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Subject: Civilian culture

Don't worry, you're still your mom's favorite Bnet member.

Do we know much about culture in everyday UNSC life? I would imagine it's rather dark, but do we know anything about the average citizen of the UNSC? Things such as music, cars and other things? Or is the Car and Pilot easter egg from Halo 2 really our biggest insight?

What we know:
-Car and Pilot magazine seems to have replaced Car and Driver. [1]

-Fish Tacos are popular in New Mombasa [2]

-New York and Beijing are the two major cultural centers on Earth [3]

-Moa Burgers are especially popular on Reach. It is unknown if this is the case on other colonies. [4]

-Skyway Cafe is a coffee shop in New Alexandria. It is unknown if this is a standalone shop or a chain. [4]

-Club Errera is a popular nightclub on Reach. It is unknown if this nightclub is privately owned, or is a chain run by VYRANT TELECOM, the company that owns the building in which one of them (assuming their are others), was located in. [4]

-Farming communities on Reach are isolated and very self-sustaining, most of them aren't even mapped. It is likely that this isolation makes life their much like old farming life, such as it was in the Southern US years ago. [4]

-Most Reach farmers use TurboGen trucks called Spade, a flatbed truck. It is unknown what else this company manufactures. (Note; the logo on the Spade has been closely compared to that of the Dodge Ram, it is possible TurboGen is the descendant of Chrysler or General Motors Company) [4]

-The Genet is a popular civilian car in New Mombasa, made by Huciv. It is unknown if it is popular, let alone sold, in other parts of Earth and UNSC space. [4]

-Two car companies (presumably TurboGen and Huciv) mass produced cars in competition with each other, one using Hydrogen power and the other Electric. [annotation needed]

-The civilian Warthog, simply dubbed "Hog", is a popular car sold on Earth. It is likely that the Hog is popular on other UNSC worlds, because of the widespread distribution of military Warthogs. [1]

-The New Mombasa police department uses Pelicans. It is likely that other cities also use them. [5]

-Additionally, New Mombasa is overseen by a Superintendent AI. It is likely that other major cities are also regulated by Superintendents. This monitoring would include police, traffic, harbor, sanitary and possibly fire control. It is also possible that these AI were monitoring everyone in the city. [5]

-As seen in Sadie's Story, civilians have communication devices called "Chatters". They seem to be like modern day smart phones, except that all calls are video connections. Ironically, also in Sadie's Story, she makes noises to convince her father the connection is breaking up. Her father kindly reminds her, "This is a video connection Sadie. I can see you", suggesting that regular phone calls still exist. [5]

-It was illegal to have a son that didn't serve in the armed forces, unless they were deformed, blind, deaf, or had a serious mental defect. It is unknown how long they had to serve for. [annotation needed]

-Average male height is 6'3, and Female is 5'10. [annotation needed]

-The public on Earth had no idea what was going on in the war. Propaganda seemed to tell them that the outer colonies were holding out, even when the inner colonies such as Reach were falling. [3]

-The average life expectancy ranges from 98-142. [annotation needed]

That may seem like a lot, but it's hardly anything.

Sources
1. Halo 2
2. Halo 3
3. Second Sunrise over New Mombasa
4. Halo: Reach
5. Halo 3: ODST

[Edited on 02.13.2011 6:44 AM PST]

  • 02.07.2011 7:43 PM PDT

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Posted by: Lyth Raparos
like modern day Marine life.
Key word: Civilian
OT: I think so too. Which I don't really mind, but leaves so much open to interpretation that we almost have to create culture for them ourselves.

  • 02.07.2011 8:03 PM PDT

"I only speak two languages: English and Bad English,"
-Bruce Willis, The Fifth Element

I escaped into the waves. The waves...
I went Underground!

Judging from signs, we know Moa burgers are popular on Reach. We also can find some things from the Mombasa levels, but other than that I agree with you guys; it looks like it's up for interpretation.

  • 02.07.2011 8:07 PM PDT

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Posted by: Havoc 101
Judging from signs, we know Moa burgers are popular on Reach. We also can find some things from the Mombasa levels, but other than that I agree with you guys; it looks like it's up for interpretation.
The only things we ever really got from New Mombasa was the name of a few companies such as Traxus and Tterab. It's a shame really, because ODST gave us a really good chance to have some insight on culture in the UNSC.

  • 02.07.2011 8:22 PM PDT

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Posted by: Lyth Raparos
But they DID have massive dumpster trucks. So I guess the civilians at Mombasa must have been very trashy. =o
Well we know Earth was insanely overpopulated, and I'm sure New Mombasa was no exception. That's a lot of garbage.

  • 02.07.2011 8:26 PM PDT

I breathe BR, not kidding homie.

hungarian?

  • 02.07.2011 8:27 PM PDT

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Posted by: raad face
hungarian?
Yes most of Reach's early farmer settlers were from Eastern Europe, but that doesn't tell us much about their everyday lives.

  • 02.07.2011 8:34 PM PDT

Cpt. Cutter, for those who don't get the referance.

I'd say it wouldn't be too much differant from today, based on their technology compared to ours. I mean, aside from a few tiny details (That probably aren't as tiny as I believe), it's not really that much more advanced.
The only real differance is space travel, but as I said, tiny details.

  • 02.07.2011 8:40 PM PDT

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Posted by: Nub Cutter
I'd say it wouldn't be too much differant from today, based on their technology compared to ours. I mean, aside from a few tiny details (That probably aren't as tiny as I believe), it's not really that much more advanced.
The only real differance is space travel, but as I said, tiny details.
I always considered space travel to be more of a "luxury", reserved for military transport and government officials. Like when people colonized the East coast of modern US (planets), they took the boat (spaceship) there and they stayed, while government officials and military only went back and forth.

  • 02.07.2011 8:41 PM PDT

Cpt. Cutter, for those who don't get the referance.


Posted by: MegaMuffin16
Posted by: Nub Cutter
I'd say it wouldn't be too much differant from today, based on their technology compared to ours. I mean, aside from a few tiny details (That probably aren't as tiny as I believe), it's not really that much more advanced.
The only real differance is space travel, but as I said, tiny details.
I always considered space travel to be more of a "luxury", reserved for military transport and government officials. Like when people colonized the East coast of modern US (planets), they took the boat (spaceship) there and they stayed, while government officials and military only went back and forth.

That's how I always thought about it, as the equivilant to an actual modern day water-sailing ship, same concept, different waters, so to speak. Especially in relation to the 1500's and the discovery/colinization of the Americas.

  • 02.07.2011 8:57 PM PDT

I'd like to just mention the heavy emphasis on recruitment to join the UNSC as seen all over the place in ODST, heard in Sadie's story, and referenced in other places as well.

This emphasis on military involvement in every day life has probably made the civilians more accustomed to weapons and such then the average citizen of today, not in the knowledge of them, but more as in the proper way to use 'em.

and as seen in the few encounters where civilians get face to face with the covenant, they do put up a little fight suggesting they could possess none to minimal fear in the face of danger, or perhaps its a form of nationalism.

  • 02.07.2011 9:27 PM PDT

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Posted by: xXSushiSanXxIt's also possible that civilians are blinded by UNSC propaganda. I feel like if those civilians in Nightfall knew the true power of the Covenant, they wouldn't have dared fought them. I think the UNSC was probably telling everybody "all is well" while the Covenant killed billions.

Recruitment centers on every block, it seems like the UNSC knew how to lift people's spirits, at least temporarily.

  • 02.07.2011 9:33 PM PDT

Well humans colonized other planets, its likely that each developed there own civilization and methods.

  • 02.07.2011 9:59 PM PDT

not to mention all the UNSC advertising it must be there whole culture

  • 02.07.2011 10:02 PM PDT

A couple things you might add, average life expectancy is from 98-142, very large margin indeed.

Average male height is 6'3, and Female is 5'10.

The public on Earth had no idea on how the war was going before Earth was attacked, they were informed by lies and told that Humanity was holding the front in the outer colonies even when the inner colonies were under attack.

Humanity can develop cities such as New Alexandria in less than 20 years with technology they can access.

  • 02.07.2011 10:14 PM PDT

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Posted by: mojeda101
The public on Earth had no idea on how the war was going before Earth was attacked, they were informed by lies and told that Humanity was holding the front in the outer colonies even when the inner colonies were under attack.
Interesting. What if they had family on a colony that was destroyed, and they wanted to contact them? Was interplanetary contact impossible?

  • 02.08.2011 5:34 AM PDT
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Respect it!

Posted by: MegaMuffin16
Posted by: mojeda101
The public on Earth had no idea on how the war was going before Earth was attacked, they were informed by lies and told that Humanity was holding the front in the outer colonies even when the inner colonies were under attack.
Interesting. What if they had family on a colony that was destroyed, and they wanted to contact them? Was interplanetary contact impossible?

I would imagine interplanetary contact would be possible but it would also depend on the technology that was developed to use it. Today, if we wanted to send a message to say Saturn, it would take a really long time for the message to get there and for a reply message to be sent back. Now imagine sending a message across the galaxy! In order for this to be a practical, it would be have to be instantaneous or faster than light messaging, a theory discussed in the the "Ender series" by orson scott card(highly recommend ). All in all, I think its very possible, wonder what else humanity is capable of!?

  • 02.08.2011 11:02 AM PDT
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Posted by: zeno64
Posted by: MegaMuffin16
Posted by: mojeda101
The public on Earth had no idea on how the war was going before Earth was attacked, they were informed by lies and told that Humanity was holding the front in the outer colonies even when the inner colonies were under attack.
Interesting. What if they had family on a colony that was destroyed, and they wanted to contact them? Was interplanetary contact impossible?

I would imagine interplanetary contact would be possible but it would also depend on the technology that was developed to use it. Today, if we wanted to send a message to say Saturn, it would take a really long time for the message to get there and for a reply message to be sent back. Now imagine sending a message across the galaxy! In order for this to be a practical, it would be have to be instantaneous or faster than light messaging, a theory discussed in the the "Ender series" by orson scott card(highly recommend ). All in all, I think its very possible, wonder what else humanity is capable of!?

If you wanted to send a message to another colony you had to send the message aboard a ship that goes to that colony via slipspace because that was the fastest way to get the message out of your star system.

I believe that most of UNSC citizens live their life on the planet they born and very rarely visit another colonies. That's why I wouldn't think that people need to contact other colonies. All of their relatives probably live on the same planet as them.

  • 02.08.2011 11:15 AM PDT
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KOTOR

yes i am aledog of alemaxhaxs, no you can not haz sub, no you can not haz me, yes you can haz my boot in yer face

very very interesting thread

  • 02.08.2011 12:07 PM PDT

Wake me when the jews are gone.

well in harvest we can see a part of the civiliasns everyday life and we know from hearth of midolphian that most of our diseases like cancer had a cure

  • 02.08.2011 2:10 PM PDT


Posted by: zeno64
Posted by: MegaMuffin16
Posted by: mojeda101
The public on Earth had no idea on how the war was going before Earth was attacked, they were informed by lies and told that Humanity was holding the front in the outer colonies even when the inner colonies were under attack.
Interesting. What if they had family on a colony that was destroyed, and they wanted to contact them? Was interplanetary contact impossible?

I would imagine interplanetary contact would be possible but it would also depend on the technology that was developed to use it. Today, if we wanted to send a message to say Saturn, it would take a really long time for the message to get there and for a reply message to be sent back. Now imagine sending a message across the galaxy! In order for this to be a practical, it would be have to be instantaneous or faster than light messaging, a theory discussed in the the "Ender series" by orson scott card(highly recommend ). All in all, I think its very possible, wonder what else humanity is capable of!?


What about there portal type tech like split space ect.

[Edited on 02.08.2011 2:33 PM PST]

  • 02.08.2011 2:33 PM PDT

Don't worry, you're still your mom's favorite Bnet member.

Yes, it would seem that interplanetary contact would be limited to civilans. However, I'm sure the UNSC told them they couldn't go to certain worlds because "It wasn't safe to leave your home world", instead of just telling them that the planet had been destroyed. Though I'm sure they told them after Reach fell.

  • 02.08.2011 6:20 PM PDT

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