Post by The Machine on Mar 24, 2013 6:55:58 GMT -5
What you will see in this guide:
Back story of how the combine took over, explanations of most fractions and other useful stuff.
(I did not write this but I made some edits to it to fit into our server better. Admins if I missed stuff out or you would like to add something just go ahead and edit it :3)
Welcome to the world of Half-Life,
Overview:
The half life timeline all begins roughly around the year 1995, During the premier years of the Black Mesa Research Facility stationed in New Mexico, During this time between 1995 and 2000 (2000 presumed as the date is unknown of the actual black mesa incident) Black mesa secured huge military contracts and funding through applications in experimental portal technology along with its Sister corporation Aperture Science working at a abandoned salt mine complex in upper Michigan. During this time were the Black Mesa facility was securing massive funding and building its complex underground structure the Half-Life protagonist "Gordon Freeman" (You do not know anything about Gordon so NO "I know gordanz" shizz. Some old vorts talk about "The Freeman" but not alot is known) was attending his MIT education. In the Year 2000 Gordon Freeman was added to the Black Mesa research facility staff under the Anomalous Materials division as a Theoretical Physicist. During this time another Antagonist in the Half life series is introduced also known as "The G-Man" (You know NOTHING about G-Man. If anything you know more about Gordon Freeman); The G-man is considered on equal playing field when discussing who is the main character in the Half-Life Saga, The G-Man single-handedly orchestrated the Resonance Cascade, which will bring the world to an almost near end.
During this time The Combine Empire invades and takes control of the Vortigaunts' homeworld (which we have never seen), and attempt to enslave them, including their leader, Nihilianth (who is not necessarily a Vortigaunt). A long and bitter struggle ensues, as the Vortigaunts flee from planet to planet, battling and evading the Combine forces. With their backs against the wall, they flee to the border world Xen, where they wait their demise. Xen is sort of like a "subway station" of the universe in that it can be used to cross dimensions. The Combine attempt to hybridize the dominant species of the planet (In Xen's case, the Vortigaunts) with their own technology to create a "Super soldier" that is adapted to Xen's environment and uses powerful Combine technology.
Long story short, The Resonance Cascade happens due to Gordons involvement and the G-mans (I quit underlining and colouring them as I think you get whats important now) involvement by bringing the Xen crystal to earth. The resonance cascade rips open space-time and forms a portal between Earth and Xen. Nihilanth's race sees the dimensional fissure as an escape route. Of course headcrabs and other life trapped on Xen decide to hitch a ride to Earth, for the fun of it. Black Mesa becomes chaos, as the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, a United States Marine Corps Special Forces division, is brought in to quell the results of the Resonance Cascade, including the elimination of all humans caught in the cross-fire. This resonance cascade is so immense in nature, that the Combine Empire notices it, turning their interest to what is happening on Earth. The resonance cascade rips open space-time and forms a portal between Earth and Xen. Nihilanth's race sees the dimensional fissure as an escape route. Of course headcrabs and other life trapped on Xen decide to hitch a ride to Earth, for the fun of it. Black Mesa becomes chaos, as the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, a United States Marine Corps Special Forces division, is brought in to quell the results of the Resonance Cascade, including the elimination of all humans caught in the cross-fire.
Eventually Black Mesa is destroyed by nuclear detonation (noted in Opposing Fronts). Several survivors exist, including Wallace Breen, Black Mesa's former administrator; Barney Calhoun, a security guard; Dr Issac Kleiner, a prominent scientist at Black Mesa; Dr. Arne Magnusson; Dr. Eli Vance; and of course, Alyx Vance, Eli's daughter.
The Portal Storms
In 2010, unfortunately, though Black Mesa has been obliterated, Earth has yet to feel the brunt of this disaster. "Portal Storms", a seeming side-effect from the resonance cascade, form a dimensional rift between Xen and Earth. These Portal Storms spread outside the confines of what is left of Black Mesa and throughout all of Earth, providing temporary, chaotic, and destructive links between Xen and Earth. Aliens (from Xen) of all types are teleported into suburbs. Headcrabs crawl along the aisles of grocery stores while others teleport into swimming pools and homes. Utter chaos erupts on Earth. The freed Vortigaunts use these storms as a ticket out of Xen and onto Earth, fleeing from the Combine. A huge population shift occurs as people move into the cities, protected by soldiers and barbed wire fences, to escape the monsters. A feeling of safety comes over the people of Earth, as they can once again live normal lives within the confines of the cities, as the alien species continue to infest the outside world. Vast networks of ant-lion nests are formed throughout the Earth's crust, housing millions of new species.
The Combine, who have been keeping an eye on Earth since the resonance cascade, finally decide to take action. They plan on taking the Portal Storms to their advantage and use them as a method to mount an invasion on Earth. Now that Nihilanth's race have fled from the border-world to Earth, the Combine can forget about Xen and enslave both Mankind and Nihilanth's race in one fell swoop, on Earth.
The Seven Hour War
In 2015, forcing space-time and the portal storms wider open, the Combine launches a multi-pronged, all-out assault on the entire earth. They teleport troops as well as drop-ships, gun-ships, and striders from Combine off-world outposts through the Portal Storms, and onto Earth. Once there, the Combine uses the same technique that they used on Xen on the humans, building a super-army out of the combination of the DNA of the most dominant species on Earth (the humans) and Combine technology.
The primary Citadel is established in City 17. This enormous structure is home to the Earth based Combine control center. Combine armies are produced here as well as vehicles and armaments. Combine presences are established in other cities around the world. (It is hinted that there may be other secondary Citadels around the world, linked by a network.) While fighting each other, the humans and Combine also have the threat of Nihilianth's race. The freed Vortigaunts ally with the rebel forces, wanting revenge against the Combine. The headcrabs, being headcrabs, just attack anyone they can find. Other monsters find their place assaulting both Man and Combine.
