2 things

[ríomhaire]

1: I was wondering. Why is there so much radioactive waste in the canals? Surly the Combine don't use such inefeciant nuclear power facilities. Then I realised, it's probably to drive the rebels out. Or at least kill them off slowly in the long run.

2: "7 Hour War Ends in Combine Victory"
This got me thinking. The citadels didn't just apear people turned shocked and 7 hours later were ruled by unknown aliens. The people knew them as something, the Combine were already named. This shows that the Combine were already on Earth before the war broke out. Breen didn't just somehow mysteriously contact the Combine, the Combine were probably negotiating with the humans when they said "sod it, send in the striders" while the UN pleaded with them for 7 hours.

Also, interesting map:

 

[Angry Lawyer]

1. Dumping grounds. They have no need for the canals, therefore dump their crap there. And its pretty much assumed that the Combine use up as many natural resources as possible. Its quite possible they're still running some human nuclear power plants from before the war, for surplus energy, but they're not as concerned as we are about the ramifications of waste.

2. Probably.

3. The map's on its side there. Notice the north arrow at the bottom.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Llama]

"7 Hour War Ends in Combine Victory"
This got me thinking. The citadels didn't just apear people turned shocked and 7 hours later were ruled by unknown aliens. The people knew them as something, the Combine were already named. This shows that the Combine were already on Earth before the war broke out. Breen didn't just somehow mysteriously contact the Combine, the Combine were probably negotiating with the humans when they said "sod it, send in the striders" while the UN pleaded with them for 7 hours.

If you mean the Comine were here long term, (aka War of the Worlds style) then no. It's more likely the Combine is just a name the humans use. After all, Breen also calls them the "Universal Union". It's highly likely it was just a name that was coined by the final remains of the human media and got stuck.

However, if you mean the Combine contacted certain people a short time before the seven hour war, its highly possible.

 

[IAmAI]

It's pretty much accepted that 'Combine' is a human derived term to describe their manifestation on Earth. All the Combine soldiers seen on Earth are either recruited, conscripted or modified humans, although Breen is seen speaking to a member of their race, presumably from some distant planet or alternative dimension. What they refer to themselves as or what other race refer to them as is likely to differ.

This Wikipedia artical on the Combine is very good: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_%28Half-Life_2%29

From what we see in Half-Life 2 and what we know about Aftermath at present, that the only Combine present are modified humans (Overwatch soldiers, stalkers) or biomechanical machines. What I am curious about is who or what were their soldiers when they first attacked in the Seven day war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_(Half-Life_2)

 

[Llama]

The synth, most probably.

And it was Seven hours, not days (then again, who cares? )

 

[Asknoone]

Armies of Synths and other aliens they've absorbed.

 

[ríomhaire]

If you mean the Comine were here long term, (aka War of the Worlds style) then no. It's more likely the Combine is just a name the humans use. After all, Breen also calls them the "Universal Union". It's highly likely it was just a name that was coined by the final remains of the human media and got stuck.

However, if you mean the Combine contacted certain people a short time before the seven hour war, its highly possible.

Are you saying that the Times for no Aparant reason just named them the Combine after we were suddenly defeated by them? If the Combine had no previous contact with humans it would read
"7 Hour War Ends in alien Victory"

 

[Llama]

Heh, good point that

 

[cquinn]

This is the media we're talking about, right?

If so, then they could just have likely sent some intern over to the
enemy camp to ask what the aliens want to be called. Or made up the
term so they could be the first to post a story. Or gotten the name from
Breen during his "I just saved teh world" press conference.

 

[IAmAI]

The synth, most probably.

And it was Seven hours, not days (then again, who cares? )

Yes, you are right. Whoops. That was a silly mistake by me.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

"7 hour war ends in combine victory." Page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

"Times receives new, fantastic, wonderful and perfect sponsor, page 13."

It isn't completely impossible that Breen or the combine them selves identified themselves as the combine after the cease fire right? Cause you know, newspapers do get printed the next day, right?