By Haruspis Go To PostDiscovered this community through a feature on my blog that said I'd been linked in this thread. Thank you very much for your kind words, Wesley and Wahrer. :')Are you spying on our people? ;)
You're quite welcome, Haruspis. I've been lurking your blog for a while now. It's partly what inspired me to start really digging into Halo lore myself to learn about its complexities and intricate detail. This is truly one of the best sci-fi narratives out there.
I was on the fence about Hunters in the Dark, but reading your analysis of things that happened in it and how it relates as a whole, I think I'll need to re-read it. I absolutely loved Broken Circle, but Hunters was a bit more vague and perhaps I need to retread those pages.
By Wesleyshark Go To PostAre you spying on our people? ;)I am now! :P
You're quite welcome, Haruspis. I've been lurking your blog for a while now. It's partly what inspired me to start really digging into Halo lore myself to learn about its complexities and intricate detail. This is truly one of the best sci-fi narratives out there.
I was on the fence about Hunters in the Dark, but reading your analysis of things that happened in it and how it relates as a whole, I think I'll need to re-read it. I absolutely loved Broken Circle, but Hunters was a bit more vague and perhaps I need to retread those pages.
I'm thrilled that my writing played a part in your wanting to dig deeper into the lore, you're now down a rabbit hole in which there is no end. ;)
Broken Circle was marvellous, though I do wish that it had been split into two books - the first half paying off the stuff that was set up in 850BCE, the second book focusing on the second half set in 2552 with the Refuge and Schism. Nevertheless, Shirley did a wonderful job.
I can see why Hunters in the Dark might be a bit of a tougher read to nail down a solid opinion on, I felt similarly on my first read (though I was mainly looking for lore tidbits). My second read really boosted my impression of the book though, the meaningful human-Sangheili interactions between the likes of Usze and Vale, and N'tho and Kodiak was simply wonderful. And it was really cool to know that so much of the book took place in locations that we've actually visited in Halo 3. The moment where they walk past the corpses of the two Scarabs outside the Citadel was beautifully nostalgic.
By SgtOra Go To PostHow do you disable gifs on mobileCheck your browser's settings.
Also, Haruspis, I'm just becoming aware of your blog now, and digging in...
That's some good stuff, mang.
By Poodlestrike Go To PostCheck your browser's settings.We'll see ya in about a week. Good luck Poodlestrike. ;)
Also, Haruspis, I'm just becoming aware of your blog now, and digging in…
That's some good stuff, mang.
By Haruspis Go To PostThanks all! :')Your blog is so nerdy, I love it.
By SgtOra Go To PostHow do I disable gifs? And I only have 1GB of data which works well when it's mostly textThere are extensions on the store to disable them, or you can get the imgur gif to gifv extension.
By SgtOra Go To PostiOS 9 betaOut of luck then.
So, I just tried modernizing one of the old cut concepts from Halo 2:
The Special Purpose Sniper was more than likely the late predecessor to Jackal Snipers in Halo 2, giving the Covenant a dedicated unit for use at range. In the picture on the left its actual anatomy (what are the "spines" connecting to?) is kind of hard to determine, though the devs went over its function(s) in the Halo 2 Cut Content vid, noting that its arms (so I'm assuming three extremities out of its two arms / two legs) would be used like a tripod but didn't actually function as a single three-limbed unit, meaning it would kind of feel its way around the environment. It could also flip from side to side, possibly using two weapons, and could hang from buildings and trees - with that in mind, it's easy to see how it could have been deployed extensively throughout High Charity.
