why is he cutting their penises off?

>>717422597
It's Breen's master plan to build his harem. If he's the only one with a penis left there's no competition

>>717422057 (OP)
Breen went full worst case scenario, his version of saving humanity is 99.9999% dead, some unrecognisable synth drones doing mindless labor and maybe ten best of the best minds saved on grub flash drives to be copied until they're worn thin.

This is Breen now
Feel old yet?

>i voted for trump, he's going to make america great again

>>717422057 (OP)
>tfw mogged by the combine soldier

>>717422057 (OP)
I think Breen honestly wanted the best for humanity, thought surrendering at the end of the seven hours war was for the best (I mean, come on, Nihilanth's shitty slave and makeshift clone army plus Xen wildlife fucked the US military, what chance would they have against the Combine). But I think he got swept up in everything after
>Oh, the Combine want to drain all the water. Well, humans can survive on what's left.
>Oh, the Combine want to turn our strongest into mind controlled troops. Well, that's a level of survival I guess
>Oh, the Combine are allowing the world to fall into ruin and only slightly show signs of caring about the Cities. Well, these are safer I suppose
He just let them push and push and knew he couldn't do shit against it, and hoped he'd be able to steer it all in a slightly better direction. Notice how happy he is when he thinks he can use Freeman as a bargaining chip. "Now I can make any deal I want with the Combine!"

>>717422057 (OP)
My favourite criticism of the Stalkers was that old Concerned GMod comic "My job is to push buttons all day and they removed my hands. What sense does that make?"

>>717422057 (OP)
Why does HL2 Combine soldier look so human compared to the ones from HLA? I mean the dude looks intact there while the grunts from HLA basically mutilated to the point they merged with their armor.

>>717424837
Earlier variants, less developed technology that takes a greater toll on the subject, I dunno. Alyx is supposed to be a prequel but its entire plot is from a different timeline so it's kind of up in the air.

I'd never join the combine.
>ICE offering a 50k signing bonus
I'd join the combine.

>>717423928
This. He's a good villain because his motives are understandable. He's a selfish dick but he also saw the power of the combine firsthand and assumed managed decline was preferable to immediate extinction.

Laidlaw already explained that Breen is a self-interested prick. He doesn't care about humanity etc it's all just cope. He learned of the Combine before the Resonance Cascade, of which he purposefully pushed Black Mesa into causing.

>>717425460
Not in the games = not canon = not relevant
Epistle 3 was shit

>>717425196
Keep your dick.
Abolish ICE and Overwatch

>>717425460
man that really ruins his character

>>717425460
that sounds like gay fanfic shit

>>717425460
>gaylord

>>717425460
But Gman pushed for the resonance cascade. It's outright stated in Episode 2 when Eli tells you Gman gave humanity the specimen that caused it and told him to expect "Unforseen Consequences".

>>717422057 (OP)
I would be completely fine with being the one on the left if I retained my mind. Being an augmented super solider for a galactic empire sounds rad, as long as I can actually process that it's rad.
Stalkers are fine punishments for terrorists, too. Better they work for me instead of costing me money in prison.

But no, the combine had to be assholes and remove the fun of being a space marine, so fuck that.

>>717422057 (OP)
Man why did Alyx have to be such a flash in the pan?
>premium headset that displays the experience as intended isn't made any more
>still have to deal with VR bullshit anyway
>mounting stupid tracking cameras
>finding a room big enough to play it
>breaking immersion every time you leave the play area on accident
I mean, Steam sucked when it came out and trying to download Half Life 2 just didn't work but at least you could and can still play the game the way the developers intended. There is literally no other way to play Alyx besides getting a VR headset

>>717425908
I wonder if future games will use the Combine'd assassins. I liked fighting them in Half Life and Black Mesa. They were entertaining to fight and gave the tripmines a purpose.

>>717426150
https://youtu.be/Y8blc_sPYy8?si=KJBE0RqoHrM2J4Ud

>>717426150
Because Valve had spent like a decade pivoting toward VR development and they had to make HLA to prove that it's not for nothing.

