Halo 4; a missed opportunity.

[silver wolf009]

Hello everyone. Wow, it's been a long, long time since I actually started a thread, but I just wanted to get some feedback about an idea I had earlier. As the title tells, I got this idea from the a recent live action Halo 4 trailer. This one actually:


Link here, in case it doesn't work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsWyP0LBikI&feature=youtu.be&CID=20120604AWENUSSAGOOGSPAD0000NONEPREORD

Now, what I'm talking about happens at about 0:05 seconds into the trailer. The first sentence in the video, "It's been four years since the end of the war..."

Am I alone in thinking this is a huge wasted opportunity?

Think about it, we've got Master Chief, suspended in space on a half ruined wreck of a ship being put into deep cryo to survive the wait until he's discovered. Why do something like that and not jump ahead a long time into the future? I had the idea of having him wake up hundreds of years in the future to a world far more advanced than the one he left. That gives 343 the ability to make a new enemy, set the difficulty of that enemy, instate new parts of the mythos, and, what I'd like to see the most, give John a story. Imagine being raised for war, training like an animal, being pumped full of drugs, getting sent out to the front line to fight, kill, and watch your friends die, only to one day wake up to find that not only have you won, but also that your enemy is now your friend, and you're not needed anymore. What would that do to him if he wakes up to find that not only are there better soldiers than him now, with better gear and better training, but maybe they're the foot soldiers? The best of the best getting a reality check and suddenly being nothing more than a wartime novelty which the reinstate for little reason more than formalities. I'd love to see a more character driven story where it follows him trying to keep up in a military fighting force where he's no longer top of the line, and in all honesty, isn't needed to win fights.

I just feel that not moving ahead in time, and making the Covenant, or at least parts of it, an enemy, is just a step backwards when there's so much more room to maneuver now. Thoughts on this idea?

Captch: Roast Beef.

No thank you, I just ate actually.

 

[Urgh76]

I agree whole-heartily.

Quite a shame.

 

[ChildishLegacy]

Hrm, although it would be on the same time-line as halo, it would just feel like a different universe with the same main character and subtle hints of the past games. I think with the halo series they are going for a chain of events in a certain era of the universe's timeline, rather than going drastically up/down the timeline.

Also they'd have to rehaul almost all the weapons which would mean making a completely new, way harder to balance multiplayer. All i really care about in a halo game is a balanced multiplayer, which reach didn't offer, so fingers crossed this brings back halo 2/3's glory.

 

[AndrewF022]

Yea, I agree... but I understand why 343 has done it. It's far safer to give the hardcore Halo fans what they really want, simply more of the same. Change to much and they run the risk of 'betrayal' in the eyes of the fans. Since this is their first new Halo game, best to start small, just refine what Bungie started, then move on in the future and make more changes.

Also, read the novels and you'll get a lot more of the story. 'The Fall of Reach' by Eric Nylund gives a much more detailed back story to the chief, and the quality of the narrative far exceeds anything you'll find in the games.

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

Because that would have required forward thinking and a touch of originality. Something that has been long absent from Halo. In all seriousness I wish they never made this game. I played a lot of Halo 2 and 3 multiplayer but then they released ODST and the series went downhill and fuck it now they're just milking it destroying the good name Halo once had. It's not just Halo, the process has begun with Gears of War now as well, but sticking on topic; you're idea is kind of what I expected (the waking up 100 years in the future and finding a new enemy part - not the Masterchief is now obsolete part, that would defeat the purpose of the series as 343 see it) but instead what we see is that now you will have the ability to see your enemies in multiplayer through walls. Cool story. Stick to ruining your own IP 343.

Also, read the novels and you'll get a lot more of the story. 'The Fall of Reach' by Eric Nylund gives a much more detailed back story to the chief, and the quality of the narrative far exceeds anything you'll find in the games.

No offense but if I'm going to read a book, it's not going to have anything to do with Halo.

 

[Aerosteam]

Sweet Jesus, that's a lot of posts you have, and I don't think I've seen you before.

Spoiled due to length. I shall respond to all your queries because I'm bored and can't sleep:

Spoiler: H4LO

Am I alone in thinking this is a huge wasted opportunity?

You're never the only one. Ever.

