Combine letters?

[Rapstah]

I checked the combine advisor model and discovered these markings on the "neck" of the slug, a combine written language? They really don't look like anything i've ever seen, but i dunno.

If they have letters there, then why? I'm getting excited by this.

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

hmm.. I dont think that is combine writing.. it looks different to the kind you usually see.

 

[Adabiviak]

Yuck. Is it the written language of the Advisors (not necessarily their Combine war machine?)

 

[Tagaziel]

I believe that's the Combine Overlord race script, and the collar itself denotes their rank in society or possibly is their full title.

Eg.: "First Most Revered Glorious Warrior, Venerable Leader, Visionary Entity, Controller and Great Stabilizator Abakazhnievinivonur VIII, Offspring of Abakazhnievinivenes LX"

 

[Adabiviak]

"My friends conquered earth in 7-hours and all I got was this lousy choker."

 

[kupocake]

Actually, some of those letters look remarkably like Japanese kana to me. Not exactly the same, but like the designer dressed up some Japanese writing with extra squiggles to make it look alien.

 

[Darkside55]

That's neat. They have sort of a runic writing system as opposed to the more mechanical looking script you see on their propaganda posters (the "CMB"). I think Grizz might be right in that it'd be some mark of name or title, especially around the neck like a collar. The writing could also be a mantra or creed of some kind, I could see it being something like that. Good find.

Actually, some of those letters look remarkably like Japanese kana to me. Not exactly the same, but like the designer dressed up some Japanese writing with extra squiggles to make it look alien.

I think I see what you're looking at. I can kinda see a hi, shi and a chi in hiragana and a katakana ki...

 

[AJ Rimmer]

I believe that's the Combine Overlord race script, and the collar itself denotes their rank in society or possibly is their full title.

Eg.: "First Most Revered Glorious Warrior, Venerable Leader, Visionary Entity, Controller and Great Stabilizator Abakazhnievinivonur VIII, Offspring of Abakazhnievinivenes LX"

"Hello!
I'm Combine Overlord!
Ask me about our occupation no-sex policies and specials"

 

[Tagaziel]

Wait, this hasnt been found before?

 

[Rapstah]

Wait, this hasnt been found before?

Not by me, that's the point.

 

[Ophiguris]

I think I see what you're looking at. I can kinda see a hi, shi and a chi in hiragana and a katakana ki...

What's with you people and Japanese? I mean, I'm not racist, but that looks more Tribal than jap, like this stuff looks more carved than written by ink and brush. Poor advisor is wearing his grandmother's 'Hand me Down' scarf.

 

[Citadel]

Well if there is a written language by the combine it means that they either have extremely strong telekinetic powers if they are able to carve into rock or whatever materual the "collar" is formed from or of course it means there is another sub species of combine other than the advisors who have prosthetic or organic armaments. I don't know what language it is but perhaps it proves that the letters scattered throughout the human urban centers are not combine lettering but humans or civil protections doing. Maybe the lettering designates ranks or perhaps are tags to give the combine overlords more individuality. They are one consciousness after all and have conquered dozens planets that do not have single-consciousness organisms and to communicate a bit better with certain individuals (such as Breen) more effectively they designate their names.

There are of course thousands of reasons or speculative ideas for how or what the "combine lettering" came into being and what it is.

@ Ophiguris- The combine have grandmothers. Well if the combine we have seen are young, robust men, I really would hate to see what the grandmothers look like. Geez Louise..

 

[kupocake]

What's with you people and Japanese? I mean, I'm not racist, but that looks more Tribal than jap, like this stuff looks more carved than written by ink and brush.

I can't really see what you're on about here. When I think 'carved', I think of runes, which are basically as simple as lettering gets because carving is an arduous and frustrating buisness. The letters on that collar couldn't be more intricate, and if you believe them the product of a writing system that grew out from Carving, I have no idea what you're basing that on. Similarly, I have next to no idea what you could possibly mean by 'Tribal', and how any writing system coming forth from a tribe would include such complex letters.

