What was Stranger thinking? *spoilers for the plot*

[theraven]

I've beaten the PS3 HD remaster of Stranger's Wrath a couple times now, and it's definitely my favorite of the bunch, though Abe's Oddessy and Exoddus come close (Munch's is terrible).

Something that has bothered me both times I've played through the game is this lingering question: Why on Earth did Stranger claim to know where a steef was located while in New Yolk City? Or allow that phone call directly to Sekto to happen?

What did he think was gonna happen? We actually got the best case scenario, because I envision the worst case scenario being Sekto having the entire Wolvark private army invading New Yolk City and taking Stranger by force. That would have left no room for Stranger escaping and avenging his species and the Grubbs, so he got very lucky. His original plan of getting the surgery would have gone off without a hitch had he not made such a foolish decision, as you can easily make 20000 Moolah if you don't buy upgrades and catch each bounty alive.

It just...made no sense to me. I'm not criticizing the writing or the plot or anything, I'm legit confused by his motivation in that scene.

The only thing I have figured is that Stranger had plans to come after Sekto eventually anyway. Maybe his plan to get the surgery was so he'd be able to slip into Sekto's ranks and get to him easier that way.

Any ideas?

[Nate]

Maybe he knew where he could capture another Steef or desecrate an already dead one's corpse.

It's the only explanation I've been able to come up with which makes sense of that phone call.

[Job McYossie]

What I assumed was stranger planned on hunting down another steef.

[theraven]

I'm not so sure on that explanation, because it implies an extremely selfish trait to Stranger that I don't think was really there at all. Yeah, he was honestly a bit cowardly if he was willing to go through expensive and life threatening surgery in order to escape his destiny (though once he accepts his fate, I think it ultimately makes him all the more interesting) but we're never shown any reason to think Stranger would betray one of his own kind (if there were even any left other than the Olden Steef anyway) just to save his own skin.

His willingness to help the Grubbs and his concern for their well-being once he goes through their 'trials' on the way to retrieve the Steef Boat and after defending the village from the Wolvark attack implies that he's not so self centered as that.

[Manco]

The look of uneasiness/guilt as he puts the phone says to me that there’s a chance he was thinking about it. You have to remember that Stranger has been a hunting target for probably a long time, and has seen the other Steefs get slaughtered. He’s petrified of being found out.

He only helps the Grubbs after he’s discovered and they help rescue him. In his eyes, Sekto would be coming for him anyway so he had nothing to lose.

[Shade667]

The look of uneasiness/guilt as he puts the phone says to me that there’s a chance he was thinking about it. You have to remember that Stranger has been a hunting target for probably a long time, and has seen the other Steefs get slaughtered. He’s petrified of being found out.

I second this. Hes a bounty hunter. Just that this bounty is his own kind. But thats the character trait I like about bounty hunter like characters, when they have a task they dont like, but still got hrough with it.

[theraven]

Hmm. Okay, I can buy that now. It helps to show how far he comes after getting depants'd too, if it's really what he was thinking.

[Holy Sock]

I just assumed he was going to present himself, doublecross Setko (or kill him), and run with the money.

[Bullet Magnet]

He may have been telling the truth about knowing where to find one. He had to have come from somewhere after all. But maybe he was also/instead trying to get information about the only person in the land still actively seeking out Steef, ie name and location. After all, self-preservation may require dealing with him one way or another in the future. This is a guy so paranoid that he was willing to undergo significant, full-body altering surgery to hide his identify, may have already sawn off/filed down his horns (and for all we know, had grafts to cover them up) and may have been planning more surgery in the future. When it comes to hiding, disguise and survival, Stranger's not one to deliberately leave loose ends.

Alternatively, someone cocked up, and this was an continuity error either from the original draft or left over after the sensible context was trimmed out.

[Nate]

He may have been telling the truth about knowing where to find one. He had to have come from somewhere after all. But maybe he was also/instead trying to get information about the only person in the land still actively seeking out Steef, ie name and location.

Then why ask for the 20,000 moolah specifically, if he wasn't intending on collecting in one way or another?

[Bullet Magnet]

I could think of a reason. It would be contrived, with a small chance of brilliance.

[Nate]

I could think of a reason. It would be contrived, with a small chance of brilliance.

Go on...

[Bullet Magnet]

By "small chance" I meant that I might think of something but probably won't. We're looking at a contrived fansplanation here, and it's unlikely to meet my standard of half-way-resembling-a-not-entirely-crap justification.

[Paul]

So uh... why isn't this in the spoiler forum? :P

[Varrok]

Because it's for NnT spoilers. Stranger's Wrath is 10 years old.

[Havoc]

Because it's for NnT spoilers. Stranger's Wrath is 10 years old.

10 years already? Fuck me...

[Bullet Magnet]

Oddworld Inhabitants: The Second Ten Years has already been and gone.

[Varrok]

I think now they should make "Oddworld Inhabitants: The Twenty Years after The First Ten Years" book to fill the gap they've made by not releasing the book now.

[Shade667]

What would they put in this book though? Theyve hardly done anything in the last 10 years.

[Varrok]

It'd be something like http://www.omgfacts.com/lists/10152/...00-blank-pages .