Re: Volunteers: Eternal "The Far Side Of Nowhere"


	/-/S'pht-Translator-Active/-/

Re: Volunteers: Eternal "The Far Side Of Nowhere"

Posted By: Forrest of B.org Date: 4/29/08 6:05 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Volunteers: Eternal "The Far Side Of Nowhere" (Elderman)

I'm not sure if I, as the creator of this scenario, should comment in this Volunteers series or not. I did in the old Volunteers for Mk V, but I'm not sure whether that was appropriate or not either. I guess I'll give my comments here and you guys tell me if you want more or if I should just let you guys talk without me interrupting and spoiling it all with my omniscient knowledge of the object of your analysis.
: I agree the first terminal is a long slog. It's also unique in any Marathon
: level (I think) because it's a diary entry
This comment is more in response to Pfhore's comments on that terminal: it wouldn't be story-appropriate to break that terminal up into several terminals scattered throughout the level, precisely because it is a diary entry, and you wouldn't have a bunch of people all over this complex reading different, conveniently sequential pages of your diary; nor would you bother logging in to one terminal to read one page, then logging in to another to read another, etc. (Of course, realistically, why would you sit down and read the diary entry you just wrote, especially when people are calling for you right now? But I think that's OK to let slip).
: Eternal in
: general feels quite intimate to me, it's much more about relationships:
: siblings (metaphorical), soulmates, friends -- and these screens establish
: that.
This makes me smile. I was really trying to go for intimacy and emotion in there, which is why I had to give the player-character a name, so Hathor and he could be on a first-name basis to establish that intimacy.
: The terminal lays out given circumstances: we're in the Marathon universe,
: we've completed Aye Mak Sicur (Durandal has let us go), and we're on a
: moon called K'lia, orbiting Earth. I had to reread the terminal several
: times before I picked up this last point. Since I'm no expert on the
: narrative details of the trilogy, I'm not sure if K'lia is an invention
: for Eternal, or whether it's showed up before in the Marathon universe.
K'lia is an existing facet of the Marathon universe; it's the portable moon that the S'pht'Kr have lived on for over a thousand years now.
: The chronology of the entire scenario confuses me and my confusion starts
: with this first terminal. Maybe the real problem is that the chronology of
: Infinity ties my head in knots. The diary mentions a handful of dates and
: I've tried to make sense of them.
: 92 years earlier we helped send a message to Earth. Wasn't this Durandal's
: last act before leaving the Tau Ceti System? How could it have happened as
: late as 2813? Somehow it brings up thoughts of Leela in the diary, but she
: was long gone by then.
It doesn't say that the message was sent 92 years ago but 92 years earlier than the events being discussed at that point. I assumed that people would get that this was the message that we helped Leela send on "G4 Sunbathing" in the original Marathon; from that, you can piece together that they received the message in 2886 (2794 + 92), 19 years ago. It took some time from after they received the message to find a Cybernetic Junction, do all of the hard science and engineering work to make it useful, try and fail (a lot) to use it to change the past by giving their past selves strategic advice, figure out what else to do when that failed, find you, and bring you up to speed on everything.
: 95 years since the end of Infinity. I have to take this on trust.
Almost 95 years. 2794 (year of M1) + 17 (years between M1 and M2/Infinity) = 2811, and 2905 - 2811 = 94 years.
: 111 years since the attack on the Marathon on July 25, 2794.
Eleventy-one is amongst my favorite numbers :-)
: And (not quite) 500 years since the launch of the Marathon.
433 to be precise. Not quite 500, but meh... poetic license.
Also, for your enjoyment:
Hamish's wonderfully useful Marathon timeline.
The only error on that is that Hamish (or one of his magical elves) adjusted the date Leela's message arrives at Earth to account for the real-world distance between Earth and Tau Ceti, rather than using the Marathon canon figure of 92 lightyears. This really bothers me because it spoils what I think is the greatest irony of the Marathon story: in 2881, the Pfhor system is sacked by the combined forces of Earth and the S'pht'Kr, and then five years later, after mankind has been fighting the Pfhor for seventy years and has just finally beaten them, Leela's message arrives to warn mankind that there are these aliens out there called the Pfhor and you should watch out for them...

