Synths

[Ophiguris]

Does Anyone have any info as to where synths MAY be from. I see lot's of other things, like the Aurora Borealis ship that was cut, and other concepts, but does any one have any idea, even the slightest, about where the gun and dropship synths come from? And the same thing for Hunters, Mortars and etc. Because I KNOW the hunters aren't hound eye synths!

 

[Polaris]

All we know is they were created or taken over by the Combine during wars and colonizations. They are simply from another planet enslaved by the Combine.

 

[Ophiguris]

well, you can't blame me for looking for info. The HL2 universe id THE most intriguing game unverse I've ever seen. And I've seen many people do 'studies' about HL plant life and animals. As well as concepts.

 

[Darkside55]

The hunters are synthetic offspring of the striders. Synths can self-replicate...although you see them being built and/or repaired in factories as well.

As Polaris said, synths are creatures that the Combine have "conscripted" from planets they've conquered. What they do is, they take over a world, and any species that could be useful to them, they start modifying it. They add armor, enhancements, weaponry; they make lots of changes to the creatures so they can be built and repaired, just like machines. Think of it as a mechanization/forced evolution. These creatures once looked biological; now, you can't tell where the machine ends and where the creature begins. You can see the same thing being done to humans when you see the stalkers, or what the Overwatch look like underneath their masks.

The synths come from a lot of different worlds, they've all just been made to have a similar aesthetic, thanks to Combine engineering. The striders and the hunters are of course from one planet, but who knows what else came from there? Maybe all the synths you see are from different planets, maybe a few different types are from the same planet...anyone's guess, really.

 

[Jintor]

I want to see a final overall build of a human synth, combine engineering completed. Note that most of the other lifeforms don't actually seem as sentinant as the human-based lifeforms - brainpower, perhaps? Might be another reason for absorbing earth. Might also explain why the Combine aren't fugging around with lobsters and elephants and stuff. Unless they are, of course...

 

[Ophiguris]

The hunters are synthetic offspring of the striders. Synths can self-replicate...although you see them being built and/or repaired in factories as well.

As Polaris said, synths are creatures that the Combine have "conscripted" from planets they've conquered. What they do is, they take over a world, and any species that could be useful to them, they start modifying it. They add armor, enhancements, weaponry; they make lots of changes to the creatures so they can be built and repaired, just like machines. Think of it as a mechanization/forced evolution. These creatures once looked biological; now, you can't tell where the machine ends and where the creature begins. You can see the same thing being done to humans when you see the stalkers, or what the Overwatch look like underneath their masks.

The synths come from a lot of different worlds, they've all just been made to have a similar aesthetic, thanks to Combine engineering. The striders and the hunters are of course from one planet, but who knows what else came from there? Maybe all the synths you see are from different planets, maybe a few different types are from the same planet...anyone's guess, really.

Yes, I know HOW they get Synths, but i was just checking if anyone had any info other wise or anything...

 

[ríomhaire]

The hunters are synthetic offspring of the striders. Synths can self-replicate...although you see them being built and/or repaired in factories as well.

Except 3 legs and the npc name mini-strider hunters hear little resemelance to striders. Their skin is a completly different colour and they are augmented very differently to striders.

 

[kupocake]

The hunters are synthetic offspring of the striders.

Where's the Apocrypha you pulled that one from?

There are no specifics about where the synths came from. It's not a detail I can imagine Valve would rush to clarify really. The combine have probably enslaved and invaded many hundreds of worlds. Part of the character of the Synths is that they're exotic to the extent we will probably never know where they came from.

 

[Asknoone]

I'm pretty sure it was in an interview, a recent one.

 

[Wanted Bob]

Hmm... I wonder what the non-synth striders look like?

 

[huntingbear]

Hmm... I wonder what the non-synth striders look like?

always wondered that....

 

[Jintor]

A mix between a gorilla and a giraffe, if i recall correctly.

