Reach the Vidmaster!

[Phantasm 08]

Ok, one more thing to worry about, fuss over, and wear out our brains on.  This thing, right here:



We've all seen them, and most likely we've all got at least one of them killed on our career info on Bnet.  I personally have three at this point.  The task set before us is long and harrowing:  Find these bad boys, kill them, and see what happens.  We also need to figure out whether the boosting banshees (on New Alexandria and Exodus) and the white Elite on ONI actually count as BOBs.

Along with this, we will also hit switches.  We've found eight so far.  The Four Banshees (2).  The Rave (1).  The Siege of Madrigal (1).  The Pelican/Phantom Egg (1).  The Secret Room (1).  And the Reach Racers (2).  But what if there are more hidden, that have not been uncovered?  

Bring to the table any info you have on BOBs; where they spawn, what they look like (does the white BOB have any friends?), how long you have to kill them before they disappear, etc.  We want to make a fully comprehensive guide on the BOBs, which seems to be painfully lacking as of now.  One guide, that has everything one would need if they wish to find and kill BOBs.  This would include maps, detailed descriptions of the location, stats on how many shots it takes to knock out their shields, what weapons they carry, and so on.  If you think it'd be helpful, it wouldn't hurt to add it.  Let's get going, people!

[Pulse Cloud]

I love the idea of mapping them and figuring out their Shield and Health points.

I just don't know what triggers them.
Does anyone know, actually?

[ColdGlider]

Well done, 'asm!

There is also the Tribute Room switch outside of Halsey's Lab.  So much for the 7 switches theory.  

In addition to the comprehensive BOB guide, we will also need a comprehensive switch guide.

I'll see what I can do to help this effort along.  I strongly feel that this effort is where SGP researching time should be focused.  After all, it's a credible set of "easter eggs" which could potentially add up to become one behemoth easter egg, Voltron style.  Or it could be just like the original Vidmaster... you do it for bragging rights.  (Crossing my fingers there is a final easter egg, armor item, or at least a super-secret achievement!)

GO SGP!

[Imppa]

Ah, finally we're picking this truly up. :)

TO DO:

• Origin
  With this, I mean the reference to the Marathon Vidmaster challenge, where you had to beat the game with the highest difficulty, kill all the BOBs (Born On Board) and punch/activate all the switches. It was also (seemingly) required to always throw grenades when you could, but it is not included in the popular theory of unlocking special content in Halo: Reach.
  
• Bob locations
  The Secrets thread on Bnet has quite a good database, but the Bob Megathread in the Reach Secrets Group forum seems to be even more accurate. I highly recommend joining and taking notes,  they've done some good job there. (If you read this, aruseus, then thank you! :) )
  
• Spawning/Triggering
  Do all the Bobs in the level spawn, regardless the conditions? Or is it so that when you've killed one on the level, the rest do not spawn? And when does the Bob on Lone Wolf show up?
  Important questions, let's investigate and get some answers, lab coats on. ;)
  
• Switches
  All of them. I even do remember there being a lonely Jammer Switch on New Alexandria, hovering in air without any real purpose...Who knows, it might be important, too.
  

[Phantasm 08]

Well done, 'asm!

There is also the Tribute Room switch outside of Halsey's Lab.  So much for the 7 switches theory.  

In addition to the comprehensive BOB guide, we will also need a comprehensive switch guide.

I'll see what I can do to help this effort along.  I strongly feel that this effort is where SGP researching time should be focused.  After all, it's a credible set of "easter eggs" which could potentially add up to become one behemoth easter egg, Voltron style.  Or it could be just like the original Vidmaster... you do it for bragging rights.  (Crossing my fingers there is a final easter egg, armor item, or at least a super-secret achievement!)

GO SGP!

Oh yea, I forgot about the Secret Room.  Gah, and that was my favorite Easter Egg of them all, too!

Ah, finally we're picking this truly up.

TO DO:

• Origin
  With this, I mean the reference to the Marathon Vidmaster challenge, where you had to beat the game with the highest difficulty, kill all the BOBs (Born On Board) and punch/activate all the switches. It was also (seemingly) required to always throw grenades when you could, but it is not included in the popular theory of unlocking special content in Halo: Reach.
  
• Bob locations
  The Secrets thread on Bnet has quite a good database, but the Bob Megathread in the Reach Secrets Group forum seems to be even more accurate. I highly recommend joining and taking notes,  they've done some good job there. (If you read this, aruseus, then thank you! )
  
• Spawning/Triggering
  Do all the Bobs in the level spawn, regardless the conditions? Or is it so that when you've killed one on the level, the rest do not spawn? And when does the Bob on Lone Wolf show up?
  Important questions, let's investigate and get some answers, lab coats on.
  
• Switches
  All of them. I even do remember there being a lonely Jammer Switch on New Alexandria, hovering in air without any real purpose...Who knows, it might be important, too.
  

I think that only one BOB spawns in a level, in one of its set spawn points, but the particular point is chosen at random.  That's my theory, anyways. 

Since I can't get on Live at this moment, I'll just do some out-of-game research and see what I find. 

[Scatcycle]

I like the idea, but it kind of reminds me of this.

Although this seems like a huge thing that will take time, the reason I support this is because I assume many people will read it. ODST wasn't that popular, but this is a big thing.

If I have time I will set up a shell.

Note: On Tip Of the Spear, where you get the warthog, at the first AA gun you see, if you turn left, there should be a small hill. I've seen a BOB sitting at the top of it, but when I tried to recreate this incident he wasn't there.

[nightcrafter27]

Here's a scary idea...what if hit all the switches, means in ALL the Halos? Like the detonator on Alpha Site, and those floating switches in Halo 2? Possibly? Maybe?

[Scatcycle]

Here's a scary idea...what if hit all the switches, means in ALL the Halos? Like the detonator on Alpha Site, and those floating switches in Halo 2? Possibly? Maybe?

I don't think the game can connect with eachother. And certainly not halo 1 and halo 2.

But someone can correct me if I am wrong.

[Imppa]

I guess we should still keep the discussion of the guide in this topic?

In any case, I think the case with the Banshee BOBs is this: While they do not award you a medal, they sould still be considered BOBs. This is because the game could recognize the kill of the Fast-and-Low banshee for the challenge "Golden Tree City": Killing regular banshees did not work. This should be enough, in my opinion, to prove that those banshees are as important as are the regular BOBs.

[ColdGlider]

I guess we should still keep the discussion of the guide in this topic?

Discussion related to obtaining the content that needs to go into the guide should continue here, yes.  Discussion about the technicalities of publishing the guide (HTML issues, collection of images, guide organization, etc) should happen in the actual guide thread.

In any case, I think the case with the Banshee BOBs is this: While they do not award you a medal, they sould still be considered BOBs. This is because the game could recognize the kill of the Fast-and-Low banshee for the challenge "Golden Tree City": Killing regular banshees did not work. This should be enough, in my opinion, to prove that those banshees are as important as are the regular BOBs.

I certainly agree that the fast-and-low banshee is important.  I also think that the date it was "outed" by Bungie (1/19) is notable.  Perhaps 9/11 and 11/9 will also mark significant releases from Bungie (my money is more on 11/9.)

The problem with the "Banshee BOB" not awarding the Seek and Destroy medal is that we're left guessing if any other suspicious vehicles count as BOBs (e.g. the similarly boosting Banshee that Phantasm has found on Exodus.)

Sounds like we need to confirm how the Banshee BOB appears as a kill in both the in-game post-game carnage report and on BNET.

[nightcrafter27]

(I'm probably on the wrong track here. If I am, please correct me.)
If the banshees on New Alexandria are counted as BOBs, then that leads to two thoughts:
•The banshees are NOT endless, and you can kill them all.
•The challenge is impossible, because the banshees are endless and thus so are the BOBs

[Scatcycle]

The bob banshee is a set banshee that patrols through an area.
There is no bob inside it.

