[Faction] The Citizen

[doyourweb]

The Citizen Faction Guide (HL2RP)​

“Obedience brings safety. Defiance brings consequence.”

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Introduction​

The Citizen is the heart of life within the Combine-controlled cities. Under the ever-watchful eye of the Universal Union, citizens are expected to work, obey, and survive.

In impulse: HL2RP, playing as a citizen offers a deep roleplay experience — whether you live as a faithful subject or secretly rebel against the Union.
This guide explains:
• How to live as a loyal citizen of the Union
• How to earn tokens, claim housing, and join the Civil Workers’ Union
• What happens when you choose to rebel and flee the city
• The basics of crafting, scavenging, and surviving beyond the walls

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Life as a Loyal Citizen​

The Combine’s cities run on loyalty and order. To live comfortably, follow the rules and prove your worth.

Daily Routine
Begin each day at the plaza. Attend broadcasts, respond to Civil Protection orders, and line up for ration distribution. Rations provide food and a few tokens — the Combine’s approved currency. Keep your CID visible, never argue with officers and if asked type /apply in the chat to show your CID.

Apartments
Citizens can rent or claim small apartments in designated blocks. Treat your living space with respect; inspections can happen at any time. Possession of contraband will lead to punishment or relocation.

Civil Workers’ Union (CWU)
Ambitious and obedient citizens can apply to the Civil Workers’ Union, a loyalist organization that manages factories, stores, city maintenance and hospitals. CWU members earn more tokens and can open legal businesses such as cafés or supply shops. On the other hand CWU members can work for health jobs.
Joining the CWU is the first step toward better living conditions and limited authority among fellow citizens.

Loyalist Advancement
Report suspicious activity, attend propaganda events, and cooperate with Civil Protection to earn favor. Loyal citizens may receive extra rations, medical priority, or improved housing. However, remember — loyalty draws envy. Rebels often target known collaborators.

Even within obedience, there’s depth: friendships, small acts of kindness, or secret dreams of freedom. A loyal life can still be meaningful — or a cover for something greater.

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Walking the Rebel’s Path​

Not all citizens obey. Some choose defiance — a path filled with danger and purpose.

Contraband and Black Market
Rebels seek banned goods: weapons, tools, radios, or medicine. You can find these through a Black Market Dealer hidden in the slums, or by scavenging abandoned areas. Carrying contraband is illegal; if caught, expect imprisonment or death.

Forming Groups
No rebel survives alone. Gather trusted citizens and create underground cells. Common hideouts include:
• Sewers – dark, winding tunnels ideal for evading patrols.
• Docks and Warehouses – abandoned industry zones for workshops.
• Outlands – the wilderness beyond the city walls, home to freedom and death alike.

Living in the Shadows
Pose as a loyal citizen by day and act against the Union by night. Smuggle food, sabotage Combine technology, or help fugitives escape. Stay quiet, move carefully, and keep your allies’ names secret.

High Risk, High Reward
Rebels can flee the city into the Outlands, scavenging old battlefields and ruins. You may find Combine tech, machine parts, electronics, or metal scraps used for crafting weapons and survival gear. Beware — Overwatch units patrol these areas. One encounter can end your story.

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Crafting and Survival​

Resourcefulness is your greatest weapon. Whether loyalist or rebel, crafting allows you to create tools, food, and defense items.

Crafting Basics
To craft, use specialized stations:
• Workbench – makes tools, small weapons, and ammo.
• Weapon Bench – for advanced firearms (illegal).
• Stove – cooks food and purifies water.
• Brewing Barrel – used to create moonshine or chemicals.

Crafting increases your skill level over time, unlocking new recipes and improving efficiency.

Common Parts
You can scavenge or trade for these materials:
• Metal Plates, Pipes, and Gears – basic mechanical parts.
• Electronics – used for EMPs, radios, and devices.
• Plastic and Glue – essential for weapons or armor.
• Bullet Casings & Gunpowder – reload or create ammunition.

