[SPOILER] Plot Discussion Thread *Spoiler Alert*

[johnwohl]

I for one would still like to know the official plot explanation but perhaps no one cares anymore?

[rotten]

Yeah, I guess there will be no official explanation. Too bad.

[Alardem]

It's sad that you want the writer to outright state what is a very straightforward plot: an industrialist receives a vision of the twentieth century and commits genocide in order to avert it.

It's not even 2deep4u. It just requires thought.

[Ghieri]

There seems to be wholes in every theory we've come up with. I think it's because TCR spent more time obfuscating their plot than making sure it actually made sense.

[Alardem]

There seems to be holes in every theory we've come up with. I think it's because TCR spent more time obfuscating their plot than making sure it actually made sense.

Or making it open to interpretation. Disregarding Mandus' sons, the story is pretty coherent.

Speaking of which, I modify my view of the ending to reflect the final level's loading screen: a grinder. That is to say, Mandus sacrifices himself by throwing his heart (or body) into the grinder.

[Ghieri]

There seems to be holes in every theory we've come up with. I think it's because TCR spent more time obfuscating their plot than making sure it actually made sense.

Or making it open to interpretation. Disregarding part of the plot that doesn't make sense, the story is pretty coherent.

FTFY.

[Alardem]

Mandus killed his sons and brought their skulls back home, turned them into zombies via mad science and unlucky orphans, gave them free rein of the house, and they work with the Engineer to trick Mandus into undoing his sabotage. If the ending's any indication, these children's existence are tied to the Heart in the same way Mandus and his dark twin are.

Yeah, they're ghosts or mental projections. It's a supernatural horror game, why the heck not. I'm more concerned about why Lily's ghost never appears.

P.S.: If you want an explanation so bad, here it is:

http://killscreendaily.com/articles/inte...ad-cut-it/

That's one meaning: a game writer's take on what motivates genocide. A powerful man's deluded paternalism leads to him abusing his children, the powerless, and society at large.

[Ashtoreth]

New audio interview with Dan Pinchbeck by The Weaving Knight (they start talking about AMFP at around 25:45):

Games as Lit: The Chinese Room

I thought it was quite interesting and almost at the end (49:15), Dan gives his own view on the main characters and also on the meaning of the ending.

Spoiler below!

(...) for me, what's interesting about the game in terms of the characters is, the Machine is far more noble and nice than Mandus ever is. And, Mandus destroying the Machine at the end is Mandus saying: "I choose my own personal redemption over the millions of souls I know will die in agony during the next century." (...) The Machine says: "If you stop me, then this is what's gonna happen in the next hundred years", and Mandus goes: "I know all that and I'm still gonna stop you". (...) And that's not a happy ending, that's not a good ending. (...) He does the thing which should make him a hero in game terms, but actually if you consider, if you accept that the Machine is right - and we know the Machine is right already because we're at the other end of the 20th century - then actually what Mandus does is appalling, really. (...) Mandus in the end chooses to be a pigman rather than a machine. (...)

Also, did anyone else think (like myself and the interviewer) that

Spoiler below!

the explosive sounds in the streets of London were fireworks because it was New Year's Eve? Well, according to Dan, it wasn't fireworks. XD (skip to around 42:07)

[Potato]

Thanks for posting that Ashtoreth, was an interesting listen. I found Dan's reaction towards people saying "If it wasn't called Amnesia, it would've been a good game" quite interesting:

Spoiler below!

I just think it's insane, to say, you called this the wrong thing, therefore I can't like it. It baffles me.

[Alardem]

I was wondering why Mandus' desire to 'redeem' himself rang so hollowly. Turns out that author didn't buy it either. :p