[ Post a Reply | Message Index | Read Prev Msg | Read Next Msg ]
Pre-2004 Posts

Replies:

[ Post a Reply | Message Index | Read Prev Msg | Read Next Msg ]
Pre-2004 Posts

Your Name:
Your E-Mail Address:
Subject:
Message:
: I'm not sure if I, as the creator of this scenario, should comment in this : Volunteers series or not. I did in the old Volunteers for Mk V, but I'm : not sure whether that was appropriate or not either. I guess I'll give my : comments here and you guys tell me if you want more or if I should just : let you guys talk without me interrupting and spoiling it all with my : omniscient knowledge of the object of your analysis. : This comment is more in response to Pfhore's comments on that terminal: it : wouldn't be story-appropriate to break that terminal up into several : terminals scattered throughout the level, precisely because it is a diary : entry, and you wouldn't have a bunch of people all over this complex : reading different, conveniently sequential pages of your diary; nor would : you bother logging in to one terminal to read one page, then logging in to : another to read another, etc. (Of course, realistically, why would you sit : down and read the diary entry you just wrote, especially when people are : calling for you right now? But I think that's OK to let slip). : This makes me smile. I was really trying to go for intimacy and emotion in : there, which is why I had to give the player-character a name, so Hathor : and he could be on a first-name basis to establish that intimacy. : K'lia is an existing facet of the Marathon universe; it's the portable moon : that the S'pht'Kr have lived on for over a thousand years now. : It doesn't say that the message was sent 92 years ago but 92 years earlier : than the events being discussed at that point. I assumed that people : would get that this was the message that we helped Leela send on "G4 : Sunbathing" in the original Marathon; from that, you can piece : together that they received the message in 2886 (2794 + 92), 19 years ago. : It took some time from after they received the message to find a : Cybernetic Junction, do all of the hard science and engineering work to : make it useful, try and fail (a lot) to use it to change the past by : giving their past selves strategic advice, figure out what else to do when : that failed, find you, and bring you up to speed on everything. : Almost 95 years. 2794 (year of M1) + 17 (years between M1 and M2/Infinity) : = 2811, and 2905 - 2811 = 94 years. : Eleventy-one is amongst my favorite numbers :-) : 433 to be precise. Not quite 500, but meh... poetic license. : Also, for your enjoyment: Hamish's wonderfully useful Marathon timeline . : The only error on that is that Hamish (or one of his magical elves) adjusted : the date Leela's message arrives at Earth to account for the real-world : distance between Earth and Tau Ceti, rather than using the Marathon canon : figure of 92 lightyears. This really bothers me because it spoils what I : think is the greatest irony of the Marathon story: in 2881, the Pfhor : system is sacked by the combined forces of Earth and the S'pht'Kr, and : then five years later, after mankind has been fighting the Pfhor for : seventy years and has just finally beaten them, Leela's message arrives to : warn mankind that there are these aliens out there called the Pfhor and : you should watch out for them...

If you'd like to include a link to another page with your message,
please provide both the URL address and the title of the page:
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:

If necessary, enter your password below:
Password:

Problems? Suggestions? Comments? Email maintainer@bungie.org
Marathon's Story Forum is maintained with WebBBS 5.12.