Think about it, we've got Master Chief, suspended in space on a half ruined wreck of a ship being put into deep cryo to survive the wait until he's discovered. Why do something like that and not jump ahead a long time into the future?

At the end of Halo 3, the half-ship was moving pretty close to Requiem. At four years after, it crashes there. The ship would be moving extremely slow if it were to crash several decades after, but it wasn't.

I had the idea of having him wake up hundreds of years in the future to a world far more advanced than the one he left. That gives 343 the ability to make a new enemy, set the difficulty of that enemy, instate new parts of the mythos, and, what I'd like to see the most, give John a story.

343i have already made a new enemy, the Prometheans and all the other lifeforms on Requiem.

Imagine being raised for war, training like an animal, being pumped full of drugs, getting sent out to the front line to fight, kill, and watch your friends die, only to one day wake up to find that not only have you won, but also that your enemy is now your friend, and you're not needed anymore. What would that do to him if he wakes up to find that not only are there better soldiers than him now, with better gear and better training, but maybe they're the foot soldiers? The best of the best getting a reality check and suddenly being nothing more than a wartime novelty which the reinstate for little reason more than formalities.

Chief has been sleeping. He doesn't know there's a Spartan 4 training program. All he knows after Halo 3 was that there was peace made between Humans and a fraction of the Covenant. Not sure if a heard 100% correctly, but during an interview with 343i it was said that Chief's main goal is to get out of Requiem using the UNSC Infinity and that's all he wants.

I'd love to see a more character driven story where it follows him trying to keep up in a military fighting force where he's no longer top of the line, and in all honesty, isn't needed to win fights.

Sadly for you the game will focus nothing on that. I don't know what else to reply to this.

I just feel that not moving ahead in time, and making the Covenant, or at least parts of it, an enemy, is just a step backwards when there's so much more room to maneuver now. Thoughts on this idea?

I'll say it again, the Covenant are not the only enemies. And it's the start of an entire new trilogy so why wouldn't they maneuver the series within it?

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Also, read the novels and you'll get a lot more of the story. 'The Fall of Reach' by Eric Nylund gives a much more detailed back story to the chief, and the quality of the narrative far exceeds anything you'll find in the games.

No offense but if I'm going to read a book, it's not going to have anything to do with Halo.

Might I ask why? I've never read a Halo novel (not a big fan of the series) but those big franchise novels make great summer beach reads. Think Star Wars, Star Trek, Battletech, and so on and so forth. You can usually pick them up dirt cheap at used bookstores, and it's a great way to spend a lazy afternoon.


OT:

Interesting idea, but unfortunately, this is a game series, not a movie series. People have already explained why that wouldn't work, the fans expect a Halo game, and because of the way the mechanics are connected to the story (think guns) going that far forward has a good chance of making it a Halo game in name only.

 

[CaseClosed343]

This sounds more like an idea for a book or movie, but not a game. Its not bad, but I don't really think I would want to play that Halo 4.
I mean what the hell am I supposed to do if I'm outdated and everyone else is so much better than me? Master Chief wouldn't try to surpass them because they are already hundreds of years ahead of him, he would understand that it is pointless.
Honestly, I think if Master Chief woke up to find that he is not needed anymore and that everything is at peace, he'd probably just go back to sleep.

 

[TheOneBearded]

How can someone say bad things about the story for Halo 4 when there hasn't been any details given out? We don't even know who the bad guys are!

 

[Windcaler]

I think the scneario mentioned is an interesting one but to be fair, I dont think the majority of halo fans would like it. With these games I think its important to keep to the fans desires and if it doesnt meet the expectations of others then it doesnt meet them. Thats how franchises go. That said, i think what might be a good alternative is to have that happen to a different spartan because the primary issue I see is once you go ahead in time you cant go back to tell other stories

Also, read the novels and you'll get a lot more of the story. 'The Fall of Reach' by Eric Nylund gives a much more detailed back story to the chief, and the quality of the narrative far exceeds anything you'll find in the games.

The problem with reading the novels is it shows how badly the original halo games told its story. Ive only played the first four games (1,2, 3 and ODST) and for me Master chief has nearly no personality or history and what personality he does have is extremely vague. So hes not an interesting character, if he can be considered a character at all

 

[Baldr]

Part of the Story involves Cortana. Third generation smart A.I. can only last eight years before something bad happens. UNSC put in restrictions to deactivate them after seven years. This was in the lore since the first game(at least in the books). Moving it ahead in time would have to cut Cortana out of the game.

 

[Korten12]

No, 343 has been building up Halo 4 with the Novels: Glasslands, Cryptum, Primordium, and the upcoming Thursday War.

Sorry to say but this isn't a good idea at all. Well maybe for another series, but not Halo.

 

[daveman247]

All i really care about in a halo game is a balanced multiplayer, which reach didn't offer, so fingers crossed this brings back halo 2/3's glory.

Huh, i guess thats where opinions differ

OT: If that happened, it wouldnt be halo anymore. Things would be so different hundreds of years later... they'd may as well just make another franchise.

 

[Lovely Mixture]

Every main Halo after the first game has been a missed opportunity to me.

Halo 1 introduced a simple but interesting setting, and a cool world, even without the novels it was intriguing to have an alien enemy we didn't know much about yet saw so much of.

Halo 2 only expanded a bit on the Covenant side of the story, but rather than move forward the setting they opted to put us back on a Halo and do nothing spectacular.

Halo 3 barely had any story at all, did nothing to expand on the Arbiter, pathetically killed off Johnson, Miranda, Truth, and Spark, and had those silly Cortana moments, and I say this as Cortana being my favorite character of the series.

How can someone say bad things about the story for Halo 4 when there hasn't been any details given out? We don't even know who the bad guys are!

But we do have the details. We know the basic plot now.

No, 343 has been building up Halo 4 with the Novels: Glasslands, Cryptum, Primordium, and the upcoming Thursday War.

Sorry to say but this isn't a good idea at all. Well maybe for another series, but not Halo.

Methinks you really missed the point of the thread. OP isn't talking about his idea being better, he's opening a discussion about Halo 4 being a wasted opportunity for something new. He's using his idea as an example.

Try to be less obnoxious with your emoticons.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

Part of the Story involves Cortana. Third generation smart A.I. can only last eight years before something bad happens. UNSC put in restrictions to deactivate them after seven years. This was in the lore since the first game(at least in the books). Moving it ahead in time would have to cut Cortana out of the game.

No, the AIs eat their own brains and have to be manually deleted. Since no one is around to delete her (and Chief wouldn't ever do it himself) she'd still be there. There and batshit crazy.

 

[Batou667]

Every main Halo after the first game has been a missed opportunity to me.

Halo 1 introduced a simple but interesting setting, and a cool world, even without the novels it was intriguing to have an alien enemy we didn't know much about yet saw so much of.

Halo 2 only expanded a bit on the Covenant side of the story, but rather than move forward the setting they opted to put us back on a Halo and do nothing spectacular.

Halo 3 barely had any story at all, did nothing to expand on the Arbiter, pathetically killed off Johnson, Miranda, Truth, and Spark, and had those silly Cortana moments, and I say this as Cortana being my favorite character of the series.

Wait, what?

Halo 2 not only introduced the Brutes and Prophets, among other new races, but also progressed the story by bringing the action to Earth, properly introduced the Sgt Johnson character for the first time, gave us a much better view of Covenant politics via the Arbiter and the Heretic leader, the Covenant civil war happened, the full extent of the Halo ring system was revealed, the Flood leadership was revealed... and this is "nothing spectacular"?

Halo 3 again upped the stakes when the Flood finally made it to Earth (before being glassed, at the expense of half of Africa), it turned out that there was a portal to the Ark buried under Keyan desert all along, we see a more fleshed-out version of the two Covenant factions and the internal politicking that goes on (Prophet of Truth being a dick, mostly). A lot of the characters deaths made sense from a story conclusion point of view, particularly the main antagonists Truth and Spark. The Covenant's revolution gets resolved, Earth is saved by the skin of its teeth, Humanity discovers they're sitting on a teleporter to outside of the galaxy... and this is "barely any story at all"?

You sound like a hard guy to please.

