The Combine neutered headcrabs? (spoilery?)

[aoanla]

Now that someone has mentioned that Opposing Forces is considered to be part of the back story, we can have evidence that the headcrabs we see in HL2 have been genetically modified.

In Opposing Forces, we encounter "Gonomes" - the next step beyond the more common Zombie form of a headcrabbed victim. These, in case people didn't get around to playing the expansions, have cool sideways mouths in their chests, are faster than a Zombie, and can throw acidic gunk at you (which also may be used to incubate new headcrabs, according to some suggestions). Since the entire plot of HL takes place over less than two days, and the plot of Opposing Forces is roughly the same length, it clearly takes only days, if not hours, for a headcrab to move through the Zombie state into the Gonome state (and thence possibly to further developments, possibly even eventually forming a Gonarch).

Now, in HL2, we have to run all the way through Ravenholm, which has clearly been bombed by the Combine with their nifty headcrab delivery mortars. There is every evidence that this happened more than two days ago, especially considering the number of traps which Father Gregory seems to have managed to set up, yet we never once see a Gonome. Assuming that Valve really do consider the Opposing Force plot to be part of the backstory, there needs to be some explanation as to why this is the case.

My hypothesis is that all the headcrabs we see in HL2 are specially "neutered" versions, produced specially by the Combine for use as biological weapons. Somehow, their natural development is halted in an early stage, preventing them from ever reproducing (and hence preventing a wave of zombified humans from overwhelming Combine troops). It is also quite possible that the Fast and Poison headcrabs are special variants crafted by the Combine as well - the Fast Zombies have obviously lost a large amount of mass in their transformation, and would be unable to develop into anything like a Gonome stage, let alone anything else, and the Poison headcrabs' potent neurotoxin seems a little counterproductive, in that it makes their target much more vulnerable to accidental death (when the preferred result would, presumably, be subversion by the headcrab itself).

Considering this, spare a thought for the poor, neutered headcrabs you encounter in HL2, cruelly limited by the evil Combine, just as humanity has been...

 

[jimmyjam]

or we've just seen no gonomes yet
they take the most time to form, thus giving grigori more time to kill them
the fast zombies are a lot like gonomes... with very little of the human left and just pure monster

 

[MrWhite]

although Op4 is considered part of the backstory, Valve didn't make it and I doubt they even wanted to acknowledged them in the first place.

 

[Firefox]

Maybe the simple explaination is that there is more then one breed of headcrab, each creating their own zombie. I bet if the normal heacrab zombies had been given time to grow, they would turn into genomes.

Or another reason could be more a gentic thing based on the host.

Whatever. Easiest answer is that the story of Opposing Force is acknowledged but some things about the way Xen was approached was not.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

All the headcrabs in HL2 have possibly mutated or evolved (Kliener thinks so, at least). It's possible that the headcrabs evolved beyond their need for gonome mode.

It is possible that the combine's headcrab supply has been modified though. The entire point of headcrabbing the resistance is that it destroys their ability to use projectile attacks. If the zombie were to evolve into gonomes, it would destroy that advantage.

It's also possible that the gonome stage is a very rare occurance, and Gordon simply didn't encounter any by chance.

 

[VincentMeloy]

Those new fast ones are cooler than the gonome I think. Headcrabs dont reproduce themselves though do they? They come from big mama. I think they have one caged in the citadel growing them the head crabs. Then they put them in the rockets and lauch it. Wooo-hoo.

 

[jimmyjam]

yea I imagine they have a few gonarchs shitting out headcrabs

 

[DesertChicken]

All this talk and no mention of those big, headcrap thowing zombies?

 

[DSDchemE]

I think that gonomes are just one way a zombie can develop. My thinking is that a normal zombie starts to change to the environment. In Black Mesa, there weren't many quick threats (and food was plentiful), so headcrabs bulked up to be able to take on the bigger bullsquids and vortigaunts. However, "Gonomes" would be easy for Father Gregory to kill cause they're relatively slow and can't climb onto the roof. Thus natural selection favors the fast ones. Note that we don't know that "fast" zombies are made from "fast" headcrabs. We only know that fast headcrabs *detach*from fast zombies. I think that normal headcrabs lose bulk as they game more control of the zombies (and don't need individual mobility anymore).

 

[Bing_Oh]

Since finishing HL2, I've thought that the headcrabs have been genetically-modified by the Combine. It seems that there are three different species of headcrab now...the "natural" headcrab is thinner and faster, the "bomber" headcrab that the Combine uses as in artillary is a bit heavier, and the "poison" headcrab is that nasty black one that sounds like a rattlesnake before it leaps.

