On the Buggy...

[sfc_hoot]

Well, I've taken an interest in the buggy recently. Although some things have been bothering me - hope you can help me out...

1. It has a gearstick (4 gears), therefore it's a manual - yet it only has two pedals (acceleration and brakes, my logic tells me). It's missing a clutch. Is this a mistake by Valve, or is it supposed to be this way?

2. How does the turbo work? Isn't it more of a NOS?

3. What's the stick near the steering wheel do? The buggy doesn't have blinkers or winsdcreen wipers, so what's it for?

4. What's the big cannister near the seat do?

5. What are the buttons under the steering wheel for? Ignition or gauss gun control?

6. What do you think about it's engine? It appears to be the box behind the seat. It doesn't look much like an engine, if you ask me. What kind of specifications do you think it would have (as in, maximum speed, kilowatts, torque etc).

7. It has two devices attached near the rear. Any ideas on these? Are they some kind of communication devices?

Pics:
http://img224.exs.cx/img224/7447/bug18eg.jpg
http://img224.exs.cx/img224/3527/bug33ee.jpg
http://img224.exs.cx/img224/2541/bug28vf.jpg
http://img224.exs.cx/img224/4156/bug47rr.jpg

 

[Blakeb155]

1. Yeah manuals need a clutch - at least cars do. Unless this buggy is special or something.

2. When you turbo, it really just sounds like he accelerates and revs really high. It is more like NOS.

3. In some cars (4WD) I think that can be the handbrake.

4. Looks like compressed air or something. Possibly NOS, not sure.

5. No idea.

6. It seems to be an electric engine as that box doesn't look like it could contain cylinders... As for max speed, I don't know.

7. I'd say communication device is the only thing they could be. Unless its a radio or built in MP3 player. :afro:

 

[Quek]

6. That box is an ammo crate.

 

[Blakeb155]

6. That box is an ammo crate.

I don't think he was referring to that box. It's a large orange one with a fan.

 

[J_Tweedy]

does it occur to you that all these things cant always be explained/ and have to be totally realistic?

I mean, you're a mit scientist turned one man army fighting a hybrid combonation of humans and aliens- doesn't that put you off too?

 

[Blakeb155]

does it occur to you that all these things cant always be explained/ and have to be totally realistic?

I mean, you're a mit scientist turned one man army fighting a hybrid combonation of humans and aliens- doesn't that put you off too?

The whole meaning of these forums is to discuss different aspects of Half-life 2. And that's exactly what this thread does. It kind of destroys the meaning of these forums if you just use the "it doesn't have to be real its just a game" excuse. You just try to explain as much as possible.

 

[sfc_hoot]

6. That box is an ammo crate.

I don't know what deep-future age you've just arrived from, but in the year 2005, a car engine cannot fit into something as big as an ammo crate - so, use your logic, and look behind, at the big box that has a fan on it. Maybe that's the engine I'm talking about?

does it occur to you that all these things cant always be explained/ and have to be totally realistic?

We have Albert Einstein II here, who has just worked out a very complex mathematical equation spanning 3 A4 pages, which states that Half-Life 2 is actually nothing more than a computer game. Great work, genious.

Blakeb155's right. Read the description of this forum: "Discuss the Half-Life story and mythology." Yes, we are here to discuss the storyline, and the buggy being a part of the storyline, has the right to be discussed. If you have a problem with me asking questions about the buggy, then I suggest you simply restrain from posting rediculous points like that, -or- you can choose the alternative and attempt to contribute.


Now that we got that out of the way, we can continue. If we get any more posts of that sort, than I urge the moderators to close this thread, as I certainly didn't create it so that people can say: "dude, it's just a game" to me. That's not what the forums are for.

 

[Seppo]

Heh, great post hoot, cracked me up.

Anyway, back on topic

1. There are some cars that are not fully automatic. This means that you have to manually switch between gears, but don't need clutch. I think this is the case for the buggy

4. I think that's the car battery.

5. They're probably exactly what you suggested: ignition and gauss gun control

 

[Blakeb155]

J_tweedy and WormsME are the latest people to get completely and utterly PWNED by Sfc_Hoot

 

[happymushroom]

personally i dont think they were pwned, i think he was more of a jackass..,.

No way, that post completely cracked me up.

keep em comming Sfc_Hoot!!!!!
:imu:

 

[J_Tweedy]

all i was saying is there doesn't have to be practical expanations for all these things. Questioning them or even discussing them seems a bit over the top.

Hence the explanation for why most of that stuff is on the buggy, is because Valve felt like putting them there. End of story.

