HL Story = Real Life?

[ralfyboy]

i think it's rather simple. we as humans are given life, but we had no control coming into it, and we have no control to what happens after it.

isnt this the case with gordon? that's why i find his last name, "freeman", ironic.

anyway, i think this is why we have so many questions about the story. it's because we have so many questions about life! every question you ask about hl's story can be translated into questions we have about our lives.

this very easily could have been valve's goal.

i wish i could provide more explanation for my theory and what not, but it's late, i'm tired, and i have school tomorrow...

 

[ríomhaire]

What have you been smoking?

Spoiler

PS: I'll take three of it

 

[Sid Burn]

Hmm... yeah... it can be compared to real life... it can be compared to WW2 Europe!!!

 

[Baldrick]

I cant relate the gman question to anything.
And i can't relate "What was that headcrab doing there" question to anything in my life either.

 

[HyperionCC]

*Potential Spoilers*
What I think ralfyboy was referring to is that although you are the one "Free Man" , you only have the illusion of control.

The G-Man always has his eyes on you, watching you...and no matter how well you do, how you accomplish the mission you always arrive at the same conclusion..with the G-Man on the ledge, with no way to save Alyx.

What Ralfyboy was getting at I beleive was getting at is this: "We as humans are given life, but we had no control coming into it, and we have no control to what happens after it." In addition to that it dosn't matter how well you do in life, whether you work at Wal-Mart or in Manhattan..whether you live in a shanty or mansion..in the end we all die and have no control over that. So, we all truelly are Gordon Freeman..little to no control over circumstances, same end result.

 

[SilentGunz]

The government controls us just like Gman controls Gordon...

 

[LiquidStar]

In every dystopic narrative, it reflects society.

Especially in the scie-fi genre science fiction is the reflection of the society that created it. It tells you about the society that created it rather than other times.

The fact we question the themes in half-life is only a relfection that it is a sci-fi tale of our time, and all the tribulations we still have on our minds.

If this was made say iunno in the cold war era, maybe we will be seeing more of a radiation made aliens running around.

we cannot create something that does not reflect life in some way
(I challenge anyone on that)-maybe to eat my words later.
but we are after all just human.

If the story was written back in the Dark Ages, the Aliens might be replaced by Angels. Go back further We might Have the Greek Gods, controlling things in the background.

Ill stop here/

 

[Pesmerga]

Oh boy, here comes another 'meaning of life' conversations. Trust me, no matter how many of these conversations you get, you are -GOING- to end up with the conclusion that everyone dies, everything ends, and there is no end result to anything. We are not working for a greater good. We are not harming the universe by killing millions of jews or russians. There is no right and wrong. There is no point in life other to set a goal and try your best to acheive it.

I won't be responding to any critiscm I get on this, I've argued it way too much to see any other possibility. Unless there is a god and devil. Then I'm screwed.

 

[HadouKen24]

i think it's rather simple. we as humans are given life, but we had no control coming into it, and we have no control to what happens after it.

isnt this the case with gordon? that's why i find his last name, "freeman", ironic.

We may not even have any real control over our decisions. It's impossible to deny that our minds are affected by our physiology, and that's not something we can control.

And yet it's impossible to get rid of the sense that we can make free choices. American and European society are based around the idea of free choice. Look at capitalism. Our sense of morality and hence, our legal judgements, require freedom to exist. And it's hard or impossible to make a deliberate action without assuming that you really are free.

Oh boy, here comes another 'meaning of life' conversations. Trust me, no matter how many of these conversations you get, you are -GOING- to end up with the conclusion that everyone dies, everything ends, and there is no end result to anything. We are not working for a greater good. We are not harming the universe by killing millions of jews or russians. There is no right and wrong. There is no point in life other to set a goal and try your best to acheive it.

