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Halo 4 |OT2| TURBO
- Thread starter Tashi
- Start date
Well, dropping the Dervish moniker sounded a lot like the final straw to being viewed as a blatant US vs. radical islam allegory, considering the genocidal religious aliens against US marines in space.
Also, Arbiter just sounds better IMO.
Major Williams
Member
And just to add to that, where I'm currently at in Mortal Dictata, Naomi's dad wants to attack Sydney.
Yeah, it sounds a lot better. Gotta say Halo could use more non-American marines. You know, more racial variety, more languages (that ODST live action trailer was great with its use of Hungarian instead of English, and the planet Reach's Ukrainian origins were good)
Huh.
How good is Mortal Dictata by the way? I haven't gotten it yet, and not sure if i will, since i don't particularly like what Traviss writes (though i like her writing style).
User 73706
Banned
Looks like it's time to update the boxart.
FUNKNOWN iXi
Member
I want ODST pistol back. That rapid "tsup tsup tsup" was great.
EDIT i have no issues with scoped pistol, i have issues with the pistol taking a role of a rifle (you know, general, all around weapon). ODST Pistol doesn't work a rifle due to being only useful headshots. Of course such a weapon is kind questionable for MP.
EDIT i have no issues with scoped pistol, i have issues with the pistol taking a role of a rifle (you know, general, all around weapon). ODST Pistol doesn't work a rifle due to being only useful headshots. Of course such a weapon is kind questionable for MP.
Major Williams
Member
I like it thus far. Not a huge fan of the Kig Yar interaction and society thus far, but the Naomi story arc so far has been fantastic. You can't help but put yourself in her father's shoes.
Like the other Traviss and Bear books, it'll depend on your personal opinion. I felt like "Mortal Dictata" really was the book Traviss wanted to write in the first place. A lot of the stuff about Halsey feels like it got rehashed in the book, yet this was the one that was most directly related to it. I also felt like the characterizations of the ODSTs dropped a bit compared to Thursday War, where I thought they were quite good. Steffan (Naomi's father) was interesting, but it didn't feel like we got enough out of his story. The book also felt a wee bit awkwardly paced, moving very rapidly the first 2/3rds and then meandering the last bit.
Overall I recommend it, but I wouldn't say it's essential. There's some very good insight into the Kig-Yar in it, probably the best we've gotten in any book (beating out Staten's contributions IMO.) And Traviss still loves Huragok, and they're fun to read about.
And I definitely agree about broadening Halo's global feel. I always loved that the Chief was fighting alongside a bunch of hispanics in the middle of Africa in Halo 2 though. Randomly incongruous.
Edit: haha me and Williams had exact opposite reactions, apparently.
User 73706
Banned
No joke, like the perfect polar opposites that's interesting. I recently picked it up and I'm almost done with Thursday war. been interesting thus far.
In talking with fellow fiction fans I think it does depend on what part of the lore interests you. I think one of the reasons "old" fans feel burned by the new novels is that they're very different; Nylund was much more straight military sci-fi, and in my opinion characters were somewhat secondary. Traviss is much more character-focused, and Bear's style of hard sci-fi is obviously an acquired taste for some. To add to that you have the focus on either the humans or the Covenant; I really love the alien aspects and how the post-war Covenant races are sort of struggling with their values, some people are bored by that stuff and just want more humans, insurrectionists, Spartans. (Backlash against the Arbiter and Halo 2's story, anyone?)
My main complaints with the Traviss trilogy as a whole is that it felt like one book that was turned into three because they had to set up the post-war world, explain the Storm and Halo 4, and also tie up Glasslands because Nylund stuck characters there in a cliffhanger who really couldn't just stay there. There's tons of great stuff in them, they're breezy reads, and Black Box and Phillips and the Huragok are some of my favorite characters in the expanded universe. But they don't feel quite so cohesive as I think they ideally ought to.
My main complaints with the Traviss trilogy as a whole is that it felt like one book that was turned into three because they had to set up the post-war world, explain the Storm and Halo 4, and also tie up Glasslands because Nylund stuck characters there in a cliffhanger who really couldn't just stay there. There's tons of great stuff in them, they're breezy reads, and Black Box and Phillips and the Huragok are some of my favorite characters in the expanded universe. But they don't feel quite so cohesive as I think they ideally ought to.
Major Williams
Member
Very interesting. I found Staten's novel to be informational, and not totally interesting. Seems like you enjoyed that bit.
I love the obsession with the Engineer's, but I've always had a soft spot for them.
Interesting that they don't show up, and are not mentioned, in Halo 4 considering what they're up to in the K5 trilogy ...
It would be nice to see Engineers again in Halo games. But without that damn overshield, rather they could act in similar way to the Watchers (ie enemy utility and buffing powers) but they should not be made to be priority targets like the Watchers were. And indeed, the Watchers, if the Prometheans are returning, should be tweaked to make them less important targets.
Zeouterlimits
Member
Same for Chief I think we can safely say. As they would any factor that could affect the lay of the land.
