Exploring the GCF *spoilers*

ríomhaire

ríomhaire

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I've been looking through the GCF (mainly the skins) and I'll just list some things I found odd/interesting:
The Combine Advisor pod is numbered with human figures.
Alyx has a different model for the intro but I can't see any difference between the skins.
A wierd (possible normalmap?) this is there for a squashed antlion grub.
Breen, Kleiner and Eli all have new face textures
The g-man's eyes have changed colour, the no-longer match Gordon's green.
The striped-soldier skin appears for some reason.
Stalkers have eye textures for some reason

Anything you've found odd searching the GCFs?
 
Yeah only a few, I dont look in there that much though. Nice find even though a few people already know. I didnt know.
 
I think the Alyx difference is purely the scar above the eye. Not sure though.
 
After looking at the HL2 texture the g-man's eyes are never really green at all. There goes the Gordon Freeman theory.
 
I've found quite a lot of stuff. More than a few unused Alyx soundfiles. Remnants of removed/changed parts of the storyline. Some mentions of EP2 and possible pieces. Possible evidence towards Alyx not dying but I'm lookin' further into that. I've also found that some of the sound files for the advisors contain speech along with the radio transmission files but it is just random speech and requires processing and reversing the sound files to hear in the first place.
 
Cut Audio Part 1: Intro Sequence

1. Apparently, Alyx was able to pick up Freeman's HEV signal and thus knew the general area of where to dig for him. She also wasn't too sure if Gordon was alive or not. However with that HEV comment, one can only wonder if the Overwatch can track Freeman as well.

2. As mentioned elsewhere by now, Eli and Judith got away in one of Dr. Breen's escape pods and made it to a Vortigaunt camp far away from City 17. While Eli (and by extension Kleiner) are at this camp, Judith must have flew further on to the icy reaches of the Arctic. Alyx implies this Vortigaunt camp will be their ultimate destination upon leaving City 17, so persumably Freeman will reach it in EP2.

3. Alyx comments on not seeing a Scanner all day when finding one in that chasm sequence. She also comments on its apparent destruction, so a live Scanner could have been inserted before VALVe decided to do away with it.

4. Alyx got real angry at Dog when it flew a van in your direction, telling it that the can could have killed her and Freeman. In general she took a harsher tone to Dog's playing around. Obviously Alyx's tone and dialogue got reworked when she was made into a less bossier person. IMHO VALVe made the right decision.

5. Alyx makes mention of some sort of access bridge (probably would have been a form of entry into the Citadel), and she whines when it appears there's no way into the Citadel. It rather reminds me of that "Simpsons" scene when Bart and Lisa get trapped in a dam and Lisa claims "It's hopeless! Utterly, utterly hopeless!". :LOL: I'm also glad this whining part got removed.

Much of the remaining unused dialogue here can be considered to be alternate takes or just other misc. cuts. Perhaps next post, I can deal with the Citadel chapters.
 
What I want to know is what happened to the 'Mr. Advisor' sound bytes. I couldn't find them anywhere!
 
The Advisor's sounds should be in the npc section of the EP1 sound files, aptly labeled "advisor". Any comments Alyx makes about the Advisors will be filed in the vo section of the sound files, which can be accessed from the Citadel file within. All of these comments will have an "advisor" tag on them.
 
Whoa! You know that female radio voice? It seems like there is a male version.

It's labled DataTransMaleVx01.wav
 
How do you guys find this stuff out? What program are you using to explore the .GCF files? It seems the Misc. sounds are revealing more to us about E2 than Valve!
 
TheCheckt said:
Whoa! You know that female radio voice? It seems like there is a male version.

It's labled DataTransMaleVx01.wav
Click to expand...
Whoa... I just listened to it. It sounds really weird. Hmm, reversed speech?
Edit - I listened to it in reverse. it kind of sounds like French. I don't know French. It sounds like it has some echo overlapping effect to make it extremely hard to understand. If anyone can isolate it using advanced software, I'm just using Audacity.
 
Jeremyofmany said:
How do you guys find this stuff out? What program are you using to explore the .GCF files? It seems the Misc. sounds are revealing more to us about E2 than Valve!
Click to expand...
GCFScape is your friend, type it up on Google and you'll probably find it.
 
Aha... thanks for that Black Op. However, I'm picky about what I install on my system, such as no NET Framework or Java. Oh well, I'll leave it up to others with more experience with the program to figure things out and let the rest of us know. :)
 
What is below is from the voice files for Alyx. These three and a few others I didn't list are for Episode 2 or atleast were going to be used in it. Most likely still are. The first entry could imply that we will have to do a puzzle with Alex in the begginning or sometime along the storyline if they even kept the same storyline to begin with. If it hasn't changed this does suggest that she's still alive either in the beginning of EP2 or throughout a part of it

"npc_alyx.haveToGetToTracks"
{
"channel" "CHAN_VOICE"
"volume" "0.850"
"pitch" "PITCH_NORM"

"soundlevel" "SNDLVL_NORM"

"wave" "*vo/episode_2/npc/alyx/Alyx_tryingToGetToRailroadTracks.wav"
}
"npc_alyx.looksLikeWeGotCompany"
{
"channel" "CHAN_VOICE"
"volume" "0.850"
"pitch" "PITCH_NORM"

"soundlevel" "SNDLVL_NORM"

"wave" "*vo/episode_2/npc/alyx/Alyx_looksLikeWeHaveCompany.wav"
}
"npc_alyx.quiteADrop"
{
"channel" "CHAN_VOICE"
"volume" "0.850"
"pitch" "PITCH_NORM"

"soundlevel" "SNDLVL_NORM"

"wave" "*vo/episode_2/npc/alyx/Alyx_woahThatsQuiteADrop.wav"
}
Click to expand...

Edit: Adding more as I go along.
 
How can I view the sounds for Episode 1 in the GCF?

I can't seem to find any .wav files like in the HL2 GCF.
 
Looking throught the subtitles
Alyx:
Looks like a shrine to Dr. Breen.
I love you. (just joking, it's to Eli)
Huh, I wonder why only the Elite guard are holding their posts?

it seems she origianly acompanied you the citizen escort and it involved a/the strider, or maybe you just fought an APC, strider and rocket launcher somewhere else originaly
Aim for the strider!
Go for the strider!
Look out! Rocket launcher.
Find a way to get rid of that APC.
Take out the APC.
Come on, we can't let one soldier with a rocket launcher stop us.
Oh, now what? A Strider? What next?

Flares! Bet these last longer than your flashlight!
Yeah, and that's Doctor Freeman in the suit. :)O very similar to the g-man's line)
Gordon's free to say whatever he wants. Gordon?
Oh, I hate to think what could have lived comfortably in that thing.(odd line)
Here, get yourself patched up.
Here, have a medkit.
Uh oh...that was the only thing holding the antlions back.
I told you I knew he was around here somewhere. Luckily, we picked up the HEV signal, and then it was just a matter of digging.(as Black Op said)
Look! It's us! (maybe there was a Gordon model that they never put in?)
He and Judith got out ahead of us, in one of Dr. Breen's escape pods. They made it to a vortigaunt camp, way outside the city. Hopefully we still have time to make it there...(Black Op was right again)
We've really got to talk to Dr. Kleiner about getting a new battery for that flashlight.
This must be where they made those damn things.(gunship bay?)
Oh, my Father! This must be the Combine's Most Wanted list...(Where's Gordon? Isn't he anticitizen one? ;()
Someone must have been keeping a secret museum here, Gordon. These are treasures of human history. (nice one Breen...well, it's most likly Breen)
Huh, well, now they're just history. (or not, could be refering to a corpse there)
Try planting some of these bouncebombs...(Bouncebombs?:LOL: Probably hoppers)



And I'm still not half-way through Alyx's stuff.

Edit: It's the Episode one shared.gcf
 
We've really got to talk to Dr. Kleiner about getting a new battery for that flashlight.
Click to expand...

This one was in-game. I heard it twice :upstare: It's when the flashlight batteries run out.

As for the human artifacts one, I reckon that would have made a very cool place to fight in.
 
