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Subject: If spartan ops is 6 months after the campaign...WTF is MC doing?

Ah, the young, impertinent academia of Bungie.net. I think we can all agree that our written work is perfectly sound. But there's no need for mud-slinging or name calling or indirect accusations of being exasperatingly obtuse.

So let's cut to the chase.

When it comes to the written fiction of Halo, I think we can all agree to disagree. All of them have a different style, approach, tone and flow of prose, as can be expected. And each writer was chosen for his/her previous work. But all represent indescribably small slices of the universe that we love -- for various reasons. I liked all of the novels apart from The Flood. That may, of course, be the result of having very little time to write the novel. Dietz only had five weeks to crank it out. And the result was an alternative, though choppy, viewpoint of Combat Evolved where the Master Chief came across completely differently to the Nylund standpoint. But I shouldn't be defending Dietz, really. Nylund himself only had five weeks for The Fall of Reach. And that turned out okay. NOTE I said okay and not brilliant. But the novel brought all of the necessary points across and gave us the original backbone of Halo canon and history.

I like Nylund. His style is action orientated, which is good for providing an initial high and setting the scene clearly and concisely. But his novels do lack some depth. But they're not flat by any means.

Greg Bear on the other hand is lord and master of sci-fi opera. He creates a grand canvas of possibilities. But I sometimes feel a little detached from the characters. But that's just my taste I suppose. Or is it my desire for the Forerunners to turn around to humanity and say 'Sorry for the misunderstanding. Can we be friends?'

Traviss on the other hand presents little in the way of action or grand space-opera settings, but has a talent for bringing out the humanity in a character and making the plot a more personal adventure, with plenty of intrigue. I love her Gear of War books. The portrayal of each 'gear' is realistic and colourful. And that is reflected in her writing of Kilo-5.

But as fans, we are privileged. We have seen the Halo universe from every angle. Almost. We know things the characters don't. Or we think we know.

As for the direction of Halo, of the franchise we care about, we have to recognise the fact that 343i will obviously want to play things their way, to set them apart from Bungie -- put their stamp on Halo.

I don't believe Halo is turning into something it's not. I believe it's turning into something it was destined to be.

Bungie planted the Geas of Halo, 343i are simply awakening it.

  • 11.14.2012 6:04 AM PDT

Haters are going to hate.
Praisers are going to praise.

The Bungie Forums are what keeps my mind sharp and my fingers active, between writing my own movie scripts, drawing, and studying industrial design. At the moment I'm working on miniatures for a short movie that I'll hopefully be able to film once I've saved up for a camera... That's me, with the mug, trying to have a conversation with Konoko.

Posted by: Wolverfrog
I prefer 343i's approach to the Halo universe over Bungie's, but that's not to say I dislike the latter -

I think Traviss' style works for post-war Halo, that's my personal opinion.I respect that, I honestly do, but do you really see it fair to propagate for Halo to turn into something it wasn't from the beginning only cause you prefere it that way? I think that's why the others and I who are in agony becasue of what 343i are doing find so dangerous with posts that defend it. It's not the fear of losing Halo, we've already lost Halo. It's a desperate act to defend what we stand for, what we wish to be associated with. Selfishly--arguably righfully so--we want it for ourselves.

The books have all had their styles, but I guess that it's first now that it really matters, now when the games, the forefront pf the fiction, has changed its style.

I've used it once before, but I'll use it again since it illustrates my point pretty well.

This is a battle between egoists; we want it our way. The question is however; who's got the most rightious opinion? Is there a rightious opinon? Those who want Halo for what it was, or those who want Halo for what they've recently seen it as because of change?

Something I wrote last month: "To believe that 343i's contribution is what is good for Halo, is an opinion, one that isn't biased on the rules of the original Halo trilogy. Bias is everything. If one is indifferent to change, one has nothing to say, since this indifference isn't in favour of the foundation that is subject to change, but to the change itself." That's where I stand.

