Halo: Reach Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: I have a problem with the trailer.
  • Subject: I have a problem with the trailer.
Subject: I have a problem with the trailer.
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Why do you take everything so literal? Seriously, that's is why this trailer is called a teaser trailer. Bungie created Halo; the canonical books do not. Why does Bungie have to follow the book's rules? They can do whatever they want.

Who cares if it doesn't follow canon? Let it go. It's just a teaser trailer to get the gamer hyped up for the next Halo game. We didn't even know about this game (except that it was called Halo: Chronicles or w/e); this just simply notified us about the name (not official?), and that they are creating something after Halo 3: ODST.

The trailer is one year before the game is released. The trailer is not going to show everything; thus, you shouldn't analyze it as you are now.

As stated before and in your post, this trailer is supposed to cause hype about the game. It is merely there to cause people to talk amongst themselves.

  • 06.01.2009 5:24 PM PDT

i will aways kick some ass

You say the battle has been going on before the covenant got under the grid and started bombing.

But what you dont mention is that in the trailer you can clearly see the planet is already seared, burned, or in flames.

Im sure the UNSC didnt do that to themselves.

  • 06.01.2009 5:25 PM PDT

93% of statistics are lies. Formerly Xfire Grunt. Unfortunately, you can't change the WLID for your BNET account, so I had to create an alternate account. My other WLID was spam city (and it was my e-mail account too).

I don't recall Bungie saying the books were canon..... Hopefully they will change some stuff (so we don't have to go back to last gen health packs, those don't work for MP games).

  • 06.01.2009 5:27 PM PDT

No soliciting.

Posted by: Halo 2 Rookie
I think it's possible -- though not necessarily likely -- that the trailer switching from bright side to dark side was also a way of showing the travel of time; from first contact to the first bombings.


As for the way that Spartans were announced to be on the ground towards the end of the invasion in the trailer rather than the beginning, that was probably for dramatic effect. If you have a problem with that, that's totally fair. Not much one can do about your opinion though.


I believe this is correct, "from the beginning, you know the end" would reinforce this. Also if it was intended to be interpreted this way then that would mean Bungie is giving anyone that hasn't read the books a basic outline of the plot which also seems highly likely.


EDIT: The only mystery remaining is Spartan 259.
EDIT2: Edited for clarification

[Edited on 06.01.2009 5:41 PM PDT]

  • 06.01.2009 5:35 PM PDT
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ZOMG! I just noticed something, too! All those radio transmissions weren't in the books, either!
/sarcasm

This trailer is one of those that the audio doesn't match up with the video. The beginning transmissions (the ones at the beginning of the trailer) could simply be narrating what happened. Around :42 of the trailer, how could someone already be dropping into the firefight after a bomb just went off? They would have known before hand had this actually occurred.

The frigate, as stated before, is simply there to show the transition between the calm Reach and the violent Reach. It is one of those timeline condenser things (I don't remember what it is called but it looks like this: ____/\..._____)
.......................................\/
Because, if that weren't true, how could that much of Reach already be in destruction?

  • 06.01.2009 5:42 PM PDT

Suck it Red!

- It's a hype trailer and will have little bearing on the game itself.

That is the best explanation. Just like the Halo 3 trailer was.

- A futuristic scene where Reach has been re-colonized and is falling anew.

The Covenant glassed Reach, so I doubt that anything could ever live on it again, plus during Halo 3, the Covenant is destroyed so they could not attack it again in the future.

- A separate planet colonized by Humans being taken by the Covenant.

Probably not since Bungie would not make the announcement trailer with stuff not very important to the game

- An alternate timeline with slight inconsistencies that boil down to dramatic differences.

Perhaps.

  • 06.01.2009 5:56 PM PDT
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“To say more would spoil be it’s overall its a game that needs to be played.” - Aristotle

Posted by: whoppersandwich
The explosions could be the UNSC nuking the planet where covenant ships troop concentrations are. Once the super macs are down nukes become fair game.

