Ant Lion = Combine proxys

[one_free_man]

i was playing half life 2 for the millionth time yesterday and i realized something, how the hell did the combine know to built those pounding spresseors and why did they just happen to have that specifc technolgy.


i also noticed alot of the combines weaponary is bio-mechincal so i think that the combine knew they woudlnt be able to control all the coast line so they pumped the area full of antlions and that they are actually animals from the combine world brought to earth to make life easier

any thoughts? imagine a antlion queen armoured up

 

[CaptainNemo]

The antlions attack both you and the Combine indiscriminately. I seriously doubt that the Combine is using them the way they use Head-Humpers.

 

[Tagaziel]

Not happening.

The Combine can produce effective mass-deployment weapons with good IFF systems - why breed unreliable animals?

 

[Bug-eyed Earl]

Thats a cool theory. I can see the similarities you could draw from the use of head-crabs by the combine, but ant-lions seem to cause lots of trouble for the combine as well as the resistance. Who knows, the COULD be using anti lions tactically to create firewalls that nothing gets by. And look at how they use head-crabs: they throw shells into areas haphazardly. Eventually some combine forces do fall victim to their own head-crab ammunition.

 

[Cpt Tenacious]

Well that's dumb they obviously just researched them and learned they dont like punding and built them. Very, very simple.

 

[CaptainNemo]

Indeed, my fellow Captain. It is that simple.

 

[Surrogate]

Their from Zen - The vortigaunts has harvested various materials from the ant lions in their home world. I guess a bunch of ant lions came through with all the other Zen wildlife, and quickly adapted. Their insects after all, adaption is no worries for them.
Seems like the vortigaunts knew how to control them, as there wasn't any to see on Zen in half-life - but perhaps Earth is simply an abundance of their natural resources, and their spreading wildy out of control. Much like what have happened with dogs or pigs taking over native wildlife in areas unfamiliar to their kind.

I doubt Combine know much about them else than their just some primitive but deadly life form, while Vortigaunts seems to be very aware of Antlions nature - enough to evade them, or even take use of them as we've seen several times.

 

[CaptainNemo]

Not to nit-pick, but it's Xen. With an X.

 

[Stene]

People just use Creative Zen too regularly

 

[Narvi]

Stop using Zen aphorisms!

Anyway, the Combine probably could clear them out easily enough. They likely think, however, that it's simpler to keep them around to make the lives of people out in the countryside difficult. Same reason they use headcrab canisters instead of just bombing the shit out of rebel outposts.

 

[jobizzie]

Edit:
oops, wrong thread, sorry!

 

[ríomhaire]

Not happening.

The Combine can produce effective mass-deployment weapons with good IFF systems - why breed unreliable animals?

They do breed unreliable animals; headcrabs.

But no, the Combine didn't put the antlions along the coast.

 

[Druckles]

It's not true.

Vortigaunts said that they "Harvested them", or something to the same effect, similar to the way we used to breed cows. The way he says it makes me think that they used to do it before the Combine invaded. So it's possible that the Combine "captured" them similar to headcrabs, but I think that the ones on earth came from Xen. And there's no evidence of Antlion shells.

 

[Planetary]

Yeah, the Vortigaunts mentions that they were antlion shepherds in ancient times, not the exact wording, but close enough.

 

[ríomhaire]

Antlion husbandry was once our ancestral practice

 

[Planetary]

Antlion husbandry was once our ancestral practice

Exactly that.

 

[Druckles]

Which implies that they existed with the Vortigaunts. I'm assuming they're referring to their homeworld and not Xen.

 

[Blackthorn]

When saying that the Combine wouldn't use antlions because they attack indiscriminately would imply they gave two s***ts about the welfare of their human Overwatch troops.

They drain the planet's resources, what do they care who or what dies? You can't apply human compassion or reason to their plans.

 

[noQ]

Maybe, it might help the Combine to get the rest of the population to the major cities more easily.