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  • Subject: Optimistic Projection for Halo 4's Campaign
Subject: Optimistic Projection for Halo 4's Campaign

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

With the release of Reach, many of us were jarred by the apparent diversion from established canon the game took. This has bred legitimate concern about Halo 4's campaign and how it will contribute to the lore (i.e., in a meaningful fashion, or trite fashion).

I initially held pessimistic views about this. I figured that in the end, the appeal to the masses will take precedent over delivering a meaningful contribution to the Halo Universe. However, the latest Halo Bulletin on 343i's website has swayed my views for the time being.

Upon being asked how the games and books are connected at Greg Bear's book signing, Frankie responded with the following:

I think when you're building games instead of just fiction, you don't have as much control over the end picture as you think you do because you may have to delete an entire level or technology may not be ready. So the game alters way more than any of Greg's fiction does in a natural, organic way. In fact, Greg has made a lot of our stuff more rigid than it ordinarily would be in the game. So funny enough, the reverse is true. Greg is creating things in the fiction we now have to stick to rather than the other way around.
The key part is the last sentence. "Greg is creating things in the fiction we now have to stick to rather than the other way around."

This demonstrates a fundamental change in mindset in comparison to Bungie's ideology on canon; the games would substitute the fiction entirely if necessary to achieve what they believe to be the perfect game. While 343i may think that the game play is more important, at least the significance of the lore is not being overlooked any longer, and that is encouraging.

Of course, this must be backed up with solid writing, but I have no reason to doubt 343i's abilities in that regard right now. The future looks hopeful.

[Edited on 01.12.2012 4:52 PM PST]

  • 01.12.2012 4:50 PM PDT
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Posted by: chotato
smart, interesting, seems out of place.


Official fan of Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, (Problem with that?) Halo, and Bungie, also a total gaming junkie.

Bungie was doing fantastic at Halo until 2010. All I want in Halo 4 are Flood Juggernauts and more aerial combat, possibly even taking out entire T5 ships.

  • 01.12.2012 5:01 PM PDT

Didact's Reprisal -
Now is the time of our unworlding
One final effort is all that remains
And I am not afraid
We shall fulfill our promise
We fight for the grace of the Mantle
And this time none of you will be left behind

Also, if they make the game horrible, they can point to Greg Bear as the fault and say that they did the best they could with the limitations provided. Yay!

  • 01.12.2012 5:12 PM PDT

Expressing my strong liberal views without shame. Favorite quotes below:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"One starts to live when he can live outside himself."

- Albert Einstein

I don't think they would throw Bear under the bus like that, simply because he has another book due out in a year, and Halo 4 will most-likely be released by then. Why would Bear continue to write for Halo if 343i trashes him?

  • 01.12.2012 5:22 PM PDT

My honor student can beat up your honor student.

I share your optimism. Halo 4 seems to be shaping up well storywise from the information given to us in Halo: Glasslands and Halo: Primordium. UNSC Infinity? SPARTAN IV's? Human Insurrection? 343 Guilty Spark's return? Human vs. Didact action?

I'm pumped. Can't wait to see what they have cooked up for us in the next few months.

  • 01.12.2012 5:25 PM PDT
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Reach beats GoW!
Reach beats CoD!!
Reach beats everything!!!

I agree with Mickel here... the story in Cryptum and Primordium is absolutely amazing, and it can only get better if the campaign is based on much of his work.

It's gonna be one revelaing campaign, though, I am still puzzled with this new enemy. The Precursors have been annihilated as of Primordium, Forerunners are dead unless the Legendary planet is a shield world, and the Didact, apparently, might still be alive and angry. Can you imagine a better story for Halo 4?

One thing I absolutely hate though? MC's armor. It's ridiculous, it's ugly, it doesn't make sense and breaks canon. Just awful! The Halo 3 armor is THE best armor I have seen since stormtroopers, it'd be horrible if they really intend to replace it with the POS in the trailer.

  • 01.12.2012 5:37 PM PDT
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(To discuss Halo 4.)

