Why the crowbar?

[Cutey_Kaite]

Why do you guys think that Valve chose a crowbar as Gordons only melee weapon in the first Half-Life? and why do you think that this "crowbar" become so popular?

 

[WhiteBoy]

I believe he has a crowbar in HL2 because they wanted it to seem like the same game as the first. I like the crowbar instead of a dagger, or a sword, those are just boring

 

[Pressure]

If you've ever picked up a crowbar you can just tell home much damage you can do to something with it. It would back a good melee weapon.

 

[Letters]

Well... it goes with the suit quite nicely... and it's versatile so ya really don't need anything else!

Then it became a sort of 'trademark' of Half-Life, so they're keepin' to it in HL2 along with the above reasons.

 

[Jhahn2k4]

I love crowbars.. /me picks up meh trusty crowbar, whacks several people upon head..

 

[Mjolnir]

No fashion conscious man in his in-vogue HEV suit(orange is the new black) is ever seen uptown without his.....crowbar.

 

[kaf11]

i think its just valve style to do the unexpected and turn it into something cool. no one else would have expected a crowbar to be a defining weapon, but the way that it is realisticaly obtained and is actually a good melee weapon make it incredibly cool.

 

[blahblahblah]

If you've ever picked up a crowbar you can just tell home much damage you can do to something with it. It would back a good melee weapon.

Exactly. Crowbars would make awesome weapons. Though golf clubs would be my personal favorite if I could choose. If Valve had to replace the crowbar for HL2, I hope they would replace it with a golf club, a baseball bat, or a framing hammer.

It would be awesome if HL2 had a nail gun as a weapon. That would make HL2 really fun. Ahhh, now im babbling...

 

[Jhahn2k4]

Ahhh, now im babbling...

Hence, the name. lol in seriousness, It's like Gex and 3DO, its Master Chief and Xbox, Mario and Nintendo..

 

[Stigmata]

Exactly. Crowbars would make awesome weapons. Though golf clubs would be my personal favorite if I could choose. If Valve had to replace the crowbar for HL2, I hope they would replace it with a golf club, a baseball bat, or a framing hammer.

It would be awesome if HL2 had a nail gun as a weapon. That would make HL2 really fun. Ahhh, now im babbling...

Actually, the old SP mod Poke646 had a nailgun, it was sweet. Don't know where to find the mod though, maybe Fileplanet or something. It was a lot of fun too

 

[Naft]

cause if you think of all the things you can hit someone with, a crowbar is the best. it can pry things, the hooked end can grab things or tear into something's flesh.....even stab with the bottom end. all made out of 3/4 inch cast iron.

 

[Jackal hit]

IMO, crowbar became popular with HL multiplayer. heh i remember many late nights at a friend's place playing MP w/ just crowbar and racking up the kills... we all used to laugh our asses off at that. heh... just a though.

 

[SnowBall]

As far as I know it would be because it was the first game to feature a crowbar as a weapon. It stood out from all the swords and knives. It was original, and it looked cool. It really fit the theme of Half-Life.

 

[Letters]

Team Fortress 2 will hopefully have a nailgun... unless they've COMPLETELY ****ed with it by adding all the 'realism'...

 

[nw909]

I think they chose the crowbar because it seems like something you would find in an underground facility I guess. I mean, it's not like gordon would just find a baseball bat or something.

 

[Jackal hit]

that's true, but i still say it was the MP that did it. it was fun/funny as all hell to run up to people with nothing but a crowbar. lmao screw the other weapons.

 

[FictiousWill]

Here we go folks; I'm gonna go all AP Lit on yo' as ses:



The Social, Physical, Perverse, Psychological, Sexual, Bestial, Power Trip of the Half-Life Crowbar

By FictiousWill

Quite frankly, the crude brutality and multifaceted functionality of the device is appealing on many psychological and social levels.

The crowbar holds several positive connotations, expecially for young males. Primarily, it is a tool, not a weapon, per se. Societal values present males as builders and constructers, thus being able to wield a powerful tool is psychologically satisfying, providing one of the hierarchy of needs: acceptance of society.

The element of the perverse in human nature is satisfied through the crowbar's use as a weapon. The fundamental need for control or power is exhibited over one's environment through the ability to use a tool to destroy that environment, thus defying the tools intended purpose, which is merely dismantelation. The realization that the crowbar is an efficient weapon serves to boost such connotations. Defying death by killing another is perhaps the most intense power trip imaginable.

