The Combine's Brutal Police Force | The Civil Protection | FULL Half-Life Lore

The Civil Protection are the human force of The Combine Empire. After The Seven Hour War, humanity struggled to survive in a bleak world, and as such, were forced to turn against their own species to make their lives easier.
Who were these people before they joined? What exactly led them to betray their species, and were all of these bad cops, or just desperate refugees that had had to make a tough decision? In this video, I explore the lore and story behind The Civil Protection in Half-Life.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:50 The Seven Hour War & Foundation of The Civil Protection (Before HL2)
02:11 The Formation of The Civil Protection (Before HL2)
07:01 The Rise of The Civil Protection (Before HL2)
13:35 The Fall of City 17 (HL2)
18:13 Legacy
19:31 Development & Behind The Scenes
21:11 Closing Thoughts & Ending
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AUDIO USED
Half-Life 2 OST: Lab Practicum
Half-Life 2 OST: Triage at Dawn
#CivilProtection #Lore #HalfLife

[@Skyrionn]

Would you join The Civil Protection or The Resistance?

[@StainlessSteel45]

Civil protection, you're not going to win against an ever-expanding universal empire.

[@mtfe-1144]

One may lead to specie extinction, the other to the suppression, torment and enslavement of humanity. Hard choice.

[@taxibaanyoutube9156]

We shall fight to the end. We shall fight in the streets. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight in the fields. WE SHALL NEVER SURENDER

[@trabant3060]

I wand to be mommy dommed by Overwatch sempai.

[@mr.chairman804]

combine

[@Walternity]

11:37 The "Pick up that can" cop actually says "Reporting citizen summoned to voluntary conscription for General Public Service Detail T94-322" once you put it in the trash can, meaning it's possible he actually helped raise your reputation/score as a citizen afterward and it wasn't all for nothing.

[@ihatenerds4689]

he's a good guy

[@caesarsalad1336]

Maybe he wasn't the bad guy after all...

[@xeroxemnas2475]

your social credit score has increased.

[@Freemelon07]

"Voluntary constipation" is what I initially saw...

[@walkingsleeper9713]

More like he makes you into a city cleaner.

[@iceheart1289]

Idk those 2 local civil protection officers on my block are pretty chill, think their names are Mike and Dave

[@Skyrionn]

They're the goods one then 😂

[@Pinnaporaptor]

I heard they might get back into action after a crazy man finishes 'The Movie', whatever that means.

[@bobanimationz4062]

apparently those two officers went missing, idk why

[@CrayonMechant]

@@bobanimationz4062 In some strange tunnel I've heard

[@devlincarnate7809]

Nice nod to Ross Scott. Love that series. I AM A NINJAAAA!!!

[@SethTheProphet]

To answer the question of this video, a quote. "It will amaze you what a human being can do, when they grow _really_ hungry."

[@Skyrionn]

It's a very scary thought isn't it. Humanity will do whatever it takes to survive.

[@Daniel_Lancelin]

@@Skyrionn It's also possible that, because the invasion has left these individuals extremely traumatized and without any surviving friends or family, they join Civil Protection for access to things like memory replacement therapy, drugs, and simulations. My interpretation is that they've basically become dependent on the Combine's brainwashing as a coping mechanism.

[@zeta4115]

Not to get political but North Korea is the biggest example.

[@paperclip6377]

@@zeta4115 how is that political

[@allseeingirene]

​@Zeta people in North Korea don't have computers or internet (I'm not kidding research it lol it's wild), dw.

[@Fxrrxt2x]

Being like Barney would probably be best case scenario, the benefits of being CP and working with the resistance at the same time. Probably very stressful at the same time though, trying not to get caught.

[@Skyrionn]

If I had to live in that world, I think I would attempt to do the same

[@Fxrrxt2x]

@@Skyrionn I imagine being a scientist working in secret would actually be the best position, at least you still get to live a fulfilling life, working for the betterment of mankind.

[@fenn_fren]

@@Skyrionn Better keep up with your beating quota.

[@wedoalittletrolling723]

Barney probably also had to go on beatings and maybe raids so he can stay undercover and draw attention away from Dr Kleiner's lab.

[@whelan5437]

@@wedoalittletrolling723 yeah, it'd weigh hard on your mental health

[@Nin0z1]

It's time to confirm my status with my local civil protection team immediately

[@Skyrionn]

Traitor

[@thesuperintendent4290]

@@Skyrionn Benefactor

[@thegamingsoup2531]

I love this comment so mcuh

[@kendellunsford1551]

I volunteer for the civil protection

[@drxtale9446]

I’d join em. While I may do bad things, I won’t be punishing civilians outright for nothing. But I would still follow my commanders orders. Simple as if I’m correct.

[@DaRealBruner]

8:38 On the topic of scanners, in the 2003 leak there is dialogue from Barney about a "human index" which I assume is like an archive of every single known human on Earth. If a checkpoint camera or city scanner were to snap a photo of your face and it wasn't recognizable and didn't trace to anyone in the index, you'd be in trouble. I believe this "human index" concept was still used in Retail and was the main reason Civil Protection pursued Freeman at the start of the game. The human index from what I know isn't documented anywhere, any wikis, not even the Combine Overwiki.