Thing is, many don't want to give up. I have, I see it as a lost cause; 343i will continue to dilute Halo. Not only in the story departement (I'm not sure what was originally intended anymore, which is a first), but design too. Just simple things as them seemingly being stuck in the trend of adding more polygons for the same of it, or priorotising surface graphics instead of A.I, physics, etc. Look at the armours. What about them evokes utilitarism, stylishness, iconicity; previously held virtues? All I see is a cluttered mess due to meta reasons such as attemps to be as varied as possible in order to compete with the growing demand of characterisation. What's the next step, even more, where will it end? Where will it all end? It wont change back, I know the industry far too good to believe that. Halo 4 managed to cash in 220 million dollars in one day!
Posted by: anton1792
I don't see how 343i's post 2010 Halo is more intrinsically complex than anything Bungie ever did. What is complex about "All Elites hate Humans", or about "Humans are ignorantly expansionist"? Their attention to characterization is perhaps better but their flat setting stifles it for me.
I'd even argue it's the opposite. It's way more obvious now, more blunt and forced.Posted by: MaxRealflugel
I don't believe Halo is turning into something it's not. I believe it's turning into something it was destined to be.

Bungie planted the Geas of Halo, 343i are simply awakening it.
Good post, but I don't agree with the last part. For me it is obvious that they no longer are aiming towards finishing what Bungie started, they're aiming towards continuing the story and taking it places I honestly don't think Bungie ever intended it to go. This became clear to me when I reread the Halo 3 Terminals.Hope Destiny comes along soon.

I should open a thread where we continue to parody how various autors would write Halo...

[Edited on 11.14.2012 6:57 AM PST]

  • 11.14.2012 6:49 AM PDT

I should open a thread where we continue to parody how various autors would write Halo...

I'd like that.

  • 11.14.2012 7:22 AM PDT

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."

I don't know, maybe he is taking a nice long nap in cryo?

  • 11.14.2012 8:51 AM PDT

If you can read this, that means I'm not a Shaolin monk...

yet.


Posted by: Wolverfrog

Posted by: PhyscoRaiderS97
Not sure there, "6 months after the Campaign" was a horrible cover up. To me it doesn't feel like part of the story, I like the fact they have episodes and stuff about the Spartan IV's but they should've done it before the Campaign perhaps. Too show the Spartan IV's in action, so you know who they are. Afterwards is pointless, cba to follow the storyline really thinking about the Chief and Cortana is too intense.


Some interesting things, though. We know Covenant asylum seekers are on Earth. We know New Phoenix is still under quarantine six months after the Didact hit it (which makes me think the UNSC/UEG are citing a virus-outbreak rather than telling the general population the truth about the Forerunners/Composer.) There's also the mysterious artefact found at the end of episode one, and the very fact that the UNSC seems to be trying to secure Requiem as it has Trevelyan, whereas the New-Covenant seem to be squatting there, probably waiting for the Didact to return.

I agree that the story could be better, but it's doing it's job and is a nice incentive to play the missions every week.

  • 11.14.2012 11:45 AM PDT
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"Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before." - James T Kirk

Reunited with his fellow Spartan 2s and getting interrogated by ONI about the Didact most likely.

  • 11.14.2012 1:28 PM PDT

well since we are on the topic of Halo novel authors... What is the order of the books?

  • 11.14.2012 2:01 PM PDT


Posted by: EVIL FERN 117
well since we are on the topic of Halo novel authors... What is the order of the books?


Read them in order of when they were released. Start with The Fall of Reach, finish with The Thursday War. Only one I haven't read is The Cole Protocol. I've got it on my Kindle but can't seem to get into it.

  • 11.14.2012 2:24 PM PDT

Active camo will work as long I can fart...... DAMN!!!! Now thats a long time!

Fapping?

  • 11.14.2012 3:44 PM PDT

For Carnage Apply Within BEST GROUP EVAR!!!


Posted by: GrandmasterNinja
he needs his Vitamin D after being in the suit for so long.


CHIEF DRINK DAT SUNNY D!!!!!!!

  • 11.14.2012 6:14 PM PDT


Posted by: Wolverfrog

Posted by: EVIL FERN 117
well since we are on the topic of Halo novel authors... What is the order of the books?


Read them in order of when they were released. Start with The Fall of Reach, finish with The Thursday War. Only one I haven't read is The Cole Protocol. I've got it on my Kindle but can't seem to get into it.


thank you!

  • 11.15.2012 2:13 PM PDT

Posted by: AngryBrute1
Oh yeah, since somebody does not believe what YOU believe; that makes us vapid...
I cannot grasp that what you call "Something happened to nothing, and that nothing became something, and it was smaller than than a period."

I don't know, but he should be back on his planet soaking up some sunlight.

  • 11.15.2012 4:40 PM PDT

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