The Anatomy of a Zombie...

[sasuke2490]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwb6mqIiuoY

1:15-1:22 theres your answers

[Jonny_Nibbz]

@Darthvoorhees

Here’s something I noticed. You’d think that a normal zombie is just like any other, you HAVE to aim for the head, especially moreso with the headcrabs, it’s what’s making the person a zombie. But, you can shoot anywhere and still kill the zombie. How does that work, does the victim still need to be alive or what? If that’s the case, how do you explain fast zombies, which are already ROTTING, or the zombies who you cut in HALF and still come after you. Hell, when shooting fast zombies unless you aim for the head you’re just shooting bones and little bits of flesh.

So how does this work? The zombie physiology makes no sense.

I figured that the headcrab would detach because the body proved too weak, and would choose to rather mount something that managed to protect itself. I’m not so sure about why they keep going after someone cuts them in half.

[Spork]

This thread looks like its talking about hl2 beta.

[Zeus]

Awright, since nobody has answered OP’s question, I will. From what I’ve seen in both HL2 and HL1, Headcrabs can rotate themselves and move around while mounted on a human head, as depicted on a headcrab wiggling around on a scientist’s head shortly after the RC in the beginning of Unforeseen Consequences.

[Jonny_Nibbz]

Thanks. That perfectly answers it, I never noticed that before. Now, since the question has been answered, the thread will likely die, or many will come and ignore my question and continue pondering on the anatomy of a zombie.

Following the latter, I’m marginally confused as to how a poison zombie manages to breed multiple poison headcrabs, while the other headcrabs don’t breed as quickly. Do Poison headcrab eggs hatch quicker?

[DeleteThis]

How is that a Zombine Assassin? It doesn’t even look like a girl!

[Medevilae]

@Bluemen230

How is that a Zombine Assassin? It doesn’t even look like a girl!

lern2beta

It is a ALIEN assassin.

@Andy0101

^ This. The brain and most of the head are preserved during zombification. Headcrab attaches to host’s nervous system trough the brain. Zombie and zombine sounds are produced using the human’s speech organs. Also, the host is still somewhat aware of itself, which suggests that their brain is indeed still present and not completely taken over by the headcrab.

Gah. Stupid forums wont included quoted quotes.

Anyway, your quote about “the zombie sounds played backwards…” It’s used very often, and it’s not your fault, but it pisses me off because it’s wrong. The zombies sounds are (and quite noticeably,) audible phrases when played normal. They don’t have to be played backwards.

[AntiBeast]

Well, this explanation doesn’t work well for the zombines… I cant explain them… but as for the regular zombies I would say that the host is unconscious…

The zombies always talk backwards, a trait of our subconscious selves. https://mentalhealth.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=https://www.reversespeech.com/

However since valve decieded that for some reason zombines had to be different, its hard to explain it without going hardcore sci-fi and saying that the headcrabs absorb the brain, thus giving them the knowledge of speech, and any sounds you hear are coming from the headcrab its self… But thats just lols.

Edit: I just got done actually reading what everyone else had to say…

@Termo543

I heard that the host is merely unconscious. Alive but unable to control the body. Hence the screaming noises. The headcrab needs the host to be alive.

seems to be in agreement with what I said about their state of consciousness.

Oh, and this thread makes the Half Life zombies cooler I always perceived them as being dead due to the fact that anyone who was just freshly coupled or those who have yet to zombify fully always appeared lifeless… Be it in Opposing Force or just after the test chamber in HL1. But yeah. Fun, trying to explain something with no actual explanation.

[Andy0101]

@Medevilae

Anyway, your quote about “the zombie sounds played backwards…” It’s used very often, and it’s not your fault, but it pisses me off because it’s wrong. The zombies sounds are (and quite noticeably,) audible phrases when played normal. They don’t have to be played backwards.

Umm, I just checked the sound files and all phrases sound like “Yabba, my icing!” if they are not reversed. Only after they are reversed they make sense, and sound like “Help God, help me!”.

EDIT: However, I don’t know where did they find phrases like “Get it off me”, “Why, why, why!?”, “Gaaaah, I’m on fire!”, “My life’s fading!”, “My eyes sting!” and “Put it out!”. Everything I hear is “Help God, help me!” (i.e. “Yabba, my icing!” if not reversed)

[Fnoigy]

@Jonny Nibbz

Now, since the question has been answered, the thread will likely die, or many will come and ignore my question and continue pondering on the anatomy of a zombie.

Well, since you asked your question initially extremely broadly, yes I think that people may keep talking about headcrab anatomy.

And yes, headcrabs actually USED to have eyes in HL1.

Under the front legs, you can see them. For some reason, they took them out for HL2, and I have no idea why.

@Darthvoorhees

So how does this work? The zombie physiology makes no sense.

That’s still anatomy, physiology is chemistry and I doubt Valve actually thought it out. Physiology would be something like headcrabs having high amounts of acetylcholinesterases in their blood, and when they latch onto a host they release them into the host’s brain, inhibiting neural function.

@Andy0101

Umm, I just checked the sound files and all phrases sound like “Yabba, my icing!” if they are not reversed. Only after they are reversed they make sense, and sound like “Help God, help me!”.

Hey, they could all be Fred Flintstone!

Also, the reason why they die even if you shoot them in the foot is because it’s still a video game.

[Fnoigy]

All the cool people double-post.

[mrfohlin]

^
But, but, you aren’t cool!

[_amp_955_dam]

Headcrabs seem better without eyes, they can use their sense of touch, sound and smell to find their victims.

[Dias]

Bro tip: eyes or no eyes, a headcrab has the same field of view as a human.

[mechaelite]

@Jonny Nibbz

Following the latter, I’m marginally confused as to how a poison zombie manages to breed multiple poison headcrabs, while the other headcrabs don’t breed as quickly. Do Poison headcrab eggs hatch quicker?

it seems how the combine have ‘‘evolved’’ them into poison/black and fast they have new habbilities but also they aren’t so good:

the fast headcrab can now run but when it get’s a victim it will destroy practically all of it letting just the bones and some dead meat for the worms. Also it’s more weak than the normal 1

The black/poison headcrab have a longer jumping range, has more hp than normal headcrabs and can attach to A victim’s back when 1 of it’s mates is on the head. But is slower than the normal headcrab and will only ‘‘run’’ (if we can call that lot of sh***t run) when got shot.