HL2 - New species of headcrab

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Three different zombie skins is different from three different types of zombies, though. A type would be another subspecies of headcrab, not just a headcrab with a fat civilian host, or a Combine host, or a female host. :p

Sulkdoods, I think Valve could do flying headcrabs really well. There's a slim chance they might suck, but odds are that they'll be very, very cool. And again, it makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. I dunno if Valve is seriously taking these things into consideration, or just trying to make the scariest f'ing creatures they can, but their scary beasts make a lot of sense.
The thing needs to land on heads, or some point where it can control a creature's nervous system. It has a powerful leap, but it's easily sidestepped and bashed over the head, or shot way before it even gets within leaping distance. They frequently need to stand on high places to launch sneak attacks. Flying headcrab doesn't need any of that; he just swoops down and latches on. I bet he can turn on a dime. :laugh:

And those blobs could've been eyes, Brian. I figured they were more of something like goop that the gonome was producing. If the gonome is transforming towards a gonarch, I'd like to see some large spikes portruding from its back (which would eventually become the creature's four legs). Torso and maw would probably get bigger, as you said.

It's hard to say, because there could be maybe ten stages of evolution getting from the tiny little baby headcrabs (that the gonarch 'births'), and the actual gonarch. And we've only ever seen one, so maybe reaching the gonarch stage isn't something that all HCs can do. Could be something exclusive to certain types.

Interesting thing to note: the baby HCs have the gonarch's sac when they're born, but apparently once they get older it recedes into their bodies, being replaced by parasitic parts. (All the sharp teeth and bundles of nerves you see when you kill a headcrab and it dies on its back.)
 
Yes, it's sort have got a 'goatse hole' on it's underside. I doubt zombies actually transform into Gonarchs...I always assumed there was only one Gonarch. It could be that someone is cloning headcrabs or has cloned another Gonarch.

And what I meant about the flying ones is that they might look crap. I mean, what are they going to do? A headcrab...with wings? And also...

I accidentally saw a screenshot from the beta a logn time ago. Was I imagining it or was that a GIANT headcrab?
 
I doubt someone's cloning headcrabs, hehe. Earlier, I was discussing with some friends in IRC how, if there was only one gonarch, there are so many headcrabs (even after "her" death). We came up with a theory, but if we're right about it, it could be considered a spoiler, so:

We were looking at this picture, discussing whether or not this was another species of headcrab, or if it was just a 'failed' attack (because it didn't get the host's head, but it still got to his nervous system).

From the first time I saw this picture last year, I always thought those black spots all over the host's body were eyes. Some people thought he was bloated from poison--there was even the thought that he was some kind of suicide-bombing poison headcrab that would dash towards its target, and leap off just before detonation. But my friend Putte said, "It's clear what's happening to this man," and at the same time, I saw what he meant:

He's a carrier for other headcrabs. Those black orbs growing out of his body are probably going to explode, releasing more headcrabs. Doesn't have to be a lot, but as long as one headcrab (and I think these are a special kind of headcrab) can deposit these eggs or whatever they are in a host, they can keep reproducing.

And also:

It probably was a giant headcrab. Valve's said there will be larger, beefier headcrabs. That's not really a spoiler, hehe.
 
About the sac... I heard a theory a while ago that the sac on the babies was actually yolk, or something similar...

But I suppose we must wait until HL2 to see the truth...

As for the flying headcrab, I'd personally be imagining something with the main body and "mouth" up front, but perhaps with a steamlined rear to it, maybe with semi-insectoid wings. I reckon it'd have a big pair of legs behind, for launching, and a smaller pair at the front with sharp claws, for grasping.

How do headcrabs detect things, anyway? Sonar?
 
Ok.......here is where I think people got a little off with the Gonarch........I think......

Look at the Gonarch...............loooooook aaaattttt iiiiiittttttt................Other than haveing 4 legs and no real eyes.................it looks nothing like a head crab.

And the babies it keeps pooin' out....look like the Gonarch. Not a head crab.

So, I don't think the Gonarch has anything to do with the head crabs.

And I think the reason its file name is "BigMomma" is because it spits out those babies........not because it creates ALL of the headcrabs.

And if it did make the headcrabs.......you'd think there would be a whole hell of a lot more than 2 in the entire Gonarch's lair level.

[edit] thats a pretty good idea AzzMan......because headcrabs ALWAYs know where you are. And they go for the head, mostly. [/edit]
 
There were a lot more headcrabs than two in the Gonarch's level. In the beginning you had to blast a couple of them, and later in the second part of your battle with her, when you fall through that crevice, there are a lot of headcrabs there. And they keep spawning if you go back there, too. Plus, the baby Gonarchs have the same attack as a headcrab.

