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Subject: Why is Contact Harvest and the Cole Protocol disliked so much?

Vengeance only leads to an ongoing cycle of hatred.


Posted by: Xd00999
Posted by: SEAL Sniper 9
I liked Senora Sies. I thought it was a nice touch.

While not that important to the story I thought it was a nice addition. It reminded me somewhat of Vera.

Yeah, it may not be all that important, but it puts a more...I don't know...human feel to the story. I think it may even draw you closer to the character, I don't know. There's just something about it.

  • 01.17.2012 7:12 PM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: OrderedComa
Posted by: anton1792
I thought that The Cole Protocol's depiction of the Sangheili was quite absurd. I am glad in a sense that Glasslands toned it down on that front. The things about never holstering an unbloodied weapon, or doctors being scum and villainy, or spilling blood meaning dishonour, and perhaps even death, made them look extremely impractical.

Yeah, as much as I liked the Cole Protocol, I think it over did it a bit with the Elites. While they be highly religious or whatever, they're not total idiots, the whole blood thing didn't make much sense, I mean if a whole culture is based around war, while there won't be too much of a focus on medical advances and what-not I don't think being a doctor or having medical expertise would really be a shameful thing in a warrior society. The whole thing about weapons didn't really make much sense either, but it at least made more (to me) than the whole losing your blood=equaling losing your honor.

The thing that always got me about the weapons is where they would draw the line and decide that they have no choice but to holster the weapon. If there is nothing to kill, then they are going to have to put it away without having used it. It then makes the whole thing pointless in the end. And the part at the end where Thel kills Zarn, saying that he had "already drawn" and implying that he cannot put his sword away until he has used it on him - urgh soo cheesy. I doubt they valued the lives of their friends less than some tradition.


Posted by: prometheus25
Posted by: anton1792
Nice try.

What?

It sounded like you were trying to get me to make excuses for the pistol not being elaborated upon further, which would obviously contrast my opinion on how Glasslands did not elaborate on stuff. It would make me look like a hypocrite. Or maybe I'm just too paranoid.

  • 01.17.2012 7:19 PM PDT

Why does the pistol need to be anything more than a pistol?

  • 01.17.2012 7:30 PM PDT

Posted by:ScubaToaster
Posted by: HipiO7
This man, this man right here put it so eloquently that I actually cancelled my own 2000+ word long post.
/slow clap for respect


:)
The person who said participating is important, not winning, obviously never won anything.

I really liked Contact Harvest.

Cole Protocole was okay, nothing too spectacular nor revealing as other novels had been. The only characters I ended up caring for that showed up first time in the Haloverse were the ODST's.

God, I loved Major Faison. I was so pissed when he got killed.

  • 01.18.2012 1:21 AM PDT
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Haters gonna hate.

Contact Harvest was a great read, with twists and turns leading to the Human-Covenant War. The was also backstory about Johnson, which I really was interested in.

And I think of The Cole Protocol sort of as a story from Halo Evolutions given a full title. It's a thrill to read, and could do with a sequel, but well written nevertheless.

  • 01.18.2012 2:16 AM PDT


Posted by: anton1792
Posted by: OrderedComa
Posted by: anton1792
I thought that The Cole Protocol's depiction of the Sangheili was quite absurd. I am glad in a sense that Glasslands toned it down on that front. The things about never holstering an unbloodied weapon, or doctors being scum and villainy, or spilling blood meaning dishonour, and perhaps even death, made them look extremely impractical.

Yeah, as much as I liked the Cole Protocol, I think it over did it a bit with the Elites. While they be highly religious or whatever, they're not total idiots, the whole blood thing didn't make much sense, I mean if a whole culture is based around war, while there won't be too much of a focus on medical advances and what-not I don't think being a doctor or having medical expertise would really be a shameful thing in a warrior society. The whole thing about weapons didn't really make much sense either, but it at least made more (to me) than the whole losing your blood=equaling losing your honor.

The thing that always got me about the weapons is where they would draw the line and decide that they have no choice but to holster the weapon. If there is nothing to kill, then they are going to have to put it away without having used it. It then makes the whole thing pointless in the end. And the part at the end where Thel kills Zarn, saying that he had "already drawn" and implying that he cannot put his sword away until he has used it on him - urgh soo cheesy. I doubt they valued the lives of their friends less than some tradition.


Posted by: prometheus25
Posted by: anton1792
Nice try.

What?

It sounded like you were trying to get me to make excuses for the pistol not being elaborated upon further, which would obviously contrast my opinion on how Glasslands did not elaborate on stuff. It would make me look like a hypocrite. Or maybe I'm just too paranoid.