The next stage of the Combine's plan takes root. Wallace Breen, "made" optimistic about the Combine takeover, is appointed the Administrator of Earth, acting as a puppet for the Combine. How he is selected for this role is unknown at this time. Breen's first act is to surrender Earth to the Combine, explaining that the Combine have arrived for good, to immortalize humanity, convinced by the Combine that the loss of life is inevitable in this transition period as Earth joins the Universal Union. Breen formally "surrenders" Earth after 7 hours of combat between Mankind and the Combine. Breen being a human helps the Combine, too. He is a species-specific leader - this helps propagate the lie that the enslavement of humans is a positive step forward, and humans, seeing a human in power, can be more readily coerced into their new lives.
Most of the major population centers of Earth are destroyed. Those still alive move into the country, spreading out to avoid Combine capture. Small pockets of rebel fighters surface, but have to establish bases in un-safe areas in the country, where the Xenians have manifested themselves, finding niches in Earth's ecosystem. Still under the spell of the Combine, and ignoring the massive genocide, Breen views the building rebel force as a group of short-sighted troublemakers. The remaining populated areas are named City 1, City 2... City 17, City 27, etc and are placed under control of the Combine, who are establishing a huge presence on Earth. The United Nations in New York City is taken over and destroyed. Meanwhile, all scientists have evacuated their facilities at Aperture Science, including their
Chapter 2
Congratulations, you survived the first chapter (Thank god!)
Now in this chapter you will be learning about base game mechanics, Factions, some Do's and Don't s and Basic and advanced terminology.
1. Take a walk around the city, but do not run. Find out your bearings and were you can go or where you cannot go, if anything ask another player or a working Combine Authority.
2. Know the commands after entering the chat prompt these commands alter how you affect the world around you: (Some of the commands not all see the Directory in the TAB menu)
Regular typing - Normal In Character talking.
/w - Whisper, People very close to you can hear you only.
/y - Say it loud and proud! everyone can hear you from very far (SPAAAAAAAAAAAACCEEE!!!!).
/me - Use this to talk about yourself in the third person, Example" /me Sits on the chair and takes a breather".
/it - Talk about anything in the Third person, use for local events such as /it The steam pipe overhead breaks!
/Anim<Syntax> - Animation actions, the Alternative is pressing F1 and choosing an action.
/givetokens - give tokens to a player your looking at.
/droptokens - drop tokens to a place near you that your looking at.
/CharPhysDesc - Change your personal Description.
.// - Local Out of Character Chat, use this to talk to everyone around you out of character. (Defined by [LOOC])
// - Server Out of Character Chat, Everyone on the server can read these messages.
F1 - Pressing this Key brings up your character Menu and other sub tasks.
F2 - Identification Key, Press this ONLY when you are telling someone your name In Characterly, then select a range for the identification.
TAB - Press this for the OL main Menu, has all other functions listed.
3. Familiarize yourself with the laws of the server and the Combine, Each server is different and each has its own rules and regulations.
The next question most ask is," How do I earn money?". The currency set in place of the dollar/euro etc is the Token and or Credits, Typically the only way you earn credits is through Rations. Rations are a device that are handed out by Civil protection periodically and offer 60 Credits along with some in game goodies. You can earn credits by Asking the APEX units for some chores and they might offer you some type of reward but don't count on it. You can also save up and buy a business permit and sell common items for others. But always keep in mind that you do not need items and money to role-play.
The Do's And Donts of HL2RP:
1. DO NOT Run around the server (Sprint) It will get you in trouble by the combine.
2. DO NOT Mention about yourself being a rebel or part of some resistance or past or prior military, you can be killed.
3. DO NOT Steal other peoples items by running up to them and snatching them. This is punishable by Kick and or ban.
4. DO NOT use your fist weapons ever, Even through there there you would rather use /me's rather then weapons.
5. DO NOT Harass the combine, they will remind you with positive reinforcement.
5a. DO NOT Harass administration about how you want to join the combine, please make a post in the forums when applications open.
6. DO Treat others with respect, Allow them to respond to your roleplay as you would like for them to respond to yours.
7. DO be a good listener.
8. DO follow the laws of Physics.
9. DO Listen to other people who have been there longer, they might know more then you.
10. DO promote quality over quantity role play, even the smallest things make the server better, If nothing is going do Passive role play,
feed some birds or something.
Some common terms:
RP -Roleplay.
Cannon - The Half Life two storyline.
DM - Deathmatch (Random Killing)
PK - Permanent kill (Death of your character followed by your chacter being banned)
CCA - Combine Civil Authourity
CWU - Civil Works Union
CID - Civil Identification Number (Press F1 to View)
Minge - A individual who disrupts roleplay
Metagaming - Using information obtained out of character in character.
Powergaming - Forcing your actions on others and or having super natural abilities that defy physics.
Chapter Three - Faction : The Civilians (Also Known as Citizens)
The Civilians are the backbone of HL2RP, They make up over 70% of the Factions in the role play itself. Civilians in general are the worlds last humans, they are farmed in Cities around the world and forced to act civilized. Civilians are considered the second to bottom of the food chain on the combine hierarchy. Within the civilians you can expand into many different factions such as the Combine Civil Authority, The Civil Workers Union, the Loyalists, and if you are approached the Rebels. Civilians spend most of their time roaming the streets acting civilized, performing cleanup tasks issued by the combine, sleeping, eating, and socializing within small groups. What makes civilians so unique is that they have no rules that guide their faction other then the HL2 Cannon and the Combine laws. They can role play almost any scenario they can think of within reasonable bounds of the Half life Cannon.
Civilians communicate by talking or whispering and hand motions, they are not allowed communication devices or any technology of sorts (Minus the request device) in order to keep the humanity population under control. When acting with other faction Civilians should act in the following mannerisms:
With the Combine:
Most civilians fear the combine, Due to the combine constantly beating and or punishing them. Most civilians suffer battered victim syndrome and do as their told, but there are few who rise above that fear and continue to drive on. When approaching the combine you should wait to be acknowledged before speaking, don't just walk up to an officer and say hey man whats up, you will most likely be taken care of. When answering questions always end with officer, for example Yes Officer/No Officer etc. Being a CCA officer is a status and should be treated with respect.
Rebels:
If you can find one its up to you how you act.
Civil Workers and Loyalists:
Indifferent, but be careful the combine take care of their pets, don't kick their dog. they are normally armed with a request device.
