Opposing Force is more than meets the eye

[RAMBO-PM]

I just played Opposing Force for the Nth time, and this time I find some really interesting clues of what the "RACE-X" was all about.
I think Opposing Force alone can asnwer a lot about Half-Life.

Just take a very good look at the Slug-Faced Alien that Breen talks to in HL2. Now look at the Gene-Worm and other aliens from RACE-X in Opposing Force. They are too similar.

There's a scene in Opposing Force where you find a Barney and a Scientist, the last one says "I've never seen that species before!", then appears some RACE-X grunt, kills the Barney and kidnap the Scientist. It seems to me, it was the Combine studying Humans for the first time, since they've never get in touch before the events at Black Mesa. The Gene Worm is another big mystery to me, which I don't know where to begin.

To me, the most intriguing expansion was Opposing Force, it just don't revealed almost nothing about Half-Life 1 and Xen, but it might have been made to explain events in Half-Life 2 and 3. Let's keep our eyes open about Opposing Force, it's critical for us to know more about the Combine and The G-Man (everytime I remember the end of Opposing Force, I ask myself what the G-Man meant with "You remind me of myself" when he talks to Adrian).

Damn people, let's speculate over Opposing Force again, and see how it fits to the Half-Life Universe! And also let's pay attention to Blue-Shift and Decay, and connect the pieces.

 

[André Damli]

Maybe this is why Opposing Force is availible for download, and Blueshift is not

 

[mjr02002]

hmmm...I never even finished it but after beating HL2 I think I'm gonna go HL-->Op4-->BS-->HL2 again to kind of see it as a whole again, for the first time. What is this Decay you speak of?

 

[evil^milk]

opposing force wasn't really an official expansion written by marc laidlaw (valve) or so they say... so op4's relevance to hl2 might be small ;(

 

[Calhoun]

There are no race X aliens in Half-Life 2.

 

[Dsty2001]

opposing force wasn't really an official expansion written by marc laidlaw (valve) or so they say... so op4's relevance to hl2 might be small ;(

Actually, Marc Laidlaw DID write the story for Opposing Forces AND Blueshift. BUT, IRC Valve was busy with other things and gave the task to Gearbox.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

I actually sorta think the opposite about Race-X.
I bet Nihilanth was the Xen guy working for the combine, not Race-X.

And, since Race-X was hostile towards Nihilanth's guys (or, at least, gargantuas) they might have actually been Xen's version of the resistance.

After all, the one thing that is distinctive about Race-X is that they use absolutely no technology. Their rifles are beetles, their tanks are Voltigores, and their grenades are explosive spores.
They're basically the direct opposite of the combine.

 

[RAMBO-PM]

No, there isn't. But the Slug-Alien-Thing that Breen talks to, is pretty much looking like the Gene-Worm in Opposing Force.

I really don't know if Opposing Force was written by Marc or not, but it sure was VALVE who wanted it to be created... otherwise it would be just another "fan-fiction MOD", but it isn't, just play Blue-Shift, there's a place where you as Barney Calhoun (the same Barney in HL2, just look at the ending credits) are in a sewer and you see 2 grunts talking about Adrian Sheppard, something about "Just because Adrians team didn't make it...".

 

[RAMBO-PM]

I actually sorta think the opposite about Race-X.
I bet Nihilanth was the Xen guy working for the combine, not Race-X.

And, since Race-X was hostile towards Nihilanth's guys (or, at least, gargantuas) they might have actually been Xen's version of the resistance.

After all, the one thing that is distinctive about Race-X is that they use absolutely no technology. Their rifles are beetles, their tanks are Voltigores, and their grenades are explosive spores.
They're basically the direct opposite of the combine.

I don't remember finding any RACE-X creatures during the XEN part of Opposing Force, perhaps I'm just mistaken, but the Slug-Alien-Thing in Half-Life 2 didn't look "technological" to me, and the Xen Aliens had no impressive technology.

The Combine behavior is to "combine" with other species in the way it seems fit to them, either using technology or "magic" like the ones that the Vorts used.

