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Combine imagery

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This subject is related to the Combine era.
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The Combine heavily relies on imagery through logos, symbols, brands, and propaganda posters to assert their influence on Earth and establish their presence to its residents. Combine units - humanoid and Synth - also bear insignias, logos and other markings. Many Combine posters are also scattered around City 17 and its sector (including the Coast, Nova Prospekt, etc.). Most of the time they include the two common Combine symbols (see below), with variants in color and image backgrounds. The Combine imagery is often quite abstract, and the intended messages can be very subtle.

Randy Lundeen stated that the team made periodic attempts to create and scatter many Combine propaganda posters throughout City 17, designed by Lundeen himself and other Valve artists. The posters were heavily relying on texts, such as the slogans "They're here for you" and "It's great to be part of the greater good" for the Metropolice and "Keep it clean... or he will" for the Cremator, as well as a welcome poster for City 17, featuring a long text split in several paragraphs. It was eventually decided that most of the posters were overused and detracted from the atmosphere, and thus were changed to be more subtle, resulting in the abstract posters seen in the final game, the propaganda being mostly spewed by the omnipresent Breencast instead.[1][2]

Combine alphabet[edit]

The Combine use a stylized, block-like version of the Latin alphabet. There appears to be upper and lower case versions. It was first introduced in Half-Life 2, seeing substantial use in Half-Life: Alyx. Although based on Latin letters, it is almost illegible even to a native Latin-based language speaker, with some letters being changed, i.e. a variant of F instead of R, T instead of I, etc.

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Prominent symbols[edit]

Two very prominent symbols of the Combine can be identified: the "Claw" symbol, and the "CMB" symbol. They can both be seen throughout the game on Combine structures, propaganda posters, directly painted on walls, and on various Combine units.

"Claw" Combine symbol[edit]

  • The first common Combine symbol, and the most striking, consists of a circle inside of a sharp edged claw shape, resembling in style the utilitarian architecture of the Combine.
  • The circle inside the claw likely symbolizes domination and control. It could also be seen to symbolize the slavery of other species (the circle being a planet), the control of fertility (the circle being an egg, thus referring to the suppression field), and life and existence itself.
  • The simplicity and abstractness of the symbol give it universal (and perhaps metaversal) understandability. This is beneficial to the Combine, who often subjugate and integrate a great range of cultures and species from different worlds or universes.

Behind the scenes[edit]

Studies for the Combine Soldier seen in Raising the Bar feature many different sleeve insignias, one of them featuring an early claw Combine symbol.[3]

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"CMB" Combine symbol[edit]

The second common Combine symbol reads "CMB" in the Latin alphabet, based on or the base of the name "Combine." It is likely used only on Earth. It can be found being used with the claw symbol, sometimes horizontal, sometimes vertical. Only two Combine units, the City and Shield Scanners, feature it.

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"Claw" + "CMB" symbol combinations[edit]

The two common Combine symbols are often used in combination, mostly on posters.

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City 17 has its own logo, a yellow shape based on a layer of the cut "tiles" version of the Citadel. It can be found on several Combine units and devices such as the Suppression Device, the Thumper, the Sentry Gun, the Hunter-Chopper, the Watchtower, the Battery, the back of the Autogun and the APC (in grey in that case). It is likely the logo of the greater Sector 17, rather than solely the city itself, as it can also be found on the same devices located outside of the city. In Half-Life: Alyx, the logo can be seen on ration packages and the Prisoner Transport, as well as a variant with the number "17" on television screens. An alternative logo can also be found on a propaganda poster, resembling a rectangle with a cutout of the the word "C17" on it.

Behind the scenes[edit]

