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Beacon tower: Difference between revisions
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
===Architecture=== | ===Architecture=== | ||
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}}{{Ref/Map|Id=Valhalla|H3|Valhalla}} 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/ | 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}} | ||
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}} | 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}} | ||
===Function=== | ===Function=== | ||
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}} | [[File:HINF Sequence Beam Emitter Terminal.png|thumb|300px|A beacon tower's underground chamber.]] | ||
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}} | |||
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}} | |||
==Production notes== | ==Production notes== | ||
*The beacon towers in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' were designed and modelled by artist | *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)}} | ||
*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}} | *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}} | ||
*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. | |||
*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''". | *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''". | ||
*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. | *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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File:H4 ForerunnerBeamHole Concept.jpg|''[[Halo 4]]'' concept art of a Forerunner "beam hole". | File:H4 ForerunnerBeamHole Concept.jpg|''[[Halo 4]]'' concept art of a Forerunner "beam hole". | ||
File:H4_RequiemBeamTower_Concept.jpg|Concept art for a beam emitter in ''Halo 4''. | File:H4_RequiemBeamTower_Concept.jpg|Concept art for a beam emitter in ''Halo 4''. | ||
File:HI AnnounceTrailer Concept 2.jpg|A beacon tower firing in a piece of concept art | 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]]. | ||
File:HINF RiverStructureConcept.jpg| | File:HINF RiverStructureConcept.jpg|''Halo Infinite'' concept art of a beacon tower connected to a bridge. | ||
File:HINF DesertChopperConcept.jpg| | File:HINF DesertChopperConcept.jpg|''Halo Infinite'' concept art of a beacon tower in a desert. | ||
File:HINF Concept BeamEmitter1.jpg|Concept art of beacon towers for ''Halo Infinite''. | File:HINF Concept BeamEmitter1.jpg|Concept art of beacon towers for ''Halo Infinite''. | ||
File:HINF Concept BeamEmitter2.jpg|More concept art of the beacon tower in ''Halo Infinite''. | File:HINF Concept BeamEmitter2.jpg|More concept art of the beacon tower in ''Halo Infinite''. | ||
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File:HCE - Halo.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Installation 04]] in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. | File:HCE - Halo.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Installation 04]] in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. | ||
File:Val ext3.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Valhalla]] in ''Halo 3''. | File:Val ext3.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Valhalla]] in ''Halo 3''. | ||
File: | File:HTMCC-HR ForgeWorldBeacon.png|A beacon tower on [[Forge World]] in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''. | ||
File:Insti04ff.png|A beacon tower firing in '' | File:Insti04ff.png|A beacon tower on [[Installation 04 (map)|Installation 04]] firing in ''Halo: Reach''. | ||
File:BeamEmitterAnniversary.jpg|A beacon tower on Installation 04 in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''. | File:BeamEmitterAnniversary.jpg|A beacon tower on Installation 04 in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''. | ||
File:H4-MP-Ragnarok-Aerial.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Requiem]] in ''Halo 4''. | File:H4-MP-Ragnarok-Aerial.jpg|A beacon tower on [[Requiem]] in ''Halo 4''. | ||
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File:HINF BeamEmitter1.png|A beacon tower on [[Installation 07]] in a pre-release build of ''Halo Infinite''. | File:HINF BeamEmitter1.png|A beacon tower on [[Installation 07]] in a pre-release build of ''Halo Infinite''. | ||
File:HINF BeamEmitterUW.png|An ultrawide shot of a beacon tower at a different time of day in ''Halo Infinite''. | File:HINF BeamEmitterUW.png|An ultrawide shot of a beacon tower at a different time of day in ''Halo Infinite''. | ||
File:HINF Sequence Beacon.png| | File:HINF Sequence Beacon.png|Data stream underneath a beacon tower in ''Halo Infinite''. | ||
File:HINF Sequence J117 Weapon.png|John-117 and the Weapon observe a beacon tower firing a beam in ''Halo Infinite''. | File:HINF Sequence J117 Weapon.png|John-117 and the Weapon observe a beacon tower firing a beam in ''Halo Infinite''. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' | *''[[Halo Infinite]]'' | ||
*''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]'' | *''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]'' | ||
*''[[Halo: The Television Series Season Two]]'' | |||
**''[[Halo (TV Series)|Halo]]'' | |||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||