GMOD VR: Exploring gm_Boreas (Something Beneath the Ice)

A vast and gorgeous snowy wonderland, this deceptively pretty map is hiding some dark secrets. What are they hiding in the underground facility that lies beneath the ice?
Download the map here: steamcommunity...
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[@thestalker1126]

My cousin told me about this map but never about the bunker. My friends and I were RPING as special forces using black Mesa mods vs the bio-anhillation mod when we realized that they were coming from the underground areas cause of full world spawn. That sphere was the first thing we saw as we entered the tunnel and turned the corner. This map is my all time favorite because what turned from special forces securing a observation facility lead us into basically the same story as the thing

[@conductoraizen3840]

That part of the map that you weren't told about just accidentally enhanced the experience

[@carpet163]

Glad I'm not the only person to do that to my friends. I want them to experience something for the first time and see their reaction.

[@MatthewT394]

video?

[@stuckinbrazil3549]

the same thing happened to me on this map

[@GodofWeird]

I love this sort of thing to see friends reactions.

[@SylvesterLazarus]

18:12 The best quote from this video. "I feel like in life the scariest things, or at least the most unnerving things are the stories you tell yourself about what might be around the corner."

[@nightfall1249]

I don't think that's the best quote from this video. Maybe to you it is but that quote I have heard before, haven't you? It is a quite common quote so it's odd if you found it to be revolutionary. Anyways, I didn't intend to sound derogatory, have a nice, comfy or just good day.

[@fastwing3295]

@@nightfall1249 Well, why don't you share your favourite quote from the video? I'm sure it's going to be *revolutionary.*

[@finnegan6464]

"that's an honest to god ayy lmao frozen in the ice"

[@rainqd1889]

its def a quote if ive ever heard one, made me cry tbh it works in so many spots of life. even better that he said it trying to talk abt horror

[@flawed1]

On the relationship between comfy and creepy: if comfy is the feeling of being insulated from danger, A lot of these maps are just unsettling enough to give you the impression that something has made it inside that insulation

[@conductoraizen3840]

Indeed

[@AdanHar]

@@conductoraizen3840 I think that to

[@thisguy456]

"I was having a regular out-of-bobby experience right there" Hank hill: "Damn it, bobby. . ." 27:24

[@MyDogDoingStuffIG]

this made me laugh

[@CrabmanReturns]

gm_generators would be a great map to play next, it’s got ambience, the creepy feeling with some comfy feeling.

[@cryzone2376]

I mean, its a unused . S.T.A.L.K.E.R map and stalker has very spooky atmosphere

[@mcvui1232]

there a real place with that name btw

[@anaveragegamingchannel1843]

Oh god, yes.

[@fuckass6766]

@ThyPeasantSlayer gm_fork has no secrets, the map isn't as intricate as boreas.

[@nathanjordon6950]

@@fuckass6766 I mean it has a few underground parts

[@cattynerd1859]

27:23 "I was having a regular out-of-Bobby experience there."

[@FranciumBoron]

_God dang it, Bobby!_

[@typicaleight099]

This map was always interesting to me because unlike all of the other exploration maps where you are exploring a run down city or a dilapidated sears you are instead walking around a well light and seemingly well lived in bunker. When I explored this in vr I didn't feel like I was scared to see someone but that it would be more so a friendly surprise like I am seeing a old friend if that makes any sense.

[@rickyybrez]

Do you actually feel like you're there when you use VR?

[@typicaleight099]

@@rickyybrez sorta it’s sometimes fades in and out. But I really feel like I’m there when I’m really concentrating and I forget that there is something outside of the game

[@rickyybrez]

@@typicaleight099 It must be a really good experience

[@typicaleight099]

@@rickyybrez I would say G mod VR is definitely pretty fun and gives you a very different vibe than you would normally get from G mod but the biggest problem is that it’s very hard to run it well with any more than 10 to 20 add-ons

[@brassbeast8582]

honestly feels like that to me too. feels like, despite the look of the bunker that it almost feels like its a home, or that it could be lived in. tbh having a gun makes it feel creepier cuz it makes it feel like either you dont belong, or that you feel the threat of something that doesnt belong, which in turn makes it scary, or at least creepy

[@wouterpleizier]

Hey, I'm the creator of this map. Great video! Glad it delivered on the comfiness and creepiness to some degree. It's funny that you mentioned The Thing at 16:18. I'm a big fan of the film and it was my main inspiration for the map's setting. The alien organism embedded in ice was actually intended as a little homage. I initially wanted the block of ice to look like something had already burst from it or been cut out of it like in the film, but I had trouble getting it to look good so I just kept it intact. (Two additional easter eggs/references: the year on the sign at 33:00 is the year when the film released, and this sign and others use a font that's also used in the film)

[@medibar576]

This map you made is my 1# favorite. One thing I do really like is how it reminds me of the pre-resonance cascade Black Mesa with how the facility still looks as it's still in operation (unironically hard to find maps like these that don't look run down/abandoned.) and is fun to explore.

