Combine Vs. Xen - the final solution

He could easily mean they went through Xen after Freeman did.

I still think the strongest point about the Combine not being on Xen is their 'look'. Xen had its own style, its own design ethos and look - which was organic and weird. All the Xen creatures shared it and it all fit. The Combine, meanwhile, have a look and style that's almost completely the opposite of that of the Xenians. And while you could argue that the Combine take on the characteristics of the worlds they conquer (hence Xen-ish for Xen and Earth-ish for Earth) I believe the Combine look is too different from the Earth look for that to be the case.
 
TheOverseer said:
No... That's not how English works, unless Lombardi got a little muddled. The first part of the sentence names Xen as the last location. '[F]rom which location' is referring to Xen, not the Controller/Vortigaunt homeworld.
Click to expand...

But you took the phrase out of context. If you chase someone to a location from a location, that means you're are currently in the from location - which explains Lombardi's sentence.
I admit, it's a badly formed sentence, but it doesn't change anything.

-Angry Lawyer
 
*Shrugs.* I really don't see it that way. Whatever the case, my first post in this thread still stands.
 
Well, the fact that nobody else has picked it out on any message board that it's been posted on kinda implies that you're the only one who's interpreted it as that.

However, I won't rule out the argument of the Combine invading Xen after Mossman sells out and gives the Combine the efficient teleportation technology.

-Angry Lawyer
 
Not long joined here after finishing HL2 (so please be gentle with me) and just spent an hour reading the whole of this thread in the hope it would answer some questions about the ending. Wish I hadn't as I'm more confused than when I started!!!

Anyway some of Llama's musings got me thinking. It seems to me that the Vortigaunts fled the Combine some time ago after being taken over on their own world. They somehow managed to flee to Xen which happens to be a separate dimension to the one they and the Combine were in. The reason why they fled there is to try and survive as a race. This Xen dimension however is actually a convergence of all the other infinite dimensions. It's a place where all portals from any dimension converge and it's being controlled by the Nihilanth. This guy is in some way responsible for keeping all species that find their way there to their own dimension - or at least out of any others. The only way to move between dimensions is to 1st transfer onto Xen.

So, the Vortigaunts arrive in this new dimension only to find out that Nihilanth enslaves the minds of any species that finds it way to Xen and so end up being trapped there along with other species from other dimensions (though this is not always instant and individuals can slip through now and again).

In the meantime the Combine manage to enslave the entire universe they reside in (not ours). There is nothing left to do so they want to expand to other dimensions - but they can't because Nihilanth would stop and enslave them (remember they have to hop to Xen 1st). Also around this time Earth is visiting Xen for very short times just being nosy.

The Combine in some way contact the group G-Man works for asking for help to expand their empire to other universes. The G-Man group have taken notice that the human race have recently acquired the means to create portals between dimensions and suggest that they might be able to help get them to other dimensions by getting rid of Nihilanth (maybe G-Mans group
want to control the portals themselves).

So, G-Man is given the task of eliminating Nihilanth so that inter-dimension travel becomes an option for the Combine to expand to different universes. G-Mans race can't launch an assault on Nihilanth so instead they decide to use a small Earth force to try and take him out (the G-Men can't do it cause Nihilanth would be prepared for them but he wouldn't for a small surprise attack).

1st they've got to open a portal FROM the Earth side (you can't create a link from Xen.) G-Man gains access to Earth and starts manipulating key figures to achieve this goal. He organizes small Earth armies to strike through the portal and eliminate Nihilanth. He manipulates Black Mesa, through Breen, to create a rocket (which I think Gordon is told to launch) that can mass create portals (portal storms) to Xen, he organizes the resonance cascade to create a large enough portal to allow the army through (Gordon being the expandable lackey that will trigger this).

With this portal open the army can go through and try and eliminate Nihilanth. However unforeseen by G-Man the army isn't quite up to the job but during his work spots Freeman doin his thang. G-Man manipulates him to not only go through and destroy Nihilanth (thereby allowing jumping between universes) but also to launch the satellite that will open portal storms large enough to allow large Combine forces through (need a portal open from the universe you need to get to).

Eventually Gordon succeeds. Portals are open from Earth to Xen. The Combine can now transport to Xen and then onto Earth. Quite how this fits into the end of HL2 I'm not sure but I think I best stop rambling now (well done if you have read this far).

Remember this is purely speculation from my own readings. Please feel free to say I'm speaking drivel but it's just my spin on it all. I would like to hear your responses to it all and how it might fit in to the HL2 ending.

Conclusion: 1. Earth open portal to Xen
2. Earth wipe out Nihilanth
3. Earth creates portal storms
4. Combine jump to Xen ten to Earth (take over)
5. Gordon hired a second time to stop Combine on Earth???? why???

....discuss
 
Very plausible, and quite close to what I've often thought likely, except I think that the controllres, Nihilanth and the Xenians had all come through to escape the Combine rather than Nihilanth trapping everything. Raises certain questions though, most notably, why would the G-Man then contract you to kick the Combine off earth?
 
Yeah...but Lombardi said that Nihily fled the Combine, not the Vorts :|
 
Thanks 4 the help Samon.