Most civilians do not have weapons, but some civilians are armed with criminal activities and have access to contraband items. Be weary and careful, as for the technology that humans have access to it is very limited to none. your character background has more control over that then you do as a faction bonus. Being a civilian in the HL2 rp world can be as detailed as you make it to be, put your stamp on what you make and let people know your a great roleplayer. it can benifit you possibly later on in your Roleplay career.
Common Role play Scenarios:
Most of the time Civilians will encounter a multitude of role-play scenarios, Some of them are but not limited to; Civil identification checks, Ration terminal roleplay, Passive roleplay, Merchant roleplay, Loyalist Roleplay, Judgement Waivers, Terry checks, and in game events.
Reacting to a Civil Identification Check:
Civil identification checks are commonly done between a Combine Civil Authourity Officer and a Citizen, You will be approached (Either straight up or due to arrest reasons) and asked to present your Civil Identification. At this time you can press F1 to find out your Civil identification number (unless you know it) and respond to the officer in the following manner: <First name> <Last Name> <Civil Identification Number>, No other information is needed and the officer will commonly look up your record on the spot. If everything checks out and you are free to leave he will tell you to do so.
Ration Terminal:
Hungry? need some extra tokens? when rations are available for processing you can visit the ration terminal and wait in line for a ration. Rules for waiting in line are simple, Look forward and do not talk unless spoken to by a civil authority. When it is your turn to receive a ration an officer will state for you Present your Civil identification (Wow look at that the previous step helps you in another one!). Once cleared you will be given a ration that normally contains some credits, Food, and Water.
Judgement Waivers:
All of a sudden you hear some big booming alarms, This is a common way to tell you...GET THE HELL INSIDE!!! During a judgement waiver it means the combine are looking for someone and or trying to divert an emergency and get people off the streets. During the Judgement waiver you are supposed to remain downstairs and face the wall so you can be CID checked and searched for contraband, This is a way that the combine can keep tabs on people and induce FearRP. While the Judgement waiver is active you can be detained if you go out on the city streets, Dont do it, Until the waiver is over you cannot leave the lobby areas of your buildings and must wait for Civil protection to come check you. if you are caught outside or with contraband during the judgement waive you will most likely be detained and or beaten. Once the alarms stop feel free to continue your life.
Passive Roleplay:
Does not mean "Oh look nothing going on so im going to harass that CCA officer over there".....WRONG! During times of downtime between roleplay events and scenerios you will often find yourself alone and or not doing much, when this happens start doing simething productive like some very complementary /me's or actions that evolve your character as a person. You can do anything by feeding birds, walking around whistling songs, watching people, cleaning your room, cleaning public places, etc. If you are unable to find some type of passive roleplay visit the nearest officer and ask to be placed on a cleaning detail or a chore list.
Merchant Roleplay:
It just so happens that you are by far the best Stuffed turtle vendor on the planet, Great! Before you open a business or some type of shop make sure you clear it with a CCA officer. Make sure you dont sell contraband and or illegal items and you can make some cash however you wish. I wont go into the teachings of supply and demand but everyone needs something you just need to find out what it is.
Loyalist Civilians:
Loyalists are those pesky people that walk around and tell you how wonderful of a day it is after you witnessed your best friend beaten and dragged into the nexus never to be seen again. Being a loyalist isn't about putting Loyalist in your description and walking around, its about doing enough favors for the combine to be recognized as an official loyalist and then the combine will trust you more then the average citizen. A loyalist armed with a request device is a very powerful deterrent due to the combines ability to trust the loyalists requests more then the average citizen. Loyalists typically get some cool bonuses, sometimes they get to cut the line at rations (Had it happen 5 times =D) they get to skip out on terry stops now and then. But with every choice has consequences, Most loyalists are shunned by other civilians due to betraying humanity by choosing the way of the combine.
Above all Being a civilian is very fun and rewarding game style, you have many branches to expand from and if you lose the hard way (DEATH) you can just simply start over, Being a citizen is about being proud at what you do and how you present it.
Chapter Four - The Combine (Dun Dun DUUUNNN)
Welcome to the Combine (or extended the Universal Union),
Being a member of the combine forces, weather it be the Legions of uniformed Combine Civil Authority (Metro-police) members ; The Stalkers (Not implemented yet) ; The AI Dispatch System (Controlled by scanners and DvL's and up) and many of the other forces under the combine control (Vortigaunts [Captured] etc). Being a member of the combine is a busy and exhausting task that may not sometimes be fun but in the end it has great rewards. It all starts with being a good role-player in general and a relatively good person in your Civilian (Citizen) life and a well written application to enroll as a CCA officer on your local forums, at most times applying for a CCA application can be a daunting task and requires lots of thinking time and space. BUT DO NOT WORRY By reading the basic timeline on part one of this guide you too can make a somewhat decent application and have common knowledge to make a proficient back-story.
The Civil Protection, was created in 2011 by the Universal Union and the world administrator Dr. Wallace Breen, they mainly comprise of loyalists and or brainwashed individuals from certain ranks among their division.The rank structure of the combine Currently is as follows from the bottom up:
Enslaved Creatures (Vortigaunts and Humans)
Combine Civil Authority Recruit
Combine Civil Authority 04 Unit
Combine Civil Authority 03 Unit
Combine Civil Authority 02 Unit
Combine Civil Authority 01 Unit
Combine Civil Authority Officer (Ofc)
Combine Civil Authority Division Leader (DvL)
Combine Civil Authority Commander (CmD)
Combine Civil Authority Sectoral Commander (SeC)
Each rank is described as follows and has the following mannerisms and what their rank has authority to do:
Enslaved Creatures:
Nothing they have no authority, they are treated like dirt.
