Welcome to the DBO Challenge!

Every Tuesday evening, a new challenge thread will be posted here on the forum. (Yes, I know this is being posted Wednesday night. I meant to have this up yesterday!)

Since we aren't all as artistically talented as Leviathan or TDSpiral, the challenges will be designed to encourage a wide range of activities, from writing limericks to cobbling together MS Paint doodles. An assortment of puzzles and forum games await.

The Leaderboard

Participating in each weekly challenge will earn you points on the leaderboard, with bonus points awarded to outstanding entries. Points will be tracked on a Google spreadsheet accessible here:

The DBO Challenge Leaderboard (http://destiny.bungie.org/dbochallenge)

As you can see, I've already awarded one point to everyone that participated in the two "DBO Logo Hunt" threads. :) Future challenges will require more than just posting comments in a thread though!

(PLEASE let me know if I ever make a mistake or forget to award your points, preferably in an email with a link to your post/entry.)

Note: DBO admins and Bungie employees can earn participation points for fun, but cannot earn bonus points and cannot win prizes. An asterisk next to their names on the leaderboard serves as a reminder.

The Prizes

The DBO Challenge will end on a Tuesday roughly two weeks before Destiny's official US release (whenever that is). At that point, two winners will be selected:

The Leaderboard Winner: Whoever has the most cumulative points at the end of the Challenge.
The Leaderboard Prize: One free copy of Destiny on your platform of choice. (Approx. $60 + shipping.)

The Lottery Winner: Randomly selected from all qualifying entrants (you must have at least 3 points on the leaderboard to qualify). Each point counts as one "lottery ticket", so participating every week and earning more points will increase your chances of winning.
The Lottery Prize: One free copy of the Limited Edition of Destiny (assuming there is one) on your platform of choice. (Approx. $100-150 + shipping.)

Note: You cannot win both prizes. Each prize might change before the challenge ends, but will always be equal to or greater than the values listed above. More prizes may be added at a later date, possibly including the occasional weekly prize. ;)

LURKERS: You can enter as well! Just keep in mind that you'll need at least 3 points to your name before the Lottery takes place to be included in the drawing - participate in at least 3 weekly challenges to guarantee entry!

Week 1: Write a haiku.

Deadline: 5:00pm EDT on Tuesday, March 19th.

Since it's already Wednesday, this week's challenge will be a simple one - just write a haiku and post it in this thread!
- It can be about Destiny, Bungie, DBO, or anything relevant to our community. (Please don't post someone else's old haiku.)
- Entries must follow the standard haiku form (5-7-5 syllables) to qualify for points. (You can post a non-standard haiku for fun, of course.)
- Increased payouts will be awarded to three winners (as picked by me) in the following categories:

One person will get 2 points for the "Best" Funny Haiku.
One person will get 2 points for the "Best" Serious Haiku.
One person will get 4 points for the "Best" Haiku Overall (funny or serious).

Everyone else will get 1 point for participation.

- You can post multiple entries! They'll all be considered for the bonus categories, but you may only win points from one category per week.

This week's entries must be posted (in this thread) by 5:00pm EDT on Tuesday, March 19th. I will then pick the category winners, update the leaderboard, and post the results along with the Week 2 challenge.

Never got haikus
They are indeed too damn odd
I blame Dagoonite

Seriously, though, would some kind soul enlighten me on how haikus (haikii?) work?
Do they have a cadence or melody or something?

Never got haikus
They are indeed too damn odd
I blame Dagoonite

Seriously, though, would some kind soul enlighten me on how haikus (haikii?) work?
Do they have a cadence or melody or something?

Seems like you've already got it figured out. ;)

No specific cadence or melody, just be sure you have the correct number of syllables.

(Personally, my favorite poems to write are limericks. The additional constraints of rhyme and meter make me feel more clever and the form lends itself to a punchline. That's a challenge for another week though...)

Came from H.B.O.
His name is Claude Errera.
No more Louis Wu.

Edit: Couple more on community members.

