HL1's launch screen has C14 on it

[implaying885]

If I remember correctly, the people in HL2 were talking about how they thought that tey had seen the last of breen in City 14.:O Oh yes I think that Black mesa was also known as City 14. or VALVe put it in to make a connection, I highly think that they wouldn't put it there for no reason.
(Yes, this is HL2 related)

 

[pomegranate]

Uh, god.

yes I think that Black mesa was also known as City 14.

Right, for a start - how the heck does this make any sense at all. Black Mesa is not a city, it's a secret government research facility. Besides which it was completely destroyed at the end of Opposing Force, negating any chance of the location being renamed City 14. So what makes you think Black Mesa would be known as City 14, besides random brain impulses?

Even if your bizarre suggestion made any sense, there is not a chance in hell Valve had thought that far ahead when they were making Half-Life, to put tiny obscure references into the loading screen. Get real.

As I understood it, C14 was chemical symbol for something. I'm not an expert, but I'd guess it was an isotope.... googling "C14 isotope" shows that it's an isotope of carbon. No clear relation to any aspect of Half-Life, but it fits in with the general science theme.

Wikipedia articles on isotopes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope

 

[bbson john]

Uh, god.

As I understood it, C14 was chemical symbol for something. I'm not an expert, but I'd guess it was an isotope.... googling "C14 isotope" shows that it's an isotope of carbon. No clear relation to any aspect of Half-Life, but it fits in with the general science theme.

It has nothing to do with Carbon-14. I think it is only the facilities' Level C, area 14. So it is C-14.

 

[ríomhaire]

Maybe it's a wink at the loading screen but he'd hardly take a train from a radioactive crater in New Mexico to somewhere in Eastern Europe.

 

[pomegranate]

It has nothing to do with Carbon-14. I think it is only the facilities' Level C, area 14. So it is C-14.

This makes about as much sense as the OPs suggestion. The Anomalous Materials lab is in Sector C, but there is no 'area 14'. And why would it say the name of one particular area of Black Mesa on the loading screen for the entire game?

I admit my explanation is speculative but it's the closest to actually making any sense.

 

[bbson john]

This makes about as much sense as the OPs suggestion. The Anomalous Materials lab is in Sector C, but there is no 'area 14'. And why would it say the name of one particular area of Black Mesa on the loading screen for the entire game?

I admit my explanation is speculative but it's the closest to actually making any sense.

How can you be so sure that sector C has not been divided into several area?

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

Because a sector by definition is already an area of division.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

1. Black Mesa is now a big crater.
2. Why the hell would the combine designate a big crater a City?
3. What they meant was there are monitors with Breen in City 14, just like in City 17, and presumably City 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20. Neither of which are Black Mesa Research Facility.
4. There is a perfectly good reason for putting that line in there without making a connection to HL, which is; It tells us there are many other cities that are just like City 17, with the same monitors and the same propaganda speeches.

 

[Eejit]

It has nothing to do with Carbon-14. I think it is only the facilities' Level C, area 14. So it is C-14.

It is probably a little easter egg actually. With Carbon-14 being one of the main methods for dating old objects using their Half-life.

 

[Zaffino]

a Half-Life is how long an isotope is alive for right? or something along those lines.

 

[Axyon]

a Half-Life is how long an isotope is alive for right? or something along those lines.

The time it takes for a substance to reach half its original radioactivity.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

Nope. It doesn't have to be relevant to radiation. The half-life of a quantity subject to exponential decay is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. The concept originated in the study of radioactive decay, but it now also occurs in many other fields.

 

[Axyon]

Nope. It doesn't have to be relevant to radiation. The half-life of a quantity subject to exponential decay is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. The concept originated in the study of radioactive decay, but it now also occurs in many other fields.

Uh, yeah, but the definition of the world is primarily applied to radioactivity, and in the context of the game it certainly takes relevance.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

That isn't what he asked and it's not what you said.

 

[$kelet0r]

That isn't what he asked and it's not what you said.

that's irrelevant and pedantic - the point is correct

 

[Naudian]

Debatedebatedebatearguearguebitchbitch I'm going with the carbon-14 theory.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

No it's not. It's like saying ovens are used to cook pizzas when they're not. They're used to cook food. Limiting the focus of a words meaning destroys it's definition.

 

[$kelet0r]

No it's not. It's like saying ovens are used to cook pizzas when they're not. They're used to cook food. Limiting the focus of a words meaning destroys it's definition.

you're wrong
the topic is about the C14 on the HL1 load screen which more than likely means Carbon 14 which is an isotope used to measure the halflife of a decaying radioactive substance. End of debate.
Saying that halflife isn't restricted to radioactive decay is being pedantic - it doesnt matter

 

[Asknoone]

That isn't what he asked and it's not what you said.

Hardly the point. Don't argue for argues sake. What Axyon said is very much correct.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

How about "They wanted something industrial-looking and part of that methodology is to stencil generic alphanumeric tags everywhere." It could be a giant vat o' Carbon 14 behind him or not, but to think that this is an allusion to the HL2 city naming convention is just plain ridiculous.