I'm particularly feeling the Japanese influence in the letters from the middle to the right. Compare:

1. も (mo)
2. き (ki) / ま (ma)
3. な (na) / ち(chi)
4. よ (yo) / な (na)

If you take Japanese as a model for "Combinese", it is perhaps a syllabic language that grew out of a roughly logographic language (Hiragana and Katakana took Chinese Characters and simplified them for syllabic use). Or perhaps it IS a logographic language. That's quite possible, because the "3." is a bit too complex. Or perhaps like Japanese, it actually uses a combination of Logographic and Syllabic symbols. Or perhaps - just perhaps - i'm writing a whole load of bollocks and you've had the misfortune to read it.

 

[Tagaziel]

Look closely, the collar is made of leather, and the letters are made of gold pressed into the collar. Ergo, the letters are in themselves rather intricate and aren't similiar to runic alphabet.

 

[kupocake]

Look closely, the collar is made of leather, and the letters are made of gold pressed into the collar. Ergo, the letters are in themselves rather intricate and aren't similiar to runic alphabet.

And... ?

 

[Tagaziel]

I was referring to how you said carving runes is an ardous process and provided basis for you pointing otu the similarity between the Japanese letters and Combinese.

 

[kupocake]

I was referring to how you said carving runes is an ardous process and provided basis for you pointing otu the similarity between the Japanese letters and Combinese.

Goooddd

 

[Tagaziel]

I'm delighted I could have been of help.

 

[Ophiguris]

BUT, Gold has to be CARVED, right? And, Lot's of money, as I expect advisors have, can by arduously made jewelry. ESPECIALLY if it's religious. Who's to say the combine have no religion? Maybe their synthisization (SHut up, I can't spell) is part of a galactic mission, set out in their religion. "Conquer all, and use your enemy as your greatest weapon."

 

[Tagaziel]

I think gold is not carved, it's rather melted and then molded into shape. Also, while you point is valid, I belive that given the absence of symbolism within the Citadel and it's utilitarian appearance, there is no indication that the Combine are ultimately based on religion.

I belive they're closer to the Inner Party of 1984 - they long for power. Absolute power. A drug.

 

[kupocake]

Keep religion out of the combine. If I want to play against Halo's Rainbow Hoarde, I'll play Halo.

 

[Darkside55]

Gold is molded, not carved. Gold itself is a very malleable substance and can be shaped like clay, therefore other metals like copper or silver are introduced to keep its form. That's why you have the measurement of karats; karats indicate the percentage of gold to other alloys. 24 karat gold is pure gold, for example, while 14 karat gold is 14 parts gold to 10 parts alloy.

Anyway I'm not sure that's gold at all. Or leather, for that matter. The collar looks more metallic than leather, and furthermore even if the collar was leather-like, it technically wouldn't be leather. Also while the letters are gold they might not be specifically done in gold leaf (which is sprinkling gold flakes onto an area, such as the grooves carved in their collar). As in, although the letters might be colored gold, doesn't mean they're the element gold.

I also must say that the Combine definately aren't going to be promoting any religious agenda. I can say that with almost absolute certainty for a few reasons, both in and out of game. Here are two of them:

In-game: they're scientific. This almost automatically rules out any religion involved (I say almost because I am already anticipating someone to come out and say that you can have technology and also have a religious agenda, but please wait for point #2).

Out-of-game: Bungie did it. Valve therefore WON'T do it.

 

[Tagaziel]

Darkside, you're nitpicking. For a slug this large and fat, a metallic collar would be very, very uncomfortable and dangerous (what if their a/g generators short circuit?) so a leather (tanned hide) collar would be proper. As for the letters... it shines like gold, looks like gold, resembles gold, so it's rather propable it's gold, unless the Combine have used minerals unknown to man that look just like gold...

Anyways, it's a minor issue what it is made of, more important is, what it IS?

 

[Darkside55]

Nitpicking's what I do. TBH when I looked at the picture it didn't seem like the letters were done in gold anyway, so...anyway it doesn't matter, like you said.

