[360] Halo 3: ODST
- Thread starter DuckThor Evil
- Start date
Bungie has always been very sketchy in regards to "Linking" the next game in their series. Halo 1 left you with the distinct impression that everybody, save Chief and Cortana, were quite dead. They even start you out in the first game with an abrupt "Arrival" to Halo. Absolutely no backstory given at all, save for a passing reference to Reach.
I presume they simply wanted the players to read the first book (Fall of Reach) by Eric Nylund. All of the Halo books are quite good, I will add. Fun reads.
Yet in Halo 2 you're right there on earth with Johnson. How you got there on a longsword (with no slipspace drive or real sort of navigation) is unknown. Even more, how Johnson survived is also a mystery.
Awhile later they make a book which explains most of this. Though Johnson surviving the Flood is still not really gone into detail other than an alleged Boran's syndrome which may or may not be ONI lies. Even so in the "Halo 2 Graphic Novel" there is a comic featuring johnson where he escapes from the Flood. This is considered Canon.
Halo 2 to Halo 3 is even weirder. Bungie "Implies" alot of stuff... They leave key details out of the spotlight and you just have to assume things (Which is annoying imo). For example the Forerunner ship (Dreadnaught) powering High Charity that Chief steals*, is actually the "Keyship" which must be used to activate the Ark (You see it in place over the Ark in H3). This was not really elaborated on, in fact many people I know just assumed the ship was part of the Ark structure and any similarity was just common Forerunner design.
Chief combating the covenant forces on the dreadnaught and being interrogated notwithstanding, Johnson, The Arbiter (Vadam) and Guilty Spark all arrive before he does. This is odd given that at the end of Halo 2 it's implied that the chief had arrived at earth roughly the same time the Arbiter dispatched Tartarus on Delta Halo.
There are also other continuity errors due to frequent retconning. The Brutes for example, which were unknown (allegedly) until "First Strike" the novel, made an appearance in Contact Harvest and Halo Wars. Johnson fought them, and even ran his Warthog into the old (supreme) Brute Chieftain.
They were also supposed to hold a diplomatic meeting in the gardens of Harvest.
The 19th Arbiter also shows up in Halo Wars as an antagonist, along with The Prophet of Regret- though whether or not his existence was known by the humans onboard the Spirit of Fire or others is unknown (Regret's existence, I mean). As the Chief and the other Spartan II's were ordered to capture a "Prophet" 20 years later by using the Pillar of Autumn to hijack a covenant vessel. This also implies that information regarding the prophets were sketchy, and that one had never been seen before.
This one I'm sketchy on: ONI had documentation regarding the "Existence" of an "Elite class" within the Covenant hierarchy that were expert combatants. This is implying that up until the Chief's direct confrontation with one onboard the station orbiting Reach, few had ever been seen in skirmishes. At the very least (and strangely) the Chief himself, a warrior who had seen countless battles with the alien menace, had not encountered one.
Yet they're plastered everywhere in the cut scenes of Halo Wars and in the game itself. Sgt Forge references the Arbiter as a "Massive Elite"- this game taking place roughly 20 years before the Chief had his first go at one onboard the station.
Totally bizarre.
Oh. And of course the Spirit of Fire combat the flood on the Shield World. So the Chief and the POA's Marines were not the first humans (outside of their forerunner ancestors) to combat the Flood in Halo 1, apparently.
*How High Charity was able to sustain slipspace jump without the Dreadnaught's reactor powering it and crashing into the ark is also, a total mystery. (10% of the reactor was used to power all of High Charity). Unless Gravemind and the flood have mad power generator building skills....
I presume they simply wanted the players to read the first book (Fall of Reach) by Eric Nylund. All of the Halo books are quite good, I will add. Fun reads.
Yet in Halo 2 you're right there on earth with Johnson. How you got there on a longsword (with no slipspace drive or real sort of navigation) is unknown. Even more, how Johnson survived is also a mystery.
Awhile later they make a book which explains most of this. Though Johnson surviving the Flood is still not really gone into detail other than an alleged Boran's syndrome which may or may not be ONI lies. Even so in the "Halo 2 Graphic Novel" there is a comic featuring johnson where he escapes from the Flood. This is considered Canon.
Halo 2 to Halo 3 is even weirder. Bungie "Implies" alot of stuff... They leave key details out of the spotlight and you just have to assume things (Which is annoying imo). For example the Forerunner ship (Dreadnaught) powering High Charity that Chief steals*, is actually the "Keyship" which must be used to activate the Ark (You see it in place over the Ark in H3). This was not really elaborated on, in fact many people I know just assumed the ship was part of the Ark structure and any similarity was just common Forerunner design.
Chief combating the covenant forces on the dreadnaught and being interrogated notwithstanding, Johnson, The Arbiter (Vadam) and Guilty Spark all arrive before he does. This is odd given that at the end of Halo 2 it's implied that the chief had arrived at earth roughly the same time the Arbiter dispatched Tartarus on Delta Halo.
There are also other continuity errors due to frequent retconning. The Brutes for example, which were unknown (allegedly) until "First Strike" the novel, made an appearance in Contact Harvest and Halo Wars. Johnson fought them, and even ran his Warthog into the old (supreme) Brute Chieftain.
They were also supposed to hold a diplomatic meeting in the gardens of Harvest.
The 19th Arbiter also shows up in Halo Wars as an antagonist, along with The Prophet of Regret- though whether or not his existence was known by the humans onboard the Spirit of Fire or others is unknown (Regret's existence, I mean). As the Chief and the other Spartan II's were ordered to capture a "Prophet" 20 years later by using the Pillar of Autumn to hijack a covenant vessel. This also implies that information regarding the prophets were sketchy, and that one had never been seen before.
This one I'm sketchy on: ONI had documentation regarding the "Existence" of an "Elite class" within the Covenant hierarchy that were expert combatants. This is implying that up until the Chief's direct confrontation with one onboard the station orbiting Reach, few had ever been seen in skirmishes. At the very least (and strangely) the Chief himself, a warrior who had seen countless battles with the alien menace, had not encountered one.
Yet they're plastered everywhere in the cut scenes of Halo Wars and in the game itself. Sgt Forge references the Arbiter as a "Massive Elite"- this game taking place roughly 20 years before the Chief had his first go at one onboard the station.
Totally bizarre.
Oh. And of course the Spirit of Fire combat the flood on the Shield World. So the Chief and the POA's Marines were not the first humans (outside of their forerunner ancestors) to combat the Flood in Halo 1, apparently.
*How High Charity was able to sustain slipspace jump without the Dreadnaught's reactor powering it and crashing into the ark is also, a total mystery. (10% of the reactor was used to power all of High Charity). Unless Gravemind and the flood have mad power generator building skills....
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This was at least supposed to have been clarified in that Halo Uprising comic, which... to this day continues to suffer delays.
Joe Staten Interview:
http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Halopedia:News/31_March_09/Interview_with_Bungie_on_ODST
http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Halopedia:News/31_March_09/Interview_with_Bungie_on_ODST
TheBlackLodge
Newcomer
Pretty much all of the things you have questioned are answered by the books, the GFX novels and the games themselves. Although Halopedia is always a nice backup for finding out things you may have missed.
As for the Staten interview.....interesting on a couple of points....
Yea.. I wonder who the woman is. My first thought was a 'female' AI... then I was thinking, maybe one of those Jackals, as their society is matriarchal.
The wording of his statement confuses me.Well I've read all the books, comics and I own and have beaten all the games. Halo 1 - Halo Wars.
And I'm not so sure all the points ARE addressed, which is the very reason I said all that stuff in my post. I've been to Halopedia as well... If you know better please share.
Speaking of Halo narration\story telling though- I was quite pleased with the CG cutscenes by Blur in Halo Wars. Seeing the Halo universe is wonderful HD CG Cinematics and wonderful animations was just great!
I also love the Elite redesign in Halo Wars- far more bulkier and intimidating.
Regarding ODST: I think this could be considered (Ironically enough) an "Expansion pack" to Halo 2 more than Halo 3... so far as plot is concerned.
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TheBlackLodge
Newcomer
Well, I reckon the only 'big' gaps we are missing will be addressed in Uprising, Halo Wars 2 and ODST.
Halo Wars, 2 possibilities regarding the whole Flood thing, either ONI did what ONI do (Laura had secrets......) or well,
.
Halo 1 to 2 were pretty well covered via the novels and comics IMO.
Halo 2 to 3.....The only thing we are really missing is the fourth issue of Uprising so we can get to brick status. Although ODST will give us some nice extra info regarding the conflict MC left behind.
Totally agree about the cutscenes though, I'd have loved to have them in Halo 3. They (aside from Arrival), and the human NPCs are the only things that bother me about it.......
Al -My first thought was a female AI as well.......Gone Rampant or some such.....Probably be nothing that extreme though.
Halo Wars, 2 possibilities regarding the whole Flood thing, either ONI did what ONI do (Laura had secrets......) or well,
that's a long trip.......
Halo 1 to 2 were pretty well covered via the novels and comics IMO.
Halo 2 to 3.....The only thing we are really missing is the fourth issue of Uprising so we can get to brick status. Although ODST will give us some nice extra info regarding the conflict MC left behind.
Totally agree about the cutscenes though, I'd have loved to have them in Halo 3. They (aside from Arrival), and the human NPCs are the only things that bother me about it.......
Al -My first thought was a female AI as well.......Gone Rampant or some such.....Probably be nothing that extreme though.
I'm placing my bet on a Female Jackal. Having a perceived "weaker" villain fits with the theme of an ODST not being the superhuman that a Spartan is. And since as far as we know all of the events of ODST will take place on Earth shortly after Regret's departure, we can rule out Elites and the Flood.Yea.. I wonder who the woman is. My first thought was a 'female' AI... then I was thinking, maybe one of those Jackals, as their society is matriarchal.
And yeah, I would ascribe the whole Brute/Elite debacle to the ongoing development of the fiction to suit gameplay.
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I don't think a jackal will be the boss, as they are very weak physically and are not leaders among the covenant, unlike the elites, prophets or brutes, it would be like having a grunt as a boss.
The only possiblilty for a jackal boss, is that you're being hunted by a veteran Jackal sniper or something, Enemy at the Gates style.
I think the boss if not Covenant related (eg. a female Prophet), will either be something to do with the Flood or be a rampant female AI.
Silent_Buddha
Legend
I wouldn't count out the flood. There's always a good chance that a fair few were left behind. Although perhaps weaker and more disorganized...
Regards,
SB
I just clicked on this, but was bullshit there before? Is this interview fake?
How? ODST takes place right after the Slipspace incident in New Mombasa at the very beginning of Halo 2 (Before Delta Halo).
The Flood don't even show up until then.. They also don't arrive on earth until that infected Covenant vessel crash lands in H3.
April Fools!
That should have given it away.
Not to mention how much is almost verbatim from real interviews. Or the Luke name-drop with reference to ODST's design, despite the fact that he is the Community Manager.
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TheBlackLodge
Newcomer
lol
Good to have it reconfirmed that I'm still an idiot
Good to have it reconfirmed that I'm still an idiot
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RenegadeRocks
Legend
fake / real ?
Beta mnu footage
!
I hope it's real, and we get to see footage of those flaming ninjas kicking the whatnot out of whoever leaked this