View Full Version : Striders: Creature, robot, biomech?
djkanuk
20-06-2003, 01:58 PM
Do we know for sure yet what exactly striders are yet? They look rather like alien creature (spikies on the legs, crab-like joints and head-shell), but in the screenshot (http://www.planethalflife.com/screenshot.asp?src=/half-life2/screenshots/06.jpg) it has painted markings like the Combine soldiers and appears to have built-in laser and that 'warp' weapon, so it could also be a robot or a vehicle (driver and gunner in the cockpit somewhere).
My personal guess is that it's a biomech, a creature modified with weapons and armour.
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 02:05 PM
maybe there is no solution, other than the Valve team taking a dose of LSD while watching "War of the worlds", then proceeding to brainstorm new monsters afterwards...
yah...the striders and that flying thing is pretty confusing...they seem so organic, but then they have these weird weapons aswell that doesn't really seem to fit them all that well...
The Mullinator
20-06-2003, 02:06 PM
Ya they are deffinatly part of the Combine.
I have pictures posted in a moment...
GOoch
20-06-2003, 02:07 PM
Its got a Wobbly abdomen for a gun so who knows.?
Just watch in the vids it looks realy weird.!
ComradeBadger
20-06-2003, 02:09 PM
I agree with Mullinator.... I reckon it's part of the Combine...
can't wait for pics btw :), I havn't seen all the HL2 videos, only those that came with PCGamer
the striders are definatly creatures from a biomech alien race witch is apperently part off the combine. I think the combine soldiers are arrested humans (that once lived in city 17) and are in controll by some sort off combine biomech creature that sit's in the tower. thats my idea
The Mullinator
20-06-2003, 02:28 PM
Take a look at the symbols on these two, one is the combine soldier from the jail screen and the other is a shot of the top of a strider.
Same symbol isnt it?
EDIT: longer "moment" than I thought.
Yeah.. it looks like tis the same symbol indeed. only the one on the strider is a inverted (negative) version from the one on the soldier's back. and the fleying helicopter creature dident attacked the combine soldiers.. only you so that means that they are the same. (troops are in controll by the combine IMO)
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 02:36 PM
no it isn't...
I IS!,
/me slaps PriNcE oF SpAcE in annoiance
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 02:42 PM
no it's not...
btw is it me or did you change your last post?
yeah iIdid. srry. but I have learned to change the post of I quickly want to add sometghing. and not post 5 post's in a row because I want to add something new
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 02:47 PM
then use the edit instead of "delete"/"post new" otherwise it gets confusing...
simmo
20-06-2003, 02:50 PM
i'm confused
I did used the edit. I never do the delete post new thing. NEVAH!! it doesnt shows a EDITED by EVIL on blah blah message when you edited the post within 5 min
BTW.. cool sig Simmo2k3 :)
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 02:55 PM
oh ...k didn't know there was any difference...then it's just lame.
since people can read and respond to a thread withing 5 min.(as I just did)
mostly when I reply there isnt anyone in the forum. so this is the first time someone complained.. maby I should add the word "edit:" infont off the new stuff
edit: see.. I recently addded this :P
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 03:03 PM
nah...it's ok...not your fault that the forum does that.
btw. it's still not inverted/negative...and I can prove it ;)
okey.. prove it.. NOW
/me wants da pr00f
Wesisapie
20-06-2003, 03:29 PM
bash.org
WTF is this.. fockoff with your link wsisapie. explain it or DIE!!
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 03:51 PM
k...I'll prove it. just wanted to give you one last change to bend in the dust and aknowledge that you were wrong :P
well...of course proof is what proof can be in this case...this means that you could always argue that I'm wrong...but if you look at this in a logical way you will know that I am right.
first off, it is not a negative...it's not even the same colour scheme so it's pretty obvious that it's not a negative. since asuming those are clean colors used, the black would be white and vice versa.
now to the second part. the coloured areas aren't inverted either(I'm assuming by inverted you mean that the coloured areason the combine is what is left "blank"(canvas colour) on the strider and vice versa)
this is not true either....remember that just because something is black or dark, doesn't mean that it's the painted part(white chalk on black paper)....I'm a little suprised that you Evil with you graphic background didn't catch on to this.
so...now look at the combine...now following logic, I would assume that the black colour is the background colour...or the blank spaces at the "canvas"(being the black square) since the black is in abundance(sp?) and you also got the white numbers. so I would assume that actually this is white print on black background/canvas not the other way around.
now if you look at the strider and apply same logic...you would assume that the darker red is the painted part, since the lighter "strider colour" is its base colour. now the the dark red on the strider is painted just like the white on the combine...so no invertiness there either.
although the black in the combines symbol is closer to the red-ish colour on the strider....you'd have to look at the "Canvas's" blank and coloured areas instead....since black doesn't translate into red...but blank canvas transaltes into blank canvas....
you see what I mean?