Combine Civil Authority Recruit:
The stepping stone of the CCA's broad and expansive control force, The recruit is in all terms a Civilian (Citizen) who has the basic equipment of a officer. They have and are normally issued a Recruit Uniform, a baton, some zip-ties, a radio, and shiny black boots (Trust me women dig the boots). Being a recruit does not make you robo cop, you are just a human with some gear and a pocket full of "Authority" to manage and enforce the laws and standards of the Universal Union. It is a recruits job to learn as much as possible during his recruit phase about standard laws, city ordnance s, learning how to Shoot, learning how to move, and learning how to communicate as a team to achieve the Combine goal. But what is the combine goal? Simple, the goal of the CCA is to provide "Security" within the city walls to the populace and bring society to a more civilized state of mind through forces of intimidation, physical punishment, and manual labor. As a recruit it would be wise to stick with a "Battle Buddy" preferably a unit with a 04 rank or higher, watch what they do and copy and paste their actions on top of your characters personality. If you do not conform within a week or so you may be deemed for amputation for failure to adapt.
Combine Civil Authority 04 Unit
Congratulations you've passed your training and have been promoted to the rank of 04! As an 04 you gain standard CCA armour and also a nine millimeter pistol (9mm). You can issue Level 3 verdicts only and have to ask permission for Level two verdicts.
Combine Civil Authority 03 Unit
Congratulations on your promotion! As an 03 you have the same equipment as before but a new addition the MP7 Sub Machine-gun, and Medium grade body armor. You also have MORE responsibility!!! and the ability to Administer Level two verdicts.
Combine Civil Authority 02 Unit
You are now a veteran officer on your unit, you have Judiciary power inside your unit now and on top of that even more responsibility. with a brand new Heavy body armor you feel even more tough. Keep working hard to get the 01 Rank!
Combine Civil Authority 01 Unit
Its too far to turn back now, your fully in control of by the combine and you have the right to administer all three verdicts, remove citizenship rights, and bestow judiciary power.
Combine Civil Authority Officer (OfC)
This is were life gets good for you, you are in control of your Unit, VIA being the second in command. you can organize your unit how you wish and make any changes to your own unit as you deem fit as long as it is approved by higher. you are also issued flash grenades and a Spaz-12 shotgun.
Combine Civil Authority Divisional Leader (DvL)
The head honcho of any Unit, what he says-goes no questions asked. He answers to no one other then the Commander and the Sectoral commander or those given judiciary power over him. You also have tyhe power to manage ranks in other squads and have command authority to administer Judgement waivers, request synthetic support (SYNTH) and Overwatch Support. On top of that you also get access to the AR2 the combine pulse rifle and fragmentation grenades.
Combine Civil Authority Sectoral Commander (SeC)
As stated on another site, you start getting into some Darth Vader s*** here, you are in full control of the sector. You decorate your desk with the skulls of your enemies and manage the legion of CCA officers within your sector, you have full command authority over everything under your powers. You can remove any officer you see unfit for the job, amputate at will, the city is your project, experiment at your will with the guidelines of the union.
Escalation of force:
This is a very controversial subject, As a CCA officer you have the right to administer Verdicts within your discretion. But when it comes to resistance and or aggression make sure you have proper permission to do things such as drawing your weapon and opening fire. Always be ready to articulate your reasons for doing everything that you do at any given time.
Technology and Weaponry:
The combine have mastered a vast majority of armaments through their world travels and expanded their technology base. On earth very few off worldly weapons make it to the surfaces of earth but there are few dominant ones that every can notice and see Most weapon systems that are in use are of the projectile catagory (bullets) and offer extreme versatility:
Weapons
The Electro-shock stun baton - The main deterrence force of the CCA.
The Nine millimeter pistol - Invented by humans, it is used to enforce the law in extreme circumstances.
The MP7 Sub-Machine gun - Invented by Humans, it is used to enforce the law in very dire and extreme circumstances.
The Spaz-12 Combat Shotgun - Invented by Humans, it is used for crowd control scenarios and Close quarters combat operations.
The AR2 Combine Pulse Rifle - Invented by the combine, This weapon harnessed dark energy rather then bullets and uses them for projectiles,
the primary fire emits a short burst of energy while the secondary launches a dark energy sphere that can obliterate any living thing.
Chapter Five - The Universal Union
(Insert Strafe of the Empire theme here)
The Universal Union, commonly known as the "UU" the Universal Union is the administrative and Prime race of the combine collective under one banner, theirs of course. The beings of the Prime species among the combine might are highly advanced creatures that have extreme telekinetic powers and over possibly centuries of existence used less and less of their physical bodies and became technology dependent. Although the prime race of the Universal Union is just been recently unearthed from the stretches of Episode One and Episode Two they have a major and prominent role as generals of the combine might.
In the server you may rarely have a chance to meet a member of the Universal Union or its associates, Prominent member of the UU are The Sectoral Commander, The City Administrator, and the Advisors (Prime Race). Most publicly you will see the City Administrator due to his nature and relationship to the Citizens of his/her city. The roles and hierarchy of the union is as follows:
The Advisors (Prime Race)
The prime race of the combine, as stated in the over-wiki:
"The Advisors are large, pale, grub-like creatures with no discernible facial features, save a gas mask-like device attached to their front end as well as a cybernetic eyepiece on the left-hand side of their "face". Advisors possess a long, prehensile proboscis, which they use to feed. They do this to humans by plunging the proboscis deep into the back of the neck. Exactly what they feed on from humans is unknown, though given the position it is most likely blood or spinal fluid. Each Advisor wears a skintight olive-green body suit that covers all but both ends of their bodies, with a collar around their "necks" adorned with golden glyphs. Some Advisors also have a pair of spindly black robotic arms strapped to their back that are capable of grabbing and lifting an adult human. In Episode Two, Advisors are seen grabbing humans, both living and dead, and plunging the proboscis deep into the back of their necks. Combine Advisors have a wide range of odd vocalizations, from robotic growls and groans, to loud shouting noises and screeching. Besides their technological prowess, the Advisors also possess incredible psychic powers."
The role of the Advisor is still underway in the main story line and within the server has no real effect of roleplay here. (so far)
The City Administrators;
The City administrators are a role that govern the remaining civilian populace, among the administrators there is a rank structure but mainly all administrators fall under the lead of the Dr Wallace Breen who resides in the citadel in City seventeen, and all high command units in the CCA.
The Sectoral Command
The head of charge for the combine civil authority, as the administrator manages the Civil populace the Sectoral manages the Combine populace. There is an interesting bond in relationship to the types of command the SeC has versus the Civil Administrator.
