The Blast

[Sprafa]

In the moment the Gman takes you off the Citadel, the blast is in the verge of expanding. It is already the size of a small bus and it's just in the beggining!

Now how in the hell can Alyx/whoever survive anything like that ?

The most acceptable theory (in my view) would be that Alyx was also "aided" by the Gman, because I have to say it's pretty ridiculous that a blast that Breen claimed could topple the Citadel itself is withstanded by a young woman like Alyx, wearing no HEV suit! :p

[el Chi]

Just as the blast happens, and Breen's weird bubble thing slides down, I swear I hear him crying "You need me"

[The Mexican]

yes u do hear breen saying "You need me!" when you destroy the reactor.

Also it is possible that the g-man also saved alyx.

[Mechagodzilla]

Since the citadel isn't dead yet in the aftermath screens, it's a safe bet that the explosion at the end of Hl2 is only the first small step of a larger chain-reaction.

It's probable that the fireball never really got much larger than what we see.

[Qwert93]

Yeah, maybe it's just a shockwave. A minor one.

[DEATH eVADER]

yes u do hear breen saying "You need me!" when you destroy the reactor.

Also it is possible that the g-man also saved alyx.


What if Breen was saved also by the Gman, You don't actually see him die, and I'm pretty sure I heard his voice slow down

[Sprafa]

What if Breen was saved also by the Gman, You don't actually see him die, and I'm pretty sure I heard his voice slow down

and why would he do that ?

[Edcrab]

Why would he save Alyx when she's a throwaway character who does little else but obstruct Gordon's adventures? :p

But in all seriousness I hope they maintain Breen somehow. He was a damn good character in my view.

I really don't know what to think about Aftermath. It could turn out so differently depending on what decisions are made... *shudders*

[Nephtis]

Dr.Breen opened a direct portal to teleport only him to one of the combine homeworlds. Would you ever think that the teleportation actually went forth but uncontrollably, basically Mossman cleared up in "Black Mesa East" that the Huge Spires that the combine use cannot teleport back. So I would presume the small teleportation wouldn't effect anyone else in the Spire, so I declare in my theory that Mossman and Eli are dead.
I also presume that the highly chaotic teleportation device blowing up would teleport the objects randomly to the strongest reciever node.
As what happened in Nova Prospekt when travelling in a blown up teleportation device you travel slower, I presume in my theory that Alyx appears in a teleportation in City 17 and wakes to Barney.
You play Barney in Half Life: Aftermath! A huge background cinematic shows you the destruction the falling of the Spire caused, huge crater!
I should shut up now.

[Samon]

Gman doesnt save Breen. that much is obvious.

I just think it sends Alyx flailing backward, and she escapes on the elevator. The explosion most likley stops as it reaches the control room then sinks back in, also note the big spire collapsing, that would create more damage.

Then gman most likley deposits Gordon in breens office or something.

Breen probably blows up, since he is in the reactor spire.

[el Chi]

You play Gordon in Aftermath. It's been confirmed by two of the PCG UK journalists.

[Edcrab]

I'm still going to stubbornly ignore PCG, as, at least when it comes to HL2, they've hardly been the most accurate of reporters, misinterpreting things a bunch of amateurs like us managed to grasp first time.

But I've always loved PCG... but I don't want to believe Valve could screw things up by casting us as Gordon again... no... NO DON'T TAKE ME BACK THERE! No! I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER! Gaaah!!

[el Chi]

Yeah but seeing as they got the world exclusive, and the two journalists who confirmed it on this forum were the guy who wrote the article and the guy who sits next to him, I'd say it's safe to assume that it's back behind the spectacles.

[Edcrab]

No! Don't talk! You lie! Valve wouldn't screw up their own ending like that! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT!

Mostly, I'm just clinging to the possibility that Valve will be able to bring Gordon back into City 17 without butchering everything the dramtic finale stood for.

[el Chi]

Yeah I know. I was really looking forward to playing as Alyx in a prequel. Och well.

[Samon]

I'm over the mood that were playing as Gordon again.

[DESSTROYER]

Since the citadel isn't dead yet in the aftermath screens, it's a safe bet that the explosion at the end of Hl2 is only the first small step of a larger chain-reaction.

