Gas Mask Citizens

The Gas Mask Citizens are the earliest known iteration of the Citizen cut from Half-Life 2. Their first appearance was in " Get Your Free TVs! " showing a screenshot of a Gas Mask Citizen holding a TV in a 2000 SIGGRAPH demo. They were shown in e3_strider being gunned down by a early Strider.

2001 Storyline
During Half-Life 2's development Gas Mask citizen's were to be in many of the early 2001 Storyline. Their first appearance was in Get Your Free TVs but it isn't a cannon story in the storyline. Their real first appearance was in the map c17_01 the thirteenth revison with the first two being in a small alley way in a small factory. Others are shown standing by Metropolice and looking at the TVs some showng the Consul's face while others are blank.

There is one shown standing next to a Metro Cop under a security camera. It is unknown if there was to be any dialogue between the two as some speculate that it was to play out a role similar to the scene in Half-Life 2 where a Civil Protection officer shoves a citizen trying to grab his SuitCase. Another can be seen upstairs by a almost closed garage standing next to barrels behind a hand truck. Here would have shown a Gas Mask citizen moving barrels around with the hand truck. Instead the citizen just stands still. Another citizen wasn't to appear until c17_03 with the citizen hiding in construction but instead is just a placeholder of him standing still. Other citizens were to appear in c17_04 walking around City 17 with Combot's following them and snooping around. Another was to be seen in c17_05 standing by a abandoned shop in a building with computer monitor's. Some Gas Mask citizens can be seen standing in front of the monitor's. At one point the player was to meet Barney at the place but there is currently no dialogue or any scripts for this meeting he like the rest just stand still.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/5/59/E3_Strider.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110416110304&path-prefix=en (Gas Mask citizens running from a Strider gunning them down)

The citizen's weren't to appear until canals_01 with one hiding by a sewer with sleepy bags by it. In canals_02 two Citizens can be seen hiding with a darrel with fire in it trying to keep warm but instead is again a placeholder of them standing. While the player progresses they can find a small base with citizens standing under a bridge with abandon railway carts. Some are even hiding in Railway carts say hello to Gordon. If the player was to keep on progressing the player can find man built houses with support beams holding them. These houses were to contain other citizens and equipment.

The citizen's were to last be seen in rooftops_10 as two gas mask citizens throw rocks at boarded up windows to a abandoned building. They both run away as they're chased by Wasteland Scanners. One hides in a shack while the other hides behind it. They both get blown up by them and are killed. They were to also appear in d4_palace_01 with one in a glass case standing next to a child.

In other maps the Citizens were to appear in e3_strider being gunned down by early striders both on ground and two hiding in a bridgeway building.

In the end the Gas Mask citizen was cut mainly because Valve wanted to test out the new facial animations.

Equipment
The Gas Mask citizens were to have Gas Masks on at all times with aprons and black gloves on with brown boots. They had the option to pick up objects which would be recycled into the Brickbat system. Gas Mask citizens were able to pick up objects like Rocks, Bottles, Headcrabs and Guns (When they ran out of ammo). They also had the option to use the MK3A2 Grenades and Molotov Cocktails by either spawning with them or picking them up nearby. They also were able to climb ladders (just like Conscripts). Some Gas Masks were shaded while others were transparent.

Gallery