Based on the previous installments of halo, and by observing all the various forerunner designs, i had a vague picture in my mind as to how the primary enemy in the next trilogy should look. And then I saw this picture and said ‘yes, this matches’ It just feels right. It’s not overly complex and the simple shape of him matches the simple shapes we’ve seen in forerunner design. He feels ominous and intimidating, and also like he could kick your -Yoink-. I understand the need to innovate for halo 4, but when you’ve established such a recognizable design scheme, such as the forerunner’s, and then you bring in a metroid prime space pirate inspired art design, it really doesn’t fit, and i can’t simply ‘accept it’.
Game mechanics are a must when it comes to innovation, but a completely contrasting art style is not. I’m sorry, but all i see when i look at the crawler/promethean knight/watcher is the metroid prime artist. The designs feel so out of place, and i cannot accept them as true forerunner creations. As an artist coming into the halo series, you really have to transform yourself into a forerunner, and base your art design on what you (as a forerunner) have already displayed to audiences as your work. We know what forerunner tech should look like or resemble. This has been established, and therefore anything metroid like feels completely out place. This is why innovation in art design, within a franchise such as halo, was not the right call. Innovation in game mechanics, on the other hand, are very much a necessity.
I get what you mean, but I really think it’s going to be okay. The enemy we saw in the campaign reveal trailer was referred to as both “defense AIs” and “non-organic”. The Promethean knights we’ve seen aren’t Forerunners, they’re artificial constructs - maybe modelled after the warrior-servants, maybe just taking inspiration from them.
Anyway, my point is, we haven’t seen a Forerunner yet. I think that picture is awesome, but it’s concept art of a Forerunner in a combat skin and seeing one of those in Halo 4 is going to be an awesome moment when it inevitably happens. It’s not going to be revealed yet, but I imagine it’ll be something special
But if it makes you feel any better, you can clearly see they’re using that design influence still in the game. compare the combat skin’s headpiece and the front of the UNSC Infinity, a human ship based on Forerunner designs. The Forerunner buildings we’ve seen on Requiem follow that same design logic, as do the Light Rifle and Scattershot. so just as we can’t judge an Elite Zealot by a Grunt, I don’t think we can judge Forerunner Warrior-Servants by the Promethean AI/constructs we’ve seen so far
I think the Promethean AI do not represent the Promethean Warrior-Servant Forerunners themselves. I’d still like to think Forerunners look like that, sleek and elegant.
Those are not “prometheans” as we know them - The high ranking forerunner warrior-servants. The name has some yet unknown relation to prometheans, though.
If I had to guess, I would say they were built to aid the prometheans in fighting the flood. The crawlers are perfect for hunting down and chomping infection forms. The knights have ranged and melee weapons - important for fighting the flood. I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually see/fight a promethean warrior akin to the one you posted. I bet Greg Bears third book details how they start mass producing these for their war against the flood.
I really hope we get some creative weapon design, like in this short clip from Halo Legends. But in saying that, I don’t think the Forerunners shown in Legends or the CEA Terminals look “right” - they’re too familiar.
Greg Bear writes about armor shifting, changing colors, weaving hard light, adapting to the user constantly. Imagine that, but the technology is used for warfare - Warrior Servants are literally beyond the capacity of my imagination, and I want to be blown away.
So far, the Promethean drones have looked pretty great, and I’m a big fan of the Forerunner weaponry we’ve seen, but when we meet one in the flesh I really want my jaw to hit the floor.
Really liked that clip. Helped explain things about halo and the forerunners that i hadn’t understood before. I’m suddenly getting re-energized about the next trilogy
> I really hope we get some creative weapon design, like in this short clip from Halo Legends. But in saying that, I don’t think the Forerunners shown in Legends or the CEA Terminals look “right” - they’re too familiar.
>
> Greg Bear writes about armor shifting, changing colors, weaving hard light, adapting to the user constantly. Imagine that, but the technology is used for warfare - Warrior Servants are literally beyond the capacity of my imagination, and I want to be blown away.
>
> So far, the Promethean drones have looked pretty great, and I’m a big fan of the Forerunner weaponry we’ve seen, but when we meet one in the flesh I really want my jaw to hit the floor.
just think what they might be able to achieve with the next Xbox for halo 5
but lets get thru halo 4 first
> > I really hope we get some creative weapon design, like in this short clip from Halo Legends. But in saying that, I don’t think the Forerunners shown in Legends or the CEA Terminals look “right” - they’re too familiar.
> >
> > Greg Bear writes about armor shifting, changing colors, weaving hard light, adapting to the user constantly. Imagine that, but the technology is used for warfare - Warrior Servants are literally beyond the capacity of my imagination, and I want to be blown away.
> >
> > So far, the Promethean drones have looked pretty great, and I’m a big fan of the Forerunner weaponry we’ve seen, but when we meet one in the flesh I really want my jaw to hit the floor.
>
> just think what they might be able to achieve with the next Xbox for halo 5
> but lets get thru halo 4 first
That type of stuff is completely possible on the 360s hardware. It’s almost purely about the artists vision, not the tech. And halo 4 is having strong hints we will see forerunner(s) so…
Firstly, Isaac Hannaford’s concept image you posted is an ACTUAL Forerunner Promethean, what we’re fighting is defense AIs. Also, there was a fair amount of inspiration taken from that concept, the Light Rifle is almost exactly the same as the weapon the Promethean is holding and the other hand looks similar to the blade the Knights have.
> Really liked that clip. Helped explain things about halo and the forerunners that i hadn’t understood before. I’m suddenly getting re-energized about the next trilogy
You should definitely buy Halo Legends then, it’s a great series of short films with all sorts of little details like that
> Those are not “prometheans” as we know them - The high ranking forerunner warrior-servants. The name has some yet unknown relation to prometheans, though.
>
> If I had to guess, I would say they were built to aid the prometheans in fighting the flood. The crawlers are perfect for hunting down and chomping infection forms. The knights have ranged and melee weapons - important for fighting the flood. I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually see/fight a promethean warrior akin to the one you posted. I bet Greg Bears third book details how they start mass producing these for their war against the flood.
This is exactly what my friend and I were thinking. That they were slave units to combat Flood. My friend also pointed out that the Prometheans did have defense AI’s at their disposal, I’m just not sure how credible that is.
What came through my mind when I first saw the “Knights” in the trailer after reading Cryptum was that they couldn’t possibly be Prometheans themselves since they were described to be colossal. I’m just really happy the trailer cleared up about how Forerunners were sort of technopaths.