Combine reinforcements *SPOILERS*

[theholygod]

So, now the big portal storm thingie has been stopped, we wont be seeing anymore combine reinforcements?

I was actually a little dissapointed that it got shut off, i was expecting to see breen in alien form (he was going to have his mind placed in an advisors body, remember?)

Actually, following that line of thought, maybe the advisor at the end of ep2 was breen getting revenge?

 

[giant384]

unless there are other portals other places around the world? there are still combine around you know. also there is still a hint that they go to the Borealis because they are researching portals.

 

[Inanimate]

First of all, I think there are a lot of portals up on earth for the combine to travel through, second, even if some shut down, I wouldn't doubt at any second that they wouldn't be able to put up a new one.


I might really need to read up on the whole storyline, since I was about 13 when I played the first game and only cared about how much blood I could spray and the 1337-graphics..

anyone got a good link that explains the whole storyline so far?

 

[giant384]

ya here http://members.shaw.ca/halflifestory/timeline.htm explains up to ep1

 

[Asknoone]

That's a good link. It's mostly speculation with a few debunked ideas, but good all the same.

i was expecting to see breen in alien form (he was going to have his mind placed in an advisors body, remember?)

He was going to have a host body, but that doesn't mean it was an Advisor body.

 

[kamikazeCow]

I actually could of swore i heard breen in the craze of the lekinesis talk from the advisers at the end.

 

[Ennui]

That's probably worthy of investigation.

 

[Asknoone]

The chances of Breen sucking his old friends head out with a slimy appendage is extremely low. He had a hard enough time sending him through the portal in HL2. I can't see him having Eli for dinner.

 

[Absinthe]

Besides, Breen as a slug sucks ass.

 

[Asknoone]

Exactly. A waste of a good character. Breen's role came to a great conclusion in the HL2 climax (taking out the middle man between the Combine and humanity); it'd be pointless and a shame to bring him back a lesser character for no reason.

 

[Au-heppa]

That's a good link.

Am I unable to detect sarcasm today?

 

[Asknoone]

Heppa, you're unable to do anything. Anything of worth, at least.

 

[Black Op]

Well, perhaps Breen managed to get extracted from the Citadel by G-Man somehow for some mysterious reason. This wouldn't be the first (or even second) time G-Man had done such a thing.

First of all, I think there are a lot of portals up on earth for the combine to travel through, second, even if some shut down, I wouldn't doubt at any second that they wouldn't be able to put up a new one.

Kleiner states in EP1 that Combine portals all over the Earth were knocked out when the Citadel's Dark Energy reactor blew up. The Combine will have to find a way to develop new or revised teleportation technology suitable enough to send entire armies to Earth.

 

[Asknoone]

The Combine stationed on Earth are in a teleport blackout. The rest of the Citadels are inactive, and the Super Portal was their not-so-practical means of re-establishing contact. Right now they cannot call in the superior forces; they are depending completely on the Overwatch...the City 17 branch is all but crippled now, though. You mopped up the last remains in their attack on White Forest, I think.

 

[Tomu]

ya here http://members.shaw.ca/halflifestory/timeline.htm explains up to ep1

That page is yet to be updated and I wonder what theories this guy is going to come up with now with the release of ep2.

I don't think that Breen is alive anymore unless Valve show him in ep3 I think that chances of him returning are very low.

 

[Tyguy]

The Combine stationed on Earth are in a teleport blackout. The rest of the Citadels are inactive, and the Super Portal was their not-so-practical means of re-establishing contact. Right now they cannot call in the superior forces; they are depending completely on the Overwatch...the City 17 branch is all but crippled now, though. You mopped up the last remains in their attack on White Forest, I think.

I feel dumb for asking, but what was the point of the rocket? And why do I know nothing about the Borealis? What is it?

 

[Mutley]

I feel dumb for asking, but what was the point of the rocket? And why do I know nothing about the Borealis? What is it?

The rocket closes the Portal which would of allowed huge Combine forces to invade Earth again like in the 7-hour war but much worse.

Borealis was the ship for Aperture Science, it was seen in the video data towards the end of Ep2 taken from the Citadel in Ep1.

:bounce:

 

[Absinthe]

Am I the only who detected an in-joke when it came to the Borealis? A ship of legend and myth that nobody thought they'd see again?

The Borealis was cut from the original Half-Life 2.

 

[Asknoone]

Am I the only who detected an in-joke when it came to the Borealis? A ship of legend and myth that nobody thought they'd see again?

The Borealis was cut from the original Half-Life 2.

They were in such a rush. Which doesn't make sense, actually, because the thing went through so many different roles within the storyline itself, and was cut for gameplay reasons and not time reasons. But yes, you're not the only one. The other one was Sui. Who pointed it out to me whilst he was playing.

I feel dumb for asking, but what was the point of the rocket? And why do I know nothing about the Borealis? What is it?

To kick off the old Black Mesa satellite network and close the super portal. You know. The whole point of the game from the first 5 minutes.

 

[Tyguy]

To kick off the old Black Mesa satellite network and close the super portal. You know. The whole point of the game from the first 5 minutes.

Thats what I didnt understand. How do the satellites have the ability to stop the portal?

