What is actually ment by the overwatch speeches?

Omnomnick

Retired Lead Content Creator
Staff member
Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
6,324
Reaction score
1,136
Ok, throughout HL2 and its Episodes we hear many 'Overwatch announcements' and I was wondering, what do they actually mean.
They usually use very complex language, which is sometimes very hard to understand. Yes, they sound fantastic to listen to, but what do they actually mean?

Here is the speech which I remember most, which is from Episode 2...

'Viral Alert, atonimous units subsume, manditory compliance with all levels of advisorial assistance act. Threat level adjustment, probe...Expunge...' (door blows off)

Can we have someone translate these 'speeches' into easy to understand english. This one is obviously commanding the soldiers after the advisor flees the barn.
 
Usually you can discern what they Overwatch voice means by trying to relate them to your position in the game. They almost always speak to something you're doing, did, or are about to do.

It would be nice to get a reference list as to which medical and judicial terms and names mean what and who.
 
The Overwatch uses medical terminology because it refers to the Combine as one greater organism; which is right, because the Combine focus on assimilation of other species.
 
Ah, i see what both of you mean...

But Zachattack, the more complicated speeches are harder to understand, yes some are in plain english, but the majority of speeches in the episodes use the medical terms you have been talking about.

Translation please :P
 
Here is the speech which I remember most, which is from Episode 2...

'Viral Alert, atonimous units subsume, manditory compliance with all levels of advisorial assistance act. Threat level adjustment, probe...Expunge...' (door blows off)
Viral meaning any undesirables, like resistance members.

"Autonomous units subsume mandatory compliance with all levels of advisorial assistance act." That's:

Autonomous units: Combine soldiers, may also include other forces such as hunters, but more likely is just Overwatch

"Subsume mandatory compliance...": It's basically just telling them to enact protocol for protecting an advisor.

"Threat level adjustment, probe...expunge": KILL KILL KILL
 
Thanks...


Now, hows that bridge speech go...?

Something like:

'All automonous units, accept manatory sector assimilation. Co-ordinate constriction underway. Debride and cauterize. Entering Phase nine, enhanced compliance. Deploy advisory control and oversight. Submit and be subsumed.'

Or

'Ongoing sector sweep, biotics confirmed. Continue surface sector sweep, remote compliance, exterminate. Seek passive signiture imprint. Mandate sublevel restrictions.'

AND...

'Alert, anticitizen one detected. Vance Subprime engaged. Expunge. Mandate removal of active signiture imprint. Cauterize and expunge.'

There we go :D
active signiture imprint is obviously the data package and expunge is kill, but what about the rest
 
'Alert, anticitizen one detected. Vance Subprime engaged. Expunge. Mandate removal of active signiture imprint. Cauterize and expunge.'
"We done found Gordan Frohmens and Alex Vance and yuo must kill them to gets the datas and kill them good."
 
'All automonous units, accept manatory sector assimilation. Co-ordinate constriction underway. Debride and cauterize. Entering Phase nine, enhanced compliance. Deploy advisory control and oversight. Submit and be subsumed.'
All Overwatch units lockdown sector. Secure the area; kill and dispose of unwanted lifeforms (anything not Combine). Protect advisor. Merge with larger force.

That last part is a bit of guesswork; I can only imagine that's what they mean by 'subsumed' in this case.

'Ongoing sector sweep, biotics confirmed. Continue surface sector sweep, remote compliance, exterminate. Seek passive signiture imprint. Mandate sublevel restrictions.'
'Biotics' is used mainly for headcrabs and antlions. Where was this said? That'd give you a clue as to which they were refering to.

Remote compliance. Exterminate. Seek passive signature imprint. Mandate sublevel restrictions:

Now this one's hard. I THINK what it's saying is to sweep the area in an outward radius and exterminate everything you find until there's nothing left. As you'll see in the next quote Overwatch says, 'Mandate removal of active signature imprint;' seeking a passive signature imprint, with the previous command exterminate, probably means kill everything you see.

Mandate sublevel restrictions...hell if I know. I can't even really venture a guess outside of saying it SOUNDS like protocol for something. Once passive signature imprint is achieved, mandate sublevel restrictions. Now I'm not sure if that's code to enforce sublevel restrictions (whatever those are) on signature imprints (virals) or if that's a command to Overwatch, but it's some kind of command.

'Alert, anticitizen one detected. Vance Subprime engaged. Expunge. Mandate removal of active signiture imprint. Cauterize and expunge.'

There we go :D
active signiture imprint is obviously the data package and expunge is kill, but what about the rest
I'm almost certain 'active signature imprint' is Gordon and Alyx. If you're running a sweep and you get an active signature, that's what that is. It wouldn't be the data packet, because the data packet is never active; it could only be passive. You also couldn't cauterize and expunge a data packet; at least I don't think they'd use those terms.

So, anticitizen one is Gordon, Alyx is their secondary target, active signature imprint is the both of them. Expunge is kill, yes; cauterize means to sever and cut off. It's also a way of saying remove them, kill them.