The crowbar is symbolic on a few levels. Primarily, it is a phallic symbol, being wielded by a male character. An assertion of the player's masculinity is subconsciencely made whenever the player swings the bar.

The way the weapon is implemented is familiar to that of a baseball bat, which evokes several references. The obvious reference to sport reinforces the theme of acceptance, and to some degree masculinity. The sport link fires another subconscious element of competition, releasing adrenaline in the brain, thus making swinging the crowbar exciting. The competition aspect links back to the phallic symbol, as the primary purpose of adrenaline is to spur the body into a heightened state of awareness, also known as the 'fight or flight' reaction, and survival is directly related (as a means to an end) to reproduction.

The teeth on the end of the crowbar represent prehensile fangs or talons, a bestial connotation that fuels the human brutal and unthinking lust for power or control. The crowbar's distinctive color, red, is symbolic firstly of the blood that is shed due to its use, as a symbol of warning to enemies or rivals (see reproduction, or the alpha-male need mentioned earlier), or (hold on to your hats folks) the blood of the first consumption of marriage.

The hexagonal shape of the crowbar is devoid of curves, save for the prying lever extremity. The precision of the angles evokes a sense of cold mechanical unfeeling and ruthlessness, while the curved head resembles a snake ready to strike. The snake imagery relates back to the fangs mentioned earlier, as well as linking to the phallic and bestial references.

The weathered look of the crowbar serves only to establish the crowbar's (and he who wields it) longevity and immortality, magnifying all the aforementioned pleasurable aspects of the crowbar ten-fold.

For these reasons the crowbar is a satisfying melee weapon, and this analysis provides some insight as to the reasons behind the crowbar's popularity.


:dozey: :x

 

[blahblahblah]

FictiousWill - Wow, what orfice did you pull that out of? lol

 

[chu]

a little too in depth of a post Will.

The obvious reason is that it has pointy edges, it's heavy, and its shiny.

 

[kaf11]

wow, after that, all of my posts might as well be, "my cats breath smells like cat food"

 

[Jhahn2k4]

Here we go folks; I'm gonna go all AP Lit on yo' as ses:



The Social, Physical, Perverse, Psychological, Sexual, Bestial, Power Trip of the Half-Life Crowbar

By FictiousWill

Quite frankly, the crude brutality and multifaceted functionality of the device is appealing on many psychological and social levels.

The crowbar holds several positive connotations, expecially for young males. Primarily, it is a tool, not a weapon, per se. Societal values present males as builders and constructers, thus being able to wield a powerful tool is psychologically satisfying, providing one of the hierarchy of needs: acceptance of society.

The element of the perverse in human nature is satisfied through the crowbar's use as a weapon. The fundamental need for control or power is exhibited over one's environment through the ability to use a tool to destroy that environment, thus defying the tools intended purpose, which is merely dismantelation. The realization that the crowbar is an efficient weapon serves to boost such connotations. Defying death by killing another is perhaps the most intense power trip imaginable.

The crowbar is symbolic on a few levels. Primarily, it is a phallic symbol, being wielded by a male character. An assertion of the player's masculinity is subconsciencely made whenever the player swings the bar.

The way the weapon is implemented is familiar to that of a baseball bat, which evokes several references. The obvious reference to sport reinforces the theme of acceptance, and to some degree masculinity. The sport link fires another subconscious element of competition, releasing adrenaline in the brain, thus making swinging the crowbar exciting. The competition aspect links back to the phallic symbol, as the primary purpose of adrenaline is to spur the body into a heightened state of awareness, also known as the 'fight or flight' reaction, and survival is directly related (as a means to an end) to reproduction.

The teeth on the end of the crowbar represent prehensile fangs or talons, a bestial connotation that fuels the human brutal and unthinking lust for power or control. The crowbar's distinctive color, red, is symbolic firstly of the blood that is shed due to its use, as a symbol of warning to enemies or rivals (see reproduction, or the alpha-male need mentioned earlier), or (hold on to your hats folks) the blood of the first consumption of marriage.

