FREEMAN'S MIND: EPISODE 62

[WhatPayne]

We are finally here in Xen. Awesome! ...Not for Gordon, tho.

--

I don't think there is a single fan who would not want to see HL2 Freeman's Mind, myself included. But I don't want Ross to force himself to it. After this final strech he surely must be exhausted. He should take a break and have a kitkat. I also think that it would be best if Ross puts FM on a nice long hiatus after he has finished it to work on all those other projects he has mentioned. And then return to it if he feels like doing so, whenever that might be.

[danielsangeo]

Subs up!

 

For those in the US (or those who used to be in the US and still celebrate it), Happy Thanksgiving!

[kingkolton9]

Subs up!

 

For those in the US (or those who used to be in the US and still celebrate it), Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Wow, my subs are absolute trash next to yours. I guess that was to be expected.

[Otto]

Don't be discouraged, kingkolton, we love to see people interested in contributing. I don't use subtitles myself, but I appreciate

that both you guys take the time and effort to produce them, even if it's in your own ways. Appreciated, danielsangeo.

 

 

 

Is there any reason we didn't hear the Nihilanth in the video?

Haha, that was my first thought as well. I'm pretty sure some of my playthroughs of the game never used his initial lines though,

maybe it was a bug? When I play now though, he pretty much says something at every starting portal/chapter sequence.

 

 

General Cornwaffle did a great job with sound design on this episode! Can't wait for the Gonarch battle!

Yeah, he really did. Those were some pretty neat alien effects and great movement sounds. There was a bit of confusion at

the time over who would end up doing the final mix, since we both had our own versions (my fault for disappearing) and it looks

like his one deservedly made it through. I don't know if you're here, Cornwaffle, but great work dude!

 

 

Also, what was "additional holster animations" in the credits? The MP5 and crowbar just disappeared like normal.

That's a good question. Vedad made a post about it in the forums and we kept meaning to try implementing it in the series. I

remember bringing it up again with Ross right before he recorded the episode, since Xen was a more appropriate place to start,

but I don't think we managed to get it included, so I'm as confused as you are. Still, at least Vedad has credit for creating his

really useful animation script. Thanks to you, too, Vedad dude!

[danielsangeo]

Subs up!

 

For those in the US (or those who used to be in the US and still celebrate it), Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Wow, my subs are absolute trash next to yours. I guess that was to be expected.

 

Oh, wow. I didn't even realize you had done them. My apologies!

[Ross Scott]

While the canon premise is that Xen is a different dimension so who gives a damn, I like the think that the Xen islands are orbiting a massive black hole which has high enough gravity to maintain a breathable atmosphere (Both the Xen aliens and Freeman lack any kind of breathing apparatus, and are both seen breathing both in Xen and on Earth). This black hole, though, is an extraordinarily large distance away from the Xen islands though and that, coupled with the gasses seen in the environment, mask its presence.

I knew there was something else bugging me about this explanation. Okay, fine, let's say the Xen islands are orbiting a black hole. That still does nothing to explain the gravity. Because look at it, satellites and space junk orbit the Earth, the moon orbits the Earth, the Earth orbits the sun. The moon and Earth only have GRAVITY because of their density. All the space junk has no measurable gravity because it's not dense enough. That's the situation the Xen island cloud is in. The islands are so comparatively small, they would have no measurable gravity.

[VeryShyPerson]

Xen's another dimension. Who's to say it follows the same laws of gravity and physics as our dimension?

[consistenthistorian]

Xen's another dimension. Who's to say it follows the same laws of gravity and physics as our dimension?

 

Possible, sure, but it feels too much like a Deus Ex Machina. You can solve anything by saying the physics is different. Plus of course, if gravity is different that might just about be ok, but if pretty much any other physics is different then Gordon wouldn't survive. Eg the molecules in his body are held together by electrostatic forces, you go and change the electro-weak force any and Gordon is suddenly going to find himself with a larger, much less attractive volume...

 

FWIW I always assumed the platforms were orbiting a gas giant, something like Jupiter or Saturn. When you look in any direction you don't see infinity, just a sort of haze in the distance. Locally being somewhere in the atmosphere of a gas giant is probably going to look like an interestingly coloured haze.

[consistenthistorian]

Of course, that doesn't solve the problem of the gravity, since as Ross mentioned if you're orbiting something then you're in free fall and you don't notice any gravitational pull.

 

I think it's safe to assume the platforms are floating somehow, powered by who knows what. The best indication of this is probably the platforms spinning round the spikes, which look purposeful and clearly are powered by something. As to how, well I don't have any theories.

 

The Arthur C Clarke quote about any sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic comes to mind here of course, but a more interesting question is maybe this; Imagine someone from 200+ years ago suddenly transplanted to the modern day. Sure they'd be overwhelmed by the technology, but the interesting question is whether they'd be most interested or impressed with the things that are the most technologically advanced. I can imagine that someone in that situation might not even recognise the significance of computers, but they could spend ages worrying about how street lighting worked... It's not just that advanced technology looks like magic, it's that it becomes hard to appreciate the relative significance of technology when it gets really advanced.

