AsquithMike

Ok, whilst I am busy, I will post on here another plot line I was thinking about for the next halo installments. As they have yet to announce what the story will be, I am continuously day dreaming about different stories, so I figured I would post another. It involves Cortana and some previously mentioned/ already considered plot derivatives. I will post a full version later tonight.

Pretty cool.

This sounds awesome. I have noticed the graphics 'look' for most game consoles reached their peak around 2009, and have stayed the same every since. Hopefully the newer consoles with state of the art technology will be able to give games even more of a sense of realism - some are almost there I would think. I would just kind of like to see the gap bridged between PC game graphics and Console game graphics, as they have been separate for quite a while - PC's have slightly better graphics.

Decent name. I always thought Xbox 720 sounded stupid.

I don't disagree with you muflapjackie , I - and video game developers alike - dislike criticism with little to no merit. If there is validity to an argument, then I am more than willing to support it. In this case however, the 'evidence' as such in regards to how 'bad a job 343 did with Halo 4' and how they 'screwed the pooch on this one' is little to none at best. The person whom started the thread had a problem with CSR and internet lagging, which is in very little part due to the games development, and has very little if any effect on the game itself. CSR is more commonly known as a 'Competitive Skill Rank', which they have, in the MLG, and is used primarily for status, to say 'Ya, I'm good at this game'. The lagging issue is the fact that they - Jared1991 - use WiFi connections and/or have very low quality internet service (despite his insistence on the best quality internet 'money can buy'). And yes, most game developers use Alpha test groups to fix bugs and check for the overall continuity and flow of a game - to make sure the game makes sense, chronologically, irregardless of story. They then sometimes follow up with Beta tests for the multiplayer - not all games have beta tests (public ones that is). Berating somebody/ a company about their work that you elected to purchase due to what you perceive as 'flawed to an intense degree' is much like saying "I bought this condom and it didn't feel right while I was using it, fix this s**t otherwise I won't buy your s**t anymore." Most people/ businesses - or condom makers - will tell you where to go, in a very colourful manner. Criticism is good, ragging on about something simply because you didn't 'like it' is petty. Usually what accompanies criticism is 'advice' or better known as 'ways to improve your currently existing ." So, any other destitutions you would like to address about Halo 4 whilst I'm here?

Perhaps those seeking a cease fire on the opinions of others needs to first adhere to his own 'opinions'. Another reminder to Need Me Deadeye , Reach was made by Bungie, not 343. And Forge maps, have been around since Halo 3 - also a Bungie game. My argument with the original poster of the thread was to stop berating 343 on their 'first' game release under the Halo franchise - Halo CE Anniversary excluded. Bungie's Halo CE wasn't all puppies and rainbows when it was released, people did just what we are doing - they argued about internet connection, multiplayer maps, story, etc. So perhaps you best do some things to better help your cause before you post using inaccurate information: --check easily found sources (perhaps the back of the game case on Halo: Reach would tell you Bungie developed the game) --actually play the Halo series (playing Halo 3 would have given you insight into the Forge system) --support posts that make logical sense and that most people agree with (i.e the original poster has been disagreed with by not just me, that is a subtle hint) If you need further clarification, feel free to reply to the post.

Cortana will return. That is inevitable. It won't ruin the story, I don't see how it could. There will be differences upon her return: --she will not return and be part of the player's experience - she will no longer be MC in HUD AI --It is not yet clear whether or not MC accepts a new AI companion in Halo 5 - he may go solo --she is an integral part of the Halo series, and will most certainly return in future media - Halo 5 and 6 Whereas I agree that she will no longer be the "voice in you head", I am fairly certain she will return in Trilogy, primarily for story purposes as it was hinted that she plays a very important role in the Forerunner story line. How she returns, why, and the role she plays in future games, remains a mystery. I have theories on why she comes back, others have theories on why she comes back. How and why her returning ruins the story for you is beyond me. Why does it matter that her returning bothers you? --she is an AI, which is capable of being replicated/copied --she replicated herself many times on the Mantle's Approach --while the Mantle's Approach was destroyed, that does not mean she has not replicated herself before --Dr. Halsey also has copies of Cortana - previously mentioned in Halo media - and is capable of flash cloning her brain again --Has been with the MC since Halo CE So, chances of her returning in future games, 99.99%. Chances of her ruining the story for millions of fans, 0.01% So based on those percentages - and a round figure of 15 million fans worldwide, only 150,000 people will be butt hurt by the fact she returns. Those stats are something I think most people can live with. Now, something to think about: --Staph hatin' on m' gurrlll 'superintendent' -- Regards, MC

I like your post, it has many good points to it. However, there are some things I can clear up for you in some of the answers you required. can u explain the gap between h3 and 4 respectively, why we continued the war with the covenant (it wasn't completely explained on the Thursday's War) This information has been available since the initial launch of Halo 4. The Storm Covenant (or Covenant Remnant) was founded in 2553 by Jul 'Mdama. He split his faction of the old Covenant after the disappearance or ousting of the Prophets (San 'Shyuum). The wished to continue to devote their religious beliefs in the original Covenant (which was actually based on an age old mis-translation of the forerunner glyph for "Reclaimer" whereas the Covenant - the Prophets in particular - thought it meant "Reclaim"). They found Requiem in 2554 and have been there ever since. The UNSC is/was aware of the newly formed Covenant Remnant when the split occurred in 2553. Human politics after the war (how the UNSC, UEG, and the human race would function, mainly how the UEG survived after the war). Humanity survived the war, and began to rebuild on the worlds formerly colonized before the war. The UEG and CA are now collectively known as the UNSC after their total political and military takeover of the UEG and CMA during the Human-Covenant War. Though the UEG is still a branch recognized as the United Earth Governments, the UNSC is now the political face and military strong arm to the UEG, thus being the UEG. Also to note, the only portion of Earth that was attacked and therefore rendered demolished by the Covenant was New Mombasa, Africa. The rest of the planet - and quite a large portion of humanity - were not harmed. There were also some unharmed colonies - founded by the UEG before the war - that were not attacked by the Covenant. Also, the UNSC Infinity and several other flagships for the UNSC were being built long before the Human-Covenant War ended. Finally, can u tell how The arbiter kept the covenant together if he does (in either karen traviss' new book or in halo 5) and please, please, please put the arbiter in halo 5 as hopefully an ally, but if not at least an enemy (and maybe we can play as im but thats too good to be true). Also, it has been noted and referenced that the political relations with the Sangheili will be seen in Halo 5, as well as the Arbiter. The issue of the Arbiter's return to the franchise has always been an issue since Halo 4's release, and it will be addressed in Halo 5. Though some have noticed they never explicitly mentioned that it would be the Arbiter we know from the previous Halo trilogy. Could be a hint as to why they seem to want other characters in the series that are central to the story other than the Master Chief, as that too was recently mentioned. An interview with 343 revealed little, but gave hints that 343 wanted to move away slightly from MC and focus more on other characters, similarly to what they were trying to accomplish with Spartan Ops and the Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn mini series. Halo 5 will reveal far more story, far more background, and have a much better scope than Halo 4. Reasoning: every game developer has an end goal. That end goal, as noticed by many, is never achieved on the first game. Has never happened. Bungie did Halo CE, and it was good, but it also had issues with story holes, backstory, multiplayer, etc. They rectified it with Halo 2, which had a host of problems for many reasons. Then they made Halo 3, which kind of wrapped up the trilogy nicely. Halo 3 still had issues, but Bungie ultimately met their end goal. 343 will do a great job at telling this story, I have no doubt. But I also believe that no game made can be without issues. There will always be wants and needs from some gamers, and others saying to leave like it is, and the developer must find a happy medium between the two. So to summarize: your points are mostly valid, and nice in consideration of the old trilogy. Whilst many of your questions can be answered with a simple online reference check, you raise valid questions that many others have also seemingly addressed. I gave you some information, information that I gathered on the subject - I would now implore you to scour the net on your free time and check for yourself to see if you can come up with any further information that I may have missed. **Also, the feeling we missed in Halo 4 as compared to the Bungie Trilogy, was fear. Halo 4 was not thematically frightening or in any way mysterious to a fear inducing degree. In Halo CE, I'm pretty sure the music coupled with the mysterious feeling of uncertainty about the Flood, caused - well at least me anyway - a certain degree of fear. 343 Guilty Spark the mission in Halo CE was kinda scary, they set it up as a frightening level, to introduce the galaxy's most feared entity. The Flood also had their own theme music, and most of time you are alone when fighting during Flood levels. If you have any further questions, just reply to the post, and I will be happy to answer them.