[@hanknewman54]

Is it possible to make suggestions for the map?

[@wouterpleizier]

@@hanknewman54 I don't have the time or energy to continue working on the map, and it's already too close to various engine/compiler limits to make any significant additions. However, the map's source files are available, so others are free to make and release edits if they're up for it.

[@hanknewman54]

@@wouterpleizier Okay

[@Akrilloth]

Yo, thank you for making this piece, its probably the best looking "realistic" map i have ever seen in this version of the source engine, you could easily turn this into a small game if one wanted to. 9/10 work, absolutely amazing.

[@Cryptwalker]

In a way, this map reminds me of a SCP facility that was overrun by an SCP they couldn't quite stop or contain. I love watching these videos.

[@lucidburgundy]

As cool as Containment Breach and Unity is I would ADORE seeing an SCP game's facility built like the one shown here.

[@GeorgeOrwellsBookuhhhh1984]

@@lucidburgundy so a already overruned SCP Facility?

[@lucidburgundy]

@@GeorgeOrwellsBookuhhhh1984 Not really, just a Containment Breach like game with the facility built simiar to this one.

[@forecastlotus3899]

With all the snow and some videos I've seen, I bet the scp that would have breached was 096

[@ron3557]

@@forecastlotus3899 hes quite easy to contain though

[@TheOtisLaurey]

Me and my friend were playing on this map with the cry of fear snpcs and due to the nodes they would follow you around everywhere no matter how far you went away. We used the skybox editor to make it dark and foggy while my friend spawned spawners around the map that would continuously spawn SNPCs. I went over to the radio station at 17:56 and since it was so foggy my friend didn’t know where to go so he was just driving around the map, even though we had helicopters and LFS plane mods you could barely see ahead of you up in the sky. This was the first time he ever played on the map so I had to put bright red lights on trees, the road, and the bridge nearby in order for him to find his way to me. He got lucky and found himself at that observatory so he quickly found the bridge and followed the lights up to the radio station. He drove his badly damaged Simphys car past the fence and I blocked it off with a truck. We both then went inside and placed down a campfire near that TV and the couch, we sat down but I saw a shadow outside the window. So I went to investigate and had a shotgun out and saw a crawler enemy at the truck, they focused on me and used a hammer to smack the truck, damaging it. The tank on the back of the truck got knocked off and I shot it dead. I reported the incident to my friend and we upgraded the barricade at the front. The backyard was rather safe because the area was blocked off by the fence and enemies couldn’t get in. I didn’t have much use for the backyard so I put an emergency escape helicopter there in case of an emergency. It would be better to be lost in fog than cut in half by a saw crazy. We boarded up the windows and I climbed onto the roof and spawned some rebel NPCs out front so we would know if something non friendly was out there via shooting. I had also placed an escape car on the street passing by the building, it was in the red light so we could find it easily in an emergency. We were chilling inside when all of a sudden we heard a scream outside. Not a rebel dying, but a scream from one of the cry of fear SNPCs. This means they agroed on the rebels out front. I then hear a smash sound and see in between the cracks in the boarded up windows that the truck blocking the entrance had been knocked out the way and there were a bunch of enemies approaching the door. My friend informs me about more shadows on the street meaning that more were coming so we wouldn’t be able to stay and fight. Then the door came off the wall because of the door breaching mod. The enemies came in, killing our NPC friends as we escape the back door. As we get into the chopper I see a few enemies coming around the side to the backyard, I take off and I fly around aimlessly in the fog. I descend and spot the ground so we get out and spawn a car. My friend was driving, and we weren’t on the road for more than a minute until we come flying off the cliff side and into the crevasse. The tire screeching noises before we fell showed that my friend attempted to make a stop. We land at that base in the ravine and we bunker down in the garage area. By now they just lost track of us and had no idea where we were. This is the magic of Gmod

[@dcelement3959]

Cry of Fear: Resurgence?

[@TheOtisLaurey]

@@dcelement3959 I think so, the mod should contain SNPCs of cry of fear

[@yeetissheetsfoot60]

This sounds like a movie

[@jamesonc76]

great story otis

[@chaotichat5253]

Im sure you used vj base

[@aaronbalchand5475]

8:18 “now we havent quite reached anxiety levels yet requiring a safety glock” Only in gmod would someone say this

[@waltuh_wite]

Or America...

