[Laa-Yosh]

Originally Posted by fearsomepirate

Short version:

Warning: most of that was totally inaccurate

Halo 1 is a really good game right up until the Flood.

Personally, I liked the change in the combat mechanics and enemy types. It actually brought back some of Doom's spirit after so many years and was a nice challenge in itself with CE's additions to the genre like weapon limitations, the energy shield and grenades - ooooh how much fun it was to watch all those secondary explosions from grenades left on the floor

I like how Cortana was initially not supposed to be hyper-sexualized, and then they said, "Screw it, let's give her enormous breasts and a perfect butt!"

Which is also kinda strange, because they actually talked about how they wanted to keep their relationship with the Chief ambivalent, one that could also be interpreted as a mother-son or brother-sister version.
I guess it's to sell it to the adolescent audience who's not interested in the multiplayer...

[fearsomepirate]

My least favorite anything in FPSes is swarms of tiny things, and the Flood missions are chock-full of them.

But yeah, you really don't need to know a whole lot more than it being Resident Doom: Rise of the Religious Aliens. Also, there is a whole cult of Halo nerds who are into the expanded universe stuff and write wiki articles speculating about the Forerunners and the Precursors and all that, much like Star Wars nerds who insist that the reason you didn't enjoy Phantom Menace is that you didn't study hard enough before going. The important thing to know is:

1. There are galaxy-eating zombies that only Master Chief can stop.
2. There are galaxy-conquering religious aliens that only Master Chief can stop.
3. There is a sentient computer program that a lot of the Halo nerds are totally obsessed with because it projects a hologram of a sexy, naked woman in cutscenes (and she gets sexier and nakeder in every game).
4. If you get bored after fighting off the zombies for a couple hours, don't worry, so do a lot of other people.
5. They're pretty fun games.

[RudeCurve]

Haha thanks for the info guys.

[Platon]

Originally Posted by fearsomepirate

Halo 1 is a really good game right up until the Flood.

I won't go into whether I like fighting/shooting the Flood, but I will say that their introduction scene in the first game must be one of the absolute, scratch that, it is the absolute nr. 1 gaming moment for me, just how totally unprepared I was what was to come. Just loved it...

[warb]

I loved The Flood in the first Halo game. It goes all serious sam for a while with shotguns and grenades. The Flood raising the dead, swarming and exploding. It might go one a little too long, but it's a lot of fun on the higher difficlulties, where you really have to keep moving.

[fehu]

I must be the only one to think so, but the flood was the less boring part of that game

[function]

I really enjoy fighting the Flood, particularly in the first game.

The Library was rubbish first time through, but on Legendary and when I understood the weapons, it became fantastic and one of my favourite FPS bits of all time. Keep moving, keep shooting, and use asplosions to wipe out waves of flood spores. The 60 round assault rifle is still one of the best weapons ever to grace a video game.

Originally Posted by fearsomepirate

1. There are galaxy-eating zombies that only Master Chief can stop.

Nope.

2. There are galaxy-conquering religious aliens that only Master Chief can stop.

Nope.

3. There is a sentient computer program that a lot of the Halo nerds are totally obsessed with because it projects a hologram of a sexy, naked woman in cutscenes (and she gets sexier and nakeder in every game).

Nope, Halo 2 Cortana was sexiest Cortana.

4. If you get bored after fighting off the zombies for a couple hours, don't worry, so do a lot of other people.

Some people should stick to The Sims.

5. They're pretty fun games.

Best FPSers ever*. Especially for people with friends. Co-op elevates the games way beyond anything else.

*Except Reach.

[Gerry]

I'm playing through Halo:CE right now and count me in as another who actually likes combat against the flood.

[fearsomepirate]

Originally Posted by function

Nope.
Nope.

Haha, hardcore Halo fans are so funny! It's totally about space zombies and space Mormons. YOOOOOOO WIIIIIIILLLLL BEEEEEE FOOOOOOOOOOOD. The writers should really use a dictionary, though. They kept having the Space Popes (burning question: do you have to be a space virgin to be a space pope?) say "heresy" when they meant "sacrelige," and it was like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Some people should stick to The Sims.

True, compared to the the Library, most of the Arbiter levels, and the Giant Space Rectum of Dreams, the Sims is one of the most dynamic action games ever made.

Teh Haloz is srz bznz!

[Laa-Yosh]

Maybe you should stop now.

You don't like the games' story, I think everyone gets it by now - no need to start offending people.

[Billy Idol]

I like the flood. I like the change in gameplay...it forces you to re-think your weapon choice for instance...

[fearsomepirate]

Actually, I enjoyed the story. It is a fun, campy sci-fi story that mixed elements of zombie movies, the Heaven's Gate cult, and a variety of classic sci-fi tropes in a good way. I really enjoy the blend of camp and horror, too, sort of reminiscent of Army of Darkness, but in space (and the main hero plays the straight man).

What I don't like is how people get obsessed with fictional universes to the point where it really bothers them that I called reanimated corpses in outer space as "space zombies." It can be super heroes, Star Wars, Star Trek, anything. Like if it upsets you that someone called Cyclops' "concussive energy" beams "eye lasers, and you feel the need to "correct" them, time to re-evaluate some things.

I'm perfectly capable of enjoying sci-fi and fantasy without treating it like real science or real history. I do enough real science as it is.

[Laa-Yosh]

You did far more than what you list as a example. Read your own posts again, or function's reply if you still don't get it.

[fearsomepirate]

I get it, and I read function's reply. You both are apparently offended that I didn't describe the richness of the tapestry of lore that is the Halo universe with the reverence you believe a game with cute, silly-voiced beetle men in purple space ships deserves. And somehow, you find that personally offensive.

The first three games (haven't played Reach or ODST) ultimately boil down to Master Chief defeating the space zombies and the space cultists. If it really bothers you when I describe it like that, just remember...it's all pretend.

[kagemaru]

Originally Posted by fearsomepirate

What I don't like is how people get obsessed with fictional universes to the point where it really bothers them that I called reanimated corpses in outer space as "space zombies." It can be super heroes, Star Wars, Star Trek, anything. Like if it upsets you that someone called Cyclops' "concussive energy" beams "eye lasers, and you feel the need to "correct" them, time to re-evaluate some things.

What you describe here and blatantly insulting a fanbase are two different things:

Originally Posted by fearsomepirate

But yeah, you really don't need to know a whole lot more than it being Resident Doom: Rise of the Religious Aliens. Also, there is a whole cult of Halo nerds who are into the expanded universe stuff and write wiki articles speculating about the Forerunners and the Precursors and all that, much like Star Wars nerds who insist that the reason you didn't enjoy Phantom Menace is that you didn't study hard enough before going. The important thing to know is:

....

3. There is a sentient computer program that a lot of the Halo nerds are totally obsessed with because it projects a hologram of a sexy, naked woman in cutscenes (and she gets sexier and nakeder in every game).

Originally Posted by fearsomepirate

Haha, hardcore Halo fans are so funny! It's totally about space zombies and space Mormons. YOOOOOOO WIIIIIIILLLLL BEEEEEE FOOOOOOOOOOOD. The writers should really use a dictionary, though. They kept having the Space Popes (burning question: do you have to be a space virgin to be a space pope?) say "heresy" when they meant "sacrelige," and it was like nails on a chalkboard to me.

True, compared to the the Library, most of the Arbiter levels, and the Giant Space Rectum of Dreams, the Sims is one of the most dynamic action games ever made.

Teh Haloz is srz bznz!

Halo has a great universe, with at least some thought put into it unlike most shooters, so I see nothing wrong with people reading books or other material based on it.

You rarely (maybe never?) post in this thread yet, and you start off with these....posts and expect us to think you're doing nothing wrong? Stealth trolling a game and it's fans aren't really necessary.

[warb]

Originally Posted by fearsomepirate

I get it, and I read function's reply. You both are apparently offended that I didn't describe the richness of the tapestry of lore that is the Halo universe with the reverence you believe a game with cute, silly-voiced beetle men in purple space ships deserves. And somehow, you find that personally offensive.

The first three games (haven't played Reach or ODST) ultimately boil down to Master Chief defeating the space zombies and the space cultists. If it really bothers you when I describe it like that, just remember...it's all pretend.

It does seem to bother you more that people like those aspects of the game. Ridicule and misrepresentation does nothing for them.

Maybe they don't take it as seriously as you do, just remember... it's all pretend.

[fearsomepirate]

Except everything I said are things I've observed. Look, expanded universe nerdery can be really fun (I used to be really into Star Trek). But sometimes, the fun turns into obsession, at which point you become annoying and/or creepy. Like the sexualization of the Cortana AI, which is both annoying and creepy, and which is definitely in response a pretty large contingent of the fan base that openly salivates over it.

If you're just reading the books and whatever, and just enjoying it, fine. You know how I'm aware of all the expanded universe stuff? Because I've read almost the entirety of halo.wikia.com. It was fun. Just like Star Trek is fun. I was just warning RudeCurve that there are people who are obsessed with it to the point of pretty much ruining it, like people who get angry when you say "space zombies" or fantasize about sleeping with a fictional hologram.

And yes, the Cortana AI thing is pretty disturbing. I have a friend I can't play Halo with because he's so obsessed with it.

[Laa-Yosh]

All I'm angry about is that you seem to think that trolling and insults are OK here...

[Dominik D]

Originally Posted by fearsomepirate

It's totally about space zombies and space Mormons.

Not sure who should be more offended: Mormons or Covenant.

The writers should really use a dictionary, though. They (...) say "heresy" when they meant "sacrelige,"

Classic.

Nice trolling though. I find it amusing that people who tend to assign certain traits to other people/groups fail to recognize that they reveal more about themselves than the groups they are trying to portray.

