- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Yes,I hope Halo:Reach will incorporate Engineers as well.They were first mentioned in the book First Strike,which gave a vivid description of the covenant engineer as a benevolent being whose purpose is solely based on repair.They even fixed Master Chief's suit when it was damaged while he was aboard the covenant CCF cruiser!They become agitated when someone is reckless with their new repairs,or if their work is damaged again,but this does not provoke agressive behavior.They merely huff in irritation and start repairs again.They could be presented in the game (most likely) as one of two ways:1-(based on the theory that is does not matter who the repair is made for,the engineer will repair anything,UNSC or covenant)The engineers will float around the game worlds repairing technology,as well as covenant and UNSC sheilds (i.e. elite/spartan sheilds go up faster,health regenerates faster,jackal sheild devices are repaired after they are disabled,ect.)at will.If given a choice between two it will repair Covenant tech,forcing the master chief to kill them.They will be found alongside the covenant in most cases,but if the master chief solely engages covenant and contends with the constant repairing of Covenant tech,the engineers will repair his sheilds when all traces of covenant are gone.They will function like the sentinels,hovering away after MC's sheilds are repaired.There will also be special locations where there are engineers present but Master Chief is alone.In this case,the chief's sheilds will be repaired without the hassle of enemy extermination as a pretense.2-Engineers will be present during skirmishes,but will stay neutral during the fighting.In this case,the engineers function as contested units.Once master chief wins the fight,the engineer belongs to him.It will follow him around and repair his sheilds and health.If master chief retreats during the fighting,the engineers will repair covenant tech.If master chief enters a fight and has any previously obtained engineers,the covenant will try to shoot them as they repair the chief's sheilds.If master chief retreats,the covenant will take possesion of his engineers.There is also a third option.3-The engineers appear in the game and hover around.They can be interacted with,but they are passive and seen only,like the mynock and astromech droid were in Star Wars:Republic Commando.All of these are viable projections but we have to ask ourselves:we will even see engineers at all? Being seen in the distance during the course of Halo Wars does not necessarily mean that they will be incorporated into Halo:Reach.One must assume that they were present behind covenant lines during the course of the books and they still were not seen by humans until First Strike,which almost certainly takes place after the events of this game.Odst will probably not incorporate them either.But that does not mean I am giving up hope.I want engineers in the game as much as anyone and I dearly hope that Bungie inputs them there.