Leeches

[Cheomesh]

It's been a long time since I played Half Life 1, and I cannot for the life of me recall how these buggers got to earth. I know we find them in Black Mesa, in flooded rooms and the like, but I don't recall seeing anything of the sort (or even regular water) on Xen. They're obviously not from earth, so where the hell did these guys come from? I know in HL2 they're to prevent you from swimming out too far, but in HL1 they didn't serve that function.

 

[giant384]

they are in the water after the tram car wreck. there arent as many in hl1as they are in hl2 but they are there.

 

[Planetary]

We've never see them anywhere but Highway 17 and Sandtraps, you notice? Just to keep you from swimming away...

Oh and Lost Coast, almost forgot.

 

[Cheomesh]

they are in the water after the tram car wreck. there arent as many in hl1as they are in hl2 but they are there.

But where on Xen are they?

 

[Cthrag Yaska]

Hmm i dont think they are, well i dont remember seeing any at least.

 

[FrostXian]

But where on Xen are they?

We never saw a large water source, a sea or a pool of a sort in Xen, thus we've never come across them.
And I think the portal storm also brought aliens from other planets too, no?

 

[Narvi]

Play Blue Shift. That had leeches on Xen.

 

[Cheomesh]

Play Blue Shift. That had leeches on Xen.

ORLY? Where?

 

[Ridge]

But there are leeches on the reality Earth...why is it so hard to understand that they are possibly one of the few Earth creatures still left...

 

[Naurgul]

Seriously now, the leeches are xenotheric creatures. They came to Earth via portals the Combine opened in the oceans to leech the water (pun intended). Notice how the sea everywhere is lower than it's supposed to? Anyway, there are some early interviews that cover that stuff.

 

[Planetary]

And they come in much greater numbers then Earth leeches, and of course their size.

 

[Ridge]

Of course, couldnt that be explained by the same number of leeches (if not more, due to the lack of predators) and lowered water levels just means a denser population?

 

[LandStander]

I hate to give this lame answer but we didn't explore all of Xen. Maybe they were just off to the left of that thing.

 

[giant384]

Of course, couldnt that be explained by the same number of leeches (if not more, due to the lack of predators) and lowered water levels just means a denser population?

thats believable but leeches in the "real" world dont do that kind of violent attacking motion.

 

[Cheomesh]

Of course, couldnt that be explained by the same number of leeches (if not more, due to the lack of predators) and lowered water levels just means a denser population?

Leeches don't attack you. They're parasites, not predators.

 

[Ennui]

Uh, is it canon that the leeches are the method by which the Combine are taking water?

 

[Naurgul]

No. They're just a side effect of the portals opened to do that. To sum it up: Portal in sea takes water for Combine, leeches from Xen move to Earth.

 

[Cheomesh]

I figured the portal storms brought them here.

 

[Operational]

I hate to give this lame answer but we didn't explore all of Xen. Maybe they were just off to the left of that thing.

I don't that is lame, they got into Black Mesa via portal storms, then they got to Earths oceans when the portal storms went world wide.

 

[Druckles]

It's been a long time since I played Half Life 1, and I cannot for the life of me recall how these buggers got to earth. I know we find them in Black Mesa, in flooded rooms and the like, but I don't recall seeing anything of the sort (or even regular water) on Xen. They're obviously not from earth, so where the hell did these guys come from? I know in HL2 they're to prevent you from swimming out too far, but in HL1 they didn't serve that function.

Oh and Lost Coast, almost forgot.

Was playing Lost Coast last night, and was actually thinking this very question. Hate the damnn things, although they do serve a useful purpose when you want to die (yes, I do regularly). They're the other reason why I hate water.

Personally I think they hold no relation to the vortigaunts or their homeworld, but no doubt appeared with Headcrabs and Barnacles.

For all we know, they could have already been there, in Black Mesa, because I doubt many people had a swim during their lunch break. They could've been transported during the previous experiments with Xen, and would explain their widespread nature.

But seriously, they're all over the place! And there's too many of them!!

Edit:

Uh, is it canon that the leeches are the method by which the Combine are taking water?

Like the idea, but I don't think it's possible. The combine arrived during the portal storms, and the leeches were already on earth by then.

 

[Kevin]

I've heard the leeches infest the entire Earth's oceans.
Not to mention xenian predators roaming the wild lands.(Bullys and even Gargs:O)
So i would really like to know, what Valve can come up with, to excuse the impossible living conditions on Earth.

 

[Druckles]

I've heard the leeches infest the entire Earth's oceans.
Not to mention xenian predators roaming the wild lands.(Bullys and even Gargs:O)
So i would really like to know, what Valve can come up with, to excuse the impossible living conditions on Earth.

