Question about the metrocops

[Edcrab]

I think the fact that every Metrocop you encounter is a fascist sadist says a lot for any recruitment methods. I still think that MC's being bog-standard humans is the most likely possibility; extensive personality screening and background checks and perhaps even brainwashing used to produce a force of them. The reasoning behind not every citizen being a Metrocop could be the aforementioned (and theoretical) screening processes coupled with the Combine's own limited quotas restricting just how many recruits they accept.

Of course, the biggest hole in that piece of conjecture is Barney- unless he was a plant (i.e., never an officially registered member) it's hard to think how he could successfully pass Combine checks and/or resist some sort of mind altering process.

Quite possible that even opressive alien empires make mistakes; so I'll still think of the lower echelon of the Civil Protection to be similar to the "Jewish Police" the Nazi's placed in Poland.

 

[Steve]

Hmm... I think the reason they wear a gasmask its bec. they cant breathe human air.

Well I think they wear gas masks because they look badass.

 

[Laivasse]

Well I think they wear gas masks because they look badass.

Agreed... :afro:

I still think that MC's being bog-standard humans is the most likely possibility; extensive personality screening and background checks and perhaps even brainwashing used to produce a force of them.

Hmm, some people say they like the idea of the MetroCops being human because it's more "chilling"...to me that idea just makes them less intimidating.

I kind of like the idea of HL2 as a "humanity screwed by the universe" scenario, but if you make half of the surviving humans into alien collaborators it kind of muddies the issue. If I take the metrocops as some kind of Combine drone it fills me with more racial indignation when I'm cleaning their tonsils with my shotgun.

Obviously there's at least something still human about all of the Combine troops, metrocop or not. Breen wouldn't bother giving out encouragement and reprimands to the Nova Prospekt guards if they were all mindless mutants. But the game doesn't make it clear exactly how much the Combine rely on messages from above, and how much they think on their own, have their own motivations etc...

 

[Jandor]

Metrocops are people, brainwashed people. Barney could pretend to be brainwashed. It's not like he's retarded .

 

[Venmoch]

Theres also Valve attempting to dodge higher age ratings by making sure you never shoot at anything with a human face.

 

[NeonSpyder]

not to mention having a dozen or so less faces to model. also makes it much easier to just bypass the whole "the enemy all have the same face!" syndrome, because.. well, you can't see their face

 

[BadAss Physisist]

combine metrocops are geneticly modified just like all of the other combine u see in the game

 

[PunisherUSA]

Ummm, am i the ONLY person who remembers that Barney was working as CP? I don't think he was genetically modified either.The CP are humans working for the combine.

As for the masks... same reason as stormtrooper helmets (well besides the fact they're clones). It dehumanizes them. Rather than killing individuals who have faces and personalities, you're killing mobs of faceless "evil people".

 

[Laivasse]

Ummm, am i the ONLY person who remembers that Barney was working as CP?

No, you're one of the countless people who thinks it means something, even though it means nothing. If the resistance have managed to get one person to infiltrate the metrocops, it doesn't say anything about the rest of the metrocops.

Indeed, if infiltrating the metrocops was as easy as just donning a uniform, then you could have dozens of resistance members in metrocops uniforms popping up and confusing the hell out of them. The Combine aren't so stupid that they'd make themselves so open to infiltration. To join the Combine is to cease to be a normal human.

Barney has simply found a way around this, probably with a lot of help from Kliener and the eggheads. Maybe he's hacked a metrocop's face off. Who cares.

combine metrocops are geneticly modified just like all of the other combine u see in the game

Agreed.

 

[Calanen]

Nah, not a plot hole - the Combine has expresslly opted out of all Equal Employment Oppurtunity initiatives.

As for gas masks, if you have a uniform which does not need to deploy them (ie already being worn) so there is no lag time between attack and deploy (in which time, a knocked out soldier can get killed from gas) this makes u ready for gas or dust or anything else at all times. Which is preferable. The problem generally is that wearing such gear is excessively hot, so your troops die of heat exhaustion at a greater rate than they would ever be at risk from gas. Presumably, the combine's suits are cooled.

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

No, you're one of the countless people who thinks it means something, even though it means nothing. If the resistance have managed to get one person to infiltrate the metrocops, it doesn't say anything about the rest of the metrocops.

Indeed, if infiltrating the metrocops was as easy as just donning a uniform, then you could have dozens of resistance members in metrocops uniforms popping up and confusing the hell out of them. The Combine aren't so stupid that they'd make themselves so open to infiltration. To join the Combine is to cease to be a normal human.

Barney has simply found a way around this, probably with a lot of help from Kliener and the eggheads. Maybe he's hacked a metrocop's face off. Who cares.



Agreed.

If the U.S military were just normal people in uniforms, then why aren't all the Iraqi insurgents dressed up as marines.

Genius. :angel:

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

I know it's a slightly old thread, but I just have to say that I think the whole idea that metrocops are meant to be just normal people in uniforms is rubbish. One person came up with it, because some citizen mentions "joining", then everyone starts to parrot it.

