[TrashMan]

Yeah. Do you honestly believe an M16, a Humvee, or a tank is going to help you if you contract Spanish flu? Smallpox? Ebola?

cancer isn't a organic life-form.

Flue, ebola and stuff liek that - ever heard of things like Sealed atmosphere suits, decontaminations sites and vaccines?

[Dark Hunter]

Forgive someone who hasn't read the books... but I didn't see the
oversized Covenant city High Charity blow up or anything after it looked
like the Flood spores came out of the warp tunnel in H3.

So ah... there's an entire moon sized mobile station crawling with Flood still out there.

Earth's mostly beaten, the Covenant are in disarray, the Elites it looks like want to go
check if their home world is safe (*cough* why wouldn't it be except for the Flood, it's not
like we humans were winning the war), so there's still more than enough I think left over for a continuation.

Not to mention we've not established who sent the Flood, or how they came to be if they invaded
the Forerunners before.

Ah also, if you've not sat through/past "all" of the credits, there's another extra cinema at the "very very end" of H3.

As to High Charity:

Spoiler:

High Charity was destroyed by the MC after he rescued Cortana. If you recall, you set off a chain reaction before you leave. So it is definitely not still around.

And since you haven't read the books, I can't blame you for not knowing this, but the Elites' homeworld may very well be damaged. In Ghosts of Onyx they accidentally took a "NOVA" planet-killer warhead (they didn't know it was a bomb) to a planet called "Joyous Exhultation" from Reach, which exploded in orbit and did quite a number on the large Covenant fleet sitting there and damaged the planet some as well. It's not known in Joyous Exhultation was the homeworld... but it might have been, considering that it was the major rallying point for the Elites after the Covenant broke up.

[IceFire]

Very interesting...
to tell the truth, all those organic menaces in Sci-Fi are slowly begining to get on my nerves.. Zuul, Zerg, Flood, Alien, various organic ships/parasites, etc.. In hte end they never make sense since technology pwns organic evolition. No matter what you come up with, something built by technology will be more durable, more deadly, more easily replaced.

b.t.w. - how does the flood assimilate technology?

All of the biological foes that we're seeing in sci-fi right now is probably the result (in some small way) of our technological world and our increasing fear or unfamiliarity of biological and natural things (I know people who have somehow managed to never see a deer or a fox or any sort of larger wild creature).  Typically as western culture goes our predisposition is towards controlling nature as much as possible with technology and we're pretty good at it too.  Actually its a fairly common thing in all cultures although I think we in the western world take it to the extreme.

But I do have to disagree that biological/organic evolution is somehow inferior to anything we've managed to put together.  Our technology is startlingly fragile in many ways and particularly in its longevity.  When you consider that we're still learning engineering from nature (spiders and the tensile strength of their webs are something that scientists really want to know how to do and do cheaply) so in the case of something like the Zerg or Flood you take that natural capability and magnify it ten or a hundred times to go down that hypothetical route.

Its not completely outrageous and its arrogant to think that technology through manufactured materials and circuits is the only way of doing things.

[StratComm]

Time to de-lurk for a second.

There's a problem with the whole idea of "technological vs biological" being a debate.  Manipulation of biological processes is in some ways the direction a whole lot of human technology is already going.  Most workable nanotechnology precursors look a lot more organic than like "high technology" and nanotech is seen as a be-all, end-all point of tech.  It won't be metal, it won't even resemble metal.  Then there's genetic engineering.  Viruses can be engineered with current technology, and we can already make limited changes to multicellular organisms over a single reproductive cycle.  Bio-tech in scifi is popular right now because it's what's popular in science and technology, and because it's a lot more probable (excluding the whole telepathy thing) than energy shields and FTL travel.

[General Battuta]

cancer isn't a organic life-form.

As someone who's worked in a lab culturing cancer cells, I can tell you that it most certainly is. A tumor consists of your own body cells, growing out of control, and you are most definitely organic.

All those things - sealed atmosphere suits, decon sites, and vaccines - will give you an edge against some disease agents on an individual basis. None of them, however, is capable of protecting the entire human race.  Nor are you likely to wear one your entire life. Biological agents are extremely insidious, almost impossible to contain.

All that aside, 'technological superiority' is arrogant and fallacious. We, humanity, are entirely dependent on organic life - plants, insects, and the other elements of the ecosystem - for our continued survival. We have never managed to create a successful artificial ecosystem.

As StratComm said, it's no coincidence that most of our current technological progress regards the manipulation of biological systems.

[IceFire]

Time to de-lurk for a second.

There's a problem with the whole idea of "technological vs biological" being a debate.  Manipulation of biological processes is in some ways the direction a whole lot of human technology is already going.  Most workable nanotechnology precursors look a lot more organic than like "high technology" and nanotech is seen as a be-all, end-all point of tech.  It won't be metal, it won't even resemble metal.  Then there's genetic engineering.  Viruses can be engineered with current technology, and we can already make limited changes to multicellular organisms over a single reproductive cycle.  Bio-tech in scifi is popular right now because it's what's popular in science and technology, and because it's a lot more probable (excluding the whole telepathy thing) than energy shields and FTL travel.

Its really just the evolution of the good guy versus bad guy concept (one wears a white hat and the other a black one)...its easier to tell opposing sides apart when one sides units are all finished in metallic gray and the other side has claws, spines, and is all fleshy.

And you make some awesome points about how things are moving along technology wise.

Some sci-fi, such as Babylon 5, suggests that the future of technology is where you grow technology...in some cases are in harmony with and sometimes symbiotic with that technology (think about Kosh's ship).

[NGTM-1R]

get cancer and say that

Cancer is the failure of biological systems, however, so honestly I'm inclined to think it doesn't count. Ebola perhaps.

[Deepblue]

Just finished the game.

I loved it. Anyone up for co-op now?

[Dark Hunter]

Yes! I just got the IWHBYD skull! This oughtta be fun...

[jr2]

Heh, ok, fess up.. who here hasn't wished that all your cold / flu viruses would exit your body, assemble into their own life-form, and then come after you, with yourself wielding a 12-gauge? 

The thing is, viruses etc are so dangerous, because they are in your body, and to kill them (if your own anti-bodies can't do it) you basically have to try to poison / fry them and hope not to mortally damage yourself in the process (chemo, radiation treatment).

The Flood is outside your body, unless / until you get an infection form onto you... but the warrior forms have all of the knowledge and skill of whatever they infected... (I used to think they were kinda dumb, until I turned up the difficulty level to Legendary - lifts your handicaps & theirs... they usually win unless you have razor sharp wit & reflexes).

[TrashMan]

But I do have to disagree that biological/organic evolution is somehow inferior to anything we've managed to put together.  Our technology is startlingly fragile in many ways and particularly in its longevity.  When you consider that we're still learning engineering from nature (spiders and the tensile strength of their webs are something that scientists really want to know how to do and do cheaply) so in the case of something like the Zerg or Flood you take that natural capability and magnify it ten or a hundred times to go down that hypothetical route.

Assuming those abilities can be magnified tenfold or a hunderfold. Insects, as impressive as they are, only function on their small scale.
regardless, any living being traveling trough space has to be able to resist 3 dangers - extreeme heat, extreeme cold and radiation - and organic matter isn't known to be able to hold up against even one of htse very good, let alone all 3.

Its not completely outrageous and its arrogant to think that technology through manufactured materials and circuits is the only way of doing things.

no, not the only way. biotech does exist.
but there's no denying that manufactured materials are better (for war).

You really think any creature will have claws capable of punchingtough a a foot of titanium? (or whatever new super-mateirials we come up in the future) and I havn't even taken nano-tech materials into the equation - thats some seriously wierd s***. Had a presentation done from top researchers from 2 main european reseach centers on nanotechnology. Incredibly interesting stuff. You wouldn't belive the potential properties of some of hte new stuff on the way.

[Mefustae]

but there's no denying that manufactured materials are better (for war).

That's where you're wrong. From a purely objective standpoint, a well-engineered biological agent can wipe out your enemy with no losses to your forces, all the while leaving your enemy's industrial base completely untouched. Morally shakey ground, but undoubtedly far more effective.

You really think any creature will have claws capable of punchingtough a a foot of titanium? (or whatever new super-mateirials we come up in the future) and I havn't even taken nano-tech materials into the equation - thats some seriously wierd s***. Had a presentation done from top researchers from 2 main european reseach centers on nanotechnology. Incredibly interesting stuff. You wouldn't belive the potential properties of some of hte new stuff on the way.

