Oddworld Questions and Answers Vα

[Arxryl]

I've got to try that sometime! Is there anything like that for the Scrabs?

[Zerox]

There's a Scrab run level, I think.
Max, is there any Searex videos anywhere? because I can't find one/it, despite the large amount of hype generated when it appeared in a single video.

[Wil]

Off the top of my head, I don’t know if that video is amongst The Oddworld Cinema, but if you have the Movies of Oddworld DVD, the tenth ‘extra’ video—​a scene deleted from Munch’s Oddysee—​features the Sea Rex.

[Bullet Magnet]

Trying to work out the biology of Oddworld's creatures from the games is like learning about animals by visiting zoos, ie, not very useful.

As for the meech, that's like studying a T-Rex from a small, blurry photograph of a partial skeleton.

However, somewhere there is a single, full-body sketch, clearly depicting a four-way , beak-like mandible, and unusually posed bipedal legs. They sure look mean, but then so do stargazers.

There is little we can reliably say about the lifestyle of the Mudosian meech, Tretramandibi mudosus, but in a fight they would certainly be a badass contender, perhaps a match for a scrab, and definitely more than a paramite can handle. Though as we all know, the paramites we know (Paramitus paramitus) strictly hunt in packs, and a well coordinated assault by a multitude of fanged pedipalps are likely to overcome even the hardiest Mug (sorry Max). Scrabs (Scrabanicus tyranni), as we all know, are formidable, I don't think there is any creature that isn't at least twice it's size that can withstand the alpha male's Shred Power.

But then, we don't actually know how large meeches could get, and the large, mysterious skeletons that litter Mudos' wilderness haven't escaped anybody's notice.

[ziggy]

I have a little question. It could have been pointed out before, but why in MO do Abe and the mudokons suddenly have teeth? It looks weird on them.

[Slaveless]

(Scrabanicus tyranni)

Not to be all know it all and stuff, but wouldn't it be Tyranni Scrabanicus, since the first name stands for the genus?

Now onto the rest of your post, BM. I think that a Paramite might have to sneak up onto a Mug in order to kill it. Mugs seem like that they retract their teeth to give sort of a painful whip kind of attack. However, I might see how Paramitess would be able to knock down the Meech and attack it from the bottom. I mean, if they were in a big pack, they could sneak up and knock down the Mug down before it could react fast enough.

I do see the sense in your post. If we compared Meeches to raptors, they would be able to sprint onto animals like Mudokons or Elum. They could also give off quite a chase, being that probably have great jumping abilities.

Now to Ziggy. I think Mudokons being given teeth was all part of the time rescriction thing. It doesn't really make sense, since their skulls don't seem to have any signs of teeth. However, it could show that Mudokons have the ability to chew objects like Meech Munchies and Scrab Cakes. Other than that, I don't really know.

[Bullet Magnet]

It's a scrab genus, Scrabanicus (named after the region they were first discovered by zoologists), containing the species tyranni, which we have met, and all other closely related species that may exist, and closely related ancestors now extinct. Trust me, I know about taxonomy, I'm being examined on it in January.

Though, on reflection, that should probably be tyrannus, since tyranni suggests the species was named after someone called Tyrann.

[Slaveless]

Well, me too. Taxomony is what we are learning in science this year. Not very well, but I know what taxomony is. But what I don't get is how you are getting to the point on how other species match into the species last name. Can't only Scrab only fit into the tyrannus catergory? And if they were discovered in a certain area, wouldn't that mean Scrabs made their own catergory once they were discovered and other characters would have to join it? Or wouldn't they simply join the old one they should join? So you are imposing that Scrabanicus was named after an old genus of very similar looking Scrab-like creatures? I would like an explamation please.

[Wil]

Trust me, I know about taxonomy, I'm being examined on it in January.

I wish I was being examined on taxonomy instead of systematics this January.

More seriously, the direction this discussion is going seems more suited to Fan Corner than the Q&A. Perhaps you could continue this there if it’s not going to conclude imminently, please.

[Slaveless]

Crap, I didn't think that this discussion required to be in a different forum. It wouldn't even last very long either.

I would like to know this too. In AE, it seems like Abe never knew about SoulStorm Brew until that moment. Am I wrong?

[Wil]

Working from my memory, he never seems surprised that Brew exists, but he does express great shock when discovering its ingredients (forgivably so, I should reckon). Conceptual artwork for AO showed Abe would have had access to Brew, but since Abe was brought up to be dedicated to his job, there would be no need to introduce him to Brew. Certainly inebriated Mudokons aren’t as hard‐working as the sober.

So I imagine Abe knew about Brew from advertising, and possibly even could pay to drink it in small quantities. The potential combination of the RuptureFarms and SoulStorm Brew stories in the Abe film will probably present a different situation.

[Zerox]

...I forget what a Mug is. Seriously, what's a Mug again?
Bullet Magnet, I figured what I could of the Meeches behaviour from that image, not the poster.
And considering we have only dinosaur skeletons to go on, rather than a pretty much fleshed out version like the Meech image, we've done fairly well on guessing their behaviour.
Mudokons were not to have teeth originally. Why they were introduced is unkown, but the original hypothesis was that Mudokons could drink liquid food, and later on catch flies and other small insects with their tongue.

