Your New Plug-n-Play Combat Blender

Shoulder Mount Theory

Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 03:04:02 -0700 To: halo@bungie.org From: Dan Williams <nereidica@resnet.gatech.edu> Subject: Re: "Shoulder mount theory" or "Your New Plug-n-Play Combat Blender" While I'll agree that an antenna is certainly a viable theory, I think that having it as a socket for plugging in components is much more likely. For one, the bigger an antenna, the more it can receive, so that think won't do much, and if you're going to make an antenna, why not just make it then put plastic over it, and not have it exposed. As for those fractal antennas: hinge it as much or little as necassary, and put it into the chest panels this also has the side effect of extra armor-never a bad thing. But my point is, these marines are "cyborgs", and regardless of my lit teacher's definition that means the integration of hardware with one's own body. It would make a ot of sense to make one suit as standard issue, and have all sorts of weapons, and special units plug into the suit for processing power, energy, etc (and more to the point, it takes the load of those modelers- only one suit to make, and all the weapons can be added onto that. the combat advantages should be obvious for such modularity: pick up the gun on the ground without ammo, plug it into your suit's onboard fusion reactor, and you're good to go. How about stripping the antigrav belt or IR goggles off the dead alien, plugging those in, and using them without even conscious thought (excluding training, of course...) or even better, jumping into one of those kickass jeeps, or hover thingies, and being able to control it through your suit (no new interface to learn, good portability) Alright, given alot of this doesn't make sense to us, the players, because the neural implants in my mind aren't quite working up to the level required, so driving a car while shooting a flanking target isn't quite possible, but it DOES make sense, and hey, what's wrong with some realism and cool gadgets? One cool thing (any bungie employees take notice) is that if you were using an energy weapon, it could run off your suit's power, simplifying the supply situation- only one ammo type required, which is probably also use for a couple other things. (mana??) the bottom line? that "thingie" mounted back there is a generic interface plug for all your toys. -dan Dan Williams gte123q@prism.gatech.edu

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