[SPOILER] Plot Discussion Thread *Spoiler Alert*

[fountainhead]

Just finished the game and I liked it! Better than a lot of the reviews had me believe. But I have one question. I know Mandus isn't supposed to be completely sane, but how exactly is killing his children sparing them from a horrible fate in the First World War? Likewise, how does unleashing the pigs spare humanity from the horrors of the 20th century? Weren't they just going to cull the population of the world if allowed to continue? It just brings the horror forward to 1899! Is there some hidden logic to Mandus' solution that I'm missing or is it really just that crazy of a plan?

And a second quick question. How was Mandus able to construct such a huge facility that was ahead of its time without the help of a large workforce? Was it the pigs helping him build the Machine?