Oddworld Questions and Answers 2 -

***Wil*** · #91 07-09-2003, 05:30 PM

Who even said Fuzzle cages are locked with keys? There could be some sort of intricate locking mechanism based on another kind. After all, if they can be unlocked with an electrical beam, rather emplies that they're electrically locked. And if Vykkers couldn't do it, they'd just get the Interns to.

EDIT: Brbrbrbr, you posted while I was typing, Khanz. Drones, eh? Great similarity to bees and all, but where exactly did you hear this, because to a certain degree, this is groundbreaking stuff. How Sam is impregnated has been a talking point for months.

TheKhanzumer · #92 07-09-2003, 10:58 PM

Argh. I looked around and stuff but I can't find out where I heard that. I thought it was in Ask Alf somewhere but I can't find it...

Maybe I imagined it, or are remembering someone on the forum's theory as fact.

Maybe Xavier or Atusi can find it again. They're good at that.

***Wil*** · #93 07-10-2003, 11:40 AM

I did a quick search through Dear Alf...

:

Originally from Dear Alf, June 2001
Q: Are there Mudokon and Glukkon™ drones who sit around doing nothing in the hope of some day "getting lucky" with the queen?

Alf: In this case, use of the term "getting lucky" may not exactly be appropriate as the queens are essentially enormous sacks of fat rolls, covered in sweaty lumps, hair and weeping glands. I doubt any drone would consider himself lucky in the face of such a revolting task.

He didn't actually say that there are drones, though. And considering he once claimed on there that he was not a virgin, I think we can take whatever Alf says about the Mudokon reproductive system to be not fully official, at least for now.

Knowing how evil Lorne is, we'll probably never know, heh.

TheKhanzumer · #94 07-10-2003, 12:44 PM

I was sure there was a different one though... oh well.

paramud · #95 07-13-2003, 08:53 PM

I have a question so difficult I bet that the creator of Oddworld can't anwser it. In AO the moon has four fingers and in AE it has three, why is it?

Sekto Springs · #96 07-13-2003, 08:59 PM

hahahaha.....maybe erosion on the moon filled in that part of the crater

***Wil*** · #97 07-14-2003, 09:25 AM

Go out and buy the latest versions of Abe's Oddysee, and you'll see that there are only three fingers on the moon.

Oddsville · #98 07-14-2003, 03:13 PM

Well the realworld anwer is alittle long to explain (check max's FAQ)

TheKhanzumer · #99 07-15-2003, 07:02 PM

Basically, there were legal reasons why the Oddworld games couldn't be sold in Japan because Abe had four fingers which is sort of taboo there. So OWI made the decision to cut off all the little pinkies from the mudokons and the pawprint on the moon.

There isn't really a good in-game explanation, since some of the old stuff was also changed. As far as oddworld is concerned mudokons and the moon have always had three fingers.

oddguy · #**100** 07-16-2003, 05:00 AM

I'm sure Elum is going to showup in another game, but what about the hint flies? Yes, we all fall asleep by the time they tell us what we allready know, but they're so sparklie!

***Wil*** · #**101** 07-16-2003, 08:11 AM

There were Hint Flies in Munch's Oddysee, they just don't spell out messages when you chant. Yeah, Hint Flies, LED screen, story stones (not those one with the big green button)...all so much better than the Shaman.

oddguy · #**102** 07-16-2003, 04:02 PM

Where were the hint flies in MO?

***Wil*** · #**103** 07-16-2003, 04:43 PM

At the start of the Mudokon Pens, when there are a four SpooceShrubs and a SpooceLock, look into the forest and you'll see two swarms of Fireflies.

I remember reading somewhere that OWI had removed Hint Flies from AE for a reason, like they did with Bats. Can't remember where I read this, or why it was, though. Boo! Bring back the Fireflies! Bring back the Bats! And the Bees!

paramud · #**104** 07-16-2003, 07:09 PM

:

Originally posted by Max the Mug
Go out and buy the latest versions of Abe's Oddysee

I can't becouse I don't know were to buy it!!! oh, and also is it just me or is this site's text getting bigger?