*shrug*

I want to know what the Combine are doing with our whales and elephants and stuff.

 

[Asknoone]

I'm pretty sure Xenian wildlife would have eaten them.

 

[586FAC75]

Where's the Apocrypha you pulled that one from?

Dario Casali, Half-Life level designer:

"They're really fast-moving and they work as a pack," picks up Speyrer as Casali hurls physics items at them. "There are generally three Hunters to a pack, and they quickly divide up into two that try to flank and catch you in the crossfire with their plasma beams, and a third that will run up and try to melee attack you." Meanwhile, an embattled Casali picks up the leg of a recently deceased Strider with his gravity gun and knocks seven shades out of his pursuer with it, all to a delighted chorus of: "Yeah! Kill it with mum's legs!" They're a lovely bunch are Valve.

I think the "Mum's legs" battle cry from Valve staff hinted at the fact that the Hunter may be conceived from genetic material derived from Striders.

However, I can relate with the dispute over the Hunter skin tone in relation to the Striders.

Source: 3rd October 2006, Computer and Videogames

 

[el Chi]

Maybe the father was of a different ethnicity. And was a midget.

 

[ríomhaire]

A mix between a gorilla and a giraffe, if i recall correctly.

Er...no, in RtB that's what they said they based the Strider's walking animation on.

 

[Asknoone]

 

[Jintor]

Er...no, in RtB that's what they said they based the Strider's walking animation on.

It's quite beautiful, really... *wipes tear from eye*

No, but seriously. Where's the whale-mounted gunships? And the rhino apcs?

I still love the phrase about the whole "Let's put a gigantic testicle on a spider!" and Gonarch was born. Hur hur hur.

 

[586FAC75]

Perhaps the Combine only integrate species into the Universal Union which they deem have a certain level of intelligence? Perhaps Striders and Gunships were once sentient thinking creatures? Hence humanity being introduced instead of Rhinos?

Mind you, saying that will we ever see OSIPR's strapped to dolphins backs? Groovy

 

[Darkside55]

Except 3 legs and the npc name mini-strider hunters bear little resemelance to striders. Their skin is a completly different colour and they are augmented very differently to striders.

The beauty that is synthification: giving your body different colors and strapping machineguns to your face since CMBY 105523.

Where's the Apocrypha you pulled that one from?

The interview only confirmed it. Gleaned it from a few places: the obvious body shape and structure, mini-strider name, comparing the sounds of the two beasts, and watching the simian way the hunters move, among other things. And synths were said to be self-replicating since we first heard about them. They mention it in RtB, if you're interested.

Perhaps the Combine only integrate species into the Universal Union which they deem have a certain level of intelligence? Perhaps Striders and Gunships were once sentient thinking creatures? Hence humanity being introduced instead of Rhinos?

Mind you, saying that will we ever see OSIPR's strapped to dolphins backs? Groovy

You know, I had the exact opposite idea. I was thinking that most of the creatures the Combine synthify are animals, non-sentient. The synths all just look so animalistic (and behave as such) that it's hard to imagine they once could've formed cognitive thought. I think it was just, y'know, "That animal's really tall; let's stick a gun on it." "That fat flying one, we can hollow it out and put other synths in there." They care more for function than brainpower, because in the end, no matter how smart the creature was it's reduced to a base animal that only takes commands. (Look at stalkers)

 

[ríomhaire]

The interview only confirmed it. Gleaned it from a few places: the obvious body shape and structure, mini-strider name, comparing the sounds of the two beasts, and watching the simian way the hunters move, among other things. And synths were said to be self-replicating since we first heard about them. They mention it in RtB, if you're interested.

Link?

