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This topic has moved here: Subject: The reason why we don't see MAC stations in Reach
  • Subject: The reason why we don't see MAC stations in Reach
Subject: The reason why we don't see MAC stations in Reach

I started up the heated debate on whether the SPARTAN-II in the cryo tube near the end of Reach is really Linda.
I created the Moa XING avatar pic.
Also I earned the All Star nameplate with this submission to Week 14 All Stars http://www.bungie.net/images/News/Inline11/bwu_0415/art/likea boss.jpg

I'm sick and tired of people saying that this is one of the biggest canon errors in Reach.
So here is the most logical explanation of why the -blam!- we don't see MAC stations.

1. Do you know how large a planet is?
2. Do you know how large a planet is compared to a MAC station?
3. The Supercarrier could have easily destroyed any MAC station within the area.
4. If the MAC stations are geo-sync, then they most likely cannot be moved


THERE!

  • 06.24.2011 11:28 AM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?

the SC destroyed one yet reach still largely doesn't know that it is being attacked?

  • 06.24.2011 11:29 AM PDT

Plus, can you see space in daylight? No.
Could you see plain black in plain black? No.
Are those complaining retards? Yes.

  • 06.24.2011 11:31 AM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?

It is the fact that bungie didn't put them there due to their role in the battle, thats why we are upset about not seeing them.

FYI they are not in the game, bungie is leaning on people like you to cover for the half ass design.

  • 06.24.2011 11:32 AM PDT

I started up the heated debate on whether the SPARTAN-II in the cryo tube near the end of Reach is really Linda.
I created the Moa XING avatar pic.
Also I earned the All Star nameplate with this submission to Week 14 All Stars http://www.bungie.net/images/News/Inline11/bwu_0415/art/likea boss.jpg

Even so, that Super Carrier is one of the largest covenant ships in the Haloverse. I'm sure a MAC station would probably just hurt it's shields, not take them down.

  • 06.24.2011 11:41 AM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?


Posted by: ImmortalJoshua
Even so, that Super Carrier is one of the largest covenant ships in the Haloverse. I'm sure a MAC station would probably just hurt it's shields, not take them down.
First off a SMAC destroys any ship on impact obliviously you haven't read the book.

and you still didn't respond to my post

  • 06.24.2011 11:45 AM PDT

Brains beats brawn get used to it

Fear the Red Comet

Variety is the spice of life.
Long live games.
Death to all fanboys.


Posted by: Phoenix 418
Plus, can you see space in daylight? No.
Could you see plain black in plain black? No.
Are those complaining retards? Yes.


The issue is that there's a lack of military presence in space for the great super fortress of a planet guarding earth's doorstep.

Mac stations aren't black. They're a greyish metallic silver as apparent in Halo 2. And several of them can be seen at extreme distance in the background of space on Cario station. And I'm not talking about the Athens and Malta either. There are several clusters of three visible everywhere in addition to the meek 64 ships defending Earth represented by sprites.

Ergo, once in space during the Long Night of Solace mission such things should have been visible all around the planet. Instead there's only one debris field and Anchor 9. That's it. There's no SMAC stations, there's no signs of ships at all other than the Savannah despite there supposed to being at least 100 ships battle ready to defend Reach at a moments notice rather than requiring the need to commandeer fleets on other deployments out of the system. On top of that, for a planet that's one of the largest producers of ships in the UNSC, there are practically no other stations such as Anchor 9 visible either. At the very least, Anchor 9 like stations should be visible and rather prolific over the planet. Instead it's just a whole lot of nothing.

It's incredibly strange how Bungie was able to make battle scenes from a distance for ground engagements on Reach, yet nothing to set the tone for space despite the ability to do so in Halo 2 and even Halo 3. Despite the sky being blue in 3, guess what? You can still make out explosions in the skies far above the Ark where the ships should be fighting.

  • 06.24.2011 1:30 PM PDT

the thing that annoyed everyone was not the fact there was no MAC platforms, but the fact there was so little military hardware period! Reach is supposed to be the second most important and heavily defended planet in UNSC space, first the super-carrier cannot have destroyed a platform because that would instantly alert the UNSC to its presence.

also how come we only see around four frigates in the whole game, its Reach for crying out loud, its THE number one military hub in UNSC territory. the list of things is endless to be honest, with why Reach doesn't feel anything like a stronghold planet. also a SMAC platform would junk a super-carrier for the record, the amount of power they have is sickening!