[@AbandonedVoid]

18:13 "In life, the scariest things are the stories you tell yourself about what might be around the corner." What a great quote. I want that on a water bottle.

[@ncasuallymakesopinions5735]

There are still like i think 15-40% parts of the underground that you still havent explored yet, thats just how big this map is.

[@tonypeppermint5329]

Kinda of scary to think about.

[@TheDuplicat3]

46:51 love how you call the alien frozen in the ice "ay lmao".

[@lord_kinbote3920]

The fact that there are no obvious signs that anything went wrong makes it a little more unnerving. No blood stains, no bodies, not even any signs that anyone was panicking or rushing to leave in a hurry. It's like everyone just disappeared in the middle of their daily routine. Did the sphere transport them all to another dimension? Did it just completely erase them from existence?

[@Buddy_Pall]

your gmod exploration videos are so good! i love just chilling and listening to you talk. literally i feel like im there with you. great stuff! keep it up! it doesnt matter if the map is scary, weird, expansive, or just normal. ive watched all of your gmod exploration videos. And i can say i like them all a lot!

[@commanderboom2626]

No matter how many times I play this map I cannot get over the displacement work, it’s so near perfect and it must have taken ages to create.

[@rich2435]

I love your videos, like a ton; you say some of the most interesting things ever. I recently watched your cozy Minecraft map video, and as soon as you revealed the hospital, it reminded me of this one GMod map called "Never Lose Hope Hospital". You could check it out if you want. I had a lot of fond memories with that map. It inspired me to create my own story about a haunted hospital that took place right after a deadly pandemic. And yeah, this map was freaking gorgeous.

[@TheLibrarianYT]

It's on my list! Also, the name sounds familiar. Isn't that the hospital from Nightmare House 2?

[@rich2435]

@@TheLibrarianYT It is.

[@khak112]

that map is great, i explored it with a couple friends, very dark and a lot to explore

[@Waskomsause]

@@TheLibrarianYT Hope you experience the same weirdness I did on that map, it is indeed awesome to explore

[@kabob0077]

5:08 A remote military installation probably made during the Cold War as a launch site for a preemptive or retaliatory nuclear attack? 35:53 I expected there to be another missile there... The fact that there isn't one is more unsettling to me than if another were there... 37:04 I think it's a fuel tank... 38:05 Honestly, the true horror of this map to me is that it's like a relic of the Cold War and it's like that shadow hangs over it... Looming, like the very threat that was present when it was constructed. 47:12 It was a place of potential destruction and death untold, the alien is probably the least scary thing about this place.

[@spinosaurus9518]

im pretty sure its suppose to be some sort of digging site as theres a giant ice ball and a whole like mine under the ground whatever it is i think it has something to do with the ice ball also the ''alien'' which it technically is is just a gib of a strider

[@Adomavo]

@@spinosaurus9518 I would say the ball looks more metallic than icy..Also creepy thing is that it sounds like music in there. Reminds me of one movie.

[@Chonkems]

It's a satellite facility, probably based on the fucking hundreds of them in Siberia and the Arctic.

[@betadev4264]

Its not a silo... It could be maybe an top secret polar research facility that could counterattack possible ICBM launches or maybe it could also serve to destroy the facility... we dont know and i love it

[@betadev4264]

Maybe it could be a facility that was abandoned in a hurry? Or in a day. This remembers me a lot of hidden russian ussr town abandoned like at Scandinavia and stuff because everything was left there in a hurry. Calendars still there even peoples items too.

[@toufusoup]

Librarian singlehandedly allows me to hold onto both my interest in VR exploration and liminal environments before I’m able to get my own capable machine one day. Thanks mate

[@jFNY_]

8:50 "Quick, guys! The shift supervisor's out! Let's play some CS GO!"

[@Ive_Gone_Chonkers]

22:36 I just love that even after you said you can't drive irl, you still look both ways before pulling out into traffic.

[@stephenwilliams9887]

"that sign can't stop me because I can't read" 100% the best thing to say to a sign warning you not to proceed

[@somebvnny]

I really liked Firewatch too! A lot of people were dissatisfied with the ending, but I think it was wonderful in a symbolic way. That life isn't like a movie, and sometimes you get disappointed and let down by others. The atmosphere is top notch, too.

[@viviondioline]

Love what you said about the nature feeling comfy, but deceptively so. I've been on a few backpacking trips in Colorado and that's how I feel about the wilderness. The landscape is world class beautiful, but the serene landscapes and picturesque beauty of the mountains also represent a completely harsh and unforgiving environment. Mountains get very cold a night, the weather changes quickly, the wildlife can stalk and attack you. It's pretty and inviting but also very desolate and creepy from the inside.

