Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (Full Version)

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Cinderella -> Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 11:46:10)

With the advent of a new player-decided story outcome, it's become necessary to address concerns that the administration is rigging outcomes. This couldn't be further from the truth, and in the spirit of openness, I'm releasing the original Aftermath story outline for the Infernal Infiltration War. Why wait so long? Well, there are story elements I want to use in the future from the alternate outcomes, and releasing them act as spoilers for as-of-yet unwritten plot lines. But, in spite of these spoilers, this should act as proof that I did write two alternate conclusions for the Infernal Infiltration War. For those who would say I wrote this on the fly afterwards, here is a screenshot of the document I sent to Night (since I use a Mac, the .doc version acts as a time capsule): http://tinypic.com/r/ao6bzq/6

Hopefully this also gives an insight into our creative process
quote:


Legion Wins:

After the Vault is open, Silas threatens John. John turns it around on Silas, saying it was his ideals that would reduce a man to his composite parts. Valestra and Nightwraith move in in to finish him off, and John calmly informs Silas of his Ace in the Hole- Silas and Valestra’s daughter Naomi (I imagine held at gunpoint by Selina)- and what a shame it would be if she had to watch her mother and father kill an old man.

In the Legion Wins version, Silas points out that his men have Selina surrounded and will kill her if one hair on Naomi’s head is harmed. He takes aim, but Ella steps in front of her father, saying there’s been too much death already, but if any of them kill John, she will fight them, and she will kill them. Seeing the horror on Naomi’s face, Silas agrees to imprison the Lawman. As he’s being dragged away, John tells Ella that he knew that, of his children, he knew she was the one who could live without him and to take care of her sister.

Silas: I thought finally bringing him down would taste sweeter. Knowing what Ulysses was trying to tell me all those years ago... that’s nothing that any man should have to live with. I got my own ideas about this place, and lucky for me, I’ve got a master programmer, a robotics expert and a neurobiologist in my employ. Don’t believe what you see from the Seat of the Legion- that army can still be used as a weapon, just not quite the kind Descarl expects.

As much as I hate John, I can’t blame Ella for talking me out of killing him. I can only hope that Naomi would do the same for me someday.

The Lawman: *goes rare*

Valestra: We thought we were risking execution, but instead we’ve been decorated with medals. The man who’s responsible for taking my arm is in prison, but not without threatening my daughter and shattering her world.

I loved Silas, once. But it was a young love, fleeting. Nothing like what I’ve had with Hank for the past eighteen years. God, she looks just like him though.

Funny how life works out.

Ulysses: They say that the contents of the Delta Vault are my handiwork, [class]. There is so much horror- how... how could I have possibly designed it? I refuse to believe it- why would I be trying to tell Mr. Auer and John about how to stop it if I’m responsible?

I refuse to believe that I am the villain in this story. I must have been the hero, and I was supposed to be killed for trying to save the world.

Maybe I can be the hero again.

Nightwraith: Yeah, I’d like it if the Lawman was dead. Not the first time someone I put in the ground wasn’t quite deceased. But, I can’t complain- I’ve got money in my pocket, food in my belly, couple girls on my arm, a gun in my hand and euphoria in my veins. Life is good as long as I don’t think about the cyborg army built out of dead people.

Galatea: Ella and Valestra said that I could find out who I was, if I wanted to. They felt I deserved that much, even in defeat- they’re not bad people, even if we decided to fight on opposing sides.

I decided I don’t want to know. That woman died in the Delta Vaults. I’m a different person: a scientist, inventor, doctor, wife, and maybe someday- somehow- even a mother. We may have lost, but I refuse to live my life in defeat.

Cinderella: I knew that this could be done; many people leave their bodies to science or become cyborgs because of cancer or some other disease. I assumed that was the case with Galatea. But there’s a fundamental difference between volunteering your body and having it taken from you; it’s the latter that’s so horrible.

But, the Mechachillids seem friendly once you can convince them you aren’t a threat, and much of this generation is nearly human. Maybe it isn’t just my family that can be repaired.

In any case, I’ve got to focus on my new job with Administrator San Marco, and keeping my baby sister out of trouble. Things are long from over.

Selina: Pa’s in jail, the Legion’s after us, and my only friend in the world is loyal to the Administration. Why did you let us lose? I ain’t givin’ up just yet, and I ain’t about to let you give up either. I’ll find us a way out of this mess, you’ll see.


Legion Footsoldier: The Legion has prevailed. That doesn’t mean I ever want to set foot into that Vault again.

I don’t ever want to think about what was in that Vault, buddy. How many of those things did we kill? And they’re men, just like us, aren’t they? Man, the guy who built it was INSANE. At least we’ll put an end to him and this madness.

