User:Ja'Keel Jyba/Sandbox
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 lowercase 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. On the Construction Strider, the use is sometimes more stylized, and thus will not always resemble any particular character.
Gallery[edit]
Full Combine alphabet with translated to English latin-script.
ATTENTIONCombine Fabricator screen showing a message using the Combine alphabet, translated.
ATTENTIONThe first half of the boot up screen on a Combine Fabricator.
A stamp seen on some boxes. It reads "security status clear".
ATTENTIONText seen on a Combine Advisor. It reads "Combine Lab" in uppercase, then beneath it "advisor" in lowercase.
ATTENTION"V" and "CMB" written above its head.
"XG" written on a City Scanner.
ATTENTIONSide render of a City Scanner, showing the "G" written on it.
"X" written on one side of the Heavy Shotgun.
Ditto.
"GARV" written on one side of the Overwatch Standard Issue Pulse Rifle.
"GH" and "P" written on the SMG.
Ditto, with the "P" being replaced with a "G". The "G" is followed by "U", "V" with a lowercase "N" inside, a modified "P" or "Q", and a "K" on an alternate skin.
Ditto.
"TY" written on the SMG used by Combine Grunts.
Ditto.
ATTENTION? written on the clips used by SMGs.
ATTENTION"G" written on the Construction Strider's carapace
ATTENTIONDitto, head.
ATTENTION"V" written on the leg support.
ATTENTION"O" written on the end of its leg.
ATTENTION"O", "C", and "D" written on the top of its leg.
ATTENTIONOn the inside of a Combine Prisoner Transport.
ATTENTIONOn a Combine Battery Post.
ATTENTIONOn a city monitor.
ATTENTIONDitto.
ATTENTIONDitto.
ATTENTIONOn a Combine Datapod.
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.
- The symbol can be found on propaganda posters scattered around City 17 and its sector, behind Breen during his Breencasts, on several Synth units such as the Combine Dropship, the Shield Scanner, and the Advisor pod (in dark red for the two first ones and white for the latter), other humanoid units such as the Stalker (on the small box attached to its belt) and the Nova Prospekt Prison Guard, and on Combine interface keyboards. A variant of the symbol is also seen on the Combine Elite, the circle, however, replaced by a cracked human skull, the only Combine imagery that clearly indicates hostility or threat.
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]
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Early Combine Soldier sleeve insignia featured in concept art, featuring an early claw symbol.
Claw symbol seen on the Citadel model featured in the map "e3_terminal."
Wasteland Scanner variant.
Claw symbol with the number "314" inside, featured on the Half-Life 2 leak Combine Soldier model.
Variant on the factory worker back.ATTENTION mirror and correct
Variant on the Borealis worker back.ATTENTION mirror and correct
Claw symbol included in the "City" Citizen back logo.
Claw symbol included in the leak Citizen back logo.
Ditto, "Ammo" variant.
"UBC" sign with the claw logo. It is used in the cut E3 demonstration map
e3_strider, where it is destroyed by a Strider.
In concept art for the Advisor Pod.
Variant on the Concept art for the Cremator, with the circle being replaced with a triangle.
Claw symbol in a piece of concept art for Russell.
Retail[edit]
Standard claw symbol, from the "dove" poster.
Claw symbol featured in the Nova Prospekt Prison Guard sleeve insignia (left arm).
Combine Elite left arm sleeve and neck guard insignia, with the claw symbol breaking a skull.
Variant on the Combine Elite chest crest.
Variant used as the Shotgun Soldier sleeve insignia (left arm).
Claw symbol featured on Shield Scanners and Dropships.
Claw symbol featured on Combine Interface keyboards.
Claw symbol featured on the box attached to the Stalker's belt.
Claw symbol featured on the back of the Advisor pod.
Claw symbol and pod ID featured on the belly of the Advisor pod.
Claw symbol used as a spray in Half-Life 2: Deathmatch.
Claw Symbol used as part of a Combine shipping slip.
