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  • Subject: How does Bungie justify an alien race speaking English?
Subject: How does Bungie justify an alien race speaking English?

Posted by: Methew
Posted by: spreadin cheaks
I never understood this. Why not ad captions or something? That way we can understand them but they speak in their own alien tongues. Yet again Bungie FAILS with realism.

Oh, Reach and stuff. Now I can post in this section.


***Translators is the easy way out of the issue.. Bungie could still incorporate the covenants language in raw form.*****

Wait... what?

Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Yet again Bungie FAILS with realism.

Really.

Realism in a video game where genetically modified cyborgs in powered armors fight vicious religious aliens who want to use doomsday weapons made apparently by Humanity itself god only knows how long ago to fight an evil parasite who zombifies all intelligent life.

And you're tweaked that Elites don't say "Wort-wort."


And this would never happen because? Because you say so? lol ignorant fool.

  • 11.14.2009 10:02 PM PDT
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Posted by: spreadin cheaks
And this would never happen because? Because you say so? lol ignorant fool.

What would never happen? Elites apparently speak in English? That whole "Realism in a video game..." bit? Becuase I'm sure that the players can spin any number of reasons why almost all the Covenant can apparently speak in English.

But the biggest reason why is that the game needs to speak to the audience. The impact is not the same when it goes.

"What's the matter, big shot. Can't start your own party?"
"Wort-wort. Wort wort wortwort. WORT-WORT."

Even when you have subtitles. Then your reading and not looking at the visuals going on.

[Edited on 11.14.2009 10:15 PM PST]

  • 11.14.2009 10:04 PM PDT
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No.

I can tell you that a seething mass of courpses that is the brains of a hive minded parasite won't look like audrey -blam!- two.


I can tell you that walking into a triangle and becoming invisible won't happen.

I can tell you that being shot in the face with a bullet that's bigger than a 50 cal and just flopping over won't happen.

Face it, Halo is a stylized and cartoony universe. It's been like this since Halo 1. And will continue. Get used to it.

[Edited on 11.14.2009 10:07 PM PST]

  • 11.14.2009 10:05 PM PDT

In the game Halo Wars, it is said that the covenant have been studying the human language, mostly English since most human to covenant contact has been in English. The covenant have been studying the language for quite some time now.

  • 11.14.2009 10:10 PM PDT

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Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Posted by: Plasma3150
Grunts actually did learn Human languages. For some reason, they took pride in that.

As for the other races, translaters. Don't count the levels on Halo 2 in the Arbiter's perspective.


Yes good point. Halo 2, Arbiter doesn't have translators and they speak English.

but the people listening to him might/// translators can work both ways

[Edited on 11.14.2009 10:16 PM PST]

  • 11.14.2009 10:16 PM PDT

Posted by: Fat Albert 386
In the game Halo Wars, it is said that the covenant have been studying the human language, mostly English since most human to covenant contact has been in English. The covenant have been studying the language for quite some time now.



So why does the covenant speak english amongst themselves? I guess they've been studying humans for so long English just kinda stuck right?

  • 11.14.2009 10:17 PM PDT
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Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Posted by: Fat Albert 386
In the game Halo Wars, it is said that the covenant have been studying the human language, mostly English since most human to covenant contact has been in English. The covenant have been studying the language for quite some time now.



So why does the covenant speak english amongst themselves? I guess they've been studying humans for so long English just kinda stuck right?

And I refer you to my previous post.

  • 11.14.2009 10:18 PM PDT

Hmmm, I don't know what to say...

Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Posted by: Plasma3150
Grunts actually did learn Human languages. For some reason, they took pride in that.

As for the other races, translaters. Don't count the levels on Halo 2 in the Arbiter's perspective.


Yes good point. Halo 2, Arbiter doesn't have translators and they speak English.

The Elites in Halo 2 speak english so you can understand what they are saying. They're really talking in their own language, but it would be a pain to have to read all of those translations.

Also, there are Translators around.

  • 11.14.2009 10:22 PM PDT

Posted by: Baph117
This is an incredible step forward to being able to cure Downss sybndonre mn humans bineg.s

Teeny little fish in their ears. Problem solved.

