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::That is most likely the case. I don't know if some of the previous story arcs would've been as long or exactly the same as they were in comic form (the Petra side story would've most likely been ditched had the story been told in the ''Spartan Ops'' format) but it's probable ''Escalation'' is built on the basic outline they had for the future seasons. Another reason for Spops' cancellation after S1 may have been the money and effort going into the ''Master Chief Collection'', particularly the enormous undertaking that is Blur's remastering of the ''Halo 2'' cutscenes. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 00:19, 18 August 2014 (EDT) | ::That is most likely the case. I don't know if some of the previous story arcs would've been as long or exactly the same as they were in comic form (the Petra side story would've most likely been ditched had the story been told in the ''Spartan Ops'' format) but it's probable ''Escalation'' is built on the basic outline they had for the future seasons. Another reason for Spops' cancellation after S1 may have been the money and effort going into the ''Master Chief Collection'', particularly the enormous undertaking that is Blur's remastering of the ''Halo 2'' cutscenes. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 00:19, 18 August 2014 (EDT) | ||
:::You know what? The gameplay already felt a bit detached from the cutscenes. They should have just made a series of animated episodes, and released them episodically, like Forward Unto Dawn, or on DVD ala Legends. That would have been fantastic. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :::You know what? The gameplay already felt a bit detached from the cutscenes. They should have just made a series of animated episodes, and released them episodically, like Forward Unto Dawn, or on DVD ala Legends. That would have been fantastic. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 00:26, 18 August 2014 (EDT) | ||
==Issue 9== | ==Issue 9== | ||
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Not having read the story yet (or any of Escalation, really, beyond preview pages) I don't understand what the Didact's plan is. He's on a Halo, presumably with the full authority to use it that being a Forerunner entails, but he also has a whole mess of Composers at his disposal now. One makes the other redundant. I get that, in-canon, the Didact wasn't expecting to run into 859 Static Carillon, but from a storytelling point of view it means one or the other of these plot points are going to be dropped. Either he tries to take Gamma Halo to Earth, which renders the Composers pointless, or he leaves it behind and tries to bring the Composers to Earth which means Gamma Halo didn't need to be in the story. Gamma Halo was enough of a threat, why introduce this new story element? Unless it's because they're needed to compose something very specific before being abandoned - namely, in my full expectation and dread, Blue Team, souls implanted in Promethean shells and turned against the Master Chief. | Not having read the story yet (or any of Escalation, really, beyond preview pages) I don't understand what the Didact's plan is. He's on a Halo, presumably with the full authority to use it that being a Forerunner entails, but he also has a whole mess of Composers at his disposal now. One makes the other redundant. I get that, in-canon, the Didact wasn't expecting to run into 859 Static Carillon, but from a storytelling point of view it means one or the other of these plot points are going to be dropped. Either he tries to take Gamma Halo to Earth, which renders the Composers pointless, or he leaves it behind and tries to bring the Composers to Earth which means Gamma Halo didn't need to be in the story. Gamma Halo was enough of a threat, why introduce this new story element? Unless it's because they're needed to compose something very specific before being abandoned - namely, in my full expectation and dread, Blue Team, souls implanted in Promethean shells and turned against the Master Chief. | ||
There was also some speculation previously that the Monitor would turn out to be a repaired 343 Guilty Spark. I'm a little glad that it isn't - it gives 343 the chance to make his eventual fate and possible return to the series a much more dramatic story. I would like to see the Didact pick up a Monitor assistant - someone who carries out his orders, and is a more capable threat than the Covenant remnants. Maybe we could see Jul 'Mdama feeling threatened by being usurped as the Didact's emissary, and trying to either reclaim his place through earning his "god's" favour or by taking out Carillon himself? But of course, I fully expect the story to end with the Didact out of commission, the Composers Forge destroyed, and John once again the last Spartan-II, completely undoing the potential the series is trying to set up. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | There was also some speculation previously that the Monitor would turn out to be a repaired 343 Guilty Spark. I'm a little glad that it isn't - it gives 343 the chance to make his eventual fate and possible return to the series a much more dramatic story. I would like to see the Didact pick up a Monitor assistant - someone who carries out his orders, and is a more capable threat than the Covenant remnants. Maybe we could see Jul 'Mdama feeling threatened by being usurped as the Didact's emissary, and trying to either reclaim his place through earning his "god's" favour or by taking out Carillon himself? But of course, I fully expect the story to end with the Didact out of commission, the Composers Forge destroyed, and John once again the last Spartan-II, completely undoing the potential the series is trying to set up. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 17:37, 28 August 2014 (EDT) | ||
:Are you familiar with the Halo-Composer tuning theory?[[User:Sith Venator|<span style="color:green">Sith-venator Wavingstrider</span>]] ([[User talk:Sith Venator|<span style="color:blue">Commlink</span>]]) 20:38, 28 August 2014 (EDT) | :Are you familiar with the Halo-Composer tuning theory?[[User:Sith Venator|<span style="color:green">Sith-venator Wavingstrider</span>]] ([[User talk:Sith Venator|<span style="color:blue">Commlink</span>]]) 20:38, 28 August 2014 (EDT) | ||
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-- Sam Gall. | -- Sam Gall. | ||
I think being "Composed" gives 343 room to manoeuvre where the Didact's future is concerned. He's already been composed and uncomposed once, as I understand it - the experiment that gave him his body. If he returns even more mutated and deranged, or more stable but in a robotic Promethean shell (or heck, maybe that massive thing from the trailer is his new body) it allows the player to engage him in terms that aren't near-godlike and therefore not fun for a game. If it is his final death, then it feels anti-climactic to kill him off in peripheral media, and a waste of storytelling opportunity, at least to me. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | I think being "Composed" gives 343 room to manoeuvre where the Didact's future is concerned. He's already been composed and uncomposed once, as I understand it - the experiment that gave him his body. If he returns even more mutated and deranged, or more stable but in a robotic Promethean shell (or heck, maybe that massive thing from the trailer is his new body) it allows the player to engage him in terms that aren't near-godlike and therefore not fun for a game. If it is his final death, then it feels anti-climactic to kill him off in peripheral media, and a waste of storytelling opportunity, at least to me. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 22:27, 24 September 2014 (EDT) | ||
