HL2 gives too few clues about what is going on.

[Weightedcube]

First time I played through HL2, I had no idea what I was doing. Seriously, the only connection to Black Mesa and HL1 I could figure out was that Barney was the representative of all security guards (barneys).

And that was just because I had seen the guards being referred to as barneys in forums and such. Remember that the word barney was never mentioned in HL1, so a person who had just played the game would never realize that Barney in HL2 actually is one of the guards from Black Mesa. Much less a person only playing HL2.

I think Valve gave way too few clues about what was going on. Another example is Nova Prospekt, if the player doesn't look at the right security monitor in the right place (the monitor showing a person on an operating table), he would have no idea about what was going on. And even then it wouldn't be the easiest task to figure out that Nova Prospekt is where humans are transformed to Combine soldiers.

Reading "Raising the bar", it seems like Valve had a lot of plans to give more clues, e.g. the train ride in the beginning was meant to give a lot of info. But it ended up being like 10 seconds.

I'm not saying that I want the plot thrown in my face. But I think the first time playing through would have been a much more enjoyable experience if I would have been able to find out what Nova Prospekt was, why all the Xen monsters I saw in HL1 were around, that there actually had been an alien invasion, etc.

[ríomhaire]

I think the way the plot is told is quite brilliant, if only because it's allowed me to waste all my free time on this forum discussing it :P

[Kyorisu]

Ah one of the great things about HL most people have no idea what's actually going on.

[Pinkle]

I had no idea what was going on, I hadn't even played HL1 when I played HL2, but it was still AWESOME.

[Kdizzle]

I had no idea what was going on, I hadn't even played HL1 when I played HL2, but it was still AWESOME.

same way i feel, but i kinda took it all in a bit. (thats a small bit btw)

[Absinthe]

I had no problem understanding the story. To be honest, I think if you missed the point of Nova Prospekt, you'd have to have been willfully not paying attention. Almost everybody who played HL1 knew who Barney was in HL2, and his voice alone should have given it away. We never knew the scientist with glasses was called Kleiner either, but nobody seemed to have trouble adjusting to that.

That said, I do think Valve only did a merely satisfactory job of linking the game with HL1. There is quite a bit of information that has required research outside the game, be it from forum discussions or Valve e-mails. That's fine and all, as I like unraveling the series' mystery. But a lot of the bigger blanks really should have been filled in. Nihilanth's death triggered the portal storms, but you won't find an in-game confirmation of that. The hostile relationship between the Combine and Xenians? You'd have to ask a Valve employee. If you went off the game alone, you would have never been aware of their connection.

It was like everything that had transpired in or been involved with Black Mesa was reduced to a footnote, sans some returning characters and icons. Obviously, not everything needs to be fleshed out. I love the Half-Life universe and having everything laid bare for me to see would suck some of its fun out. But the significance of some things are diluted simply because Valve doesn't address them in their games. That should change.

[FrostXian]

It's made for smart people to understand, and others to enjoy.


How's that Druckles? Am I enough of an ass now?

[ZT]

I had no problem understanding the story. To be honest, I think if you missed the point of Nova Prospekt, you'd have to have been willfully not paying attention. Almost everybody who played HL1 knew who Barney was in HL2, and his voice alone should have given it away. We never knew the scientist with glasses was called Kleiner either, but nobody seemed to have trouble adjusting to that.

That said, I do think Valve only did a merely satisfactory job of linking the game with HL1. There is quite a bit of information that has required research outside the game, be it from forum discussions or Valve e-mails. That's fine and all, as I like unraveling the series' mystery. But a lot of the bigger blanks really should have been filled in. Nihilanth's death triggered the portal storms, but you won't find an in-game confirmation of that. The hostile relationship between the Combine and Xenians? You'd have to ask a Valve employee. If you went off the game alone, you would have never been aware of their connection.

It was like everything that had transpired in or been involved with Black Mesa was reduced to a footnote, sans some returning characters and icons. Obviously, not everything needs to be fleshed out. I love the Half-Life universe and having everything laid bare for me to see would suck some of its fun out. But the significance of some things are diluted simply because Valve doesn't address them in their games. That should change.


That was well said D:
I wish Valve would read that.

[Nicky 0123]

Thats one of the best points, you never quite know exactly what is going on, very similar to real life. You never know the full story.

[Absinthe]

Perhaps, but since in real life we are given the benefit of being able to question our environment, there has to be a level of compensation here. Especially with major events. In light of having an entirely mute protagonist, I think Valve could have done better.

Seeing as how I can't just go "Sup Kleiner, what's this portal storms business?", I'd like to be filled in some way. Not knowing the full story (or any of the story for that matter) in this case only obscures one of the major links between the two games. We're not talking about some trivial backstory detail like what's Eli's favorite soda flavor. It's hugely significant. Gordon's final act in the first game is directly responsible for the state of affairs in HL2, but that had to be confirmed through Doug Lombardi or Gabe Newell. The game makes no attempt at explaining things. It's unsatisfying, which is something no game should aim for.

Maybe Valve just trusts their fanbase to be inquisitive enough to entertain themselves. But I believe that's a shrinking dependency since I think more recent releases have improved overall with their narrative delivery. Episode 2 was the first time I ever felt like I was being sufficiently informed of the HL universe's happenings, and it felt good for a change.

[Druckles]

If you've come back here, then Valve have done their job.

By not answering enough questions, you come back here to find out more. Gets you all excited for 2010's Episode Three.

[Absinthe]

If you've come back here, then Valve have done their job.

By not answering enough questions, you come back here to find out more. Gets you all excited for 2010's Episode Three.

I really don't like that idea. "We'll purposefully withold cool and important information so you'll buy the next episode". While that works fine with the G-Man and the like, it's only annoying when it comes to other things. While that might get the job done in arousing interest and speculation, it does so in a particularly irritating fashion.

There is enough mystery in Half-Life to keep the series going. Valve doesn't need to hide away everything just to keep us on our toes. Narrative coherence is not something to be undervalued.

[ShadowJustice]

First time I played through HL2, I had no idea what I was doing. Seriously, the only connection to Black Mesa and HL1 I could figure out was that Barney was the representative of all security guards (barneys).