MAN... that you go trough all this trouble to prove it. I looked at both pictures for 2 seconds and they kinda resembled eachother so I said they where the same. sjeehs :)
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 04:00 PM
no u said they were inverted/negatives of each other which they're not...
i dont think you understand what i mean. if you ensist I will back my first secon thought;s about the symbol up with a nice photoshop quicky :) but first i have to spend more quality time on the forums because badger is treying to steal my no1 poster status :)
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 04:14 PM
I ensist!
but try to explain a little clearer what you mean then...
Okey.. this explains the logo's on the back. they look very similar but ass you can see there are some diffrences.
If you take the dark area's from the logo and convert it ass a black and white version. and ad a negative filter ontop off it then you would have almost the same symbol ass the symbol on the combine soldiers back. see image:
http://evilnies.t35.com:8000/Final_Judgement.jpg
Only ass you can see the basic sturcture and the style off the symbols are similar, but the symbols self are diffrent. As you can see the symbols on the combine look like they are 2 white qwart circles. However the sybol on the strider look like they are 2 half circles. see image:
http://evilnies.t35.com:8000/theorie1.jpg
also the background shape is diffrent the strider has a vertical reversed drop and the soldier has a circle. I dont know what the shape means so dont ask me. but i have a theorie on why the basic black and white image is negative on the soldier and positive on the strider, because the soldier with the black mask is a soldier that only operates inside (explains the use off a black mask to get not detected) and the positive image off the strider explains that is a creature unit that can only be deploid outside. (I bet the fleying helicopter creature unit has a positive symbol).
This brings me to the conclusion that they are both part off the combine forces and that the symbolls on thier back are a way of telling what kind off unit they are. a sort off code system that tells what is what. and where it can be deployd etc
I hope this explains some things and it sure raises some question about the exact use off the symbols.
(I am srry if the server is slow. theye are doing some maintainance. wich will result in a faster network after I hope)
Farrowlesparrow
20-06-2003, 05:32 PM
You two need to get out more.
lOol.. I like to analize things. Nothing wrong with that.
Tull91
20-06-2003, 05:39 PM
*in reply to Farrowlesparrow*
now thats exactly what I thought...
Oo.. "mummy, I am scared. my dogs are getting mean"
/me puts bots parent's for sale on e-bay.. haha.. I showed them!
righte0us
20-06-2003, 05:55 PM
Originally posted by Wesisapie
bash.org
best site ever.
ComradeBadger
20-06-2003, 06:02 PM
yep, now theres proof that they ARE Combine.... I said it alll along... and they said I was crazy ... :P
/me giggles.. wel actually.. *gets interupted by a misterious thingy*
AAhh..
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 08:03 PM
Evil u smock!http://www.buis2.net/forums/images/smilies/lol.gif
Only ass you can see the basic sturcture and the style off the symbols are similar, but the symbols self are diffrent. As you can see the symbols on the combine look like they are 2 white qwart circles. However the sybol on the strider look like they are 2 half circles. see image:
the stuff you mention here got absolutely nothing to do with what you first said...this got absolutely nothing to do with negatives or inverted symbols...you're talking about an all together new symbol dude.
also you're still messing up the negative stuff...as I said, following logic the soldiers symbol is "White print on Black background(blank canvas)" now just because the red pattern on the strider is closer to black, doesn't mean that it replaces black! now if you use my first argument the White stuff is what is printed on an empty background(being black for the combine soldier and being the brighter yellow-ish base colour of the strider)...this mean that the red on the strider simply replaces the white on the combine soldier...there is no negatives nor any reverted blank/painted canvas stuff.
also even if I agree with you that they might be different symbols, symbolising what kind of troop they might be...you ever stopped to think about that maybe they are actually the same symbol? remember that the "shell" of the strider seems very uneven and is also a curved surface....perhaps what we're seeing is actually a perfect circle(as on the combine soldier) just looking a bit odd because of both the angle and the uneven surface it has been applied to(notice you use a total flat surface when tilting the symbol)...although I agree with you that it does look like it has a drop and that those might be two half circles instead of quarts...I see it's entirely possible for it to be the same symbol...the prolonged shape could in fact be a trick on the eye...because the the two assumed half circles are indeed quart-circles instead only going half down the full circle...making it look like in an odd angle and curved surface to be a drop.