Feeling too young here?
Come and meet Joe Duplessie.
He is only nine.

Bursting with wisdom,
Kermit dispenses knowledge,
And deaths for his team.

With a pipe in hand,
And a tiger by his side,
Deej reads his mail sack.

ncsuDuncan
That is too many syl-
Dang it, this one sucks

It just seems... pointless...

Limericks I get. Heck, I love reading a good limerick, but haiku (according the Wikipedia article, no plural form) makes no sense to me. I keep expecting a different meter and/or a rhyme, but they never come.

Anyway, I'm sure you guys will pleasantly surprise me. :)

- No text -

Fun!

Here's my first batch. :)

A Thousand Times Dead
But Now I Know Who You Are
You Are Destiny

A New Universe
Endless Possibilities
Shame It's Not Canon

Three Classes So Far
Hunter Warlock And Titan
Can't Wait To Be Brave

Always Connected
A Game With A Ten Year Story
I Hope This Works Out

Generations Worth
The Best Question's Brief Answer
We'll Need A Story Page

Always they got me
Now my enemies will by
The Guardians die

Traveler, painted / as awesomeface dot jpeg / I cannot unsee

I RITE GUD

Haikus once again?
How about a real challenge?
Out-Slam the Slam Jam.

Go on and blame me.
Just blame me for everything.
That too. I don't mind.

XD

So it comes to this,
To appease the collective,
Poems I will pen.

Hello, Traveler
Floaty thing what kick our ass
They are everywhere

Light; any info
Our minds begin to rumble
Where is my crack pipe?

A couple entries

Be Brave Guardians!
Reclaim our lost Golden Age!
Destiny awaits!

Marty O'Donnell
Crafts beautiful music with
Sir Paul McCartney

Destiny revealed
I only have one question:
I CAN HAZ RECON?

Some more:

Hands Kept By Their Sides
Many Pixels Transplanted
Perfect Easter Egg

Golden Age Bringer
Terraformer, Protector
Coming Fate: Unknown

Something Knocked Us Down
Saved, We Try To Rise Again
Seeking Destiny

Mercury, Venus
Earth, The Moon, Mars, Jupiter
Our Worlds To Reclaim

Voices In The Winds
Create Followers, Armies
Angry At Us Now?

Space Zombie near me:
Please, please don't gnaw on my brain...
Now I'm wormfood, dude.

* * *

Hey, Bungie Software:
Is The Traveler a girl?
Asking for "a friend".

* * *

Haiku: A Haiku:
"Haiku, Haiku, Haiku, you.
Destiny, Wii U?"

* * *

Sometimes I can't sleep,
So I write a few Haikus.
Really need a life.

* * *

ADS, Bungie?
Say it isn't so, Bungie!
Still pre-ordering.

* * *

Hey, you there. Yeah, you.
Want to make a few nerds scream?
"Microtransactions".

* * *

Arms down, jackets on
A good idea at the time
Now Internet meme

Destiny revealed
How long before I can play?
It shall consume me

Traveller Sleeping
Golden age is returning
Onward and outward

It's a start I guess

Do you really want
Quad City DJs vs
Marty O'Donnell?

Got an idea!
Oh. Someone made the arms joke...
Post text deleted.

Robot travelers,
Gears and circuits moved through time.
We are greatly Vexed.

Haiku's never been my favorite form either. I think it makes more sense in Japanese, where it originates. It's more than just syllables there. Each haiku is also associated with a season, even if only distantly, and I think there are other considerations that go into them. What we Americans tend to think of as haiku is usually a greatly bastardized version.

DBO Haiku?
D, E, S, T, I, N, Y!
Now that's poetic.

Years of Halo, and
I never thought I'd say "My
body is ready"

Five syllables, eh?
*racks brain* *starts music* *light bulb!*
Marty O'Donnell.

Ten long years ahead...
An epic story, from an
Epic studio.

A great shining globe,
carcass of a visitor.
Where do you come from?