Volunteers: Eternal "The Far Side Of Nowhere"	pfhore	4/28/08 4:30 p.m.
Re: Volunteers: Eternal "The Far Side Of Nowhere"	Elderman	4/29/08 2:45 p.m.
Re: Volunteers: Eternal "The Far Side Of Nowhere"	Forrest of B.org	4/29/08 6:05 p.m.
Re: Volunteers: Eternal "The Far Side Of Nowhere"	Luke	4/30/08 11:35 a.m.
Eternal X Commentary: "The Far Side Of Nowhere"	Forrest of B.org	5/9/08 8:51 p.m.
Thought of "The Far Side Of Nowhere"- I	pfhore	6/1/08 2:57 p.m.
Re: Thought of "The Far Side Of Nowhere"- I	Forrest of B.org	6/1/08 8:54 p.m.
Re: Thought of "The Far Side Of Nowhere"- I	pfhore	6/2/08 12:03 a.m.
Re: Thought of "The Far Side Of Nowhere"- I	Forrest of B.org	6/2/08 1:06 a.m.
Re: Thought of "The Far Side Of Nowhere"- II	pfhore	6/2/08 1:24 a.m.
Re: Eternal X Commentary: "The Far Side Of Nowhere	Death Angel	9/6/12 3:15 p.m.
Re: Eternal X Commentary: "The Far Side Of Nowhere	Forrest of B.org	9/6/12 9:36 p.m.
Marathon Terminal PDF Books	GrimCleaver	9/6/12 11:54 p.m.
Re: Marathon Terminal PDF Books	GrimCleaver	9/7/12 12:32 a.m.
Homer Simpson moment ;) NM	Godot	9/7/12 3:40 a.m.
Re: Eternal X Commentary: "The Far Side Of Nowhere	Death Angel	9/7/12 5:06 a.m.



	Your Name:
	Your E-Mail Address:
	Subject:
	Message: : I'm not sure if I, as the creator of this scenario, should comment in this : Volunteers series or not. I did in the old Volunteers for Mk V, but I'm : not sure whether that was appropriate or not either. I guess I'll give my : comments here and you guys tell me if you want more or if I should just : let you guys talk without me interrupting and spoiling it all with my : omniscient knowledge of the object of your analysis. : This comment is more in response to Pfhore's comments on that terminal: it : wouldn't be story-appropriate to break that terminal up into several : terminals scattered throughout the level, precisely because it is a diary : entry, and you wouldn't have a bunch of people all over this complex : reading different, conveniently sequential pages of your diary; nor would : you bother logging in to one terminal to read one page, then logging in to : another to read another, etc. (Of course, realistically, why would you sit : down and read the diary entry you just wrote, especially when people are : calling for you right now? But I think that's OK to let slip). : This makes me smile. I was really trying to go for intimacy and emotion in : there, which is why I had to give the player-character a name, so Hathor : and he could be on a first-name basis to establish that intimacy. : K'lia is an existing facet of the Marathon universe; it's the portable moon : that the S'pht'Kr have lived on for over a thousand years now. : It doesn't say that the message was sent 92 years ago but 92 years earlier : than the events being discussed at that point. I assumed that people : would get that this was the message that we helped Leela send on "G4 : Sunbathing" in the original Marathon; from that, you can piece : together that they received the message in 2886 (2794 + 92), 19 years ago. : It took some time from after they received the message to find a : Cybernetic Junction, do all of the hard science and engineering work to : make it useful, try and fail (a lot) to use it to change the past by : giving their past selves strategic advice, figure out what else to do when : that failed, find you, and bring you up to speed on everything. : Almost 95 years. 2794 (year of M1) + 17 (years between M1 and M2/Infinity) : = 2811, and 2905 - 2811 = 94 years. : Eleventy-one is amongst my favorite numbers :-) : 433 to be precise. Not quite 500, but meh... poetic license. : Also, for your enjoyment: Hamish's wonderfully useful Marathon timeline . : The only error on that is that Hamish (or one of his magical elves) adjusted : the date Leela's message arrives at Earth to account for the real-world : distance between Earth and Tau Ceti, rather than using the Marathon canon : figure of 92 lightyears. This really bothers me because it spoils what I : think is the greatest irony of the Marathon story: in 2881, the Pfhor : system is sacked by the combined forces of Earth and the S'pht'Kr, and : then five years later, after mankind has been fighting the Pfhor for : seventy years and has just finally beaten them, Leela's message arrives to : warn mankind that there are these aliens out there called the Pfhor and : you should watch out for them...
	If you'd like to include a link to another page with your message, please provide both the URL address and the title of the page:
	Optional Link URL:
	Optional Link Title:
	If necessary, enter your password below:
	Password: