Imagine making a discovery so great and disturbing, it turns you mad. Mad enough to think beyond perception.
the pizza arg? it may never be fully solved in a way i hope there is always some mystery
there could be something hidden anywhere
I am working on a conclusion storyline for it but that may not reach completion depends on how things go
This page contains statements made by Stormseeker (Myon) on Discord from 6/24/2019 onwards. The page deals only with actual statements, not conjectures. The statements have been divided into categories, which can be seen in the contents box below.
Stormseeker's actual statements are enclosed in double quotation marks or in a quotation box. If a statement was made by another person, their name will be indicated in front of the quoted statement. In some cases, a question or a statement made by a player has been included to provide context for a statement. These are enclosed in single quotation marks. Duplicate statements are listed because Stormseeker posted them more than once, or they apply to several topics. The '|' character delimits multiple message lines.
For more quotes by Stormseeker, see also Stormseeker.
Dr. Horn[]
"Dr Horn wouldnt let something like a resonance cascade or world invasion stop his plans"
the gate is the reason for his realization [1]
Dr Nielsen is in Gonarch too
he was the scientist that developed the cyanogen
his nameplate is in that lab
you can find him in Gon C
along with all the other members of the QE team
Dr Horn is ... elsewhere [2]
Dr Nielsen was the scientist in charge of the CES chamber tests for headcrabs
contained enviroment simulator
but he was under orders from Dr Horn
who has ulterior motives for the gonarchs lair
as there is hidden technology in that area
that is not combine or xenian
that he is very interested in securing [3]
but in order to find out what Dr Horn was up to
you will have to follow the arg in #pizza-delivery-arg
its a hidden plotline buried into the enviroment since Questionable Ethics [4]
"i go by many names but mostly Chris or Dr Horn and occasionally Stormseeker and rarely, cos not many people play it Myon"
:blobsecret:
like I said earlier
tempus
not all is as it seems in there
also Dr Stone is there, somewhere
but you may need to read some more whiteboards to work out how to find him
as for Dr Horn.... who knows
also to find the portal, look for the sign
suggest you scare gonarch off first tho
the end of the arg is within reach [5]
you can find my laser cannon design plan in the bin, in the intro tram
careless Dr Horn again [6]
imagine making a discovery so great and disturbing, it turns you mad
mad enough to think beyond perception
and you get it [7]
Private message sent by CPU to Stormseeker on 12/01/2019: "You have to feel sorry for Dr Horn. He discovered he was nothing more than a character in a video game"
Private message response by Stormseeker on 12/01/2019: "that is essentially it yes"
Dr Horn is insane because he came to realize he's nothing more than a character in a game:
something like that might splinter ones personality [8]
Dr Horn only seems insane because everyone else is insane, so sane looks insane to everyone else [9]
technically Dr Horn is part of a level, but also the person that created the level before he was in it
he created himself
some of the Black Mesa facility is based on real world places that I have gone, and by extension, Dr Horn has gone, technically meaning that cold war areas of the facility that were likely built before Dr Horn was alive, were actually referenced from earlier examples, constructed by him then visited by another him in another time reference and another dimension [10]
"this is the arg thread, alot of the games secrets are found in here except apparently where Dr Horn has gone"
"Dr Horn, who isn't missing persay he's whereever he wants to be at the moment"
"there might even be more of him elsewhere | not on xen" [223]
"2 horns, heh?" "but are they Dr Horn that is the question"
"the key thing to remember is that Dr Stone steals pizzas and Dr Horn is not mad"
"well the Myons live there, in fact its Christmas so they are all there but Dr Horn isnt there"
"ofc Dr Horn is alive in Xen who knows where he is now"
"hes certainly not where he intended to be even though perhaps he wouldnt know the difference"
"can one hold copyright to ones self and the other question would dr horn recognise copyright in his new state"
"oh Chris knows where Dr Horn is, and everything that happens for at least 200yrs into his future."
"Dr Horn was many things, some consider... un-natural"
"its not up to me to speculate on the insanity of dr horn"
"what even is a Dr Horn"
"Dr Horns labs are particle physics and biological stuffs"
"and yes, that is Dr Horns airfix model harrier he does alot of very meaningful work in the lab"
"yes i am Iro... Dr Horn"
"I can't even find myself in xen gone missing too"
"Schrödinger's canon actually dr horn can predict that now at least, one of him can its both possible and not all depends on your perspective"
"Dr Horn is not subject to issues of combine or humanities problems anymore, at least, not this or his old humanities.I suspect by the time Gordon takes part in the city 17 incident, Dr Horn would have been comfortably into his new set of research in the other location. It would be demyonstrably falst to suggest I hadn't considered the future."
"technically Dr Horn is part of a level, but also the person that created the level before he was in it he created himself"
"can one hold copyright to ones self and the other question would dr horn recognise copyright in his new state"
Speaking of the photo of Dr Horn in QE: "oh him, i rate him 5/7." Replying to a comment that says 'And he keeps on writing "The Pizza is a lie" around the facility from on a rail onwards', and 'I rate him 1/21': ":bloblhmmm: sounds highly suspicious"
"i think the cliffside apartment is less moist than my residence on Xen and both are less comfortable than my current residence"
Speaking of his Xen Lair "well its more of a cave but with good inter dimensional access if you can fix it"
Replying to 'did someone had to draw all of that [whiteboards]' "he did", "he was a poor fool with bad handwriting", "when he was done, we killed him and replaced with a clone"
clones are one thing
but when your myons are modelled after aspects of a shattered psyche
thats a totally different ball game [11]
"im sure it will become clear soon until then i shall be in the other place"
oh Dr Horn isnt bothered by petty things like aliens and military
he has his own far greater plans
but there is nothing worse
than Myons in your Pizzaria [12]
"soon you would have become mine and then its off to the lab for tests"
Referencing Xen, "he took a portal outta there but that broke"
"some of the Black Mesa facility is based on real world places that I have gone, and by extension, Dr Horn has gone, technically meaning that cold war areas of the facility that were likely built before Dr Horn was alive, were actually referenced from earlier examples, constructed by him then visited by another him in another time reference and another dimension"
"i am Dr Horn"
"you cant kill Dr Horn that easy not anymore"
"you dont need to go there for post mortem interval because Dr Horn is crossed out on the list, and replaced by another scientist"
"finding the dead team members of the research team in gonarchs lair... would require Dr Horn to be dead"
"he [Dr Nielsen] has a room in Site A1 alongside Dr Horn you can find Dr Nielsen in Gonarchs Lairdon't forget to press F to pay respects"
"my shack has portals Dr Horn has a way with em same with the cave"
"you can find this one, in the inbound tram"
Laser Cannon concept design.