The hexagonal shape of the crowbar is devoid of curves, save for the prying lever extremity. The precision of the angles evokes a sense of cold mechanical unfeeling and ruthlessness, while the curved head resembles a snake ready to strike. The snake imagery relates back to the fangs mentioned earlier, as well as linking to the phallic and bestial references.

The weathered look of the crowbar serves only to establish the crowbar's (and he who wields it) longevity and immortality, magnifying all the aforementioned pleasurable aspects of the crowbar ten-fold.

For these reasons the crowbar is a satisfying melee weapon, and this analysis provides some insight as to the reasons behind the crowbar's popularity.


:dozey: :x

Or, you could just call it a crowbar.

 

[Beserker]

Crowbar is very cool but wouldn't it be cool if Gordon had a soft, pink toybunny as a melee? eh? EH?

 

[clarky003]

man that would be trippy.. i guess if its the only weapon he can find,,.. meh why not .. then again how about stickin 2 the crowbar . lol. gordon looks quite conserved with his swinging action... hell id open up. and instead of prod, id swing it like a mad man!, right at a combine soldiers goolies

 

[crabcakes66]

I have alot of experiance with crowbar mischeif...went to jail for it once....


I must say.....FictiousWill is way off.....


its all about the smashy smashy and breaky breaky.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

The crowbar goes nicely with the thousands of unopened wooden crates that litter the facility.

It's funny how you can't actually use it to pry things open though.
Gordon's apparently more concerned with being all "Heeere's Johnny!!!" and messing with the headcrab's minds.

Seriously though, it's realism. Like what's already been said: If you were to find yourself in a garage, looking for weapons to use on zombies that are attacking your humble burg, a power tool just won't do. You'd need something cordless with stopping power.

Crowbar is amoung the most obvious picks, but I'd frankly prefer a claw hammer. :O
Shovel's good too.

Also: the exact number of crowbars in all the official HL games so far, other than HL2 (of which I have no clue): 6

 

[Pressure]

Here we go folks; I'm gonna go all AP Lit on yo' as ses:



The Social, Physical, Perverse, Psychological, Sexual, Bestial, Power Trip of the Half-Life Crowbar

By FictiousWill

Quite frankly, the crude brutality and multifaceted functionality of the device is appealing on many psychological and social levels.

The crowbar holds several positive connotations, expecially for young males. Primarily, it is a tool, not a weapon, per se. Societal values present males as builders and constructers, thus being able to wield a powerful tool is psychologically satisfying, providing one of the hierarchy of needs: acceptance of society.

The element of the perverse in human nature is satisfied through the crowbar's use as a weapon. The fundamental need for control or power is exhibited over one's environment through the ability to use a tool to destroy that environment, thus defying the tools intended purpose, which is merely dismantelation. The realization that the crowbar is an efficient weapon serves to boost such connotations. Defying death by killing another is perhaps the most intense power trip imaginable.

The crowbar is symbolic on a few levels. Primarily, it is a phallic symbol, being wielded by a male character. An assertion of the player's masculinity is subconsciencely made whenever the player swings the bar.

The way the weapon is implemented is familiar to that of a baseball bat, which evokes several references. The obvious reference to sport reinforces the theme of acceptance, and to some degree masculinity. The sport link fires another subconscious element of competition, releasing adrenaline in the brain, thus making swinging the crowbar exciting. The competition aspect links back to the phallic symbol, as the primary purpose of adrenaline is to spur the body into a heightened state of awareness, also known as the 'fight or flight' reaction, and survival is directly related (as a means to an end) to reproduction.

The teeth on the end of the crowbar represent prehensile fangs or talons, a bestial connotation that fuels the human brutal and unthinking lust for power or control. The crowbar's distinctive color, red, is symbolic firstly of the blood that is shed due to its use, as a symbol of warning to enemies or rivals (see reproduction, or the alpha-male need mentioned earlier), or (hold on to your hats folks) the blood of the first consumption of marriage.

The hexagonal shape of the crowbar is devoid of curves, save for the prying lever extremity. The precision of the angles evokes a sense of cold mechanical unfeeling and ruthlessness, while the curved head resembles a snake ready to strike. The snake imagery relates back to the fangs mentioned earlier, as well as linking to the phallic and bestial references.

