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The answer...
Posted By: GrasshopperDate: 10/19/01 8:45 a.m.

In Response To: Marathon Infinity Questions (Jeff Nosanov)

Hey Jeff,

That's a damn good question, and hard to answer.

From the very start (Ne Cede Malis = do not yield to evil), MI is confusing. You start at the end, at a point where you have failed, and the Early Nova weapon HAS been detonated. Throghout MI, you then proceed to follow different timelines, until you "find" one which ends in success, the final screen.

I can't really point you to a specific part of the Story Page for that. In the same way the Faulkner once said (paraphrasing here) "the truth is like a light bulb -- you can't look at it dead on because it blinds you. The only way to understand truth is to have several people looking on it at once from their peripheral vision, and have them explain to you what they're seeing." Well, understanding the MI timeline is sort of like that. The Story Page has several sections where you'll find helpful information, but, all in all, you'll have to assemble those piece together. As you do so, you'll get a better understanding of the "big" picture.

Note that playing MI several times through (especially on TC) helps. :)

Seriously, the best way I can explain MI's chronology is this. Most storytelling consists of a series of MOMENTS, which are presented in a linear narrative. SOME storytelling (like Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury), takes those MOMENTS, and mixes them up. The idea there -- from a writer's perspective -- is that chronology is less important than the MOMENTS themselves, and by removing chronology, the reader/player can spend his/her attention on these moments themselves.. Infinity does the same, but adds the twist of OUTCOME/REALITY/PERSPECTIVE, where even though your (the Marine's) actions decide on an outcome (success -- you contain the Early Nova Weapon), or failure {you end up on the "You're Wormfood dude), it's extremely difficult to get a grasp of the "big picture." One moment, you're fighting for the humans. Next, you're fighting against the humans. Tycho is your ally. Tycho is your enemy. Etc, etc. These different realities/timelines are separated by the Electric Sheep levels. when you encounter those, it's a clue that you are about to experience a time/perspective/outcome shift.

Since it seems that you've played through Infinity quite a few times, I'd recommend the following approach: Get the spoiler guide (gasp!) from the archives. At the start of it is a textual map that delineates every "fork" within the MI levels. Look at the forks, reread/rethink the terminals, and you'll be on your way to Greater Understanding... or something.

As far as the "subway/running/broadsword" terms go, beats me. :)

-gh

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Replies:

Marathon Infinity QuestionsJeff Nosanov 10/18/01 1:17 p.m.
     Re: Marathon Infinity Questions[Tycho?] 10/18/01 2:21 p.m.
     Re: Marathon Infinity Questionswhocares 10/19/01 7:47 a.m.
     Re: Marathon Infinity QuestionsHamish Sinclair 10/19/01 8:39 a.m.
           Re: Marathon Infinity QuestionsAndrew Nagy 10/20/01 3:51 a.m.
     The answer...Grasshopper 10/19/01 8:45 a.m.
           oh, nevermind, just read what Hamish said. :)Grasshopper 10/19/01 8:47 a.m.
                 Re: oh, nevermind, just read what Hamish said. :)Jeff Nosanov 10/19/01 11:44 a.m.
     Re: Marathon Infinity QuestionsChris Bisoski 10/20/01 6:16 p.m.



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