True, but there are two problems with that. Primarily, UNSC personnel were extremely surprised when whole cities started going up in flames. On top of that, we know that the UNSC's nuclear arsenal was surprisingly low at the time, mainly due to efforts to vacuum-seal the nukes so they could be used as effective weapons in space. No... I find it incredibly unlikely the UNSC resorted to using their nuclear arsenal.

- - -

Posted by: eryx eleet
One thing that everyone seems to be ignoring is they never actually say anything about the covenant being the "them", for all we know this game could be the story of the civil war that happened that led to the creation of the SPARTAN project. Also the spartans in the game could be spartan 1's and Chief and his team. Even though I think this game is going to be a game version of the fall of reach book, and the non MC bits from first strike. Maybe if we are lucky it is both books wrapped into a freaking awesome game.

I agree with you, which is why I hesitantly put "enemy" in the OP and not the Covenant specifically. I find it much more likely that this is something "else" that has nothing to do with the Covenant, be it before or after the Great War. I tend to think after, judging from the inconsistencies in the trailer.

- - -

Posted by: RhomprStompr
Who says that the planet in the trailer is even reach?

They could go to previous battles like in halo wars before reach.

That's really the main purpose of this thread, to discuss if this planet in the trailer is actually Reach or not and, if so, from what time period or dimension.

- - -

Posted by: swashbuckler91
Why do you take everything so literal? Seriously, that's is why this trailer is called a teaser trailer. Bungie created Halo; the canonical books do not. Why does Bungie have to follow the book's rules? They can do whatever they want.

Who cares if it doesn't follow canon? Let it go. It's just a teaser trailer to get the gamer hyped up for the next Halo game. We didn't even know about this game (except that it was called Halo: Chronicles or w/e); this just simply notified us about the name (not official?), and that they are creating something after Halo 3: ODST.

The trailer is one year before the game is released. The trailer is not going to show everything; thus, you shouldn't analyze it as you are now.

As stated before and in your post, this trailer is supposed to cause hype about the game. It is merely there to cause people to talk amongst themselves.

Did I say once that I expected Bungie to conform to any specific standard? No. I've been here for nigh on three years now, and I have dutifully and happily gone along with every move that Bungie has made. I have great respect for them, and the way that I am showing that respect happens to be through theorizing over their new trailer and getting hype up for their new game in my own way. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you take it elsewhere.

- - -

Posted by: KAGED
You say the battle has been going on before the covenant got under the grid and started bombing.

But what you dont mention is that in the trailer you can clearly see the planet is already seared, burned, or in flames.

Im sure the UNSC didnt do that to themselves.

It's extremely likely (almost 100%) that the voice and video don't match up exactly. It's more like the voice is a guide for what the UNSC's doing while the video is a guide for what's happening. The UNSC reacts to the video. At least, that's how I view it. There are a few who say it's completely disjointed, however.

  • 06.01.2009 6:03 PM PDT

Cave Johnson here, we're done!

PS: If you are reading this comment while imagining my voice, don't panic. That's just a side effect of the testing.

Quite the conundrum, there is no obvious answer as to what the planet in the video is. It could be reach as the broken in half ship is similar in ways to an orbital defense platform.

But the whole concept of the battle not taking place in the orbital defense grid in the beginning of the battle is true. But the video does not say as such. It only states at first that they detected slipspace in the system, but then it states that there were multiple pings in the orbital defense grid. The messages between the two are pretty jumbled and probably are not played next to each other. It's just audio pulled from a larger conversation.

And the pings mentioned could be other than the covenant cruisers. They could be dropships or boarding ships trying to take down the defense platform.