You know what I wanna know is why they bothered having a written language anyway, being telepathic beings. What would they need to write down? So if anything maybe it's just self-indulgence (going back to your idea that it could be a title/social status brand).

 

[Citadel]

It is unlikely to be a material found on earth anyway. We could compare the materials but if they are relics as some people have assumed they were probably crafted on the combine home planet or it is a valuable material on another galaxy the combine have conquered. I very much doubt the material is from earth as it seems to be one of the combines lesser planets. They have left Breen in charge and as a human it means their full attentions must be focused elsewhere. So earth is probably of little importance of their empire. They merely used it to bather more materials for synths.

As darkside said it is probably of no religious value now that I have studied the situation properly. As the combine "conquer" planets it is probably for more a "military" rank which would be understandable as the prefer brutal force and not diplomacy. That's all you can expect from a giant slug-like entity of course.

 

[Rim-Fire]

It is unlikely to be a material found on earth anyway.

If their universe's laws of physics are the same as ours then you would assume that the same elements would form. And since gold is a very unreative element then it would not be unsupprising for them to have gold. Though it probably wouldn't be as valuable to them as it is to us, it really isn't a very useful metal.

 

[Tagaziel]

Gold is actually very useful, it could be used to form a devastating fallout nuclear bomb.

And Darkside, I think that give that the master Combine race is so unified in it's appearance, such collars would serve as identification tags, so that one can identify the other without having to estabilish telepathical contact. The script on it may be their native written language, used because of sentiment or (more propably) respect towards their history, which allowed them to prosper, flourish and eventually create the Universal Union.

 

[Darkside55]

Could be.

It could also be they're just ostentatious and vain and like wearing ze goldz.

 

[Tagaziel]

I sense gangsta advisors comments incoming.

 

[kupocake]

Word.

 

[Darkside55]

I sense gangsta advisors comments incoming.

Word.

BLING BLING

 

[Citadel]

If their universe's laws of physics are the same as ours then you would assume that the same elements would form. And since gold is a very unreative element then it would not be unsupprising for them to have gold. Though it probably wouldn't be as valuable to them as it is to us, it really isn't a very useful metal.

Yes this is true and a possibility however just a slight change in environment would change the end product (this material) and would prevent it from being gold.

 

[Ophiguris]

Keep religion out of the combine. If I want to play against Halo's Rainbow Hoarde, I'll play Halo.

BUT Ha-- Helow-- that game (sorry, I hate it so much I can't speak its name) Is not based upon politics, famine, citzens, and huge Resonance Cascades causing rifts in time and space. BUT it IS based on a bunch of ugly looking characters who have 'Awesome' catch phases and 'cool' weapons.

Religion helps civilizations, especially in advancement and the strive to survive... It would be interesting to see and advanced civilization without some monolithic being to look up to.

 

[kupocake]

Religion helps civilizations, especially in advancement and the strive to survive... It would be interesting to see and advanced civilization without some monolithic being to look up to.

The Combine work best as the alien race that have exceeded the needs of religion. If anything, the Combine are gods. They're responsible for the creation of entirely new lifeforms, and they guide other races to whatever their sinister purpose is by altering them selectively, controlling evolution. The Citadel is like their tower of babel. I can almost imagine combine advisors broadcasting to the newly conquered earth the words 'WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW'

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

I can almost imagine combine advisors broadcasting to the newly conquered earth the words 'WHERE ARE YOUR GOD(S) NOW'

Fixed :thumbs:

 

[Rapstah]

But that message would be in Combinese, and not humanish, so we wouldn't understand it.

 

[Ophiguris]

I never said the combine had a/many gods, just that their mission must have some purpose, you don't go around killing things and taking them over for fun, and I doubt it's for resources, Cause when an Army takes over a place after they've run out of resources, the force tends to be much smaller. Play Star Craft, and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Jintor]

BLING BLING

OLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!

 

[Tagaziel]

Ophiguris, did you read 1984? If not, I'll explain to you why the Combine keeps on conquering.

The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from all the oligarchies of the past, in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives.

Now, you see?

 

[ríomhaire]

BLING BLING

I hate that song, so much.