I don't get the issue with the orbital MAC guns

Games Other Halo
1

One of the main flaws people complain about in Reach is that there are no MAC guns in orbit to shoot down the LNoS (the ship, not the level) in the level of the same name.

However, in TFoR, don’t they say there are only like 15-20 MACs in total around Reach? Now, Reach is a big planet, and about 20 guns is probably just big enough to form a decent defense grid. The average orbital MAC looks to be about maybe 1 km from top to bottom at most. The LNoS is a big -Yoink- ship (19 km). The reason they didn’t use the MAC cannons is because most likely they didn’t know if it would actually destroy the ship before it could counter attack and they probably didn’t want to risk -Yoink!- off the LNoS any more. The slipspace bomb, on the other hand, was almost certain to destroy or at least seriously disable the ship. Losing a frigate and a few fighters is a lot better than losing a whole MAC platform because they were stupid and fired at the ship without killing it.

Also, it is possible that the level actually takes place much farther away than it appears, and it is out of range of the MACs, or the Covenant disabled the orbital guns in the area with an EMP or by disabling the generator on the ground. As for not being able to see them, I doubt a MAC gun would look any larger than a tiny speck from the distance you are at from Reach in that level.

2

Bungie gave the book the middle finger.

3

> Bungie gave the book the middle finger.

How so?

4

The orbital MAC guns could rip ships apart. They were the main defense in Reach. Not having those in the game just felt wrong. And the would have had those MAC guns in space in a certain spot so as to completely protect the planet. You would have been able to see about 2-3 minimum in the space part. From what I remember, I don’t think that the MAC guns were all lined up in a row. Now they could have been able to move around the planet to protect all angles.

And if the generators were down, then the Covenant armada would have already won. All of the UNSC ships were pretty much destroyed by the time the MAC guns were down.

5

> > Bungie gave the book the middle finger.
>
> How so?

They decided to completely ignore the book and basically said “what we write is canon, everything else is not, even if it’s good.”

6

> The orbital MAC guns could rip ships apart. They were the main defense in Reach. Not having those in the game just felt wrong.

They could rip ships like a CCS-Class battlecruiser, which is less than half as big as a Supercarrier. Look at the Assault Carrier compared to the CCS-Class ships in Halo 3, and then remember that the Supercarrier is like twice as big as an Assault Carrier, its like 19km long.

> And the would have had those MAC guns in space in a certain spot so as to completely protect the planet.

Yes, they would have a defense grid like I said, but the LNoS would have either disabled the one in the sector it was in or they did not fire as they knew they were outgunned.

> You would have been able to see about 2-3 minimum in the space part.

So you’re telling me you could easily see something about 1km long from 1000s of km away from the planet? And remember there are only 15 spread out over the entire planet

> From what I remember, I don’t think that the MAC guns were all lined up in a row. Now they could have been able to move around the planet to protect all angles.

Thats exactly what a defense grid is. Did I ever once say they were lined up neatly in a row? No, I didn’t. Also, each MAC gun was tethered to a power source, so if they moved they would lose power. Why do you think Earth needed so many platforms in geosynch orbit? That is also why they would use a defense grid, to cover the whole planet. However, if the ship was out of range or disabled the gun then there was a big hole.

> And if the generators were down, then the Covenant armada would have already won. All of the UNSC ships were pretty much destroyed by the time the MAC guns were down.

One MAC going down would hardly effect the fate of the entire planet, plus I never said it had to be the generator that was down. I said it was a possibility. Maybe the shipw as just jamming the platform’s targeting systems. They would HAVE to have some kind of targeting system, hitting something that far away with a MAC round is like trying to shoot a needle with a pistol standing a mile away.

7

<mark>“This is the DEFINITIVE Halo made by the people who CREATED Halo”</mark> -Marty O’Donnell, talking about Reach

I consider Reach as canon before I consider a book, written by an author who has little to no passion for Halo, as canon. BUNGIE made Halo, so what they have done as far as canon is canon, unless 343i changes it.

8

> <mark>“This is the DEFINITIVE Halo made by the people who CREATED Halo”</mark> -Marty O’Donnell, talking about Reach
>
> I consider Reach as canon before I consider a book, written by an author who has little to no passion for Halo, as canon. BUNGIE made Halo, so what they have done as far as canon is canon, unless 343i changes it.