Ever heard of the Gurkhas, they are in the British army. They carry an 18inch long blade called a kukri... If they draw this weapon, they have to draw blood. They stick to this as well, if there are no hostiles near by, they cut themselves.

In my opinion, these guys are the most bad ass soldiers in the world.

Oh and the point of me saying this, the Elites having weapons that must taste blood before being holstered is so stupid, it is all to do with honor.

  • 01.18.2012 3:05 AM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.


Posted by: anton1792
Posted by: OrderedComa
Posted by: anton1792
I thought that The Cole Protocol's depiction of the Sangheili was quite absurd. I am glad in a sense that Glasslands toned it down on that front. The things about never holstering an unbloodied weapon, or doctors being scum and villainy, or spilling blood meaning dishonour, and perhaps even death, made them look extremely impractical.

Yeah, as much as I liked the Cole Protocol, I think it over did it a bit with the Elites. While they be highly religious or whatever, they're not total idiots, the whole blood thing didn't make much sense, I mean if a whole culture is based around war, while there won't be too much of a focus on medical advances and what-not I don't think being a doctor or having medical expertise would really be a shameful thing in a warrior society. The whole thing about weapons didn't really make much sense either, but it at least made more (to me) than the whole losing your blood=equaling losing your honor.

The thing that always got me about the weapons is where they would draw the line and decide that they have no choice but to holster the weapon. If there is nothing to kill, then they are going to have to put it away without having used it. It then makes the whole thing pointless in the end. And the part at the end where Thel kills Zarn, saying that he had "already drawn" and implying that he cannot put his sword away until he has used it on him - urgh soo cheesy. I doubt they valued the lives of their friends less than some tradition.

I thought it was made clear that he drew his weapon because Zarn had drawn his and he was starting to question the Hierachs. Thel attacked him to protect the Prophets because at this point he is still a zealot.

  • 01.18.2012 4:17 AM PDT
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Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

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


Posted by: anton1792
I thought that The Cole Protocol's depiction of the Sangheili was quite absurd. I am glad in a sense that Glasslands toned it down on that front. The things about never holstering an unbloodied weapon, or doctors being scum and villainy, or spilling blood meaning dishonour, and perhaps even death, made them look extremely impractical.


Anton that bit was perfect, i think you are going TOO far with the Elite love,lol.


COntact Harvest was boring as hell, i honestly found myself skipping the human parts to read more into the covenant.

  • 01.18.2012 5:08 AM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: jonesy90000
Ever heard of the Gurkhas, they are in the British army. They carry an 18inch long blade called a kukri... If they draw this weapon, they have to draw blood. They stick to this as well, if there are no hostiles near by, they cut themselves.

In my opinion, these guys are the most bad ass soldiers in the world.

Oh and the point of me saying this, the Elites having weapons that must taste blood before being holstered is so stupid, it is all to do with honor.

I never knew that about the Gurkhas, but even so I spot a problem with the Sangheili paralleling this. If the Sangheili cut themselves, wouldn't that be a dishonour? You know, losing blood and all? Also, the Sangheili tradition does not just apply to blades, but guns as well.

Posted by: Xd00999
I thought it was made clear that he drew his weapon because Zarn had drawn his and he was starting to question the Hierachs. Thel attacked him to protect the Prophets because at this point he is still a zealot.

They both said it really. Thel tried to talk down Zharn but because Zharn had already drawn his sword too, he could not desist. Some sort of finality was then implied with this when the two had drawn blades, that they now had to kill each other and had no choice.

  • 01.18.2012 8:29 AM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.


Posted by: anton1792

Posted by: Xd00999
I thought it was made clear that he drew his weapon because Zarn had drawn his and he was starting to question the Hierachs. Thel attacked him to protect the Prophets because at this point he is still a zealot.

They both said it really. Thel tried to talk down Zharn but because Zharn had already drawn his sword too, he could not desist. Some sort of finality was then implied with this when the two had drawn blades, that they now had to kill each other and had no choice.

Either way one of them was going to die. They had lost much honor during the battle by being bested by the Kig-Yar and Zhar was questioning the Prophets quite openly. If Thel had not killed him the Prophets may have had them executed for deviance from the Covenant. Truth implied this after the fact. There was also the fact that was advancing upon a Hiererach with a weapon drawn.

  • 01.18.2012 12:46 PM PDT

I didn't like The Cole Protocol at all. I found it flowed very badly, the characters were completely forgettable and most of what happened in the book made little sense within the halo universe. I mean really, Humans and Kig-Yar living peacefully together on some asteroid space-station thing?

