White Forest
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Contents
Introduction
White Forest is a secluded rebel outpost in the outskirts of City 17. It is one of the new locations in Half-Life 2: Episode Two.
Architecture
White Forest is a decommissioned Cold War-era Soviet missile silo that was acquired by Black Mesa late in its history, though no apparent signs of this can be seen. By the time of the game it has become an important rebel HQ. Much of the base lies underground; it features many essential facilities such as communication rooms, pump stations, a garage, a helicopter hangar, and a launch control center. Also included are two missile silos: the primary silo is in use for building the rocket instrumental in closing off the Citadel superportal, and the secondary silo is abandoned. An enormous double antenna tower stands above the primary silo, serving as a notable landmark for the base as a whole. Certain concrete bunkers on the surface, while not visited, can be assumed to contain personnel quarters, and an unseen staff room is mentioned. In the compound itself, while players will often find themselves in narrow corridors, navigation is fairly straightforward.
Materials typically consist of bare concrete bunker walls, dirty concrete floors and rusted metal for frames and beams. Some walls have a coat of white paint with a green stripe along the bottom. Outside, the concrete is rougher and often overgrown with moss or covered under a layer of dirt and grass.
Environment
The base is located in a hilly and densely forested area, making it more difficult to access. On its southern side there is a deep valley with a shallow river which leads to one of the entry points to the base. To the north lies another, more expansive valley with smaller buildings, such as a sawmill, and other landmarks including a watertower, a single-track railway supposedly leading into the base, and two logging cranes. Many of these only appear to be there for scenic or referential reasons. Additionally, both valleys are connected through the garage within the base.
Inside, in line with its original military purpose, White Forest consists of utilitarian spaces commonly filled with computer equipment for rocket launch and surveillance monitoring as well as fuel/water lines and storage shelves. However, some of the places are more lived-in, such as one of the control rooms being partially repurposed as lounge. Pipes and wiring are ubiquitous throughout the environment, as are blast doors separating most hallways, and floors are usually littered with sheets of cardboard and plywood. Despite the base's derelict status, there are no immediate signs of disuse in the more occupied areas, suggesting some amount of upkeep, though parts of debris can be seen in unreachable areas outside, and the abandoned secondary silo is crumbling. Lighting primarily consists of warm colors, with pale white and hazard red lights seen in the more technical areas. Some of the compound's Soviet legacy is still present in the form of Russian signage for the various facilities and the red star symbol.
NPCs
The base is the current residence of Dr. Kleiner, Eli Vance and a new character, Dr. Magnusson, accompanied by a small garrison of rebel fighters, workers and technicians. Judith Mossman also stayed here at some point before her disappearance. The base is subject to multiple attacks. First, Combine Soldiers and Hunters invade the base by breaching through the secondary silo, and later Striders escorted by Hunters attempt to destroy the rocket silo from the outside. The player must fend off the Strider attack using a new weapon introduced in Episode Two, called the Magnusson Device.