I'm still inclined to believe that the Gonarch is, in some way, related to the headcrabs. Maybe it isn't, but it seems that way to me. I was thinking of writing up a compendium of the biology of Xen creatures and making a website of it, then e-mail the link to Valve. They could say for certain whether or not it's correct. :)

As to how headcrabs detect people other creatures...well, it COULD be sonar. They screech, and also coo to one another, so they're at least capable of emiting sound. Reading brainwaves could work, too.

I dunno if they have a sense of smell. I used to think maybe they could smell other creatures. Another possibility is like in that movie Tremors 2, with the little graboids. They could detect body heat. Actually, they shrieked too when they attacked, but they were deaf; the reason they made that noise is because it gave off a lot of heat to alert other graboids of prey. Maybe the headcrabs have some kinda sensor like that. Doesn't necessarily have to be body heat...could be life functions, like brainwaves or the beating of a heart, or...sensing a nervous system. That's what they connect to, so they probably want to know if what they're attacking has one.
 
The Gonarch is related to the headcrabs... The evidence?

Well, let me get my copy of the original Gonarch concept... let's see here... ah, yes...

Original Gonarch Concept Design said:
Large pendulous egg sac contains an almost limitless amount of infant parasite creatures, "gives birth" to new offspring every few seconds.
Click to expand...

The only parasite creatures in the game are the headcrabs...
 
My only real valid point was that they really didn't look much like each other.

But hey......aliens can go through stages eh?

And your right........I forgot about the part with the health pool where the head crabs keep spawning.
 
well they do have that sac, but they also have the structure of a normal headcrab (short legs in the back, longer ones in the front)
 
The more mature crabs would already have flown the nest anyway. That's why there were mostly baby crabs. In any case, I can imagine that the Gonarch is not a very nice mother.

Incedentally:

When I say giant, I mean GIANT. Like the size of a van. Jesus christ, if it's true it's going to be scary.
 
I'd hope that Gonarch is where headcrabs come from: the alternative is likely icky. :P
 
my take on the whole matter is that the headcrabs eventually mature into gonarchs if given ample food and time. The thing is most get killed off early on.

Those who say that the gonarch looks nothing like a headcrab and therefor is a completely different creature haven't aken too many biology classes

the following bugs look nothing like their parents

beetles, dragonflies, (real) antlions, moths, butterflies, wasps, flies,

roughly 88% of all insects grow up through the process of metamorphosis


So since it appears as though the headcrabs are insectlike and are using their hosts to go through what appears to be a sort of metamorphosis, i am willing to believe that gonarch is the end result
 
Flyingdebris said:
So since it appears as though the headcrabs are insectlike and are using their hosts to go through what appears to be a sort of metamorphosis, i am willing to believe that gonarch is the end result
Click to expand...

I agree. I always considered headcrabs to be analogous to ants. (Despite the face-eating part, of course.)

Each colony of ants has a queen, which is far larger than the rest.
The queen lays a huge amount of eggs, which hatch into caterpillar-like larvae. Those larvae then grow into many different, specialized types of adults.
Workers are are the most numerous, and are generally small. They do most of the work.
Soldiers can be nearly twice as large, and have longer, sharper jaws.
Male ants and young queens have wings, which they use to fly to a new location and begin a new queen-centred colony.

There are other classes too, but they are usually species-specific.

So, IMO:
Queen = Gonarch
Larvae = Baby Headcrab
Worker = Headcrab
Male/Young Queen = Mystery Flying Headcrab
Soldier = Possible Larger Headcrab???

So, if I'm right, each one of those baby headcrabs will grow up into a different class.
That's why they have a Gonarch egg-pouch and headcrab feet:
They could grow up to be either one.
 
well, that could be it, except the headcrabs don't seem to work together, they seem to work independantly of each other. Its just that there are mass quantities of them
 
Flyingdebris said:
well, that could be it, except the headcrabs don't seem to work together, they seem to work independantly of each other. Its just that there are mass quantities of them
Click to expand...
Perhaps there is a method to their madness? :P

I didn't really stop to think what the advantages of the zombification might be to such a species either.

Unless gonarch is specifically engineered to take over planets. But that's just unlikely.
 
Advantage of zombification: makes the headcrabs a tougher beast.

It's easy enough to bash one over the head; two hits'll take it out. As a parasite on a much larger creature, they have an added toughness, and more of an ability to manipulate their surroundings, as well. Perhaps they need the body to metamorphose. The headcrabs only seem to eat when they have a body...other than that, they're solely devoted to attaching themselves to a host. And they would need to eat and have energy to evolve.
Zombification makes for better hunting ability too, methinks. Being large and having powerful claws, and all.
 
Very true, but the question is:
What does a gonarch gain by distributing powerful mega-creatures throughout the universe?
As far as I can tell, there are only a few possible reasons.

The zombies might turn into gonarchs. But there's really not much indication of that being the case from what has been seen so far.

The headcrabs could actually be part of a colony-like structure with the job to defend, rather than attack, and were accidentally moved out from home. Again, though, there isn't much evidence of this one either, although there is some. (Headcrabs hanging out in the crevaces Gonarch can't reach.)

Or, it will all be explained later, in HL2 or another game.
 
Interesting question. You know, I'm not really sure what she'd have to gain...it doesn't seem like much; I don't even know why it would want other gonarchs hanging around, if any headcrabs could even manage to reach that stage.

I think it's just the natural instinct that all creatures have to multiply and create future generations. I don't know if there's anything beyond that.
 
Mechagodzilla said:
Very true, but the question is:
What does a gonarch gain by distributing powerful mega-creatures throughout the universe?
As far as I can tell, there are only a few possible reasons.

The zombies might turn into gonarchs. But there's really not much indication of that being the case from what has been seen so far.

The headcrabs could actually be part of a colony-like structure with the job to defend, rather than attack, and were accidentally moved out from home. Again, though, there isn't much evidence of this one either, although there is some. (Headcrabs hanging out in the crevaces Gonarch can't reach.)

Or, it will all be explained later, in HL2 or another game.
Click to expand...
Actully the zombies have nothing to do with the Gonarch, except for having a headcrab. A Gonarch is a Headcrab that has reached a much higher level than any other headcrab. Baised on the fact that the Headcrab is basicly at the bottom of the food chain on Xen, I would say a Headcrab is lucky if it even lives the day. They have the uber agressive Bullsquid after them all the time. The stages of a headcrab that have latched onto a human are unknown, we have seen the second stage in Opfc. My guess would be that in HL2 we will see some of the middle stages in basic headcrab evolution.
 
Chainer said:
Actully the zombies have nothing to do with the Gonarch, except for having a headcrab. A Gonarch is a Headcrab that has reached a much higher level than any other headcrab. Baised on the fact that the Headcrab is basicly at the bottom of the food chain on Xen, I would say a Headcrab is lucky if it even lives the day. They have the uber agressive Bullsquid after them all the time. The stages of a headcrab that have latched onto a human are unknown, we have seen the second stage in Opfc. My guess would be that in HL2 we will see some of the middle stages in basic headcrab evolution.
Click to expand...


Well here's something else to think about.

Why is the Headcrab the way it is? I mean.....what other animal has it always latched onto before it started getting ahold of humans?
It'd be cool if Valve made a couple of other Headcrab mutations of actual animals. Just to show that the headcrabs aren't only going for humans......

Or.....it could be that the headcrab senses by brainwaves so the human would be its favorite target because we so smart!
 
well look at it this way, there couldn't be only one gonarch cause headcrabs have still been pouring through the portals onto earth for a while after gordon blew the shit out of the gonarch in hl1

what that means is that there has to be more than one of these things churning out the crabs.

it may just be that headcrab zombies take a long time to mature into gonarchs and from the looks of it, most seem to get killed off by their stupidity or slowness leaving very few to continue to the final stages.

thats my interpretation of it.

another thing is that it could be is that zombies won't mature into gonarchs if there's already a gonarch in the territory, sorta like how it is with termites where you will have 1 queen churning out babies and another queen won't be created until the first one dies or part of the nest moves to a new location to start another mound

(edit) okay several people made good points before i finished my post so i will adress those points

I don't think the gonarch is a big headcrab, i think the gonarch is what happens after a headcrab latches on to a host and finishes transforming it. Headcrabs don't seem to be able to eat without a host as far as we know. i think they need a host and eventually over time alter themselves and whatever the host was, into a gonarch. But then again if they don't eat how would they go from being tiny and see through into something bulbous and yellow?

I am fairly sure we are reading WAY too much into this, someone should just email valve and ask them straight out what they were trying to imply with the gonarch
 
Fender357 said:
It'd be cool if Valve made a couple of other Headcrab mutations of actual animals. Just to show that the headcrabs aren't only going for humans......
Click to expand...

Good news for you then: Valve has said, in a press release somewhere, that you will see zombified aliens in HL2. :)

They didn't specify which types of aliens though. I'd guess the vortigaunts, but that's just speculation.

Edit: I'm sticking with my 'ant colony' idea for why Headcrabs are there.
The baby crabs look too much like a gonarch-headcrab combo for me to discount it.
That said, if the headcrabs we know and love are actually passive defensive ones, then the possible warrior crabs ought to be muy cool and freaky.

Also, if the zombie versions of these 3-4 new headcrabs have special abilities like the ability to spawn or something, then the 'useless' zombies that regular headcrabs make could just be a result of their lineage. An appendix, if you will.
 
Mechagodzilla said:
Good news for you then: Valve has said, in a press release somewhere, that you will see zombified aliens in HL2. :)

They didn't specify which types of aliens though. I'd guess the vortigaunts, but that's just speculation.

Edit: I'm sticking with my 'ant colony' idea for why Headcrabs are there.
The baby crabs look too much like a gonarch-headcrab combo for me to discount it.
That said, if the headcrabs we know and love are actually passive defensive ones, then the possible warrior crabs ought to be muy cool and freaky.

Also, if the zombie versions of these 3-4 new headcrabs have special abilities like the ability to spawn or something, then the 'useless' zombies that regular headcrabs make could just be a result of their lineage. An appendix, if you will.
Click to expand...

I know what the zombies of the new headcrabs are like and what they do. I dont think I can talk about it. But they do have "abilities".
 
in the screenies it shows that messed up leaping thing in the cemetery, i figure that the head crab that got that man/woman/child/animal must be some freaky ass little thing.
 
Rupertvdb said:
in the screenies it shows that messed up leaping thing in the cemetery, i figure that the head crab that got that man/woman/child/animal must be some freaky ass little thing.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that was interesting.
Could it have taken over a (very old) corpse? It was a very blurry pic, but I'm pretty sure I saw lotsa exposed bone.
Then again, I'm not even certain that it was a headcrab at all.
 
i dunno because it is definitly very gnarly looking, maybe it is one of the aliens taken over. The bulbous head suggested a head crab but then you do have a point, it could be something else, it's just the first thing i thought when i saw the screen was hot damn! thats a fast evil looking Zombie! We shall have to wait and see

Grits teeth in angst.

P.S. i screwed up with the spolier button any ADMIN could do me a huge favor and edit it, my bad.
 
Info about the different zombies.......

I thought the prowler was a leapy looking kind of thing. at least thats what the concept art looks like..... Anyway...heres the stuff about the zombies...since we can use the spoler tags.

So here it is....the smaller (fast) headcrab makes a fast, running, climbing, zombie.
Then Normal headcrab, normal zombie,
Then the "black" headcrab.......that makes a very mutated looking purpleish zombie that can poison you.
 
Chainer said:
Actully the zombies have nothing to do with the Gonarch, except for having a headcrab. A Gonarch is a Headcrab that has reached a much higher level than any other headcrab. Baised on the fact that the Headcrab is basicly at the bottom of the food chain on Xen, I would say a Headcrab is lucky if it even lives the day. They have the uber agressive Bullsquid after them all the time. The stages of a headcrab that have latched onto a human are unknown, we have seen the second stage in Opfc. My guess would be that in HL2 we will see some of the middle stages in basic headcrab evolution.
Click to expand...

Info source?

Anyway, I reckon that there may just be different... castes of headcrab, then... Worker, Soldier, Breeder(Gonarch) and for some reason, Winged...?

I guess we're just gonna have to wait to find out...

Fender, of course you can't talk about it. It's beta material. Sheesh, you really want to post spoilers, don't you?
 
The headcrab isn't at the bottom of the foodchain. As far as we know, that "honor" goes to the elusive chumtoad. :p

I've always imagined that the headcrab can latch onto anything that has a nervous system. I like to picture a bullsquid with a crab just coming out of the top of its head. :laugh: All the bipedal aliens on Xen have roughly human-sized heads anyway, so it's just natural that the headcrabs would be able to latch onto a human skull just the same as an alien's. Slaves, grunts, shock troopers...all HC targets. Controllers, the crabs couldn't fit around their heads, but as the concept art showed us, headcrabs don't need to attach to a head.

Another thing about the gonarch, how flyingdebris was talking about the headcrabs mutating both itself and its host into the gonarch over time, while that's the most likely scenario, I also have been thinking lately that maybe the gonarch sort of...explodes out the back of a host. If you've ever seen the movie, "Ticks," you know what I'm talking about. These mutant ticks are infesting people, bursting out of them. At the end of the movie, this guy who smoked a little too much weed (oh, yes, I forgot to mention that the thing that mutated the ticks was steroid-enhanced marijuana :p ) starts convulsing all crazy on the floor. Then his body shreds apart into two halves, and a giant tick the size of a VW Bug emerges from him. Very gory, indeed.
 
Doesn't the Gonarch have some sort of ridge on its back? That might be part of it. Or is that only in the concept art...?
 
perhaps, the gonarch does "detach" from its host once it has mutated, its very possible. Molting, transforming, growing up into, these are all likely possibilities as far as i'm concerned

what i'd like to see is an example of their lifecycle in the game, Or even a scientist bringing it up.

i'd be fun to know
 
I wonder what would happen if a headcrab took over the hivehand, or the babytrooper gun. :)
 
One weird looking zombie, that's what.

Hmmm...

The zombies in those new screenshots... look closely... apparently headcrab hosts don't have to be alive...
 
Yeah I noticed that in the new screenshot. An actual zombie zombie? Also, is it just me or does it look like its flying or something?
 
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