It's probable that the fireball never really got much larger than what we see.
what after math screens?

[Sprafa]

what after math screens?

there are pics in the mag

[AJ Rimmer]

I think G-man put Gordie and Alyx somewhere deep in the citadel, like halfway down, because that big tower thing collapsing is gonna make one motherf*ckin' big chrash once it comes down in about ten seconds after the explosion. Though I'm sure that explosion would've killed 'em both anyway. I'm not sure what I think about that idea, but I'd like it a lot more if G-man put Alyx in a safe place but Gordon was missing and we played as Barney.

[Jandor]

When you teleported out of Nova Prospekt as the teleporter was blowing up you got stuck in a slow time warp for a week, what if the explosion and the Citadel are in a slow time warp, you can slowly see the Citadel explosion getting larger throughout the game as it rips the Citadel to shreds, bits of shrapnel raining on down on the city, etc.

Would look sort of cool, and give that tense atmosphere as the explosions get worse and speed up the further through the game you get.

[Combine Elite]

Gman , an enigma. However, he stops time just as the explosion gets going. He walks out of an inter-spatial door, and proceeds to dust Alyx off. Breen's voice slowing down , well , what would you expect it too do when time itself was stopping ? Gman dusts Alyx off simply because she is now in stasis whereever Gordon is. Why dust someone off if you have no need for them, the gesture is one of acceptance. Alyx the hacker could get Gordon into more places than just 'brute force' which seems to serve the MIT Grad just fine. So to Gordon's Yin we need a suitable Yang.

[Samon]

Gman , an enigma. However, he stops time just as the explosion gets going. He walks out of an inter-spatial door, and proceeds to dust Alyx off. Breen's voice slowing down , well , what would you expect it too do when time itself was stopping ? Gman dusts Alyx off simply because she is now in stasis whereever Gordon is. Why dust someone off if you have no need for them, the gesture is one of acceptance. Alyx the hacker could get Gordon into more places than just 'brute force' which seems to serve the MIT Grad just fine. So to Gordon's Yin we need a suitable Yang.

Gman doesnt stop time, thats ludicrous and a poor sci fi cliche. Half life is known for its hard science from time to time, and dark matter slows time down for those in the vicinity. or something like that. And thats what happebs.

[Combine Elite]

Gman doesnt stop time, thats ludicrous and a poor sci fi cliche. Half life is known for its hard science from time to time, and dark matter slows time down for those in the vicinity. or something like that. And thats what happebs.



Then why does it not slow down the Gman ? Talk about bad science.

[Samon]

Then why does it not slow down the Gman ? Talk about bad science.

Because gman isnt there, look at the lines around him, he is merley a hologram of some kind.

[Llama]

I'm still going to stubbornly ignore PCG, as, at least when it comes to HL2, they've hardly been the most accurate of reporters, misinterpreting things a bunch of amateurs like us managed to grasp first time.

But I've always loved PCG... but I don't want to believe Valve could screw things up by casting us as Gordon again... no... NO DON'T TAKE ME BACK THERE! No! I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER! Gaaah!!

Excuse me, im a UK PCG collecter, and actually they get most of the stuff they report right. I have no problems.

[Combine Elite]

Because gman isnt there, look at the lines around him, he is merley a hologram of some kind.

Then if a hologram how does he physically interact with Alyx by dusting her off. ? You still have not answered the question.

[Samon]

Then if a hologram how does he physically interact with Alyx by dusting her off. ? You still have not answered the question.

Its merley an illusion my good friend. He does walk across a pit doesnt he? He couldnt do that if he was in physical form.

[Llama]

Because gman isnt there, look at the lines around him, he is merley a hologram of some kind.

Havent you considered that he is an entity outside of the pyhsical laws of the universe, and probably the universe itself?

Oops doubly post

[Combine Elite]

Its merley an illusion my good friend. He does walk across a pit doesnt he? He couldnt do that if he was in physical form.

Ah again wrong. The piece of soot that Gman takes off Alyx is clearly visible and makes a slight noise when it hits the floor in the citadel. Also he steps out the door directly onto the platform containing Alyx and Gordon. By your suggestions and basis in science ( ** ) then the whole scenario is an illusion. From beggining to end.