  • 06.24.2011 3:11 PM PDT

Our big green style, cannot be defeated!
-Sgt. A.J. Johnson - Halo 2 - Metropolis

Uh, no. Super MAC platforms were move able, so they would have repositioned themselves. They can even turn upside down. I agree that it's an error in the canon because, think about it, you make the weapons on Reach, you're gonna keep a lot of them for yourself. Did you see how many were spread out around Earth in Halo 2? That's actually covers a lot of ground, so Reach should have 3 times as many MAC platforms. The books even state that Reach is more heavily defended than Earth.
The actual Reach canon error is how none of the UNSC ships in the books were there for the fight. There should have been a few Marathon cruisers & a bunch of Frigates at the scene, since the rest of the reinforcements were on the way, which includes the Pillar of Autumn, that's trying to return from Sigma Octanus to Reach.

  • 06.24.2011 3:21 PM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."


Posted by: xecnalxes117
Uh, no. Super MAC platforms were move able, so they would have repositioned themselves. They can even turn upside down. I agree that it's an error in the canon because, think about it, you make the weapons on Reach, you're gonna keep a lot of them for yourself. Did you see how many were spread out around Earth in Halo 2? That's actually covers a lot of ground, so Reach should have 3 times as many MAC platforms. The books even state that Reach is more heavily defended than Earth.
The actual Reach canon error is how none of the UNSC ships in the books were there for the fight. There should have been a few Marathon cruisers & a bunch of Frigates at the scene, since the rest of the reinforcements were on the way, which includes the Pillar of Autumn, that's trying to return from Sigma Octanus to Reach.


The book says that Reach is more guarded than Earth because of the ships, Reach had only 20 SMACS, a terrible mistake if you ask me, but oh well.

  • 06.24.2011 3:27 PM PDT

Brains beats brawn get used to it

Fear the Red Comet

Variety is the spice of life.
Long live games.
Death to all fanboys.


Posted by: xecnalxes117
Uh, no. Super MAC platforms were move able, so they would have repositioned themselves. They can even turn upside down. I agree that it's an error in the canon because, think about it, you make the weapons on Reach, you're gonna keep a lot of them for yourself. Did you see how many were spread out around Earth in Halo 2? That's actually covers a lot of ground, so Reach should have 3 times as many MAC platforms. The books even state that Reach is more heavily defended than Earth.
The actual Reach canon error is how none of the UNSC ships in the books were there for the fight. There should have been a few Marathon cruisers & a bunch of Frigates at the scene, since the rest of the reinforcements were on the way, which includes the Pillar of Autumn, that's trying to return from Sigma Octanus to Reach.


The Pillar of Autumn was always on Reach undergoing its refit... It never had to return to the system because it never left. The closest it got was near the edge of the system prior to jumping into slipspace to a location suitable to conduct Operation: Red Flag, and that's when it was recalled to defend Reach along with 50 other ships. Approximately 100 were already there and battle ready to engage before the Covenant fleet was within attacking range of the planet itself.

  • 06.24.2011 3:27 PM PDT

thought Reach was supposed to have been defended by a network of S-MAC platforms? and believe it had a fairly large defence fleet, including Trafalgar last time I checked, not sure if that has been changed in re-releases of the book mind! so I think the whole 'aura' of Reach was ruined to be honest, at least for me, don't get me wrong as a game it was good, and as a story it wasn't bad, but as Reach, it wasn't good either!

[Edited on 06.24.2011 3:46 PM PDT]

  • 06.24.2011 3:45 PM PDT

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Old GTs; RebelRobot, Flamedude

Its not just the lack of S-MACs and Defense Fleet that make the planet seem non-critical. Ground forces were low in numbers too, in Halo 3 we fight 2 Scarabs with a small army of Scorpions but in Reach not only do we only get 1 Scorpion but we dont fight any Scarabs at all.

There are some amazingly strong elements in the game that reinforce the supposedly grand scale (Grafton attacking ground forces etc). Its just strange that we only see these brief glimpses of scale and might.

  • 06.24.2011 4:10 PM PDT