An Alternate History Prequel for Half-Life 2, 1941-1991

What Is 'Brand New For 1979'? In its simplest terms, Brand New For 1979 is a Half-Life 2: Deathmatch server with sort of a storyline behind it. You, the player, take the role of a Rebel fighter who has entered a makeshift training complex that spans several city blocks. Each location within the training complex (each map) is meant to sharpen your skills for later use against the against the Combine. Fair play and development of all fighting styles are encouraged here--In Brand New For 1979, your ability to dominate other players is rewarded, with the ultimate goal of achieving 12 kills in a row, or what is called "Postal". Achieving 12 kills in a row is considered quite an achievement, and a mark of your readiness to face The Combine outside of our training facility. For those of us who create and help maintain the server behind the scenes, we get a great deal of joy out of seeing the server grow and become more popular. We pride ourselves on fair gameplay, and zero tolerance toward players who don't respect the game, or other people. We've gone from an obscure server first launched in December of 2006 to a unique and well-known server in HL2DM circles, hosting 300-400 players per day on average. We have the unique distinction of hosting a themed collection of our own home-grown Deathmatch maps, many of which have spent upwards of a year in continual development and refinement--Maps which have consistently held the top spots of numerous HL2 customization sites worldwide. Our most complex map has undergone over 120 separate versions over the past year, each one better than the last. Despite our somewhat dark and dystopian approach to the game, the owner of this server and those in our clan are actually normal people. :) The average guy in our clan is about 35-40 years old, married, and owns a dog. We're not blood-thirsty psychopaths living out some sort of fantasy disco murder league. :) Above all, it's an experiment. It's a sideband to what the game really is, and we're having alot of fun exploring it, and developing it.. So sit back, grab a beer, and enjoy it with us! This ain't your momma's killbox server. :) As mentioned above, all of the non-Valve maps featured on our server are completely home-grown. They're all in perpetual development--often times, changes and gameplay refinements will be made on a nearly daily basis. We encourage our visitors to offer suggestions and criticisms on them, so that we can tweak the maps here and there to help improve gameplay for everyone. The net result is a series of logically interconnected maps that share the same gameplay flow, visual style, atmosphere, and attention to detail. We're very proud of them!

Where Does The Name 'Brand New For 1979' Come From? It's sort of complicated. :) Basically, it's a sarcastic reference to a marketing campaign undertaken by The Combine, as part of our alternate history storyline. For more information, refer to the timeline below. You'll get the joke once you read it. A subtle resentment and dislike of marketing and advertisements is one of the underlying themes of our server, incidentally--You'll see hints of it scattered over all of our maps. 'Brand New For 1979' is the collective name of the pieces of territory (each map!) won back from the Combine, an area spanning about 3 square miles in lower Manhattan. Beyond that, 'Brand New For 1979' was the name of the first book I ever saw on computers, and fell in love with... Lots of glossy pictures of giant machines with important people standing around.. It had quite an effect on me. The chosen name of the server is a small homage to it. :)

Our Design Inspirations A great deal of time and effort is placed into establishing a dark and almost disturbing mood as best we can -- Everything from the initial splash screen to the design of our custom maps, even down to the selection of music and sound effects that play beneath the action. While much of it is obviously insipired by Valve Software's original Half-Life series, there are other major design influences at play..Some of them a little eclectic and unusual. For example, the early music of The Human League from 1977-1980 (they sounded much, muuuuch different before they were famous), Devo, man's involvement with technology, old 8-bit computers, and the cult classic film "The Warriors" and "Rollerball" from 1979 and 1975 respectively. We've tried to establish a sense of fear and futility, of fighting against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle--The repressiveness of corporate-feudal states, the marketing lies that come with them, and their effect on people in general. At the core of that, we're trying for something that's best described as the internal conflict of the human psyche -- That 'good' things are also in some small way, 'bad', and that we, the player, are forced to reconcile our place between the two. For example, the simple act of killing people with guns and rockets within the game is certainly fun and exciting--however, the same action is inherently evil, and reprehensible in a moral context -- Your 'fun' is also subconsciously training you to be a more efficient murderer in real life. Our server's deeper purpose is to serve as a stage for this sort of self-inquiry. Where do you place yourself between good an evil? Over time, you'll find our server is intentionally peppered with this and other examples of extremes. Each serves as an opportunity to examine the question. Of course, if you like, you can simply ignore all the heady background meaning we've developed and simply enjoy the game as a game. That's fine too.. But, just know there's also alot at play behind the scenes than you might realize. :) The black and grey images you see plastered to the walls are representative of different facets of human behavior. The juggler, for example, represents the middle of the spectrum of good and evil--it neither cares nor is dispassionate. The image is both entertaining and somewhat sinister in its appearance. Many of the others are left up to the viewer to decide. The choice of black and grey also ties in with the storyline we've developed, shown below. The whole notion of the pictures themselves was inspired by the background slideshows used during early Human League performances in the late 70's, something which added a sense of context to the music, and helped set the mood for the performance. Rollerball is a good example of what we draw inspiration from. It's a terrible film, but many of the themes within it have parallels to what we're doing. The dignity of the individual as opposed to the corporation, the natural human inclination toward senseless violence, and the need to discern the line where sport begins and life ends. If the Half-Life saga were played out on a roller derby rink, it would be Rollerball.

In-Game Event Timeline 1941 - The United States of America enters World War II There used to be a time when the American people trusted their government; neighbors were neighbors, and the average Joe had a chance to succeed.. But overseas, things weren't so rosy. Europe was already host to a number of up-and-coming dictatorships that fed off the public's discontent. Resentment over the wounds caused by World War I, widespread economic collapse, and the growing division between the 'haves' and 'have nots' drove many to seek a drastic change of course. Germany, depressed by decades of such misery, became seduced by charismatic madman named Adolf Hitler. From depression came nationalism, from nationalism came delusion, and from delusion came war in the summer of 1939. Overnight, the war machine grew, and spread like a cancer thruought Europe. Morality took a backseat to Hitler's thirst for land and blood. Confronting the ineveitable, the United States throws it's hat into the ring, pouring gasoline on the fires of Hitler's war of insanity. 1944 - Germany detonates an atomic bomb over Manhattan, killing 2 million. Those of us still around, we call it the Black and Grey, for how the sky looked above Manhattan on that cold grey morning.. What happened that morning changed everything, and everyone, forever. The survivors described it as speck of black sand falling toward Earth, followed by a silent, blinding white light as if the sky were ripped open by heaven itself. A 15 megaton hydrogen bomb was airburst over the island of Manhattan, unleashing a shockwave they say could be felt as far as Mexico City. Two million died in the blink of an eye that morning, either vaporized or turned to blackened cinders by wave after wave of fire so intense that it turned the shores of the Coney Island to molten glass. From Harlem to Battery Park, there was nothing but miles of charred rubble, fire, and ash. It was death beyond all death ever felt, ever seen, heard or known ever before--a type of horror that words cannot describe. Even the German people were appalled at what they had done to us, but the war marched on. Some called the Black and Grey a victory, others a loss. Some called it necessary, some called it senseless. Some called it God. Others called it the Devil. Some called it the dawn of a new age; others called it the end of time itself... But we call it the Black and Grey. Just one speck of sand in the sky, on a cold dark October morning that forever plunged New York, America, and the world's soul into black and grey. 1944 - Radiation levels force a mass migration of survivors away from New York. A mass exodus began as the remaining inhabitants moved away, fearing the fallout and the residual radiation that came with it. Others moved away, sensing the inevitable--Germany's westward march across the Atlantic toward North America. The writing was on the wall, and with America still reeling from the events of the Black and Grey, the future of the nation became uncertain. The stress placed upon the Government to both sustain the war effort and assist in the evacuation effort at the same time caused many to speculate that America itself may not survive the war. Crippled but still in the fight, America dug in its heels and prepared for the worst as the shadow of the Nazi war machine cast further and further westward. Many of the refugees moved west and south, still loyal to the flag. Others, knowing that leaving only meant weakening an already strained nation, opted to stay and live our their days in hell, without support, without hope. With New York essentially destroyed, the economy collapsed, and took everything down with it. America fell to its knees. 1945 - Germany begins a massive land invasion of the eastern U.S. No one could have imagined how bad things became. They arrived by the thousands. The "black butchers".. German soldiers, their bodies covered with fallout aprons and their skin covered with coal tar and pitch to minimize radiation exposure emerged overnight. Men in gasks masks with flamethrowers, demolition crews, snuffing out the last of those who stayed. The streets of New York fell silent but for the growl of Diesel truck engines, and the whispers and squeaks of of German patrol radios--Block by block, street by street, what wasn't levelled by the bomb was demolished. For months on end, fire consumed the rest of the city in a show of force that would haunt America's psyche for generations to come. What was already hell on earth became more than hell. The sky, blackened from fire and destruction, plunged the city into perpetual night for the next 3 years. 1946 - Germany detonates another H-Bomb, this time over Washington, D.C. Some called it an 'excessive show of force'. The official line from the Reichstag in Germany called it a 'successful test of their ongoing nuclear program, and testament to european scientific superiority'; a backhanded insult which reduced the center of democracy in the Western Hemisphere to a nuclear test site. With America on it's knees, and most of Washington D.C. having already been evacuated ahead of the German invasion in '45, Washington D.C. met a similar fate to that of Manhattan. By that point, however, the seat of American leadership had already migrated further inland to the central states, weakened, but still alive. The economy continued to collapse and the American war effort imploded. Unemployment, mental illness, war fatigue, and the refugee problem eventually became too much for the government to handle. The only sane option that remained was to capitulate, and accept the terms of the first military defeat in America's 170 year history. 1946 - With military defeat inevitable, the United States surrenders. The President came over the airwaves that night.. You could see the sorrow in his eyes, the strain in his voice, the years of war having taken their toll on his face. Effective immediately, the Army of the United States of America was ordered to publically surrender, leaving the nation in a blackened mix of disbelief and fear. For the first time since the late 1700's, America became subject to foreign rule. Many knew it was inevitable; still others would prefer to die in a flash of brilliant light than be subject to the machine that would soon strip their freedom and replace it with institutionalized obedience. 1946 - The US Government is dissolved, leaving states to fend for themselves. For a while, there was talk among neighboring states of forming smaller nations out of the chaos, preferring a Civil War-style succession from the union rather than go along with the central government.. They quickly gave way to the 'every man for himself' mentallity at the state level. Everyone waited, to see what would happen next. Split down the middle and sensing the end, rioting soon engulfed major cities, eventually spreading to suburban areas. Rural areas saw an influx of refugees, which only served to worsen the domino effect already taking place on the East Coast. Some people turned to God. Others turned to Smith and Wesson. Effectively decapitated, the American government was powerless to affect any sense of order or control---Anarchy descended upon the population, and conditions began to spiral out of control as different facets of society began to shut down. First it was fuel, then electricity, then basic necessities like food and water. Those smart enough to stockpile in advance of the rioting only found themselves the first victims of the mobs. State-backed militias were formed, but often proved ineffective at restoring order. Outbreaks of mob violence were common. The fabric of civilization had become unravelled, setting us back 500 years to a loosely connected series of enclaves, each subject to their own currency, culture, and definition of law and order. 1946 - Unable to maintain order, State governments form corporate-backed armies. West Virginia was first to do it, but the rest of the states soon followed..Liquidation of the state treasury, and using the resulting funds to purchase protection and security services from multinational corporations who were already busy profiting from the war, as they always have.. Practically a cottage industry. You'd get a knock on your door from the local labor union reps or militia, ordering you to report to some bar or grocery store, where you would be sworn into service in the 149th Armed Regiment of the Army of General Electric and the like, given a uniform, and whatever weapons that could be confiscated from the locals. It wasn't much to start with, but it got the ball rolling. Corporations are good at that. Want food on the table for your family? Put on your Hewlett-Packard jumpsuit, grab your gun, and go patrol the block for Krauts. Thats how it was! Two blocks up, you have 100 guys in IBM polo shirts and hats guarding a water treatment plant, and next door to that, there's 50 guys in Taco Bell uniforms setting up sniper nests on rooftops. Hey, at least you knew who was who! 1947 - America's corporations mobilize to fight German expansion and occupation. Pretty much to everyone's surprise, the corporate armies were surprisingly effective at stemming the tide. The Germans found themselves in a quagmire after a few months, as the corporations threw tons of force at the problem. The casualties were enormous, but we're talking about a civilian army numbering in the tens of millions versus a relatively small German occupation of the upper East Coast. Whoever wasn't directly involved in the fighting was sent off to restore order and bolster defenses in the midwest. Parts of the old America began to re-emerge.. the 'Give 'em Hell' attitude, the willingness to put the needs of others ahead of your own.. The movement began to pick up steam as news came back from the front of small victories, and the shadow of anarchy gave way to a new spirit of cooperation..man to man, city to city, state to state. 1948 - Ford Motor Company, Lockheed, and Dow Chemical form military divisions. Things really began to take off once the heavy hitters rolled into town. Lockheed's Army alone numbered nearly a million people, made up of mostly Canadian and Mexican/South American immigrants seeking work in a completely devastated global economy. It was amazing, for a time.. To see so many people function as a single organism, slowly devouring the edges of Germany's forward push. It restored a sense of pride to a nation of people who had spent years without any real sense of hope. To their credit, the corporations took the country out of the depths of chaos, and turned it into a fairly well-managed, albeit militarized, nation of people willing to fight to get their country back. You know how it goes.. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.. As time went on, the corporation's recruitment efforts began to pay off.. Between the heavy hitters like Ford, Lockheed, Dow, and IBM, the ranks of the resistance numbered about 14 million by some estimates. Between people fleeing the war, and people then flooding back into North America seeking work, the end of the decade bore witness to the single largest mass exodus in human history. 1950 - Depleted from the war, Germany's westward expansion grinds to a halt. 1951 - World War 2 officially ends. Most of the east coast is now New Germany. 1952 - A massive effort to decontaminate New York (now 'New Berlin') begins. 1953 - A war-weary population looks to it's corporations for civic leadership. 1954 - A new nation is formed, comprised of 39 states, and 5 corporate-states. 1955 - Germany hires Ford, Lockheed, and U.S. Steel to help the Reconstruction. 1956 - The New Republic of America enjoys a peaceful coexistance with Germany. 1957 - Reconstruction efforts bring post-war America and Germany closer. 1958 - Decontamination of New Berlin and Washington D.C. continues. 1962 - New Germany declares itself a sovereign nation, separate from Germany. 1963 - Unable to finance another war, Germany agrees to sever its ties. 1970 - New Germany joins the New Republic of America as the 40th state. 1971 - The 'Combine' is formed through a union of decontamination companies. 1976 - As New Berlin nears completion, the Combine seeks to retain power. 1977 - The Combine draws up plans for a military occupation of New Berlin. 1978 - Ads promoting "NEW BERLIN - BRAND NEW FOR 1979!" appear overnight. 1978 - The nation is deluged with ads promising free housing in New Berlin. 1979 - New Berlin is reopened--a shining new city, ready for inhabitants. 1979 - Millions of excited Americans rush to repopulate New Berlin. 1979 - The Combine immediately declare martial law in New Berlin. 1979 - Rebel factions form, and begin taking back New Berlin block by block. 1979 - Fighting escalates. Rebels begin taking back areas of New Berlin. 1979 - Plans are drawn up for a training facility to help fight the Combine. 1979 - Luna Park, The Hellhole, and the Meatgrinder District are won back. 1979 - A training area is established, sarcastically named 'Brand New For 1979'.