Talk:Black Mesa (Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico)

Nominate for protection

Black Mesa is the setting of the popular video game Half Life by Valve. Because of this, many people are edit warring in false info. I think this article needs some sort of protection because it is becoming an inside joke in certain game communities. Looking at edit history you can clearly see the pattern. Solarmis (talk) 00:16, 31 October 2019 (UTC)

Not A Mountain

Black Mesa is an actual mesa. I will correct this now, but let that be known for future reference. It is 'not' a mountain.Webmaster Pete 02:21, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

Black Mesa State park is actually about 15 miles away from the Mesa. Black Mesa Nature Preserve contains the Oklahoma portion of the mesa. Dsmdgold (talk) 04:03, 30 June 2010 (UTC)

Question by 99.189.132.211

Does Half-Life have anything to do with this place? Was this where BM Research was located? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.189.132.211 (talk) 08:06, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

From what I've been able to find, Black Mesa Research was set in Black Mesa, New Mexico, so it's quite possible. KerathFreeman (talk) 01:57, 29 December 2015 (UTC)

Article classification

This article meets the requirements for Start class. I have changed it accordingly. Bruin2 (talk) 15:53, 4 January 2013 (UTC)

Height in Oklahoma

So why are two different heights given for the highest point in Oklahoma ? Lame... Eregli bob (talk) 14:54, 2 June 2013 (UTC)

I've corrected it. Thanks for pointing this out.--Gilderien Chat|List of good deeds 15:22, 2 June 2013 (UTC)

Article reclassification

The article now satisfies criteria for Class C for WP:Oklahoma. Bruin2 (talk) 18:01, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

Half-life

Hi @OliverTheNerd, the information about Half-Life does not belong in this article, because the game is not set at this location. The game is based at a fictional location, Black Mesa, supposedly located in the New Mexico desert. It is not based at this location, which spans the borders of Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma. If you still strongly believe that the game is based at this location, then you need to find a reliable, secondary source that states this. The video game itself is a primary source, not a secondary source, and regardless the game does not identify this specific location as its setting. Please respond here as we work through Wikipedia's dispute resolution process. Brycehughes (talk) 20:31, 12 April 2021 (UTC)

@Brycehughes, I strongly believe that the game is set at this location as the opening clearly states "Black Mesa, New Mexico", the same Black Mesa as in this article. Additionally, I don't see how I would need a secondary source as well as a primary source, when the game's introduction should be enough to conclude that it is the same location.

@OliverTheNerd, it's not that you need a secondary source in addition to the primary source; it's that you need a secondary source instead of the primary source. Take a look at WP:PRIMARY, in particular policies #2 and #4. Moreover, the naming in Half-Life is simply coincidental; Black Mesa is a not an uncommon name. If you can't provide a reliable, secondary source indicating that the Half-Life's setting is at this Black Mesa, and not merely coincidental, then we need to remove the information. If you still feel strongly about this and do not want to or are unable to find a reliable secondary source, we can seek a third opinion. Brycehughes (talk) 21:57, 12 April 2021 (UTC)

@BrycehughesIf the game states, "Black Mesa, New Mexico", meaning the place in New Mexico called "Black Mesa", then I highly doubt it isn't taking about a different location. If you really think that this isn't the case, then I think that perhaps, we should get a third opinion. Either that, or we could comprimise and change it so it says that the game is likely based on the real location.

Per the first iteration of your message, I went ahead and asked for a third opinion. I'm not comfortable with that compromise, because it is not for us to speculate on here. We would also need a reliable source for that speculation. Brycehughes (talk) 23:14, 12 April 2021 (UTC)

3O Response: This seems to be a trivial factoid. It isn't significant enough to be mentioned in Half-Life (video game), which one would assume was checked for broad coverage when it passed GAN (though I couldn't locate the review page). If there were reliable secondary sources which discussed the significance of the game's depiction of the real Black Mesa (Oklahoma), I'd be more inclined to support the inclusion of this material. But as it stands, with only a passing mention in the primary source, no. I would suggest removing the material as trivia. This is a non-binding third opinion, but I hope it helps! –  Reidgreg (talk) 12:22, 13 April 2021 (UTC)

Just to further illustrate the potential problems with poor sourcing and potential original research in interpreting primary source material, I've noticed that Locations of Half-Life identifies Black Mesa as a formation outside San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, an altogether different location. It doesn't cite any source for this. We should keep in mind that the disambiguation page Black Mesa is not an exhaustive list of places named "Black Mesa" but the notable ones which have articles; there could be many places locally known as Black Mesa in New Mexico (List of peaks named Black Mesa notes 12 such places in New Mexico). I'm unfamiliar with the game, but it might also be possible that "Black Mesa" is a code name for the fictional location, given its secrecy, and does not correspond to an actual place called Black Mesa. – Reidgreg (talk) 12:46, 13 April 2021 (UTC)

I agree. "Black Mesa" is almost a generic name in the Southwest and can't be identified to this or probably any other "Black Mesa." Trivial in any case. Smallchief (talk)