Genuine game plot (Half-Life)

There are two books in Freeman's locker room - The Orchid Eater and The 37th Mandala. The 37th Mandala is a short story written by Mark Laidlaw, writer of Half-Life. Obviously these books were not published in Russian. (

Do not worry! Find me links to these books and we will make a translation as a thread)
After all, G-man said: Right man in the wrong place can change the world

I understood the plot of the game as follows:
You are a scientist-physicist who makes a teleport to move to parallel worlds.
During the tests of the teleport, an accident occurs and a portal opens to the parallel world-Xen.
From there, the inhabitants of the xena are moving towards us who behave hostilely. their ruler does not want people to invade his world.
These monsters are trying to somehow close the portal, but to no avail.
Special forces are sent to the black mesa to clarify the incident, which kills all witnesses of the accident.
Gordon Freeman is just trying to survive.
Having teamed up with other scientists, he goes to xen, as I understand it, to destroy their ruler (I forgot his name).
After its destruction, some monsters join people.
The role of the G-Man is not exactly clear - perhaps he hails from xen or even their real ruler. But the developers themselves have not yet decided who he is.
At the end of the game, he offers to join or die.
Here's my sketchy overview of Halfa's plot. Write comments. Let's revive the forum together!

Ha, everything is much more neglected there))
Prehistory:
Combines - the race of conquerors with whom we fight in HL2, captured the world of Xen, leaving the viceroy Nihilant, who controlled the Vortigaunts with the help of some kind of connection (those that shoot green rays)), who in turn were slaves. That's how it was, until the harvesters wanted to take over the Earth. Since Black Mesa was already teleporting to Xen, they decided to teleport to Earth with the help of the World Cup administrator. Brin (administrator) puts an unstable crystal that opens portals to Mesa, well, here begins HL1.
Half the first:
The unfortunate Freeman, finding himself in the center of this mess, is trying to get out of the World Cup. Here it is necessary to mention the G-Man, a truly mysterious person. It is not known where he is from (but many are inclined that even so from the Earth), however, he stands on the side opposite to the combines. During the World Cup incident, he monitors several people (at least two: Freeman and Shepard from Opposing Force), chooses a hero and with his help destroys Nihilant on Xen, thereby gaining temporary control over him, according to him. In the World Cup, complete chaos is going on: Xeans, military, black operatives sent to blow up the World Cup, most likely G-MAN, well, Freeman rushes =)) After the murder of Nihilant, G-MAN sends his weapon (Freeman) into stasis, and blows up World Cup (I think it was him). Here the fairy tales end, until 2004 (real time);)
Between HL1 and HL2:
After all, the harvesters broke through to the ground and overwhelmed the human army in 7 hours. It is possible that G-MAN allowed this in some way (these are conclusions from the initial version of Gy-Men's monologue in HL2, taken from the RTB book). But not the point, Gee releases his trump ace - Freeman, so that he destroyed the governor of the harvesters in Brin's Land (history repeats itself)).
Half of the second:
Well, Freeman successfully copes with the plans of the G-Man. On the way, raising a rebellion and picking up a girl)) Jimen is pleased, he is already going to plunge Freeman into stasis again until the next case, having discussed it with his employers. Here HL2 ends.
HL2 Episode 1:
Vortigaunts rallied with their forces (perhaps they somehow used the energy of the explosion or the citadel) drive away the "unfortunate" G-MAN, whose plan of revenge is ripening)) Freeman and Alix find themselves at the foot of the citadel (Vortigaunts are wrying something .. :) ) In order to have time to get out of the city, they slow down the reaction of the nucleus, on the way with important information from the combines, which, perhaps, should have warned those about the first globally lost battle. Actually, having reached the station and sending a train with several residents, they leave themselves, but they almost do not have time and there is a "soft landing")) End of episode 1, we are waiting for the second =)

Well done, he described everything in such detail. There is not even anything to add. Kull.

I want to add that at first the synths that can be seen in EP1 entered into an alliance with the combines and then enslaved them. And with their help they did all of the above.

Synths are harvesters - biorobots, a combination of technologies from different worlds captured by the Alliance.
HL2 Episode 2:
Gordon and Alix are still trying to deliver information intercepted from the combine harvesters to the White Forest research base. This should allow the launch of a satellite that will prevent the opening of a huge portal - all that remains of the citadel - through which a new contingent of Combine troops should come to Earth. But on the way, the hunter kills Alix. Vortigaunts revive her with an extract from the honeycomb of Ant Lions. At this time, Jimen says that Gordon and Alix are his debtors, that he once saved Alix from Black Mesa so that she would become the same tool in his hands as Gordon. He makes her give Eli the message "Be prepared for unforeseen consequences."
Gordon and Alix continue their way to the base and successfully deliver the data. Using the combine codes used to control the portal and the satellite, the resistance scientists close the main portal. In addition to the codes, the data contains a video received from Judith Mossman from a certain base located in the Arctic Circle. From the message it becomes clear that the harvesters are going to seize the research icebreaker Borealis, owned by the Aperture Science corporation, which also studied the nature of the portals at one time, but lost the government grant from Black Mesa. Aperture Science technology is the harvester's key to summoning reinforcements.
Gordon, Alix and Eli are about to go to the icebreaker Borealis, but when they approach the helicopter, they are attacked by two Advisors and killed by Eli. The dog manages to save Alix and Gordon.

