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[Deleted member 21120]

I've had two headsets go out on me and my brother's had three die on him. I finally bought a wireless headset. The voice quality is lousy for me and for the people listening to me, but hopefully it'll last longer than my wired headsets have.

 

[DancingJesus]

Holy shit!
I just had the most insane game in Team Slayer. My team was down 35 to 48 on the Pit and we came back and won.

After they got to 46 I told my team that’s it, it's over. Then my buddy told me naw we can still win, I shrugged and said whatever. So I get the health regenerator and we all huddle around it and all the sudden we just start massacring them with our BR's.

We had a 15-0 streak and won the game. I nearly jumped out of my chair.

 

[rollingstart]

Sounds weird. Try recording a message and playing it back to see if it works, if it does then make sure that perimeter voice is set to headset only. That's the only thing I can think of.

I just tried that, it seems like its my mics problem. No voice works either.

I've had two headsets go out on me and my brother's had three die on him. I finally bought a wireless headset. The voice quality is lousy for me and for the people listening to me, but hopefully it'll last longer than my wired headsets have.

Where can you get other headsets? for me the 360 headset is just about perfect. This one seems to be busted and I don't like wireless.

 

[JdFoX187]

Best place is either a small mom and pops game shop or Gamestop/EB Games.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

I've had two headsets go out on me and my brother's had three die on him. I finally bought a wireless headset. The voice quality is lousy for me and for the people listening to me, but hopefully it'll last longer than my wired headsets have.

I had a wireless headset that lasted all but two weeks. 60 dollars down the drain. I recently bought to my knowledge the only combined 5.1/xbox live headset.

 

[urk]

Any ETA on when we'll hear about the new Bnet feature?

Soon™

 

[Shake Appeal]

It's being tested.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Soon™

Specifically, This Week.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

I found it. What confused the hell out of me from Halo 3.

[00:H 00:M 00:S] The [Halo effect] strikes our combined fleets. All ships piloted by biologicals are now [adrift]. I can trade Mendicant ship for ship now and still prevail. [T6-13]

With Didact firing the Array, all sentient life within range, including this part of the Maginot Sphere, are destroyed. The Forerunners, the Flood - all of them. The only two who remained in a graveyard of Forerunner ships were Mendicant and Offensive.

But in Halo CE...

You have no idea how this ring works do you? Why the forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill flood, it kills their food. Humans, Covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them to death.

So which is it? Do they destroy everything alive in their radius or do they just destroy the beings able to fall to the flood?


I've had a theory for a while that the index is a sort of sample of every thing that can sustain the flood and putting it into the core is basically telling halo what to destroy, and the reason they kept flood samples was so they could eventually figure out a way to target the flood and only the flood with the array. But the way the halos work seeming to switch from game to game makes that impossible.

 

[kbear]

What are some cool custom maps that meet these requirements:

- unique in design, not generic
- small to medium in size

And do I just put them on a USB drive and transfer to my 360? I'd look at Bungie.net for FAQ but that site kills my shitty PC.

Another question, where is Grifball in the custom modes? I see Rocketball, Ninjaball, other kinds of ball but no Grifball.

One other thing, are there any cool custom gametypes that you can download that are good for 1 vs 1?

Thanks

 

[JdFoX187]

What are some cool custom maps that meet these requirements:

- unique in design, not generic
- small to medium in size

And do I just put them on a USB drive and transfer to my 360? I'd look at Bungie.net for FAQ but that site kills my shitty PC.

Another question, where is Grifball in the custom modes? I see Rocketball, Ninjaball, other kinds of ball but no Grifball.

One other thing, are there any cool custom gametypes that you can download that are good for 1 vs 1?

Thanks

Go to www.forgehub.com and look around there. All you have to do is make sure your gamertag is linked to your Microsoft passport. All you do is mark them to be downloaded and they'll download to your 360 when you sign into Halo 3.

 

[Sibylus]

I found it. What confused the hell out of me from Halo 3.



But in Halo CE...



So which is it? Do they destroy everything alive in their radius or do they just destroy the beings able to fall to the flood?


I've had a theory for a while that the index is a sort of sample of every thing that can sustain the flood and putting it into the core is basically telling halo what to destroy, and the reason they kept flood samples was so they could eventually figure out a way to target the flood and only the flood with the array. But the way the halos work seeming to switch from game to game makes that impossible.

