: For a fiction lover, one of the great allures to Halo's fabulous multiplayer
: suite was the simple fact that even custom matches of Capture the Flag
: took place not in a nameless arena, but in specific location in the
: universe; a place that has its own foothold in the overarching story. H4
: of course took this idea to a new level, tying the MP maps (and the entire
: mode itself) more directly to the fiction than ever before. Many of the
: new DLC maps in particular have some beautiful skyboxes with lovely little
: nods to some of the extended fiction.

: I'd love to know what multiplayer maps you all find particularly interesting
: from a purely FICTIONAL standpoint. What maps have had you wondering just
: what had happened on those battlegrounds, or perhaps what might still be
: to come? Was it a magnificent vista, or a small detail that tied to a
: novel? Share your thoughts!

: Much love,
: Grim

Great topic, Grim!

Let's see. In no particular order, here are a few favs:

Assembly:
Scarab's being built! Lekgolo worms working throughout the assembly area. Vast oceans of fluid for what purpose? Lekgolo habitat? Was this area on High Charity? Very interesting all around.

-

Adrift:
Mining freighter in a perilously decaying orbit after the Battle of Kholo (burned in The Return). Cool for coolness' sake...eerie and foreboding.

-

Isolation:
Located on the Ark before the Halo's were constructed and the Flood kept there got loose. Was the inability to safely contain the Flood help prompt the construction of the Halo rings? The skybox shows the Ark does not yet have the Mars-sized planetoid in the center of its forge with which to construct the Halo rings.

-

Terminal:
As if Old and New Mombasa weren't awesome enough on their own, being stuck in a downtown section of the city with an out-of-control train passing by regularly makes you appreciate the after-effects of a city-wide evacuation and the resulting war-torn serenity.

-

Orbital:
To finally know about the upper end of the space tethers. Various gates to places we have seen or heard about through various mediums of the fiction. Stark UNSC-clean design. Overhead announcements warning us not to fall down open elevator shafts...