[@Hzdya]

19:26 I thought you would say "Imagine seeing someone or something fall off that bridge and not know what it is or who it is until you get closer"

[@dappercadavear7677]

15:33 Another scary idea is a typical scouting watch during the day and looking out at the satellite dish you see a trail of blood leading to the door and then promptly hear screams over the radio chatter telling you to run.

[@salavast1522]

I can imagine someone having to fix up an old junk, clunker of a car in order to escape a horror scenario like this.

[@tonypeppermint5329]

I thinj someone made a Gmod movie with that escape.

[@varahunter68]

half life x my summer cae

[@onlywithbuts1781]

The environment is absolutely beautiful. I really am happy when someone clearly puts effort and passion into their craft no matter what it is. The example being the fog creating a sense of distance that normally wouldn't translate as well without it, making the map feel even bigger than it is. Color, lighting, you name it. Very believable place, everything just makes sense and that makes it pretty immersive. Also have i mentioned the snow? I mean the blessing when there is a really nice snow map is certainly huge. Highly underrated type of environment so the custom textures help it pop out. When it comes to contrast between cosy and creepy i can't agree more. If we always experienced dread and scare it would wear off sooner or later, almost like expecting a jumpscare and you just don't feel its effect anymore. So this map does it just right. Appreciate the extra content once again. Always a treat!

[@bird9188]

I really enjoy these maps way more than the jumpscare ones, these are slightly unsettling and you don't have to turn down the volume every 30 seconds also you do a really good job at unnerving me more with your commentary about what could possibly happen than the map itself

[@CaptainTak]

27:40 The whole episode Librarian has been talking about all these horror scenarios of stalking creatures and mysterious phenomena and now he just sent his escape route careening away from him, he has fully slipped into the role of White Guy in a Horror Movie.

[@kabob0077]

Man, this map has those Winter Vibes that I love so much, that view at the start is beautiful... I kind of think I should wait to watch this video because I want to explore this map myself.

[@Notakiryumain20992]

19:35 I think that a roar would be scary BUT it would be scarier if you heard something hit a tree or a stick breaking. Because you don't know if this was an animal or if this was because you were being followed, it would put you on edge. Its just enough to make someone cautious while also not being enough to make you outright run.

[@JustwaitNwatch-w]

I randomly woke up this morning and decided that im gonna play a gmod map today .. with no spoilers .. i opened your playlist and came across various map names but this one got my interesting + you said there is a secret underground place... So i immediately downloaded the map and played myself and boy i like it so much it was so interesting... First i was like where is the underground secret place... After exploring for 10 mins i found the entrance covered up and hidden in snow... No one would guess that there is a huge place underneath

[@cpunching]

I love how dramatic it gets only for you to say "that's an honest to god ay-lmao." I love it.

[@Personb-yt7hu]

I (when having nextbot fun on this map) never stop to realize how creepy it is, especially when you take the other side which is that it is the biggest map that I know. Edit: why is this guy not a poet

[@Dollar_Store_Cacodemon]

The person that made this map has surely got to be a professional level designer. Its absolutely amazing! They likely know a thing or two about what old missile silos look like too because the staggering level of detail just seems too good for it to be made from imagination alone.

[@ItMeStingley]

The metal sphere that pulled you towards it gave me mad Astartes vibes. If you're unaware, Astartes was a series of professional level warhammer 40k animations that were made by one guy. In order to prevent as much spoilers as possible while still getting my point across, I'll just say that there's a similar sphere in the series.

[@rainetolentino4336]

Greetings Lib! Im 8sianRaine again from your community, if you know me. So... I got to play this map for Testing LFS Planes only and exploration. Under the bunker of the Snowy Tundra place i could feel some Liminality of the area whereas it was to be some Soviet Bunker somewhere in Eastern russia. Now I didn't really explore the entire map because it was laggy at some point but i do still play it properly. The textures and props where closely based at HL2 EP2 Silo Bunker

[@deutschlipinoblazer3976]

I still remember you. Back in early days they liked your comments but for now no one else is taking attention in your trivias, maybe they don't really know you too much. Try spending more time on Discord soon

[@linkfreeman1998]

@@deutschlipinoblazer3976 I hope the best for him. Its been a year.

[@Friendly_Lad]

A creepy thought I had: Imagine working the radar station and you are half asleep and suddenly you hear air raid sirens. And you look through your window to see the air field completely lit up as soldiers and pilots rush around while gun fire can be heard happening somewhere in the chaos.

