Serious Through the Looking-Glass: Humanity in the Eyes of Our Benefactors & A Complete Glossary of Combine "Newspeak"

Rabid

Rictal-Approved
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
39,278
Nebulae
109,706
but I feel like there'd be so much more fun if dynamics were less contrived 'Alien Domination Overlords' meetings and 'racist in-fighting extremism sects cliques and groups'.

Idk tbh, people complained for years about the lack of flexibility in things because of the nature of the setting and now they have a chance to stretch their legs.

I think when the RP Cops can do is producing consistent activity and praise even from rebel players, they're doing something right.
 
Reactions: List

Cindy

*sigh* ud know this if u read the silmarillion...
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Messages
2,231
Nebulae
7,371
I think when the RP Cops can do is producing consistent activity and praise even from rebel players, they're doing something right.

Somewhat unrelated, but something I just talked about earlier today to one of my friends is the concept that the resistance's role in the setting is quite literally to resist. If the Combine players entirely flush them out and make it impossible for them to resist, they're unable to perform their function in the setting and thus the Combine players become starved of interaction or opposition. The overall enjoyment of the opposite faction is just as integral as the enjoyment of one's own faction, and vice versa.

I wish more servers made a point to highlight that codependence in the RP medium.
 
Reactions: List

Ond

Rictal-Approved
Joined
Apr 27, 2016
Messages
28,823
Nebulae
72,189
uncle-bens-tony-soprano.gif
Uncle Ben will never have the makings of a varsity athlete
 
Reactions: List

Cindy

*sigh* ud know this if u read the silmarillion...
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Messages
2,231
Nebulae
7,371
Changelog:

10-91d was mislabeled as it was defined using the real world code of 10-91, not 10-91d.

WCCARGr.png


Whereas 10-91d is:

gmiWT0m.png


Further supported by sentences.txt

image.png
 
Reactions: List

Cindy

*sigh* ud know this if u read the silmarillion...
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Messages
2,231
Nebulae
7,371
Code 404: Unknown problem ---> Code 404: Riot / Unrest / Unknown problem
 
Reactions: List

hawke

Proton
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
130
Nebulae
510
@Cindy

This thread has been inactive for over a year, but I thought I'd drop my two cents. You did a good job of using the sentences.txt for context for the majority of the content. The locations were given their own headcanon, so to speak, considering they're lumped as randomized names for certain maps rather than specific places that have stated meaning as you've highlighted.

It's cool to see you referenced the California Penal Code system, as that was the developer's base model for the codes Overwatch and the Metro Cops use. Upon a quick skim, there's really only one incorrect code that I see often misinterpreted, which is the 647e one. Many communities declare it as either meaning "miscount" or "anti-citizen," neither of which is the case.

In-game, it's 647e disengaged from the workforce, which is Combine jargon for "this person is loitering about aimlessly, deviating from their work detail," which is how we see the Metro Cops react when they see Gordon goofing around in the train station, plaza and apartment block with no clear purpose. This is, of course, before they realize he's the unregistered miscount escapee from the train station checkpoint

Here's a source from the Raising the Bar book, which details all the cop codes and their meanings (including some not featured in the game) for reference:

BMLVXfA.jpeg
 

MaXenzie

Sexually attracted to robots
Media Developer
GTA RP Playtester
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
17,277
Nebulae
24,628
@Cindy

This thread has been inactive for over a year, but I thought I'd drop my two cents. You did a good job of using the sentences.txt for context for the majority of the content. The locations were given their own headcanon, so to speak, considering they're lumped as randomized names for certain maps rather than specific places that have stated meaning as you've highlighted.

It's cool to see you referenced the California Penal Code system, as that was the developer's base model for the codes Overwatch and the Metro Cops use. Upon a quick skim, there's really only one incorrect code that I see often misinterpreted, which is the 647e one. Many communities declare it as either meaning "miscount" or "anti-citizen," neither of which is the case.

In-game, it's 647e disengaged from the workforce, which is Combine jargon for "this person is loitering about aimlessly, deviating from their work detail," which is how we see the Metro Cops react when they see Gordon goofing around in the train station, plaza and apartment block with no clear purpose. This is, of course, before they realize he's the unregistered miscount escapee from the train station checkpoint

Here's a source from the Raising the Bar book, which details all the cop codes and their meanings (including some not featured in the game) for reference:

BMLVXfA.jpeg

10-99 being both "you're breaking up" and "i need immediate assistance" is a fucking travesty of code design
 
Reactions: List

hawke

Proton
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
130
Nebulae
510
10-99 being both "you're breaking up" and "i need immediate assistance" is a fucking travesty of code design

There is a minor deviation in how the codes are utilized in the "Raising the Bar" book. It's important to note that the book features earlier renditions of ideas and concepts from a period before the finalized retail version of the game. That's why some of the codes featured on the page above, such as the 415 penal code, still have their real-world equivalent term: "disturbing the peace," instead of the Combine-sounding term used in the game, "civic disunity."