And that was just because I had seen the guards being referred to as barneys in forums and such. Remember that the word barney was never mentioned in HL1, so a person who had just played the game would never realize that Barney in HL2 actually is one of the guards from Black Mesa. Much less a person only playing HL2.

I think Valve gave way too few clues about what was going on. Another example is Nova Prospekt, if the player doesn't look at the right security monitor in the right place (the monitor showing a person on an operating table), he would have no idea about what was going on. And even then it wouldn't be the easiest task to figure out that Nova Prospekt is where humans are transformed to Combine soldiers.

Reading "Raising the bar", it seems like Valve had a lot of plans to give more clues, e.g. the train ride in the beginning was meant to give a lot of info. But it ended up being like 10 seconds.

I'm not saying that I want the plot thrown in my face. But I think the first time playing through would have been a much more enjoyable experience if I would have been able to find out what Nova Prospekt was, why all the Xen monsters I saw in HL1 were around, that there actually had been an alien invasion, etc.

The game tells EVERYTHING you need to know. The seven hour war, Breen taking over, the combine dominion on earth, the science team from black mesa setting up the resistance.... it tells everything you need to know, absolutely everything.

It is actually a stand-alone plot- you don't need to know anything else beside what the game tells you.

Try to play the game one more time and pay close attention to everything. Look at the newspaper clippings. Listen to the citizens, etc

[Jeron]

But I think the first time playing through would have been a much more enjoyable experience if ...

Well there you go. Nobody plays HL one time.
It's meant to play it numerous times. And Valve made sure you'd find out new stuff every time you replay it.

[Druckles]

I really don't like that idea. "We'll purposefully withold cool and important information so you'll buy the next episode". While that works fine with the G-Man and the like, it's only annoying when it comes to other things. While that might get the job done in arousing interest and speculation, it does so in a particularly irritating fashion.

There is enough mystery in Half-Life to keep the series going. Valve doesn't need to hide away everything just to keep us on our toes. Narrative coherence is not something to be undervalued.

I don't think Valve purposefully implant a lot of the mystery that we find in Half-Life 2. Sure, there's the Gman and the association with the Combine, and similar items which we know for certain are being kept from us, but then some of the things which Weightedcube talked about can be answered by spending a couple of months within a community such as this so we can answer each others questions. There are certain things in the games which can be missed, and there are questions which are answered outside the game in things such as interviews. They answered a lot of things in Raising the Bar, for example, which surprised me.

Personally I think the level of mystery that they have over Half-Life 2 is very well done. Assuming that they answer some of them in the next episode.

[Absinthe]

But not everybody read Raising The Bar and not everybody joins a game community. If you had just been introduced to the series with no prior familiarity, you wouldn't understand.

I believe making players depend on some secondary source outside of the game for answers is a bad practice. Significant story elements should be conveyed in the title itself, because that is the primary product that fans and new players alike are going to play and evaluate. Not a Prima booklet.

Besides, being exposed to such information in a game is far more entertaining and interesting than a short paragraph of text. Come on, Valve isn't a sucky developer. They've managed well enough with their characters giving necessary exposition. Why anybody would be more satisfied with an e-mail over an in-game explanation is lost on me. I guess some people revel in it, but I wish Valve give some things more immediate attention and clarity instead of just throwing it in the background for fans to dig up. Not that I'm accusing Valve of this, but it in a lesser title it would smack me as half-assed.

[Weightedcube]

I had no problem understanding the story. To be honest, I think if you missed the point of Nova Prospekt, you'd have to have been willfully not paying attention.
Ok, could you please tell me how one is supposed to understand that Nova Prospekt is where humans are transformed (unwillingly) to Combine soldiers?
There are some clues, but in my opinion, not enough:

1. Alyx at one points says "It used to be a prison, now it's something much worse". When I played trough it, I thought that just was referring to the fact that it had been infected with antlions and such, and that it still just was a prison.

2. The monitor showing the operating table. A good clue in itself, but not enough to tell the story.


That said, I do think Valve only did a merely satisfactory job of linking the game with HL1.
True.


The game tells EVERYTHING you need to know.
Ok, can you tell me how in the game I can find out the connection between HL1 and HL2? Nihilanth's death causing portal storms, the Combine following the Xen refugees, etc.


Actually, I don't think the scarcity of clues was intentional. It seems like they had a lot more plans to reveal more of the story in the beginning, but as development progressed areas were cut. (Like a long train ride in the beginning. Like Nova Prospekt showing a lot more of the places where they modified humans). They were so familiar with the story themselves (like many in this thread) so that the couldn't see that a new player wouldn't make all the connections they did.

[ríomhaire]

Ok, could you please tell me how one is supposed to understand that Nova Prospekt is where humans are transformed (unwillingly) to Combine soldiers?
There are some clues, but in my opinion, not enough:
It's enough if you put 30 seconds of thought into it.

BTW, there's one other hint:
"He was about to board the express to Nova Prospekt!"

[Weightedcube]

It's enough if you put 30 seconds of thought into it.

BTW, there's one other hint:
"He was about to board the express to Nova Prospekt!"
Well, the only thing that tells me is that Nova Prospekt is a place where I don't want to go. What I would have liked more clues about is what actually happens at Nova Prospekt, which I think is quite important to the story.

[FrostXian]

Well, the only thing that tells me is that Nova Prospekt is a place where I don't want to go. What I would have liked more clues about is what actually happens at Nova Prospekt, which I think is quite important to the story.

"He was about to board the train to Nova Prospekt!"
"People go there, they never come back, they board, but don't come off, they go there, they don't come back, they board.."
"It used to be a high security prison or something, it's.. something much worse now."
Inside Nova Prospect:
Security cams showing semi-transformed overwatch, check.
Security cams showing stalkers inactive and waiting, check.
Torture devices and heavy medical tools, check.

The only thing they haven't done is to outright tell what the place is used for.

But I agree, I wish they kept the train ride at the beginning, or some of the stuff mentioned in Raising The Bar.

[Triumvir]

Inside Nova Prospect:
Security cams showing semi-transformed overwatch, check.
Security cams showing stalkers inactive and waiting, check.
Torture devices and heavy medical tools, check.




