching the Portal Storm level of chaos that will come after Gordon Freeman's arrival, everything is under control if only if the personnel manages to fix everything up when this happens. This will allow the existence of Xenian factions alongside with people who could play sentient Xenian creatures temporarily or permanently that will try to take over the facility or do whatever they want (think about Vortigaunts, Alien Grunts etc, all under Nihilanth's orders). The aforementioned factions will have of course their counterparts, mainly the HECU or BMSP (Security) which will be the main armed force against the Aliens or any threat to the facility. If the BM forces can't handle the situation, the Government will send the Black Ops to purge everyone and everything in the facility so the world doesn't find out about Xen (think about something like the OTA on Judgement Waiver HL2RP-wise).

2) Factions: The only problem I see is the lack of confrontation. What I mean by this? There are no antagonic factions in the server as its current state, that's why I suggested an example of conflict in the first section. I see the server relies on events being carried out by the staff to allow this confrontation to happen most of the time. What do I propose apart from what it has already been said? The delimitation of faction objectives that can enter in conflict with others. For example, HECUs vs Security Personnel (power struggle to get more influence and/or budget), Biological Department vs Anomalous Material Department (discussion about who will lead the expedition to Xen or who will be getting priority in terms of specimens/materials/resources), the introduction of spies who want to gather intel about what's happening in the facility for his country via infiltrating in it, the introduction of Aperture Science personnel who wish to do the same, etc. There are endless possibilities, those can be used as event ideas, temporal or permanent factions. Also the introduction of an 'Administration' faction would be interesting, remember Breen was the BM administrator before the incident happened.

3) Coherence with the RP environment and map: This can be taken as a subsection of point 1, I just think that the 90s early 2000s setting would also fit with all the props and how the Black Mesa Facility is imagined. If you wander around you can see all the outdated computer and scientific material from the late 90s, propaganda, posters, etc, everything made to fit the original setting. I personally would like to see again the classic security uniforms along with everything else to make it feel a more authentic and true BMRP experience, but this point is more like personal preferences.

All in all I think some of the stated can be partially or totally implemented as the server has just reopened. I have to say that I wasn't here during previous iterations so I don't know if something of the above has been tried out.

I'd like to read what you think about this.