The Flood never 'pulled back' , they simply did not harm human colonies and settlements, after they had been devolved by the Didact. There were not many of them and so it was thought they had a cure. Still not quite sure what the quote above is, or in what context does it relate to the supposed 'cure'. The first quote is talking about a plan the Precursors had to make forerunners and humans one and the same. The reasoning behind that was something to do with the forerunner uprising and the humans being named the true inheritors of the Mantle. And yes, your second quote is the quote from Silentium I was referring too. However, it was theorized that Path Kethona was not actually radiated. Bornstellar's interpretation of the effectiveness of the Omega Halo was observed, however the actual effectiveness was never really proven. The Omega Halos were never fired outside of this one instance. Though agreed, it does reference the fact that it was fired in towards Path Kethona, and so it is considered dead. Well played. However, one must also argue that the Omega Halos were never tested. The Lesser Halos yes, Fabar tested it at Charum Hakkor. So, if Omega Halo was indeed fired towards Path Kethona - which it was - did it wipe out the planet the forerunners were on? or the whole area? Something else to explain I would think. I would also like to believe the Greater Ark is still out there, having been repaired after Omega Halo's destruction. Mainly because 343 had already let slip that the Lesser Ark is still there, badly damaged from the firing of Installation 04, but ultimately it still exists. Something else I will make a thread on: WTF was at the center of the Lesser Ark? It was never explained, though it was briefly mentioned in one of the forerunner books but was never given explicit detail. Anywhos so to summarize: --Flood never pulled back, simlpy avoided human occupied space (part of plan to trick forerunners into wasting time finding a cure) --cure was non existant, quote above merely supplies context to the Precursor's motives behind the creation - or accidental happening upon - the Flood) --Omega Halo's effectiveness was never proven, merely assumed. Whether or not life still exists in Path Kethona is unknown (though Bornstellar assumes it is dead) --Lesser Ark still there, not gone - so Greater Ark could be (home for forerunners after they left the galaxy perhaps?) --and requiring information regarding the Lesser Ark, and what was at the center (planet like thing in the center)

Okay. The quote above refers to an inert immunity as not all sentient life survives the conversion - not everything survives being made into flood spawn. And sentient life also resists - Captain Keyes in the CE terminals resists at first, but eventually succumbs. The Primordial had mentioned in Silentium that he had deceived everybody, I would imagine that would include MB. I could find the quote if you would like. As well I am aware that the Omega Halo was fired "in the direction of Path Kethona" , though it never states that Path Kethona was in fact wiped out. I also have the quote for this if you require it. And - AND - Precursors are the Flood. I am not talking about bringing in anything else but the Flood. I merely suggested they should have the Flood come back, but with the use of Precursor technology like they had during the war with the Forerunners - AND YES I am aware that the Halos destroy Precursor technology, I merely suggested that it would give the flood a more 'darkening' presence if they had it. And yes, I am sure there is a thread somewhere arguing the validity of there being a 'cure' for the Flood. However, Greg Bear and 343 shot that horse in the face in Silentium - quotation available upon request. And yes, Halo 3 did have more on the flood, but they cut it out because it did not fit with the overall story, they had said they regretted not having put more back story into Halo 2 so they could have had a bigger reveal in Halo 3. --Which thankfully 343 is rectifying. I like you IMendicantBias , but you will have to do better than an obscure quote from Primordial to convince me.

