[quote=Apello]That would make total sense, true, but would Bungie be willing to spend the time to rattle out all the necessary exposition needed to flesh out those functions in the game? I would find it delightful if all the story written in the halo books were to finally have mention in the video games; to set up that huge thing we saw in the trailer as the gateway to the final battleground, potentially, in the shield world, or in the button-mashing plaza of the final control room, or to even just barely touch on that place at all in the game, and move on to something else.[/quote]

I think they won't rattle it all out. But I don't think they'll find it necessary. Some they may leave to imagination and interpretation. Some they may SHOW you and not explain at all.

For instance, the Chief might find a glowing door within the Ark, pass through it, and find himself somewhere else. Cortana, if she is in contact with him, might speculate on where and why. She's already had access to the information systems of a Halo, and may know much that is unrevealed to the player already.

[quote=Apello]Would the people who have the final say on the games force the gamers, to fully understand the plot, to buy more extraneous items (the books)? Naww.[/quote]

I agree they absolutely will not do that. On the other hand, Bungie rarely feels the need to spell everything out anyway. I think it's likely the conclusion of the story may read well on two levels: as a simple action story where you shoot things until there's nothing left to shoot, and the greater political/philosophical story, that may only be hinted at.

[quote=Apello]It would be ironic that, instead of having the ark to be this massively huge shining artifact of the forgotten uber-advanced aliens, have it turn out to be something that the Chief could fit into his back pocket as he's running away from a huge explosion. Here's wondering if the Ark isn't some sort of miniature teleportation device, hopping along repeater stations to somewhere outside the galactic ring, away from the the blast of the halo devices...not saying they'll go off, but star-crossed Chiefeo and Cortiet may not want to perish on top of the funeral pyre of the rest of the human race.

I'm not meaning to demean your ides, far from it. I'm just adding on to it whatever many, many hours of no sleep and about 1.2 kg of caffeine would do anybody.
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