User:Klow

"Good luck out there, buddy. You're gonna need it."

- Barney Calhoun to any admin

Oh hai! Any questions? (absurd or not, with or without punctuation) Views? Ideas? Suggestions? Bashing? Feel free to leave a message on my talk page! I'll answer there and nowhere else.

Anything written here relies on my personal views only, and is not to be taken as part of the wiki's official views or policies.

Misc

 * Please take a look at the Manual of Style and the Layout Guide before doing anything.


 * My Steam username is the same as here. Feel free to join our official Steam group, and spread the word.


 * I am the one who manages the bot DØG for automated stuff.


 * Don't forget that Valve is not the only video game producer. Take a look at BioShock, Prey, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Thief or Mirror's Edge, among others. The Tomb Raider series are good, but I started being bored during Anniversary (10 years playing TR is overly long, I guess).


 * Anyone who'd like a custom wallpaper based on one of my created logos, feel free to ask.


 * I know, I spend way too much time here. I just can't help it.


 * Do you hate ads? I do. Installing Firefox and the add-on Adblock Plus (with some mandatory subscriptions) will wash your soul.


 * Forgive me if I sometimes make spelling and/or English mistakes. Thing is, English is actually not my native language (which is Belgian French). Anyway I think my level is much better than many of you, who sometimes have an appalling English level, and it's a shame considering that for most of you it's your mother language. Not anyone can write, so please refrain to do so until you are mature enough, and, above all, please don't write stuff just as it goes through your head, try to blend it properly into the text. And, before I forget: if you can't spell "Gordon", "Alyx", and "Aperture" properly: please go back on YouTube.


 * Other wikis I can be found at: Spiroupédia (bureaucrat), Cloverpedia (bureaucrat), Mirror's Edge Wiki (sysop), and Wookieepedia.


 * Added to the Combine OverWiki logo, I also made from scratch the Counter-Strike Wiki (now changed), Team Fortress Wiki, Thief Wiki, Mirror's Edge Wiki (mostly improving the original) and Spiroupédia logos.


 * In case you doubt it, I'm not a tyrant, I'm dedicated. But if you destroy in a few seconds hours of work spent here by me and the other dedicated editors, don't expect any mercy from me.

Stuff I made
I fixed many articles and created lots of templates and categories and added/improved countless images (such as the Raising the Bar cover and Episode Two poster remade from scratch) ; it would be impossible and pointless to mention them all here. I also created the current and previous logo for the wiki, as well as the other general layout customizations, and the main page layout.

Articles



 * Mel
 * The Terminal
 * Emplacement Gun
 * Pulse weapons
 * OverWiki:Retcons
 * Enrichment Center Test Subject Application Process
 * Tag: The Power of Paint
 * Party Escort Bot
 * Personality Core
 * Weighted Storage Ball Bucket
 * Portal 2 robots
 * Aperture Science Paint
 * Excursion Funnel
 * Projected Bridge
 * Weighted Pivot Cube
 * Weighted Storage Ball
 * Jay Pinkerton
 * Wheatley
 * Portal 2
 * Portal ARG
 * HECU Dam Turret
 * Aperture Science Radio
 * Black Mesa Air Control
 * Gamma Labs
 * Alien Quarantine Labs
 * Black Mesa South Access
 * Section A-17 Prototype Labs
 * Freight Yard
 * Area 8 Topside Dormitories
 * Black Mesa Medical Lab
 * Black Mesa desert
 * Level 3 Dormitories
 * Waste Processing Area 3
 * Topside Motorpool
 * Biological Waste Processing Plant
 * Xen Sentry Cannon
 * Advanced Biological Research Lab
 * Van Buren
 * Newell (scientist)
 * Sector A Training Facility
 * Sector B Coolant Reserve
 * Sector C Test Labs
 * Sector D Administration
 * Sector E Biodome Complex
 * Sector F Lambda Complex
 * Sector G Hydro Electric
 * Ben Houge
 * Minigun
 * Human Sergeant
 * Energy Grenade
 * HECU Radio
 * Welding Torch
 * HECU Sniper
 * HECU Medic
 * HECU Engineer
 * Xen Thumper
 * Xen Healing Shower
 * Xen Healing Pool
 * Protozoan
 * Half-Life Deathmatch: Source
 * Tactical Map
 * David Mertz
 * Kristy Junio
 * Rob Heironimus
 * Brian Hess
 * Matthew Armstrong
 * Black Mesa Ceiling Turret
 * Combine Ground Turret
 * Combine Ceiling Turret
 * Resistance imagery
 * Dynamite
 * Aperture Science Speaker System
 * Test Subject 42
 * Test Subject 234
 * Arlene
 * Daniel
 * Jacob
 * Mary
 * Holographic Assistant
 * Kathy Levin
 * HECU Double Turret
 * Black Ops Mortar
 * M2 Browning Machine Gun
 * M202A1 FLASH
 * M198 Howitzer
 * Mike Patton
 * Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grill
 * Aperture Science Vital Apparatus Vent
 * Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator
 * 1500 Megawatt Aperture Science Heavy Duty Super-Colliding Super Button
 * Petroleum Station
 * Aperture Science Unstationary Scaffold
 * Submarine
 * Tri Nguyen
 * Eric Kirchmer
 * Black Hole Gun
 * Land Mine
 * Mr. Valve
 * Flash Grenade
 * Aperture Science Military Android
 * Santego Military Base
 * Jeremy Bennett
 * Unidentified cut Synth
 * Station 9
 * Unidentified deaf character
 * The Mesa Times
 * Ivan the Space Biker
 * Weapon Box
 * Otis Laurey
 * LM
 * Snark Mine
 * Black
 * Coomer (security guard)
 * Bailey (security guard)
 * West
 * Backman (security guard)
 * Victor
 * Guthrie (security guard)
 * Advanced Knee Replacement
 * Mark IV Thermonuclear Device
 * Alésia Glidewell
 * Jamil Mullen
 * Barn Advisor
 * Reardon
 * Armstrong
 * Bahl
 * Cavanaugh
 * Deupree
 * Heironimus
 * Hess
 * Landon
 * Luna
 * Martel
 * McArthur
 * Mertz
 * Montague
 * Palmer
 * Pitchford
 * Selitto
 * VanDolen
 * Wardwell
 * S. Reardon
 * S. Jones
 * C-130
 * Backman (scientist)
 * Bailey (scientist)
 * Birdwell
 * Bond
 * Casali
 * Coomer (scientist)
 * Guthrie (scientist)
 * Johnson
 * Jones (scientist)
 * Laidlaw
 * Laur
 * Riller
 * Stelly
 * Teasley
 * Wood
 * Bernier
 * Caughley
 * Cook
 * Donaldson
 * Lundeen
 * Mark
 * Bass
 * Mennet
 * Myers
 * Theodore
 * Walker
 * Beier
 * Cassello
 * Dunn
 * Fase
 * Hood
 * Jones (security guard)
 * Kooy
 * Lombardi
 * O'Conner
 * Pauly
 * Phillips
 * Pobst
 * Trock
 * Veevaert
 * S. Bahl
 * P. Deupree
 * J. Faulkenbury
 * R. Heironimus
 * B. Martel
 * D. Mertz
 * L. Montgomery
 * R. Pitchford
 * M. Wardwell
 * Lauren
 * Combine Dispenser
 * Vortex Hopwire
 * Long Jump Module
 * Desert Launcher
 * Earth creatures
 * Hunter-Chopper Bomb
 * Aperture Science High Energy Pellet
 * Harpoon
 * F-117 Nighthawk
 * ApertureScience.com
 * Aperture Science Security Camera
 * Delivery Cart
 * Black Mesa truck
 * Johanson
 * Alyx's cache
 * Vance Headquarters
 * Jalopy
 * Retinal scanner
 * Mil Mi-8
 * Combine SWAT Truck
 * Merkava
 * Combine Assassin Tank
 * MTM 8
 * Dr. Breen's Private Reserve
 * School Bus
 * Combine Launcher
 * EMP Tool
 * Television
 * Combine Monitor
 * Transponder
 * Combine Big Momma Pod
 * Door Tower
 * Sand Barnacle
 * Particle Storm
 * HK-707
 * Portal: Prelude
 * Source SDK
 * Wasteland Scanner
 * Inney
 * Digger
 * Jet Ski
 * AirEx Truck
 * Samuel
 * Skitch
 * Helena Mossman
 * Eli Maxwell
 * Vance
 * The Consul
 * Conscripts
 * Weekday Warrior
 * Half-Life storyline
 * Half-Life: Opposing Force storyline
 * Half-Life: Blue Shift storyline
 * Half-Life: Decay storyline
 * Half-Life 2 storyline
 * Half-Life 2: Episode One storyline
 * Half-Life 2: Episode Two storyline
 * Portal storyline
 * Cooper
 * Peters
 * Sharpe
 * Borealis (cut location)
 * Randy Pitchford
 * Stephen Bahl
 * Moby Francke
 * The Wasteland
 * Chuck Jones
 * Dhabih Eng
 * Ted Backman
 * Viktor Antonov
 * Technical Trainstation
 * City 17 trainstation
 * Boid
 * Xen Ceiling Turret
 * The Specialists
 * X-8973
 * R-4913
 * Hospital
 * Combine Super Soldier
 * Jonathan Coulton
 * Erik Wolpaw
 * Chet Faliszek
 * Chris Jensen
 * Kelly Bailey
 * Gabe Newell
 * Tony Todd
 * Ellen McLain
 * Jim French
 * Louis Gossett Jr.
 * Lani Minella
 * Black Mesa (corporation)
 * FakeFactory's Cinematic Mod
 * Mistake of Pythagoras
 * The Outlands
 * Aperture Laboratories
 * Half-Life 2: Survivor
 * Weather Control
 * Air Exchange
 * Skyscraper
 * Manhack Arcade
 * Combine Factories
 * Archer
 * Snapbug
 * Combot
 * Stukabat
 * OverWiki:Canon
 * Gearbox Software
 * Panther Eye
 * Kraken Base
 * Get Your Free TVs!
 * Half-Life 2 original storyline
 * Sacktick
 * Stampeder
 * Alien Assassin
 * Alien Combine Soldier
 * Tripod Hopper
 * Flocking Floater
 * Fast Walker
 * Mr. Friendly
 * Kingpin

SVG Half-Life logos
These logos are alll based on real Half-Life logos. I created them all from scratch, except for the City 17 logos that are based on the Missing Information one (I just converted it to SVG, then customized it).

Main Page logos
Each time based on existing images used on the wiki.

Other images
These include low-res images I partially or completely remade from scratch using better sources.

Acknowledgments


I would like to thank the following:

Valve

 * Valve for their awesome universe. I just hope you guys didn't blacklist us for our expensive leak coverage.
 * Marc Laidlaw for his awesome storyline
 * Viktor Antonov for his amazing creativity
 * Ted Backman for his "interesting" creatures
 * Merle Dandridge for her great voice-over talent

Gamers

 * YabbaMyIcing, the "reverter-in-chief", for sticking around.
 * Darkman 4 for his tremendous contribution to the weapons category, among others
 * MattDienhoff for his professionalism. We miss you!
 * Erickos for the boring task of adding the infobox to all game and mod articles.
 * Donovan-j-charlie for his Half-Life and expansions screenshots.
 * Mega Sean 45 for leaving us alone forever.
 * ШЛЫК for his deep knowledge of the leak, as well as his Russia-related knowledge, his hi-res RtB scans, and other relevant info I added here. Also, bear in mind that when Black Mesa is actually released and that you are the one telling me the news, I won't believe you!
 * HGrunt for his deep knowledge of the leak, neat fixed maps, and many leak screenshots.
 * Flat Zeus for his fixed brushes, maps and other nice stuff.
 * BetaMaster for the Missing Information logo.
 * Halo-343 for his tremendous contribution to the cleanup project.