But actually think about it - if you could just "join" CP and all it would mean was that you got a uniform and decent meals, then there would be NO incentive not to join. Everyone would just be a metrocop, the Combine would be stronger and everyone would live happily ever after. Barney was in disguise - maybe the resistance hacked a metrocops face off...it doesn't mean that the uniforms on everyone else are skin deep.

As for the citizen talking about "joining" - you could take it to mean "volunteering your body to the Combine". And they're right, even though it'd mean having your physical make-up stuffed around, at least you probably wouldn't go hungry.

But the bottom line is, the Combine are efficient - they wouldn't behave so shoddily as just shoving a uniform on whoever stuck up their hand and shouted loudest. They exist to swallow other races. They wouldn't be able to conquer much more than a crappy seaside town if they just "trusted" them.

So, er....rant over, but let's stop treating this whole "CP=guys in uniform" thing as fact, and more like the speculation it really is.

If the minority population was sick of being pushed around and discriminated by police, then why aren't all of them joining the force? If the S.S officers were given great treatment by Hitler and idolized, why didn't all Germans become the Gestapo? If doctors get paid so much and respected why don't everyone go to Medical school? Can you imagine the size of the L.A police force or the strength of the Nazi party? How many diseases would've been cured if everyone was a doctor?

It's the values and chances that count genius. Not everyone is a money grubbing sellout. Not everyone lives to be a brain surgeon. Also economies depend on different jobs. If the police was the only occupation available to the public who grows the food and drives the buses?

Didn't you learn this in the seventh grade? I knew this before I even went to school. :afro:

 

[kirovman]

Maybe you read it on these forums?

There's been a lot of topics discussing this.

 

[battlefrank]

ok fine i think alyx is hot and i **** her in the anal
ROFLCOPTER
now quit saying im trolling, i dont know what it is.
(idiots)

 

[battlefrank]

the metro cops look like darth vader

 

[CREMATOR666]

the metro cops look like darth vader

I dont see the resemblance except for the freaky gas mask.... :hmph: (which is pretty cool, actually )

 

[Uni-Ball]

the strategy guide says that CP consists of humans that joined the "cause" so they are not modified. Second, Barney probably got accepted by CP for one good reason, his connection to Breen???? OH NOES. Yeah he was a cop before (security guard whatever) and he was probably screened and the combine said "Cop, Black Mesa Survivor, HIRED!!!!"

 

[AJ Rimmer]

the strategy guide says that CP consists of humans that joined the "cause" so they are not modified. Second, Barney probably got accepted by CP for one good reason, his connection to Breen???? OH NOES. Yeah he was a cop before (security guard whatever) and he was probably screened and the combine said "Cop, Black Mesa Survivor, HIRED!!!!"

Yeah right, that doesn't make a lick of sense, why would they hire someone from Black Mesa?

"Hmm... this guy looks kinda promising, he was in Black Mesa, helped several scientists escape the deathsquads. But it says he killed about 100 members of the US Marine corps..."
"aah, just write problems with authority and get on with the next one."
And finally: Why in holy Nihilianth in a handbasket would Barney write down that he survived Black Mesa? I'd assume anyone who openly amitted being from Black Mesa would be immdeately arrested and questioned about the resistance.

 

[Sulkdodds]

True. He probably just said, "yo Combine bitches, my name is David Smith. I know how to use guns. Can I join?"

And they said: "We must test your loyalty to the Universal Union. Put that can in the bin.

Barney shrugs and does so.

Stand on one leg!"

Barney does so.

"Hit yourself on the head with that shock stick.

Barney sighs, does so, and collapses.

The Combine recruitment guy walks over. "Idiot. Anyone dumb enough to do that is perfect copmaterial! (kicks Barney). You're hired!"

 

[battlefrank]

If the minority population was sick of being pushed around and discriminated by police, then why aren't all of them joining the force? If the S.S officers were given great treatment by Hitler and idolized, why didn't all Germans become the Gestapo? If doctors get paid so much and respected why don't everyone go to Medical school? Can you imagine the size of the L.A police force or the strength of the Nazi party? How many diseases would've been cured if everyone was a doctor?

It's the values and chances that count genius. Not everyone is a money grubbing sellout. Not everyone lives to be a brain surgeon. Also economies depend on different jobs. If the police was the only occupation available to the public who grows the food and drives the buses?

Didn't you learn this in the seventh grade? I knew this before I even went to school. :afro:

(g-man and gordon talking)

gordon: im gonna rip out your eyeballs and shove them up your ass so you can watch me **** the crap out of you!

g-man:...yay!

 

[ríomhaire]

(g-man and gordon talking)

gordon: im gonna rip out your eyeballs and shove them up your ass so you can watch me **** the crap out of you!

g-man:...yay!

(alyx wakes up from stasis)


g-man: im gonna rip out your eyes and shove them up your ass so you can watch me **** the living crap out of you!
alyx: yay!

You aren't funny. Post something relevent instead of random crap.

 

[battlefrank]

ranom crap? i got a warning!!! i know its random

 

[ShadowX]

How do you not know why? Even I know why and I barely know who you are...

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=74116

 

[bliink]

You'll be banned soon if you keep that up, battlefrank

 

[Jack Thomas]

Nah, I think that he will make another account

 

[ríomhaire]

Nah, I think that he will make another account

Which will get him banned.