[Samon]

Ah again wrong. The piece of soot that Gman takes off Alyx is clearly visible and makes a slight noise when it hits the floor in the citadel. Also he steps out the door directly onto the platform containing Alyx and Gordon. By your suggestions and basis in science ( ** ) then the whole scenario is an illusion. From beggining to end.

No, its not. I simply do not believe gman is there in physical forum quite frankly.

Another thing is, I also think that its a fixed picture in Gordons head, whilst everything is still going on around him, yet he doesnt know this because he is whipped out of there.

Time control is awful. Marc Laidlaw WONT stoop to this level

[jabberwock95]

Well, we already know that teleporters can distort time (from the very slow teleport Gordon and Alyx take) and we know the Gman can control portals (from HL1).

I don't think it would be too much of a leap to say the Gman has (at least some) control over time. Probably not to stop it, but slow it down considerably.

The Gman would only intervene if it was certain that Gordon was going to die. Gordon is not that important to him, he wouldn't pop in just to say goodbye or something like that.

My theory: When Gordon blasts the teleport, it starts a chain reaction that will overload the dark energy reactor within a matter of hours (we have to leave some time for Aftermath to take place).

The teleport itself explodes with enough force to topple the spire, and certainly kill Gordon and Alyx. With a split-second to spare, the Gman pays a visit. He slows time to a standstill for everyone except him and Gordon. He has a quick chat, and whisks Gordon away to stasis.

On a whim, he also teleports Alyxs down to street level. He doesn't really care if she dies, but he has an interest in 'people who adapt and survive against all odds' - Opposing Force.

So, Gordon gets whipped back into stasis. Alyx teams up (probably with Barney) to evacuate as much of the city before the Citidel goes up like a nuclear bomb. This is made difficult both by the rapidly retreating combine forces (they cant stop the overload either) and the various Xenian wildlife (the combine forcefields and 'suppresion fields' are kaput). Viola. Instant expansion plot.


Apologies for the long post, but I like writing my thoughts down, gets me more organised. :cheese:

[Samon]

Well, we already know that teleporters can distort time (from the very slow teleport Gordon and Alyx take) and we know the Gman can control portals (from HL1).

I don't think it would be too much of a leap to say the Gman has (at least some) control over time. Probably not to stop it, but slow it down considerably.

The Gman would only intervene if it was certain that Gordon was going to die. Gordon is not that important to him, he wouldn't pop in just to say goodbye or something like that.

My theory: When Gordon blasts the teleport, it starts a chain reaction that will overload the dark energy reactor within a matter of hours (we have to leave some time for Aftermath to take place).

The teleport itself explodes with enough force to topple the spire, and certainly kill Gordon and Alyx. With a split-second to spare, the Gman pays a visit. He slows time to a standstill for everyone except him and Gordon. He has a quick chat, and whisks Gordon away to stasis.

On a whim, he also teleports Alyxs down to street level. He doesn't really care if she dies, but he has an interest in 'people who adapt and survive against all odds' - Opposing Force.

So, Gordon gets whipped back into stasis. Alyx teams up (probably with Barney) to evacuate as much of the city before the Citidel goes up like a nuclear bomb. This is made difficult both by the rapidly retreating combine forces (they cant stop the overload either) and the various Xenian wildlife (the combine forcefields and 'suppresion fields' are kaput). Viola. Instant expansion plot.


Apologies for the long post, but I like writing my thoughts down, gets me more organised. :cheese:

But the first part of aftermath has you racng out of the citadel ;)

[oni_666]

My theory...

The Dark matter transports both Gordon, Alyx and Breen to wherever the Combine originate from.

Gordon and Alyx have to then make it back to earth somehow.

Breen links up with the Overseer and gathers a Combine force to go back to Earth and retake City 17, etc.

Since the forcefields are now down in City 17, Xen wildlife run riot and you have to fight your way through them, to Rescue, Barney, Kliener etc.

Then you have to fight both the Xen wildlife and the new combine force to escape City 17.

[Samon]

My theory...

The Dark matter transports both Gordon, Alyx and Breen to wherever the Combine originate from.

Gordon and Alyx have to then make it back to earth somehow.

Breen links up with the Overseer and gathers a Combine force to go back to Earth and retake City 17, etc.