The circle depicted as the Earth behind a human looking Combine Soldier holding hands with a young child in the "Combine for Safety" poster.
Near the City 17 name on an anti-Vortigaunt poster.
On a Combine Fabricator.
On a Combine ration box.
On a Combine ration bar.
On a Combine Locker.
On a modified Combine Prisoner Transport.
On the slide of Alyx's gun.
On a shotgun shell.
On a Combine Battery.
ATTENTIONOn a tarp.
ATTENTIONOn the control panel for the substation's cable shields.
"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. Interestingly, the "M" does not correspond to the "M" more commonly used.
Gallery[edit]
Standard CMB symbol.
Ditto, vertical version.
Trimmed CMB symbol featured on the City Scanner.
Trimmed CMB symbol featured on the Shield Scanner.
"Claw" + "CMB" symbol combinations[edit]
The two common Combine symbols are often used in combination, mostly on posters.
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Claw and CMB symbols, to be used on signs.
Variant.
Ditto, in a circle.
Retail[edit]
Breencast claw + CMB symbol.
Claw and CMB symbols, directly painted on walls.
Ditto.
Common poster seen throughout the games, with a flying dove, an ironic symbol of peace.
Dirty version.
As seen above Breen's office entrance in the Citadel, mirrored due to a level designer's oversight.
Common poster with a blue sky background, and an upside down, transparent symbol.
Dirty version.
Common poster, green with a crowd, also used for the Breencast's "screensaver."
Older, lighter-green variant, with blue claw Combine symbol, only featured in the Half-Life 2 leak files.
Dirty version.
Common poster, yellow with an upside down, transparent symbol.
Dirty version, only featured in the Half-Life 2 leak files.
Variant, featuring Wallace Breen.
Yellow poster in the E3 2002 map "Terminal".
Blue and yellow posters in the E3 2002 map "Terminal".
Blue and yellow posters in the City 17 Trainstation food hall.
Several versions in the City 17 Trainstation waiting hall.
Ministry of Civil Protection poster used on metal structures.
Ditto. Slogan reads "In partnership with the Campaign for Obedience / In accordance with the Ministry of Civil Protection".
Ditto.
Ministry of Civil Protection poster at Fairview Junction.
Ministry of Civil Protection poster at Terminal Gardens.
ATTENTIONOn the back of a Combine Prisoner Transport.
City 17 logo[edit]
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 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 be seen in several pieces of concept art for City 17, such as the Combine SWAT Truck,[5] the Air Exchange tower[6] (without number, with the red color of the small line replaced by yellow) and the stenographer's chasm worker model.[4][7]
- 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.
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
City 17 logo featured in the City 17 welcome poster.
City 17 welcome poster from the uncorrected proof of Raising the Bar (Cropped in the final version of the book), reminiscent of Müller-Brockmann's work, featuring the previous City 17 logo and the image of a statue of Lenin.
Billboard variant from the Half-Life 2 leak files.
The stenographer's chasm, featuring the welcome poster.
Combine door concept with the welcome poster scattered around several times.
Concept art for a Trainstation Plaza shelter, featuring the welcome poster.
Stenographer's chasm worker back logo, featuring the same City 17 logo.
The same logo on a Combine SWAT Truck.
Ditto.
City 17 logo variant featured on a City 17 sign featuring the image of a statue of Lenin.
City 17 logo on the Air Exchange tower, without a number.
Ditto, in the leak.
Manhack Arcade facade featuring the billboard.
The middle part of the billboard used inside the Manhack Arcade.
City 17 logo on the Hunter-Chopper.
Ditto, orange.
Retail[edit]
The final City 17 logo.
Grey variant seen on the APC.
On a Thumper.
On the Sentry Gun.
On the Hunter-Chopper.
On the Watchtower.
On the cover for the Half-Life: Alyx soundtrack.
Behind the label of a Combine ration box.
Behind the label of a Combine ration bar.
On the Prisoner Transport.
TV version.
ATTENTIONOn a Combine Heavy Door.
On a Stalker Pod.
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.