Monuments of old
conceal forgotten treasure.
We are to find it.

Vast empire of Sun
and its wandering children.
Ours to make our own.

Circling a giant,
a derelict chariot.
What could lay in wait?

Red earth beneath me.
Weapon in my loving grip.
War never changes.

They lay in the stars,
somewhere up in the heavens.
And they are waiting.

In my small tin can,
Bottomless black around me,
I wait Destiny.

I feel like a total emo.

Reading the newest posts this morning,

Who drives Claude crazy?
Who really makes him facepalm?
General Vagueness.

And I've been missing something around here.

Leviathan art,
TDSpiral concept art,
Where are Hedge comics?

Bursting with wisdom,
Kermit dispenses knowledge,
And deaths for his team.

Ha! Especially the latter.

XBox, Play Station
I don't care. Want Destiny
Now. Now, now, now, Naow!

I can hardly wait
To go Back to the Future
You are my Density

Destiny awaits.
Pete the duck also awaits.
A duck's destiny.

Memories of Cody--past, present, and future

He drops to the floor
of Silent Cartographer.
Overshield bullseye.

Cody makes a post.
Unless you're Claude, Jill, or narc,
just STFU.

Destiny awaits.
But it might not be canon.
Cody reminds us.

Bungie's legacy
Of deep, meaningful, fun games
Rules my Destiny.

-- Steve had to debrain that to get onto better ideas.

PS: I got my sticker in the mail yesterday from the Venus riddle; will take a pic when I get enough free time to mount it on my miniatures case. Thanks again!

In this brave new world

Who will be our Destiny?

Guardians Wanted
__________________________

Traveller, thankful

Weariness hangs over all

Why did you save us?
__________________________

Guardianis fortis

Per audacia ad astra

Eventum latet

(I know you might think the second line has 8 syllables, but near as I can figure, in latin, "audacia" is actually pronounced "oww-da-chya", not "oww-da-see-ah".)

It also kinda works in english:

Guardians strong with

Audacity to the stars

The outcome hidden

Actually, THIS was the first one I wrote...then I realized I wasn't on HBO anymore and "relevant to this community" has a whole new meaning here... XD

For a brick flew he

"Pretty good" was the high praise

No craters in space

This contest is cool.
I hope I win all the things.
Can I has recon?

Bloom was stupid
I wish I was home sleeping
Like the Traveller

Almighty being
How far you must of traveled
Bring light to our world

Lay waste to our foes
It is vengeance that we seek
We will rise again

No mercy given
Our destiny awaits us
We march now be brave

Papa Alpha
Dog Easy Sugar,
Tare Item Nan Yoke seems strange?
Look up 'phonetic'!

Destiny
Social by nature,
Teamwork abound in it but,
We still know little.

De-Day
When De-Day gets here,
Rush to pick up your copy.
Destiny Awaits!

Rhymes Required
Rhymes with Destiny?
This requires some scrutiny.
Perhaps mutiny.

Lol, I'm terrible at this. Gotta try so you can get better though right?

:P

The Traveler Calls
Per Audacia Ad Astra
A Call to Be Brave

Destiny is near
New adventures await us
It can't come too soon

Games come and games go,
But our love is enduring.
The Seventh Column.

A white orb above
The Last City below it
Guardians, be brave

A crimson cape flows
over four arms wielding death,
an imposing foe

Upstairs in the dark
Bungie forms Destiny,
a new universe

Halo is no more
The Next Big Thing is coming
Destiny its name

Of a broken earth -
New sprouts arise from its dust
The Traveler's children

Be unwavering
Be swift and just in our name
Above all, be brave

and of course:

Rosie O'Donnell
hahahahahahaha
aaaaaahahahaha

And more:

Translation Iffy
Through Boldness Back To The Stars?
Curse You Dead Language

I'm Not So Sure About
Per Audacia Ad Astra
You Sure It's Not Eight?

I Wanted To Use
All The Bungie Games, But The
Syllables Don't Work :(

Marathon, Long Ago
Forerunner To The Halos
I Still Play Oni

Bows Seem To Be In
Lara Croft, Crysis, Others
Low Tech Destiny?

Gardens Of Venus
Delicate Greens, Whites, And Pinks
Trampled By War Soon?

A huge testicle,
Floating, ever vigilant,
Above his children.

A Year I Can Wait
Bungie Will Do Us All Proud
But I Want It Now

A lost Golden Age
A bright light in the darkness
We will rise again

Rise and shine good friends
Space shenanigans abound
Our destiny - Lulz

They Hit Us Hard er
But They Did Not Ex pect Us
A Bun gie Fans Wrath
-----------------------------------
A Class of their own
War lock, Hun ter, Ti tan Too
Guard ians of many Worlds
-----------------------------------
Once No ble Hou ses
Scatt ered to the So lar Winds
The Plight of the Fallen
-----------------------------------
Who you goin’ to call
When the Tra ve ler comes here
Who Else? Ghost bust ers.
-----------------------------------

. . . More?

Looking to the stars
On runs and rings and worlds new
Bravely guarding us.

Destiny will suck
with inherently evil
microtransactions.

OMG Cody
we don't know anything yet.
Just stop talking, please.

Halo was awesome.
So, I've heard, was Marathon.
Hyped for Destiny.

Will we have a face?
What about flying spaceships?
I want more info.

- No text -

- No text -

Traveller above
And the Guardians below
About the Fallen?

*

Six, she held the line
And Chief, he finished your fight
The Guardian waits

*
One thing I will miss
Beyond the N M of course
BOLL and his flash posts

A huge testicle,
Floating, ever vigilant,
Above his children.

Once seen never un
Giant blue floating ballsack
Cheers Mister Padraig

Father To His Guardian Son

It's been a long time
Since the Traveller arrived
The future's yours, son

My haiku will be
the very best of them all.
That is why I win.

Love that SHE held the line.

And number 3 made me smile.

Never knew wasn't 'she'
A lone wolf hunting jackals
Stuck in haiku mode

Thank you very much,
Am in that mode too, ma'am
Your second is good

5-7-5, is lame
I feel like I am Gravemind...?
Get it out; my brain

I am a lurker
H B O and D B O
They're such fun to read

A Bungie request:
a Timmie free game playlist
for old guys like me

Costumes can be fun
Used to be into armor
Now I'm into capes

No Destiny facts?
No point reading DBO -
'xcept you're all awesome

I made the logo,
but haiku is a no-go.
How do I poem?

Site:bungie.org
Search for haiku poetry
Post as if it's mine

Bluerunner stories:
Perfectly normal events
But told really well

Refrigerator.
It's at the start, not the end.
Thus I'm original.

A new game revealed.
A familiar itch returns.
Load. Refresh. Repeat.

Images evoke
my dog-eared McQuarrie book.
Anticipation.

As a child I had
Santa. Bungie fills the void.
Delicious wanting.

White orb hangs above
Our savior from war long lost
What secrets await?

Almost MMO,
Always on, always social;
I wish I had friends.

Fallen: menacing,
Ethereal, but all those arms
Look uncomfortable.

(Shut up, nobody
around here says "fort-A-bull"
...I'm using "fterbul")

Look, I wrote haiku,
Because I want the prizes,
Not to be Shakespeare.

Long day at the job
Home to dishes and dog walks
Destiny still waits

Big spoiler alert:
At the end of Destiny
There will be credits

What's in an egg roll?
What? There is no egg? NO EGG?!
Now I'm more confused.

What's in an egg roll?
What? There is no egg? NO EGG?!
Now I'm more confused.

Whaaa!!?!?!!!?