I knew the objective you sarcastic jerk

Borealis was the ship for Aperture Science, it was seen in the video data towards the end of Ep2 taken from the Citadel in Ep1.

I still don't understand the role of the ship though.

 

[Absinthe]

I don't think anybody fully knows what role the ship plays. All we do know is:

1.) It was under the ownership of Aperture.
2.) Aperture is all big up in this portal shizzle, so it's important.
3.) It's the freakin' Borealis. Welcome home the prodigal ship.

 

[PvtRyan]

Didn't they say the Borealis vanished completely with all its crew and a part of the dry-dock? Probably a research ship for giant portals then

 

[Asknoone]

4.) Eli's dying wish was for the ship to be destroyed.

 

[Laivasse]

Am I the only who detected an in-joke when it came to the Borealis? A ship of legend and myth that nobody thought they'd see again?

Nope, those lines gave me a big grin too

 

[leib10]

4.) Eli's dying wish was for the ship to be destroyed.

Which means that there will inevitably have to be somebody to sacrifice themselves to destroy said ship.

Cue Alyx. Unless the G-Man somehow figures out a way to protect his "investment", which he is more than capable of doing, as seen in HL2.

 

[kupocake]

Which means that there will inevitably have to be somebody to sacrifice themselves to destroy said ship.

Cue Alyx.

Lies. Alyx has lost her Dad but she still has Gordon. Mossman is conveniently in the vicinity and has lost so much more. She will always be known as the one who betrayed the resistance, and the one man who cared for her, and forgave her is dead. The biggest twist Episode Three can bring is not killing Mossman.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

There is more than one citadel. They could easily attack from another.

 

[Asknoone]

There is more than one citadel. They could easily attack from another.

The Combine stationed on Earth are in a teleport blackout. The rest of the Citadels are inactive, and the Super Portal was their not-so-practical means of re-establishing contact. Right now they cannot call in the superior forces; they are depending completely on the Overwatch...the City 17 branch is all but crippled now, though. You mopped up the last remains in their attack on White Forest, I think.

Da-da.

 

[Xendance]

So, in Episode Three we may be destroying that ship?

 

[Solver]

An interesting question is how we'd be getting to Borealis in Ep3. All the games never leave Gordon's perspective. If Gordon goes there by chopper, they'd have to essentially skip the ride - meaning the player would not see everything Gordon does, which isn't HL style. Valve wouldn't do that. So maybe something alternative - the chopper takes off, gets shot down by a Gunship, and then the G-Man saves you the trouble by putting you and Alyx on the ship.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

That page is yet to be updated and I wonder what theories this guy is going to come up with now with the release of ep2.

I don't think that Breen is alive anymore unless Valve show him in ep3 I think that chances of him returning are very low.

I didn't think that that link could be trusted?

 

[Dr_Crowbar]

An interesting question is how we'd be getting to Borealis in Ep3. All the games never leave Gordon's perspective. If Gordon goes there by chopper, they'd have to essentially skip the ride - meaning the player would not see everything Gordon does, which isn't HL style. Valve wouldn't do that. So maybe something alternative - the chopper takes off, gets shot down by a Gunship, and then the G-Man saves you the trouble by putting you and Alyx on the ship.

I think Episode 3 will start on the chopper closing on Borealis(or some other location from which we'll have to get to Borealis on foot). This way we simply won't have to sit all the way through the air ride, which is kinda boring.

 

[Solver]

I think Episode 3 will start on the chopper closing on Borealis(or some other location from which we'll have to get to Borealis on foot). This way we simply won't have to sit all the way through the air ride, which is kinda boring.

But that'd violate Half-Life's style, which Valve goes to great lengths not to do, that's my whole point. If Gordon flies to Borealis, he'll be seeing the insides of a chopper and scenery for hours. If you, the player, only get shown a couple of minutes of it, that means that what you see and what Gordon sees aren't the same two things. Valve won't do that. And of course, they're not putting a 3-hour chopper ride in the game. That's why I'm saying they'll have to come up with something else.

 

[Dr_Crowbar]

*sigh* Well, then there is always a chance that Gordon will black out again.

 

[Solver]

Yeah... he's not having any trouble doing that

 

[Tomu]

I didn't think that that link could be trusted?

I know I'm just saying that I wonder what crazy theory the guy will come up with now since ep2 is out.

I think ep3 will have to continue from ep2 since we're still not 100% sure that Eli is dead (even though it's pretty obvious) and I bet it will start with Alyx still crying over Eli while Magnusson and Kleiner come in and then after that we go onto the chopper.

 

[Gray Fox]

Maybe mossman sets up a teleporter at the ship to transport you.
Although as for as I know valve does skip time, like with alyx and the hunter, or when freeman is captured in the first hl.


I personally did not like Eli's attitude towards the borealis. The resistance is clearly out gunned and out manned. They need to take a chance otherwise they're dead anyway. And even if they weren't, it's clear that there is a race out there who are conquering worlds trough dimension and we need to be prepared.

 

[Nitre]

I reckon that you'll start off ep3 heading off in the chopper, which gets shot down by the combine, forcing you to trek through snowy terrain to reach the Borealis, much like ep2 in which you spend most of the time getting to your final objective. That would seem like something VALVe would do.