***Wil*** · #**105** 07-16-2003, 07:25 PM

You mean the font size? Looks fine to me. Sometimes Internet Explorer randomly changes the font size to a grade bigger or something, so that might just be it.

Unless you mean something different.

Sekto Springs · #**106** 07-16-2003, 07:37 PM

are you sure those are hint flies, Max? you can see them at the end of the Big Well fmv and they look more like floating feathers, though the ones IN-GAME did look like hint of fire flies.

***Wil*** · #**107** 07-17-2003, 09:26 AM

Yes, I'm sure they're Fireflies. As far I know, feathers don't fly about in swarms.

And for all those who liked the Fireflies, there are plenty of other things in MO you might not have noticed. Slig Lockers, chemistry sets, even a brief mention of Molluck.

Sekto Springs · #**108** 07-17-2003, 12:40 PM

Feathers could fly in swarms, i mean it is ODDworld

Anyway, i noticed chemistry sets and all, but where did they mention Molluck?

***Wil*** · #**109** 07-17-2003, 01:12 PM

In the Brewery To Be level. Study the areas that are enclosed until the Gluk donates carefully, you'll find it.

oddguy · #**110** 07-17-2003, 09:46 PM

:

Originally posted by Max the Mug
Go out and buy the latest versions of Abe's Oddysee, and you'll see that there are only three fingers on the moon.

I just bought AO from Amazon, and the fmv still has four fingers. Must not be the latest one. Anyway, I'm going to look for the mention of Mullok in MO. Thanks Max!

Direvus · #**111** 07-18-2003, 02:44 PM

So far all we've seen of Oddworld are sparsely populated rural areas, a few mudokon villages, and the industrial centres such as RuptureFarms and Vykkers Labs.

Now, in order for the Glukkons and Vykkers to be so powerful, they would need a suitably immense population of consumers to purchase their products. Who eats all the food that gets churned out by RuptureFarms? The images we get in AO are of a gigantic, highly automated facility - it must produce vast quantities.

Which leads me to wonder, is there a Glukkon city somewhere which we haven't heard about yet? Or are there, perhaps, yet more species which act as the Glukkons' consumer base?

Now, I realise I'm probably reading too much into the game world here, but I'd still like to know what you guys think.

***Wil*** · #**112** 07-18-2003, 04:50 PM

No no Direvus, you're not at all. Your points are sensible and logical, plus well presented. Without wanting to offend anyone else, it's nice to have newbies such as yourself, especially after the last few weeks.

There are Industrial cities, great sprawling ones, full of Industrial races. Families such as the Magog Cartel and Vykkers Conglomerate are not picky about who they sell to, and will let anyone perchase their goods. Evidently the most prolific species they sell to are the Khanzumerz, whose roll in the Industrial side of Oddworld is not clear. How, for instance, do they acquire the wealth to buy all the goods? Are they just some parody of aristocrats, lazing about with some kind of infinite sum of money behind them? But there are no limits to who Scrab Cakes, Old Growth Toothpicks and Klime Java are sold to. There are even consumer Mudokons who are not slaves, but instead live in the cities are lead the lifestyle of the Industrials, although again how they obtain their Moolah is unknown.

Just as the Oddworld Quintology began in the outer reaches of Mudos society in what are, effectively, the slavery mines of Africa, so it will end in the connurbations and metropolises of Mudos. In one sense, that's what the OQ is about, tracking Abe's travelling from one extreme to another. One can only imagine the issues tackled by the final games - bogus insurance claims, child extorsion, distasteful, misleading and over-advertising. So many social issues to look at.

Sekto Springs · #**113** 07-18-2003, 06:26 PM

Well, i beleive khanzumers being as important as they are, make moolah simultaniously by receiving a proper education in money grubbing if you know what i mean. I beleive, though i don't know if this is official, that khanzumers aswell as city mudokons are taught to backstab, push, and assert their way to a juicy bank account.

