Seeker of Truth

Well, guess what, everyone. Thanks to a six-month hiatus between high school and uni, I'm back. And I've moved back to Canada. So I'll be around a fair bit more until September. Discuss the Halo: Escalation comic series here. Issues 14 and 15 were quite interesting, with another new Covenant faction and all three groups involved at Atkis IV in a bit of a sticky situation. I suspect that Issue 16 will conclude with a confrontation between Jul and Sali, and either Jul or Sali will get the entire Janus Key. I also have a feeling that Palmer will majorly screw things up for the UNSC with her desire to kill Halsey and cost them the battle and the key. Issues 19 and 20, which were just announced, look like they'll feature Majestic, which probably means the Infinity will be trying to get the key back. Feel free to talk about anything else related to Escalation.

^This. Vehicles are what gives BTB games their spark. They add challenge for opposing players, increase the scale of the battle, and diversify the gameplay. They're also very fun to drive

In Halo 5? No. At the very end of the franchise? Possibly, possibly not. I could see him sacrificing himself, say, to stop the Flood or Precursors and bring peace to the galaxy, but not in any way smaller than that. Seeing him retire just feels anticlimactic. 343 has already explained that the purpose of Locke is not to replace John, but simply to let us see him from an outsider perspective for the first time, allowing for character development for both John and Locke. Also, the reason John never interacted with Thel was because he had less personality than a toaster in Halo 3. He was quite literally a blank slate save for the scenes involving Cortana's rescue, Johnson's death, and Keyes' death (somewhat). In H2 he at least had *some* personality, while in H3 he had disappointingly little character development. As was stated before, you don't necessarily need to have long, face-to-face conversations with someone to be their friend. Fight alongside someone and trust them with your life for several days to several weeks and a deep respect and camaraderie at the very least is almost certain to develop. Surely the fact that Thel explicitly said he would consider John a friend in H2A outweighs fan speculation?

I think things are looking very promising for the return of allied Sangheili in Halo 5.

Prologue, Pt. 1 FORERUNNER SHIELD WORLD 014 INTERGALACTIC SPACE 107,631 YEARS AFTER THE FORERUNNER-FLOOD WAR A panoramic view of a Forerunner city under a brightly shining sun, bustling with activity. Three personal transports zoom past the camera. Cut to a view of the central of three towers that crown the center of the city. UR-DIDACT And so...we meet again. Cut to the interior of a dimly lit council chamber. The Ur-Didact, bound by energy restraints, is escorted into the chamber by three Warrior-Servants. At the head of the chamber stands the new Master Builder, Storm over Sunset, with the Iso-Didact on his right and Chant-to-Green on his right. ISO-DIDACT Are you satisfied now? The blood of countless innocents is on your hands. You have betrayed the Forerunners and all that we stand for. You may well have doomed- STORM OVER SUNSET That will do. The council will hear him out before they decide his fate. Cut to a closeup of Storm over Sunset's face, which shows signs of great age: loose skin, noticeably matted fur, pale, faded eyes. STORM OVER SUNSET Didact, you are charged with abandoment of your people, the murder of seven-point-zero-zero-two-three million humans, unauthorized mass production of military units, and complete desertion of the Mantle of Responsibility. Should you make no attempt to justify your acts, the presently standing sentence is permanent exile within a Cryptum. Cut to a medium shot of the Ur-Didact, who casually, almost indifferently, shifts his weight. STORM OVER SUNSET What say you in your defense? The Ur-Didact regards the gathered Forerunners positioned in the stands at the edges of the chamber. UR-DIDACT My attack on the human homeworld was done purely in the interest of protecting the...other species that the humans had threatened to drive to extinction. Surprise lights Storm over Sunset's face. The Ur-Didact presses on. UR-DIDACT I take no pleasure in slaughtering innocents. I acted out of pragmatism. The fact remains that the human leaders seek total dominion over the galaxy. The IsoDidact steps towards the Ur-Didact and addresses the council. ISO-DIDACT Councillors, the end does not justify the means. This Didact may have been well-intentioned, but the essences of the composed individuals are now forever lost. Even if we assume his accusations to be true, the vast majority of the individuals he targeted were innocents. I ask you, should the many be punished for the actions of the few? The Iso-Didact steps back, allowing the Ur-Didact to speak again. UR-DIDACT In times such as these, councillors, where the existence of one species is threatened by another, the continuation of the species outweighs the survival of individuals. Had I done nothing, entire species would be lost to the humans over a simple matter of revenge. ISO-DIDACT His argument is hollow. He would have you believe that his actions were done in defense of another species. You have no reason to believe this tale. Need I remind you that before the end of the war, he acted solely out of hatred towards humanity? The Ur-Didact steps forward smugly. UR-DIDACT I am beginning to detect hipocrisy in the words of my counterpart. Did he not light the Halo array? Was he not responsible for the deaths of many more individuals than were indoctrinated by the Composer? The collapse of entire civilizations? The Iso-Didact paces, his anger now detectable. ISO-DIDACT Councillors, you know very well that the activation of the Halo array was an act of pure necessity. I opposed their use myself, to begin with. I urge you to see the weakness of his argument. UR-DIDACT I had not intended to justify my actions by comparing them to the activation of the Array. I am comparing the activation of the Array to the needless slaughter of other civilizations by the humans. I have opposed the use of the Halos for far longer than my counterpart, and I know well that the council was somewhat...divided on the matter of their use. Yet I see no reaction to the news of the massacre that the humans prepare for as we speak. Murmurs spread throughout the council. UR-DIDACT Why is this, councillors? Why do you favor humans? Are they innately superior to the other civilizations we indexed? Does their alleged inheritance of the Mantle grant them the right to commit genocide? The Iso-Didact prepares to respond, but Storm over Sunset gestures for him to step back, before addressing the Ur-Didact himself. STORM OVER SUNSET Didact, if I may inquire, I very much wish to hear how you know of this plot. UR-DIDACT I retrieved data from a human vessel that became trapped on Requiem. I learned everything of the humans: their history, their present activities, their plans for the future. Storm over Sunset steps back, concern etched on his face. UR-DIDACT They are more dangerous than you know. Their wrath is currently directed towards races that have done them wrong in the past, but when those species have been eradicated, I should presume the humans will turn on us. Another murmur spreads through the council. UR-DIDACT I assure you, the humans have no desire to share the galaxy with any other civilization. Storm Over Sunset steps back towards the Ur-Didact. STORM OVER SUNSET Will that be all, Didact? UR-DIDACT It will be, Master Builder. Storm over Sunset addresses the council. STORM OVER SUNSET You may now submit your votes...and decide the fate of the Didact. The councillors each enter a response into a small data pad, which is transmitted to a terminal near Storm over Sunset. The Master Builder surveys the votes, pauses and then turns back to the Ur-Didact. STORM OVER SUNSET Very well, Didact. Cut to a close up of the Didact's face. STORM OVER SUNSET You are officially cleared of all charges. Fade to black. HALO 5: GUARDIANS

