FREEMAN'S MIND: EPISODE 49

[QuakeIV]

This is far and above my favorite episode for some time. It may just be my sleepyheadedness but I seriously enjoyed this one.

[ArcticAvenger]

Off-topic, but I wonder what the soldiers are wearing that's so crappy a few 9mm rounds can take them down.

It... depends. From the pictures I've seen on the internet, the soldiers body armor from half life only protects the chest area.

 

That leaves the neck (jugular?), face and head unprotected. And since gas masks aren't really ment to stop bullets, that leaves the helmet. Which not many seamed to have.

 

We could also go by the idea that some of the soldiers he shot aren't dead, but either injured or just unconscious due to the fact that they took 6 - 10 rounds to the vest. And now that I think about it, that's actually a pretty grim thought.

[RandomGuy]

That's what I usually go with. The shots that take them down hit them in the head, neck, or other unarmored parts. Though in Freeman's Mind specifically, there are a couple instances (not many, but a couple) where it's kind of hard to get around the fact that he shot them in the armor.

 

Would they even be injured? If they're wearing what a standard American soldier would wear, I'd think their plates would ensure they could just get back up.

[BTGBullseye]

Would they even be injured? If they're wearing what a standard American soldier would wear, I'd think their plates would ensure they could just get back up.

http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1571&issue_id=82008

 

In other words, if it's just Kevlar (special forces use it, they need the lighter weight) and not steel plate (front-line troops wear it for added protection, but significant weight increase) they'll likely have moderate to severe injury if the bullets being fired are not hollow point. (at least with the repeated hits they're taking)

[JudasPhysicist]

Maybe the soldiers are allergic to space bees guys?

[ThePest179]

 

Aren't the thornets supposed to seek out anything organic? I'd think that they'd go for his face. Also, that he'd show some reaction to a soldier dying to a thornet after talking about how they're weaker than Earth bees.

 

 

They don't necessarily go for the face. They probably just track any life signatures deemed hostile. As for a reaction to the soldier, you're just nitpicking a little TOO much there.

[J.C.]

This was an awesome episode. Freeman went die hard on everyone.

[ThePest179]

http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1571&issue_id=82008

 

In other words, if it's just Kevlar (special forces use it, they need the lighter weight) and not steel plate (front-line troops wear it for added protection, but significant weight increase) they'll likely have moderate to severe injury if the bullets being fired are not hollow point. (at least with the repeated hits they're taking)

 

So what kind does the USMC use?

[ArcticAvenger]

Should we look at the vest problem from the perspective of Opposing Force? I mean, in the training mission you did just stand there while some dude shot you with a SPAS 12, then the drill sargent would explain that your vest absorbs damage, at the cost of energy...

 

steel plate (front-line troops wear it for added protection, but significant weight increase)

I've known soldiers from Afgan who would just drop the steel plates, and take an extra bottle of water or mag.

But that's another story.

[Centurion]

Very cool episode! I too like how Ross's Gordon avoids the snarks.

[Alyxx Thorne]

I loved it

Especially the constant action made it enjoyable.

[BTGBullseye]

steel plate (front-line troops wear it for added protection, but significant weight increase)

I've known soldiers from Afgan who would just drop the steel plates, and take an extra bottle of water or mag.

But that's another story.

I also know of some that have done that... Even known a few who died because of the bad decision. I personally would be carrying more ammo than anyone else, and still be wearing the plates... (if I was carrying one of the typical LMGs [M60, M249, etc.] I'd have at least 3 full reloads with me)

[RocketDude]

Should we look at the vest problem from the perspective of Opposing Force? I mean, in the training mission you did just stand there while some dude shot you with a SPAS 12, then the drill sargent would explain that your vest absorbs damage, at the cost of energy...

 

Well, Shephard is different because he is presumably in a special platoon or whichever, or has the higher privilege to be outfitted with a PCV. I suppose the grunts Freeman encounters don't get PCVs, allowing them to be killed more easily. Keep in mind, Shephard got advanced training, and I'd suppose basic training doesn't cover the PCV.

 

Anyways, I liked the episode, especially the turret segment. Kinda surprised that Freeman didn't fall in love with the M2 or the mounted cannon.

[RandomGuy]

I don't think the others are wearing PCVs, mostly because Shepherd(?) is four times more durable than a standard HECU marine.

