Hello, I would like to decode some popular Halo myths. Most of these are in some way related to Halo 3, and are all backed with clearly stated and sourced evidence. If you have any arguement or questions, please post it and I will fix it or prove it, but the purpose of this thread is to state the facts as they are. There is little to no speculation here, and all speculation is marked. I will add more myths over time, or take suggestions to edit missteps. If you are only interested in Halo 3 Multiplayer myths, scroll down. Please do not suggest any game myths from other games; as this is the Halo 3 forum, I will only be covering Halo 3. Note: I did not use Halopedia, Halowiki, or any other public knowledge bases in this thread, as such places may be incorrect. All of the statements in this thread are from actual research into Halo canon that I performed, or from watching video footage of the multiplayer. Many of the multiplayer myhts are made possible by Defend the House. [quote]1. The amount of experience you have effects how quickly you rank up in Halo 3 matchmaking.[/quote] False. To put it very simply, the ranking system is based on an average. If you win more games than you lose, you rank up faster. This is why first accounts can be slow because there are a lot of losses to it. second accounts rank up faster because there are less losses impeding the speed. So exp has something to do with it simply because the more games you have played the more likely it is you lost, but exp has no direct effect, so negative exp boosters are wasting time. Also, playlists do not effect each other from what I have personally seen. This is why you rank up faster at lower ranks than higher, because you have less losses at rank 1 than 40. Please note that I have no evidence to support this statement, it is just an observation. Fore a full explanation of the Trueskill rank system, visit the sourced thread, or Microsoft's website. [b][u]Sources:[/u][/b] Halo 3 Rank Explanation Pinned Thread [url]http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=14414600[/url] [quote]2. Forerunners are humans.[/quote] False. Forerunners discovered primitive humans on earth along with many other species on different planets that they collected and reseeded across the galaxy after the Halo Array was fired. Although physiologically similar, they are separate species. This similarity is probably why Humans are regarded as Reclaimers, the chosen successors of the forerunners. This also explains why the portal to the Ark was on Earth: so that humans would one day use it to "Reclaim" the mantle of the Forerunners. Halo Origins and the Halo Encyclopedia clearly differentiates between Forerunners and Humans, for exapmle, an excerpt from page 171 says: They [ The Forerunners] took vast populations of existing species, including the nascent Human race from Earth, and moved them out of harm's way." Many other examples apply. Note: In this especially interesting [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=36430414]thread[/url], the possibility for Humans being Precursors, the race that was even greater than the Forerunners, is discussed. There is no definitive evidence to support this theory, though it is well founded. However, even if it is true, all of the above information is correct: Humans are not Forerunners, but are the chosen successors to the Forerunners (Reclaimers). Whether or not Humans are Precursors is irrelevant. Congratulations [url=http://www.bungie.net/Account/Profile.aspx?memberID=5506365]Wolverfrog[/url] on this excellent theory. [i]Addendum[/i] This myth is one of the oldest and most contested theories in all of Halo. Halo 3 made it seem almost true with 343 Guitly Spark's quote "You are Foreunner" but this could have a variety of metaphorical meanings. What he really meant by it will never be fulyl understood. [b][u]Sources:[/u][/b] Halo 3, Halo Encyclopedia, notably pages 164-187, Halo Origins [quote]3. The planet Master Chief is heading towards in the Halo 3 Legendary Ending is:[/quote] [u]Reach-[/u] Unlikely, although both appear industrialized, they look different, and Master Chief was probably teleported to random galactic coordinates since he broke off in slipstream, so it's unlikely he'd be anywhere known. Also, you can clearly see markings similar to Forerunner markings, and since it is on the night side, there must be running lights for you to see them. Since Reach was glassed, there should not be any running lights, therefore, proabably not Reach, unless there is time travel, which is highly improbable, though technically possible. [u]Forerunner Planet-[/u] Possible, although impossible to tell which. The planet is obviously industrialized, but that does not necessarily make it Forerunner. It is likely to be a shield world, because it has remained active for 100000 years, and a Forerunner world meant for living would probably have shut down. Also, it is unlikely to be the planet seen in Halo Origins appeared to have only on major symbol viewable on it, and the planet seen in Halo 3 has several. It is also likely that that planet would have shut down. Furthermore, that pleanter has a lot of water on it, and it probable that there are large amounts of ocean on hte other side. In Halo 3 the planet seen seems to have constructs covering most of the surface, so it's safe to assume there is little water. It is also unlikely that it is simply the other side of the planet, because the same world would not be so geographically different in two hemispheres. Finally, if it is a shield world, there is no way to tell if it is Onyx. [u]A Marathon Planet-[/u] Unlikely as it is highly improbable that Halo and Marathon take place in the same Universe. See Myth #8. To sum that up, there is NO definitive evidence as to what the planet is. Specualtion is open, but the only provable fact is that nothing is provable. [b][u]Sources:[/b][/u] Fall of Reach, Ghosts of Onyx, Halo 3, Halo Origins, Myth #8 [quote]4. The Forerunner Planet in Halo Origins is the Forerunner home world.[/quote] Possible, although it may simply be the first planet that that Flood struck, called G617g. It is the only definite Forerunner planet ever to be seen from space in Halo. There is no evidence to point it towards being a specific planet, nor is there even evidnce that it is even G617g. It's just a planet. For now, we just know that it existed and was attacked by the Flood. [b][u]Sources: Halo Origins, Halo Encyclopedia page 168[/u][/b] [quote]5. The Gravemind is the same one that existed during the time of the Forerunners.[/quote] False. Although Gravemind hints at this, it is likely that he is speaking of the Flood species as a whole since they are hive-minded and regard themselves as a singel entity, and may also be speaking of his memories. It is possible that the Flood species retain the genetic memories of their ancestors, allowing Graveminds to grow on the knowledge of their predecessors. The most definitive evidence that Gravemind did not survive is 1. The Array would have killed him, unless the Foreunners protected him liek other species. 2. The Flood can be seen building Proto-Graveminds, which as far as we know is because there is no Gravemind present already. 3. The Halo Encyclopedia page 176 reads: "The Installations's Monitor, 2401 Penitent Tangent, did its best to contro lthe situation, but could not contain the Flood. Tangent himself was captured and held prisoner by a newly formed Gravemind for many years..." 4. Page 159 reads: "The Gravemind assumes a centralized sentient intelligience that is believed to lead the general Flood species through sybiotic or telepathic means....It also appears to hold all of the Flood's memories, even those of individual organisms and of all previous Graveminds. It is fully capable of directing the overall Flood species and of manipulating others to do its bidding." 5. Page 160 reads: Theoretically, there can only be one Gravemind at a time, so if one is killed another may form shorter thereafter if the Flood retains sufficient biomass. It appears that one existed over one hundred thousand years ago but was destroyed by the first firing of the Halo Array. Another was recreated afterwards in the depths of Installation 05. Upon its release, it showed remarkable understanding of Foreunner technology, even going so far as to capture the resident Monitor, 2401 Penitent Tangent, manipulating the installation's teleportation system, and understanding the purpose and intracacies of the Halo Installations." Clearly, Gravemind may be the same entity that existed 100000 years ago, but not the same physical body. [b][u]Sources:[/u][/b] Halo Wars, Halo 1, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo Origins, Halo Limited Edition Book, Halo Encyclopedia, notably pages 152-161 [i]See below for more myths[/i] [Edited on 04.29.2010 1:55 PM PDT]