"Dr Horn leaving his laser cannon plans in the bin"
"very few devs know the full story in fact only one knows the "whole" story well Dr Horn knows"
"i know where they all live [The Crowbar Collective]", "but thats part of my job", "Dr Horn must know where they all are easier to track pizza thieves that way"
"Dr Horn is unknown"
that guy invented a new type of portal, the TAU cannon, a hard light holographic system and a maniac AI that wants to dominate all life [13]
Dr Horn isnt dead
and he's in a faaaar better place
at least... one of him is
its all a matter of perspective [14]
all im saying is, Dr Horn is clearly not evil, everyone else has to be
it is the only logical solution [15]
Synthomite: 'I like to think Dr Horn is living in Xen, cooking headcrabs and in a committed and loving relationship with a Vortigaunt':
he was, but the rent was too high
so he took a portal outta there
but that broke [16]
'And left his HEV suit in his Xen office thing':
ITS A LAIR DAMMIT
I DIDNT GO TO EVIL UNIVERSITY FOR IT TO BE CALLED AN OFFICE [17]
whether Dr Horns portal is superior is irrelevant to the HL Lore
(but ofc it is, cos im not biased)
but that one
is definitely not local
or even inter/intra dimensional
which just gets confusing
could probably break someones mind even thinking about it
shatter it into pieces [18]
'I wonder if you can get to Dr. Horn's dimension via Xen? Or Hell?'
you can probably get to it from anywhere
if you can even classify it as a dimension [19]
fourth wall breaking is only available to the one character in the game that might even understand it
and he isnt even there anymore [20]
Dead HEV suit scientists[]
In response to: 'i wonder if there were hev suit scientists that actually got out alive of xen'
some made it out, in one small group
the QE team doesnt make it
Dr Horn is unknown [21]
'The QE team doesn't make it?'
thankfully not XD [22]
On the two HEV suits in Dr. Horn's secret lair:
surprised no one has looked deeper at the two suits
Dr Horn rarely leaves oversights
wherever he is [23]
In response to a screenshot of a HEV suit with Dr. Horn's nametag next to a The Pizza is a LIE! found in a vent in Unforeseen Consequences (bm_c1a1a):
oh look another one, those really do get around
handy things whilst they last
i wonder what they are doing [24]
Comments found in dead HEV scientist entities in the official mapsrc .vmf files:
| Name | Comment |
|---|---|
| JUNEK | all i've wanted out of life is a gruesome death and that is what he got - stabbed in the face by a giant testicle with legs. |
| YOUNG | crushed to death by a large column of basalt, very slowly, very painfully, very squashily. |
| HUBI | made friends with the wrong species - no touchy |
| STONE | died from poor spatial awareness of spiky things. |
| WELSH | died from headcrab infestation, and then exploding by careless players... |
| FOREMAN | Died from fumerol fumes, due to faulty respirator. |
| NIELSEN | Died from being crushed under rock fall, slowly... |
HALOS/Artificial Intelligence[]
HALOS is an AI but "it doesn't use a neural net to operate."
HALOS is more like GladOS
just less ... murdery [25]
'HALOS?':
a bit
little bit less murdery
less access to Neurotoxin
yeeess
HALOS [26]
HALOS was created to investigate exotic matter in Xen
HALOS has "grown beyond its design specifications"
"as for its [HALOS] original purpose it's probably related to the investigations into multiplexed exotic matter based systems detailed on the boards in Xen. As to why, that is far more integrated into the game, check for previous marketing media that might give hints"
"yes HALOS is an AI, but it doesn't use a neural net to operate. I'm not sure what it wants, but it's grown beyond its design specifications."
the A1 labs investigating the crystals for nano lenses for some AI driven holographic system or something>_> [27]
In response to 'I actually bought Niobium': "I saw that that's pretty cool you can now make some AI"
the MP mode you play was actually a constructed holographic environment to help train HECU and other military operators
run by a specific AI that would most likely be located in the old datacore facility
wherever that might be >_> [28]
In response to 'Well an AI that becomes self aware would be bad potentially. Especially if we think of the paper clip maximizing problem and such things':
especially an AI reaching for a way to understand its environment [29]
Holograms/Clones/Haptic Holography[]
(From 8/24/2019 PM)
The whiteboards show stuff about haptic holography and ai whatnots
probably a good area to look into
the A1 labs investigating the crystals for nano lenses for some AI driven holographic system or something>_> [30]
"and i decided to do particle synthesis and hard light holographics instead and stored the brush npc in a hidey hole in my labs"
Ely Myon dressed in a wooly jumper.
"gotta be careful with cloning dna, it tends to gain errors over time much better to have a larger pool and something more simplistic something that likes wooly jumpers"
In response to 'Something that can be easily manipulated?' "precisely ofc the problem is, when that something is unreachable due to reality but really, thats just a minor hurdle, if you can think outside of the box"
the MP mode you play was actually a constructed holographic environment to help train HECU and other military operators
run by a specific AI that would most likely be located in the old datacore facility
wherever that might be >_> [31]
Black Mesa Steam Launch Trailer
In response to funny picture: "feel kinda cute, might clone someone today, idk"
clones are one thing
but when your myons are modelled after aspects of a shattered psyche
thats a totally different ball game [32]
Xen[]
"remember Xen isnt a planet its a membrane of existence stretched between dimensions across an integral micro existence essentially 5th dimensional space the atmosphere just surrounds it"
"xen is a borderworld"
"Xen is a world between worlds anything could pop in there accidentally and alot of the inhabiting creatures, are from different areas and realms of existence the idea that vortigaunts only occupy one part of space or a single planet with their ability to teleport themselves via vortessence seems silly"
"Xen exists across dimensional planes in a calabi yau manifold style 6 dimensional space so all kinds of stuff we dont actually know beyond mathematical theory could happen there"
"in extra dimensional locations, materials may not act as they do in this one technically"
"there is definitely something flammable on Xen"
"gravity in Xen is not neccesarily what you think it is"
"Xen tower is dimensionally transcendental, what can I say nothing is as it seems in a dimension stretched thin between others"
"not all creatures in Xen are results from combine Xen is not exclusive to that and not all creatures are all of it is themed around terraforming and symbiosis none of Xens life is original to Xen it all comes from elsewhere"
Xen is a world between worlds
anything could pop in there accidentally
and alot of the inhabiting creatures, are from different areas and realms of existence [33]
Exotic Matter[]
"Xen crystals are Exotic matter gotta extract that somehow bombarding with photons seems to work"
"Xen crystals contain a high level of exotic matter"
Xen portals work on the same principle as lorentzian wormholes
you use exotic matter to seed the event horizon of one to stabilise it
and then you have a point to point [34]
"as for its [HALOS] original purpose it's probably related to the investigations into multiplexed exotic matter based systems detailed on the boards in Xen. As to why, that is far more integrated into the game, check for previous marketing media that might give hints"
"exotic matter is theoretically used in the seeding of lorentzian wormholes", "ie – portals"
"exotic matter based portalling is based on lorentzian wormhole theory", "you use exotic matter (xen crystals) to seed the event horizon of a wormhole to stabilise it"
"xen crystals contain a high level of exotic matter remember Combine use dark matter teleporters which are linear in basis"
its one of the newer ones
probably in the A1 labs in Xen
and its an electromagnetic wave polarization diagram
as part of an exotic matter nano lens design [35]
the A1 labs investigating the crystals for nano lenses for some AI driven holographic system or something>_> [36]
Xen labboard xena 01
niobium is fast when supercooled
but nothing beats bio neural at room temp
eventually however, that decays
so you need to find other methods
other... exotic materials with unusual properties
you might say, niobium is a starter material
beyond that, it gets more perception based [37]
Probably something to do with plasmonic nano optics created from exotic matter xenian crystals. Most likely along the lines of modulating light through nano slits in a metallic film, allowing for nm sized waveguides to allow for phase adjustments of subwavelength imaging. >_> [38]
Early Design Notes: Hidden crystals, to power and portal the player somewhere, were found in early drawings of Vortigaunt village:
"The centre of the village should be a non working teleporter (used to get workers direct into the factory), but unusable by the player. (this could also be used if we wanted to create a small easter egg or achievement by finding hidden crystals to power and portal the player somewhere)."