Active signature imprint is still kind of iffy, however, so if anyone else wants to give interpreting that a try, feel free.
 
Maybe 'Active signature imprint' is activity that could be Gordon or Alex or rebels. Or maybe just Activity thats recognized (signature imprint) as harmful to the combine and therefor needs to be investigated.

And Nicky, it's MEANT, not ment.
 
Biotic term is (replacing hostiles/aliens) also used by Robot Grunts in Half-Life's German edition.
 
No offense to the OP, but most of these types of speeches in HL games are understandable by simply using a dictionary to look them up.
:P
Or dictionary.com
 
I think the signature imprint may be the data packet some one over at the steam boards did a great job of decoding this. I'll try to fund it.
 
http://forums.steampowered.com/foru...ight=combine+expunge+active+passive+signature

Found it:

Quote:
"Ongoing sector sweep. Biotics confirmed. Continue surface sector sweep. Remote compliance. Exterminate. Seek passive signature imprint. Mandate sublevel restrictions."
"Currently performing a search of the area. Lifeforms confirmed. Continue searching area. Little evidence of co-operation. Kill. Ensure that lifeforms will not be aggressive. Impose the law."

Quote:
"All autonomous units, accept mandatory sector assimilation. Coordinated constriction underway. Debride and cauterize. Entering phase nine enhanced compliance. Deploy advisory control and oversight. Submit and be subsumed."
"Any units acting of their own accord should join the main force. We are clamping down in coordinated force. Kill criminals. Entering phase 9 (?) law enforcement. Advisors will be assinged to check up on criminals and exert control. Join the main force."

Quote:
"Vital alert. Autonomous units subsumed. Mandatory compliance with all tenets of advisory assistance act. Threat level adjustment. Probe. Expunge."
"Renegade units have now joined main force. You must follow the guidelines of the 'advisory assistance act' (presumably to assist Advisors?). The enemy threat has changed. Investigate. Destroy."

Quote:
"Alert. Anticitizen One engaged. Vance Subprime engaged. Expunge. Mandate removal of active signature imprint. Cauterize and expunge."
"Alert. We are fighting prime target (Gordon Freeman). We are fighting secondary target (Alyx Vance). Kill them. Ensure they are killed. Make sure they never come back."


Outbreak = I'm the last man standing
Bouncer, Extractor = Frag Grenade
Biotics, Viromes = Antlions
Parasitics = Headcrabs
Necrotics = Zombies
Displace = Fall back
Request reserve activation = Send backup
Restrictor = Thumper
Sterilizer = Sentry turret

Another translation:


-Ongoing sector sweep. Biotics confirmed. Continue surface sector sweep. Remote compliance. Exterminate. Seek passive signature imprint. Mandate sublevel restrictions.

Continuing reconnaissance. Antlions confirmed. Continue ground recon. Nobody's complying. Kill 'em all. Look for the passive data packet. Stay out of the mines. (The word sublevel, look it up, has something to do with mining.)

-All autonomous units, accept mandatory sector assimilation. Coordinated constriction underway. Debride and cauterize. Entering phase nine enhanced compliance. Deploy advisory control and oversight. Submit and be subsumed.

All isolated and independent units are ordered to rejoin the main sector force. We're working together to trap the rebels. Flush 'em out and kill 'em and destroy their whole base. Entering phase nine enhanced compliance. Deploy your advisors and follow their leadership. Submit and regroup. (I think "phase nine enhanced compliance" means "kill everyone in this area as a show of force to enhance the compliance of everyone in surrounding areas.")

-Vital alert. Autonomous units subsumed. Mandatory compliance with all tenets of advisory assistance act. Threat level adjustment. Probe. Expunge.

Vital alert. All units accounted for. Comply with the Advisory Assistance Act (help your advisor and do what it says.) Threat level adjustment. Scout. Annihilate.

-Alert. Anticitizen One engaged. Vance Subprime engaged. Expunge. Mandate removal of active signature imprint. Cauterize and expunge.

Alert. Gordon Freeman engaged. Alyx Vance engaged. Annihilate. Remove the active data packet. Destroy the whole area and annihilate. (If they were talking about Eli, I would imagine they'd call him "Vance Prime." Well, not no more anyway.)

The consensus is that the "signature imprint" is the data packet.
 
thats just prime!


thanks buddy. is there any from half-life 2's city voice?
 
HL2 city voice is easy to understand. Ex Failed to cooperate will result in permanent off-world relocation. - You will be killed.
 
And Nicky, it's MEANT, not ment.

Sry, its just tinernet and I can't be bothered to spell fully, only half of my brain works on this site...


The HL side :D
 
Outbreak isn't "I'm the last man standing." o_0

It means outbreak. That isn't code for anything. OUTBREAK OUTBREAK OUTBREAK

Autonomous units also aren't "renegades" or "units acting of their own accord." They're just smaller, ungrouped parts, which is why they must be subsumed.

