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  • Subject: The Covenant Primer
Subject: The Covenant Primer

Your guide to the inner workings of the greatest threat Humanity has ever faced, and an alien civilization that's a lot more complex than you'd think.

  • 04.29.2004 4:30 PM PDT

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[Edited on 4/29/2004 8:53:20 PM by Frankie]

  • 04.29.2004 5:32 PM PDT
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I was wondering why the forums were so quiet

  • 04.29.2004 9:18 PM PDT
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oy...greatful for the info but wanting soooooo much more.

  • 04.29.2004 9:22 PM PDT
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hmmmm. the grenade type launcher is what hes talking about when he says the brutes new wep, but id like to see a pic of an enginieer species, i know the discription but an pic would be cool. nice story, very detailed by the way.

  • 04.29.2004 9:23 PM PDT
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some wepon briefings would be cool to, i like to read about that kinda thing. hmmm woulda edited my first thingy but it wouldnt let me.

  • 04.29.2004 9:26 PM PDT
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You guys did notice that the Jackal had a Needler, right?

  • 04.29.2004 9:31 PM PDT

[email]mnemesis@bungie.org[/email] | BS | ...

Frankie, not to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything, but do they know you're telling us this stuff? ;-)

Wow! Real info. Nice Jackal pic, too. Got a larger one somewhere back there? ;-)

Thanks!




  • 04.29.2004 9:33 PM PDT
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That's gonna suck in the game. I hate needlers in the wrong hands.

  • 04.29.2004 9:42 PM PDT
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I've seen an Engineer. Thay're kind'a ugly. Look on yahoo pics for an Engineer and take a look for yourself.

  • 04.29.2004 9:43 PM PDT
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I wonder if we'll ever come across the Prophets in Halo 2. I'm also curious about what they'd do in combat situations. The Sphht didn't really look like warriors...

  • 04.29.2004 9:48 PM PDT
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Wow, there is some serious information here.

  • 04.29.2004 9:56 PM PDT
Subject: Jackals with Needlers

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http://rampancy.net

Actually, I'd always wondered why Jackals didn't have Needlers in Halo 1.

It always struck me that an enemy would want to be using a weapon that he himself would be invulnerable to should an enemy steal one from a fallen comrade.

Needlers are pretty useless against Jackals in particular because of their shields, so it's the safest possible weapon for a group of Jackals to carry.

Ironically, Jackals ALWAYS carried plasma pistols, which were the single MOST effective weapon against Jackals. Even if you're completely unarmed and faced with a medium sized group of them, you can melee kill one, pick up his weapon, and waste the rest without much trouble.

If they were all carrying Needlers, you'd never be able to manage that without another weapon.

  • 04.29.2004 9:56 PM PDT
Subject: The Covenant Primer
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Well, not much there that I hadn't known before, but some interesting points scattered throughout the article. Way to go Frankie, keep up the good work :)

  • 04.29.2004 9:58 PM PDT
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Great article Frankie! I'm happy and appreciative to see you take time to post this excellent read. Also, that jackal has a needle! Excellent! I wonder if the jackals will throw grenades now...

  • 04.29.2004 9:59 PM PDT
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good stuff frankie, nice new pic of the jackal 2, cant wait for the update tomorrow, hopefully we will recieve some juicy new info....

  • 04.29.2004 10:03 PM PDT
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The 3 Halo Books that have been released: "The Fall of Reach"; "The Flood" and "First Strike" have alot of info on the convenant and other aspects of the Halo universe. Normally I avoid these types of books like the plague but the 1st and 3rd books make for a good read. Described are the Engineers, Prophets, Brutes plus the other Covenant races, with various some scenes from their perspective.

And in Halo itself and the books there are more than enough clues that the Forerunners are actually an ancient Human civilisation, which makes the Convenant actions against the Human race an interesting twist in the story. Not sure? then just listen to what GS343 says to you in the game and perhaps read the books if you feel inclined.

  • 04.29.2004 10:46 PM PDT
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ya nice article frankie, i look forward to fridays update..weeeeeeeeee! also ya, that pic of the jackal is sweet. I'm hoping you guys at bungie are possible considering making jackals and such throw grenades and possible hold different arsenals of weapons and perhaps even more than one gun that they can rotate though. that would deffinatly mix things up a bit. - deek -

  • 04.29.2004 11:47 PM PDT
Subject: Covenant Primer and some suggestions
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Cool. Here' s my speculation - some's low hanging fruit I know.
1 Jackals will have needlers
2 There is forerunner technology imbedded within the earth or on the dark side of the moon or under its surface
3 There will be engineers so we can hear them wail
4 Hunters will be more wiley ("tactical brilliance")
5 Jackals will be more often than not the new annoying Covenant snipers
6 There seems to be some foreshadowed betrayal between Covenant races
7 Will there be zombie flood versions of Hunters, Brutes, etc.?

If anyone important is reading this, there needs to be:
- a "pronate" move so that you can lay down while sniping. This could be balanced by taking a long time to "get up"
- a "high five" move, to congratulate teammates on particularly humiliating feats. "Humping" is a taunt, but how many times have you wanted to congratulate and can't? That would be pretty intense. People will want to have some sort of "team morale move" when Live hits.

Am I the only one who looks forward to sniping a Prophet between the eyes in some large gathering and slipping away in the ensuing chaos?

  • 04.30.2004 12:02 AM PDT
Subject: The Covenant Primer
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Exellent,Brilliant,Cooool! GREAT Job Frankie!!!! Somthing like that info have waited for a long time now :) Finally i can get closer to the covenant species and know them better,and their rank's too! A VERY pretty good job!!!! Again,very many thanks!

  • 04.30.2004 12:18 AM PDT
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Nice frankie, very nice. Like the jackels with needlers thing.

  • 04.30.2004 12:25 AM PDT
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Thanks Frankie, great stuff! I feel like a grunt trying to milk a food nipple for all it's worth, knowing that the food reservoir is holding all KINDS of tasty, squishy goodies that WON'T COME OUT until about six months from now...I'll just have to satisfy myself with the occasional oozings..

  • 04.30.2004 2:34 AM PDT
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great update frankie, but damn hunters with tactical brilliance never noticed that in Halo I think they are the easiest enemies with a pistol :).

Don't wanna wait anymore give me HALO 2 NOW !!!

  • 04.30.2004 3:25 AM PDT
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Engineer pic:
http://bungie.net/images/Games/Halo/Gallery/PreXbox/pcgamer_3 .jpg

Anyone remember how in the Marathon and Myth series how at some points your enemies would switch to your side, or fight amongst themselves? Now read the Hunter text again...

  • 04.30.2004 3:32 AM PDT

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Well, Frankie's text goes to the trouble to illustrate tensions between Covenant races at every turn-- amongst Grunts and Jackals, between Elites and Prophets and Engineers, between Hunters and everyone else.

Yes, in Marathon, your task became to liberate the S'pht from the Pfhor, and at times in Myth different factions of Dark armies would fight each other, much as we saw three-way battles in Halo, between Flood, Covenant, and Sentinels.

I've personally always thought that someone at Bungie was deeply influenced by the Battle Of Five Armies chapter of the Hobbit when they were I child; I know I was :)

However, with regards to Halo 2, I think to some extent the only reason to put together a Covenant is so you can unravel it.. so I won't be surprised if that happens in Halo 2 and we get to witness it, or even participate in it.

  • 04.30.2004 4:09 AM PDT