HL 2

This might be a silly question but, in what
part of the world does HL2 take place? If you pay attention to some of
the details they would suggest Europe. The one thing that got me
thinking was I looked at the license plates on the cars and they all
had European tags. Does anyone else have any thoughts or ideas on this?

Eastern Europe, but they never give a precise location or country.

There are some Russian and Western posters in there... Though there's a large poster with a not-so-recognisable picture Hong Kong on it, for some reason (posters001a). Even though it's probably location-less, like Springfield in the Simpsons, my guess would be somewhere in Bulgaria or Romania that's on the Black Sea coast? Varna, perhaps?

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/secret-cities.htm

http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/russia/naval/nucflt/pacflt/shkotovo.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/bolshoi-kamen.htm

That's something that cropped up on the hl2.net forums.

The train station says "tren" which is in Spanish or French, probably lots of other languages as well. By the look of the town and the layout of the streets, Id say eastern Europe somewhere but then again, what sea is that in the game? Hmm, how about Romania or something?

Leperous said:
There are some Russian and Western posters in there... Though there's a large poster with a not-so-recognisable picture Hong Kong on it, for some reason (posters001a). Even though it's probably location-less, like Springfield in the Simpsons, my guess would be somewhere in Bulgaria or Romania that's on the Black Sea coast? Varna, perhaps?

The Simpsons are in Kentucky. :smile:

Leperous said:
There
are some Russian and Western posters in there... Though there's a large
poster with a not-so-recognisable picture Hong Kong on it, for some
reason (posters001a). Even though it's probably location-less, like
Springfield in the Simpsons, my guess would be somewhere in Bulgaria or
Romania that's on the Black Sea coast? Varna, perhaps?

The Simpsons are in Kentucky. :smile:

Nope. :smile:

<div class="quote"><div class="quotetitle">? quote:</div><div class="quotetext">In the first airing of [BABF19], "Behind The Laughter", the

<pre>narrator gave Springfield's location as northern Kentucky.
For the second and some later airings, this changed to
southern Missouri. But neither of these are admissible
locations for Springfield, for the many reasons listed later
in this document.

What's the explanation? This episode is not canon.
It portrays the show not as a cartoon created by Matt
Groening, but as a live-action sitcom originally written by
Homer and starring his own family. None of what happens is
part of the main Simpsons continuity... just like any Halloween Special.
[/pre]</div>

http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html

Actually, I figured it was Kentucy way before I ever saw that episode. I know the town isn't real, it's a mutli-flasited town. But, if you were to map it to any place inparticular, Kentucy makes the most sense.

I have the "Raising the Bar" artwork book, and in it they discuss about their references and such. The town isn't supposed to really be anywhere, but they took architecture from the 30s, 40s etc. up to the 70s in an Eastern European type setting...but purposely removed some things such as the gothic architecture in many areas. As well, they stated that in a lot of respects they toned down the realism as it detracted from the excitement at times. City 17 is basically everywhere and nowhere.

City-17 was not a city in fact, but rather a large grouping of urban and suburban regions around Prague, in the Czech Republic (or at least it used to be the Czech Republic, before it collapsed under the might of The Combine

HL2 : The Resistance

A pretty good read if you're bored waiting for your new motherobard to ship...

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting azelito</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>The train station says "tren" </DIV></DIV>
Really? I havent gotten that far through the game yet. And yeah, 'tren' is train in romanian (romanian - latin, that's why it sounds like french or spanish). Wonder why they chose this rock of all places.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Andrei</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting azelito</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>The train station says "tren" </DIV></DIV>
Really? I havent gotten that far through the game yet. And yeah, 'tren' is train in romanian (romanian - latin, that's why it sounds like french or spanish). Wonder why they chose this rock of all places.

</DIV></DIV>

Actually, its in the very very beginning. At least I think it says tren, I might be wrong.

Anyway, if this is in the Czech republic, then what is that sea about? It looks quite big and... Yea well, see for yourselfs, where is it?

I see many Cyrillic characters in City 17. This suggests somewhere in russia or the Balkans. The city architecture is that of a more southerly balkan country. With the coast in consideration, HL2 takes place closeby any of 2 large bodies of water: The Adriatic Sea, or the Black Sea. As the it is too far north we can rule out black sea. We can probably surmise that we are now in Slovenia, Croatia, or Yugoslavia.

Along the Adriatic sea we actually see this type of rock formation. Called Karst topography. http://deanoman.com/email/balkans/balkan4_41.JPG this is indicative of the Karst region of the balkans In Slovenia (formerly Yugoslavia)
Map of the Balkans: http://www.uottawa.ca/associations/balkanpeace/maps/regional.gif
Maps of the karst region, note that this is an old map of northern slovenia. http://www.asak.org.yu/karst/kras/classicalkarst.html
The only Large enough city in the Karst region is TRIESTE. Here in trieste, we see a very recognizeable feature. http://www.teatroverdi-trieste.com/verdi2004/2.Attivita/1.StagioneTeatrale/1.TeatroVerdi/1.3.Tosca/images/Roma1.jpg Recognize that dome???

also tren is train in Italian i believe, which is right next to Slovenia.

So City 17 is Trieste?

Looking at the evidence, it would seem so!

It's a game environment. Influenced by probably several different
sites. Not a real city. I mean, when I see a tower flat, I can combine
that with an island I've seen on TV and make a level out of it. Both
parts are real, just not together...

It's surely an Eastern-Europe setting, correct. But well, now it's just City 17 I guess... :wink:

Kinda like "Gotham City" in Batman. Everyone knows what Gotham
City looks like (at least all the comic fans), but it doesn't exist
anywhere on this planet. It's like the gritty part of a generic
metropolis, but with some dark twists (perhaps it exists in our
collective nightmare).