>>717425460
Wrong.

>>717426407
This is some gross coomer shit man. The music makes it especially offensive

Honestly I'm more offended by this than nigger, swastikas, or any other 4chan tier shit

>>717425196
Deporting alien freaks is like the opposite of joining the alien force bro

>>717426842
>equivocation fallacy
I accept your concession, drone.

>>717424837
It's just one of those things where they changed the design a bit because better technology allowed them to add more detail. You don't have to make up lore excuses for every little thing.

>>717423981
To serve as examples.

and it is beautiful

>>717422057 (OP)
didn't the event of Alyx almost ruined humanity with the combine and it's why things are so bad in HL2?
In Alyx, while the world is already really bad, civilians seems to have some a bit more freedom even if metrocops are still there, there's more combine units and ALL seem to retain more humanity, and there's even an intermediate stage between Metrocops and combine soldiers where they have all their free will intact. Compare this to HL2 and not only citizens have even less freedom, but almost all combine units have their free will removed outside of metrocops, who also are given bigger sanctions and threats.

>>717430386
>didn't the event of Alyx almost ruined humanity with the combine and it's why things are so bad in HL2?
It's certainly implied that way.

Breen is against that though

>>717423570
He unironically has though?

>>717430876
anon, reread my post, I didn't say Israel

>>717424837
The most likely true reason is that Valve artists wanted to take a bit of inspiration from the stalker. The faceplate etc. It looks more brutal.
The HLA design is honestly a more practical and simple design too. Like they actually thought about the logistics of how a system like a Combine soldier could work with minimal compatibility issues and minimal points of failure. No risk of a speck of dust inside the mask getting in your eye and distracting you when your eyes are a sensor array at the front of your mask. Less latency when it's wired to your brain.
The HLA Combine soldiers are helpless outside of Combine infrastructure though due to being so biologically integrated with their gear. The HL2 ones seem more integrated with Earth's ecosystem, like they could remove their damaged armor and cook up a headcrab for food. The HLA soldiers may not even have a jaw and mouth for all I know - although it is likely that they do have one unless their speech is entirely synthesized.
I'm not entirely sure that the HLA soldier is what all Combine soldiers will look like from now on though. HLA concept art of a helmetless Combine Ordinal shows him as a HL2-style soldier, so it may be that nothing is really set in stone with the design. (bottom left corner)

>>717431147
>gushes about character design practicality
>every helmet has retarded bulging eyesockets that would absolutely limit peripheral vision
We already know what the optimal uniform looks like, and it's a diaper for niggers.

>>717422057 (OP)
A rebel Human instinctive BMRF scientist professor and theoretical physics doctorate was teaching a class on Gordon Freeman, known anticitizen
"Before the class begins, you must get on your knees and worship Freeman and accept that he was the most opportunely timed being the world has ever known, even greater than Wallace Breen!"

At this moment, a memory erased, patriotic, pro-universal union Overwatch soldier who had served 1500 tours of offworld duty and understood the necessity of the suppression field and fully supported all military decisions made by the Universal Union stood up and held up a model of a man.

"What's the greatest endeavor?"

The arrogant professor smirked quite instinctively and smugly replied "our biological imperative and doing your part"

"Wrong. It's collaboration. If it is instinct, would we model ourselves on the Trilobite? Did the lungfish refuse to breathe air?"

The professor was visibly shaken, and dropped his chalk and copy of Raising the Bar. He stormed out of the room crying those reactionary and fearful tears.

The students applauded and all joined civil protection that day and accepted Our Benefactors as their savior. An Advisor named "Universal Union" flew into the room and perched atop the combine emblem and shed a tear on the supply crate. Humanity's surrender was read several times, and Our Benefactors themselves showed up and enacted immortality across the species.

The scientist lost his rations and was relocated the next day. He died of the preventable plague called age (when immortality is in our reach), and was tossed into a layer of broken plastic shards thinly strewn across a fossil bed, sandwiched between the Burgess shale and an eon's worth of mud for all eternity.