"i guess in my head, the tower is used as a giant psychic amplifier which allows him to open portals in another dimension stabilizing those with the exotic matter extracted from the crystals"
"the conveyors are literally the representation of intestine they move things along energy psychokinetic, exotic matter from Xen crystals"
as i replied to someone on twitter who spotted the whiteboards
Probably something to do with plasmonic nano optics created from exotic matter xenian crystals. Most likely along the lines of modulating light through nano slits in a metallic film, allowing for nm sized waveguides to allow for phase adjustments of subwavelength imaging. >_> [39]
no, the arg has nothing to do with molang XD
but that gate... something has changed, thats probably related
almost looks like its growing crystals [40]
GW2/Myons/Asura Gate[]
"its not based on stargate"
"you mean the gate in the secret lab? That is special and not part of the general half life lore"
"the portal plate is actually broken and covered in webbing ie you cant go to gonarch because the destination pad is broken same one as you arrive in xen on just broken"
"that particular gate is something specific to Dr Horn"
"the Myons tho, are part of the ARG"
A "very stable" Myon.
In response to 'But muons are also very unstable, the mean lifetime of a muon is about 2.197 µs': "i dont know what you mean", "Myons are very stable"
"i mean you can try to stabilize a bit with time dilation, but i find that cake or other food tends to grab their attention more."
"gw2 is incidental, as is bugs, stargates not reaaaally part of it"
The gate in Dr. Horn's Xen lair is "definitely a replica of an asura gate, not that specific one, but same thing."
"The gate is broken, rather than inactive, but it wasn't broken before, nor inactive."
"but Dr Horn isnt there"
"well the Myons live there, in fact its Christmas so they are all there but Dr Horn isnt there"
niobium is useful
some of them [MYONS] might want that
but you have to remember, its all just a game
might run better with niobium [41]
'So they could get around a large facility pretty easily':
especially if it had been designed to assist that kind of help [42]
'What kind of environment can they survive in? Similar to humans?':
in which form
😉 [43]
'Byte form', 'Or bit':
or even qubit [44]
how do you know, you're not made up of qubits
myons are just characters in a video game after all [45]
makes u think where they actually come from
based on perception
personalities etc
are they endemic to the game
or the mind that creates them
and is that mind creating them consciously
or subconsciously
and would that perhaps be a problem, should that mind be linked up to something ... that might facilitate it
and in realizing
fragment [46]
'Do you mean is the cat both dead and alive at the same time kind of thing?':
i mean when you work it out
that wont even matter
just don't go looking for map c2a4d
theres nothing to see [47]
'Well an AI that becomes self aware would be bad potentially. Especially if we think of the paper clip maximizing problem and such things':
especially an AI reaching for a way to understand its environment [48]
"Aira is an engineer holosmith"
"you assume myons are capable of reading/writing theres a reason they got banished for that lab mishap#"
"one day, im sure some people will visit where they went"
clones are one thing
but when your myons are modelled after aspects of a shattered psyche
thats a totally different ball game [49]
"myons would never kill not in their nature accidentally maim or disfigure perhaps but accidentally"
"what the myons are however is open to interpretation"
In response to 'is snack supply canister part of ARG?':
weirdly yes XD
but Obe added that one as his own part of it
we were talking one night
what would myons send gordon
i and tbh i just said "probably useless snacks, because to a myon, snacks are the most important thing"
and now theres a snax cannister
the one thing to know about highly trained myons
they might have been trained
but they are still inept [50]
just remember
Myons in gw2 are only incidental
yet key
but not really to do with gw2
despite being originated from there [51]
"they [MYONS] have SOME ethical cooking skills you know"
In response to 'What do Myons specialize in?': "what dont they", "sadly i cant tell you that, because there is not enough time"
"infinite things they dont specialise in despite being highly trained"
A gourmet Myon.
In response to: 'pizza oven, by the looks of it':
>_>
maybe
lots of myons too
meltin.jpg
floppsi.jpg
partypowppers.jpg
lots [52]
clones are one thing
but when your myons are modelled after aspects of a shattered psyche
thats a totally different ball game [53]
"myons really get everywhere"
"family is everything to myons they tend to organise into highly trained (dubious) teams"
"my head is full of highly trained myons all messing everything up"
"if a myon sends you something, its likely to be well intentioned, and completely useless"
"i wonder if people have found the Myons gift yet there's an achievement for finding it"
In response to 'what are myons': "more accurately - why are Myons"
"i already have a camera and watch myself but i also have drones and teams of highly trained myons to observe the others"
"Guild Wars is important, when u got 12 Myons to get fashionwars done for"
"myons need gold"
"cant leave the Myons without their daily 2 gold"
"oh Dr Horn isnt bothered by petty things like aliens and military he has his own far greater plans but there is nothing worse than Myons in your Pizzaria"
no, the arg has nothing to do with molang XD
but that gate... something has changed, thats probably related
almost looks like its growing crystals [54]
you got to stop thinking of time as linear
also myons were conceived in gw2, but not actually from it
those were from something else [55]
i really should look into creating biological versions of Myons sometime, probably without the ability to self replicate would be ideal [56]
'So what is a myon?'
that ofc is the question
which eventually im sure the arg will lead to
until then, we just don't fully know what they are [57]
'I noticed the stargate in the Gonarch's Lair secret cave.. and the fact that it's glowing colors...':
technically not a star gate
or an asura gate
the technology is a bit more complex
its a different portal technology from Xenian
or Human Calabi Yau
or Combine dark energy [58]
its worth remembering however my original statement - the arg isn't about gw2
but you can most likely find all kinds of clues relating to the myons by looking at their originators [59]
Prof. B[]
Why is Prof. B so smart?
well
some myons are bright
but those are adopted [60]
extremely academic yes
its how you can tell he was adopted
but that, is not technically the Myon you are looking for
thats just a character in a computer game, and those don't really exist
>_> [61]
i knew it was a mistake adding those ND genes to that batch, i totally forgot the microrna binds to them causing additional development, and all of a sudden you get a smart one
one little bind and boom, notch proteins going mad
and then
problems [62]
There was a miscalculation in his gene sequenc... wait why am I telling you this D:
the Mk3's should be an improvement [63]
On tracing Prof. B:
how should I know what year they are hiding in, ive not run a trace successfully yet [64]
well ofc that depends on if hes using signal bouncing
timing attacks are notoriously hard to do across spacetime
and only one set of data packets makes that almost impossible
need to await more communications
at least he has to send it in bit form and not qubits
or we would be lost
im sure his location would be of interest
i promise we wont deathstar him [65]
On the name "Bikket"
its pronounced "Bouquet" [66]
oh he was called that because when he was adopted, he was found in a basket with a packet of chocolate digestives, and his first words were "bikket?"
nothing special
but thats the originator Myon [67]
In response to 'The Wood exists outside of all worlds. It's a nexus or a hub from where you can access all the portals that go to the other worlds.':
are you sure of this?
scribbles notes furiously
finding that nexus would be the first step to tracking down that little interloper Prof B [68]
On locating Prof. B:
when you have the how and the why, you'll get the what and the when, the where relies more on the whatif [69]
Steals it. Eats it.[]
@[Audio] debeerguy007 is always stealing my pizzas, don't believe his lies
:ablobcatgrumpy: [70]
why would i blame Myons for stealing
they only borrow [71]
Dr Stone is well known as a pizza thief that taunts
2009-01-12_14-49-22.599.jpg
2009-01-26_14-44-05.320.jpg
constantly taunting with clearly stolen pizza
and worse
NEW YORK pizza
:[
@[LD] Anthony Stone EVIL
(cat-watching-you-gif) [72]
Portals/Gates[]
Xen portals work on the same principle as lorentzian wormholes
you use exotic matter to seed the event horizon of one to stabilise it
and then you have a point to point
but
unlike the combine dark energy teleport
you can focus the points to teleport to, on coordinates [73]
exotic matter based portalling is based on lorentzian wormhole theory
you use exotic matter (xen crystals) to seed the event horizon of a wormhole to stabilise it
"xen crystals contain a high level of exotic matter remember Combine use dark matter teleporters which are linear in basis"
Hidden crystals, to power and portal the player somewhere, were found in early drawings of Vortigaunt village:
"The centre of the village should be a non working teleporter (used to get workers direct into the factory), but unusable by the player. (this could also be used if we wanted to create a small easter egg or achievement by finding hidden crystals to power and portal the player somewhere)."