In Silentium, it was mentioned - a very heavy plot point throughout the entire Forerunner saga of books - that humanity had developed a cure for the Flood. There was in fact no cure, because in Silentium it was revealed that the Flood are Precursors and that they had simply receded, and did not infect humanity on purpose as they had chosen them to be true upholders of the Mantle. And yes, while I am aware Fabar fired a Omega Halo towards 'Path Kethona', I still have the understanding that the Omega Halos were used as a means of a beam weapon of sorts. They still possess the Halo Effect, however, they concentrate it through the use of a beam. Though it was never specified how far the beam reaches, and as well, the Sphere they passed on the way to Path Kethona is also subject in this case. Its purpose was never explained fully - they mentioned something about a slip space anchor of sorts. 343 had explained that this series - Halo 4 - 6 - would be a much darker, and ultimately more culminating story line from start to finish. I believe they will bring the Precursors back - the Flood in particular. The only difference I believe they will make to the Flood this time however, is they will fully explain what it is, where it came from, and why it exists. I do not believe they bring in an actual Precursor, but if they bring back the Flood and delve into its dark origins, I would figure it would make the games a lot more dark, mysterious for some people. For someone like me - before I started reading - I was always a little angry with how they left Halo 3, and never explaining what the Flood was, or why it was there. So, to summarize: --Flood, bring back, give them their old technologies to spice things up --Path Kethona - is it there? And if so who is there? --Humanity - chosen by Precursors to inherit Mantle - thought to have a cure for the Flood (in reality, it was all part of a Flood plan, there is no real cure)

Top Ten List Story -- Cortana's return (can be stretched out into Halo 6, would just like to know that she is coming back) -- Return of the Flood (in some variation) -- New armor suit -- A cliffhanger ending (like Halo 2 but not quite as abrupt) -- The Ur-Didact, angrier and more screen time (he was an awesome villain, but he was underused in Halo 4, which makes me think he will be over used in the next few games) -- More open plane missions (larger field of battle, like a war zone area) -- Use of larger vehicles (I cannot be the only one who has wanted to pilot a frigate like UNSC Forward Unto Dawn in a massive space battle?!) Multiplayer -- smoother multiplayer engine -- more vehicle based maps (larger maps) -- and again, larger maps, HUGE maps, so much more fun, especially for larger groups

Now, here me out. Though I fully believe that all remnants of Precursor technology are gone in this galaxy - this being the Halo fictitious one - wouldn't there be Precursor remains in the other galaxy the Librarian traveled too? It is mentioned she traveled to this other galaxy, saw 'star roads' and some other Precursor artifacts, along with ancient forerunner warships. Now onto my more pressing question. What if in the next few installments of the Halo games series, the flood returns - being precursors - and regains the use of their old neural physics technology? That would be a sight to see. The books described the creation of 'star roads' so vividly, I would love to see how they would make that on screen. Any thoughts? What would you guys think about them bringing in Precursor technology and giving the flood the use of it? Would it make the flood seem more mysterious, dark, ancient, incomprehensible? A more formidable enemy perhaps? Would it make for better games - in terms of campaign missions - ? Post away!!

What most people seem to forget is that Bungie had never made a full three game story arch, and thereby causing the above mentioned issues with consistency in regards to what the Halos were designed to do. However, in most of the books, primarily the Forerunner Saga, it is mentioned that the lesser Halos (7 rings controlled by the Lesser Ark) manipulate the structure of Neural Physics, a pulse effect that eliminates cellular structure in all life. It was mentioned that the neural physics aspect was never intended, as said by the Master Builder Fabar. The 'Halo Effect' is the energy created by the halos, it was designed as a powerful antimatter energy that reverts sentient life into their base molecules and elements. One must also remember, that there are actually two sets of Halos, Omega Halos and Lesser Halos, that were made, and they deal with the flood in two very different ways. Omega Halos were controlled by the Greater Ark, and the Lesser Halos were controlled by the Lesser Ark. Initially, there were supposed to be 12 ring worlds - 7 were actually built - called Halos, however they were renamed Omega Halos after the construction of the Lesser Ark and the Lesser Halos. --The Omega Halos were far larger in scale and used a considerable amount of slip space to move around the galaxy --the Master Builder commissioned the Lesser Halos construction just before Mendicant Bias assaulted the Forerunner capital --almost all of the Omega Halos were destroyed - one was accounted for and saved --the Omega Halos only fired a beam of the aforementioned 'Halo effect' - basically they were a crap design, theoretically they would have been used against singular flood infested systems, instead of the galaxy wide pulse effect, they would target only singular planets. As for how the Halos stop the flood, they are basically giant Anti-Matter pulse amplifiers. They revert sentient life to is base molecules, as stated in numerous articles, and some of the information can be found in the first three games. Now most of the information I have is based on the games, some from the books. Though because 343 endorses the books, I would imagine they would use the back story and details provided in them. Anywhos, just figured I would put my two cents in on the matter. Sorry, it posted before I finished tweeking!! But yes, BackDemon, they basically fry everything in the galaxy, though the planets after many years become fertile again - due to the base molecules and elements left over from the reverted sentient life. They never do show the Halos being fired, which does bother me in a sense, although the books describe it in a sufficient way I suppose. If you have ever seen 'Prometheus' the movie, in the opening scene the man that drinks the liquid, basically the halos do a galaxy wide version of that - minus the creation of life afterwards.