  • 01.18.2012 12:51 PM PDT
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Five exclamations marks are a good signifier of an insane mind. As is trying to hide from Death in an airtight room. Silly wizard.


Posted by: USS Catalyst
I didn't like The Cole Protocol at all. I found it flowed very badly, the characters were completely forgettable and most of what happened in the book made little sense within the halo universe. I mean really, Humans and Kig-Yar living peacefully together on some asteroid space-station thing?

Not that peaceful. It was all a plot by Truth for them to find Earth. As soon as they accomplished that the Kig-Yar would have killed everyone on the Rubble and used the Exodus to launch a surprise attack on Earth.

  • 01.18.2012 1:18 PM PDT

"Find where the liar hides, so that I may place my boot between his gums!" - Rtas 'Vadum

Posted by: USS Catalyst
I mean really, Humans and Kig-Yar living peacefully together on some asteroid space-station thing?

Why is that so hard to believe?

  • 01.18.2012 1:21 PM PDT
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Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

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


Posted by: MAC Blast

Posted by: USS Catalyst
I didn't like The Cole Protocol at all. I found it flowed very badly, the characters were completely forgettable and most of what happened in the book made little sense within the halo universe. I mean really, Humans and Kig-Yar living peacefully together on some asteroid space-station thing?

Not that peaceful. It was all a plot by Truth for them to find Earth. As soon as they accomplished that the Kig-Yar would have killed everyone on the Rubble and used the Exodus to launch a surprise attack on Earth.


You clearly skipped the part where it was stated the Kig-Yar Liked the trading gig they had going and didn't want to mess it up.

  • 01.18.2012 1:58 PM PDT

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

Contact Harvest's rendition of first contact with the Covenant just left me thinking, "Really? That was pretty weak." When you're going to detail something which was the inciting factor for a genocide and a foundation to an entire series of fiction you better make it something memorable. The only thing in it that I remember is the awkward Johnson sex scene. The rest of it just felt like a flat and tedious journey through a big misunderstanding. It was a plot that would have been more appropriate for a sitcom or a romcom than a sci-fi series about religious zealotry and interspecies war.

I don't mind Cole Protocol though.

  • 01.18.2012 2:04 PM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.


Posted by: grey101

Posted by: MAC Blast

Posted by: USS Catalyst
I didn't like The Cole Protocol at all. I found it flowed very badly, the characters were completely forgettable and most of what happened in the book made little sense within the halo universe. I mean really, Humans and Kig-Yar living peacefully together on some asteroid space-station thing?

Not that peaceful. It was all a plot by Truth for them to find Earth. As soon as they accomplished that the Kig-Yar would have killed everyone on the Rubble and used the Exodus to launch a surprise attack on Earth.


You clearly skipped the part where it was stated the Kig-Yar Liked the trading gig they had going and didn't want to mess it up.

But it was not like the Kig-Yar were going to spit in the face of the Prophets and refuse to kill the humans. If they did, Truth would have just sent a few ships over, declared them all heretics and killed them.

  • 01.18.2012 2:45 PM PDT
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Posted by: GanonSmash
Until recently I had no idea there was a general dislike for Contact Harvest. I really loved it, Lighter than Some was a fantastic character, we got some cool backstory on the Prophets, and a first look at Mendicant Bias. Plus, you know, the REASON FOR THE HUMAN-COVENANT WAR. That was pretty important.

Cole Protocol I can understand, it wasn't as interesting as the other books and didn't contribute as much to the universe as it could have, but it wasn't bad by any means.


Couldn't say it any better.

  • 01.18.2012 2:50 PM PDT


Posted by: USS Catalyst
I didn't like The Cole Protocol at all. I found it flowed very badly, the characters were completely forgettable and most of what happened in the book made little sense within the halo universe. I mean really, Humans and Kig-Yar living peacefully together on some asteroid space-station thing?


The Jackals have very little loyalty to the Covenant actually, they're mercenaries pretty much. The Jackals always come first and foremost in their mindset, and they'll do whatever gets them survival and turns them a profit. If humanity offered them better than the Covenant and guaranteed them survival I'm quite sure they wouldn't think twice about metaphorically stabbing the rest of the Covenant in the back and going over and joining the UNSC. Or that they'd trade with whatever humans were willing on the side as long as they could get away with it. But yeah, Jackals working with Humans is not a big stretch of the imagination and there was nothing wrong with it being present in Cole Protocol, if anything it actually gave a better insight into the Jackal's culture.