Considering the rapid bombardment of material by 343 Industries, I have decided to make yet another Halo 5: Guardians script. Keep in mind that although this will almost certainly become lore-unfriendly very quickly, I will finish it regardless just so you all know exactly how I'd like Halo 5: Guardians to go down. This will be in keeping with the lore and principles (such as Guardians being the darkest Halo game to date). Table of Contents Prologue, Pt. 1 Prologue, Pt. 2 Segment 1: Locke Mission 1: Landfall Mission 2: City Center Mission 3: Orbital Siege Mission 4: To Kill a Rebellion Mission 5: Homecoming Segment 2: Inquiry Mission 6: Line of Investigation Mission 7: Amongst the Ruins Mission 8: Faded Trail Mission 9: Wreckage Mission 10: Revalation Segment 3: Reunion Mission 11: The Portal Mission 12: Installation 00 Mission 13: Distant Thunder Mission 14: Heart of the Machine Mission 15: Mendicant Bias Segment 4: Forerunners Mission 16: Emergence Mission 17: Fallen Heroes Mission 18: Into the Unknown Mission 19: Fractured Loyalty Mission 20: Spirit of Fire Segment 5: Outbreak Mission 21: Sanghelios Mission 22: Downward Spiral Mission 23: Siege of Vadam Keep Mission 24: Global Evacuation Mission 25: Janus Key Epilogue

I never said Halo Follower was a good source of information, in fact I pointed out how lore-unfriendly, and unwise from a marketing perspective, it would be for 343 to reintroduce the Arbiter only to make him an antagonist. He also doesn't know who Bornstellar is and he thinks all Forerunners are out to destroy humanity.

So I just watched the motion comic of The Return (practically no difference between it and the original comic). Anyway, this Shipmaster is probably in my top five favorite Covenant characters, even though where he stands isn't exactly clear. Okay, so he clearly supports the Arbiter, is overwhelmed with guilt and shame at the loss of life at his hands (especially when he comes across the remains of the human civilians) and generally seems to be very sympathetic towards humans. However, at the end, it sounds as though he plans to forcefully interrogate the human for answers, which seems to contradict his previous behavior. So is he on the side of the humans or not? Opinions?

You probably haven't read Halo: Escalation if you think Spartan Ops is the most recent event in the Halo canon. Second of all, the Spartan is confirmed to be an ONI agent, Agent Locke, and to be working with the Arbiter in order to find the Master Chief.

The Didact didn't even bleed... he was temporarily immobilized and then fell into a Slipspace rupture and was transported away.

The Spirit of Fire has at least one infection form on it...In the words of Rtas 'Vadam, "One single Flood spore can destroy a species".

