A friendly reminder that issue #6 of Halo Escalation comes out tomorrow. If you’re looking for a print edition, check your local comic book store.
Otherwise, you can order the digital edition direct from Darkhorse comics, HERE.
I’m REALLY looking forward to this issue. You could say there is a certain spirit of fire about this moth’s issue…
-Sal
This article was sparked by a discussion on Halo Reddit. The question there was: What kind of enemies do you want/think we will be fighting in Halo 5?
Here was my response to that question:
It’s pretty well assumed we’ll face off against the Storm faction of the Covenant again. We’re going to have to take Jul ‘Mdama down. As well, I’d guess we’ll see the same Prometheans…AND a few more. Originally there were 6 planned Promethean types to fight. However, 343 was having a hard time designing the Knight that they never got around to the other three. Those were to be named: King, Queen and Pawn. The Crawler is considered the pawn now, so we might only get two more new Promethean enemies. As for a new Covenant race, I’ve been wanting a new race for quite awhile now and fully support this idea. As to what kind of race, your suggestion of a feline race would be welcomed, though I’m not sure how well it would fit into the Halo-verse. It would have to have some feline properties, but not look specifically like a feline. Note the Brutes are simian in nature, but do not exactly look like Apes. Similar with the jackals/birds, Elites/Dinos. Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing an all new race come in to play, but not as a part of the Covenant, but a whole other race to contend with. This could cause 3 or 4 way battles between, Humanity, Covenant, Prometheans, New Race.
So with that in mind, would you folks like to see a NEW race in Halo? Either aligned with the Covenant OR a race independent of any currently in Halo? If so, what kind of being would you want it to be related to?
I do like the idea of a feline enemy race, however, I’m concerned that they would look TOO cat like. The Jackals are a good representation of a avian-like race, without looking TOO much like birds. With this in mind, can you come up with a drawing of a new race for Halo? Base it off of something here on earth. Something relatively like the other races of Halo, i.e., two arms/two legs/one head. In other words, humanoid.
I’m going to work on something feline related. Feel free to use that theme too or pick something else. I’d love to see what you folks might come up with. If you do draw something, send it to sal@halofanforlife.com and I’ll post it here on the blog in a follow up article to this one.
-Sal
My good friend, PensHalo, has come up with a theory for Halo 5 Guardians that deserves some attention. Take a read and let me know what you think of his theory.
With the release of the new of Halo 5: Guardians last week along with the initial image, the anticipation for the next Halo game has started. The questions are flying regarding who is the person in the top half of the image. I started wondering myself who this could be. As many have pointed out the person is possibly an ONI operative as the ONI logo can be seen on the chest plate of the armor being worn. In addition, this person (who is not female as reported by Josh Holmes and Frank O’Connor) is male. He has a slighter build than Master Chief which is why many, myself included, thought this could be a female character.
For some reason, I was reminded of the opening cut scene of Halo 4 that has Halsey being interrogated by someone. During that discussion the following is spoken:
Interrogator: “Do you believe the Master Chief succeeded because he was, at his core, broken?”
Halsey: “What does John have to do with this? …you want to replace him.”
In the Halo universe after the war, ONI has been extremely busy trying to keep the Sangheili busy with their own Civil War so they can’t turn on Humans. There also seems to be a bit of a struggle between ONI and the UNSC as seen in the Kilo-Five Trilogy by Karen Traviss and in the Halo Escalation #1. So what would ONI need to help swing the balance of power in their direction? Master Chief. Or more specifically, the legend that Master Chief has become. Without argument he is the greatest Spartan II and is a mythic figure, right up there with Achillies, Ajax, Roland, and the other great heroes of legend. Whomever the public feels he is siding with, they would side with them.
However, there are two items that make this more difficult for ONI. First off, as we saw in the early E3 trailer from 2013 it appears that Master Chief has gone rogue and is out there on his own. The second item is that he, like the other Spartan II’s, see Catherine Halsey as a mother –figure. As those in charge of ONI now and in the past have been at odds with Halsey it stands to reason that they would do whatever they could to take her greatest creation away from her. So this ONI operative in the image is pursuing John like Actaeon is pursued by his hounds. However they still need Master Chief. How do they do that?
They clone Master Chief.
