Ok, so Halo 4 is several years old by now, but it’s only been within the past year or six months that I finally started playing it. And I have to say, the moment that the Didact is released from his Cryptum almost made me roll my eyes. Yeah, I am starting to read the Forerunner Saga, but, that’s just been within the last month, so I had gone into Halo 4 with no knowledge of who the Didact was, or anything about Forerunner culture (my past knowledge of them was relegated to what we learn in the original game trilogy and Ghosts of Onyx (another source I read really late, about a month ago)). So seeing this Forerunner appear in the flesh was jarring. I always assumed that the Forerunners were killed (“self-sacrificed” is perhaps the correct term) when the Halo Array was activated (which, tragically, didn’t seem to kill off the Flood as intended). I liked how we were left to wonder about them and their legacy in the original trilogy, and how we would never know (were not “meant” to know) what they looked like or where they were from. That sense of mystery, and only interacting with the Halo rings, the Ark, and the Sentinels and Monitors in the “present”, to give us any clues to Forerunner culture and history, was the key to Halo’s intrigue, IMO.
But not all Forerunners died, apparently. And we know a lot about them now (though not everything). I know that, after reading a Halo 4 review, the Librarian is dead, even if she appears in a physical form in the campaign, which still kills a lot of the mystery factor (and starts to give the series a more mythological/religious feeling than originally intended. Anyone else think the Librarian came off as a sort of goddess?). Don’t get me wrong, I liked being able to explore a Shield World - driving out into the sunlight on a Warthog after Dawn’s crash gave me the same feeling of mystery and wonder and awe that Halo: Combat Evolve’s Halo mission did. The AIs you fight (Prometheans, Crawlers, etc.), though obnoxious, I am okay with. But to release a flesh and blood Forerunner and see another in a sort of vision? That ruined the integral mystery to me. Still going to read the Forerunner books, though, since the cat is out of the bag by now, and it’s the type of novel that does interest me on a basic level.
Anyway, ignore my ramblings! I am curious about what your feelings about the revealing of the Forerunners are. Let’s try to have a constructive conversation here and not attack one another if we have different opinions and knowledge. 
I wouldn’t hold your breath… “the created” seem to be 343s focus with the story of chant to green and the ISO didact placed on hold. Unless halo wars 2 stumbles over their bastion or guilty sparks story is continued… I for see Cortanas Prometheans and the subject of more human than machine being the dominating aspect of halo until it falls out of trend.
Note: from now till 20XX you will see reboots of ghost in a shell, blade runner and Hollywood clones of said genre. CD project red will unveil cyberpunk 2077. Battlefield will have bipedal tanks. Once the market is oversaturated with Transhumanism and Turing test works like ex-machina, will we finally get a return to chant-to-green and the self exiled forerunners.
I did think 343 was trying to pull a marvel and pull everything together infinity gauntlet style… but escalation amounted to nothing.
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> And I have to say, the moment that the Didact is released from his Cryptum almost made me roll my eyes. Yeah, I am starting to read the Forerunner Saga, but, that’s just been within the last month, so I had gone into Halo 4 with no knowledge of who the Didact was, or anything about Forerunner culture (my past knowledge of them was relegated to what we learn in the original game trilogy and Ghosts of Onyx (another source I read really late, about a month ago)). So seeing this Forerunner appear in the flesh was jarring.
Well, we’ve know about the Librarian and the Didact as far back as 2007. They were characters introduced in the Halo 3 Terminals. Of course the Forerunner novels would make things way, way, WAY more complicated, but the Librarian and Didact were still originally introduced that long ago. The 7th Terminal confirms there were Forerunner survivors and that they would leave for parts unknown, so really it was inevitable that we’d see them someday. Besides that, it seems like it would be really unrealistic for the Forerunner to be as advanced as they were, but there are no picture or records of them. They were a Tier 1 civilization, so a holographic massage/representation of what they looked like should logically exist. That’s what the Librarian was on Requiem, a highly advanced hologram that could be interacted with. It never bothered me that we saw her that way.
The only thing that was jarring about the Didact was that the final Forerunner novel hadn’t been released when the game came out, so there was confusion as to why the Didact was doing what he was doing. It all makes sense when you read the book.
I’ll be honest, I would have been perfectly happy if the forerunners remained mysterious and in the past, and some other species (or the AI created) were the enemies. I feel like having the forerunners back make things a little less mysterious. It is a big universe out there, I’m sure there is a lot of other evil out there.
I just think it happened to soon. I think a percieved return to the state of norm and relative peacetime would of been more interesting. Subjects such as the fall of the covenant and the races finding their way/rebuilding to a focus back on the UNSC/UEG against the colonies/insurrectionists. Yes these were touched in the EU but a few games would of been ideal. If done well it would be interesting to face human opposition and see old CAA/UEG weapons and equipment and new ones to. Then the universe and humanity get sideswiped again by a much powerful opposition. This would allow for playable sangelli aswell.
Instead we went straight into ‘look big ship and big bad enemy’ territory. I don’t really like big bad narratives becuase writers -Yoink- themselves over in the end. Not saying forrunners aren’t good antagonists/interesting but they came too soon. Oh and i never really cared for cortana, not saying she was a bad character but meh.
I really wish the promethean knights had a bit more personality, imagine if the tortured human essences in the knights begged for help or screamed “why?!?” when you killed them and their screeches were a mix between a agonizing scream and a Tasmanian devil (tasmanian devils “voice acted” the knights in halo 5) and the knights cried when you damaged them and when in idle they groaned in pain and despair. THAT would add some personality to these constructs!
For me, having a Forerunner as the ‘Big Bad’ in Halo 4 is a dream come true.
When I first played Halo CE, I thought that the Forerunners were still alive, just living in a different galaxy (Guilty Spark was quite casual when he said that Halo would purge this galaxy of all life); I also thought that, because of the Sentinals, the Forerunners had no actual soldiers and simply used robots to fight their wars for them.Before Halo 2 came out, I thought it would be about the Forerunners returning to the Galaxy to wage war against Humanity and the Covenant in retaliation for destroying Halo; having the Forerunners as the next great threat seemed perfectly natural to me.
And then Halo 4 comes out, and we’ve got the Didact and his army of robots! It didn’t exactly happen the way I was expecting, but still, I’m grateful to 343i for introducing them as the enemy.
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> I’ll be honest, I would have been perfectly happy if the forerunners remained mysterious and in the past, and some other species (or the AI created) were the enemies. I feel like having the forerunners back make things a little less mysterious. It is a big universe out there, I’m sure there is a lot of other evil out there.
I agree, but I’d say that my mindset is that way due to the impressions the original game gave me about the Forerunners. At the moment, I simply worry that 343i will run out of ideas for new enemies, especially if they keep the series going longer, and may bring “true” Precursors back (yes, I’ve heard the spiel about the Flood being Precursors…). That’s my big fear. I’d want them to keep some things a mystery.
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> > 2533274887950450;1:
> > And I have to say, the moment that the Didact is released from his Cryptum almost made me roll my eyes. Yeah, I am starting to read the Forerunner Saga, but, that’s just been within the last month, so I had gone into Halo 4 with no knowledge of who the Didact was, or anything about Forerunner culture (my past knowledge of them was relegated to what we learn in the original game trilogy and Ghosts of Onyx (another source I read really late, about a month ago)). So seeing this Forerunner appear in the flesh was jarring.
>
>
> Well, we’ve know about the Librarian and the Didact as far back as 2007. They were characters introduced in the Halo 3 Terminals. Of course the Forerunner novels would make things way, way, WAY more complicated, but the Librarian and Didact were still originally introduced that long ago. The 7th Terminal confirms there were Forerunner survivors and that they would leave for parts unknown, so really it was inevitable that we’d see them someday. Besides that, it seems like it would be really unrealistic for the Forerunner to be as advanced as they were, but there are no picture or records of them. They were a Tier 1 civilization, so a holographic massage/representation of what they looked like should logically exist. That’s what the Librarian was on Requiem, a highly advanced hologram that could be interacted with. It never bothered me that we saw her that way.
>
> The only thing that was jarring about the Didact was that the final Forerunner novel hadn’t been released when the game came out, so there was confusion as to why the Didact was doing what he was doing. It all makes sense when you read the book.
To be honest, when I found the terminals in Halo 3, it was difficult to understand what was being said (though I assume that was deliberate). Of course I knew it was referencing the Forerunners back in the day, but it still kept a mystery to it. I suppose I never picked up on any of the “Forerunners are still alive” part. I also never read the Forerunner saga books until now (halfway through Cryptum), so I am way far behind in terms of that knowledge. I’m fine with those characters existing, it just seemed really sudden to see one alive (I know, he was banished into the Cryptum, which is something I only learned within the past few months, but somehow that comes off as a lazy excuse to bring a new “big baddy” into the series, even if it makes logical sense when you look at the history of how he got there).
I like the mystery is fading away. It’s very telling of how Humanity, in the universe, is beginning to understand Forerunner society and technology more and more.
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> I like the mystery is fading away. It’s very telling of how Humanity, in the universe, is beginning to understand Forerunner society and technology more and more.
Yeah I guess that’s kind of true and can be a cool way to look at it. I also think as darthgamer stated some cold war style universe could be cool, and trying to prevent a return to all out war… though I don’t know if that would make the best FPS. Although individual planets could be engaged in war I guess and the whole Universe could remain in a cold war state - like the Vietnam and Korean Wars.
I love the idea of the Forerunners returning in some way. Or even their creators: the Precursors. It can bring a whole new dimension to the narrative that was a mystery in the first three games.
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> I really wish the promethean knights had a bit more personality, imagine if the tortured human essences in the knights begged for help or screamed “why?!?” when you killed them and their screeches were a mix between a agonizing scream and a Tasmanian devil (tasmanian devils “voice acted” the knights in halo 5) and the knights cried when you damaged them and when in idle they groaned in pain and despair. THAT would add some personality to these constructs!
Wow! I love your idea. It would make sense too, since the Didact took them unwillingly. It would add a great deal of depth to their character.
Buck even felt sorry for the one he saw imprisoned on Genesis. I think it would more properly reflect their tragic history.
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> > 2533274974284436;6:
> > I really wish the promethean knights had a bit more personality, imagine if the tortured human essences in the knights begged for help or screamed “why?!?” when you killed them and their screeches were a mix between a agonizing scream and a Tasmanian devil (tasmanian devils “voice acted” the knights in halo 5) and the knights cried when you damaged them and when in idle they groaned in pain and despair. THAT would add some personality to these constructs!
>
>
> Wow! I love your idea. It would make sense too, since the Didact took them unwillingly. It would add a great deal of depth to their character.
> Buck even felt sorry for the one he saw imprisoned on Genesis. I think it would more properly reflect their tragic history.
Was that a line he said after you accessed a piece of intel, or something he said out of the blue?
I would have preferred if we had learned more about what specifically happened to the forerunners gradually through the games, as a sort of side story I suppose, and not just in a series of books. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the forerunner trilogy but I feel 343i’s decision to lay bare their society and introduce specific characters so suddenly was a bad move, something which Bungie was also partially guilty of with the introduction of the didact and the librarian. It took away a lot of the mystery that was present in the original trilogy. They should’ve done it around the end of the franchise, to sort of rap things up.
The forerunner should have been kept out of the games. Big mistake by 343i to bring them in.
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> I would have preferred if we had learned more about what specifically happened to the forerunners gradually through the games, as a sort of side story I suppose, and not just in a series of books. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the forerunner trilogy but I feel 343i’s decision to lay bare their society and introduce specific characters so suddenly was a bad move, something which Bungie was also partially guilty of with the introduction of the didact and the librarian. It took away a lot of the mystery that was present in the original trilogy. They should’ve done it around the end of the franchise, to sort of rap things up.
I agree. Sure, we got some insights into their society through the games, but it was more from the perspective of their AI, technology, and weapons. I loved the sense of mystery in the original games. I’m still going to be reading the Forerunner trilogy since it just seems like something generally interesting to me, even if it didn’t hold the “Halo” name. So, therefore, because I am so late, the Didact’s appearance in Halo 4 was surprising and confusing. Got to see the Librarian (vision/hologram) recently due to finally getting through “Reclaimer”.
But, in the long run, I wish that they were not physically introduced and still remained within myths, legends, and their remaining technology. But that’s just me, and I understand many long-time Halo fans are enjoying the recent revelations to varying degrees.
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> The forerunner should have been kept out of the games. Big mistake by 343i to bring them in.
I have to agree. However, what are your reasons for believing it was a mistake? Don’t get me wrong, I do feel the same way as you, but I am interested in hearing your thoughts on it.
Bringing the Didact and the Librarian into the present the way they did was kind of jarring, poorly executed, and judging by where things are going, ultimately pointless.
That being said, I was totally fine with the terminals and the forerunner saga. We still don’t know everything, and still discover new stuff. It gave the threat of the flood some actual teeth, and made the defeat of the forerunners actually make sense,
Well I always wondered how this guys look but after seen an actuall forunner I have to say:Bruh is that guy (didact) ugly.I mean wheres his nose?
(yeah I know aliens dont need noses and so one)
Please dont take this post to serious.