It wasn't so much as to say, "ya, because he has no eyebrows, he is definitely not human." And I wouldn't say that he transformed into Bornstellar either. I merely suggested he was Bornstellar from the get go. Like I said, his height difference from beginning to end in Halo 4, Dr. Halsey's interest in him, what the Librarian did to him on Requiem. Don't get me wrong, I just thought that my theory 'fits' to a degree. But yes, I do agree. There would be a lot to explain if MC were to be Bornstellar. They would need to explain how he reverted back to a maniplar (something mentioned in Halo Cryptum) , why he put himself into stasis in the first place (possibly knowing of the Ur-Didact's intentions?) , and why he would have no memory of being Bornstellar (???). But I leave you with a tidbit I garnered from reading Silentium. --If you recall, 343 Guilty Spark said to MC in Halo CE, "You asked me once, if it were my choice, would I do it? Having considerable time to ponder your query, my answer has not changed." Which, near the end of Silentium, Bornstellar asks 343 Guilty Spark, though 343 gives no answer. Now, perhaps I read to much into things, but 343 also said to MC in Halo 3 "You are Forerunner!" However, in that same conversation he also called humanity 'inheritors of all we left behind' so perhaps that was merely to say that the forerunners intended for humanity to succeed them. Perhaps I am wrong. Nevertheless I enjoy thinking about the endless possibilities that could be. And I look forward to seeing the story unfold over the next few years, as I'm sure however it turns out, it will be epic.

Your idea could be a good one, one that would have many different aspects to it. Including culture, back story, etc. However I have to agree with some other members, it would be quite difficult to integrate the story into the Halo series. It could be something more towards a mini game or in game mission where you play as Cortana or another AI who has taken over a Mgalegkoko and is using it to preform a task of sorts. But to actually create a game series around the species is possibly pushing it a little. I do like the idea, there are many ways of going about it: as it is stated somewhere, the worms become smarter and more aware when they are greater in number, so consciousness in terms of a character personality would not be out of the question. Game could have features where if you use worms or find worms from different areas or that have experienced different things, the more you personality changes, weapons, character traits, armor, etc. But again, it would be difficult to imagine an entire game based around the idea. Though a very interesting idea nonetheless.

Halo 4 is one of the best games ever produced for the Xbox 360, hands down. The Halo series of games, originally created by Bungie, were made as story based FPS games. They added a multiplayer to give the players of the game something to come back too, so that they would not just play the story then put the game on a shelf. The original Halo had a very primitive multiplayer because the developers focused more on the story. Same goes for Halo 2. Halo 3 saw a better more advanced multiplayer system at the demand of the fans, because the multiplayer became so popular with Halo 2. The spin off games (ODST and Reach) had decent multiplayer systems as well, though I have honestly never played ODST multiplayer. Bungie initially told a story - albeit a great one - and made multiplayer an afterthought, then, with their last games they made the multiplayer work well. There are many different aspects to the games and to the story that differ in terms of fan base, and unfortunately, story based fans - and developers - kind of win in this scenario. 343 focused more on the story - as they should have - and gave the multiplayer a very good go, and I still enjoy playing it occasionally. But you have to look at what else is going on in the world of gaming besides Halo 4. Call of Duty Black Ops came out very close to Halo 4 and kind of overshadowed the Multiplayer universe for the game. I cannot stand Call of Duty, any of the games, because every person I speak to has never even played the story missions, they jump straight onto the multiplayer to 'Prestige' of something to that effect. Mainly because Call of Duty is a multiplayer based game. And it definitely has its fair share of issues in terms of 'Lag' - though to be perfectly honest, Halo 4 has never lagged on me and I have a cabled internet connection. I know people with Wifi connections that have major issues, but that is most likely the connection itself. Point is: --stop ragging on 343 --get a decent internet provider --stop whining about CSR - majority of us don't care - If you want that, go join the MLG --all games have their issues, this game has some, learn to live with it. If you don't like my answers, become a game developer and make your own game, its definitely not as simple as one might think.

I believe Cortana will turn out to be the main character/focus of the next 2 installments by 343. There are many reasons as to why, but to support others who have posted on this thread, the MC has a strong connection with her, and to remove her from the main story line would kind of ruin the Halo experience for many. Too me, the spin off games like Reach and ODST were missing something. And that something was Cortana and her insight in the story. You feel more... alone without her there, which I think may be something the developers of Halo 5 will play on, making the game feel darker, and making the player feel more alone. Although I have my own theories behind why I believe Cortana will be in future games and media. The simple fact that the Didact took an interest in her aboard his ship alone tells me she will become an important figure in future games. But I will agree with the majority on this one and say that she is going to come back in future games.

My hopes for Halo's story, as it would make for some epic FPS missions and one of the greatest science fiction stories ever made. What is known: FORERUNNER --the Didact is for certain the Ur-Didact --the Librarian is dead - Chant-to-Green took her place as Lifeshaper --the Iso-Didact was still alive after the firing of the Halos (Bornstellar) --343 Guilty Spark was Chakas --there was a forerunner colony in another galaxy far from the reaches of the Halos (the most probable place the forerunners fled too after reseeding the galaxy) --that 6 of the original 7 Halos remain (from the Lesser Ark) --that a city of nearly 2 million people had been composed (end of Halo 4) --the Ur-Didact's interest in Cortana (...."this evolved ancilla") HUMAN --Master Chief was/is the only Spartan 2 left alive --humanity has begun cataloging all the halos and forerunner artifacts in their galaxy --humanity has also begun to integrate their technology with forerunner technology --Dr. Halsey was kidnapped by the Storm Covenant, obtained the Janus Key. The key was split in two: half was kept by Dr. Halsey, the other was given to Spartan Gabriel Thorne --Cortana supposedly died/ended service after the destruction of the Ur-Didact's ship --Cortana was created/found by Dr. Halsey on Reach, in an ancient forerunner complex, housing a crystal FLOOD --even a single flood spore can house the memories and intellect of every flood being before it --originated from powdered Precursors --used as an act of vengeance upon the forerunner race --no cure - even though it is eluded that humanity had a cure, this was later discredited when it was revealed that the flood had simply receeded from human space, not infecting them --supposedly destroyed at the end of Halo 3 COVENANT --Arbiter has returned to rebuild his home world --Storm Covenant was/is a covenant fleet sent to Requiem after being founded in 2553 after Halo 3 --now in the possession of Dr. Halsey and part of the Janus Key MY STORY PREDICTIONS Halo 4 set the story: Master Chief, awakes the Ur-Didact, bent on the destruction of the human race to prove that they are unworthy to bear the Mantle of Responsibility. Ultimately, it would seem as though the Didact failed, his ship destroyed, and he himself is MIA. though there would be a darker plot afoot. What-ifs: The Ur-Didact mentioned on his ship, through voice overs, the "secret you have kept from me........this evolved ancilla". My question is, what is the only ancilla created after the Ur-Didact was put into stasis or the only ancilla the Ur-Didact may not have ever seen or come into contact with? There are 3 answers: Cortana who is made by Dr. Halsey, the ancilla the Librarian gave to Bornstellar or...... Offensive Bias. Offensive Bias was made between finding the Ur-Didact and the firing of the Halos. But it is never mentioned that he saw or interacted with this ancilla. Offensive Bias was more cold and calculating, but in the terminals seemed very..... human like or personable shall we say. Gender is never mentioned as it is an ancilla so gender is irrelevant. May extrapolation is that Cortana was/is Offensive Bias, merely re-written by Dr. Halsey. Which would still leave the canon that she was "made" by Dr. Halsey but alter Cortana's own backstory, making the plot I have devised even more intriguing. The Ur-Didact can clearly be heard speaking in the epilogue of Halo 4. His speech is directed at Forerunners, that much is made very clear. He seems to be addressing a collective. Knowing that forerunners survived and ultimately relocated to another galaxy. To which galaxy, I dare say the one that was discovered by the Librarian in the time before the last Forerunner-Flood