Who Are the Combine's Benefactors?

[Darkside55]

In the demo from Vivendi's booth, when Gordon is walking around the station there is a looped video of Dr. Breen welcoming you into City 17. Breen makes the comment that he enjoys City 17 so much that he himself resides in the Citadel that has been "generously donated by our benefactors."

I'm sure some people were under the impression that Dr. Breen was the Administrator. We know that he's a scientist, and he's obviously the figurehead (if not leader) of the Combine. But if he is also the Administrator, why would he have a benefactor? The Administrator is supposed to be the top guy, the head honcho...a man with enough clearance to run Black Mesa.

You'll recall that the G-Man was unwilling to name his mysterious employers. Now, Breen displays similar behavior. We now know that one of G-Man's employers is the Administrator. I think that if Breen is indeed the Administrator, these other employers are even higher-up than he is on the chain of command. More shadowy figures controlling the strings, it would seem.

Another theory is that Dr. Breen is not the Administrator at all, but rather just an important scientist, or maybe even a G-Man himself. The Administrator has more than one operative; who's to say that he didn't keep a scientist in his employ?

And the last theory that I can come up with is that the Combine Citadel is, indeed, a gift from extraterrestrial benefactors. But who, is the question? The citadel is a massive construction of metal and gears...neither the Xenians nor Race-X use such technology; they favor techno-organics. This seems more like a human construct...perhaps there are some other aliens who use similar (albeit far more advanced) technologies as ours who have some stake in this?

 

[Death.Trap]

Havn't we already agreed that the G-man is the administrator. My guess is that the benefactors are Race-X

 

[Brian Damage]

No, we've pretty much agreed that the G-Man is not the Administrator...

I dunno... I'll take "Race-X" for $500.

Heh... weird idea I had today... maybe the ones behind it all are... DUM DUM DUM DUUUUMMMM...

THE HEADCRABS!

 

[MoJo|Night]

Has anyone else noticed that Dr Breen looks like Jon Virgo?

 

[PvtRyan]

Look at creatures like the Striders, they're not vehicles, they're biomechanoids, living creatures. And obviously not from this planet. Could they have been donated by the alien benefactors too? And then upgraded with human technology? They bare the most resemblance with Race X

Gabe once said 'the aliens in Half-Life were just the scouts, this time they send in the big guns'. Could the combine be just a tool to conquer the earth without them knowing it? To me, it seems like Xenians are not much of a threat.
Imagine Race X offering the humans their help to combat Xenians, but eventually the are turned into invaders themselves. They just used the human ignorance to do an invasion from the inside.

So: HL > Xen invasion > Xenians change the planet > The remaining humans get offered help by Race X > Xenians get pwned > Win win situation for Race X, Xen is defeated (there are still stuff like headcrabs and Ant Lions, but no organised army) with the help of the humans, and they found a way to take over earth by using humans as a tool for them.

My $0.02

 

[Brian Damage]

And then there's the question of the helpful Vortigaunts...

 

[Sprafa]

The Race-X won't return, IMO. They tried an invasion, that's all.

Probably the Combine technology is from an advanced race that I assume Dr.Breen (since he's the Fuhrer this time around) has contacted thru Xen. I agree that he is most probably the Admin.

Now the situation of Xen - as I said b4, Race-X only took their chances and invaded b/c Xen was in chaos. Their leader (nihilant) had fallen and presumably they didn't had organization to resist an invasion. The Race-X uses Xen, seeing that it's defenseless, and goes to Earth ( and maybe even other places they had in aim).

Now, the Antlions and others IMO are from even another race, not from Race-X, Combine or native Xens.

the Xenians prolly scattered around the planets linked to them after the Fall. Then, others, following the Race-X example, used Xen and traveled around freely (Antlions, Combine & others).

Earth must be under heavy invasion and Mankind must be sieged in its last places of resistance. That explains not naming cities. Maybe ( and this is wild speculation) The Citadels, offerings of the Combine could have been transwarped thru Xen into some locations, the last populated areas of Earth, to harvest resources (I'm saying that since everything is biomechanoid, presumably the soldiers as well, they might come to gather hosts for their tech and such - Human beings and native Earth animals)

My 0.03€

edit - The helpful Vortigaunts, just in case you don't assume that from the txt above, must have scattered around the linked planets and help the invaded races as maybe the Combine are invading around, since they seem to be a very adv race, and the Xenians of course, don't like that, so they help the ones in trouble, like "Enemy of my Enemy is my friend"

 

[Brian Damage]

Or "Whoops, turns out there was something nastier than the humans... and one of them did free us, after all..."

