Combine background theory

[Stuckinabox]

Okay, this goes off pretty far but let's start on the name.

Combine.

Pretty strange name to pull out of the blue if you ask me, but there's a meaning behind it.

Combination-Combine. Get it? The combine are a combination of several races, but are ultimately controlled by the original aliens, which have a name and a story yet to be told. They are obviously dependent on enslaving other worlds to add to their combined forces. They turn each world into a factory for creating their own forces through a corrupted leader, such as Breen, and for those of you who believe the Combine was on Xen first theory, Nihilanth.
After going through the Interloper plant in Xen, it's obvious that the Combine controlled forces on Xen, in this case the Vortigaunts, were manufacturing the alien grunts for military purposes.

When Gordon Freeman destroyed Nihilanth, the Combine effectively lost their Xen branch. Similiarly, when he took down the citadel, the Combine probably lost control of Earth, seeing as Breen was no longer there to order them around. The Vortiguants are our friends, and the human combine soldiers used to be normal people, but now their combine ruler has been taken down.
I don't think we'll be fighting the usual combine troops anytime soon.

Though this is an extremely corny plot, I think the only way to stop the Combine is to go to each of their factory worlds and defeat the Combine controlled leader in each one, freeing the enslaved troops. This will back the higher Combine leaders into a corner at their homeworld, where they will be royally screwed.

The End


Commence arguments.

 

[Sui]

Firstly- of course Combine means combination. That's... pretty obvious.

Secondly - Breen wasn't the leader of anything. The combine were using him as a figurehead for the people. The alien you see on the screen at the end is a real combine.

Thirdly - The Combine theory of Xen is a well known one, and probably the most likely.

Unfortunately I doubt we'll ever discover the true meaning behind any of these questions... Valve, and Valve alone, know the answers. Ah, well.

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

Secondly - Breen wasn't the leader of anything. The combine were using him as a figurehead for the people. The alien you see on the screen at the end is a real combine.

One of our Benefactors more like. Earth is considered now part of the Combine or "Universal Union" which means we're Combine too. Hence why rebels yell "COMBINE" when Overwatch troops pop up. At least that's my theory.

 

[cquinn]

Firstly- of course Combine means combination. That's... pretty obvious.

Is it? Combine also means: to harvest (as with a grain crop) using a cutting, threshing, and cleaning machine.

And the combine seemed to be doing a pretty good job of harvesting the
planets resources (and people) for some outside purpose.

 

[ríomhaire]

Is it? Combine also means: to harvest (as with a grain crop) using a cutting, threshing, and cleaning machine.

You're thinking of a combine harvester which is short for combination harvester.

 

[Esquire]

i thought "our benefactors" WERE "the combine/UU"

 

[ríomhaire]

I'm pretty sure our benefactors are the Combine. There's no reason to think otherwise.

 

[Esquire]

I agree. Combine = benefactors = Universal Union

Hey i just noticed that the Combine's dropship has a visibly organic body part. Because we rarely get to see the dropship close up in Hl2, ive never seen it. ive always thought the combine airships looked organic but never was really sure of it.

It must have been posted before, but for those like me who are new to it, ive attached a picture.

the ships arent still organic, but at some point they must have been. I wonder what kind of world the dropship came from before it was augmented by the combine. maybe an underwater world. or maybe it just flew through space or something.

 

[DoctorWeeTodd]

I agree. Combine = benefactors = Universal Union

Hey i just noticed that the Combine's dropship has a visibly organic body part. Because we rarely get to see the dropship close up in Hl2, ive never seen it. ive always thought the combine airships looked organic but never was really sure of it.

It must have been posted before, but for those like me who are new to it, ive attached a picture.

the ships arent still organic, but at some point they must have been. I wonder what kind of world the dropship came from before it was augmented by the combine. maybe an underwater world. or maybe it just flew through space or something.

Christ you just noticed this?

I think the Combine are like the Soviet Union and "Our Benefactors" are top party members in like the ones inRussia. Outlying countries they dominated such as Ukraine and Siberia and one they tried to take over are like Afghanistan are considered part of them but only the last players in a grand pyramid scheme. The Combine too are like this, but people are used to referring to "Our Benefactors" them as just Combine like people refer to the entire U.S.S.R as Russia.

Is anyone lost?

 

[Is This Tea]

I think that "Combine" is just a derogatory word that the citizens use to refer to an entity that calls itself the “Universal Union.” "Our Benefactors" is just an Orwellian term used for propaganda purposes by Dr. Breen.

“Only the Universal Union, which small minds call the Combine, can take us there.”

 

[Asknoone]

“Only the Universal Union, which small minds call the Combine, can take us there.”

"Now I can dictate the terms of any bargain I care to make with the combine!"

Small minds Breen, small minds

 

[Esquire]

Christ you just noticed this?

I think the Combine are like the Soviet Union and "Our Benefactors" are top party members in like the ones inRussia. Outlying countries they dominated such as Ukraine and Siberia and one they tried to take over are like Afghanistan are considered part of them but only the last players in a grand pyramid scheme. The Combine too are like this, but people are used to referring to "Our Benefactors" them as just Combine like people refer to the entire U.S.S.R as Russia.

Is anyone lost?

I'm not Christ!

 

[Solidsocom]

i know that they are someone human but my theory is that they cloned themselves and infused with human dna to add to their bodies thus creating the term "they are part of several races." they are known for infinite technology they are very capable of doing this. in hl2 raising the bar the fist looks at combine really looked like the combine we saw talking with breen. all im saying is that sure they use humans as combine but they clone alot of them probably because with that technology yes it would somewhat be the smart thing to do. just saying.
_______________________

go into the security room in black mesa and watch the show on vortigaunts cooking.

"wen u mix the decapitated green thingy with mushrooms it tastes good"

 

[Asknoone]

i know that they are someone human but my theory is that they cloned themselves and infused with human dna to add to their bodies thus creating the term "they are part of several races." they are known for infinite technology they are very capable of doing this. in hl2 raising the bar the fist looks at combine really looked like the combine we saw talking with breen. all im saying is that sure they use humans as combine but they clone alot of them probably because with that technology yes it would somewhat be the smart thing to do. just saying.

Who cloned what selves? The soldiers in Hl2 aren't clones. And it has zero to do with DNA, whatever you are talking about.