Halo 4 discussion

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It's Ironic Because it Decomposes Organisms to Compose AIs

Now, with the majority of us done with the game (hopefully) and have played Spartan Ops (or watched its cinematics), can we piece together how does the Composer and Requiem work together? Now, we know that the Composer turn organisms into a pile of ash to convert them into Promethean "souls". But how did the "Didact's Gift", an AI created from a New Phoenix citizen, go from Earth to Requiem? What I think is that the Requiem translocation artifact transported all these souls to Requiem from Earth. I haven't read Primordium yet, can anyone tell me what did Greg Bear say about the Composer? —SPARTAN 331 11:26, 7 January 2013 (EST)

Well, I have a guess as to how all of those harvested humans got tot Requiem. Remember that giant swirling energy under the Composer when it was fired? Cortana referred to it as "slipspace activity building below the Composer". I'd be willing to bet that portal led to Requiem, and the Composer was sending all the harvested material there. What's more, the Didact fell into the portal, which means he may have been sent back to Requiem...

As for the Composer in Primordium, it doesn't really act the same as Halo 4's. This here sums it up. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 13:18, 7 January 2013 (EST)

True enough. However the next paragraph points out that, during the events described in Primordium, the Composer was being used as something along the lines of a medical device by Lifeworkers to extract & preserve the "souls" of both Forerunners & Humans on Installation 7 (specifically, to protect them Faber's bad temper at first, then later from Mendicant Bias & the Flood), and before that, it was used to extract Ancient Human memories to try and preserve any hidden knowledge of their supposed cure for the Flood Infection, whilst in Halo 4 (and it's accompanying Terminals) it was being used as a weapon to forcibly harvest Humans as raw materials for the Didact's army. Let's not forget that the Forerunners had been preserving memories for a long time prior to the Composer's creation (in the form of, among other things, Durances. The Composer was supposed to be the culmination of that technology, in that it would be able to analyze, store and recreate the entire individual, rather than just their memories. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work, as we can see from Chakas/343GS... Or...

tl/dr version: Low power setting = Gradual, Peaceful & Painless, become a personality imprint or a Monitor... High power setting = Screaming death, Burnt to ash, become Promethean Knight... DJenser (talk) 16:07, 12 January 2013 (EST)

Even though the Didact may have been teleported back to Requiem, could he have survived that pulse grenade exploding inside him? He could've died before he even touched the portal.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:51, 9 January 2013 (EST)

Well, we are talking about someone who survived 2 direct hits to the chest at close range with a Binary Rifle. Then again, maybe that terminal custscene wasn't set to Legendary difficulty... DJenser (talk) 14:06, 12 January 2013 (EST)

More like 343i didn't let us determine his fate ourselves but instead threw in a quick time event to make the call and left us unsatisfied & questioning whether or not he was still alive.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 21:28, 14 January 2013 (EST)

Yea, the quicktime events were not that good. This isn't normally the right section to talk about this, but the powers of the segue cannot be contained by mere mortals. So, on the quicktimes, I think they were either there to be more immersive or just to keep us occupied. However, you do the same thing every time you play them, and to me actually seem less immersive than just a cutscene. This is craZboy557, signing off. 16:13, 16 January 2013 (EST)

Here's my question: how is any of this ironic?! The section title specificly says "it's ironic". However, even the original post doesn't mention any irony! I just think that's kind of a fail. As for the main conversation, I have no comment. Honestly I'd just prefer the Didact to be dead, cause he's kind of a jackass now and the longer he's not killed so hard he died to death, the more we're going to ask why the forerunner's military forces suck so much at not dying. This is craZboy557, signing off. 07:38, 13 January 2013 (EST)

Calm down, it was an (apparently feeble) attempt to add some humor to this forum. About the Composer though, if the slipspace rupture in it brings harvested souls to Requiem, shouldn't there be a "factory" or something sort on Requiem? If there is, why didn't the UNSC figure this out and try to locate it? Man, all these unanswered questions. PS: The Didact will survive for dramatic reasons. —SPARTAN 331 07:57, 13 January 2013 (EST)

We're talking about an artificial planet. The whole frakking thing is a factory. After all, Watchers have the ability to pull Knights & Crawlers out of the dirt & forces get transported across the whole sphere via the Slipspace network, so there's no need for doors. For all we know, the so-called "factory" is a cube, 5 miles to a side, somewhere near the planet's outer core surrounded by 60 miles of solid (or better yet, molten) metal.

@CraZboy557: The Didact isn't dead. He's hiding out in his 5-mi. x 5-mi metal cube within the planet's mantle (no, not that mantle, this one) ready to come back in the next game with his new bestest buddy, Cortana 2.0 (Just like Cortana, but with a goatee, cuz she's eeeeeviill) who will proceed to lay the smackdown on the UNSC, invade Earth and generally wreak havoc on Humanity while John has to muddle through Halo 5 and 6 with Guilty Chakas as his AI buddy.. That is, until the Chief is able to sway her with his manly charms & silent machismo, at which point she will realize the error of her ways, turn on the Didact and help John save the day. In his final moments, the Didact will be consumed with the thought that he seems to have piss-poor luck with AIs...DJenser (talk) 16:26, 14 January 2013 (EST)

Best fanfic ever. Of all time. —SPARTAN 331 09:13, 16 January 2013 (EST)

Mai head *bam* asplode. This is craZboy557, signing off. 16:02, 16 January 2013 (EST)

MLK Day

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but I wanted to see if anyone was interested in joining up for Spartan Ops on Monday since they are releasing a new episode that day. It would be nice to play through all the new missions with some halopedians or people I know (through here) rather than random gamers (mostly because they tend to play around too much and/or don't work as a team). I'm on the east coast (as some of you already know) and would be available to start a game anytime between 7pm and 12am EST time (yes, that late). I'm hoping for at least 2 people but would love 3 to join. Gamertag is on my profile page. So if anyone is interested feel free to reply. --Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:27, 16 January 2013 (EST)

I'd love to join. The new episodes are a checkpoint system from being nintendo hard when you go solo. Going on a team tends to make it a lot more fun though. Just a little heads up though, if I'm hungry or tired at all I will likely scream and yell constantly and eventually rage quit. Hopefully it won't come to that though. This is craZboy557, signing off. 15:59, 16 January 2013 (EST)

Kool! Just need at least one more person and we good to go. I'll make sure to get a time scheduled for Monday so that everyone's online at the same time. Having a snack by your side should help you avoid a rage quit...whatever that means.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 18:40, 16 January 2013 (EST)

Here's a preview of the chapters for Spartan Ops Episode 6 from IGN.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:46, 18 January 2013 (EST)

Overly Insectoid

Anybody think that 343 may have overdone it? Missing Mandible (talk) 17:30, 23 January 2013 (EST)

It looks unusual, mostly its color scheme, but doesn't seem "overly". Its just a lot of new architecture that people aren't used to.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 20:23, 24 January 2013 (EST)

The rough texture is pretty exoskeletal. Segmented, rough and spiky, very bug like in my opinion. I put this on the talk page, but it's better to have it here. I think it would've been cool if they used the halo 2 scarab. It would be cool to support that theory that it's an excavator. This is craZboy557, signing off. 12:53, 25 January 2013 (EST)

I don't know why, but the inside kind of reminded me of the flood. I definitely didn't like. i thought they should have gone for a more metallic look. --Weeping Angel (talk) 16:08, 29 January 2013 (EST)

Where does the storm get this stuff?!!

Ok, seriously? The storm rifle, fleets of liches, and now ANOTHER giant-super-expesive-massive-invincible thing? What is 343 thinking? How does it make sense?! This is craZboy557, signing off. 13:54, 24 January 2013 (EST)

The Sangheili Jul 'Mdama came across probably had a lot of unused war machines at their disposable considering they hadn't experienced the end of (if much of) the war. Though, considering how weak the Storm rifle is, I don't see why they switched it with the Plasma rifle.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 20:23, 24 January 2013 (EST)

Hmmmm, so I did make a forum for this..... I really should stop putting it literally every other place on the site. Like seriously, it's everywhere now. This is craZboy557, signing off. 11:14, 25 January 2013 (EST)

Technically yes except you placed it on a talk page, somewhere it doesn't belong. Usually when someone deletes unneeded post, I take it for forum talk and copy paste it where it should've been so that person can further discuss it. By the way...what's the deal with your signature?--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:28, 25 January 2013 (EST)

Messed with it a lot today. It's smaller now. This is craZboy557, signing off. 12:49, 25 January 2013 (EST) (see?)