 

I think there's a danger that we focus too much on the stuff that looks visibly different from what we're used too. Floating platforms in this episode, and momentum conservation by teleporters in a previous one are good examples. Who knows whether with the technological ability the aliens possess these things are exciting or mundane? We might be worrying about the metaphorical street lighting and missing the really important differences.

[BTGBullseye]

We might be worrying about the metaphorical street lighting and missing the really important differences.

Yeah, like whether they know how to make good pizza yet or not.

[Rocket Propelled Gordon]

I hope you all realize that there is a potentially large possibility that Nihilanth is the one controlling the gravity, the floating platforms, etc. For all we know, the moment you kill the baby fetus monster, all the floating platforms are falling into the abyss.

[kingkolton9]

Don't be discouraged, kingkolton, we love to see people interested in contributing. I don't use subtitles myself, but I appreciate

that both you guys take the time and effort to produce them, even if it's in your own ways. Appreciated, danielsangeo.

 

Thank you, Otto.

 

Oh, wow. I didn't even realize you had done them. My apologies!

 

It's totally fine. I do have one question for you: Is there any trick you use to describe sounds, like Gordon making noises in mid-air, or no?

[danielsangeo]

I take the sounds I hear and try to write them out as if I was trying to spell them. Sometimes I call my mind back to various comics I've read for how to write certain onomatopoeia. If I can't figure out how to spell them or it becomes really stupid looking when written down, I just change it to what is happening and put it in brackets (such as in this episode, I wrote [hyperventilating]).

 

I don't write what emotion is being given, however. If Ross's Gordon is screaming or shouting over a lot of noise (such as during a battle or when there's the 'earthquake' in this episode), I just write the words in all caps.

 

I'm also trying to all caps certain words that are being emphasized (such as "I didn't realize I was THAT late" where the word "that" being emphasized). In comics, those words are bolded, but I don't believe it's possible to bold or italicize subtitles on Youtube.

 

Thanks for your effort and contribution, kingkolton9, but I'm more than willing to continue doing the subtitles for the English language captions.

[ElFreakazoide]

While the canon premise is that Xen is a different dimension so who gives a damn, I like the think that the Xen islands are orbiting a massive black hole which has high enough gravity to maintain a breathable atmosphere (Both the Xen aliens and Freeman lack any kind of breathing apparatus, and are both seen breathing both in Xen and on Earth). This black hole, though, is an extraordinarily large distance away from the Xen islands though and that, coupled with the gasses seen in the environment, mask its presence.

I knew there was something else bugging me about this explanation. Okay, fine, let's say the Xen islands are orbiting a black hole. That still does nothing to explain the gravity. Because look at it, satellites and space junk orbit the Earth, the moon orbits the Earth, the Earth orbits the sun. The moon and Earth only have GRAVITY because of their density. All the space junk has no measurable gravity because it's not dense enough. That's the situation the Xen island cloud is in. The islands are so comparatively small, they would have no measurable gravity.

 

While I still think that the problems with the gravitational pull at least when Freeman and other organisms and objects independent from the whole structure are concerned can be solved by considering that the whole geometry of the space-time in the area might be twisted in a visually imperceptible way enough to cause a gravitational pull through that possible weird curvature (who's to say that if you go far in the direction of those clouds the whole visuals of the place might be changed because the space might be twisted and so could the light?), those floating structures still pose a legitimate problem. However it has been stated by valve somewhere and actualy it is considered to be part of Freeman's canon theory regarding the crystal sample he had to put in that beam that caused the resonance cascade, that the xen crystals have some sort of anti-mass (which means mass of opposite charge than regular mass), even though Freeman might have been lied to with regards to where these crystals came from (although exactly how did those have come to Freeman's knowledge if he didn't know about Xen in the first place is technicaly a plot hole, since it affects our understanding of future events), he at least knows about the anti-mass part and about its possible role in quantum displacement; so who knows wether those structures in Xen are made of a simmilar material with anti-mass along with regular mass or not. He will find crystals and he should recognise those, so theorizing a way through that would be quite natural and obvious with regards to Half-Life's cannonical environment and Freeman's background.

[HLPrincess]

Subs up!

 

For those in the US (or those who used to be in the US and still celebrate it), Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Wow, my subs are absolute trash next to yours. I guess that was to be expected.

 

Oh, wow. I didn't even realize you had done them. My apologies!

 

I'd like to say that as I add subs oficially, I oficially accept only Daniel's subs as they were approved by Ross. I'd rather use subs made by only one author, to keep them consistent and if anyone else makes their own English version, than they won't be added to the videos. Unless this case is settled between Daniel, Ross and any potential new subber

[BigoteBicolor]

While the canon premise is that Xen is a different dimension so who gives a damn, I like the think that the Xen islands are orbiting a massive black hole which has high enough gravity to maintain a breathable atmosphere (Both the Xen aliens and Freeman lack any kind of breathing apparatus, and are both seen breathing both in Xen and on Earth). This black hole, though, is an extraordinarily large distance away from the Xen islands though and that, coupled with the gasses seen in the environment, mask its presence.