@Anton: Mhm, I pretty much agree with all you said on the weapon thing, it all came across a bit implausibly and that bit between Zhar and Thel was definitely rather on the cheesy side.

  • 01.18.2012 4:30 PM PDT

In memory of those fallen in the defense of Earth and her colonies.

March 3, 2553


Posted by: GanonSmash
Until recently I had no idea there was a general dislike for Contact Harvest. I really loved it, Lighter than Some was a fantastic character, we got some cool backstory on the Prophets, and a first look at Mendicant Bias. Plus, you know, the REASON FOR THE HUMAN-COVENANT WAR. That was pretty important.

Cole Protocol I can understand, it wasn't as interesting as the other books and didn't contribute as much to the universe as it could have, but it wasn't bad by any means.


Since when was there hate for those two books?

  • 01.18.2012 5:37 PM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.


Posted by: cameo_cream

Posted by: GanonSmash
Until recently I had no idea there was a general dislike for Contact Harvest. I really loved it, Lighter than Some was a fantastic character, we got some cool backstory on the Prophets, and a first look at Mendicant Bias. Plus, you know, the REASON FOR THE HUMAN-COVENANT WAR. That was pretty important.

Cole Protocol I can understand, it wasn't as interesting as the other books and didn't contribute as much to the universe as it could have, but it wasn't bad by any means.


Since when was there hate for those two books?

Whenever someone asks what someone's least favorite book is Cole Protocol and Contact Harvest are two answers I see but never really understood. I liked both of them so I had no idea where people were coming from.

  • 01.18.2012 5:40 PM PDT
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I just don't get why the characters in Cole Protocol were mostly hispanic. Delgado, Melko, Maria Vasquez, etc. It was just odd. And the fact that they were abandoned by the UNSC makes them seem racist.

And this is unrelated, but Buckell looks like one of those annoying geeks who thinks he's cool because he wears a trench coat.

  • 01.18.2012 7:27 PM PDT
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  • 01.18.2012 7:42 PM PDT


Posted by: DoctorCoitus
I just don't get why the characters in Cole Protocol were mostly hispanic. Delgado, Melko, Maria Vasquez, etc. It was just odd. And the fact that they were abandoned by the UNSC makes them seem racist.

And this is unrelated, but Buckell looks like one of those annoying geeks who thinks he's cool because he wears a trench coat.


Well, I believe they all had Hispanic sounding names because Madrigal (the colony they were all from that the Rubble was founded by the survivors of) were probably all descended, and the colony was probably founded, by people from a Spanish background. It's not really that uncommon for the UNSC colonies to mainly be founded by one type of group or anything, like for instance Reach is mainly Hungarian and/or other Slavic groups.

And as for the survivors of Madrigal being abandoned, how exactly was the UNSC supposed to know they were there? Madrigal was glassed and taken by the Covenant with little or no survivors as far as anyone else knew. And besides, it's not like the Rubble was going to try and contact the UNSC, it was founded mainly be the Insurrectionists you know. And they all wanted to break away from UNSC control.

  • 01.18.2012 7:50 PM PDT
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Posted by: OrderedComa

Posted by: DoctorCoitus
I just don't get why the characters in Cole Protocol were mostly hispanic. Delgado, Melko, Maria Vasquez, etc. It was just odd. And the fact that they were abandoned by the UNSC makes them seem racist.

And this is unrelated, but Buckell looks like one of those annoying geeks who thinks he's cool because he wears a trench coat.


Well, I believe they all had Hispanic sounding names because Madrigal (the colony they were all from that the Rubble was founded by the survivors of) were probably all descended, and the colony was probably founded, by people from a Spanish background. It's not really that uncommon for the UNSC colonies to mainly be founded by one type of group or anything, like for instance Reach is mainly Hungarian and/or other Slavic groups.

And as for the survivors of Madrigal being abandoned, how exactly was the UNSC supposed to know they were there? Madrigal was glassed and taken by the Covenant with little or no survivors as far as anyone else knew. And besides, it's not like the Rubble was going to try and contact the UNSC, it was founded mainly be the Insurrectionists you know. And they all wanted to break away from UNSC control.

I meant that they were abandoned according to their (the insurrectionists') point of view.

And how do you know that Reach is mainly Hungarian/Slavic people? I only remember Jorge and that girl from Halo Reach fitting that category.

  • 01.18.2012 8:35 PM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.

Many colonies were founded by certain groups. Harvest was founded primarily by people from the Midwestern US. There are also some other civilians in the first mission who speak to Jorge and there is also the naming of the places which also suggests Hungarian/Slavic descent.

  • 01.19.2012 4:33 AM PDT

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