Oh hey, Companion Cubes toys have been in production for the last two months and should be available in the Valve store before christmas. Are their pictures of these toys? Any idea on a price?

(part of spoiler tree above, do not read if you're not keeping up with it) Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler There's no real telling how long exactly the Seven Hour War was after HL1, only that it was somewhere around 5-15 years after by the amount of aging that the characters from HL1 have experienced. Of course, this is even a bit subjective as there are significant character art changes due to the more powerful Source engine. About 10 years is probably a pretty good estimate, though. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler I thought it was 20 years after the suppression field was switched on, because we don't really see anybody younger than 20 throughout the course of the game. Of course, we see the world through a narrow lens, but still.

Garry just posted something about adding the Portal Gun officially in GMod on his blog: Every other email I get right now is about adding the Portal Gun to GMod. My general thinking with putting Valve’s stuff in GMod is that if it’s in the SDK it’s open to be put in GMod. If it isn’t it isn’t. The portal gun is a tricky one.. I mean even if it does turn up in the SDK I don’t know whether I want to actually add it to GMod. The reason being that I don’t particularly want the hassle of having to test everything out through a portal to make sure it’s still working. But maybe in an unsupported way, maybe.

So... did anyone else get an extreme flashback to this: Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler http://www.arcaneminiatures.co.uk/im...es/MGP6632.jpg While playing? The in game voice is exactly how I imagined The Computer when I played.

Was anyone else really hoping... (not part of any spoiler tree, just end-game spoilers) Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler to at some point meet, or atleast learn of who/what was the person/thing leaving you all the hints? It never really explained who it was, and (at risk of breaking the atmosphere of the game) how they were able to leave all those clues for you. I guess it could have been an employee who ran from GLaDOS? That would also explain the theory that GLaDOS killed all of them. Regardless, I would've liked to have some more knowledge of that.

Was anyone else really hoping... (not part of any spoiler tree, just end-game spoilers) Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler to at some point meet, or atleast learn of who/what was the person/thing leaving you all the hints? It never really explained who it was, and (at risk of breaking the atmosphere of the game) how they were able to leave all those clues for you. I guess it could have been an employee who ran from GLaDOS? That would also explain the theory that GLaDOS killed all of them. Regardless, I would've liked to have some more knowledge of that. I had hoped for it, but never really expected it. Valve isn't much for giving definitive answers to...well, anything really.

The thing about the "Combine" energy balls in Portal is that they don't really seem like Combine energy balls to me. They don't move as fast, don't glow quite so brightly, they burn out with less of a flash, and the one in level 19 is green and doesn't burn out at all. I don't know if there's any significance to it or not, but I don't think those balls are the Combine's. Similar design, I suppose.

Was anyone else really hoping... (not part of any spoiler tree, just end-game spoilers) Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler to at some point meet, or atleast learn of who/what was the person/thing leaving you all the hints? It never really explained who it was, and (at risk of breaking the atmosphere of the game) how they were able to leave all those clues for you. I guess it could have been an employee who ran from GLaDOS? That would also explain the theory that GLaDOS killed all of them. Regardless, I would've liked to have some more knowledge of that. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler How do you know it wasn't GLaDOS herself? Hmmm?! Seriously though, the whole thing could be a setup. Honestly that seems the most likely to me, because GLaDOS apparently wanted that end battle to happen. So, she either allowed or manipulated previous test subjects to create the path markers/hidden areas, or made them herself (somehow; we don't know what resources she has to, for instance, scribble on a wall).

steam steam

*shakes head*

I liked what someone mentioned earlier in the thread somewhere, about how the 'energy balls' look the same because they are elementally the same - i.e. fire is fire, no matter what place or created by whoever... so the energy balls are just some type of weird energy/element that the combine use to power their devices and aperture science just also happens to have discovered it. Like if it was electricity or something... the combine didn't 'invent' the energy balls anymore than humans 'invented' fire or electricity. Does that make sense? I think it's a cool idea.

Was anyone else really hoping... (not part of any spoiler tree, just end-game spoilers) Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler to at some point meet, or atleast learn of who/what was the person/thing leaving you all the hints? It never really explained who it was, and (at risk of breaking the atmosphere of the game) how they were able to leave all those clues for you. I guess it could have been an employee who ran from GLaDOS? That would also explain the theory that GLaDOS killed all of them. Regardless, I would've liked to have some more knowledge of that. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler How do you know it wasn't GLaDOS herself? Hmmm?! Seriously though, the whole thing could be a setup. Honestly that seems the most likely to me, because GLaDOS apparently wanted that end battle to happen. So, she either allowed or manipulated previous test subjects to create the path markers/hidden areas, or made them herself (somehow; we don't know what resources she has to, for instance, scribble on a wall). Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler "How do you know it wasn't GLaDOS herself? Hmmm?!" That line creeped me out all over again. This game is too awesome. I had considered that, but I couldn't really see why she'd want to battle. In fact, she might not wanted to have battled at all; it only turned that way once she lost her morality module. The fact that there was an incinerator in her room... I dunno. The further I dig into this, the more I feel like in some regards, Valve kind of ditched realism/continuity for better gameplay. Which...is lame, since up till those points it was a very believable experience. Maybe I'm just not thinking hard enough.

I'm so backwards. I've never played Half Life of any kind before I had the orange box, and I didn't get far through HL2 before I played portal, so I missed certain things. I had just crossed the bridge at the end of "The Highway" or whatever it's called. I found one of those force field generators, and recognized the plug sticking out of it. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler I remember that the plug is the same exactly model as a port that you find in one of the hidden rooms, on level 18 (I think), and it hit me; Holy fuck, these people are using combine technology. Or the Combine uses Aperture Science Technology. Or something. Yeah, I'm several days behind everyone else, I'm sure.