"Bryn (the administrator) puts in an unstable crystal that opens portals to Mesa, well here HL1 begins."

Here are the cardinal changes! With the release of Episode 2, the most widespread theory that Brin planted the crystal is rejected. Now we know for sure that this is the handiwork of G-man, which adds even more mystery to him.

G-Man was in Black Mesa during the explosion (we saw him there 3 times), so the version that G-Man planted the crystal is correct.

"Gordon, Alix and Eli are about to go to the icebreaker Borealis, but when they approach the helicopter, two Advisors attack them and kill Eli. The dog manages to save Alix and Gordon."

Tol Alix and Gordon, Eli remains in the "White Grove".

I am reporting the story of the CL, tk. there are many inaccuracies in the above.

HL1 plot (very schematic):
There is a huge underground research complex called
Black Mesa. This is where Gordon Freeman (young physicist), Dr.
Kleiner, Eli Vance, Magnusson (researchers), Barney Calhoun
(security guard), Wallace Breen (head and Administrator) and others work. They are
researching teleportation. The scientist Dr. Rosenberg started it all, he
founded the Prototype laboratory in the Black Mass. Later, when his experiments with
teleportation were crowned with success, his project was moved to the center of the
research complex, where the Lambda complex was built. And in
this time ... Far in space there is a powerful race, which in
HL2 will be called the Alliance. The Alliance captures all sentient
life forms , genetically transforms them into their own slaves. The Alliance
conquered worlds one by one and eventually reached the Vortigaunt world. A
variety of creatures lived in this world (headcrabs, barnacles, ichthyosaurs,
etc.), Vortigaunts were an intelligent race there. The Alliance enslaved them and drove them
(along with the rest of the animals) from their home planet to a world called
Xen (or Zen). There Vortigaunts worked for the Alliance, mining ore and
more. The Alliance genetically transformed them and created soldiers (as they
created stalkers from humans in HL2) - Grants, Gargantua, Controllers.
The controllers were the most advanced and played the role of overseers. Having elected a
leader among the Vortigaunts, Nihilant, the Alliance genetically modernized
him (endowed with the ability to telekinesis, telepathy, teleportation,
levitation, etc.) and made him the Ruler over the Vortigaunts (in the
same way, Breen was later installed as a ruler over people). Nihilanth was
accustomed to power, he obeyed and fully obeyed the instructions of the Alliance. But
in his heart he hated the Alliance and longed to free his race, to let her
escape from the Alliance ...
And at this time in the Black Mass, experiences with teleportation led to success - the
world of Xen was discovered. Expeditions began on it, scientists began
explore this world, collect minerals, animals. They made contact
with Vortigaunts. So Nihilanth learned about the existence of the Earth. And then I
realized that this was his chance. The land was perfect for an escape from the
Alliance. It remains only to decide how to get there. Nihilanth realized that
one can get there only by teleportation, and he can
only do this if he pierces the space-time matter, giving rise to an effect
called a resonance cascade. Nihilant realized that in order to generate a
cascade, a special crystal must fall on the Earth - a source of
inexhaustible energy. And then G-man appears on the scene. He,
guided by his personal goals, came to Nikhilant and stated that
they have common interests - they both need a resonant cascade. G-man
agreed with Nihilant that he, G-man, would deliver the crystal
to the Black Mass. G-man did not at all treat Nihilant positively -
he needed Nihilant as a bargaining
chip to achieve the goal of G-man's Employers. Only Nihilant did not know this. And he agreed to the
deal.
Meanwhile, the Alliance unravels Nihilanth's plot to escape. And,
naturally, he also learns about the existence of the Earth. And of course the Alliance
wanted to take over the Earth too. But to fly to Earth on ships, etc.
The Alliance can physically e because of the enormous distances, so that the
only way remains is teleportation. But teleporting is not the same
simply - the distance is too great. The Alliance's invasion of Earth
requires a giant burst of energy (Portal Storm). The Alliance realized
that such an effect could only occur on the death of Nihilanth. The clever
guys in the Alliance figured out that if Nihilanth starts an invasion of Earth,
he will: 1) do half the work for the Alliance, namely, exterminate many
people, 2) he will be easily killed in the end. And the Portal Storm will happen,
and this is what the Alliance needs to invade. And the Alliance kind of "allows"
Nihilant to invade Earth. Thus, behind the scenes, all four
parties have a common goal. Scientists want to get hold of the crystal to
investigate; G-man wants scientists to get hold of the crystal so that
