The Ultimate SOMA Discussion Thread

[MegaScience]

http://somasystems.org/ is mainly just a frame of http://nextfrictionalgame.com/ . Most images use "-darker", suggesting there are lighter versions for when the loading bar is not overlaying it. However, removing that returns http://thedarkswarm.com/ 's missing file page, so wisely they are named uniquely. It periodically calls the progress bar for updating. However, if the site returns 100+, it will default back to 99%. Beside that, there's a lot of fancy code for making the site blip like an odd computer.

Edit: I assume it can never go over 99% because when it does get to 100%, they'll change out the entire site anyway and force you to refresh to see it.

[fearless]

After googling Soma and reading the wiki article related to a Vedic plant and ritual, im guessing soma systems is a research lab, where something goes wrong (hence the system failure message/reboot). Im guessing that the "think therefore i am" statement relates to something gaining sentience/taking over this lab and allows the player to piece information together form the mythical/religious lore relating to that vedic plant. From the wiki article "In the Vedas, the drink, and the plant refer to the same entity. Drinking Soma produces immortality" so i assume the research is done on this drug and the mythical/religious stuff comes into play, somehow. Just some off my ramblings, someone might have mentioned it already, but site is a bit slow loading so didnt get round to reading all posts.

[phantomland]

Did you see what those two people discussed on Frictional's Facebook post?

The letters behind the loader most likely reads "COGITO ERGO
SUM". The quote is from René Descartes, it's philosophical idea and it means: "I think, therefore I am". Like the guy on Facebook wrote: "This sentence refers to his belief of a strong connection between mind, body and soul and that if we can think, we know that we exist". They also speculated about a connection between this and what Thomas has talked about earlier (on GDC if I'm not mistaken). He was describing projecting consiousness onto inanimate objects, with the example being a fake hand. If you are convinced that the fake hand is yours, you will be scared if I hit the fake hand. Thomas applied this logic to horror games and mentioned that they want to explore those ideas further in their next project. Is the quote referencing that or are we digging to deep?

[Sampyli]

Is the quote referencing that or are we digging to deep?

Well, it's FG after all, so I don't think we're digging too deep at all

48%

[MegaScience]

It is interesting, yes. It's to 48% now. Has anyone calculated the rate this is going, see if it is consistent, exponential, pseudo-random, etc?

[Chrysler]

It is interesting, yes. It's to 48% now. Has anyone calculated the rate this is going, see if it is consistent, exponential, pseudo-random, etc?

The rate has been constant with an increase of 1% every ~43 minutes. So we should reach 100% on Monday at around 12 PM GMT.

[Statyk]

Well, it's FG after all, so I don't think we're digging too deep at all

I'd say the opposite, honestly. During the Beginning of the AMFP ARG, I remember there was a link to a google map for China, then somewhere in Seattle and people were about to call a business from the ground view. Then in the later stages, people were trying to find something hidden in words and it ended up being literally nothing. lol Keep the imagination open, but learn where things may be a bit TOO far-fetched.

Also, I'm quite excited to hear more about this game. I love Scifi, I love horror, new engine by FG... It's all so exciting this time

[Kein]

                                                    

[PutraenusAlivius]

49% now.

[MegaScience]

Well, it's FG after all, so I don't think we're digging too deep at all

I'd say the opposite, honestly. During the Beginning of the AMFP ARG, I remember there was a link to a google map for China, then somewhere in Seattle and people were about to call a business from the ground view. Then in the later stages, people were trying to find something hidden in words and it ended up being literally nothing. lol Keep the imagination open, but learn where things may be a bit TOO far-fetched.

Also, I'm quite excited to hear more about this game. I love Scifi, I love horror, new engine by FG... It's all so exciting this time

Considering the characters on the website, the China location might have been a glimpse at this project - To say "2 things coming up!" In fact...