Exile Footsoldier: The Lawman has fallen, and now we know what the Legion is truly capable of. I don’t believe it for a second when Descarl says that she’s so sorry for our loss. For all I know, she was the one who built this thing, not Ulysses.

Alydriah: Citizen, the Administration, led by District 7 leader Silas Auer has secured the contents of the Delta Vaults. The Vaults contained a faulty, decommissioned work that was the direct result of crimes against humanity committed by an insane scientist known only to us as Ulysses. Though he was ordered to be executed for his deeds, he survived and was known to be working with a criminal named John St. Alban. St. Alban, also called The Lawman, was captured and is safely imprisoned under the Spire. Administrator Auer and his officers have received medals commemorating their bravery in this matter.

We wish to go on record saying that the heart of the Legion goes out to all the citizens who have lost loved ones due to Ulysses’s crimes. We assure you that this man and his disciples will be dealt with appropriately: we do not negotiate with terrorists.

The Administration will field no further questions at this time.

Hank: Welcome to Hank’s House of Pastry and Pain, where we sell a full arsenal of items to tickle your taste buds and crush your enemies!

Yeah, my wife’s been on the news lately, along with her ex-boyfriend the Administrator. I promised to love and honor that woman, but mark my words: we must defeat my wife.

Naomi: I thought that Mr. St. Alban and Selina were my friends. I guess I thought a lot of things that were wrong. Like that Hank is my father.

I can never ally myself with Mr. John St. Alban. Maybe I’ll follow in the footsteps of my parents and join the Shadow Guard.



Exile Wins:

After the Vault is open, Silas threatens John. John turns it around on Silas, saying it was his ideals that would reduce a man to his composite parts. Valestra and Nightwraith move in in to finish him off, and John calmly informs Silas of his Ace in the Hole- Silas and Valestra’s daughter Naomi (I imagine held at gunpoint by Selina)- and what a shame it would be if she had to watch her mother and father kill an old man.

In the Exile Wins version, Silas lowers his gun, realizing he is defeated. John warns him of his foolish sentimentality (“You get too attached. I bet you still love her; hopin’ your little war would impress her and she’d leave her husband and you could be a nice little family. Love will betray you- loyalty is the greater virtue.”) and spits in Cinderella’s face. He nonchalantly walks away, leaving Silas with his humiliation, surrounded by corpses.

Silas: We did not lose through your error, Citizen, but mine. This was a couple of old men bearing out a 20 year grudge, and I dragged you into it. I didn’t just drag you into this, but my own child. I can never forgive myself for putting her in harm’s way.

But now is not the time to sit back and accept defeat: we’ve put a horrifying, unimaginable weapon into the hands of a man with... shall we say “ambiguous morals” and God only knows what the Lawman will do with such power.

I’ll make this right, Citizen. I have to.

The Lawman: Looks like this old man still has a thing or two to teach the young’uns. You fought well, son, and I reckon that boy Auer’s gonna run off with his tail between his legs if he knows what’s good for ‘im.

I admit: I ain’t gonna sleep well after opening that Vault, but never let it be said that I’m the type who’ll look a gift horse in the mouth. I ain’t ready to retire just yet, and I’ve got my eyes set on something bigger than this little dustbowl.

Valestra: I’ve killed a lot of men, mainly out of duty, a few for revenge, but I have never killed out of hate. I might have to make an exception someday for John St. Alban.

Ulysses: Years ago, a man built this. He thought he would be saving lives, he thought he was making the world a better place. He was killed when he discovered he had built an immortal, indestructable army with the flesh and bones of his friends.

As far as I’m concerned, that man stayed dead.

All we can do now is look toward the future. I’m going home; I have my wife and my tools. I don’t need to go digging for old bones.

Nightwraith: See, kid, this is where sentimentality gets you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go down to Valestra’s and stay there until this whole thing never happened.

Galatea: I romanticized my death so nicely. I’d been injured, couldn’t be saved, and they used my brain because they couldn’t stand to be without me. That was nothing but a fantasy. My name was Dr. Hannah Eleanor Grace. My body was used to build one of those... things.

That’s the funny thing about memory. Sometimes, it’s better to just forget.

Cinderella: The Exiles defeated us this time, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be complacent. I’m starting work with Administrator Auer and Administrator San Marco to try and protect the world from The Lawman and his army.

My father has prevailed. God help us all.

Selina: We won, soldier! The Administration better watch out for my Pa! I reckon there’s a storm a’brewin, and we’ll finally break free from the Tyrant’s grasp!

There were casualties. But, nothin’ we can’t afford to lose. My concern is about Ulysses- if he really built that machine down there, can we still trust him? I ain’t sure I buy what he’s sellin’ about amnesia an’ all that.

Just... watch your step out there.

Legion Footsoldier: I don’t ever want to think about what was in that Vault, buddy. How many of those things did we kill? And they’re men, just like us, aren’t they? Man, the guy who built it was INSANE. And to top it off, he and the Lawman won!

