> 2533274856871452;10689:
> I will now post a comment by Erdu Cololee an Elite player from halo 2.
>
> He had this to say.
> I am an Elite.
> That is probably the first thing you noticed about me. The second thing you probably noticed is that I’ve written a massive wall of text… I acknowledge that. And you also know I’m not a legend - Most of you probably haven’t heard of me. Why is that, exactly? I have my own niche in the Halo community. I have a fairly good reputation. I’m one of the leaders of a clan that has roots in the late days of Halo 2 and even earlier. And yet, you probably haven’t heard of any of my clan members, or even the name of my clan. But this isn’t about my clan, and it isn’t about just myself.
>
> To answer those two questions, I must refer back to my original statement. Because I am an Elite. That is the answer to a lot of riddles; Because I am an Elite, I am mocked. Because I am an Elite, I am forbidden to play real MLG. Because I am an Elite, many people ignore my opinion. Because I am an Elite, I am as the title says… consigned to obscurity.
>
> I’ve been a member of the Halo community for a long time. This clan that I’ve helped raise is, by Sangheili clan standards, one of or perhaps the largest active clan of Elites. If I were a Spartan, that would mean something. If I were a Spartan, and my clan was large by Spartan standards, I would have ten thousand members, and perhaps eventually people would start adding “SG” to their gamertags even though they’re not in the clan. Recall KSI, maybe. We might have been like that. I’d hope not - KSI didn’t go well. We might have done better, we might not have. But I won’t get the chance to see that day, never. Why not? Because my target audience is the Elite community. Because it’s “dumb to be a dinosaur,” because “Elite r 4 nubs.”
>
> When did this happen? Halo 2? Must be. Back when Bungie screwed up and gave Elites a disadvantage. Suddenly, being an Elite made you an outcast. You were never taken seriously, people trashtalked you, and the Elite community shrank by the thousands. A few clans persevered. Not many. It was hard to find members. It was even harder to find members who are dedicated enough to ride out the storm of criticism.
>
> Today, 4 percent of the Halo Community is composed of Elites. Maybe 5 percent. Today, a handful of clans dominate the Elite community - The Sovereign Guard, Unyielding Legion, Warriors of the Prophets, the Ascetics… But their member count is laughable considering the claim of “domination” they hold with us. Tens of members. Maybe more than a hundred. The Warriors were the largest, holding several hundred members, but they’re gone - vanished. I don’t know if they still operate.
>
> We’ve always been the enemy in some way. In Halo 1, we were the screaming, babbling, bloodthirsty alien monsters that you filled with bullets. Occasionally we carried a sword. Often we died, usually we killed some of your Marines, every now and then we killed you. Back then I thought Elites were cool, but my heart was with the Chief. In Halo 2, we became hunch-backed, hulking brutes - but we spoke. It gave us a culture and vivid personality. Suddenly people could see through our eyes. And we were playable! I was an instant fan, and so were many others. But then came the discovery that we were gimped, and everyone hated us again. Elites were noobs, Elites were ugly, Elites were dumb. Now Halo 3 has arrived, and we’ve been playing it six months. There’s been little recovery in our numbers, even after the handicap has been fixed. Though people who once stereotyped us have grown up since Halo 3 came out, and Halo players in general have become more accepting. But this is the final stage. Halo 3 will presumably be the cemetary for traditional Halo clans.
>
> And Elites have never had a halcyon day.
>
> There are a variety of reasons why someone might be an Elite, all of them depending on the person who has made the choice. Maybe you like how they look. Maybe you like their culture. Maybe you’ve seen the Elite community and you’ve got friends there, so you switched. In the end, they are not strong enough reasons for most. Public opinion is a powerful thing. Gradually, Elites are losing their dedication and there are no Spartans switching over to replace them. These clans are for the hardcore - part-time Elites are generally not welcome. Our pool of candidate members is ever shrinking, never growing.
>
> Besides, we “take the game too seriously.” Our clans are full of “losers who don’t have a life.” Or so public opinion would hold. Some of you probably agree with those ideas just by reading what I have to say. Why should I care? It’s a game, right? I should go outside and get some fresh air! I should get a girlfriend! I should get a job! I should get a life! Hahaha, yeah, I should. True enough. But the Halo community is always waiting for me when I’m done with real life at the end of that day, and I am far too indoctrinated - tied in by the powerful binds of friendships, enjoyment, promises made to my brothers here - to pack up and leave now. Maybe someday when Halo 3 is dead and gone this community will only be a memory. Right now, however, my feet are planted firmly in it.
>
> What’s this thread for? I don’t know. I just felt like writing it. This is me reaching out from the fog and tapping the Spartan populus on the shoulder.
> We’re here, and we’re slowly dying
> [sadly this is true now because 343 and everyone else killed us…] I’m done, I may not even get H5. I’ll stay on reach to be able to play as the Sangheili.
>
> Sorry for any grammatical errors.
That’s a sad story, luckily I never suffered any Elite racism during the golden days of Halo 3, or at least none that I can recall. Halo: Reach, I think I might of had a few Elite racists. Never played Halo 2 on Live until MCC so I have no experience or knowledge of how we were treated there.
If there is anything 343 has learned here today, (or at least one moderator) it’s that we don’t want to be left out of another Halo multplayer game again.
