Stuff I noticed about the Black Mesa East dam

[kestrel7e7]

The large dam at the end of the Route Kanal chapter is meant to be a hydroelectric powerplant for Black Mesa East but I though it was a bit odd that it can only hold back a few metres of water.

The dam isn't overflowing, yet there is the sound of rushing water (comparable to a torrent) near the overflow gate switch and a mist at the bottom of the dam.

The water outlet for the hydroeletric plant is opposite Black Mesa East which is offset from the dam wall itself but there is no water intake anywhere in the dam itself and there doesn't seem enough water to satisfy, what I assume to be, power hungry Black Mesa teleportation experiments.

There are no connecting rivers to the dam section (only two drains), so how did the two large boats get there?


Can anyone make any sense of this? Is it deliberate or simply casual map design?

 

[Narvi]

Black Mesa East has its own generators, so it doesn't completely depend on the dam for power. For the rest, assume they didn't research dams properly.

 

[Jintor]

Maybe there's more than one dam?

 

[Tagaziel]

Possibly, the dam we brave in the airboat may just be an overflow gate that is supposed to protect the lower dam from getting a buffer overflow and flood error

 

[Shift]

To be honest, I doubt the damn even works now, I think Black Mesa East has its own power supplies within

 

[comoxer]

Dont you see Gman just before there? I blame him, Damn you Gman.

 

[kineaesth]

I think they weren't trying to make it super realistic, just a big drop to fall down in the airboat. But I agree, it's kinda non-sensical.

 

[stewe231]

It was still way to much fun jumping from the the top

 

[CyberPitz]

Someone is a little too anal about level design

 

[kestrel7e7]

It was the mysterious sound of rushing water that motivated me. I've played many FPS games in the past and I don't recall ever hearing the sound of rushing water without actually seeing a possible source of the sound. It just struck me as too blindingly obvious to not be deliberate. Half-life 2 is otherwise a very realistic and detailed game, look at the unnecessary detail in the rail mechansim for controlling the flood gates. There are two switches in the control shed, one for opening and closing a floodgate and the other for selecting a specific floodgate (but was broken). Why did they go to all this effort in the name of realism and then waste it all by inserting a sound that had no realistic source?

 

[Ridge]

Immersion. It may not be accurate, but it gives you a better feeling of being there...

As for the boats there...it is known that the Combine have been sucking all of Earth's natural resources, including its water. All along the chapter SandTraps you will see piers that are crazy high up off the beach, and lots of similar ruined ships taht are far up the beach...

Its declining water levels...

 

[Piers89]

are we forgetting that the vorts within black mesa east are a healthy power supply?

 

[kestrel7e7]

Then why is Black Mesa East located near, and directly connected to, a hydroelectric power plant, given there is a Combine chopper outpost only a few hundred metres away which *overlooks* it and a malignant Ravenholm nearby? The evidence suggests BME is located near the hydroeletric power plant out of necessity rather than choice.

 

[Jintor]

Ravenholm was clear before, it was only recently headbombed. I think. And it's possible that the chopper outpost is temporary.

Well, I think it's temporary.

 

[Narvi]

Then why is Black Mesa East located near, and directly connected to, a hydroelectric power plant, given there is a Combine chopper outpost only a few hundred metres away which *overlooks* it and a malignant Ravenholm nearby? The evidence suggests BME is located near the hydroeletric power plant out of necessity rather than choice.

These are the same people who were surprised that they got attacked after taking in a man being chased by the army. :cheese:

But seriously, Black Mesa East is a large, useful piece of real estate. There's plenty of space there for anything you can think of. You can have supply rooms, dormitories, laboratories, anything. It was probably the best choice for a headquarters at the time.

 

[Piers89]

Then why is Black Mesa East located near, and directly connected to, a hydroelectric power plant, given there is a Combine chopper outpost only a few hundred metres away which *overlooks* it and a malignant Ravenholm nearby? The evidence suggests BME is located near the hydroeletric power plant out of necessity rather than choice.

well perhaps, because the dam is bust, its a perfect hiding spot for the resistance, as the combine would never check a defunct dam which is right under their noses and also in such proximity of the shelled Ravenholm where there would be no resistance members surviving, just zombies.

 

[Azner]

As for the boats, i assume the sea level dropped, this place was still sea until the combine "stole" our seawater(CURSE YOU COMBINE)the boats were left there, and then the dam was built, ever heard of the theory of the lochness monster and how it got in the loch ness. anyway im most probably wrong.