[@Eira_]

at the start of half life 2 you can hear the metrocop radio chatter asking if the other units are picking up a "647e reading" from local surveillance shortly before the apartment raid begins. This probably has something to do with Gordon not appearing on the index when the scanners and checkpoint cameras take his picture

[@AntiHero2]

Also prob why freeman gets blocked by the cameras

[@allseeingirene]

It's honestly amazing how half life 2 more or less displayed tons of tactics modern day dictatorships use. Mass surveillance, social scores for essential activities, simplified courts, constant relocation of individuals, etc

[@yeahnope620]

@@allseeingirene It's honestly not amazing at all. Half life 2 lore is based around real plans that are in 100+ year old literature. They essentially took this literature and added some of their own lore on top of it to make it presentable in a video game format. You should read a book once in a while.

[@fivestarguy100]

@@Eira_ A 647e reading is an actual police code. It means “Loitering from place to place” which is in reference to Freeman moving around constantly. So it’s in reference to Freeman, but not in that way.

[@jasohavents]

During the Uprising Barney does mention the 'Chicken Sht Metro cops' who stuck with the combine. I'm imagining due to the sheer number of resistance members with CP Armor, there was probably quite a few turncoats who joined the resistance and probably even emptied the CP armories. Since almost none of the resistance members before Black Mesa East have armor.

[@DoctorProph3t]

That’s not what he said, he’s referring to the civil protection that have second thoughts about defending city seventeen and tried to escape the city by theirselves, those are the cops you fight at the end of Episode 1 at the train station, the combine soldiers coming in right after can confuse that detail but it’s just part of the gameplay.

[@thepumpkin3203]

“When I look out there it makes me glad I’m not you” -GLaDOS

[@Skyrionn]

I heard that in her voice

[@JayS96Bruh]

Something I’ve never heard anyone address is the legal system implemented by the combine. During at least the water hazard chapter, signs can be seen with administrative codes warning people to stay out. Additionally, during Point Insertion, citizens can be heard saying things like “they can’t keep getting away with this” in regards to the mistreatment they are receiving from Civil Protection. All this makes me wonder if there perhaps actually is something resembling a judiciary system in place. Even if it ultimately is a shame that rarely benefits the citizens.

[@Skyrionn]

It's one of those things that isn't explained a lot in the game. In my opinion, I think the Combine will have a system in place to deal with Resistance members and any who stand against them though

[@grindelston5968]

Just like real life!

[@Daniel_Lancelin]

It's all presumably managed by the Overwatch AI, and takes significantly less time than real life court cases. I imagine it just consists of a couple CP units rocking up with a city scanner drone to confirm your identity and culpability for the reported crime, and Overwatch says something to the effect of "Citizen, you are charged with [X crime], report to your nearest public transit center for civil reassignment procedure immediately" or "500 daily ration credits deducted." I don't imagine they have district court judges or anything like that lol.

[@fruitylerlups530]

it seems like the punishments are either: Relocation Forced Labor Stalkerization or Overwatch if youre physically competent enougj

[@QSBraWQ]

The "theu can't keep getting away with this" maybe meant that regime can't stay, and that they gonna rebel

[@Omega-jg4oq]

Combine are such a fresh air to me cause after fighting against so many Zombies and some Vortigans and Xen creatures in Half life 1, it's makes me feel comfortable and feel more human again, I don't know how to explain it, but that's the way it is

[@jockdouglass3824]

It's like fighting the military all over again in some ways were are

[@Omega-jg4oq]

@@jockdouglass3824 no, the combine are different, you fight the civil protection, metrocop, Super combine soldier, the gunship, advisors, and how they treat humanity.. etc

[@Skyrionn]

Yeah I understand that. You're fighting against a familiar foe but adapted by an alien presence.

[@jockdouglass3824]

@@Omega-jg4oq well some civil protection peeps are old vets and some elite soldiers are actually old soldiers from the seven hour war.

[@josephhatfield6237]

Collaborator behavior

[@manolo8614]

I was so happy to see these guys after going through ravenholm and the mines

[@Skyrionn]

Anything is better than those awful fast zombies

[@hazzmati]

Yeah exiting the dark mine and seeing a clear sky above your ahead felt good even though world outside Ravenholm was hardly any better.

[@csub6712]

ravenholm was so ass i hate poison zombies and fast zombies and FUCK FAST HEADCRABS the only thing that was good was father grigori he gave me a shotgun :D

[@HECUbalaclavagrunt2account]

Those are the combine soldiers your talking about when you got out of the mines, the cp can be seen again during anticitizen

[@pilotbug6100]

​@@hazzmati That's is the beauty of HL2 it manages to make you feel grateful for being put in a slightly better situation

[@awo4101]

even though Entropy Zero isn't technically canon, I wish you'd one day make a video on Aiden Walker and his backstory, Wilson, and the "Arbeit Communications" complex.

[@Skyrionn]

I will consider it but as it isn't canon., I'm unsure at the moment. Maybe one day

[@leshape192]

3650…

[@barneycalhoundotcom]

@@Skyrionn I would love to hear it! You are very good at your narrations and your voice really brings out character!