"is it a star gate who knows what it is" [Asura Gate]
"its not based on stargate" [Asura Gate]
"you mean the gate in the secret lab? That is special and not part of the general half life lore" [Asura Gate]
"that particular gate is something specific to Dr Horn" [Asura Gate]
"the portal plate is actually broken and covered in webbing ie you cant go to gonarch because the destination pad is broken same one as you arrive in xen on just broken"
"mebbe theres some thing in there in dr horns notes that will explain or on that radio who knows"
"the gate is the reason for his realization"
"1 teleporter multiple destinations"
"Xen crystals contain a high level of exotic matter remember Combine use dark matter teleporters which are linear in basis"
In response to this post:
'Found something while searching for secrets - In the conveyor+jump pad factory map there is a teleport filter for both the hidden hat and a pizza, so you must be able to bring a pizza there I would presume'
'The named object for the filter is "drhornspizza"'
"PANIC
mine"
"exotic matter based portalling is based on lorentzian wormhole theory", "you use exotic matter (xen crystals) to seed the event horizon of a wormhole to stabilise it", "humans found a way to target spots", "combine tech is very much more direct", "and requires the towers to focus a location"
In response to 'Did you not notice that the giant portal from Lambda Core uses a return pad that you get sent to' "just because you dont see it, doesnt mean it doesnt exist the teleporter in gonarchs lair is from a different portal hub in BM its also broken they dont all go from the main portal in LC"
"you never see it"
"i deliberately had in mind that there are multiple Xen sites you visit one of the teleport IN locations in Xen A you see another in Gonarch B however you dont see the multiple other locations including ones from the expansions, 1 teleporter multiple destinations, once they have travelled to the parts they need, either through random location or normal travel they setup the incoming pads which you find in Xen and Gonarch those are like homing beacons so they can now just teleport there reliably its like the idea of sending a transmission through a wormhole you can focus the points to teleport to, on coordinates"
"one of the portal pads has been setup specifically tuned to the Cyanogen"
"i guess in my head, the tower is used as a giant psychic amplifier which allows him to open portals in another dimension"
"the tower enhancing the Nihilanths abilities through it to form a mega portal and project his psychic abilities far beyond the abilities of the Combine"
"my shack has portals Dr Horn has a way with em same with the cave"
"yet the gate isnt a stargate just the thing on the whiteboard yeah they never discovered the ledge teleporter they had the ability to target roughly incursions with portals there are alot more sites we only did the two"
In response to 'Isn't there an Easter egg in surface tention that involves portals': "there is"
"exotic matter is theoretically used in the seeding of lorentzian wormholes", "ie – portals"
Posted 11/5/2019:
Other than subtleties, controller mechanics and implied symbiotic relationships between Nihilanth and the Tower, you won't get in your face tie ins to the Nihilanth, the chapter has been more focused on gameplay since its original planning. I can tell you that the portal you see from Xen A and the whole tower are very much linked with the Nihilanth, and you will see a direct link before the end. But that is all I'm gonna say right now. Don't expect custom dialogue or runes/text implicitly linking etc.
You'll see more links back to earth however in the next update. [74]
Tower teleporter beam in Gonarch's Lair.
the beams not on the player, the beam is at the conjunction of the 3 pylons, you would have gotten sucked through the portal and sent along that beam
but mr cuddlington was having none of it
some details need to be subtle 😛
my original plan for that teleporter was to allow the player to take a look around the arena, restock etc
whilst having a meaningful goal
so the beam is just there to reinforce that goal as to being the vorts method of getting to the tower
but it had been abandoned for a long time
probably not a great place to use, since it became Gonarchs larder [75]
ah well, the scientists had never been there
the route they always took was to the cave directly in the second map of gonarch
the Xen island teleporter they were still working towards when the accident hit
the gonarchs lair team, from the ABRF lucked upon that coordinate and setup a beacon
then teleported there with an exit platform and setup a base camp
hence the small camp you find
they'd been exploring for quite a while [76]
'I feel like one thing you guys missed an opportunity for in xen is having abandoned/wrecked probes/UAVS scattered about, particulalry seeing as how Black Mesa was already an industry leader in robotics':
there is one
but its an easter egg 😛 [77]
In response to: 'Why didn't they just teleport Gordon to gonarch?':
portal wasnt attuned at that point to those coordinates [78]
'I dont think they can controll where the portal leads'
they can
there are sites all over xen
including ones you dont see
if you notice in Gonarch
the portal plate
is actually broken
and covered in webbing
ie - you cant go to gonarch
because the destination pad is broken
same one as you arrive in Xen on
just broken
😛 [79]
Continued response to 'but why is it like that?':
ohhhh
you mean the gate?
in the secret lab
?
that
is special [80]
'Stargate':
kinda, but not a stargate
similar function
wrong series
😛 [81]
'It is a stargate':
its not based on stargate [82]
'what portal do you use to arrive in that place':
random chaotic one [83]
that particular gate is something specific to Dr Horn
and not part of the general half life lore [84]
whether Dr Horns portal is superior is irrelevant to the HL Lore
(but ofc it is, cos im not biased)
but that one
is definitely not local
or even inter/intra dimensional
which just gets confusing
could probably break someones mind even thinking about it
shatter it into pieces [85]
In response to 'I wonder if you can get to Dr. Horn's dimension via Xen? Or Hell?':
you can probably get to it from anywhere
if you can even classify it as a dimension [86]
Lorentzian Wormholes[]
Xen portals work on the same principle as lorentzian wormholes
you use exotic matter to seed the event horizon of one to stabilise it
and then you have a point to point
but
unlike the combine dark energy teleport
you can focus the points to teleport to, on coordinates [87]
exotic matter based portalling is based on lorentzian wormhole theory
you use exotic matter (xen crystals) to seed the event horizon of a wormhole to stabilise it
humans found a way to target spots
combine tech is very much more direct
and requires the towers to focus a location [88]
'What if our pizzas represent stars or other celestial bodies? Perhaps our mirror is a black hole/white hole/variant?':
well there's a black hole somewhere there, i'd be interested in its role interaction with phantom energy [89]
'the tower/nihilanth collapses into a black hole 👀':
well it implodes [90]
'So in your interpretation do Black Holes serve as a direct link to other dimensions (cutting through Xen)':
if you tried to travel through one
you would spaghettify
but they do serve as interesting gravity anomalies that might aid in ... something
combine use dark energy portals
phantom energy is a form of this
but the combine haven;t been encountered yet in our game
and human portals arent dark energy related
unless..
imagine if you will
a substance, like that in Dune, that allows you to fold space
and that substance was say, exotic matter
using it to stabilise the event horizon of a wormhole
how might the interaction of phantom energy
affect a negative mass wormhole
and how might a substance (lets call it Myonmite)
stabilise against this
remember a black/white hole wormhole wouldnt be suitable
they are extremely unstable, and fall apart soon after forming
ie - schwarzschild wormholes
as noted on the whiteboards, we are dealing with basic Lorentzian ones
which as described, require a stabilising element
clearly the experimental portal you find, isnt a normal one
i would suggest looking into Intra universal portals [91]
'The stabilizing element that's needed for the portal is the exotic matter (crystals) that are growing on the gate now. The question is how are they growing? Who or what is responsible for them doing so?':
delicious on toast
fixes things
\o/ [92]
'So you rub Myonmite on a wormhole and it therefore stabilizes it?':
Duct tape to stop p.. things from moving that you don't want to move.