I was under the impression the Halos wiped anything above a certain threshold of "biomass", so in theory combat forms, Graveminds, and other "heavy" forms of Flood would be wiped out, leaving the tiny infection forms unscathed.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

I was under the impression the Halos wiped anything above a certain threshold of "biomass", so in theory combat forms, Graveminds, and other "heavy" forms of Flood would be wiped out, leaving the tiny infection forms unscathed.

From my understanding the gravemind from Delta Halo is the same one that convinced Mendicant Bias to turn on its makers. Unless being on a Halo ring means you won't be affected by the effect, it's still confusing about what and how it targets.

 

[Deleted member 21120]

I think the infection forms might not be sentient, since they haven't taken over a host with a sentient mind. I know the rings target all sentient life.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

Impossible. Offensive Bias explicitly states that the Halo effect destroys the flood controlled ships in Mendicant Bias' fleet.

I think the infection forms might not be sentient, since they haven't taken over a host with a sentient mind. I know the rings target all sentient life.

The flood isn't singled out by organism by organism, it can't be. It's all "thinking muscle" the are all controlled by one brain. None of the flood is sentient until it gets to the gravemind stage, and then it's only its central brain that's sentient.

 

[Sibylus]

From my understanding the gravemind from Delta Halo is the same one that convinced Mendicant Bias to turn on its makers. Unless being on a Halo ring means you won't be affected by the effect, it's still confusing about what and how it targets.

Didn't the manual or some other game material say something to the effect that a previous Gravemind was killed by the Halo activations 100,000 years ago?

 

[kbear]

Go to www.forgehub.com and look around there. All you have to do is make sure your gamertag is linked to your Microsoft passport. All you do is mark them to be downloaded and they'll download to your 360 when you sign into Halo 3.

Thanks

Does anyone know how to change the gamertag on bungie.net after you've changed your gamertag for Xbox Live? I changed POTAMUSHIPPO to HIPPO SMASH through xbox live but Bungie.net still says potamushippo. I checked their FAQ and the info is vague and not specific about this issue.

 

[Deleted member 21120]

Thanks

Does anyone know how to change the gamertag on bungie.net after you've changed your gamertag for Xbox Live? I changed POTAMUSHIPPO to HIPPO SMASH through xbox live but Bungie.net still says potamushippo. I checked their FAQ and the info is vague and not specific about this issue.

You'll have to create a new Bungie.net account. Sign into your new gamertag at Xbox.com, then go to B.net while still signed into Xbox.com. It should recognize that you're signed into an Xbox.com account with no related B.net account, and it will prompt you to create a new B.net account.

EDIT: Oh, wait, you didn't create a new gamertag, you just changed your name... hm. I don't know, then, dude.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

Thanks

Does anyone know how to change the gamertag on bungie.net after you've changed your gamertag for Xbox Live? I changed POTAMUSHIPPO to HIPPO SMASH through xbox live but Bungie.net still says potamushippo. I checked their FAQ and the info is vague and not specific about this issue.

It should update itself eventually. When did you change it?

 

[LAUGHTREY]

Anyone getting on soon?

Spoiler

anyone that isnt stingy with the invites

 

[Kuroyume]

Bungie's joke of a matchmaking system:

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsHalo3.aspx?gameid=519709622&player=KUR0YUME

 

[kbear]

It should update itself eventually. When did you change it?

yesterday
edit, or maybe it was this morning

btw, it says that potamushippo has no stats and stuff... it doesnt have my old stats

so i dunno if it will update itself

 

[LAUGHTREY]

Bungie's joke of a matchmaking system:

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsHalo3.aspx?gameid=519709622&player=KUR0YUME

I thought the whole point of social was you played with who you matched with, and ranked was to get people nearer to your own skill.

yesterday
edit, or maybe it was this morning

btw, it says that potamushippo has no stats and stuff... it doesnt have my old stats

so i dunno if it will update itself

It will definitely update itself. I've done it before and it just takes time.

 

[Mr Vociferous]

The flood isn't singled out by organism by organism, it can't be. It's all "thinking muscle" the are all controlled by one brain. None of the flood is sentient until it gets to the gravemind stage, and then it's only its central brain that's sentient.

Infection forms can and have lived (for 100,000 years) independent of any Gravemind or even combat forms. They exist in a state of dormancy and in every case, except for the Halo installations, they will starve without any sentients beings to allow their parasitic metamorphosis. Anything with the capacity to compose intelligent thought independently or through a network of beings are neutralized by the Halo weapon, thusly Mendicant's controllable fleet was almost entirely disabled when Didact fired the Array.

It should also be noted that they are not a true super organism until the creation of a compound intelligence. It is commonly believed that they communicate with pheromones in their feral state and act independently save for their one goal: the organization into a coordinated state - by the creation of the Gravemind.

 

[Nutter]

Alright, there's a few rare instances where it's popped up, but I can't see how one could argue that the legendary maps pop up enough in the playlists that don't require them.

Omlet:

Put the recon helmet on the kids head.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

Infection forms can and have lived (for 100,000 years) independent of any Gravemind or even combat forms. They exist in a state of dormancy and in every case, except for the Halo installations, they will starve without any sentients beings to allow their parasitic metamorphosis. Anything with the capacity to compose intelligent thought independently or through a network of beings are neutralized by the Halo weapon, thusly Mendicant's controllable fleet was almost entirely disabled when Didact fired the Array.

It should also be noted that they are not a true super organism until the creation of a compound intelligence. It is commonly believed that they communicate with pheromones in their feral state and act independently save for their one goal: the organization into a coordinated state - by the creation of the Gravemind.

Well that doesn't make any sense either. They never say that the halos destroy beings with sentient thought it says they destroy things with enough bio-mass. The flood could easily survive with other single cell organisms. If they can re-purpose sentient beings cell structures why not single cell organisms? Bio-mass is Bio-mass and if the halos worked to destroy just living things why would they pass over infection forms?


Basically, with this explanation the halo arrays would be ineffective, considering it will destroy evolved flood forms but not the more basic ones, leaving basically the most potent flood form alive to wait for whatever life survived and start all over again. There has to be some kind of very specific way of targeting what to destroy, back to my idea of the index being a sample of everything to destroy with the forerunners not being able to/having enough time to have the Halos target only the flood cells.

But then again, It still doesn't answer my question of how the Halos went from Halo CE destroying all the floods food thereby starving them to in Halo 3 they destroy everything that moves and thinks. I figured that the flood (probably in the giant mass form controlling the ships) in Mendicants fleet wouldn't just drop dead from the halo effect, they just wouldn't be able to reproduce.


It's all confusing, and never bluntly explained, so I don't know if we'll ever know.


I don't know if I want to start a argument with Vociferous. I know some stuff about the story, but I haven't read/fully grasped everything as much. So this is probably a bad idea.

 

[urk]

From my understanding the gravemind from Delta Halo is the same one that convinced Mendicant Bias to turn on its makers. Unless being on a Halo ring means you won't be affected by the effect, it's still confusing about what and how it targets.

The Flood retains the "genetic memory" of all sentient life it consumes. The mechanisms are mysterious, but the effect is not. As long as the Flood exist they are capable of retaining a thorough historical record.

The Flood as a whole, behave and function as a single organism. The uniqueness of a given biomass make little difference. As long as a single form survives, the "mind" is safely preserved.

As far as the array's effect, it also matters little. The pulse destroys any life capable of "feeding" the Flood's insatiable need for mass and minds. That means that biologicals capable of exhibiting the dexterity and skill required to operate a space-faring vessel would be obliterated. It does not necessarily mean that an infection form, or a tiny Flood spore would.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

The Flood retains the "genetic memory" of all sentient life it consumes. The mechanisms are mysterious, but the effect is not. As long as the Flood exist they are capable of retaining a thorough historical record.

The Flood as a whole, behave and function as a single organism. The uniqueness of a given biomass make little difference. As long as a single form survives, the "mind" is safely preserved.

As far as the array's effect, it also matters little. The pulse destroys any life capable of "feeding" the Flood's insatiable need for mass and minds. That means that biologicals capable of exhibiting the dexterity and skill required to operate a space-faring vessel would be obliterated. It does not necessarily mean that an infection form, or a tiny Flood spore would.

That part doesn't make sense. There were flood controlled ships in MBs fleet that were rendered useless when the effect arrived. The effect killed flood capable of controlling the ships but not the tiny infection forms? What's the difference? Both flood would starve without other biomass to feed on and it's already flood cells so its not like it could be consumed anymore or again. So why would one type of flood be destroyed and one would not? And if they could target everything that could sustain the flood, why couldn't they target the tiny flood as well?




Also, the part about retaining genetic memory makes sense, but even if every flood spore on delta halo combined would that make enough for a gravemind? Did someone else stumble on the halo or what? I know the forerunners wouldn't put enough flood on one ring for it to make a gravemind, they aren't that stupid.

 

[urk]

So why would one type of flood be destroyed and one would not? And if they could target everything that could sustain the flood, why couldn't they target the tiny flood as well?

Technology, most likely. Humans can gouge a sickening crater from the earth and end the lives of countless beings with a nuclear blast. And as the radiation ring expands, the potential for additional lost life becomes staggering. Yet insects will live. The less complex an organism, the less significant the effect radiation has upon them.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

Technology, most likely. Humans can gouge a sickening crater from the earth and end the lives of countless beings with a nuclear blast. And as the radiation ring expands, the potential for additional lost life becomes staggering. Yet insects will live. The less complex an organism, the less significant the effect radiation has upon them.

Maybe, but from my understanding all flood tissue was the same. It's thinking muscle, so it's "brain" is in its cells. It's not like a combat form and an infection form were made up of different types of cells or anything, they were just arranged differently for their different purposes.


The flood is basically silly putty from what I've read.

 

[Mr Vociferous]

The flood is basically silly putty from what I've read.

What you've read is unfortunately inaccurate. I'd elaborate right now, but I have two-year old yelling "Daddy" from the other side of the house.

 

[TDG]

What you've read is unfortunately inaccurate. I'd elaborate right now, but I have two-year old yelling "Daddy" from the other side of the house.

Get 'im Voc!

...Laughtrey, not your kid.

 

[EazyB]

*yawn*
All this campaign talk, not enough BRs

 

[xxjuicesxx]

Holy shit!
I just had the most insane game in Team Slayer. My team was down 35 to 48 on the Pit and we came back and won.

After they got to 46 I told my team that’s it, it's over. Then my buddy told me naw we can still win, I shrugged and said whatever. So I get the health regenerator and we all huddle around it and all the sudden we just start massacring them with our BR's.

We had a 15-0 streak and won the game. I nearly jumped out of my chair.

Not as epic as that comeback but today I played an MLG KoTH on The Pit and we were down 40 seconds with 43 seconds remaining. And we ended up getting every last second in the hill and completely team BRing anyone who came close for a pretty amazing comeback, especially after being down the entire game. It made me jump out of my seat and yell and actually pace around my couch once I was so amped with energy.

You know, like I've never had another game do that to me physically and emotionally. Sounding pretty gay now but a true testament to Halo's awesomeness.

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsHalo3.aspx?gameid=519749897&player=XxJuicesxX


Also I got matched up against a team the game before obviously doing the negative experience glitch and saw in his fileshare he actually had a picture...dunno how he did that..

http://www.bungie.net/forums/posts.aspx?h3fileid=36510453

 

[urk]

Maybe, but from my understanding all flood tissue was the same. It's thinking muscle, so it's "brain" is in its cells. It's not like a combat form and an infection form were made up of different types of cells or anything, they were just arranged differently for their different purposes.


The flood is basically silly putty from what I've read.

Are you gathering that from the Bestiarum? While the Flood does use basic tissue as the brick and mortar, the underlying latticework is supremely unique.

 

[JdFoX187]

*yawn*
All this campaign talk, not enough BRs

Technically, this thread is supposed to be for campaign talk only.

 

[EazyB]

Technically, this thread is supposed to be for campaign talk only.

And realistically no mods come in this thread so it can be whatever the hell it wants to be. And in that case, let's make it be something worth talking about

Spoiler

 

[JdFoX187]

And realistically no mods come in this thread so it can be whatever the hell it wants to be. And in that case, let's make it be something worth talking about

Spoiler

I think we went beyond that point with the Eazyshops earlier :lol

Besides, the campaign stuff is actually fairly interesting, even though I have no idea what they're talking about.

 

[TDG]

And realistically no mods come in this thread so it can be whatever the hell it wants to be. And in that case, let's make it be something worth talking about

Spoiler

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

 

[urk]

Besides, the campaign stuff is actually fairly interesting, even though I have no idea what they're talking about.

That big circular structure the Master Chief lands on after ejecting from the Pillar of Autumn is called "Halo."