I'm so backwards. I've never played Half Life of any kind before I had the orange box, and I didn't get far through HL2 before I played portal, so I missed certain things. I had just crossed the bridge at the end of "The Highway" or whatever it's called. I found one of those force field generators, and recognized the plug sticking out of it. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler I remember that the plug is the same exactly model as a port that you find in one of the hidden rooms, on level 18 (I think), and it hit me; Holy fuck, these people are using combine technology. Or the Combine uses Aperture Science Technology. Or something. Yeah, I'm several days behind everyone else, I'm sure. no Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler holy fuck steam games use steam resources!~ Just like the energy balls and stalker legs, I don't think it was meant to say aperature was taken over by the combine or vice versa.

I'm so backwards. I've never played Half Life of any kind before I had the orange box, and I didn't get far through HL2 before I played portal, so I missed certain things. I had just crossed the bridge at the end of "The Highway" or whatever it's called. I found one of those force field generators, and recognized the plug sticking out of it. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler I remember that the plug is the same exactly model as a port that you find in one of the hidden rooms, on level 18 (I think), and it hit me; Holy fuck, these people are using combine technology. Or the Combine uses Aperture Science Technology. Or something. Yeah, I'm several days behind everyone else, I'm sure. no Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler holy fuck steam games use steam resources!~ Just like the energy balls and stalker legs, I don't think it was meant to say aperature was taken over by the combine or vice versa. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler Re-using those graphics was kinda cheap though, especially when they should have been expecting lots of speculation about the storyline. It just confused things. Unless it was intentional...

Was anyone else really hoping... (not part of any spoiler tree, just end-game spoilers) Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler to at some point meet, or atleast learn of who/what was the person/thing leaving you all the hints? It never really explained who it was, and (at risk of breaking the atmosphere of the game) how they were able to leave all those clues for you. I guess it could have been an employee who ran from GLaDOS? That would also explain the theory that GLaDOS killed all of them. Regardless, I would've liked to have some more knowledge of that. I had hoped for it, but never really expected it. Valve isn't much for giving definitive answers to...well, anything really. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler At first I figured maybe you were a clone, and you other iterations made it only so far before flipping out, realizing something was wrong, or whatever. The computer needs test subjects, and that's probably the easiest way for it to keep going. Maybe the clone's originator was one of the lead scientists or something...

Is portal taking place during the combine invasion?

Is portal taking place during the combine invasion? I'm guessing it takes place around the same time as HL1 maybe towards the end of it. I don't think the combine would let Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler a supercomputer sit around unattended, or have high tech unaccounted for.

Is portal taking place during the combine invasion? I'm guessing it takes place around the same time as HL1 maybe towards the end of it. I don't think the combine would let Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler a supercomputer sit around unattended, or have high tech unaccounted for. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler Yeah, but there are several lines in the game suggesting it. It sounds as if Glados has been keeping the facility a secret, or somehow else protected it from something. Sure, the lines can be attributed to other things, but still, it's interesting. "Unless you have a plan for building some supercomputer parts in a big hurry, this place isn't going to be safe much longer." "What's your point, anyway? Survival? Well then, the last thing you want to do is hurt me." "I have an infinite capacity for knowledge, and even I'm not sure what's going on outside." "All I know is I'm the only thing standing between us and them. Well, I was." "Are you trying to escape? [chuckle] Things have changed since the last time you left the building. What's going on out there will make you wish you were back in here."

Maybe Gordon wasn't responsible for the resonance cascade at all, but a combination of him and whatever happened at Aperture Science before you wake up.

Maybe Gordon wasn't responsible for the resonance cascade at all, but a combination of him and whatever happened at Aperture Science before you wake up. Assuming that both places received the amount of funding indicated by the chart, we could assume that whatever else Apature was doing could have been almost as powerful as the Black Mesa project. A big ass orange doorway could have been opened around the same time or maybe going to the same place as Gordon's experiment. Also going by the outrageous request on the chart, I'm guessing AS' leaders might have been a little wonky. Maybe sabotage!

Maybe Gordon wasn't responsible for the resonance cascade at all, but a combination of him and whatever happened at Aperture Science before you wake up. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler Did you finish Ep2 yet? It has some info on the...cause...of the cascade.

Was anyone else really hoping... (not part of any spoiler tree, just end-game spoilers) Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler to at some point meet, or atleast learn of who/what was the person/thing leaving you all the hints? It never really explained who it was, and (at risk of breaking the atmosphere of the game) how they were able to leave all those clues for you. I guess it could have been an employee who ran from GLaDOS? That would also explain the theory that GLaDOS killed all of them. Regardless, I would've liked to have some more knowledge of that. I had hoped for it, but never really expected it. Valve isn't much for giving definitive answers to...well, anything really. Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler At first I figured maybe you were a clone, and you other iterations made it only so far before flipping out, realizing something was wrong, or whatever. The computer needs test subjects, and that's probably the easiest way for it to keep going. Maybe the clone's originator was one of the lead scientists or something... Spoiler: show spoiler hide spoiler I could only believe that the originator was the lead scientist, and maybe he realized the danger of the project so he created the path himself. That would explain why there was an incinerator in GLaDOS' control room; incase she ever became a threat, it's possible to exterminate her. Also, while the jugs of water and cans of beans were a neat atmospheric touch, realistically... I dunno. I can't see how any of the test subjects, GLaDOS, or anyone other than someone working at Aperture Science would have had those with them. I guess that's the best explaination I can see so far.

I'm not going to spoiler this because its well established now.. Apaturescience had nothing to do w/ the cascade failure...I thought it was proven that Gordon didn't do it, it was really masterminded by the old Black Mesa administrator ... i forget his damn name now.

Breen