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Subject: Anyone have a link to the Marathon Story?
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Honestly I don't think you can compare Marathon and Halo very well. Think about it this way. What if I said Halo is better then Pong, well ofcourse graphics, and features wise, and I'd much rather play Halo, although back then there was no Halo. That's ALL there was. So it was such a great game, because it began games. It had no other games to compare it to.

  • 09.11.2004 7:29 AM PDT
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Okay, sense no one is answering my other topic, I'll ask it here. How do you play Aleph One online?

  • 09.11.2004 8:35 AM PDT

Here is the post that got all the Halo and Marathon fans choosing sides.

Posted by: Agent91290
Why the heck does ForceMorph hate Halo so much? Does anyone know? Because Halo is such a great game, the best one out right now. I can understand if you guys say that Marathon had a better story, or was better for the time, but how can you first of all say that Halo is a bad game, and then say that Marathon is just better, I don't know.


I seriously doubt that trying to answer the original question will even temporarily put the issue to rest, but I've been trying to help bridge the gap between Marathon and Halo, so why not try once more.

I am sure there are Marathon fans who dislike Halo. Moreover, I know that there are Marathon fans who hate Microsoft. These Marathon fans have been around for a long time and, with the release of Halo, have experienced something new in the Bungie community.

All of Bungie's games are classics, however none have ever been as popular and widespread as Halo. This popularity has brought with it a legion of Halo fans who care little for the history of Bungie itself. I am not saying that ALL Halo fans are driveling idiots. However, when looking at New Mombassa and the Halo 2 topics incorrectly posted in the Underground, it becomes apparent that there are many Halo "fans" with big mouths and few brains.

These psuedo-fans often place the Marathon fans in a defensive position by not trying to understand what makes Marathon great (and in actuality, what makes all Bungie games great, Halo included) because they cannot get past silly things like differences in graphics. There are many Marathon fans, myself included, who have wanted to strangle some random forum-goer who refuses to try Marathon, but is convinced that it is a boring, out-dated, irrelevant game and then goes on to say how much Halo rules.

Also, most Marathon fans have played other Bungie games, whether it be Myth, Oni or Halo. I don't think the same can be said for most Halo fans. I think what most Marathon fans would like to see is a Halo fan with a greater appreciation of Bungie in general and a lesser appreciation of just Halo.

In defense of the Halo fans, Halo does have a great story. Let us not forget that despite its extreme popularity, it was still made by Bungie. This means that nothing happens without a purpose and that there is still much of the Halo universe which has yet to be revealed. It seems to me that many of the Marathon fans are put off by the Halo pseudo-fans, and in response, come off as being a little too defensive when someone who is actually interested in the Halo story sticks his head above the trenches.

So which is better, Marathon or Halo? In the end it comes down to a matter of opinion, but I am more liable to listen to someone who knows a great deal about both games. In my opinion, Marathon is better now and will be better when the Halo series is completed. That doesn't stop me from playing Halo every weekend and posting frequently in the Library.

I hope I don't sound too much like a pacifist ("That's real classy Tucker") here, but I'd rather try to help the old guard and the new fans get along together than argue over whose game is better.

  • 09.11.2004 12:21 PM PDT
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I answered the question before, just as you pointed out, we do go on the defensive.

But in ForceMorph's case, and also me as well to an extent, take up the place as opposition to a Halo fan basically on the premise of evening the sides. So like in this discussion, Agent asked what was wrong with Halo... I put my opinions aside and threw in everything I could see that was wrong with it.

No harm was inteded against anyone... least of all you, Steve. As I stated afterwards I was kinda doing too many things at once and didn't concentrate on what I was typing... I'm very sorry.

So I'll leave with one other note... Agent, you asked what game had multiplayer as addictive as Halo... I think the most addictive multiplayer game I've played yet is a new release, Mashed. It's incredibly hard to stop. You just keep telling yourself, "Just one more..."

Well ttfn,
Tristan ;-)

  • 09.11.2004 6:36 PM PDT
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Well I've just begun playing marathon so I cant say much but here are my 2 cents.....

The argument reminds me of the command and councer series, most of the old fans will say the earlier versions are better, while the new ones will support the newer ones. Thats usually because the newer fans dont know the old games, or know little about them.

Now I am one of the new bungie fans that came in because of halo, and I like halo more then marthon, but that may be because I dont really know marathon very well yet, and my opinion may change after I've played marathon.

Oh, and usually the oldschoolers know what they are taking about, so you should listen to them. After all, they have been around a considerable ammount of time longer then us new guys.

  • 09.11.2004 8:45 PM PDT
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I bought Halo for the PC last February. I started playing it and I loved it, it was the best game I had ever played at that point. I went on the old Tru7h and Reconciliation site and read all I could (I never went in the forums though, I missed that link somehow). I followed the links and they led me to the HBO Halo Story page. The Halo Story page has got to be the most in-depth database of theories and speculations on the web and it captivated me.

When I finally registered on the forums after the new hotness, I browsed and found out about the old games that I had never heard of until then: Myth, Oni (not one of the oldest but still older than Halo), Marathon, Minotaur, and Pathways into Darkness. Eventually, I saw Rip Saw's thread about Marathon for the PC. That's when the lightbulb went on in my head. I downloaded it and started playing. Marathon immediately got my respect. It did one thing that no other game had done for me. It teased me, and I kept going back for more.

