3rd_MB-v4.mp3
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MadTsunami
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Re: 3rd_MB-v4.mp3
It means about the same thing anyhow...
Re: 3rd_MB-v4.mp3
I think "a lack of... a failure in judgment" and "progress can block you". I don't know if that's because I wanted to hear that, as it made most sense in my mind, but I can see where people got the "blind" part, but I'd still go with "block".
Why "block", you ask? Look at the following lines. "Just like now, the pieces seem to be coming together, bit by bit, slice by surgical slice. Then, all of a sudden, endless calm." It speaks of progressing smoothly, everything clicking into place, when suddenly, silence. You've hit a dead-end. What you thought was progression, really just stone-walled you. (Think of those puzzles where you have to complete the picture by sliding little squares, with one empty square to move things into. Remember those times when things seem to be going well, but suddenly you realize you've just stuck yourself in an endless cycle and have to backtrack a whole lot? Something like that.)
Another interpretation for the line "...the pieces seem to be coming together, bit by bit, slice by surgical slice. Then, all of a sudden, endless calm", if you don't take it in context with the preceding line, is somewhat cataloging the Forerunners attempting to deal with the Flood. They slowly make discoveries about the Flood (finding about the central "brain" and how to fight it, as mentioned in the server video), to the eventual construction and firing of the Halos, "a sudden, endless calm". Now, we know it isn't -actually- endless, but it was a long enough period of time that it felt that way. Now this line: "a lack of... a failure in judgment", comes in. The failure in judgment could possibly refer to the preserving of the Flood specimens. This is backed-up by "You must understand, not all life deserves a chance." S/He/It is stating that the Flood don't deserve to live, and that they shouldn't have preserved. I'm not 100% sure if this is a sentient (Forerunner) being, or an AI, but I'm 99.999% sure it's the former, as he seeks to guide the "redemptive hand" not just to right this wrong S/He/It spent "a millenia lingering upon", but because S/He/It seeks atonement for the actions of the past.
This was supposed to be me explaining why I chose those lines, and it turned into a explanation of the whole passage. The only real thing I can't seem to quite lay a definitive meaning to is the first line. I think it may just be the speaker being bitter. I mean, it's been such a long time, you tend to go a bit loopy.
Urgh. Looking on, I figured how to explain if the wording was "blind". "And make no mistake, progress can blind you. Just like now, the pieces seem to be coming together, bit by bit, slice by surgical slice. Then, all of a sudden, endless calm." One may believe they are making progress, and become confident, believing themselves to have the upper-hand, but they fail to see the insidious workings of the enemy, and suddenly, nothingness. Something went wrong. Perhaps something went right for the enemy? After all, The Flood are still around and kicking in the galaxy, whereas, the Forerunners are nowhere to be found, except for a few artifacts.
After all, the video said that the hive mind laughed at the Forerunners' attempts to destroy it, despite them knowing how the Flood work, to some extent. Perhaps the Mind saw the Forerunners as their greatest, and only threat, and tricked the Forerunners into building the Halos and firing them. After all, Gravemind wasn't in a containment facility, but he managed to survive.
I may have just blown my own mind... what if I'm right? What if The Flood -wanted- the Halos built and for everything to be wiped out. They must have found some way to keep themselves alive, and they are a rather large and voracious race. They must have had some kind of stockpile of whatever they feed on (and calcium seems to be the foremost possibility). So, unless they learned how to process calcium, they must have stockpiled it, i.e, hording bodies. And to do that, they must have known they'd need it, for whatever reason.
Am I right? Am I crazy? Is it 5 AM and I need to go to bed? You decide. I'm going to come up with more madness in the meantime.
Why "block", you ask? Look at the following lines. "Just like now, the pieces seem to be coming together, bit by bit, slice by surgical slice. Then, all of a sudden, endless calm." It speaks of progressing smoothly, everything clicking into place, when suddenly, silence. You've hit a dead-end. What you thought was progression, really just stone-walled you. (Think of those puzzles where you have to complete the picture by sliding little squares, with one empty square to move things into. Remember those times when things seem to be going well, but suddenly you realize you've just stuck yourself in an endless cycle and have to backtrack a whole lot? Something like that.)
Another interpretation for the line "...the pieces seem to be coming together, bit by bit, slice by surgical slice. Then, all of a sudden, endless calm", if you don't take it in context with the preceding line, is somewhat cataloging the Forerunners attempting to deal with the Flood. They slowly make discoveries about the Flood (finding about the central "brain" and how to fight it, as mentioned in the server video), to the eventual construction and firing of the Halos, "a sudden, endless calm". Now, we know it isn't -actually- endless, but it was a long enough period of time that it felt that way. Now this line: "a lack of... a failure in judgment", comes in. The failure in judgment could possibly refer to the preserving of the Flood specimens. This is backed-up by "You must understand, not all life deserves a chance." S/He/It is stating that the Flood don't deserve to live, and that they shouldn't have preserved. I'm not 100% sure if this is a sentient (Forerunner) being, or an AI, but I'm 99.999% sure it's the former, as he seeks to guide the "redemptive hand" not just to right this wrong S/He/It spent "a millenia lingering upon", but because S/He/It seeks atonement for the actions of the past.
This was supposed to be me explaining why I chose those lines, and it turned into a explanation of the whole passage. The only real thing I can't seem to quite lay a definitive meaning to is the first line. I think it may just be the speaker being bitter. I mean, it's been such a long time, you tend to go a bit loopy.
Urgh. Looking on, I figured how to explain if the wording was "blind". "And make no mistake, progress can blind you. Just like now, the pieces seem to be coming together, bit by bit, slice by surgical slice. Then, all of a sudden, endless calm." One may believe they are making progress, and become confident, believing themselves to have the upper-hand, but they fail to see the insidious workings of the enemy, and suddenly, nothingness. Something went wrong. Perhaps something went right for the enemy? After all, The Flood are still around and kicking in the galaxy, whereas, the Forerunners are nowhere to be found, except for a few artifacts.
After all, the video said that the hive mind laughed at the Forerunners' attempts to destroy it, despite them knowing how the Flood work, to some extent. Perhaps the Mind saw the Forerunners as their greatest, and only threat, and tricked the Forerunners into building the Halos and firing them. After all, Gravemind wasn't in a containment facility, but he managed to survive.
I may have just blown my own mind... what if I'm right? What if The Flood -wanted- the Halos built and for everything to be wiped out. They must have found some way to keep themselves alive, and they are a rather large and voracious race. They must have had some kind of stockpile of whatever they feed on (and calcium seems to be the foremost possibility). So, unless they learned how to process calcium, they must have stockpiled it, i.e, hording bodies. And to do that, they must have known they'd need it, for whatever reason.
Am I right? Am I crazy? Is it 5 AM and I need to go to bed? You decide. I'm going to come up with more madness in the meantime.
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Dalthanas
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Re: 3rd_MB-v4.mp3
I think there's multiple layers of meaning, and a lot of what you're saying sounds really plausible. I personally think there's also a bit of metafiction in there, and Bungie is responding directly to the general feeling that was being expressed among pretty much every forum, that this ARG wasn't really moving quickly enough, if at all, that it might be broken, that they're not giving us enough info etc. etc. I think they're saying don't be in such a rush to move forward, you might miss something we put behind you.
And then dropped the bomb that was yesterday on us, as if to say chew on that for a while, but it might be a couple weeks until you get anything again, but you will get it.
There is story line related meaning too, but this was my first impression.
And then dropped the bomb that was yesterday on us, as if to say chew on that for a while, but it might be a couple weeks until you get anything again, but you will get it.
There is story line related meaning too, but this was my first impression.
Re: 3rd_MB-v4.mp3
Scelus, excellent thought, man.
Just reminded me of the Necron from WarHammer40K. I think they did something like slept for thousands to millions of years because there wasn't enough life for them to feed on. So they went dormant. Finally, when there were enough things for them to feed upon, the were revived and started to kill and consume.
But what could Gravemind gain, exactly, from doing such a thing? Unless killing the forerunner was the primary goal at that point. Perhaps manipulating them to kill themselves because could actually pose a legitimate threat, if allowed to further study and counter the Flood?
Just reminded me of the Necron from WarHammer40K. I think they did something like slept for thousands to millions of years because there wasn't enough life for them to feed on. So they went dormant. Finally, when there were enough things for them to feed upon, the were revived and started to kill and consume.
But what could Gravemind gain, exactly, from doing such a thing? Unless killing the forerunner was the primary goal at that point. Perhaps manipulating them to kill themselves because could actually pose a legitimate threat, if allowed to further study and counter the Flood?