Jul 'Mdama should get a scarab, put it in spartan ops, and hand you the keys (yes, I know it is a lekgolo)Lian 512 (talk) 16:17, 27 January 2013 (EST)

February Title Update

According to the 1.9.13 bulletin Halo 4 will be receiving a new title update in February. The question is what will it contain? One theory I'm hoping for is that it brings theater mode & scoring back for campaign and includes it for Spartan Ops. I really miss those features as they were a ton of fun for Halo: Reach (Watching myself play the game in 3rd person was nice). What could be nice is if it adjusts the balance of a certain weapon...Or perhaps it may bring back one of our beloved game modes (I know, a lil unlikely) or classic gametypes like slayer.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 19:34, 26 January 2013 (EST)

I would like that I would also like it if the Thruster Pack was a bit easier to use and let you go farther Lian 512 (talk) 21:34, 26 January 2013 (EST)

Not sure if I am crazy or what, but I always felt that the Suppressor is somewhat overpowered in Matchmaking. That, Theater in campaign, gametype called "Classic Slayer" (No customizable loadouts, just armor abilities like in Reach), gametype variant of Flood called "Infection" (Flood have no shields), and Spartan Ops available on offline once you played it. Those, and Halo 4 would be 10 times better than it is right now. —SPARTAN 331 05:09, 27 January 2013 (EST)

If you gave flood energy sowrds would their lunge decrease? Because if so they should do that too. And make them move slower. And get rid of the damn flood screen! And possibly give the humans scattershots. The shotgun is way too slow. This is craZboy557, signing off. 06:18, 27 January 2013 (EST)

@S331: Agree with everything you said except the Suppressor. I always thought that weapon was weak & inaccurate, which, in my opinion, made it virtually useless & undesirable. But then again maybe I'm looking at it from a campaign pov since I rarely have used it in MM. @Lian: The only real issue I ever had with the thruster pack was that it goes into 3rd person view rather than stay in 1st. I felt Evade was far easier to use because of that.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 10:30, 27 January 2013 (EST)

Thruster pack moves you two feetLian 512 (talk) 14:11, 27 January 2013 (EST)

Well it looks like my hopes are down for the TU to bring theater to campaign & spartan ops. I'm highly disappointed at this. I was reading a comment that a person made in regards to this - features > graphics. So much emphasis was placed on making the game look good, yet it lacks a lot of the features that gave Halo: Reach a lasting impression. What really strikes me the most is how they can have theater (& scoring) for Wargames. Its literally the same engine, the same graphics! How come they can make it work in wargames but not the other modes when they are the same thing?? And being that they can't make it happen, I guess scoring isn't on the menu either. But I could be jumping the gun. Still, this is a major let-down. All those things I do in campaign & SpOps & I can't go back & look at it. I guess I have to invest in a HD capture card...--Killamint [Comm|Files] 11:12, 29 January 2013 (EST)

What in the world is on disk two for Halo 4--Lian 512 (talk) 12:20, 29 January 2013 (EST)

The multiplayer maps (excluding crimson & other map packs).--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:35, 29 January 2013 (EST)

I could think of several reasons why theater was taken out and will never return as a feature in Halo 4. As for why it was taken out, it would be better to provide how theater works. Note that I don't have real knowledge on this and everything is based on my observations.
It comes to no one's surprise that theater mode is like spectator mode: you are essentially a disembodied player flying around and over the player as s/he roams the map geometry and do stuff. A disembodied player is just like the player you spectate in a clip: they are subjected to invisible walls and solid objects (i.e. you cannot go through an object). Like the player, they are also subjected to the loading of the next map geometry (i.e. like how you keep seeing those mirrors in Halo 3's The Covenant campaign level). However, rather than recording it like you would using a video camera or a webcam from one perspective, theater mode records everything that happens in that map geometry. It records to the tiniest detail such as when a rain droplet hits the surface, the moving scenery in the background and even the lighting emitted from plasma projectiles. Sandbox AIs and their actions are recorded even when they are not in vicinity of the player. All of these recordings take up memory space and to process every one of these burdens the engine. These are some of the issues Bungie kept encountering throughout their development (Note: you can check out more of these on Bungie.net: I suggest checking out "I Shot You First! - Gameplay Networking in Halo: Reach" by Aldrige and "The Animation of Halo: Reach" by Spataro and Armstrong). Because of the reserved memory space and processing power for theater mode, everything else would need to be balanced so that they don't overload the engine (or crash the Xbox or causing things in a map to disappear).
For 343i, I would guess that they encountered the same problem Bungie faced in their development but cut corners by removing theater from campaign and SpartanOps, thus removing the need to reserve memory space and processing power. This allows them to push other things such as graphics and animation beyond, resulting in what would be the prettiest (with a hint of Abram's lense flares throughout the game) Halo game to date. Cheap move but it keeps them happy (by them, I meant those who are less likely to use the feature... and also the developers since they don't have to wrap their heads around the issues). As for why it will never return as a feature, it is quite late (four months) for developers to introduce a feature for a game when they should be focusing on developing a new game. To invest staff to do this would just slow down the development of the new game. They would only do so if developing the feature is easy... but in the case of Halo 4, it is not. Oh, and for those asking why is it in multiplayer then?, the answer is simply this: there is the absent need to load up more map geometry since you (i.e. the players) are confined to one static location. There is no sandbox AIs with a number of animation to record. There is no big scenery animation to record compared to those in campaign or SpartanOps.
With that, I would just say that there's no point to hold on to 343i's words about theater mode... because it won't be back in Halo 4 (but probably in Halo 5).— subtank 04:55, 1 February 2013 (EST)

Nitpicker alert: Last sentence you said held, I think you meant hold. Very logical facts. I have to face the facts...its too late to add the feature, though they had 3 (probably more) years to figure it out. I figured the reason you gave would be a logical/obvious reason for why theater is available for wargames. Its still an upset to me though, but I guess I'll have to wait for Halo 5 (or whatever it'll be called) for them to add it back if they do...But there's no excuse for scoring to be absent since that shouldn't require nothing more than a tweek to the system, especially since its nothing more than numbers displayed on-screen. Curious question, why does it say "(Made through tor)" whenever you save an edit?--Killamint [Comm|Files] 11:55, 1 February 2013 (EST)

Notepad has failed me! Corrected several mistakes. If a feature is easy to develop (like you said, scoring are just numbers displayed on-screen... or maybe it's more complicated than it seems?), then they should be able make it available to players.— subtank 21:26, 1 February 2013 (EST)

Exactly. Also a lot of these features that they took away were what made Halo distinguishable from other FPS titles. Unfortunately it seems as though they are trying to bridge the gap and that is not a good thing whatsoever. Of course there's no telling them that.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 09:05, 2 February 2013 (EST)

Tor is an Internet protocol (IP) mask program and I agree with subtank but think there should be a record mode and scoring--Lian 512 (talk) 20:03, 1 February 2013 (EST)

Based on the new bulletin it looks like they are fixing one of my issues which is the Boltshot. However they are not exactly fixing it's shotgun blast power. More like they are reducing the range of it which, in my opinion, isn't making that big of a difference, especially w/ campers. Why not just reduce the power of the blast from 1 hit to 2 hits? Also it doesn't look like we'll be getting scoring, since the TU consist of multiplayer fixes.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:15, 14 February 2013 (EST)

Dawn and Translocation portals in Halo 4

The thing is, I've been looking around in the beginning of Dawn (the level) and found that there is a monitor (by the sensor scan) that shows the Dawn's course and found that it changes direction toward Requiem about halfway through it's course anyone know why? Also, the number next to Requiem and an arrow thing is 43121124. Finally, am I right in saying that the transports all face toward their destination letting you "calculate" the slip space vectors like covenant ships can. Did anyone even notice this?--Lian 512 (talk) 14:51, 28 January 2013 (EST)

I do NOT care if this is deleted.--Lian 512 (talk) 17:24, 16 February 2013 (EST)

Master Chief doesn't have peace talks

Another thing I noticed is that in the first encounter with the sword elite, MC doesn't hesitate to kill and proceeds to eliminate the other forces on the ship before blowing up a cruiser! Cool, but bad grounds for peace. I mean, in Halo 3, they are allies and after KILLING an ELITE, he says " I thought we had a truce with the Covenant " before proceeding to kill 100 or so soldiers without so much as a word being said! WHY?!!! Lian 512 (talk) 09:51, 27 January 2013 (EST)

Because the Elite tried to kill him first, without any provocation. That's what the point of that little quick-time event was. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 11:26, 27 January 2013 (EST)

Calm down. The Covenant in Halo 4 are not the Covenant we've known for so long. They are a rogue faction that does not follow the Sangheili's peace with humanity. Also, if John "hesitates" to kill the boarders, then the boarders would have overpowered and killed him. In those situations, hesitating is a bad thing to do. Oh, and how can you expect John to know anything about the current situation after being in cryo-sleep and floating in uncharted space for four years? He would be just as confused as to what's going on as you would be.--Spartacus ^{Talk • Contribs} 11:34, 27 January 2013 (EST)

Good point, I also think the MC could have disarmed the elite and asked what his problem was using Cortana as translator (then killed him) and nuked the cruiser with hyperion missiles. It's more realistic but less dramatic. MC doesn't learn that they are remnant in the campaign.Lian 512 (talk) 14:08, 27 January 2013 (EST)