 

[NormalSim12]

I thoguth race X WAS part of the combine. the voltigores look very similar to the combine creatures walking at the end of the citadel. And yes, the geneworm.

I heard somewhere that reace X was the combine sending in scouts and such to figure out what earth was all about.

 

[RAMBO-PM]

What kind of "Scout Mission" would send a Gigantic Gene-Worm that apparently were used to teleport Lots of Combine army inside our own planet?

I believe the Gene-Worm was a Battle Fortress being pushed on to Earth, and the G-Man saw that as an extremely hazard to his plans, and so lured Adrian to destroy that thing. Another thing that really bothers me, is the portals used by the Xen weren't like the ones used by the RACE-X creatures... at least not like the big Portal from which the Gene Worm came.

 

[Chronos]

I heard somewhere that reace X was the combine sending in scouts and such to figure out what earth was all about.

Hmm... Makes sense, lad, actually. Because then we did not know how to call them, we name them 'X'.

Now we do, and we call them 'Combine'.

I just hope guys at Valve and Marc Laidlaw will connect all those pieces without forgetting anything. On the other hand, too many characters is bad for the story... you sorta lose track a bit...

I mean, it would be fun to meet Adrian Shepard and hear him say smth like: "Oh, Freeman, last time we met I just had seen your arse jumping through that BIG portal, good to see face for a difference" or smth like that, but again, if there are too many chars, it might get messy.

Whatever happened to Dr. Rosenberg (Blue Shift), for example?

 

[Uncle Ho]

So the plot thickens...

 

[RAMBO-PM]

Whatever happened to Dr. Rosenberg (Blue Shift), for example?

He's in the picture that were in Kleiners Lab... perhaps he died, or better yet, is at another Lambda resistance somewhere in the globe, trying to destroy the remaining Citadels along with others, maybe those scientists saved by Barney Calhoun will be with him. It's a very good way to keep the Half-Life story in line, and put Adrian for a good use.

 

[chimpmunk]

Race X were probably a militant race from a dimension DIFFERENT from Xen with probably no link whatsoever with the combine, they came to black mesa to get their babies back (spore guns are the larval form of shocktroopers) and then probably decided to try to settle a base in this "new world" and failed, the portal is now closed.
That's why they are now forgotten.

 

[The Dark Elf]

I just played Opposing Force for the Nth time, and this time I find some really interesting clues of what the "RACE-X" was all about.
I think Opposing Force alone can asnwer a lot about Half-Life.

Just take a very good look at the Slug-Faced Alien that Breen talks to in HL2. Now look at the Gene-Worm and other aliens from RACE-X in Opposing Force. They are too similar.

There's a scene in Opposing Force where you find a Barney and a Scientist, the last one says "I've never seen that species before!", then appears some RACE-X grunt, kills the Barney and kidnap the Scientist. It seems to me, it was the Combine studying Humans for the first time, since they've never get in touch before the events at Black Mesa. The Gene Worm is another big mystery to me, which I don't know where to begin.

To me, the most intriguing expansion was Opposing Force, it just don't revealed almost nothing about Half-Life 1 and Xen, but it might have been made to explain events in Half-Life 2 and 3. Let's keep our eyes open about Opposing Force, it's critical for us to know more about the Combine and The G-Man (everytime I remember the end of Opposing Force, I ask myself what the G-Man meant with "You remind me of myself" when he talks to Adrian).

Damn people, let's speculate over Opposing Force again, and see how it fits to the Half-Life Universe! And also let's pay attention to Blue-Shift and Decay, and connect the pieces.

It's definately plausable, Race-X and the Combine do share similarities, and Race-X was pretty well organised

 

[The Dark Elf]

I actually sorta think the opposite about Race-X.
I bet Nihilanth was the Xen guy working for the combine, not Race-X.

And, since Race-X was hostile towards Nihilanth's guys (or, at least, gargantuas) they might have actually been Xen's version of the resistance.