  • The City 17 logo was originally slightly different. Its shape was mostly identical, but it was black, with an additional red line around the middle, and the number 17 in the center, written in the font "DIN," a typeface widely used by Valve.[4]
  • It can also be seen on two posters/signs, such as a City 17 welcome poster from Raising the Bar,[2] and another found in the Half-Life 2 leak files, featuring an image of the statue of Vladimir Lenin from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, used for instance in some WC map pack maps featuring the Manhack Arcade main entrance and inside one of the arcades, as well as in concept art for the stenographer's chasm and a Combine structure on a Trainstation Plaza shelter.[7][8] The "17" from the "Lenin" poster logo is not written in the font "DIN," while the name "City 17" located under is.[2][4] The welcome poster and the City 17 logo featured on it are reminiscent of the work of graphic designer Josef Müller-Brockmann, notably a poster he made in 1995 for a Beethoven concert,[9][10] that inspired many artists.[11]
  • Different City 17 logos can be found on the early and retail Metrocops and the early brush Razor Train.
  • As in the final game, the early City 17 logo is probably more the logo of the greater Sector 17 than the city itself, since it was to be seen on the Air Exchange tower without a number. It is also likely that any Combine-controlled city was to have the same logo, the Citadels being all the same, with only the number changing. It is unknown however how the city logos are differentiated in the retail version, the number having been removed. Although the retail Citadel is completely different than the "tiles" one, the logo shape remained.
  • The logo is used extensively in Half-Life: Alyx, including the cover of the soundtrack, animated when used under Alyx's and Eli's heads on Russell's map, etc.

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Advisor markings[edit]

Some sort of dark-colored ring encompasses the edge of the Advisor body suit, where the suit meets the "head." That ring bears strange golden markings which could be the evidence of an Advisor alphabet. Of note is that for Episode Two, the markings have changed with the model, and appear slightly less golden.

Civil Protection insignias and posters[edit]

Metrocops have two insignias on their uniform, only consisting of letters and numbers. The red armband they have on the right arm has "c̄17:i4" written in the font "Impact," followed by a small circle emblazoned on it, written in a squeezed "Impact" font. The first half of "c̄17:i4" refers to City 17, while ":i4" and the small circle probably refers to a particular sector, the Combine using many code names for many things, as heard in the radio transmissions and the Overwatch Voice messages. However any CP model has the same code, likely due to game limitations. At the back of the collar can be also be read "C17."

Behind the scenes[edit]

  • The pre-release Civil Protection insignias are the same as the retail ones, with different colors. The human Combine Guard also had another armband / sleeve insignia, and was featured on all the cut Metropolice propaganda posters, designed by Randy Lundeen.[4][12]
  • Two of the three Metropolice propaganda posters are in Raising the Bar, while the third can be found in the Half-Life 2 leak files. They feature the sentences "They're here for you" and "It's great to be part of the greater good."[1][4][12]

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Combine Soldiers insignias[edit]

Combine Soldiers have several insignias. The standard soldier has an orange triangle on the right forearm, with white unknown symbols in it. The left arm features a yellow circle with two black triangles it (it was originally featured on the Combine Super Soldier, with different colors). The Nova Prospekt Prison Guard has on its right arm the same triangle with white symbols in it, only that it is yellow, and that a yellow "Nova Prospekt" is written below in a black rectangle, again in the font "DIN," a typeface widely used by Valve. On its left arm is the claw Combine symbol, yellow in a black circle. The same rectangle with "Nova Prospekt" inside it is also on the back, bigger. Finally, the Shotgun Soldier has the same logo as the Combine Elite, darker and on a maroon background, and no insignia on the right arm. In Half-Life: Alyx, the Combine Ordinals have a different variant of the Elite insignia on both of their shoulder pauldrons, with the center skull replaced with a Vortigaunt head.

Behind the scenes[edit]

Different concept art pictures for the Combine Soldier seen in Raising the Bar feature many different sleeve insignias, one of them featuring an early claw Combine symbol.[3]

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Pre-release[edit]

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Combine Elite insignias[edit]

The Combine Elite insignia featured on its left arm, chest (in a grey variant, with a campaign ribbon under it) and neck guard (inside it) is the only Combine imagery that indicates hostility or threat, displaying a cracked human skull within a straightened up standard claw Combine symbol, as well as a "C17," probably different for each Combine-controlled city. While the original symbol does not portray the Combine as horrific, the Elite symbol is a deliberate attempt to show the Elites as brutal and deadly. It was possibly influenced by the Totenkopf symbol used most prominently by the Schutzstaffel (or SS), an organization in Nazi Germany which served as both political police and an elite military formation.

Gallery[edit]

Synth symbols and markings[edit]

Gunships and Striders bear the same symbol on their back and head, respectively, while the Strider has maroon lines on its legs. This symbol was on the back of the Combine Soldier's old skin (in white) and can also be seen on the shoulder of one of the Combine Synth Elite Soldier versions. Its meaning and whether it is a Combine symbol or not or if it proves a closer relation between the Gunship and the Strider are unknown. It also appears to be inspired by the 82nd Airborne Division logo.