War. It would make sense that they ultimately chose to relocate there because of the abundance of Forerunners, and because of the Organic Domain they had on that world. And further extrapolation would suggest the forerunners to have survived the halos firing would have also moved out to that galaxy, it would only be fair to suggest that forerunners are once again a powerful civilization (having been given 100,000 years and having the technology they had taken with them to those other forerunners in the other galaxy, it would only be fair to say they have become larger in scope). Which would mean that the Ur-Didact was sent, along with the raw data collected by the composer, to Requiem (as eluded to in Spartan Ops via the episodes) and then left for this galaxy (Or the speech he was giving was a foretelling of the story for Halo 5). Master Chief is a human Spartan 2 soldier. That much we understand. However, it was noted that, when humanity was reseeded on the world Erde-Tyrene, the geas left by the Librarian was removed from humanity. Everybody was screened before departing from the forerunner ships, and all traces of the Librarian were removed. Though, the Librarian herself mentions the "gene plans" she had placed in "you". As well, the line "1000 lifetimes of planning", which would mean the Librarian has an active knowledge of Living Time, meaning she could not have been just a "recording". I would venture a guess as to say the Librarian survived the firing of the Halos. To what extent I do not know but I can speculate that she may not be forerunner anymore (AI/digital or perhaps even.......flood). Back to the Master Chief; he was spoken to by above mentioned Librarian. She apparently activated the gene plan she had implemented in humanity years before hand. Now there are two explanations: (1) it really was a gene plan enacted by the Librarian after the firing of the Halos and the reseeding of humanity or (2)......it was brevet mutation. The chamber the chief was in when this occurred was observed to have a view of the outside (direct view of the stars and space, as required for any mutation). Something else that is interesting is that when you see Master Chief's face in the Legendary epilogue of Halo 4, he has no eyebrows. Curious. The game developers make a point of ensuring all of the other human characters have eyebrows except the MC. Now, please enlighten me as to who has no eyebrows and is a member of another species? Answers: the Arbiter and ....the Ur-Didact. Every forerunner seen has had no eyebrows, which is interesting. Now, to be more clear as to why I believe the MC underwent a brevet mutation: the Ur-Didact underwent a brevet mutation before composing his army, and became immune to the Composer, which is exactly what happened when MC was "accelerated" by the Librarian. The flood are not done, never will be. Halo's story line is dripping with Flood everywhere, to eliminate the possibility of the Flood returning to the franchise would be dismissive as they are crucial to the story. Now in which manor they come back, I am not sure, though I guess as to a few ways. MY PREDICTIONS TO SUMMARIZE AND CLARIFY: I believe Cortana is Offensive Bias in one form or another. --she will be found alive and well, though ashamed and upset that she never told MC --she will also be the most controversial character in this trilogy of games, my reasons are below in the MC section The Ur-Didact will assemble the forerunner race in force to strip humanity of the Mantle, as the Ur-Didact wishes to prove the Precursors wrong that Humanity was meant to inherit the Mantle --he may or may not become infected by the flood (would be cool to see) --I do not believe that he will die (or if he does, he will have made peace with the MC) --I think the ending to this trilogy will see him and humanity 'together' in some form or another The Librarian is alive, though she may be flood infected, helping humanity to inherit the Mantle through 'alternative ways' --she and Cortana have a plot afoot involving the MC --has a vested interest in the MC and humanity (more than a forerunner would) Now for a plot twist: I believe that the Master Chief is actually Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting. Now I have many reasons to believe as such. --the Librarian had prior knowledge of him, his suit, and his ancilla --refers to him as 'You' and addresses him a less than formal manner different to how she addressed Dr. Halsey in Requiem --preformed what I believe was a brevet mutation on him - which if you watch all the Halo 4 cut scenes you would notice MC's height difference from start to