Just Need Some Plot Points Cleared Up For Me...

[HalfLifer4Life]

Okay, so I finally finished Episode Two and I'm just a little confused on a couple story points. Here's what I've got...

After leaving City 17, we needed to get to White Forest cuz it was a safe base for us. We got there and then there was a... missile? I was confused on the whole missile thing until it was launched. Apparently it shut down that "portal" thing above Citadel and saved everything. Gravy. But, stupid me...

What was that whole "portal" thing anyway? Where did it come from/go to? Why did it need to be destroyed? Was it a portal to the Combine world or something like that? I paid attention but just didn't understand the whole thing with that. I just knew it was bad LOL

Also... those weird alien/bug things that pinned Alyx and Gordon to the wall those two times in Episode Two... what the heck are those things anyway? Do we know? I thought they were really cool and added to the game, but was just confused as to what exactly they were and what not.

Any help would be grand. Thanks guys. And other than a couple confusing plot points here and there that I missed... Half-Life 2 and its Episodes combine to be the best game I have ever played. Loved every second of it, esp Half-Life 2 itself. Nothing else compares, and a couple years ago I was a huge Halo fanatic. To think I used to like Halo more than HL... sigh thank you for Orange Box!

 

[okidoki]

The portal vortex was formed where the citadel used to be. Kleiner explains a bit about it the first time you contact white forest. It's "the infancy of a superportal" that the combine created when they sent the transmission out and sacrificed the citadel. They plan on using it in a retaliatory assault on Earth.

Those bug things are called advisors. They are apparently running the combine, on Earth at least. They have telekinetic abilities they use to immoblize you and use their "tongue" to kill.

More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Life_2:_Episode_Two
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_(Half-Life_2)#Combine_Advisors

 

[Tomu]

Well the missile was used in conjunction with the satellite array launched during the events of Half-Life in order to close the Combine super portal which was formed from the citadel explosion in order to send a message to the Combine overworld (a large Combine nexus not their homeworld). This super portal was slowly growing and once it attained full strength the Combine would send in their off world army to kill us in probably which was estimated by Eli 7 minutes. The weird alien bug things are called advisors and they are from what we gathered so far the original species of the Universal Union that started to assimilate different types of species throughout the universe to their own empire. They are currently assumed to be the rulers of the Combine Empire.

Well I'm sure someone else will give a much better explanation but at the moment that's the basic idea.

 

[Omnomnick]

Ok, let me clear these points for you...

The white forest missile was designed to be incase of a rebellion so they could close the portal storms that had plagued earth for years and enabled the combine to communicate with their overworld. It is where Dr.Arne Magnusson has spent many years developing the satalite to counteract the rocket launched at Black Mesa. The base is now the rebellion's largest and most important base, hosting Magnusson, Kleiner, Alyx and Gordon, and soon possibly Barney.

The portal was simply a mass of energy being dispersed from the citadel core into the fusion storm above. The portal was created by the combine as a last chance to communicate with their world and to request reinforcements. After the portal was shut down, the combine now have no way to send messages, soldiers or supplys between worlds.

If you had played Episode 1, you should have encountered the Advisorys early in the game, as they were being placed into escape pods, ready to escape the doom of the citadel. The advisors are strong beings that are rumoured to be the combine's true form, they have evolved to be entirely dependant on technology and have evolved to have the ability to perform telekinesis, the ability to lift objects and matter with the mind. The advisors are now in full control of the remaining combine forces on earth. They also advised Breen in his domination of earth.

Hope that cleared up your troubled understanding of the game, hopefully Episode 3 will be made more clear and will answer many questions...

 

[HalfLifer4Life]

Okay, thx that helps a lot. Yeah, I totally forgot about the Advisor encounter in Episode One... makes sense now. I prob didnt catch on to everything cuz I havent beat the original Half-Life yet. But dont worry, after beating HL2 and the Episodes I've already ordered a copy of HL: Source so I can play that and understand more of the story.

Oh, one more thing: Are Alyx and Gordon leaving to go straight to the Borealis? Is that where Dr. Mossman is? I saw and pretty much understand the footage of the Borealis, and how Dr. Mossman was in trouble. But am I getting this right in that they want to go save her or something? Heck, I'd just leave her:cheese:... jk But are they going to the Borealis cuz they think she is there? I know they apparently have the coordinates to get there.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

You also see the Advisors in the final level in HL2, Breen is talking to one of them on the Tv.

Dr Mossman i far as we know is already at the Borealis or near by.And Alyx and Gordon were leaving for the Borealis when the advisor came and killed Eli.
If you listen to Kleiners and Eli's reaction to Mossmans transmission, they tell you that the Borealis is carrying something very important and is extremely dangerous if the combine get their hands on it.The ship is from Aperture science the same guys from Portal, so we guessing it has to do with Portal technology.

 

[fido139]

Okay, so I finally finished Episode Two and I'm just a little confused on a couple story points. Here's what I've got...

After leaving City 17, we needed to get to White Forest cuz it was a safe base for us. We got there and then there was a... missile? I was confused on the whole missile thing until it was launched. Apparently it shut down that "portal" thing above Citadel and saved everything. Gravy. But, stupid me...

What was that whole "portal" thing anyway? Where did it come from/go to? Why did it need to be destroyed? Was it a portal to the Combine world or something like that? I paid attention but just didn't understand the whole thing with that. I just knew it was bad LOL

Also... those weird alien/bug things that pinned Alyx and Gordon to the wall those two times in Episode Two... what the heck are those things anyway? Do we know? I thought they were really cool and added to the game, but was just confused as to what exactly they were and what not.

Any help would be grand. Thanks guys. And other than a couple confusing plot points here and there that I missed... Half-Life 2 and its Episodes combine to be the best game I have ever played. Loved every second of it, esp Half-Life 2 itself. Nothing else compares, and a couple years ago I was a huge Halo fanatic. To think I used to like Halo more than HL... sigh thank you for Orange Box!

This might help understand it more in depth. http://members.shaw.ca/halflifestory/

 

[Asknoone]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_(Half-Life_2)

That would be your best source of information.

 

[Omnomnick]

I win