I guess only time will tell...I'm looking forward to the direct feeds...I think we'll be able to study the symbols in the strider sequence if we get rid of the blurry-ness.
ps. the indoor/out-door was far fetched... http://www.buis2.net/forums/images/smilies/lol.gif
Farrowlesparrow
20-06-2003, 08:42 PM
This is all just an elaborte way for you two to get more posts. That or you're really really boring and argue about a few little words.
PriNcE oF SpAcE
20-06-2003, 09:04 PM
we're not boring...we're bored...there's a difference....I don't this for post counts...I don't care about post counts either and I really doubt that EVIL does either.
can be farfetched. and i never sait that they ere positive the same symbol.. as i explained i looked @ the pictures for 2 seconds and i notised some basic resemblances i just said they where they looked the same. i did not said that i am 100% convinced they where the same.
Straylight
20-06-2003, 09:13 PM
I think the word "combine" implies a combination of mechanical and bio technology and at least striders and the hover craft have both.
-Straylight
FiShEh
20-06-2003, 09:55 PM
Yus it clear theres a alien presents to the combine an to the strider for certain. I think its more of a two sided affair rather than HL1 where it was Freeman,the aliens, and the army,
now it is:
gordon VS Xen and combine
combine VS gordon and Xen
Xen VS gordon and combine
everybody VS everybody
:)
FiShEh
20-06-2003, 10:04 PM
bah still confuzzeled
Okay, this is what bugging me. Are the Aliens and The Combine at war to? Are there THREE factions? It seem like it. And this can really drive the story on.
But what about the flying "thing"? The seem like biomechs to me, partly flesh, partly machine.
Private Snafu
20-06-2003, 11:55 PM
I don't know if it's been said already, but here's my take. Unlike the army of Xen, where they have mainly infrantry and some aircraft, (and slaves, whom i surmise begin their gestation as head crabs), the forces of the combine are more like a Terrestrial Army. You have the Combine Humanoid infrantry (who are either genetically created from scratch, or former humans who've had their nervous system taken over), and you have both the close air support in the form of the Manitee-like Scanners and ground infrantry support (a function generally served by armor) in the form of the Striders. As for the politics, i'm willing to bet that the Xen military and the Human military are allied against the Combine, seeing how the Combine combines the best of both forces. Its units are bio-mechanized like Xen forces, and their set up like a modern military, like the Human forces.
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 12:15 AM
Originally posted by EVIL
can be farfetched. and i never sait that they ere positive the same symbol.. as i explained i looked @ the pictures for 2 seconds and i notised some basic resemblances i just said they where they looked the same. i did not said that i am 100% convinced they where the same.
why do you keep twisting my words?
I'm the one saying they're possibly the same...you said that they might be different...
waoh! Evil's post is convincing....
EDIT: yay i got the fourth page!
LoneDeranger
21-06-2003, 01:36 AM
I dont get what this argument is about. For all intents and purposes, the symbol on the strider is definatelly a combine symbol (even though it looks a little different).
Morphys
21-06-2003, 12:44 PM
I agree
The Combine seen to posses an army of geneticly altered beings and/or biomechs.
But the Xen then? If we agree that the Strider and hoovercraft are a part of the Combine, then for all we know, the Xen seem to have only groundforces, like the ant lion and headcrab. What name does the big mosnter have, the one that can been seen smashing Gordon like a ball in the part of the video where he takes help from the ant lions? And are the Combine and the Xen really allied. They sure don't seem allied in the ant lion part of the movie. And that big wall in City17, is that Combine or Xen?
There must be even bigger monsters like that one.
I wonder what sort of bosses we might be seeing.
There's tons and tons of questions that need answering.
I want that game!
(sorry for my sometimes bad spelling)
ComradeBadger
21-06-2003, 01:23 PM
Vortigorns (the electrical 1s) are your allies in HL2 btw.... alliegences WILL change in HL2..... watch your back :)
Originally posted by mrBadger
Vortigorns (the electrical 1s) are your allies in HL2 btw.... alliegences WILL change in HL2..... watch your back :)
I wonder who made them..and how do they look?
Oh, yes. Another enemy I just remember is the flying little things with a saw, those seen chasing Gordon in the movie and he fights one of the with the crowbar. Are they the Vortigorns just not yet turned to Gordons side?