[@TheFearedsniper]

This is easily my favorite Gmod map, it makes me so happy to see you dive into it

[@fenn_fren]

"Imagine hiding away from the storm in this heated room" **casually leaves all doors wide open**

[@what-th7cg]

The vr really makes you appreciate the details in these maps

[@solearthe3rd964]

Walking through an abandoned town with the librarian would be the worse "hey I know were alone but hear this what if.."

[@chieludz]

seeing librarian driving a car in this map with vr headset on while being certainly happy is so wholesome

[@TheDiloEmpire]

The entertainment and fun of gm_boreas is matched by the fear and paranoia induced by the isolation and dark corridors

[@daylin8173]

"ill be with you every step of the way" -jester from crayola 3d castle creator

[@dubioustheatreyt8096]

I love this vid. The first person perspective made some things incredibly funny. Seeing you hold your hands pit on the vertical transit elevator as if you were clinging for life was incredibly funny, (more so if you actually WERE clinging to it lol). That and seeing you actually wave bye-bye as you sent it away. So much personality here ^^

[@KING-FMJ]

The Librarian: its like climbing into the gorilla enclosure at the zoo Me: *has vivid flash backs to the may 26 2016 cincinnati zoo incident*

[@frogmud]

the actual area of the sphere itself being in a part of the facility thats far more undeveloped than the rest of it it feels as though the whole facility was abandoned in haste as soon within hours of finding the sphere. and with most of the lights and computers still on and everything looking as though people have recently been there and therefore it was probably abandoned recently with the player arriving maybe only a few days or up to a week after the abandonment, perhaps this ties in with the "if something horrible happens out here help wont arrive for days" theory you had

[@Pyro2334]

I feel like gmod in general just has that creepy but comfy feeling. Take gm_construct (singleplayer) for example. It makes you feel comfortable knowing that nobody else is around meaning you have nothing to worry about yet at the same time it gives off that creepy feeling that something is there just watching you, especially when you get into the pitch black areas of the map with just your flash light. But let’s say that you want to go on gm_construct singleplayer without having to experience the feeling of something watching you. My personal recommendation would be using the artymus base system (I think that’s what it’s called). The system/addon allows you to set up a base complete with turrets, SAMS and mines which from my experience gives of a feeling of protection.

[@rafaelsaez5596]

After seeing 21:59 , i now imagine The Librarian playing Assetto Corsa on VR. His commentary on a racing game would be interesting and quite unique actually.

[@tundra9805]

43:21 that room directly ahead of you has a function in a map called gm_ijm_boreas. That map allows you to launch the missile in the silo using a lever in that control room.

[@alexsekai]

Your commentary is absolutely excellent!!

[@MadMrQuestor]

Funnily enough I played this map just a day before your upload. I gotta say, the best thing about it to me is the insane attention to details given its grand scale. Every room feels like people lived and worked in them, that this place has a lot of stories but there's no one to tell them. My theory is that the sphere was found during an excavation to expand the base. Scientists started to experiment on it, which eventually awoken an eldritch being sleeping within it (or maybe sphere itself is the being?) and deleted everyone from reality as if they never existed. Either that or the sphere is an alien nest and thousands of creatures like the one frozen in ice crawled out of it. As for the missile silo - might as well be used for launching satellites, since some monitors show sending it to orbit. Yeah, I know, it's an asset from Ep. 2, but I like to think it's there for a reason. Edit: I wrote this before watching your video and it looks like you came to similar conclusions :)

[@reeceemms1643]

This map kind of makes me think of a research base where they did secret research on military weapons, specifically missile research, but then for some odd reason the commander incharge of the base makes a plan for expanding, and tells them where to expand, and eventually they find some sort of unknown ancient object, that seems to draw them in, they begin to take information on the object, and find something frozen in ice, and they begin researching it, but then something happens coursing them to abandon the base, maybe trying to escape the object from the object, and let it be forgotten

[@mahuba2553]

Holy shit you actually did it, Much apriciated for listening to my suggestion friend

[@thedwemercomrade2675]

26:30 Yes, it does actually. It's based off of underground military installations in Russia. This elevator is seen in Half Life 2 Episode 2, just much shorter.

[@PEPC17]

bro omg im so glad i found yur channel i tried so hard trying to find youtubers play this map but they never had it in the link i thank you so much im gonna sub now lol

[@CKSeven]

This really reminded me of an abandoned Air Force base I explored a few years ago. All the old computers still there (though switched off, unlike this map), just giving the sense everyone just got up and left one day. Very eerie.

[@genericuser984]

neat edit: even after all that exploring he still didnt even reach the dorms and the actual inside of the lounge. this map is truly massive.