 

[Reginald]

I think the engine you see is the Honda Diesel engine. "Hate Something, Change Something" Looks like it. Sounds like it.

 

[Dan]

1. Yeah manuals need a clutch - at least cars do. Unless this buggy is special or something.

You don't have to have a clutch necessarily. It's possible to drive by dropping it into neutral and matching the engine revs to the wheel revs of the gear you want. I do it sometimes on my manual just for fun. Starting without a clutch would be tricky though and involve a lot of gear mashing.

But in my opinion that looks more like the shifter on an automatic transmission. Like drive, park, reverse, neutral.

 

[mattgirv]

Yeah basically, you get semi automatic, which you can change from the way you accelerate, such as max out then lift up and tap down again.

In all honesty though does it matter?

 

[Seppo]

Yeah basically, you get semi automatic, which you can change from the way you accelerate, such as max out then lift up and tap down again.

In all honesty though does it matter?

You are right, it doesn't matter. But speculating the game is fun

 

[piggy]

this thread is wierd.

 

[JimmehH]

The gear stick has one of those diagrams you get on manual transmission gear sticks on the top. Curious

Perhaps it has one of those integrated brake/accelerators.

 

[Ultimape]

even automatic cars have gears "low, high, neutral".

 

[Mechagodzilla]

1- Maybe the car is fully automatic, and the gear-stick has actually been jerry-rigged into the joystick that controls the gauss?

2- Turbo seems more like a NOS system to me as well. Probably stored in the tank beside the seat.

3- Handbrake?

4- See 2.

5- The lack of keys would indicate a push-button ignition. As for the second button, that could be what activates the Turbo, or it could be what activates the gauss, or the non-functional headlights. Or it could just be the 'off' switch.

6- No clue about the engine, but given the future time, the combine's technology and the things Eli, Alyx and Kliener are capable of, it could be any sort of device. It is certainly gas-powered though, like the airboat.

7- The buggy was originally built for scouting and recon, so it would make sense to have a communications system. Gordon has no use for it though, since he's not on a recon mission. Plus he's mute and all. It also could be broken.

Of course, there's also the possibility that any of these things are appendages. Like if they replaced the steering column and didn't bother to remove the wiper controls. Or if the car was once manual, but then converted to automatic.

 

[FireCrack]

what about a wankel rotary engine?

 

[Apocalypse89]

1. Have you ever driven an automatic? Those have shifters too. The four gears could stand for "Drive", "Reverse", "Neutral", and "Parking".

2. I've never seen NOS being used in real life, but in movies, games, etc it usually makes a very distinct sound. The buggy's engine just sounds like it's rapidly revving or something. Maybe while in normal driving it can only use part of it's power, but in "turbo mode" it's full potential is used?

3. The most plausible explanation I can think off is that it's used to aim the tau cannon.

4. If the turbo really is NOS, then that could be a canister to store it. It could also be the tau cannon's energy source, that uses the buggy's engine as a generator. HL1's handheld tau cannon could only carry very limited energy, while HL2's buggy mounted version can fire indefinitely. Hmmm...

5. Definitely ignition. As for the other button(s), it could be anything. Turbo, Tau trigger, etc.

6. Like Mechagodzilla mentioned, it's probably the product of Black Mesa East's science team. And is it just me, or does it look like an overturned tower PC casing?

7. Most likely. Too bad you never use them though, would have been nice to have a Resistance dispatcher giving you information and warnings.

Also, anyone else noticed how the buggy can easily shove wrecked cars considerably bigger than itself out of the way?

 

[sfc_hoot]

1. Have you ever driven an automatic? Those have shifters too. The four gears could stand for "Drive", "Reverse", "Neutral", and "Parking".

I've just had a closer look at the gearstick. It's actually 1. 2. 3. 4. R. I definitely think it's a manual (without a clutch :x ).

 

[mattgirv]

Did you read up what I wrote about semi-automatics.

A lot of american cars (muscle) have the same mechanics.

Funnily enough I think the sound was taken from a muscle car, can't remember what one exactly though

 

[antij0sh]

The buggy seems to have been built from various different spare parts so It would make sence that some things included might not exactly make sence. Gear shift could possibly be a transfer case shifter.

 

[maxblack]

What about the sound.... sounds 4 stroke internal combustion to me, and by the way is it just me or does anyone else HATE it when in a movie (John and his minibke in T2) the sound effects of a vehicle do not match that vehicle ie. 2 stroke sound when the vehicle is obviously a 4 stroke??? :angry: