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| {{Status|Canon}} | | {{Era|Forerunner|HCW}} |
| [[File:Installation04Vertical.jpg|250px|thumb|A beacon tower on [[Installation 04]].]] | | {{Center|For other uses of the term '''beam''', see [[Beam|here]].}} |
| {{Quote|Those beacons are part of a ring-wide communications network. They can adapt to any frequency, any purpose.|[[The Weapon]] to [[John-117]].{{Ref/Quest|Id=sequence|HINF|Reformation|The Sequence}}}}
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| The '''beacon tower''' (sometimes shortened as '''beacon'''),{{Ref/Reuse|sequence}} also known as an '''energy beacon''',{{Ref/Novel|Id=rp34|RP|Chapter=34}} is a [[Forerunner]] structure found on [[shield world]]s,{{Ref/SpOps|Id=mountain|Catherine|Spartan Mountain}} [[Halo Array|Halo rings]],{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22P353|Enc22|Page=353}} and [[Installation 00]].{{Ref/Book|Id=h4evg|H4EVG|Page=215}}
| | [[File:Installation04Vertical.jpg|250px|thumb|right|A beam emitter tower on [[Installation 04|Alpha Halo]].]] |
| | A '''beam emitter''' is a [[Forerunner]] device or structure that, as the name implies, emits beams of energy. Though applied for many purposes, they are generally used to transport enormous amounts of energy from one location to another, serving as sophisticated power conduits. The beams may be constant, feeding a steady stream of energy to a certain system such as an [[Energy shielding|energy barrier]], or momentarily channel the energy required in the activation of an installation. |
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| ==Overview== | | ==Types== |
| ===Architecture=== | | ===Beam towers=== |
| Beacon towers are large delta-shaped structures typically with a cleave down the approximate center where a beam is emitted upwards to the sky and into space.{{Ref/Novel|TF|Chapter=3}}{{Ref/Level|Id=halo|CE|Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Halo}} This emits a loud sound that can be heard by those in the surrounding area.{{Ref/Map|Id=Valhalla|H3|Valhalla}}{{Ref/Map|Id=fragmentation|HINF|Fragmentation}} The towers typically feature an open-air elevated platform.{{Ref/Reuse|halo}} The beacons display a variety of minor differences in layout, likely reflecting the multiple purposes they serve: while some hold a small room in its center,{{Ref/Reuse|Valhalla}}{{Ref/Reuse|fragmentation}} others host underground chambers that display a continuous data stream,{{Ref/Reuse|sequence}} which contain data such as logs from the installation's monitor.{{Ref/Game|Id=Log01|HI|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#Archaeological Findings 2|Banished Audio log|Detail=Archeological Findings #01 - Reintroduction}} Furthermore, certain underground chambers have a cathedral-type ceiling cut through with supports and spokes that rose in the center.{{Ref/Novel|Id=rp35|RP|35}} The interior may feature an interface—either on a wall or on a plinth in the center of the chamber—for users to access the beacon's functions or retrieve the data being held in the data stream.{{Ref/Reuse|sequence}}{{Ref/Reuse|mountain}}{{Ref/Reuse|rp35}}
| | Beam emitters are often incorporated in large delta-shaped structures with a cleave down the approximate center. They fire beams upwards, in the case of the [[Halo Array|Halo installations]] to the center, and in the case of the [[Installation 00|Ark]] up into space.<ref name="halo">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign level, ''[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Halo]]''</ref> The exact function of these machines is unknown, but they may be used to transport energy for the activation process of the Halo rings or used to get rid of excess energy. It is also possible that the beams seen on [[Installation 04]] are simulated firings of the ring. |
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| Beacon towers are commonly positioned within deep canyons to protect the facility from off-world debris, and allow them to leverage the steep environment's natural harmonics to amplify their signals when firing deep into space.{{Ref/Reuse|h4evg}} During [[Battle for Zeta Halo|their occupation]] of [[Installation 07]], because of the towers' elevated position over their surrounding areas, the [[Banished]] used the towers as makeshift garrisons or lookout towers.{{Ref/Reuse|rp35}}
| | On [[Requiem]], the beam emitters are used as stations for delivering navigation data<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[S1/Catherine/Spartan Mountain]]''</ref> and function as part of the [[shield world]]'s [[teleportation grid]], featuring [[Slipspace translocation|teleportation portals]] that can transport objects to various other parts of the installation.<ref>'''Spartan Ops''', ''[[S1/Didact's Hand/Rally Point]]''</ref> |
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| ===Function=== | | ===Other types=== |
| [[File:HINF Sequence Beam Emitter Terminal.png|thumb|300px|A beacon tower's underground chamber.]] | | [[File:Tempest.jpg|thumb|250px|Beam emitters as a part of a Halo ring's [[Forerunner weather station|weather control system]].]] |
| The beacon towers are built to channel, convert, and refine energy streams of almost any types.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P353}} Each beacon tower is equipped with a supraluminal communications array;{{Ref/Novel|Id=rp32|RP|Chapter=32}} as such, at their base function, the beacon towers act as communication channels to send specific commands to other remote locations.{{Ref/Reuse|h4evg}} This is done via a pulse of energy being fired from the tower towards the sky. The pulse of energy is known to carry at least navigation data and communications protocols.{{Ref/Reuse|mountain}} On Halo rings, the beacon towers serve a multitude of purposes, including ring-wide communication and aiding in the activation process of the ring's primary firing mechanism. On [[Requiem]], beacon towers also function as part of the shield world's [[teleportation grid]], featuring [[Slipspace translocation|teleportation portals]] that can transport objects to various other parts of the installation.{{Ref/SpOps|Id=rallypoint|Didact's Hand|Rally Point}} | | The [[Control Room]]s of the [[Halo Array|Halo installations]] possess a type of beam emitter, which fires a continuous beam from the depths of the Control Room to the top of the structure, and into the center of the ring when the installation is activated.<ref name="halo"/> In case the firing sequence is canceled, like on [[Delta Halo]], the beam collects into a large bolt of energy, which is then fired into the center of the ring, causing the energy collected in the center to dissipate.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[The Great Journey]]''</ref> |
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| Entry to the beacon's interior can be restricted either with a locked door or an energy shield.{{Ref/Reuse|sequence}}{{Ref/Reuse|mountain}} Access to its function can also be locked down, though it could be overridden: during the Battle for Zeta Halo, the installation's [[monitor]] [[117649 Despondent Pyre]] generated a data key that could override the lockout [[Cortana]] had placed on a beacon tower. Furthermore, the data key contained adaptation protocols that instructed the tower to send a superluminal message,{{Ref/Reuse|rp34}} allowing [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan-IV]] [[Nina Kovan]] to transmit the ring's current galactic coordinates as well as pertinent data into human-occupied space during [[Battle of the beacon tower|a battle at a beacon tower]].{{Ref/Reuse|rp35}} Later during the conflict, [[John-117]] and [[the Weapon]] accessed four beacon towers and their data streams to construct the security sequence needed to enter the [[Command Spire (location)|Command Spire]].{{Ref/Reuse|sequence}}
| | The [[Portal at Voi|Ark Portal]] in [[Kenya]] also has a type of beam emitter, which discharges a concentrated beam to the sky when the portal is activated.<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Storm]]''</ref> In addition, the [[Apex Site]] on [[Etran Harborage]] also possessed a beam emitter. Continuous beams of energy are also channeled through the [[phase pulse generator]]s used to control the firing systems of the Halo rings.<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level, ''[[Two Betrayals]]''</ref> In ''[[High Charity]]'', the [[Covenant]] used a conduit of energy to connect the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]]'s engines into the city's power grid.<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level, ''[[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]''</ref> |
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| ==Production notes==
| | Around [[Installation 00]]'s [[Installation 00 Citadel|Citadel]], three [[barrier tower]]s featuring beam emitter towers were used to project an energy barrier that surrounded the Citadel.<ref>'''Halo 3''', campaign level, ''[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]''</ref> The [[Forerunner weather station|weather control systems]] on the Halo rings also feature beam emitters.<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', multiplayer map ''[[Tempest]]''</ref> |
| *The beacon towers in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' were designed and modelled by artist Chris Lee.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=IGN|9ndZbg8Mr-Q|IGN|Halo: Combat Evolved Devs React to Speedrun (Martin O’Donnell, Marcus Lehto)}}
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| *According to designer [[Jaime Griesemer]] and Art Director [[Marcus Lehto]], the beams emitted from the towers were intended to be high bandwidth communications "lasers" being fired from one side of the ring to the opposite side.{{Ref/Reuse|IGN}} Although this was never explicitly explained in any media released by [[Bungie]]—only being hinted at by the inclusion of an antenna on the beacon tower in [[Forge World]]—it was eventually canonized in ''[[Halo 4]]''{{'}}s ''[[Spartan Ops]]'' and ''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|mountain}}{{Ref/Reuse|h4evg}}
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| *Beacon towers serve as base buildings on certain multiplayer maps, including [[Infinity (Halo: Combat Evolved map)|Infinity]] in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', [[Valhalla]] in ''Halo 3'', [[Ragnarok]] in ''Halo 4'', and [[Fragmentation]] in ''[[Halo Infinite]]''. On Fragmentation, when a team scores a point, their beacon tower fires a pulse into the sky.
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| *In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' and ''Halo 3'', if the player stands at the top of a beam tower, over the chute in which the beam fires from, the beam can either kill them, sending the player over a hundred feet in the air, or completely pass through the player. When killed by the beam, it will say "''(Player) was killed by the Guardians''".
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| *During the ''[[Halo Wars 2 Open Beta]]'', the [[Control Tower]]s—which serve as objectives in the [[Domination]] multiplayer mode—heavily resembled the beacon towers. In the final version of ''[[Halo Wars 2]]'', they were redesigned with three prongs.
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| ==Gallery== | | ==Trivia== |
| {{Linkbox|gallery=yes}} | | {{Linkbox|gallery=yes}} |
| ===Concept art===
| | *If the player manages to stand at the top of a beam tower, over the chute in which the beam shoots from, the beam can either kill him/her, sending the player over a hundred feet in the air, or completely pass through the player. When killed by the beam, it will say "''(Player) was killed by the Guardians''". In ''Halo 3'', however, the beams coming from the beam emitters (except in Valhalla) will not kill the player, no matter what. This is most likely due to gameplay reasons. |
| <gallery>
| | *Beam emitters are [[Domination Point|objectives]] to be captured the [[Domination]] multiplayer mode of ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.<ref>'''[[Halo Wars 2 Open Beta]]'''</ref> |
| File:HR ForgeWorld Concept 1.jpg|''[[Halo: Reach]]'' concept art of [[Forge World]] and its beacon tower.
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| File:HR Installation04 BeamEmitter Concept.jpg|''Halo: Reach'' concept art of the beacon tower on Installation 04.
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| File:H4 ForerunnerBeamHole Concept.jpg|''[[Halo 4]]'' concept art of a Forerunner "beam hole".
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| File:H4_RequiemBeamTower_Concept.jpg|Concept art for a beam emitter in ''Halo 4''.
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| File:HI AnnounceTrailer Concept 2.jpg|A beacon tower firing in a piece of concept art for the ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' [[Halo Infinite announcement trailer|announcement trailer]].
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| File:HINF RiverStructureConcept.jpg|''Halo Infinite'' concept art of a beacon tower connected to a bridge.
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| File:HINF DesertChopperConcept.jpg|''Halo Infinite'' concept art of a beacon tower in a desert.