[@randomchannel8512]

Thanks for checking it out! Also this isn't important, but you can open the silo doors with the levers on their control panels

[@party4lifedude]

A lot of your ideas for games are things that I've always thought about and wanted. Like a really atmospheric VR driving horror game.

[@shisnay]

I get the feeling what they dug up is either some ancient buried gravity defying spacecraft or portal as a homage to the thing and/or Event Horizon and slightly inspired by Sphere.. Or its only the top of a massive buried ancient statue to some forgotten eldritch god, think Dagon. The way it draws the player character in makes me think all of the staff of the facility were somehow absorbed or pulled into it mentally and physically.

[@DCTR_DD]

What I love about you, is that you let your imagination run free, getting the most of the location/situation youre in

[@maximillionboi]

dear librarian, early in the video i was dying to see you drive around since everything is spaced out, but didnt really expect you to. then you brought out a buggy. i had a big smile on my face. great choice and never stop exploring

[@Immolator772]

Tbh if there was a monster who took this place for his home, we should actually thank it. Least it does the world a favor, protecting the nukes from people's reach. The creator of this map needs to be hired, even some AAA titles do not have such big maps, with so much effort,detail and care put into them.

[@I_am_Mazki]

God the way you speak is so enticing and complex yet simple just with the use of many analogys that even as you tell these horror situations that would possibly bring someone to discomfort or even fear I stay calm comfortable welcomed by your tale you are throwing all together creating a imaginative tale as a treat for the image nation and curiosity I love it keep it up

[@solderfromteamfortressthes6036]

This has to be one of my favourite maps of all time. It's beautiful, big and high quality. I love how real all the interiors feel, with every corner full of detail, it looks like it could be a real place were people actually lived and worked. The best part? Both the snowy surface and cozy interiors are absolutely stunning, and would make great maps one their own, but both come in the same package, creating an exceptionally high quality map.

[@masterzoroark6664]

Also- sphere theory, what if it sucked in everyone who were alive in the facility and then got "satiated" sort to speak. Like, it "ate" everyone and now only pulls without eating.

[@ironraccoon3536]

Absolutely fantastic map, gives me goosebumps to play through just because of how real it feels. I'm actually kind of sad that there are overt things like the ice cube thing, the holding cells, the arsenals and *T H E O R B* because other than that, this could be either a totally benevolent research base or an honest to God nuclear silo, and you'd have no way of knowing which. Are the rockets bearing warheads or research satellites? Where is this base? Was it all taxpayer funded? Which machines do what? I love how purposeful the place seems, like the layout was actually centrally planned, though maybe with the exception of the radar station, which probably would've been the site of further tunnelling considering the expense of putting the big freight elevator there. How lived in is this place, anyway? Is it just the standard fare of being empty because its GMod, or is the place really canonically abandoned? If yes, then how long ago? It doesn't seem decrepit, the generators are still humming in the green, and there's still food on the countertops of the kitchen. Has the place been taken over by Combine or Rebels? The Lambdas on the silo doors imply the latter. Are the old 4:3 monitors and Seven Hour War newspaper clippings just re-used HL2 assets, or has this place really been abandoned since the 2000s? How many research disciplines did this facility dedicate itself to? I count geology, xenobiology, xenoarcheology, botany and possibly some form of space research. Maybe that's what they used all the monitors for. The monitors are my second favourite part of the map. My absolute favourite part of the map is the amount of papers scattered around. Filing cabinets, loose notes, binders, everything. This facility was PACKED with paperwork. Whatever they were doing down here for 15-35 years, they did a lot of it, and recorded every word of it. The sheer number of documents that had to be created, catalogued and stored. It'd take someone days to try and find a specific page within the whole mass of it all. That stuff hits me harder than big ground orbs. That's big enough to freak me out but small-scale enough for me to recognize it. The books and mantlepieces also contribute to the history. The different displays like the harpoon in the lobby and the various knickknacks and personalizations in the dormitories plus the various hardcovers on the shelves just oozes history and character. I feel like if you compiled a reading list of all the books on the shelves of the facility you'd end up with something spanning a dozen types of non-fiction paperbacks, with the few fiction entries being just as enlightening. My one other complaint is the lack of living quarters. I'd say there's accommodations for less than 50 people, when I think it should be double that considering the radar station staff, radio station staff, security guards, logistical guys, technicians maintaining equipment, lab assistants, janitors, probably more I'm not even thinking of... Maybe only 10% of the actual lab equipment is used at a time and all the scientists are flown in by plane on the airstrip, but they'd still need somewhere to stay the night.

[@nodonteatmybird78]

I'd like to add to the idea of gaming with your friends during a blizzard with one simple sentence. Suddenly, you hear the elevator moving.

