How do the locks in City 17 work?

[eediot]

I was playing through a bit of the game, trying to get as much of a feel for city 17 as possible, and I wondered how the locks for City 17 worked. Here is a picture of one:

http://img109.exs.cx/img109/8397/d1_trainstation_010046.jpg

What I don't understand is how the citizens are supposed to open them on their houses [the doors have them, even on apartments]. Failing that, it still doesn't explain how the combine guards opened them when he knocked on the door. On the other side is nothing but a little white box that doesn't look like it controls it...

http://img109.exs.cx/img109/1280/d1_trainstation_010049.jpg

 

[Brian Damage]

I got the impression that they were supposed to be some sort of eye-scan.

 

[eediot]

Possibly. In that sequence however, which is the only one I remember being opened [excluding with Alyx later in the game], the guard just knocks on the door and the combine on the other side checks it, then opens.

I emailed Gabe/Lombardi about it. I really am curious.

 

[Alec_85]

Well. There's this thing called Hammer you see In there you can paste textures on walls so it looks like a door but you can't really enter it. Works splendidly if you don't want anyone to enter a room. Delete the door

Edit: And for some reason, I don't think the Combine meant for citizens to BE able to enter rooms where those mechanics are in place.

 

[eediot]

what.

did you even read the thread buddy?

 

[Alec_85]

what.

did you even read the thread buddy?

Hehe yes most of it I'm just messing around. Maybe it can sense other Combines so it opens automatically (then why bother knocking though).

 

[DarkStar]

Those things are definitely set too low to be eye-scanners! I'm pretty sure the combine insert their half-organic/half-mechanical penises into those things and they open. Kinda like a retina scan.....but for your penis.

 

[Dagobert]

IT'S JUST AN ARBITARY GAMEPLAY MECHANIC

 

[eediot]

Hey "dagobert", genius, first off: Nice use of bad colour. It really pulled the crap together. Second of all, I needed the information for a singleplayer mod based in the Halflife 2 world. So here's an idea.. keep your idiocy out of my thread, and if you really can't contain it, make your own thread to be a retard in.

 

[Bobcat]

IT'S JUST AN ARBITARY GAMEPLAY MECHANIC

Aaargh, colours!

Anyway, it's a fingerprint / DNA scanner for what I care. You press, it scans.

Remember, citizens are registered.

 

[Dagobert]

Second of all, I needed the information for a singleplayer mod based in the Halflife 2 world.

Just make some shit up.

 

[eediot]

If I don't get an answer from Gabe/Lombardi, yeah I'll have to make something up.

 

[Alec_85]

You should definitely go with the penis idea :E

 

[TigerRei]

I cant exactly remember where, or even if it was in HL2 (it could have been from some movie for all I know) but I think those things are opened by resonance emitters on the suits that use some sort of energy frequency as the key. I think it's Dr. Breen who tells you that you cant open a door unless you have the specific resonance. Only reason Alyx seems to be able to open them is due to the fact that she just zaps the crap out of them and scrambles them.

 

[eediot]

If that's true, it raises issues. Why are they on the apartment doors for civilian housing? They wouldn't be able to open it, they wouldn't be able to go anywhere [and obviously since people are out and about, they wouldn't be able to get back in], and I doubt that the combine are going to go around opening doors at people's whims.

At least, I'm pretty sure I've been them on civilian housing doors...

 

[UKchaos2]

IT'S JUST AN ARBITARY GAMEPLAY MECHANIC

Thank you.

More threads need that spelling out for people.