Here's more of what I found..
  • level_sounds_outland_episodic.txt - Sound files used in wastelands. Suggests farms, caves, etc.
  • npc_sounds_citizen_episodic.txt - NPC sound for use in EP2. Talk of Jeeps, basic speech, a gorge...
  • npc_sounds_ministrider_episodic.txt - Obvious already that it will be used in EP2.
  • soundscapes_city_episodic.txt - Mentions at the very end wasteland music. Not significant but interesting.
  • level_sounds_music_episodic.txt - Same as above, though a little before the end.
  • npc_alyx_vehicle.txt - Is or was used in EP2, it suggests riding in a car with Alyx and how she responds when doing so. (Means she could be alive?)
 
Cut Audio Part 2: The Citadel

1. Remember how Alyx wished she had a map of the Citadel? It seems that she was actually going to get a map to the Core by using a terminal (possibly in the Advisor room since a couple of the disused 'map' dialogue files has an advisor tag). However knowing the linearity of HL levels, VALVe probably realized this to be redundant. Also related to the field of Citadel navigation are abandoned mentions of backtracking and other inconsistances with the path Alyx plotted out to the Core. Oh, another terminal was supposed to blow up when Alyx tried using it.

2. The Combine Elite are siad to be the only troops holding their posts as the Citadel's being destroyed. Doesn't make much difference though as regular soldiers are encounters, so this dialogue line got cut.

3. A device that looked similar to the Nova Prospekt teleport was to be encountered. Perhaps it's something to do with the Advisors?

4. Alyx says something on capturing something in order to find out what the Overwatch knows about the Resistance's operations. This might have something to do with the transmission packet the Universial Union sent to their Home Dimension. It's likely that VALVe realized it was too obvious of a clue, and decided to redo the dialogue (which there's plentiful evidence of).

5. In relation to point #2, Alyx noticed the Combine were compressing the transmission packet before Gordon headed into the Core. However she couldn't make it out clear enough. Yet another timing change, Alyx would have intercepted the Mossman message while Gordon was still with Alyx. It's made clear the Combine intercepted the message themselves.

6. Conspiracy alert! :p The Stalkers were to have a far greater presence as an legitimate enemy. Alyx warned Gordon that the Stalkers might interefere with stablization efforts. They are said to come out in force as Gordon tries to stablize the Core. Alyx however seemed to put a damperner in effect, she could lock out the Stalkers. As to why they got replaced with Overwatch soldiers, VALVe probably came to the conclusion that the Stalkers were supposed to only act as mutilated technicians, and thus reworked all their appearences.

7. Apparently the Gravity Gun turned back to normal because it was feeding on the runaway core, or so Alyx said. However she seemed to be in a position to notice this at once, rather than how the final EP1 version played out.

8. Flashbacks to HL2: Alyx describes how dark it was when she was held captive in a pod. She was also going to reuse the old "I'm not saying goodbye" quote when Freeman decends into the Core.

9. Eli Vance is on the Overwatch's most wanted list (as ríomhaire said before I).

10. Good news for all Universial Union citizens that don't want to fight in any battles. In one of the old Stalker train scenes (which is the one where Alyx is all scared of them when she first notices them), Alyx mentions that the Combine soliders all volunteered to become Transhumans. I'm suprised Overwatch doesn't make use of conscription.
 
Black Op said:
1. Remember how Alyx wished she had a map of the Citadel? It seems that she was actually going to get a map to the Core by using a terminal (possibly in the Advisor room since a couple of the disused 'map' dialogue files has an advisor tag). However knowing the linearity of HL levels, VALVe probably realized this to be redundant. Also related to the field of Citadel navigation are abandoned mentions of backtracking and other inconsistances with the path Alyx plotted out to the Core. Oh, another terminal was supposed to blow up when Alyx tried using it.
Click to expand...
It's explained in the commentary that that was gotten rid of when they made Alyx less bossy. Originaly she led you through the Citadel. When you started leading her, her getting the map became redundant.
 
al_strippedforparts01 to 04 are...interesting

edit: the al_tow files seem to relate to a puzzle involving pulling a cable taut
then in ba_kneecapping, barney says 'good job kneecapping that strider', plus 'see if you can bring that strider to its knees'
strider-tripping?
 
jimmyjam said:
al_strippedforparts01 to 04 are...interesting

edit: the al_tow files seem to relate to a puzzle involving pulling a cable taut
then in ba_kneecapping, barney says 'good job kneecapping that strider', plus 'see if you can bring that strider to its knees'
strider-tripping?
Click to expand...