 

[AzzMan]

I wouldnt doubt that the combine somehow diasabled their ability to change into anything more than a zombie. And about there being a Gonarch in the citadel (possible spoiler):

Spoiler

In the leak, in the models section there was a gonarch sack supported by a bunch of machines, I think its safe to assume they somehow keep the sack alive so it keeps producing headcrabs, modifying them when theyre young, then unleashing them on city 17

 

[Headrattle]

I would say that the Combine has modified the Headcrabs. but I don't think that Op4 is used in any way to come up with the background. Ravenholm had enough time to develope the advanced Zombies, but obviously they didn't. Either they don't exist or the Combine modified them so that they didn't evolve like that. You see plenty of Zombies "asleep" and I would say that Ravenholm has been like that for about a month or so. Enough time for Gregory to go mad, but not enough time for him to wipe them out. If there are a thousand Zombies there, he wouldn't need much longer to kill them all provided he has enough ammo. He was able to kill quite a few when I went through Ravenholme.

The Headcrabs are an interesting bit for me. I don't understand the Mother nor am I even completely convinced she was spawning Headcrabs. They looks like smaller versions of her to me. I love the idea behind them in that they take control of the host, Change it physically, and feed off of it, or whatever it kills. But I am not sure that the Mother is the next step in their evolution, or how she would appear. If she is the Mother, then it could be like Ants or Bees and depend on how the new mother is raise or taken care of to determin if she is anther Mother or not. But that can then be said of all of the Headcrabs then. ANd that they were all evolved in a different way by the Combine.

One thing is for certain though. I hate em!

 

[jimmyjam]

yes, she was spawning headcrabs
the little transparent guys are called 'baby headcrabs' or something similar

 

[Kingreaper]

I think thoe bit throwing zombies from OpForce gained that ability because they took stronger hosts

In case you didn't notice, all those zombies that threw lumps of stuff wore army uniforms

In HL2 everyone who's strong enought to becmoe one already knows enough not to get taken by a normal headcrab, although they may be taken by poisons

Which is why you never ,meet the OpForce zombies

 

[jimmyjam]

if I'm not mistaken, the Gonomes had tattered clothing that could be attributed to any host

 

[Kingreaper]

if I'm not mistaken, the Gonomes had tattered clothing that could be attributed to any host

this is what you're talking about right? the guys who throw chunks of flesh or something at you?

If not, could I see a pic of one, cause I'm pretty sure all the chunk-chuckers used that model

 

[venomous]

this is what you're talking about right? the guys who throw chunks of flesh or something at you?

If not, could I see a pic of one, cause I'm pretty sure all the chunk-chuckers used that model

that´s not a gonome, that´s a simple zombified soldier, and there are zombified security guards, too.

 

[jimmyjam]

that's a gonome

 

[Kingreaper]

that's a gonome

Oh, I'll have to play trough OpForce again when I get a chance, cause I don't really remember those guys, I was sure the ones throwing gunk were in army uniforms

It's odd because I played OpForce right after completing HL2

 

[Brian Damage]

One of the level concepts that was released suggests that they were going to have a Gonarch, or part of one, in the Ravenholm level, IIRC. There's a reference to a "Big Momma Birthing Pod", or something. And if that stuff about the sac in the leak is true, I wouldn't put it past the Combine to modify the crabs.

But one other thing I can think of: What if the basic zombies in HL2 are the way they are because they don't get enough to eat to enable them to transform into Gonomes?

If they flooded Ravenholm with headcrabs, then I reckon there's a good chance that it was simply a case of too many of the people there being used as hosts, leaving not enough left for Zombiefood.

Hence all the Zombies that just seem to have gone dormant: They're conserving energy. I imagine that they'd starve eventually, relieving the Combine of the need to come in and kill them all.

 

[Kingreaper]

One of the level concepts that was released suggests that they were going to have a Gonarch, or part of one, in the Ravenholm level, IIRC. There's a reference to a "Big Momma Birthing Pod", or something. And if that stuff about the sac in the leak is true, I wouldn't put it past the Combine to modify the crabs.

But one other thing I can think of: What if the basic zombies in HL2 are the way they are because they don't get enough to eat to enable them to transform into Gonomes?

If they flooded Ravenholm with headcrabs, then I reckon there's a good chance that it was simply a case of too many of the people there being used as hosts, leaving not enough left for Zombiefood.

Hence all the Zombies that just seem to have gone dormant: They're conserving energy. I imagine that they'd starve eventually, relieving the Combine of the need to come in and kill them all.

That makes sense

Gonome nests would be cleared out by combine ASAP

 

[Flib>Noone]

Hmm, good idea about the not having enough food thing.

Perhaps the fast and poison headcrabs are mutations the combine developed for places they don't plan on going (such as Ravenholm) since it's easier for poison and fast zombies to reak havoc.
If they use it in places that aren't sealed off as much, they would have to deal with them themselves.

Gonomes probably come from zombies stuffing flesh into their stomachs.
Sounds like me at Thanksgiving dinner O_O

 

[Kingreaper]

Hmm, good idea about the not having enough food thing.

Perhaps the fast and poison headcrabs are mutations the combine developed for places they don't plan on going (such as Ravenholm) since it's easier for poison and fast zombies to reak havoc.
If they use it in places that aren't sealed off as much, they would have to deal with them themselves.