Although, a lot of the story decisions I've seen in Halo 4 have made me think of lazy or missed opportunities. So, Chief wakes up and makes his way to the unknown planet... and just at this exact moment in time a UNSC ship just so happens to crash land on the surface (because that's the first time this has happened, amirite?), purely for the reason that some guy in the design department decided that it wouldn't be a Halo game without Marines and Warthogs and weapon drops and all that jazz. So - *ping!* - deus ex machina, you ordered a beleagured starship full of military hardware?

Similarly, the stupid decision to retcon Elites back into being enemies. It would make much more sense for Brutes to be the main enemies in this game, after the Elites made a peace treaty with Earth. But I guess that, once again, the bean-counters at 343 decided a lot of players were probably introduced to the series at Halo Reach (and had either seen or played CE Anniversary), were accustomed to fighting Elites, and therefore the new game needed to retain that element. Metagame continuity is more important than canon continuity, apparently.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

Halo's always had a tissue thin story and a real lack of character. I don't think it matters what direction they want to take it.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

-

I fixed the link if you want to edit your OP. Quote me and just copy and paste the youtube bit.

 

[Lovely Mixture]

Wait, what?

Halo 2 not only introduced the Brutes and Prophets, among other new races, but also progressed the story by bringing the action to Earth, properly introduced the Sgt Johnson character for the first time,

How long were we on earth? One level, two if you want to count the space station. But I will concede the Johnson part.

gave us a much better view of Covenant politics via the Arbiter and the Heretic leader, the Covenant civil war happened, the full extent of the Halo ring system was revealed, the Flood leadership was revealed... and this is "nothing spectacular"?

I already admitted that the Covenant side was expanded. The Civil War was interesting, but it side-steps the issue of Covenant's war with humanity (notice how you never fight humans as the Arbiter). But everything else is just revelations, and the Halo ring system was already alluded to in Halo 1, we knew there was more than one Halo.

Halo 3 again upped the stakes when the Flood finally made it to Earth (before being glassed, at the expense of half of Africa)

You just answered why I take issue with it, the Flood being a threat is quickly dispensed. There was no point to bring them to Earth in the first place.

it turned out that there was a portal to the Ark buried under Kenyan desert all along,

Again, this is just a revelation. Why was it there? What does this mean for humans later on? Never discussed

we see a more fleshed-out version of the two Covenant factions and the internal politicking that goes on (Prophet of Truth being a dick, mostly).

As you said. We only see Truth's arrogance floundering about. That's not "internal politicking" that's just characterization of one character. We hardly got to see the Elite's side of things, and the Grunts and Hunters merely returned as enemies.

A lot of the characters deaths made sense from a story conclusion point of view, particularly the main antagonists Truth and Spark.

Yes, but to me they (Miranda, Truth, and Johnson) were hardly developed. Their deaths as such meant nothing to me.

The Covenant's revolution gets resolved, Earth is saved by the skin of its teeth, Humanity discovers they're sitting on a teleporter to outside of the galaxy... and this is "barely any story at all"?

The revolution is resolved? Hardly, merely forgotten, it would be silly assume Truth's death would end it.

Earth being saved. What of it?

The Ark being on Earth? Just a revelation, again never discussed.

You sound like a hard guy to please.

Yeah that's me. I see wasted opportunities with Halo's story. I read the novels when I was young and into Halo and hoped that the games would begin to take on that sort of narrative.

Although, a lot of the story decisions I've seen in Halo 4 have made me think of lazy or missed opportunities. So, Chief wakes up and makes his way to the unknown planet... and just at this exact moment in time a UNSC ship just so happens to crash land on the surface (because that's the first time this has happened, amirite?), purely for the reason that some guy in the design department decided that it wouldn't be a Halo game without Marines and Warthogs and weapon drops and all that jazz. So - *ping!* - deus ex machina, you ordered a beleagured starship full of military hardware?

Similarly, the stupid decision to retcon Elites back into being enemies. It would make much more sense for Brutes to be the main enemies in this game, after the Elites made a peace treaty with Earth. But I guess that, once again, the bean-counters at 343 decided a lot of players were probably introduced to the series at Halo Reach (and had either seen or played CE Anniversary), were accustomed to fighting Elites, and therefore the new game needed to retain that element. Metagame continuity is more important than canon continuity, apparently.

I agree with all of this. These are the same issues I take with it: "Metagame continuity is more important than canon continuity, apparently." Which is apparently the sad truth.