What use is energy-shielded, trans-adamantium, diamond-composite armour if only a single, sub-microscopic particle can completely incapacitate you? Life has survived 4 billion years of evolution, and yet my iPod crashes all the time. The Second World War - a monument of 20th Century technology - killed ~60 across over 6 years of conflict, whereas the Spanish Flu alone killed between 60 and 100 million people in a year. Even the most advanced computer has only a fraction of the processing power of the human brain, and the ultimate aim of nano-technology would be to mimic many biological processes and designs. Technology beats biology every time? Bollocks.

Anyway, organic constructs are merely highly complex machines when you get right down to it. So really, your argument that technology is superior to biology is self-defeating.

[TrashMan]

..again with the viruses?
I'm talking about Zerg, Flood or Alien like creatures (who arn't microscopic BTW)

And what's stoping me from making nano-bots that will hunt down and kill any viruses or bacteris that caould be harmfull to me?

And how the hell is the virus supposed to get me in my Warhips in high orbit? * OWNED*

[Inquisitor]

Coop is a hoot. Even split screen, which seemed a wee bit cumbersome on Gears, gives me enough realestate to not feel cheated and or squished.

[Mefustae]

Coop is a hoot. Even split screen, which seemed a wee bit cumbersome on Gears, gives me enough realestate to not feel cheated and or squished.

Except that playing split-screen coop when it's set to widescreen produces massive black bars on each side of the screen. Well done Bungie, 3 years in the making and you still manage to cock-up royal.

[IceFire]

But I do have to disagree that biological/organic evolution is somehow inferior to anything we've managed to put together.  Our technology is startlingly fragile in many ways and particularly in its longevity.  When you consider that we're still learning engineering from nature (spiders and the tensile strength of their webs are something that scientists really want to know how to do and do cheaply) so in the case of something like the Zerg or Flood you take that natural capability and magnify it ten or a hundred times to go down that hypothetical route.

Assuming those abilities can be magnified tenfold or a hunderfold. Insects, as impressive as they are, only function on their small scale.
regardless, any living being traveling trough space has to be able to resist 3 dangers - extreeme heat, extreeme cold and radiation - and organic matter isn't known to be able to hold up against even one of htse very good, let alone all 3.

Its not completely outrageous and its arrogant to think that technology through manufactured materials and circuits is the only way of doing things.

no, not the only way. biotech does exist.
but there's no denying that manufactured materials are better (for war).

You really think any creature will have claws capable of punchingtough a a foot of titanium? (or whatever new super-mateirials we come up in the future) and I havn't even taken nano-tech materials into the equation - thats some seriously wierd s***. Had a presentation done from top researchers from 2 main european reseach centers on nanotechnology. Incredibly interesting stuff. You wouldn't belive the potential properties of some of hte new stuff on the way.

Organic matter like various forms of bacteria are known for having accumulated on the outside of space craft before launch, survive the launch, survive vacuum, and return to Earth and start propagating again.  Life can exist pretty much anywhere and is far more robust than we give it credit.  No we don't have any complex organisms surviving the same process and there would have to be further evidence to suggest that in actual real life that its possible within our biosphere and level of technology sure...I agree there...but in a sci-fi context where you sort of gloss over a few details for entertainment sake its not unreasonable.

And yes I fully believe its possible that, given the right sort of biology, you could have something that could have claws that can rip through titanium.  Unlikely and improbable I agree but not impossible.  Anyways I think the argument has diverged somewhat but sci-fi is perfectly justified in going for an organic enemy and there's no reason they can't theoretically exist.

[Deepblue]

Coop is a hoot. Even split screen, which seemed a wee bit cumbersome on Gears, gives me enough realestate to not feel cheated and or squished.

Except that playing split-screen coop when it's set to widescreen produces massive black bars on each side of the screen. Well done Bungie, 3 years in the making and you still manage to cock-up royal.

It's to keep it at a reasonable aspect ratio without resorting to the horrible vertical split format.

[Mefustae]

It's to keep it at a reasonable aspect ratio without resorting to the horrible vertical split format.

"Horrible"?

They should have at least had the option, what with so much thought otherwise given to playing Halo 3 with more than one person. It's just common ****ing sense.

[NGTM-1R]

The level of detail is such I find split-screen play totally unacceptable, anyways.

[Inquisitor]

Its actually better than Gears split screen on my TV. I found it better than many of hte split screen games. I think the black bars actually help, its not "overstrecthed" the way Gears was. I think the human eye rebelss at that overstretching (or my old man eyes do at least),

But I do have a 46 inch LCD, 720p/1080i so that may make a difference.

Played Coop on Live last night, that was also a hoot. Having more than 2 people makes of difference, its a really social experience that way.