Back story of how the combine took over, explanations of most fractions and other useful stuff.
(I did not write this but I made some edits to it to fit into our server better. Admins if I missed stuff out or you would like to add something just go ahead and edit it :3)
Welcome to the world of Half-Life,
Overview:
The half life timeline all begins roughly around the year 1995, During the premier years of the Black Mesa Research Facility stationed in New Mexico, During this time between 1995 and 2000 (2000 presumed as the date is unknown of the actual black mesa incident) Black mesa secured huge military contracts and funding through applications in experimental portal technology along with its Sister corporation Aperture Science working at a abandoned salt mine complex in upper Michigan. During this time were the Black Mesa facility was securing massive funding and building its complex underground structure the Half-Life protagonist "Gordon Freeman" (You do not know anything about Gordon so NO "I know gordanz" shizz. Some old vorts talk about "The Freeman" but not alot is known) was attending his MIT education. In the Year 2000 Gordon Freeman was added to the Black Mesa research facility staff under the Anomalous Materials division as a Theoretical Physicist. During this time another Antagonist in the Half life series is introduced also known as "The G-Man" (You know NOTHING about G-Man. If anything you know more about Gordon Freeman); The G-man is considered on equal playing field when discussing who is the main character in the Half-Life Saga, The G-Man single-handedly orchestrated the Resonance Cascade, which will bring the world to an almost near end.
During this time The Combine Empire invades and takes control of the Vortigaunts' homeworld (which we have never seen), and attempt to enslave them, including their leader, Nihilianth (who is not necessarily a Vortigaunt). A long and bitter struggle ensues, as the Vortigaunts flee from planet to planet, battling and evading the Combine forces. With their backs against the wall, they flee to the border world Xen, where they wait their demise. Xen is sort of like a "subway station" of the universe in that it can be used to cross dimensions. The Combine attempt to hybridize the dominant species of the planet (In Xen's case, the Vortigaunts) with their own technology to create a "Super soldier" that is adapted to Xen's environment and uses powerful Combine technology.
Long story short, The Resonance Cascade happens due to Gordons involvement and the G-mans (I quit underlining and colouring them as I think you get whats important now) involvement by bringing the Xen crystal to earth. The resonance cascade rips open space-time and forms a portal between Earth and Xen. Nihilanth's race sees the dimensional fissure as an escape route. Of course headcrabs and other life trapped on Xen decide to hitch a ride to Earth, for the fun of it. Black Mesa becomes chaos, as the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, a United States Marine Corps Special Forces division, is brought in to quell the results of the Resonance Cascade, including the elimination of all humans caught in the cross-fire. This resonance cascade is so immense in nature, that the Combine Empire notices it, turning their interest to what is happening on Earth. The resonance cascade rips open space-time and forms a portal between Earth and Xen. Nihilanth's race sees the dimensional fissure as an escape route. Of course headcrabs and other life trapped on Xen decide to hitch a ride to Earth, for the fun of it. Black Mesa becomes chaos, as the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, a United States Marine Corps Special Forces division, is brought in to quell the results of the Resonance Cascade, including the elimination of all humans caught in the cross-fire.
Eventually Black Mesa is destroyed by nuclear detonation (noted in Opposing Fronts). Several survivors exist, including Wallace Breen, Black Mesa's former administrator; Barney Calhoun, a security guard; Dr Issac Kleiner, a prominent scientist at Black Mesa; Dr. Arne Magnusson; Dr. Eli Vance; and of course, Alyx Vance, Eli's daughter.
The Portal Storms
In 2010, unfortunately, though Black Mesa has been obliterated, Earth has yet to feel the brunt of this disaster. "Portal Storms", a seeming side-effect from the resonance cascade, form a dimensional rift between Xen and Earth. These Portal Storms spread outside the confines of what is left of Black Mesa and throughout all of Earth, providing temporary, chaotic, and destructive links between Xen and Earth. Aliens (from Xen) of all types are teleported into suburbs. Headcrabs crawl along the aisles of grocery stores while others teleport into swimming pools and homes. Utter chaos erupts on Earth. The freed Vortigaunts use these storms as a ticket out of Xen and onto Earth, fleeing from the Combine. A huge population shift occurs as people move into the cities, protected by soldiers and barbed wire fences, to escape the monsters. A feeling of safety comes over the people of Earth, as they can once again live normal lives within the confines of the cities, as the alien species continue to infest the outside world. Vast networks of ant-lion nests are formed throughout the Earth's crust, housing millions of new species.
The Combine, who have been keeping an eye on Earth since the resonance cascade, finally decide to take action. They plan on taking the Portal Storms to their advantage and use them as a method to mount an invasion on Earth. Now that Nihilanth's race have fled from the border-world to Earth, the Combine can forget about Xen and enslave both Mankind and Nihilanth's race in one fell swoop, on Earth.
The Seven Hour War
In 2015, forcing space-time and the portal storms wider open, the Combine launches a multi-pronged, all-out assault on the entire earth. They teleport troops as well as drop-ships, gun-ships, and striders from Combine off-world outposts through the Portal Storms, and onto Earth. Once there, the Combine uses the same technique that they used on Xen on the humans, building a super-army out of the combination of the DNA of the most dominant species on Earth (the humans) and Combine technology.
The primary Citadel is established in City 17. This enormous structure is home to the Earth based Combine control center. Combine armies are produced here as well as vehicles and armaments. Combine presences are established in other cities around the world. (It is hinted that there may be other secondary Citadels around the world, linked by a network.) While fighting each other, the humans and Combine also have the threat of Nihilianth's race. The freed Vortigaunts ally with the rebel forces, wanting revenge against the Combine. The headcrabs, being headcrabs, just attack anyone they can find. Other monsters find their place assaulting both Man and Combine.
