Theories on the combine leadership

Narvi said:
EMP is overrated. Most military computers are hardened against EMP anyway.
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I'd just cut those lovely exposed cables. Wonder how he avoids getting those snagged on everything tbh.
 
ZachAttack said:
Actually I just played the part where the Vort talks about that.
He states "Shu'ulathoi, advisors STILL in incubation".

This could be the name for yet hatched Advisors. Who knows...
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Semantics, really. I very much doubt it. He switches to Advisors simply to make the connection.
 
I'm pretty sure the advisors are of the ruling species of the combine. A species so mentally evolved that they lost their eyes, ears, arms and legs from atrophy.
 
I really hope they aren't the top of the Combine food chain, because they make pretty uninteresting enemies. Nihilanth was *way* cooler.
 
We have only seen them in incubation chambers or wearing propulsion packs. I imagine they have some kind of survival suit or combat encasement(even though they would rather not engage themselves) so there could be more interesting forms of the Shu'ulathoi.
 
SpectreBlofeld said:
I really hope they aren't the top of the Combine food chain, because they make pretty uninteresting enemies. Nihilanth was *way* cooler.
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The giant floating fetus was cooler?

At least these things have awesome telekinetic abilities. Unlike Mr. "Pew Pew Pew" Nihilanth.
 
Narvi said:
The giant floating fetus was cooler?

At least these things have awesome telekinetic abilities. Unlike Mr. "Pew Pew Pew" Nihilanth.
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I don't know what you classify as 'telekinetic', but being able to throw portals at you, spawn enemies, and generally inflict damage beats basic telekinesis and penis-in-brain-stem insertion in my book.

Not to mention being ****ing huge.
 
SpectreBlofeld said:
I don't know what you classify as 'telekinetic', but being able to throw portals at you, spawn enemies, and generally inflict damage beats basic telekinesis and penis-in-brain-stem insertion in my book.

Not to mention being ****ing huge.
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Basic telekinesis? You did see the bit where a small one tore apart a wooden house by itself? Teleportation is all well and cool, but Nihilanth seems a bit limited in where it can teleport you, and it got taken down by one man armed with a variety of weapons. Advisors at least can't be taken down so easily.
 
I like the advisors because of what's being said here: They aren't scary or huge monsters. They're almost pathetic with their simple bodies, and I find it realistic these cowardly slugs aren't the most frightening thing you'll find in the universe. The Combine troops might look very threatening, but the real masterminds behind them couldn't appear less so.
 
I'll tell you who's pulling the strings at the top KEVIN RUDD!!!!!!!
I would have said John Howard because he's most like those combine slugs, but he lost his seat.
 
Slime said:
I like the advisors because of what's being said here: They aren't scary or huge monsters. They're almost pathetic with their simple bodies, and I find it realistic these cowardly slugs aren't the most frightening thing you'll find in the universe. The Combine troops might look very threatening, but the real masterminds behind them couldn't appear less so.
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"Appear" being the operative word here. Their physical form has atrophied so they rely on mental powers which aren't at all obvious. They're unbeatable at short range even Gordon was powerless against them, twice they attacked and twice he got lucky. How far their abilities extend I wouldn't like to say but I'm guessing their telekinetic abilities are only really effective at short range otherwise how else are we supposed to defeat them? Sure they can deliver a telepathic pulse over some distance but thats not lethal, at least we havn't seen otherwise.
 
I'll repeat my main point for why the advisors are not the leaders of the combine. If they were the leaders why would there be so many of them on just one planet? There must have been 15 to 20 escape ships coming out of city 17 when it exploded and thats just one city on a entire planet. So there must be someone at the top that is manipulating everything because thats how storys work. You have your hero and your villain half life 1: Ninalith 2: Dr. Breen so there must be a single villan that hasn't been revealed.
 