And I honestly don't think the signature imprint is the data packet. Doesn't make any sense. How could it be an active data packet? Seek passive data packet? That doesn't work. No, it's definately hostiles in the area.
 
Autonomous means that they have discretion. The anouncement is asking them to stop operating on their own accord and rejoin the main force.

They only shout outbreak when there is only one of them left. In other words, the enemy is coming through and I probably won't be able to stop them.

Yeah the whole "imprint" line is a little hazy. It looks like they are looking for cooperation (passive imprint) and then they are told to eliminate those not cooperating(active imprint).
 
Autonomous means that they have discretion. The anouncement is asking them to stop operating on their own accord and rejoin the main force.
I know what autonomous means. ;)

I'm just saying they shouldn't be referred to as renegades. It also shouldn't be said they're "acting of their own accord" considering that they aren't; they're following Combine protocol for smaller groups. Hence, "autonomous units subsume."

They only shout outbreak when there is only one of them left. In other words, the enemy is coming through and I probably won't be able to stop them.
Pretty sure I've heard them say outbreak when there isn't only one left. In any case it doesn't mean "I'm the last man standing." It means there's going to be an outbreak. There's a difference.

Yeah the whole "imprint" line is a little hazy. It looks like they are looking for cooperation (passive imprint) and then they are told to eliminate those not cooperating(active imprint).
Indeed. Although given the Combine's idea of 'cooperation,' 'passive' in this case might mean when there's nothing left in the area to be uncooperative.
 
I know what autonomous means.;)

I'm just saying they shouldn't be referred to as renegades. It also shouldn't be said they're "acting of their own accord" considering that they aren't; they're following Combine protocol for smaller groups. Hence, "autonomous units subsume."

Yeah, sorry about that. Renegade is probably the wrong word. I didn't bother rereading those before I posted them here.

Pretty sure I've heard them say outbreak when there isn't only one left. In any case it doesn't mean "I'm the last man standing." It means there's going to be an outbreak. There's a difference.

I've only noticed it being shouted as the second to last troop falls. Your right that the "outbreak" isn't directly referring to the fact that there is only one soldier left, but it seems to be the warning signal to other units that says To those that can hear me, my unit just got it's ass kicked by a nerd. We are down to our last man. See you in hell.
 
Next time I play through I'll have to see if they ever say it when there's more than one of them. You might be right and I might just be too engrossed in killing them to notice when they say it.

Could've sworn I heard a group of them say it before though, during Nova Prospekt when you have the antlions. *shrug*
 
I'm quite certain a Combine Soldier will only say "Outbreak!" when they're the last remaining unit in the vicinity. Of course, I'm not exactly sure what the game considers "in the vicinity".

Ah well, at the very least I think it's safe to assume that "Outbreak" means "I'm overwhelmed!".
 
Outbreak isn't "I'm the last man standing." o_0

It means outbreak. That isn't code for anything. OUTBREAK OUTBREAK OUTBREAK

Listen for the phrase "Outbreak! Outbreak! Outbreak!" during
combat. This is the Combine code word to indicate that only one
Soldier remains, and combat should be easier from this point.

Source: Half-Life 2 - Strategy Guide.
 
Well as I said, they might say it when there's only one left, but it doesn't actually mean, "I'm the only one left."

I'm sure the writer didn't mean for it to sound that way either. "Combine code word" is just the phrase he used, not an actual codeword. It just means that there's going to be an outbreak if the last soldier dies.

I still swear I heard it when there were more soldiers hanging around, though. But when the last time I played Nova Prospekt was I can't even say, so I'm probably wrong. Still, the word just stands for outbreak, not "Only one soldier remains."
 
No, it doesn't. How the hell is "outbreak" going to mean "I'm the last one alive?"
 
I think I've made the most scientific, logical and dictionary-friendly thread in a long time.
 
I think I've made the most scientific, logical and dictionary-friendly thread in a long time.

If a dictionary was sentient and was choosing friends for it's soccer-baseball team it wouldn't pick you at all or it'd pick you last.

Your grammatical errors and typos would be a turn off to a sentient dictionary.
 
If a dictionary was sentient and was choosing friends for it's soccer-baseball team it wouldn't pick you at all or it'd pick you last.

Your grammatical errors and typos would be a turn off to a sentient dictionary.

Incorrect usage of apostrophe.

...sorry.
 
I'm with this man. Outbreak means outbreak.
Outbreak means that the soldier, alone, is probably not going to be able to contain the "infection": hence, an "outbreak".

ZachAttack said:
If a dictionary was sentient and was choosing friends for it's soccer-baseball team it wouldn't pick you at all or it'd pick you last.

Your grammatical errors and typos would be a turn off to a sentient dictionary.
"were" for "was" in both cases
"its"
"soccer/baseball" or "soccer or baseball", unless you know of a sport actually called "soccer-baseball"
"turn-off"

:|
 
Back
Top