[Silent_Buddha]

Originally Posted by Dominik D

Classic.

Shhhh... People that tell others to use a dictionary, obviously have never used one themselves.

Regards,
SB

[Shifty Geezer]

Okay, time to chill out. Fearsomepirate's initial post seems to be a tongue-in-cheek recap of how he interpreted the story (much in RudeCurve's own vernacular stylings) rather than an attempt to rile people, but clearly there's some tension brewing that's not worth it. Agree to disagree at this point.

I suggest someone else provides and alternative recap for RudeCurve if you feel Fearsome has it all wrong.

[kagemaru]

Originally Posted by Shifty Geezer

I suggest someone else provides and alternative recap for RudeCurve if you feel Fearsome has it all wrong.

Simple copy and paste from Wiki:

In the past, an intellectual race called the Forerunners fought an alien parasite known as the Flood. The Flood, which spread through infestation of sentient life, overran much of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Forerunners conceived a weapon of last resort to combat the Flood. Using an installation known as the Ark, they built large ring-shaped megastructures known as Halos. The Halo Array, when activated, would destroy all sentient life in the galaxy—depriving the Flood of their food. Delaying as long as they could, the Forerunners activated the rings and disappeared.[10]

Tens of thousands of years later, in the 26th century, humanity—under the auspices of the United Nations Space Command, or UNSC—colonize many worlds thanks to the development of faster-than-light "slipspace" travel. Tensions escalate between the older and more stable "Inner Colonies" and the remote "Outer Colonies", leading to civil war. The UNSC creates an elite group of enhanced supersoldiers, known as Spartans, to suppress the rebellion covertly.[11] In the year 2525, the human colony of Harvest falls under attack by a theocratic alliance of alien races known as the Covenant. The Covenant leadership declares humanity heretics and an affront to their gods—the Forerunners—and begins a holy war of genocide. The Covenant's superior technology and numbers prove decisive advantages; though effective, the Spartans are too few in number to turn the tide of battle in humanity's favor.
In 2552, the Covenant arrive at Reach, the UNSC's last major stronghold beyond Earth, and launch an invasion of the planet. The last Spartans and UNSC military are unable to stop the Covenant from bombarding the surface with plasma. Following directives to avoid leading the Covenant to Earth, the artificial intelligence (AI) Cortana aboard the fleeing UNSC ship Pillar of Autumn selects random coordinates that lead the ship to a Halo installation. The Covenant follow, damaging the Autumn and leading its crew to take the fight to the ring's surface. The Covenant accidentally release Flood imprisoned on the ring; in order to nullify the threat, the ring's AI caretaker, 343 Guilty Spark, enlists the help of the Spartan, John-117, or Master Chief. However, before the pair can activate Halo's defenses, Cortana reveals that Halo's activation would mean their own destruction. Master Chief and Cortana instead detonate the Autumn's engines, destroying Halo and preventing the escape of the Flood. They return to Earth with a few other human survivors, warning of an impending Covenant attack.

Soon after, a Covenant fleet arrives at Earth. Most of the fleet is destroyed, but a single ship under the command of one of the Covenant's Hierarchs, the Prophet of Regret, breaks through the human defenses and invades the African city of New Mombasa. Before the humans can assault Regret's carrier, he retreats through a slipspace portal, pursued by the Master Chief aboard the human ship In Amber Clad. Regret travels to another Halo installation, where the Master Chief kills Regret. Inner turmoil in the Covenant leads to civil war between the various member races. Learning that the activation of the Halo Array—a central tenet of the Covenant religion—would lead to their extinction, the Covenant warrior Arbiter and his brethren ally with humanity to stop the rings from being fired. The aborted activation of the ring puts all the Halo installations on standby: the remaining rings can be activated remotely from a location known as "The Ark".

The Covenant begin a full-scale invasion on Earth and excavate a Forerunner artifact in the African desert that creates a slipspace portal to the Ark. The Master Chief and Arbiter travel through the portal to kill the last High Prophet, Truth, and discover the installation is building a new Halo ring to replace the one destroyed previously. In order to destroy the spreading infestation led by the Flood intelligence Gravemind, the Master Chief activates the incomplete ring—the blast destroys the Flood but spares the galaxy at large. The Arbiter escapes the explosion through a slipspace portal, but only half the ship makes it through before it closes. The Master Chief and Cortana are left drifting in space, trapped in the severed rear half of their ship. The Master Chief cryonically freezes himself as he and Cortana wait for a rescue while floating toward a Forerunner planet, Requiem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(series)

[NRP]

The only person I know who is infatuated with Cortana is Alstrong.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by NRP

The only person I know who is infatuated with Cortana is Alstrong.

Have you read his fan fiction?

I don't recommend it.

[kagemaru]

Originally Posted by Graham

Have you read his fan fiction?

I don't recommend it.

lol is this real? Where can I find this?