No longer meaning
To this empty existence
I used to call life

- No text -

Destiny awaits;
Bungie has nearly achieved
World domination

Their gaze incites fear
Multi-armed and dangerous
They are The Fallen

Motions are captured
Actors wearing skin tight suits
The Spandex Palace

What Is Their Mission?
To Change Their Future Or Ours?
Temporal Robots

From Where Did They Fall?
And Who Could Have Kicked Them Out?
Four Armed Warriors

City Defender
What Did Those Powers Cost You?
I Hope It's Worth It

The Last Safe City
Sits Beneath The Traveler
Your Goal: Defend This

Unknown Enemy
Are You Really Defeated
Plot Twist Incoming!

I don't get the joke.
They brush the rolls with the egg,
That's why they're crispy.

As a child I had
Santa. Bungie fills the void.
Delicious wanting.

Ha. That's pretty great. Nicely done. :)

Future world leaders
Seventh Column behind them
Please not in the sun

What lies beneath it,
society's last bastion--
Defend the City.

Expand into space;
Reclaim lost territories;
Realize Destiny.

This forum is nice,
surrounded by many friends.
Why no front page yet?

Future
High above the world
Gazing down at your splendor
Dreaming miracles

Squeaky Bolts
Rushing through the stars
On a one-engine starship
Laughing all the way

Ancient Caretaker
<Replace With An Old Age Joke>
Kids, Get Off My Lawn

Both High Quality
And Impressive Quantity
Assures Victory?

Yes There's A Front Page
Simply Click Visit Main Site
It Came First You Know

The Site Needs Something
Hmm... I Forgot What It Was
I'll Get Back To You

So Much Talent Here
Should Form Our Own Studio
Copyright Issues

Quick Ninja Edits
Repair Syllable Errors
I Can Count I Swear!

The sky has fallen
We are all in your shadow
Guide us to the light

Seasons change; not them
From the heavens they witness
Stalking endlessly

Long have I waited
Empty penance, vacant sin
Where is forgiveness

Guardian of truth
Protecting society
Loneliest station

Unflinching courage
One stood apart from many;
Not for much longer

Soon the end will come
Not with a bang, nor whimper;
The mightiest roar

Sacred earth will quake
Our only sun, forsaken
And we will arrive

- No text -

Bluerunner stories:
Perfectly normal events
But told really well

I love this one, Dean!

Squeaky Bolts
Rushing through the stars
On a one-engine starship
Laughing all the way

Hahahaha! :D

icwutudidthar

- No text -

I like the first one, too.

I'm new here, as a poster anyway. I've been reading HBO's halo news since we anticipated master-chief's dual-wielding. I kinda like haikus, so I signed up to post mine.

Casings hit the ground.
Guarding Earth’s last city, we fly.
We ride to save home.

I like it! And welcome!

imbued with power
we brave the void, hearts brimming
to claim all we lost

----

have we learned nothing?
they look dashing, but really
capes are a death wish

~M
( yeah, yeah. Fudged in a few places.)

How Can I Hai ku?
When Des ti ny is so new
No In for mat ion
------------------------------

. . . Even More?

numerous unknowns
only single constant certainty
horses beaten dead

I found this counter useful
http://www.wordcalc.com/

Crispy 'cause deep fried
Egg is in the flour, or something...
Still mysterious

The original was my thought when I learned (a long time ago) that there was no egg inside of the roll. Bet you can't guess my appetizer last night...

Bones likes pretty, flowery rhymes. And commas. And using 'and' at the start of incomplete sentences.

. . .

Children rise, stand free
Now we seize our destiny
In the stars, we breathe

. . .

numerous unknowns
only single constant certainty
horses beaten dead

The first line is six syllables. You're supposed to pronounce the s at the end of "unknowns" separately. Maybe you should use that counter yourself!

MUAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Could a haiku not be five/seven/five, but just seventeen (split up)?

'One two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve' - fifteen.

That particular counter says it has 5, so your point is invalid.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That particular counter says it has 5, so your point is invalid.

No you...

Fight! Fight! Fight! =D

A Mars AI Spells
T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Wait, What Game Is This?