Agreed, but those things are relatively minor and easy to miss unless you are looking at every video screen in the booths (which i didn't my first play-through). Wouldn't it have been cooler if the player could observe the human to soldier/stalker process to a greater degree?

[Absinthe]

Ok, could you please tell me how one is supposed to understand that Nova Prospekt is where humans are transformed (unwillingly) to Combine soldiers?
There are some clues, but in my opinion, not enough:

1. Alyx at one points says "It used to be a prison, now it's something much worse". When I played trough it, I thought that just was referring to the fact that it had been infected with antlions and such, and that it still just was a prison.

2. The monitor showing the operating table. A good clue in itself, but not enough to tell the story.

There is a scene on a monitor of Overwatch humans hooked up to Combine technology, giving the clear impression in conjunction with the other hints that it is an assimilation facility. You might have to use one of the monitors to switch to it.

[DJ88]

This guy speaks the truth. This is coming from a perfect example he stated. I bought the orange box but before I decided to play HL2, I played HL1. This was my first time ever playing a half life game.

In HL1 I was able to follow the story pretty well, it was just right, it left some mystery but still let me know what was going on. As soon as I beat it, I loaded up Half Life 2 not knowing a thing about the story. This time it was a completely different experience. I played and understood the obvious connections with HL1 like Barney, Kleiner, Eli, but I kid you not you can call me stupid whatever you want maybe its just me, but I never understood that the combine was an alien race. They ALL look like humans in uniforms and don't show anything at all that let's you know an alien race has modified them. The whole time I thought the combine was some evil military force like the Nazis or something. I never understood why the vortigaunts all of a sudden were on our side, why xen aliens were all over the place now. I heard the NPCs talking about the 7 hour war but I was never explained what it was. All I knew at the end of the story was that the combine were bad, were trying to create teleporting technologies, and that we had to stop them.

Its cool to have interesting tidbits or backstory in newspaper clippings posted on a wall, but to hide a key main point of the story in one? It wasn't until I looked here and other websites that I finally realized, ohhh the combine are an alien race too and they chased the xen aliens to earth through portal storms, ohhh the seven hour war was the combine taking over earth etc. It would have been much cooler to have found out all those things ingame than on an internet forum but it was still one of the best games I've ever played in my life.

I'm offically hooked and I cant wait to play through the whole game and the episodes again, this time understanding everything haha. Also can't wait for episode 3!

[ríomhaire]

You didn't know the Combine was alien? Did you not see the gigantic slug that Breen was reporting to?

[Samon]

The Half-life 1 connection was there and I don't think it needed to be elaborated upon that much more. Sure, it was vague and there could have been a bit more (someone acknowledge Nihilanth please?) but really the idea was that Half-life 2 was the aftermath of that. Half-life 2 was the post-Black Mesa world. And you, Gordon Freeman, are responsible.

We discover we opened up the gateways for something so much worse than the Xen refugees. We discover that the Administrator of Black Mesa is now managing the humanity/Combine transition. We find out that the few scientist survivors have now come together to resist the Combine (Using the Lambda Logo as their tag - the main goal of the first game). The guy who sent you up to the surface for help is still alive, managing the resistance. His daughter is there to aid you; she wears a Black Mesa hoody. It's discovered that the teleportation problem Black Mesa had (trying to go large distances and ending up in Xen) has been fixed and they are now able to "loop" around it.

There's a really strong connection there - everything that happens is a result of it.

I think the whole Combine/Xen relationship is something that is going to be elaborated upon much further down the line. That the Xenians were running from the Combine is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

Ok, could you please tell me how one is supposed to understand that Nova Prospekt is where humans are transformed (unwillingly) to Combine soldiers?
There are some clues, but in my opinion, not enough:

1. Alyx at one points says "It used to be a prison, now it's something much worse". When I played trough it, I thought that just was referring to the fact that it had been infected with antlions and such, and that it still just was a prison.

2. The monitor showing the operating table. A good clue in itself, but not enough to tell the story.

-Nova Prospekt is one of the first things shown to us in the game. We are almost put on a far from ordinary looking train in a creepily lit Station. That's clearly a bad thing right there.

-We are told it's something much worse than that now. Clearly it's been co-opted for a different purpose by the Combine and is no longer being used to detain people.

-We see a stripped Combine soldier and a Stalker on a monitor whilst Breen discusses the Overwatch itself at length. If being gutted of your humanity and transformed into a mindless abomination is not "much worse than that now", what is?

-We see a ton of Citizens in the depot where the odd-looking trains ran to. We know the Combine are augmenting humans and we know a great deal of people are being detained within the cities (those are the prisons now). So what are these people doing here? Well we have seen the Stalkers on the monitors - obviously this is where they are being co-opted.

-But then Nova Prospekt is also just a wasteland outpost, and that much you already find out. And you also find out they are building a working teleporter there.

The clues are there.

Actually, I don't think the scarcity of clues was intentional. It seems like they had a lot more plans to reveal more of the story in the beginning, but as development progressed areas were cut. (Like a long train ride in the beginning. Like Nova Prospekt showing a lot more of the places where they modified humans). They were so familiar with the story themselves (like many in this thread) so that the couldn't see that a new player wouldn't make all the connections they did.

Actually I think it is, and I think that it's to the games benefit. It's form of non-linear storytelling in a way that doesn't poop on the narrative by giving you branching paths. You aren't told anything specifically and you aren't spoon-fed. You're able to draw clues from the world and the characters, gradually coming to your own conclusions.

[Laivasse]

You didn't know the Combine was alien? Did you not see the gigantic slug that Breen was reporting to?Or the strange war machines, with flippers and insectile wings, that roar and appear to have once been organic? The fact that they're called the 'Universal Union', as well as numerous other hints in the Breencasts? Reference to 'off world assignment'?

Srsly guyz, the clues are there about what the Combine are and what NP is. If not that it's where the Combine get modified, then at least that it's where people are held before meeting some dire fate - but even without piecing that together, the clue that the Overwatch are ex-humans is dropped in other places, like in graffiti or in Breen's speech to them at NP (which spells it out clear as day). If you don't pick up on that stuff, then you're simply not paying enough attention.