They always tend to do. I have a strong feeling that a you'll get a very unexpected ally.
Edit: What do those fighting alongside Gordon (Barney and the other humans) called? Are they only called The Resistance?
OK prince off space.. lets get into our tima machine and get back to the first page of posting in THIS thread.
I said:
Yeah.. it looks like tis the same symbol indeed. only the one on the strider is a inverted (negative) version from the one on the soldier's back. and the fleying helicopter creature dident attacked the combine soldiers.. only you so that means that they are the same. (troops are in controll by the combine IMO)
and you said:
no it isn't...
this very unclear post posted by YOU gives me the ideah that you didnt agreed on the part off the symbol being the SAME.. true?
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 04:24 PM
no...I didn't agree with you on the negative part!!!! see you're doing it again! >:O ..... :P
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 04:29 PM
oh yeah lets take another trip down memory-lane:
nah...it's ok...not your fault that the forum does that.
btw. it's still not inverted/negative...and I can prove it
this should pretty much have hinted what it was that I didn't agree with....
MAN!! HINTED.. if you would have made your first post alot more clearer then we wouldnt had this conversation to begin with!
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 04:34 PM
trust me it was clear enough! your fullstops are horrible! :P
what wasn't clear about it man!???
Farrowlesparrow
21-06-2003, 04:44 PM
Why are they dirty or sometihng?
Anyway. Negative doesn't always have to mean exact opposite in colour. It can just mean that dark is light and light its dark. So the dark bits on the symbol on the soldier become light on the strider. None of this matter, really it doesn't. Why are you even having this argument?
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 04:46 PM
geez you still don't get it....
you am quiting this stuff because I am sure will kill me in the end. I dont care anymore I you are right or I am right. lets end this unagreement right now. we both are right and we both are wrong.
if we dont stopp this then my children will hate yours visa versa and we are gettign a romeo and juliet sitation about one off our grandchildren falling in love etc.. en they will get killes
so bye!
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 04:57 PM
Originally posted by Farrowlesparrow
Anyway. Negative doesn't always have to mean exact opposite in colour. It can just mean that dark is light and light its dark. So the dark bits on the symbol on the soldier become light on the strider.
according to what? you're own little dictionary or something? :P
negative does mean exact opposite colours...the lights and darks parts is only true if you're talking about Grey scale images.
the definition of a colour negative(from dictionary): A colour negative recreates the motif's colours in their complementary colours
and as I also explained the...when talking colours just because black is closer to the red, it doesn't mean that is what it replaces on the strider...what matters though is what is the painted part and what is the blank canvas.
the soldier: is white print on black background
the strider: is red paint on the yellowis-base colour of the strider
now th red replaces the the "exact" white pattern on the soldier.
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 05:00 PM
Originally posted by EVIL
you am quiting this stuff because I am sure will kill me in the end. I dont care anymore I you are right or I am right. lets end this unagreement right now. we both are right and we both are wrong.
if we dont stopp this then my children will hate yours visa versa and we are gettign a romeo and juliet sitation about one off our grandchildren falling in love etc.. en they will get killes
so bye!
nah...as long as we keep it civilised as we have done this far...it's no problem.
but yeah it really doesn't matter that much(as long as I'm right :P just kidding) but hey! you wanted proof and I gave you that.
but yeah...lets just wait for the game to come out...
thnx man.. i am glad we can cut the crap because befoere you know it this gets childisch en we are trowing rocks to proove point :)
friends? :)
Farrowlesparrow
21-06-2003, 05:02 PM
Depending on where you are from words can carry different meanings no matter what it says in the dictionary. In this case thats probably no the reason. However sometimes you have to use the best word to fit. Perhaps negative or inverted was the only word to fit it. You could mean that the colours aren't exact opposites but that the darker bit is now the lighter bits and the other way round.
You are arguing over a stupid little thing. NOW JUST STOP!
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 05:04 PM
not arguing in my opponion...just discussing. there's a difference...
btw. farrow you're still not getting what I'm saying about the blank canvas and painted parts.
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 05:08 PM
but...uhm yeah lets get back on topic :P
I think they're bio-mechs or whatever...they seem like a mix of mechanics and organic-living stuff.... what I'm wondering is if they have some sort of pilote or if they just work on their own....