Saruke said:
I'll repeat my main point for why the advisors are not the leaders of the combine. If they were the leaders why would there be so many of them on just one planet? There must have been 15 to 20 escape ships coming out of city 17 when it exploded and thats just one city on a entire planet. So there must be someone at the top that is manipulating everything because thats how storys work. You have your hero and your villain half life 1: Ninalith 2: Dr. Breen so there must be a single villan that hasn't been revealed.
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It was just one city yes. But it was the base of operations for Breen and I suspect for the Combine/Advisors as well. But they might not be the kings of the combine. Just the leaders of the Combine on Earth.

If we infer that Breen might be one of the Shu'ulathoi then maybe other humans loyal (or brainwashed) to the Combine might have also jumped into a host body. Maybe thats why they're keeping so many humans in storage. Maybe alot of them are brilliant minds they'd eventually want to convert and then make into actual Advisors. So you might be right that these aren't the top of the Combine hierarcy or that they ALL aren't. But I think its beyond a reasonable doubt that other Advisors on the Combine Overworld are.
 
Maybe they control different things. One oversees mineral absorbtion, another oversees Stalker production, etc.

Or, more likely, Valve wanted a cool Escape Scene(tm).
 
The advisors won't be the top ranking officer shall we put it, there will be one creature which takes rule over all combine, like the ninilith having control of the vortys...only without the egg head...
 
Nicky 0123 said:
The advisors won't be the top ranking officer shall we put it, there will be one creature which takes rule over all combine, like the ninilith having control of the vortys...only without the egg head...
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They could have a council, like the Yerks in Animorphs.
 
Nicky 0123 said:
The advisors won't be the top ranking officer shall we put it, there will be one creature which takes rule over all combine, like the ninilith having control of the vortys...only without the egg head...
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If the Combine is actually headed by a single ruler - an idea I don't like since it sets up an extremely lame "boss fight" - it's probably not going to be some super-sized overlord. While I'm skeptical as to whether the advisors themselves are in charge, I certainly think they are the dominant species. I imagine them working more collectively.

World leaders today aren't unique from the rest of the human race despite the power they hold. I think it's really lame to have bosses that are so radically different or "uber" in comparison to all other enemies.
 
I think it's more probable that the combine will never be "defeated" just driven off earth because we know there's a half life 3 and so that would mean that it would be in the same universe therefore have the same enemies. Personally I think that by the end of episode 3 humanity will have defeated the combine forces on earth and then its time for the "offensive". a.k.a. ass-whoopin time.
 
Yeah... with one guy...

"Hai there, we know you have countless hordes of combine and some mega-ass advisors who can render anyone helpless... but well, we're just sending a dorky scientist in to attack you all..."
 
Hold on...

Half-Life 3: Final Onslaught Spoilers below

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It is pretty obvious thta a well trained science nerd can kill the best trained soldiers, alien troops with high-tech equipment and so on. Damn he could even capture their homeworld all by himself!
 
Crazy_killer said:
It is pretty obvious thta a well trained science nerd can kill the best trained soldiers, alien troops with high-tech equipment and so on. Damn he could even capture their homeworld all by himself!
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It's because of the HEV suit really.
 
After playing all the games countless times, I have come to believe that there is something even higher up than the Combine Advisor. I'm not sure if we'll see them in Episode 3 since I have a feeling that game is going to focus on finally getting the Combine off earth which would lead to an eventual offensive in Half Life 3, taking Gordon to the Combine Overworld (confirmed to exist by Dr. Magnussen). I mean.... when that portal opened up at the end of Half Life 2, you can see a glimpse of the Combine Overworld just before you blow up the teleporter. The distinct alien world with many Citadels being seen in it's skyline.

I do hope though that we don't have some big Boss fight when the time comes to take down the Combine. I'd be happier with sending in some insanely powerful weapon (not Gordon) which destroys most of the Combine overworld.


But in the end.... your guesses are as good as mine... if not better. :)
 
hey! were not turning this thread into one of those dime-a-dozen g-man speculation threads!

so stopping this current train of thought... now.
 
Advisors-Front Line Leadership

I'm going to agree with the theory that the Advisors simply act as intermediate to a higher level of leadership. If you are controlling planets and linking your empire with portals, you wouldn't place the top tier on a front line planet, which earth seems to be.

The highest ranks of the combine are most likely making the decisions somewhere far from any immediate combat...
 
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