Other branches of the overwatch?

[Scotsman]

Does the overwatch exist in other forms? Breen mentions something about how the transhumans (the guys you face, for anyone who doesn't know) form part of the Overwatch. Is it simply the term for the military wing of the Combine, no matter where they are, or are there other soldiers Gordan hasen't faced yet.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

If the theories are right and the combine controlled Nihilanth during HL1, the alien grunts on Xen were like the vortiguant wing of the overwatch.

 

[sfc_hoot]

The Soldiers, Prison Guards and Elites form the Overwatch. I don't think there's any other types of Overwatch. However, there are other Combine factions (e.g. Civil Protection, Synths). By "transhuman", I think Breen's just referring to Combine-tech-enhanced humans - in other words - the Overwatch. Just a synonym, IMO.

 

[Bing_Oh]

I'd say that the Overwatch is any bio-modified military force on any Combine-controlled world. It's just speculation, but it would seem that the Combine's modus opperandi is to use the indiginous population of a conquered world for that world's pacification. This would make a great deal of sense, as the indiginous population would already be adapted to the conditions on its homeworld and would be able to live off of available foodstuffs, whereas an "alien" soldier might not be able to.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

As the forces the combine left on Earth are a small 'peacekeeping' force, it makes sense to call them an 'overwatch'. They're watching. Watching over, I'd assume.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Scotsman]

But the transhumans, what we see to be the Overwatch, are the creations of humans, using combine technology. Something tells me Breen was either involved in or at least approved of the transhumans and the stalkers.

 

[Bing_Oh]

But we also see biomodification on Xen lifeforms from HL. Vorts had the metallic-green collars and bracelets, Grunts were heavily armored, and and Nilithank was clarly heavily-modified.

 

[Blakeb155]

Wouldn't it be possible that there would be other forms of Overwatch "watching" over other planets the Combine's inhabited?

 

[Angry Lawyer]

I know you'll all probably ignore this - but I can't see any evidence of Combine control on Xen. The Nihilanth might look sewn together, but that doesn't really match anything Combine - the Advisor's not got stitches on his body, he's just wearing a crudely sewn sock.

But, I don't want to pull this thread off on a tangent, like I have every other thread. Just remember not to jump to conclusions.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[ríomhaire]

Just remember not to jump to conclusions.

Conclusions eh. G-man and the Combine are fighting for control of Xen. Oh right sorry.

 

[sfc_hoot]

Wouldn't it be possible that there would be other forms of Overwatch "watching" over other planets the Combine's inhabited?

I think "Overwatch" is strictly referring to the Combine Army derived from humans. So, Soldiers, Prison Guards and Elites. The other Combine-conquered worlds would have their own Overwatch, which of course wouldn't be called "Overwatch", but something different.

I know you'll all probably ignore this - but I can't see any evidence of Combine control on Xen. The Nihilanth might look sewn together, but that doesn't really match anything Combine - the Advisor's not got stitches on his body, he's just wearing a crudely sewn sock.

Until we get some concrete evidence otherwise - I'm with you. The Combine did not control Xen at any given time. Although there is only one thing that is pulling me away from your theories, and that is the fact that the Nihilanth says: "Their slaves, we are their slaves."

 

[Enigmer]

Overwatch as a simple watch looking over each planet seems a good explanation. But then, why would he talk about the transhuman section of the overwatch if the overwatch was only transhuman. There is probably an overwatch in each conquered planet, and as previously stated thats mainly made from residents of the planet.

 

[Laivasse]

Until we get some concrete evidence otherwise - I'm with you. The Combine did not control Xen at any given time. Although there is only one thing that is pulling me away from your theories, and that is the fact that the Nihilanth says: "Their slaves, we are their slaves."

I'm with you and Lawyer on this one, and the same thing had been bothering me. BUT, I think I may have just cracked it...I think many people agree that Valve hadn't fully (or even partly?) conceived the idea for HL2 until they realised what a massive smash the first game was and had to set about writing more story. As an example, most people acknowledge that GMan could be construed as being just the "Govt Man" if you take his actions from the first game alone (although of course there is the Nihilanth line "blah blah blah he's not man....").

Now, take the fact that the Combine idea had been barely, if at all formed, in HL1, and then you have to search for a different take on whatever the Nihilanth says. In HL2 the vortigaunts say something like "there is something secret controlling us both - we shall not name it". Obviously the Combine are no longer controlling the Vortigaunts, and they've never controlled Gordon...so this has to be a shady reference to GMan.

....so could the Nihilanth's line simply be a variation of that? "We are all slaves" - who's we? Maybe not the Nihilanth and the Xenians; maybe it's the Nihilanth, the Xenians and Gordon. That would fit in with the tone of the rest of the Nihilanth lines, which are kind of conciliatory...he's actually trying to tell you stuff about what you're doing + what's going to happen ("You are all thieves...", "He's not man, he waits for you"...). And they'd be "slaves" of the same thing that is controlling Gordon and the vortigaunts in HL2...whatever it is that GMan is. Let's face it, noone still has a good explanation for *who* made the BM incident happen - the Nihilanth started it, in revenge for the "thievery", or Breen started it (but again, Breen barely existed in the first game), or GMan orchestrated it?

That Nihilanth statement could just be another reference to how all the players in the game are pawns of the GMan, being set up for purposes unfathomable...anyway, it's a solid enough theory to satisfy myself.

Edit: oh and the Overwatch are all the ex-human, modified troops that don't operate in the cities.