The next stage of the Combine's plan takes root. Wallace Breen, "made" optimistic about the Combine takeover, is appointed the Administrator of Earth, acting as a puppet for the Combine. How he is selected for this role is unknown at this time. Breen's first act is to surrender Earth to the Combine, explaining that the Combine have arrived for good, to immortalize humanity, convinced by the Combine that the loss of life is inevitable in this transition period as Earth joins the Universal Union. Breen formally "surrenders" Earth after 7 hours of combat between Mankind and the Combine. Breen being a human helps the Combine, too. He is a species-specific leader - this helps propagate the lie that the enslavement of humans is a positive step forward, and humans, seeing a human in power, can be more readily coerced into their new lives.
Most of the major population centers of Earth are destroyed. Those still alive move into the country, spreading out to avoid Combine capture. Small pockets of rebel fighters surface, but have to establish bases in un-safe areas in the country, where the Xenians have manifested themselves, finding niches in Earth's ecosystem. Still under the spell of the Combine, and ignoring the massive genocide, Breen views the building rebel force as a group of short-sighted troublemakers. The remaining populated areas are named City 1, City 2... City 17, City 27, etc and are placed under control of the Combine, who are establishing a huge presence on Earth. The United Nations in New York City is taken over and destroyed. Meanwhile, all scientists have evacuated their facilities at Aperture Science, including their
Chapter 2
Congratulations, you survived the first chapter (Thank god!)
Now in this chapter you will be learning about base game mechanics, Factions, some Do's and Don't s and Basic and advanced terminology.
1. Take a walk around the city, but do not run. Find out your bearings and were you can go or where you cannot go, if anything ask another player or a working Combine Authority.
2. Know the commands after entering the chat prompt these commands alter how you affect the world around you: (Some of the commands not all see the Directory in the TAB menu)
Regular typing - Normal In Character talking.
/w - Whisper, People very close to you can hear you only.
/y - Say it loud and proud! everyone can hear you from very far (SPAAAAAAAAAAAACCEEE!!!!).
/me - Use this to talk about yourself in the third person, Example" /me Sits on the chair and takes a breather".
/it - Talk about anything in the Third person, use for local events such as /it The steam pipe overhead breaks!
/Anim<Syntax> - Animation actions, the Alternative is pressing F1 and choosing an action.
/givetokens - give tokens to a player your looking at.
/droptokens - drop tokens to a place near you that your looking at.
/CharPhysDesc - Change your personal Description.
.// - Local Out of Character Chat, use this to talk to everyone around you out of character. (Defined by [LOOC])
// - Server Out of Character Chat, Everyone on the server can read these messages.
F1 - Pressing this Key brings up your character Menu and other sub tasks.
F2 - Identification Key, Press this ONLY when you are telling someone your name In Characterly, then select a range for the identification.
TAB - Press this for the OL main Menu, has all other functions listed.
3. Familiarize yourself with the laws of the server and the Combine, Each server is different and each has its own rules and regulations.
The next question most ask is," How do I earn money?". The currency set in place of the dollar/euro etc is the Token and or Credits, Typically the only way you earn credits is through Rations. Rations are a device that are handed out by Civil protection periodically and offer 60 Credits along with some in game goodies. You can earn credits by Asking the APEX units for some chores and they might offer you some type of reward but don't count on it. You can also save up and buy a business permit and sell common items for others. But always keep in mind that you do not need items and money to role-play.
The Do's And Donts of HL2RP:
1. DO NOT Run around the server (Sprint) It will get you in trouble by the combine.
2. DO NOT Mention about yourself being a rebel or part of some resistance or past or prior military, you can be killed.
3. DO NOT Steal other peoples items by running up to them and snatching them. This is punishable by Kick and or ban.
4. DO NOT use your fist weapons ever, Even through there there you would rather use /me's rather then weapons.
5. DO NOT Harass the combine, they will remind you with positive reinforcement.
5a. DO NOT Harass administration about how you want to join the combine, please make a post in the forums when applications open.
6. DO Treat others with respect, Allow them to respond to your roleplay as you would like for them to respond to yours.
7. DO be a good listener.
8. DO follow the laws of Physics.
9. DO Listen to other people who have been there longer, they might know more then you.
10. DO promote quality over quantity role play, even the smallest things make the server better, If nothing is going do Passive role play,
feed some birds or something.
Some common terms:
RP -Roleplay.
Cannon - The Half Life two storyline.
DM - Deathmatch (Random Killing)
PK - Permanent kill (Death of your character followed by your chacter being banned)
CCA - Combine Civil Authourity
CWU - Civil Works Union
CID - Civil Identification Number (Press F1 to View)
Minge - A individual who disrupts roleplay
Metagaming - Using information obtained out of character in character.
Powergaming - Forcing your actions on others and or having super natural abilities that defy physics.
Chapter Three - Faction : The Civilians (Also Known as Citizens)
The Civilians are the backbone of HL2RP, They make up over 70% of the Factions in the role play itself. Civilians in general are the worlds last humans, they are farmed in Cities around the world and forced to act civilized. Civilians are considered the second to bottom of the food chain on the combine hierarchy. Within the civilians you can expand into many different factions such as the Combine Civil Authority, The Civil Workers Union, the Loyalists, and if you are approached the Rebels. Civilians spend most of their time roaming the streets acting civilized, performing cleanup tasks issued by the combine, sleeping, eating, and socializing within small groups. What makes civilians so unique is that they have no rules that guide their faction other then the HL2 Cannon and the Combine laws. They can role play almost any scenario they can think of within reasonable bounds of the Half life Cannon.
Civilians communicate by talking or whispering and hand motions, they are not allowed communication devices or any technology of sorts (Minus the request device) in order to keep the humanity population under control. When acting with other faction Civilians should act in the following mannerisms:
With the Combine:
Most civilians fear the combine, Due to the combine constantly beating and or punishing them. Most civilians suffer battered victim syndrome and do as their told, but there are few who rise above that fear and continue to drive on. When approaching the combine you should wait to be acknowledged before speaking, don't just walk up to an officer and say hey man whats up, you will most likely be taken care of. When answering questions always end with officer, for example Yes Officer/No Officer etc. Being a CCA officer is a status and should be treated with respect.
Rebels:
If you can find one its up to you how you act.
Civil Workers and Loyalists:
Indifferent, but be careful the combine take care of their pets, don't kick their dog. they are normally armed with a request device.
