Breen and "The Benefactors"

[iMMuNiTy]

I have probably missed something in-game... But I'm playing Half-Life for the I don't know which time, and still I fully don't get it (I know I'm not supposed to, but still...).

Here are my questions, I would like to hear your opinions...

1. How did Breen, an administrator of a Research Facility, became an evil ruler of the world? A bargain with the aliens? Hopefully, not.
2. In Eli's lab, newspapers say the Combine (remember, their soldiers are mainly "made of humans") won a war in 7 hours. They probably must've had loads of infantry. But from where did they get the soldiers? From Africa, buying negroes? How could they possibly win the war in 7 hours, we have nukes, we have Germans and Russians...
3. GMan had a suitcase with a BM logo on it. Now his suitcase doesn't have one. Change of heart? Change of fashion?

Thank you, iMMuNiTy.

P.S. I should've posted this in Half-life 2 Singeplayer section. Sorry, kind of hurried.

 

[Epsi]

1. Bargin with the aliens is the most likely explanation.

2. Probably not human infantry. Not to mention the human military resistance had been weakened by the portal storms. Also, the Citadels teleported into the middle of cities. Traditionally, it's a bad military tactic to nuke your own cities.

 

[Sulkdodds]

1. Bargain with the aliens methinks. It's entirely possible that Breen orchestrated the Black Mesa incident after discovering the existence of other worlds (and, chiefly, the Combine) his puny scientist's brain was blinded by the possibility of seeing other dimensions.

2. Striders. Lots of striders. And gunships too. And probably infantry from another world; wouldn't be too hard to equip some sort of synth infantry with air-breahting equipment.

3. He's not in Black Mesa anymore. Oh, come on, surely he can buy a new briefcase to keep up with current fashions? Plus, a bit of a conspicuous logo.

 

[Asknoone]

What Sulkdodds said is perfectly accurate. Also, since the combine have already conquered many worlds, and augmented numerous races into their ranks, they'd have a ton of alien soldiers.

 

[gabriel]

1. yes, bargain with combine
2. striders, gunships. element of surprise. nukes would probably just damage earth's forces more than the combine.
3. either youre paying attention a little too closley to details that dont really matter much, or you're on to something. i'd say its the first one.

 

[Is This Tea]

1.) Eli states that Breen negotiated Earth’s surrender and the combine rewarded him with power. Which raises the question… Why was he in a position to negotiate (on behalf of the earth) with the combine?
2.) I agree with Sulkdodds. They probably invaded with their own force and then outfitted humans (Transhuman arm of sector 17 overwatch) to fight the insurgency. Where have I heard this strategy before?
3.) Who knows… conspiracy theories abound.

 

[iMMuNiTy]

I was typing 3), when I thought "Hey, wait, I forgot...". So I put in a silly question. Bite me.

I could've asked why Eli is hoary? And Alyx asks whether we remember her from Black Mesa (in the elevator). Eli looked ~30 years in HL1, and a man becomes hoary after ~40. So since Alyx looks like in her early twenties, I'd say she was 10 years. And I doubt daddies could bring children into BM. Anyways...

Thanks for explanations.

 

[$kelet0r]

1. its possible breen put himself forward after the black mesa incident as an expert and was appointed to a postion of responsibility in the us or un - which is entirely likely
2. the combine have a massive empire - lots of cannon fodder + synths

 

[iMMuNiTy]

1. its possible breen put himself forward after the black mesa incident as an expert and was appointed to a postion of responsibility in the us or un - which is entirely likely

No! Half-Life 2 action is set in Russia! Note the Russian cars, all of them were Russian, except the Combine vehicles and the buggy. Hence the Russian letters all over the place in the beginning. Breen ruled Russia! :naughty:

 

[Sulkdodds]

Or, he might have called the Combine to earth in the first place...

I still think that Eli is 50 years old and that Alyx was a baby or at least a toddler when Black Mesa happened.

 

[iMMuNiTy]

Yes, but in the elevator she said "I am sure you don't remember me, though.", meaning you could've remembered her by chance, but she was too young, there was no way you could have remembered her... So Valve screwed up on that part.

Anyways, off topic.

 

[Asknoone]

Yes, but in the elevator she said "I am sure you don't remember me, though.", meaning you could've remembered her by chance, but she was too young, there was no way you could have remembered her... So Valve screwed up on that part.

