- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Not an amusing convo, but informative for you guys i guess.
konoka: question!
clarkman: nwah?
clarkman: what's this? haha, oh geez i nodded off. this day has been too long
konoka: its gonna be a little bit longer
konoka: seems people now consider me a gateway for information, so now i'm going to drill you with the questions that have been flooding my pm and e-mail address.
clarkman: oh poor you
konoka: hush
clarkman: fire away, maybe engaging my brain will help me stave off exhaustion
konoka: here goes
konoka: why did you take such a sudden change in regards to the Master Chief/Cyriacus character?
clarkman: eh? that's not very clear
konoka: i think they're asking why you decided to do what you did to the master chief
clarkman: oh, okay
clarkman: well first off. i really liked the idea of master chief being a descendent of the Reclaimers from the time of the Forerunners, and ever since the Covenant history chapters I've been looking for a way to work that into the story
clarkman: when i was talking with cooper about some of guilty sparks comments, mainly how master chief's armor in the first halo was quite pathetic compared to what the Reclaimers wore, i decided that adding the ancient armor of the Reclaimer would have to be something i did
clarkman: when i decided that, i started to wonder how insane the reclaimer armor might be, mainly, just how much would it affect the person that wears it?
clarkman: i wanted John to be the one to first wear it, an when i figured that, i decided that John would be wearing the armor of the First Reclaimer, Cyriacus. but i took the idea one step further.
clarkman: not only was John wearing the armor, but because of the intense neural linkup that exists between the suit and the human host, the memories and emotions of the human who wore the suit would still exist within it. which is how John's own personality was pushed into the recess's of his mind, and Cyriacus emerged.
clarkman: because the chapter was really rushed, i wasn't able to include the scene where John first puts the Reclaimer armor on, which would probably have helped a lot of people figure out what happened, but since i didn't fasul is going to have to explain everything in the next chapter, which will make the already giant scene, even bigger
clarkman: the original question was why did i do it right?
konoka: yep
clarkman: i suppose i wanted to give myself an opportunity to work john's character around on a mental level instead of just a physical one. by creating a character that is essentially much like john (that character being cyriacus) i would be able to show the disparities that exist within John himself
clarkman: his childish belief that nothing but winning is important. we saw it in fall of reach, how his concerns lingered on the eventual overcoming of whatever odds he faced, the road to winning didn't concern him too much, just that by the end he would be alive and his enemies neutralized
clarkman: there is a very hard lesson waiting for him because of that, and we'll all get to see it in the next chapter.
clarkman: is that good?
konoka: lol yeah, probably a bit much but i bet everyone will be happy.
clarkman: any more?
konoka: just a sec
konoka: ok here's another
konoka: why did you kill off so many of the Spartans? do you not like them?
clarkman: lol
clarkman: well, maybe not so much that i don't like them, but that I understand their purpose
clarkman: the spartans are soldiers that were originally created to enforce peace. they weren't peacekeepers, but peacemakers. that's an important distinction, and one that has numerous metaphorical attributes that apply to the storyline
clarkman: the Spartans characteristically are emotionless drones that operate with cold efficiency. they kill and destroy whatever is not designated a friendly target. without a target, all they can do is wait. they train so that they may kill faster, quicker, and without hesitation
clarkman: by extension one would think this brings them into the 'robot' category of character type, but the truth is that each and every one of the Spartans has a distinct personality, and one that is strikingly different than everyone else
clarkman: look at fred, who may have been a great second in command for the Spartan unit, but instead let his mind settle on the cold facts that they might not survive. voicing those thoughts would have had a negative impact, but instead he kept them inside, where they simply rolled about inside his mind, picking up more and more weight as time progressed
clarkman: so no, i don't hate the spartans, but overall their purpose is to either kill, train, or die. there is no peace in mind for them, and they shouldn't ever be able to find it in their waking lives
clarkman: but with the significance that the Master Chief has changed, do i still think that way about him? hmmm, i don't think i should say
konoka: lol, cruel
clarkman: very
clarkman: is that it?
konoka: yeah pretty much, the rest are plotline specific, so they'll just be answered by the next chapter
clarkman: huzzah!
clarkman: i don't think that worked in keeping me awake, i'm still bear
konoka: then sleep you dummy
clarkman: no name-calling, i'm wounded enough
konoka: aye aye sir!
clarkman: smart-ass'ery is allowed though
konoka: thank god
konoka: neither of us would be able to talk if it weren't
clarkman: well you maybe, but a cultured fellow like myself has a vocabulary beyond comprehension
konoka: no horn-tooting
clarkman: blast
konoka: seriously, go to sleep and we can continue our adversarial accusations later
clarkman: you've strong-armed me into it, i shall now sleep free of worry or guilt. i hope your happy
konoka: very