#combine advisors

[anons-has-hlvrai-aus]

The organisms who were used as templates for the Combine’s synth production MUST have underwent some serious shrinkwrapping (in the same vein as early paleoart) and pigmentation removal to get what the Combine have now. We’ve seen what they can do to a human to make stalkers.

Like. To me a strider in its natural habitat would be found wandering around in lakes. The hairs near the “toe” of each foot twitching in response to alien fish brushing against them, alerting them to food sources. Their tail producing some sort of natural glue or something that can be quickly shot out to slow down or incapacitate its food. Its mouth like a proboscis or straw that slurps up its food when it bends down. Its legs with more fat or muscle than what we normally see. Maybe it had armor…maybe it didn’t…maybe its skin or fur or feathers had brilliant colors for display…or maybe they were dull to hide from something else…

Hunters as horselike creatures…frolicking along whatever their version of prairies or valleys would look like. Powerful creatures with powerful legs, very sturdy but have difficulty recovering if injured. Maybe they were social animals.

Maybe the Advisors, the Shu’ulathoi, as high up as they are in the hierarchy, once had little masks of color around their faces and speckles along the sides, similar to some Earth grubs. Maybe they looked more breathtaking.

Maybe the dropship and the gunship once had more blubber on them and wandered majestically. Maybe the gunships were once curious and complex in the way that dolphins or crows are.

And that’s just thinking about what we can see. What has been lost and stripped away to make these things what they are now? Is this what it felt like to be the first paleontologists? Who knows…

[internetskiff]

[louhinks]

entropy zero 2 was very good and you should play it

[blacktobackmesa]

Thinking about Combine Advisors lately

[owlzshitshow]

"I'M A DYNAMO, YOU CAN'T STOP ME NOW" a tribute to Entropy: Zero 2, a god-tier source mod lyrics are from Dynamo by Puppet

[nvcl347]

Negotiations Art trade piece for the wonderful @narklos!

[the-1-foxy]

Improvement Hell day 23: Pick a colour palette, and paint a scene/character/object using only those colours

Lyric from the song Those who can't, cheat - Clarence Clarity. It has very much Breen vibes.

thumbnail sketch I drew a month ago

[incorrect-half-life-quotes]

Dr. Breen: I am sure you understand the intrusion. This is a matter of upmost importance- Combine Advisor: Speak. Don't waste my time. B: My humble apologies. B: Dr. Hahn is bullying me. She says she would be a better collaborator. Hahn: I would be! Tell him he's being a stick up prick who doesn't know when he's a failure! B: Excuse me! I am not a failure! You are the one who couldn't do my job! H: Right. Because I do more than you! Advisor: ...You are both grounded.

[ivipl1]

I might just be the only person in the world to notice the Combine Overwatch voice is in fact 1. an AI 2. maybe aware of it. I will now continue thinking abt her. Goodbye.

[caliblorn]

Base game ESO voice acting is... something. I predicted both the See-All-Colors (already a very in-your-face name, but I like it) and Aelif's """"plot twists""" JUST from their voices. I've never heard a more paladin Argonian and a more mischevious Khajiit in the whole damn game. And all base game bad guys talk...like that.

[anons-has-hlvrai-aus]

Your honor, they are just silly wittle grubs

(Ref image below)

[internetskiff]

I've seen a lot of people say this specific Advisor from Episode 2 is actually Dr. Breen's new Host Body, citing how it seems to be testing it's psychic abilities as if it's a newborn and how it stares at Gordon with very clear hatred. While an interesting theory, and yeah - Breen does end up in an Advisor according to Epistle 3, I don't think it's the same one as the Barn Advisor. It wouldn't even make sense - if all Breen wants is to die like in Epistle 3, why would he try to mindfuck Gordon instead of immediately asking him to put a cap in his disgusting maggot body?

Honestly everything I'm about to say is a bit obvious, hell it really feels like it's very clearly communicated in the Barn Advisor's scene. I'm not even really sure why anyone decided the Barn Advisor is Breen - is it the recording from the Citadel? That recording is specifically from the perspective of the Advisor he spoke to - hell, I feel it's more likely that this specific Advisor was actually the one Breen was consulting with the whole time since even before the events of Half Life 2.

It does very clearly act as if newly born, crushing a barrel as if testing it's strength and then prodding at a dead Rebel. I'm not sure if true, but I've heard Advisors specifically use their tongue to consume not only the brain itself but also the knowledge it contains. If it had a prior hatred of Gordon, why did it go for the Rebel first?

I think when it consumed the Rebel's knowledge (if that's what it did), it immediately felt a rush of knowledge specifically about Gordon - his escapades, his messianic reputation amongst the Resistance, and his role in taking down the Combine. That's when it turns to face Gordon. It's not prior hatred - it's recognition, seeing the man from the Rebel's memories right in front of it and seeing an immediate opportunity to stifle the Resistance in one swift blow. I believe it might also be the same Advisor responsible for coordinating the assault on White Forest and the one behind the ambush on Eli - it might have also consumed knowledge of the leader of the Resistance from that Rebel and the importance he holds. It seems to be very deliberately hunting Gordon down ever since the encounter at the barn.

I think a lot of people will agree but the main reason I want a Half Life 3 to happen is to have the opportunity to fight an Advisor. It's psychic abilities could make for some really sick physics-based gameplay methinks. Plus it'd be so so so cathartic to finally put a bullet in the same freaks that seemed practically untouchable and have been hunting you down for most of the Half Life games. It would've been great.

[doolallymagpie]

hm.

no comment.

[vanishingmoments]

I just played some half life alyx for the first time in a week with my base stations set up a little better and i still have maintained the opinion that this is a cool ass game i wish i didn't have to play

[painful-vomit]

Cyn? Who do you think would be better to fight? Gordon Freeman, or Aiden Walker?

Aiden because he didn't kill a god.

[hlvraiyaoi]

I hate animating but I love my OCs