[@naturesquad9174]

@@Skyrionn EZ2 is the one mod I've played that almost seemed like something Valve would write, if it weren't for all the goofy Duke Nukem dialogue

[@CorwinTheOneAndOnly]

I have a few too many problems with Entropy Zero 2 for me to want to watch that, personally. Long story short: I actually want a game about playing *as the combine.*

[@irishgerman98]

One time when I was asked to pick up the can, I actually tried to take the can all the way to the other side of the room and make a long shot like how Gordon does it in Freeman’s Mind 2 Episode 1 but the cop just chased me down and kept hitting me with his stun stick for not putting it in the trash can 😂

[@Skyrionn]

That cop can't take a joke

[@irishgerman98]

@@EnclaveRemnantFanboy-118 Yes I know that now lol I just didn't realize that was one of the things he had to modify

[@thatdudemetro6271]

Always loved the way the cps are organised, their actual organisation is a mix between police and security forces, you can even notice that in the actual game as civil protection raided black mesa east themselves, basically anything that is inside the city and directly is a danger to the combine the cps will take care of it, just like you said if cps cant handle it then the transhumans will be sent. Ironically the cps have lines for antlions, either antlions would play a bigger role or cps are defending at the border of the city against them. Either way video is amazing, i love the duality of a cp, the reassons why people join and all that.

[@Skyrionn]

It's one of those things I never properly noticed until researching the video. There are so many complicated features in the game that make it feel almost realistic.

[@fenn_fren]

Wasn't there a line from some character about that? I'm pretty sure I heard that antlions are being fought off at the city borders.

[@thatdudemetro6271]

@@fenn_fren I don't remember clearly so i cant say for sure, but the quotes that cps have for antlions definitely fit on one of the two scenarios that i said.

[@zorgapb4691]

Metrocops have lines for Antlions? Interesting. I assume they are unused? Maybe Metrocops were to appear before the trainstation in episode 1?

[@thatdudemetro6271]

@@zorgapb4691 The lines are from half life 2 base game. You can spawn an antlion and a cp on the coast map and he might say the line.

[@Scuba-Ry]

Just a small detail to add thanks to Valve's subtle story telling about CP living conditions that I notice during play throughs, particularly during the uprising levels - CP's lived on the upper levels of buildings with bridges connecting these levels to different buildings. If you think about it, it makes sense to house CP in these places as they can survey civilians from height, move ammunition/weapons and officers to locations around the City more efficiently and above all (pun intended 😅) it was a far better place to safely rest and sleep away from headcrabs, zombies, antlions radiation etc more commonly found on ground levels and just below. It could have also been a hierarchical status feeling of being closer to the combine meant being safer too in some almost religious way maybe? It's not much but it's just a tiny bit of detail that is so easily missed and yet explains so much. 😁 Love your channel btw 😎

[@uwu_smeg]

and also, being closer to the combine would serve as a constant reminder that they are being watched and better stay in line

[@NuntiusGaming]

Good catch! Also notice how a lot of apartments in C17 have Combine locks on them, long before the uprising. Perhaps those might be CP living quarters?

[@caroline1724]

I've always had the theory the Overwatch was a more primitive version of Portal's GLaDOS, a lot of Aperture tech is used by the combine: turrets, force fields, reactors and energy orbs, laser bridges, orbs turned into bombs, etc.

[@audiovisualcringe]

in the first portal game she mentions that she isn’t sure what is going on outside and she fears what’s on the surface (the combine, who has taken over all of north america and moved everyone to eastern europe) I think that GLaDOS somehow negotiated with the Combine to leave Aperture Science alone in exchange for some of the technology there (the energy orbs are exactly the same, combine turrets look like stripped down Aperture turrets, etc)

[@CASA-dy4vs]

@@audiovisualcringe well I’d ask GLaDOS I will keep doing tests as long as they are fun and not dangerous

[@CASA-dy4vs]

So I don’t have to go outside

[@im-alwaaayzwatching]

I have watched every single one of your Half Life lore videos and I am very grateful for a KZbin creator like yourself because others don't go into as much depth as you and you are very easy to listen too as well, so thank you.

[@Skyrionn]

My favourite comment of the week. Thanks very much. I have a love for this deep lore and love exploring it. There's more content to come!

[@theblackcoat4615]

There‘s not just super-supression to the combine. In HLA, we can see citiziens living somewhat norma lifes and apartments eve being custom decorated. My thoughts are that the combine were far less strict before G-Man escaped custody in the Vault. His escape signaled them the strength the resistance truly had by freeing him with *one person* so they cracked down on ANY form of humanity.

[@dxfan18]

CP are definitely an interesting enemy, like you said underneath their armour they are still human beings with their own individual reasons. I guess it's easy to say "I would rather die/starve than betray my species/friends" when you're not in danger, a very different thing when you or somebody you love is on the verge of dying and it looks like things will never get better. On the other hand, there were thugs who got a sick kick out of bullying civilians, maybe in time the kinder CPs would have turned into them, especially as Resistance attacks grew stronger. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, as the saying goes

[@Skyrionn]

You got exactly what I wanted to portray in this video. I feel like the fact they are human is overlooked. One of those things where humanity will do whatever they cn to survive. Even if they have to let people down.