:Actually Reed already confirmed over Twitter that the Ur-Didact is alive and not composed.[[User:Sith Venator|<span style="color:green">Sith-venator Wavingstrider</span>]] ([[User talk:Sith Venator|<span style="color:blue">Commlink</span>]]) 22:37, 24 September 2014 (EDT) | :Actually Reed already confirmed over Twitter that the Ur-Didact is alive and not composed.[[User:Sith Venator|<span style="color:green">Sith-venator Wavingstrider</span>]] ([[User talk:Sith Venator|<span style="color:blue">Commlink</span>]]) 22:37, 24 September 2014 (EDT) | ||
::Tinfoil hat theory: the very ambiguous energy blast that cremated the Didact (yet doesn't seem to do any damage to the control room itself) was a security measure designed to extract and retain the essences of anyone in the control room in the event of catastrophic damage. This is how they'll bring back Sergeant Johnson and Faber. Doesn't explain why John wasn't affected since he was still there, but maybe you have to stand in the main chasm (the Chief was already outside the chamber). | ::Tinfoil hat theory: the very ambiguous energy blast that cremated the Didact (yet doesn't seem to do any damage to the control room itself) was a security measure designed to extract and retain the essences of anyone in the control room in the event of catastrophic damage. This is how they'll bring back Sergeant Johnson and Faber. Doesn't explain why John wasn't affected since he was still there, but maybe you have to stand in the main chasm (the Chief was already outside the chamber). | ||
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And what's going on with John at the end? Lord Hood is telling him and his buddies to take some R & R, which is not really unreasonable even for Spartans, but then he basically goes rogue for no good reason. Him disobeying orders made sense in ''Halo 4'' where his orders contradicted with a very acute threat he had to deal with, but that's not really evident here. He's just going on an ambiguous crusade with no apparent goal or cause. Is he supposed to be hunting the Didact or Gamma Halo? Or is this meant to hint that he's finally losing it? In this case I think the writing did a poor job at portraying either — the presentation felt more like it was meant to be endearing and illustrate how the Chief will always continue fighting and winning, etc, but it loses its steam when we have no apparent threat on the loose or a clear catalyst for John deciding to ditch the UNSC. Beforehand I think most people were under the impression something really major was going to happen that absolutely shook John's world (worst-case scenario being Blue Team dying, or at least appearing so, or being separated from John) but that isn't really the case — Blue Team kills the bad guy, saves the day is happily together again. This is another one of those cases that would've greatly benefited from an extended look into the Chief's head we would've gotten in a novel. As it stands, the ending comes out of nowhere. ''"After defeating the Didact, John-117 joined the crew of Infinity... but why did he leave?"'' says the promotional blurb for ''The Next 72 Hours'', but upon its conclusion we're none the wiser. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 02:36, 25 September 2014 (EDT) | And what's going on with John at the end? Lord Hood is telling him and his buddies to take some R & R, which is not really unreasonable even for Spartans, but then he basically goes rogue for no good reason. Him disobeying orders made sense in ''Halo 4'' where his orders contradicted with a very acute threat he had to deal with, but that's not really evident here. He's just going on an ambiguous crusade with no apparent goal or cause. Is he supposed to be hunting the Didact or Gamma Halo? Or is this meant to hint that he's finally losing it? In this case I think the writing did a poor job at portraying either — the presentation felt more like it was meant to be endearing and illustrate how the Chief will always continue fighting and winning, etc, but it loses its steam when we have no apparent threat on the loose or a clear catalyst for John deciding to ditch the UNSC. Beforehand I think most people were under the impression something really major was going to happen that absolutely shook John's world (worst-case scenario being Blue Team dying, or at least appearing so, or being separated from John) but that isn't really the case — Blue Team kills the bad guy, saves the day is happily together again. This is another one of those cases that would've greatly benefited from an extended look into the Chief's head we would've gotten in a novel. As it stands, the ending comes out of nowhere. ''"After defeating the Didact, John-117 joined the crew of Infinity... but why did he leave?"'' says the promotional blurb for ''The Next 72 Hours'', but upon its conclusion we're none the wiser. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 02:36, 25 September 2014 (EDT) | ||
:I was under the apparently mistaken impression that he had been composed. After reading your plot summary, and coming up with my own ideas of how he might return under those conditions, I wish he had been. It would have made more sense than the contradictory facts of a crispy fried Forerunner corpse and him apparently not being dead (is he only mostly dead? Will he have fun storming the castle?) As for the series as a whole, it seems entirely based on making grand promises and then delivering something entirely less, apparently on purpose. The first arc sounds great, dealing with politics and intrigue. Then it gets mired in a plot that promises (threatens?) to resolve the Spirit of Fire issue, then drops that thread like a hot potato. Then it promises the epic showdown between John and the Didact, while threatening to kill of Blue Team, and does neither. I just...I have no idea why these stories need to exist. It's as if they're trying to make grand stories that make sweeping changes to the Halo universe, but then decided they couldn't change anything at all. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :I was under the apparently mistaken impression that he had been composed. After reading your plot summary, and coming up with my own ideas of how he might return under those conditions, I wish he had been. It would have made more sense than the contradictory facts of a crispy fried Forerunner corpse and him apparently not being dead (is he only mostly dead? Will he have fun storming the castle?) As for the series as a whole, it seems entirely based on making grand promises and then delivering something entirely less, apparently on purpose. The first arc sounds great, dealing with politics and intrigue. Then it gets mired in a plot that promises (threatens?) to resolve the Spirit of Fire issue, then drops that thread like a hot potato. Then it promises the epic showdown between John and the Didact, while threatening to kill of Blue Team, and does neither. I just...I have no idea why these stories need to exist. It's as if they're trying to make grand stories that make sweeping changes to the Halo universe, but then decided they couldn't change anything at all. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 06:05, 25 September 2014 (EDT) | ||
