Chuey Recluse

As Victory Element mentioned above ^ there ****SPOILER AHEAD**** The Flood are actually a form of Precursor. I believe that the Flood are still out there. As for what Seeker of Truth was asking in his first post The Flood in a sense were not trying to "cause war". The Flood want to assimilate every living organism and thus cause the "next step to evolution". That's why Mendicant Bias betrayed the Forerunners because he was convinced by the Gravemind that the Forerunners were delaying biological progress. The Flood actually want to achieve peace but their means to achieve that peace is pretty twisted. Actually almost every faction's means to achieve peace is twisted in its own way.

@Victory Element I was just throwing a thought out there. I like to do serious stuff too. One of the reasons I love the Halo universe so much is because of the amount of effort and time put into crafting its story arc. Halo is full of allegory and symbolism that causes one to think deep about real issues. I could talk for hours and hours about the deeper meanings within Halo that have been artistically woven into its fabric to create a tale that isn't just entertaining but also mind blowing. You see I never bought the games for the multiplayer. Halo sticks out from the crowd because it isn't just about getting millions of young adult men to experience an adrenaline rush from simulated combat. I find it interesting that as popular as Halo is it doesn't get as much attention as COD. I think in a sense that's a good thing. Halo generally appeals to the select group of fans that have been there since CE (not all I admit). Halo fans Believe in a Hero. The most important ideal of Halo is that we "need a hero" because oftentimes we find ourselves helpless when facing impossible odds. Master Chief petty officer John 117 is that embodiment of service and self-sacrifice that humanity needs at those critical life-or-death moments. A powerful picture of that is when John chose to detonate the nuke and save humanity despite the fact that that would mean sacrificing himself and Cortana (the only person/woman/thing he felt close to and loved). I like to write funny pieces because they're relatively easy and light-hearted. Sometimes I draw little comic strips for fun. What I'm trying to say though is that I do like to be serious but being serious is straining. I've had an idea for creating a universe that's taken me months just to write the outline for (and I'm still not done). On top of that I've got to worry about college and I'm in the process of finding a part-time job. Anyway my advice is to just start writing. Keeping clicking away at those keys because becoming a good writer is a labor of love.

I would say go for it! If you want to be an author then write as much as you can. However, fan-fiction at least to me is a little bit difficult. I say that because you have to build on top of what's already been written. You could never really feel like it's your own creation in my opinion. I personally would love to be a part of creating the Halo universe even if it wasn't entirely my idea. I'd definitely follow your work. I like to write as well (I haven't done much and don't write as often as I want to). Maybe we can exchange ideas? I've always wanted to write some fiction about the grunts. There could be a million hilarious stories told about grunts! My suggestion would be to maybe create a fictional character that doesn't necessarily have a huge impact on the canonical arc. In that way you could have huge creative license to write what you want without having to ask if it fits or not. I'd be interested in writing a piece on what it would be like for an average Sangheili to take a trip to a 7 Eleven (post-war of course) and experience his first brain-freeze after trying with difficulty to slurp down a slushee.

To truly appreciate being an American, I believe one would have to live outside of America for some time. I haven't had the opportunity. Honestly I think that the idea that we're invincible is completely false. Empires come and go. What makes America different from Rome is the heart of the people. I love my country. I love the fact that I can protest my leaders if I wish. Many people I think have the false idea that "We're all Created Equal". That is a noble saying but I believe the truth is "We're all created with an equally blank slate". Many are born into poverty. Many are born with disabilities. A few are born well-off. Despite where you're born or to whom you have the chance to do with your life as you wish. One can waste life away doing nothing, serve others, or be self-serving. In America a person is afforded the opportunity to achieve a higher status. The government gives it's citizens the freedom to worship as they see fit (or not). I believe that people should have that choice. America does have a violent past. There were a lot of wrongs as you pointed out. Vietnam wasn't very well thought out and slavery was/is unacceptable. The solution isn't in politics. Our Congress/Senate can pass laws all day but that doesn't mean that it will change anything. We as Americans (to Americans I speak) have to come to the realization that the future of our country rests in our hands. Our decisions are critical. What we choose to support is an indicator of where our hearts are at. The American Dream is shallow dream in the context of this entire tapestry we call human history. Life isn't all about the house with the white-picket fence, the perfect family, the perfect job, and the perfect car. Deep inside the human heart is a constant yearning for "something more". A poor farmer can have nothing but everything with joy in his heart. Don't get me wrong, the American Dream isn't a bad thing. What I'm saying is that this dream isn't the "it" thing. Is America different from other nations? Yes and no. I would hope that the American people would represent themselves in such a way that others would ask "What makes them great?" If we continue this attitude of pride and pomp we'll be no better than the Romans with their oppressive and crushing might. Lately I see that America has become a laughing stock. We're made fun of because our obesity and temporal consumer culture.

I certainly hope not. I know that Chief will have to die sometime eventually. There are so many unexplored areas of the Halo universe. Didact may not even be alive. He probably is alive but we still don't know for sure (at least I think he's not alive). It may be that humanity ends up becoming the monsters (maybe the saviors?) of the Halo universe. We're given the idea that humans are somehow set apart from the rest of the species in Halo. Inheriting the Mantle drove the Forerunners kill off humanity. Even the Covenant hated mankind because they had been chosen to be the inheritors. One question I'm asking is "What is mankind's role in this entire conflict?" To end the saga with the Chief's death wouldn't do the universe justice. He has to die but don't you wonder why the Chief has been given this great and unseen purpose? Halo goes pretty deep when one peels back all of the meaning and symbolism in it. I study symbolism in books and video games. Halo isn't just for entertainment. Halo is a story I've fallen in love with because it isn't just about shooting and killing. Just thought I'd give some thoughts!

I believe that Destiny is going to be an AMAZING game. For me I just hope that the story blows my mind. As big as the game sounds my expectation is that Destiny will set a new standard for video game story-telling. I want to see an epic. I want to laugh and cry. Make me feel like this universe is worth sinking my time into! I don't want a Halo clone (not that Halo isn't AWESOME because it is) or a C.O.D. experience where everyone just plays to get that adrenaline rush. If this game can make the players actually think "WOW this is some deep stuff..." I'll see it as a success.

Sometimes it does stink but you know I'm doing alright. I can have joy in my life and not have to depend on the approval of others. There are so many beautiful women in the world. The problem isn't finding someone you'll be physically attracted to (who likes you back) but finding someone who has a beautiful heart. I love it when I see a woman who clearly has compassion for others. I've never seen Angel Beats but I believe my struggle is quite common. Every time I turn the radio on all I hear is stuff about love and heartbreak. It makes me sick to hear the same message over and over. I want to hear music that talks about the real issues. Let's stop focusing on temporal feelings and start looking ahead. We're young and we got plenty of time to find love. In the meantime lets focus on what we can do to make things better.