Regarding 10-99, the code is used correctly, with its real-world equivalent being "Officer held hostage." In the game, it's only spoken by Metro Cops when their last squadmate has died, and they are all that remains.

sentences.txt for reference:
Code:
// My last squadmate died; I'm all that's left!
METROPOLICE_LAST_OF_SQUAD0 npc/metropolice/vo/(v100) on1 officerdowncode3tomy10-20 off1 {Len 1.5 closecaption NPC_Combine.Last}
METROPOLICE_LAST_OF_SQUAD1 npc/metropolice/vo/(v100) on1 officerdownIam10-99 off4 {Len 1.5 closecaption NPC_Combine.Last}
METROPOLICE_LAST_OF_SQUAD2 npc/metropolice/vo/(v100) on1 cpisoverrunwehavenocontainment off3 {Len 1.5 closecaption NPC_Combine.Last}
METROPOLICE_LAST_OF_SQUAD3 npc/overwatch/radiovoice/(v100) on3 engagingteamisnoncohesive, reinforcementteamscode3 off2 {Len 1.5 closecaption NPC_Combine.Last}
 
Reactions: List

Cindy

*sigh* ud know this if u read the silmarillion...
Joined
Feb 28, 2018
Messages
2,231
Nebulae
7,371
@Cindy

This thread has been inactive for over a year, but I thought I'd drop my two cents. You did a good job of using the sentences.txt for context for the majority of the content. The locations were given their own headcanon, so to speak, considering they're lumped as randomized names for certain maps rather than specific places that have stated meaning as you've highlighted.

It's cool to see you referenced the California Penal Code system, as that was the developer's base model for the codes Overwatch and the Metro Cops use. Upon a quick skim, there's really only one incorrect code that I see often misinterpreted, which is the 647e one. Many communities declare it as either meaning "miscount" or "anti-citizen," neither of which is the case.

In-game, it's 647e disengaged from the workforce, which is Combine jargon for "this person is loitering about aimlessly, deviating from their work detail," which is how we see the Metro Cops react when they see Gordon goofing around in the train station, plaza and apartment block with no clear purpose. This is, of course, before they realize he's the unregistered miscount escapee from the train station checkpoint

Here's a source from the Raising the Bar book, which details all the cop codes and their meanings (including some not featured in the game) for reference:

BMLVXfA.jpeg

Had no idea that existed in RtB, that’s rad.
 
Reactions: List

Lewis!

フローラルの専門店
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
4,094
Nebulae
12,695
This is, of course, before they realize he's the unregistered miscount escapee from the train station checkpoint
why did they wait so long to arrest him
 

Erkor

Narrative/Lore Management
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Messages
3,011
Nebulae
8,559
i like the hypothesis that they knew from the get-go and were trying to track him towards more contacts; it reflects how the combine left the resistance almost completely alone until gordon came and ruined everything because they were useful to the bargain™
 
Reactions: List

hawke

Proton
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
130
Nebulae
510
why did they wait so long to arrest him
Well, it depends on how long you think Gordon (if he wasn't controlled by the player) would have taken to get to the tenement building when Overwatch calls for a miscount detected within it.

If you determine he walked in a straightforward path without really stopping to look around and interact with the environment, then you could estimate it took him 2-3 minutes. In those 2-3 minutes, the metro cops would have had to bust into the interrogation room, realize the miscount had escaped, question Barney and put the word out to dispatch. During that time, other metro cops in the train station and on the streets would be observing Gordon and picking up the 647e reading on the HUD in their helmets. These cops likely weren't made aware of the miscount from the train station nor were informed about the escape that had transpired yet.

It feels like a long time, but in the grand scheme of things, it isn't, and they sprung into action to apprehend Gordon much faster than your local doughnut cops near your house would have.

The only hole in the story here is why Barney wasn't outright stripped of his officer status or straight up imprisoned and killed for allowing what would eventually be labelled as "Anticitizen One" to escape.
 
Reactions: List

PepicWalrus

Electron
HL2 RP Senior Administrator
Premium Member
GTA RP Playtester
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
674
Nebulae
1,731
The only hole in the story here is why Barney wasn't outright stripped of his officer status or straight up imprisoned and killed for allowing what would eventually be labelled as "Anticitizen One" to escape.
I dunno if Barney actually returns to his under cover identity after arriving at Klieners Lab and the teleporter goes haywire. He likely drops it at that point. In regards to the interrogation room to the lab it's hard to say. Perhaps in the same confusion of the moment he managed to slip away or he himself offed a few cops once they were called in for a sweep.
 

Erkor

Narrative/Lore Management
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Messages
3,011
Nebulae
8,559
I dunno if Barney actually returns to his under cover identity after arriving at Klieners Lab and the teleporter goes haywire. He likely drops it at that point. In regards to the interrogation room to the lab it's hard to say. Perhaps in the same confusion of the moment he managed to slip away or he himself offed a few cops once they were called in for a sweep.
he does say he has to get back to his shift during red letter day. i think he wouldn't have any clearances left if he immediately turned coat when gordon arrived, which is something he also mentions later in the game (follow freeman(?))