::Honestly, as unlikely as it seems, I think they'll go with the "he's composed but comes out wrong" approach. The phrasing was specifically "(the Composer) will not work on my new form", which could mean any number of things. And comic visuals are notorious for being inaccurate, so the specifics of what we see in Escalation #10 can't entirely be relied on. I would prefer if they went out of their way to explain ''why'' the Composer won't work on him instead of it just being an acquired comic book superpower - given the Composer's nature, his neurology must've been radically changed to the extent the Composer cannot replicate it. Something that occurred to me is that he could've outsourced a large chunk of his cognitive processes to external substrates, ensuring part of him lives on even if his physical form is killed. Maybe his mind is running in his armor even more so than with ordinary Forerunners? Or maybe even slipspace, similar to Halsey's theoretical hyperspatial AI? Even though the last we see of him is a [[:File:HE ControlRoom.jpg|pile of charred gibs]], as long as part of his armor survives along with his consciousness, it might theoretically be able to rebuild his physical form. Or he could just ditch the squishy biological parts and walk around in an empty suit. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 00:32, 13 October 2014 (EDT) | ::Honestly, as unlikely as it seems, I think they'll go with the "he's composed but comes out wrong" approach. The phrasing was specifically "(the Composer) will not work on my new form", which could mean any number of things. And comic visuals are notorious for being inaccurate, so the specifics of what we see in Escalation #10 can't entirely be relied on. I would prefer if they went out of their way to explain ''why'' the Composer won't work on him instead of it just being an acquired comic book superpower - given the Composer's nature, his neurology must've been radically changed to the extent the Composer cannot replicate it. Something that occurred to me is that he could've outsourced a large chunk of his cognitive processes to external substrates, ensuring part of him lives on even if his physical form is killed. Maybe his mind is running in his armor even more so than with ordinary Forerunners? Or maybe even slipspace, similar to Halsey's theoretical hyperspatial AI? Even though the last we see of him is a [[:File:HE ControlRoom.jpg|pile of charred gibs]], as long as part of his armor survives along with his consciousness, it might theoretically be able to rebuild his physical form. Or he could just ditch the squishy biological parts and walk around in an empty suit. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 00:32, 13 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
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:::::And let's not forget that adding a massive Spartan branch of hundreds of regular people who are basically regular soldiers in fancy armour (so why don't they give every soldier augmentations and Mjolnir?), aside from making them common place and far less special, it basically writes ODSTs out of existence. I mean, space Marines are pretty badass, but then you have ODSTs, who drop from orbit <strike>and doesn't afraid of anything</strike>, while the few and far between Spartans are basically gods. Chief's arrival at Crow's Nest for example, among countless others. Now it's "lulz send in the Spartans. a dozen died today? oh thats fine, we have 500 more." [[User:Alex T Snow|Alex T Snow]] ([[User talk:Alex T Snow|talk]]) 23:06, 2 October 2014 (EDT) | :::::And let's not forget that adding a massive Spartan branch of hundreds of regular people who are basically regular soldiers in fancy armour (so why don't they give every soldier augmentations and Mjolnir?), aside from making them common place and far less special, it basically writes ODSTs out of existence. I mean, space Marines are pretty badass, but then you have ODSTs, who drop from orbit <strike>and doesn't afraid of anything</strike>, while the few and far between Spartans are basically gods. Chief's arrival at Crow's Nest for example, among countless others. Now it's "lulz send in the Spartans. a dozen died today? oh thats fine, we have 500 more." [[User:Alex T Snow|Alex T Snow]] ([[User talk:Alex T Snow|talk]]) 23:06, 2 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
::::::Those are my two biggest problems with the Spartan-IVs for me, summed up quite nicely. One, they render the ODSTs obsolete, those wonderful mavericks with a badass rep of their own and already resented the IIs for their effectiveness. And two, so far, not a single one of them has sufficiently proven to me as a fan that they deserve to be Spartans, that they have that nearly unquantifiable spark of Spartan-ness. They still feel like soldiers or Marines in powered armour. Escalation did some good work, furthering Thorne as a character and introducing Ray, who seems capable. But it seems like every step forward is accompanied by two steps back - Scruggs murders his entire team, apparently with little effort. They get squandered dicking around looking for the Spirit of Fire, which turns out to not actually be ready to return to the plot yet. Then the IVs plot gets unceremoniously dumped in favour of showing us a complete divergence with the Chief. And the next arc of Escalation sounds as if it's going to be set up for Nightfall, so it's not their story again. I noticed a few minutes ago that I automatically corrected SPARTAN to Spartan. That's how it feels - they don't feel like capitalised SPARTANS like the Chief, Tom and Lucy and the criminally abandoned Saber Team did. They haven't earned those capitals. And the story could have been about that, proving they have what it takes - that they don't have the experience of their predecessors, or quite the physique, but they have that spark, that drive to get the mission done, to save others by taking the burden upon their own shoulders, to achieve the impossible. But it's all setup and no payoff. It all feels like a waste. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | ::::::Those are my two biggest problems with the Spartan-IVs for me, summed up quite nicely. One, they render the ODSTs obsolete, those wonderful mavericks with a badass rep of their own and already resented the IIs for their effectiveness. And two, so far, not a single one of them has sufficiently proven to me as a fan that they deserve to be Spartans, that they have that nearly unquantifiable spark of Spartan-ness. They still feel like soldiers or Marines in powered armour. Escalation did some good work, furthering Thorne as a character and introducing Ray, who seems capable. But it seems like every step forward is accompanied by two steps back - Scruggs murders his entire team, apparently with little effort. They get squandered dicking around looking for the Spirit of Fire, which turns out to not actually be ready to return to the plot yet. Then the IVs plot gets unceremoniously dumped in favour of showing us a complete divergence with the Chief. And the next arc of Escalation sounds as if it's going to be set up for Nightfall, so it's not their story again. I noticed a few minutes ago that I automatically corrected SPARTAN to Spartan. That's how it feels - they don't feel like capitalised SPARTANS like the Chief, Tom and Lucy and the criminally abandoned Saber Team did. They haven't earned those capitals. And the story could have been about that, proving they have what it takes - that they don't have the experience of their predecessors, or quite the physique, but they have that spark, that drive to get the mission done, to save others by taking the burden upon their own shoulders, to achieve the impossible. But it's all setup and no payoff. It all feels like a waste. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 05:45, 3 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
:::::Got it. 343I seems to come up with the silliest explanations for things and can't seem to stick to the script. They need better writers and coordination in order to avoid this type of confusion again.--'''''[[User:Killamin7|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin7</span>]]''''' <small>['''''[[User talk:Killamin7|<font color="Red">Comm</font>]]'''''|'''''[[Special:Contributions/Killamin7|<font color="Black">Files</font>]]''''']</small> 10:27, 11 October 2014 (EDT) | :::::Got it. 343I seems to come up with the silliest explanations for things and can't seem to stick to the script. They need better writers and coordination in order to avoid this type of confusion again.--'''''[[User:Killamin7|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin7</span>]]''''' <small>['''''[[User talk:Killamin7|<font color="Red">Comm</font>]]'''''|'''''[[Special:Contributions/Killamin7|<font color="Black">Files</font>]]''''']</small> 10:27, 11 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