  • 11.14.2009 10:25 PM PDT

Posted by: Seggi31
Teeny little fish in their ears. Problem solved.


possibley the most intelligent response yet. keep up the good work.

  • 11.14.2009 10:31 PM PDT

It is unfortunate that a perfectly reasonable opinion is so horridly battered over a single word.

When he says "Realism," he means believability. It is not a question of realism that the sangheili speak English. It is a question of believability. We know about their culture and how they are cultivated to behave. We know that it runs counter to their nature for them to actually care about making meaningful, understandable communication with the enemy during a firefight. It is therefore deppreciable to some and the suggestion is to return to the methodology of Halo: Combat Evolved where Elites spoke "their own language" (it was backwards English, I hear).

Everyone with both feet firmly planted in reality knows Halo is a game franchise (aside from the majority of the world, oddly enough), so I don't see why so many people are so invested in reminding the opening-poster. This is a topic where one should assume it is recognized that we are discussing a game, since we are on the forums of the developers of that very game. He is simply seeking an in-story resolution to his query that would remove the perceived fault he mentions.

And I recall that the Covenant were learning Human languages for some time (Grunts are very naturally effective students, across the board, the vast majority of Covenant grunts knowing three or four Human languages). That is the reason they speak English. Noticeably, Drones, Jackals and Hunters do not speak English. Prophets, Brutes and Elites do. Why is not confirmed in any metric.

Want a theory to quench your thirst? The Hierarchs knew from the get-go (more or less) that the Humans were the true inheritors of the Forerunners, and that they themselves were even Forerunner relics. Perhaps they saw their culture and languages as characteristics ideal for pursuing the path that the Forerunner set out for the Humans. So maybe the idea was to integrate Human cultural aspects while destroying the Humans themselves, thereby inheriting their characteristics without sharing them or revealing any religion-shattering facts. Of course, pure speculation. But that's the best you'll get. Especially around here.

  • 11.14.2009 10:33 PM PDT
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Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Posted by: Seggi31
Teeny little fish in their ears. Problem solved.


possibley the most intelligent response yet. keep up the good work.

What am I? Chopped liver? Or conviently forgotten?

  • 11.14.2009 10:33 PM PDT
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The Mk V suits had translators, but they were limited. (we could only understand sparce bits of what was being said.
"Wort wort wort!"
The Mk VI has the most advance translation software. Most of it likely came from Cortana, as she was the first UNSC AI to infiltrate a covenant network very deeply.

  • 11.14.2009 10:34 PM PDT

Posted by: Methew
Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Posted by: Seggi31
Teeny little fish in their ears. Problem solved.


possibley the most intelligent response yet. keep up the good work.

What am I? Chopped liver? Or conviently forgotten?


I can't remember your post..did it have anything to do with 'little fishes in thier ears' too?

  • 11.14.2009 10:36 PM PDT
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Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Posted by: Methew
Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Posted by: Seggi31
Teeny little fish in their ears. Problem solved.


possibley the most intelligent response yet. keep up the good work.

What am I? Chopped liver? Or conviently forgotten?


I can't remember your post..did it have anything to do with 'little fishes in thier ears' too?

Conviently forgotten I see.

  • 11.14.2009 10:38 PM PDT

Posted by: Halo 2 Rookie
It is unfortunate that a perfectly reasonable opinion is so horridly battered over a single word.

When he says "Realism," he means believability. It is not a question of realism that the sangheili speak English. It is a question of believability. We know about their culture and how they are cultivated to behave. We know that it runs counter to their nature for them to actually care about making meaningful, understandable communication with the enemy during a firefight. It is therefore deppreciable to some and the suggestion is to return to the methodology of Halo: Combat Evolved where Elites spoke "their own language" (it was backwards English, I hear).

Everyone with both feet firmly planted in reality knows Halo is a game franchise (aside from the majority of the world, oddly enough), so I don't see why so many people are so invested in reminding the opening-poster. This is a topic where one should assume it is recognized that we are discussing a game, since we are on the forums of the developers of that very game. He is simply seeking an in-story resolution to his query that would remove the perceived fault he mentions.

