Metal Gear Solid and the Aquisition of Snakes to Eat

DarkWarrior

jothki wrote: »

Theorizing about the plot is all well and good, but shouldn't we also be trying to guess at how Kojima is going to fuck with us, or at least what the metatheme(s) are going to be? Even though MGS3 was more straightforward than MGS2, it still had that movie theme.

Metatheme? You mean like the Gene, Meme, Scene thing? I can't remember what 4 was said to be about.

I'm willing to bet you play as Solid Snake throughout this time, as it'd be only the second game where you actually play as the hero. Come to think of it, how popular is Snake considering hes only been in one game? (Ignoring the MSX stuff as few remember it and it certainly didn't make him an icon).

Lightning Shield!

The theme of MGS4 is SENSE.

Unco-ordinated

Behemoth wrote: »

Lightning Shield! wrote: »

Is it crazy-ass theory time yet? I think it is. Here is a selection of theories and assumptions being made by the general MGS fan community in the wait for MGS4. Some of these musings may be true, some of them may be total hogwash, but they're all pretty darn interesting. Big spoiler warning for all MGS games!

I'm serious guys. This includes PO spoilers, too.

Don't say I didn't warn you!

1. Ocelot is the son of The Boss and the Sorrow - likelihood 100%
CONFIRMED! Not only in the comics, but in the game itself, a secret radio conversation in the caves of MGS3 reveals that Ocelots mother gave birth to him in the middle of a battlefield, leaving the same caesarian section scar that the Boss displays at the end of the game. In the MGS2 comic Liquid's spirit antagonises Revolver Ocelot by talking about his parents.

2. Mr Sigint could be Donald Anderson, the DARPA chief from MGS1 - likelihood 60%
Probable. Sigint forms Defense ARPA in the epilogue to MGS3, the same organisation led by Donald Anderson in MGS1. Anderson is killed purposely in the torture room by Ocelot in MGS1, because he was the only one who knew Ocelot's identity. Some fans gripe about the age difference between Sigint and the DARPA chief, and refuse to believe that they are one and the same. IMO, all the evidence points to the contrary.

3. Major Zero is the devious cunning Mystery Man who formed the Patriots - likelihood 50%
Debatable. All of the events in MGS3 and PO are devised by "a single cunning strategist", a man who has "the same codename as Null". Null is the german word for Zero, and the single panel in PO that shows the Mystery Man has a clearly large scar on his face - same as Zero's. And let's not forget the password, "who are the Patriots?" and "La-li-lu-le-lo". Our remaning quandary is motivation. Why would our loveable, bumbling, Bond-obsessed old Major be the catalyst that sets everything in the series into motion? The only people who know this man's identity are Gene (deceased), and Ocelot, the know-it-all bastard.

4. Vamp absorbs the life essence, the 'SENSE' of his fallen comrades, merely by draining their blood - likelihood 55%
What if Vamp's insane abilities all come from the fact that he gains the 'essence' of his fallen friends and enemies by absorbing the intravenous nanomachines in his victims's blood? It would certainly give much purpous and explanation to everything involving Metal Gear very own bisexual vampire. His incredible swimming ability could come from Dead Cell's very own Chinaman, who died 6 months before MGS2 and was an Olympic swimmer. The undefined 'close relationship' between Fortune and Vamp could be due to the fact that Vamp drained her fathers blood - Marine Commandent Scott Dolph. This would mean that the tension between the two characters would be due to Fortune sensing her fathers presence whenever Vamp is near. Makes sense, no? And finally, in the MGS4 trailer Vamp is seen asking Raiden "could you be the one to finally finish me?" He says it with the same grief in his voice that Fortune once did. What if Vamp has taken in her 'SENSE' and inherited her death wish trait?
Don't forget the dogtags around Vamp's neck in the MGS4 trailer, and the self-inflicted tally on his chest - is he keeping a record of all those he has 'absorbed'? Until MGS4, it's for you to decide. It also has an eerie parallel with the Liquid/Ocelot scenario.

5. Para-Medic could be Meryl's mother - likelihood 40%
In the bad ending to MGS1, Campbell confesses to Snake that Meryl is not his niece - she's his daughter. He only confesses this in the bad ending where she dies. In Portable Ops, Campbell is portrayed as a womanising young soldier. At the end, he's taken away in a medivac chopper, where he comments to Big Boss that "that nurse is an unholy terror". We can definitely assume he's talking about Para-Medic, and her tendency to nag. By logic, any female character romantically linked to Campbell in his youth can inevitable turn out to be Meryl's mother, right? This makes Para-Medic as good a candidate as any, and gives a strange symmatry (typical of the series) that Solid Snake's father and Mery'ls mother respectively knew each other many years ago.

6. Big Boss could still be alive - likelihood 40%
Grey Fox died in Zanzibar Land, and he was brought back to life. The government refused to hand over Big Boss's corpse to Liquid in MGS1, and Campbell was secretive about why. Don't tell yourself that it's not possible, because it very much is. Comatose, vegetable-like, asleep in a cryo chamber - it's all possible that the ultimate badass of the MGS series is still alive in some form, and still has a part to play.

Regarding the last point (no PO spoilers)

I think it's more likely than that that Big BOss is still alive in some form or another. We saw something that looked very much like him looking not completely dead in a very early poster for MGS4.

I've mentioned it before but that doesn't mean anything. Big Boss appeared in MGS1 promotional material as well. His appearance on the poster may just mean that he still plays a part in the story but still doesn't make an appearance, just like in MGS1.

Btw, I'd say that there's less than a 40% chance of Para-Medic being Meryl's mother. It's possible but the evidence of it is so minor that I'd say there's only a 5% chance of it being true.

apotheos

hambone wrote: »

In MGS1, how the fuck am I supposed to get past the communications tower?

I know how to run and shoot, but even with full ammo and rations I always come up short. I've tried beating it like 20 times now and just can't get past it.

Which part specifically is the problem?

Lightning Shield!

If it's the bit where you have to keep running up the stairs with guards chasing you, then I like to lay Claymores on the stairs behind me...that should help.

apotheos

Lightning Shield! wrote: »

If it's the bit where you have to keep running up the stairs with guards chasing you, then I like to lay Claymores on the stairs behind me...that should help.

I found running for the top of the tower worked fine. Kick anyone who gets in the way.

But that was in Twin Snakes.

Ballman

I agree with the stun grenade strategy. I was going for as few kills as possible through the game on my most recent playthrough but hadn't found much use for stun grenades instead of the tranq gun. So, when the tower came around, I had something like 20 saved up. I just dropped one on the ground every other floor or so and had very little trouble.

Tube

If Sigint and the darpa chief were both white, no one would say they were the same person.

gtrmp

Wyborn wrote: »

gtrmp wrote: »

One quick non-spoiler suggestion: when you start a new game, pick "I like MGS3!". You'll start off with a few extra camo outfits that weren't included in the original release of the game, some of which are very effective and/or have useful secondary effects while equipped.

Isn't that only available after you beat the game?

In Subsistence, it's available from the beginning.

gtrmp

edit: never mind, beaten

Whippy

acquisition is spelled with a c

gtrmp

apotheos wrote: »

Lightning Shield! wrote: »

If it's the bit where you have to keep running up the stairs with guards chasing you, then I like to lay Claymores on the stairs behind me...that should help.

I found running for the top of the tower worked fine. Kick anyone who gets in the way.

But that was in Twin Snakes.

Same here, but it worked in both Twin Snakes and the original version.

Stormwatcher

apotheos wrote: »

Lightning Shield! wrote: »

If it's the bit where you have to keep running up the stairs with guards chasing you, then I like to lay Claymores on the stairs behind me...that should help.

I found running for the top of the tower worked fine. Kick anyone who gets in the way.

But that was in Twin Snakes.

Yeah, I ran straight up while shooting people. They drop a lot of FAMAS ammo, so there's no shortage.

Hakunin

Olivaw wrote: »

jothki wrote: »

Pancake wrote: »

AbsoluteZero wrote: »

What does picking "I Like MGS1" or "I Like MGS2" do?

I never noticed "I Like MGS1" doing anything, but "I Like MGS2" starts Snake wearing the mask in the opening and adds a cutscene.

It was quite a shock my first time playing since I didn't know what was going on.

I've heard that "I Like MGS1" makes your eyes adjust quicker while in the cave.

I don't know if it does that, but I do know it makes Naked Snake look more like Solid Snake (no five o'clock shadow)

I like the scruffy beard though, so I don't pick that option

Picking "I Like MGS1" decreases the rate at which your stamina drains.