Your .03 of a square? Cool.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

The United Nations are the benefactors, and the Combine are the twisted version of UN peacekeepers

 

[Sprafa]

Or "Whoops, turns out there was something nastier than the humans... and one of them did free us, after all..."

that too.

Your .03 of a square? Cool.

it's a square to you, but it's the Euro (€) symbol.

 

[RblDiver]

Like you said, I think he is the GMan of RaceX. He has the combine at his disposal, and I think eventually Gordon/GMan original will have the Vortigaunts at his disposal (they talk now apparently lol).

 

[jonbob]

Does it strike anyone else as a possibility that the Combine are the benefactors?

 

[Sprafa]

Does it strike anyone else as a possibility that the Combine are the benefactors?

how about reading my theory

 

[Cole]

look its very simple.. Valve are the Benefactors .

 

[Reaperman]

who ever said the combine were alians anyway?

they wear suits, they are humanoid, they speak english, and they bleed red blood...


and the striders didnt look organic at all to me, they are mechanical...

 

[Darkside55]

The Combine's vehicles are techno-organic. They seem to have organic properties to them but they're also mechanical. They're engineered lifeforms, I suppose.

The thing is, Race-X's technology does not like one iota like a strider, or the Combine manatee, or that whatever-it-is in Valve's concept art (the thing that kinda reminds me of a floating spider). Race-X is all biological; they have no use for metallurgy. The Xenians, also, are primarily biological, although they use machines for certain tasks, and they're an industrialized race.

If anything, the Combine / Dr. Breen might have learned techniques from Race-X and/or the Xenian races, and putting a more human twist on things; however, learning such things would not make either race your benefactor. A benefactor is someone who is SUPPLYING you with something, not one who has simply provided you with the know-how to do it on your own. Not unless Dr. Breen really doesn't know the meaning of the word.

So no, that can't be. Someone--or someTHING--gave them the Citadel. I like Jonbob's idea that the Combine are the benefactors of Dr. Breen. That puts an entirely new spin on things; that'd suggest that Dr. Breen is not in control of the Combine, he may just be their designated face to put on the airwaves. Maybe he's someone in their employ, rather than vice-versa. And the Combine still don't strike me as alien, like Reaperman was saying. Although the fact that they do seem to speak some strange language is evidence to the contrary.

 

[Reaperman]

The Combine's vehicles are techno-organic. They seem to have organic properties to them but they're also mechanical. They're engineered lifeforms, I suppose. .

as for the striders, what makes you think they are even semi-organic?

they dont "bend" they dont make noise, they are just walking tanks, bullets even bounce off them like metal...

what makes you think they are alive...

 

[Darkside55]

The strider has a very organic look to the underside of it. Look at the concept art of it; it has a very slick, kinda slimy insect-like look to it. Also the other Combine vehicles have an organic look to them. The manatee...well...looks like a manatee! It's the least organic looking of the three vehicles we've seen, but it still looks like it has some kind of organic property to it. Has that sectioned, exoskeleton-like armor.

And look at the Combine gunship. It looks like some kind of crab/spider-thing. The only sections of that that are even metal-looking are the front, the coverings on the back thrusters, and the two front "limbs" of the craft. The rest of it looks like fibers and weird tissue...I can't really think of a way to describe it but it's wholly organic looking, aside from those metal pieces.

I'm not saying that the vehicles have to be alive in some way...but they DO seem to have organic components to them. And I think that, after Black Mesa, humans would've really wanted to get in on that symbiosis technology that the Xenians and Race-X had. And having at least semi-sentient vehicles would be a real boon...real-life armies are already using unmanned aircraft. We do know that the strider is a tank though...but I keep imagining that the cockpit is an organic chamber inside it. So perhaps it can operate alone, perhaps only with a person inside of it. But it just looks organic to me.