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| File:HINF Concept BeamEmitter1.jpg|Concept art of beacon towers for ''Halo Infinite''.
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| File:HINF Concept BeamEmitter2.jpg|More concept art of the beacon tower in ''Halo Infinite''.
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| File:HINF Concept BeamEmitter.jpg|Concept art of a beacon tower on Installation 07 in ''Halo Infinite''.
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| File:HINF BeamEmitterConcept2.jpg|More concept art of a beacon tower on Installation 07.
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| </gallery> | |
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| ===Screenshots=== | | ==Gallery== |
| <gallery> | | <gallery> |
| File:HCE - Halo.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Installation 04]] in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. | | File:HCE - Halo.jpg|The first beam emitter discovered by the Master Chief on [[Installation 04]]. |
| File:Val ext3.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Valhalla]] in ''Halo 3''. | | File:HCE pulse generator.jpg|A [[phase pulse generator]] on Installation 04. |
| File:HTMCC-HR ForgeWorldBeacon.png|A beacon tower on [[Forge World]] in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''. | | File:Val ext3.jpg|A beam emitter on [[Valhalla]]. |
| File:Insti04ff.png|A beacon tower on [[Installation 04 (map)|Installation 04]] firing in ''Halo: Reach''. | | File:Ark2.jpg|A type of beam emitter, as seen on the [[Portal at Voi]]. |
| File:BeamEmitterAnniversary.jpg|A beacon tower on Installation 04 in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''. | | File:Ark_Beam.jpg|A [[barrier tower]] on [[Installation 00|the Ark]]. |
| File:H4-MP-Ragnarok-Aerial.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Requiem]] in ''Halo 4''. | | File:ChiefBeam-large.jpg|An energy beam inside [[Installation 08]]'s Control Room. |
| File:H5G - Array 1.jpg|The beacon tower on [[Apex 7]] in ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''. | | File:HW12.png|The [[Apex Site]]'s beam emitter. |
| File:HW2B Domination Point.png|The Control Tower in ''[[Halo Wars 2 Open Beta]]'' that resembles a beacon tower.
| | File:BeamEmitterAnniversary.jpg|A beam emitter on Installation 04. |
| File:HINF BeamEmitter1.png|A beacon tower on [[Installation 07]] in a pre-release build of ''Halo Infinite''.
| | File:H4-MP-Ragnarok-Aerial.jpg|A beam emitter on [[Requiem]]. |
| File:HINF BeamEmitterUW.png|An ultrawide shot of a beacon tower at a different time of day in ''Halo Infinite''.
| | File:H5G - Array 1.jpg|The beam emitter on [[Apex 7]]. |
| File:HINF Sequence Beacon.png|Data stream underneath a beacon tower in ''Halo Infinite''.
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| File:HINF Sequence J117 Weapon.png|John-117 and the Weapon observe a beacon tower firing a beam in ''Halo Infinite''.
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| </gallery> | | </gallery> |
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| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}} | | *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}} |
| *''[[Halo: The Flood]]'' | | *''[[Halo: The Flood]]'' |
| | *''[[Halo 2]]'' |
| *''[[Halo 3]]'' | | *''[[Halo 3]]'' |
| | *''[[Halo Wars]]'' |
| *''[[Halo: Reach]]'' | | *''[[Halo: Reach]]'' |
| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' | | *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' |
| *''[[Halo 4]]'' | | *''[[Halo 4]]'' |
| **''[[Spartan Ops]]'' | | **''[[Spartan Ops]]'' |
| | *''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'' |
| *''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' | | *''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' |
| | *''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' |
| *''[[Halo Infinite]]'' | | *''[[Halo Infinite]]'' |
| *''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]''
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| *''[[Halo: The Television Series Season Two]]''
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| **''[[Halo (TV Series)|Halo]]''
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| ==Sources== | | ==Sources== |