What's wrong with Earth's living conditions. There's quite a variety of temperature all over, and I don't think there's much of a need for specific gasses. And I certainly lived there fine.

 

[Kevin]

I'm not talking about the climate( though the drop in the worlds ocean level is having a great effect on it).

I'm talking about, how will the humans adapt to the new wildlife and (if any) food sources left?

There's no more livestock left. Only creatures like the leeches infesting the entire ocean, Ichys living in lakes, bullsquids, gargs, headcrabs, occasional zombies, crows, pigeons, seagulls and something else i think...not much variety now is there?
Plus many of those aren't even edible. They cant go on eating leeches and headcrabs forever.

And i'm not sure, whether they can grow themselves anything.
I really don't know, how they will survive.

 

[Druckles]

http://www.martiancartel.com/halfpark/half_park012.html

"Turkeys"

 

[Kevin]

Turkrabs?

Headkies?

 

[Naph]

It's surprisingly how well the leeches have adapted to a COMPLETELY different world.

 

[Kevin]

I'd ask that about the other wildlife.

And besides, it's been about 20 years by now...i'm sure they would have atleast in some way adapted to Earth by now.

 

[Druckles]

I'd ask that about the other wildlife.

And besides, it's been about 20 years by now...i'm sure they would have atleast in some way adapted to Earth by now.

Likewise, mankind will adapt to their new environment

 

[akrippler]

What about the big mosnter fish?? I was kind of disapointed not seeing in one all of HL2 during HL1 they always freaked the living shit out of me, but i can see why they didint do them, the water looks too good the only reason they scared me is because i couldnt see shit in that nasty water

 

[Druckles]

What about the big mosnter fish?? I was kind of disapointed not seeing in one all of HL2 during HL1 they always freaked the living shit out of me, but i can see why they didint do them, the water looks too good the only reason they scared me is because i couldnt see shit in that nasty water

There was one, at the beginning.

I feel your pain with the freaky fish... in fact... *posts in other topic*

 

[akrippler]

There was one, at the beginning.

I feel your pain with the freaky fish... in fact... *posts in other topic*

Yeah, one at the beginning, but that just pissed me off more. Knowing that its in the game but I never got to see it or kill one, even Cubbage would say it would make a fine mantle-peice.

 

[dal1978]

The ichosaur (probably not the correct spelling, the big monster fish) was a major part of HL1. This creature is obvious alien and came through with the orignial invasion from Xen.

Therefore the must be a location on Xen with a large body of water that these originated yet.

If you use this as proof of a sea on Xen then its logical that the leeches could also come from the same location.

We only went to a small part of Xen on our visits there. Its a while since I have played HL1 but i seem to remember the being an underground cave full of water and ichosaurs below the Nialiths chamber.

 

[Kevin]

Likewise, mankind will adapt to their new environment

You really think they adapted to anything else, but the poor living conditions of the city, they were forced to live in?

I don't think so...

 

[Cheomesh]

The ichosaur (probably not the correct spelling, the big monster fish) was a major part of HL1. This creature is obvious alien and came through with the orignial invasion from Xen.

Therefore the must be a location on Xen with a large body of water that these originated yet.

If you use this as proof of a sea on Xen then its logical that the leeches could also come from the same location.

We only went to a small part of Xen on our visits there. Its a while since I have played HL1 but i seem to remember the being an underground cave full of water and ichosaurs below the Nialiths chamber.

Actually the Scientists had captured them, didn't they?

Or where there research places on Xen...

 

[Narvi]

You really think they adapted to anything else, but the poor living conditions of the city, they were forced to live in?

I don't think so...

The Resistance bases seem quite happy being completely isolated from the city.

 

[morgs]

I don't think VALVe were thinking about it when they put them in the sea, they just used them as a barrier for the player so they couldn't swim out of bounds, I don't think we are supposed to think about it either.

 

[jimmyjam]

Vortigaunt: "man when I teleported to the earth dimension all I saw were these dudes with two legs and stuff
WHERE ARE THE BARREN ICE FIELDS OF EUROPA?!@"

 

[Operational]

I don't think VALVe were thinking about it when they put them in the sea, they just used them as a barrier for the player so they couldn't swim out of bounds, I don't think we are supposed to think about it either.

I don't think that's true. Half-Life games are very detailed with a lot of thought put in, I'd be very surprised and a little disappointed if Valve just stuck them in as a barrier without thinking about it.

 

[Druckles]

Yeah, one at the beginning, but that just pissed me off more. Knowing that its in the game but I never got to see it or kill one, even Cubbage would say it would make a fine mantle-peice.

... He said the gunship would make a fine mantle piece didn't he...?

And we didn't have any water levels like we did in Half-Life. Because the original was so enclosed in a building, it was easier to create "arenas" with areas of water. A huge lake with one fish in wouldn't really have the same effect.