Edit: Also, don't forget that the garg was organic, and bullets bounced off of it like nothing. Didn't even annoy him.

 

[AzzMan]

I thnk the benefacors are some as-of-yet-unseen race of aliens, whom I think we'll find out later in the game.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Me? I agree with the 'Breen is a media face for the Combine, not in control of them' theory.

 

[Brian Damage]

Could be...

I don't think we actually saw much of Race-X's tech apart from what the Shocktroopers carried with them, though, did we?

 

[Sulkdodds]

True. But if they were able to buil something like the Combine Citadel, surely they'd apply the same technology to weapons instead of using a symbiotic shock-roach?

 

[Brian Damage]

Well... maybe the technology for a giant monolith with a wall that devours cities doesn't necessarily translate well into a hand-held weapon?

 

[chimpmunk]

I made my own theory about the combine, but it contains possible SERIOUS SPOILERS (if ever i'm right) so, if you want to know PM me, i won't put it there because of my "sources" , (shame on me.)

 

[EVIL]

In the demo from Vivendi's booth, when Gordon is walking around the station there is a looped video of Dr. Breen welcoming you into City 17. Breen makes the comment that he enjoys City 17 so much that he himself resides in the Citadel that has been "generously donated by our benefactors."

I'm sure some people were under the impression that Dr. Breen was the Administrator. We know that he's a scientist, and he's obviously the figurehead (if not leader) of the Combine. But if he is also the Administrator, why would he have a benefactor? The Administrator is supposed to be the top guy, the head honcho...a man with enough clearance to run Black Mesa.

You'll recall that the G-Man was unwilling to name his mysterious employers. Now, Breen displays similar behavior. We now know that one of G-Man's employers is the Administrator. I think that if Breen is indeed the Administrator, these other employers are even higher-up than he is on the chain of command. More shadowy figures controlling the strings, it would seem.

Another theory is that Dr. Breen is not the Administrator at all, but rather just an important scientist, or maybe even a G-Man himself. The Administrator has more than one operative; who's to say that he didn't keep a scientist in his employ?

And the last theory that I can come up with is that the Combine Citadel is, indeed, a gift from extraterrestrial benefactors. But who, is the question? The citadel is a massive construction of metal and gears...neither the Xenians nor Race-X use such technology; they favor techno-organics. This seems more like a human construct...perhaps there are some other aliens who use similar (albeit far more advanced) technologies as ours who have some stake in this?

Spoiler

benifactors are obviously the combine. the APC, gates etc. have similar style and they dont look human at all. My theory is that The combine are trying to invade earth and enslave the humans by telling some roll figures like dr.breen that they want to help them to get rid of the Xen invasion for them. obviouly earth has suffored bilions of casualties because of this xen invasion. therfore it would seem wise to accept this offer if it would allow the human race to exist. Now the number city's (City 14, City 17 etc) places provided as a place where you can live without the threat of getting headcrabbed etc. dr breen has set his home in city 17. I still havent figured out how this "one part is wrong, but the other part is spectacular wrong" comment fits in this

oh and the striders etc look like aliens enslaved with technology (dino riders anyone) and the combine also use combine tech for vehicles like the APC and the helicopter, maby they arrest the humans (seen in various images) to enslave them and transform them with tech into combine soldiers and metrocops

the mini series V seems to fit with the hl2 info that I gathered with information from magazines and interviews. this what I just said seems to fit in this, i will put it in spoiler tags to be shure anyway.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

I thnk the benefacors are some as-of-yet-unseen race of aliens, whom I think we'll find out later in the game.

Biozeminades!

 

[bigun]

Well we know that the Administrator is not the G-Man as Marc Laidlaw, the writer, has stated this in numerous interviews.
However - there is a possibility Breen is the Administrator - we just dont know yet.
The Combine are obviously the 'Benefactors' Breen refers to. However, they do look suspiciously humanoid - maybe a 'combination' of both humans AND aliens.
It seems pretty self evident Breen represents humanity giving up and submitting to the aliens.
The Scientists probably represent trying to kill the hostile aliens, whereas the G-Man may represent the group trying to kill ALL the aliens. Who knows - this last bit is conjecture.