finish, Commander Palmer is dwarfed by him in the epilogue, yet is only a few inches shorter than him when they first meet. --and he has no real back story, that he refers to that is known as fact --Dr. Halsey has a vested interest in him, more than any other Spartan --yes I know, he is supposed to have 6 fingers, but that could easily be explained. --it was mentioned that Bornstellar could return to being a maniplar if he so desired, and so I believe he did, so he could live the way he intended to It is my belief that the Master Chief is Bornstellar because I believe there to be more in depth back story as to the departure of the Forerunner's from the galaxy. MY VERSION OF HALO BACK STORY: I believe Bornstellar had himself put into stasis with Offensive Bias. When he went into stasis, he said the lines: "Wake me when you need me." to Offensive Bias, and so humanity found them some years later. Dr. Halsey being assigned to the project, interacted with Offensive Bias first, and having done so, integrated her own mind with its, thereby making Cortana. Halsey explained that a living forerunner, especially one that was a warrior-servant (knowledge gained through their time conversing) would be a valuable asset to humanity. Though, Halsey explained further, it would be a liability if he were to remember who he was, and what he did. So, Cortana rewrote his memory, giving him made up memories of a life he would have lived as a human. The Spartan 2 program started, with new technology garnered from Cortana and Master Chief (suit, interface, etc.) (1) Librarian: She survived the firing of the Halos on earth, and watched over humanity. Currently lives on earth, and has yet to found. (2) Librarian: Survived the firing of the halos, though was infected by the flood. Made a pact with the flood to eradicate the forerunner civilization, and to give humanity the Mantle. GAME PLOTS - FUTURE MEDIA I believe Halo 5 will focus mostly on the retrieval of the Janus Key and Dr. Halsey. Halsey will then at some point during the course of her rescue reveal a partial truth to MC about Cortana and him, and what they really are. She will say more about Cortana's origins rather than his, as she feels it is Cortana's responsibility to tell MC the truth. She then reveals that with the Janus Key, it is possible to find Cortana (Offensive Bias) using it (the All Record). Further along in the story it is revealed that the flood is alive, and has infected the Storm Covenants forces, and that an inner war between the flood and the Covenant ensues - near the All Record. The Ur-Didact towards the end of the game, jumps out of slip space with an army of forerunners and prometheans - near earth, in the epilogue. I believe Halo 6 will focus more on the retrieval of Cortana from the All Record, and the information she has in regards to MC and humanity. I think this is when the Flood will reveal its true nature, in and that it wanted humanity to attain the Mantle, not forerunners, and in order to make this a reality, it had to draw out the remaining forerunners using MC and humanity (this is probably when the Librarian will reveal her pact with the flood to ensure humanity's survival). In order to save humanity, MC rushes through slip space with the help of the Flood to Earth, and confronts the Ur-Didact. Upon realizing his inevitable defeat, he makes peace with the MC, revealing to him that he is Bornstellar, whilst Cortana confirms it. The Didact then realizes what he must do in order to stop the flood........ too many hypotheses to list, suffice to say, it will be a grande finale. CONCLUSIONS Though I may be completely wrong, and many of my ideas have there fair share of holes in terms of explanation. I believe at least some of what I posted is true. More so the idea that Master Chief is not John the Spartan 2 test subject. He may not be Bornstellar, but he most definitely is not the man he thinks he is. Also I believe the portion involving Cortana is true, that she is either Offensive Bias or the Librarian's ancilla that was given to Bornstellar. I believe she will play a vital role in further games and will always be part of the Halo universe. Those are my thoughts. If you agree, disagree, have further information regarding the above mentioned, feel free to post. I always love hearing hypotheses regarding Halo story lines and back stories. ***Sorry that it is so long, I have just been wanting to voice my hopes for so long, I figured I would give as much information and evidence as to my predictions as possible.*** *** I am aware there is a thread about halo plot lines already, however being a new member, I can't seem to find it. ***