 

I think I'm going with a combination of the two explanations: some soldiers at Black Mesa chose not to wear the plates, while some did. The ones that did are the ones that get killed or knocked out by being shot in the torso a bunch of times, while the ones who are can no sell 9mm bullets, but Freeman shoots them in their head (a large number of the blood spots on death look like they come from the head), neck, arms, legs... basically their unarmored parts. And some of what the game counts as missing isn't always, for the purposes of Freeman's Mind, Gordon not hitting the target, but hitting them in their armored parts.

 

Maybe I overcomplicate things. But... it makes sense and lets me stop worrying about mechanics.

 

Back to the episode:

 

Favorite quote: "Well, at least they didn't tell me to put that in my pipe and smoke it."

 

...now I remember it'll probably be another month or two before we get another one. Now I'm sad.

[Ross Scott]

Anyway, I hate to be "that guy", buuuuuut... will there be any time frame for the next episode? I miss the progress bar, because now everything is too random. Will it takes two weeks for the next one to come out, or two months? Or more? Just something I like to know.

I would like to know too.

 

Great episode, too bad you can't just order a decent 4TB HDD and enclosure through Newegg... (would only come to about $200, and free shipping)

Being able to talk about something in terms of "only" $200 does not describe my current situation right now.

 

We could also go by the idea that some of the soldiers he shot aren't dead, but either injured or just unconscious due to the fact that they took 6 - 10 rounds to the vest. And now that I think about it, that's actually a pretty grim thought.

This basically how I'm treating it. Half-Life (and about 98% of FPSs in general) only allows for so much in realism. I'm just acting under the assumption, that even with body armor, a few shots are going to DROP you, and I'm not really focusing on whether they're dead or how injured they are. The game has only 2 states for enemies: 100% combat ready or dead. You have to use your imagination and for me, emptying most of a clip into a person and still watching them run around kills the "realism" for me more than seeing them go down after a couple shots.

[RandomGuy]

This basically how I'm treating it. Half-Life (and about 98% of FPSs in general) only allows for so much in realism. I'm just acting under the assumption, that even with body armor, a few shots are going to DROP you, and I'm not really focusing on whether they're dead or how injured they are. The game has only 2 states for enemies: 100% combat ready or dead. You have to use your imagination and for me, emptying most of a clip into a person and still watching them run around kills the "realism" for me more than seeing them go down after a couple shots.

 

It's actually the other way around. Modern body armor is tough stuff, and them going down after a few shots is less realistic than them going on after being shot ten times with a pistol. Unless, of course, you intended that to account for parts that Freeman hit that weren't armored, but that doesn't seem to be the case. And them dying or being taken out of combat by ten 9mm shots to the armor is less realistic then them just shrugging it off and getting back up right after.

[lavaheart]

hmm I was going to say that we hadn't had the war after the 9/11 and therefore our war tech wasn't that good yet because half life 1 is set in 2000 ... :3

but I found a website the pointed out that of the US's 235 or so years of existence we've been at war for 214 of them, so I think our war tech is probably pretty good. XD

(silly me hasn't been alive long enough to remember any before the war on terror/middle east again)

 

I loved the episode though!

I think I'll rewatch the series again as well ^^

[BTGBullseye]

I actually looked up the armor requirements for 9mm rounds, and for decent military grade 9mm rounds you would need class III armor to prevent penetration, but it would still knock the wind out of you, and 2-3 shots would definitely take you down. Class IV and V armor are only used for bomb suits and ultra-heavy assault armor, neither of which would be used by HECU forces.

 

Being able to talk about something in terms of "only" $200 does not describe my current situation right now.

I know exactly how you feel, and I would purchase and ship one to you myself if I had the money to spare.

[RandomGuy]

Huh? I thought you'd only need class IIIA to stop tons of military grade 9mm rounds and keep going. Anyway, class III is the kind that stops rifle rounds. The impact of a few (3 or so) pistol rounds are going to do basically nothing against that kind of protection. They'll just be deflected off. At worst, they'll get knocked down and then just get right back up.

[BTGBullseye]

IIIa will protect against standard and +P (overpressure) rounds, but not the +P+ (over-overpressure) semi-AP rounds that are used in military applications now. AP type rounds in handguns are illegal for civilians to own, so their listing on a chart for body armor (the same stuff it's designed to go through) is rather pointless.