Next You Will Tell Me
That A Second Is Loyal
She Deserved Better

And There Is A Third
A Former Slave To Science
Reanimated

-----------------------------

An Ageless Child
A Friend And An Informant
Sister, SLD

-----------------------------

Brilliant Mind Copied
Her Destruction Or Capture
Unacceptable

A Floating Genius
Only Followed Protocol
Still Became Rampant

-----------------------------

Destiny AIs
Only Charlemagne Yet Known
Did They Cause The Fall?

Fight! Fight! Fight! =D

Excuse me good sir
Ahem, it's five / seven / five
You're Doing It Wrong

:p

- No text -

Destiny haiku?
I can do this, right guys?
FFFFUUUUUU-

MY METER ISN'T
OFF! YOU'RE READING IT WRONG!
THIS CONTEST HURTS ME!

George McFly is tense
Let's play Density online
He says to Loraine

Your clothes, I need them
Thus time traveling robots
Make naked gamers

So much of my life
Spent enjoying Bungie's games
Thank you, and good luck.

Vader says to Luke
Choose whatever class you want
It's YOUR Destiny.

Click the word bubble
Realize reloading works
Save face and deny

10 years seems quite long
When Destiny runs its course
We'll have flying cars

Who would win fighting
Homestar Runner or Marty?
Slack arms, no punches!

My Portal 2 guide
Got nothing but rave reviews.
Don't go with Prima!

Sometimes I say shit
Just to start a megathread.
It works every time.

Sometimes I say shit
Just to start a megathread.
It works every time.

Calm depths of unknown.
Darkness awaits light. Be Brave,
it is Destiny.

Zim Zippity Zop
Beep Boop Beep Boppity Bop
the small Vex exclaimed

Sometimes I say shit
Just to start a megathread.
It works every time.

If Cody didn't
There would be no talking here
Frog blast the vent core (???)

The City's Leaders
The Happiest Bunch Around?
I Highly Doubt It

Look At The Circles
They Are Visible From Space
Good Urban Planning?

That Sphere In The Sky
Shades The City With Shadow
And Protection Too

Enemies At Bay
Do The Fear The Silent Sphere?
Protected Airspace

A Giant Golf Ball
Floats Between Us And Evil
Don't Go Out Of Bounds

Legendary Swords
Make Good Intelligences
Until Rampancy

Do you really want
Quad City DJs vs
Marty O'Donnell?

An excellent point.
Marty's style would take some work.
Davidge, however...

Destiny, a game
The envelope is pushed far
Something to enjoy

DBO meetups
Threads always require pictures
More pictures better

Destiny, a game
The envelope is pushed far
Something to enjoy

DBO meetups
Threads always require pictures
More pictures better

I can't read a haiku now without hearing someone recite it in cavemanglish.

So many haikus,
How will they choose a winner?
Bribing always helps...

Vader says to Luke
Choose whatever class you want
It's YOUR Destiny.

If Destiny needs
to explain magic powers
Midichlorians

Dean Hofmeyer (unhh):

Refrigerator.
It's at the start, not the end.
Thus I'm original.

MrPadraig08:

If Destiny needs
to explain magic powers
Midichlorians

Hopeful for canon
Really, how bad could it get?
Refrigerator

Wait Midichlorians?
Is it not mid*i*chlor*ines?
That'd be only four...

Wait Midichlorians?
Is it not mid*i*chlor*ines?
That'd be only four...

Midichlorians
It has five syllables, dude
Why would Padraig lie?

Wait Midichlorians?
Is it not mid*i*chlor*ines?
That'd be only four...

Mi-di-chlo-ri-ans.
Therefore your Haiku is bad
And you should feel bad.

Well, to be honest
They do say it quite quickly
Stupid Jedi Knights

Lost in a dark wood
A traveler took my hand
Led me through shadows

Into the heavens
Bravely from our home we flew
They were waiting. Shit.

Traveller arrives.
Bringing knowledge of the stars.
Unseen darkness loomed.

Here is my haiku;
It's not really that good.
Now, give me my point.

The Traveler waits
while war wages on below
What does it wait for

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- No text -