After all, the one thing that is distinctive about Race-X is that they use absolutely no technology. Their rifles are beetles, their tanks are Voltigores, and their grenades are explosive spores.
They're basically the direct opposite of the combine.

If you were sending in scouts or the first line of attack, you'd send in the lowest form, the easiest to duplicate. You'd not send in your best stuff until you knew exactly where you stood with the enemy. Too dangerous to give the enemy an advantage by knowing what your capable of when you have no idea what he can do. So you send in the basics, see what happens, then judge your next move on that.

Just like in chess heh.

 

[Revenge]

So did Valve then retract their earlier statements that HL1 was the only game considered official in terms of determining HL2 storyline? I am strongly under the impression that the events that occured especially in Opposing Force and also in Blueshift simply don't fit in well with the HL2 storyline or the overall Half-Life story.

And just look at all the things that seem quite out of place when you try to link them together...

Opposing Force:

• The Armed Forces and Black Ops units sent into Black Mesa work together in Half-Life (while I dont remember them seen together, you are captured by the Armed Forces the moment you finish defeating the first wave of female assassins. I think they capture you in the room that the assassins came in from, indicating that they saw each other and obviously didn't kill each other) and then they fight against each other in Opposing Force.
• While the G-man is seen talking to to various people in both HL1 and HL2, he is never seen actively closing, unlocking and opening certain doors in order to herd the player around, nor is he seen actively undermining the player's efforts by rearming nukes etc. The G-man is an observer and manipulator, not an active participant.
• The game creates an entirely new race that is neither Xen nor Combine. Race-X does not fit the description of your typical combine, and it was previously mentioned by Gave that Race-X would not be making an appearance in HL2. Very little hints are given as to Race-X's origins, or more importantly their command structure. We know the command structure for both Xen and Earth.

Blue Shift:

• The game claims that you are Barney Calhoun, even though you never actually fought alongside Gordon Freeman and you only caught 2 glimpse of Gordon Freeman. The first was as he went past on his train on the way to work, and the second was right after he had been captured by the Armed Forces. Neither moments would have been particularly awe-inspiring. In Half-Life 2, Barney is speaks to you and others in a manner that indicates you two fought together (ie telling others that you can get through anything and that they should have seen us, acting all chummy with us as if he spent a great deal of time Gordon and got close to him).

There are plenty more smaller inconsistencies, which really lead me to believe more and more than the expansions have nothing to do at all with HL2, and that we really should just ignore them completely for speculation purposes.

 

[Slime]

I always thought ( and I'm still thinking ) that OF has really nothing to do with the over-all story of the half-life trilogy (?) and just gives the fans some "Extra action".

Althought good theories are welcome, bad ones make me sick... "Breen is Race-X he has super cannon and also also! blalbklakasldfkgdsds!..." and something like that.

EDIT: I meant that Race-X has no part in future games, but I believe that Black Mesa was nuked.

 

[The Dark Elf]

So did Valve then retract their earlier statements that HL1 was the only game considered official in terms of determining HL2 storyline? I am strongly under the impression that the events that occured especially in Opposing Force and also in Blueshift simply don't fit in well with the HL2 storyline or the overall Half-Life story.

And just look at all the things that seem quite out of place when you try to link them together...

Opposing Force:

• The Armed Forces and Black Ops units sent into Black Mesa work together in Half-Life (while I dont remember them seen together, you are captured by the Armed Forces the moment you finish defeating the first wave of female assassins. I think they capture you in the room that the assassins came in from, indicating that they saw each other and obviously didn't kill each other) and then they fight against each other in Opposing Force.
• While the G-man is seen talking to to various people in both HL1 and HL2, he is never seen actively closing, unlocking and opening certain doors in order to herd the player around, nor is he seen actively undermining the player's efforts by rearming nukes etc. The G-man is an observer and manipulator, not an active participant.
• The game creates an entirely new race that is neither Xen nor Combine. Race-X does not fit the description of your typical combine, and it was previously mentioned by Gave that Race-X would not be making an appearance in HL2. Very little hints are given as to Race-X's origins, or more importantly their command structure. We know the command structure for both Xen and Earth.