As to the explosions on the surface, it could even be nukes used by spartans. As to why I think of it this way is that right before the first detonation it says "This is Sierra-320 prepped for combat insertion" Now it could be the spartans using tactical Fenris Nukes, but I'm not going to base my argument on the audio clip. What I will base it on is that the covenant and humans are both capable of massive explosives (remember the bomb chief carried out of the Cairo station?) so it could be an attack on the generators or the spartans using tactical nukes.

It's all to inconsistent to use as evidence so I'm going to go with the general idea that this is Reach and wait to be suprised otherwise by bungie.

  • 06.01.2009 6:39 PM PDT

So heres my take on this trailer thing. This whole conversation in the begining about slipspace ruptures could have been after the Covenant smashed up the Orbital Defence Grid, which is shown by the destroyed station or ship right before the bombs go off.

Now in the First Strike books, I remember them mentioning nukes, incase the generators were overrun. Which is what the detonations could be, the marines setting off nukes as a last ditch attempt to kill as many Convenant as they can once the generators were overrun.

Now there is a quote in there saying "We'll hold out as long as we can" which could be Charlie Company guarding the last generator. Likewise the other voices could be that once commander that the Spartans were ordered to save.

And of cource, I don't know what the whole Spartan number thing is about, but the Spartan at the end probably is talking before they launch off to the ground in the Pelican.

Whew...

Edit: The guy above me beat me to the same thing. Wow... Great minds think alike i guess?

[Edited on 06.01.2009 6:52 PM PDT]

  • 06.01.2009 6:50 PM PDT
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“To say more would spoil be it’s overall its a game that needs to be played.” - Aristotle

As I've said before, my main issue is with when they talk about the ruptures. They talk about them while the planet is still displaying the light side, very early on in the trailer. It just doesn't make much sense to me. I suppose it's possible that it's talking about Dropships breaching the defenses, but you would also think that it would talk in more detail about the Covenant's first charge, as that's when the UNSC kicked the hell out of the Covenant before the ground war started up.

  • 06.01.2009 7:03 PM PDT

Cave Johnson here, we're done!

PS: If you are reading this comment while imagining my voice, don't panic. That's just a side effect of the testing.

Posted by: Lord Snakie
As I've said before, my main issue is with when they talk about the ruptures. They talk about them while the planet is still displaying the light side, very early on in the trailer. It just doesn't make much sense to me. I suppose it's possible that it's talking about Dropships breaching the defenses, but you would also think that it would talk in more detail about the Covenant's first charge, as that's when the UNSC kicked the hell out of the Covenant before the ground war started up.


I understand your confusion as it still doesn't make perfect sense to me either.

The conversation about the slipspace ruptures could be just tidbits and only segments that they allow you to hear. So the entire conversation could have included the actual battle itself, but only small points were taken.

The UNSC isn't all seeing and the guys that are talking may only be looking by radar (Like sonar) so they can't really describe what exactly the "pings" are.

The trailer has many holes, but then again, it's still a trailer.

  • 06.01.2009 7:08 PM PDT

Theme Builder 4.1 is out for Bungie.net!

Theme Builders

I think it was just a hype trailer. If I remember correctly all Halo games have had a hype trailer.

  • 06.01.2009 7:13 PM PDT
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“To say more would spoil be it’s overall its a game that needs to be played.” - Aristotle

Posted by: tinyohyeah
The conversation about the slipspace ruptures could be just tidbits and only segments that they allow you to hear. So the entire conversation could have included the actual battle itself, but only small points were taken.

I find this the most likely option here. Seems to me that, if this place is Reach, they talk about very early occurrences, then shift horribly right into the heart of battle when the UNSC is losing horribly and Reach is being glassed. Who knows, though? The trailer has many gaps, as you said.

Posted by: LH Justin
I think it was just a hype trailer. If I remember correctly all Halo games have had a hype trailer.

You're correct, they do. But almost every time a hype trailer comes out it provides integral knowledge about the game, even if it's only in a very small way. Dissecting trailers is part of a long, long legacy for Bungie games, particularly the Halo series.

Posted by: Reptilian Rob
Posted by: Frankie
Shut up nerds!

I knew it was coming! Thanks for that Rob, I think we all needed that.

  • 06.01.2009 7:17 PM PDT

Cave Johnson here, we're done!

PS: If you are reading this comment while imagining my voice, don't panic. That's just a side effect of the testing.

Posted by: Reptilian Rob
Posted by: Frankie
Shut up nerds!




Yep, I think that's a good time to just end this conversation there.

Thank you.

  • 06.01.2009 7:28 PM PDT
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Posted by: Bullet413
So heres my take on this trailer thing. This whole conversation in the begining about slipspace ruptures could have been after the Covenant smashed up the Orbital Defence Grid, which is shown by the destroyed station or ship right before the bombs go off.

Now in the First Strike books, I remember them mentioning nukes, incase the generators were overrun. Which is what the detonations could be, the marines setting off nukes as a last ditch attempt to kill as many Convenant as they can once the generators were overrun.

Now there is a quote in there saying "We'll hold out as long as we can" which could be Charlie Company guarding the last generator. Likewise the other voices could be that once commander that the Spartans were ordered to save.

And of cource, I don't know what the whole Spartan number thing is about, but the Spartan at the end probably is talking before they launch off to the ground in the Pelican.

Whew...

Edit: The guy above me beat me to the same thing. Wow... Great minds think alike i guess?

thank you someone who actually remembered the First Strike book. There are so many parts in that book that refer to the events on Reach. Just like Bullet413 said they detonate nukes as a last ditch effort to take out as many covenant ground forces. The explosions in the trailer easily could have been those nukes.

  • 06.01.2009 7:39 PM PDT

Some call me crazy........ They're too modest.

it would be interesting if it was a recolonized reach, and those were spartan 3s

  • 06.01.2009 7:50 PM PDT
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Somebody in the trailer says 'There's still people down here', possibly indicating the UNSC self-bombarding to destroy Covenant forces en masse?

  • 06.01.2009 7:53 PM PDT
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Good point, wolverfrog, on the numbers. I like your 300 idea.

  • 06.01.2009 7:54 PM PDT

Really a member since 2002 I was just undercover.

Oh i didn't even think that was going to be the covenant in the first place. I thought the enemy in the trailer were the rebels from the "civil war" the unsc was having with the rebels before the covenant.

  • 06.01.2009 7:56 PM PDT

Cave Johnson here, we're done!

PS: If you are reading this comment while imagining my voice, don't panic. That's just a side effect of the testing.

Posted by: swordboy98
Oh i didn't even think that was going to be the covenant in the first place. I thought the enemy in the trailer were the rebels from the "civil war" the unsc was having with the rebels before the covenant.


I remember you, the omnific virtuoso group, you know, 3D weapons, zombie game that we tried to work on but failed completely. Good times.

Anyways, it could really be either or as of the moment. We really can't tell.

  • 06.01.2009 7:59 PM PDT

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Use the forge, Lukem!

The thing is, the title is called:
Halo: Reach

So... why would it be on another planet?

Your all making it so difficult.
ITS THE BATTLE FOR REACH...

Hence the title, Halo: Reach...
Duh...

  • 06.01.2009 8:24 PM PDT
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“To say more would spoil be it’s overall its a game that needs to be played.” - Aristotle

Posted by: Blargface
thank you someone who actually remembered the First Strike book. There are so many parts in that book that refer to the events on Reach. Just like Bullet413 said they detonate nukes as a last ditch effort to take out as many covenant ground forces. The explosions in the trailer easily could have been those nukes.

Posted by: Fusbun
Somebody in the trailer says 'There's still people down here', possibly indicating the UNSC self-bombarding to destroy Covenant forces en masse?

You forget the trailer. The UNSC was screaming about losing contact with cities and their teams all the while that those explosions were going off, and at the first explosion somebody screamed "What was that!?!" It seems more likely to me that the UNSC had absolutely no clue what was going on around them in this situation. The Spartans would have radioed in... it looks to me like they had no warning.