Since the forcefields are now down in City 17, Xen wildlife run riot and you have to fight your way through them, to Rescue, Barney, Kliener etc.

Then you have to fight both the Xen wildlife and the new combine force to escape City 17.

But i think its already confirmed you just flee the citadel, and then flee the city :)

[Edcrab]

Excuse me, im a UK PCG collecter, and actually they get most of the stuff they report right. I have no problems.

I never disputed that- in fact, quite the opposite. I merely stated that, at least when HL2 was involved, they didn't always get their facts straight. Hell, you said yourself, "most". They've been wrong about things in the past (but many were down to developers changing their mind) and so I just hope this was another statement taken out of context. I hope.

Not to mention how they used the Valve Info thread in this forum as a source for their articles, but that was pretty damn cool :D Definitely a lot of community feeling back then...

[French Ninja]

Since the citadel isn't dead yet in the aftermath screens, it's a safe bet that the explosion at the end of Hl2 is only the first small step of a larger chain-reaction.

It's probable that the fireball never really got much larger than what we see.
I think the blast shockwaves shown by Alyx throwing backward would be unavoidable, turning her insides into mush without G Man's help, even if the explosion did not get bigger. :D

[Angry Lawyer]

Damn Alyx. I wanted Gordon to run off with Mossman. She was so much more yummy. Yeah, I like my older women. I bet Laidlaw's been reading all of my posts about Alyx turning to dust and thought 'Damnit, someone's guessed the story!' and changed things so she survives just to spite me. Damn Laidlaw. He'll probably kill off Mossman now, just to spite me more.

If anything, the explosion you see at the end of the game is large, but only enough to knock Alyx back, before dissipating. You probably have to drag her out.

-Angry Lawyer

[jabberwock95]

I bet Laidlaw's been reading all of my posts about Alyx turning to dust and thought 'Damnit, someone's guessed the story!' and changed things so she survives just to spite me. Damn Laidlaw. He'll probably kill off Mossman now, just to spite me more.
Yup, that's it. And the CIA controlling rays have been getting through my tinfoil hat again. :E

If anything, the explosion you see at the end of the game is large, but only enough to knock Alyx back, before dissipating. You probably have to drag her out.
Kindof what I was thinking. A small explosion to start with, and a larger chain reaction following.

I mean, how could Gordon live with himself if he caused a nuclear-size explosion in the middle of a city. Then again, he's been hitting the morphine pretty hard recently...

[Samon]

Damn Alyx. I wanted Gordon to run off with Mossman. She was so much more yummy. Yeah, I like my older women. I bet Laidlaw's been reading all of my posts about Alyx turning to dust and thought 'Damnit, someone's guessed the story!' and changed things so she survives just to spite me. Damn Laidlaw. He'll probably kill off Mossman now, just to spite me more.

If anything, the explosion you see at the end of the game is large, but only enough to knock Alyx back, before dissipating. You probably have to drag her out.

-Angry Lawyer

:laugh:

If i remember correctly, you believed Alyx would die. Ha Lawyer, your beliefs are starting to crumble - xen/combine is next, just you wait :angry:

And um, Mossman? Really? I mean her trousers are really tight an all but there isn't that much going for her. Really.

[Angry Lawyer]

You don't like Mossman? I guess you never had a crush on your science teacher at school then. I like the learned type.

And I state logic, anyways. Logically, Alyx should be dead. But, anything can happen. But I'm right on the Combine Xen thing.

-Angry Lawyer

[Samon]

You don't like Mossman? I guess you never had a crush on your science teacher at school then. I like the learned type.

And I state logic, anyways. Logically, Alyx should be dead. But, anything can happen. But I'm right on the Combine Xen thing.

-Angry Lawyer

You keeping digging the hole. Deeper and deeper.

No, actually I can't say I did...

[Angry Lawyer]

The only hole I'm digging is that in which to bury the Combine-Xen connection theory in.

And...Mossman is hawt.

-Angry Lawyer

[Lahire149]

Ay personal belief is that the citadel got obliterated along with about 2/3 of city 17. And the g-man saves gordon...
aAyx isn't standing next to you when the G-man takes you to the tunnel at the end of the game; odds are that Alyx died.
This event probablly fueled the rebellion in other cities.