You know, I had the exact opposite idea. I was thinking that most of the creatures the Combine synthify are animals, non-sentient. The synths all just look so animalistic (and behave as such) that it's hard to imagine they once could've formed cognitive thought. I think it was just, y'know, "That animal's really tall; let's stick a gun on it." "That fat flying one, we can hollow it out and put other synths in there." They care more for function than brainpower, because in the end, no matter how smart the creature was it's reduced to a base animal that only takes commands. (Look at stalkers)

I've always thought they where a sentient species to begin with. Humans seem to automaticaly call any alien that doesn't stand upright, talk in an obvious manner or use gestures an animal. Striders have at least shown the ability to communicate with scanners and hunters.

 

[586FAC75]

Link?

Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar - A Behind the Scenes Look: Prima's Official Insider's Guide

 

[Baratos]

I've always thought they where a sentient species to begin with. Humans seem to automaticaly call any alien that doesn't stand upright, talk in an obvious manner or use gestures an animal. Striders have at least shown the ability to communicate with scanners and hunters.

I agree. Sometimes I get the feeling that when Striders take breaks, they get into big arguments as to whether or not humans are sentient, because what sane creature would stagger around on two legs?

Also, any idiotic behavior on the part of synths may just be from poor AI. I know rebels will sometimes act like they have deep mental problems and try to kill Striders with an SMG.

 

[Azner]

I want to see a final overall build of a human synth, combine engineering completed. Note that most of the other lifeforms don't actually seem as sentinant as the human-based lifeforms - brainpower, perhaps? Might be another reason for absorbing earth. Might also explain why the Combine aren't fugging around with lobsters and elephants and stuff. Unless they are, of course...

Someone with the agility of the kid from the grudge and the strength of the hulk and the penis size of CyberPitz

 

[Darkside55]

Link?

586 already mentioned the link to RtB, hehe. As for the others, some don't have links, but I can tell you where to find all of them.

• The sounds: use GCFscape to look in your Source Sounds.gcf folder. Make sure your steam is off, because just now GCFscape yelled at me for that. Navigate to hl2/sound/npc/strider. The sounds are in there.
  
  For hunters, their sounds are in the Episode One Shared.gcf; sound/npc/ministrider. The sounds to draw the connection between the two species are alert2.wav and alert4.wav. I'd imagine also that when Episode Two comes out, there'll be some "hunt" wavs in the hunter's folder, which can be compared to the strider's hunt wavs in the Episode One Shared.gcf. Just a guess though.
  
• Hunter movement: watch the Episode Two trailers, namely the first trailer (the extended one, not the one that comes after beating EpOne). Watch how the hunters move in a very ape-like manner. In RtB, strider movement was said to emphasize simian movement as well, a "leading with the elbows" to convey grace and power.

I want to see a final overall build of a human synth, combine engineering completed. Note that most of the other lifeforms don't actually seem as sentinant as the human-based lifeforms - brainpower, perhaps? Might be another reason for absorbing earth. Might also explain why the Combine aren't fugging around with lobsters and elephants and stuff. Unless they are, of course...

Check RtB. I don't know if they were the final forms, but they've got images of humans who've lost most of their body parts beside the head and torso, maybe one arm. All other parts have been thrown away, and the remaining body parts are encased in a snythetic armor. Different variations are shown, but the main theme throughout looks very insectoid; thin arms, large upper body to contain the head and torso, ridiculously thin waist off of which two stick-like legs with two toes come off. I think one of the pictures has one of these things carrying a spear, too.

 

[ríomhaire]

I meant a link to the bloody interview. I own RtB (I even mentioned it earlier in this thread) and I know how to check soundfiles and watch a trailer.

 

[esplin]

It seems that the the Striders and Hunters are related, atleast in design. The Hunter seems to be made specifically to compliment the Strider's strengths. Going into places too small for a Strider in order to lure prey out of hiding.

I always got the impression (from Raising the Bar) that the Synths were all the same race. They were so simplistic that the Combine could mold them into any form they wanted.

 

[Darkside55]

I meant a link to the bloody interview. I own RtB (I even mentioned it earlier in this thread) and I know how to check soundfiles and watch a trailer.