Using the cable to trip the Strider over? Fun puzzle boss in Ep2?
 
ríomhaire said:
Try planting some of these bouncebombs...(Bouncebombs?:LOL: Probably hoppers)
Click to expand...

jimmyjam said:
al_strippedforparts01 to 04 are...interesting

edit: the al_tow files seem to relate to a puzzle involving pulling a cable taut
then in ba_kneecapping, barney says 'good job kneecapping that strider', plus 'see if you can bring that strider to its knees'
strider-tripping?
Click to expand...

Hopwires?!

Or maybe I'm just obsessed. Loved those things. :(
 
jimmyjam said:
al_strippedforparts01 to 04 are...interesting

edit: the al_tow files seem to relate to a puzzle involving pulling a cable taut
then in ba_kneecapping, barney says 'good job kneecapping that strider', plus 'see if you can bring that strider to its knees'
strider-tripping?
Click to expand...
Reminds me of using the tow cables on the AT-AT walkers in Star Wars. lol.
 
You know what would be even funner? Using a huge magnet to grab the Strider and lift it off the ground. Maybe its head would crack open eventually and you'd finally find out if they really put babies in there...
 
I find it interesting that they refer to the teleport chamber in HL2 as 'Breen's reactor'.
 
Jeremyofmany said:
You know what would be even funner? Using a huge magnet to grab the Strider and lift it off the ground. Maybe its head would crack open eventually and you'd finally find out if they really put babies in there...
Click to expand...

I'm not sure Striders are made of metal. I know there is no evidence to suggest otherwise, but they don't look metal at all.
 
They are Synthetic. I'm really sure they've any metal in them, it's not like they are robots.
 
"Ah, Gordon, please...cover it up." (I think is about the stalkers)

There are some misc files telling Dog to stay close. I guess he was with you for longer originaly.

"Where are your friends now, huh? Stripped you for parts and left you to die? What did you expect? They're no more human than you" (those are mildly creepy)

"Traitor" (who?)

Apparently in the original ending you missed a the first train and had to run to grab a second. Sounds mildly fun, I wonder why they cut it.

"Look at this, Gordon--the whole Combine war machine is going on as if nothing's happened." (Synth factory?)

"It's weird, they're wide open. It's like they're just dumping everything. I'll catch what I can and---" (???)

There was a bit where you had to carry a crank around with you for the whole level seemingly.

"Look at all these Breen busts. It's like we stumbled into the Citadel gift shop."

"Hey, you found the landlord's apartment." (landlord? Is that a joke I wonder?)
 
The gun mounted on the Striders seem to be made of the generic Combine Metal.

Rimfire said:
Where are your friends now, huh? Stripped you for parts and left you to die? What did you expect? They're no more human than you" (those are mildly creepy)
Click to expand...
I beleive that was from a section of the Citadel where you see many Soldiers attached to machines (The one in RtB). The model still exsists, and can be spawned in G-Mod. I'll get a screen later.
 
Like in Nova Prospekt? Would explain why the texture appears in the GCF.
 
yes that's what I was thinking
that would have been a pretty brutal side of alyx heretofore unseen
 
Isn't that actually in the Citadel that section? Alyx shouts things at him.
 
"You're going to have to go in and stabilize the core yourself, Gordon. The stalkers might try and prevent you, but you can't let them. We don't have much time."



seems that we may have had to fight stalkers inside the citadel
 
Deathb4birth said:
"You're going to have to go in and stabilize the core yourself, Gordon. The stalkers might try and prevent you, but you can't let them. We don't have much time."



seems that we may have had to fight stalkers inside the citadel
Click to expand...

We did....
 
Samon said:
We did....
Click to expand...




emmmmmm where ?


the only time i remember seeing a strider was when it was being transported and it fell off i dont recall seeing anymore untill you reach the surface
 
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