Halo 3: ODST Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: Story telling through Terminals
  • Subject: Story telling through Terminals
Subject: Story telling through Terminals

In the Trailer you can see the protagonist accessing a Terminal. I suppose that some of the story will be told through them.

Do you like this feature?

I think it was perfect how they solved it in Halo3. The Terminals only contain background information and are not vital for the main story.

If there was too much story to be told through them, players would become fed up of searching them.

  • 06.01.2009 6:12 PM PDT

See , the H3 terminals crossed my mind as well. But I don't think that''ll be the case. I think the terminal was something relative directly to the plot. If I recall correctly, he got a checkpoint as he did it (which I'm sure I did, seeing how I watch it as I type this). That means it won't be a background thing I bet.

The main story I doubt would be either (though I'll admit it's entirely possible). It would pay homage to Marathon, but I think ODST will be more direct with the SI.

  • 06.01.2009 6:16 PM PDT

Hm, good thought and nice observation.

Maybe that terminal is the first real encounter of the Rookie with the SI.

  • 06.01.2009 6:20 PM PDT

"Empathise with stupidity, and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot." - Iain M. Banks

The entire Marathon Trilogy was told through terminals. Granted, this was probably due to technological limitations at the time (Marathon 1 could run on a 68040!). However, it worked quite well. In those games, given that the Pfhor had disabled ships communications for the most part in the first one, and the character was trekking around ruins and derelict space stations for the other two, there was no reason for the games' AIs to be able to communicate directly at any given time.

I imagine a similar situation here. Mombasa has just been hit with a massive EMP. It doesn't seem far-fetched that the supervisor will not have direct means of communication. Unless the player or a npc restores them.

Anyway, the Marathon trilogy was a lot of fun and managed to tell a very interesting and intricate story through terminals alone. I don't think I mind seeing Bungie return to those roots.

  • 06.01.2009 6:35 PM PDT

I totally agree with you, but that may scare away casual gamers. Wait... that's a good thing!

  • 06.01.2009 6:46 PM PDT