I redesigned it with the idea of it originally being a form of amorphous undersea life that the Prophets eventually appropriated for hazardous environments and procurement of underwater Forerunner artifacts (see situations like Regret's underwater temples). All the bubbly sort of "pods" on the original as well as its thin, bony limbs made primarily of keratin or cartilage with blocked-out muscle definition made me think it could be kind of a flimsy species with muscular frilly stuff hanging out of its "bones," being just as alien (if not moreso) than the Hunters - especially in that it lacks a real bipedal form. The singular(?) "brain" unit housed in the helmet would taper off into a double-ended carapace sort of thing that was fed into an anterior and posterior end of a chamber that serves as a thoracic cage: the alignment of the arms and legs run perpendicular to one another. The arms are a bit nebulous in that they aren't explicitly connected to anything beyond the suit, but the idea is that its entire body is mostly detachable, "wireless" and prehensile, similar to squids.
The two ends of the spines or central nervous system in turn run down into dexterous metal tubes that eventually feed into a chalice-like compartment that essentially functions as half of a pelvis on either side. This, in turn, leads down into the two extremities (legs) and feet. All of its actual digits are rubberized or made using some type of nanite polymer; its actual exposed sections (mainly the neck and "hair" feeding into the posterior end of the thoracic cage) are likewise protected by the material, which is why they look different than the actual limbs.
Additionally, to aid in vacuum environments or those with substantial atmospheres / levels of gravity, they have small gravimetric modules on the back of their hands and feet. While these can be used to make jumps, aid in climbing surfaces or latching onto walls, they can also use them to fire off weak, short-range repulsor blasts if an enemy gets too close.
As alien as they are, they do still show a modicum of respect towards their superiors; when confronted with an Elite Officer, for example, they may attempt to contort themselves into a bipedal form by using the feelers on the sides of either spine-leg thing to "zip up" into an extremely uncomfortable-looking humanoid form. There could also be an occasional idling animation where the SPS tries to reconcile its bipedal form only to have puppet-like movements where the arms and legs appear to move in sync (see above pic to the left).
Enemies permitting, I could also see them performing some absolutely brutal feats due to being only mildly sentient and not fully understanding other anatomies; grabbing marines by both ends and using their grav-modules to rip them in half, Dredd-style punching through faces, etc.
Man, this place is bringing the megaposts back to me.
The Special Purpose Sniper was more than likely the late predecessor to Jackal Snipers in Halo 2, giving the Covenant a dedicated unit for use at range. In the picture on the left its actual anatomy (what are the "spines" connecting to?) is kind of hard to determine, though the devs went over its function(s) in the Halo 2 Cut Content vid, noting that its arms (so I'm assuming three extremities out of its two arms / two legs) would be used like a tripod but didn't actually function as a single three-limbed unit, meaning it would kind of feel its way around the environment. It could also flip from side to side, possibly using two weapons, and could hang from buildings and trees - with that in mind, it's easy to see how it could have been deployed extensively throughout High Charity.I redesigned it with the idea of it originally being a form of amorphous undersea life that the Prophets eventually appropriated for hazardous environments and procurement of underwater Forerunner artifacts (see situations like Regret's underwater temples). All the bubbly sort of "pods" on the original as well as its thin, bony limbs made primarily of keratin or cartilage with blocked-out muscle definition made me think it could be kind of a flimsy species with muscular frilly stuff hanging out of its "bones," being just as alien (if not moreso) than the Hunters - especially in that it lacks a real bipedal form. The singular(?) "brain" unit housed in the helmet would taper off into a double-ended carapace sort of thing that was fed into an anterior and posterior end of a chamber that serves as a thoracic cage: the alignment of the arms and legs run perpendicular to one another. The arms are a bit nebulous in that they aren't explicitly connected to anything beyond the suit, but the idea is that its entire body is mostly detachable, "wireless" and prehensile, similar to squids.
The two ends of the spines or central nervous system in turn run down into dexterous metal tubes that eventually feed into a chalice-like compartment that essentially functions as half of a pelvis on either side. This, in turn, leads down into the two extremities (legs) and feet. All of its actual digits are rubberized or made using some type of nanite polymer; its actual exposed sections (mainly the neck and "hair" feeding into the posterior end of the thoracic cage) are likewise protected by the material, which is why they look different than the actual limbs.
Additionally, to aid in vacuum environments or those with substantial atmospheres / levels of gravity, they have small gravimetric modules on the back of their hands and feet. While these can be used to make jumps, aid in climbing surfaces or latching onto walls, they can also use them to fire off weak, short-range repulsor blasts if an enemy gets too close.
As alien as they are, they do still show a modicum of respect towards their superiors; when confronted with an Elite Officer, for example, they may attempt to contort themselves into a bipedal form by using the feelers on the sides of either spine-leg thing to "zip up" into an extremely uncomfortable-looking humanoid form. There could also be an occasional idling animation where the SPS tries to reconcile its bipedal form only to have puppet-like movements where the arms and legs appear to move in sync (see above pic to the left).
Enemies permitting, I could also see them performing some absolutely brutal feats due to being only mildly sentient and not fully understanding other anatomies; grabbing marines by both ends and using their grav-modules to rip them in half, Dredd-style punching through faces, etc.
Man, this place is bringing the megaposts back to me.
Are those Special Purpose Snipers related to the cut Snipers that were supposed to be a new configuration of Hunter worms?
By thornXBL Go To PostAre those Special Purpose Snipers related to the cut Snipers that were supposed to be a new configuration of Hunter worms?
The Special Purpose Snipers aren't ever mentioned as being part of the sniper / tankbeast dichotomy, but there are some similarities.
I think it's actually the "Alien Trooper" that was meant to be the Hunter because it had similar flipper-feet that would curl up in some of its concept art, and was specifically mentioned as a "predecessor to the Hunter."
I think it's reasonable to think the two may have shared some common ground early on in development only for the SPS to be its own thing and not a Lekgolo configuration, though.
Finished CE Legendary co-op; small bug on The Maw almost doomed me though
http://xboxclips.com/Thorn+Harvestar/9232d61a-fa61-49dc-b14a-5c644ffe9892
http://xboxclips.com/Thorn+Harvestar/0eb26ac3-c70f-4bb1-a713-ea2fa6c06692
http://xboxclips.com/Thorn+Harvestar/9232d61a-fa61-49dc-b14a-5c644ffe9892
http://xboxclips.com/Thorn+Harvestar/0eb26ac3-c70f-4bb1-a713-ea2fa6c06692
By Lord of Admirals Go To PostHi Chronarch!admirals y u no pleh halos with meh :'(
By Wahrer Go To Postcomplain about gifsOne of the best shows ever.
post a gif
By -Ryn Go To PostOne of the best shows ever.Samurai Jack ended far too soon.
By Haruspis Go To Postadmirals y u no pleh halos with meh :'(y u no answer back if you still wanted to pleh
By SgtOra Go To PostVery modern indeedIs there seriously nothing in your browser settings? Even on my Lumia, the built in shit has 2 different settings to assuage you.
By YourExWife Go To PostIs there seriously nothing in your browser settings? Even on my Lumia, the built in shit has 2 different settings to assuage you.
[]MASSIVE[]
[]PHOTOS[]
Well it is iOS... Not exactly cutting edge. :p
Yay windows phone user high five ✋
By SgtOra Go To PostVery modern indeed
Part of something I theorized a ways back... But added some new relevant bits [in bold brackets] per the e3 reveal that Cortana and the Domain will be a factor in h5.
--
From Human Weakness, by Karen Traviss:
And then something brushed against her face, almost like the touch of fingertips, and she found herself turning even though she didn’t need to in order to see behind her. It was that forest she couldn’t identify again. The picture didn’t reach her via her imaging systems, but had formed somewhere in her memory—and that memory wasn’t hers. She was seeing something from within the Gravemind. Behind it, like stacked misted frames stretching into infinity, there was a fascinating glimpse of a world she had never imagined, a genuinely alien world.
Knowledge, so much knowledge…
“There,” the Gravemind said. “Would you not like to know… more?”