Examples of Craftables
• Melee Weapons: Knives, axes, or cleavers from metal and wood.
• Lockpicks: Break into restricted areas.
• Ammo: Refill bullet casings with gunpowder.
• Firearms: Pistols, SMGs, and rifles — if you dare risk discovery.
• Explosives: Improvised bombs or EMP devices to disable Combine tech.
• Armor: Repurposed plates and cloth can make crude ballistic vests.
• Food & Drink: Bread, cheese, or moonshine — comfort or contraband.

A skilled crafter can turn scrap into power. A single crafted pistol or armor vest can mean survival in the next raid.

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Outlands Exploration​

The Outlands are beyond Combine control — wild, desolate, and full of danger.

Reaching them is perilous but rewarding. There, you can find rare loot: weapon parts, alien tech, old machinery.
However, you’ll face natural hazards and Combine Overwatch patrols. Move carefully, travel with others, and never linger when scanners are overhead.

Survival outside the city is about endurance — crafting, scavenging, and building makeshift shelters to avoid detection. The Outlands test every rebel’s resolve.

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Tips for Every Citizen​

• When your CID is asked by Civil Protection team, type /apply in the chat.
• Avoid running in the plaza or speaking ill of the Combine in public.
• If detained, cooperate; resistance worsens punishment.
• Never carry contraband unless you know a safe place to hide it.
• Build trust carefully — betrayal is common.
• Learn to craft useful tools early; they might save your life later.
• Roleplay your fear, obedience, or defiance authentically; the atmosphere thrives on realism.

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Final Words​

Every citizen walks a fine line between obedience and rebellion.
The Combine’s control is absolute — yet cracks still form in the walls of oppression.

Will you live quietly, serving the Union for safety and order?
Or will you risk it all for freedom in the shadows and beyond the city gates?

“In the darkness of oppression, even a single spark can start a revolution.”

 

[doyourweb]

Guide to Life as a Citizen under the Universal Union

Living under the Combine’s Universal Union regime is harsh, but as a citizen you have choices: endure as a loyal subject or risk everything by rebelling. This guide covers what a citizen can do in either path, how to form groups and hideouts, and how to use contraband and scavenged parts for crafting.

Living as a Loyal Citizen
As a loyal citizen of the Universal Union, your life is tightly controlled but relatively safer. You are the lowest social class under the UU’s rule, expected to obey without question. Here’s how to not only survive, but make the most of loyalty:

Daily Routine and Obedience: Line up at the designated ration distribution terminal when rations are announced. Rations provide your basic food and a few tokens (the city’s currency) for minor expenses. Always carry your CID (Citizen Identification) and comply with Civil Protection (CP) orders. Curfews and regulations are strict – follow them to avoid beatings or worse. Life as a loyal citizen is often about keeping a low profile and staying out of trouble.

Housing and Apartments: Citizens are typically assigned to communal apartments in sanctioned residential blocks. If you have some tokens, you may be able to rent or claim a small apartment room (depending on the city’s system). Keep it clean and don’t modify it without permission. There’s an official “Block Terminal” in many housing blocks where citizens can request or check apartment assignments. Your living space is a privilege – routine inspections by CPs can happen, so never store contraband there if you wish to remain in good standing.

Civil Work and Earning Tokens: Boredom and unemployment plague many citizens, but the Civil Workers’ Union (CWU) offers a constructive outlet. By signing up with the CWU, a loyalist organization, you can get a job working for the Combine’s approved services. CWU workers receive perks like slightly better food, access to medical supplies, and higher pay. You might work in a factory, a shop, or as a cleaner – any role that helps maintain society. Not only do you earn extra tokens (a CWU worker’s salary is higher than a regular citizen’s), but you gain trust with the authorities. CWU members can even set up businesses in the city, selling UU-approved goods to other citizens for profit (e.g. running a small cafe or a shop for clothes and home goods). This is a sanctioned way to improve your quality of life.

Loyalist Benefits: By being cooperative – reporting rebel activity, assisting the Combine authorities, attending propaganda rallies – you may earn “loyalist points” or simply favor in the eyes of the Combine. In practice, this can lead to better treatment. Particularly trusted citizens might get to live in better apartments or receive bonus rations. However, becoming a well-known loyalist also makes you a target of hatred for rebels. It’s a delicate balance in the city’s social dynamics.

Even as a loyal citizen, remember that survival isn’t just about rations and rules. Make friends, form simple clubs (book clubs, cleaning crews, etc.), and find small joys like chatting quietly with neighbors. The UU wants to crush spirits, but camaraderie with fellow citizens can make life bearable (just be careful that such gatherings don’t attract negative attention).

 

[doyourweb]

Walking the Rebel’s Path

Not all citizens remain loyal. Some choose defiance, secretly or openly. If you decide to rebel against the Universal Union, a very different experience awaits – one of danger, freedom, and purpose. The game mechanics don’t label you differently (you’re still technically a citizen by class), but your actions and alliances set you apart. Here’s what you can do if you rebel:

Obtaining Contraband: As a rebel, you’ll seek out illegal items the Combine has banned. Weapons, ammunition, tools like lockpicks, and even certain food or medicine count as contraband. You can obtain these through the underground economy. There is a Black Market Dealer character who “can trade contraband items” – this shady vendor sells things like bullet casings, gunpowder, homemade tools, even small firearms ammo. Be prepared to pay in tokens or trade goods; prices are steep due to the risk. You can also find contraband by scavenging (more on that later) or crafting your own. Keep any illicit goods well-hidden. If Civil Protection catches you with contraband, expect severe punishment (beating, imprisonment, or summary execution depending on the severity).

Secret Gatherings and Groups: One rebel alone doesn’t stand much chance. Fortunately, you can form a group of like-minded citizens. There’s no formal in-game faction creation for rebels – you do it through roleplay and trust. You might start by quietly whispering anti-Combine sentiments to someone you trust. In time, a small cell can form. The city offers a few hiding spots for clandestine meetups:

Abandoned Buildings: Derelict apartments or shuttered shops in the slums can serve as safehouses. Barricade the door, cover the windows, and you have a temporary base – just don’t stay too long in one place if the Combine start searching.

The Sewers: The underground sewer network is dank and maze-like, perfect for staying out of sight. Rebels often duck into manholes to evade patrols. Deep in the sewers, you might establish a more permanent hideout lit by stolen lamps, with supply caches and bedding. Just watch out for parasitic creatures down there (headcrabs love the darkness!) and the risk of getting cornered if discovered.

Warehouse District / Docks: If the city map includes industrial docks or warehouses, those areas are usually less patrolled at night. An old warehouse by the docks can hide a group of rebels and even serve as a workshop for crafting weapons. Noise is a concern – hammering and drilling to craft items might attract attention, so post lookouts.

Outlands: The ultimate escape is leaving the city altogether. Some brave rebels slip past the walls or through old canals into the Outlands – the wilderness and ruins outside urban centers. In the Outlands, you’re beyond the everyday reach of Civil Protection. Rebels out there sometimes band together as larger resistance camps. However, life is tougher (Combine gunships or OTA squads can sweep the area, and alien wildlife roams free). We’ll cover Outland living more below.

Guerrilla Actions: What can a rebel actually do against the Combine? Mostly sabotage and survival. You can stage hit-and-run strikes: for instance, use a crafted IED (Improvised Explosive Device) to blow up a Combine power generator, or an EMP device to knock out City scanners and cameras temporarily. You might ambush a lone Metropolice officer to steal his stun baton or handgun (extremely risky but rewarding if successful – armed resistance becomes possible). You can also focus on rescuing other citizens – if someone is about to be detained or sent to Nova Prospekt, a rebel plan could be to create a diversion and help them escape. Every action will raise your “wanted” level in the eyes of the UU. Eventually, the Combine may deploy the Overwatch (OTA) soldiers to hunt known rebels. At that point, you’ll be fighting seasoned, transhuman soldiers – something only the most prepared rebels can survive.

Staying Undercover: Not every rebel waves a flag openly. You might continue to pose as a loyal citizen by day, gathering intel and sabotage opportunities quietly. Perhaps you officially work as a CWU member or janitor to access restricted areas, while funneling info or supplies to your rebel friends. This double-life is intense RP, but very rewarding – just one mistake can reveal you. Use secret codes, hidden compartments in your apartment (a loose floorboard can hide a pistol), and misdirection to keep the Combine off your trail.

Rebellion is dangerous, but it gives purpose. The contrast in gameplay is stark: instead of simply surviving, you are actively challenging the game world. Even small victories (like distributing some stolen food to needy citizens, or spray-painting a Combine poster with a Resistance logo) can feel significant. Always weigh the risks; sometimes laying low is smarter until you have the resources to make a real impact.

 

[doyourweb]

Contraband, Outlands, and High-Risk Scavenging
Part of being a rebel is securing supplies that the Combine would never allow you to have. While the Black Market Dealer in the city is one source, the truly valuable contraband often lies beyond the city limits. Yes, as the question hints: you can try to flee the city to venture into the Outlands in search of parts and gear. This is one of the most perilous undertakings for a citizen, so be prepared.

Escaping to the Outlands: Cities are usually walled and monitored, but every city has its cracks. Perhaps a tunnel in the sewer leads out, or a destroyed section of the perimeter wall, or maybe you hitch a ride on a train and jump off before it reaches a Combine facility. In gameplay terms, some maps have an Outlands area or a way to transition to a separate Outlands map. Once you slip out, you are effectively a fugitive. The moment the Combine realize you’re gone, they may send Overwatch teams to sweep the outskirts. The environment itself can be hostile – think irradiated zones, lingering Headcrab infestations, stray Antlions, and no civil infrastructure. You need food, water, and shelter on your own.

Scavenging for Parts: Why go to the Outlands then? Because the big rewards are there. Beyond the city are battlefields of the Seven Hour War, ghost towns of pre-Combine civilization, and wreckage of alien tech. A resourceful citizen can scavenge all sorts of parts:

Electronic scraps: Broken City Scanners, gutted Combine interfaces, old radios – these yield circuits and electronics that are essential for crafting advanced gadgets (like an EMP or simply a makeshift radio to communicate with other rebels).

Mechanical parts: Factories outside city centers might have leftover machinery. You could find gears, pipes, and metal plates. An abandoned car, for example, provides metal (doors or chassis plates can be cut up) and maybe a battery. Tip: Bring tools like a wrench or screwdriver if you have them, to dismantle things quietly.

Combine technology: The Outlands may occasionally see downed Combine drones or even the remains of a drop-ship. If you stumble on a crashed drop-ship, you could retrieve a M60 turret barrel or Combine optical sensors. These rare parts let you craft high-end weapons. (In fact, the gamemode has a specific item “M60 Barrel” which is needed to craft an M60 machine gun – you won’t find that inside the city easily!)

Natural resources & food: Outside, you might forage wild plants or hunt small wildlife. Alien flora might not be edible, but perhaps you find an old farm with vegetables or a stash of canned food in a ruin. Clean water is hard to come by – if you find a water source, purify it by boiling if possible (using a stove or fire). Also, be on the lookout for headcrab meat – disgusting as it sounds, roasted headcrab or fish from polluted canals can keep you alive in a pinch. The gamemode even includes raw meat items and recipes to cook things like sardines or noodles for sustenance.

Risk of Overwatch Attacks: The OTA (Overwatch Transhuman Arm) are elite soldiers that don’t police the city day-to-day, but they are deployed for serious threats – like a known rebel safehouse or to eliminate escapees. In the Outlands, if an Overwatch patrol spots you, they will show no mercy. They are heavily armored, with AR2 pulse rifles, and often accompanied by City Scanner drones or even Hunter choppers. Your best defense is stealth: hide when you hear the metallic stomp of an OTA unit or the hum of a scanner. If you must fight, use the terrain – set traps (an IED rigged in a abandoned car can blow when an OTA squad passes by), or snipe from cover if you’ve managed to acquire a rifle. But the truth is, a lone citizen is outmatched by OTA forces, so usually the goal is to grab what you can and slip back into the city or deeper into the wild before they pin you down. Remember, high risk, high reward – those rare parts you scavenged could be game-changing for the Resistance, but you’ll need to survive the trip back.

 

[doyourweb]

Crafting and Using Scavenged Items
So, what can you actually do with all these parts and contraband items? The gamemode features a robust crafting system for citizens, allowing you to turn junk into useful gear. Whether you’re a loyalist looking to make a few extra legal items or a rebel building an arsenal in secret, crafting is the key to empowerment.

Workbenches and Tools: To craft items, you’ll generally need access to a workbench. There are a few types:

General Workbench: Used to craft basic items (small weapons, simple tools, etc.). As a citizen you can actually buy a General Workbench for yourself if you have enough tokens, but note it’s considered an illegal bench unless you’re CWU. (CWU Commercial workers are allowed to have one for making legal goods; if a random citizen has a workbench at home, the Combine will assume you’re up to no good!).

Weapon Bench: A specialized bench for assembling firearms and advanced weaponry. Only non-CWU citizens can purchase this (the authorities certainly wouldn’t let loyalists have a weapon bench). Owning one is extremely illegal, so rebels hide these in secret bases. This bench is required for crafting guns like pistols, SMGs, rifles, etc.

Stove: A cooking station for preparing food recipes. CWU members often have these to bake bread or cook meals to sell. As a non-CWU, you could still get a stove, but again it might raise suspicion if found in your apartment (why are you cooking something outside of standard UU-approved meals?). However, stoves are smaller and easier to conceal or justify than weapon benches.

Brewing Barrel: A special setup used to brew alcoholic drinks. Alcohol is banned contraband, so this is purely a rebel tool. If you find or steal a barrel, you can mix ingredients to ferment moonshine. The process in-game involves adding water, yeast, and spices into the barrel, then waiting as it brews. Successful brewing yields Moonshine (util_moonshine) – an illegal drink that you can consume or sell (the Black Market Dealer pays good tokens for moonshine). Just the smell of a brewing barrel could get you in trouble, so keep it far from prying eyes.

Crafting Skills: When you start out, you can only craft simple items. As you craft more, your crafting skill level increases, unlocking more complex recipes. This is an important gameplay progression. For example, at low skill you might craft a crude melee weapon, but you won’t be building an assault rifle or IED until you’ve gained significant experience (and the required parts). So, start small and work your way up. Every successful craft likely gives you some XP in the crafting skill. Higher-level recipes also often require a higher level bench (weapon bench for guns, etc.) as noted.

Example Craftable Items: Here’s a taste of what you (as a citizen) can create from various parts:

Melee Weapons: With some scrap metal and wood, you can create melee weapons for self-defense. For instance, combining a metal plate with some chunks of wood can yield a makeshift axe. With more materials, you could craft a cleaver (essentially a big knife) or even a sharpened combat blade. These weapons give you a fighting chance in close combat and are relatively easy to make. Just remember they are illegal to carry openly – hide them under your coat.

Lockpicks and Tools: Tired of locked doors blocking your escape? Craft some lockpicks! You can jury-rig a lockpick from common items – for example, two pieces of pipe and a bit of glue can be fashioned into a set of lockpicks. This tool lets you attempt to open locked doors quietly (game mechanics likely require a lockpicking skill check). Other tools include a pickaxe (for breaking through boarded doors or digging, made from metal and wood) and a drill (a complex item requiring metal, gears, electronics – useful for faster breaching or as a component in other crafts). Tools can also be traded to other players; not every rebel will have the skill to make them, so craftsmen are valued.

Ammunition: Ammo is scarce under the Combine, so rebels often must make their own. If you’ve collected bullet casings and gunpowder, you can craft bullets at a general bench. For example, with a bit of skill you can load pistol ammo using 2 bullet casings and 1 unit of gunpowder. Higher calibers (like rifle rounds or shotgun shells) need more gunpowder or casings, and you’ll need a higher crafting level to make those reliably. This means every firefight’s spent casings are precious – pick up used shells, as you can refill them!

Firearms: Yes, a determined citizen can build guns. It’s not easy, but the game allows crafting of several firearms once you have the right parts and a weapon bench. For example:

A handgun (like a .357 revolver) can be crafted from pipes, gears, glue, and refined metal plates.

A MAC-10 submachine gun (a small SMG) is one of the easier guns to make (needing some metal plates, a pipe, glue, etc. at low craft level). Its small size makes it concealable – perfect for surprise attacks.

An AK-47 assault rifle requires more components (multiple pipes, wood for the stock, gears, lots of refined metal) and higher skill, but provides serious firepower to a rebel squad.

Heavy weapons like the M60 machine gun are the pinnacle of craftable guns – you’ll need that special M60 barrel from the Outlands, plus additional gears, metal plates, etc., and top-tier crafting skill. The result is a formidable weapon that can even challenge Combine armored units… if you can find enough ammo for it!

Don’t forget attachments: you can also craft a suppressor to silence a firearm or a sniper scope to improve aim at long range (these require fine materials like electronics, plastic, and high skill). Equipping a silencer on your pistol can let you take down a CP quietly, and a scope on a rifle will help in long-range engagements from rooftops.

Explosives: We mentioned IEDs and EMPs earlier. Crafting these is advanced but possible. An IED (basically a homemade bomb) is assembled from large amounts of plastic, electronics, and gunpowder. It’s the kind of thing you build when you’re ready to make a big statement – or if you need to blow through a Combine gate or APC. Meanwhile, an EMP device (electromagnetic pulse) is a gadget that can disable electronics in a radius – great for knocking out Combine City Scanners, APC engines, or autogun turrets for a short time. Making an EMP requires electronics, metal, plastic, etc., reflecting the complex wiring needed. Carrying one around is extremely dangerous (if you’re caught, the Combine will assume you’re a high-value terrorist). Use it wisely – for example, to cover a retreat by shutting down their scanners and turrets.

Armor and Protection: Direct confrontation with the Combine is suicide without protection. Thankfully, you can craft some armor pieces. A common goal is to make a ballistic vest. To do this, you’ll need to obtain or create a ceramic plate – these plates are what stop bullets in body armor. You can actually craft a ceramic plate by refining metal and using industrial glue, or by salvaging a plate from a ruined Combine vest (if you looted an Overwatch soldier, for example). Once you have a plate, you craft a vest by combining it with strong cloth, more glue, and a bit of paint (to camouflage it). The end result is a “Salvaged OTA Ballistic Vest,” essentially repurposed Combine armor sized for a human. Wearing this gives you a fighting chance against gunfire (the gamemode likely gives you actual armor points when you equip it). Similarly, you can craft a protective helmet (using refined metal, cloth padding, etc.) to guard your head. And even a simple item like a facewrap (a bandana/scarf crafted from cloth) can help conceal your identity from cameras or hide the telltale lower-face scars of someone who’s been a fugitive in the Outlands.

Food and Medical Items: Not all crafting is about combat. You can use a stove to cook foods that are both tastier and more nourishing than standard UU ration paste. For example, with water and a bit of yeast you can bake fresh bread. If you come across fruit like apples, you can even bake an apple pie (requires apples, yeast, and milk – a luxury dessert in these times!). Dairy like cheese can be made if you find powdered milk and water. These foods not only restore health but also improve morale in RP. Sharing a homemade pie with your comrades in a hidden bunker can be a big roleplay moment. On the medical side, you might craft a splint for broken limbs (using wood pieces and cloth strips), or basic drugs if you have chemicals (though advanced medicine is mostly locked behind CWU medical or Combine tech). Still, being able to make a simple bandage or disinfectant from alcohol (hello, moonshine) can keep you alive.

As you can see, a citizen in this gamemode is far from powerless. You truly have the freedom to play how you want: be the obedient labourer who slowly gathers a fortune in tokens, or the crafty rebel engineer assembling weapons in the dark; you can be a helpful cook feeding the community, or a fearsome freedom fighter taking the fight to the Combine.

 

[doyourweb]

Final Tips:
Keep in mind that roleplay is key. Use these mechanics to enhance the story. If you’re a loyalist, maybe roleplay your daily work shifts and interactions with Combine officers. If you’re a rebel, give yourself goals like “establish a safehouse in the sewers” or “craft a pistol by the end of the week” and play them out. The city is alive and responds to your choices – a citizen seen as too complacent might draw less scrutiny than one who’s always nosing around alleys at night. Blend in when you need to, and strike when the moment is right.

Whether faithful servant or daring insurgent, the life of a City 17 (or City 8, City 24, etc.) citizen is what you make of it. Stay safe out there – or throw caution to the wind and push the limits of what a mere citizen can achieve! The Universal Union’s tyranny is not absolute; even the lowest citizen can spark hope or sow chaos in these dark times. Good luck out there, and remember: “Some brave citizens dare to stand against the Combine.” You could be one of them.