Advisor model front texture, Half-Life 2 version.
Advisor model ring texture, Episode Two version, showing different markings.
Civil Protection insignias and posters[edit]
Metrocops have two insignias on their uniform, only consisting of letters and numbers. The 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]
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
The City 17 Civil Protection armband logo, leak version.
Ditto, Elite Metro Cop version.
Leak Civil Protection collar logo.
Human Combine Guard sleeve insignia.
Human Combine Guard with an oblong semi-circle on both of his upper arms.
Ditto, along with markings on the helmet.
Metropolice station sign.
The same sign in situ.
Metropolice propaganda poster, with another version of the Citadel, featured in the Half-Life 2 leak files.
Dirty version.
Another Metropolice propaganda poster.
The same poster in a piece of concept art for the Breencast (right), the Breencast itself also featuring several markings on top of its reverted dome.
Consul / Metropolice propaganda poster.
Civil Protection posters at the very first Manhack Arcade.
Civil Protection poster in the Half-Life 2 E3 2002 trailer.
Retail[edit]
The City 17 Civil Protection armband logo.
Civil Protection collar logo featured in Half-Life 2.
Civil Protection collar logo featured in Half-Life: Alyx.
Metrocop on a fast food bag. The circle is also found on a hamburger box.
A recreation of the assumed Civil Protection logo tattooed onto Gary.
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]
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Early Combine Soldier sleeve insignia featured in concept art, featuring an early claw Combine logo.
Claw Combine symbol with the number "314" inside, featured on the Half-Life 2 leak Combine Soldier model.
Early Combine Soldier sleeve insignia featured in concept art.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto..
Ditto.
Early Combine Soldier sleeve insignia from the soldier model seen in the "e3_hydra" sequence.
Leak Combine Soldier back logo, reused for the Synth and the Gunship, however without the numbers.
Combine Soldier concept art featuring other markings, such as the "7" like marking seen on the retail soldier's triangle insignia and the Wasteland Scanner. ATTENTION DISPOSE OLD CROP
Concept art showing a different Vortigaunt insignia.
Concept art featuring the maroon circle lightning bolt symbol on the torso.
Retail[edit]
Combine Soldier sleeve insignia (right arm).
Combine Soldier sleeve insignia (left arm).
Nova Prospekt Prison Guard sleeve insignia (right arm).
Nova Prospekt Prison Guard sleeve insignia (left arm).
Nova Prospekt Prison Guard back insignia.
Shotgun Soldier sleeve insignia (left arm).
Vortigaunt insignia depicted on the Combine Ordinal in Half-Life: Alyx (both arms).
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]
Combine Elite left arm sleeve and neck guard insignia.
Combine Elite chest crest.
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 only has symbols in the concept art,[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]
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Wasteland Scanner claw Combine symbol.
Markings featured on the Wasteland Scanner's left side.
Ditto, front.
Detail of the symbol on the Combine Synth Elite Soldier, used for the late leak Combine Soldier and the retail Strider and Gunship.
Concept art for the Recon Synth, showing markings above and below its "eye".
The Combine Synth Elite Soldier with abstract markings above its left shoulder.
The Combine Synth Elite Soldier with abstract markings.
The Combine Synth Elite Soldier with abstract markings along with the maroon circle lightning bolt symbol.
Ditto.
An instance of the six circles insignia.
Ditto, along with other markings.
Ditto, with extra markings within the large circle.
A red circle cut in two followed by "31337" on the Synth Combine Guard.
Early Strider, with other markings.
Ditto ATTENTION GET CROP.
The maroon circle lightning bolt symbol.
Combine Super Soldier.
Combine Super Soldier chest number.
Combine Super Soldier insignia.
The Sacktick and its different markings ATTENTION GET CROP.
The Crab Synth with what appears to be "31-17" on its leg.
ATTENTIONCropped unused Crab Synth texture file present in the leak with "C17 CS10" written on it.
Unnamed Synth with "17" written on its leg.