Blue Shift:

• The game claims that you are Barney Calhoun, even though you never actually fought alongside Gordon Freeman and you only caught 2 glimpse of Gordon Freeman. The first was as he went past on his train on the way to work, and the second was right after he had been captured by the Armed Forces. Neither moments would have been particularly awe-inspiring. In Half-Life 2, Barney is speaks to you and others in a manner that indicates you two fought together (ie telling others that you can get through anything and that they should have seen us, acting all chummy with us as if he spent a great deal of time Gordon and got close to him).

There are plenty more smaller inconsistencies, which really lead me to believe more and more than the expansions have nothing to do at all with HL2, and that we really should just ignore them completely for speculation purposes.

I'd be happy to ignore Blue Shift

 

[Bing_Oh]

Opposing Force:

• The Armed Forces and Black Ops units sent into Black Mesa work together in Half-Life (while I dont remember them seen together, you are captured by the Armed Forces the moment you finish defeating the first wave of female assassins. I think they capture you in the room that the assassins came in from, indicating that they saw each other and obviously didn't kill each other) and then they fight against each other in Opposing Force.

This is pretty well explained in OpFor, actually. The Marines are, basically, cannon fodder at Black Mesa. They are sent in to eliminate the science team and for basic containment of the facility. The Black Ops are on a very specific mission...the detonation of a nuclear device to destroy Black Mesa and everything/everyone inside. ANYONE who opposes that final goal is an enemy...including the Marines who discover that they're being left with the Black Mesa survivors to be vaporized in the resulting explosion.

Blue Shift:

• The game claims that you are Barney Calhoun, even though you never actually fought alongside Gordon Freeman and you only caught 2 glimpse of Gordon Freeman. The first was as he went past on his train on the way to work, and the second was right after he had been captured by the Armed Forces. Neither moments would have been particularly awe-inspiring. In Half-Life 2, Barney is speaks to you and others in a manner that indicates you two fought together (ie telling others that you can get through anything and that they should have seen us, acting all chummy with us as if he spent a great deal of time Gordon and got close to him).

I brough this little inconsistancy up and was told that the Barney in HL2 isn't, necessarily, THE Barney Calhoun, but an amalgamation of ALL Barney's. I didn't fall for it either...

 

[Venmoch]

Blue Shift:

• The game claims that you are Barney Calhoun, even though you never actually fought alongside Gordon Freeman and you only caught 2 glimpse of Gordon Freeman. The first was as he went past on his train on the way to work, and the second was right after he had been captured by the Armed Forces. Neither moments would have been particularly awe-inspiring. In Half-Life 2, Barney is speaks to you and others in a manner that indicates you two fought together (ie telling others that you can get through anything and that they should have seen us, acting all chummy with us as if he spent a great deal of time Gordon and got close to him).

Uh its very plausable to say that Gordon knows the Barney Calhoun. After all Barney was transfered to Anomomolous Materials.

 

[AcousticToad]

The Black Mesa incident could have been avoided too, the Marines in Opposing Force where being prepped for a mission at Black Mesa in March, probably the training corse and everything, the Black Mesa incident happened in May, thats a two month gap and the G-Man was in both places watching, check out the game manuals for HL and Opposing force, they have insight into whats going on. These comments from the Opposing force booklet shows that they did know something was gonna happen:

March 7th

I finally saw the government guy today. I'm not sure he is a G-man, but he was wearing a really uptight suit and carrying a briefcase. He looked more like a lawyer or insurance agent to me. I did notice him checking me out. Several times throughout the day I spotted him just watching me during training. I wonder what he is up to...

The G-Man obviously knew to watch Adrian because of his potential in the situation.

March 15th

The rumor has been confirmed. We are being trained for a mission at the Black Mesa facility. All I know is that the place is being used by scientists who are doing some kind of new research. I can't imagine what we would be needed for. We were told today to be ready incase it happens tomorrow. I don't know what "it" is, but the whole thing is a ittle strange."

