Man, I really enjoyed this game. Totally hilarious, decent gameplay -- I felt a little dirty killing hobos, but whatevs.
I've seen people discuss the gameplay at great length, as well as the humour. All I've seen regarding the story is that it's "solid." This repeated mentions of a "solid story" are driving a tiny pin of burning hot magma into my skull, and I find that the only way to relieve the pressure is to press for further inquiry.
"Solid story?" Really? You spend most of the game wandering aimlessly, looking for... something having to do with robots. Your ultimate objective is clear, though: we are gonna get those goddam robots. Seriously -- some robots gonna die here. Then, suddenly, in the last 10% of the game, it's like -- no wait, mimes. Mimes are the problem here. Also there's a god that you hear about for the first time immediately before you fight it. What does this have to do with the robots? What robots? What are you talking about? Who said anything about robots?
Seriously, I'm having flashbacks to Dreamfall here. It's not pretty.
Don't get me wrong, the individual vignettes are good. I enjoyed exploring the Shithole, and my adventures into urinology. Maybe that's what people mean by a "solid story." But in the parlance of normal folk, a series of clever but disjointed scenes do not a robust narrative make.
Am I wrong? Am I crazy?
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It's pretty clearly explained that the mimes start off as an obstacle to your learning about the Fruit Fuckers but ultimately take priority, and The Silent One is introduced an hour or two before you fight him.
http://www.audioentropy.com/
Yeah that's how I figured it was too
http://www.audioentropy.com/
I agree in general, but the story quality seems to be very seperate and nowhere near as good as the writing quality. You know?
Yeah, that. I think PA's disdain for continuity has left them somewhat... hampered in their ability to tell a cohesive story. The dialogue, however, is superb as always.
Absolutely.
The story is that there were once eight Gods, four good and four evil. The evil ones overthrew the good ones, and are now trying to take over the mortal realm.
And if they're all dead, then what does that mean for you and I?
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
was it all a dream
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Perhaps it would be easier to agree with you if this were not Episode God-Damned One, the beginning of the fucking story.
Those of us in the creative writing community refer to this effect as "foreshadowing", an intentionally vague and incomplete distribution of details designed to create anticipation, leave the audience guessing, and create atmosphere without blowing the whole load of revelation in the first 15 minutes of the damn presentation.
You're like the assholes who go into the second installment of a Trilogy and complain about the ending not resolving anything.
No shit.
I think once all episodes are revealed it will be more cohesive. If it didn't have Episode I attached to it, I would have agreed with you, but after playing Sam and Max: Season 1, I know how random tangents can become the whole episode's focus, but over all, there's something greater going on.
True story.
The first time I saw The Fellowship of the Ring, I was sitting a few rows in front of some teenage girls. When the movie ended, I heard them talking about how confused they were by the ending.
"What kind of an ending is that? They didn't resolve anything!"
"Oh, it's an epic. They're supposed to end like that.
I didn't know whether to be angry, or sad. Of course then I heard a kid ask his mom, in regards to the Bridge of Khazad-Dum scene, "Why didn't Gandalf fly like in Harry Potter?"
I knew how to feel about that one.
Now to get on topic: I liked the story of Episode 1. It feels like we got a measure of resolution on one part of the story, but there's more to come.
Gabe would approve. :winky:
Which is pretty apparent if you catch the clues.
Well, I don't know what I did that makes me an asshole, or more accurately, like an asshole. I just suggested there was a difference between word-to-word writing skill and structuring a story, and put forth that one takes precedence over the other in this game. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke faces Vader and is essentially defeated. This is a good resolution; he disobeyed yoda, blah blah, etc. Vader is still out there; you know there's a sequel.
Of course, the Ep 2 teaser clears that up. I didn't finish unhappy, but I can't ignore the argument and its validity.
is not a bad resolution for a first instalment.
QA Tester - Hothead Games
I'm especially happy with the recent revelation that the "windowsill", the "precipice of darkness", is the gateway between the realm of the gods and the mortal realm. That's some quality imagery.
And it's slick! With rain! Powerful, powerful metaphorical constructs at work, I kid you not.
A crude broom stand.
*looks long and hard and accusatory at Final Fantasy X*
Woah woah woah woah woah. Woah.
I'm not saying Jerry isn't doing a good job writing. Nobody is perfect, but lets face it, I bought this game for his writing. I love his writing. It's really... good.
In saying that nobody is perfect, I mean... name a wonderful book that doesn't have some sort of flaw? This has a flaw too. Obviously. To claim that it doesn't is stupid, and I don't think anyone is claiming that either.
I'm just suggesting what that flaw is. It's not the writing quality, I said that. It's not the story arch; how could I know that? The ending, it's a beleivable thing. I know I'd do the same. But its the link in the middle. It's almost a non-sequiter, to me.
WTF IS THAT MIME DOING?! Are they using that goop for something, or what?
They're definitely building robots. I'm gonna transcribe that crap in the album from Anne-Claire's place.
Offtopic: Okay, is there any easy way to remember how to spell "definitely" like that? Rather than "definately", which is how my brain wants to spell it?
But yeah, it's clear that the robot story is part of a larger story arc and the mime/hobo story was a subplot to be resolved in this episode. It's good to have a little closure while keeping the episodes connected, so no major complaints, but I do feel the different parts could have been connected a bit better.
Where did you get that four are good and four are evil, and that the good ones are dead, and that it's the evil ones who did it? Couldn't the gods be more or less neutral and perpetually combating each other regardless of alignment? (A la ancient Greek mythology.)
Offtopic: Try thinking "finite" anytime you spell "definitely". That's, uh...that's how I do it.
He's referencing the update on the greenhouse website; it's extra background stuff by Tycho. Himself!
In other news, this is what I got when I played "The Unfathomable Transmissions" (Album unlock) and listened to the weird bit at the end, with notepad open.
[lots of noise for ages, then:]
And ho, the terrible wonders this book has revealed!
How could that boardwalk cult have interprated these beautiful, these blashphemous schematics?
Searing my very heart, the hot brand of their monstrous power, their intoxicated... [phone rings] oh, Goddamnit!
[picks up] Hello? Yes, mother. Yes, I'm on my way!
That bit about searing isn't clear, and the "and ho" at the start is probably a mistake too, I can't hear it very well. It definately isn't the narrator talking, for those who haven't heard it.
Look, try not to take this too personally, but it works sort of like this. You represent for me in this moment a portion of the population that infuriates me, or at the very least ruffles my feathers. You problem with the material strikes me as asinine, and as a result I have likened you to that group that I feel best represents the feelings of frustration I feel after reading your post.
More specifically
Does anyone have anything interesting to say on the matter of why the mime tangent happens (not how or when or why not)? In the interest of exploring this game we all bought, can we collaboratively find any interesting or relevant leads, or speculate on further connections?
If you don't think there is anything to "explore", kindly pat yourself on the back and cease to clog the discussion. At the very least, mark your posts as "Off topic"; this isn't a "types of people we hate" thread.
A Hypothesis:
If so, that's why the robot is in Pelican Bay, watching as you defeat Yog Sethis; he is pleased. Who is at the helm? Someone that knows Tycho is way into apocalyptics? An agent of the final god?
Perhaps his father that is mentioned frequently. Or an old Professor from his old Academy. I like the idea of Fruit Fucker Prime getting us to do his dirty work.
And further more, there is a very good, deliberately stylistic reason for not including the information in Episode One.
Now, if you would like to speculate about what the explanation could be, that's perfectly acceptable. What is not acceptable as far as I am concerned is regarding the omission as a mistake, because as our dear friend Khoo so kindly spelled out of us in no uncertain terms, there is a complete explanation that has to date not been fully revealed.
If at the end of the story you feel the explanation is not satisfactory, that also is a seperate matter.
Poor baby. You don't get to decide whats acceptable discussion.
The god is the Silent One. It makes sense (or at least 'Penny Arcade sense') that mimes would worship it.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Also, I wanna replay it cuz it's fun.
The change is about as abrupt as going from 100mph to 0 in 1 second. And I don't know how well it fits into the over all story, but the Ep. 2 teaser shows the occult book that mime's found, so there's an over arching plot here somewhere.
I think that based on Part 1, it'd be too early to judge the story on the whole.
I disagree with your assertion about the abruptness of the change.
Think of it like Battlestar Galactica. The overarching goal is to escape the giant killer robots. Along the way shit pops up that they've got to do. The actual through-line of the plot is very methodical, when you look back on it.
You got it. I don't think that it was subtle enough. I'm sorry; in defending my opinions against your attack, I've been forced to labour a point that I don't really care too much about. I'm really in the business of finding out, not judging. Really!
This is essentially what I'm saying. Why wouldn't they change their priorities? I've said that I'd do the same thing, and I agree with the direction. What I'm saying is, why make it abrupt like that?
Essentially, this is what I had a problem with: They didn't say that. Anne-Claire doesn't comment on it, Tycho doesn't comment on it, nobody does. No-one ever says "Look, we need to re-prioritise." For all the story knows, the player is only willing to pursue the robot out of selfish reasons, and unwilling to do anything else until that's done. That would be a potential twist, right? Like Han Solo wanting to get his money and run.
Of course, like Han Solo, there was a scene where he returned to the death star, and it was made clear that he decided the greater good was more relevant.
This is what I mean. Where is the scene where you go, "There are lives at risk! We can track down the robot some other time!" Not even Gabe comments on the switch in focus. Nobody does.
Plot does two things: The first is what you just described; it unites the story and gives every scene purpose.
The second is to carry the user's interest forward and provide a backdrop for believable emotions/reactions/drama. I'm saying that there was the plot, there were the events, and nobody reacted to them.
Also, when you're pursuing a killer robot, it's different. He'll get away. You know? How does Tycho know that FFprime isn't a more potent threat? Of course, I agree, he isn't, but that doesn't mean we can't be in on the decision making.