The wall clocks

[vsaravia]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but here goes.

Ever notice the clocks in Water Hazard never change? I've seen them in other levels with the same time too. They all read either 8:05 or 12:42, but it looks more like 8:05 to me since one of the hands on the clock seem to be closer to the "1". I can't tell which is the hour or minute hand because they are both the same length.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had thought of this before, and perhaps it has something to do with the freezing of time. Or maybe it has no significance at all...

Screenshoot provided.
(pardon the graphix screw up near the bottom of the pic, I don't know how that happened.)

 

[The Dark Elf]

I think its more to do with there being no point wasting resources on working clocks, especially as people would then stand next to one for hours and then make 20 threads on the HL2 sites complaining that when it gets late, the sky doesn't get dark.

 

[-=jt=-]

plus they want you to not be able to go back a level or two and go back in time also.
With the game not realtime, any solution with the clocks is not going to be perfect.

 

[Dumb Dude]

Thats true, this game already has a set time frame. It only turns night time once. So all in all, the game takes place within 2 days.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Everything else in C17 is broken, so I don't see why the clocks would be an exception.

 

[Dill0n]

Thats true, this game already has a set time frame. It only turns night time once. So all in all, the game takes place within 2 days.

maybe 2 separate days, but definitely not consecutive ...

Spoiler

what about the week that passes when you and alyx transport to dr kleiner's lab

???

 

[vsaravia]

Everything else in C17 is broken, so I don't see why the clocks would be an exception.

I don't know...I guess I just suspect every thing.

maybe 2 separate days, but definitely not consecutive ...

Oh, yeah, that's right. So, it was more like a week and two days.

 

[DreadLord]

Am I the only one who thinks that clock looks exactly the same as the one in the old 1.6 cs_office in the large office where there are 3 (5) windows.. The one with the table sitting in the room (not the projector room)

Whatever, ill start up 1.6 for the first time in months and check a bit later lol. :bounce:

 

[f|uke]

Could have used a better screenshot, but..

The position of the clock hands is very ambiguous.

If it were 8:05, the hour hand should be pointing almost directly at 8. Instead its halfway between 8 and 9. If its 12:43, the hour hand should be 3/4ths of the way to 1, but instead its dead on 1.

But judging by the amount of daylight and how much has already transpired by that point, 12:43 makes more sense. I think the hand pointing to the left looks a tad longer anyways.

If the clocks worked, the sky moved, and day turned into night, it would totally rock my boxers. Ah well.

 

[KagePrototype]

Thats true, this game already has a set time frame. It only turns night time once. So all in all, the game takes place within 2 days.

Turns to night twice (Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt), and according to the map naming, it's 3 days (d1_, d2_ and d3_ at the beginning of each map name).

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Turns to night twice (Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt), and according to the map naming, it's 3 days (d1_, d2_ and d3_ at the beginning of each map name).

The final sequence takes place at sunset too, so it's:

Day 1, Day 2 - Week-long pause - Day 3

 

[DreadLord]

Alright, i suppose they arent all that similar lol. Just reminded me of the old CS_Office!

SS:

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Alright, i suppose they arent all that similar lol. Just reminded me of the old CS_Office!

SS:

Actually, you may be on to something

The minute hand on the HL2 clock and the second hand on the CS clock are in the exact same place.
So are the hour hand on HL2 and the minute hand on CS.

Maybe it's some numerical in-joke?

 

[eatbugs]

who cares! it's just a freakin clock enjoy the game not the clock.

 

[Danimal]

But the clock knows all :|

 

[Cabb]

Well...

I don't think this is the case, but if you take the clocks on the titanic, they all stopped at about the same time as water entered the clocks and broke them.

Similar thing in HL2, maybe the combine flooded earth until we surrendered (in 7 hours, yes). There is an ocean motif in HL2, but it seems to be the opposite of flooding, more a drought.

 

[desdinova]

I say its 12:42, the hand near the eight is definitely longer than the one near the one. So if they all look like this one then maybe that's the time the combine "launched" the citadels, after which some electromagnetic pulse was emitted rendering our computers and other electronic equipment useless. On the other hand there appears to be electric power throughout many parts of the city. When ascending the citadel you can see the entire city lit up like Keith Richards at a hemp festival.

 

[kirovman]

Hey I've got a crazy Idea...maybe the clocks just ran out of batteries. I doubt they've been maintained well considering the years under the combine.

 

[Dirtmunky]

Maybe the combine 'banned' time or something as another human control measure.

 

[The Monkey]

The first night is in Ravenholm, and the second when he's at Nova Prospect.

 

[fido139]

12:43

Examine the hands closely. The one by the 8 is definately longer, but the clock is a little distorted too.

I would have to say offhand that main power probably went off at that time indicated. Notice nothing much works that is powered by line power, they have backup/portable generators most everywhere including many of the force fields.

On the other hand, in a game where the same objects are used in multiple places, why make all these different clocks to show different times as you go thru the game? Art, manhours= $$$, we pay more for more work. As it is, the designers did an astounding job of producing the graphics.

My two cents.


Fido

 

[Is This Tea]

who cares! it's just a freakin clock enjoy the game not the clock.

Why can’t these people enjoy discussing the clocks as well as the game? Are you the freaking fun police or something?
On the other hand… yeah I think were looking at design limit not a plot point here.

 

[Cpl_Facehugger]

Why can’t these people enjoy discussing the clocks as well as the game? Are you the freaking fun police or something?
On the other hand… yeah I think were looking at design limit not a plot point here.

"Tiiiime Doctor Freeman? Is it that Time again?"

Time is obviously a major plot point, so I'd expect that those frozen clocks would be clues to shed some light on it. Or perhaps you're right and it's just that the texturers didn't feel like making multiple clock textures.

 

[vsaravia]

Didn't Marc Laidlaw say that everything that is in the game is there for a reason? :O Like that little Hawaiian Doll that is in front of a fuzzy-screened monitor in Dr. Kleiner's Lab...

 

[NJspeed]

Wall clocks run on batteries correct?

I doubt Duracell is still pumping out batteries with the combine in power and all. Even if they were, it doesn't seem like the combine care too much about earth or their surroundings. I don't think they'd take the time to change the batteries.

Maybe they all turned off from an EMP blast at that specific time.

 

[Dead-Inside]

who cares! it's just a freakin clock enjoy the game not the clock.

You think we're here to have FUN?!
We are cracking into VALVe's riddles one clock at a time.

 

[zinquaff]

The right man in the wrong time...

 

[Sid Burn]

Maybe all the clocks in City 17 ran out batteries... the people are too busy to replace the old batteries.

 

[DreadLord]

The right man in the wrong time...

I do believe it's "In the wrong place.."

But very nice..

Just to keep this discussion going (I find it quite interesting..) Here are the actual textures.. I got the clock texture from the screenshot above, to show that the hour hand is indeed between 12 and 1. (You can tell from the texture).

I also found one called breenclock_sheet.vtf in the source materials.gcf file. I assume you see it in Breen's office (Or somewhere similar?). This one's time is about 4:38.. but once again.. take a look at the minute and second hands..
:rolling:

 

[Sid Burn]

Hmm... problem is... the time never moves. it would've been cooler if valve made it animated.

 

[DreadLord]

Hmm... problem is... the time never moves. it would've been cooler if valve made it animated.

We know, we're trying to figure out the significance (if any) of the times displayed.

Now shh boy, while they think!