[@tux1468]

For some reason I find this map really comfy, in VR I just like to go to the dormitories and take a rest, its great

[@karlisulmanis3810]

This one has quite a few of memories attatched to it when it comes to myself. Me and my friends have spent many hours RDM'ing, making weird flying contraptions to traverse the terrain or, when there we enough of us, having entire wars with tanks, planes and infantry (the most players we ever had had in a single server was on this map with there being 11 of us)

[@KcTries]

All was quiet that night in Calais Radar Station, machinery monitoring the skies while a snow storm raged outside. You and your buddy Grigori are playing war next to the portable electric heater you were issued, some rations and no-flame heaters ready for the boring night you foresaw. And, boring it was until you suddenly saw your shadow projected on the wall in front of you by an intense beam of light. Grigori shields his eyes, squinting as the warm air exiting his nose, redirected by his tightly wrapped scarf fogs up his glasses "-the hell?" He says as you turn around, protecting yourself the same. A single intense light pierced the darkness, fighting its way through the rushing snow and shining directly on you and your buddy. And just as soon as it lit up, it went out, leaving you partially blind for a few moments as you stood up, hobbling your way across the station to the radio. You pick up the frosted over microphone, check the frequency through the fogged glass, then hold the button down, calling "Vladimir? This is Calais, Did you see that?" Releasing the button, and listening for a response. You check the volume knob before static comes over the transceiver, and you're able to make out your colleagues voice "Go for Vlad" he said "See what? I can't see anything on nights like this." He simply said. You roll your eyes and hold the button down again "The searchlight on the control tower just lit up and blinded me. Tell whatever monkey is manning that thing to cut it out" You wait for a few moments before static comes over the old speakers once again. You hear another voice in the background before Vlad says "Thats what I thought..." His voice becomes louder and more clear "Comrade, its too cold for anyone to be on that tower right now. Plus, we don't have a shipment coming in for another week. Has the cold driven you crazy? Or is it that old hound you're staying with that did it?" You glance back at Grigori, looking just as confused as you are. Just then, another voice comes over the net "This is Anton, I saw the light from the radio station" He simply says, causing the net to go silent for a few seconds. You transmit "Maybe it was a signal, someone could be in trouble" and Vladimir responds "Alright, Ill send a couple guys down there to check it out." This is bullsh*t, you thought to yourself trudging through the deep snow, fighting the wind as you made your way down the length of the runway. You and the guard you were posted with both carried flashlights and rifles as you approached the aircraft control tower. Your boss had told you two to go check it out... something about a light turning on when it wasnt supposed to. You didnt care. You were woken up from your sleep to go into this awful weather just to check out a light while those radar guys get to stay all nice and toasty in their little box on the hill... Whatever... you thought as you approached the tower, slinging your rifle and approaching the ladder. Your flashlight scans the surrounding area while your buddy has stayed back, aiming his up at the tower itself. You look back at him, barely able to make out his silhouette through the dark as he shrugs. You grab the rungs and being climbing, eventually coming to the catwalk outside of the tower. The only light you saw was from the inside of the radar station, and from within the towers glass, a little red light on top of the radio signifying it was powered. You sigh, grabbing your shoulder mounted radio and talking into it "Theres nothing here..." you say over it as you step up to the searchlight mounted on the railing... thats strange. The whole thing was radiantly warm, like it had been on for awhile. No snow gathered on top of it as all that did melted and slid off. You grabbed the handle and flicked the switch a couple times... but no result. You could hear buzzing but no light. Strange. You pulled it back, to look into the lens... it was liquid, the glass partially melted and dripping onto the snow far below. Baffled, you let go of the light, and try the door on the side of the tower... frozen shut. You lean over the railing and call out for your partner, seeing that his light was no longer illuminating the tower... No response through the dark wind. You clamber your way down the ladder, and into the snow, searching around with your light, calling out his name as loud as you could when suddenly, the world around you was lit up, you spun around, rifle at the ready... and you realize that very light you had just held, hot to the touch and beginning to melt away, nonfunctional, and broken was shining down on you right now.

[@Loucosabotagem]

man this guy really knows how to get the hairs in the back of my neck standing

[@varahunter68]

ikr, when he got to "the thing" i nearly recoiled, and i was also playing this map

[@colinator7813]

39:16 It looks to me like some sort of experimental directed energy weapon test chamber, with the machinery in the room being the weapon itself (The Cylinder with the point sticking out of it), and a target placement thing (The Cylinder with the cage-looking metal structure). Keep in mind that powerful lasers back then were very large (With the NOVA Laser from 1984 built for inertial confinement fusion test being as big as a basketball court), so it would make sense that this weapon would be at least within those bounds, due to technological constraints. Plus, this is a secret lab. It would make sense for this place to be doing at least some weapons research.

