SoulStorm ARG - Spirit of 1029 - Photo 1

[Xavier]

Just letting you all know that the WIKI and TOGG are up to date:

http://oddworld.wikia.com/wiki/Souls...t_transmission

http://oddworldlibrary.net/archives/...?/category/106

[tmakz]

Well now we wait until Thursday for the Big Reveal!!!!

[tmakz]

Just a question on the side anyone here like the Neverhood?

[Xavier]

tmakz,

Please don't double post and please stay on topic.

You can open a thread in the Non-Oddworld Gaming subforum if you want to discuss Neverhood.

[Varrok]

The fingernails one, yes.

ndvr ninja-posted inbetween your and my messages.

EDIT: Another page ninja-posted inbetween your answer and my reply.

[PenguinX45654]

Sorry about the previous confusion with the BB question. Seeing this new image its very clear from the Mudokon's chest. I was wondering what was on his chest from the torn version. So they're branded on their chest and have a sack given to them. I would guess the number on his chest is tattooed... or printed onto him like those barrels in the opening to Oddysee. Both of those images scare me.

This is still giving me the vibes that these muds have recently been abducted from a Soulstorm Brew stand, it looks like these muds have been just processed and marched to their workstations. Loving how dark this is getting.

[Kakashi]

If my memory serves me right, I remembered watching an interview and documentary about Oddworld, Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna, the games, Oddworld Inhabitants, etc. Lorne said that Exoddus was ORIGINALLY supposed to have a dark theme and story, but because of Marketing and Investors wanting Exoddus done before Christmas, it gave the team 9 months to do the game, meaning all the goodies had to be cut out.

That being said, with more time to develop the theme and story they were originally gonna go for, yeah I can't wait. I hope SoulStorm explains more about the Mudanchee and Modomo tribes, the Schism, and the Age of Alchemy. So much little info about what happened that led to all this! xO

[Connell]

I think Abe's Exoddus is a miracle. I mean look at the time they had to get that game out; and it's pretty damn good. Like it's got 9/10 on Steam and reviewed well back in the day. Most games that are put under that sort of pressure don't come out well the other end. I mean I'm sure it helped that they had the engine and assets already and stuff, but there's still tons of new art and new level designs they created; it's a miracle it turned out as well as it did. The whole situation surrounding it screams failure but they managed to do it really well.

[Moot]

Been gone a long while, this looks like it got significantly deeper! I'm excited again.

[Manco]

Been gone a long while, this looks like it got significantly deeper! I'm excited again.

Welcome back – we’re currently waiting on OWI releasing a full image on Thursday, so there’s plenty of time to get caught up.

[Kakashi]

I personally want to see more Big Face in SoulStorm. My sister and I weren't much happy when he was BARELY in Exoddus. I know he may be busy like Alf says, but we need more of the charming guy!

[GreenAnhinga]

The fingernails one, yes.

ndvr ninja-posted inbetween your and my messages.

EDIT: Another page ninja-posted inbetween your answer and my reply.

I don't think so. Take a look at Abe's hand on one of the Abe's Exoddus game covers. The nails are black, as they should be. Comparing the ones I indicated are missing to human fingers with missing nails, more similarities can be drawn.

[Michael]

This is still giving me the vibes that these muds have recently been abducted from a Soulstorm Brew stand, it looks like these muds have been just processed and marched to their workstations. Loving how dark this is getting.

Consider this in the context of the Soulstorm press release:

Having defeated Molluck The Glukkon, his former boss and RuptureFarms’ meanest inhabitant, Abe soon finds himself - along with 300 newly emancipated Mudokons - without food, water or a place to call home. Stranded alone in the desert, they find solace in a strange new brew - a delicious drink that has insidious ramifications for their newfound freedom.

And couple that with what Lorne has said in interviews regarding the Abe feature film, where he'd like to expand the story to having Abe being actually responsible for some of the situations that befall the Mudokons.

Does anyone else get the feeling like the Muds being led into the mines here, are the RF escapees? That the brew pop-up to capture Muds is being reworked so that it actually happens to Abe + Co, out of the frying pan into the fire? Where else would they find solace in brew, out in the desert?

Perhaps Abe avoids capture and follows his kidnapped friends to Necrum without any intervention from the Weirdos. Maybe he gets put to work too, and has to escape again? Maybe he has to deal with the consequences of liberating his friends from one horror, only to witness them being forced back into a worse slavery, complete with eye stitches. He'd naturally question whether he's doing the right thing at all.