I don't know how it will pan out game play wise, I think it will most likely be a disaster.

The last thing I would want to see is a COD type Halo campaign.

Otherwise the story is what I probably have the most confidence in, if any,

  • 01.12.2012 6:00 PM PDT

We’re flawed because we want so much more. We’re ruined because we get these things and wish for what we had.


Posted by: RaMpAnT__117
I agree with Mickel here... the story in Cryptum and Primordium is absolutely amazing, and it can only get better if the campaign is based on much of his work.

It's gonna be one revelaing campaign, though, I am still puzzled with this new enemy. The Precursors have been annihilated as of Primordium, Forerunners are dead unless the Legendary planet is a shield world, and the Didact, apparently, might still be alive and angry. Can you imagine a better story for Halo 4?

One thing I absolutely hate though? MC's armor. It's ridiculous, it's ugly, it doesn't make sense and breaks canon. Just awful! The Halo 3 armor is THE best armor I have seen since stormtroopers, it'd be horrible if they really intend to replace it with the POS in the trailer.

You do know the CGI trailer isn't canon. also If John is going to be up against anything remotely like the Forerunners/Precursors an armor upgrade is a MUST.
On top of that, do you really think 343i wont explain his new armor? What are you stupid?

  • 01.12.2012 6:02 PM PDT


Posted by: RaMpAnT__117
I agree with Mickel here... the story in Cryptum and Primordium is absolutely amazing, and it can only get better if the campaign is based on much of his work.

It's gonna be one revelaing campaign, though, I am still puzzled with this new enemy. The Precursors have been annihilated as of Primordium, Forerunners are dead unless the Legendary planet is a shield world, and the Didact, apparently, might still be alive and angry. Can you imagine a better story for Halo 4?

One thing I absolutely hate though? MC's armor. It's ridiculous, it's ugly, it doesn't make sense and breaks canon. Just awful! The Halo 3 armor is THE best armor I have seen since stormtroopers, it'd be horrible if they really intend to replace it with the POS in the trailer.


I'm pretty sure Primordial said that not all of the Precursor races are destroyed, just at least his race, as of his death. He also said something along the lines of "in a thousand centuries, humanity will be tested again."

Which puts the return of the Precursors smack-dab in the middle of the contemporary universe.

[Edited on 01.12.2012 6:07 PM PST]

  • 01.12.2012 6:07 PM PDT

gamertag : firedune22

avid forger, love vehicle gameplay

Considering how Halo games fit your controls into a neat canon-based way, i'd have to say that in Halo 4, the chief may be picked up by the "Infinity" and will defrost him, remove his armor on-board, suit him up, and go through the "Testing Sequence" to set you controls. Then a "live-fire Testing Excersise" might happen, to get you aquainted with the controls. Considering that "343 GS" hijacked a human ship, presumably the Infinity [or some other large, enhanced ship], The monitor might have led the ship to pick up the chief and knew where he was, thus explaining how he was picked up, and upgraded so suddenly.

I don't know what really happens, but this sounds like a possible into.

  • 01.12.2012 6:39 PM PDT

yas334229812


Posted by: Quantam
I don't know how it will pan out game play wise, I think it will most likely be a disaster.

The last thing I would want to see is a COD type Halo campaign.

Otherwise the story is what I probably have the most confidence in, if any,

For your concern for Cod style halo campaign i do not believe will be needed, but the gameplay may have some ideas from COD implemented and no one should say that is horrible, something can always be learnt from another game no matter how horrible that game is.

  • 01.12.2012 6:44 PM PDT
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Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

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

source?

  • 01.12.2012 6:55 PM PDT

My honor student can beat up your honor student.


Posted by: grey101
source?
The Halo Bulletin: 1/12/12

  • 01.12.2012 7:01 PM PDT

I think Frankie, and the team, have said many reassuring things already with regards to the lore. It's one of the aspects I'm most looking forward to with the release of Halo 4, and has been for some time. I'm confident we'll see a greater progression in Halo's story-telling. I see the franchise maturing.

  • 01.12.2012 8:20 PM PDT