Posted by: ROBERTO jh
Posted by: Cmdr DaeFaron
Posted by: ROBERTO jh
Bungie writes the Halo Story Bible.
Eric Nylund recieves the HSB while writing the novels (as do all authors).
All stories and events prexist within the HSB, (including the fall of Reach) or are otherwise added for specifics sake.
Bungie releases Halo Reach
Halo Reach contradicts established canon.
Established canon is recorded in the HSB
Bungie wrote the HSB.
Bungie broke canon.
Let me explain. I used to think the rest of TFoR was okay even with Reach, but now, I'm not so sure.
The battle of Reach happened directly because of Sigma Octanus IV. One could argue Sigma IV was the turning point of the war since what it lead too.
Sigma IV ends on July 18th, with the UNSC victorious on all accounts, a much needed victory. The UNSC Iriquois , Commanded by the new Captain Jacob Keyes, is unaware of a Covenant spy drone attached to its hull.
As per the Cole Protocol, they would have had to jump several times to get to Reach, in order to throw any suspected Covenant off. They already purged their NAV data.
Human slip jumps take days, weeks or even months to get to their destinations. So lets say the Iriquois gets back a week later, on July 25th (if this is already wrong, please let me know).
In Halo: Reach canon, the Covenant found Reach on July 27th, two days after Keyes returned home. The only way this could work is if the Covenant formulated an entire Supercarrier crew and Corvette fleet to arrive at Reach within two days. This would make Covie slip technology nearly instantanious; I already find it hard to believe the Covies organized an entire scouting fleet within two days let alone do all of that AND still get to Reach in two days.
Under the H:R canon, the only easily understandable way for the Covies to have gotten to Reach in the time they did was if they got there before the Iriquois to look for Forerunner artifacts (the game's reason for their arrival). This ultimately renders the Sigma IV battle pointless, even nonexistant.
Here's why: The battle was fought for the sole purpose of uncovering a Forerunner artifact that would lead to other artifacts, including Halo. The only way the Covies could have known there was a Forerunner ruin on Reach was if something else told them. The only other thing that had the ability to do this was the Sigma Crystal.
However, Halsey states at the end of the game that it was because of Noble 6's actions in delivering Cortana that they found Halo, not the crystal.
This means the crystal was never found. Which makes the battle of Sigma IV most likely nonexistant, which makes the spy probe nonexistant which contradicts the entire battle of Reach's existance.
This would also indicate the Iriquois was never relevant, Captain Keyes (who was chosen to lead the Pillar of Autumn because of his brilliance at the battle of Sigma IV) never pulled the Keyes loop, and was never chosen to Captain the Pillar of Autumn, making the last Act of Halo: Reach impossible.
Now I know this isn't perfect (the above summary), and I know the journal probably clears a lot up, but it does beg a lot of questions. If this turns out to be how Bungie intended it to be, this is just wrong. It ruins the entire second half of TFoR, let alone the epic date discrepancies, AND contradicts their own game.
The Cortana fragment, if you hadn't known, was studying the Forerunner artifacts. Including the crystal. When merged she had all that info.
As for scouting fleet, makes sense. I'd gather one specifically as soon as the spy probe latched onto the ship hull.
1) We don't know what the Cortana fragment was studying. As a matter of fact, it wasn't the fragment that saw the crystal, it was the original Cortana (at least in TFoR). All Halsey says is that because the fragment was studying the Forerunner ruins, and you delivered her to the PoA, they found Halo.
2) Gather a group, fine, maybe, but get to a planet that is as far away from Covie territory as possible within two days? Before you even really know where it is?
I still find it hard to believe.
Also, the PoA could not have landed on the ground. For one, Halcyon ships are not atmosphere compatible. Only Frigates are. Second, it is never mentioned in TFoR that they ever landed; they just picked up the Chief and got the hell out.
Sorry Dae Faron, I think you just met your match with this guy. Or maybe not...? (Grabs Popcorn.)