So you’d write a number of novels about something you don’t care about?
Seems reasonable.

9

> > <mark>“This is the DEFINITIVE Halo made by the people who CREATED Halo”</mark> -Marty O’Donnell, talking about Reach
> >
> > I consider Reach as canon before I consider a book, written by an author who has little to no passion for Halo, as canon. BUNGIE made Halo, so what they have done as far as canon is canon, unless 343i changes it.
>
> So you’d write a number of novels about something you don’t care about?
> Seems reasonable.

Have you ever heard of money? These authors arent into Halo like we are, they were asked to write some novels about Halo then were given some references for information, and in the end had a big pay day. So yeah, I consider the fiction that BUNGIE made as canon.

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> Have you ever heard of money?

It’s the reason we got Reach in the first place lol.

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> > Have you ever heard of money?
>
> It’s the reason we got Reach in the first place lol.

Huh? Let me guess, your one of the people that blindly hate Reach because you dont know how to utilize bloom/AA’s? Bloom is based on distance, so if you think that spamming is just as effective at pacing your stuck in a black and white state of mind. I admit that Reach isnt perfect, but its WAY better than Halo 3 and its online multiplayer flaws. This is pointless since its off topic and im arguing with someone about their opinion.

Reach is good, Bungie’s fiction overwrites anyone elses except 343i’s, and you dont take things into perspective. so case closed.

12

>

Let me guess, you’re part of the Reach deffence force?

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> >
>
> Let me guess, you’re part of the Reach deffence force?

This post has been edited by a moderator. Please do not flame or attack other members.

14

Good god, can you idiots stop arguing and please just discuss the topic at hand. I don’t give a Yoink! about the book vs. the game. I am actually putting forth a good theory that can fix a canon error between the two.

This topic is about where the MAC guns were on the level LNoS/why they weren’t used, NOT Halo:Reach vs TFoR.

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My point is that what is in the game is canon, so the position of the “MAC gun” or how many there were isnt that big of a deal, and dont call people idiots, you idiot

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> My point is that what is in the game is canon, so the position of the “MAC gun” isnt that big of a deal, and dont call people idiots, you idiot

Reach canon never specifically states that there are or aren’t MAC guns, so it does not override ANY TFoR canon. As of now their existence is unknown, as they are confirmed in TFoR but never actually seen in Reach. this does not mean they don’t exist, it just means for some reason they were not used/disabled and not seen in game.

As I said in my theory, more than likely the MAC cannons were either jammed by the Supercarrier, out of range, or they chose not use them. Simply stating Reach had NO orbital defenses because they are not seen is ludicrous.

For a true Halo fan who cares about consistency it is a “big deal” as the MAC guns are extremely important to the defense of Reach. I get the vibe you never actually read TFoR and so are disregarding the canon put forth in the book, so you don’t understand exactly how the fall of Reach happened and how important the MACs were in the fight.

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> > My point is that what is in the game is canon, so the position of the “MAC gun” isnt that big of a deal, and dont call people idiots, you idiot
>
> Reach canon never specifically states that there are or aren’t MAC guns, so it does not override ANY TFoR canon. As of now their existence is unknown, as they are confirmed in TFoR but never actually seen in Reach. this does not mean they don’t exist, it just means for some reason they were not used/disabled and not seen in game.
>
> As I said in my theory, more than likely the MAC cannons were either jammed by the Supercarrier, out of range, or they chose not use them. Simply stating Reach had NO orbital defenses because they are not seen is ludicrous.
>
> For a true Halo fan who cares about consistency it is a “big deal” as the MAC guns are extremely important to the defense of Reach. I get the vibe you never actually read TFoR and so are disregarding the canon put forth in the book, so you don’t understand exactly how the fall of Reach happened and how important the MACs were in the fight.

Actually, the MAC guns are mentioned in the information packets released on B.net before Reach, and during the game. We actually see one in action as it takes out a Covenant Corvette at the end of “ONI Sword Base”.

Now, why weren’t the MAC’s used against the Long Night of Solace? Basically, the ship moved out of range of the guns, and likely kept them busy with minor engagements like the one at Anchor Nine. There are only 20 SMACs above the planet, a planet which is larger than Earth. Earth, if you remember, had about 300 MACs.