The Coast (Half-Life 2)
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The Coast is a fictional location in the first-person shooter computer game, Half-Life 2. The coast is located in between City 17 and Nova Prospekt, and has recently come under heavy Combine control forcing many of the rebels along the coast into more condensed pockets of resistance. After leaving the headcrab zombie infested town of Ravenholm, Gordon Freeman reaches the Coast and embarks on a long journey along the coastline to Nova Prospekt, meeting Alyx Vance there.
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[edit] Overview
The Coast is largely seen as a barren wasteland being picked to the bone by Combine technology after the Seven Hour War. The Coast showcases the Combine's more dark rule over Earth including the depletion of natural resources, Combine raids on resistance outposts, Combine assault using headcrab shells and inhabitable areas. Much of the coastline including several highways have been severely damaged over the course of the Combine's rule on Earth. The Coast has also come under attack by hordes of Antlions that hide underneath the sand, and come out from underneath when movement is heard or felt above them. This is mainly due to the fact that their mating season has begun, and the resistance and Combine have had complications fending them off. Much of the coast had been abandoned because of the swarming Antlions, and many Combine thumper devices are in place on the ground, to help fend off the Antlions. Judging by the presence of headcrab canisters, small portions of the Coast have become infested with zombies and other Xen wildlife. Highway 17, along with several main resistance bases are located along the coast.
[edit] Depletion of resources
It is more apparent along the Coast than anywhere else in City 17 that the Combine are indeed sucking up the natural resources of the planet. The ocean can be seen as being "dried up" and the waterline is much lower than it was; this is evident by the fact that the piers located near the start of the coast are some considerable distance from the ocean itself. Much of the coastline can be seen littered with wrecked boats and ships resting in what was previously the seabed. Many, if not all, of the docks and piers seen in the Coast are no longer standing in water. When Gordon arrives at the harbour at the beginning of the Highway 17 chapter, it is now a considerable distance from the ocean itself. Indications of the previous sea level can be judged by moss which had previously gathered on harbour structures at the edge of the water, but which now lie several metres higher than the ground level.
[edit] The Resistance
The resistance has a relatively small but powerful position along the Coast, but is constantly being rivaled by continuous Combine raids and airborne assaults. Many of the resistance bases located along the Coast have been taken over by Combine soldiers and have been left abandoned. Because of this, the remaining resistance has become condensed into larger but less frequently encountered pockets of rebels at key bases such as New Little Odessa and Lighthouse Point. After the events of Nova Prospekt, it is unknown whether any resistance along the coast still exists or if they have been taken over by the Combine. It is also possible that some of the bases located near Nova Prospekt have been completely destroyed.
[edit] Locations/Resistance bases
[edit] Shorepoint
Shorepoint, located at Pier 187, is the main resistance base located along the coastal regions of City 17. Located at the very beginning of Highway 17 and the Coast itself, Shorepoint acts very much like a base of operations for all resistance activities along the Coast. It is run by a veteran resistance member named Leon. As seen in the Highway 17 chapter, Shorepoint has, in its possession, a one-seater buggy called the "Scout Car" in which Gordon Freeman uses to navigate the increasingly harsh terrain and escape the many Antlions and Combine outposts along the coast. The Combine attempted a raid on Shorepoint shortly before Gordon Freeman's arrival, but were driven off. Shorepoint is connected to Ravenholm via a railway line and a mine shaft.
[edit] New Little Odessa
New Little Odessa is one of two main resistance bases situated across the Coast and Highway 17. In command by Colonel Odessa Cubbage, New Little Odessa came under attack by Combine gunships and Combine troops during the events of Half-Life 2, in which Gordon Freeman helped fend them off with a laser-guided RPG. Prior to reaching New Little Odessa, the player can spot New Little Odessa through a pair of Combine binoculars across a bay; this gives the player the opportunity to see Colonel Cubbage speaking to the G-Man in the balcony of a building (one theory suggests the G-Man is warning Cubbage of the impending gunship attack on the base and is even supplying rocket launchers). The layout of New Little Odessa is somewhat unintended for any airborne combat. Its ultimate fate after the events of Half-Life 2 is unknown. The name of the base is most likely derived from the fact that it is led and was possibly founded by Odessa Cubbage.