a resonant cascade has occurred; Nihilanth wants it for the same reason, the
Alliance wants it because it will help his invasion of Earth.
The Alliance knows that the crystal will go to Earth, decides that
support is needed . The alliance gets in touch with Brin (admin of the Black Mass) and
easily lures him over to their side. Bryn, in exchange for power,
agrees to help the Alliance and is tasked with
sabotaging the experiment on the crystal (increasing
the voltage level in the devices ) when the crystal is in his possession , which will cause a resonant cascade. And the G-man brings the
crystal to Eli. Eli, warned that the crystal from Xen should
get to Brin, gives it to Brin, but in his soul begins to guess that
disaster is coming. Brin, as promised, sabotages the experiment.
The experiment is being conducted by Gordon Freeman. G-man is already at Black Mass and is
making sure everything goes according to his plan.
During the experiment (from which HL1 begins), a resonant
cascade occurs and huge hordes of Vortigaunts and other monsters from Xen
begin to teleport to Earth. They are completely subordinate to Nihilant,
he controls them with the help of telepathy. They begin to kill people
(to prepare everything for the coming of Nihilant himself). Freeman woke up after a
disaster and the whole goal of the game is to survive, to escape to the surface. Freeman in
HL1 runs through the Black Mass, kills oncoming monsters and tries to
survive. Bryn from the very beginning of the disaster quickly rushed out of Cernyo
Mass. G-man notices Freeman and begins to take him into development: follows
him, sometimes indirectly helps, and so on. Then the
military arrives at the Black Mass . Scientists think that the military came to rescue them, but
for some reason the military begins to diligently kill all the scientists and guards.
It becomes clear that they have an order - to clear the complex from witnesses, the
order was given by G-man. Meanwhile, Eli makes his way to the Black
Mass dorms to reach his wife, Azian, and little daughter, Alix. During
the course of this path Eli bullskvid bite off a leg. Eli was unable to reach
his loved ones. Asian died (I don't know how, but I know that
Bryn was involved in this ). G-man saves Alix and gives her to Eli. And at this time
Freeman has to fight not only with monsters, Vortigaunts, but also
with the military. G-man, wanting to test Freeman's resilience,
orders the military to search and kill him, saying that it is Freeman who
is to blame for the disaster, because it was he who conducted the experiment. HL1 continues
and Gordon is still alive and wets everyone and everything. He makes his way to the
Lambda complex - he heard that there are teleporters there, with
which you can get out of here. On the way, a guard tells him
to launch some kind of rocket, explaining that "this will help
us deal with all this bullshit." Freeman launches a rocket. Then, in the
middle of his path (in the middle of HL1), the military take him prisoner and, having beaten
feet, dragged along the corridor into the bin. There Gordon comes to his senses
and gets out of there. Gradually obtaining weapons selected by the military,
Freeman continues on his way. He passes through a large dam, through the
central laboratories, and finally reaches the Lambda complex. There he is
told that, alas, it is impossible to teleport from here! But then you can
teleport to Xen, find Nihilant. Like, if you kill him, the
invasion of the aliens will stop. Freeman agrees and leaves for
Xen. In the end, after long battles, he kills Nihilanth.
Portal Storm begins. At this moment, Gordon is taken to himself by the
G-man, telling him that he did everything right and that he offers
Gordon would either work for him or die. Freeman chooses the former. And
HL1 ends.

Opposing Forse plot:
Here we play as a soldier Sheppard, who, among others, was thrown
into the Black Mass in order to exterminate scientists and Gordon Freeman in particular. During
the game, Sheppard refuses to follow orders, as he realizes that
he would be better off taking care of his own survival. In this game, we learn a
bunch of everything new about the Black Mass, we intersect with Freeman several times,
see Xen's research laboratories. But the most important thing is that
it turns out that there is another race of aliens - Race X. This race was
artificially made by the Alliance through genetic experiments. Alliance
"allowed" Vortigaunts to escape to Earth, but did not want this flight to
take on a massive scale. So the Alliance sent Race X to Earth to
contain the Vortigaunts, preventing them from spreading beyond the
Black Mass. G-man also noticed Sheppard, like Gordon, and also takes
him into development, watches him during the game, and so on. The game ends with a
battle with the main bridge of Race X, after which G-man takes Sheppard, like
Freeman, for himself with stasis. And here he no longer provides the right to
choose. Before that, G-man detonates a nuclear bomb, which finally blows the
Black Mass into dust ...