Was the G-Man the one responsible for briefing the higher ranks of the Military?

 

[big_king_frosty]

If we take in to consideration that all the games play some vital role in the HL series it would leave endless possibilities for more games, extensions etc.

So what we really need to know is did valve make the whole history and storyline for the HL series or did they make it up as they went along. If they made it up they did a very good job as each game does give clues about another, like the combines etc. But unfortunately Valve is one o them compaies that doesnt like to release alot of info about their games, probably to keep the player imagining.

 

[PvtRyan]

Don't forget Race-X was hostile to Xen aliens but the Combine controlled Xen, so why would the be hostile to Xenians? I think Race X was just out to pilage and take advantage of the situation.

BTW: don't you think Ant Lions look more like Race-X than Xen?

 

[mjr02002]

what did the original poster mean by "Decay"?

 

[Eejit]

I actually sorta think the opposite about Race-X.
I bet Nihilanth was the Xen guy working for the combine, not Race-X.

And, since Race-X was hostile towards Nihilanth's guys (or, at least, gargantuas) they might have actually been Xen's version of the resistance.

After all, the one thing that is distinctive about Race-X is that they use absolutely no technology. Their rifles are beetles, their tanks are Voltigores, and their grenades are explosive spores.
They're basically the direct opposite of the combine.

Also some of their weapons look like they'd be very effective vs biomechs such as striders - shock roaches and voltigore blasts for example.
I suspect that they could be a rival 'Empire' at war with the Combine.

 

[-=jt=-]

hl:decay is the hl1 coperative capaign on ps2.

 

[Odysseus]

If you were sending in scouts or the first line of attack, you'd send in the lowest form, the easiest to duplicate. You'd not send in your best stuff until you knew exactly where you stood with the enemy. Too dangerous to give the enemy an advantage by knowing what your capable of when you have no idea what he can do. So you send in the basics, see what happens, then judge your next move on that.

Just like in chess heh.

I don't agree. You would send the elite forces. That's how it was done in Iraq

 

[sham]

Maybe this is why Opposing Force is availible for download, and Blueshift is not

Where can you download opposing force?(ive got HL1)

 

[Ames]

I don't agree. You would send the elite forces. That's how it was done in Iraq

That was when you knew what their army was capable of. Race-X had just teleported in not knowing what these guys were capable of.

 

[Some_God]

Race-X, I read somewhere, was another race (on a totally different planted/dimension than Xen) that got lured to Earth because of the Portal Activity.

 

[Some_God]

Race-X, I read somewhere, was another race (on a totally different planted/dimension than Xen) that got lured to Earth because of the Portal Activity.

 

[Sulkdodds]

In my opinion, Race-X were probably from another part of Xen or quite possibly a parallel Xen. I don't believe they relate to HL2 in any way. I believe, in fact, that they were simply a way of getting cool new enemies into Op4.

The Combine, while seeming to use organic tehnology, also use technology technollogy. As far as I can see the giant sluggy thingy on the viewscreen doesnt look much like the gene worm. I don't think the Combine and Race X are related closely.

I doubt Nihilanth was in league with the Combine either. My theory is that after the catastrophic opening of a dimensional rift between Earth and Xen, there was widespread opening of portals between the two worlds (see the 'portal storm' article on Eli's wall). Either that or the resonance cascade weakened the walls between the worlds allowing the Combine easier access. When Nihilanth's control was destroyed this allowed the Combine to get their forces into Xen and take it over. With a link already open between Earth and Xen, they then invaded Earth.

Okay, I'm probably wrong.

 

[Cons Himself]

Nice to see you've all ignored probably THE most informative post in this thread:

The Black Mesa incident could have been avoided too, the Marines in Opposing Force where being prepped for a mission at Black Mesa in March, probably the training corse and everything, the Black Mesa incident happened in May, thats a two month gap and the G-Man was in both places watching, check out the game manuals for HL and Opposing force, they have insight into whats going on. These comments from the Opposing force booklet shows that they did know something was gonna happen:

March 7th

I finally saw the government guy today. I'm not sure he is a G-man, but he was wearing a really uptight suit and carrying a briefcase. He looked more like a lawyer or insurance agent to me. I did notice him checking me out. Several times throughout the day I spotted him just watching me during training. I wonder what he is up to...