I know it's frustrating to feel like you're missing out on the story, but if you want to avoid that feeling then just don't bomb through the game like you're on a speed run...! Treat it as a true cinematic experience and actually listen to and look at shit if you want to understand. Everyone claims that they do, that that they take their time and investigate like propah detektiv, but excuse me if I just don't believe that any more. People I know have made had the same story criticisms, and I've seen the way that everyone I know plays through story driven games like HL2, Bioshock et al - ignoring Breencasts, looking in a stupid direction during a scripted sequence, hopping up and down on Kliener's head going 'lol LOOK!! LOL' while he's explaining something to Gordon... It could drive a man nuts.

As for the link between HL1 and HL2, I agree that it's ambiguous, but I believe it was a conscious narrative decision aimed simply at making the player speculate. After all, Valve had the lengthy intro but they intentionally stripped it all out.

Sure, there is more or less one single true, canon account of events now, but it's only because people like us went to Laidlaw and co and hassled the crap out of them in order to get them to fill in the blanks for us - that is not to say that that information was crucial though. Valve could have said 'the exact link between HL1 and HL2 will never be revealed - it is up for you to speculate', and tbh it wouldn't even have microscopically lessened my enjoyment of the story.

I do think that this approach is proving a slight problem ever since Valve decided to go with episodic story expansions though. In HL2 it was possible to assume that you simply weren't around long enough for people to explain exactly wtf is going on. However, now that Alyx is a constant companion and people are having full blown conversations with Gordon, the fact that the player as Gordon cannot simply raise a finger and ask 'okay, so what exactly happened after I fought the Nihilanth and vanished from earth? You do know I fought it, right? You do know I was away right...? Was it you guys who hired me?' damages the immersion for me. It's only a minor detraction though.

[AJ Rimmer]

*awesome stuff*

Have I said I love you, welshman?

[Weightedcube]

Torture devices and heavy medical tools, check.

Where are those? As far as I know those were just plans mentioned in "Raising the Bar".

And I still think that the monitor being the only hint of what's going on inside Nova Prospekt is not enough. Those other hints you mentioned are only hinting to the fact that NP is not a nice place. Which I agree came through quite clearly.

I'm not asking to be spoon fed, all I'm asking for is just Alyx dropping a single line or something, like "Fresh from Nova Prospekt" when seeing some soldiers. Or some transformation equipment that is not just shown on a monitor. Or anything.

Agreed, but those things are relatively minor and easy to miss unless you are looking at every video screen in the booths (which i didn't my first play-through). Wouldn't it have been cooler if the player could observe the human to soldier/stalker process to a greater degree?
Yes, and that was the plan according to "Raising the Bar".

The Half-life 1 connection was there and I don't think it needed to be elaborated upon that much more. Sure, it was vague and there could have been a bit more (someone acknowledge Nihilanth please?) but really the idea was that Half-life 2 was the aftermath of that. Half-life 2 was the post-Black Mesa world. And you, Gordon Freeman, are responsible.

We discover we opened up the gateways for something so much worse than the Xen refugees.
That bold part is one of the things that should have been mentioned. As far as I know, it's thanks to a Valve developer who told us that we know that Gordon is responsible because he killed Nihilanth.

[Samon]

The fact that the Combine are there, on Earth, kicking us around and co-opting the species/planet is proof enough that we opened up the gateways for something worse. It's got nothing to do with Nihilanth - that's irrelevant. We triggered the Resonance Cascade and that was noticed by the Combine.

You don't need Valve to confirm that's what started it all. Nihilanth's death causing the portal storms is trivial because it's all just an extension of the Resonance Cascade. That event pulled Earth into this cosmic war.

[Druckles]

You'll find that alot of the information about the Half-Life universe is there, it's just subtle or hidden. You have to be observant to catch it, but it is possible to see it with a bit of thought. If Valve were to make it any more obvious, however, it would lose the sense of realism that it has and makes us feel like we're being spoon fed.

We know as much as Gordon knows. And Gordon don't know much.

[Weightedcube]

[...]

[...]

I'm sure it's easy for you to find the clues, when you already know the story.

I would like to ask those who think that Half-Life 2 had an adequate amount of clues regarding connection to HL1, Nova Prospekt etc.:
How much time did you spend on this and other HL forums after playing HL1? How much time during playing through HL2, and right after?
How many Valve interviews/commentaries did you read before playing HL2? How many game magazine previews, and how many reviews? Etc.

[Druckles]

I hadn't read any interviews about HL2 before it came out, and hadn't read any for a long time since. I think some of the first interviews I read were actually around Episode Two. I spent a few months on these forums but I didn't spend much time in here, actually spending most of my time in the Art and Design forum. I don't believe I made a post at all in here in the first couple of years of being registered. In the past several months, however, I've been reading a lot about it and I've found out quite a bit which wasn't in your face evident. I've also seen many things that I hadn't seen before in Half-Life 2. Whether that's because I'm a more mature player, because I've just become more observant or because of the things I've read about it lead me to expect more and I see it, I'm not sure. But I can tell you that every time I have played HL2, I've seen or found something new which adds to the story. You might argue that this isn't particularly good story-telling, but I think it's perfect. It's subtle and feels realistic, but it's still possible to figure it out on your own by thinking about it.

Edit: Shoot, sorry about the wall :/

[ShadowJustice]

Ok, can you tell me how in the game I can find out the connection between HL1 and HL2? Nihilanth's death causing portal storms, the Combine following the Xen refugees, etc.



In black mesa east you can find several newspaper clipping that, together with dialogue from the game, introduces you to concepts like the portal storms, the seven hour wars, the public knowledge of black mesa's involvement, and Breen becoming interim administrator of earth. It's not hard to imagine that all those xen creatures are stranded on earth after the failed experiment in hl1.



Actually, I don't think the scarcity of clues was intentional. It seems like they had a lot more plans to reveal more of the story in the beginning, but as development progressed areas were cut. (Like a long train ride in the beginning. Like Nova Prospekt showing a lot more of the places where they modified humans). They were so familiar with the story themselves (like many in this thread) so that the couldn't see that a new player wouldn't make all the connections they did.