The HL series isn't some sort of Lucas-esque master-planned plot but something they create as they go.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

you're wrong
the topic is about the C14 on the HL1 load screen which more than likely means Carbon 14 which is an isotope used to measure the halflife of a decaying radioactive substance. End of debate.
Saying that halflife isn't restricted to radioactive decay is being pedantic - it doesnt matter

a Half-Life is how long an isotope is alive for right? or something along those lines.

Nope. It doesn't have to be relevant to radiation. The half-life of a quantity subject to exponential decay is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. The concept originated in the study of radioactive decay, but it now also occurs in many other fields.

Hardly the point. Don't argue for argues sake. What Axyon said is very much correct.

Not the point? Of course it's the point. He asked what the word meant. I told him what it meant. Axyon only explained part of it, why do people here seem to be so against knowing things?

 

[pomegranate]

How can you be so sure that sector C has not been divided into several area?

Perhaps it has, but as there is no mention of it in the game, any reference to it would not make sense. That would be like, for instance, a base near City 17 being named after some scientist that wasn't named in HL1, and trying to describe that as a sneaky reference or in-joke to HL1. It wouldn't make any sense. Again, why would the loading screen for the whole game have the name of one part of the facility on it. Wouldn't that be kind of awkward? A: Yes it would, that's why it's not 'Sector C, Area 14', dickwad.

It has nothing to do with Carbon-14

You can't know that, how fricking arrogant, I doubt you even understand why I suggested it, but I will explain - the whole saga is full of scientific references - half-life, opposing force, and blue shift, for instance, are all scientific terms, this is the creative context that the games (especially HL1) are styled in, so a random graphic of scientific symbol fits in quite nicely.

My suggestion makes far more sense than yours even if it's not right, because yours is based on stuff you've made up, for which there is no actual basis in the canon of the games.

You really don't know what you're talking about, kindly save us all a lot of bother by not sharing your opinion until you're a bit more able to understand the subtle stylings of the Half-Life saga, or, more to the point, how a creator shapes their fictional universe.

 

[implaying885]

A refined theory:

Maybe C14 means "Compound 14" They wouldn't need any monitors because it is a kind of compound, and all of them work for the combine.

 

[Axyon]

No it's not. It's like saying ovens are used to cook pizzas when they're not. They're used to cook food. Limiting the focus of a words meaning destroys it's definition.

Jesus Christ. Let's put it in terms that you only seem to understand - this thread is Pizza Hut, and Zaffino came in to ask what we cook in the ovens. Yes, the ovens have other uses outside of Pizza Hut, but they're completely irrelevant here.

 

[wolven_rage]

That isn't what he asked and it's not what you said.

sig'd!

also im just gonna go with the dating theory.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

Jesus Christ. Let's put it in terms that you only seem to understand - this thread is Pizza Hut, and Zaffino came in to ask what we cook in the ovens. Yes, the ovens have other uses outside of Pizza Hut, but they're completely irrelevant here.

What about the garlic bread, spaghetti and chicken dishes that pizza hut also cook?

 

[ríomhaire]

What about the garlic bread, spaghetti and chicken dishes that pizza hut also cook?

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

And what exactly is the point of that image? How is it at all relevant? Do you actually have a point you're able to vocalize or are you just happy to hear yourself vomit this illegible garbage?

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

How's this for vomit?

OMG SECRET FUTURE HL1 MESSAGE!!

 

[ríomhaire]

And what exactly is the point of that image? How is it at all relevant? Do you actually have a point you're able to vocalize or are you just happy to hear yourself vomit this illegible garbage?

I'm mocking you and your apparent inability to spot any sort of point.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

So it has no point and you just thought you'd try and be the funny man by posting an image macro? Congratu****inglations.

 

[ríomhaire]

The prefered language of the board is English

 

[Polaris]

Maybe stupidest thread of week! And no russian language, please!

 

[Axyon]

This has gotten out of hand. Posts deleted, and let's remain on-topic.

 

[pomegranate]

I call locking time.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I called your mum, but she told me she never wanted to see me again.

Oohh, burrrn! Wait, that backfired.

Man, I hate bitchy-bitch snipe-comment wars of attrition.

 

[pomegranate]

I called your mum, but she told me she never wanted to see me again.

Oohh, burrrn! Wait, that backfired.

Heh.

Man, I hate bitchy-bitch snipe-comment wars of attrition.

Teh internets would go out of business without them.

 

[bbson john]

I started to get annoyed by the user "Mr.Magnetichead".
His words are injurious and offensive. Whenever he appears there exists arguements. Especially, the picture besides his name keeps spinning. That's making my eyes hurt.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

Hey! His avatar kicks ass.

 

[99.vikram]

Especially, the picture besides his name keeps spinning. That's making my eyes hurt.

How can you not like the avatar?
It's Breen! Spinning !