I thought we should start to discuss some ideas for a canon explanation of what’s happening in the Matrix now (and forever more, apparently). Is there a war on? Where is [story character X]? Why don’t Agents ever attack us? What happened to the N30 Agents/unlimits/wireframe guys? What is acceptable canon? What’s the point?
Let me make clear that this is not a discussion of topics from other threads. We are not writing a story here, just experimenting with some ideas that are feasible for being accepted by the community as a whole. If people want to write stories based on these ideas, then they could be considered as much canon as anything else, but that's another topic for debate. This thread is not for discussing these topics:
No player-run storyline.
No LESIG-style decision-making power-grabbing mystery group.
No pseudo-story-characters by players in masks.
No changing the game mechanics.
This discussion is just for the player community to come together and toss around some ideas for how we are going to explain the current situation in the Matrix to the newly-Awakened or recently returned.
Our current situation is what happened last. Namely, Ghost is protecting Trinity/BIP from two Oligarchs, the Cypherites are being all anti-Oligarch with anti-Oligarch codes, EPN has had some interesting encounters with Oracle-like beings, and the Merovingian is... well, being the Merovingian (i.e. making the most profit out of all this mess) and flirting with the female Oligarch.
*peeks in, takes notes, leaves*
I've personally written off the entire Oligarch story, as it was utter trash in my opinion. So, for me, I'm back to chapter eight fighting a war.
I've explained to myself that Niobe, Ghost, Colt, etc. have been assigned positions within Zion Command at New Zion, which leaves the operatives to remain active in the Matrix, and each faction leader is their own Field Commander. Occasionally, Niobe and Ghost make it out of New Zion and try to speak with operatives (ie, graduation missions).
No idea how to explain the Agents, though. I suppose if people don't want war, you could say that the Oligarch construct was their means of accessing the Matrix... now that it has been destroyed by various operatives, they no longer can bother us. The Machines and Zion agree to another uneasy truce, Agents are called off, and we're back in a cold war.
There are a few of us who feel that the game can't support a war. It's just not feasible given the fact that nothing changes, no ground can be won or lost, the real damage happens outside the game (Zion/01) and without the One, the Machines would likely crush Zion.
So, to war or not to war? That is the question.
ShiXinFeng wrote:
There are a few of us who feel that the game can't support a war. It's just not feasible given the fact that nothing changes, no ground can be won or lost, the real damage happens outside the game (Zion/01) and without the One, the Machines would likely crush Zion.So, to war or not to war? That is the question.
That's a very good point. It's just sad that the game really doesn't support war, as chapter eight was by far one of the best and most interesting chapters we've had.
Personally, I'm not keen on bringing back the war, but I think players should be allowed to make that decision for themselves and other should respect that: if people want to bring back the war, they're welcome to it, but if others don't want to they should be given space to carry out their ideas, as long as they're feasible. Sieges might be a self-styled Merovingian Paladin, but she is as much a creator as a warrior, and she's got some huge plans to try and renew the Real. Outpost Segur was a start, and her real dream is to find the way to unscorch the sky or at least part of it...
There are no game mechnics present in MxO that can accomodate war, the official story couldn't do anything with it for a reason, so player led stuff has no hope.
Everything we see when we log in makes sense only in the context of the scenario established at the end of Revolutions, there's still conflict, private agenda's, organisation powermongering, propagander, espionage, terrorism, and murder aplenty going on but it really needs to be at a scale that player events can realise, to encourage them to do so (hopefully with a few new toold to boot).
Equally without an ongoing story lets have the game use the few marketting tools it has left to best effect, let Moprheus resume his place awakening new redpills, represent the orgs by figures know to a wider set of folk than long term MxO players...
There's no way I'm writing off the Oligarch story. I think it's great.
I've never been a fan of the war because it should have ended long ago with the obliteration of old Zion and a permanent blockade around New Zion. I know this is all fiction, but having this war go on this long just isn't realistic.
Mind you, if we take it as read that - for whatever reason - the war has lasted this long, we can continue to draw it out because the Machines are too busy huddling together in preparation for the wrath of the Oligarchy (which'll probably never come) to take any decisive action against Zion. But as Zion has just as few options now as it ever has, neither side will make any progress and the war will continue to just sit there achieving nothing.In short: if you're going to scrap anything, scrap the war.
Mmm, I can't write off the Oligarchs, either, as they had this whole "who watches the watchmen?" vibe going on that I found irresistable after we found out the whole backstory. I'm about to attempt rewatching The Animatrix: Second Rennaissence, and I don't think I'm going to see it quite the same way now that we have an idea of who was really pushing the buttons of both the Machines and the humans and pitting them against each other....
ZippyTheSquirrel wrote:
This. At least for now.
Fen wrote:
I've personally written off the entire Oligarch story, as it was utter trash in my opinion.
Sucks to be you. It's there, deal with it.
I think the biggest thing we need to let go of is the concept of a dynamic, updating, progressing story. Most other MMO's drop an update or an expansion that provides content that propels the story. And then, until there is another update or expansion, the story stays static with the only variations coming in the form of player-run events or annual festival events.
If we consider as set-in-stone this concept for MxO, It'll be easier to adapt a widely palatable explanation for the current (perpetual) state of the Matrix.
Fen wrote:I've personally written off the entire Oligarch story, as it was utter trash in my opinion.Sucks to be you. It's there, deal with it.
It sucks to be me because I don't buy into a ridiculous plotline? I'm sorry if it takes a little more than all-powerful bubblegum and wireframe people who are chasing a resurrected glowing code woman to interest me.
I mean, have you actually watched and enjoyed the Matrix films? Or are you one of these people that want transforming mecha in the Mega City and vampires in the Real? Come on.
I think the biggest thing we need to let go of is the concept of a dynamic, updating, progressing story. Most other MMO's drop an update or an expansion that provides content that propels the story. And then, until there is another update or expansion, the story stays static with the only variations coming in the form of player-run events or annual festival events.If we consider as set-in-stone this concept for MxO, It'll be easier to adapt a widely palatable explanation for the current (perpetual) state of the Matrix.
I think the thing that would be difficult with that view, is just simply because of how we've experienced MxO thus far. The static story in other games is what has always made them hard to roleplay in. If you want to roleplay the story, you're pretty limited to enjoying it only with people that are at the same point in the story as you are.
