Getting Started
Combine vs. Rebels
Let your trainer know if you have any questions!
This is all the info you need to play, but for more in-depth info you can also find the field manual in the reference links below.
- Part 1: Server Setting
The Rapture
In the wake of the Combine invasion and 7-Hour War, the planet’s new overlords and their newly appointed “Interim Administrator” organized a mass relocation of the humans who weren’t eliminated by the portal storms or caught in the crossfire of the war. Messages were broadcast by local authorities for everyone to move towards the nearest civilian center or be left to their own devices. Those stranded in heavily infested Xen territory were left behind.An exception to that rule was the North American continent. As the center of the Black Mesa incident, it took the brunt of the portal storms, leaving the land desolate and rapidly being overtaken by Xen fauna. Naively, the Combine listened to The Administrator's suggestion that there were many more 'like him' among the American populace. This led to the mass relocation of people from the remaining American cities to the heart of the Combine administration on Earth, with the hopes of recruiting many more collaborators with the knowledge and pedigree of Black Mesa staff. With this, the Combine unwittingly concentrated the remnants of the most rebellious and obstinate people on the planet in the exact location where they could cause the most damage.
The Collapse
After the fall of City 17, tens of thousands of displaced civilians were left without shelter or food. In the ensuing chaos, there was a scramble to secure Combine stores of rations as well as to find suitable areas for refugees to live. Almost all of them joined up with the Lambda Resistance to the south, leaving them with a massive food and housing shortage. They currently plan to expand their territory to gain access to arable farmland or Combine food synthesis facilities to be able to feed their growing number of members. In the interim, they continue to raid Combine ration shipments and eat away at their dwindling food supply.The New Political Frontier
The Resistance is a complicated mess of different cells and factions. The Lambda Resistance have taken the reins of leadership for the time being; but as more cells find success in their own battles, who's to say things will stay that way?This state of affairs is stable for now, as the various resistance cells are focused on securing a foothold against the Combine. But as time goes on, cracks have begun to appear over important issues. The rapidly dwindling food supply puts thousands at risk of starvation. Wave after wave of refugees from City 17 with nowhere to sleep, beginning to make the dangerous trek to other resistance cells, desperately searching for a place to accommodate them.
A “New” Universal Union
The Collapse left countless civilians homeless, many of whom joined up with the Lambda Resistance. But there were simply too many refugees for just a singular cell to care for them. The Lambda Resistance quickly sent out calls for other cells to “adopt” some of the former City 17 residents to share the load, in addition to supplying them with much needed manpower.For the Combine, the Collapse had robbed them of their central command hub, primary transhumanization facility, as well as manpower in the form of the countless Metropolice who defected during or after the uprising. But these refugees presented a potential solution to this problem. The journeys they embarked on were treacherous ones, fraught with dangerous wildlife in addition to the usual struggles involved with trekking across a continent on foot. Rather than adopting tactics of elimination, the Combine chose a policy of “collection.” Refugees were rounded up and relocated to other cities, where they would finally have access to water, food, and shelter. Given the choice between braving the harsh wilderness largely on their own and the relative stability and safety of the cities, many choose the less risky option.
In addition to increasing the Combine’s need for manpower, the fall of the Citadel dealt a serious blow to the Combine chain of command. With most of their competent military commanders dead or missing, it proved difficult for the Combine to effectively lead so many forces at once. As a result, the Combine have begun loosening its grip on its soldiers to enable more independent decision-making; adjusting transhumanization procedures for new units to keep some human faculties intact.
- Part 2: Ranks, Divisions, Tryouts, and Clearance Levels
In the training room, players can find a list of different ranks, divisions, and clearance levels they can obtain.
Players can rank up through promotions, which often occur during debriefs, though promotions can happen at other times as well.
To join a division, players must attend and pass public or private tryouts held by an official from that division. Alternatively, some divisions have an application process. Tryouts and applications are announced in the tryout channels in the faction Discord.
Clearance levels are associated with job and rank. If players enter an area for which they do not have clearance, they will be arrested and punished.
- Part 3: Character Slots
Players are allowed to have one character per side, unless they have VIP, which grants them two characters per side.
Rank and division are not shared between multiple characters in the same faction. If you pass a tryout with one character, that character will no longer be a part of the previous division; however, any second character is not affected by this change.
- Part 4: Debriefs, and other Faction Functions
Every so often, an officer of a faction will announce a debrief (DB) over text chat. When this occurs, make your way to whatever area the officer has chosen for the DB (almost always in base). Faction members are organized in lines; with officers on the stage.
The DB will cover things like what happened out in the field, promotion recommendations, and battle plans. You need permission to speak during a DB, which officers set aside time for.
Players may request special permission to leave DB early, or skip it entirely.
- Part 5: Minimap and Spawn System
To open the overhead map, press
M
. You are able to see objective info, orders set by your officers, friendly FOBs, as well as squad member locations on the map.Upon death, players will be shown the map overhead. Below the map there is a respawn timer, as well as the proximity of the nearest medic. Once the respawn timer has run out, you can press
Space
to respawn at your default spawn point.If you are in a squad, you are able to click on green squad member icons to spawn on them. Objectives with green letters may also be spawned on. You may also spawn on friendly FOBs, as well as teleport between friendly FOBs by interacting with them.
- Part 6: Squad System
By accessing the squad menu with
F6
, you may create private squads, leave squads, and adjust squad settings.Players can utilize a radial callouts menu by pressing and holding their
suit zoom
bind. - Part 7: Inventory System
Players can equip, craft, unlock, and purchase items and rewards through the requisitions terminal, located in faction bases. Players can press
I
to open a slimmed-down inventory while on the move. Crafting recipes are unlocked by leveling up. Items are crafted using materials; which are gained through capturing points, looting, and trading.To give someone materials or credits, look at them and type
/give [amount] [material or credits]
. Perks can be purchased with credits at any level, with up to 3 being equipped for a variety of gameplay modifications. - Part 8: Weapon Attachments
By pressing the context menu button (default
C
), an attachment window will open for your weapon. You are able to track the number of kills you have on enemies, as well as change attachments through this menu.Hovering over a category or attachment lets you view its details as well as the kills/credits required to unlock it.
To respawn with your attachments automatically equipped, save your current equipped attachments as a preset, then favorite that preset.
- Part 9: Spawncamp
The server has strict spawncamp guidelines, and whenever possible players should avoid sightlines to base exits. Base exits are clearly marked with text-screens, and often props.
Breaking spawn camp rules will often result in demotions, or worse on repeat offenses.