Orochinagis
Member
it were in Halo 4, it was horrible
They keep them heavily guarded, one of the capitans wanted to put at least one of them on every ship but Hood said its still a little to early because the covenant could hijack the ships and re capturen them.
Fata1moose
Banned
Yeah, it's fine they have the extended universe incorporated into the campaign's story, but it can't be a necessity to understand the game's plot. While the terminals alleviated this, they were hidden and couldn't even be accessed directly in the game (What was up with that?). The games are the primary medium of Halo, it should stand on its own.
So Spielberg's Halo project was confirmed for 2015 too, which means it can't be the Halo journey beginning in 2014, hopefully that cements Halo 2: Anniversary.
So Spielberg's Halo project was confirmed for 2015 too, which means it can't be the Halo journey beginning in 2014, hopefully that cements Halo 2: Anniversary.
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
I don't know who you are but Steve Harvey is my favorite human being on the planet, so welcome to HaloGAF.
YourExWife
Member
I did a craptastic review of it a couple months ago if you're interested. There are spoilers however, so watch at your own risk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGkm7DVaLQU
True, but Halo 4 takes place years after the K-5 trilogy which at best ends before 2553 is done.
I felt it was a missed opportunity to see glimpses of the Engineers in Ep 7 of Spartan Ops considering they should be running around that part of Infinity. Plus it could have been a mission to stop the Covenant from stealing some of them.
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
Catharsis Evolved
The Henery
Member
Clarification on the engine: does that mean a brand new, built from scratch engine or a gutted from the inside out rebuild of the previous engine?
I remember Reach was being touted as a 'new' engine in the early peeks. Turned out it was a heavily modified Halo 3 engine. Which was built on the H2 engine (I think!).
I remember Reach was being touted as a 'new' engine in the early peeks. Turned out it was a heavily modified Halo 3 engine. Which was built on the H2 engine (I think!).
NobleGundam
Banned
Reach is heavily modified Halo 3 which is heavily modified Halo 2 which is heavily modified Halo CE engine... and presumably Halo 4 engine is heavily modified Reach/Halo 3 engine. I doubt Halo 5 engine is brand new, more likely it is yet another heavily modified one.
But arguably all previous ones are strongly enough modified they can be called new ones. While COD engine (used to be?) based on some IDTech, it doesn't mean it was IDTech.
I think it's a tricky conversation to have, and I'd state it differently to different audiences, but for gaf, which is techy, more or less, it's a completely new engine. There are TONS of mechanics and numbers brought in from prior games, and even some code, but basically every system and tool has been rewritten or rebuilt for the new hardware and its ecosystem.
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
I believe in you guys, Frankles. Just don't mess up the Warthog physics.
That's pretty great to hear. BLAM! was great but it had limitations and I'm sure you kept and improved all the good stuff
Sounds good. I already miss writing code and school just ended a week ago. Need any help with yours? wink wink
link1201
Member
The Henery
Member
Sounds pretty daunting. But also exciting. Hopefully it makes it easier in the long term for 343. Don't forget the red X's!
They look pretty different to me. H5 rifle has a red dot.
So people suggest this might indicate Halo 5 has ADS. Damage control needed ASAP, i think.
EDIT Regardless of existence of ADS, i really don't like red dot sights, aside from the one in ODST SMG.
FUNKNOWN iXi
Member
Frankles put out fires wondering if that Spartan was Palmer, but won't put out fires regarding ADS?
Are we doomed, brothers?
Are we doomed, brothers?
Will forge be better-er?
What I want from Halo 5:
- The usual, Balanced Gameplay, more smaller maps, 1-50 ranking system, weapons that are not useless and are unique in their own way.
- A Warthog that actually sounds like a Warthog, not Godzilla roaring with a shitton of Helium
- UNSC air vehicle pls
- Useful/not op AAs, ones that actually are good unlike the Hardlight shield, if not remove AAs in total.
- Armour unlocks by Spartan Credits and Achievements, not armour that you get by leveling up. Getting armour in Reach felt like a fun little goal to achieve.
- Every gametype that made Halo great, this should be your job 343i not modders.
the end.
- The usual, Balanced Gameplay, more smaller maps, 1-50 ranking system, weapons that are not useless and are unique in their own way.
- A Warthog that actually sounds like a Warthog, not Godzilla roaring with a shitton of Helium
- UNSC air vehicle pls
- Useful/not op AAs, ones that actually are good unlike the Hardlight shield, if not remove AAs in total.
- Armour unlocks by Spartan Credits and Achievements, not armour that you get by leveling up. Getting armour in Reach felt like a fun little goal to achieve.
- Every gametype that made Halo great, this should be your job 343i not modders.
the end.
K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
They're probably just talking about story stuff for now. Gameplay stuff will come later (E3?).
Fata1moose
Banned
User 73706
Banned
Avatar for anyone that wants it:
Poker Face
Member
Well to be fair the spartan on the cover doesn't really have anything to do with in-game mechanics so who knows.
But I won't be shocked if there is ADS
SpOps could be much more interesting than firefight, though.
unpopular opinion for the win