[@LP-ir3op]

funny thing is that judging by the sign at 33:08 this facility was established in 1982 probably just a coincidence though.

[@mr_moothedisastercatyoutub9092]

I LOVE dews and I can’t explain why

[@ThunderUnrelenting]

Aw man i’ve been waiting for this one. Awesome ^-^

[@lebitelexie9350]

Awww man. I always save your videos to watch on chill nights when I just want to wind down and relax. Never disappointed. Your attitude to horror and eerie settings is brilliant.

[@gman_7112]

Honestly I think Signal Simulator is the perfect blend of spooky and cozy

[@Nullrock]

Love your videos, keep up the good work. librarian.

[@Triamgle]

i really like this map, its so big and open, and very well detailed and cool in the underground areas

[@Kirik285]

What a fantastic looking map, it didn't give me much creeps but it still was really cool and detailed. Honestly, your exploration videos are great even without much horror element, your commentary is just always on point. But if we are talking creepy, I would love to see your take on gm oldspaces, its quite similiar to some of the other liminal space maps you've played, but it's insanely detailed, and a huge treat in VR.

[@xnova3331]

Wow, what are the chances, I downloaded VRMod for the first time today, and spent a solid hour exploring this same exact map in VR. It was amazing, you put it exactly how I did, this mod has made me think over how I used to mess around in GMOD with my friends, only for 6 years later to explore it again, in VR, nostalgia and fear stemming from everything around you.

[@revhounder8425]

Good thing you didnt catch a cold while exploring

[@ST-RTheProtogen]

13:19 that tunnel reminds me of my favorite road in the newest Forza game. Imagine a mod where you could have an '86 in VR...

[@markojarvinen1588]

Too cringy car for gmod.

[@sandermur5613]

i can imagine that this map (even when in the bunker/underground base) is cold as hell, especially with the tunnels that some unknown organisms could've made when getting out of the base causing heat to be lost to the outside, and it was also fun attempting to navigate the base with my friend.

[@coolnic1137-duofficialmaven]

This looks like a map where an MTF team would find SCP-096 or a map where you can get hunted down by another SCP

[@windowsseventy7]

this map is so amazing!! might be my favorite one ive seen you go through! really gives me the vibe of someone taking the thing(1982) and just... scaled it up, and i mean that in the best way possible

[@LP-ir3op]

that makes more sense see 33:08 for context

[@name12246]

The map is really good to explore. I don't know why or how but it is really good with the ambience and warmth of this place. Half ominous half cosy. It's a good map

[@quackles1357]

This is the same map that I had played a mission on a starwars rp server lol. But the way you show it off makes it chilling for me to revisit the map

[@dappercadavear7677]

Another haunting idea about creepy and comfy is when the comfy loses it's safety like in Resident Evil when the save point was compromised by a zombie jumpscare.

[@peepperson444]

One of my favorite maps ever to goof around with friends on. Absolutely insane attention to detail.

[@HeyIts_Blocky]

Don't worry when you meet the spooky creature, you'll already have broken the ice

[@stegaflores0618]

I was today years old when I realized this exact map was used in a relatively recent Mr.Gibbs video. It's crazy seeing it in detail here compared to it simply being a location in Mr.Gibbs video

[@JeriSmiler]

i can sense the humor in this guy at some parts. "im taking the ICBM Silo".

[@StalwartTirith]

27:25 Hmm, might hurt immersion a bit, but my suggestion would be to spawn in a chair and attach it to the platform, so that way you can sit while it's moving and it shouldn't try to launch you out, haha.

[@lance_the_avocado9492]

I remember playing this map with a couple of friends a couple of months ago. All I remember was mass explosions, us hunting each other, and mass spawning of npcs.

[@phost2]

A relative of mine who happened to actually work on missiles during the cold war, told me that they most of the maintenance they did on them, just came from doing maintenance on them so much. Also, when a missile site is no longer used, they either disarm them, or fill the facility with concrete. If there are some still there, and some missing, it means they were launched. There's a good chance that the world outside has faced nuclear annihilation, or maybe it was some sort of retaliation against whatever that alien shit was.

[@Yeij]

sorry if youve been recommended this before, first time ive seen any of your videos, but if you love exploring maps (especially urban and industrial settings) and uncovering their history then i highly suggest the 2017 puzzle exploration game INFRA! its got a great slowburn mystery, incredibly detailed levels, and its also on the Source engine so its got that Source engine look/feel