Things to do
If you want to help me in this task, feel free to pick an item in the list below. Don't pick one you don't quite understand, of course, and let me know when you have done something.

General fixing

 * Finish rebuilding the FW article
 * Half-Life PlayStation 2 instruction manual ref issue
 * rewrite gordon's model part in his page
 * Standardize the "entity" field in the brush articles
 * Re-include all non reference notes into the articles themselves
 * Check canonicity of Gordon's BG
 * new Mr Valve introduced in Op4?
 * Check the related game names categories in the quality articles
 * Flare Gun/Alyx/HEV Suit issue/IA Latham
 * Update Conscripts with correct facts
 * Update and rewrite the early storyline article, separate in the chapters all the development era ideas, and put a small gallery for each chapter
 * Get Half-Life Prima Guide and Half-Life: Opposing Force Prima Guide
 * Change excessive page title caps when unneeded (Generator Trailer vs. Generator trailer)
 * Format the soundtrack articles in tables
 * Standardize the attack points in the enemy infoboxes
 * Test Subject 234 = Chell? But then who wrote on the clipboard?
 * Rearrange the pics in the safe articles through User:Klow/Sandbox

Sure

 * Test Subject (it's high time)
 * Unidentified cut Xen creature
 * Gate 5
 * Tenement buildings
 * Aperture Science Red Phone
 * Alien Organic Chainsaw
 * Aperture Image Format
 * Scott Klintworth
 * Xen "Trampoline"
 * Xen "Aperture" Hole
 * Alien Grunt Factory
 * Half-Life: Uplink (film)
 * Seattle
 * Guido
 * Benny
 * Sgt. Harrington (cut)
 * Cyril
 * Fred
 * Gene Worm cannon
 * Earth / City 17 imagery (set a name)
 * Brands

Unsure

 * Sierra
 * EA
 * E3
 * radio tower settlement article between the mine and the inn?
 * Car battery station?
 * Only real Combine outpost along the Coast?
 * Aaron Barber
 * Randy Lundeen
 * Kim Swift
 * Bill Van Buren
 * "Sphere"
 * Gasbag
 * Named conscripts:
 * Animal
 * Mambridge
 * Peters
 * Rebel screen at the start of ep1
 * Misc game packs, Anthology, Generation, Game of the Year, etc.
 * References to Nineteen Eighty-Four? (Orange and Lemons, the Consul, Breencast, the book itself in garbage001a.vtf, etc.)
 * Hospital patients?
 * Prima guides
 * Orange box ost

Misc things to add

 * Jellyfish coverage in the Ap labs article, P storyline + 2 texture pics + earth creatures
 * http://kotaku.com/5552813/surprise-no-portal-2-party-at-e3
 * glados' stuff and screens in http://valvesoftware.com/publications/2008/GDC2008_PortalPostMortem.pdf
 * combine ceiling turret used as lamps above the vort in np
 * op4 mp powerups
 * ARG canon list
 * Add the Wasteland submarine infos
 * Add the ARG in the articles needing it, especially the timeline
 * Somebody wake up Shephard
 * Add scientist and guard quotes cut from decay
 * Add some scientist / guard quotes
 * HL on Dreamcast
 * Xen skybox in the portal files
 * C.C. letter to Kleiner
 * check some cpp files in the leak source code
 * source code also contain info on TF2, HL1 and CS:S
 * e3_seafloor_drive
 * dmc weapons
 * demo_camshaft
 * gman crow's name
 * http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Easter_Eggs
 * op4 haiku
 * ep_02.eli_silo_stoprightthere
 * http://www.gamespot.com/features/6112889/p-6.html
 * beta d3 sewers mess
 * ep2 crow glitch
 * factory sitting + cheaple head + desk + paper
 * fun wc maps, Laidlaw and not (boxing, domino, nether_01 etc)
 * Add the remaining info on canon and gearbox
 * Look! It's us!
 * Notes to the ApertureScience.com questions
 * Chopper rotor sounds - rooster sounds
 * http://forums.nashalife.ru/showthread.php?s=&postid=897701#post897701
 * Greedo sounds Shock Trooper
 * Brands, real and fictional, retail and leak
 * Voice actors info in rtb
 * advisor juvenile
 * ihv test
 * One of the ambient sounds heard in the Test Chambers is recycled from one of the Ravenholm's - which one?
 * Add RtB info for the Combine tech
 * Mention the placeholder guy in the Portal first video + pic
 * Mention the issue/inconsistency with the suit helmet in the HEV article
 * Develop the gas mask citizens part in the Citizens article
 * Nevsky Prospekt
 * leak trainingroom
 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VefS9oOqJc
 * Metrocops cut sounds
 * Who was Mr Valve based on?
 * Add the remaining info from Laidlaw's vault, which means 'a lot'
 * Mention the high number of survey teams sent on Xen and their corpses that can be found everywhere
 * Behind the scenes for Ravenholm and its evolution through the mappack and what remains of the old maps, especially the cart ride
 * bullsquid/headcrab/vort experiments in decay
 * Commentaries
 * Remaining achievements in related articles
 * Lamarr mod
 * Bremerton, WA for leak Coast maps

Names



 * Find possible real names of the Xen flora with conj names
 * Homo Sapiens Combinus?

Images

 * Damage icons
 * Finish replacing the boring infobox character pics by better ones (Dog, Grigori, Odessa)
 * http://www.hl-inside.ru/gallery/portal-trailer/?page=2
 * http://www.hl-inside.ru/gallery/aftermath-trailer/
 * http://www.hl-inside.ru/gallery/episode2-trailer/?page=25
 * Old alyx models + fixed textures one + explanation
 * ep2 grub nugget model
 * Add the P2 images of the Ap Labs in its gallery
 * Steam on mac pics (1, 2)
 * Alyx gallery captions + add the ones not included yet
 * Outlands gallery captions
 * focus emitter, crate (bs), trains/trams BM logos
 * from old HL1 trailers: beta headcrabs, tentacle, monorail, bullsquid, blue panthereye pics
 * Have a SDK model pic for each character model when possible
 * muscle car HUD icon: where is it?
 * more Episode Two trailer pics
 * HL2DM maps
 * cremator_street02
 * d1 under
 * d1 sewer
 * add the remaining HUD icons
 * other hl2dm sprays
 * mossman in the wf screens
 * proto church
 * depot inside
 * depot outside
 * wasteland depot
 * rail engine brushes
 * e3_strider park
 * leak sniper map
 * leak models: gman, eli, mossman, drop, gunship, kleiner (+ hl2), barney
 * A Strider impaling
 * Elites in NP
 * leak coast tunnels different
 * the remaining aperture props
 * Barney sans equipment.jpg orig
 * crashed gunship
 * more EMP Tool in Ep1
 * More, if not all endgame messages
 * APC firing rockets
 * eli leg
 * citadelfarnode.mdl
 * leak real-world posters and labels
 * np cellblock logos
 * decay room names
 * long bridge beta
 * Mortar Synth in the beta
 * White Forest Cyrillic directions sign
 * Pics for each Portal test chamber
 * Add more pics of City 17, Canals, Citadel, Ravenholm
 * Explain Aperture and Black Mesa names and logos
 * Add pics of the ongoing Nexus battle outside
 * eliden
 * black mesa cut posters
 * full rebel outfits
 * old posters comparison
 * wasteland_railbridge
 * alyx + eli depot
 * Hunter-Chopper fights in the canals
 * subt
 * trainstation in ep1_citadel_03
 * brush images of the BMRF trains
 * Victory Mine: ep2_outland_03
 * add the gnome to aps.com page
 * remake the Ap labs logo (not faithful enough)

Templates

 * The faction template terms are not appropriate for all factions
 * Reestablish the captions in the infobox images
 * "Dismiss" position issue