The G-Man obviously knew to watch Adrian because of his potential in the situation.

March 15th

The rumor has been confirmed. We are being trained for a mission at the Black Mesa facility. All I know is that the place is being used by scientists who are doing some kind of new research. I can't imagine what we would be needed for. We were told today to be ready incase it happens tomorrow. I don't know what "it" is, but the whole thing is a ittle strange."

Was the G-Man the one responsible for briefing the higher ranks of the Military?

Well lets see some reaction. You know what this prooves right. That the G-Man knew about what was going to happen at BM BEFORE it even occured.

Acoustic Toad, could you please please post up a copy or scans of the the HL manual page with Gordons Letter and the Op4 manual page with Adrians Journal. Would be really cool as I have lost both of these

Also does anyone know if there was any juicy info in the BlueShift or Decay manuals?

And to answer the guy who didnt know what Decay was: Co-op (2 player) part of the PS version of HL1. Apparently it revealed some story tid-bits but I dont think anyone has really played it - if anyone here has it would be interesting to hear what they have to say about it.

Also about the whole do Combine use technology or not? Open up the Advisor.mdl file in Model viewer. Youll see quite a bit of technology supporting his fat slug like form

And its fairly obvious that Xen was controlled by Combine:

Nihilanth > Xen Controllers/Grunts > Vortigaunts (slaves)
Breen > Transhuman Combine Overwatch > Stalkers (slaves)

anyone else see a pattern? this has also been confirmed by marc laidlaw to be 'pretty much' the story...

 

[Zeeshaan]

I Liked Blueshift better then Opposing Force, i got bored of Opposing Force

 

[Cons Himself]

Race-X, I read somewhere, was another race (on a totally different planted/dimension than Xen) that got lured to Earth because of the Portal Activity.

This is what ive heard too. Dont expect to see them again - just a lowsy back story to make up an excuse to add new enemies in an expansion pack

 

[Cons Himself]

I Liked Blueshift better then Opposing Force, i got bored of Opposing Force

and we should care....because?

 

[Sulkdodds]

I thought we had all already worked out the G-Man A) knew about what was going to happen at Black Mesa and B) Actually caused it. That's old news to me. But then I'm a veteran of the old Rumours & Speculation forum.

There was no Blue Shift manual and no Decay manual. There was the PS2 HL manual but that didn't have anything interesting on it. I've onlybeen halfway through Decay: what I know from it is that:

A: The scientists were actively fighting to close the rift between Xen and Earth from underneath the anomalous materials labs.
B: Doctor Rosenburg sent the distress call and signalled the Marines in.

I'd have to play it again to know anything else.

 

[Cons Himself]

ok, sorry that you already knew about part A. but as for the g man causing it? youre a bit off the right track there.

who insists on overloading the equipment?
who sends up the purest sample yet?
who 'just wouldnt listen' to the scientists concerns?
who had the most to gain from the combine taking over earth?

guess - its the Administator. all the hints point to it being the Administrator who actually wants the resonance cascade to happen.

my conjecture behind this would be:

Once Xen had been discovered through the course of standard scientific research, The Administrator (Breen) was either contacted by, or accidently discovered, the Combine. Breen was thereafter in contact with the Combine and in league with them. Breen tried to cause the resonance cascade to open earth up to the Combine (who controlled Xen through the Nihilanth, the 'lesser leader' as the Vortis call it). Remember, Breen tralks about what the combine have shown him at the end of HL2....'huge meterological intelligences....stretched across the dimensions'. He obviously become obsessive about the chance to explore the Universe and made a deal with the Combine - cause the resonance cascade to let the combine into earth...remember, the combine had no way to teleport to earth in significant numbers without their dark energy reactor.....