Question that remains is why they'd all need to leave the Monsaic Lines in the first place

Just speculating of course

[Vince]

This ARG is awesome, I'm so gutted I've missed it (absolutely loved the Don't Starve ones back in it's Beta - if anyone remembers those).

Can't wait to take part in the other 4 images!


Just saying, this whole scenario is kind of reminiscent of Rousseauian political philosophy and the return to the State of Nature and all that, and how civilisation has corrupted us all.

[Shade_Meadows]

Woah, 3 days without internet, need to catch up in what i missed!
;D any big developments?

[brechtos]

I'm guessing no matter how fast we solve the next puzzles, there will always be a minimum wait of a week before we will get the next part of the ARG.
And all of that would all end just in time or during... GDC 2017 and PAX East... .
Hype!

[Kakashi]

Consider this in the context of the Soulstorm press release:



And couple that with what Lorne has said in interviews regarding the Abe feature film, where he'd like to expand the story to having Abe being actually responsible for some of the situations that befall the Mudokons.

Does anyone else get the feeling like the Muds being led into the mines here, are the RF escapees? That the brew pop-up to capture Muds is being reworked so that it actually happens to Abe + Co, out of the frying pan into the fire? Where else would they find solace in brew, out in the desert?

Perhaps Abe avoids capture and follows his kidnapped friends to Necrum without any intervention from the Weirdos. Maybe he gets put to work too, and has to escape again? Maybe he has to deal with the consequences of liberating his friends from one horror, only to witness them being forced back into a worse slavery, complete with eye stitches. He'd naturally question whether he's doing the right thing at all.

Question that remains is why they'd all need to leave the Monsaic Lines in the first place

Just speculating of course

Mmm wouldn't that contradict with Oddysee's ending though? All saved Mudokons end up in Monsaic Lines, so what, they end up just kicking all 300 out including the Mudokon Messiah Abe? No way they'd do that, can't be...that's a possible paradox right there.

[Michael]

Yeah that's the part that's gotten me thinking the most. I mean, going by the press release alone, it seems that for whatever reason, Abe and the RF escapees don't/can't stay in the Monsaic Lines.

It states that following the events of New n Tasty, Abe and 300 Muds find themselves 'without food, water or a place to call home'.

So can we infer something happens to the Monsaic Lines shortly after New n Tasty that makes it uninhabitable? That would force them to cross a desert in search of a new home?

[Kalhiki]

So Thursday, eh?
Fantastic... The day I get my Wisdom Teeth pulled out is the day Oddworld stuff happens...

[Kakashi]

Just doesn't make a lick of sense though...Maybe they are all at Monsaic Lines, but don't have enough food to feed those 300 extra mouths to feed? That makes a bit more sense...plus, what defines as a home to them?

Gah, so many things and contradictions! But still can't let it seem like they're a bunch of smucks to kick them out though!

On an relevant note: I wonder if the 3 weirdos are members of the Mudanchee and Modomo tribes? Two wear the same style head piece where the other is different.

[Nicky Ali]

I think Abe's Exoddus is a miracle. I mean look at the time they had to get that game out; and it's pretty damn good. Like it's got 9/10 on Steam and reviewed well back in the day. Most games that are put under that sort of pressure don't come out well the other end. I mean I'm sure it helped that they had the engine and assets already and stuff, but there's still tons of new art and new level designs they created; it's a miracle it turned out as well as it did. The whole situation surrounding it screams failure but they managed to do it really well.

Yeah, the original Exoddus truly is like lightning in a bottle. I can only imagine how much of a grueling experience it must have been back in 1998, but they knocked the ball out of the park with that one!

I personally want to see more Big Face in SoulStorm. My sister and I weren't much happy when he was BARELY in Exoddus. I know he may be busy like Alf says, but we need more of the charming guy!

Yes to this. I thought it was weird that we just never see or hear from the guy ever again, not even in Munch's Oddysee - I guess the big Raisin just took his place instead. I always liked the idea of Big-Face being Abe's mentor, like the Oddworld version of Mr. Miyagi from the classic Karate Kid films haha.

[OrangeLightning]

I think Abe's Exoddus is a miracle. I mean look at the time they had to get that game out; and it's pretty damn good. Like it's got 9/10 on Steam and reviewed well back in the day. Most games that are put under that sort of pressure don't come out well the other end. I mean I'm sure it helped that they had the engine and assets already and stuff, but there's still tons of new art and new level designs they created; it's a miracle it turned out as well as it did. The whole situation surrounding it screams failure but they managed to do it really well.