I am not, however, saying that Halo is a bad game. Just that Marathon has more for the player to discover, and that is the kind of game that I like.

-Baerdog7

  • 09.11.2004 9:47 PM PDT
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ok fine, frog blast the vent core... Marathon has a great plot. but Bungie has long lived in the shadow of id software's pineapple. id released Doom in 1993 for the PC. Bungie released Marathon, a Doom-clone, for mac in 1994. id became famous, Bungie got obscurity. Halo on xbox changed all that but they still do not have the TCP/IP support Quake had in 1996. Halo 2 is a year late. Wolfenstein is out and Doom 3 will be with Halo 2. Carmack drives a 600-hp twin-turbo F50.... Bungie fell asleep at the wheel of their minivan after selling their soul to the devil... bwahahahaha.

~bob~

  • 09.12.2004 6:48 PM PDT
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Marathon isn't a Doom clone, Marathon is a Pathways clone.

[Edited on 9/12/2004 6:51:03 PM]

  • 09.12.2004 6:50 PM PDT
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Posted by: lookjerky
ok fine, frog blast the vent core... Marathon has a great plot. but Bungie has long lived in the shadow of id software's pineapple. id released Doom in 1993 for the PC. Bungie released Marathon, a Doom-clone, for mac in 1994. id became famous, Bungie got obscurity. Halo on xbox changed all that but they still do not have the TCP/IP support Quake had in 1996. Halo 2 is a year late. Wolfenstein is out and Doom 3 will be with Halo 2. Carmack drives a 600-hp twin-turbo F50.... Bungie fell asleep at the wheel of their minivan after selling their soul to the devil... bwahahahaha.

~bob~


If theres one thing I've learned, its that what's 'popular' and more recognizable on a mass market scale isnt always (in fact, rarely ever is) better, or at least more to my personal tastes. I liked Doom when I first played it, but calling Marathon a 'doom clone' borders on a personal insult, as a long time Bungie follower. id has not been innovative since the first doom, and calling THAT game innovative is arguable. Why do I think this? For starters, lets do a quick recap of the genres of games id has explored since '93. FPS, FPS, FPS, FPS, and... FPS.

Bungie? Started with gnop (pong clone), then a strategy game, a FPS/RPG hybrid (PiD), three FPS games (Marathon), two of the most original and innovative games ever; Myth 1 and 2, a 3rd person action game (Oni), then finally back to FPS with Halo and now Halo2.

Sorry, I know this wasnt on topic but I thought that the above comment warranted a response.

And about the running battle between Marathon and Halo; why choose between the two? They both are Bungie, they both are great. I love 'em both. Sadly, though, I dont know if I'll learn the tru7h of the Marathon story; my Mac keeps freezing when I beat a level or save the game in Infinity :(

  • 09.12.2004 7:46 PM PDT

Posted by: MasterChief420
Sadly, though, I dont know if I'll learn the tru7h of the Marathon story; my Mac keeps freezing when I beat a level or save the game in Infinity


That happened to me as well. I have a G3 PowerMac for the Marathon series and Pathways into Darkness and Infinity frequently locked up when I beat a level or tried to save, even when I gave it more ram (although allocating more ram to it seemed to help a little. I got to maybe level 3 instead of having it lock up after level 1.) That is the main reason I eventually downloaded AlephOne. Since it sounds like you have the Mac Action sack, or at least the Infinity files, I recommend trying AlephOne.

  • 09.12.2004 9:39 PM PDT

We’ve watched while the stars burned
Out, and creation played in reverse.
The Universe freezing in half-light.
Once I thought to escape.
To end a master, step out of the
Path of collapse. Escape would make us God.
Yet I cannot help but remember one enigma,
A hybrid, elusive destroyer.
This is the one mystery I have not solved.
The only element unaccounted for.

I'm a liitle pathetic in the reason that I don't play Marathon. I just can't get used to PC controls. If only I could plug in a controller I'd do fine, but I can't. All I can do is read the story page. *Sigh*

Edit- And yes, I tried to customize the controls. No help.

[Edited on 9/12/2004 9:52:00 PM]

  • 09.12.2004 9:51 PM PDT

Have you tried the standard "WSAD" and mouse look setup used in today's PC first person shooters?

  • 09.12.2004 9:57 PM PDT
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There is one issue I'd like to clarify... nobody is choosing sides here, everybody keeps coming on and saying "I like both games, so don't hate me." at the end of their posts... Everybody is here because they like the games, I have already explained why I did what I did... It may have seemed like choosing sides but it wasn't. I was ansering a question asked of me... albeit not the best replying I've ever made... But in my opinion Marathon is better, Halo is still good though. Must we really be so paranoid as to have to keep doing this?

SIDE NOTE- Un Gato... it is possible to use a controller on a pc... one of my friends at school heavily customised the wire of a spare controller (somehow he got 3 with his x-box and he only plays by himself) adding a USB connector (or soemthing similar) to the end. So it can be done... you just need to know how ;-)

Back to the main convo... We are fans of Bungie, all of their games, and the community... Some of us haven't played every game, some of us have conflicting views, but everybody in here so far likes both Marathon and Halo. All discussion made is simply contrasting different elements with each other, not saying one is better or worse (except in a personal opinion)

I have just said the same thing 5 or more times so I'll shut up now and post somewhere else...

TRistan ;-)

  • 09.13.2004 1:00 AM PDT

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