: And they usually don't make credible villains. I mean, they'll have the
: heroes bent over a barrel, and then they'll make some stupid mistake like
: 'giving the hero an even chance.' As an aspiring writer, I can attest that
: when you read that, the author has just thrown in the towel and said
: "I have no clue how to get the hero out of this. Enjoy."

I'm pretty sure he could've shot down the Chief's Pelican on Shutdown. Other than that and maybe the floor thing, which I addressed, I don't see what he did that was stupid. If that one mistake blows it for you though, then sure, I guess he's too tropey for you.

: What about my counter-arguments?

What counter-arguments? You gave a pair of quotes and linked to a TV Tropes article, which I didn't realize until now and which I'm not going to read because I'd like to get something done today besides reading TV Tropes.

: The Librarian stored the Didact in a Forerunner-built Halley World with the
: Mantle's Approach and a Promethean army. Forgive me for doubting that
: those were the only hardware she left behind. And even then, as I
: explained to Vagueness, there's stuff the Didact could have done with the
: terrain to kill the Chief.

and as I countered, that wouldn't necessarily be fun... if he did it in a cutscene, it might be interesting, but it could also be frustrating and/or lead to more gimmicky gameplay, and you know the Chief's going to survive, so what does it change, really?

: And you know what the difference between a fabrication plant and maintenance
: units intended to keep a shell world intact for a hundred thousand years
: is?
: Absolutely nothing.

What's your point?

: Uh-, no. Was he really going to 'delay' the Chief for the days or weeks it
: would take to 'Compose' all of Earth? And after that, what? Does the Chief
: lay down and die because Earth is destroyed? C'mon, where's the exit
: strategy?

Where are you getting days or weeks?

: I have my own theory as to HOW the Chief was spared, but

Where does theory come into it? The Librarian's ghost specifically told him there were many gifts in this gene socket or whatever that got activated, including an immunity to the Composer.

: "Hey! Want to know why the Didact acts so differently from the books?
: Well, you're going to have to quit the game every level and watch a soap
: opera."

Who said anything about every level? Also where did the soap opera descriptor come from?

: Some people enjoy a lot of stuff. Some people, well...
: Take me. I can't stand anime. I absolutely loathe Star Trek.

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