[@spartanwar1185]

Honestly this comment reminds me of how tough it probably is to be a double-agent like Barney You STILL have to express some level of cruelty to maintain a convincing disguise And when those moments come i'm sure it's one hell of a test of faith Regardless of whether the double-agent does or does not enjoy hurting others

[@niichhe]

i like to think that some civil protection escaped city 17 and started a faction that was hostile towards the combine and resistance, basically they've gone rogue

[@jaxonfiddle4811]

The Uncivil Defection

[@WeAintJokinHere]

@@jaxonfiddle4811 best joke.

[@ThexVaultxTech]

Standard brony take. Please erp with me as twilight and I'm spike 🥺

[@mattcy6591]

I can't believe I am just noticing how comically large the doors are in this game

[@Skyrionn]

Oh no. I hadn't noticed that.

[@jillionjangles4177]

I think entropy zero two really makes you feel like you’ve been brainwashed. By the end of that game you realize that what you’re doing may be wrong but your character has been so brainwashed by the combine that what you’re doing seems like it’s for the betterment of people when in reality you’re killing innocent people

[@ioanniskonovesis3438]

He made me to pick up that can It All started with that damn can

[@EmperoroftheVoid]

13:22 shout out to the rebel who got his hands on the toolgun.

[@spartanwar1185]

Bro boutta start noclipping and spam-spawning antlion guards somebody stop him /j

[@ootahcanadiensis]

"Ha. Hey, let's go grab a doughnut." "Oh, I couldn't. I already had seven before I came to work." "Oh." "Hey, I've got an idea. Our patrol loops back soon anyway. Why don't you just meet me back on Palmer? It's only half a block from here." "By the time I get there, you should be done with your doughnut." "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. Let's do that. Divide and conquer."

[@krush454]

Dont worry about your cold, you sound awesome. I love the dystopian world of half life 2. It has influenced my works and will always be my favorite Dystopia.

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks buddy. It seems to have come out okay but it was a struggle to do the voiceover this week haha. It's a great, bleak world to fall in to.

[@rustyshackleford1465]

Dystopia? Dr. Breen wasn't lying...

[@machi7074]

“Pick up that can”

[@ange1playzgamez]

Prepare for judgment

[@namesache1535]

Put it in the trash can

[@normtrooper4392]

I wonder if any human soldiers were shipped off world and if they were, what horrors would they have seen

[@kobold7466]

they were probably conscripted and turned into overwatch soldiers to quickly create an army to oversee earth

[@TheSatiratician]

One of the threats toward overwatch soldiers if they didn't do a good enough job was a "perminant off world assignment", so I assume some did get shipped off.

[@lazysunside]

They could get ship off to fill the ranks to fight a certain Human imperium in a different dimension.

[@blehh_mae]

luckily but also not luckily at all, if any human soldiers were sent offworld they wouldve had their memories wiped Long before, unless they send metrocops into other worlds

[@imgvillasrc1608]

​@lazysunside Imo, I'd rather be a metrocop patrolling City 17 and fighting anti-citizens rather than an Imperial Guardsman and fight Daemons, Orks, insane heretics, Eldar, Necrons, and much worse.

[@luckylarry71]

Raiding the CP stations was fun and high octane throughout the vanilla, and ep. 1, but the general lack of a squad leader/captain NPC was a missed opportunity, imo. Even if all it would take, was to reuse the combine shotgun trooper and put a cool looking skin over him without touching his stats, it would've been gucci and super satisfying to just knock the doors in to his office and solo him in a CQC.

[@csub6712]

in a close quarters combat? more like " Even if all it would take, was to reuse the combine shotgun trooper and put a cool looking skin over him without touching his stats, it would've been gucci and super satisfying to just knock the doors in to his office and solo him in CQC." -Nerd 🤓

[@mak4yla_yt]

yeah it would be cool if they added variants, like a squad leader, with red eyes like in ez2, elite cops, and medic cops

[@mkultra2456]

You gotta stop saying gucci.

[@WarioWareCEO]

Gucci

[@mkultra2456]

@@WarioWareCEO OH FUCK

[@franklin1490]

19:13 well during Germany’s occupation of France Back in ww2 A paramilitary organization recruiting French citizens was set up to keep their countrymen in line in exchange for a better life such as avoiding the worker draft Also Like the Combine they were also brutal

[@s_crylly7751]

These videos are gold. Thanks for taking me back to one of the games that helped shape my formative years.

[@caspar4802]

I love your videos! They are made with so much love for detail. Thank you!

[@karelleet]

I never understood the lore behind half life, now because of these videos I will replay and appreciate everything so much more, thank you for these awesome videos

[@EddyBMultimedia]

I am playing through HL2 VR mod right now and even though I have been playing Half Life since forever the combo of these lore videos and VR makes it a crazy experience.

[@koryaiine7393]

Thanks so much bro. Half-Life content is always amazing. ❤️💕

[@doriakel]

I just discovered yer videos about half-life lore and its universe yesterday after i went and replayed half-life again. I love these videos and actually gives me a deeper understanding o the lore behind these games, last time i played half-life must have been 20 years ago and maybe even more and I never understood the background to this game untill now with yer videos. I also love tha yer neutral towards everything in the game and not biased which makes it easier to listen to ye talking. All I can say is thank ye fer this lore and information.