Gonomes probably come from zombies stuffing flesh into their stomachs.
Sounds like me at Thanksgiving dinner O_O

My personal theory on the poisons and speedies, both of which are never actually seen being dropped is: the speedies are a stage between babies and normals, they weren't sent to Black Mesa, or used in shells, because they are considered too weak

The toxics are a further stage than the gonomes, but while the gonomes are all killed, the toxics start reproducing once they find a host making it difficult to wipe them out

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Actually, speed crabs do get dropped off in a few parts. It's fairly well implied that the poison guys are too, although it's never shown.

 

[Jintor]

As i see it...

Can we get some pics of all varients of headcrabs and zombies across all games so far? That would help this theory tonnes.

Anyway, the combine is obviously using crabs as terror weapons (despite the fact that a freaking iron bar stops them in thier tracks...). So genetic modification (or neutering) isn't out of the questiong - the Combine wants MORE terrifying headcrabs. Thus, speed zombies. And Neurotoxin zombies. Those bastards.

 

[Flib>Noone]

The fast headcrabs couldn't be younger than the normal headcrabs, they are faster, harder to hit, and they make more evil zombies.

 

[NapalmAndFriends]

The fast headcrabs couldn't be younger than the normal headcrabs, they are faster, harder to hit, and they make more evil zombies.

No shit. I could not mark a single time in the original Half Life(no, not even on hard), that I had to use the double shot to take a zombie. ;(

 

[Danimal]

My theorem on the 3 headcrab:

The classic headcrab are not able to create Gonomes due to the fact that there is not many places to make nests. If there is, the combine would come in and make it unhabitable.

Fast zombies are, in my opinion. What replaces the gonome in HL2. Although they don't throw gunk they make up for it with thier speed, the fast headcrab is fast becuase of it's lightwieght and long legs. The fast zombie is basically meat on bone with claws. When they are zombified they are too slow striaght away so they either:

-Rip off most skin and muscle
-The fast headcrab would have some form of bacteria that eats flesh

Last, but definetly not least. The poison headcrab zombies. I think that they do not need to be sent by combine. If you look at it, the stomach of it is very bloated which could be due to a build up of eggs. Also, a black headcrab zombie has 4 headcrabs on it. So maybe the poison zombie lay eggs similar to the Gonarch and it's young are raised on the victim until it is ready to zombify itself.

 

[Cpl_Facehugger]

the fast headcrab is fast becuase of it's lightwieght and long legs. The fast zombie is basically meat on bone with claws. When they are zombified they are too slow striaght away so they either:

-Rip off most skin and muscle
-The fast headcrab would have some form of bacteria that eats flesh

I always thought that the fast crab had a much higher metabolism, literally eating away its host faster than a normal unfed zombie. I mean, critters with higher metabolisms need to eat more to prevent them from wearing away to skin and bones, coincidentally exactly what the fast zombie is.

Great ideas on the rest of it though.

 

[friend]

They were biologically altered yes, the fastcrab and the poison crab were engineered. No, they were not neutered, there was a gonome, it was called a zombie assassin but it was cut out. It was a nasty seethrough thing. I'd post a pic but I don't want to risk bannage.

EDIT: The Advisor was in place of the gonarch, he makes the new head crabs. The Advisor is the slug Breen talks to, it ws cut from HL2 but was in the beta.

 

[Cpl_Facehugger]

They were biologically altered yes, the fastcrab and the poison crab were engineered. No, they were not neutered, there was a gonome, it was called a zombie assassin but it was cut out. It was a nasty seethrough thing. I'd post a pic but I don't want to risk bannage.

EDIT: The Advisor was in place of the gonarch, he makes the new head crabs. The Advisor is the slug Breen talks to, it ws cut from HL2 but was in the beta.

Do you have any evidence of this? I mean, it sounds like you're confident in this information...

 

[friend]

I played the beta.

 

[Kangy]

I played the beta.

Stop calling it a beta, and start calling it an illegal leak.

 

[friend]

Wow, people are stupid, it was a beta. The fairy tales about a third of the code being leaked are lies. The "illegal leak" contained enough content to be called a beta. Shall I give you details of how much content was in the "illegal leak"?

 

[DevgruSeal]

Either way Kangy, and friend, thats beside the point. The point is, that both "names" are considered illegal by VALVe, and could be punishable by law if VALVe want to press charges.

 

[Kangy]

No thanks friend, but the definition of beta is "testing code and content given out with express permission from the developer".

Oh, look what has neither. Anyway, it doesn't really need much thought to guess that the headcrabs are genetically modified (or really fast at evolving ).

 

[friend]

Fine, I'll call it a leak.

Yes, I played the leak.

BTW, the story and concepts were cooler than the final as you all know.

 

[WacK]

mmmhh... Cake

 

[Onager]

I think Gonome is a zombie that has been exposed to chemicals. I do remember seeing chemical barrels near the Gonome. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Talfrey]

2 words

Suppression field ;D