Behind the scenes[edit]

  • Several cut enemies also bore symbols. The Wasteland Scanner bears the standard Combine claw symbol (in dark red), and other unknown markings, notably a "7" like symbol[4] seen again in the triangle insignia featured on the Combine Soldier's right arm. The Synth Combine Guard has no symbols,[4] while its predecessor, the Combine Synth Elite Soldier,[13] has some informal symbols in some of its versions, as well as the same symbol seen on the Gunship and the Strider. The Sacktick has two markings, one on its back, one on its right front leg.[14] Like the Strider, the Combine Super Soldier bears maroon lines on its legs, while its white version was to also have maroon lines on the arms, the number "314" on the chest, as well as two maroon triangles in a circle on the arm.[15] The "314" number can also be found on the outfit of the Combine Soldier model featured in the Half-Life 2 leak, while the two triangles in a circle is used intead on the retail Combine Soldier model, with different colors.
  • Early Strider iterations also bore miscellaneous markings, notably a maroon circle with a "Z" or a lightning bolt in the middle, and some sort of L with a small dot in the opposite angle.[16][17]
  • The early Combine Dropship model has a large red circle on its front,[4] and concept art shows it with a "C17" on the side.[18]

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Citizen logos[edit]

Citizens do not have any Combine logo on their uniforms; only a blank white tag on the chest, and a larger one on the back, also blank. Most of the previous known models bore at least one logo.

Behind the scenes[edit]

All previous Citizen models bore at least one logo:

  • The first known model, "Citizen 17," the gas mask Citizen with the green outfit and apron, wears a red armband with a white "17" on it, with black numbers and letters on both sides, referred to as "identiband".[4]
  • A more recent set of two models used for the E3 2002 demo "Terminal", the E3 2002 and "City" versions; the first has on the back a distorted orange rectangle with Combine markings, the second has a red rectangle with alternate Combine markings and a black claw Combine symbol.[4]
  • Another more recent Citizen outfit is the one featured in the Half-Life 2 leak or the E3 2003 demo "Barricade", and the Half-Life 2 leak. With a cream-colored coat and green trousers, it also has a logo on the back, a worn-out dark orange rectangle, with a cream-colored claw Combine symbol on the bottom, and a cream-colored "C17" above (the same "17" as the one featured on the City 17 welcome poster), as well as a dark orange armband with also a cream-colored "C17." It has also a variant, "medic", and a second unused variant, "ammo". The first one has the same logos and armband, but they are green colored, and a blue "AMMO" is added on the back and the chest. The "medic" mostly uses the same logo colors, but with a red cross added to the back and the chest.[4]
  • The most recent of the early models, found in the Half-Life 2 E3 2004 Teaser Trailer, and the one kept in the retail game for the "corpse1" Citizen model. The corpse model has an orange square on the top of the back with a black "C17" in it (tied with straps), and a bigger orange rectangle on the chest, although it cannot be made out because of the worms, the rot and the blood.[19] In the Half-Life 2 teaser, white is used instead of orange.
  • Other cut Citizen models, the Borealis worker, the green worker and the stenographer's chasm worker also have logos: a black claw Combine symbol in an orange circle, the old City 17 logo, and a green claw Combine symbol in an orange circle, respectively. The Borealis and green workers also have the same white square on the collar, filled with abstract blueish markings.[4][7]

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Razor Train imagery[edit]

The Razor Train does not display any markings, but used to have some related imagery before the game's final release.

Behind the scenes[edit]

  • A City 17 poster depicting a Razor Train engine can be found in the Half-Life 2 leak files. The early brush Razor Train also features a "C17" logo on the locomotive.[4]
  • Concept art showing the brush Razor Train near the Depot (based on the WC map pack map wasteland_depot) also shows the Cyrillic letters "ЗиЛ" on the locomotive.[20] "ЗиЛ," or "ZiL" in Latin letters, is a Russian truck, car, bus and heavy equipment manufacturer. The Half-Life 2 truck model truck003a.mdl is a ZiL truck.
  • The early brush Razor Train locomotive also features "City 17," but it was made for the right side only.[21]

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The Citadel Core has its own logo, as seen on one of its main access doors. Of note is that it is similar to the original City 17 logo, although the armatures in the core room itself reflect similar shapes when seen from above.

