Minor suggestion regarding tying storylines together (SPOILERS!)
Zixinus
Hungary Join Date: 2015-07-22 Member: 206338Members
Hungary Join Date: 2015-07-22 Member: 206338Members
One big problem I see with Below Zero is that the story you start with is not connected to the story you end the game with. In fact you can completely ignore Sam's story and still complete the game. I feel that's a big flaw in the story both from the gameplay progression standpoint and from a storytelling standpoint. If the player follows Sam's story to its completion, they'll get some goodies but also a dead end and if you strictly follow it, it doesn't lead to Al-an. However, I believe that it can be fixed pretty easily, something that can be done with a patch and all it would require is a few extra voicelines and some scripting changes. All that needs to be done is tie together Al-an's story and Sam's story is this:
The cure. Al-an's entire purpouse on being on the planet was about the cure. Sam had the cure. In fact, that is the only way for us to get the cure because Robin's PDA did not have that data on hand. Al-an should be VERY interested in the cure. So much so that he should be more obsessed about getting it than he would about his body.
So what I propose is fundamentally this: Al-an would not start up the portal to his homeworld without the cure. You can make him his body but he'll just stand around that portal facility, interfacing with some terminals ("re-establishing the network and trying to reacquire lost data") until he has both a sample of the cure and proof/data that it works. It makes perfect sense that he would. He cannot go back home empty-handed. He would need not only the blueprint, but a produced sample for his own analysis and a tissue sample of the cured leviathan (just a knifed or picked up sample). Not only would this tie the two stories together gameplay-wise but also give a greater purpose to that moment: it would be a moment of salvation for Al-an. This is how he gets the data he sacrificed and suffered so much for, what he almost- and his colleagues died both for and from. What is closure for Robin is nothing less than a glorious salvation of a species-ending plaque for Al-an.
There could also be other tweaks made. The PDA message where Sam tells you/herself where she hid the antidote should be given to you by Margeurit after you disable the Alterrra tower. A few extra voicelines from Al-an commenting on the situation and the cure.
I also believe that Robin should have the option to talk with Margeurit about a few topics. Namely her role in Sam's death, which lead to Sam's and Parvan's death. How she survived with Alterra being present. Details about how and why they left (I finished the game and tried to collect all the PDAs but I still don't know why everyone suddenly left when there were miners and researchers present). Why she ignored Al-an's distress call. And finally, there should be a dialog before Robin leaves with Al-an, I felt that I should have had a scene where I say goodbye andgiving her my old stuff I won't need.
The cure. Al-an's entire purpouse on being on the planet was about the cure. Sam had the cure. In fact, that is the only way for us to get the cure because Robin's PDA did not have that data on hand. Al-an should be VERY interested in the cure. So much so that he should be more obsessed about getting it than he would about his body.
So what I propose is fundamentally this: Al-an would not start up the portal to his homeworld without the cure. You can make him his body but he'll just stand around that portal facility, interfacing with some terminals ("re-establishing the network and trying to reacquire lost data") until he has both a sample of the cure and proof/data that it works. It makes perfect sense that he would. He cannot go back home empty-handed. He would need not only the blueprint, but a produced sample for his own analysis and a tissue sample of the cured leviathan (just a knifed or picked up sample). Not only would this tie the two stories together gameplay-wise but also give a greater purpose to that moment: it would be a moment of salvation for Al-an. This is how he gets the data he sacrificed and suffered so much for, what he almost- and his colleagues died both for and from. What is closure for Robin is nothing less than a glorious salvation of a species-ending plaque for Al-an.
There could also be other tweaks made. The PDA message where Sam tells you/herself where she hid the antidote should be given to you by Margeurit after you disable the Alterrra tower. A few extra voicelines from Al-an commenting on the situation and the cure.
I also believe that Robin should have the option to talk with Margeurit about a few topics. Namely her role in Sam's death, which lead to Sam's and Parvan's death. How she survived with Alterra being present. Details about how and why they left (I finished the game and tried to collect all the PDAs but I still don't know why everyone suddenly left when there were miners and researchers present). Why she ignored Al-an's distress call. And finally, there should be a dialog before Robin leaves with Al-an, I felt that I should have had a scene where I say goodbye andgiving her my old stuff I won't need.
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