Sulkdodds not sure why G-Man contracted Gordon to kick the Combine off earth. Perhaps his group all along wanted control of Xen and Earth. They used the Combine to get a foothold on Earth and maybe it's them who are trying to take over everything. All along they have manipulated races to get what and where they want.

I am sure tho that portals are naturally occuring in Xen but not in other universes. To get there u have to create your own.

Sure it all made more sense last night after a few beers!!!! :rolling:
 
Could be. An unlikely theory:

If the Combine are subject to intergalactic politics then it might well be they didn't want to bother with earth. Maybe they want our teleport technology and nothing else, or maybe they'd just rather glass our planet completely. In which case it might be that in order to do so they needed an excuse to move in and crush us - an excuse like the City-17 rebellion.
 
ríomhaire said:
Yeah...but Lombardi said that Nihily fled the Combine, not the Vorts :|
Click to expand...

the nihilant fled with his people. he just took everything with him , also the vortigaunts. the vortigaunts say they have always been slaves, so if they always were on xen there would be no sense in it.
 
Although I belive the Combine did not control Xen directly, here is a little observation of mine for those of you who do belive it: The Grunt armor looks like Combine metal seen on earth. =)

Btw Angry Laywer, Good job with your "discovery".
 
This doensn't looks like Xen technology...it looks rather like Combine technology :rolleyes:
c4a1d0000.jpg
 
If it were Combine technology, they'd be littered throughout the Citadel.
 
Polaris said:
This doensn't looks like Xen technology...it looks rather like Combine technology :rolleyes:
c4a1d0000.jpg
Click to expand...
Pray tell, how does a cloud of alien bacteria and plasma fit in with stylings of the combine? :p
Someone brought up an interesting point about the Combine on Xen - we dont actually know if they did invade Xen after Mossman sold the local teleportation tech to them. But, if (The poster who beleives all the dimensional portal were held by Nihilanth) is correct, then the Combine would be able to tunnel through after he died, becasue all the barriers and portals would have been effectivly destroyed
 
Polaris said:
This doensn't looks like Xen technology...it looks rather like Combine technology :rolleyes:
c4a1d0000.jpg
Click to expand...
Where exactly is that? IE, get a pic of the area.
 
In the Xen factory, to be exact. They heal the player when you step in
 
Samon said:
If it were Combine technology, they'd be littered throughout the Citadel.
Click to expand...
And it'd also look a lot more functional. The Combine metal tends to be flat sheeting, rather than such organic componentry.

There are also loads of gateways in Xen. Guess what? The Combine haven't worked out local teleportation.

-Angry Lawyer
 
Course he does, hes Angry Lawyer

Hes awesome.
What the AL says = goes :sniper:
 
Its not in strategy guide, but I think it could be true (official information)...
 
Think how badly its not Combine metal. Look at concept art for the Grunts. They have stuff feeding them. And think how badly that the Combine would have REUSED THE TECH IN OTHER UNITS.

-Angry Lawyer
 
Angry Lawyer said:
Think how badly its not Combine metal. Look at concept art for the Grunts. They have stuff feeding them. And think how badly that the Combine would have REUSED THE TECH IN OTHER UNITS.

-Angry Lawyer
Click to expand...

Right again AL!
 
Also this needs restickied too. Crazy ole' forums shakeup!
It brings back memories... aaah, the Oslo Fiasco of 1932, I doubt I'll ever forget that...
 
Samon needs his modship extended here first. It's being worked on.

-Angry Lawyer
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samon
I dont think shepard was meant to kill nihalinth, simply because marc laidlaw is just gearbox's creation and doesnt actually fit into the plot.

LOL Eejit!
 
Xen ftw. Grunts and gargs rock.

Disclaimer: some alcohol.
 
Well yeah Angry lawyer I guess your right about that Grunts. Arguement over. But still, what about that pic above found on Xen? Maybe Vortigaunts have some sort of technology. In Half Life 2, A vortigaunt pimps your airboat with a gun so they must have some experience with weapon tech and stuff. But the only problem with that is thats pretty much the only tech you see unless you believe Gargantua is related to Vortigaunts or the stuff you see in Interloper. :borg:
 
Well, Lombardi did say that the Vortigaunts were running from the Combine, so its feasible that they've learnt some things on their way.

Alternatively, these mechanical bits are just standard vortigaunt tech. In the same way that we use a lot of metal and plastic in our technology and a few bits of biotech, the Xenians likely use a lot of biotech and a little metal.

-Angry Lawyer
 
Angry Lawyer said:
Well, Lombardi did say that the Vortigaunts were running from the Combine, so its feasible that they've learnt some things on their way.

Alternatively, these mechanical bits are just standard vortigaunt tech. In the same way that we use a lot of metal and plastic in our technology and a few bits of biotech, the Xenians likely use a lot of biotech and a little metal.

-Angry Lawyer
Click to expand...

Good point but that seems to be the ONLY kind of non-bio technology.
 
Compare and contrast to the Combine, who enjoy sticking metal in just about everything. And of course, pumping peoples' insides out and replacing it with easily maintained saline.

-Angry Lawyer
 
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