But you apparently can't read all the posts in a thread because 586 already posted it. Hehe, just ribbing you man.

I always got the impression (from Raising the Bar) that the Synths were all the same race. They were so simplistic that the Combine could mold them into any form they wanted.

Well, they're all the same race NOW. But no, originally, they're all from different worlds, or so they're supposed to be. Considering how few of them there are though, one has to wonder how great an empire the Combine really are. It seems like they destroy/leave for dead most planets that they conquer. We've seen like what...six individual synth species? The Combine are picky, it would seem.

 

[kupocake]

The Combine are picky, it would seem.

The combine are picky about what they bring to earth. Many other unit types may be available to them, but they don't use any of them because what they've already assembled on earth is the most suitable set of units. The infantry role is the most obvious of course: no sense in getting offworld infantry when earth already has homegrown talent.

 

[Cuthbert]

The combine are picky about what they bring to earth. Many other unit types may be available to them, but they don't use any of them because what they've already assembled on earth is the most suitable set of units.

And this brings endless possiblities for future games. A good plot device imo. They can design new enemies and stories and people will just have to accept that without asking "why weren't any of these mentioned in HL2? valve suxxx! you no0bz!"

 

[Jintor]

I hope the ***ers don't have an orbital laser floating around Earth right now.

 

[kupocake]

They can design new enemies and stories and people will just have to accept that without asking "why weren't any of these mentioned in HL2? valve suxxx! you no0bz!"

Only if the combine get their portal system back up and running, and earth doesn't stay isolated. Unless the combine use greatly different units in certain locations around the world. Perhaps striders break down in the middle east because it's too hot. Or perhaps they've found that the people in certain localities are scared more or less by certain beasts. Like a giant phallus shaped tentacle synth that scares the bejesus out of the "no sex please we're British" but seems like a normal everyday occurance for the Japanese.

 

[586FAC75]

Like someone else mentioned elsewhere on the forums, I reckon the real hammer will fall once the message sent via the citadel reaches Combine space.

I.e. Loads more baddies from portal storms!

 

[Llama]

But you apparently can't read all the posts in a thread because 586 already posted it. Hehe, just ribbing you man.

Forgive me, but what does a vague battle taunt prove?
Ya'know, they could be just, ya'know...generalising? Since the two Synth look the same?

 

[Darkside55]

It's not vague. It's Valve actually saying, y'know, "hit the hunter with its mother's leg." I can say for certain they weren't trying to say it in a "yo momma!" context, calling the strider the hunter's mother just because. It really is the thing's progenitor.

 

[ríomhaire]

It's a guy making a joke.

 

[586FAC75]

I don't think it's the guy making a joke, it's coming off a Vavle employee. These people talk to each other, in fact a few paragraphs beforehand it was the designer of the Hunter who was being interviewed.

 

[kupocake]

I don't think it's the guy making a joke, it's coming off a Vavle employee. These people talk to each other, in fact a few paragraphs beforehand it was the designer of the Hunter who was being interviewed.

Dario Casali is not only a Level Designer, he's british. Worthy of the salt taking.

^^

 

[586FAC75]

Dario Casali is not only a Level Designer, he's british. Worthy of the salt taking.

So am I. I know we do it a lot, but we don't take the piss all of the time

 

[Darkside55]

The amount of disbelief you guys have astounds me sometimes, it really does.

"It's vague/a taunt."
"He's making a joke."
"Take it with a grain of salt."

You know I love you guys but man, sometimes I think it'll take nothing less than getting beat over the head with the most grammatically correct, plain-terms, unequivocally irrefutable 100% solid this-is-what-I'm-saying-and-this-is-what-I-mean statement from no less than Valve, Valve's lawyers, Valve's bookkeepers, Valve's janitors, the people who work in other offices in the Valve building, the bums sitting outside of Valve's office on the streets, the mayor of Kirkland, WA (Jim Lauinger), Gabe Newell's mother, and Marc Laidlaw's cat. And even then...