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  • Subject: Halo Cryptum sucks
Subject: Halo Cryptum sucks
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:)

I got my copy of Cryptum in the mail a few hours ago. Going to start reading it before I go to bed.

It isn't that bad, is it?

  • 09.06.2011 2:01 AM PDT

-blam!- Was that actually blammed out? Or did I just type it? You'll never know.

I agree with you in a much more complicated way. I encourage your courage in the face of a -blam!-storm though.

  • 09.06.2011 2:36 AM PDT

By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.


Posted by: BlueRuby2k10

Posted by: ajw34307
the Covenant was just a small part of a larger story


That explains why there are six games with the Covenant, two of which, with only Covenant, and none with Forerunners or Precursors.

So that means the Foreunners and Precursors are part of a "much larger story" part of the secondary method of storytelling in the Halo lore.

Halo storytelling doesn't suck, it's just scrambled and disjointed.


Because all the games just so happen to be set around the Human-Covenant war, and, incidentally, what is it that proves to be the ultimate solution to everything? The Forerunners, the constructs they left behind which turn the tide of the war.

As it's said in The Mona Lisa by Captain Foucault, the Covenant are next to insignificant compared to the greater threat (the Flood).

Were it not for the Forerunners and Precursors, none of the events in the Halo universe would have transpired. There would have been no zealous coalition of alien races waging a genocidal war against humanity, I say again, the Forerunners and Precursors are all a part of a much bigger picture. The Covenant is a minor inconvenience compared to them.

  • 09.06.2011 2:59 AM PDT


Posted by: BlueRuby2k10

Posted by: ajw34307
the Covenant was just a small part of a larger story


That explains why there are six games with the Covenant, two of which, with only Covenant, and none with Forerunners or Precursors.

So that means the Foreunners and Precursors are part of a "much larger story" part of the secondary method of storytelling in the Halo lore.

Halo storytelling doesn't suck, it's just scrambled and disjointed.

the forerunners were in every game you just aren't paying attention.

  • 09.06.2011 3:36 AM PDT

The tide is turning, brothers! Let us take our kingdom back!

Universe forum, I am proud of these replies.

*sheds tear*

  • 09.06.2011 3:58 AM PDT

What's up, bro-fist!

Posted by: Jzadek
Wanted to be master of DO NOT WANT, but in latin to show he's clever.

I've read Cryptum and I enjoyed it. But I agree with the OP, sort of...

[Edited on 09.06.2011 4:20 AM PDT]

  • 09.06.2011 4:19 AM PDT

Exact science, is not an exact science.

Craptum, what a swizz!! you aint wrong bro!!

Mega Bloks Halo will be the next insult!! I can guarantee that.

  • 09.06.2011 4:36 AM PDT
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When pre-Halo history is fully revealed: Halo will just be another boring shootout story like reach.

Bungie have ran into a dead end, i understand why Bungie left us.


Posted by: SHOMENUCHI
Mega Bloks Halo will be the next insult!! I can guarantee that.

Mega Blocks Halo will sell good, considering how many 10 year olds play halo these days.

[Edited on 09.06.2011 4:39 AM PDT]

  • 09.06.2011 4:37 AM PDT

Pffft! Screw this thread! *Does 180 spin and moon walks out of thread*

This book just arrived in the post 2 hours ago for me..

  • 09.06.2011 4:59 AM PDT
  •  | 
  • Exalted Legendary Member

Do not panic, or you will fail.

If you think the Forerunners should be mysterious, then maybe you should have thought differently about reading the book.

  • 09.06.2011 5:20 AM PDT


Posted by: ajw34307

Posted by: BlueRuby2k10

Posted by: ajw34307
the Covenant was just a small part of a larger story


That explains why there are six games with the Covenant, two of which, with only Covenant, and none with Forerunners or Precursors.

So that means the Foreunners and Precursors are part of a "much larger story" part of the secondary method of storytelling in the Halo lore.

Halo storytelling doesn't suck, it's just scrambled and disjointed.


Because all the games just so happen to be set around the Human-Covenant war, and, incidentally, what is it that proves to be the ultimate solution to everything? The Forerunners, the constructs they left behind which turn the tide of the war.


Actually, because Halo was established to the market as a human vs alien shooter. You know why the Foreunners vs Precursors or whatever were never chosen to play parts in the games? Because that's less interesting than the Human vs. Covenant war.

So yes, it's part of a larger, but less marketable story.

Were it not for the Forerunners and Precursors, none of the events in the Halo universe would have transpired.

That's just like saying "were it not for God, the events in the Mass Effect universe would never have happened".



[Edited on 09.06.2011 5:26 AM PDT]

  • 09.06.2011 5:24 AM PDT

Walk softly, and carry a big midget.

We basicly knew nothing about them for nearly 10 years. I'm glad we're finally starting to learn about them.

  • 09.06.2011 5:46 AM PDT

By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

Posted by: BlueRuby2k10

Posted by: ajw34307

Posted by: BlueRuby2k10

Posted by: ajw34307
the Covenant was just a small part of a larger story


That explains why there are six games with the Covenant, two of which, with only Covenant, and none with Forerunners or Precursors.

So that means the Foreunners and Precursors are part of a "much larger story" part of the secondary method of storytelling in the Halo lore.

Halo storytelling doesn't suck, it's just scrambled and disjointed.


Because all the games just so happen to be set around the Human-Covenant war, and, incidentally, what is it that proves to be the ultimate solution to everything? The Forerunners, the constructs they left behind which turn the tide of the war.


Actually, because Halo was established to the market as a human vs alien shooter. You know why the Foreunners vs Precursors or whatever were never chosen to play parts in the games? Because that's less interesting than the Human vs. Covenant war.

So yes, it's part of a larger, but less marketable story.


I'm not talking about how marketable the story is to players, the Forerunners and Precursors are what is behind everything in the Halo universe and their actions are very much what dictate the events of the current setting of the series.

Were it not for the Forerunners and Precursors, none of the events in the Halo universe would have transpired.

That's just like saying "were it not for God, the events in the Mass Effect universe would never have happened".


No it isn't. As I said, the actions of the Forerunners and Precursors are what shaped the Halo universe and the fact they were so mysterious showed that they were the larger part of the story.

Take Halo CE for example, you're on the run from the Covenant after almost 3 decades of fighting. Then you stumble upon an ancient Ringworld which changes everything once you discover the Flood and 343 Guilty Spark, it was game-changing because none of the humans present had any prior knowledge that there were greater forces at play.

  • 09.06.2011 6:00 AM PDT
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:)

I'm up to page 230 of Cryptum and I have to say that I disagree OP. There is so much potential for a great story that deals with the Forerunners.

In an off-topic comment. Wow, the Forerunners were pretty -blam!- up in what I've read of the book so far. Didn't realise they were so tall though...

  • 09.06.2011 8:17 AM PDT

Kick start a craze

I loved cryptum. Granted, it was a bit slow in the beginning but by the end I couldn't put it down. It was only a matter of time before we learned more about the forerunners and I'm happy with the delivery. From the games they were viewed as god-like and noble but that's not how the book portrayed them. They're very human like and flawed just like all of us. It fits so perfectly, everything the covenant worships is over exaggerated and it only makes sense that the forerunners would be as well. Not to mention how refreshing it is to have a story that's placed in the universe yet so drastically different from anything else we've seen. Personally, I can't wait for the sequel.

  • 09.06.2011 8:30 AM PDT

O hai

disagree

  • 09.06.2011 8:47 AM PDT

Welcome to bungie, you have no rights. play nice!
CLICK!


Posted by: jross1993
I got my copy of Cryptum in the mail a few hours ago. Going to start reading it before I go to bed.

It isn't that bad, is it?


It's excelent! I read it sevral times already. First time, I read it in about six hours or so. It was a feeling of discovery, every time I read the book I understand more.

  • 09.06.2011 8:57 AM PDT

Go in...kill....then.....TEA BAG!!!

your a little late considering they showed what they looked like in halo legends

  • 09.06.2011 9:01 AM PDT

Silence fills the empty grave, now that I have gone
But my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on

We know more about the Forerunners than we do the Covenant. That's sad.

  • 09.06.2011 9:03 AM PDT

Let grunts Sleep!!!

I have a feeling it won't matter for much longer anyway. When Halo 4 comes it will just burst the bubble even further if MC in fact lands on a Forerunner planet.

  • 09.06.2011 9:06 AM PDT

___.............._______/```````````````:::--.
|.==,-.~;. ____:._______ __’__’__’_ _ _\===
|................--:---:--:--‘---:,, ,,, ,,, ,,,:---: /=
`-.,.__._._,,...---:::"
Halo Waypoint Stats

It's alright but it is IMO my least favourite book.

  • 09.06.2011 9:27 AM PDT

Ok. Finally gunna speak my mind on Cryptum. On it's own the book is a decent scifi-novel with some good ideas, but it doesn't really feel like Halo. I've been a big fan of the Halo lore ever since I was drawn in by the Terminals in Halo-3, the greater story of the Forerunners, the Flood and Humanity added a whole new layer of depth to an already good game.

All through out the entire series Bungie has hinted and even flat out said the Forerunners were Human, from Guilty Spark's confrontation with the Chief in Halo-3, to the Prophets going as far as starting a war with Humanity after Mechatent Bias's revelation that Humans are living Forerunner. This was Bungie's story, the one they wanted ton tell and crafted over the course of a decade. This new story completely changes everything about the series, way more than Reach had. If Reach's story derailed canon, Cryptum outright nuked it.

Cryptum's story changing the Forerunners into a different, but somehow genetically related species to humanity makes the whole forerunner descendant/reclaimer business come off as dumb. Especially when you take into account that in the new canon Humanity and the Forerunners had competing civilizations and went to war with one another and the Forerunners outright hated Humans. This fact also clashes with the Halo-3 Terminals; according to the logs the Forerunner didn't know about Humans or Earth until right before the array was fired. All in all the new info without the significant rewriting of old books and games(Halo:CEA Terminals)makes the story from the original Halo Trilogy come off a non-sensical.

Cryptum feels off when it comes to Halo continuity not only because of the previously stated Human-Forerunner history, but it comes off as too much of a typical over the top scifi-opera that border lines on near fantasy story. Everything about the Forerunners seams over the top from their absurdly long life spans, magic like technology(creating full planets and even relocating them to other systems), the fact that all forerunners have there own life extending armor equipped with AIs. The de-evolution of Humanity and imprinting the survivors with genetic songs(gias) to trigger actions or memories, Didact's "Seed Ship"; he dropped a mechanical seed into the ground and it built itself into a giant ship. The mutations and memory swapping that somehow makes Borne Didact in the Librarians eyes. Some one with your lover's memories and a bit of their DNA does not make them that person. I thought that part was weird.

I really tried to like the book, but 343 and Greg Bear changed way too much. Given that all new books and the next Halo Trilogy are based on this new canon I think I'm gunna bow out. With all the changes made to the series it just doesn't feel like halo anymore. This is no longer the series I've loved since I was a teenager so this is not only a rant, but a goodbye to Halo. However I am looking forward to Bungie's next project, if they put half the effort into this new universe that they put into Halo I have no doubt it will be awesome.

  • 09.06.2011 12:37 PM PDT


Posted by: jross1993
I got my copy of Cryptum in the mail a few hours ago. Going to start reading it before I go to bed.

It isn't that bad, is it?


There's only two reasons why I've ever seen anyone hate Cryptum

1) It reveals the Forerunners (which if you don't want to know about them, drop your connections to Halo right now and never come back because we're going to be doing nothing but learning about them for a while)

2) It puts plot over action (a shockingly large amount of people on this forum prefer seeing/reading explosions rasther then plot).

  • 09.06.2011 1:32 PM PDT

Kick start a craze


Posted by: ROBERTO jh

2) It puts plot over action (a shockingly large amount of people on this forum prefer seeing/reading explosions rasther then plot).


Which is a sad commentary on this series' fan base.