The alien species that are confined within it, and are haphazardly released by an alien aggressor known as the Covenant, are called "The Flood."

 

[DancingJesus]

That flood presentation was badass. I hope we can get some more insight on other levels as well.

 

[LAUGHTREY]

Are you gathering that from the Bestiarum? While the Flood does use basic tissue as the brick and mortar, the underlying latticework is supremely unique.

Where am I getting all these ideas if they're wrong then? what the hell?


I thought flood cells were all uniform, no matter what form the organism took, that's the whole gene diversity thing. There isn't a diversity in the flood that wouldn't make sense.

 

[LukeSmith]

That flood presentation was badass. I hope we can get some more insight on other levels as well.

I have a few more presentations sitting here on my desktop that we'll roll out soon. Different flavors of presentation - they can't all be as candy-filled as Vic's latest.

 

[EazyB]

Technically, this thread is supposed to be for campaign talk only.

And realistically no mods come in this thread so it can be whatever the hell it wants to be. And in that case, let's make it be something worth talking about

Spoiler

 

[urk]

Where am I getting all these ideas if they're wrong then? what the hell?


I thought flood cells were all uniform, no matter what form the organism took, that's the whole gene diversity thing. There isn't a diversity in the flood that wouldn't make sense.

Oh, I wasn't saying you were wrong, homey. I asked if you pulled it from the Bestiarum, because I know it talks about the malleability of the Flood cells in there. I thought that maybe that's where the "silly putty" stuff came in.

Basically, the Flood is an organism in and of itself, with a unique cellular structure, but you are correct that it is able to assimilate other organic tissue. In fact, it has to in order to propagate.

We really don't know how the eradication process works. It's an area where we have to trust the fiction. And since there aren't any egregious contradictions presented in the narrative to counter Cortana, we have to assume she is accurate and that the effect of the Halo array destroys those organisms capable of "feeding" the Flood.

 

[Mr Vociferous]

My child has been neutralized (i.e. put to bed).

I think urk did a bang up job - so I'd like to exclusively rely on everything he's said. Here's a few things for me to add:

They never say that the halos destroy beings with sentient thought it says they destroy things with enough bio-mass.

I'm not sure who you're referring to when you say "they." You could be correct, I suppose, but take a look at what's said below:

Cortana: And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do; wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. You don't believe me? Ask him.

Reclaimer: Is this true?

343 Guilty Spark: More or less. Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years. But, once the others follow suit, this galaxy will be quite devoid of life, or at least any life with sufficient biomass to sustain the flood. (pause) But you already knew that. I mean, how couldn't you?

343 Guilty Spark: After exhausting every other strategic option, my creators activated the rings. They, and all additional sentient life in three radii of the galactic center, died ...as planned.

When Spark says "sufficient biomass," it's clear to me that he's not only referring to size but also the biomass' ability to think cognitively to some degree.

Some other things you said...

Also, the part about retaining genetic memory makes sense, but even if every flood spore on delta halo combined would that make enough for a gravemind? Did someone else stumble on the halo or what? I know the forerunners wouldn't put enough flood on one ring for it to make a gravemind, they aren't that stupid.

That one. No one knows. You could say it's a hole in the fiction I suppose, but I'd guess that there are things about Delta Halo that we still don't know about. Why was the Gravemind fully formed hours presumably after the UNSC and Covenant touched down? How did the Flood get released from Delta Halo to form a compound mind? Great questions to which we unfortunately have no answers. I think the above bolded line says a lot though. Someone showed up before Regret's fleet. How did Regret know how to get to Delta Halo in the first place? Another random jump bring a space craft to a separate Halo ring? Seems unlikely.

Maybe, but from my understanding all flood tissue was the same. It's thinking muscle, so it's "brain" is in its cells. It's not like a combat form and an infection form were made up of different types of cells or anything, they were just arranged differently for their different purposes.

The Flood cells are fascinating and they were most likely studied in close detail if the Iris ARG is accurate. That being said, the cells pose no physical threat in and off themselves - at least that we're aware of. The infection form must physically take a host in order for the Flood's biology to be transmitted. So if the Flood's higher forms were eviscerated by the Array, and only the infection forms remained, they would, as Spark said, starve without any sentients to forward their evolution.

I think urk may have answered the rest - but if there are any outstanding questions, let me/us know.