Remember at the end of HL1 the war seemed to be going quite well :
"The Border world, Xen, is under our control for the time being thanks to you"

Whereas now everything is going to shit.

So Xen is only a Border World - does this mean there is another World of which Xen is just a satellite? Perhaps this main world is where the 'Alien Big Guns' Gabe refers to come from.

 

[skull24]

The Combine are????

I think the Combine are humans that fight in other worlds and now came back to the Earth, to insure order and containment of hostile aliens that live on our world now. They wear mask and other gear because its just part of the job and they have too. I think one of their leaders are former marines from the Black Masa and I think Speahpard for OP. is one of them because remember the G-man had a "job" for him as well.

Barney is working for them as well and it seem he is wearing the same gear as the Combine police. The G-man is not running the show any more I think in the post war and rebuilding of what's left of Earth, he had 2nd thoughts about the way they were taking back control over the world and maybe lost control over the Combine to Dr. Breen. Dr. Breen, might have bought control back to the Earth though complete government control.

So, Im guessing there is no true "people's" government just control of them though the Combine and Im guessing the war is over for now. Speahpard must be MIA or something or sent on a suicide mission on an other world and has not be able to come back yet, other wise I think the soldiers would follow him more then Dr. Breen.

The Combine are just humans that are talking orders from Breen's government and he dose not know Gordon is there until later and tries to kill him for what ever reason. I think City 17 is just a small rebuilding area and I also think there is like other Cities like City 1 or City 14. Just areas that Breen's government is controlling and other areas are no man areas. These areas are mostly alien and dangerous not for humans, wild aliens like head crabs and other mutation of alien life forms. City 17 is just one of the biggest Cities in the Breen government. You can live outside these areas but you will end up dead or a zombie. The people must want to live free without the control of Breen's government and think they should live free because the "War" is over.

 

[Brian Damage]

Speahpard = Shepherd, yes?

 

[Pip]

I reckon the border-zone where the all-powerful nihlanth ruled was the only thing stoping the all powerful combine from invading earth.

Think about it, the combine have technololgy similar to earths though still alien in many ways (striders etc) but have vast, huge numbers of troops and equipment.

Anyway the Combine were always trying to conquer Xen but the powers of Nihlanth stopped them. After a while they gave up. Anyway eventually the g-mans group launched an invasion of Xen attempting to get hold of new minerals and riches etc not knowing about the combine on the other side. In the conflict until the time Freeman killed Nihlanth the human forces were severly depleted (all those dead soldiers at the end of HL and also the clean up crew, shepards lot, were rookies 'finally get to kill me something', 'nother training mission'). Anyway after Nihlanth was taken out the Combine soon saw thier own opportunity to takeout Xen and invaded where they were faced by only a small garrison of earth troops. Easily defeating this small group the combine set about finding where they came form and what power they had to destroy nihlanth.

Once Xen was conquered they turned thier sights to the new world on the otherside of Xen - Earth. With its resources spent in the conquest of Xen, the g-mans group couldnt hold them and the combine poured into earth. The conflict that ensued has spread all over the globe. After the war (in which nuclear weapons were deployed in an attempt to destroy whatever foothold the combine got, the majority of earths major cities were destroyed along with most of its miitary and civil defence forces. Seeing all was lost several of the g-mans group went over to the combine to save thier own butts (breen?). After earths defeat the combine set-up areas to hold the defeated population. These Cities set-up by the combine to contain the conquered have only numbers. In one of them City 17 the g-man and his remaining loyal allies have managed to gather together the last remaining vestiges of thier former influence, freeman, black mesa scientists etc, and are now plotting to beat the combine back.

Xen, a conquered area much like race-x's homeworld is also in turmoil, however several species of Xen have decided to side with the humans as the lesser of two evils and some, the now freed vortigaunts are more then willing to aid those that freed them from nihlanth slavery.

 

[Brian Damage]

That's a good one...

Does anyone remember that old anime series called "Robotech"? Remember how the Invid creatures in that could be moulded into any form suitable for the world they were living on? I wonder if the combine soldiers are similar...

 

[ferd]

Those biomechanics could be made by humans...it's in the future so...

Im getting really confused, with all those different theories... :x