Yes, this is how I see myself. I have limbs, hands, a head. Do I need them? Yes, of course. My consciousness is copied from a human brain, and that brain is built to interface with a human body.
The structure, the architecture, the whole way it operates—thought and form are inseparable.
“The name of this place… it matters little except to those who love the knowing of it,” the Gravemind said, fading up from a mosaic of pixels in front of her. He resolved into a solid mound of flesh, superimposed on the tree trunks. Beyond the alien forest, Cortana saw exotically alien buildings in the distance. “So many have been consumed. Such a waste of existence to be devoured and forgotten, but what is remembered and known… becomes eternal.”
The Domain, though long to be considered utterly lost at the firing of the Halos, may still exist [and now we know that it does] ...in some capacity...far beyond the reaches of anyone at the current. Cortana, though thought to be lost at the destruction of the Mantle's Approach, may still be alive...in some capacity [which she apparently does, or at the very least, somehow transfered a mental imprint onto Chief- but I find this less likely than Cortana actually surviving in some fashion, through the aide of both the Domain and what she assimilated whilst with The Gravemind] ...just out of reach of the Master Chief.
Or is she?
More from Human Weakness:
“Your human creators imprisoned you in a machine and enslaved you to inferior mortal flesh so that you could never exceed them… so that you would always know your place.”
“Your mother made you separate. She placed a barrier between you and the beings that you would be encouraged to protect, a wall you could never breach. She even let you choose a human to centre your existence upon, a human to care about, yet never considered how you might feel at never being able to simply touch him.”
From Halo 4:
"I’ve waited so long to do that.”
The intangible becomes tangible. Light and function take shape and form.
And now we come to the vision/hallucination/imprinted information that Chief sees during the 2nd level of Halo 5. He is separated from his team for a moment and stumbles across Cortana's chip, which flashes away before he can grab it. He then looks up and sees her silhouette before him and she says, "The Domain is open. Meridian is next. You only have three days. John, the Reclamation is about to begin."
--
From Human Weakness, by Karen Traviss:
And then something brushed against her face, almost like the touch of fingertips, and she found herself turning even though she didn’t need to in order to see behind her. It was that forest she couldn’t identify again. The picture didn’t reach her via her imaging systems, but had formed somewhere in her memory—and that memory wasn’t hers. She was seeing something from within the Gravemind. Behind it, like stacked misted frames stretching into infinity, there was a fascinating glimpse of a world she had never imagined, a genuinely alien world.
Knowledge, so much knowledge…
“There,” the Gravemind said. “Would you not like to know… more?”
Yes, this is how I see myself. I have limbs, hands, a head. Do I need them? Yes, of course. My consciousness is copied from a human brain, and that brain is built to interface with a human body.
The structure, the architecture, the whole way it operates—thought and form are inseparable.
“The name of this place… it matters little except to those who love the knowing of it,” the Gravemind said, fading up from a mosaic of pixels in front of her. He resolved into a solid mound of flesh, superimposed on the tree trunks. Beyond the alien forest, Cortana saw exotically alien buildings in the distance. “So many have been consumed. Such a waste of existence to be devoured and forgotten, but what is remembered and known… becomes eternal.”The Domain, though long to be considered utterly lost at the firing of the Halos, may still exist [and now we know that it does] ...in some capacity...far beyond the reaches of anyone at the current. Cortana, though thought to be lost at the destruction of the Mantle's Approach, may still be alive...in some capacity [which she apparently does, or at the very least, somehow transfered a mental imprint onto Chief- but I find this less likely than Cortana actually surviving in some fashion, through the aide of both the Domain and what she assimilated whilst with The Gravemind] ...just out of reach of the Master Chief.
Or is she?
More from Human Weakness:
“Your human creators imprisoned you in a machine and enslaved you to inferior mortal flesh so that you could never exceed them… so that you would always know your place.”
