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Section III ARG

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

The Section 3 ARG was an alternate reality game done by 343 Industries. The ARG was a campaign that spread out through Halo 4 and Halo: Spartan Assault. It was a forum-based campaign that also spread into chat groups, trailers, and even in Halo 4.[1]

Campaign Summary

The campaign started on October 12th 2012, with a symbol appearing in the Making Halo 4: Infinity Multiplayer trailer. [2]

The campaign lasted for two years, giving fans a look into the Office of Naval Intelligence's Section Three and also insight into the experiments they did. Users found glyphs that led to codes being discovered for use on Halo Waypoint (now only on the Xbox 360). While the users found codes, an AI that was originally meant to help them turned against them, giving the puzzles for the ARG.

The campaign ended on November 11th 2014 after Sec3OP36516, the main handler at the time, stopped posting after having a mini-forum game with the players.[3]

Story Overview

Prologue

In 2552, during the Battle of Reach, a Spartan team including Spartan Nola and Spartan NV66, was sent to protect Section 3 Intel, including highly valuable research specs for improving Mjolnir Armor.

The team was declared MIA after fighting to repel Covenant forces, though before that they sent the intel as a data node to a remote archival station.[4]

Year 1 Glyph Hunting

  • Real-life: October 12th - November 3rd 2012

In 2557, several forerunner glyph-encrypted data traffic started to happen. The data was detected by Section Three personnel that formed codes. Section 3 also noted to its operatives about other terminals that suggested access to new domain data archives, though the data decryption could only be completed aboard the UNSC Infinity.

Year 1 Time capsule

  • Real-life: November 4th - November 8th 2012

A Section 3 operative arrives called Sec3OP36516, he scans the Waypoint forums for tags and find them.[5] He then tells the players about valuable Intel that was sent from Reach to a remote archival station, prior to the fall that a spartan team sent, and sends a coded message with a data node(Time capsule). He also suggests players to keep an eye out for transmissions in numerous places.[6]

Starting to use the key to the Time capsule lead to a transmissions detailing it, saying how it was lost for almost 4 years, and that Section 3 operatives are now trying to access it. This lead to the players finding emblems.[7]

SEC3OP1024350 another Section 3 operative posted giving information, and urged the players to ignore the emblems they found stating they were fake and that the timeline did not match.[8] During this Sec3OP36516 gave the players ONI journal extracts that gave them hints on what to do in the puzzles. One hint specifically went on how to avoid distractions which was relating to how SEC3OP1024350 was trying to divert the players attentions.[9]

Sec3OP36516 then went over the events that spread over the past month. Giving the goal to the players that the mission was uncovering data from transmissions to obtain technical specs for both spartan armor and spartan insignia's.[10] Following this several sent PM's about the glyphs on Requiem.[11]

SEC3OP1024350 admitted its account was compromised and with the help of Section 1 it got control again. [12] Sec3OP36516 then said to ignore him due to the fact that his account was previously compromised.[13] Though SEC3OP1024350 announced that the spartan team who sent that transmitted the data had a infiltrator, he also sends a call-sign.[14] This call sign turns out to be valid.[15]

Players then create a chat page that is then used by the operatives.

The time capsule datanode is then cracked leading to the Raider-class Mjolnir being finished. This also causes operation codename 'FA15E' to activate.[16]

Year 1 hydrAi

  • Real-life: November 9th 2012

An AI called hydrAi appeared.

Year 2(2013)

In 2558, Section 3 personnel were also enlisted to help decode large sets of data relating to new designs for Spartan Armor which was RAIDER-class Mjolnir. During the obtaining and decoding of the data, HydrAi and other character fought to hide or reveal the details.

Year 3(2014)

At the end Section 3 Operatives were successful and the data was recovered. Therefore enhancing the armor. This data also helped enhance War Games Simulations.

Items of note

Characters

  • Sec3OP36516: Section 3 "TOTS" Commander.[17]
  • SEC3OP1024350: Rouge operative, who assisted in creation of FA15E.[18]
  • SEC0OP4243: Section 0 operative that handles internal affairs.[19]
  • ViolentORKid: Section 3 Operative who was captured and rescued.[20]
  • hydrAi: An AI brought to help the players in the ARG, who eventually went Rogue.[21]
    • radialsim: A branch of HydrAi.
    • ​AquAia: Remnant fragment of Rogue-HydrAi.
  • tetraRai: Another AI brought to help the players.[22]
  • Spartan NOLA: A Spartan who became MIA on Reach in 2552.
  • Spartan NV66: A Spartan who became MIA on Reach in 2552.

Misc

  • Section 3 TOTS: Section 3 TOTS is a subsection of Section 3 dedicated with the recovery, analyzing, and decoding, of data that Section 3 is stuck with. Its Commander is Sec3OP36516.
  • Yanumas: Yanumas is a holiday celebrated on November 15th with the first one celebrated in 2557. It is often referenced by the cast of characters in the ARG.[23]
  • AC-54: The Hull classification symbol of a frigate used by ViolentORKid returning from a "bad" date on November 15th 2557.[23]

Post-game

Unofficially some of the handlers came back after they left 343i, this led to some of the players opening some of the cookies that was missed during original run of the ARG.[24]

Gallery

  • October 25th 2012: First transmission.

    October 25th 2012: First transmission.

  • November 2nd 2012: Second transmission.

    November 2nd 2012: Second transmission.

  • November 5th 2012: Third transmission.

    November 5th 2012: Third transmission.

Sources

  1. ^ Halo Waypoint Forums - CLASSIFIED - HYDRAI THREAD - GLYPH CODES
  2. ^ Youtube Making Halo 4: Infinity Multiplayer
  3. ^ Halo Waypoint Forums - SECOND CHANCE SPARTAN LOVE - FINAL CODE
  4. ^ Halo Waypoint: DECRYPTING SECTION 3 (UPDATED 11.15) Page 41
  5. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3
  6. ^ Halo Waypoint Forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Imp post 2
  7. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Imp post 3
  8. ^ Halo Waypoint Forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Imp post 4
  9. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Imp post 4
  10. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 1st Month Overview
  11. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Message 1
  12. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Comp1
  13. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Comp2
  14. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Comp3
  15. ^ Halo Waypoint forums - DECRYPTING SECTION 3 Comp4
  16. ^ Twitter -Phyl Godce account
  17. ^ Halo Waypoint - Sec3OP36516 Profile
  18. ^ Halo Waypoint - SEC3OP1024350 Profile
  19. ^ Halo Waypoint - SEC0OP4243 Profile
  20. ^ Halo Waypoint - ViolentORKid Profile
  21. ^ Halo Waypoint - hydrAi Profile
  22. ^ Halo Waypoint - tetraRai Profile
  23. ^ a b Section 3 Old Chat Record Page 99
  24. ^ Halo Waypoint Forums - DCD6D5DGEBDAEDEED3DAEDD6EBEIBJEDD6EJDIDC

External links

Link to a lot of available sources

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