Chargers[edit]

The Combine Chargers also bear several markings, mostly consisting of Arabic numerals. The Health Charger has a red cross on a white background, for easy identification, white "AIDE" and "314 - 11:43" under it, as well as the numbers "88000-001 1 08" and "0088-D" on the bottom of the device, "0088-D" being accompanied by an indecipherable text. The Suit Charger has beige colored parts, with on them the word "POWER" and "314 - 11:44" right under, interestingly being dissimilar to the Health Charger numbers from only one cipher. The numbers "88000-001 1" and "0088-D" are also present on the bottom of the device, the "08" from the Health Charger being removed.

Behind the scenes[edit]

The Half-Life 2 leak Health Charger model features "COMBINE HEALTH" instead of "AIDE."

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Dr>Breens Private Reserve logos[edit]

The Combine drink, "Dr>Breens Private Reserve," or ">B," uses a simple logo only made of letters written in the Impact font, the same font used for the Metrocop armband. The complete version is on soda machines, while the simple ">B" is found on cans.

Old propaganda[edit]

Half-Life: Alyx features many previously unseen Combine propaganda posters. Most of them are already old and falling apart at this point in the timeline. They tend to be more overt and less abstract then the propaganda seen during Half-Life 2.

"Combine for Safety"[edit]

This poster features a very human looking Combine Soldier (wearing an uniform only seen in Half-Life 2) holding hands with a young child. The racial differences between both people is likely a deliberate choice to showcase the Combine's "unification". The slogan is also used for TV propaganda. The inclusion of a child could also be a subtle insinuation from the Combine that the suppression field may be turned off if full cooperation is achieved.

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Anti-Vortigaunt propaganda[edit]

A "Report the Vort" poster coming in red, yellow and blue variants features the picture of a Vortigaunt face with the "O" of "Vort" as its iris. It encourages Citizens to report them: above the face, "If you see something, SAY SOMETHING", and below, "Residents of the City 17 cooperative deserve to live in an area where they feel safe. The best way to ensure that antisocial elements are dealt with is to report them to your nearest combine officer. This message is brought to you by the City 17 security council."

It comes in red, yellow and blue variants. A second poster features a stylized Vortigaunt head with the word "Pest" under it.

Propaganda like this, which fueled existing distrust of Xen lifeforms, is likely how the Combine were able to capture so many Vortigaunts to power the Vault. This images is also used for TV propaganda.

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"Human Science"[edit]

These posters condemn human science. Images such as a Headcrab Zombie are designed to tap into fears that have arisen due to the Black Mesa Incident. Ironically, many of the atrocities the Combine accuse human science of and/or cherry-picked, they themselves commit. These posters are most often seen in a damaged state.

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Propaganda with Eli Vance[edit]

In the early stages of the Half-Life: Alyx storyline, Eli Vance, captured by the Combine, was forced to read propaganda scripts on video to protect his daughter. His captor was Hahn, a female agitator whose brain had been sucked out and replaced by the Combine. In one proposed sequence Hahn tortured Eli after he pushed back against recording yet another propaganda video. This plot twist was rejected during the plot reimagined in 2019.[23] Eli's model still contains animations in which he reads propaganda text. In one of the animations, Hahn punches him in the face when he refuses to read.

Miscellaneous[edit]

"Printed circuit" symbol[edit]

A Combine symbol seen in two pieces of concept art from Raising the Bar seem to represent printed circuit board lines or spermatozoa-like shapes in a circle. One is found in a Consul picture, while the other, more defined and geometric, can be seen on a train, with the Citadel in the back.[22]

Cremator poster[edit]

The Cremator was to have its dedicated propaganda poster (again designed by Randy Lundeen), featuring the sentence "Keep it clean... or he will."[12]

Manhack Arcade star[edit]

The facade of the fourth Manhack Arcade building features a star.[21][24]

Combine Cooperative Communication[edit]

One of the variants of video propaganda that was supposed to appear in Half-Life: Alyx. Pictures from the first to the fifth appeared in turn on different monitors. This logo still exists in some form on Combine shipping labels, where 3 C's surrounded by a Combine Claw can be seen.

See also[edit]

References[edit]