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks for the kind message. It does mean a lot. There's a lot more to come too!

[@samc3544]

I love how cool this universe is, and how kind of realistic it is. It's frightening to know that in the real world some people would join a police force that serves an evil faction so they would get personal benifits

[@ppghuman90]

tbh i would

[@samc3544]

@@ppghuman90 honestly I probably would to

[@Hyperion-5744]

You're the best channel for half life lore. As always good video skyrionn.

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks Hyperion.That's very kind

[@mehomuiki3886]

Man this channel is a newfound goldmine!

[@ray8413]

Thank you for going over Half Life Lore/content I’ve recently been getting tiered of modern gaming and came across Half-life series and have been a fan ever since Question can you do a Half life what if Series’s ? going over cut content and how some of the concepts could have been.

[@HotelMari0Maker]

21:41 this is what's so fascinating about Half-Life and Valve games in general to me. Most players including myself don't pick up on much of the story or lore, we just cruise along through the game. Valve games are the epitome of show don't tell.

[@Skyrionn]

It's just one of those things where you kinda have to look for everything. Part of me likes it but if I was a casual player - I think I'd get a little frustrated.

[@pohjantuulet247]

Im a security officer by profession. Im also a former serviceman, so suffice to say ive always held a strong belief in Law and Order, and sense of Duty to my tasks comes without a second thought. But even so, among my own fundamental principles, also lies the steadfast belief in unalienable right to individual freedom and liberty of every citizen. That and many more rights that are constitutional, i hold close to my heart. So if it should ever come to that, that tyranny becomes a law, then i believe resistance becomes duty. Duty of every free citizen, and a duty of mine. I wouldnt have the heart to suppress and persecute my own species.

[@moaianface]

Thats inspiring man.

[@whg_brianferguson]

based

[@pohjantuulet247]

@@EnclaveRemnantFanboy-118 I may lean more onto the Libertarian side on that one, since i personally dont see why men shouldnt be allowed to live freely outside the comforts of conventional societies, so long as they dont mean nor do any harm to themselves or others by doing so.

[@EddyBMultimedia]

Hunger and desperation has a way of changing minds.

[@themanhimself3]

Have you seen the cops in America? There are so many people that would love to suppress and persecute their own species.

[@thewitchiebunny]

Yay!!! Thank you for more HL2 content!!

[@Skyrionn]

And I'll keep posting!

[@JohnTalksALot]

“You are not you when you are hungry” - Snickers

[@Kronos2319]

random blooper at 13:27 you can see him with the tool gun in the background as the camera zooms in. good job though keep up the good work.

[@birdboy1092]

To quote a certain 3650: "People took everything from me Then came the combine. They listened. They told me the problems of the mind are not the problems of the soul. I only had to give up one thing for this job: my humanity. Some would say... I never had it anyway." Half life entropy zero 2

[@Skyrionn]

I just completed the first one. I'm moving onto the second one tomorrow ☺

[@birdboy1092]

@@Skyrionn *:D*

[@hazzmati]

Spoken like a true trenchcoat fedora wearing edgelord.

[@thelegostarwarsf7916]

@@hazzmati So a redditor?

[@kleenextoiletrolls]

Great content! You gotta do a HL2 lore video on teleportation. A very important but hidden theme of HL2

[@myroadrashownz]

These are the best videos. I fucking love when a new one is uploaded! I learn so much about my favorite video game!

[@Skyrionn]

I do my best to post a HL every 2 weeks ☺ Thanks for watching them. I appreciate it!

[@jasperfox6821]

Man, I love half life lore, this was awesome, another great lore video 👍

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks a ton! I appreciate it!

[@jokerzwild00]

I wish there was more info out there about the biological modifications of these units. Was that graffiti meant to be taken as literal or symbolic? How far did the modification go? Implants? Limb replacement? Or something more extreme like stalkers? Also, it's easy for people sitting in their comfortable, safe homes to say they'd become brave freedom fighters in this situation, but I'd like to see how many actually have the fortitude to live that kind of life, giving up all your luxuries and watching your loved ones get killed and tortured. In the face of an enemy that is so vastly superior. "Well the French did it in WWII!!" Yeah and they had help from other nations, and they were fighting a human enemy. In an alien invasion there would be no outside help because every nation would be screwed. Also the vast majority of French citizens were not freedom fighters. They fell in line even if they might not have liked it. Maybe they didn't support the Nazis or outright help them, but very few actually joined any sort of active resistance. There are no doubt a select few who would be real heroes, resist the alien invaders and thrive while doing it, but not most of us. Most of us would keep our heads down and try to continue living some sort of tolerable existence. Begrudgingly doing as we are told, maybe helping in passive ways like doing a shitty job on the assembly line or whatever.

[@ic0nic707]

Just wanna say that, the Civil Protection aren’t modified, that’s the Overwatch Soldiers.

[@armjustarm]

"A situation that will never happen in our world, hopefully" Dont count on it

[@dtskdtsk8599]

This game still manages to peak my interest. Thanks for the video!