  • 09.06.2011 1:35 PM PDT


Posted by: Old Salty27
All through out the entire series Bungie has hinted and even flat out said the Forerunners were Human, from Guilty Spark's confrontation with the Chief in Halo-3, to the Prophets going as far as starting a war with Humanity after Mechatent Bias's revelation that Humans are living Forerunner. This was Bungie's story, the one they wanted ton tell and crafted over the course of a decade. This new story completely changes everything about the series, way more than Reach had. If Reach's story derailed canon, Cryptum outright nuked it.

Cryptum's story changing the Forerunners into a different, but somehow genetically related species to humanity makes the whole forerunner descendant/reclaimer business come off as dumb. Especially when you take into account that in the new canon Humanity and the Forerunners had competing civilizations and went to war with one another and the Forerunners outright hated Humans. This fact also clashes with the Halo-3 Terminals; according to the logs the Forerunner didn't know about Humans or Earth until right before the array was fired. All in all the new info without the significant rewriting of old books and games(Halo:CEA Terminals)makes the story from the original Halo Trilogy come off a non-sensical.

Cryptum feels off when it comes to Halo continuity not only because of the previously stated Human-Forerunner history, but it comes off as too much of a typical over the top scifi-opera that border lines on near fantasy story. Everything about the Forerunners seams over the top from their absurdly long life spans, magic like technology(creating full planets and even relocating them to other systems), the fact that all forerunners have there own life extending armor equipped with AIs. The de-evolution of Humanity and imprinting the survivors with genetic songs(gias) to trigger actions or memories, Didact's "Seed Ship"; he dropped a mechanical seed into the ground and it built itself into a giant ship. The mutations and memory swapping that somehow makes Borne Didact in the Librarians eyes. Some one with your lover's memories and a bit of their DNA does not make them that person. I thought that part was weird.

I really tried to like the book, but 343 and Greg Bear changed way too much. Given that all new books and the next Halo Trilogy are based on this new canon I think I'm gunna bow out. With all the changes made to the series it just doesn't feel like halo anymore. This is no longer the series I've loved since I was a teenager so this is not only a rant, but a goodbye to Halo. However I am looking forward to Bungie's next project, if they put half the effort into this new universe that they put into Halo I have no doubt it will be awesome.


You've been playing in the wrong universe my friend. Almost everything you said they changed canonically was actually never changed.

1) Medicant Bias NEVER said that we were Forerunner, he called us Reclaimers, that representing his makers' heir, not Forerunners themselves. Same with 343 Guilty Spark. First off he was insane. Second, the term Forerunner is a title given to those who have Reclaimed the Mantle--this is explained in Cryptum, it denotes the fact that the Reclaimers will not be around forever and will be Forerunners to the next heirs. We are Forerunners, only to those who come after us.

2) And again, the Terminals NEVER said the Forerunners were unaware of our existence, only that they were ignorant of our being "special" and now they see the truth. And our being genetically related to the Forerunners...how does that come off us dumb to you? You just contradicted yourself drastically. At first you're saying that we are literally the Forerunner race and are mad they changed it, yet are also mad that there is a genetic bridge between us....That makes no sense at all.

This also reinforces the Heir to the Mantle concept, a divine bloodline so to speak. Having us be related as siblings to the Forerunner race only makes sense.

3) Again, you're not making sense. We've known for years that the Forerunners could create worlds and move stars, this is no surprise to us. And having them be biologically immortal is not that insane, actually. There are species on earth right now that are in fact immortal to aging, and scientists are working right now in figuring out how to make humans biologically immortal as well, with finished products to be ready in 20 years even. Genetic songs is the same concepts as the genetic memories of birds and their migrations. How do they know to fly south? Nobody told them, but its genetic.

And the life extending armor with AIs....so now the Master Chief is rediculous and doesn't make sense? How are the two any different at all? Both have an AI housing, both extend the wearers life by providing life support, physical protection, physical augmentation, minimal healing agents and nourishment. Truly the only difference is the technology and rarity. So to say the Forerunner armor is rediculous and stupid while the Chief's is normal is only to say that you don't like how advanced one over the other is.

You're coming off as someone whose trying to hate Cryptum, justifying (poorly, I might add) any reason you can think of to fit this desire.

[Edited on 09.06.2011 1:57 PM PDT]

  • 09.06.2011 1:48 PM PDT