 

[Narvi]

It's for the same reason the sea level has dropped, yet the climate hasn't significantly changed.

 

[Iron Kat]

The dam isn't overflowing, yet there is the sound of rushing water (comparable to a torrent) near the overflow gate switch and a mist at the bottom of the dam.

You've got a good point here. It's pretty stupid having a sound effect like the running water when there's no visable means as to were it comes from!

 

[Rapstah]

You've got a good point here. It's pretty stupid having a sound effect like the running water when there's no visable means as to were it comes from!

It's a combine dam with invisible water. I thought everyone knew by now.

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

kestrel, you are very observant, but these details you keep spotting aren't all that important, though they are interesting..

 

[pomegranate]

Could the sound of rushing water be inside the dam - going through turbines? I know it might be a bit unlikely, but it'd be an explanation...

 

[kupocake]

The water could be running down the inside of the concrete of the dam / behind the dam and ejecting at its base. I don't think you see any intakes for that water though.

 

[pomegranate]

The water could be running down the inside of the concrete of the dam / behind the dam and ejecting at its base. I don't think you see any intakes for that water though.

I thought someone would point that out, aren't there some pools of water left in the reservoir area that water could be being drained from?



Maybe it's just a bunch of Metrocops flushing the toilet at the same time in the generator complex.... for mysterious nerfarious purposes!

 

[kupocake]

Maybe it's just a bunch of Metrocops flushing the toilet at the same time in the generator complex.... for mysterious nerfarious purposes!

The Combine Soldier they answer to kept shouting 'flush them out'. Being incapable of handling grenades, the metrocops didn't fully understand the order.

 

[CyberPitz]

The Combine Soldier they answer to kept shouting 'flush them out'. Being incapable of handling grenades, the metrocops didn't fully understand the order.

This is your brain on Metrocop!
*Crushes egg with pan*

 

[Ridge]

Well dont forget that when you land at the bottom of the dam, you are in a big thing of steam....which only occurs at the bottom of dams and waterfalls, and is caused by the water crashing onto the surface at the bottom...

 

[Jintor]

Generally, I rocket out and are very near to the ladder climbing up.

I don't look back.

 

[Shodan]

Why can't people just enjoy the game....

 

[Jintor]

This is their way of enjoying the game.

On a side note, gtfo out of my space station Shodan! *blam*

 

[Narvi]

You might as well wonder where all the agriculture is happening. Or how the SMG can fire huge grenades from a little barrel. Or how come the Combine seem to have left infrastructure that they themselves depend on rot? Why is the climate and atmosphere not significantly altered, despite the drop in sea levels? How come Combine soldiers die if an antlion shoves them?

It's just little inconsistencies, insignificant to the overall plot. The world of Half Life 2 isn't completely realistic, otherwise we'd spend six hours driving to Nova Prospekt

 

[Shodan]

This is their way of enjoying the game.

On a side note, gtfo out of my space station Shodan! *blam*

L-l-l-l-look at you Hacker. A p-pathetic creature of m-meat and bone.

 

[Narvi]

Quiet, you! You got owned by a hacker TWICE. And on the second go you had a horrible mutant army on your side. You suck.

 

[Iron Kat]

Has anyone tried parking the airboat on top of the dam and getting out? i did that twice and both times ended up falling all the way down into the water below, leaving the airboat behind! I did try to take a screenshot, but I don't think it worked.

 

[Narvi]

Has anyone tried parking the airboat on top of the dam and getting out? i did that twice and both times ended up falling all the way down into the water below, leaving the airboat behind! I did try to take a screenshot, but I don't think it worked.

Why would we do anything like that? At all? Anyway, you don't need the airboat after that bit.

 

[Asknoone]

Has anyone tried parking the airboat on top of the dam and getting out? i did that twice and both times ended up falling all the way down into the water below, leaving the airboat behind! I did try to take a screenshot, but I don't think it worked.

Good job you didn't need it after that. ^_^

 

[Iron Kat]

I know but I still wanted my airboat. I liked my airboat! Heh, imagine if the G-man came back and nicked it from the top of the dam! That would be funny!

 

[Narvi]

He doesn't need it. He has a MAGICAL HOVERCRAFT.

 

[Iron Kat]

Ok. Gordon somehow gets the airboat back (I have no idea how so don't ask!) and has a race with the Gman. Who d'you think would win?

 

[function9]

Barney.