In AE, the forest gaurdian skeleton that Abe falls onto after being blown out the mines...after looking at side images from the book, it appears to have two large front arms to drag it around, the rest of it's body being like a bulkier version of a crawling Slig. But, since this image is of the partially decomposed form of the gaurdian, would the rest of it's body had legs or something else that has sunk into the ground since it died?

[Wil]

A Mug is what you end up with if you feed a Meetle grub meat. It’s a vicious carnivore, whereas a herbivorous Meetle is a peaceful creature.

Regarding the Guardian’s body, we just don’t know.

[Jordan]

Mugs are controlled by Glukkons aren't they, and Meetles are lead by Mudokon natives? It would make sense if these were in Hand of Odd if OWI decide to make it, I'm sure they won't let us fans down, seeing as they made a whole section for it in the Artbook, I bet that made fans excited...

[Wil]

Generally Glukkons domesticate Mugs because they are aggressive while Mudokons domesticate Meetles because they are docile. I imagine this is the reason Meetles were created: they are a perfect illustration of how industrialists and natives fight for precisely the same resources, but to use them in different ways.

[aaj111]

You guys are starting to go a mile a minute.

[Zerox]

I thought Mugs were that, but I thought they'd still be Meetley things. As in, name:Meetle or something.
I've seen two 'versions' of Meetles. There were flying ones like balloons, seen in the distance either to transmit lightning using reflective mirrors from a lightning totem thing. Also, they were seen in the movie with a Slig on lookout, which then had to run up a bunch of ladders, past a Mudokon in a wheel. But I've also seen the Meetle with a rounded shell. Does a balloon with wings come up from under the hard cased wing flaps, or was the balloon design changed or not in the game, as the lightning totems weren't in the final game.

[Wil]

There were no Meetles in the game at all. We can only guess that the Meetle balloons are simply inflated herbivorous Meetles. It’s a confusing terminology, I know.

[Slaveless]

I actually thought that those Meetles were actually in the balloon, lifting it off from the ground, and the balloon was simply being inflated from going through the air really fast.

Oh and can I ask another question? Because this one may not be able to be answered. In AO and AE, there seems to be other factilities beside SoulStorm Brewery and Rupture Farms. Are those cities?

[Wil]

An interesting idea, but then there’d be no point in the balloons.

No, they are the sprawling factories themselves.

[Primus inter pares]

Is there any countries on Mudos, or is it a anarchical (here: no countries and laws) glukkon-vykker capitalistocratia (those with money, have the power)?

[Arxryl]

I'm not sure. I imagine that the continent of mudos is just plainly that, as I'm not sure if it is divided into countries. The law for the land is probably that of the Magog Cartel (law makers here being the richest or most influencial Gluks around because it seems like the Vyykers would stay out of law making to focus on making destructive hair and body products.), but for the natives it is probably just certain laws and rules passed down through the generations and such.

Whew...

[Bullet Magnet]

The ol' map clearly shows arbitrary borders of some kind. Imaginary lines in the dirt are always sure-fire indications of nations, or at least city states.

Those "meetle balloons" never actually struck me as living creatures. They're certainly organic, and may have domesticated wildlife employed to work them, perhaps being colonial organisms themselves. But as far as I'm concerned, the meetles and mugs depicted in the Hand of Odd art is canonical until OWI says otherwise.

The "meetle wasp" calibre does me no end of irritation, it is such a fabulous design, but it exacerbates confusion.

[Zerox]

The Meetle Wasp was only in the Art book, wasn't it? And because of the particular page it was on, I figured it was an unused design, like the Luskan Marauder was.

[Wil]

Is there any countries on Mudos, or is it a anarchical (here: no countries and laws) glukkon-vykker capitalistocratia (those with money, have the power)?

Mudos is not exactly a continent, it’s something between a continent and a country, but sub‐divisions are evident. Different regions are known to use Moolah coins with different designs. The one Moolah coin used/produced in the Slig Barracks region features the face of General Dripik.

Plus Western Mudos seems to be a recognised part of Mudos.

The Meetle Wasp was only in the Art book, wasn't it?

The Meetle Wasp is specifically the flying version of the Meetle design we call the 1%er.

[Zerox]

1%er? Who's idea was that?

[Wil]

‘One percenter’ is a term used for bikers and biking gangs. Presumably that design for a Meetle was when they were more of a race than creatures. Fans only use the term because of one single photo of the Oddworld Studios.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_club

[Bullet Magnet]

Wow, they used ODDfont everywhere.

[Cullen Heath]

Hey, there's Mr. Swanland.
Man, I wonder how the fans were able to read the 1%ers label without even knowing what it said at first. The only reason that I can read that at this horrible angle is because I know what it is supposed to say.

I have a question mainly for Xav, and Max, but if anyone else thinks they can answer it, go for it.
Do we have any idea what the MameGame Generators are? They sound like unhappy robots. They are compared to Greeters...
http://oddworld.com/firsttenyears/un...w_greeter.html

[Zerox]

MameGame Generators were likely similar to Greeters, but no expense was spared to give them a grin or anything. They may also have been smaller, as no grin or anything needed to be displayed. And based on the name 'MameGame Generators' they have been designed purely for security, before Glukkons also coined that they could easily advertise at the same time. They may have been stationary beside doors etc. to gaurd them, rather than wheeling around back and forth.