The weathered look of the crowbar serves only to establish the crowbar's (and he who wields it) longevity and immortality, magnifying all the aforementioned pleasurable aspects of the crowbar ten-fold.

For these reasons the crowbar is a satisfying melee weapon, and this analysis provides some insight as to the reasons behind the crowbar's popularity.


:dozey: :x

Spoken like a true Psychology 101 student

Oh no! My libido is saying, "I wanna jump his bones!"

Sorry I try to keep him under control he tends to get a little crazy.

 

[Dougy]

id still rather have a claymore.


no not a land mine claymore......


*drools*

 

[Shat_kat]

in reply to stigmata.... www.poke646.com

 

[jimbones]

the best part of that whole crowbar issue are the lame puns you can do: crow-bar! But that has already been covered ..

 

[crabcakes66]

The crowbar goes nicely with the thousands of unopened wooden crates that litter the facility.

It's funny how you can't actually use it to pry things open though.
Gordon's apparently more concerned with being all "Heeere's Johnny!!!" and messing with the headcrab's minds.

Seriously though, it's realism. Like what's already been said: If you were to find yourself in a garage, looking for weapons to use on zombies that are attacking your humble burg, a power tool just won't do. You'd need something cordless with stopping power.

Crowbar is amoung the most obvious picks, but I'd frankly prefer a claw hammer. :O
Shovel's good too.

Also: the exact number of crowbars in all the official HL games so far, other than HL2 (of which I have no clue): 6

clawhammers get stuck to easily...and sledge hammers do alot of damage...but will tire you out pretty fasy...


nothing beats a crowbar. a small shovel would be good vs a person or animal....but for just breaking stuff....you dont have the hitting power of a crowbar...and a large shovel is just to big and heavy, you waste all your energy just trying to swing it...and recovering from the backswing takes to long.


i speak from experiance...

 

[chimpmunk]

Team Fortress 2 will hopefully have a nailgun... unless they've COMPLETELY ****ed with it by adding all the 'realism'...

if they ever realease it... :frown:

 

[Thadius Dean]

i wish i had a crowbar, but i dont have any aliens around my house, so i guess im reduced to chopping trees...

 

[tenchu7]

hi im jack

 

[Someone]

I think they chose the crowbar because it seems like something you would find in an underground facility I guess. I mean, it's not like gordon would just find a baseball bat or something.

Exactly. I think it gave it a more "real" feel to the game in the sense it was more logical.

that was one of the cool things about HL1: things seemed to be placed with a reason rather than just scattered about a level. There was a purpose why the shotgun was here, or health was there.

 

[Cutey_Kaite]

hi im jack

This is so totally in subject with the topic, and wow looks theres a flying pig SWEET!

 

[OCybrManO]

Sure, the crowbar is better suited for use as a weapon... but I prefer a sledge hammer for destruction. It just has more "oomph" behind it. I wouldn't mind seeing a sledge hammer in HL2 as a powerful but slow melee weapon (possibly able to take out multiple smaller enemies or one human-sized enemy in a single swing... just make sure you don't miss). Gordon is already holding tons of crap as is... why not one more weapon?

 

[gooball]

I think the crowbar suits HL because of it's story and environment. When you find the crowbar in the Black Mesa compound, it is something that would actually be there to pry open mechanical things in a lab; a sword or hammer wouldn't make as much sense.

Plus, getting to hit with a crowbar is probably something that players hadn't done before.

 

[blahblahblah]

Have you ever used a sledgehammer? Its way to heavy and cumbersome to be used as a weapon. It would be way to hard to hit a moving target with it.

 

[tommycat]

Hmmm Here's my thoughts on it

Axe: Done before(they could have been at BM usually in fire kits)
Hammer: Look I'm playing Donkey Kong™(would have been rare)
Chainsaw: Fun, but done before(I like the chainsaw BRRRRRRRRR!!! but where would you get it?)
Swords(of various forms): Done before(could have found a reason for them to be there)
Shovel: weak(they would break)
Whip: Who am I Indiana Jones?
Lead pipe: Wasn't that done before too?

 

[FoB_Ed]

"Shovel: weak(they would break)"


Shovels are not weak weapons. There were many a soldier in WW1 who used their spades as melee weapons. Sharpen the edge and you got yourself an axe that can be used to dig trenches or cut through an opposing soldier's flesh :upstare: