How the hell does Xen Work?

[Que-Ever]

Xenians have the capability to do local teleportation. The Combine, as proven by Mossman's quote, can't. Therefore, the Combine aren't on Xen, and didn't break the place up.

-Angry Lawyer

When you were on xen, you used the Xen teleporters, why wouldn't the combine have been able to?

I have the oddest feeling I missed something important, though...
Anyway, it seems (to me) that the teleporters occur naturally on Xen because of the yellow crystals, and some beings (nihilanth) have found out how to use them to their advantage, maybe move and shift them around so you teleport to different places. But they can do that, and still not know how it works. They just know how to cock it up.

Again, I have no idea how a television works, but I sure as hell can beat the crap out of it.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Because they tunnelled through using a string-based teleporter straight into our dimension.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Que-Ever]

Are you referring back to mossman's quote? If that's the case, I don't think she was saying they could ONLY tunnel into our dimension, but it's possible to have interpreted it differently.

 

[special-ed]

There are a bunch of quotes from hl2 I have no idea what they're talking about.. I hope we go back to a combine controlled xen in hl3.. but the graphics will be better than killzone 2 by then.

 

[FCBob]

But then you've got Mossman's quote.

"We're closing in on a reliable local teleport technology, something the Combine still hasn't mastered. Eli thinks their portals are string-based, similar to our Calabi-Yah model. But they failed to factor in the dark energy equations. They can tunnel through from their universe, but once they're here, they're dependant on local transportation"

Now, if the Combine controlled Xen, they'd know how local teleportation works. There are clear structures used for local teleportation on Xen.

-Angry Lawyer

I believe that was checkmate.

 

[Reaktor4]

They didnt think it through, end of.

 

[Jintor]

Remember that life always adapts to its environments, and life begins from its environments.

If there is no atmosphere, no moisture, then life has to deal with it in whatever way it can. Develope extra arms, have this particular mating cycle, whatever. Where life can survive, it will turn up. Where it can't, it takes a little longer.

Dunno about the floating rocks though.

 

[drsgt]

Xen is obviously Earth from the future.

 

[A True Canadian]

Xen is obviously Earth from the future.

I like that fresh thinking. Wow. Imagine the paradoxes. The Xen aliens that invaded Black Mesa are their older relatives that invaded from a future's past and *head explodes*

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Oh my God...the Vortigaunts are really us!

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Automatic Kafka]

Personally I believe that the teleportation system seem on the side of humans in the Half Life series is not actually teleportation but is instead time travel.

Personally I believe that Xen is a post cataclysm earth after time storms have ripped the planet apart.

I expect a classic Planet of the Apes style twist ending for HL3 or 4.

 

[A True Canadian]

Personally I believe that the teleportation system seem on the side of humans in the Half Life series is not actually teleportation but is instead time travel.

Personally I believe that Xen is a post cataclysm earth after time storms have ripped the planet apart.

I expect a classic Planet of the Apes style twist ending for HL3 or 4.

I think this idea that Xen is the future Earth has almost replaced Combine intervention as my favorite "how the hell does Xen work?" theory.

When you think about it, it's actually quite probable.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

I think this idea that Xen is the future Earth has almost replaced Combine intervention as my favorite "how the hell does Xen work?" theory.

When you think about it, it's actually quite probable.

Well, it's crazy, but I do prefer it to the Combine intervention idea.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[ríomhaire]

So to local teleport they slingshot into the future and then go back in time again? And then why does the g-man call it the boarder world? That theory falls apart with any bit of logic applied to it.

 

[Rafa 5.0]

So to local teleport they slingshot into the future and then go back in time again? And then why does the g-man call it the boarder world? That theory falls apart with any bit of logic applied to it.

that and the email from..... somebody from Valve, saying that there are no species native to Xen, meaning, duh, Xen can't be Earth, we are originally from Earth

 

[Automatic Kafka]

So to local teleport they slingshot into the future and then go back in time again? And then why does the g-man call it the boarder world? That theory falls apart with any bit of logic applied to it.

Yeah because human beings are unable to lie right?

that and the email from..... somebody from Valve, saying that there are no species native to Xen, meaning, duh, Xen can't be Earth, we are originally from Earth

If the planet has broken down into pieces like we have seen then yes, there are no native species.

 

[A True Canadian]

So to local teleport they slingshot into the future and then go back in time again?

Instead of going into another dimension, you go into the future. Let's assume that the scientists at BM have just travelled to Xen for the first time. In order to do that they have caused a rip/rift in time-space at that point. That rift is what allows them to continue to travel to Xen at that point. But lets say that the time-space continuim from the rift has not affected Xen. That means that Xen time would pass realitve to Earth's (in theory). Which would explain why, when they travel to Xen on their next visits they don't appear at the same time every time (if you follow me).

And then why does the g-man call it the boarder world?

The BorderWorld is just a codename for Xen. Just like Xen could be a codename for Earth (if we're talking major coverups ).

That theory falls apart with any bit of logic applied to it.

Actually, with a little imagination to fill the unknown, this theory could be possible. That's what's fun about it.

that and the email from..... somebody from Valve, saying that there are no species native to Xen, meaning, duh, Xen can't be Earth, we are originally from Earth

But Xen doesn't house Earthlings, they house Xenian species. And if Xen is the future Earth, the Xenians wouldn't be considered natives because they travelled to Earth/Xen in the portal storms. Ya follow me?? lol.
Quite the conundrum.

 

[ríomhaire]

Ya follow me??

In fact I'm following you right now with a rusty knife

 

[Danimal]

Actually bullsquids do hop but it's not nearly high enough to make it to another platform. It was quite hilarious watching the bullsquids hop back in the day when I played hl1. Houndeyes also do a small hop. If you watch houndeyes without them knowing you're around VERY RARELY they will stand on their hind legs and look around.

You have to consider the fact the gravity isn't as heavy on Xen, maybe Bullsquids jump very high at Xen but because the gravitonal pull is stronger on Earth, thier leg muscles are not "Springy" enough to make a better jump.

 

[FCBob]

Well, you see bullsquids on xen in hl 1 and it's expansions, and their jumping isn't all that much higher. But then again, who's to say they're demonstrating their full ability?

 

[Angry Lawyer]

It's called a Borderworld, because the edges of its dimension touch our own, and presumably quite a few others.

Although the idea is interesting, the "Xen is Earth from the future" seems to hold just as much water as "G-Man is Gordon from the future". I.e. not very much water.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[A True Canadian]

In fact I'm following you right now with a rusty knife

Oh dear god!! Not the rusty knife!!

It's called a Borderworld, because the edges of its dimension touch our own, and presumably quite a few others.

-Angry Lawyer

Would it be possible then that the Combine Universe is a parallel universe to ours? Perhaps the Combine Planet it the parallel Earth, with Xen acting as a bridge between the two.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Presumably, all universes are "Borderworlds", because, if they're different dimensions, they're all touching each other at every point of their space. It's all weird maths that I don't understand.

I'd guess the border between some dimensions is a little weaker, like between our universe and Xen, and presumably a few others and Xen, owing to the title "Borderworld".

I doubt Xen bridges the Combine and Human worlds. The Combine completely bipassed Xen with their tunelling string-based teleports.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Kitfox]

According to my logic Xen is a borderworld in the sense that it exists at the point where two different dimensions touch/merge. That can be used as reasoning behind the strange phenomena/physics found on xen the reason why it looks like it couldn't possibly exist in our universe. You can hypothesys that the life which lives on this borderworld is really life from both dimensions evolved in order to be able to survive the Xenian habitat. This can also explain why Xen is rich in the crystals needed for teleportation while in our dimension and probably the combine dimension it doesn't exist.

 

[A True Canadian]

Presumably, all universes are "Borderworlds", because, if they're different dimensions, they're all touching each other at every point of their space. It's all weird maths that I don't understand.

I'd guess the border between some dimensions is a little weaker, like between our universe and Xen, and presumably a few others and Xen, owing to the title "Borderworld".

I doubt Xen bridges the Combine and Human worlds. The Combine completely bipassed Xen with their tunelling string-based teleports.

-Angry Lawyer

Ok, this is where it confuses me. If the Combine have a string-based teleport and Xen acts as a border world, wouldn't they need to be tunneling through Xen? If it's string based, then isn't that like a straight line or the shortest distance between two points?

I think the humans use something called entaglement which acts like a curve. This is why they would be able to travel to multiple destinations in a dimension. But if that's the case then wouldn't the curve-based teleports take longer because of the arc?

I think I need ríomhaire to help clear this up, cause he come up with a theory about this sort of thing a few months ago?

Oh, and good point Kitfox.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Straight lines are no longer especially short when you take into account multiple dimensions. Don't think of it being Us--Xen--Combine, in a line. Think of it being more 3d, with all three dimensions touching each other. Except with much more dimensions.

The only thing is that there's a thicker barrier between our dimension and the Combine one. Therefore, the Combine have to expend loads of energy to get here, punching through. However, using our way of teleporting, we cut through the thinner Xen fabric, and then cut back to whatever other dimension we want to reach.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[A True Canadian]

Straight lines are no longer especially short when you take into account multiple dimensions. Don't think of it being Us--Xen--Combine, in a line. Think of it being more 3d, with all three dimensions touching each other. Except with much more dimensions.

The only thing is that there's a thicker barrier between our dimension and the Combine one. Therefore, the Combine have to expend loads of energy to get here, punching through. However, using our way of teleporting, we cut through the thinner Xen fabric, and then cut back to whatever other dimension we want to reach.

-Angry Lawyer

Ah I see. It's like breaking into a house. The Combine keep trying the locked door while the humans just smash the window.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Something like that. But, for the Combine, they can't actually see the windows, and only noticed them when Mossman told them about it.
The Combine are also using a huge-ass drill on the front door, and we're having to go through the kitchen before getting into the front hallway.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Kitfox]

Something like that. But, for the Combine, they can't actually see the windows, and only noticed them when Mossman told them about it.
The Combine are also using a huge-ass drill on the front door, and we're having to go through the kitchen before getting into the front hallway.

-Angry Lawyer

See cause Combine steals technology. They can't come up with their own, thats the way their society works.

 

[A True Canadian]

Something like that. But, for the Combine, they can't actually see the windows, and only noticed them when Mossman told them about it.
The Combine are also using a huge-ass drill on the front door, and we're having to go through the kitchen before getting into the front hallway.

-Angry Lawyer

So it's a longer distance to travel, they just haven't managed to do it in the same timespan. That would explain the slow teleport.

 

[Epsi]

Oh, the Combine getting their hands on local teleportation tech would be so, so bad. Due to the limits of their portals, their tactics seem to involve making a small number of massive teleports, hence the Citadels.

If they could make hundreds, even thousands of targeted teleports using the Xen relay, their invasions would be a lot more efficient.

 

[ríomhaire]

Oh, the Combine getting their hands on local teleportation tech would be so, so bad. Due to the limits of their portals, their tactics seem to involve making a small number of massive teleports, hence the Citadels.

If they could make hundreds, even thousands of targeted teleports using the Xen relay, their invasions would be a lot more efficient.

7 hours seems efficiant enough for me.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Oh, the Combine getting their hands on local teleportation tech would be so, so bad. Due to the limits of their portals, their tactics seem to involve making a small number of massive teleports, hence the Citadels.

If they could make hundreds, even thousands of targeted teleports using the Xen relay, their invasions would be a lot more efficient.

Well, I think the invasions are pretty efficient as they are- the Combine tunelling seems really good at transporting large things in one go. It'd help indefinately with peacekeeping, though, as they'd be able to gate straight into resistance strongholds.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[special-ed]

According to scientists another dimension such as xen really exists (11th dimension or something of the sort). I'm pretty sure bordering dimensions touch ours and others in a wave pattern, like DNA. This is a VERY complex subject in science.

 

[drsgt]

Xen is obviously Earth from the future.

Although the idea is interesting, the "Xen is Earth from the future" seems to hold just as much water as "G-Man is Gordon from the future". I.e. not very much water.

-Angry Lawyer

That's actually why I mentioned it. I thought I was being funny, but folks seemed to take me seriously... I guess speaking facetiously requires more smileys.:naughty:

 

[Angry Lawyer]

According to scientists another dimension such as xen really exists (11th dimension or something of the sort). I'm pretty sure bordering dimensions touch ours and others in a wave pattern, like DNA. This is a VERY complex subject in science.

Very true, New Scientist had an article about it a while ago. Just as a bit of "light" reading for anyone interested on the multi-dimension subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brane_cosmology

-Angry Lawyer