Halo: Combat Evolved Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: "Second squad, ready to roll, when everybodies topside"
  • Subject: "Second squad, ready to roll, when everybodies topside"
Subject: "Second squad, ready to roll, when everybodies topside"

"its not the years, its the mileage"

This is something that has always mystified me. On the "Silent Cartographer" level (before AOTCR), all my marines typically die at the beach landing. At least, they do on Legendary which is what I like to play CE on. This leaves me with nobody to man the .50 on the warthog which sucks.

Anyways, after you fight your way into the complex where the door snaps shut on you, you make your way back up and among other radio chatter, you hear a marine yell "Second squad, ready to roll, when everybodies topside". I always took this to mean that I could head back to the LZ and pick up some marines to man the warthog; but I cover the whole map and there is never anybody to be found. Whats up with that?

Not a big issue, but I always thought it was weird...

  • 10.26.2007 1:34 PM PDT
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There are a number of places in the game where dialogue happens because it is programmed in, and no other reason. It is to provide ambience to the game, to keep you from feeling you are oh so alone. I also only play on legendary, and there are a number of spots where this happens when all your marines are dead. The funniest is during Truth and Reconcilliation. You have rescued Keyes, made it back to the control room where the three invisible sword elites have met a timely death at the hands of your sniper rifle, but all your marines are dead, just you and the Captain. From nowhere you still hear a marine say; "Oh man, we're screwed", to which Keyes replies; "Stow the bellyaching..........". There are no marines to say it, or reply to!!

It is the same kind of thing where in H2 Cortana fills the time by telling you about the ring, and old structures, and blah blah blah..... Just meant to keep you from feeling all lonely.

All in all, I think they did a great job in Halo making you feel part of a larger force (even though the MC is pretty much the only Human more dangerous than a steak knife in most of the game), and in H2 they did a great job increasing the variety of the dialogue. Four years after I started playing Halo, I am still occassionally hearing things I have never heard said before, but on H2, this happens more often. Both games keep providing new things for me, but I spend most of my time with the original. I would miss either if I couldn't play it, so I am just grateful for both!

  • 10.27.2007 9:59 AM PDT

"its not the years, its the mileage"

Thanks for that, that makes sense. Yes, I think they did an amazing job on the game. To date, it remains my #1 favorite of all time, hands down.

  • 10.27.2007 11:17 AM PDT
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Seems to me that the dialogue is something related to the dead marines and warthog in the area where you have to go up the narrow passageway between the trees... farther down the beach, counterclockwise on the island if you're looking down. That's where the voices are supposed to be from, I think. Nonetheless it made it feel more like a mission than a go here go there blow things up deal.

  • 10.31.2007 8:48 PM PDT