[@Gator159]

"Now Officer, enjoy your day" With that ending Statement it's almost like You've broadcasted a recruitment video the entire time. Now we know which side you stand on, just another traitor to the human race.

[@rickydo6572]

I think there would certainly be a lot of people who'd join the Combine irl. If you look at similar real life scenarios, you'll see that a lot of people who were victims actually turned on their own in order to benefit themselves, some of which even believed in their captors cause. Here in my country for example, during colonization a lot of African folks were kidnapped from their homeland and forced to work as slaves, not only that, but they had every aspect of their humanity removed and brutalized, and still there were those who were enslaved but would betray their own and aid on the fight against the eventual resistance forces, those were given positions of relative power over their fellow slaves, and were named something like "Bush Captains" since runaway slaves would hide in the wilderness, and these captains were tasked with hunting them down. And that's an example of the rule of men over men, imagine what would happen if we were talking about a super advanced alien species, people would probably worship them as gods, and a lot of the Combine's fear tactics wouldnt even be necessary, since people would just worship them, and others would be more afraid of the pro-combine humans than the combine itself.

[@RossKempOnYourMum01]

You only have to loook at how people behaved over toilet roll in tbe covid 19 lockdowns

[@Jonas-km4qx]

Great vid as usual!

[@SilviusdePrater_VOX_43ab]

Amazing review, mate

[@somerandonamedz9991]

I love cp Civil protection

[@Poppy101DJ]

God Half Life 2 is still my favorite game to this day. Thanks so much for continuing to make these amazing videos, they are always so detailed & interesting!!!

[@Skyrionn]

Glad you like them! There are so many more to come

[@Poppy101DJ]

@@Skyrionn oh man sorry to say I dont like them. I LOVE them!! (: it's easy to tell the amount of time & effort that goes into these videos. It seems you really do your research and put a lot of thought into every lore video you make. I have watched every single one of your half life videos... at least once

[@trustycrusty1773]

Cops have a similar alert to the flatline effect, only they hit a button on their vest that sends an alarm to every unit in their precinct when they need immediate help

[@knightoftheholyland4123]

The Combine have gotta be my favorite video game villains, from their look to the lore that follows them

[@Havazelet_Capital]

The blueprint for the future Social Credit system.

[@Skyrionn]

Scary thought

[@Havazelet_Capital]

@@Skyrionn It is. I can really see things unfolding slowly towards such a regime.

[@stinkranger]

Literally 1984

[@GrOuNdZeRo7777]

I truly believe this is the future the WEF wants and 1984 is the obvious reference material they used.

[@leonidas1093]

Exactly

[@lordlammi1562]

It's true

[@GamePlayShare]

I will overdo my beating quota. Must be nice to beat up rebels while your stomach is full from double ration.

[@Ersymondequartiere312]

as always excellent work!

[@Skyrionn]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@flufferusgoobus]

I always liked those guys but i don't like that everyone really portrays them as exactly evil. They're doing what they can to have a better life and they might be like Barney, or either, they might be depressed and angered at the combine behind that mask too for having to beat up citizens and to kill refugees regularly. I think this is a portrayal that was never talked about, but most of them would probably not be bullies.

[@Omega-jg4oq]

well, we can't just kindly say don't kill us and don't humiliate us

[@flufferusgoobus]

@@Omega-jg4oq i assume Barney or someone like him didn't really kill anyone apart from combine themselves but, who knows. They did apparently beat people up or something, but that's not as bad as killing

[@Skyrionn]

This was one of the main points I wanted to push in the video. That humanity would do what they could do to survive - and that there are good and bad cops in the universe ☺

[@flufferusgoobus]

@@Skyrionn I haven't watched it yet because at the moment I posted the comment i had finished an exam at school, but i just arrived home n while yumming on lunch ill watch it, but that's nice of you, that's probably one of the first portrayals that metrocops can be good (apart from maybe the Human Error mod and maybe EZ2). I assume that a nice person would immediately get depressed or tired down quickly in the metropolice though, unfortunately.

[@flufferusgoobus]

Okay, after watching it atleast now someone portrays them as actually having some good cops between them What i didn't like is the fact that you probably didn't comment about the possibility that, just like Calhoun, many metrocops on the first days of the uprising would've probably defected and sided with the Resistance to do further pushes just like Calhoun did, and the remaining probably had an undying loyalty to the combine..

[@glitchyrhythm6749]

I’m so glad you brought up 1984 and this. I’ve always associated half life with 1984 and the Gulag archipelago in my mind

[@Gordon_Freeman484]

Im binging these kinds of videos explaining stuff about half life and now im really sad knowing there might not be a HL3. I still have hope though. I started playing HL less than a year ago so im still fresh to the community. The wait wasnt been to rough for me so I still believe we'll get it someday.

[@Novahri]

These videos make me appreciate the worlds and lore of Half Life so much more than i did

[@Skyrionn]

I love doing the research for them. The lore runs so deep.

[@Novahri]

@@Skyrionn Its good that you enjoy it, its fun looking forward to your videos on any game that has a deep and interesting world and backstory

[@errantvice7335]

“People Suck.” - Callsign Savage 3650

[@Skyrionn]

Basically yeah

[@backromsguy]

This guy is worth binge watching

[@Skyrionn]

That's kind of you ☺ Binge away!