Now I know that the only cloning that is ever really mentioned in the Halo universe is Flash cloning. This is a medical process used to clone body parts. It uses a sample of a person’s DNA to grow a cloned organ which can be transplanted back into that person with virtually no chance of rejection. This is the method used to replace the original Spartan II’s when they were kidnapped from their home. The cloning of an entire human is illegal as per the UN Colonial Mortal Dictata 1. In addition, those clones created by the flash method are highly unstable and in almost every case the clone dies from “metabolic cascade failure”.2
However, in this case ONI could just get their hands on Master Chief’s DNA and create the cloned embryo and then let it grow normally, which would avoid any of the problems that flash cloning brings. Letting the clone age normally until he was 13/14 and then going through the augmentation process would explain the comparably slight build as compared to Master Chief.
During the campaign, I can see you starting off as Master Chief trying to stay ahead of the ONI Operative and then switching to the Operative in trying to track Master Chief down. And in honor of Halo 2, the end is the two finally meet up and the screen cuts to black marking the end of this entry into the Halo universe. This would then be followed up by a boost in the economy as gamers go out to purchase new monitors/TV’s to replace the ones that they threw their controllers at and broke.
This is actually very interesting. Considering the timeline, it’s quite possible. Mind you if the clone was say 20 years old, he would have been alive before the events of Halo Reach an on. Still, Master Chief’s career was quite impressive, even before then. Imagine a clone of Chief though. He’s younger which could mean faster. However, he’s not as experienced. The shape of the ONI “spartan” makes sense too as he would have the time to bulk up as much as Chief.
So what do you folks think? Master “Clone”?
-Sal
Sa-weet! I’m definitely going to buy this issue! Great to see Chief front and center! Now if I can get some help from one of my UK friends and/or readers.
Here’s the text blurb from xbox (UK):
Halo 5 is set to take on Titanfall and blow all the competition away as you’ll find out in the latest issue of X-ONE Magazine, on sale now. Master Chief’s next-gen debut leads 23 games that are only possible on Xbox One, detailed in issue #111 of the UK’s biggest independent Xbox mag.
From where this new game will be set, to the enemies that will be faced, how Kinect and SmartGlass might be involved and how to fix the multiplayer, we’ve delved deep into Halo once again to bring you all the latest info.
Also in X-ONE #111 we speak to BioWare about kicking off the big-budget RPGs of the generation with Dragon Age: Inquisition and ask Rocksteady why its Batman: Arkham Knight is only possible on next-gen systems.
We spent four hours playing Watch Dogs and bring you our 15 most enjoyable ways to cause havoc and mayhem on the streets of Chicago in Ubisoft’s incredible new sandbox game. We’ve also tracked down all 25 of the confirmed games for ID@Xbox and asked which of these Indie up and comers has what it takes to repeat the success of Minecraft?
X-ONE #111 is on sale now at all good newsagents and supermarkets. Alternatively you can have it delivered to your door by ordering a copy from our store. Great savings can be had if you subscribe to X-ONE (to save up to 30%) or by downloading X-ONE to your smartphone or tablet from Greatdigitalmags.com
-Sal
All I have to say is WHOAH!
(on sale August 27, 2014)
-Sal
We all seen this type of technology in Halo for nearly a decade and a half. This technology does exist today, albeit in a slightly different form.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert in this field. This article was in part written and reflagged from existing articles that I’ve included references for near the end of the article. Any facts I may get wrong are not intentional. This article is for entertainment purposes only and is by no means exhaustive with the information herein. I highly suggest you click on the links contained throughout the article if you want to get a fuller understanding of this real-world tech.
Fiction
In Halo, we the gamers use the heads up display for motion tracking, ammo and grenade counts as well as health, shields and targeting. As with all technology, the HUD has changed from Halo CE through to Halo 4.
Halo CE’s HUD
Halo 2’s HUD
Halo 3’s HUD
Halo 4’s HUD
The HUD in Halo can also detect what weapon the bearer has in their hands, switching targeting reticles to match that of the weapon in use. The term HUD is actually incorrect and should be call HMD or helmet mounted display. The difference being that in HUDs you have to look up to see it and it’s fixed into place. Whereas, the HMD is shown on the visor and thus moves with the user’s head movement.
Fact
Since Halo CE, we gamers have enjoyed the use of a heads up display or HUD. The technology shown in the game from the start up to the present game for a singular soldier on the battlefield was something that only a decade ago was science fiction.
The earliest for a HUD tech can be traced back to pre-Wolrd War II. HUD tech evolved from “reflector sight,” a parallax free optical sight tech for military jet fighters. Below shows an early German schematic of this tech.
Gyro gunsight was the first tech to use reflector sight. As this tech advanced, the early HUDs started displaying computed gunnery solutions. An example of this is the British AI Mk VIII air interception radar. The radar display was projected onto an aircrafts windscreen also showing an artificial horizon. This allowed pilots to now dogfight without having to look away from their windscreen to check their radar.
HUD tech evolved in 1958 by the Royal Navy. This HUD had an attack sight that provided nav and weapon release info for low level attacks. This HUD tech faced strong competition from those who supported the older electro-mechanical gunsight. In the ’60s French test-pilot Gilbert Klopfstien created the first modern HUD and a standardized set of symbols for HUDs so pilots only needed to learn one system. The ’70s brought HUD tech to commercial aviation. In 1988 the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was the first car to have a HUD. (1)
HUD tech for soldiers’ helmets have been around for a few years now. In 2004 at the Soldier Technology (convention) in Belgium, a new system for the time was shown. It was the NA-OR Advanced Integrated Soldier System or AISS. This personal HUD improved situational awareness, target identifcation, bidirectional communication of data and an early “Friend or Foe” tag system. An example of this HUD is shown below on the soldier’s helmet. (2)
Fast forward to 2013 where HUD tech is now not only looking like the HALO HUD on a small screen, but is now incorporated into a full face visor on a helmet that looks VERY much like an early Spartan Helmet.
Just last year, Sept. 2013, this new tech was shown at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting. The helmet not only has enhanced protective measures, but also embedded technology that includes a see-through, heads-up display and communication capabilities.
With 72 percent of all combat injuries impacting the face, the engineers sought to bridge a “technology gap” with a mandible and visor on the helmet.
The helmet includes cushioning to meet a 14-feet-per-second impact requirement, which will help reduce cases of traumatic brain injuries that translates to protection for a rifle round threat. (3)
This Halo-like helmet has not yet been adopted into the military yet.
Take a look at these videos by Revision Military, the makers of the above helmet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFFtCU7tcsI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQKV43WAx_c
With the advent of Google Glass and the developing bionic contact lens, people from all over the globe will be able to have personal heads up display. The new Augmented-reality contact lens is touted to be “human-ready” at this year’s CES (Consumer Electronics Show).
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-up_display
2. http://www.gizmag.com/go/3042/
3. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/10/25/the-armys-futuristic-halo-like-helmet-that-can-take-a-14-feet-per-second-impact/
While the HUD of the present as yet can not detect what weapon the soldier is currently holding, can that tech really be far behind? Bio-scan technology is being integrated into current HUDs to alert the soldier as well as their base of the vital signs.
Summary
The HUD of Halo isn’t science fiction anymore. While current tech does not yet include all of the aspects of Halo’s HUD, it most certainly is close. It’s very predictable that in the very near future, current technology will have the rest of Halo’s HUD incorporated into single soldier use.
Did you enjoy this article? I’d like to know what you think of it and the tech talked about within. Please hit reply below and share your thoughts.
-Sal
As reported yesterday, Halo Escalation #5 is out today.
Darkhorse has a 3-page preview of it, which I’m reblogging here for your convenience.
So it looks like the action is heating up for Spartan Ray. Hopefully Lasky can diffuse the situation and the party can go on about finding the information they need regarding the attack on the delegation.
-Sal
For those of you who are collecting the series (as I am), the next issue of Halo Escalation is out tomorrow. You can pick up a copy at your local comic book shops. If they don’t have it in stock, you can buy direct from Darkhorse. As well, you can get the digital copy, HERE.
Here’s the text blurb form Darkhorse about this issue:
Missing for thirty years, a legendary UNSC warship is discovered deep behind enemy lines. As Infinity plans a rescue mission, however, Admiral Hood’s past with the ship’s captain threatens to jeopardize the mission. The investigation into the UNSC saboteur continues as the journalist infiltrates an Elite holy land in search of answers.
-Sal
I just heard this, this morning when I got on the net. Marty O’Donnell, yes THAT Marty, was fired from Bungie! I’m just absolutely STUNNED by this. As most of you know he composed the music for all of the Halo games before Halo 4, except Halo Wars.
Here’s Marty’s tweet about it:
Bungie’s Deej had this to say on Bungie’s official site:
343 better hire him. It would be a monumental mistake for them not to. I mean really, who wouldn’t want to see him back holding the reigns of the Halo music again?