Have you been reading the writings of the Existentialist philosopher Sartre? If not, you need to at least try. He's the progenitor of your viewpoint, whether you realize it or not. Without him--and thinkers like Nietzche and Kierkegaard--ideas like that would have died quickly. If you want to really understand where that kind of idea takes you, read Sartre. Or at least read Camus' The Stranger.

There are alternate viewpoints that are just as compelling, though. And I'm not just talking about religion. If you're feeling really adventurous, read at least an overview of Spinoza's work. Plato's examined life is as compelling as it ever was, even today. And over in the East, philosophical Taoism might interest you.

This has been a post by your friendly neighborhood philosophy major.

 

[Pesmerga]

Heh. While I'm not quite as deft a philosopher as I'd like, I pretty much came to the conclusion that it's simply better not to strain yourself over it too much. Sure, knowing the meaning of life can be a good self-esteem booster, but I'm not going to let that get in the way of what I want out of life.

 

[CREMATOR666]

It's a matter of perspective, all of these philosophies and ideologies, I couldn't care too much about it or my head will xplode like melon.

 

[CREMATOR666]

It's a matter of perspective, all of these philosophies and ideologies, I couldn't care too much about it or my head will xplode like melon.

SORRY FOR DOUBLE-POSTING, my computer screen just froze when I click the reply button. :x

 

[Death_Addict]

*Potential Spoilers*
What I think ralfyboy was referring to is that although you are the one "Free Man" , you only have the illusion of control.

The G-Man always has his eyes on you, watching you...and no matter how well you do, how you accomplish the mission you always arrive at the same conclusion..with the G-Man on the ledge, with no way to save Alyx.

What Ralfyboy was getting at I beleive was getting at is this: "We as humans are given life, but we had no control coming into it, and we have no control to what happens after it." In addition to that it dosn't matter how well you do in life, whether you work at Wal-Mart or in Manhattan..whether you live in a shanty or mansion..in the end we all die and have no control over that. So, we all truelly are Gordon Freeman..little to no control over circumstances, same end result.

I gess so, but although you will come to a set conclusion its how you play the game, if you rush through it not doing cirtain details and leave enemys behind(the game will be shorter) or if you take your time and kill all the enemys and see every detail and plot in the game(The game will be longer). Its the same with life...Its how you live it not what the conclusion will be. If you rush through stuff in life your life will be shorter, if you take you time, enjoy life and learn all you can learn you will live longer. Also what ever way you do it it will effect the way you see the ending(if you rushed through it, didnt know what the plot was about you wont appriecate it, if you took your time you will). Would you prefer to die pointlessly like with no friends, family, in a nice big house where you made lots of money by only focusing on liveing and the future. Or in a small cosey house with friends and family around you focusing on whats happening now and living life to the fullest?

 

[HyperionCC]

I gess so, but although you will come to a set conclusion its how you play the game, if you rush through it not doing cirtain details and leave enemys behind(the game will be shorter) or if you take your time and kill all the enemys and see every detail and plot in the game(The game will be longer). Its the same with life...Its how you live it not what the conclusion will be. If you rush through stuff in life your life will be shorter, if you take you time, enjoy life and learn all you can learn you will live longer. Also what ever way you do it it will effect the way you see the ending(if you rushed through it, didnt know what the plot was about you wont appriecate it, if you took your time you will). Would you prefer to die pointlessly like with no friends, family, in a nice big house where you made lots of money by only focusing on liveing and the future. Or in a small cosey house with friends and family around you focusing on whats happening now and living life to the fullest?

Good Observation Death Addict. It is true what you said about rushing through/appreciating, taking your time. But whether you rush through or appreciate(take your time) in life or the game the choices you do or don't do are only trivial. Whether you only kill one combine or kill them all you still come to the same outcome/same ending. Same thing for life, but you have to look at it as having infinite possibilities but there is only one conclusion in life and that is death comes no matter what you do/did.

Whether you are a Prince or a Pauper
Whether you are rich or poor
Death will always find you
And come knocking at your door.