 

[kupocake]

I think "Overwatch" is strictly referring to the Combine Army derived from humans. So, Soldiers, Prison Guards and Elites. The other Combine-conquered worlds would have their own Overwatch, which of course wouldn't be called "Overwatch", but something different.

"breencast.br_overwatch08" "Well…I will leave the upbraiding for another time, to the extent it proves necessary. Now is the moment to redeem yourselves. If the transhuman forces are to prove themselves an indispensable augmentation to the Combine Overwatch, they will have to earn the privilege. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that the alternative, if you can call it that, is total extinction - in union with all the other unworthy branches of the species. "

The Human forces therefore must be a section of the overwatch. Whether the overwatch is another word for the Combine as a whole, the military section of it or specifically the occupation forces on Earth, I'm not sure.

 

[TriggerHappy]

There are references to something called "Skywatch" in the game as well.

 

[Pai-Mei]

That Nihilanth statement could just be another reference to how all the players in the game are pawns of the GMan, being set up for purposes unfathomable...anyway, it's a solid enough theory to satisfy myself.

I don't believe that the G-Man controls everything... because of several of his lines. First off, in HL1, he says that "The borderworld, Xen, is in our control for the time being." This means to me that he did not control it beforehand (when Nihilath did) but does now. So the Nihilath was destroyed and the G-Mans people were able to take over the Vortigaunts ("We serve the same mystery.")

The G-Man also talks about contracts and stuff... and if he controls EVERYTHING, like he's a Q, why would he possibly consider offers?

 

[sfc_hoot]

The Human forces therefore must be a section of the overwatch. Whether the overwatch is another word for the Combine as a whole, the military section of it or specifically the occupation forces on Earth, I'm not sure.

Interesting. I think the Combine have enough synonyms as is. Overwatch sounds like it could be referring to the forces on Earth. But in that case, would the Synths be classified as Overwatch - since they're also a major part of the Combine forces on Earth. Or is Overwatch more likely to mean the Combine forces on Earth - created on Earth. So not just soldiers, elites etc, but also civil protection, and vehicles like APCs and hunter choppers.

 

[Blakeb155]

the G-mans just there to make sure everythings running smoothly, using Gordon to achieve this.

 

[Laivasse]

Not sure about this Overwatch thing. At first I just thought it was referring to the Combine troopson earth, specifically those that you encounter after Ravenholm. So you'd have a distinction between Overwatch, Civil Protection, and whatever else, Nova Prospekt guards or whatever. But Breen's speech makes it seem like something much bigger than that, either referring to all the Combine troops on Earth, or the entire Combine military wing, or the entire Combine operation, including that on other planets.

I thinknow that it probably doesn't just refer to Earth forces - Breen tells the Nova Prospekt guards (who are one of the "transhuman forces" like I consider all the other combine ground troops to be) that they need to prove themselves a "worthwhile augmentation to the Combine Overwatch". Therefore the Overwatch can't just be the Earth-made forces, because if the transhuman troops are just an "augmentation"....well they couldn't be because they're practically the whole thing. So what Breen's saying is hinting at something larger, basically, "if you guys want to escape extinction [which seems to be what's planned for the rest of humanity] you need to prove yourselves worthy of a place in the Combine *as a whole*, because thisFreeman guy is making clowns of you..." From what Breen says it seems like whatever "Overwatch" refers to, it isn't limited to Earth.

 

[kupocake]

My personal opinion is that "Overwatch" isn't a synonym for "Combine" but the name for all the occupational force of the combine. The usage of the term may be limited to earth, but parallel forces on other worlds that keep the resident populations quelled and under Combine rule - for so lomg as they need to - would be termed by all humans as "Overwatch"

"would the Synths be classified as Overwatch" well, the question is what the hell do we classify the synths as anyway? By their behaviour and certain elements of their appearance, they may be intelligent creatures, but by the role they are employed in and the contrasting aspects of their appearance, they appear to simply be tools: Funky looking vehicles. I think we classify them as "Tools of the overwatch", common to all branches where their use is pratical, but not overwatch themselves.

 

[Laivasse]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Pai-Mei]

By their behaviour and certain elements of their appearance, they may be intelligent creatures, but by the role they are employed in and the contrasting aspects of their appearance, they appear to simply be tools: Funky looking vehicles.

Vehicles would imply that combine pilot them, which they do not. The synth are autonomous... as you said it, "intelligent creatures" who are enslaved to the combine.

 

[kupocake]

Vehicles would imply that combine pilot them, which they do not. The synth are autonomous... as you said it, "intelligent creatures" who are enslaved to the combine.

Yeah, I suppose I mean "vehicle equivilents" though. Tanks and Helicopters - that kind of thing is mirrored in their role, but they're obviously more complex because they are creatures on some level.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

The synths are basically just squishy robots.
So they're not much different from scanners or manhacks, except for being built out of materials with a genetic code.

With that in mind, I think the overwatch are basically the combine's word for army. Wheras scanners and CPs are more of a police/intelligence force, the transhumans work in tandem with the striders and the gunships and they pilot the helicopters, so they all must count as the overwatch. "Skywatch" referring to those parts of the overwatch that fly.

It actually makes some sense if you take into account Breen's motivations.
During the 7-hour war, when Earth was attacked by tons of striders and gunships, Breen negotiated the surrender.
I suspect the terms of that surrender were that some humans would give up and volunteer be used as part of the overwatch, in exchange for ceasing conflict.
That would explain why Breen's so eager to see them succeed, despite the fact that he has no command over them. The overwatch is his chance to let humanity "visit the stars" like he's always saying.
And if they lose, the combine won't consider humans useful anymore, and the negotiation breaks down.