[@iwilldoxuithink]

13:23 love it when a random rebel is standing with a toolgun in city 17 😃😃😃

[@swmtothemoon6660]

Your voice literally helps me sleep at night

[@Skyrionn]

Happy to help!

[@user-iv1yu4ug6c]

During WW2, the Germans had a network of concentration camps. In these camps they used an auxiliary police, the so called "kapos", to help keep inmates in check. Kapos were recruited from the ranks of prisoners. They were still prisoners, but with better food rations and with some degree of power over regular prisoners. Basically, kapos were real life equivalents of CP. So yes, people would definitely enlist into CP.

[@MetroCop2077]

Yes that true, but i am certain that lot of people were actually forced to join CP

[@theotv5522]

“Oh honey, where did you go every day 6:30 to 15:00?” CP: “Oh you know honey…stuff” But no seriously the mask and voice changer was not intentional by the Combine at all. Anyone with 2 brain cells and figure out which family member sold themselves for privileges.

[@eloquenthillbilly]

The masks/voice changers were likely used for psychological purposes, not for hiding a CPS officer's identity from their family members. People are more likely to act in immoral ways when their identity is hidden, and those masks/voices would be intimidating in real life. Cutting down on officer attrition from random people on the street attacking them while off duty, and their families, was likely a secondary concern. Many people would gladly join in on an atrocity to continue living with their spouse and feed their children, normal people have stooped far lower for less noble reasons while under far less stress. Overwatch threatening their “family integrity” nearly guarantees that to be the case. Even if the baby you had right before the invasion is in their 20s now, it's kind of hard to walk back 20 years of betrayal and relative luxury.

[@audiovisualcringe]

I mean the voice changer DID make all the Combine Soldiers/Civil Protection sound the exact same so intentional or not the identity concealing worked

[@eloquenthillbilly]

@@audiovisualcringe That's 100 percent true, I'm not arguing that in the least. The point I was trying to make, is that no one is going to use a voice changer and mask to (successfully) hide their Civil Protection job from their SPOUSE. Go type “riot police” into your search engine of choice, roughly half of the images will show officers with their faces obscured. Some pictures are obviously examples of protective or cold weather gear, but others are a uniform choice. Everyone in their personal life know what these folks do for a living, and in relatively liberal countries, there is a good chance their name is on their uniform somewhere. They hide their faces to intimidate the plebs, not hide their identities. Uniforms change how people are perceived, by themselves, and others. That's their original purpose, all the practical benefits are important (hiding one's identity from their neighbors, preventing frost bite, the devs don't have to create multiple models or hire more VAs, etc), but their primary purpose is a form of communication. CP gear says, “I'm scary. Obey me, or suffer.”

[@thesmilingman7576]

11:37 the can scene is a loyalty test you learn this by throwing the can at the Metrocop and having it land on the other side of him

[@radium6962]

13:26 i like how you can see the creator with a tool gun out on the right

[@Skyrionn]

Nice eye

[@muratsmg62]

Correction: Metropolice is used in Beta not Metrocop, Barney even refers the CPs Metrocops in EP1 in his first debut CPs originally had another unit Called Combine Guard *Not the synth the human version* They had trenchcoats with Overwatch Soldier mask and Double-Barreled Shotgun, thier design were formed into Civil Protection and Overwatch Soldiers In the Beta setting them on fire would cause them to scream rather than: Officer needs help! Help! Augh! Civil Protection in Half-Life Community are quite loved, Many Half-Life 2 Combine sourcemods have you play as either Overwatch Soldier or Civil Protection Unit The major CP mods are: Human Error, Entropy Zero, Civil Protection... ah crap that's all I know if anyone knows any CP mods please reply. Also Sky' since you've started playing Entropy Zero series *Looked at the comments* will you also put the OST in your HL Lore videos? They have the somewhat same level as HL2's soundtrack.

[@Skyrionn]

Oh yeah I did pick up on that after watching it back again after the upload. They looked amazing and I will be mentioning them in a video about the beta. The trenchcoats and weapons looked great. I will consider it but in a but iffy as it isn't canon

[@muratsmg62]

@@Skyrionn Of-Course everytime I see a reply that says It's non-canon I just facepalm and I say YES IT'S NON-CANON DO I LOOK LIKE STUPID TO YOU?

[@ordinarygamergameplay3849]

I think it will be very interesting to see Valve revisit these characters to expand more on them, like the life of those citizens after they joined the Civil Protection, the untold side stories of theirs, the hierarchy, the system, rules, etc. Furthermore, in my opinion, & also my take on his story, as much as I like to see him in Ravenholm, I think Adrian Shepherd would make a great comeback as a role of CP, perhaps during Gordon's arrival, or prior to his arrival, where he work his way from being a Combine's material, to once again regain his former corporal status. In that way, this may open up a story of the possibility that he lead some of the members, or surviving members during the fall of Citadel, of CPs to escape the grasp of the Combine to form his own rebellion group against them. Kind of like having two different resistance group, but with a same goal in their mind. As well as nodding to the fact that Adrian have never meet Gordon face to face. Then again, the character was from an expansion where Race X exist, and not to mention being, technically, owned by Gearbox. So the possibility might be zero. However, the fact that the unreleased Ravenholm game exist, means that there's still a chance for Valve to make the above potentials come true. If you have been reading this far, thanks for wasting time on me, I guess. If you skip through this entire thing, here's the tldr, I guess: Expand the Civil Protection lore, and also put Adrian Shepard as part of them.