[DeusExMachina]

When you teleported out of Nova Prospekt as the teleporter was blowing up you got stuck in a slow time warp for a week, what if the explosion and the Citadel are in a slow time warp, you can slowly see the Citadel explosion getting larger throughout the game as it rips the Citadel to shreds, bits of shrapnel raining on down on the city, etc.

Would look sort of cool, and give that tense atmosphere as the explosions get worse and speed up the further through the game you get.

Wow, thats a great idea actually. The explosion going in slow motion while everything else is regular. I wouldn't mind seeing that.

[scarecrow1]

I think that when the Gman appears, right at the end of the game. Him walking over the ledge is not actually him walking over the ledge....i think that when the gman appears, you: gordon have already been teleported to the stasis area and what your looking at is like the holodeck on the enterprise, just a repersentation of the last thing you saw. The gman touching alyx could also signify his choice to keep her, if she was there physically or not is yet to be seen. I personally beleive that when the gamn touched her, she was there frozen alive, and when she disappeared from gordons view, she was teleoprted to another area. after the backround of the environment fades away, we see the blackest of black with the gman speaking to us(i reckon its an alien space craft or an interdimensional universe that exists in a place where there is not time, gman could have discoverd this place somwhere beyond our physical universe where everything remains still, time and age. or it is a weird space ship or another world(the door opening points to this conclusion). Personally i reckon that the scenes with the gman are ultimately surreal and awesome,there is that feeling that you have no idea what is happening, who is he? an alien from another universe? alternate reality? and it just drives me to find out where you really are(what is this stasis place?) I hope Hl3 will clarify all of this...but i want something spectacular...not an explanation that the stasis was just a hologrphic room on a lowly spaceship that gman flies around in...i want somthing bigger, grander and more climatic.

[Samon]

Ah again wrong. The piece of soot that Gman takes off Alyx is clearly visible and makes a slight noise when it hits the floor in the citadel. Also he steps out the door directly onto the platform containing Alyx and Gordon. By your suggestions and basis in science ( ** ) then the whole scenario is an illusion. From beggining to end.

Wong, i just checked - he walks on thin air ;)

[Jintor]

Illusion!

There's floor there but GORDON can't see it :thumbs:

[Laivasse]

I can pretty easily accept the theory that GMan stops time *for Gordon only*. GMan doesn't need to have stopped time throughout the universe in order for the HL2 ending to make sense - all he needs to have done is knock Gordon back into whatever weird pocketplane he was in for the last 10 years. To Alyx, Gordon would have seemed to just disappear.

What I can't easily accept is that either Alyx or Gordon simply survive the explosion, because it's not that big. If the explosion wasn't going to be fatal, then why does GMan nab Gordon in the middle of it? If Alyx just survives, without any assistance, then Valve have just built up this big ending scene only to have it mean nothing.

They *could* have GMan rescue Alyx, but that completely changes my image of GMan.

What I could just about stomach is some weird sequence like the resonance cascade in HL1, where you both get teleported away while most of the destruction is going on, fannied around a bit, and then put back. But again, if that was going to happen, there was no point in GMan stopping the explosion for Gordon.

[T.H.C.138]

perhaps it was just something that caught the gman by surprise?

explosion+teleporter+dark matter+gman powers/tech=something screwy going on!

yes!just like the resonance cascade...but bigger and stranger!!

[GiaOmerta]

It's all a dream. At the end, Gordon wakes up and begins his first day at Black Mesa.
>:)

About the GMan's entrance:

*BOOM*

*Time seems to be at a standstill. You can move, very slowly.*

Gordon (to self): Aww crap.

GMan: "Time Doctor Freeman. Is it really that time again?" *GMan approaches you and Alyx. (Black outline around him. Looks like a hologram. He probally is'nt even there.) He says something else. Voice seems echoed.

*Teleport sound, screen flashes.*

GMan says some other stuff. He is up in your face this time. I guess he teleported you somewhere. The GMan is clearly there. (Examine the difference in voice/echo to previous.)

*Seems like your getting sucked into something, FOV goes crazy. You teleport somewhere else. GMan says more bs and leaves you.*

So look at my timeline here.