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:As for whether it's a new species or not...I don't know which would be worse, that it is or that it isn't. If they are, then 343i are blowing the introduction of a previously unseen species that could widen the galactic community and open up new storytelling possibilities as a throwaway background appearance. If they're not, then they're woefully drawn human or Sangheili women, which is only slightly less inexcusable. | :As for whether it's a new species or not...I don't know which would be worse, that it is or that it isn't. If they are, then 343i are blowing the introduction of a previously unseen species that could widen the galactic community and open up new storytelling possibilities as a throwaway background appearance. If they're not, then they're woefully drawn human or Sangheili women, which is only slightly less inexcusable. | ||
:343i have said they want to tie their media together more than Bungie ever bothered, but this highlights an inherent problem with that - if you want some things to be able to standalone, then the things that tie them together can't. Better to go the Nylund route - have self-contained one-off bits of media that, while they can sit comfortably alongside the other stuff, don't need you to play the games, and in turn don't need to be read ''to'' play the game, as happened with Halo 4. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :343i have said they want to tie their media together more than Bungie ever bothered, but this highlights an inherent problem with that - if you want some things to be able to standalone, then the things that tie them together can't. Better to go the Nylund route - have self-contained one-off bits of media that, while they can sit comfortably alongside the other stuff, don't need you to play the games, and in turn don't need to be read ''to'' play the game, as happened with Halo 4. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 05:23, 24 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
=== "Unknown" enslaved species === | === "Unknown" enslaved species === | ||
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Could it possibly be a subspecies of [[San'Shyuum]]? They look vaguely like the ones from [[:File:H2A_Terminals_-_Prophets.png|the terminal]]. Perhaps another portion of the population escaped their homeworld's destruction and changed over the past few thousand years? --<span style="font-family:Viner Hand ITC">[[User:Lordofmonsterisland|<font color="green">Am I a Lion, or a Lamb? Or a Boy?</font>]] <sup>[[User talk:Lordofmonsterisland|<font color="red">Saint o</font>]][[Special:Contributions/Lordofmonsterisland|<font color="black">r Sinner?</font>]] [http://halofanon.wikia.com/wiki/User:Lordofmonsterisland <font color=#777777>The Lost Books</font>]</sup></span> 18:21, 23 October 2014 (EDT) | Could it possibly be a subspecies of [[San'Shyuum]]? They look vaguely like the ones from [[:File:H2A_Terminals_-_Prophets.png|the terminal]]. Perhaps another portion of the population escaped their homeworld's destruction and changed over the past few thousand years? --<span style="font-family:Viner Hand ITC">[[User:Lordofmonsterisland|<font color="green">Am I a Lion, or a Lamb? Or a Boy?</font>]] <sup>[[User talk:Lordofmonsterisland|<font color="red">Saint o</font>]][[Special:Contributions/Lordofmonsterisland|<font color="black">r Sinner?</font>]] [http://halofanon.wikia.com/wiki/User:Lordofmonsterisland <font color=#777777>The Lost Books</font>]</sup></span> 18:21, 23 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
:Female Prophets would be too valuable to keep as slaves, considering how rare they are. And introducing a new humanoid species as Jackal slaves sounds...anticlimactic. My guess is that they're either terribly drawn humans, or they're female Sangheili based on the Han type, which I disapprove of. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :Female Prophets would be too valuable to keep as slaves, considering how rare they are. And introducing a new humanoid species as Jackal slaves sounds...anticlimactic. My guess is that they're either terribly drawn humans, or they're female Sangheili based on the Han type, which I disapprove of. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 18:26, 23 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
::Maybe they're just a never-before-heard-of species living in the periphery of the Covenant's former empire? Maybe one thing or the other made them ill-suited for incorporation into the Covenant (or they were just an insignificant slave race with a very small population used mainly for manual labor), or the Covenant at large never even got to hear about them (I can see there being a thriving and lawless fringe element to the Covenant's remote regions even during its height). I wouldn't actually disapprove of this as it would make the universe feel bigger and more lived-in. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 00:28, 24 October 2014 (EDT) | ::Maybe they're just a never-before-heard-of species living in the periphery of the Covenant's former empire? Maybe one thing or the other made them ill-suited for incorporation into the Covenant (or they were just an insignificant slave race with a very small population used mainly for manual labor), or the Covenant at large never even got to hear about them (I can see there being a thriving and lawless fringe element to the Covenant's remote regions even during its height). I wouldn't actually disapprove of this as it would make the universe feel bigger and more lived-in. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 00:28, 24 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
:::I'd love some new species to flesh out the universe beyond the Covenant. I'd be thrilled. I've been eager to see just who was flying the ship that crashed on Alpha Halo since we found out it wasn't Covenant. But I'm skeptical about them being a new species because they look ''too'' humanoid. We already have the Forerunners to fill the humanoid alien and ancient astronaut niches, and Halo's generally been very good about giving us diverse body types in its extraterrestrial lifeforms. Given its proclivity in science fiction (Star Wars and Star Trek just to name the two obvious ones) and its association with a restricted budget, I see that kind of thing as reflecting a lack of imagination. If 343i were going to add a new species, even a minor background one, they could do anything - a race of hexapods that look like insectoid centaurs! Space sloths who walk on their giant arms! Sentient slugs with robotic arms! Anything that doesn't just look a bit like us. I (just barely) buy the Forerunners looking like us, given the long buildup of that trope and the tampering of the Precursors, but I'd shake my head if this was the best 343i could do for another race. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :::I'd love some new species to flesh out the universe beyond the Covenant. I'd be thrilled. I've been eager to see just who was flying the ship that crashed on Alpha Halo since we found out it wasn't Covenant. But I'm skeptical about them being a new species because they look ''too'' humanoid. We already have the Forerunners to fill the humanoid alien and ancient astronaut niches, and Halo's generally been very good about giving us diverse body types in its extraterrestrial lifeforms. Given its proclivity in science fiction (Star Wars and Star Trek just to name the two obvious ones) and its association with a restricted budget, I see that kind of thing as reflecting a lack of imagination. If 343i were going to add a new species, even a minor background one, they could do anything - a race of hexapods that look like insectoid centaurs! Space sloths who walk on their giant arms! Sentient slugs with robotic arms! Anything that doesn't just look a bit like us. I (just barely) buy the Forerunners looking like us, given the long buildup of that trope and the tampering of the Precursors, but I'd shake my head if this was the best 343i could do for another race. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 06:07, 25 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
