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City Scanner
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This article is about the Half-Life 2 mechanical Scanner. For its predecessor, see Combot. |
For other uses, see Scanner (disambiguation). |
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| Scanner Type I | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Affiliation | |
| Type |
Mechanical |
| Individual information | |
| Health |
30 |
| Weapon(s) |
|
| Game information | |
| Entity / spawn codes |
npc_cscanner |
| Designer(s) | |
- "Oh hell, Gordon! Were you followed again?"
- ―Barney Calhoun[src]
The City Scanner, also known as Scanner Type I[2] and often referred to simply as Scanner, is a lightly armored, flying security camera used by the Combine to monitor City 17's (and possibly other cities) residents. Its Synth counterpart is the Shield Scanner.
Contents |
[edit] Application
Scanners are equipped with a searchlight and a camera used to take photographic images. The flash emitted when taking an image can temporarily blind a person, even when not looking directly at the flash. The scanner also has a spotlight mounted on its top, which is used for illumination and can move independently from its source.
Scanners are powered by a single Combine battery, which can occasionally be salvaged from a destroyed unit and reused for the HEV Suit. Scanners are lightly armored and can be destroyed easily by gunfire, impacting against walls or being hit by objects. A critically damaged scanner will usually attempt to kamikaze dive into its attacker, while spinning and emitting an alarm.
As the name implies, Scanners are generally used only in cities and are rarely encountered anywhere else. They are commonly seen patrolling City 17's Canals, searching for refugees. Other applications include reconnaissance and searching for wanted individuals. Scanners help by locating targets and alerting other nearby Combine units. During emergencies, Scanners can be mass-deployed in thousands from the Citadel, to perform a city-wide, and possibly out-of-city search such as when Gordon Freeman was detected in City 17.
Interestingly, it appears that parts from a salvaged City Scanner were used in one of the more recent additions to Dog; both machines have a similar frontal design, though Dog's face possesses three face plates while Scanners have four.
[edit] Behind the scenes
- While the City Scanner started as a Synth under several variations that made their way into the Shield Scanner,[1] Ted Backman and Dhabih Eng both worked on the Scanners concepts; the first ended up with the Synth version, the second the mechanical one, first known as "Combot".[1][3]
- As the Combot, the mechanical Scanner was to throw gas from its front,[3] and fire from the small ergots on its two sides.[1]
- The mechanical Scanner design was initially modeled after the shape and movement of a piranha.[1]
- 11 sound files found in the playable Half-Life 2 Beta files also indicate that the mechanical Scanner was to talk directly to people via prerecorded messages. Spoken by a robotic female voice, they include sentences such as "Citizen, do not move.", "You may proceed.", "Hold still for scan.", "Hands on your head." or "Violation has been noted.".[4]
[edit] Trivia
- In the Half-Life 2 chapters Anticitizen One and "Follow Freeman!", the "
npc_create npc_cscanner"console code spawns a Shield Scanner.
- Scanners are not directly met in Episode Two; they are only seen on the route to White Forest.
[edit] Gallery
City Scanner welcoming Gordon Freeman to a brand new dystopian world.
City Scanner following a Citizen.
City Scanner using its searchlight on the Trainstation Plaza.
Scanner in front of the City 17 Trainstation.
The Citadel deploying City Scanners.
City Scanner in the Citadel.
A Scanner light seen above in a Citadel shaft.
Scanner above Crab and Mortar Synths.
Truncated red "CMB" Combine logo featured on its body.
Sprite used when seeing Scanners from a distance, for instance when the Citadel first lights up or when Black Mesa East is attacked.
Ditto.
Ditto.
[edit] List of appearances
- Half-Life 2 (First appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
- Half-Life 2: Deathmatch (Non-canonical appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Episode One
- Source Particle Benchmark (Game files only) (Non-canonical appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
- ↑ Half-Life 2 Prima Guide
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Playable Half-Life 2 Beta
- ↑ Playable Half-Life 2 Beta files
