geekspeek on 22/3/2007 at 17:04
Hello. I am new to TTLG, and probably won't post very frequently on account of still using dial-up and needing to keep the phone and fax lines open. I have beaten SS2 twice, the first time as a physically weak, not-particularly-weapons-apt computer nerd who was an almost exclusively melee character (when he fought at all) until I got the Annelid Launcher, and the second time as a stereotypical Marine - maxed out Standard Weapons and Energy Weapons, no Heavy Weapons or Exotic Weapons, no technical skills except Maintain, low Cyber Affinity, mid-level Agility, and high Strength and Endurance. I am now playing through a third time as a Psi, and am quite enjoying some of the abilities thus granted. Anyway, on topic:
I find it hard to believe that I am the only survivor. While I can understand not seeing any other survivors (the in-game explanation being that they are all hiding or that we are simply never in the same place at the same time, and the out-of-game explanation being that all the non-enemy character models looked retarded and would have detracted from the game's atmosphere by making the game inadvertently hilarious), but that doesn't mean that everyone is dead. Consider the size and complexity of the Von Braun, and to a lesser extent the Rickenbacker. One person could not keep the entire ship up and running for any length of time, so there would have to be at least a few other survivors in order to keep the ship from flying apart at the seams before it reached Earth. In addition, consider the fact that [SPOILER]Prefontaine (who must have been one hardcore sonuvabitch) somehow managed to survive the stuff going down on the Hydroponics deck where he worked, made his way to the command deck, and survived in the BoTM for at least a few hours before being eaten.[/SPOILER] If a Hydroponics scientist could do it, surely a VB security guard could do the same, to say nothing of a professional soldier with years of experience. Also, notice the lean-tos in the BoTM. Granted, they are usually occupied by the corpses of their occupants, but the fact that they survived long enough to require shelter INSIDE THE BODY OF THE MANY bodes well for survivors aboard the Von Braun and the Rickenbacker. If they could survive, if you could survive, than why why not someone else? The Rickenbacker had a crew complement of at least 120 (stated in an audio log, although that may be the size of the ship's Marine detachment rather than its total crew complement), and who knows how many hundreds of people were aboard the VB. Statistically speaking, there is no way that all of them could been killed, [SPOILER]eaten,[/SPOILER] or zombified in the length of time between the beginning of the infestation and the oh-so-satisfying expenditure of ammunition at the end of it. There is also some minor, circumstantial evidence that you are not alone aboard the ship to be found in the game itself. [SPOILER]In the closing cutscene, when Suarez is recording his audio log, he specifically states they have regained control of the ship. They, plural, as in more than one person. [/SPOILER] A few bugs and anomalies, although most of them are probably genuine technical errors, can also be explained by the actions of other survivors, and that's how I usually explain them even when I know it's a bug, for immersion's sake. For example, the disappearing stuff bug. I was using the Cryo Recovery area as a base camp, and returned there to spend some cyber modules when I noticed a few things missing from the area I had designated as the armory - a laser pistol, two shotguns, and a maintenance tool. Clearly, someone had found my stockpile, noticed that it was abandoned, and did exactly what I would do (indeed, had already done several times) - they took what they needed, assuming that the stuff's owner was in no condition to complain. There's more, but this rant has already reached "Really Freakin' Long" size, and I'll give other people an opportunity to post before adding anything.
Matthew on 22/3/2007 at 17:13
Quote Posted by geekspeek
[SPOILER]
They, plural, as in more than one person. [/SPOILER]
'They' is also used when you don't want to use a gender-specific word like 'he' or 'she', don't forget.
geekspeek on 22/3/2007 at 17:20
Quote Posted by Matthew
'They' is also used when you don't want to use a gender-specific word like 'he' or 'she', don't forget.
Yes, but the one line (okay, one word) of dialogue that comes from your character's mouth is in a clearly male voice.
[SPOILER]"Nah."[/SPOILER]
Matthew on 22/3/2007 at 17:31
That word never happened, do you hear me? NEVER.
Bjossi on 22/3/2007 at 17:35
I was also rather puzzled why your character is the only survivor, but now I don't really think much about it.
The Von Braun is a huge starship, I feel that our character only visits a small part of the whole, at least when you look at it from the outside in one of the cutscenes. So who knows if survivors just happened to not be present in the areas you visit?
geekspeek on 22/3/2007 at 17:47
Quote Posted by Bjossi
The Von Braun is a huge starship, I feel that our character only visits a small part of the whole, at least when you look at it from the outside in one of the cutscenes.
I never considered that.
Quote Posted by Matthew
That word never happened, do you hear me? NEVER.
Am I right in saying that, given the choice, you would have accepted SHODAN's offer? For shame, Mr. Matthew, for shame. :nono:
Matthew on 22/3/2007 at 17:50
No, you are not. I would hope that, faced with the same choice, I'd have come up with a wittier response than that which was offered.
june gloom on 22/3/2007 at 18:46
i have some explanations. one: the many realizes it needs the ship running smoothly if it's going to get back to earth in one piece. hence, all the subverted mechanics and engineers are going to be continuing to do their jobs- except for when a certain grunt in a beanie and funky sunglasses starts showing people his elbow.
two: you AREN'T the only survivor when you begin going through the VB. there are several others alive at the start: prefontaine (and the other people trapped in the BotM with him, claire and david), delacroix, rebecca, and tommy are the obvious ones, but also cortez, yang, croker, mckay, and even watts somehow managed to live 4 days after being attacked by his autopsy patient.
however, for the most part, you ARE the only survivor who continues to actually survive. prefontaine and co. are eaten, delacroix is murdered by midwives, tommy and rebecca manage to get away, cortez is the guy at the window when you first step off the elevator in rec (and he runs off and gets zapped), yang is fried by a bot, croker is MIA, mckay was killed before he could get to the shuttles where they were offloading eggs, and watts croaked right after you got to him.
Bjossi on 22/3/2007 at 19:26
Korenchkin survived for a while too, well, kind of.