Most civilians do not have weapons, but some civilians are armed with criminal activities and have access to contraband items. Be weary and careful, as for the technology that humans have access to it is very limited to none. your character background has more control over that then you do as a faction bonus. Being a civilian in the HL2 rp world can be as detailed as you make it to be, put your stamp on what you make and let people know your a great roleplayer. it can benifit you possibly later on in your Roleplay career.
Common Role play Scenarios:
Most of the time Civilians will encounter a multitude of role-play scenarios, Some of them are but not limited to; Civil identification checks, Ration terminal roleplay, Passive roleplay, Merchant roleplay, Loyalist Roleplay, Judgement Waivers, Terry checks, and in game events.
Reacting to a Civil Identification Check:
Civil identification checks are commonly done between a Combine Civil Authourity Officer and a Citizen, You will be approached (Either straight up or due to arrest reasons) and asked to present your Civil Identification. At this time you can press F1 to find out your Civil identification number (unless you know it) and respond to the officer in the following manner: <First name> <Last Name> <Civil Identification Number>, No other information is needed and the officer will commonly look up your record on the spot. If everything checks out and you are free to leave he will tell you to do so.
Ration Terminal:
Hungry? need some extra tokens? when rations are available for processing you can visit the ration terminal and wait in line for a ration. Rules for waiting in line are simple, Look forward and do not talk unless spoken to by a civil authority. When it is your turn to receive a ration an officer will state for you Present your Civil identification (Wow look at that the previous step helps you in another one!). Once cleared you will be given a ration that normally contains some credits, Food, and Water.
Judgement Waivers:
All of a sudden you hear some big booming alarms, This is a common way to tell you...GET THE HELL INSIDE!!! During a judgement waiver it means the combine are looking for someone and or trying to divert an emergency and get people off the streets. During the Judgement waiver you are supposed to remain downstairs and face the wall so you can be CID checked and searched for contraband, This is a way that the combine can keep tabs on people and induce FearRP. While the Judgement waiver is active you can be detained if you go out on the city streets, Dont do it, Until the waiver is over you cannot leave the lobby areas of your buildings and must wait for Civil protection to come check you. if you are caught outside or with contraband during the judgement waive you will most likely be detained and or beaten. Once the alarms stop feel free to continue your life.
Passive Roleplay:
Does not mean "Oh look nothing going on so im going to harass that CCA officer over there".....WRONG! During times of downtime between roleplay events and scenerios you will often find yourself alone and or not doing much, when this happens start doing simething productive like some very complementary /me's or actions that evolve your character as a person. You can do anything by feeding birds, walking around whistling songs, watching people, cleaning your room, cleaning public places, etc. If you are unable to find some type of passive roleplay visit the nearest officer and ask to be placed on a cleaning detail or a chore list.
Merchant Roleplay:
It just so happens that you are by far the best Stuffed turtle vendor on the planet, Great! Before you open a business or some type of shop make sure you clear it with a CCA officer. Make sure you dont sell contraband and or illegal items and you can make some cash however you wish. I wont go into the teachings of supply and demand but everyone needs something you just need to find out what it is.
Loyalist Civilians:
Loyalists are those pesky people that walk around and tell you how wonderful of a day it is after you witnessed your best friend beaten and dragged into the nexus never to be seen again. Being a loyalist isn't about putting Loyalist in your description and walking around, its about doing enough favors for the combine to be recognized as an official loyalist and then the combine will trust you more then the average citizen. A loyalist armed with a request device is a very powerful deterrent due to the combines ability to trust the loyalists requests more then the average citizen. Loyalists typically get some cool bonuses, sometimes they get to cut the line at rations (Had it happen 5 times =D) they get to skip out on terry stops now and then. But with every choice has consequences, Most loyalists are shunned by other civilians due to betraying humanity by choosing the way of the combine.
Above all Being a civilian is very fun and rewarding game style, you have many branches to expand from and if you lose the hard way (DEATH) you can just simply start over, Being a citizen is about being proud at what you do and how you present it.
Chapter Four - The Combine (Dun Dun DUUUNNN)
Welcome to the Combine (or extended the Universal Union),
Being a member of the combine forces, weather it be the Legions of uniformed Combine Civil Authority (Metro-police) members ; The Stalkers (Not implemented yet) ; The AI Dispatch System (Controlled by scanners and DvL's and up) and many of the other forces under the combine control (Vortigaunts [Captured] etc). Being a member of the combine is a busy and exhausting task that may not sometimes be fun but in the end it has great rewards. It all starts with being a good role-player in general and a relatively good person in your Civilian (Citizen) life and a well written application to enroll as a CCA officer on your local forums, at most times applying for a CCA application can be a daunting task and requires lots of thinking time and space. BUT DO NOT WORRY By reading the basic timeline on part one of this guide you too can make a somewhat decent application and have common knowledge to make a proficient back-story.
The Civil Protection, was created in 2011 by the Universal Union and the world administrator Dr. Wallace Breen, they mainly comprise of loyalists and or brainwashed individuals from certain ranks among their division.The rank structure of the combine Currently is as follows from the bottom up:
Enslaved Creatures (Vortigaunts and Humans)
Combine Civil Authority Recruit
Combine Civil Authority 04 Unit
Combine Civil Authority 03 Unit
Combine Civil Authority 02 Unit
Combine Civil Authority 01 Unit
Combine Civil Authority Officer (Ofc)
Combine Civil Authority Division Leader (DvL)
Combine Civil Authority Commander (CmD)
Combine Civil Authority Sectoral Commander (SeC)
Each rank is described as follows and has the following mannerisms and what their rank has authority to do:
Enslaved Creatures:
Nothing they have no authority, they are treated like dirt.