Anyways, off topic.

How'd they screw up? They could have easily meant before the day of Black Mesa...

 

[Mechagodzilla]

And she was approximately ten at the time. Why would it be impossible for her to remember anything?

 

[DevgruSeal]

I'm still confused as to what the 7 hour war was..I must've been absent here when that was discussed...

 

[Rafa 5.0]

a war that lasted 7 hours, meaning, earth got pwned, and fast!

 

[iMMuNiTy]

a war that lasted 7 hours, meaning, earth got pwned, and fast!

Sigged,

Well I'm simply saying that she was approx. ten years old, I don't say she doesn't remember anything. She told Gordon "I'm sure you don't remember me.". She could've said, "You won't remember me, though, I was too young." or "My father worked with you in Black Mesa? We didn't meet though, until now." It's simply the way she says the phrase, is as if Gordon could have remembered her, which is very unlikely. All Gordon could know about her is all what Eli probably mentioned during those coffee breaks, and by the looks of it in HL1, they had plenty of them (the coffee breaks).

 

[Asknoone]

Sigged,

Well I'm simply saying that she was approx. ten years old, I don't say she doesn't remember anything. She told Gordon "I'm sure you don't remember me.". She could've said, "You won't remember me, though, I was too young." or "My father worked with you in Black Mesa? We didn't meet though, until now." It's simply the way she says the phrase, is as if Gordon could have remembered her, which is very unlikely. All Gordon could know about her is all what Eli probably mentioned during those coffee breaks, and by the looks of it in HL1, they had plenty of them (the coffee breaks).

What she said was absolutley fine. Eli most likley proudly showed Gordon little Alyx at one point, but due to all that has happened, she was noting that she doubts Gordon will remember her, even though there is a possibility he could.

 

[iMMuNiTy]

That's what I've said (the "Eli most likley proudly showed Gordon little Alyx at one point" and "she was noting that she doubts Gordon will remember her, even though there is a possibility he could" part)

 

[Asknoone]

That's what I've said (the "Eli most likley proudly showed Gordon little Alyx at one point" and "she was noting that she doubts Gordon will remember her, even though there is a possibility he could" part)

Ok, well, I'm confused. All I wanted to say was, I liked the line

 

[iMMuNiTy]

I liked it too, but believe me, when you're playing HL2 for the 10th time, you begin to analyze every small aspect of the game

EDIT: And when the game is great, and it's hard to find its cons, you begin to acuse the simplest of things.

 

[Asknoone]

I liked it too, but believe me, when you're playing HL2 for the 10th time, you begin to analyze every small aspect of the game

EDIT: And when the game is great, and it's hard to find its cons, you begin to acuse the simplest of things.

I didn't, and I've played it about 50 ..

The only things I pick up on, are glitches etc...

 

[Sulkdodds]

"I doubt you'll remember me" is the kind of thing you say to get people to be nice to you, because it's likely they'll say "oh no, I do remember you!" Not much chance of that with Freeman though. :upstare:

 

[iMMuNiTy]

In some parts of the game, I felt like knocking on my monitor and shouting "Can't you HEAR ME?!". One of the parts were when Breen asked me to co-operate. I actually though I had a choice

 

[Asknoone]

In some parts of the game, I felt like knocking on my monitor and shouting "Can't you HEAR ME?!". One of the parts were when Breen asked me to co-operate. I actually though I had a choice

I never went that far

 

[iMMuNiTy]

I mean, I didn't actually knock on my monitor.

 

[Asknoone]

I mean, I didn't actually knock on my monitor.

Well, thats a good thing

 

[DevgruSeal]

You're not considered crazy if you DO knock on the monitor though, right?

 

[iMMuNiTy]

If I saw someone knocking a monitor I'd think they've gone nuts. Of course, if their OS is Windows, or they're playing Half-Life 2, I wouldn't blame 'em

 

[Mr Blonde]

Knocking on your monitor won't do anything except make you look like an idiot. The trick is to blink at the monitor. Gordon is a mute and has to communicate by blinking in morse code.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Gordon communicates through the use and squad buttons. People just ignore him a lot.

 

[Spectre01]

I made gordon nod when Breen asked if my contract was open to the highest bidder. Damn straight it is!