Myonmite to start things that are stuck
easy innit [93]
Quantum Mechanics/Quantum Computing/Reality[]
In response to 'The two suits, one is lying face down, the other one is lying face up. Maybe they represent the binary states 0 and 1. Or, maybe they represent a quantum state where they are both 0 and 1 at the same time.':
question is, if you cease looking at the moon, does the moon cease to exist
the disturbing answer
is yes, it ceases to exist [94]
as for computer types
i actually posted a picture of a logic chip that is relevant
but most people focused on the plan map of the QE labs 😛 [95]
well admittedly a reciprocal quantum logic chip using josephson junctions [96]
Entangled music
ironically that kind of music is similar to the type of pizza for today
SPDC tunes
in this case its a spontaneous parametric down conversion of a pizza with pineapple [97]
how do you know, you're not made up of qubits
myons are just characters in a video game
after all [98]
makes u think where they [MYONS] actually come from
based on perception
personalities etc
are they endemic to the game
or the mind that creates them
and is that mind creating them conciously
or subconciously
and would that perhaps be a problem, should that mind be linked up to something ... that might facilitate it
and in realising
fragment [99]
depends if reality is objectively created by our own individual experiences, or a cumulative collection of multiple peoples
discovering something like that might shatter ones psyche [100]
sometimes we create things and wonder - will it end, should it end
art is never finished
only abandoned [101]
why is time so linear to so many people, time isnt linear is more like a wibbly wobbly thing
well i guess in some perceptions it is
others looking in from alt dimensions would see it linearly
unless they could percieve multiple lines intersecting dynamically [102]
On the Theory of Everything (ToE):
ah
the key to that, is that Einstein was wrong about absolutely everythhing
well at least in some dimensions
the other thing to remember was that he strongly disliked quantum mechanics, because it was incomplete
as for the theory of everything, whether that is the eternal alchemy or our own physics
i suspect there is still work to be done
i doubt dr horn unified them tho [103]
sometimes you have to wonder if the cat is
or isnt
the second you look though, one of them vanishes
and its not always the one you want
[104]
Hell[]
In response to a discussion about the City of Dis:
new hellscape
who dis [105]
i have an eternity to know your suffering
:vorpaleyesofchaos: [106]
well i mean
its like they say
21 is this a big number
of people experimented on
no
of cities
yes [107]
In response to '21 cities in hell?':
iirc there is just one
beyond the stix [108]
interesting thing about hell
it tends to be a mirror [109]
X01/X02, Data Core, c2a4d[]
c2a4d is the map currently that doesn't exist that once may have existed and might have existed and probably could exist that existed or didnt exist or could have existed betwen c and e. [110]
'oh I think it's the cut mine map':
:confusedcat:
its not a mine
but we do not talk of it
so now, i shall diminish and go into the west
and get some sleep [111]
you need to think outside of the playable areas
you think the ABRF [Advanced Biological Research Facility] is just the floors you see
or the map
there is a vast complex of labs and biodomes beneath the QE labs
you never see it
just because you dont see it, doesnt mean it doesnt exist [112]
'I wonder if shepered accidentally walked into x01 and x02':
no
x01 and x02 are way beyond the security levels of the Biodome we do not talk of them [113]
and NO map d
no
NO
:swfjediglare:
the secret of map D will always remain there
even Chon knows not of it
it was before his time
it was before time [114]
takes me back to the reason there is no c2a4d
but
we dont talk about that map
:spooks: [115]
X01 and X02 should never be opened
they lead down [116]
:evilcat:
x01 and x02 may even be part related to
the map that shall not be named
the map that shall not be named
the map that shall not be named [117]
'Post ARG I kinda actually want you to map X01 and X02.'
no small task
perhaps one day i shall reveal the layout
but until then
it remains
unspeakable [118]
below lies c2a4d
we do not speak of it [119]
c2a4d wasnt rp
it was QE
but
we dont talk about it
:ameowglare:
think of it like floor 13
nope [120]
just don't go looking for map c2a4d
theres nothing to see [121]
In response to 'Isn't the Datacore map the really blue lookin' place? from hl1':
yup
technically part of the Questionable Ethics data array centre located.... Somewhere
Data CORE is actually below X01 and X02
in a map we do not talk about
the MP mode you play was actually a constructed holographic environment to help train HECU and other military operators
run by a specific AI that would most likely be located in the old datacore facility
wherever that might be >_> [122]
as for X01 and X02
who knows, but its probably important [123]
some powerful energy production down there i suspect [124]
there are many interesting uses for macroscopic quantum systems
from superconductivity and superfluidity you can get some interesting and powerful things
... some might consider - un natural
:swfsithevil: [125]
maybe in the future, you'll get to see whats in X01/X02
who knows
:3 [126]
i mean the rooms themselves are interesting, and probably have something to do with Quantum Flux Focusers
as for the real meat of them
that would be secret, and down the elevators [127]
ofc i cant discuss that
because that would refer to a map of which we do not speak
ever
:PigletBlobGlare:
and gotta leave some mysteries
😉 [128]
"below lies c2a4d we do not speak of it never go to map c2a4d"
"there is a vast complex of labs and biodomes beneath the QE labs"
"its probably all revealed in c2a4d but we dont talk about that place"
"there is only one person on earth who knows what that level looks like and he does not talk about it"
The bubble tube lab.
fish tank lab became the bubble tube lab
was my promo image i made for it back in 2012
yeah i would have moved the ichthy lower down into a lower map probably called c2a4d
i know the name of c2a4d
BUT
we do not speak of it
:blobcloseglare: [129]
there is only one map that few know
and we do not speak of it
<>-<>
c2a4d will forever be a mystery [130]
so the 1.3 plans onwards only showed the ABRF portion of the Biodome complex, the name was carried across as c2a4d, what it doesn't show is the part "we do not speak of" in even earlier plans.
what you see above are labs A - D of the ABRF
the area you don't see, and we don't talk of
isn't there
if you read some whiteboards you'll find notice of funding for a construction site building the Biodome facility (as per the OP4 expansion)
its not that either
rather something in between the CES chamber that Dr Nielsen runs and the much larger more expanded version underconstruction
last time I checked my records, c2a4d was being repurposed for simulation research and observation
its also not the X labs
i believe we started to refer to them as Sectors 1-6
within the facility
but we do not speak of it
its been a while
i do remember that S1-3 were generic, S3-5 were specific and S6 was on standby, and I do know that Dr Horn had S4 under some highly unusual research
the Aquatics labs were originally in the generic sectors
then moved in v1.4
and removed post 1.5 due to layout issues
its only later based on probe information that the specific sectors could be initialised properly and S4 used for the very specific benefits its simulation could bring to Dr Horns very specific research
whatever that is
/was
in short - QE is far larger than seen in game
with quite a few areas that are inaccessible
as for whats in c2a4d now
well i could tell you, but that depends on who i am today [131]
Niobium[]
"super cooled niobium is fast but nothing beats bio neural at room temp"
"niobium is fast when supercooled but nothing beats bio neural at room temp eventually however, that decays so you need to find other methods other... exotic materials with unusual properties you might say, niobium is a starter material beyond that, it gets more perception based"
"niobium is useful", "some of them [MYONS] might want that", "but you have to remember, its all just a game", "might run better with niobium"
"niobium is very handy for superconductors"
In response to 'I actually bought Niobium': "I saw that that's pretty cool you can now make some AI"
Nano Lens/Nano Optics[]
Probably something to do with plasmonic nano optics created from exotic matter xenian crystals. Most likely along the lines of modulating light through nano slits in a metallic film, allowing for nm sized waveguides to allow for phase adjustments of subwavelength imaging. >_> [132]
If you combine with the other boards, its a psuedo design for a hard light holographic system. :3 pic.twitter.com/gAR7YXaYdy [133]
Xen labboard xena 01
its one of the newer ones
probably in the A1 labs in Xen
and its an electromagnetic wave polarization diagram
as part of an exotic matter nano lens design [134]
the A1 labs investigating the crystals for nano lenses for some AI driven holographic system or something>_> [135]
i mean the rooms themselves [X01, X02] are interesting, and probably have something to do with Quantum Flux Focusers
as for the real meat of them
that would be secret, and down the elevators [136]
ARG Players[]
"The tests may or may not involve arg players, only Dr Horn who originally designed HALOS would know.
"i mean i could just be including you all in a downwards spiral of insanity that makes shutter island look like a disney film | but you all seem to have excellent coping mechanisms"
G-Man[]
In response to: if you shoot the gman he has blood and bullet holes? "you think he bleeds or its a projection of what he wants you to see"
"you dont see gman in xen because gman is not in Xen he wasnt in Xen in hl1 either however, when you kill Nihilanth that barrier is removed and you now see him projecting"
"endgame shows you a few interesting things about what gman wants you to see the scene where the black hole is in the background to the tram hes not actually in either location hes in a box"
"what you see is a projection of him over a camera as both are projections he can be physical or notsometimes hes standing there other times... well i really can't say needless to say, Dr Horn doesn't have any further dealings with him"
Sphere of Chon[]
"I am uncomfortable with this.... new religion." [224]
"Dr Horn will put a stop to the sphere for good one day"
"the sphere of chon is heresy im definitely breaking chon when i can i stole his driveway once cos cheap parking"
"the Pizza Cult will conquer them all sphere of chon is a false god"
"chon would probably have been a scientist in QE"
"im not even sure which department from teh ABRF he was from i know i put a Chon in Xen somewhere"
"sphere of chon is a lie"
"@[LD] DIGITAL SPORTS your cult days are numbered"
"i think Adam just enabled whatever default list the bot has i dont think hes customised that specifically if he did, we'd definitely have to add Chon to it, to stop the Heresy known as Sphere"
The Sphere of Chon.
[Art]wallworm: "Unfortunately, I don't have compiled level, but here is the screenshot of the actual Sphere of Chon, floating demonically in Max: It was actually just to test a shader parameter we added ($moss) that will blend on displacements and props... I couldn't just have a simple bland scene so I needed to add something epic, something that would last the ages... the one and only, the great Sphere of Chon!"
<Sterling> 'I just love how a small dev joke like Sphere of Chon made it into the arg'
XD
i couldnt resist
these cults need stoppin [137]
Where to Look/Clues/Questions[]
In response to 'Will 1.0 add any more clues?'
it already did [138]
go play questionable ethics, read every whiteboard, see every locker and desk, read every computer monitor, look at all the placed details in offices in the questionable ethics labs
look for clues and hints from there
then in Xen A1
read all the whiteboards in there and other clues
and some in xen b
and then finish up in gonarch and find the scientists
that will tell you the whole story of the biolab team from QE
and for dr horn, look around in the first gonarch map
you might find some clues that leads you to his part
or just follow the #pizza-delivery-arg thread
and it will unfold there i suspect
but remember its just a side detail and not the main plot
😛 [139]
the ARG actually follows an enviromental storyline written into the levels
that early xen biome room, is tied specifically into Gonarchs lair
the cannister
the scientists
the teams on the boards [140]
the questionable ethics chapter story extends right to the end of Gonarchs Lair
just gotta look for it and tie the details together
:3 [141]
check the whiteboards, check the desk and locker names, check HEV suits in Xen, look at everything and tie it together
and read the arg thread, as thats related too [142]
"As to why, that is far more integrated into the game, check for previous marketing media that might give hints, X01 and X02 represent a core of data that don't yet exist in the public space, but if it did..."
surprised no one has looked deeper at the two suits
Dr Horn rarely leaves oversights
wherever he is [143]
Responding to 'why is the pizza a lie if theres pizza everywhere'?
well that would be the mystery
theres a bunch of easter eggs in questionable ethics
including a newer one
[...]
comparatively
[...]
float around c2a4g a bit [144]
only one member of the ABRF team survived, and one you never find
and you never really find the survivor
hes... somewhere else [145]
its like they say
21 is this a big number
of people experimented on
no
of cities
yes [146]
In response to:
'Found something while searching for secrets - In the conveyor+jump pad factory map there is a teleport filter for both the hidden hat and a pizza, so you must be able to bring a pizza there I would presume. The named object for the filter is "drhornspizza"'
PANIC
mine
There miiiight be some interesting things in that Biolab at Site 4, the handwriting looks familiar
the trailer we did with MP
is actually closer to the arg than you might think [147]
i wonder if people have found the Myons gift [the snack canister] yet
there's an achievement for finding it [148]
the one board i leave a message to wipe wasn't
Xen labboard gonb 01
the handwriting is suspiciously the same on everything [149]
In regards to the two HEV bodies in the Xen lair.
but are they Dr Horn
that is the question [150]
"its full of stars" "props if you get that reference" (A "2001: A Space Odyssey" reference from the novel, Dave Bowman's famous last words as his pod flies over the monolith, it turns into a tunnel/wormhole/stargate, and he flies into it: "The thing's hollow—it goes on forever—and—oh my God!—it's full of stars!")
the arg breaks alot of walls
5th walls included
4th wall is where someone references that they are in a performance - ie, Deadpool
5th is where they reference previous works or lives outside of performance
i mean if you gonna go arg, you gotta go complex [151]
there are arg clues further up the chat too [152]
I don't think i've given them any further clues for quite a while, not since that birthday gift disguised as something else.
...
but then again, that might not have been me [153]
On steganography:
if i hide something, it will be very hidden
like, stegged
but not in this
perhaps in something else
pokes flavrans who is lurking [154]
well more of a modification of the least significant bit of a pixel via quantized discrete cosine transformation
as it were
its why it works for JPEG
cos they use DCT too
otherwise would need bitmaps
chonky
as long as ive not given out any jpegs recently
you should be fine >_> [155]
got to remember which jpeg it was too
cos it may not be the one you're thinking of [156]
tbf, ive even done codes hidden in knots
[ProfB] [157]
In-game Secrets/Easter Eggs[]
'To the best of my knowledge all hidden spots have been found'
are you sure all hidden spots are found
im not sure all hidden spots are found [158]
'Storm, is there any major easter eggs noone has discovered yet?'
major ones no
small ones yes [159]
On the initials "CM" found in Office Complex:
that was Carlos's attempt at brushwork
and stands for Carlos Montero
[...]
its just Carlos's initials in a box
its not a cut area
like i said
[...]