I don't know if I want to start a argument with Vociferous. I know some stuff about the story, but I haven't read/fully grasped everything as much. So this is probably a bad idea.

I'm definitely special education, but not in any positive way. My wife can attest :-(

Caveat: Everything I said above could be wrong. I'm just basing it on what has been presented so far - so don't kill me if I'm offer. ;-P

Technically, this thread is supposed to be for campaign talk only.

I use the BR during campaign. Multiplayer was so 2007 anyways. ;-p

 

[Sibylus]

Oh, I wasn't saying you were wrong, homey. I asked if you pulled it from the Bestiarum, because I know it talks about the malleability of the Flood cells in there. I thought that maybe that's where the "silly putty" stuff came in.

Basically, the Flood is an organism in and of itself, with a unique cellular structure, but you are correct that it is able to assimilate other organic tissue. In fact, it has to in order to propagate.

We really don't know how the eradication process works. It's an area where we have to trust the fiction. And since there aren't any egregious contradictions presented in the narrative to counter Cortana, we have to assume she is accurate and that the effect of the Halo array destroys those organisms capable of "feeding" the Flood.

I'm guessing there's two possibilities:

1) The Halos annihilate anything above a certain biomass, which could leave small critters, plants and other small organic matter behind. But as the organic matter of this galaxy is what sustains the Flood's larger and more powerful forms, they would be easily destroyed by the Halos.

[end result = Infection form the size of a school bus gets gibbed]

2) Flood material is simply impervious to the pulse of the Halos, perhaps due to an alien quality native to their home. But as they would have to work with what this galaxy had (vulnerable organic matter) to make more complex forms, everything but the truly alien forms would be able to survive a Halo activation.

[end result = Infection form the size of a school bus feels little more than a tickle]

Edit: Probably should add I don't buy that the Halos would simply be able to differentiate between sentients and non-sentients, it makes more sense to me to have a simple yet totally effective mechanism.

 

[Mr Vociferous]

I'm guessing there's two possibilities

I get the feeling that you guys are thinking about pure firepower - asking why is it selective with the Array in this regard. I've always thought the phase pulse operations targeted the element which made sentients unique: the ability to compose thoughts. The Flood could generate creatures of tremendous size with enough raw material, their goal isn't finding something which is big enough (necessarily) but something which can think, reason and follow complex orders.

I don't think the death (to the Array) is a violent one in actuality. I simply believe that if your brain mass is of a proportion and makeup to generate logic and reason, then the Array's pulse targets and terminates you. The biomass thing, I believe, is largely misunderstood. All that biomass is - is the composition of dead material when a living being dies - that which is salvageable for use. It has less to do with size and more to do with sentience and self-awareness.

 

[Sibylus]

I get the feeling that you guys are thinking about pure firepower - asking why is it selective with the Array in this regard. I've always thought the phase pulse operations targeted the element which made sentients unique: the ability to compose thoughts. The Flood could generate creatures of tremendous size with enough raw material, their goal isn't finding something which is big enough (necessarily) but something which can think, reason and follow complex orders.

I don't think the death (to the Array) is a violent one in actuality. I simply believe that if your brain mass is of a proportion and makeup to generate logic and reason, then the Array's pulse targets and terminates you. The biomass thing, I believe, is largely misunderstood. All that biomass is - is the composition of dead material when a living being dies - that which is salvageable for use. It has less to do with size and more to do with sentience and self-awareness.

Eh, I don't think the Flood would need a sentient brain in order to make some use out of the cells. It makes sense to me for the Forerunners to cover a possibility such as this, biological material is biological material, the cells of a cow could be used as easily as the cells of a human. Maybe not to make a Gravemind or other intelligent forms what they are, but at the very least it could bolster the swarm's ability to counter threats and construct things.

 

[urk]

I assumed the effect was primarily radioactive in nature. Radiation has a sort of "built-in" sentience filter. The more complex the organism, the more susceptible it is to the hazardous effects. Very simple organisms, who typically enjoy short lifespans, often exhibit little to no detrimental effects to exposure.

The array log from the first array firing found via the Iris ARG also mentions a "radium burn" as part of the firing sequence.

But I do like the other ideas as well. This kind of discussion is why I absolutely love that we have these dead spaces in the fiction to explore. So awesome. I don't think there's ever been a video game series I've found to be even remotely as engaging.