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[senador]

I'm still just 30 pages into Cryptum. I do about five pages at a time. Very hard book to get into, hoping it eases up soon.

I started it last week and finished over the weekend. The beginning is tough since you don't have any context and its just confusing, but once I hit a certain spot it really took off for me and I couldn't put it down. I got through the first part because I was curious about what was going on. Around page 60ish is where it starts getting interesting. After that the story totally goes places and gets good.

Looking forward to the Bulletin tonight.. Prisoner details

Reeeeeally wish I could see a fly-through of Timberland. The pics are lovely... but flythroughs are the tits.

Also, perhaps Beta playlist details?

Halo Fest had a decent Timberland fly through...

 

[GhaleonEB]

That's interesting. I couldn't put it down. I had to force myself to only read a few chapters at a time.

The combination of very dense world building (entire sentences and paragraphs are packed with as yet unexplained terms, devoid of context) with the dual narrative (jumping back and forth in time, before and after the boat ride) has been frustrating to me. I read a few pages and put it down each night. I keep hoping to get that 'it takes off from here' moment.

I really hope we get details on more than just the Beta TU playlist today. We're a few months overdue for a larger playlist update. I know 343 has been working on their team and process, but the last update was in early July, IIRC.

 

[Devolution]

That's only 75! If you ever kick someone, send me an invite. You know I got skills lol

Pfft. Who did you strike off? Not everyone on the list is a haloGAFFER. Also still not full so send me one =p.

 

[Hypertrooper]

Looking forward to the Bulletin tonight.. Prisoner details

Reeeeeally wish I could see a fly-through of Timberland. The pics are lovely... but flythroughs are the tits.

Also, perhaps Beta playlist details?

I hope a sparkast. And yeah, can't wait to get a screen of the windows that will show the skybox of Prisoner.

I'm still just 30 pages into Cryptum. I do about five pages at a time. Very hard book to get into, hoping it eases up soon.

Believe me. It's hard for you. Imagine how hard it was for me to read as a non-native english reader. The beginning is long-winded, but after the stuff begins, I couldn't put the book away.

 

[Homeboyd]

Halo Fest had a decent Timberland fly through...

Yeah I saw one (maybe it was from there).. it just didn't cover all the areas (inside bases, etc..) I'll check again.

Edit: Bam!

Somehow missed this.

Thanks!

 

[electricpirate]

I'm still just 30 pages into Cryptum. I do about five pages at a time. Very hard book to get into, hoping it eases up soon.

The story gets much better as it goes on, but the quality of the writing is all over the place.

I especially hate how the forerunners love to use american colloquisms, it breaks the pacing of the language that Bear tried to create.

 

[lybertyboy]

I hope a sparkast.

Sorry, no Sparkast today.

 

[daedalius]

No way, what about Wayont and Trident, those are far better imo.
I know Coag is superior but it wouldn't work with Hemmorhage built-in geometry, you could be able to snipe enemies from base to base, from where you can pretty much see the whole map = sniper whoring x1000!

I would do this to Hemmorhage and BTB in general:
-Apply both armor lock and invis fixes to the playlist.
-Make it 85% bloom and increase player speed to 110%
-Decrease Hemmorhage weighting, increase sniper spawn time to 4 minutes and remove 1 Flag CTF on that map.
-Remove Paradiso and Utopie.
-Remove BTB snipers.
-Tweak both Spire,Boneyard and Boardwalk object placement.
-Make it all DLC required so we get to play no grey maps like Tempest, Headlong, Timberland, Breakpoint and Highlands, even Condemned would work.
-Remove evade.
-Add some good maps like Hivemind and Delta Facility.

I would love this so much, I literally haven't played any of the DLC maps outside of the DLC playlists... when they were actually active.

 

[Homeboyd]

Sorry, no Sparkast today.

 

[Tashi]

HAH... bloom, loser's round 7

no bloom, out in round 2

Tashi "FUUUUUUUUUUU"

Lol fuck that.

 

[Hypertrooper]

Sorry, no Sparkast today.

 

[senador]

The combination of very dense world building (entire sentences and paragraphs are packed with as yet unexplained terms, devoid of context) with the dual narrative (jumping back and forth in time, before and after the boat ride) has been frustrating to me. I read a few pages and put it down each night. I keep hoping to get that 'it takes off from here' moment.

The frequency of these things lessens a bit as you get further in. Many of the words are used in a context that you can figure out what it means. I had my phone with me though and just google anything I didn't understand. The time jumping also lessens and becomes more clear what is happening the further you get.

You really should try to get to 60+ pages. I think if you can get into it a bit more you'd appreciate the book.

Yeah I saw one (maybe it was from there).. it just didn't cover all the areas (inside bases, etc..) I'll check again.

Edit: Bam!

Somehow missed this.

Thanks!

Here it is in HD.

It requires you to be signed in for some reason though.

 

[Louis Wu]

Here it is in HD.

It requires you to be signed in for some reason though.

Because IGN marked it as coming from a Mature-rated game. Signing in is YouTube's equivalent of an age gate.

 

[GhaleonEB]

The frequency of these things lessens a bit as you get further in. Many of the words are used in a context that you can figure out what it means. I had my phone with me though and just google anything I didn't understand. The time jumping also lessens and becomes more clear what is happening the further you get.

You really should try to get to 60+ pages. I think if you can get into it a bit more you'd appreciate the book.

Yup, planning to keep chipping away. I'll get there soon.

 

[StalkerUKCG]

I really need to read the halo books, i keep quitting mid "the flood" because the story feels loose.

 

[senador]

^^ Skip The Flood. Its just a novel adaptation to CE and I couldn't finish it.

Yup, planning to keep chipping away. I'll get there soon.

Oh, one more thing. I had to just stop trying to picture some of the things described. There were not not enough details for me or they were described too oddly for me to picture some things. I also had to picture Forerunners and their armor similar to Turians from Mass Effect. That helped.

 

[Ken]

I really need to read the halo books, i keep quitting mid "the flood" because the story feels loose.

The Flood is the worst Halo novel I've read.

 

[kylej]

Providence is where MLG Nats are being held this year? Sheeeit. I think I'm going to go to that.

 

[Gabotron ES]

Here it is in HD.

Ridgeline looks gorgeous, looking forward to play it on matchmaking... if it ever appears
My hopes are on Bungie's DLC algorythhm to match DLC owners together. We are fucked

 

[The Real Napsta]

The Flood is the worst Halo novel I've read.

Contact Harvest almost gives it a run for it's money, but I agree with you.

 

[Ramirez]

Contact Harvest almost gives it a run for it's money, but I agree with you.

CH was awesome.

Kyle, you lose all privileges to make fun of nerds and BKs if you actually attend an MLG event.

 

[Stinkles]

Yup, planning to keep chipping away. I'll get there soon.

Stick with it, but know that Primordium has a COMPLETELY different pace.

 

[Steelyuhas]

Ridgeline looks gorgeous, looking forward to play it on matchmaking... if it ever appears
My hopes are on Bungie's DLC algorythhm to match DLC owners together. We are fucked

343's implementation of the CEA maps (as well as some of the TU options) will decide for me if I keep playing this game much into next year.

 

[Gabotron ES]

Stick with it, but know that Primordium has a COMPLETELY different pace.

343's implementation of the CEA maps (as well as some of the TU options) will decide for me if I keep playing this game much into next year.

I will play it regardless and I feel bad for it.
After buying Noble and Defiant I felt tricked :/ why should I be locked into certain playlists I may not fancy to play the maps I payed for?

 

[Ramirez]

343's implementation of the CEA maps (as well as some of the TU options) will decide for me if I keep playing this game much into next year.

I wish they would just make playlists that require the DLC on top of CEA.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I'm with Ghal on Cryptum. I started it and it was a bit interesting but I had no idea what was being talked about most of the time so I had no idea how to put together an image in my head of what was happening or who the characters were.

Glad to see it gets better though, I may try to read some more of it soon.

 

[kylej]

CH was awesome.

Kyle, you lose all privileges to make fun of nerds and BKs if you actually attend an MLG event.

Hanging out with GAF kids at PAX is way more shameful than seeing Professional Halo Play™ in the flesh.

Attending an MLG event is the next rung on my climb up the Halo Community Veteran™ ladder. Don't judge me.

 

[Tunavi]

I started Cryptum and I absolutely hated

Spoiler

that the humans lived alongside the Forerunners at one point. Totally went against everything I've thought about the Forerunners,

so I stopped reading after 20 pages

 

[kylej]

removed because of spoilers i guess

 

[Ramirez]

Hanging out with GAF kids at PAX is way more shameful than seeing Professional Halo Play™ in the flesh.

You can't say this until you've actually hung out with EazyB though, PAX is an after thought!

Tunavi dropping spoilers!

 

[Tunavi]

Kyle, what?

Tunavi dropping spoilers!

it was on like the first 5 pages?

 

[xxjuicesxx]

How the fuck can you dong reading a Halo book?

Makes NO SENSE.

 

[kylej]

You can't say this until you've actually hung out with EazyB though, PAX is an after thought!

Tunavi dropping spoilers!

I would hang out with Eazy and you and some other people but goddamn I can't imagine doing the whole group luncheon stuff. I just imagine people whipping out their signed Halo Encyclopedias and cross-referencing weapon model numbers while eating hot dogs.

Kyle, what?

All you need to know about the Forerunners is that they're responsible for Lockout being blue. Everything else is superfluous.

How the fuck can you dong reading a Halo book?

Makes NO SENSE.

come to Providence bro. Lets get fucked up and heckle bad pros.

 

[Tunavi]

cool.

 

[The Librarian]

We need to set a new standard for spoilers of Halo books. Say within a year of release, they have to be spoiled. Everyone else agree?

 

[Ken]

Contact Harvest almost gives it a run for it's money, but I agree with you.

I kind of enjoyed Contact Harvest.

I think the problem with The Flood is that it tries to retell a story that many people who have played the original game multiple times have already established certain ideas about the universe and the characters in their minds. Most likely, these ideas clash with the ideas presented by Dietz in his novel which makes the novel seem weird and uninteresting.

Dietz's writing style was also rather boring compared to Nylund's style in The Fall of Reach.

 

[Judderman]

We need to set a new standard for spoilers of Halo books. Say within a year of release, they have to be spoiled. Everyone else agree?

How about you just never spoil them?

 

[Ramirez]

I would hang out with Eazy and you and some other people but goddamn I can't imagine doing the whole group luncheon stuff. I just imagine people whipping out their signed Halo Encyclopedias and cross-referencing weapon model numbers while eating hot dogs.

Well, Eazy did whip out his MEGABlocks Warthog and show it to our waitress, she then opened up to him that she dresses up in Harry Potter garb. Master troll in real life as well.

 

[The Librarian]

Huh. Did someone say that Contact Harvest is in the running for worst Halo novel?

I wholeheartedly disagree. Lighter Than Some, <3

Edit:

How about you just never spoil them?

You can't expect to use spoiler tags forever, and there will be occasions, like right now, when discussing the book comes up.

 

[Ramirez]

Huh. Did someone say that Contact Harvest is in the running for worst Halo novel?

I wholeheartedly disagree. Lighter Than Some, <3

Edit:

You can't expect to use spoiler tags forever, and there will be occasions, like right now, when discussing the book comes up.

I'm going to spoil you so hard one day for having such a dumb idea.

 

[A27_StarWolf]

I started Cryptum and I absolutely hated

Spoiler

that the humans lived alongside the Forerunners at one point. Totally went against everything I've thought about the Forerunners,

so I stopped reading after 20 pages

To be fair what did we know about them? Almost nothing.

 

[The Real Napsta]

Huh. Did someone say that Contact Harvest is in the running for worst Halo novel?

I wholeheartedly disagree. Lighter Than Some, <3

Edit:

You can't expect to use spoiler tags forever, and there will be occasions, like right now, when discussing the book comes up.

From bad to best:
The Flood
Contact Harvest
The Cole Protocol
The rest of the books

IMO of course.

 

[Steelyuhas]

I wish they would just make playlists that require the DLC on top of CEA.

Yeah as much as I am generally against requiring DLC because I feel like people shouldn't have to pay more than their 60 bucks to play the game if they don't want to, the DLC implementation is so poor in Reach that at some point, your loyal fanbase that plays everyday and buys all the DLC (especially CEA maps because they will be awesome) needs to be rewarded.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

We need to set a new standard for spoilers of Halo books. Say within a year of release, they have to be spoiled. Everyone else agree?

Nah, I tend to wait for the paperbacks. Please dont be so lazy that you cant even type/ copy and paste ['spoiler']['/spoiler'] every so often

 

[vhfive]

I'm probably going to Providence. My brother fucking loves StarCraft and is definitely going so I'll probably tag along and watch Halo.

 

[The Librarian]

Nah, I tend to wait for the paperbacks. Please dont be so lazy that you cant even type/ copy and paste ['spoiler']['/spoiler'] every so often

But there goes by a certain time when I think it's quite appropriate to talk about spoilers in the book openly. You're not going to see anyone using spoiler tags for Contact Harvest, The Fall of Reach, First Strike, and Ghosts of Onyx. Maybe Evolutions (individual stories don't talked about much here).

 

[NOKYARD]

I don't care about spoilers from the books. But PLEASE don't you spoil CEA's story for me.

 

[Tunavi]

I don't care about spoilers from the books. But PLEASE don't you spoil CEA's story for me.

lol you can joke now, but I'll be really pissed if someone spoils the terminals

 

[vhfive]

But there goes by a certain time when I think it's quite appropriate to talk about spoilers in the book openly. You're not going to see anyone using spoiler tags for Contact Harvest, The Fall of Reach, First Strike, and Ghosts of Onyx. Maybe Evolutions (individual stories don't talked about much here).

I haven't read any Halo books but I play on it eventually. So how about you just use spoiler tags it really isn't that hard to do and that why we have them.

Spoiler

I don't actually care about spoilers but I'm sure there is someone who does so how about you try being considerate
Look how easy it is.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

On an awesome note for some reason I had a $10 kindle gift card, so I was able to get the kindle version of Cryptum for free (it's $9.99). No idea where the gift card came from, must have been the Halo gods or Frankie.