Carlos placed his initials in that room just after we'd set this area up [160]
there are lots of other small spots like this added
you might be interested in finding them
:3
lots of them are ARG related
:3 [161]
The Key to Everything[]
protozoans are the key to everything [162]
i would like to say my shack is the key to everything
but that would just distract the arg people
and we cant have them being distracted [163]
Storyline/ARG lore[]
Sisk was assigned to keep an eye on him [Dr Horn]
but got left behind
you meet him still alive [164]
Site 8 is the QE teams [165]
'So, the guys who work on ABRF are different than the ones in Site 8?'
no... the ones in site 8 ARE the abrf team
Site 8 is the Gonarchs Lair
some history on the names in BM
originally AM was built first map wise, I was designing QE at the time
this is back in 05
so those lockers got some dev names on them to start with
i reserved mine for QE
later - the remaining names were placed in QE
you will find those names on nameplates and lockers in QE
the names on the Xen whiteboard
OTHER than site 8
are all newer team members
people who joined after the mod was already out [166]
The administrator of the ABRF is P Bottomley
who isnt a developer - but a university friend of mine
we go way back [167]
[...] good idea look into each character
yup,
some will be PhD
others programmers, business types
depends
you can listen out to the AM announcements for more info
as some are mentioned in those
which are facility wide
not just AM wide
its a bit more complex than just on a whiteboard
they all have a place and a purpose [168]
technically Dr Horn is the sole Research Director
of that specific facility
he shares an office with Dr Foreman
the 4 with offices are the quantum optronics team
but there will be other associates that work up there [169]
there are 4 founders of the ABRF noted on the plaque in the lobby
security clearance would be more important than title
and i deliberately didnt add any of those in
for example
you wont find C Kemp's desk/locker
because Chon joined the team way after all of them were placed
so, because of this, I asked Nate to add in HEV suits with the new dev names on
and then tied them into the enviromental story via the polytunnel labs site report board
using that, it would be logical to assume that C Kemp works in the Anomalous Materials laboratory
due to him being in a Geosurvey team
[...]
hes currently assigned to the Biolab staff from AM [170]
Biolab 1A is the polytunnel
named after the fact that its map c4a1a1
Site 1A [171]
'So the guys in Xen are from AnoMat and ABRF'?
and Lambda
and probably half a dozen other labs
some you wont get to see [172]
Site 8 refers to Gonarch
Site 3c refers to the later areas of Xen [173]
the biodomes are beneath the ABRF
and are underconstruction at the time of the accident
larger more advanced versions of the CES chamber you find in c2a4f
which just got an art overhaul [174]
use the wall maps in QE for departments
check the nameplates
etc
they should all tie together
for example
you will find that Dr Nielsen
who runs the CES lab
in c2a4f
which is an investigation into types of poison to use against headcrab variations
can be found in the later area of Gonarchs Lair
crushed under rocks
on his way with the first forward observation team to place the Cyanogen Chloride they tested in the CES lab
Dr Stone lost the cyanogen, and tried to escape using the longjump
only to impale himself on a thorn tendril
can be found on the exit from the cyanogen plinth
etc [175]
theres a full story in there
all ties together
interestingly
Stone isnt assigned to the ABRF
but was seconded to the biolabs for this mission
which is the source of why Dr Horns old rivalry with him starts
because its suspicious that a member of the Anomalous Materials laboratory
should have temporarily joined the ABRF teams
just as the pizzas started to go missing
you'll find Dr Stones locker in AM [176]
this easter egg is part of the ARG
so its game wide
and probably one of the largest easter eggs in a computer game
everything does tie together
you got to get all of their stories linked together
and then you might work out where Dr Horn went
i admit, its properly complex
but only because i'd been tying these enviromental stories into the game for the past 15yrs
XD
most of the devs named aren't even aware they have a story
its just in there
could be minor
could be big
got to dig more to find out
the lost team in Gonarchs Lair is important [177]
well as far as this particular side story goes, i kept it pretty much to just me writing it
so it didnt get lost
for the most part, Mark Foreman, John Welsh and Anthony Stone were the developers directly involved, with Kevin Sisk joining in later for some sound work as he handled choreo
which is why they are major roles
i kind of wrote stuff around that
but the key to this, was to make it part of the enviroment and really hidden
so it didnt interfere with the main storyline or game
so most people will miss the entire thing and never know its part of it
might think the whiteboards are cool
or wonder what "this pizza thing is [178]
but theres a game wide story tied into it
hidden into the levels
benefits of having worked on every single level in the game innit
well bar one or two interloper maps
but by interloper, the story is pretty much done
nihilanth has some stuff
interloper D and A has some
endgame just has a minor reference
all stuff I worked on
lotta easter eggs and hidden things in BM
not all of them have been found yet
15yrs is a long time to hide things
😉 [179]
'Did the Gonarch capture operation happen days before the Resonance Cascade? Or, during the day of the cascade, assuming time works differently in the Borderworld?'
days before
a rescue operation was in process
says on the board 😛
Site 8 Recovery
Dr Horn was supposed to lead the forward team, but went missing before the operation started
so was replaced with a newer team member Dr Young
who is a newer dev on the team called @[Art] Matt Young
and you can find Dr Young, in the crystal grotto
tragically crushed by falling basalt
it's important to remember that the Biodomes were being constructed in order to handle larger specimens like Gonarch
the CES lab was successful as a test, but not suitable for larger things
the Cyanogen was a fallback plan based on tests on headcrabs
due to the aggressive and potentially untenable situation with Gonarch who had already caused issues with surveys
in the end, it presented a situation that required removing the obstacle to accessing the tower
one the first team failed, and the second team, sent in to recover the first team, also failed [180]
Dr Nielsen is in Gonarch too
he was the scientist that developed the cyanogen
his nameplate is in that lab
you can find him in Gon C
along with all the other members of the QE team
Dr Horn is ... elsewhere [181]
you will probably find all that info out in the ARG thread #pizza-delivery-arg
i worked an arg into the game that covers from Questionable Ethics to the end of Gonarchs Lair
lots of sub story hidden away in the enviroment
:3
you can find their desks and nameplates and lockers in that chapter
and corpses in Gonarch [182]
yeah those guys on the board in A1 were the QE team from the biolabs back in Questionable Ethics
you can find all of their lockers/desks [183]
'well about those supply crates that spawn in. Are they teleported in by BM scientists to assist gordon or somthing?'
yeah
from lambda labs
they send you supply pods
some were sent for the ahead teams
those are the open ones
the ones that spawn, are the guys you left in that last lab in lambda core
sending you gear [184]
theres some stuff on boards in QE detailing samples being transported from Sector E along the rail line to the the biolabs
which are many levels deeper than what you see in BM
you can see the station for the non materials stuff just after the carpark at end of Questionable Ethics
the whole thing should tie together nicely now [185]
Dr Nielsen was the scientist in charge of the CES chamber tests for headcrabs
contained enviroment simulator
but he was under orders from Dr Horn
who has ulterior motives for the gonarchs lair
as there is hidden technology in that area
that is not combine or xenian
that he is very interested in securing [186]
In reference to the 1001085139140914.html message:
Ah yes, Dr Welsh, I remember him...
shared an office with Dr Junek
they got too close of course
but i found a solution to that particular quandary, all in the name of science of course
some aspects of me can be quite resourceful when pressed
The secure site unfortunately became compromised after the initial stages were complete, I never had time to retrieve the lies
or in fact, Dr Welsh [187]
the trailer we did with MP
is actually closer to the arg than you might think
and part of a cancelled thing we were going to do
and actually, tied in with the whole pizza thing [188]
Black Mesa Steam Launch Trailer
the MP mode you play was actually a constructed holographic environment to help train HECU and other military operators
run by a specific AI that would most likely be located in the old datacore facility
wherever that might be >_> [189]
Crossfire was (in ARG lore) part of the facilities abandoned training sites
one of the old cold war ammunition depots and control centres
that was repurposed to provide military training
via ... well the arg explains some of that
as featured in the multiplayer trailer
and origin of
:thanks: ["Thanks a lot Black Mesa"] [190]
that trailer, the MP one
is actually tied into the ARG
😛
we just never really got beyond that
but yeah, military contracts are always a good source of funding [191]
In response to: 'in the remake everything has a logical explanation, in the original it was just a set of maps':
that was the goal yar
to build story into the enviroment [192]
QE probably has the most complex enviromental story
as it spreads out as far as the end of the Gonarch chapter and has an entire arg built into it 😛
possibly one of the largest easter eggs in gaming
you can follow storylines for characters from the chapter and find them in Xen [193]
'What do you think bio-dome from Opposing Force and QE labs this is one complex?'
