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Also, I know every polygonal sphere in halo has used hexagons (and is thus full of irregularities) but still, I have to have my tech specialist go into a bit of NERD RAGE over it.

((or this works too I guess))

Well, it really depends on how open the path is, but I see a couple of ways this could go.

Scenario 1: The activation of the cartographer causes a BSOD on some forerunner management system somewhere, causing a ring within range of earth to be set into a countdown, however due to the loss of the ark it needs to calibrate itself, delaying its activation. Given a couple of people apparently being eager to have antiflood combat, that might be nice, also it would get interesting with the introduction of sentinels to the fight, sentinels eager to relieve marines of their faces.

Ways for our heroes to find out thats occurring, Angel picks up aberrant transmissions from the cartographer upon exit. ONI picks up a signal similar to the activation of the ark portal. Or another method

Scenario 2: Rebel religious fanatics who happen to warship the forerunner relics (deja'vu?) decide they dont want our marines alive anymore, the ones on harvest apart from being odd in that they are there, are exceptionally well armed. Using another forerunner structure they set up a slipspace jamming field that inhibits splipgate generation for several lightyears, and also keeps the battlegroup from using FTL transmissions to call for help.

Ways that this could escalate, a rebel battle group larger then our own launches from the far side of the planet, requiring quick neutralization of the jamming or else we are going to lose ships and thus any chance of survival. Or the rebels could have an anti ship battery array set up on the planet forcing the fleet to drop into the atmosphere to keep out of the firing arcs of the cannons/missiles/ect. This keeps the ships from being in optimal positions to send support to ground forces.

Scenario 3: Covenant loyalist remnants? I bet a few members would cream their pants with this, but I really dont have anything I can think of here.

You dont have to use any of these, but you did bring up the difficulties in coming up with plot.

you arent familiar with BSOD? I guess you haven't crashed windows before then.

BSOD= Blue Screen Of Death, and yes, thats what its called at the microsoft help site as well. Basically it means something fell down and got a boo boo in the computer.

But yeah I was being a wise a**, basically I was saying a malfunction of some sort.

xD Oh man.

It's true, though. All the doom-y names are related to Microsoft. xD

Word, Paint... *shivers*

But well. Get rolled, we ODST will laugh. At least until you need us to save you guys, that is. (whee, orbital drop!)

Oh just you wait PS3 owners, I'm sure you going to have the same trouble that the ps2 and ps1 had, which was sony using shoddy components that dont stand up to long term use, rendering your system incapable of playing most of its game without freezing/crashing 5 years down the line.

I'm not saying that as a take that though... I just want my ps2 to work properly again.

you use em much? try playing some more demanding games (or dont if you like it), like mgs3 and such. As for the ps1, luck, lots of it.

I have to play einhander on my computer using emulators now cause I cant get my ps2 to read the disk. I'd like to get mgs3 but I know my ps2 will freeze on a third of the cutscenes, forcing me to skip plot.