Well, if there's an alien who's a foot taller than me with a sword in his hands and ready to push me into a deep hole, I would do anything to get away from that situation. It's human instinct. Besides, the MC is well known among the Elites already. If an Elite attacks him, he would probably assume they are his enemies. —SPARTAN 331 22:45, 27 January 2013 (EST)

"Their reaction time, while impossible to chart accurately, was estimated to be twenty milliseconds. The Spartans' reaction times were noted to be significantly faster in combat situations or with assistance from an AI. The reaction times of the SPARTAN-IIs were so fast that they, in heightened states of stress, were able to think, react and see things as if everything around them were simultaneously occurring at both a slow and rapid pace" Taken from SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures. I think the Master Chief can disarm a Sangheili Storm.—This unsigned comment was made by Lian 512 (talk • contribs). Please sign your posts with ~~~~

But remember, Elites are just as fast and strong. And that Elite had an energy sword. Master Chief noticeably has had a lot of trouble trying to fight Elites in hand-to-hand combat, such when he fought them when heading to the Circumference or when he fought one skilled sword-wielding Elite aboard the Ascendant Justice. If he had loosened himself just a little bit, this Elite would have either skewered him or thrown him down the shaft. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 14:15, 28 January 2013 (EST)

The Spartan-IIIs, although generally inferior to Spartan-IIs were still very capable of superhuman feats associated with Spartans. During Operation: TORPEDO, Tom-B292, 12 years old at the time and equipped only with SPI armor, engaged a Covenant Elite armed with a Plasma Pistol and an energy sword in hand to hand combat. The Spartan's enhanced reflexes allowed him to dodge a Plasma Pistol bolt and sword swing at point blank range. He then proceeded to throw the Elite to the ground and finish it off with his assault rifle. It is also stated that during the battle, Elites and Jackals moved out of cover because they realized that it was suicide to face Spartans in close quarters. Spartan-IIIs were also described to have been moving with "speed and reflexes that no Covenant could follow. From Project CHRYSANTHEMUM I agree though, now please look at the topic above.--Lian 512 (talk) 14:44, 28 January 2013 (EST)

But once again, I'm referring to John-117. He seems to not fare well in hand-to-hand combat, as other events like the Ascendant Justice or the Resplendent Fervor show. In the latter, he loses, in the former he barely wins and doesn't even kill the Elite. The performance of other Spartans has nothing to do with John's. Perhaps a faster Spartan like Kelly or stronger like Jorge would have been able to disable the Elite. But for John's own skillset, he either has to kill the Elite quickly or expect to die quick himself. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 17:36, 28 January 2013 (EST)

Just wanted to highlight that he fought a sword-wielding Minor (or Storm Elite) instead of a specialised Elite. — subtank 20:36, 28 January 2013 (EST)

Hence why he had less trouble with this one. Still, a sword wielder is nothing to sniff at. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 22:01, 28 January 2013 (EST)

If so, he should be able to disarm him and make him talk (as suggested by Lian 512). — subtank 22:42, 28 January 2013 (EST)

I said less trouble. Not none. The Elite was still clearly very strong and could have overpowered John with the wrong move. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 23:10, 28 January 2013 (EST)

You read the books, I played the games, you know more. He could have done this with the clueless squad in the next room. Hey, why was that elevator door open all day anyway, depressurization is bad for the troops on the observation deck. Does my previous topic fail?--Lian 512 (talk) 23:05, 28 January 2013 (EST)

An Elite at the blast shield controls might be an easier target or a grunt (the room is sealed due to decompression for five minutes) or open communications from the ship or advanced armor suit.--Lian 512 (talk) 12:37, 29 January 2013 (EST)

Remember to use space if you are creating a new line, otherwise use : to place the sentence below a comment (w/ an indent) if you are replying to it.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:40, 29 January 2013 (EST)

Spartan Ops thoughts of 2nd half

After Ep. 6 and 7 of Spartan Ops, I'm impressed with how they restructured the chapters. Now they feel far more open, long, connected, and sandbox-y (mostly Ep. 7) rather than the previous episodes which felt too linear. Also they didn't repeat the levels like they did before so the experience felt new overall. The only issues I really had were with two of the chapters in episode 6 where one was a recycled campaign section (only nite time) & the other being Ravine but I never played on Ravine before so it was a new experience. Also there wasn't enough access to UNSC power weapons. But nonetheless it was definitely a better experience than before and I can can't wait to see what they have in store for Ep. 8. Hopefully they continue this trend.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 13:04, 29 January 2013 (EST)

Seems like 343i is going backwards again. Based on the new Ep. 8 gallery, we are returning to "Control" and "Cyclone". And yet they are being played off as "new missions and environments". I honestly believe that if they are going to recycle these levels so often, they're better off bringing back firefight...--Killamint [Comm|Files] 09:05, 2 February 2013 (EST)

It's highly impossible for them to bring back Firefight in Halo 4. I will be honest and say FF is better than SO. The main difference between SO and FF is that 1) SO doesn't have infinite enemies (obviously) 2) SO enemies are unbalanced when on solo because it is meant to be a cooperative experience (good luck trying to kill all 5 of those Elites on Heroic without dying) 3) SO is more fiction-drived 4) SO is the same environment like how FF features same maps, but SO have slight environment difference, somewhat difference experience every mission (doesn't justify its repetitive maps and overwhelming enemies though). To be honest, Ep 6 and 7 weren't that good for me. Ep 6 was alright, the missions were not interesting enough. It's really just go there and activate those terminals. Ep 7, while I was quite excited to explore the interior of Infinity, playing the whole episode was a big disappointment. 4 of the 5 missions were constructed in the same area, and they just repeated the environment over and over again. I understand 343i is (hopefully) giving their best shot, they are making these maps just for us. I just hope we can explore more of Requiem. —SPARTAN 331 09:45, 2 February 2013 (EST)

I swear you post more thought-out responses than I do. Anyway, you're right, FF isn't coming back for Halo 4 and I'm not expecting it too since (like subtank said) H4 is already 4 months in. I was impressed w/ their effort for both episodes, but I do agree that they don't stand out. I was actually disappointed that we weren't able to fly those Broadswords in Ep. 6 Ch. 5. The repetitive levels for Ep. 7 do seem logical since we're stuck on the Infinity clearing it out but I understand what you mean. Honestly, I don't think 343i is giving their best shot. The problem is that they have a lack of creativity in my opinion. We've seen this already with the forerunner weapons (copy pasted from the UNSC weapons) and it really shows with SpOp w/ all those recycled maps & objectives. It's the same thing over & over again - we're pressing buttons (and button pressing is LONG in H4) and we're not doing anything else, maybe destroying a generator/jammer core or two. SpOp just seems like a missed opportunity. They're not taking chances - that can have a positive outcome but in this case, its negative. Its almost like they're catering to the "casual" gamer who just wants to shoot stuff for casual pleasure but not get into the nitty-gritty of it all. Here's a nice little article that expanded on this issue.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 11:22, 2 February 2013 (EST)

That's a great article you found! Now, just if 343i reflect a bit over that. I absolutely agree with your "casual gamer" thought. It's really just go there, shoot these, press those, go there. Why don't Crimson gets the interesting jobs? I also hate how they almost completely left the campaign unconnected with the storyline. The only connection is the Librarian so far. Shouldn't we head back to FUD to look for something? That might make fun stuff. What's the significance of the Forerunner structure we met Lasky in the level Infinity? Why would the Forerunner put something there without any purpose? Can't we visit the war room? What happened to the core after it collapsed? If you make a mini-campaign, you should make some more interesting objectives. This is different from Firefight, because the "fiction" behind FF is that you are defending that area. Also, I kind of miss the sandbox feeling. The campaign was a bit linear and not enough sandboxy if you ask me. There were some parts that allow you to have a different approach (the Mammoth sequence I suppose), but some places are just plain one-way attack (Sniper Alley, especially the whole level of Shutdown, some parts of Forerunner). Ever wonder why there isn't a "Different Way to Campaign" on Waypoint after Halo 4? —SPARTAN 331 10:56, 4 February 2013 (EST)

How was shutdown a linear mission? It had non-linear structures with even more non-linear objectives, as in you got to go to the one you wanted first. Requiem was wide open, so was Reclaimer, Infinity, most of Forerunner, Shutdown, etc. There were plenty of areas where you could use multiple strategies. They balanced it pretty perfectly with tight and linear environments. And it's not like it's the first time this has happened. Remember PoA? The Library? 343 GS? Truth and Reconciliation? Keyes? The Maw? All of them were linear, small environments. Yet CE also had 4 big levels besides those. So the campaign was balanced (ish). Halo 2 had even more linear and small levels. I agree that SpOps should have more diverse objectives though. I mean, why use the generator and NPC defense gameplay types so scarcely? Incorporate some MP gametypes in there as well, some KoH or extraction? How about a race? Now that would be interesting. Also, stop complaining about map recycling. It's simply impossible for them to make so many maps. It was obvious from the start that this was going to happen. I do wish, however, that they would have incorporated more campaign playspaces (I mean, they are already there). They also should have changed some things like lighting and weather. Just make the repeat maps at night, or add different weather and they would feel somewhat fresh. -78.97.91.207 15:10, 4 February 2013 (EST)

"Also, stop complaining about map recycling. It's simply impossible for them to make so many maps. It was obvious from the start that this was going to happen."

— 78.97.91.207

No it wasn't. No one was expecting to be doing the same mission, on the same level, over & over again. And no, its's not impossible for them to make a lot of maps, its just impossible for our harddrives to take in a lot of capacity. First of all, 343i promised us 50 missions. Not 25 - meaning half of these missions take place on the same map, performing nearly the same objectives. If they couldn't give us multiple locations to do these missions on, let alone diverse objectives, then they should have promised less missions but with more content per mission to make them worthwhile. Basically, 343i bit off more than they could chew. If you're going to crank out 50 missions, then we should expect to be doing majority of them in new locations, not reused locations from campaign, wargames (nothing wrong w/ Ragnarok or Galileo Base though), & worst of all, the previous episode. Again, like I said earlier, its shows lack of creativity and it makes you feel like you're doing the same mission again. SpOps is supposed to be going in a NEW direction, not backwards. You have a point about the weather though. I have yet to see some rain, or snow, or harsh wind in Halo 4 yet.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 18:57, 4 February 2013 (EST)

Episode 8 one of my favorites by far, Serin's appearance, Halsey gettin captured, the levels were entertaining as well. File:Colonel Grade One.png Col. Snipes 4 50 File:Colonel Grade One.png 15:21, 4 February 2013 (EST)

I was definitely excited to see Serin in the flesh for the first time, and knowing that Margaret is no longer the top dog at ONI was qquite interesting as well.--Spartacus ^{Talk • Contribs} 15:23, 4 February 2013 (EST)

It was bound to happen sooner or later... Hell, if she's still alive, she'd be nearly 100... That wouldn't leave much time to retire & wash all that blood off of her hands. - DJenser (talk) 17:14, 4 February 2013 (EST)

I feel the same way. I'm glad to see a character that I read about in Glasslands & Thurdsday War pop up in SpOps. Hopefully they show Blackbox and Naomi next, not to mention those two ODST's.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 18:57, 4 February 2013 (EST)

I always imagined that Parangosky would retire in the third book of the Kilo-five trilogy. Maybe that's just me, but I was extremely surprised by her appearance. Awesome, don't get me wrong, but surprising. Also is it just me or was it little unrealistic for Thorne to get hit on the head with a HUGE rock, and then getting up the next minute? --Weeping Angel (talk) 18:58, 4 February 2013 (EST)

Gek smashed the rock on his chest-plating in order to subdue him long enough for him to brandish his sword to execute him. -Killjax (talk | contribs)

Thorne's a Spartan. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 19:04, 4 February 2013 (EST)

After finally getting a chance to play the actual missions, I found the levels to be interesting mainly because they featured new elements to make them feel different. Still, I just wish they took place on different maps. Although Apex makes sense, since we we're pulled from that mission in the previous episode.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 07:05, 6 February 2013 (EST)

Retcons and the Sangheili

As many of you have probably seen, my main concern with Halo 4 is the Sangheili. It appears the Sangheili are in the process of being retconned from previous works, and this gets on my nerves, if I'm perfectly honest. The Sangheili were confirmed to have been bound by a sense of honour and duty, and this was the centre of their being. I was under the impression that this was the same for almost every Sangheili. But this appears to have changed, somewhere between the Kilo-five trilogy and Halo 4, the Sangheili were degraded.

I'm just going to point out a few of these that I've noticed:

In Thursday War we saw Avu Med 'Telcam horrified at the sight of Jiralhanae terrorism; "Cowards, utter cowards. Why do they plant bombs? This is a filthy, sly habit they have learned from you humans. Terrorism." and "No! This is not war! There is a line between catching the enemy off guard and being too cowardly to show yourself. I will not cross it. We fight for faith, we fight to restore what we were, to come close to knowing the gods' intent for us again - not to make them shun us in disgust.", yet we see the likes of Parg Vol, a Sangheili terrorist. The exact thing that would horrify most Sangheili, remnant or otherwise. In quite a few instances, I've noticed Sangheili drawing swords for no apparent reason; in SpOps (I can't remember which episode) we see Sangheili unleashing swords in support of Jul 'Mdama. This is unnecessary, and, in The Cole Protocol, we see that this is against Sangheili superstition - "A drawn weapon demands blood" - yet we see Sangheili raising swords for no reason? Though this is little and probably an oversight, it gets on my nerves. In previous works, it was shown the a Sangheili would rather die than pick up a human weapon. Yet in SpOps we see the remnant stealing human armaments, nukes for example. I know this may have changed after the war, but it is still strange. Another thing; I noticed in a recent edit that in a newer episode a Sangheili is "willing to sell information on a Covenant listening post in order to stay alive". I haven't yet played the episode, so I don't know the circumstances, but does this not go against all we know about Sangheili warriors? We see Sangheili commit suicide than be captured, let alone become so badly wounded that you need help from the enemy. Though this will probably end up as a trap (perhaps he was too wounded, and left as a trap to regain some of his honour?) it is still very strange.

[/rant] There goes another one! xD

Bah, well to the point; has anyone else noticed these? Does it annoy anyone else? This may be a case of my bias and weird views coming through again, and I'm probably going to be smacked down with relative ease (D: I still need to find the courage to reply :P), but I'm curious to see people's opinions on this subject. :D --TentacleTornado 13:42, 4 February 2013 (EST)

Some of it makes sense; they've learned from their alliance with humanity that many human ground weapons are more effective than their own. Others appear to be the result of degeneration thanks to being a splinter faction, though that might not make sense if they're trying to restore the Covenant, not build a new alliance. The rest are a disparity between the game's authors and the books' authors; different visions at work. That, and Elites can sometimes be hypocritical about their values, such as when one Elite called out Jonah and Roland for being "cowardly" assassins only to be (Impolitely!) reminded that his species invented active camouflage. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 13:59, 4 February 2013 (EST)

I always just assumed they were using the term terrorist very loosely, more just sayign he's a millitant from a splinter faction than a nuking civies kind. This is craZboy557, signing off. 14:31, 4 February 2013 (EST) (BTW I read those pages. I'd say that you made some really good points, and I'd have to agree w/ you on them.)

Much like history, honor is often a product of the winning side. Just take a look at feudal Japanese history & you'll see that it's littered with instances that would be deemed dishonorable by the average armchair samurai, but were written into the history books as "shrewd" or "tactically brilliant"... Likewise, many instances that were labelled as being supremely honorable were viewed by many contemporaries of the day as simple vengeance or organized thuggery... I've always wondered how a Sangheili who uses active camo in combat could be considered honorable... My guess is that it's their version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or, as it was in feudal Japan, the codified system of honor is a political tool used to rigidly enforce the social heirarchy of Sangheili society... In a peace-time setting, it clearly delineates the roles of its members & the acceptable norms of behavior. However, like most societal norms, it can often be obscured by the fog of war... Remember, the first casualty of any engagement is the battle plan... followed quickly by civilized behavior... - DJenser (talk) 16:10, 4 February 2013 (EST)

I do agree that the elite retconning is annoying, but the degredation of honor follows the books if you think of 'Mdama as setting the example for hes faction. In The Thursday War we see him increasingly learning to use human tactics (take lying as an oversimplification) in order to escape Onyx. It's not a big leap from there to accepting that humans may have some superior ground weapons that he should use, such as nukes. As for the "terrorist" I think that that word is probably used a little strongly. And if it is not, that is most likely because 'Mdama needs every Sangheili he can use. and if that terrorist, I forget his name, had a large stash of weapons/materials in his keep, then that would make him all the more valuable to 'Mdama, and, as long as he keeps fighting humans, all the more useful as a leader. As for them unleashing swords, the only explanation that I can think of is that 'Mdama attracts the wrong crowd. And lets remember that this is over 2 decades after the Cole Protocol, so things might have changed. These are all just excuses though, I'm right there with you on how annoying this is.--Weeping Angel (talk) 19:20, 4 February 2013 (EST)

A classic example about how honor, religious extremism and warfare don't mix... Let's not forget that 'Mdama isn't motivated by honor or the Covenant religion... He's motivated by revenge and power... Specifically the power that harnessing the secrets of the Forerunners will provide him in the pursuit of his revenge against the UNSC for taking away everything he had: his honor, his religion, his wife & his former life... He's a Sangheili with literally nothing left to lose, and he's pissed... - DJenser (talk) 15:59, 5 February 2013 (EST)

[Edit conflict with Djenser] Haha! "I'm probably going to be smacked down with relative ease", I wasn't wrong, was I? xD

@Tucker - From what I have seen, there is a fine line between author disparity and ignoring sections of canon which do not fit a certain plot-line. In most works involving the Sangheili, it was shown that honour was a central part of the Sangheili. But this seems to have changed in Kilo-five (and therefore Halo 4), with honour being something to aim towards, though this might be just Jul's view... Bah, I don't know. But (almost) author infighting makes more sense than "ignoring canon".. I guess its easier to say "Hey! they're ignoring this and this!", when in reality its just authors having different opinions. :P

@Djenser - I'd thought about the feudal Japan similarities before, but I hadn't really thought too much into it. Again, you're most probably right. Though it does confirm something, we won't be seeing the Sangheili characters "flesh out" as they once did. As you say, honour is the product of the winning side. And Jul's faction are most definitely not on the winning side (as the plot up to this point suggests). The Sangheili characters we have seen were "good guys"; Sangheili who were devoted to Sangheili honour (Thel, Voro 'Manatkree, etc.). Those we are seeing now, are not. Jul seems to see honour as something to aim towards, as opposed to the beliefs of the Sangheili we've seen so far. So it may be a difference of beliefs, some see having honour as an achievement, and some see it as a way of life.

@Weeping Angel - I guess I was generalising. Though, like everyone else, you're right. Jul was beginning to use Human tactics. I hope we get more information on the types of people Jul was recruiting in the third instalment of Kilo-five. I always assumed they were simply Sangheili from Hesduros, twisted into believing they were fighting for the right cause. I hadn't really thought about him recruiting from out of this zone, perhaps recruiting from outside Hesduros would mean a threat of the truth being let out (i.e. the alliance with Humanity, etc.), perhaps invalidating his hold on the Hesduros-remnants? Bah, again. :P Though it's nice to see that I'm not the only one that's getting a bit frustrated about it. :D

Well, that went better than expected. Though most of my points have been debunked, I'm glad I said something. You guys bring up some really valid points, and I guess I'll try to remember these the next time I get kinda frustrated with future plot. Thanks guys, for clearing this up, and showing your opinions on the matter. :D --TentacleTornado 16:08, 5 February 2013 (EST)

@DJenser: I can't help but feel his lust for revenge is ~~justified (as justified as revenge can be..)~~ understandable. Though I'm a little confused at this new motivation for power, there was no mention of this in Kilo-five (unless I missed it, which is probable). Perhaps he's changed more then I realised? I need to watch the episode, as I've been scared to watch it for fears of more retcons shining through. Anyway, I pretty much summed up my views on Gek and Jul on this page. I do have a knack for being sympathetic when (I assume) we are not supposed to. I'm disappointed at Gek's death. I didn't like him, but I think he should have had a better death, if not a Moby-dick type storyline in which his lust for revenge on Thorne would destroy him... etcetera, etcetera. I think that would be better than simply killing him off. (Should this belong above?) :P --TentacleTornado 16:27, 5 February 2013 (EST)

@Tentacletornado: Justification is always a matter of perspective. While I can empathize with Jul's situation, I can disagree with his actions. Yeah, I'd say he's definitely changed... He's had about 5 or 6 years to wrap his brain around what happened to him, after having made his way to Requiem to try & unlock the secrets of the Didact & the Librarian... Unlike his followers, who spent the years since the war in relative seclusion away from the Great Schism, he's a lot more jaded, having had his eyes opened to the reality of what the Forerunners truly represent. He's been finding that this truth is not quite what he had been taught as a child. I think he's still trying to reconcile his beliefs with the facts, but his desire for revenge is driving him to accumulate the power ("Knowledge is power...") he needs to carry out that vengeance against Humanity. Do I empathize with him? Hell yeah... He's been stripped of his status, his dignity, his health, his family, and he was experimented on like a guinea pig by ONI. Do I agree with his methods? Nope... Any more than I agree with Parangosky's abortive plan to starve/poison the Sangheili race out of existence with tainted grain supplies as a means of eliminating their threat to Humanity's survival. Revenge is, ultimately, an empty pursuit, no matter how you dress it up. Fortunately, he's been little more than a peripheral player in this drama, killing off a few soldiers at a time, while big guns like the Didact & the Chief do their thing despite his efforts to involve himself... Even in this latest installment of Spartan Ops, he's been stuck at the edge watching as others make things happen... I suspect that this will change soon enough, then the suckage will really commence for Infinity & her crew. - DJenser (talk) 15:21, 6 February 2013 (EST)

Well, you've certainly conveyed most of my views better than I could. xD

By justified I mean his desire for revenge is justified, not the way he acts upon it. His actions can never be justified, except, as you say, by his followers and those who share his views against Humanity (To be honest, it was the wrong word to use, "understandable" is more along the lines of what I meant). Most of the points you brought up are also shown in my post here. Though I didn't really think of the time-scale, he would have had a lot of time to think about everything, and change because of it. I hadn't really thought of that. I don't really know what I want from Jul's character in the future, I don't want him to die, and I don't want his campaign against humanity to go further... Bah, I don't know, I guess I'm being idealistic. :P

He should have a far greater role in later episodes, though I hope not in the way you might expect. If the images from Episode 9 are anything to go by, his role in the eyes of the Librarian may be a lot higher than was expected. This "key" for example. He may finally get his "answer". Perhaps wishful thinking, but it would be a nice plot point. I would love to see how the Librarian sees the Sangheili as a whole, maybe she had a plan for them as well, "plans within plans" perhaps? :D --TentacleTornado 11:56, 10 February 2013 (EST)

[BS Angel mentioned on Halo Waypoint] that Gek was once going to get his own subplot. She also hinted he hates Spartans because one may have cost him his eye. Maybe we'll see it one day as a bonus. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 16:47, 5 February 2013 (EST)

Oh! I may have skim-read that section... Thanks for pointing that out, that makes me feel a bit better about this. I do hope there is a bit of "fleshing out" of a few Sangheili characters, such as Gek. :D --TentacleTornado 17:03, 5 February 2013 (EST)

Lasky is a Cylon?

So in the new Episode 8, I noticed that Lasky's back has a series of green lights going down his spine and I'm curious as to what these things are. I suspect they could be armor related, since the front of his uniform appears have body armor underneath it, or they could be some kind of mini batteries to power things like his personal comms. I doubt they're related to hidden energy shields or suggesting he's secretly a Spartan, though, because he's not tall enough and because human shields appear to not work without armor to serve as a conduit. Or they could be flashlights because he likes pretending he's a Cylon... or is a Cylon. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 15:26, 5 February 2013 (EST)

I noticed that in the level Reclaimer (I think that is the right name) and think it might be a mind-machine interface like the ones the forerunners used but I'm no expert.--Lian 512 (talk) 16:07, 5 February 2013 (EST)

Maybe, but a neural interface like every other Navy officer has should be enough. Why a spinal interface too? Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 16:54, 5 February 2013 (EST)

Maybe is a health management system, like Dead Space's RIG suits (LOL). --Dr Mutran (talk) 17:11, 5 February 2013 (EST)

That device does look really similar, and cool! It'd be interesting if there were a visible health indicator on Marines or on vehicles. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 18:29, 5 February 2013 (EST)

I'm going with Rule of Cool This is craZboy557, signing off. 17:53, 5 February 2013 (EST)

I don't think Lasky is a cylon from Battlestar Galacta. Also, are those forerunner things seen anywhere? It calls it a "skin" like the librarian and 343 Guilty Spark call a combat SKIN so it could be larger like MODLINR armor, but if that is true, the human version is smaller. (Correct me if I'm wrong) --Lian 512 (talk) 21:41, 5 February 2013 (EST)

Really don't think its armor. Again, Rule of Cool. This is craZboy557, signing off. 06:40, 6 February 2013 (EST)

I didn't mean that it is armor, I ment it might be a full body suit since it is called a skin--Lian 512 (talk) 17:14, 20 February 2013 (EST)

Short topics that don't have sections

There are many things that could be said about Halo 4 and are not due to their shortness (if this is a bad idea there ARE admins) this is for those things. I may be making too many topics.

So to start, what happend to Jul and his army when the Didact left for Earth?--Lian 512 (talk) 15:02, 10 February 2013 (EST)

Jul and his personal forces must have stayed on Requiem. As for the Covenant at Ivanoff Station, they were all killed when the Composer was fired. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 16:14, 10 February 2013 (EST)

Thanks, just like I intended this section to be.--Lian 512 (talk) 16:55, 10 February 2013 (EST)

I was under the impression that the covenant evacuated the station before they fired. This is craZboy557, signing off. 20:43, 10 February 2013 (EST)

If they had, there would be Liches escorting the Mantle's Approach again. But there aren't. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 21:22, 10 February 2013 (EST)

How in the world do the Sangheili consider glassing honorable but bombing dishonorable? —This unsigned comment was made by Lian 512 (talk • contribs). Please sign your posts with ~~~~

Glassing is done through intense ritual and specific method, as shown in The Return. Bombing is not ritual, it's just blowing up stuff without regard to prayer and carving glyphs on the surface. Also, remember that Elites often hypocritical, given that they order Grunts to be suicide bombers and call that glorious. Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 17:20, 11 February 2013 (EST)

Just a random thought - this stems from my opinions from the first topic of our discussions here. I was thinking about the Promethean weapons and I thought of four Forerunner weapons that should've been in Halo 4:

File:Forerunner weapon.jpg

All these weapons would have been unique (alien) and more fascinating to use than the stock we have to deal with. Its funny how the first two are in the terminals, yet not in the game. The first one could've replaced the light rifle. I don't know how the second one fires but it's probably a mini-particle cannon. The last two would've been great for continuation had 343i included them in the game.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 11:28, 17 February 2013 (EST)

First and third ones looks nice in the image but wouldn't be so in the actual game. If I'm not wrong, there is an unused model left in the game code that resembles the third one. The second one is, if I'm not wrong, the Lightrifle (as an early concept of one). The fourth is a definite yes-this-needs-to-be-ingame! As I stated previously somewhere, it would be better if Forerunner have a weapon mechanic that behaves different from the Human and Covenant ones. — subtank 01:49, 18 February 2013 (EST)

It is funny how the Forerunner's weapons seemingly mimic human weapons & shoot straight w/ no uniqueness or innovation behind them (I sense laziness behind 343i). Also hate the fact that some of the Forerunner weapons have to be "reloaded" (except the Incineration cannon). Should've been similar to some of the Covie weapons where they simply run out of energy rather than having to be reloaded w/ energy cells. Too Human. The Sentinel beam could've been in the game but the Sentinels simply "disappear" when shot at rather than break apart. The third weapon's mechanic could've been implemented in the game where they combine firepower. Oh well. Hope 343i doesn't repeat this in Halo 5.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 09:17, 18 February 2013 (EST)

How are the majestic map packs connected to cannon? Because I just noticed what looks a lot like a covenant cruiser over a clearly embattled human planet in one of the Landfall screenshots. Are these maps still simulations? Or are the connected to the next Halo game?‎—This unsigned comment was made by Weeping Angel (talk • contribs). Please sign your posts with ~~~~

What do you mean? Canon wise, these are actual locations in the Haloverse that were visited by the UNSC. They are still simulations; they can have stuff happening in the background. 343i is allowing us to visit locations in the Haloverse that we heard of in-book but never actually seen.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 05:38, 20 February 2013 (EST)

What is device in the room with the hunters, and 4 logs and index. That is not ment to activate Halo (installation) 3 or is about the mantle of responsibility that may be a vehicle, weapon sight, or (something else) according to the scientist in the log?--Lian 512 (talk) 22:46, 19 February 2013 (EST)

Why did 343i tease us with this?:

Why didn't it make a return in Halo 4's campaign? Could this be a sign that we'll get to fly it again soon?--Killamint [Comm|Files] 05:38, 20 February 2013 (EST)

The Pelican controls in campaign could easily translate to flying a Hornet in War Games/Spartan Ops, so I suspect that we'll be seeing it soon. -- SFH (talk) 09:19, 20 February 2013 (EST)

Its possible appearance would have to be in S2 of SPOPs. If it absolutely makes an appearance, it would mean that 343i is finally listening to Halo fans and I'm not talking about those TU/wargame fixes.-Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:24, 20 February 2013 (EST)

Thought here, forerunner weapons could be energy based and you can reload ammo you pick up, no overheat, the battery's have fixed charge and if you use it too long it damages you and anyone in three feet of you. Battery's have quarter charge.--Lian 512 (talk) 07:57, 21 February 2013 (EST)

Not sure what you mean but they already are energy based and have to be reloaded. IMO you shouldn't have to reload them at all and have to pick up another if it runs low on energy like the covenant weapons. Although like you said, unlike the covie weapons, they shouldn't overheat.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 09:16, 23 February 2013 (EST)

I'm trying to balance them and I think it could be nice if you could reload battery's. I also am thinking Halo 5 and 6. Books can make the lightrifle destroy starships or something. (Exaggerating)--Lian 512 (talk) 13:27, 23 February 2013 (EST)

I don't know about reloading batteries. It would be no different from reloading energy cells. Maybe have a battery charger but I don't know. I'm confused by your second comment.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:54, 25 February 2013 (EST)

@Killamint: I think that Lian's 2nd comment was intended to convey that, whichever future Halo novel depicts these Forerunner weapons for the first time, they will likely portray them as having capabilities & power levels that would otherwise prove unbalancing if they were allowed in-game... - DJenser (talk) 13:52, 1 March 2013 (EST)

Yes, you are right DJenser (should this be a "minor" edit) (killamint, is this how you reply)??--Lian 512 (talk) 23:44, 1 March 2013 (EST)

It was just an idea, battery charger (in form of forerunner energy canister thing),idea, NO overheat, idea, and regaining energy from guns in the field, idea.--Lian 512 (talk) 23:44, 1 March 2013 (EST)

New Promethean Knight?

Over on Waypoint many are discussing the appearance of what appears to be a new type of Knight. It's found on Episode 9, Chapter 1 "The Search for Halsey". The Knight is black and has a more potent black aura. It's similar to some of the Halo 2 Elite glitches in that it appears to have parts from different kinds of Knights. However, it is only found on Heroic and Legendary and appears to be more aggressive when outside the structure. One user has shared this video of the Knight. He has also uploaded four images (1, 2, 3, 4).--Soul reaper (talk) 01:23, 18 February 2013 (EST)

More likely to be an error/glitch. Dev must've overlooked the spawn scripts again.— subtank 01:50, 18 February 2013 (EST)

Yeah, that's gotta be a glitch or error. Remember, 343i is still releasing TU's to fix many of them. This would come to no suprise even if I saw it in-game myself.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 09:23, 18 February 2013 (EST)

Where to next? Thoughts on S1 finale?

Okay, I'm sure everyone has seen the season 1 finale for Spartan Ops. Basically, with the destruction of Requiem, Infinity & the Covenant are left traveling in space. So with that being said, where are they headed? To be honest, I wasn't expecting Requiem to be erased from existence so soon. I was hoping to explore more areas of Requiem (like those floating islands in the background of Apex). But I guess there's nothing wrong with visiting a whole new area of the haloverse. Are we headed to the greater ark? Sanghelios? Venezia? Back to Earth? The planet the Covenant remnant may have originated from? Or perhaps a brand new area? OR, is this the end of Spartan Ops & this is setting up the events for Halo 5? Also, what about the Promethean enemies & weapons? Did the Covenant bring them along for the ride? Will we see them in S2? Or, are we going to see some brand new enemies, weapons, & vehicles? So many questions...I guess its a matter of waiting. What's your take on the finale?--Killamint [Comm|Files] 06:05, 19 February 2013 (EST)

My guess is that they'll go over Majestic's sensor logs & catch a glimpse of the other half of the key, clutched in 'Mdama's hand, then take off after his fleet. OR, the Covenant will launch a raid on Infinity to get the UNSC's half back... Most likely, it'll be a combination of the 2: Infinity will receive a garbled & heavily scrambled transmission from Halsey, leading to a location called the "Absolute Record" where 'Mdama's forces will be lying in wait to ambush Infinity & take the other half of the Janus Key which, with Halsey's help, I predict they will most likely accomplish... One thing's for sure: As things stand now, it's going to end badly for either Halsey or the Infinity... Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Especially if that woman is currently the most brilliant mind in the galaxy... This is gonna get ugly. DJenser (talk) 13:56, 19 February 2013 (EST)

I totally forgot about the Absolute Record. Question is, what and where is it? As far as Halsey becoming the bad girl, im not so sure. Something tells me she's got a trick up her sleeve for Jul. Also I believe Thorne will reveal to her that they were really trying to rescue her but how that will come about is anyone's guess.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 05:38, 20 February 2013 (EST)

I really have no idea what season 2 will contain. It seems like the very act of continuing SO will reveal too many things better left for Halo 5. on the other hand Halo 5 is, what, maybe 2, 3 years out? 343i can't keep us waiting that long. It seems like a mistake to destroy Requiem so soon, or, really, to destroy it at all. I would have liked to explore more than the dozen or so maps 343i gave us. I guess they are really planning on doing a lot of plot development in the next seasons to prepare for the next game. Weeping Angel (talk) 15:27, 19 February 2013 (EST)

Requiem's destruction raised a lot of questions in my mind (as seen @ top). I honestly thought Requiem would be destroyed in a different season but not this quick. My main problem with it is that the reason for Jul doing it isn't explained. I guess there were two, get rid of the Infinity & keep human kind from acquiring Requiem. It's destruction was alluded to when the Librarian said "Requiem's time is at an end" but that's bout it.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 05:38, 20 February 2013 (EST)

That makes me wonder what happened to the Librarian. Did she die with Requiem? Was that actually her this time or just another AI? Why didn't she bother to exit her shrine and overpower Jul herself, especially since Halsey said a Covenant leader was outside waiting for them? Tuckerscreator^(stalk) 11:33, 20 February 2013 (EST)

Good question. Something tells me that is not her physical self but just another A.I. like the one chief encountered. Although I'm a bit confused w/ these encounters as in both cases, both people seemed "outside" themselves while talking to her (sort of makes me think Halo is headed in a science-fantasy direction), and her second personality looked younger than the 1st one. However, based off the UNSC Rubicon situation, I bet she's alive but somewhere else which has yet to be disclosed.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:24, 20 February 2013 (EST)

I'm wondering if the Librarian AI may have stowed away on Halsey. She has a CNI, right? It's not a date chip, but the forerunners probably were advanced enough to be able to pull some phlebotinum. Maybe she could imprint herself on her brain or something? Hell if I know, but she'd definitely be interesting plot wise, and maybe if Halsey really has gone grimdark The Librarian could pull her back from the edge. As for the science fantasy direction, I refer you to my previous statements on phlebotinum. Let's not forget the wise words of whoeverthefuck:"Sufficiently advanced technology is industinguishable from magic." Sorry, don't remember who said that. But I think it is applicable in this situation. Always use the DMR. This is craZboy557, signing off. 18:23, 20 February 2013 (EST)

Oh, BTW, this may interest you guys: Forward Unto Dawn: Forward Ops Always use the DMR. This is craZboy557, signing off. 18:26, 20 February 2013 (EST)

@Killamint: You may be right about Halsey. So far, everything I've seen about her suggests that she's had her own agenda from the get-go. It's obvious to me that the Librarian implanted a geas in her genetic lineage way back when & I suspect that she is probably aware of it, if only on a subconscious level. Her actions have always been those of someone who seeks to expand the boundaries of her own knowledge & experience, & the UNSC & Covenant are merely means to that end. That being said, as far as she now knows, the UNSC tried to have her killed & she's not likely to have much access to any data to the contrary anytime soon. As to why Jul destroyed Requiem, well, he got what he wanted: the secrets of the Forerunners... Or at least he thought he did (Now he knows differently)... As for the Librarian being alive, you hit it on the head... In Halo: Primordium Guilty Chakas set off in search of her, using the Rubicon. If she were dead, that would be a huge cop-out for the storyline.

@Weeping Angel: I'm pretty sure that they have at least a general outline of the plot development leading up to and through Halo 5. If you look at the BTS video Making Halo 4: A Hero Awakens, you can see, at about 1:25, they've scripted scenes that haven't happened yet. My guess is that this is from Season 2. As I understand it, they already have Season 2 scripted. I believe it was one of the Halo Bulletins that stated this.

@CraZboy557: I believe you're referring to a quote from Arthur C. Clarke, specifically Clarke's Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.". - DJenser (talk) 10:50, 21 February 2013 (EST)

It seems like this conversation is getting kind of long. Should we (and when I say we I totally mean the admins) move it to its own forum? just an idea. Anyway, I think I'm coming around to the idea of Requiem being destroyed. maybe it would have been better to blow it up a season later at the most, but this really gives 343i a ton of room to mess around with new maps, missions, vehicles, etc. and if we're lucky, maybe we'll even get to fight in space on a low gravity map. Its been too long since I've done that.Weeping Angel (talk) 14:59, 21 February 2013 (EST)

@DJ: Thx. Quoting that is a lot less impressive if you don't remember who said the damn thing in the first place. This is craZboy557, signing off. 07:01, 23 February 2013 (EST)

I don't see any reason to move this topic. Topics before this were longer and no one said anything about moving it. In fact I don't see it getting longer than it is now.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 09:16, 23 February 2013 (EST)

I agree that it is a good idea. If I make too many comments tell me I'm new to forums.--Lian 512 (talk) 09:27, 23 February 2013 (EST)

Majestic MP Thoughts

Has anyone else gotten a chance to try out the Majestic MP levels? I tried them out yesterday and out of all of them, my overall favorite to play on was Monolith, mostly because of the arena style gameplay, the bases, and the overall look and feel of the map. Landfall was good to play on, although I felt lost a couple times running around the map. Skyline - I love the scenery but the level itself was a tad bit too small for my comfort maybe because of lack of cover, I didn't win any matches (teammates tend to suck) on that level, and the action was too sudden so no time for strategy.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:30, 1 March 2013 (EST)

REAP-X and new vehicles

UNSC Light Assault VTOL

UNSC Siege Bike

So according to a number of people on Waypoint who receive Mega Bloks emails, two new toys(?) have been announced with an outline of their in-universe status. A user posted the email's text HERE. According to the email there is a new ONI department called REAP-X who handle research and development and made these new vehicles. They've been given descriptive names in the email rather than the animal based ones we're used to.--Soul reaper (talk) 22:42, 8 March 2013 (EST)

Rarely am I so forward, but for everyone's sake I will be. What the shit, 343i? Why would we need a huge inline skate with machine guns for reconnaissance and why don't you just use the Hornet? BLERG! Grizzlei ♥ ツ

It's description suggests that it's more of a full on assault vehicle than one intended for recon. In-game it'll probably play like a less brutal Chopper, which I'm fine with. I don't get why they'd add another flying vehicle when there are a number not being used, though perhaps they want it to play differently. All that said, we don't actually know if these are intended to appear in the games, or even anywhere outside of Mega Bloks. Personally I hope that if they do, the VTOL will be a bit more balanced than the Hornet.--Soul reaper (talk) 23:18, 8 March 2013 (EST)

Also, I just noticed that the Doozy was mentioned to be a type of modified snowmobile in the Encyclopaedia. Perhaps this is an assault version. By the way, given that these are official toys, no doubt they will receive a page. What about the information about them and REAP-X? Would they simply be included on the toy pages or would we make canon articles for them? Or would we wait for word from 343 before treating them as canon.--Soul reaper (talk) 02:39, 9 March 2013 (EST)

They can probably be added to this article. As far as REAP-X, I would wait til 343i releases information on it.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 06:52, 9 March 2013 (EST)

If 343i plans on adding these vehicles to the game, I'm gonna assume they will appear in SpOp's Season 2 as DLC. Seems too soon to release stuff like this when its intended for Halo 5. The Siege Bike doesn't seem like it offers any protection for the rider (like a real bike doesn't). I like the way it looks and all but it seems like its only advantage would be speed. Also it doesn't appear advanced in any way, like it could have been built by any company rather than ONI's REAP-X. Basically they added a bike just for the hell of it. The Light Assault VTOL looks like a flying ghost, and, just like the bike, doesn't offer any protection for the operator nor looks advanced. Why not use the Sparrowhawk? Its essentially the same thing but better.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 06:52, 9 March 2013 (EST)

Yeah, to me it just looks like the kind of ridiculous stuff toy companies make whenever they're told to make anything that has to do with weapons. Maybe they'll be non-canon or get their designs changed or something. Always use the DMR. This is craZboy557, signing off. 07:33, 9 March 2013 (EST) For god's sake. REAP-X? Have some goddamn self respect mega bloks.

Totally agree with you Grizzlei. <rant style="minor">Also, if they were planning on releasing Mega Bloks models of never before seen vehicles, why the hell were they not in the game at all?! Without a Hornet or a Falcon, they could have at least put these vehicles in the game even if they really aren't the same thing.</rant>--Spartacus ^{Talk • Contribs} 11:39, 9 March 2013 (EST)

I don't know about you guys, but I'm really glad that 343i is introducing some new vehicles. I was a little bit disappointed when all we got for halo 4 was the Mantis and the Mammoth (and we can only play with the Mammoth on that one Campaign level). The Siege Bike looks like it could be basically an upgrade to the Mongoose, and a speedier version of that would make for some fun gameplay. I thought the Mongoose was a little too slow for its purpose. I can't believe 343 didn't put in a UNSC helicopter. This is the first game since Halo 2 to not have a human air vehicle. Frankly, anything new would be good to me. halo 4's Sandbox, both weapons and vehicles, seemed kind of stale. How wrong do you think I am? --Weeping Angel (talk) 12:57, 9 March 2013 (EST)

I completely agree, that the weapons and vehicles are a bit old and want a helo, but not on the radical change of the mongoose.--Lian 512 (talk) 14:49, 9 March 2013 (EST)

Assuming these are for gameplay, maybe their design is done in a way to be more balanced. Going back to Halo CE, the Warthog was indestructible, that's why it doesn't have doors, to allow weak points. In later games this allowed it to be hijacked.

Moving forward we received two UNSC flying vehicles and the Mongoose.

The mongoose is the closest UNSC counterpart to the ghost, but really, it can't be used for that purpose. In campaign it's only useful when an ally is on the back with a power weapon, in MM people generally just use it to quickly get from point A to point B. This Siege Bike Would be a far better ghpst counterpart as it could actually be used for battle, while leaving the operator as vulnerable.