Posted by: Deaths Armada
The thing is, the title is called:
Halo: Reach

So... why would it be on another planet?

If you think about it, it talks about a prequel in the trailer. Fall of Reach focused on several campaigns, including Sigma Octanus IV. If it covers that far back, it's possible that the planet in the trailer is another UNSC colony from before the actual battle of Reach.

  • 06.02.2009 1:16 PM PDT

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Posted by: Lord Snakie
If you think about it, it talks about a prequel in the trailer. Fall of Reach focused on several campaigns, including Sigma Octanus IV. If it covers that far back, it's possible that the planet in the trailer is another UNSC colony from before the actual battle of Reach.
I just rushed home from the gym after i thought about that planet being Sigma Octanus only to find that you guys thought of it first. :( I wouldn't be surprised though if Halo:Reach covered several battles from the book. Perhaps a certain orbital drop from the atmosphere ? Oh boy if we keep speculating i won't be able to stop my nerdgasms.

  • 06.02.2009 2:28 PM PDT

Doc: "i'm a pacifist"
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Posted by: Lord Snakie
If you've read the novels, you would know that there was a harrowing fight that went on for almost an hour before the Covenant fleet jumped in below the tactical grid, and that there were entire armies of Covenant troops on the ground still engaging the UNSC while they jumped in below the orbital perimeter... and that there were Spartans on the ground long before that took place.

My problem with the trailer is that, quite simply, it doesn't fit into this situation. In the trailer we can clearly see something bombing the hell out of some UNSC planet, but I hesitate to call that Reach, especially when all the actual tactical information differed from what occurred in the book. Unless we claim that this was just a hype trailer and has inconsistencies with the actual game (which can be claimed to a certain extent with the original Halo 3 trailer, so this is possible), I don't know if we can make a definitive call yet.


Inconsistencies in the Trailer:

- The Covenant(and/or "enemy") fleet jumps below the defensive line at the "beginning" of the battle, when the Covenant actually jumped below the line only toward the end of the conflict.

-The Fermion detects the Covenant fleet while they are in Slipspace in the novels, not when they actually appear.

- No Spartan designation is as high as the designation given by the Sierra unit in the trailer.

- Projectiles being used against the planet are bomb-like in nature (possibly actual bombs?) and not anything like the plasma weapons common of the Covenant from the Fall of Reach era.


Possible Explanations:

- It's a hype trailer and will have little bearing on the game itself.

- A futuristic scene where Reach has been re-colonized and is falling anew.

- A separate planet colonized by Humans being taken by the Covenant.

- An alternate timeline with slight inconsistencies that boil down to dramatic differences.


The Spartans didn't mobilize from the Pillar of Autumn until Keyes realized that Covenant forces were headed to the ground. The Spartans goal was the protection of the reactors that powerd the orbital MAC platforms. So saying they (Spartans) were there beforehand is slightly inaccurate. The explosions would simply be just that, explosions, not so much bombing or any type of bombardment. I don't remember seeing anything hit the surface, simply an explosion. Again, it could have been reactors that were going down, or simply UNSC installations getting blown apart.

Another thing to note is that communications were messed up from planet side to the ships in orbit, it is entirely possible that different areas of the planet experienced seige at different moments. You gotta remember that while the engagement was written about, it was not not completely outlined in great detail. There could be a ton of possibilities as to what actually happened.

Personally i've come to expect some slight differences between whats in game and whats on paper, as that is simply the way of it. However I do not feel that Reach is the only thing that will be covered in this new game so it is entirely possible that this could be another world that feel. There are several hints at other engagements the Spartans took part in where the ground engagement went well, only to have the planet burnt to a crisp by orbiting Covie forces. It is all still up in the air.

  • 06.02.2009 2:43 PM PDT