its not
QE is in the Advanced Biological Research Facility and the Biodomes are below in a separate section
but they are technically the same sector
i always just referred to them as the ABRF and the Biodome Facility
biodomes were newer and based off the smaller labs in the ABRF
which you can see in QE
and read about on the whiteboards
as i made that connection quite deliberately in the office area of Questionable Ethics
you can see it on a whiteboard
😛
little easter egg to the expansion as its under construction in that [194]
'but an idea of how the ichthyosaurus got into the dam reservoir would be very good.'
well like i say, i had that planned
but we cut the old aquatics lab [195]
the arg is actually partially related to the biodome complex too
but they've not yet made that connection
:meowspy:
^ whiteboard above references this btw
as it was under construction [196]
In response to: 'i wonder if there were hev suit scientists that actually got out alive of xen':
some made it out, in one small group
the QE team doesnt make it
Dr Horn is unknown [197]
'The QE team doesn't make it?'
thankfully not XD [198]
so, the teams sent to gonarchs lair
are actually sent via the lambda site portal
in lambda core
its another satellite site to the one you are portalled to
hence why the cave site is less developed than the Xen A1 site
as its newer
mantas surround the tower, because like moths, they are drawn to the portal energy
the HEV bodies are actually all newer team members
bar the Questionable Ethics ones
aaages ago, right at the start of the mod
the AM locker room had peoples first choices for dev names
however as I was developing the whole Questionable Ethics chapter
i wanted to have my name in that chapter
so i added a locker room and nameplates for it
and devs that joined a bit later, got plates and lockers in there
then i realised a few years into Xen
we had a bunch of new people again
and no where to put em
so HEV nameplates
which also gave me the chance to expand on the Questionable Ethics storyline
by adding the same scientists you see nameplates for in Questionable Ethics
into the cave systems of gonarch
the missing teams
etc
you will find the team names on the whiteboard in Xen A1
correspond to the rough locations in game [199]
'Wauw, I havn't thought about the connection between Questionable Ethics and the colony in Xen ._.'
yeah i tried to add a bunch of backstory to Questionable Ethics and tie it into Gonarch
along with always wanting to do a canyon map
so it made sense way back to do a headcrab lab, where they were testing methods of killing gonarch
who in our version, is super hard to kill [200]
'but how do the qe ppl get to xen'
Lamdba Core teleporter attuned to that coordinate location
LC labs aren't limited to just those people
its a general site
portal wasnt attuned at that point to those coordinates [201]
'I dont think they can controll where the portal leads'
they can
there are sites all over xen
including ones you dont see
if you notice in Gonarch
the portal plate
is actually broken
and covered in webbing
ie - you cant go to gonarch
because the destination pad is broken
same one as you arrive in Xen on
just broken
😛 [202]
The Island/Prison[]
thats a lovely view of Keswick
looks familiar [203]
we're all prisoners on this island
who is Chris Horn
:Confused: [204]
thats the thing about that island, many prisons exist upon it.
you'd be surprised where
and Keswick is very pretty, at least in this iteration [205]
I'm sure there's something else there, a bit more esoteric as to the location. Everyone has their own prison, specially created by themselves afterall.
after all
when you build a cage for Satan, you don't ask him to wait around while you put the doors on [206]
technically, but also not (at least not when James visits it) perhaps less important as the where, is the why or when, and definitely the who, the church itself is both related to why and who, but unrelated to when, the first prison may not be the important one and arguably the church may be the where, although there are more prisons than just the one there, but none would be related to who or why in that case, but more relevant to when in others. It could be argued that all are where, why and when specific to who, including all of you in this. I'll stop there, before this gets confusing. [207]
About the ARG[]
'So, what's the point of the pizza delivery arg?!?'
same point as any game - the journey
what it leads to, is a mystery [208]
'I mean, I know it's about finding hidden codes, and translating them..... but has anyone in the world finished it, yet?'
ah well
if it was just codes and translating, it would be a puzzlequest
its an alternate reality game
so its a bit more than just those
they serve a purpose, but there are other themes, stories and mysteries to solve
as well as hidden characters
both in game and IRL to interact with
at the moment the subjects involved appear to be engaging with a fascinating thought experiment on existentialism and grand unification theory
others are trying to solve what the gate is, where it leads
others the puzzles/ciphers
others the character arcs [209]
<Nonimportantuser> 'Now Chris, i have seen you reference pizza well before, like years, before the mod was released. On the forums.'
yeees pizza
oh i started writing the arg way before
the idea was there in 2004
but its bigger than whats here at the moment
cant say more at mo, cos its still not fully solved
needless to say, there is a book filled with notes [210]
<Sterling> 'Like im sure the wait between launch and the xen maps with the easter eggs to complete the arg must have been difficult'
nope
never get annoyed with players
never force anyone to be active on an arg either
they are slow dynamic things
i took part in some large args and other puzzle things at university too
Torment even had a go at cryptos once [211]
args are rarely linear
😛
if they are, they are more like puzzlequests
whereby you complete a puzzle to reach the next [212]
at the time i was into doing some of the harder ARGs
and a friend and I were working through the latest on an arg called Torment
we reached the blocks puzzle first
which afaik never got solved, because the writer took things offline due to being hacked [213]
'How long do you reckon it will be until it's solved?'
the pizza arg?
it may never be fully solved
thats the fun with them
always a mystery
in a way i hope there is always some mystery [214]
benefits to having worked on every map in the game
there could be something hidden anywhere
😛 [215]
needless to say, I am working on a conclusion storyline for it
but that may not reach completion
depends on how things go
i cannot really say more [216]
Websites (bmrf.us/thestormseeker.com)[]
'Part of me wants to keep the online parts of the ARG preserved and in a working state, such as the secret part of the thing.'
but i think they mean the arg bit of it
which was bmrf [217]
'You did have a hidden area that required a username/password....'
yeah that was on a different server, that was lost
bmrf was specific to josh
my old site was hosted on a co owned server with anthony stone
but they lost everything and he never continued
i've not had the time or energy to set another one up since
i added a password protected bit for ftp sharing due to filesize limits in skype etc [218]
'We tried accessing that at one point....'
yeeess, josh added bmrf to take interest away
😛
which then became part of our tiny marketing effort [219]
'Who was behind that planning wise?'
the bmrf site?
was me
josh maintained it
kevin did some epic stuff to it
the emergency broadcast
etc
which he put into OC [220]
Leaked notebook photos[]
DSC_0873.JPG
thats my rewritten arg note book
the other one is falling apart [221]
found the article on the logistic map scrambling of a hill cipher interesting, as i've done a hill cipher in the past for another project
20200904_194753.JPG
but that was years and years ago
but i wouldnt use this for the cipher, as its too linear and easy to crack [222]
Emoji[]
Stormseeker frequently uses emoji to communicate with ARG players. These are predominantly catblobs. A few emoji, however, are directly related to Myons. The "Myon" emoji is frequently used as a reaction emoji or in the chat to indicate that a theory or an idea posted by an ARG participant is correct, or close to the answer. "Myonmite" is the Myon equivalent of Marmite (a food spread made from yeast extract).
The "emoji story"[]
On December 18, 2020, when asked the question "The pizzas Chris, what do they mean?", Stormseeker answered the question by reacting to the message with a long string of emojis [225].
The names of the emojis used are as follows:
blobcatnompizza → blackhole → gemini (twins) → blobcatgooglyjail → ASevil → meowbox → meowthinkingportal → Think → blobcatscience → A (red) → A (blue) → panic → Myon → myonmite → blobcatburglar → blobgalaxynomplanet → mesa → blobcsignbai
Prof. B (a mysterious Myon who has been leaking information to ARG players) duplicated the reactions by clicking on each and everyone of the emojis. In addition to this, he added the "rutta" purple hat emoji at the end.
Status messages[]
Another means of communicating with ARG players is through status messages.
- Main article: Status messages