1. BOOM
2. GMan's hologram appears. * (Notice difference in voice/echo)
3. GMan teleports you and Alyx else where. Takes dust off her shoulder. ** (Notice difference in voice/echo)
4. GMan teleports you somewhere else.
5. Another flash, more GMan bs and he leaves you.


PS. I'm a little tired, so be wary. :)

EDIT: Also! I conducted a test with my flashlight at the end of the game. At (2) on the timeline, the line only affected the enviroment (floor, wall, Alyx, ect)
At (3) It only affected the GMan. Which leads me to believe that at (3) the enviroment (Citadel) is being projected, similar to how the Gman was previous being projected in (2)

(All (2), (3)'s from above refer to time.)

[JimLad86]

I reckon you and Alyx will just wake up with the top of the Citadel burning, and the giant spire stopped just above you. At which point Alyx will exclaim "how the hell did we not get crushed or burned?", and Gordon will know it was the GMan's involvement.

[Edcrab]

And then the G-man will pop up and say, slightly apologetically, "I'm s-sorry, Mr. Freeman, I shouldn't have... taken you away, like that. It w-was force of habit, I th-thought that... detonation might have k-killed you, but I was wrong. I h-have put you b-back, now. Sorry. R-really sorry."

I still have faith in Valve. I'm sure they'll pull some fantastical story twist out of the Laidlaw bucket to explain why the G-man bothered doing what he did just to drop you back in the City later...

And is it Gman or G-man anyway? I keep alternating between them both, but in the actual HL credits he's referred to as "Gman"...

[Marx! II]

It seems worth considering that while Senor G is stopping the explosion and saying his piece, you can still walk around a bit. Faster than Alyx ought to fall, for whatever that's worth.

[Fliko]

The teleporter caused the explosion to be in a slow time warp, thus stopping the time of the explosion greatly, also, Gordon and Alyx may be in the slow time warp also, thus, making it easy for the combine to stop the explosion, and capture Gordon and Alyx. Just a theory. G-Man teleport in, you both are slowed, he is fine.

[Mechagodzilla]

It's all in the theory of relativity, if you ask me.

G-man didn't slow the universe down. He sped himself and Gordon up to the point that the real world appeared slow by comparison.
So he didn't stop the explosion. He outran it.

[Defpotec22]

When you teleported out of Nova Prospekt as the teleporter was blowing up you got stuck in a slow time warp for a week, what if the explosion and the Citadel are in a slow time warp, you can slowly see the Citadel explosion getting larger throughout the game as it rips the Citadel to shreds, bits of shrapnel raining on down on the city, etc.

Would look sort of cool, and give that tense atmosphere as the explosions get worse and speed up the further through the game you get.


i really really love this idea

[Naudian]

Mabeh the explosion gets sucked into itself, so gordon and alyx are only knocked off their feet...then the chain reaction stuff starts happening and slowly takes out the citadel as gordon and alyx escape :D

I like jandors idea more though...

[Lambada]

Cool idea, but unfortunately I think Alyx may have smoked her last cigar when the reactor went boom. (Correct me on this one, Valve may have released info that she is alive in aftermath.)
Too bad...

[Jintor]

I recon that the slow time warp because of the teleporter explosion probably works best. Except the slow time warp is only for breen, you see... but hot damn, the slow explosion would be super major cool...

And for anyone else that feels like testing: is the slow down time reaction from the second the teleporter blows, or before it goes bang, or after? Because whether it was Gman or the Teleporter affecting the time slow isn't quite right yet in my head.... maybe the teleporter -started- the slow time but gman just -nudged- it so it would stop...

(although seriously he probably just pulled you out after he brushed the lint of alyx's shoulder.)

[AzzMan]

It's all in the theory of relativity, if you ask me.

G-man didn't slow the universe down. He sped himself and Gordon up to the point that the real world appeared slow by comparison.
So he didn't stop the explosion. He outran it.

Exactly what I was thinking. Honestly I have no idea how everyone suddely gets the notion that the only thing that could have happened is that the Gman stopped the universe... :|

[Samon]

Cool idea, but unfortunately I think Alyx may have smoked her last cigar when the reactor went boom. (Correct me on this one, Valve may have released info that she is alive in aftermath.)
Too bad...

She is still alive. There are screens of her in PC GAMER article. The game basically revolves around her.