What' all this about, the fact you don't know that nova prospekt turns people into stalkers and soldiers? The way I look at it, Nova Prospekt is just a base\prison. We don't know if people is turned into soldiers and stalkers, actually, but we do know that vortigauns here are enslaved (there is a sequence with soldiers using a laser to fix the green collar on a vortigaunt, like the vortigaunt slaves in hl1 and the one at the beginning of the game, cleaning the train station) and that people were brought here. For what purposes? We can only assume the worse. The game doesn't tell you exactly what the combine are doing with humans in nova prospekt- we only know they are doing something horribile.

The game tells you everything you need to know, not "everything".

It tells you about Breen and his relationship to you, black mesa and the combine empire, it tells you te combine government is a dictatorship, with people being questioned, tortured (you can find various torture chair with blood or corspes on them), moved around against their will, having their memory erased with drugs in the water reserve. The game tells you about the resistance, the network of profuges, the science team, the undercover agents like barney. It tells you that the creature from xen invaded earth after the resonance cascade, by SHOWING you the creatures living in the wild.

The game tells you about the rebellion. The portal storms. Everything else is just details. The game's basic plot is fully explained. There are other things that are merely hinted to- or other subplot that are going to be explained in the next installments. But that's it.

[ríomhaire]

The fact that the Combine are there, on Earth, kicking us around and co-opting the species/planet is proof enough that we opened up the gateways for something worse. It's got nothing to do with Nihilanth - that's irrelevant. We triggered the Resonance Cascade and that was noticed by the Combine.

You don't need Valve to confirm that's what started it all. Nihilanth's death causing the portal storms is trivial because it's all just an extension of the Resonance Cascade. That event pulled Earth into this cosmic war.
Resonance Cascade was reversed by Rosenberg, Keller, Green and Cross before Gordon killed Nihilanth. So it was Nihilanth's death that caused the Portal Storms, not the RC, which was a portal storm, just not the Porral Storms.

[Laivasse]

I would like to ask those who think that Half-Life 2 had an adequate amount of clues regarding connection to HL1, Nova Prospekt etc.:
How much time did you spend on this and other HL forums after playing HL1?

How much time during playing through HL2, and right after?

How many Valve interviews/commentaries did you read before playing HL2?

How many game magazine previews, and how many reviews? Etc.None, none, none, and all I saw were those gameplay vids (traptown, etc.)

I didn't sign up here until Feb 2005, when I had long since formed an impression of the story and was looking to discuss it, and I saw some people here promoting a theory I strongly disagreed with (Combine-on-Xen).

[Narvi]

I remember a magazine preview of HL2 which claimed that antlions were the combat troops of Xen.

Yeah, that was weird.

[ShadowJustice]

Resonance Cascade was reversed by Rosenberg, Keller, Green and Cross before Gordon killed Nihilanth. So it was Nihilanth's death that caused the Portal Storms, not the RC, which was a portal storm, just not the Porral Storms.

I don't think Rosenberg, Green, etc are canon. Anyway, they reversed the "resonade cascade" - whatever the hell that is supposed to mean- and that may have saved the world, but the portal storms may be other unexpected side effect of the black mesa disaster.

[Weightedcube]

What' all this about, the fact you don't know that nova prospekt turns people into stalkers and soldiers? The way I look at it, Nova Prospekt is just a base\prison. We don't know if people is turned into soldiers and stalkers,
Yes we do. If you ask others around here, they think that it comes through very clear in the game.

At least it was revealed in "Raising the Bar", where it also was revealed that they had much more plans for showing that during the Nova Prospekt level.

actually, but we do know that vortigauns here are enslaved (there is a sequence with soldiers using a laser to fix the green collar on a vortigaunt,
Where? Never seen that.

The game doesn't tell you exactly what the combine are doing with humans in nova prospekt- we only know they are doing something horribile.
Yes, I agree. But others around here think (as I said) that it comes through very clear exactly what the Combine are doing to humans in Nova Prospekt. I just thinks that it would have been more fun if I would have known what was going on when I played through the chapter.

[ríomhaire]

How much time did you spend on this and other HL forums after playing HL1?
None.

How much time during playing through HL2, and right after?
None.

How many Valve interviews/commentaries did you read before playing HL2?
One, which had no story info.

How many game magazine previews, and how many reviews? Etc.
A handful which had no story info other than "you're in City 17" and "the Combine are bad".


And I understood that the Combine were aliens that defeated us in 7 hours, why the vortigaunts joined us, what Nova Prospekt was for, Breen's motivations (though I didn't know he surrendered Earth), why all the alien animals were on Earth, knew who Barney and Izzy were and had an idea of who Eli was (But didn't realise that he was your first collaborator in HL1).

[Andrew LB]

By not answering enough questions, you come back here to find out more. Gets you all excited for 2010's Episode Three.

2010??? Did I miss the memo or something?

[Andrew LB]

But not everybody read Raising The Bar and not everybody joins a game community. If you had just been introduced to the series with no prior familiarity, you wouldn't understand.


Well, I for one had pretty much zero memory of HL1 when I purchased HL2 some 7 years or so after the original and quickly put together the pieces at the beginning of HL2 to understand what was going on.

Yes, my initial impression was "what the heck is going on here?".... but that was the intent of Valve when they created the opening chapter of Half Life 2.

After playing through HL2, I did go back and play through the original HL again and in turn, connected more dots than I had originally made.


When I bought Episode 2, I was given copies of HL1 and EP1 to give away to friends, and the friend I gave it to had never played Half Life 1. He was immediately hooked on the game and had excellent understanding of what was going on even though he never played the original.

[Planetary]

The only thing I don't get is why the easter egg where the Vortigaunt explains why his people aren't zapping you anymore is so hidden.

It's as if they wanted people to be confused on their first few playthroughs, or until they asked someone about it, who already knew. That's why I'd buy a good Half-life novel, expanding on some of the tiny hints we get in-game, and not having anything to do with Freeman, but still set during the same events. (Episode Four?)

[ShadowJustice]

Yes we do. If you ask others around here, they think that it comes through very clear in the game.


So you think the game doesn't tell you enough about the plot because no character comes to you and tells "HEY GORDON! NOVA PROSPEKT IS EVIL BECAUSE THEY MAKE STALKER AND COMBINES THERE".

The game is extremely clear in telling you that nova prospekt is an important combine base and a place where terrible things happens. The true extent of the horrors of nova prospekt are never fully explained- but that's the point. If you need a detailed dissertation on the tortures inflicted to enjoy the plot that's your problem. And it's cool that the game leaves some of it to your immagination- makes the place a lot more creepy.

You can see one citizien being directed to Nova Prospekt at the beginning of the game, and Gordon was going to follow the same end if it wasn't for Barney. It is clear that they do horrible things to people there.



At least it was revealed in "Raising the Bar", where it also was revealed that they had much more plans for showing that during the Nova Prospekt level.




I am sorry... there is a specific page or part where it is said that nova prospekt purpose was to turn people into stalkers and soldiers? I don't rembember at the moment.. I own the book so a quick reminder may be helpful


Where? Never seen that.


Ahw, come on, see, you need to pay more attention. Replay the nova prospekt chapter carefully. Is behind one of the first energy wall you have to disable by unplugging the plug with the gravity gun.


Yes, I agree. But others around here think (as I said) that it comes through very clear exactly what the Combine are doing to humans in Nova Prospekt. I just thinks that it would have been more fun if I would have known what was going on when I played through the chapter.


I don't think it is "very clear". We can only assume people are turned into stalkers there- but maybe they can be turned into stalker in every other combine structure like the citadel. I think it is way cooler to not know exactly what were the tortures involved. Makes the place a lot damn more creepy if you think about it.

[Absinthe]

Well, I for one had pretty much zero memory of HL1 when I purchased HL2 some 7 years or so after the original and quickly put together the pieces at the beginning of HL2 to understand what was going on.

Yes, my initial impression was "what the heck is going on here?".... but that was the intent of Valve when they created the opening chapter of Half Life 2.

After playing through HL2, I did go back and play through the original HL again and in turn, connected more dots than I had originally made.


When I bought Episode 2, I was given copies of HL1 and EP1 to give away to friends, and the friend I gave it to had never played Half Life 1. He was immediately hooked on the game and had excellent understanding of what was going on even though he never played the original.

I believe I successfully connected every dot there was on my first time through, minus some more minor clues. My issue is the complete absence of other ones, mainly whatever the hell connects HL2 to HL1 except for the vague "Resonance Cascade did something" explanation. True, Valve did intentionally remove the original intro they had planned along with a bunch of other expository scenes. But sometimes I question whether that was deliberate narrative intent or just the result of having to cut it down into a more manageable project. If it was the former, I still think it was a poor choice.

Just to be clear here, I find little at fault with Valve's methods of explaining the plot arc and its relevant information within HL2 itself. The Combine "chapter" of the series, if it can be called that, was easily understood. It was the transition to them as the enemy that was lacking. And it's one one of the few, admittedly minor (if personally grating) complaints I ever had with the game.

[ShadowJustice]

The only thing I don't get is why the easter egg where the Vortigaunt explains why his people aren't zapping you anymore is so hidden.

It's as if they wanted people to be confused on their first few playthroughs, or until they asked someone about it, who already knew. That's why I'd buy a good Half-life novel, expanding on some of the tiny hints we get in-game, and not having anything to do with Freeman, but still set during the same events. (Episode Four?)

It is not hidden. If you talk to the vortigaunt that fix the helicopter gun in your boat, well he says the same things. Just press "e" or your use button.

[Absinthe]

The vortigaunts were another thing I was disappointed in. They're allies because I freed them from Nihilanth? Thank God I pressed my use key on one for ten minutes to find it out.

Their voice change sucked too.

[Samon]

True, Valve did intentionally remove the original intro they had planned along with a bunch of other expository scenes. But sometimes I question whether that was deliberate narrative intent or just the result of having to cut it down into a more manageable project. If it was the former, I still think it was a poor choice.

I think it was the former - at least I hope it was. The train ride they described would have sucked so much out of the game and weakened the overall narrative. Presenting that many things to the player in an opening is poor narrative development especially when you have the rest of the game to piece most of these things together; discovering what is outside the walls of City 17 is one of the points of the coast. You discover as you progress.

Another major problem would have been the length of time spent doing nothing. Gman's speech, getting off of the train and seeing Breen was very clever and intentional on Valve's part. I think the rate of information delivered in that opening sequence is clever and it works - the awful train ride would have been a poor decision I think. It's like taking a piss on the pace.

[Absinthe]

There's nothing inherently bad about the train ride. The train ride wouldn't have needed to present a cliff-noted synopsis. No moreso than the original did. I quite liked doing nothing. Not saying their original idea was flawless, but I'd have liked to have seen it worked out. Besides, you would have loved to see a Garg owned by a razor train. Admit it.

Players who would lack the patience to sit through it could be given the option of exiting the train doors early and killing themselves. Gits.

[Weightedcube]

The game is extremely clear in telling you that nova prospekt is an important combine base and a place where terrible things happens. The true extent of the horrors of nova prospekt are never fully explained- but that's the point. If you need a detailed dissertation on the tortures inflicted to enjoy the plot that's your problem. And it's cool that the game leaves some of it to your immagination- makes the place a lot more creepy.

You can see one citizien being directed to Nova Prospekt at the beginning of the game, and Gordon was going to follow the same end if it wasn't for Barney. It is clear that they do horrible things to people there.
As I have said many times now, I agree that is clear that they do horrible things to people there. I also agree that the true extent of the horrors of nova prospekt are never fully explained. Which was one of the reasons for me to start this thread, because I think it would have been more fun if the horrors were shown more.

What you seem to miss is that everyone else has countered me with saying that the horrors of Nova Prospekt ARE explained in the game, that it is obvious what they do to humans there.


I am sorry... there is a specific page or part where it is said that nova prospekt purpose was to turn people into stalkers and soldiers? I don't rembember at the moment.. I own the book so a quick reminder may be helpful
Let me cite your words (which I don't think was a good answer) with some modification: "Ahw, come on, see, you need to pay more attention. Reread the book carefully".

[Druckles]

Gman's speech, getting off of the train and seeing Breen was very clever and intentional on Valve's part.

Sometimes I try and remember what it was like the first time I played it. What I actually felt. How I responded. What I thought about the game and the things I take for granted about knowing now.

Sometimes I wish I could have my HL2 virginity back D:

[Samon]

There's nothing inherently bad about the train ride. The train ride wouldn't have needed to present a cliff-noted synopsis. No moreso than the original did. I quite liked doing nothing. Not saying their original idea was flawless, but I'd have liked to have seen it worked out. Besides, you would have loved to see a Garg owned by a razor train. Admit it.

I'm sure it would be have been cool but I just think it was too bloated and too long with too much unnecessary exposition in contrast to the rest of the game.

[Laivasse]

Re the vorts thing: I always thought the reason they were fighting the Combine, at least, was obvious, since the Combine were a threat to all free life on earth including any vorts who were stranded there. The fact that the vort at the start was being used as a cleaner was a good implicit pointer as to how the vorts were being oppressed in the same way as humans.

I felt that went at least some way to explaining why vorts were allied with humans, in an enemy-of-my-enemy way. As for the fleshing out the reasoning any further, just as with everything else I think its clear that Valve wanted us to be all "WTF VOLTABOLT CMON SHOOT MEH?!?" Those that wanted a better understanding would obviously try to talk to the vorts, and then they get their little extra tidbit of info. Pretty perfectly pitched, I felt.

[Gmodtrash]

First time I played through HL2, I had no idea what I was doing. Seriously, the only connection to Black Mesa and HL1 I could figure out was that Barney was the representative of all security guards (barneys).

And that was just because I had seen the guards being referred to as barneys in forums and such. Remember that the word barney was never mentioned in HL1, so a person who had just played the game would never realize that Barney in HL2 actually is one of the guards from Black Mesa. Much less a person only playing HL2.

I think Valve gave way too few clues about what was going on. Another example is Nova Prospekt, if the player doesn't look at the right security monitor in the right place (the monitor showing a person on an operating table), he would have no idea about what was going on. And even then it wouldn't be the easiest task to figure out that Nova Prospekt is where humans are transformed to Combine soldiers.

Reading "Raising the bar", it seems like Valve had a lot of plans to give more clues, e.g. the train ride in the beginning was meant to give a lot of info. But it ended up being like 10 seconds.

I'm not saying that I want the plot thrown in my face. But I think the first time playing through would have been a much more enjoyable experience if I would have been able to find out what Nova Prospekt was, why all the Xen monsters I saw in HL1 were around, that there actually had been an alien invasion, etc.

What do you expect them to say. ok i'm going to hazard a guess that your Half life 2 would go some thing like this:

*Gordon and Alyx walk into Kleiners lab*

Kleiner: Blast! Where did she get to?!

Alyx:Uh Oh. Is everything alright Dr.Kleiner?

Kleiner:Lamarr, my pet headcrab whose full name is Hedy Lamarr and will soon stop the teleporter in the room behind that wall from working by jumping out of a vent and severing some wires, who I also had debeaked and is also hated by Barney, who was a security guard at Black Mesa and is about to walk through the door in a few seconds......

*Kleiner then goes on to explain the entire plot and background info for HL2 and every other game set in the HL Universe or any other HL universe in which the combine dwell*

Gordon:...

I think I prefer the storyline VALVe wrote without your help.

[Dr0ndeh]

the only thing i really didnt understand until my 2nd (or maybe 3rd) playthrough is why exactly you started the civillian uprising just after nova prospect. as far as i knew at the time i went to nova prospect, didnt really do much there apart from kill a few soldiers with my antlion pals, then escaped using the teleporter they had installed there. then the next thing i knew kliener was telling me how i had somehow unknowingly rallied humanity together in one big push?

to be honest im still not 100% sure.

[Absinthe]

What do you expect them to say. ok i'm going to hazard a guess that your Half life 2 would go some thing like this:

*Gordon and Alyx walk into Kleiners lab*

Kleiner: Blast! Where did she get to?!

Alyx:Uh Oh. Is everything alright Dr.Kleiner?

Kleiner:Lamarr, my pet headcrab whose full name is Hedy Lamarr and will soon stop the teleporter in the room behind that wall from working by jumping out of a vent and severing some wires, who I also had debeaked and is also hated by Barney, who was a security guard at Black Mesa and is about to walk through the door in a few seconds......

*Kleiner then goes on to explain the entire plot and background info for HL2 and every other game set in the HL Universe or any other HL universe in which the combine dwell*

Gordon:...

I think I prefer the storyline VALVe wrote without your help.

You're very funny.

[Weightedcube]

the only thing i really didnt understand until my 2nd (or maybe 3rd) playthrough is why exactly you started the civillian uprising just after nova prospect. as far as i knew at the time i went to nova prospect, didnt really do much there apart from kill a few soldiers with my antlion pals, then escaped using the teleporter they had installed there. then the next thing i knew kliener was telling me how i had somehow unknowingly rallied humanity together in one big push?

to be honest im still not 100% sure.
Totally agree. I was wondering that too.

It didn't get why until I read somewhere that Nova Prospekt is the place where they transform humans into Combine soldiers. Knowing that, it's pretty logical that when Gordon destroys the main (and possibly only) Combine soldier factory in the City 17 area, the uprising is triggered.

[Iron Kat]

I had no idea what was going on, I hadn't even played HL1 when I played HL2, but it was still AWESOME.

^ This. But I had watched my dad play HL2 before I played it so I had a better idea of what was going on.

[Samon]

Totally agree. I was wondering that too.

It didn't get why until I read somewhere that Nova Prospekt is the place where they transform humans into Combine soldiers. Knowing that, it's pretty logical that when Gordon destroys the main (and possibly only) Combine soldier factory in the City 17 area, the uprising is triggered.

Actually that's not really it at all.

Gordon Freeman's return spread quickly through City 17's citizens and refugees; it wouldn't have been long before pretty much everyone knew. The man who was at ground zero and the man who went off-world to save humanity. “Gordon Freeman has returned.” “The One Free Man.”

Nova Prospekt was a major outlying outpost for City 17. Yes, it was a processing plant for humans and yes you practically buggered the Combine operation by triggering a nasty antlion infestation. But that isn't why the rebellion kicked off. You destroyed their teleport and that in itself blew up the majority of Nova Prospekt. What was left of the prison was inhabited by antlions. That's a pretty darn major accomplishment. City 17's nearest processing plant completely eradicated in two days of Gordon Freeman's return. Lets help him out! It took a week for you to reappear, so it's pretty unlikely the Nova Prospekt explosion triggered an entire uprising. It probably sparked riots, misbehavior and general unrest throughout the City 17 area. That in itself escalates quickly.

All of this you can easily understand after a couple playthroughs.

[Weightedcube]

Actually that's not really it at all.

Gordon Freeman's return spread quickly through City 17's citizens and refugees; it wouldn't have been long before pretty much everyone knew. The man who was at ground zero and the man who went off-world to save humanity. ?Gordon Freeman has returned.? ?The One Free Man.?

Nova Prospekt was a major outlying outpost for City 17. Yes, it was a processing plant for humans and yes you practically buggered the Combine operation by triggering a nasty antlion infestation. But that isn't why the rebellion kicked off. You destroyed their teleport and that in itself blew up the majority of Nova Prospekt. What was left of the prison was inhabited by antlions. That's a pretty darn major accomplishment. City 17's nearest processing plant completely eradicated in two days of Gordon Freeman's return. Lets help him out! It took a week for you to reappear, so it's pretty unlikely the Nova Prospekt explosion triggered an entire uprising. It probably sparked riots, misbehavior and general unrest throughout the City 17 area. That in itself escalates quickly.

All of this you can easily understand after a couple playthroughs.
Thank you for agreeing with me and repeating my words. But I don't get what you mean with your first sentence.

[FrostXian]

Thank you for agreeing with me and repeating my words. But I don't get what you mean with your first sentence.

He means Gordon's trip to Xen to save the world was well known, so people just fangasm'd over him anyway.

[esplin]

I will agree that the lack of connection to HL1 was one of the weakest elements in HL2. We saw familiar faces and we assumed that the Portal Storms had something to do with the Resonance Cascade, and that was pretty much it.

However, the story in HL2 is good enough on its own that this is only a minor annoyance. While it is entertaining to try and understand every detail of the game world it should not get in the way of enjoying the game. The actual storyline to the game is:

Find Dr. Kliener->Escape Combine->Find Black Mesa East->Save Eli->Escape through Teleporter->Reach the Citadel->Kill Dr. Breen

The post-apocalyptic world is only a backdrop to the actual story. The Combine are interesting enough that you do want to understand more about them, but there role in the story is only that of villians and general roadblocks. The HL2 universe is an interesting place and the atmosphere gives the game a unique feel. They should have explained the intervening between HL1 and HL2, but that is one of the only faults in the game.

Edit: Now that I've actually read some posts in this thread Samon brought up an interesting point. Did the people of City 17 believe that Gordon had only just recently returned to Earth, or did they assume Gordon was just slumming around in the post-Combine World for the last 10-15 years.

[Weightedcube]

He means Gordon's trip to Xen to save the world was well known, so people just fangasm'd over him anyway.
Did anything of what I wrote even remotely indicate a contradiction to that?

[DoctorPhyrexia]

Did the people of City 17 believe that Gordon had only just recently returned to Earth, or did they assume Gordon was just slumming around in the post-Combine World for the last 10-15 years.

Yeah, thats what everyone thinks (With the exclusion of Eli).

Possibly with the exclusion of Eli. Maybe he doesn't know that certain part of Gordon's relationship with the Gman.

[Druckles]

Yeah, thats what everyone thinks (With the exclusion of Eli).

Possibly with the exclusion of Eli. Maybe he doesn't know that certain part of Gordon's relationship with the Gman.

For all we know, everyone knows about Gordon.

[Jeron]

I actually like the idea of only knowing what Gordon himself knows. Since the very core of HL is to BE Gordon Freeman and only see what he sees. So we're having the same questions that Gordon has. And because of this, when we will be playing the next installments of HL series we will have a goal, a reason to play.

On another note, I'd like the gman to stay a mystery. If one day we know everything about him -and i mean everything- then the coolness 'bout his character will be destroyed. If we replay HL1 we still have to see the gman as someone mysterious and not knowing everything about it. We only have to find out who's side he's on and what his plans are etc, but some things like his real name and who he really is, what species he is and how he does his work etc should stay a secret, forever.

[Druckles]

I agree for the most part, but I think that the Gman's identity should at least be exposed, even briefly. If he's forever a mystery, people might simply get pissed off with Valve. But what they're doing at the moment, feeding us bit by bit is as well as they can do it.

[Rizzo]

I never realy thought about it, but now that i do, i think Weightedcube has a really good point. I mean, i lurked here and on gamespot, i read emails to Gabe and discussed on the forum to get most of my information. I think i whould have prefered to get more info ingame. Especially regarding Nihilanth and portal storms.
And Gmodtrash, whats up your ass? No one wants that.

[Trevelyan]

I would like to ask those who think that Half-Life 2 had an adequate amount of clues regarding connection to HL1, Nova Prospekt etc.:
How much time did you spend on this and other HL forums after playing HL1? How much time during playing through HL2, and right after?
How many Valve interviews/commentaries did you read before playing HL2? How many game magazine previews, and how many reviews? Etc.

none
none
1 review in PC Format

Regarding the HL2 story I did feel slightly aggrieved about the continued lack of disclosure regarding the Gman! However! Ep's 1 & 2 more than made up for this feeling in me, and poise this timeline on a very exciting precipice.

I have been slightly confused about the Nihilanth and its relation to the Combine, and both of their relation to the Black Mesa incident, but I'd not played HL1 for a good few years prior to the Orange box whose contents got me thinking about this issue. The launching of the rocket in EP2 made me want to re-examine those dimensional issues and i couldn't remember the whole story, but I was obviously made aware that closing it up would for instance cut off the combine?.


The plot developments throughout the HL2 timeline have really made me think back... and then forward... and then back again to Black Mesa and the events in HL1! No other FPS story comes close in my experience, even FPS's that allow you to make the choices about how to continue.