::They may be female Prophets. [[:File:H2A Terminals - Stewards.jpg|The Stewards]] look quite similar, plus in ''Broken Circle'' it is mentioned that younger San'Shyuum bear a striking resemblance to humans. - [[User:NightHammer|NightHammer]] ([[User talk:NightHammer|talk]]) 16:47, 7 November 2014 (EST) | ::They may be female Prophets. [[:File:H2A Terminals - Stewards.jpg|The Stewards]] look quite similar, plus in ''Broken Circle'' it is mentioned that younger San'Shyuum bear a striking resemblance to humans. - [[User:NightHammer|NightHammer]] ([[User talk:NightHammer|talk]]) 16:47, 7 November 2014 (EST) | ||
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{{Quote|I've often found it slightly disturbing that the humans managed to hold the covenant off for over 30 years. Could it be that the Covenant was fighting a war on 2 fronts? 343i seems determined to hing at a new species. First the unknown ship on on Alpha Halo, then the Humanoids in Escalation, now this. Surely they're building up to something. |<s>Jugus</s> Weeping Angel<sub>whoops sorry about that</sub>, [[Forum:Halo: Broken Circle]]}} | {{Quote|I've often found it slightly disturbing that the humans managed to hold the covenant off for over 30 years. Could it be that the Covenant was fighting a war on 2 fronts? 343i seems determined to hing at a new species. First the unknown ship on on Alpha Halo, then the Humanoids in Escalation, now this. Surely they're building up to something. |<s>Jugus</s> Weeping Angel<sub>whoops sorry about that</sub>, [[Forum:Halo: Broken Circle]]}} | ||
You've just reminded me of another problem I have with the Escalation humanoids being a new race - why haven't humanity ever seen them before? The Covenant threw everything it had against us - Unggoy slaves, Kig-Yar mercs, and Jiralhanae, to boster the Sangheili. If they had a population of other slave workers, why did they not field any? You can't really argue it's because they were unsuited to it - the Unggoy show that the Covenant had no regard for that kind of thing. And the Skirmishers were nearly wiped out by the ferocity of Reach alone, so you can't even argue that the Covenant didn't want to waste them. It literally makes no sense for them to exist...and yet, there they apparently are. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | You've just reminded me of another problem I have with the Escalation humanoids being a new race - why haven't humanity ever seen them before? The Covenant threw everything it had against us - Unggoy slaves, Kig-Yar mercs, and Jiralhanae, to boster the Sangheili. If they had a population of other slave workers, why did they not field any? You can't really argue it's because they were unsuited to it - the Unggoy show that the Covenant had no regard for that kind of thing. And the Skirmishers were nearly wiped out by the ferocity of Reach alone, so you can't even argue that the Covenant didn't want to waste them. It literally makes no sense for them to exist...and yet, there they apparently are. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 07:14, 28 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
:Every species in the Covenant has a role they are best at, and brings something to the military that the others can't. For the Unggoy it's sheer numbers. They reproduce incredibly fast, which means there's always more to throw at the enemy. This other species, if they are in fact a client species of the Covenant, likely don't have that same ability.--[[User:Soul reaper|Soul reaper]] ([[User talk:Soul reaper|talk]]) 08:34, 28 October 2014 (EDT) | :Every species in the Covenant has a role they are best at, and brings something to the military that the others can't. For the Unggoy it's sheer numbers. They reproduce incredibly fast, which means there's always more to throw at the enemy. This other species, if they are in fact a client species of the Covenant, likely don't have that same ability.--[[User:Soul reaper|Soul reaper]] ([[User talk:Soul reaper|talk]]) 08:34, 28 October 2014 (EDT) | ||
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:Son. Of. A. | :Son. Of. A. | ||
:Okay. There's a "fringe." Okay. | :Okay. There's a "fringe." Okay. | ||
:Still processing this, trying to decide whether I feel disappointed, infuriated, or alright with it. Leaning towards fury at the moment, but that may shift either way. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :Still processing this, trying to decide whether I feel disappointed, infuriated, or alright with it. Leaning towards fury at the moment, but that may shift either way. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 21:27, 10 November 2014 (EST) | ||
::I kind of suspected that there were other lesser Covenant species, but I expected more than such a humanoid guy... Too common in sci-fi. [[User:Imrane-117|Imrane-117]] ([[User talk:Imrane-117|talk]]) 21:39, 10 November 2014 (EST) | ::I kind of suspected that there were other lesser Covenant species, but I expected more than such a humanoid guy... Too common in sci-fi. [[User:Imrane-117|Imrane-117]] ([[User talk:Imrane-117|talk]]) 21:39, 10 November 2014 (EST) | ||
:::I understand the rationale for having a humanoid alien character in Nightfall instead of the regular species that would take the role of a trader intermediary, Kig-yar - budget restrictions, and the need to make it believable as a living creature and not a prop. Unfortunately, understanding is not agreement. For the We Are ODST ad, Microsoft commissioned a full-sized Brute prop, with working facial movement. This is a much bigger enterprise, and one that needs to tie into the greater canon, so having Jackal traders would have admirably tied them together. And, being much less humanoid than a Brute, or even these Yonhet guys, there was less risk of falling into the uncanny valley. As it is, this is the third humanoid species in the Halo universe, including humanity itself, and I'm worried we're going to see Ferengi next. The animal kingdom is full of diverse body types that have been successful in their own niches, that I'd love to see achieve sentience. Get creative! What would an intelligent species of cephalopod look like, with body armour, weapons and ornamentation? -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :::I understand the rationale for having a humanoid alien character in Nightfall instead of the regular species that would take the role of a trader intermediary, Kig-yar - budget restrictions, and the need to make it believable as a living creature and not a prop. Unfortunately, understanding is not agreement. For the We Are ODST ad, Microsoft commissioned a full-sized Brute prop, with working facial movement. This is a much bigger enterprise, and one that needs to tie into the greater canon, so having Jackal traders would have admirably tied them together. And, being much less humanoid than a Brute, or even these Yonhet guys, there was less risk of falling into the uncanny valley. As it is, this is the third humanoid species in the Halo universe, including humanity itself, and I'm worried we're going to see Ferengi next. The animal kingdom is full of diverse body types that have been successful in their own niches, that I'd love to see achieve sentience. Get creative! What would an intelligent species of cephalopod look like, with body armour, weapons and ornamentation? -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 22:12, 10 November 2014 (EST) | ||
::::True. As I said before I like that they're opening up the universe and making it feel more lived-in with fringe species but I too would've preferred to see a more properly alien race. This one feels more like an afterthought, something they just slapped together with some make-up because they needed an alien. And there's no reason the character couldn't have been any of the classic Covenant species either unless there are specific contrived story reasons tied to the Yonhet's abilities or something. EDIT: Apparently they have perfectly human-like hands too. I was expecting them to at least do something with the hands, perhaps add a finger or glue some of them together, but apparently not. It's pretty lazy. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 00:29, 11 November 2014 (EST) | ::::True. As I said before I like that they're opening up the universe and making it feel more lived-in with fringe species but I too would've preferred to see a more properly alien race. This one feels more like an afterthought, something they just slapped together with some make-up because they needed an alien. And there's no reason the character couldn't have been any of the classic Covenant species either unless there are specific contrived story reasons tied to the Yonhet's abilities or something. EDIT: Apparently they have perfectly human-like hands too. I was expecting them to at least do something with the hands, perhaps add a finger or glue some of them together, but apparently not. It's pretty lazy. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 00:29, 11 November 2014 (EST) | ||
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Is it me, or the sky looks like the interior of a shield world? It's possible that it's just my imagination, or that the artist didn't pay attention to that when he took inspiration from some ''Halo 4'' screenshots / concept art. But if the battle between 'Mdama and the ''Infinity''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> crew leads to the introduction of a new shield world, that would be interesting. (I'm still wondering what kind of Forerunner installation the Absolute Record is supposed to be.) Anyway, it's just a cover, and we all know that ''Escalation''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> covers are far from being reliable. (sigh) [[User:Imrane-117|Imrane-117]] ([[User talk:Imrane-117|talk]]) 18:38, 18 November 2014 (EST) | Is it me, or the sky looks like the interior of a shield world? It's possible that it's just my imagination, or that the artist didn't pay attention to that when he took inspiration from some ''Halo 4'' screenshots / concept art. But if the battle between 'Mdama and the ''Infinity''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> crew leads to the introduction of a new shield world, that would be interesting. (I'm still wondering what kind of Forerunner installation the Absolute Record is supposed to be.) Anyway, it's just a cover, and we all know that ''Escalation''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> covers are far from being reliable. (sigh) [[User:Imrane-117|Imrane-117]] ([[User talk:Imrane-117|talk]]) 18:38, 18 November 2014 (EST) | ||
:I'm not seeing a Shield World. The perspective is just generally warped, at least to me. It looks like a generic landscape, not much obvious Forerunner involvement. Hopefully it is set near the Janus key, or at least representative of the events in the comic. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :I'm not seeing a Shield World. The perspective is just generally warped, at least to me. It looks like a generic landscape, not much obvious Forerunner involvement. Hopefully it is set near the Janus key, or at least representative of the events in the comic. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 19:08, 18 November 2014 (EST) | ||
::Cover needs more Mantises.[[User:Sith Venator|<span style="color:green">Sith-venator Wavingstrider</span>]] ([[User talk:Sith Venator|<span style="color:blue">Commlink</span>]]) 20:04, 18 November 2014 (EST) | ::Cover needs more Mantises.[[User:Sith Venator|<span style="color:green">Sith-venator Wavingstrider</span>]] ([[User talk:Sith Venator|<span style="color:blue">Commlink</span>]]) 20:04, 18 November 2014 (EST) | ||
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===Split=== | ===Split=== | ||
I've only seen the half-dozen or so page online preview, but I'm interested by the idea of the Mdama Covenant, already fairly radical and zealous, splitting between Mdama's hardcore and an even MORE radical and zealous faction led by Sali 'Nyon. Hopefully this doesn't get resolved in the next three issues, and becomes an ongoing theme. What I'd like to see is Mdama to lose near-total control of his own Covenant, forced to temporarily ally with his hated enemies for survival until they can both disengage - Infinity to find the Janus Key, now in enemy hands, and Mdama to crush the dissent within his own ranks. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | I've only seen the half-dozen or so page online preview, but I'm interested by the idea of the Mdama Covenant, already fairly radical and zealous, splitting between Mdama's hardcore and an even MORE radical and zealous faction led by Sali 'Nyon. Hopefully this doesn't get resolved in the next three issues, and becomes an ongoing theme. What I'd like to see is Mdama to lose near-total control of his own Covenant, forced to temporarily ally with his hated enemies for survival until they can both disengage - Infinity to find the Janus Key, now in enemy hands, and Mdama to crush the dissent within his own ranks. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 03:03, 29 January 2015 (EST) | ||
:I too hope this schism-within-a-schism continues to play out in future media. 'Nyon's faction may be wiped out but the repercussions could continue to resonate. Duffy Boudreau's first story arc showed his skill at writing a self-contained story arc, but this just seems like it's setting up something bigger. On an unrelated note, I was thrilled when Dr. Halsey called out Jul for his false piety; it's nice to see continuity with the better parts of ''Kilo-Five''. --[[User:Braidenvl|<span style="color:gray">'''''Our vengeance is at hand.'''''</span>]] ([[User talk:Braidenvl|<span style="color:gray">Talk to me.</span>]]) 11:40, 29 January 2015 (EST) | :I too hope this schism-within-a-schism continues to play out in future media. 'Nyon's faction may be wiped out but the repercussions could continue to resonate. Duffy Boudreau's first story arc showed his skill at writing a self-contained story arc, but this just seems like it's setting up something bigger. On an unrelated note, I was thrilled when Dr. Halsey called out Jul for his false piety; it's nice to see continuity with the better parts of ''Kilo-Five''. --[[User:Braidenvl|<span style="color:gray">'''''Our vengeance is at hand.'''''</span>]] ([[User talk:Braidenvl|<span style="color:gray">Talk to me.</span>]]) 11:40, 29 January 2015 (EST) | ||
::I like the way Boudreau is introducing more depth to his stories than merely "UNSC and Covenant fight over Forerunner artifact". But that formula is what this story arc is ultimately about, mind you, and I've never liked the Janus Key from a storytelling perspective so I hope they'll use these comics to conveniently get rid of the thing. With all these different species and factions and motivations the post-war ''Halo'' universe has so much potential it doesn't need to follow the tired Forerunner MacGuffin paradigm of old. Schlerf began to move past that formula (which Reed still clung to in full force in ''Spartan Ops'') and it looks as though Boudreau is taking after him in that respect. Sure, ''Escalation'' still has yet to blow me away with quality storytelling, and I'm not particularly engaged in the ''Infinity'' and its crew, but I have to commend them for trying to tell different kinds of stories in the first place. On the subject of Halsey, what I most liked about that bit was that they're showcasing she doesn't get called a genius for nothing. I only hope this arc can follow through with the expectation that there's more to her motivations than revenge and blind obsession; she's smarter than that. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 12:32, 29 January 2015 (EST) | ::I like the way Boudreau is introducing more depth to his stories than merely "UNSC and Covenant fight over Forerunner artifact". But that formula is what this story arc is ultimately about, mind you, and I've never liked the Janus Key from a storytelling perspective so I hope they'll use these comics to conveniently get rid of the thing. With all these different species and factions and motivations the post-war ''Halo'' universe has so much potential it doesn't need to follow the tired Forerunner MacGuffin paradigm of old. Schlerf began to move past that formula (which Reed still clung to in full force in ''Spartan Ops'') and it looks as though Boudreau is taking after him in that respect. Sure, ''Escalation'' still has yet to blow me away with quality storytelling, and I'm not particularly engaged in the ''Infinity'' and its crew, but I have to commend them for trying to tell different kinds of stories in the first place. On the subject of Halsey, what I most liked about that bit was that they're showcasing she doesn't get called a genius for nothing. I only hope this arc can follow through with the expectation that there's more to her motivations than revenge and blind obsession; she's smarter than that. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 12:32, 29 January 2015 (EST) | ||
:::Escalation has a chronic problem of its villains being far more interesting or sympathetic than its ostensible heroes. We liked Vata 'Gajat quite a bit, he was a good change from a traditional religious zealot. They killed him off. The Jackal pirates were an interesting idea. Killed off. They can't kill off Halsey or Mdama, so we don't see anything of them. The entire point of having a fractious Covenant remnant is that it gives you an opportunity to have a vast sandbox with diverse groups, some friendly, some not, and most neutral or apathetic with their own struggles. But instead, we continue to focus on the Spartans of Majestic and Commander <s>renegade FemShep</s> Palmer, without seeing why we should like or root for anybody besides Thorne. | :::Escalation has a chronic problem of its villains being far more interesting or sympathetic than its ostensible heroes. We liked Vata 'Gajat quite a bit, he was a good change from a traditional religious zealot. They killed him off. The Jackal pirates were an interesting idea. Killed off. They can't kill off Halsey or Mdama, so we don't see anything of them. The entire point of having a fractious Covenant remnant is that it gives you an opportunity to have a vast sandbox with diverse groups, some friendly, some not, and most neutral or apathetic with their own struggles. But instead, we continue to focus on the Spartans of Majestic and Commander <s>renegade FemShep</s> Palmer, without seeing why we should like or root for anybody besides Thorne. | ||
:::The best thing Escalation could do, frankly, is to focus on the Covenant intrigue. Have the Infinity in refit or something, take it out of the game. Have Halsey be our POV character, with all this stuff happening around or to her. The zealots who just want to re-impose the worship of the Forerunners, the fearful who want to destroy humanity before they can destroy them, and the opportunists who are just in it for the pay and loot. Mdama protecting her from his own subordinates, working with her to understand some Forerunner relics, talking about what both of them want out of this partnership, coming to an understanding. Not necessarily a friendship, but he doesn't keep Halsey on a literal leash like he did Glassman, and there has to be a reason why he's shown her the respect he has. Get us to KNOW our bad guys. That's how you raise tension - make the enemy more than just one-off villains or cannon fodder. Make us question whether we even WANT the UNSC to win. And keep us guessing about Halsey's motives - I doubt Halsey would allow them to wipe humanity out, but maybe she's fine with hurting the UNSC? Or maybe she's been playing a long Xanatos Gambit to create a situation where, whatever happens, she can pick up the pieces? -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :::The best thing Escalation could do, frankly, is to focus on the Covenant intrigue. Have the Infinity in refit or something, take it out of the game. Have Halsey be our POV character, with all this stuff happening around or to her. The zealots who just want to re-impose the worship of the Forerunners, the fearful who want to destroy humanity before they can destroy them, and the opportunists who are just in it for the pay and loot. Mdama protecting her from his own subordinates, working with her to understand some Forerunner relics, talking about what both of them want out of this partnership, coming to an understanding. Not necessarily a friendship, but he doesn't keep Halsey on a literal leash like he did Glassman, and there has to be a reason why he's shown her the respect he has. Get us to KNOW our bad guys. That's how you raise tension - make the enemy more than just one-off villains or cannon fodder. Make us question whether we even WANT the UNSC to win. And keep us guessing about Halsey's motives - I doubt Halsey would allow them to wipe humanity out, but maybe she's fine with hurting the UNSC? Or maybe she's been playing a long Xanatos Gambit to create a situation where, whatever happens, she can pick up the pieces? -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 18:26, 31 January 2015 (EST) | ||
==Issue 17's cover/story and is 18 "the end"?== | ==Issue 17's cover/story and is 18 "the end"?== | ||
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:Having seen Halo Canon's review of Issue 15, I'm surprised by how invested I am in this plot about Mdama's Covenant splitting apart. I find myself rooting for him over Sali 'Nyon (a name my mind refuses not to convert into Sally Nyan) and hoping that he and Halsey will come through this not only intact, but still together. I don't think I ship them, but the dynamic they have together interests me - alien and human achieving a level of respect, when one wants to wipe out the other's species and the other has an agenda of her own. I could care less what the Infinity and the Spartans do during this little arc, but I'm fascinated - does 'Nyon have something up his sleeve, that trumps control of the Prometheans? Is Halsey's arrival on the planet an elaborate trick to get the Spartans to bring their half of the key to her when they try to assassinate her? If Nyon ends up successfully wresting control of the Covenant, and the Prometheans, from Mdama, do we get him as an unlikely protagonist, an anti-hero still devoted to destroying humanity but forced to be the anti-Halsey, working with them against his former troops? | :Having seen Halo Canon's review of Issue 15, I'm surprised by how invested I am in this plot about Mdama's Covenant splitting apart. I find myself rooting for him over Sali 'Nyon (a name my mind refuses not to convert into Sally Nyan) and hoping that he and Halsey will come through this not only intact, but still together. I don't think I ship them, but the dynamic they have together interests me - alien and human achieving a level of respect, when one wants to wipe out the other's species and the other has an agenda of her own. I could care less what the Infinity and the Spartans do during this little arc, but I'm fascinated - does 'Nyon have something up his sleeve, that trumps control of the Prometheans? Is Halsey's arrival on the planet an elaborate trick to get the Spartans to bring their half of the key to her when they try to assassinate her? If Nyon ends up successfully wresting control of the Covenant, and the Prometheans, from Mdama, do we get him as an unlikely protagonist, an anti-hero still devoted to destroying humanity but forced to be the anti-Halsey, working with them against his former troops? | ||
