The RIGHT thing to do... - by pad_illa
pad_illa on 8/7/2003 at 04:52
I'm sure this has been spoken of a million times & most people are settled in with their choice, but I just started to reexamine my original choice between the different endings. Which one was the right thing to do?
Now, my view of the actual message of Deus Ex is that we will not be able to overcome the potential evils of the future with the current system of thought and organizations that we have in place today. The actual point of time in Deus Ex is the chronicling bookmark where it becomes apparent. The power granted to people by the technologies and freedom available (enhanced by globalization) superceded the abilities of the virtuous establishments to handle. (Even compounded by the corruption of the American government and united nations)
So at the end of Deus Ex you're offered 3 different options. Reel back the power and technology availble to people....control everything....or lead everything.
HERE"S WHAT I NOW CHOOSE: As of now, I believe (blelieve it or not) that merging with Helios would be the best option for mankind.
The reason I would not chose Tong's again is that you're not solving the problem. 100-200 maybe even 300 years later, you'll find yourself in the exact same position. People will still be ignorant of the things that brought them to their knees before hand.
The reason I wouldn't chose the Illuminati.....1) it still allows for civil war to emerge amongst the illuminati & there is still the chance that things'll just revert to teh situation in the game. Afterall, the ILluminati were "ruling" before hand. Bob page was a former illuminati.
I just feel as if the merging with Helios would be the amalgamation of progress. With an unfaulting and enlightened machination of political administration for the people, isn't that the vision of Madison in Federalist #11 with the loss of faction?
But then again, I could be nuts, what doyou guys say?
chris the cynic on 9/7/2003 at 01:54
Of the options given that would seem to be the best. Of course that can't be extrapolated into real life.
Fred Chook on 9/7/2003 at 02:25
:grr: I've covered this before
pad_illa on 20/7/2003 at 06:14
yeah, Sry Fred. I haven't been to this forum for nearly a year. I knew a couple dozen people have done threads on this, I was just hoping to revive it for my own sake.
Ayearepee on 16/11/2003 at 00:59
My own opinion is that, role-playing as Paul, the only reasonable ending is that for the Illuminatus (let us assume that the bomb on board Jock's helicopter was a misunderstanding). Tracer Tong's ending requires that you hand the world over to a mob of gangsters - glamorous figures, maybe, but in reality venal scum of hellish proportions - besides which you are almost certainly killed in the ensuing explosion, whilst the Helios ending is, until you actually do it, even more risky, as you can't possibly trust the AI to be telling the truth. For all you know, the container in which you 'merge' with Helios might be an electric death machine.
The producers seem to have intended the latter ending, however, and the characters in the game seem to advocate it more, perhaps to offset the player's innate scepticism. As it turns out, the Illuminatus ending results in Paul surviving alive as Paul, but is downbeat, Tracer Tong's ending is exciting and movie-like but suicidal, whilst the Helios ending is... well, it seems a bit abrupt and dull, after all you've been through, although the detail of Bob Paige being left, trapped in his bubble, reminded me one of the better 'Space: 1999' episodes.
Joben on 16/11/2003 at 03:07
thats realy the great thing about the game...there is no best ending.
No "You Win, the World is Safe". They are all fraught with uncertainty and fear.
It is interesting to note that two of the endings are to some degree self-sacrificial...
Merging with Helios if it works as promised would perhaps be best for humanity...if it works as promised. If it doesnt it could go the most horribly wrong. You are dealing with basicaly a newborn god of uncertain disposition. Even if after you chose that ending you dont know if it works right, when J.C. steps out of the thing, is that realy him? Did his/your values and morals remain intact or have you just given the electronic god a realy spiffy avatar? are you dead?
The Illuminati ending (if i recall it correctly) is in a way the less risky, you definitly survive, your personality intact, if it goes bad hopefuly you can go on another little crucade and fix things up. ...But you have just agreed to let a buch of people with rather dubious morals rule the world. They are slippery manipulative people who will probably try to keep you from having enough power to change anything if you decide you chose wrong...
The ending were you blow everything up...i dont quite understand that one. The world government wouldnt realy collapse if you destroyed electronic communication...things would just slow down for a while and people would go back to mailing letters while they layed new fiber-optic line. :erg:
Z on 16/11/2003 at 12:23
I think you have the right of it - there is no "good" ending - that is, in a way, what Deus Ex is about. You have to make choices - practical and tactical choices, but also moral and ethical ones. And what seperates DX from the vast majority of games that offer moral choices is that you're choice is not between obvious, arbitrary visions of Good and Evil, but between several outcomes which are to some degree ambigious - it is your responsibility to decide.
Z
Fred Chook on 17/11/2003 at 04:50
Quote:
Originally posted by Joben The ending were you blow everything up...i dont quite understand that one. The world government wouldnt realy collapse if you destroyed electronic communication...things would just slow down for a while and people would go back to mailing letters while they layed new fiber-optic line. :erg:
The attraction of this ending is that you knock out the system the world government uses to, well, world govern. This'd force people to govern themselves in small groups. Sure, the bad guys'd still have a chance to take over, and in places where all their troops are, they could do that very quickly if they get organised - but it's still a better chance for getting power back to the people than the other two.
Joben on 17/11/2003 at 06:16
Quote:
Originally posted by Fred Chook The attraction of this ending is that you knock out the system the world government uses to, well, world govern. This'd force people to govern themselves in small groups. Sure, the bad guys'd still have a chance to take over, and in places where all their troops are, they could do that very quickly if they get organised - but it's still a better chance for getting power back to the people than the other two.
Two points:
*People ran continent spaning empires long before the invention of even the telegraph.
*Rebuilding known (and desired) technology will take much much much much much much...less time then to invent and impliment it in the first place.
Remember, we arnt even physicaly destroying any techological or industrial infrastructure, we are just sorta magicaly making all the phones not work. :erg:
An effect like Tong promises might well occur, but for so short a timespan as to be not worth the effort... unless you got tons of wars and/or did the rather cliche (and AFAIK unprecedented in the real world) slip back into feudalism you wont be looking at several hundred years to re-organize and rebuild. I give it about 50.
Fred Chook on 17/11/2003 at 08:35
Power died and killed my post as I was typing it (perhaps it came true!), so I'll redo as best I can.
What are MJ12's strengths? Technology, communications, surveillance. By destroying their base you're knocking out two of those completely and heavily damaging another. That's pretty crippling. It's entirely possible it could kill their chance of gaining power again. The world could rebuild communications pretty quick, but it certainly couldn't centralise it that fast.
Besides, what are the alternatives? Hand the world over to Ill-Shaven McDodgy or take over yourself, albeit not actually you but a computer in your brain. Neither dictator seems paticularly appealing, if ANY dictator could be said to be appealing.