The more I read, the more utterly convinced I am that the Flood will be the main antagonistic faction in Halo 5: Guardians. Now, with High Charity destroyed and the Gravemind killed, the Flood from Installation 05 are definitely defeated for good. However, there are several hints that suggest, very strongly to me, that the Flood is going to come back, and in a very significant manner. To begin with, Halo Escalation Issue #6's summary told of a "new galactic war". This is interesting, as the war with the Storm Covenant is ongoing and certainly not galactic; the Brutes are disorganized and not a very significant threat, and the Prometheans are out of the picture, at least temporarily, with Requiem destroyed. Now, this doesn't leave very many possibilities. I don't think 343 Industries would make the Insurrectionists the primary antagonists of any game, and in any case they are too weak to pose a threat to the galaxy as a whole. Like 'Gajat's splinter/mercenary group, they are more terrorists than anything else. What else is there to trigger a "new galactic war" excepting the Flood? The issue itself basically confirmed this. The Spirit of Fire was shown on a collision course with an unidentified planet (in a similar fashion to the Halo 3 legendary ending), and inside one of the cryo-storage bays, a single Flood Infection Form was seen. Then there's the Master Chief Collection trailer, which focuses on a speech by the Arbiter, who says "all our lives are at stake". At this point in the lore, the Flood are the only known force that exists that would try to kill everything in the galaxy (most of the other threats are targeting humans specifically). Chris from Halo Follower momentarily speculated that the Arbiter might be a supporting antagonist if Lock was indeed hunting for John, however, I think that would be an extremely unwise decision on 343's part, and probably would spark at least as much outrage as Cortana's apparent death, leading to sales drops (just look at how many Arbiter fans there are!). In the very next video concerning the trailer Chris more or less retracted that speculation. I think (and hope) 343i is smart enough to realize that from both a lore and marketing perspective, vilifying the would be a very bad idea. If Locke is hunting for John, then he is most likely doing it without the Arbiters knowledge (notice from the dialogue that the Arbiter clearly wants the Master Chief alive and in the fight). It would be amazing to see the Halo saga conclude with a "Flood vs. Everyone" game and/or trilogy, but we'll see.

Just pointing this out, but Halsey's interrogator was white, and Locke is black. Also, the fact that he is working with the Arbiter, who wants the Master Chief alive (listen to the dialogue in the Master Chief Collection trailer) basically proves that he is not associated with Kilo-Five (who want to exterminate the Sangheili) and probably not hunting the Master Chief (although he could be, without the Arbiter's knowledge).

He was confirmed for the Master Chief Collection and Halo 5: Guardians at E3.

That's because Sangheili/Elites are reptiles. I really do hope Arby comes back for Halo 5, and in a bigger role than as a trailer narrator.

How is disobeying an order going against the UNSC? Disobeying orders is sometimes best, anyway, both in real life and in fiction.

Looks like he's not a villain, but rather a UNSC member assigned to finding John and bringing him back. Also, we have positive confirmation that the Arbiter is helping him (which pretty much rules out any possibility of him being involved with Kilo-Five).

I destroyed a Scarab with an army of Grunts once. And accidentally killed three-quarters of my teammate's units with a carpet bombing.

Okay, so at the end of Halo: The Thursday War, due to the ethically questionable activities of ONI, the Arbiter's forces were left in a weakened state which allowed the Covenant Remnant to form. In Escalation, the Arbiter is shown with a number of assault carriers, cruisers, and destroyers. How did they reform? The Halo Encyclopedia, IIRC, that the few Huragok/Engineers that have stayed with the Sangheili are under the control of the Arbiter and his allies and very well-protected from harm or theft, but there are very few of them and they could not possibly build/repair such a large fleet in five years. The most likely explanation, in my mind, is what Black-Box said: the Arbiter had access to more than five cruisers, but didn't want to risk anything else in war due to the severely limited number of Huragok and the difficulties in repairing damage. For Escalation, because of the importance of the delegation, the Arbiter probably took an "all hands on deck" approach and brought out his entire fleet in case the negotiations failed. Thoughts?

I hope Escalation doesn't spoil too much. I want some surprises for Halo 5.

More XP for winning a game: Agree. Penalized for losing: Completely disagree. Your personal skill is not the only factor that influences whether or not you win a game. The skill of the other players, the extent of cooperation and teamwork, the map itself in some cases (if you are near-invincible with a DMR but can't use a shotgun to save your life, or can rank up a sniper spree no problem but are hopeless at driving a Ghost then your ability to contribute will be influenced by the map setting), and so on all are contributing factors. A team consisting of four decent players would probably win against a team with one MLG-level player and three horrible players, for example.

It's quite likely that they've already planned out the story as the previous two pointed out, but it's also likely that they'll include the Arbiter

I was just banned for 2738 years from Waypoint, apparently for speculating that Halo 2 Anniversary might come out this year. It was a pure speculation, not a leak, and I was given absolutely zero warning. Based on their reaction I think it's probably true, though.

Right actor, wrong character:

Okay, I don't know if any of you know this, but I don't have a Waypoint account. I was just registering with my email and password...and then I'm allowed in, gamertag and all. But here's the problem. The gamertag is listed as "GalvanicBadge65", which is not my gamertag. Further Xbox.com shows that the gamertag has no service record. What is going on? Does someone have access to my email account? Or was this just a random gamertag assigned to my email because I didn't link one to my account (and wasn't asked to)? I'm changing my email password just to be safe, but what can I do to get this other person (assuming there is another person) out of my Waypoint account?