And I recall that the Covenant were learning Human languages for some time (Grunts are very naturally effective students, across the board, the vast majority of Covenant grunts knowing three or four Human languages). That is the reason they speak English. Noticeably, Drones, Jackals and Hunters do not speak English. Prophets, Brutes and Elites do. Why is not confirmed in any metric.

Want a theory to quench your thirst? The Hierarchs knew from the get-go (more or less) that the Humans were the true inheritors of the Forerunners, and that they themselves were even Forerunner relics. Perhaps they saw their culture and languages as characteristics ideal for pursuing the path that the Forerunner set out for the Humans. So maybe the idea was to integrate Human cultural aspects while destroying the Humans themselves, thereby inheriting their characteristics without sharing them or revealing any religion-shattering facts. Of course, pure speculation. But that's the best you'll get. Especially around here.


Honestly this is the best so far. I appreciate your thoughts and I agree i could have worded it better. You seem to understand what I meant though...

  • 11.14.2009 10:39 PM PDT
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Posted by: JobeTheConqueror
In Halo 2 during the Arbiter's missions it would not make sense for them to have the Covenant speaking their own language and not English.

The game was released in English speaking territories, not Covenant-occupied territories. The Covenant aren't real.

If you are playing from the view point of the Arbiter, then you would know the language and understand the Covenant around you. This is presented to the player as English however, because that's what the player will be able to understand. It would be really stupid to have all the Covenant speaking in their language with subtitles for a few missions of the whole series.

As for the rest, yes, they had translators. The ODST and the Spartans.



I kinda agree with that.

[Edited on 11.14.2009 11:05 PM PST]

  • 11.14.2009 10:48 PM PDT
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they all have translators... exept for red vs blue they have to try to teach aliens english

[Edited on 11.14.2009 10:58 PM PST]

  • 11.14.2009 10:58 PM PDT

Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Posted by: Plasma3150
Grunts actually did learn Human languages. For some reason, they took pride in that.

As for the other races, translaters. Don't count the levels on Halo 2 in the Arbiter's perspective.


Yes good point. Halo 2, Arbiter doesn't have translators and they speak English.


Honestly? He obviously understood his covenant's language, so why would they make it hard for us to understand when he can perfectly?

  • 11.14.2009 11:05 PM PDT
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"You must be mistaken, Reclaimer. I've met your makers, and they don't even know your name..."

Posted by: master piraka
I can tell you that a seething mass of courpses that is the brains of a hive minded parasite won't look like audrey -blam!- two.


How do you know? Have one growing in the garden, do ya?


I can tell you that walking into a triangle and becoming invisible won't happen.


Again.


I can tell you that being shot in the face with a bullet that's bigger than a 50 cal and just flopping over won't happen.


Oh, I'm sure you explode. Your armor just keeps all your gooey insides from getting all over the place.

  • 11.14.2009 11:21 PM PDT

Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is a philosophical position that argues that existence is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.

Put simply in the words of Nietzsche as "the will to nothingness".

It's a mother -blam!-ing video game, it shouldn't be an issue. You have to suspend your disbelief a bit alright like with the whole aliens, space travel and giant hula hoops of death.

  • 11.14.2009 11:44 PM PDT

Posted by: spreadin cheaks
Bungie FAILS with realism.


"We reject your reality and substitute our own"

  • 11.14.2009 11:53 PM PDT

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It is stated often that they have forunner/covenant made translators- also it is heavily suggested that the covenant studied humans long before attacking. Jackals speak their own language, Elites would switch back & forth in Halo2 [wort wort wort as an example] & Hunters primarily speak "Huntish" though u can hear some human-like words sometimes & as stated Grunts learned English at some point.

  • 11.14.2009 11:58 PM PDT
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Humans have translators to understand the covenant, and the covenant learned english as part of their training or something. I think one of the books mentioned the covenants needing to learn english and the Elites were upset about it but the grunts took pride in knowing another language.

  • 11.15.2009 12:15 AM PDT

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Read one of the Halo Wars timeline events.

"All Sanghelli and Unngoy will learn the Unclean Language" with 'Unclean Language' being English.

  • 11.15.2009 12:17 AM PDT