Resistance Guidelines

The Resistance:
Beyond the guns.

DISCLAIMER: This is currently in working, more may be added in the future, very little will be subtracted.
I did not create this guide.

A brief introduction:
The Resistance was formed shortly after the 7-hour war by men and women who refused to give up. They must have done it with big guns and a lot of anti-civil actions. Stick it to the man, right?

WRONG.

The military got completely destroyed by the combine army, what makes you think a rag-tag bunch of militants would do any better?

The resistance at first, were merely men and women who thought rather than acted. They lived in the Combine's world, in their cities, by their rules. That was at first. The original and primary goal of the resistance (Even today) was to preserve humanity. The intent was never to fight the Combine, but rather -Resist- it. Smuggling food and other items into cities became a priority, along with helping citizens leave these cities.

The Symbol of the Lambda was adopted to pay homage to Gordon Freeman, whose HEV suit was encrested with the same symbol. Freeman's legendary escape from Black Mesa and slaying of Xenian creatures, including the Nihilanth creature, which had enslaved the Vortigaunts prior to the Combine.

Why do they resist?

Because everything about the Combine goes against human nature and natural rights of Life, Liberty and Property, along with Freedom.

The Uniform:
The Resistance Uniform is made of jeans, gloves, combat boots, a beanie, a padded jacket, some steel plating, and the Kevlar of an MPF. The use of MPF Kevlar is for several reasons. A) It's abundant within the cites, B) It is mass produced, which makes it easier to get without killing the Unit attached, and C) The same reason that the Combine used humans to attack the earth during the Seven Hour war. Warriors in the past often wore armour, weapons, or even body parts of their slain foes to intimidate the enemy. It's the same basic idea.

Now the Uniform is more than just protection. Sure, it offers better defense than Citizen clothing, however it's also a symbol. It is worn to show your loyalty and dedication to human survival, along with your willingness to help others in need.

As an anti-combine Symbol, you can guess that the MPF don't take kindly to it. Which is why often a Resistance Uniform will only be worn within the city during a Resistance Conference, or during an event where they are likely to engage the MPF or even OTA.

Many Resistance members add to the symbolism of their own Uniforms by adding patches, or personal effects. For example, the Infamous Notch wears a total of six patches on his jacket currently, under his Kevlar. The Kevlar itself has a patch from the DvL he took it from.

The fighting:
Believe it or not, fighting is -not- the main priority of the Resistance. Many key members have little to no combat experience. They wear the vest as medics, suppliers, engineers, or humanitarians. If a group of Suited Citizens begins an assault on the MPF in any way, these are -not- Resistance members. They are part of a rebellion, which is dedicated to attacking the Combine directly. Rebels either die, or join the resistance upon self reflection. The might of the Combine is far too powerful to be rebelled against. (Remember, they have millions upon millions of soldiers. Thousands within the city, and many more not far away.)

Combat, if it happens, is usually guerrilla warfare, with a preference on hiding and using suppressive fire to escape a combat situation to a firefight in which there must be a victor. Because of this, Resistance members often excel at defensive combat and do not require heavy firepower, which is much more difficult to obtain.

The weapons:
A gun is all I need to become a member, right? Wrong. A gun is the last thing you need. In fact, many Resistance members would be reluctant to let you tag along with a gun. You need to prove you are responsible with it. These items are not easy to get. A lot of dealers are hunted down and killed for selling these. So think about them before you go swinging around your gun like it's your second set of genitalia. Learn to respect the weapon before you can claim to own it. Clean it, maintain it, learn how it works, it's history, and respect the fact that you hold in your hands the ability to END A LIFE.

Furthermore, ammunition is even rarer to come across than the weapon itself sometimes. Don't go shooting for fun. Target practice is fine, though often it isn't needed. Suppressive fire is not intended to hit, merely distract and contain.

Your weapon should be concealed at almost all times. If even one loyalist sees it, you could have your entire block arrested and hurt for what you've done. Which loses trust within the Resistance.

The MPF:
Okay, so you have the gun, and you've learned it's every feature and kink. So now we kill the MPF, right? Again, wrong.

Keep in mind what the MPF are. Humans. They are human beings in uniform. Some truly are monsters, yes. But the majority of the MPF are just humans trying to make a better living out of the situation forced upon them. These people have brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, possibly even lovers. Most deserve your pity and mercy rather than your hate and anger.

That being said, they can be talked to. Generally, the Resistance avoids the MPF like the plague. However, there are some situations where compromise can arise with the more humane members of the MPF, a famous example being the cease-fire on the docks, as negotiated between the Division Leader 042 and Maverick, under the decision of "None of us need to die."

Now, rogue units are rarer than bullets in this world. Between the Sectorial Commander and the Division Leaders, the MPF are either content with their position or terrified to leave. Don't try making friends with them. There will be rare cases where the Resistance gets the opportunity to have a Unit at their mercy, due to injury. The best thing to do is to aid them in any way you can. Remember: They are still human.

Propaganda:
As far as symbolism goes, nothing is more effective than propaganda. During the height of the resistance, Reaver, Irish and Ozone alike; propaganda was abundant throughout the slums. No matter the wording, the message was always the same: 'Resist'.

The general idea behind these posters were to inspire people to find the writers and learn more about the resistance. Those who succeeded rarely faded away. Notch, Sparrow, and Pig are all products of the "propaganda generation"

A poster can be as simple as the following:

They can keep you safe, yes.

But would you rather be safe, or free?

-RESIST-

The author would usually place their nickname at the bottom of the poster, to identify themselves if they wish to be found by others. (A double edged sword.)

Nicknames:
You may see a lot of men and women going by nicknames, either over the radio, in propaganda, or just in conversation.

The meaning of them are all varied, but usually refer to an event in the individual's life, or an act they performed. Some are chosen by the user, though many times the nicknames start just as that, what friends refer to them as over insecure channels such as the radio or in the slums.

Another advantage of a nickname is that the MPF cannot connect your nickname to your real name unless they've been told of the connection. (Metagaming is a bannable offense, so even though the nickname technically appears in the data file, they do not know the nickname is attached to you ICly until they learn that way.)

So How do I sign up?
Well, if you read above, the best way to join the resistance is to find members of the resistance and join up with them. Or make your own propaganda, which will attract them to you. The best plan of action is to lay low, write propaganda and post it in places that will gather little MPF attention at first. The slums are the best place. Sooner or later, you'll be discovered. By that time, you'll understand what it means to resist. You write of what you've seen or experienced and you learn how the city works.

So good luck, and maybe I'll see you in a suit someday.

Cool, cool. I'll sticky this later because it works well in my opinion. My request of you is to go back and edit names out with the names of the rebels in this community once more events happen. Replace the sewer fight with something we do at some point. Other than that this makes me happy.