The flying vehicles have never quite been right. They were better armoured, moved better and had better firepower. The Hornet particularly had far too much firepower and no real weakness. This new VTOL sounds like it retains the firepower and manoeuvrability but has reduced the armour and made the driver more vulnerable.

To me it seems as though these will be a more even match with the Covenant vehicles.--Soul reaper (talk) 07:25, 10 March 2013 (EDT)

That's understandable that 343i is trying to balance out the vehicles but the fact that they decided to do it after the game's release seems pointless and kinda late. Like Spartacus said, if they were included in Halo 4 than it wouldn't be as big of a deal, but releasing them now makes me feel like Halo 4 was just an unfinished experiment. To make matters worst these vehicles just don't serve much of a purpose, nor make any sense from a canon perspective. It's similar to how we have all those unnecessary & redundant GEN2 armor permutations. It gets more and more unrealistic with every approach 343i makes with how the UNSC works. Like many have said before, the US military can go years without ever replacing their military vehicles (such as the B-52 having been built in 1952 not being retired till after 2040). Why develop the VTOL? 343i simply could have added the Hornet but decreased it's armor strength to balance it out. The Siege bike altogether seems useless. Why not add machine guns to the Mongoose and call it a day? And how are you supposed to steer the damn thing with only one tread w/o sleds or a front steering wheel? Am I missing something???--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:22, 10 March 2013 (EDT)

Well, I suppose you could lean, but that's not something you have as your only means of steering. As for air vehicles being overpowered, I've always felt they were, but not habing a cockpit on an air vehicle is a recipe for disaster. I'd rather they brought back the hornet. A way they could balance it could be by making the glass really easy to shoot out. Maybe with the banshee they could make it fall out of the sky if you shoot out the anti-gravity pods? That might be fun. Always use the DMR. This is craZboy557, signing off. 13:34, 10 March 2013 (EDT)

I was hoping for a return to the Falcon. I like how it forced teamwork, like the Warthog. I know that's probably the exact think that most people hate about it but, that's what I think. Maybe a turret gunner like in the b-17. I think Bungie perfectly balanced it with its' maps, such as Spire. In the end I think that what these images show us is likely to be changed beyond recognition in the game, if they appear there at all. whatever vehicle design 343i goes with will have to work well with its maps. --Weeping Angel (talk) 19:56, 10 March 2013 (EDT)

Honestly, I doubt these "vehicles" would make it into Halo 4 (or Halo 5). If anything, it's another revisit of the Hellspartan debacle.— subtank 21:16, 10 March 2013 (EDT)

Good point.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 12:29, 11 March 2013 (EDT)

The latest Bulletin has confirmed that "REAP-X program itself is part of the Halo canon" but the designs of the vehicles are not necessarily so. I suppose we'll need to make a REAP-X article.--Soul reaper (talk) 22:47, 28 March 2013 (EDT)

Infinity(level)

In the first part of the level Infinity, when you examine the IFF tag, it starts a dialogue that according to the transcript on this wiki, comes from the radio nearby. I cannot find the radio or hear the dialogue, I can get the subtitles but no sound, has anyone else had this prob and where is the radio??!!! It is getting on my nerves. DMR is awesome!--Lian 512 (talk) 14:49, 9 March 2013 (EST)

Ok, I found the answer elsewhere, I don't think I have the authority to delete this.--Lian 512 (talk) 20:34, 18 March 2013 (EDT)

What's the answer? I have been wondering about that too. --Weeping Angel (talk) 20:59, 18 March 2013 (EDT)

Spartan331

posted 19 hours 25 minutes ago

To be honest, I just made an assumption based on how there were other radios in the level. (bad, I know) If you think there is more evidence of the conversation coming from IFF tag than a non-existent radio, go for it! :) Send Spartan331 a message Board-to-board Delete

I will confirm it on all difficulties along with mythic.--Lian 512 (talk) 21:07, 18 March 2013 (EDT)

Spartan Ops Query

During a Spartan Ops session, a few friends of mine got into a rather heated debate about whether or not dying in-game would reduce the overall amount of experience you earned at the end. Since we couldn't figure it out, I decided to ask for an outside opinion on the issue.—This unsigned comment was made by 76.212.202.32 (talk • contribs). Please sign your posts with ~~~~

Dying doesn't affect a player's XP. File:Colonel Grade One.png Col. Snipes 4 50 File:Colonel Grade One.png 01:56, 13 March 2013 (EDT)

Dawn's redesign

Wouldn't it have been easier for them to keep the design of the Dawn from Halo 3 intact for this game and then introduce the redesigned Charons stored aboard the Infinity later as an entire new and separate design updated from the Dawn's line? I know the design of the Dawn in Halo 4 is a retcon, but it's still a jarring one to an extent.262VigilantGuardian (talk) 22:40, 8 April 2013 (EDT)

The same can be said about chief's armor. Instead of waking up in his "new" armor, he could have been wearing his previous armor and received new armor aboard the Infinity. I brought this issue up before about 343i retconning the FUD. Unfortunately with the retcons, it causes some inconsistencies within the Halo-verse (not to mention the redesigned Covies species). What makes it worst is that 343i offered non-sensical explanations for the redesigns. However they don't have one for the FUD, so all those explanations are pretty much rendered moot. It also, IMO, makes Halo 4 feel disconnected from Halo 3 especially with the absence of the FUD's hanger bay. The main reason why the FUD was redesigned was for gameplay but they could have done something like the level "The Maw".--Killamint [Comm|Files] 07:41, 9 April 2013 (EDT)

Loadout Discussion

I've got my main loadout figured out. My primary is a DMR/Boltshot w/ active camo, which has served me well. I could, however, use some suggestions for my anti-vehicle/ BtB loadout. It's Lightrifle/Plasma Pistol with Active Camo, dexterity, and awareness. I think that my weapons are good, but I'm thinking that hardlight shield or regeneration field may be better AA's, and of course there's also the wheelman upgrade. I'm not much of a vehicle guy, but still. So, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to it, and yes I do have a jetpack loadout. And of course, this isn't just for me, so go ahead and ask the wiki what they think of your loadouts. Always use the DMR. This is craZboy557, signing off. 17:29, 9 April 2013 (EDT)

Hardlight is nice when you have non explosive weapons shooting at you or making a push, warthog/banshee/ghost/etc. with guns blazing, anyone? Regeneration is good for digging in and not getting killed by intermittent fire. Regeneration also gives you more time before you get killed in a blaze of glory. I think hardlight is good when you are in the open and you get shot at by a turret, regeneration will only save you from moderate amounts of firepower. In big team battles with lots of players together, hardlight is better, vs vehicles, hardlight is better, when you don't have tons of rounds coming at you, regeneration is much, much, better. I think hardlight is better. Lian 512 (talk) 17:34, 9 May 2013 (EDT)

To be honest I don't find any of the armor abilities in Halo 4 useful except for the hologram and jetpack. In fact I never really use them when playing wargame nor does it ever come to mind to use them. Thruster pack is useless, I have no need for auto sentry, hardlight shield slows me down and makes me a easy target, seeing through walls is cheating, regeneration is useless in wargames, and active camo gives away my position so its useless as well (I kill people using it ALL the time). Jetpack & hologram are my favorites and the only ones I prefer to use. As far as a loadout I tend to stick with a DMR & PP, with the ammo & fast track perks (notice how I said "perks") with the later being useless now that I maxed out my rank (SR130). For close-in combat, I use the suppressor and magnum. I really would like the elimination of the boltshot as a loadout weapon. Also I'm still waiting for 343i to make a classic playlist. This loadout complexity is starting to bug me and I would like to see the return of everybody on an even/level playing field where everybody started with the same gear and you had to cycle around the map to get the good stuff. The game isn't as fun when stuff is just given to you - makes it too easy to get kills or be killed, and allows the camper community to shine (i.e. boltshot users).--Killamint [Comm|Files] 17:12, 10 May 2013 (EDT)

BETA luck next time

For the past couple of bulletins, BS angel stated that 343i was working on the weapon tuning mechanics to help balance out the ever so popular DMR w/ the not so powerful BR, and other weapons as well. But when looking back, this issue could have been solved long before if 343i offered a beta. In fact a lot of the issues that were fixed lately with those title updates could've been fixed from the getgo hadn't 343i decided to have a beta before the final release. It just seems ridiculous to me how much they have to keep "fixing" well after the game has been released. We're talking 7 months in and they are still trying to figure things out. I forgot what reason they decided to not have a beta but now IMO they should've opted to have one. Yes, I know they had those "tryouts" at those numberous gaming events but that didn't seem to yield any results let-alone complaints. I know that many may see me as shooting down Halo 4 but when you spend 100 bucks (LE ver) on a game you expect a quality product and unfortunately I didn't see that with Halo 4. Halo 5 come out, I'm going with the standard ver regardless what I see.--Killamint [Comm|Files] 17:12, 10 May 2013 (EDT)

Forum:Halo 4 discussion

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