PriNcE oF SpAcE
21-06-2003, 05:11 PM
Originally posted by EVIL
thnx man.. i am glad we can cut the crap because befoere you know it this gets childisch en we are trowing rocks to proove point :)
friends? :)
were we ever "not friends"?
then I think you've been taking this the wrong way mate...
we where friends.. but this sounds so much better as a closing argument tag :)
Get back to topic and stop chatting!
Farrowlesparrow
21-06-2003, 07:26 PM
Why?
LoneDeranger
21-06-2003, 07:44 PM
A lot of this was discussed in the HL Theories thread, but here is what I think:
1. Most of the Xen aliens were killed. The survivors were turned into slaves or altered genetically/mechanically (striders and flying manatees) by some higher form of intelligence.
Note Nihilath's comment:
"their slaves, we are their slaves, we are"
2. Whoever "has Xen under their control" is out to do the same with the Earth. Notice that the prowler is a cyborg-type human, as the combine soldiers may be as well. Their plan is to strip the earth of it's natural resources (i.e. water) and round up any resistance to turn them into combine soldiers.
Note Nihilath's comment:
"thiefs, you all are theifs, you all are"
3. The role of the G-Man is uncertain, however from Nihilath's comments:
"you are man, he is not man, for you he waits"
"decieve you, he will decieve you"
.. it is more likely that he is working for the Combine.
Time will tell.
But I hope we get to know whos side G-man is on. But him being with the Combine does make some sense though..
I looked at the video once more, and remembered that the,as the man in the video says, fortress (all the big,moving walls) is made by the Combine. What purpuse does this fortress have? And mainly, what's inside? Well, from what the video shows it's some kind of tower, to the looks it seem built of metal/steel and is constantly being built upon. My guess is that Gordon will find some way to enter this fortress and find out many many answers that we all have for so long wanted.
I have no doubt at all that the story in HL2 will be one of the best we have ever had in a FPS-game before.
And HL3 actually doesn't seem like a bad idea.
(sorry for any bad spelling)
Farrowlesparrow
22-06-2003, 04:25 PM
The combine came from a merger between Microsoft and McDonald's. With the merge they created the ultimate monopoly. With their combined funds they bought out every other company on the planet and eventually started buying out some of the smaller nations. After a while they managed to buy the whole of Asia and Africa. What is going on in City 17 is the hostile take over of Europe.
ComradeBadger
22-06-2003, 05:01 PM
Some Xen aliens apparently wil be your allies :)
Originally posted by Farrowlesparrow
The combine came from a merger between Microsoft and McDonald's. With the merge they created the ultimate monopoly. With their combined funds they bought out every other company on the planet and eventually started buying out some of the smaller nations. After a while they managed to buy the whole of Asia and Africa. What is going on in City 17 is the hostile take over of Europe.
That's a theory not so far from reality :devil:
Originally posted by mrBadger
Some Xen aliens apparently wil be your allies :)
You mean the Ant Lions? That's only because you have a "weapon" that fools them to think you'r one of them. It doesn't work on the bigger (higher ranked) creatures.
Farrowlesparrow
23-06-2003, 02:16 AM
They said that slaves will be on your side now. As in the lightning dudes not the ant lions.
NiteStalker
23-06-2003, 11:16 AM
Just a question (don't say I'm stupid plz): What is the nihilant? Is it the big brainy guy in the end of HL? If it's not, tell me who it is...
Do we have to fight superbosses at each level end just like HL1?
PriNcE oF SpAcE
23-06-2003, 07:38 PM
I hope that if they make bosses it will be those "puzzle- kind -of- bosses" instead of those "empty-your-whole-arsenal-into-them-bosses"(they're sooo not fun!)
I find puzzle bosses annoying. i like to blast trough my bosses. not puzzle them to death :S
Axyon
23-06-2003, 07:44 PM
Originally posted by NiteStalker
Just a question (don't say I'm stupid plz): What is the nihilant? Is it the big brainy guy in the end of HL? If it's not, tell me who it is...
Yes.
PriNcE oF SpAcE
23-06-2003, 07:50 PM
Originally posted by EVIL
I find puzzle bosses annoying. i like to blast trough my bosses. not puzzle them to death :S
well...I like it when there are more to bosses than just more hitpoints....
NiteStalker
24-06-2003, 10:16 PM
Thanx Abom|nation
Originally posted by Farrowlesparrow
They said that slaves will be on your side now. As in the lightning dudes not the ant lions.
I don't like all this with allies. It seem toget a little out of hand. Barney, Alyx and the other humans are okay. But the other things are a little to much.
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