Even if Marty doesn’t come back to Halo, we Halo fans need to support him. Without him, Halo would not have had the epic musical score that it had (pre-Halo 4).
If you’ve got a twitter account, use the hashtag #Standbymarty Let’s get that trending folks!!!
More on this as I can find out. Stay Tuned!
-Sal
I happened upon some amazing news about a new Railgun that the U.S. military is testing. I had known that railgun technology had been around for a few years, but now it’s on the brink of actual use and not in the development stage.
During this article we’ll explore the fiction side of Railguns and their tech in the Halo universe, versus the real-world application of this technology, as well as their similarities and differences.
Disclaimer: I’m not a scientist or engineer. I may state some things incorrectly.
Now on with the article!
Fiction:
The railgun in Halo was introduced to us in Halo 4. Let’s not mistake this with the MAC (Magnetic Accelerated Cannon) on starships, nor the gauss cannon found on some Warthogs.
The Asymmetric Recoilless Carbine-920 or Railgun is a “compact-channel linear accelerator that fires a high-explosive round at incredible speed, delivering kinetic and explosive force to both hard and soft targets alike”. Alternately, it can also be described as an electro-magnetic projectile weapon.
Some technical specs for the Railgun are:
Manufacturer: Acheron Security
Ammunition Type: M645 FTP-HE 16 mm x 65 mm
Ammunition Size: 16mm x 65mm
Size:
Length: 110.8 centimetres (43.6 in)
Height: 31.9 centimetres (12.6 in)
Width: 7.4 centimetres (2.9 in)
Weight: 14.9 kilograms (33 lb)
Charge Time: 2 seconds, lesser charge time will cause less damage
The Halo 4 Railgun has no zoom feature while shooting. The projectile follows along dual channels (metal “rails”). These are charged by an electric current that flows through the magnetic rails. This interaction is what fires the projectile at high speed.
Though the handheld Railgun in halo 4 is labeled as “recoilless”, it actually has recoil, likely to show the weapon’s destructive force.
Fact:
In a report from CBS news/Reuters by David Alexander, it’s stated that the U.S. Navy is planning trials for it’s railgun in 2016. This version of the railgun can fire a 23 pound projectile at seven times the speed of sound and can travel well over 100 miles. To break that down, the speed of sound is 1,125 feet per second or 767 miles per hour. Seven times that is 7875 feet per second (just slightly under 1 1/2 miles per SECOND!) or 5,369 miles per hour. That is some POWER!
Rear Admiral Matthew Kluder, chief of Naval Research has stated that the railgun has already gone through testing on the ground. The above picture shows a prototype of the current version of the railgun set up in a testing lab to test it’s firepower.
Part of the reason for developing railgun technology is technical superiority as well as cost. The planned 23lb projectile for the sea-based railgun will cost about 25,000. This is vastly cheaper that the average 500K to 1.5 million dollars (US) per conventional missile in use today.
Above shows the lab railgun’s length (in a fishbowl view).
“Railguns use electromagnetic energy known as the Lorenz Force to launch a projectile between two conductive rails. The high-power electric pulse generates a magnetic field to fire the projectile with very little recoil, officials said.”
“Current projectiles leaving a railgun have a muzzle energy of about 32 megajoules of force, said Rear Admiral Bryant Fuller, the Navy’s chief engineer. He said one megajoule would move a one-ton object at about 100 mph” Again, the current projectile is only 23 pounds versus the stated 2,000 pounds. So that’s just over 1% of the weight and 32 times of force. POWERFUL!!!
To illustrate this, the picture below shows the destructive force of an even smaller real-world projectile through a railgun. Though not said, the smaller projectile looks to be no more than a few pounds in weight. This is relative to the Halo 4’s projectile.
What you’re looking at above are SIX 1/2 inch thick steel plates that have had a several inches wide hole PUNCHED through them.
Check out this video of the real-world railgun in action! (link submitted by Kevin Armstrong-Thanks Kev!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHS1ZiFJjB8
Summation
The technology for the real-world railgun is very similar to the tech represented in Halo 4’s railgun. The major difference being that we in present time have not yet reduced the size of the gun itself for individual use.
Given the size of the projectile in the Halo 4 railgun, coupled with the power associated with the electromagnetic current, it is quite evident that the destructive force of the Halo 4 railgun is accurately depicted in game.
So not only is this tech possible, it’s REAL and right NOW!
-Sal