What is happening?

[fatrabbit]

Hey,

I've just completed Epi 1 and thought it was fantastic.

I think I have a good idea of what is going on storywise, but it's been so long since i've played Half Life and HL2, and can't remember.

So, it would be really helpful if you could list the most important things that have happened in the series. Just the basic, important points.

Thanks.

 

[blck_prod]

Look it up on the forum
...many treaths about the HL-timeline have been posted
here
Or check wkipedia. type in half life or combine...ebverything you need to know and have a good read...Enjoy

...after that you'll wanna play it again...allover

 

[$kelet0r]

not wanting to be rude or anything but if you really want to know, go play the games

 

[Asknoone]

I'm close to finishing the Episode 1 story section for the site, so you can read that soon, I guess.

 

[Venom404]

Go here for a really good summary of what happened before HL1 up until the end of HL2:

http://members.shaw.ca/halflifestory/

 

[$kelet0r]

pfft - while a good read, substantial parts of it are totally wrong and/or complete speculation

edit - lol, the very first paragraph

The Combine Empire invades and takes control of Xen, eventually turning the entire planet into a slave race. The Combine uses its usual technique to destroy the Xenians. That is, they hybridize the dominant species of the planet (In Xen's case, the Vortigaunts) with their own technology to create a "Super soldier" that is adapted to Xen's environment and uses powerful Combine technology. This soldier can effectively take over the planet. The Combine also bribe a member of the victim species to act as the "leader" of the planet to encourage other members of the species to conform to Combine demands. In Xen's case, this leader is the Nihilanth (although it is unknown if Nihilanth is a Vortigaunt or not). It is interesting to note that unlike Breen, Nihilianth is forced into complying with the Combine. Perhaps Nihilanth was the leader of Xen before the Combine invaded Xen, and the Combine had to convert him by other means.

Laidlaw confirmed for Angry Lawyer that the Combine DID NOT control Xen

 

[esplin]

Curse you members.shaw.ca/halflifestory/, why do you plague us so!!!!

 

[fatrabbit]

Thanks for some suggestions, the WIKI pages are good.

But some elements still confuse... this was probably explained in Epi 1 (this might be a spoiler so stop reading if you don't want to know)........ but what was the transmission that happened at the very end? Obviously some stuff is left to speculation, but I wasn't really sure what we were running away from (or with rather on the data stick, as we were obviously trying to avoid being blown up).

 

[jimmyjam]

to be revealed

 

[Venom404]

We don't know what was on the data stick Alyx copied, but we do know that it was an important transmission that was sent back to the Combine homeworld at the very end of HL2: Episode 1. In fact, it was so important that they had to destroy the Citadel to send out the message. It was probably an 'SOS' signal requesting help on Earth. When Gordon destroyed (or partially destroyed) the Citadel in HL2, he cut off communications between the Combine on Earth and the Combine in their homeworld. Because of this, the Combine needed to overload the Citadel's core to initiate an explosion to send out the message.

You and Alyx are trying to escape the signal because the Citadel explosion is very dangerous...probably similiar to an atomic bomb going off.

 

[fatrabbit]

We don't know what was on the data stick Alyx copied, but we do know that it was an important transmission that was sent back to the Combine homeworld at the very end of HL2: Episode 1. In fact, it was so important that they had to destroy the Citadel to send out the message. It was probably an 'SOS' signal requesting help on Earth. When Gordon destroyed (or partially destroyed) the Citadel in HL2, he cut off communications between the Combine on Earth and the Combine in their homeworld. Because of this, the Combine needed to overload the Citadel's core to initiate an explosion to send out the message.

You and Alyx are trying to escape the signal because the Citadel explosion is very dangerous...probably similiar to an atomic bomb going off.

That makes sense, thanks.