Be safe, Be aware

>>717431410
>every helmet has retarded bulging eyesockets that would absolutely limit peripheral vision
The HLA Combine soldier helmet model has insectoid ocular arrays right under the transparent outer surface of the lens. They mechanical eyes of the mask are angled outwards to provide a reasonably wide field of view. Looking through one wouldn't be like looking through an old gas mask.

>>717430876
Shalom

>>717424837
streamlined tech, more familiarity with human biology, that's my guess anyway

>>717431656
>the retarded helmet ergonomics are good because ermm... *sci-fi magic garbage handwave*
Okay, then just give them a totally flat face mask with a level 5 steel plate in it bolstered by artificial neck muscles. Because the exterior has nanoniggers in it or something that allows perfect sight somehow.

This is why I hate Half-Life's universe, and the retarded fanboys who were genuinely fooled by that time /v/ raided a "Greatest Hero Ever" poll ran by GameFags. You love these stupid half-assed half-measures that would be laughed out of any sci-fi medium that isn't vidya games, i.e. the last bastion for worthless retards. Then you insist it's peak 3-digit IQ writing because you're a sexless moron.

>>717431410
shut up you joyless retard it looks cool

>>717432279
>This is why I hate Half-Life's universe, and the retarded fanboys who were genuinely fooled by that time /v/ raided a "Greatest Hero Ever" poll ran by GameFags. You love these stupid half-assed half-measures that would be laughed out of any sci-fi medium that isn't vidya games, i.e. the last bastion for worthless retards. Then you insist it's peak 3-digit IQ writing because you're a sexless moron.
>Okay, then just give them a totally flat face mask with a level 5 steel plate in it bolstered by artificial neck muscles. Because the exterior has nanoniggers in it or something that allows perfect sight somehow.
Alr lil bro

>>717432279
>incoherent schizo ramble
Damn bro no way

>pulls out the gay gray retard JPEG
>posts again 1 exact reply timer later to try and make false consensus
Fucking lol

What is it with Half-Life attracting autistic schizos?

>>717431410
>We already know what the optimal uniform looks like
Enjoy getting blinded by lasers and eating a face-full of drone shrapnel

>>717432279
Meds
Are there really people obsessing like this over an 11 year old game?

>>717422057 (OP)
Neil Breen?

>>717425460
That is... incredibly retarded. Breen doesn't even look like HE'S living in luxury, look at his fucking office: it's open to the smoggy air outside, cold metal, and his only decor is a leather office chair, a mahogany desk and a bust of himself. He moved from administrating BM to stamping papers on how to sterilize the planet. Ironically I don't even see the psychopaths managing our governments or corporations trying to let this happen, it would take someone misanthropic from the dredges of society to willingly bring about this.

but muh gdp!

>>717433301
half-life is not written well, laidlaw was just gabe's friend

>>717428585
Ironically not the case because stalkers are (from what we've seen) not for public viewing whatsoever. It's purely an act of spite the combine enact upon those who stand against them.

>>717422057 (OP)
if Combine invaded, /pol/ would fully support them
>ACTUALLY, being a mindless drone is good because...

>>717431424
>That student was Eli Vance.

>>717432957
sadly yes. there are two types of fans. those who think and discuss things rationally and those who obsess and cry about how thing x looks different in the latest game.

>>717423728
combine soldier can probably mog elite athletes and the elite soldiers of most nations, now combine elites can probably mog everyone without exception

>>717422057 (OP)
Daily reminder that Gordon won in the end

>>717431424
an advisor just flew over my house!

>>717422057 (OP)
What do they eat?

>>717422057 (OP)
What are you anti-combine or something?

>>717435493
Baby food.

>>717430658
>I cannot believe that you did this Gordon. How could've gone against Combine?

Your response?

>>717425908
If you actually listen to the combine soldier blurbs and messages they get over their helmets you'd know that you really wouldn't want to be one of them. They're basically always drugged up.