[@cupcayuk]

Good stuff as always

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks bud!

[@jmmorante7576]

"Pick up that can"- CP #4

[@crashers1138]

Not sure if those enhancements with the civil protection "armor" is quite right, from what i've heard from other people was that the Civil Protection armor was only outfitted to protect against things civilians could easily obtain (ex: garbage) and night vision just doesnt seem logical for such a cannon fotter troop

[@spartanwar1185]

Nightvision seems perfectly logical to me Cause i don't think criminals, rebels or other problematic forms of people go home and sleep at night 100% of the time Besides, i'm sure the combine has plenty of resources to spare especially after they drained half of all of Earth's resources If they wanna give their metrocops nightvision i'm not gonna tell them that it's illogical to do so, not like we could ever tell the combine how to operate in those situations regardless

[@michaelprep1375]

This sounds very similar to the Story of the Capos, which were Jews who, during the Early Stages of the Holocaust, from the German Invasion of Poland until their invasion of the USSR, Jews were put into Ghettos (similar to City 17), and some Jews were offered slightly better conditions for being brutal cops, and quite a few Jews thus became those Capos.

[@peopleslandcorporation625]

"REMEMBER THAT BEER I OWED YA." my favorite word in half life 2

[@peppy6052]

that question to the audience towards the end made me think alot ive never put myself in that situation

[@Skyrionn]

It's one of those impossible situations that I hope we will never be in.

[@joeakajoe431]

I really wish you could cover the lore of Entropy: Zero.

[@Skyrionn]

I may one day. I do try to cover mostly canon things though. Maybe one day.

[@-Siculus-Hort-]

im worried that the "real" world is gonna have a police force like this is the coming future..

[@grantmctaggart9942]

I for one welcome our new communist overlords

[@Bananappleboy]

@@grantmctaggart9942 And I welcome a bhopping orange man *_*gets -0 social credits_**

[@captainfreedom3649]

well someone has to make sure that you will eat ze bugs and take your medicine...

[@csub6712]

why "real"

[@cewla3348]

@@Bananappleboy mm, the worst punishment. -0.

[@Albert_C]

An episode about Airwatch, white forest locations(except the base), or coastline will be great.

[@DVincentW]

On Spotify I found tonnes of Half Life music. Even from Alyx. This "systemic torture of combine forces" subtext is great.

[@risingscum1865]

so weird that they made having these guys on your computer illegal

[@spartanwar1185]

Took me way too long to get this joke god fucking dammit lol cursed as fuck bro

[@deppo436]

I don't think I would wanna join any part of the combine, no matter how much of a "better" life style it would portray compared to a citizens lifestyle. Just the fact that you'll slowly lose parts of yourself overtime both mentally and psychically is probably enough for me consider becoming apart of the combines army is a fate worse than death itself. Yet despite what I said, I think that's still not the worst way to go in the Half-Life universe.

[@Skyrionn]

I think I agreed with most of what you said. Of course, I think the worst thing that could happen to you in Half-Life is being turned into a stalker. Absolutely a fate worse than death.

[@SoupyMittens]

me personally I would never let the combine take my kneecaps

[@therealchris5894]

I know 100% of all half life lore, yet I continue to watch these

[@gazzlygaming1328]

I just realize when i was watching your video at 13:24 there is a rebel with a tool gun i know there was something going on in the background at 13:24

[@OtherWorldExplorers]

You already have the Combine and Civil Patrol in China Lots and lots of parallels between the two.

[@Skyrionn]

That is something I wasn't aware of. It's a scary thought.

[@mariadinoraaraujodossantos9891]

I love this, is like a ww2 documentary

[@Skyrionn]

Kinda yeah

[@destroyeralex6627]

the combine looked at what Gordon did to black mesa and went like “aw hell nah fortify the base”

[@zhhsshhhd5949]

Great job

[@LieutenantFoxtrot]

After seeing how the world today is going, I wouldn't mind living in the HL universe. Sure it may be a bit brutal, but at least the Earth's Combine aren't run by someone who wants to start an unnecessary war.

[@Skyrionn]

It's a scary time but I think it'll get better eventually!

[@hazzmati]

Stop being ridiculous dude citizens in hl2 live in squalor apartments akin to third world countries and where nothing is being maintained where they have to consume rations that are so inferior people join the CP not to mention areas outside the cities are a wasteland where you'll fall pray to either antlions or headcrabs.

[@civilprotection3114]

This basically happened during WW2. Nazi occupied nations like Estonia, Ukraine, France and others were allowed to join the Waffen SS to fight against the Allies to improve their homeland since I think they would demand less labour force if they received more troops.

[@rayman5998]

im glade people still make vids about half life

[@Skyrionn]

There's so much lore to cover, stick around for more! ☺

[@vaulthunter7777]

Every time the CP tells me to pick up the can in the beginning I do and throw it at his face and run away.