I knew there was something else bugging me about this explanation. Okay, fine, let's say the Xen islands are orbiting a black hole. That still does nothing to explain the gravity. Because look at it, satellites and space junk orbit the Earth, the moon orbits the Earth, the Earth orbits the sun. The moon and Earth only have GRAVITY because of their density. All the space junk has no measurable gravity because it's not dense enough. That's the situation the Xen island cloud is in. The islands are so comparatively small, they would have no measurable gravity.

 

While I still think that the problems with the gravitational pull at least when Freeman and other organisms and objects independent from the whole structure are concerned can be solved by considering that the whole geometry of the space-time in the area might be twisted in a visually imperceptible way enough to cause a gravitational pull through that possible weird curvature (who's to say that if you go far in the direction of those clouds the whole visuals of the place might be changed because the space might be twisted and so could the light?), those floating structures still pose a legitimate problem. However it has been stated by valve somewhere and actualy it is considered to be part of Freeman's canon theory regarding the crystal sample he had to put in that beam that caused the resonance cascade, that the xen crystals have some sort of anti-mass (which means mass of opposite charge than regular mass), even though Freeman might have been lied to with regards to where these crystals came from (although exactly how did those have come to Freeman's knowledge if he didn't know about Xen in the first place is technicaly a plot hole, since it affects our understanding of future events), he at least knows about the anti-mass part and about its possible role in quantum displacement; so who knows wether those structures in Xen are made of a simmilar material with anti-mass along with regular mass or not. He will find crystals and he should recognise those, so theorizing a way through that would be quite natural and obvious with regards to Half-Life's cannonical environment and Freeman's background.

 

I think the green pillars are the cause why every "little island" floats on Xen.

Also it maybe the reason why those rock platforms can orbit around them too.

As far as i can recall , all of the places in Xen have one at least , except for the first rock where you stand on at the beginning.

It's the best theory that i could came out with.

[Rocket Propelled Gordon]

Actually, would it be such a outlandish theory to think that those pillars are somehow RELATED to the tentacles we see at the blast pit?

[ElFreakazoide]

I think the green pillars are the cause why every "little island" floats on Xen.

Also it maybe the reason why those rock platforms can orbit around them too.

As far as i can recall , all of the places in Xen have one at least , except for the first rock where you stand on at the beginning.

It's the best theory that i could came out with.

 

Maybe that could be a valid and convincing point if we assume the material those are made out of allows for that via electromagnetism, however it is the bigger island what is causing debate along with the breathable atmosphere and gravity. I still think that if most of the molecules of that island are made out of equal mass and anti-mass this whole thing can be solved as a lighter object floating thanks to that anti-mass and the clearly audible winds in the atmosphere. As I stated before, the gravity problem can be solved by assuming the space has weird geometrical patterns. Who knows if that vortigaunt Gordon killed continues falling "down" and doesn't change direction? The physical values must remain the same, otherwise gordon would not be alive. So under those circumstances, preserving all physical variables, the spacial geometry and anti-mass prescence should solve most of the problems.

 

The remaining problem is the atmosphere, but I think that maybe Xen isn't as big as it might appear to be. Judging by the various different backgrounds shown through the games (from the nebular background and the symmetrical two sunsets separated by the horizon to the microscopic shot of polen in the end of Half-life and even no background and just pitch black like in the gearbox games) I believe it is safe to assume that Xen might be made out of small "pockets" of space-time, theoretically such structures are geometrically possible if several wormholes intersect each other creating "volumes" of space-time, wormholes need anti-mass to be stable, so this explanation compliments the other one by filling the blanks. The vortigaunts can breathe in earth's atmosphere, so they might have chosen the pockets of Xen that are habitable for them and, coincidentially, for us as well to colonize. Xen can be considered (as its name "borderworld" suggests) to be a world between worlds, sort of spaces between membranes like Breen probably suggests in HL2. To get a bit of knowledge about that little concept a tiny trip to wikipedia would not hurt for generalizations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brane_cosmology

 

Finally I'd like to add that one of Marc Laidlaw's various influences (although this particular influence is less known than others with regards to Laidlaw's writing) is Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges, whose writings are HEAVILY inspired in many cases by space-time geometry in his attempts to describe the concept of infinity, I think this has to be considered as aiding us in getting closer to the perspective Laidlaw had while concieving the nature of Xen in his writings and how that might have probably influenced the game developers.

[Bugthing]

The promised land.

[RandomGuy]

Why is it that everyone always has to connect everything in Half-Life to those tentacles? It's weird, people have an obsession with it. Those Xen trees? Young tentacles. Those giant pillars? Old tentacles. The Gene Worm? Obviously connected to those tentacles. A completely unrelated giant tentacle monster in another game? Just a variant of the Xen Tentacles!