 

[Asknoone]

I made gordon nod when Breen asked if my contract was open to the highest bidder. Damn straight it is!

Congrats...

 

[iMMuNiTy]

(I just want to crack him over the head with the crowbar)

I don't think a crowbar would be enough. Hell, I don't think RPG would be enough.

 

[Sulkdodds]

A minigun? Tanks? Laser-guided mortar? Helicopter gunship?

CAN'T ANYONE STOP HIM?

 

[iMMuNiTy]

No, really, I don't think we'll fight against him. That would suck... Something similar to fighting Nihilanth. I can imagine charging with a crowbar at him (The G-Man), and the next second you're on the Moon. :|

 

[Malfunction]

No, really, I don't think we'll fight against him. That would suck... Something similar to fighting Nihilanth. I can imagine charging with a crowbar at him (The G-Man), and the next second you're on the Moon. :|

Or worse, in China.





......NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

 

[iMMuNiTy]

Or worse, in China.

But we'd get to see narrow eyed Combine soldiers!

 

[Pesmerga]

2. Striders. Lots of striders. And gunships too. And probably infantry from another world; wouldn't be too hard to equip some sort of synth infantry with air-breahting equipment.

But...if 6 rockets take down a Stryder...surely an Abrams would be able to take it down in 1 hit? And we have alot of tanks...not to mention we have alot of aircraft...exactly how fast did the Combine suck up the seas? Because with the number of carriers from the US alone, we could have taken out anything the Combine could have thrown at us. And that's discounting the Russians, Chinese, Israelies (sp), Germany and Great Britian.

All I'm saying is...from what I've seen in City 17 (and the amount of shit they've thrown at me) surely the 7 hour war must have ended differently.

Of course I'm probably wrong because Valve does things differently in their story and what they can do in-game.

 

[Max35]

I'm betting the GMan's a bastard. Who's probably going to sell you out. Better yet, maybe we might be able to cap him in the next game, unlikely, but hey you can imagine right?

(I just want to crack him over the head with the crowbar)

Not fight him, but fight against his powers. That would be an awesome end battle for HL3. Imagine him teleporting all kinds of alien creatures in and gunships, meanwhile teleporting you all over the place. This is assuming you have a weapon that will let you escape the Gman's influence. I want to see Gordon rebel against the Gman in some way in the next game, and in HL4 have the Gman only serve a minimal influence (well, maybe slightly more, but he doesn't influence Gordon directly).

Someone else said on these forums that Aftermath may have a bigger influence than we think, I'd go with that assumption.

 

[r2000]

But...if 6 rockets take down a Stryder...surely an Abrams would be able to take it down in 1 hit? And we have alot of tanks...not to mention we have alot of aircraft...exactly how fast did the Combine suck up the seas? Because with the number of carriers from the US alone, we could have taken out anything the Combine could have thrown at us. And that's discounting the Russians, Chinese, Israelies (sp), Germany and Great Britian.

All I'm saying is...from what I've seen in City 17 (and the amount of shit they've thrown at me) surely the 7 hour war must have ended differently.

Of course I'm probably wrong because Valve does things differently in their story and what they can do in-game.

There are probs with your theory.

1) The current combine forces on Earth are the Combine Overwatch. Just overwatch. They're there to maintain order. We have no idea what the the combine shock forces are. We've never seen all they've invaded with.
2) The resonance cascade threw humanity into chaos. It took years for humans to band together in cities, fortified so they couldn't leave and nothing could get in. Chances are, with creatures like garg and gonarch, and just the large amount of aliens on earth, humanity's military was hurt badly.
3) The combine attack was unexpected. Tanks take time to start up. They take time to attack. The list goes on and on. The combine merely "disintegrate" part of the city, drop in a near invincible citadel, and thousands upon thousands of units swarm out. There is almost no time to react. This is where theory 1 comes in. Other combine units, better suited for dealing with Earth's military come into play. Raising the bar says that the combine are dangerous for the fact that they have multiple ways to attack. Figure out how to destroy one air unit effectively, and they roll out a different one. Humanity was simply overwhelmed. The combine shock forces, having destroyed the tanks and planes that were there threat, are sent home. And the combine overwatch, more suited for police work, and the harvesting of Earth is sent in.