TheKhanzumer · #**114** 07-18-2003, 11:21 PM

My theory has always been that the khanzumerz are such and almighty and physically powerful race (not to mention good looking, artistically gifted and x-ray vision) that all the other races have to serve them or else they will be killed. The glukkons and other industrial races made the best of the situation and created a whole big business economy where they are on the top... compared to everyone except the khanzumerz. The khanzumerz have unlimited amounts of moolah, but the glukkons and vykkers and co all have specified prices and stuff to make sure their economic system and social structure don't fall apart.

oddguy · #**115** 07-19-2003, 12:12 AM

It is also interesting to imagine what happens to these vast cities of khanzumers after Abe would shutdown a facility. Just imagine how ticked the khanzumers got when meech munchies went bye bye. Now think of what happens when Rupture Farms and SoulStorm Brew goes outta business!

As for where the khanzumers gets their moolah...I'm thinking that maybe there was a lot of back stabbing to get to the top, and now there is a rich family of khanzumers that gives minor funding to their fellow up and comers to get going in life. I wouldn't think that khanzumers would give money without expecting anything in return...If you set up as many places as you can-those you've helped out, they are expected to keep you staying on the top and are sure to return favors. The point is to make as many powerfull shoulders to hold you up as possible. This just isn't in oddworld...real corupt businesses do this everyday. Keep your friends close, and your enimies closer.

drakan90 · #**116** 07-19-2003, 05:45 AM

Hasn't anybody thought that Khanzumers might just be like normal people who have jobs and stuff to get moolah? They dont have to be more powerful than the Glukkons, or smarter than the Vykkers, they could just be...well...consumers! Its not like we are all powerful over companies and labs, so why should Khanzumers be? I never really thought about them being powerful or anything...

Direvus · #**117** 07-19-2003, 07:37 AM

I'm with drakan90 on this.

If the Khanzumers (I'd never heard of these guys when I posted my questions) live in cities and act as a massive consumer base, then their source of income is most likely the commercial layer of the economy.

To put it another way, they work in office jobs, and retail businesses. Sure, RuptureFarms processes the meat into food, but Khansumers aren't going to buy their food in those gigantic wooden barrels! They're going to go down to the supermarket and buy the food in a usable form. Who staffs the supermarket? More Khansumers.

So the Khansumer lifestyle is probably very much like yours or mine. Making money, buying stuff, making more money, buying more stuff. It is very likely that they don't have any idea of the terrible conditions in the Glukkon factories and Vykker laboratories.

Which really ties in nicely with the whole Oddworld analogy to our world. We don't know, and mostly don't care, what goes on at the abbatoir or the dairy farm, we just buy the 500g of minced meat and the litre of milk from the supermarket and get on with life.

oddguy · #**118** 07-19-2003, 10:05 AM

At last! A noob who knows what he's talking about!

I guess we wont know exactly what Khanzumers do until they're in a game or something. I'd like to think that there's regular Khazumers like you're talking about...and big corperate guys like I'm talking about. If the Khazumer you're talking about, runs the store with all those goodies, then who owns the supermarket chain? It could very well be a Khanzumer-and supermaket chains buy in bulk to send all the goodies to their many convienently located stores! I'm just trying to say that Khanzumers could range from regular guy, to corperate big-wig!

Reptile · #**119** 07-19-2003, 12:13 PM

odd, chroniclers are so ugly

Direvus · #**120** 07-19-2003, 01:07 PM

I hear ya, oddguy.

It will be interesting to see whether it's the "big wig" Khanzumers who own the supermarket chains, or the Glukkons. It could well be the case that Khansumers aren't anywhere near as greedy or ambitious as Glukkons, and simply aren't interested in owning corporations, etc.

All of the species we've encountered so far on Oddworld have very distinctive values and ethics. For the Glukkons, the only thing that matters is the accumulation of wealth and power. The Vykkers are interested in wealth and power too, but they also have sharp and curious minds.

The Muds are lazy and dispirited, but looking at the remains of their once-great culture, you get the impression that they weren't always so.

By the way, I've noticed people on the forum referring to "Mudos". Is that just another word for "Oddworld", or is it more specific, like a continent, or a country?

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies to my original question. This is fun.