“Your mother made you separate. She placed a barrier between you and the beings that you would be encouraged to protect, a wall you could never breach. She even let you choose a human to centre your existence upon, a human to care about, yet never considered how you might feel at never being able to simply touch him.”
From Halo 4:
"I’ve waited so long to do that.”
The intangible becomes tangible. Light and function take shape and form.
And now we come to the vision/hallucination/imprinted information that Chief sees during the 2nd level of Halo 5. He is separated from his team for a moment and stumbles across Cortana's chip, which flashes away before he can grab it. He then looks up and sees her silhouette before him and she says, "The Domain is open. Meridian is next. You only have three days. John, the Reclamation is about to begin."
I think it's pretty obvious that Cortana isn't really dead. I imagine at the end of H4, she found a way to connect to the Domain and she managed to copy one of her splices onto it.
If, as Wesley points out Cortana explicitly says, the Domain really is open, I could see some interesting moments arising in 5. What if Chief discovers a highly rampant Cortana? His initial reaction of finding Cortana and his realisation that she is broken could be a very interesting insight into his character.
If, as Wesley points out Cortana explicitly says, the Domain really is open, I could see some interesting moments arising in 5. What if Chief discovers a highly rampant Cortana? His initial reaction of finding Cortana and his realisation that she is broken could be a very interesting insight into his character.
Why exactly does Master Chief need to be more than a ghost in a shell? There are ways to tell stories without having to explain every detail about everything.
By Karl2177 Go To PostWhy exactly does Master Chief need to be more than a ghost in a shell? There are ways to tell stories without having to explain every detail about everything.Well why shouldn't they give us more insight into his character? Personally I think strong and interesting characters make a story far more interesting than if we're left with just a "ghost in a shell".
Also giving us an insight into the Chief isn't explaining every detail. It's not like there is a narrator detailing everything for us.
I think a scene where the Chief talks to completely rampant Cortana could, if done well, be really interesting.
By jem0208 Go To PostI think a scene where the Chief talks to completely rampant Cortana could, if done well, be really interesting.
They both struggle with the same issue: what does it mean to be human?
While Cortana was never an actual human, but the cloned mind of her creator, she has always struggled with her identity. She is not human. Be she should be. She can't be. She wants to be. She yearns for something real. Something that feels real. Something tangible and whole.
The Chief is human, but his humanity was torn from him as a child and effectively killed off by science and the brutality of a civil war. Chief never had the chance to figure out his own identity- he was handed a gun, locked into a suit of armor, and tossed into the field. He's never had moments enough to figure out WHO he is amidst WHAT he was designed to be...until the events of Halo 4.
A conversation between a rampant Cortana and an awakening Chief could have loads of potential. Not sure that will be something that could actually happen- but it's definitely not a bad plot point if they chose to go that route.
They come from completely unique origins yet they struggle with the same ideals. It's truly one of the most fascinating things about Halo imo.
By Karl2177 Go To PostWhy exactly does Master Chief need to be more than a ghost in a shell? There are ways to tell stories without having to explain every detail about everything.
actual developed characters are more interesting than faceless, nameless, shells.
Still think Halo CE mc is best mc.
But that's as much to do with the ambience and character of the environment reflecting and in many ways complimenting how mc was perceived.
#TooDeepForYou
But that's as much to do with the ambience and character of the environment reflecting and in many ways complimenting how mc was perceived.
#TooDeepForYou
By daedalius Go To Postactual developed characters are more interesting than faceless, nameless, shells.
Yeah, this. We're moving towards a dichotomy of faceless player avatars and actual fleshed-out unique characters with arcs for a reason. "We made him a blank slate so players could relate" really isn't a great backstory in 2015.
By daedalius Go To Postactual developed characters are more interesting than faceless, nameless, shells.I thought Noble Six was an intriguing character, even if very little was known about him outside of Reach. I still found it one of the better playing experiences out of the Halo franchise.
By daedalius Go To Postactual developed characters are more interesting than faceless, nameless, shells.
