What are those big Combine things that pound on the ground....

[obno2damax]

...in the level where you have control of the ant lions...there are those huge drill-lookin things that go up and down and pound on the ground....what are they????

 

[marshmallow]

Anti-antlion machines. =] They don't like the vibrations. Of course, once you pass them they come up anyway, so it's kinda silly. There is one good place that it's used though -- it protects the rebel base where you get the RPG.

 

[justmatt]

...in the level where you have control of the ant lions...there are those huge drill-lookin things that go up and down and pound on the ground....what are they????

Don't you remember from just before that part? Just before you fight the Antlion "boss". During the level where you are supposed to stay off the sand. To get past that part, you had to turn one of those things on? Remember? Anyway, my point is that those things are put there to drive Antlions away. I'm guessing that the Antlions are hypersensitive to vibrations, which is why they come up when you step on the sand. Those are put there to deter Antlions with the heavy vibrations from the thumping, which is why you have to turn them off during the mission where you control Antlions.

Personally, they make me think of "thumpers" from the book Dune. Only those did the opposite....attracted sandworms. Anyway, hope that answers your question.

 

[Asknoone]

Personally, they make me think of "thumpers" from the book Dune. Only those did the opposite

these are called thumpers as well

But yeah, to keep away the antlions

 

[The Monkey]

Don't you remember from just before that part? Just before you fight the Antlion "boss". During the level where you are supposed to stay off the sand. To get past that part, you had to turn one of those things on? Remember?

That isn't true. I have played that part three times, and none of those times i had to turn that on. The first two times I used the plank and the other things to get over the sand, and the second time I just ran like hell.

 

[diluted]

Valve copied the thumpers from DUNE. :/

 

[thefiznut]

That isn't true. I have played that part three times, and none of those times i had to turn that on. The first two times I used the plank and the other things to get over the sand, and the second time I just ran like hell.

Haha yeah, I didn't use the thumpers.. I used materials and the gravity gun to make myself a path to stay off the sand. Took me a while, but I made it safely.

 

[Melkor]

During the level where you are supposed to stay off the sand. To get past that part, you had to turn one of those things on?

I just ran as fast as I could. :E

I didn't feel like spending an hour making a safe path.

 

[JHD536]

No they copied Thumpers from Starsiege!

No, they copied Thumper from Bambi!!!!

...

You try running as fast as you can on hard when you have like 6 of those wretched things on your hide. A thumper is only safe haven for a while, but if you want to kill them off and start fresh with another run, stay by the Thumper and stand on a piece of sheet metal or something that keeps your feet off the ground and start picking them off until they are all gone, then just make another run for it.

 

[Baldrick]

Don't you remember from just before that part? Just before you fight the Antlion "boss". During the level where you are supposed to stay off the sand. To get past that part, you had to turn one of those things on? Remember? Anyway, my point is that those things are put there to drive Antlions away. I'm guessing that the Antlions are hypersensitive to vibrations, which is why they come up when you step on the sand. Those are put there to deter Antlions with the heavy vibrations from the thumping, which is why you have to turn them off during the mission where you control Antlions.

Personally, they make me think of "thumpers" from the book Dune. Only those did the opposite....attracted sandworms. Anyway, hope that answers your question.

You could do that? :O
I just used two big things and made a path everywhere.
Dang.

 

[Wolfy Snackrib]

Valve copied the thumpers from DUNE. :/

Hehehe good old Dune, I love that movie. But the difference is that the thumpers in dune was making huge man eating sandworms eating thumpers because they thought it was some tasty animal, a good little snack. It didn't scare them away.

 

[Wolfy Snackrib]

You could do that? :O
I just used two big things and made a path everywhere.
Dang.

Hehehe me too, it was sooooo boring to jump across the sand on a few metal thingys

 

[Mouldy Punk]

During the level where you are supposed to stay off the sand. To get past that part, you had to turn one of those things on? Remember?

heh, I used doors, beds and various things to make a path but then I got bored half way and just ran for it

 

[Automatic Kafka]

Hehehe good old Dune, I love that movie. But the difference is that the thumpers in dune was making huge man eating sandworms eating thumpers because they thought it was some tasty animal, a good little snack. It didn't scare them away.

The David Lynch film is just terrible.

The books are a million times better.

 

[maxmon]

...in the level where you have control of the ant lions...there are those huge drill-lookin things that go up and down and pound on the ground....what are they????

Dude its funnny..The antlions hate viborations so thats what they are but when you dont have the antlion bait leave it on... :naughty:

 

[wassup]

The sound made by these things is one of the best i have ever heard, i could go to sleep listening to these things - how do i rip the sound? i just want to hear it again

 

[wassup]

/ignore