I remember seeing an interview/documentary piece a while back that said that part of the reason they were able to keep up such great productivity that year was because Sherry McKenna banned junk food from the office and hung up fruit baskets everywhere LOL That way nobody got super sick during the crunch period xD But it really is super amazing how great of a game it turned out to be on such an unbelievably tight deadline. Huge new areas all with different aesthetics, a bunch of new enemy types with different AI's, new gamespeak commands, trickier puzzles, quiksave? It's crazy.

[Shade_Meadows]

I wonder... if this game is going to be as dark as we think...
The Tear eXtractor and The Blind Mudokons Will haunt me to no end
(i just hope General Dripik still forgets his name)

[kjjcarpenter]

The reason Big Face made a departure from the series was because Abe had surpassed him on a spiritual level.

[Kakashi]

Yes to this. I thought it was weird that we just never see or hear from the guy ever again, not even in Munch's Oddysee - I guess the big Raisin just took his place instead. I always liked the idea of Big-Face being being Abe's mentor, like the Oddworld version of Mr. Miyagi from the classic Karate Kid films haha.

I know! Also Big Face has at least GOT to tell us what happened to the Mudanchee and Modomo tribes! Shamans are supposed to be guides and mentors along with being historians. I feel like Necrum let alone the Three Weirdos BARELY gave us any info about what happened in the past.

The Raisin and that other Shaman guy is understandable, but you can't just cut out Big Face! He's the main deal here! Come on Lanning! xO

[Kakashi]

I remember seeing an interview/documentary piece a while back that said that part of the reason they were able to keep up such great productivity that year was because Sherry McKenna banned junk food from the office and hung up fruit baskets everywhere LOL That way nobody got super sick during the crunch period xD But it really is super amazing how great of a game it turned out to be on such an unbelievably tight deadline. Huge new areas all with different aesthetics, a bunch of new enemy types with different AI's, new gamespeak commands, trickier puzzles, quiksave? It's crazy.

Hahah YES! I remember seeing this in the doc I saw as well. It was like, no junk food due to the 9 month period of hard freakin work that they had to do. However they tried to sneak an occasional donut or two haha.

[Kakashi]

The reason Big Face made a departure from the series was because Abe had surpassed him on a spiritual level.

Still, can't just let him disappear like that! He should still provide insight on what happened to the past and such! He's still very important!

[FennecFyre]

Still, can't just let him disappear like that! He should still provide insight on what happened to the past and such! He's still very important!

Agreed. Abe might be more adept at chant magic than he is, but he's still probably got years of experience and wisdom that Abe doesn't have. Even if he can't teach Abe any new tricks, he'd still be a good mentor figure. Plus, I wanna hear him talk one of these days. I feel like he'd be an uncle Iroh-type character with a streak of smartass.

[UnderTheSun]

Agreed. Abe might be more adept at chant magic than he is, but he's still probably got years of experience and wisdom that Abe doesn't have. Even if he can't teach Abe any new tricks, he'd still be a good mentor figure. Plus, I wanna hear him talk one of these days. I feel like he'd be an uncle Iroh-type character with a streak of smartass.

You know what'd be neat?

The series has always involved preserving the Mudokons' culture, but we never get to explore it. Given how brilliant Lorne Lanning's extensive world-building must be, that's a shame.

What if, hidden throughout Soulstorm, there were secret areas with something relevant to Mudokon history (like a Guardian skeleton, or a Mudanchee warrior's tomb) to discover? And, by discovering these "relics," the player would earn little pieces of lore about them, accessible from the Main Menu. Maybe even cutscenes with Bigface explaining the "relics" to some freed Mudokons as they sit around a campfire.

[Shade_Meadows]

You know what'd be neat?

The series has always involved preserving the Mudokons' culture, but we never get to explore it. Given how brilliant Lorne Lanning's extensive world-building must be, that's a shame.

What if, hidden throughout Soulstorm, there were secret areas with something relevant to Mudokon history (like a Guardian skeleton, or a Mudanchee warrior's tomb) to discover? And, by discovering these "relics," the player would earn little pieces of lore about them, accessible from the Main Menu. Maybe even cutscenes with Bigface explaining the "relics" to some freed Mudokons as they sit around a campfire.

Good idea!
i think they certainly could add lore pieces (mudokon backstory or another species) to those information hand-hubs scattered across the game, just for the ones who wants to get deeper into the world's story! =)