The Combine Gunship with "20-C17" on it, along with a symbol that bears resemblance to a division sign encased in a circle.
Ditto, without the division sign-like symbol.
The early Dropship, with a red circle on its front.
The Combine Dropship, with an abstract symbol on its leg.
Ditto, along with a different symbol.
Alternate skin for the Dropship, resembling the Strider, along with extra markings.
Retail[edit]
Vector version of the Synth symbol.
Gunship back symbol.
Strider head symbol.
Claw Combine symbol featured on Shield Scanners and Dropships.
Claw Combine symbol featured on the back of the Advisor pod.
Claw Combine symbol and pod ID featured on the belly of the Advisor pod.
Trimmed CMB Combine symbol featured on the Shield Scanner.
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 an "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, rot, and 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]
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
"Citizen 17" left arm texture, featuring the identiband.
Concept art version.
Stenographer's chasm worker back logo, also seen on the City 17 welcome poster.
Factory worker back logo.ATTENTION mirror and correct
Borealis worker back logo.ATTENTION mirror and correct
E3 2002 Citizen back logo, found in the Fat Zombie torso textures.
"City" Citizen back logo.
Leak Citizen back logo.
Leak Citizen armband logo (standard and medic).
Leak medic Citizen chest cross.
Leak medic Citizen back logo and cross.
Leak ammo Citizen chest "Ammo" word.
Leak ammo Citizen back logo and "Ammo" word.
Leak ammo Citizen armband logo.
ATTENTION GET CROP
ATTENTION Borealis collar detail
Retail[edit]
Corpse Citizen back logo.
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 modeltruck003a.mdlis a ZiL truck.
- The early brush Razor Train locomotive also features "City 17," but it was made for the right side only.[21]
- Another train variant features a printed circuit-like symbol.[22]
Gallery[edit]
City 17 poster depicting a Razor Train engine.
Razor Train at the Depot, featuring the letters "ЗиЛ".
City 17 logo featured on the early brush Razor Train locomotive.
The early brush Razor Train locomotive.
Citadel Core logo[edit]
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.
The Citadel Core logo.
The logo in situ.
Ditto.
Symbol on computer with the three energy tethers deactivated.
Symbol on computer with one energy tether left to activate.
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."
Gallery[edit]
The leak Health Charger.
The Health Charger.
The Suit Charger.
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.
"Dr>Breens Private Reserve" vending machine face artwork.
"Dr>Breens Private Reserve" logo.
Blue can ">B" logo.
Red can ">B" logo.
Yellow can ">B" logo.
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.
Group of Alyx posters with graffiti.
Ditto.
Ditto.
"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.
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Early version of the poster in the pre-release screenshot.
Retail[edit]
The aforementioned poster.
Ditto, ripped version.
TV version (text).
TV version (picture).
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.
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Early version of the poster in the pre-release screenshot.
Retail[edit]
"Report the Vort" poster, red variant.
Clean version directly from artist Olly Moss.
Ditto, yellow variant.
Group of miscellaneous posters featuring the blue variant on the left.
TV version.
Ditto, eye closeup.
"Pest" poster.
In-game version.
"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.
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Early versions of some of the posters in the pre-release screenshot.
Retail[edit]
Poster featuring a zombified man in a suit.
Ditto, ripped version.
Poster featuring a mouse with a human ear grafted to its body, actually the real-life Vacanti mouse.
Ditto, ripped version.
Poster featuring an exploding nuclear bomb.
Ditto, ripped version.
Poster featuring a syringe pointed at a human eye.
Ditto, ripped version.
TV version of the zombie poster.
TV version of the syringe poster.
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]
"Printed circuit" symbol under the Consul.
More defined "printed circuit" symbol variant on a train.
Vector version.
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]
Propaganda poster for the Cremator.
Manhack Arcade star[edit]
The facade of the fourth Manhack Arcade building features a star.[21][24]
Concept art of the fourth Manhack Arcade building, with the Citadel below, including a star.
Facade of the fourth Manhack Arcade building.