Blue Shift plot
Here we play as Barney Calhoun. We cross with Freeman several times.
Here we seem to be out of business, and just trying to survive and get out of the
Black Mass. One scientist tells Barney to find Dr.
Rosenberg (yes, that one), and he will help him get out of here. Barney
rescues Rosenberg from the military who kept him locked up. Together they
get to the abandoned Prototype Laboratory, from which Rosenberg
began his work with teleportation. There is still the first teleporter
and, if prepared for work, he will be able to teleport Barney from
Black Mass to hell. Actually, the rest of the game comes down
to preparing the teleporter for work. Barney first helps Rosenberg
set up the machine, then goes to Xen to activate
a device that will pump energy from the Xenov crystals and
give it to the teleporter. Barney then goes deep into the Cernyo Mass
to turn on the generator for the teleporter to provide it with pressure
and so on ... Barney then helps Rosenberg in the very process of rescue. In the
end, Brni, Rosenberg and two other scientists safely get
out of the Black Mass and leave in a jeep towards Freedom.

Plot Decay:
Here we play two characters at the same time. They are
Freeman's women and colleagues . Their names are Gina Cross and Colette Green. Gina Cross - it was
she who invented the HEV costume The game begins with a certain Dr.
Keller arguing with Rosenberg, who, like Eli, assures that
the experiment will lead to disaster. But Keller says that this is all
nonsense and that we need to keep working. He raises the voltage level in the
appliances, saying that this is Brin's order. Rosenberg is shaking with anger, but he
cannot help it. Gina goes to get the crystal to
deliver it to the laboratory, Colette goes upstairs to set up the
equipment, while Freeman arrives at the laboratory. Gina
sends him a crystal on the elevator and the experiment (which we did in
CL1) starts. A resonant stage occurs. After the catastrophe, Gina and
Colette again return to Doctors Rosenberg and Keller, who
swear fervently. Rosenberg: "I told you so!", Keller: "Well, damn it, who
knew? "Rosenberg says that the most important thing right now is to get to the
Communications Center and call in the military. Keller argues that it is much
more important not to engage in this nonsense, but to do everything to eliminate the
resonance cascade. In the end, they decide that Gina and Colette will go
with Rosenberg to call the military, and Keller will wait for them here. Keller himself
cannot do anything alone, as he is disabled and rides in a wheelchair.
Gina, Colette and Rosenberg overcome a long way, with battles get
to the Communication Center. Rosenberg remains then he calls the military, and the women
return to Keller. Further, until the very end of the game, they are engaged
in trying to eliminate the resonance cascade. Unsuccessfully.
prepared for launch the rocket that Freeman launched in HL1 - it
had equipment to suppress the resonance cascade. The game
ends with Keller announcing success. But we know that
this is not so. The Portal Storm took place anyway. It is not known
if Keller and Colette escaped the explosion of the Black Mass. It is only known that Gina
died before the explosion - she drowned in Xena, although it is not known how she
got there .

And that's all. The Black Mass exploded and the Portal Storm began. And then
the Alliance invasion began. And you know the rest.

Figase postische =)
Yes, Rapid worked on the CL world thoroughly, for which he had a mega-perspective!

Thanks! I recently wrote this description of the plot for a girl who read HL2, but did not play in HL1

I recently wrote this description of the plot for a girl who read HL2, but did not play in
HL1 Yyy, I think I understood what kind of girl she was;)

Yeah, she's the one :)

Ahh, I remembered the girl ...
Yes, RESPECT to you, Rapid, great, for such a competent and logical arrangement of facts and theories. Cool!

Yes, well done, Rapid.
I explained everything well. For example, I did not know about the portal storm ...

The Alliance's invasion of Earth
requires a giant burst of energy (Portal Storm). The Alliance realized
that such an effect could only occur on the death of Nihilanth.

Maybe it’s not dark, but can you explain why it happened?
Nihilant, of course, a tough monster, but so that his death would entail a giant release of energy
and a portal storm ... ??
And if he is so "energetic" then how did he allow himself to be enslaved, and even more so to kill?

I can answer the last question, the fact is that Nihillant was not originally like that, he was changed by the Alliance (this has already been discussed many times, by the way), he is like Breen, the same "traitor" or "savior" of his race. By the way, they also wanted to make Bryn Velve a creature, unlike a human, at a certain stage - only the face and the upper half of the body are more or less human, below - life support devices, the Alliance technique (see RTB). Likewise, Nihillanth is an Alliance-altered Vortigont.

Well, I really understood this a long time ago, I mean:
And if he is so "energetic" then how did he allow himself to be killed? And before that, remained under someone's control?