In chat, 'asm CG and I came up with something clever to board the banshee.

Since the banshee is going to fast to board, we will have it ram itself into the side of our falcon (it has a set path), and we will hope it gets stuck in the grooves of the falcon. Then we can bring it over to somewhere safe, and another player can board it. If we cannot move it, only trap it, then someone will have to eject their falcon or banshee onto the trapped bobshee and board it.

[ColdGlider]

Sounds like a daring feat that only the Super Gaming People...err...wait a minute...

...only the SGP can accomplish!  Go SGP!

The bob banshee is a set banshee that patrols through an area.
There is no bob inside it.

Let's consider the difference between what is conceptually true versus what is technically true.  Conceptually, beneath the helmets of ODSTs are human faces.  Halo fiction and in-game cinematics depict ODSTs as humans who wear helmets.  But in-game, if you somehow managed to cause the game engine to glitch and remove the visor texture of an ODST helmet, you may find that there is no texture for a face behind it.  Technically, then, it would be truth that ODSTs have no faces.  So there you are with a seeming contradiction:  ODSTs have faces but in the game they do not have faces!  Once we qualify these truth with the adjectives "conceptual" and "technical", we can settle the dispute:  conceptually, ODSTs have faces but technically they don't.

Conceptually, the "Banshee BOB" on New Alexandria contains a BOB (per Bungie's daily challenge description), but technically it does not.

[Scatcycle]

The question is, will it count for the Vidmaster Challenge?

Now is there any way to confirm that this is part of the Vidmaster challenge? Besides actually going through with it?
We also need to check if the kill goes toward "Anonymous Pilot" (basically banshees), or classified. If it goes toward Anonymous Pilot, then I am confused.

What code could make it unique enough to be targeted for a challenge, but as plain as an anonymous pilot? This, we need to figure out.

A way of doing this is trying not to kill any banshees, and then kill the Bobshee. If you do have to kill any normal banshees, remember how many you killed. On b.net, in the game stats, go to the enemies tab, and view what kills you had.

I'm all for the Bobshee Idea if anyone wants to have a go on Friday, but if you can do it prior to that, then great!

[Imppa]

I don't have any proof in my hands, but from the Reach Secrets Group, I've learned that the Bobshee kills count as "Unkown Banshee pilots".

(I'm probably on the wrong track here. If I am, please correct me.)
If the banshees on New Alexandria are counted as BOBs, then that leads to two thoughts:
•The banshees are NOT endless, and you can kill them all.
•The challenge is impossible, because the banshees are endless and thus so are the BOBs

No. I think I already stated that killing regular banshees did not work, and I've seen enough of those videos to be sure of it.
Besides, the Bobshees are quite easy to recognize: Unlike any other Banshees, they only boost, and just like Bobs, after some time, they dissappear.

The question is, will it count for the Vidmaster Challenge?

Now is there any way to confirm that this is part of the Vidmaster challenge? Besides actually going through with it?
We also need to check if the kill goes toward "Anonymous Pilot" (basically banshees), or classified. If it goes toward Anonymous Pilot, then I am confused.

What code could make it unique enough to be targeted for a challenge, but as plain as an anonymous pilot? This, we need to figure out.

Even though many people were coinvinced that the Golden Tree City proved the BOBs excisting merely for challenge purposes, I think it proved the exact opposite. The Bobshees were something no one had ever before the challenge thought about, and if there hadn't been a challenge, we might still have no idea. Bungie HAD to do this, mostly because there is no medal or BOB kill to prove it being a BOB.
This, my opinion, while proving Bobshees being important, proves also the excistense of the "Vidmaster Challenge".
It is also probable that it isn't some mysterious non-challenge that unlocks secrets: it might very well be a achievemnt-to-be, JUST LIKE THE EARLIER VIDMASTER(s).

And I am sure that the Anonymous pilots can be explained by some mysterious techical issues. All that matters is that they still do count.