Combine Infestation Control[edit]
The Combine Infestation Control uses a combination of its own logo, the Combine alphabet, and the CMB Symbol.
The Combine Infestation Control logo.
Warning sign (landscape).
Openable hazmat crate.
Sealed hazmat crate.
Gray barrel.
Yellow barrel.
Ditto, with stirrer.
Orange body bag.
Yellow body bag.
ATTENTIONSigns.
Yellow garbage bag.
ATTENTION"Crew access only" poster.
The Cleanup Solution.
Consul imagery[edit]
The Consul's vest features an abstract series of lines. There also exists a faded poster with Consul's face on it.
The Consul's vest.
Faded Consul poster in a piece of concept art.
A recreation of the poster.
Combot[edit]
The Combot features what appears to be "C-17" and "A9" on its body.
ATTENTIONCropped texture file.
ATTENTIONDitto.
Early Combine Grunt insignias[edit]
Leaked screenshots of the Combine Grunts showed them having a slightly different uniform, along with different insignias on each shoulder.
The leaked screenshot.
Ditto.
Shield Scanner Codes[edit]
The Shield Scanner features QR code-like markings on its cap.
The first marking isolated.
The second marking isolated.
Layered Square Symbol[edit]
A square within a square symbol is featured on a few guns in Half-Life: Alyx.
"GARV" written in the Combine alphabet, along with the layered square symbol on the barrel.
On the SMG
Ditto, alternate skin.
Ditto, along with the Claw symbol.
Combine Ordinal markings[edit]
A piece of concept art for the Combine Ordinal features abstract symbols on its chest.
The concept art depicting a triangle, a circle, and a series of lines.
Early Combine Soldier Episode One skin[edit]
Pre-release screenshots for Episode One show a skin for Combine Soldiers that features a new symbol on their forearm.
Pre-release Episode One screenshot.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Citadel perimeter wall writing[edit]
Concept art for the Citadel's perimeter wall has "C17" written on the gate.
C17 written on the gate.
Red markings[edit]
Red markings are used on some of Combine-owned technologies.
Marking on the large console in Dr. Breen's office.
ATTENTIONCity Scanner render.
ATTENTIONDitto.
On a Combine Barricade.
On the Razor Train in a piece of concept art.
Ditto.
Ditto, retail model
On a ground turret.
On a ceiling turret.
On the console controlling the Combine Prisoner Pods in Dr. Breen's office.
On a console Combine Interface.
On the back of a Crab synth.
On the straitjacket Combine Prisoner Pod.
Grey markings[edit]
something something something blah blah blah
On a console Combine Interface.
Ditto.
On a Combine Heavy Door.
On a Dropship container.
On a Razor Train car.
Antlion seal Control Console[edit]
The Control Console for the Antlion cave seal features QR code-like markings, akin to those seen on the Shield Scanner.
ATTENTIONThe Control Console for the Antlion seal.
Cyrillic character usage[edit]
Cyrillic characters are used on some of Combine-owned structures and objects.
The Air Exchange main reactor with what appears to be "ДШ" visible.
Concept art for the Citadel's interior, with "ЩИК" visible.
Razor Train at the Depot, featuring the letters "ЗиЛ".
Latin character usage[edit]
Latin characters are also used on some of Combine-owned technologies.
On a Combine food dispenser.
ATTENTIONOn a Combine Monitor.
On a pair of Combine Binoculars.
On a Combine Button.
On a Combine Camera.
Ditto, leak model.
On a Suppression Device
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.
The last, fifth picture of propaganda.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 181
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 238
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 112
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 Half-Life 2 leak
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 191
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 183
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 170
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 194
- ↑ Brockmann's Beethoven poster
- ↑ Drafts for Brockmann's Beethoven poster
- ↑ Joseph Müller-Brockmann at Design Is History
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 201
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 106
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 80
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 109
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 85
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 87
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 89
- ↑ Half-Life 2
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 221
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 WC map pack
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 172
- ↑ The Final Hours of Half-Life: Alyx
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 249
