The Gordon Freeman Paradox

Mini-Boss **Stature** : 7 Equestria

Here is a simple paradox or strange inconsistency in certain gaming stories (though it is not limited to games I think). It has you pitted against some really powerful foe that, say, the military usually, can't defeat. However hope is not lost, for whatever reason you, despite having no military training and being an average joe, are somehow more of a threat and/or more effective at eliminating the threat then the professionals are.

Like the title suggests, Gordon Freeman is probably the best example of this in gaming. If you played Half-Life or Half-Life 2, you play as Gordon Freeman and fight aliens in Black Mesa or the Combine Terraformed Earth. In Both situations the paradox is clear.

Half-Life: There are marines fighting in the facility against the aliens and you, but they somehow fail at both where you somehow succeed on your own.

Half-Life 2: The human military was destroyed by The Combine in 7 hours, when you play the game you can see why (A strider alone takes 6 rockets, which is more then you can carry with you). The Combine are also said to have conquered multiple dimensions/universes. Yet despite all this their biggest concern seems to be you, and again you seem to do a spectacular job on your own for the most part whereas the military failed to seemingly pose that much of a threat altogether.

Another key factor that helps define this is that there is nothing to insist that you are anything more or less then human (same with Gordon Freeman if I remember). It can also make the "all-powerful" enemy seem to fall quite short of how it is portrayed, in most situations I can think of anyway.

Boss **Stature** : 117 US

It's fiction, it doesn't have to be logical.

Subject: Re: The Gordon Freeman Paradox Mon Apr 04, 2011 7:34 am

It's because Gordon Freeman has relation to Morgan Freeman which makes him part God.

Can't explain that.

Mini-Boss **Stature** : 7 Equestria

BlackStigma wrote:: It's fiction, it doesn't have to be logical.

That is an axiom.

Subject: Re: The Gordon Freeman Paradox Mon Apr 04, 2011 12:12 pm

Interesting read. +1

Founding Father **Stature** : 264 **Playing** : Tu madre

Deus Ex Machina wrote:

BlackStigma wrote:: It's fiction, it doesn't have to be logical.

That is an axiom.

Regardless, the point still stand that fiction doesn't have to be logical.

Subject: Re: The Gordon Freeman Paradox Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:05 pm

It's not impossible that Gordon Freeman can do things a highly-trained military can't. It's simply unlikely, and it's in this low likelihood that we find entertainment. It's enjoyable to see people go above and beyond and successfully do risky things that are deemed impossible.

Subject: Re: The Gordon Freeman Paradox Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:09 pm

In Sweden we have a saying for these kind of things.

"Liten tuva stjälper ofta stort lass."

Translation: "Small tuft often overturns a big load."
Notes: Cf. "The straw that broke the camels back".

The thing is that most fictive works are often based around a smaller force then and mighty military.

But if you think of it this way, if you invaded a country or a planet the first thing you think about is most likely to wipe out the military. However the fight isn't over after military is gone, you see that most was are won or lost by the population and not the armies.

Subject: Re: The Gordon Freeman Paradox Mon Apr 04, 2011 4:37 pm

In Scotland we have a saying for these kind of things.

"Gordon Freeman is just one man and therefore this chap is more flexible than say an Army would be, and hence he would be alot harder to find and destroy for these Combine chaps. They could use overwhelming firepower and just decimate the area but they would destroy their own infrastructure and one might guess they don't want to do this."

Translation : Gordon Freeman is just one man and therefore this chap is more flexible than say an Army would be, and hence he would be alot harder to find and destroy for these Combine chaps. They could use overwhelming firepower and just decimate the area but they would destroy their own infrastructure and one might guess they don't want to do this.

Mini-Boss **Stature** : 7 Equestria

Blixtstorm wrote:: In Sweden we have a saying for these kind of things.

"Liten tuva stjälper ofta stort lass."

Translation: "Small tuft often overturns a big load."
Notes: Cf. "The straw that broke the camels back".

The thing is that most fictive works are often based around a smaller force then and mighty military.

But if you think of it this way, if you invaded a country or a planet the first thing you think about is most likely to wipe out the military. However the fight isn't over after military is gone, you see that most was are won or lost by the population and not the armies.

That is true, also since Gordon is one man and not a battalion, it would be easier to hide too. Now that I think about it, everything is conveniently set up for Gordon, like the striders, every time you fight one there is always an infinite rockets crate, for example. However the same cannot really be said for most individual firefights.

Bluenose wrote:

Deus Ex Machina wrote:

BlackStigma wrote:: It's fiction, it doesn't have to be logical.

That is an axiom.

Regardless, the point still stand that fiction doesn't have to be logical.

Teckno, I never said it didn't, you just repeated what BlackStigma and essentially I said. After all it is just an observation, not a complaint.

Grunt Leader **Stature** : 3

Who is Gordan Freeman?

The Judge **Stature** : 88

Pickles1337 wrote:: Who is Gordan Freeman?

Subject: Re: The Gordon Freeman Paradox Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:38 am

Pickles1337 wrote:: Who is Gordan Freeman?

He's the main character in the Half-Life franchise made by Valve.

Subject: Re: The Gordon Freeman Paradox Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:46 pm

Lord Epzaos wrote:

Pickles1337 wrote:: Who is Gordan Freeman?

He's the main character in the Half-Life franchise made by Valve.

the BEST FPS series around, duh

Subject: Re: The Gordon Freeman Paradox Tue Apr 05, 2011 4:16 pm

DukemNukem43 wrote:: the most overrated FPS series around, duh

Fixed.

Non-Essential NPC **Stature** : -6 Macedonia

he is chuck norris long lost brother..end the thread

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