Speaking of new species..

[ShadowFox]

Does the book explain what these are?

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Synths. These are the building blocks of combine creatures. They use them and modify them with machinery (forceful evolution) to create striders/gunships etc. Pretty cool thing.

edit: theres many different types of synths, there two in the citadel, those are just particular for a certain creation which was apparently mobile artillery type things with guns on their back, combine were going to ride them about city17 if valve had a chance to do it. HL3 for sure though. Difference synths different creations (e.g the gunships original)

 

[Sid Burn]

cool... so that's where they make their vehicle of destruction. Anyway, did they create this creatures? or they found it on another planet?

 

[Hectic Glenn]

No one knows where the synths come from. presumably previous worlds the combines have captured and over taken. Its the same principle with humans. Humans/Synths are the same really. Combine just adapt them into the Elites/Soldiers and Civil protection.
All the making of these machines is done in the Citadel, you see the Combine Gunship construction yard in there on your little trip, which originally was gonna be a fighting arena outside the citadel, but didnt fit the story Woulda been fun though

edit : the synths in the citadel have already been changed by the combine, thus the mechanical parts. I suggest you open the synth file in the model viewer in source SDK and have a good look!

 

[Ownzed]

Cool.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Heres a picture from the model viewer. You can see the modified front of the synth one by combine interferance. Its like a mini tank for them to ride about in/ or
The synth also has some different attacks programmed by valve, it runs, shakes but mainly charges and rams..so using that theory for combine use, possibly like an armoured vehicle, which is fast, agile and strong.(of course that last bit is purely speculation )

 

[ShadowFox]

Did Valve include AI code for the Synth/Mortar Synth?

 

[luketabor]

i don't think so, but i may be wrong. however, there are full attack animations so it wouldn't be too difficult to put them in a mod.

 

[CREMATOR666]

They definitely have no AI, I tried to make a map with Synths in it and it all turned crap.

 

[sinkoman]

God. I hate having to explain this to people on other forums.

The combine you see on earth are the overwatch combine. The combine take humans and combine them with thier technology to create the overwatch. The striders, mortar synths (ones in the citadel you posted about)striders, gunships and dropships are all synths. Presumably, the combine took the inhabitants of previouse planets and combined them with thier technology to create the synths you see in game. They bring them over from that planet to assist in thier takeover of earth. These are like the overwatch from different planets. It's a good guess that you could find overwatch on other planets like how you find the synths from other planets on ours. Get it?

The original combine that all originated from (synths and overwatch) are like the admnistrator. Slugglike with stubby arms.

 

[CREMATOR666]

God. I hate having to explain this to people on other forums.

Then don't.