Combine Civil Authority Recruit:
The stepping stone of the CCA's broad and expansive control force, The recruit is in all terms a Civilian (Citizen) who has the basic equipment of a officer. They have and are normally issued a Recruit Uniform, a baton, some zip-ties, a radio, and shiny black boots (Trust me women dig the boots). Being a recruit does not make you robo cop, you are just a human with some gear and a pocket full of "Authority" to manage and enforce the laws and standards of the Universal Union. It is a recruits job to learn as much as possible during his recruit phase about standard laws, city ordnance s, learning how to Shoot, learning how to move, and learning how to communicate as a team to achieve the Combine goal. But what is the combine goal? Simple, the goal of the CCA is to provide "Security" within the city walls to the populace and bring society to a more civilized state of mind through forces of intimidation, physical punishment, and manual labor. As a recruit it would be wise to stick with a "Battle Buddy" preferably a unit with a 04 rank or higher, watch what they do and copy and paste their actions on top of your characters personality. If you do not conform within a week or so you may be deemed for amputation for failure to adapt.
Combine Civil Authority 04 Unit
Congratulations you've passed your training and have been promoted to the rank of 04! As an 04 you gain standard CCA armour and also a nine millimeter pistol (9mm). You can issue Level 3 verdicts only and have to ask permission for Level two verdicts.
Combine Civil Authority 03 Unit
Congratulations on your promotion! As an 03 you have the same equipment as before but a new addition the MP7 Sub Machine-gun, and Medium grade body armor. You also have MORE responsibility!!! and the ability to Administer Level two verdicts.
Combine Civil Authority 02 Unit
You are now a veteran officer on your unit, you have Judiciary power inside your unit now and on top of that even more responsibility. with a brand new Heavy body armor you feel even more tough. Keep working hard to get the 01 Rank!
Combine Civil Authority 01 Unit
Its too far to turn back now, your fully in control of by the combine and you have the right to administer all three verdicts, remove citizenship rights, and bestow judiciary power.
Combine Civil Authority Officer (OfC)
This is were life gets good for you, you are in control of your Unit, VIA being the second in command. you can organize your unit how you wish and make any changes to your own unit as you deem fit as long as it is approved by higher. you are also issued flash grenades and a Spaz-12 shotgun.
Combine Civil Authority Divisional Leader (DvL)
The head honcho of any Unit, what he says-goes no questions asked. He answers to no one other then the Commander and the Sectoral commander or those given judiciary power over him. You also have tyhe power to manage ranks in other squads and have command authority to administer Judgement waivers, request synthetic support (SYNTH) and Overwatch Support. On top of that you also get access to the AR2 the combine pulse rifle and fragmentation grenades.
Combine Civil Authority Sectoral Commander (SeC)
As stated on another site, you start getting into some Darth Vader s*** here, you are in full control of the sector. You decorate your desk with the skulls of your enemies and manage the legion of CCA officers within your sector, you have full command authority over everything under your powers. You can remove any officer you see unfit for the job, amputate at will, the city is your project, experiment at your will with the guidelines of the union.
Escalation of force:
This is a very controversial subject, As a CCA officer you have the right to administer Verdicts within your discretion. But when it comes to resistance and or aggression make sure you have proper permission to do things such as drawing your weapon and opening fire. Always be ready to articulate your reasons for doing everything that you do at any given time.
Technology and Weaponry:
The combine have mastered a vast majority of armaments through their world travels and expanded their technology base. On earth very few off worldly weapons make it to the surfaces of earth but there are few dominant ones that every can notice and see Most weapon systems that are in use are of the projectile catagory (bullets) and offer extreme versatility:
Weapons
The Electro-shock stun baton - The main deterrence force of the CCA.
The Nine millimeter pistol - Invented by humans, it is used to enforce the law in extreme circumstances.
The MP7 Sub-Machine gun - Invented by Humans, it is used to enforce the law in very dire and extreme circumstances.
The Spaz-12 Combat Shotgun - Invented by Humans, it is used for crowd control scenarios and Close quarters combat operations.
The AR2 Combine Pulse Rifle - Invented by the combine, This weapon harnessed dark energy rather then bullets and uses them for projectiles,
the primary fire emits a short burst of energy while the secondary launches a dark energy sphere that can obliterate any living thing.
Chapter Five - The Universal Union
(Insert Strafe of the Empire theme here)
The Universal Union, commonly known as the "UU" the Universal Union is the administrative and Prime race of the combine collective under one banner, theirs of course. The beings of the Prime species among the combine might are highly advanced creatures that have extreme telekinetic powers and over possibly centuries of existence used less and less of their physical bodies and became technology dependent. Although the prime race of the Universal Union is just been recently unearthed from the stretches of Episode One and Episode Two they have a major and prominent role as generals of the combine might.
In the server you may rarely have a chance to meet a member of the Universal Union or its associates, Prominent member of the UU are The Sectoral Commander, The City Administrator, and the Advisors (Prime Race). Most publicly you will see the City Administrator due to his nature and relationship to the Citizens of his/her city. The roles and hierarchy of the union is as follows:
The Advisors (Prime Race)
The prime race of the combine, as stated in the over-wiki:
"The Advisors are large, pale, grub-like creatures with no discernible facial features, save a gas mask-like device attached to their front end as well as a cybernetic eyepiece on the left-hand side of their "face". Advisors possess a long, prehensile proboscis, which they use to feed. They do this to humans by plunging the proboscis deep into the back of the neck. Exactly what they feed on from humans is unknown, though given the position it is most likely blood or spinal fluid. Each Advisor wears a skintight olive-green body suit that covers all but both ends of their bodies, with a collar around their "necks" adorned with golden glyphs. Some Advisors also have a pair of spindly black robotic arms strapped to their back that are capable of grabbing and lifting an adult human. In Episode Two, Advisors are seen grabbing humans, both living and dead, and plunging the proboscis deep into the back of their necks. Combine Advisors have a wide range of odd vocalizations, from robotic growls and groans, to loud shouting noises and screeching. Besides their technological prowess, the Advisors also possess incredible psychic powers."
The role of the Advisor is still underway in the main story line and within the server has no real effect of roleplay here. (so far)
The City Administrators;
The City administrators are a role that govern the remaining civilian populace, among the administrators there is a rank structure but mainly all administrators fall under the lead of the Dr Wallace Breen who resides in the citadel in City seventeen, and all high command units in the CCA.
The Sectoral Command
The head of charge for the combine civil authority, as the administrator manages the Civil populace the Sectoral manages the Combine populace. There is an interesting bond in relationship to the types of command the SeC has versus the Civil Administrator.