City 17 certainly exists in the minds of all the HL2 gamers. It's as real as our consciousness.

Kinda like "Gotham City" in Batman. Everyone knows what Gotham
City looks like (at least all the comic fans), but it doesn't exist
anywhere on this planet. It's like the gritty part of a generic
metropolis, but with some dark twists (perhaps it exists in our
collective nightmare).

I take offence to that. My nightmares don't feature s**tty plots and ridiculous characters.

The architecture doesn't fit with E.E anyway.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Nickelplate</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>As the it is too far north we can rule out black sea.</DIV></DIV>
Hmm, I don't quite follow your "impeccable" logic there Domed buildings are actually quite common in all of Eastern Europe (Orthodox influences?), and "tren" is train is several languages, including Spanish and Turkish. Italian for train is "treno" according to my good friend Google.

In fact, "tren" is also Romanian for "train" (source). Also, remember the old beached submarine from the demo? I'm sure there would be more Russian subs floating about the Black Sea!

/stops reading into things too much

I was thinking about those neat brick houses.

[edit]

Urm, yeah, i just said that. :rolleyes:

http://www.snarkpit.com/forums.php?textbody=1&r=1102454957&quote=58104

I would rather say Romania, and the sea is the Black Sea.

Maybe it's Constanta (largest Black Sea port, and a pretty big city)?

[EASTER EGG]

"On highway17, near the second house where you can use the huge binocular to spot the g-man, if you look carefuly you'll see a yellow board. If you rotate it with the gravity gun, you'll see the words "Insecticid...atentie, pericol" and other bla blas. The same board was fixed as a commercial in city17 , at the beginning of the level with the snipers." (quotet a guy that finished the game) And THATs romanian. No doubt about it.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Leperous</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Also, remember the old beached submarine from the demo? I'm sure there would be more Russian subs floating about the Black Sea!</DIV></DIV>

as opposed to the sinking subs they have everywhere else?
:rolleyes:

It's just a theory and a good one at that. Even though the book says it's not really any REAL place, It's stil a nice coincidence that the city of Trieste has The dome-top museum, canals and a coastal highway nearby. Also the mixture of latin ans cyrillic characters indicates this basic area. Highway 17 is actually a coastal highway in nearby bosnia though...

Anyway, I thought you folks would like my theory (since it DOES make sense)

Lep, Have you not seen the domes of the northern balkan states? they're the onion topped ones. :biggrin:

Hey, does anyone know why hl2 and cs:S keep connecting to the net even in offline mode???

And considering the easter yegg, i still tend to think it's Romania.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Andrei</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Hey, does anyone know why hl2 and cs:S keep connecting to the net even in offline mode???

And considering the easter yegg, i still tend to think it's Romania.

</DIV></DIV>
hey, what IS the easter egg? I don't get it...

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Andrei</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>[EASTER EGG]

"On highway17, near the second house where you can use the huge binocular to spot the g-man, if you look carefuly you'll see a yellow board. If you rotate it with the gravity gun, you'll see the words "Insecticid...atentie, pericol" and other bla blas. The same board was fixed as a commercial in city17 , at the beginning of the level with the snipers." (quotet a guy that finished the game) And THATs romanian. No doubt about it.

</DIV></DIV>
:rolleyes:

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Andrei</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Andrei</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>[EASTER EGG]

"On highway17, near the second house where you can use the huge binocular to spot the g-man, if you look carefuly you'll see a yellow board. If you rotate it with the gravity gun, you'll see the words "Insecticid...atentie, pericol" and other bla blas. The same board was fixed as a commercial in city17 , at the beginning of the level with the snipers." (quotet a guy that finished the game) And THATs romanian. No doubt about it.

</DIV></DIV>
:rolleyes:

</DIV></DIV>
oh THAT. I didn't realise that that was the Gman.

I'm pretty sure its set near the dead sea, thats what that large body of water is in the game I think... The drained one.

The dead sea isn't drained, well, not for a few years yet. It looks
distinctly like the Eastern Bloc areas from waht I have seen (former
east Berlin up to say Kiev, down to Moscow).

It smacks of central eastern europe, from the architecture to the skin
tones, even the vegetation and the appearance of the weather.

It looks to have spliced Communist influences from the cold war (tower
blocks etc) with older bauhaus architecture and the orthdox religious
stylings with more modern european "things"... It's just a random
decrepit city of eastern europe, I think more important is the
1984/fahrenheit 451 etc references - constant tannoy announcements,
"civil protection teams" (ie jaded/shaded references to secret police),
everybody wearing hte same blue overalls.. etc

I still cant believe certain people claimed the game had no atmosphere
or soul... it makes so many cultural references tied together with the
superb level design and special sound effects... i havent even done
chapter 1 yet but I love it already. Even if it has moved WAAAY too
fast..

well, anyone notice the gman on the small tv in city 17?

well, i saw him on it, went out, came in again thinking "wait, was that the gman!" amd he was gone :sad:

or im seeing things,

You can see him in quite a few places Dred, but I won't spoil it by giving away where :wink:

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Gwil</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>I still cant believe certain people claimed the game had no atmosphere or soul... it makes so many cultural references tied together with the superb level design and special sound effects... i havent even done chapter 1 yet but I love it already. Even if it has moved WAAAY too fast..
</DIV></DIV>
I think it's quite easy just to play the game as quickly as you can and miss things. I would accuse anyone who thinks that the game has no atmosphere etc. of that, and simply missing it all!

No atmosphere? This game is brilliant! I love this engine and it's 3d skybox capabilities!