I never thought the Exiles were all that much of a threat, but now... well. I’m not so sure anymore.

Exile Footsoldier: Well, buddy, now we know what the Legion is truly capable of. I don’t believe it for a second when Descarl says that she’s so sorry for our loss. For all I know, she was the one who built this thing, not Ulysses.

Or maybe Ulysses is planning something for us. Makes me shudder. But now at least we’re one step closer to bringing Alydriah and her goons down and making Delta V a better place for all of us!

Alydriah: There is no threat to the Citizenry in the opening of the Delta Vaults. It was a thought, cooked up by a fake and a madman; though my brother had assured me that the madman Ulysses was terminated due to this. The Administration wishes to go on record saying our heart goes out to all of the families who’ve discovered that a loved one was victim to Ulysses’s crimes.

I don’t know what that fool thinks he’s going to do with it. There’s a reason the project was decommissioned: it didn’t work. If there was a serious threat to opening the Delta Vaults, Baelius would have seen to it that I was personally involved in the contents’ retrieval.

The Administration will answer no further questions at this time.

Hank: Well, [class], the Exile movement’s achieved victory in the Mines, and I’m sure Valestra ain’t too happy about what happened down there.

We promised to never let our daughter know the truth. And I will never be loyal to John St. Alban. NOBODY treats Naomi like that and gets away with it. Maybe Silas had the right idea about the guy.

Now, you buyin’ something or what?

Naomi: My entire existence is a lie- at least I know now why the Administrator was always so kind to me, and why I look absolutely nothing like Hank or my siblings. Maybe this is a good thing- a chance for me to get to know my parents without any of the lies.

I’m sure glad Mr. St. Alban let me go. But I mean, he’s one of the good guys. He wouldn’t have actually killed me, right?

Right?






King FrostLich -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 11:49:17)

Looks so long to read. I just read the first part and didn't even understand it.

Edit: Nevermind, read everything quickly. It's good that Lawman is still alive. I don't want him to die.




Fay Beeee -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 11:52:15)



Seems my opinion will always be wrong. So I have deleted it.




Ranloth -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 12:07:58)

But Fay, we ARE entitled to our own opinions. Trolling may not be the case nor saying it's all rigged but if something was very suspicious then you could say it was rigged. You cannot tell Cindy to not argue with us and our closed minds (apparently), only because we may be suspicious. Staff is here to dismiss any issues like these and that's what Cindy has done right now.

I quite enjoyed the story, will re-read Legion one since I kinda skimmed through it but it seems interesting. Would you be able to do it in the future (for losing side) or perhaps give alternative cutscene in-game for them? I'd be great addition and we could see both sides of the story; after all, losing side means that story isn't shown and effort is wasted so it'd be win-win.




Cinderella -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 13:19:17)

@Trans- the same reason we don't have the alternate endings in game is why I didn't want to release my old outlines- I want to use elements of that plotline in the future.




Ranloth -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 13:29:16)

Hmmmm, yea that's a fair point actually. I believe only AQ did that with one or two Wars where we've had cutscenes for 2 different sides fighting. Guess this is only exception here with all the stuff that was said (rigged war, now voting, etc.).

Thanks for taking your time to answer our questions! :)




Smackie El Frog -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 13:35:49)

Hmm yeh totally legit. One cannot simply change the date on their mac and take a screen shot.




RabbleFroth -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 13:56:42)

The internet will never have a shortage of tin foil hats. It's always fun to see who wears it out in the open though.




Battle Elf -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 15:54:47)

I can tell it's school time when I realize consonance in a forum title [:D]

Can I wear a tin hat even if I fully believe the staff? I heard they're in style this year!




Lord Machaar -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/6/2012 21:31:29)

I've never had a doubt about you Cindy, your putting effort into this, you probably wrote like a bunch of sotries, great writer, i didn't write that much in my schoolish life, or even read it, so yeah...
/Thanks for all the things you gave us, they should pay you more. Titan you heard that? Rabblefroth correct the code!




midnight assassin -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/7/2012 8:42:23)

Can someone make a family tree here? I'm getting a bit confused.




Unknown Menace -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/7/2012 9:35:25)

@midnight assassin

I believe it's like this:

Silas Auer and Valestra were in love once and got a child together, that child was Naomi
How ever Valestra didn't stay with Silas and married Hank instead. Than Valestra told Naomi that Hank was her father.
Naomi just looks alot like Hank but she is not his real daughter

As for Lawman he has Selina and Ella St. Alban as his daughters.




alt stink -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/7/2012 10:19:26)

^if that is right the entire game story is just like another tv novel




Unknown Menace -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/7/2012 11:40:27)

^
These might explain things:

Silas said:
quote:

I didn’t just drag you into this, but my own child.


quote:

As much as I hate John, I can’t blame Ella for talking me out of killing him. I can only hope that Naomi would do the same for me someday.


Valestra said:
quote:

I’ve killed a lot of men, mainly out of duty, a few for revenge, but I have never killed out of hate. I might have to make an exception someday for John St. Alban

(The first time i read this in the mines i didn't understand yet, but now it makes sense. Who would not kill for hate if someone points a gun on your childs head)

quote:

. The man who’s responsible for taking my arm is in prison, but not without threatening my daughter and shattering her world. I loved Silas, once. But it was a young love, fleeting. Nothing like what I’ve had with Hank for the past eighteen years. God, she looks just like him though.


Hank said:
quote:

Yeah, my wife’s been on the news lately, along with her ex-boyfriend the Administrator. I promised to love and honor that woman, but mark my words: we must defeat my wife.


Naomi said:
quote:

My entire existence is a lie- at least I know now why the Administrator was always so kind to me, and why I look absolutely nothing like Hank or my siblings. Maybe this is a good thing- a chance for me to get to know my parents without any of the lies.


quote:

I thought that Mr. St. Alban and Selina were my friends. I guess I thought a lot of things that were wrong. Like that Hank is my father.


quote:

I can never ally myself with Mr. John St. Alban. Maybe I’ll follow in the footsteps of my parents and join the Shadow Guard.




helloguy -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/8/2012 0:16:20)

Still don't buy it you know why

The very reason why you ask

Why would they ban/ prevent talk about it

To begin with if they had nothing to hide To

Begin with as well as perm ban or ban for set time from talking about

At all if there was nothing to hide from the very rules they set themselves

I ask you just this why?

Goodbye


~ Helloguy




Fay Beeee -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/8/2012 5:15:22)

^ Please make clearer. I can usually translate. But that one was impossible for me, sorry.




Lord Barrius -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/8/2012 16:03:31)

This is intended as a family-friendly setting where young and old posters alike are permitted to join in discussion about our games. We always want to foster a positive community where our players feel comfortable sharing their ideas, but insulting, demeaning, or threatening posts - whether directed at other players or our staff - don't contribute to that in any way.

Our team members never intentionally design releases to upset our players; often, we take the ideas that go into the game right from you guys! And implying that we would do that can start rumors which would upset more than just staff members, but your fellow players. That is something we never want to allow happen.

I often disagree with people over things both minor and major, but I would personally be very much against resorting to outright slander of their name and character to make my point.

About the idea that "conspiracy theories are obviously proven true if people refuse to talk about them," I would note that this is the fundamental "proof" used by many of the most crazy conspiracy theorists around, including the folks out there who believe that the world is secretly ruled and controlled by a group of alien reptile shape-shifters. Don't get me wrong, here at AE we LOVE crazy stories and out-of-this-world speculation. That's a lot of how we design our releases, right? But we don't want to permit the spread of any rumors that could hurt our team or our players.




midnight assassin -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/8/2012 21:38:38)

I was expecting that Valestra is Lawman’s wife.




Blaze The Aion Ender -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/8/2012 22:00:05)

I never had doubts
Actually, I did have doubts when the legion made a one million win comeback, but never in the entire story itself
Did people think the staff made short-cut's like this just to work less?




Wind -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/8/2012 22:44:54)

Top work Cinderella, it was literally like reading a small scene from a novel haha. I was able to imagine a cutscene for each side of the story, but I wished that the actual in-game cutscene from when the Exiles won, to have been bigger. I would've liked to see the conversation between the main characters of war, also to maybe see Silas walked off after he lost.

I actually find the Legion story more interesting though, I like the way how Cinderella would step in for her father so he was imprisoned rather than being killed. I'd also like to see this "Spire" where the Lawman was meant to be kept in prison, I'm guessing it is a Legion Prison facility, so you wouldn't be able to send Silas to the "spire" either right?

It was really good fun reading this storyline, and the amount of detail put into both sides for the alignment's proves that either way each side played fairly and won fairly (go exiles) and goes against theory's of Exiles being favored as the storyline was written for both ways which meant the devs had no idea who'd win.

I also found the family matter quite interesting, of Selina, Ella and John. But Valestra being in-love with Hank? And her daughter Naomi. More into this storyline would be great!
Also not to mention Valery (bike vendor), being a "niece" to her seedy uncle Mirv.
A family storyline would be awesome just saying right?




Unknown Menace -> RE: Clarifications, Conspiracies, and the Creative Process (9/9/2012 6:07:51)

^

I'm not sure, but i think she mentioned in the past that Valestra would get involved more in the storyline.
So this might include her family to, just speculating.

quote:

.. also to maybe see Silas walked off after he lost.


I think i much rather see him handcuffed and on his knees like he is now ;P




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