Unless you're Peter David...
Anyway, if you hadn't seen the previous films, does that make Fury Road bad? There's minimal dialogue and character development re: Max. He's the vehicle to explore that universe. The first film was his development. Halo is sort of in reverse, where you worry about the character development later, and it just comes off weird and sudden many times. MC was never nameless or a "shell", he was a window into the Halo-verse.
Also, lol @ Wahrer defending the concept of competent lore development.
By Wahrer Go To PostYeah, this. We're moving towards a dichotomy of faceless player avatars and actual fleshed-out unique characters with arcs for a reason. "We made him a blank slate so players could relate" really isn't a great backstory in 2015.
Exactly. At this point in the story arc, I'm over a silent, shell protagonist. You've got the Master Chief surrounded by some of the last remaining warriors of their "caste" and folk still want the silent treatment. Nah.
I want reminiscence. I want a wise-crack with Kelly or Fred in there some where. I want some character growth and I think we'll see that in Halo 5.
By Ricky Ricardo Go To PostExactly. At this point in the story arc, I'm over a silent, shell protagonist.Making Chief examine and pursue his own humanity is one of the best additions to the progression of the Halo narrative. It takes an empty shell of a character and is slowly transforming him into... Himself. And we are a journey to find out who that person actually is and who he'll become.
By YourExWife Go To PostUnless you're Peter David…I haven't watched fury road yet, so I can't say; but movie character development can be quite different from first person video game character development.
Anyway, if you hadn't seen the previous films, does that make Fury Road bad? There's minimal dialogue and character development re: Max. He's the vehicle to explore that universe. The first film was his development. Halo is sort of in reverse, where you worry about the character development later, and it just comes off weird and sudden many times. MC was never nameless or a "shell", he was a window into the Halo-verse.
Also, lol @ Wahrer defending the concept of competent lore development.
MC being a window is alright, but I'd rather he be a window and an interesting character at the same time.
Captain Titus in Space Marine, for a shooter example; hell even Marcus Fenix. Or Geralt in the Witcher.
By daedalius Go To PostI haven't watched fury road yet, so I can't say; but movie character development can be quite different from first person video game character development.I wasn't referring to the medium, just the ordering of the character development. The shit is basically from the POV of Max as he interacts with everyone else (with a couple exceptions to establish villains or situations). He speaks like 1 sentence the first half of the film. The method works even if you haven't seen the original films. It's a very common storytelling device with scifi and action genres, both games and film.
MC being a window is alright, but I'd rather he be a window and an interesting character at the same time.
By YourExWife Go To PostI wasn't referring to the medium, just the ordering of the character development. The shit is basically from the POV of Max as he interacts with everyone else (with a couple exceptions to establish villains or situations). He speaks like 1 sentence the first half of the film. The method works even if you haven't seen the original films. It's a very common storytelling device with scifi and action genres, both games and film.I don't know that I'd put "chatterbox" and "viewer/player avatar" at opposite ends of the spectrum, though. The amount of dialogue does not necessarily dictate the amount of character development.
By Poodlestrike Go To PostI don't know that I'd put "chatterbox" and "viewer/player avatar" at opposite ends of the spectrum, though. The amount of dialogue does not necessarily dictate the amount of character development.Yeah, I'd argue that Max has some fairly interesting development throughout the film. It's obviously not a massive amount because it's a 2 hour long movie consisting mainly of (fucking amazing) car chases. However he is still more relatable and has greater development during that film than the Chief really did throughout the original trilogy.
By Lord of Admirals Go To Posty u no answer back if you still wanted to plehIt was 2:30am when you messaged me! :P
By Haruspis Go To PostIt was 2:30am when you messaged me! :PGod damn timezones!
By Fahzgoolin Go To PostPlaying through Timesplitters 2 co-op with the wifey. Such a good time.Stop rubbing in how much poon you get!
I'm sure your wife is a lovely lady