:I know I'm probably hyping myself up needlessly, but it still highlights how little I care about the Spartans still, except Thorne and what I've seen of Naiya Ray. The two of them at least seem capable and professional. Meanwhile, Halo Canon is right when he says that Palmer is needlessly endangering herself and her Spartans in an obsessive campaign to win. She needs to learn how to lose, how to reign herself in and let her defeats go, and she needs to learn that lesson urgently. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :I know I'm probably hyping myself up needlessly, but it still highlights how little I care about the Spartans still, except Thorne and what I've seen of Naiya Ray. The two of them at least seem capable and professional. Meanwhile, Halo Canon is right when he says that Palmer is needlessly endangering herself and her Spartans in an obsessive campaign to win. She needs to learn how to lose, how to reign herself in and let her defeats go, and she needs to learn that lesson urgently. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 07:20, 28 February 2015 (EST) | ||
:Edit: another thought. I would be INCREDIBLY impressed if the Elite who wants back in 'Mdama's good books was the same Elite from the Pirate Queen's base, working for ONI to infiltrate both Mdama's and Nyon's factions, and by interfering the Spartans utterly blow his cover and ruin a plan that could have accomplished their objectives? I would count that as a much-needed lesson in humility for Palmer. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | :Edit: another thought. I would be INCREDIBLY impressed if the Elite who wants back in 'Mdama's good books was the same Elite from the Pirate Queen's base, working for ONI to infiltrate both Mdama's and Nyon's factions, and by interfering the Spartans utterly blow his cover and ruin a plan that could have accomplished their objectives? I would count that as a much-needed lesson in humility for Palmer. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 08:04, 28 February 2015 (EST) | ||
::Its funny how you don't care about the Spartans but I guess it's a case of how lil emphasis has been placed on them except for the ones you mentioned (love Ray). Some these Spartans have become nothing but canon fodder. As for 'Nyon, I don't believe he has anything up his sleeve. Based on how his forces were taking a beating, I think he already lost this one or either that, he'll attempt to escape. But it would be interesting if he somehow manages to wrestle control of the covenant from 'Mdama. As for that special elite, he's already dead.--'''''[[User:Killamin7i|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin</span><span style="color:red; font-family: Arial;">7</span><span style="color:black; font-family: Arial;">i</span>]]''''' [[User talk:Killamin7i|<font color="Gray">///</font>]] 17:54, 14 March 2015 (EDT) | ::Its funny how you don't care about the Spartans but I guess it's a case of how lil emphasis has been placed on them except for the ones you mentioned (love Ray). Some these Spartans have become nothing but canon fodder. As for 'Nyon, I don't believe he has anything up his sleeve. Based on how his forces were taking a beating, I think he already lost this one or either that, he'll attempt to escape. But it would be interesting if he somehow manages to wrestle control of the covenant from 'Mdama. As for that special elite, he's already dead.--'''''[[User:Killamin7i|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin</span><span style="color:red; font-family: Arial;">7</span><span style="color:black; font-family: Arial;">i</span>]]''''' [[User talk:Killamin7i|<font color="Gray">///</font>]] 17:54, 14 March 2015 (EDT) | ||
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:::The only thing that surprised me was the return of the plasma rifle. Must've been easier to draw than the storm rifle.--'''''[[User:Killamin7i|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin</span><span style="color:red; font-family: Arial;">7</span><span style="color:black; font-family: Arial;">i</span>]]''''' [[User talk:Killamin7i|<font color="Gray">///</font>]] 18:18, 14 March 2015 (EDT) | :::The only thing that surprised me was the return of the plasma rifle. Must've been easier to draw than the storm rifle.--'''''[[User:Killamin7i|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin</span><span style="color:red; font-family: Arial;">7</span><span style="color:black; font-family: Arial;">i</span>]]''''' [[User talk:Killamin7i|<font color="Gray">///</font>]] 18:18, 14 March 2015 (EDT) | ||
*Sigh* I don't know why I bother, I really don't. I look forward to seeing how this issue is playing out, including Halo Canon's summary. I do still hope that 'Nyon's involvement is more than a one-off crisis, and that it mixes things up among the Covenant status quo. I also find it a bit...suspicious that the Zealot is totally uninterested in locating Nyon's base. Almost as if it's part of the plan... aw hell, there I go again, think of interesting scenarios and setting myself up for disappointment. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | *Sigh* I don't know why I bother, I really don't. I look forward to seeing how this issue is playing out, including Halo Canon's summary. I do still hope that 'Nyon's involvement is more than a one-off crisis, and that it mixes things up among the Covenant status quo. I also find it a bit...suspicious that the Zealot is totally uninterested in locating Nyon's base. Almost as if it's part of the plan... aw hell, there I go again, think of interesting scenarios and setting myself up for disappointment. -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 19:46, 14 March 2015 (EDT) | ||
::Darn. I really liked that theory. --[[User:Weeping Angel|Weeping Angel]] ([[User talk:Weeping Angel|talk]]) 19:52, 14 March 2015 (EDT) | ::Darn. I really liked that theory. --[[User:Weeping Angel|Weeping Angel]] ([[User talk:Weeping Angel|talk]]) 19:52, 14 March 2015 (EDT) | ||
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::Clearly a nasty case of demonic possession. Come to think of it, though, this may actually be a very accurate representation of Karen Traviss' mental image of Halsey. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 02:58, 16 March 2015 (EDT) | ::Clearly a nasty case of demonic possession. Come to think of it, though, this may actually be a very accurate representation of Karen Traviss' mental image of Halsey. --[[User:Jugus|<font color="MidnightBlue"><b>Jugus</b></font>]] <small>([[User talk:Jugus|<font color="Gray">Talk</font>]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jugus|<font color="Gray">Contribs</font>]])</small> 02:58, 16 March 2015 (EDT) | ||
New theory: what if the ''Zealot'' is the ONI double agent? (I can't stop myself, somebody help me) -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[ | New theory: what if the ''Zealot'' is the ONI double agent? (I can't stop myself, somebody help me) -- [[User:Morhek|<b><font color=indigo>Qura 'Morhek</font></b>]] [[halofanon:user:Specops306|<u><i><font color=blue><sup>The Autocrat</sup></font></i></u>]] [[User talk:Specops306|<u><i><font color=purple><sup>of Morheka</sup></font></i></u>]] 07:09, 17 March 2015 (EDT) | ||
:Yeah, you might want to not get ahead of yourself. You know its not going to happen. 343i isn't that clever or are they? lol at "Karen Traviss' mental image of Halsey".--'''''[[User:Killamin7i|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin</span><span style="color:red; font-family: Arial;">7</span><span style="color:black; font-family: Arial;">i</span>]]''''' [[User talk:Killamin7i|<font color="Gray">///</font>]] 10:24, 22 March 2015 (EDT) | :Yeah, you might want to not get ahead of yourself. You know its not going to happen. 343i isn't that clever or are they? lol at "Karen Traviss' mental image of Halsey".--'''''[[User:Killamin7i|<span style="color:Black; font-family: Arial;">Killamin</span><span style="color:red; font-family: Arial;">7</span><span style="color:black; font-family: Arial;">i</span>]]''''' [[User talk:Killamin7i|<font color="Gray">///</font>]] 10:24, 22 March 2015 (EDT) | ||