[edit] Lighthouse Point
Lighthouse Point is the second resistance base that Gordon Freeman encounters on his way to Nova Prospekt, and serves as the ending point of Highway 17 (and the end of the road for Gordon's buggy). Lighthouse Point also came under heavy Combine attack, and was overwhelmed. Lighthouse Point is a better defensive position than New Little Odessa. The lighthouse itself offers anyone within the vicinity means of cover and advantages when it comes to protection, defense and offense. The top of the lighthouse is suited for combat situations in which the Combine would raid the base using aircraft type synths including dropships and gunships. The name of the base is derived from the fact that it is the only Resistance Base with a Lighthouse.
The area surrounding Lighthouse Point also serves as a base for one of Half-Life 2: Deathmatch's maps.
[edit] Vortigaunt camp
The final but unnamed resistance base, located within canyons and caves, is situated a short distance from Lighthouse Point, but requires that Gordon Freeman transverse on Antlion populated grounds. The base houses several resistance fighters, as well as many more vortigaunts. One particular vortigaunt goes on to lead Gordon through the base and into a cave, in which Gordon is taught how to use the Antlion Pheropod to tame and command Antlions. Upon completion of training, Gordon is led out into a beach that connects to Nova Prospekt. The base is protected by a single gunner at its entrance via the use of a mounted pulse gun.
[edit] Nova Prospekt
The main perimeter of Nova Prospekt prison is also located along the Coast, although right at the edge of it. This portion of the Coast is littered with dozens of Combine bunkers which act as defensive outposts in the event that someone should attempt to infiltrate the facility. Some of these bunkers are connected to older, pre-Combine fortifications, recognizable by their concrete construction. Large thumpers are also situated along the edges to the ocean in the attempts to help fend off Antlions from breaking into the facility. Despite the amount of defense located near Nova Prospekt, Gordon Freeman was able to infiltrate the facility, with the help of tamed Antlions. During Freeman's time in the facility it is likely that the defenses surrounding Nova Prospekt, including the bunkers and thumpers had possibly been deactivated as Antlions had breached the facility. The fate of the facility remains unknown after Gordon and Alyx's departure from the area.
[edit] St. Olga
St. Olga was a relatively large coastal village that was planned to be a part of the Highway 17 chapter but was dropped during the game's development. This place can be revisited however in Half-Life 2: Lost Coast. St. Olga was planned to be a Byzantine monastery with a single inhabitant, a somewhat middle aged fisherman. The monastery acted as a Combine staging area for the launching of headcrab shells which players were able to see operate in real-time. As the game progresses a few dozen headcrab shells target St. Olga and leave it in a fiery mess. It is impossible to reach the village. Like all of the other resistance bases, St. Olga came under attack by Combine soldiers and a hunter-chopper. Not much else is known about St. Olga and only a small portion of the area can be explored.
[edit] Highway 17
Highway 17 is one of the many coastal highways that connect City 17 to its neighboring cities, town and facilities. By Half-Life 2, small portions of Highway 17 have been badly damaged, and in need of extensive repairs. Highway 17 is connected to Nova Prospekt, and extends over several kilometers. Many small coastal villages are seen across Highway 17, where many resistance members take shelter from City 17, but have recently come under heavy Combine attack and control. Most of the resistance bases are under Combine control, using them as checkpoints along Highway 17 to Nova Prospekt and attempting to destroy the resistance. Several road tunnels also exist along Highway 17 although several of them have been completely abandoned and have come under control of zombies and other extraterrestrial Xen wildlife.
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Fictional locations and key events in Half-Life
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Black Mesa East • Black Mesa Research Facility • The Citadel • City 17 • The Coast • Nova Prospekt • Ravenholm • Seven Hour War • Xen |
