Intelligent Oddworld Conversation

[Volsung]

Good thinking, death.
Yeah, it would seem a little far-fetched for the industrials to turn out keeping things in balance and not just destroying everything. Still, it was such an off the wall Idea I figured I'd have to try. I don't know what I thought they were going to do with the factories.

Any ideas on the dumbing down of the mudokon Gene-pool?

[Codek]

Well, I don't think it would make much sense. Mudokons don't have much meat on them, and are not considered a universally farmable animal. If anything Mollocks plan was just to keep his factory alive.

Personally I don't think you could dumb down muds. Cows haven't really been dumbed down, they've always been dumb, and have evolved due to selective breeding, rather than anything natural.

Cows these days are completely color blind, have poor vision (which is why they herd), and are mostly meat. They spend their lives happily grazing on lush pastures, following a routine of very basic thought patterns, mostly to identify grass, other cows, and danger. Muds on the other hand, can't be bred. You can't leave a mud in the room with another mud and hope they will eventually get it on. They'll more likely try and bump off one of the gaurds so they can escape.

[Havoc]

Hehe, yea thats a thing bound to happan... although I think the mudukons in the gameplay ARE dumb! (Happely walking into a grinder... anyone?)

[Oddsville]

Well seeing as how the Vykkers own Sam, Mudokons can technically be bred. They have a practicly endless supply right infront of them. Anyways, I just now am begining to join this conversation so if I seem alittle behind its because Im reading the earlier pages of disscussion..

[Volsung]

Although this is only somewhat related to Oddworld, there is evidence that Cows have gotten dumber since we picked them as a food source. For instance, if you leave a cow on a verdant hillside alone, it will eat all the grass in the area, then simply stay put and die. Meaning an animal fitted to survive in the wild would go ove the hill and find the rest of the grass. Cows nowadays are too dumb to go searching for food when they're hungry.

As for mudokons ability to be bred, I had forgotten to take into account the mating system (What with the queen and drones and all) but the Vykker's probably could give Sam less of certain nutrients to create dumber Muds; but that's just silly. The Muds are already slave labor, and I can't see why Vykkers or Gluks would go to the trouble of making dumber slaves. Though back in the day southern plantation owners did try to breed their slaves to be bigger, stronger, and dumber; as death rightly noted, such a system could not be implemented for Mudokons.

[Al the Glukkon]

Would the other mudokons want to rebel against the Magog Cartel? The only one we have seen do this is Abe. The glukkons probably think that the threat of death would keep them in line and wouldn't want to waste moolah.

[Codek]

Actually Volsung, you are wrong. If a cow consumes all the grass in the immediate area surrounding it, it will move on. I know several farmers who have many hundreds of milk and meat cows. They don't need prompting around the field to avoid starving, they just wonder about themselves.

Occasionally they will be moved to another field, but that is only because the farmer needs to do work on the field they were in. Cows are not really that "dumb", or at least, they aren't as dumb as people make them out to be. If a cow sees a human approach a gate, then the cow will slowly and carefully approach, purely out of curiousity. If the animal was dumb, then it wouldn't react to the humans presence at all.

[Xavier]

Would the other mudokons want to rebel against the Magog Cartel? The only one we have seen do this is Abe. The glukkons probably think that the threat of death would keep them in line and wouldn't want to waste moolah.

Don't forget the Shrinks that keep telling the Mudokons that escape is impossible since they are born...

[Volsung]

Not to mention the fact that the Mudokons aren't technically under threat of death. As Abe says in AO he considers it a job (Or did) and it seems that the casualties are generally passed off as bad work conditions. On the scrolling text and certain signs, that is. Most Mudokons probably aren't aware that they could live without being forced to work. So it does seem unlikely that they would in general be pretty tame.

As for them all knowing Abe and going with him in MO, I suppose one could consider their apathy as the source for not attempting to escape on their own. Figures they might just think to wait around until Abe shows up.

[Wil]

Most Mudokons have never, as far as I'm aware, stumbled across a board meeting only to learn they're due to star on the chopping board soon enough, so they've probably just not been encouraged enough. They've obviously learnt about Abe from poster and the media - maybe this is only something local, though, and Mudokons further afield won't recognise Abe.

[Volsung]

I was actually surprised the scrubs liked him in MO, though, as we know that the glukkons only put out negative media concerning him. I guess Mudokon scrubs are either smart enough to look past him blowing up various factories in which they worked, or they do indeed dislike their jobs to the point of considering sabatoge.
Thus taking us back the Terrorist or Freedom Fighter question.

Since Mudokon scrubs only learn of things which the glukkons want them to know of, and since we've been told they don't think they're enslaved (generally) then why do they willingly follow a known "terrorist" who's blown up previous places of employment, and (for all they know) other mudokons?

[Wil]

Possibly ever since F.U.D. T.V. uncovered the bones-Brew connection, Mudokons have had more of a sceptical view of the Glukkons, and that the network was actually shut down perhaps sparked the Mudokons' conspiracy minds a little. I think the fight against oppression might start getting stronger from the inside out - if only the Mudokons could be bothered. These 'city' Mudokons are a lazy bunch, and as you say probably do figure it's best to sit around and wait for Abe to show up.

[Oddsville]

Well as I see it. There is most likely a large source of hatred twoard Glukkons and Sligs(etc.) building up in most of the Scrub Mudokons. Even if they were, ever seince birth, fed false propeganda about how great and truely lucky they are to be working. I think the only reason we don't see them doing anything about it is because their emaciated, tired, and psycologically shut down. I mean a Slig beating you and your friends everyday dosen't really leave you with any hope. It's just like what the Nazi's did to the Jew's in the consentration camps, they made them shut down psycologically and forced them to submit.