>>717422597
Breen has severd dicks he carries with him and sucks them like lollipops.

>>717436009
>They're basically always drugged up.
I'm already always drugged up, except I'm not a super soldier with special rights and authority

>>717423570
lol

>>717426228
>future games
Kek. There will be no "future games" in the half life series. Not until Steam runs out of steam or Gabe dies.

>>717425460
doesn't make sense therefore not canon

>>717430658

https://youtu.be/prSVaiGeHCk - I loved his game on the 3DO

>breen apologists
Breen's real deal with the Combine is that they let him die of old age in peace and comfort while the rest of humanity withers away

>>717422057 (OP)
This is what getting the jab does to you then you will have to get implants to make up for the dead limbs and failing immune system, cerebral palsy and plastic in your blood

>>717438652
>plastic in your blood
You don't have to get the jab for that

>>717422057 (OP)
Its either that or going in the oven

>>717435848
Right click spas 12

>>717431410
Anon writes the 7 hour war:
>US military gets invaded by the exact same US military
>after 7 hours breen calls in a surrender because everyone is mixed up together and candy tell who's on which side

>>717422597
Don't need them

Breen should've just let the Combine wipe out all humanity

>>717422057 (OP)
It's also want you modern liberals want for humanity so I don't know what you're pretending to be upset about.

The zaku elites are my favorite, do they even have human faces anymore?

>>717430876
oh goycattle

keep saying this while prices keep going up from the old man in office

>>717430876
Yes I love going to war with Iran on Israel's behalf.

>>717440643
Thats, no zaku boy.

>>717440764
That's the deep state trying to retaliate. Trump needs time to clean house and consolidate power and once that happens, this shit will stop. EU will bow to us, Russia will bow to us, China, India and so on.

>>717441186
Why didn't "the deep state" just kill Trump or rig the vote if they don't want Trump as President?

>>717441529
Killing Trump would have made him a martyr. They tried to rig the election, but the support for Trump was just too great this time around.

>>717440764
Prices are down though?

>>717441749
>Killing Trump would have made him a martyr
So what? Same thing happened with Kennedy, didn't change anything

>>717441529
They tried twice

>>717441997
They tried twice, but then decided it wasn't worth it anymore?

>>717441970
You just don't get it because you have libmind.

>>717435848
I FUCKING LOVE SEXY HELMETS AND ARMORS SO MUCH.

>>717441749
>They tried to rig the election, but the support for Trump was just too great this time around.
So you'd say the support for Trump wasn't great in the 2020 election?

>>717442065
Looks like it, or they found some other way to compromise him.

>HL thread
>trump out of nowhere

>>717441529

>>717434812
are they truly in the same universe or is the borealis from the HL universe's aperture science? while it would be cool to get a portal crossover the tone of the games are so different

>>717442207
Trump would have won 2020, but that election was rigged with various cheating methods that didn't work in 2024. Plus Trump had even greater support by then because even normies are getting fed up with globohomo.

I thought Epistle 3 was absolute dogshit. I have no idea why people took it as gospel for the HL conclusion. The Dyson Sphere reveal was kino, admittedly, but everything else in the draft was just terrible. I'm kinda glad Valve opted for a do over with Alyx's ending.

>>717442365
I mean Marc Laidlaw and by extension Valve have said they don't care for "canon". But both of the Portal games make direct reference to Half Life lore and obviously HL2 E2 makes direct reference to Portal lore so they are generally accepted to take place in the same universe.

>>717442207
They used the COVID hoax and tanked the economy to smear Trump back then and it worked, sadly. Most people were still asleep or barely awake back then, but this is changing.

>>717442365
we cant know for certain, but the original draft of portal 1's ending was that chell would portal through a crack in the wall and find herself in Xen.

>>717442365
>>717442675
>>717442910
They really fucked up with the whole "Portal and HL are in the same universe" thing when they made Portal 2. Portal 1 was relatively grounded and the tone wasn't too comedic or wacky. Portal 2 on the other hand just doesn't fit in the same world as the combine invasion.

>>717443748
this makes me want a series of glados getting increasingly irritated by the combine trying to aquire the portal gun technology

>>717422057 (OP)
those are temporary, until they manage to overcome zen infestations and the resistance on earth.
humans will eventually become immortal cyborgs

>>717443748
It's also the fact that they started using painted textures in Portal 2, opposed to the photographic textures of HL2 and Portal 1.

>>717422057 (OP)
only for the undesirables

>>717446887
Right is for undesirables, left is for loyal soldiers.

>>717442351
Mossad were able to blow up select targets by tampering with the supply chains and putting bombs in pagers and watches. If the "deep state" wanted trump dead, they're not doing it via a shooter in this day and age.

>>717448387
If they used a tactic like with the pagers everyone would know it's a conspiracy. They have to make it look like a lonesome perpetrator.

>>717422057 (OP)
I went to an amusement park yesterday and there was some 14 year old kid wearing a half life shirt, lol. Crazy to think HL2 is older than most zoomers

>>717448878
That was a skibidi shirt, boomer.

>>717422057 (OP)
If our global elite had their way then this would be us too.

>>717423570
i think we call this "rent free"

>>717423570
He has done more good for america than any other president has in the last 20 years.

>>717427117
>deporting illegal immigrants is totally the same thing as what the combine did
Mental illness.

>>717422057 (OP)
What is the purpose of keeping the limbless dickless blind starving guy alive? What purpose could he possibly serve with that body? Is it just to humiliate them and make them suffer?

>>717433453
Laidlaw is an award winning novelist. He’s limited by the fact that you can’t really “write” a game. The writer’s job is to take all the crazy ideas from all the different artists and level designers and figure out how to cobble it together into something that makes any kind of sense.

>>717449257
It's a bit of a "waste not" approach, you get rid of a problem and get a worker (a terrible not very competent worker) that will do what you ask until it rots

I came up with a design for how advisor combat could work, maybe Valve thought of the same thing? We saw the prototype but it was lame which is why they didn't put it in.

To keep it short, anything in an advisor's sphere of influence loses all gravity. Characters not supported for it just become ragdolls or die. Advisors act like planetary bodies and you have local orbit around advisors; regardless of what can damage them, you use the gravity gun to grab objects in orbit and punt them to send you in the opposite direction proportional to their mass. That's how you fly around and also the camera is unconstrained in null gravity so it behaves like a 6dof shooter. Advisors close together have the same sphere of influence but far enough apart you could fling from the orbit of one advisor to another with the right object. Maybe bring back the long jump or make it work like it does in Black Mesa. If the long jump runs out, you get around with the gravity gun. Advisors with claws and hands can melee or otherwise fire orbs that'll disintegrate the player. You can absorb a number of them with the gravity gun to get the super gravity gun which can grab the next orb and fire it back or grab larger, heavier objects in orbit.

Somebody should code this up in gmod.

>>717449736
Obedient though these things may be what kind of work could it possibly do? Looking at them i doubt they'd even last a full day.

>>717440353
This is going to make me pay attention to shoulder pads on vidya soldiers, huh.

>>717450024
They push buttons. Also they have lasers

>>717440353
>>717450079
Armacham undoubtedly did it better.

>>717431147

>>717448986
Why would they care?

He was in a tough spot seemed to have only 2 choices for humanity.
either die then and there or die later.
and while dire and soulcrushing lets not forget that his choice left room for the actions of HL2 to develop.

>>717453545
>the decisions of the submissive dictator let the events of the events of the rebellion to happen
Yeah no shit faggot

>>717454213
ok nigger

>>717430876
of what use is removing illegals when legal immigration persists above demographic replacement levels and foreign wars of no benefit to the average american continue to drain the country of billions of dollars?

>>717430658
Based Breen-pilled poster.

>I can't believe you turned against the Combine! Why would you? Why would you turn against the Combine?

>>717454213
ever read anything of the Xeelee sequence?