The Ultimate SOMA Discussion Thread

~~Googolplex~~ · 10-31-2013, 05:10 PM

(10-30-2013, 10:09 PM)Alardem Wrote: I like how you made a nonexistent inference that I think aliens are 'silly'. :p

Come to think of it, the Frictional canon possesses a lot of supernatural elements with a dash of science-fiction, but I don't recall there being ghosts. The closest we have to that are Oswald's sons, and even then they're implied to be zombies revived by mad science.

Frictional canon never was about science-fiction or supernatural things. SOMA will be the first game. The Tuurngait and Alexander scene is only 5% of the game and its not automatically supernatural when someone is flying in the air like god. This is just a symbolically meaning.
The children from Oswald are no zombies, just only they lost their jowl and pull out their hearts. This scene only means that we killed our own children and they gave their soul for Oswalds capitalism. No zombies!

And aliens are silly because they are an invention from the USA. Nothing we could call serious and always boring to see them in any media. When there are other creatures in the universe, it's definitely not aliens!

A kitschy human invention couldn't be something for an intellectual game.

**Ghieri** · 10-31-2013, 05:24 PM

(10-31-2013, 05:10 PM)Googolplex Wrote: Literally every sci-fi and horror trope ever couldn't be something for an intellectual game.

FTFY

**Cuyir** · 10-31-2013, 06:25 PM

Hey goog:

I don't even know where to start.

They are Lovecraft worshipers, Lovecraft was an AMERICAN HUMAN whose mythology was about alien elder gods from other dimensions and universes. Lovecraft FREQUENTLY looked down and insulted christian beliefs because of things that are easily pointed out as flaws in their belief system.

EVERYTHING IN FICTION has been in some way either inspired from nature or INVENTED by humans...or a mixture of both.

The Penumbra series was sci fi and supernatural events. The Tuurngait was an elder god from SOMEWHERE. The Amnesia series is based on supernatural events AND MORE ALIENS FROM ANOTHER dimension.

Your post boggles the mind and left me slackjawed for a few seconds at what I was reading.

EVERYTHING FG have done has had aliens in some shape or form, elder gods and supernatural and sci fi events. EVERYTHING.

Soma is just being MORE sci fi than what Penumbra was. Penumbra was a modern telling of Lovecraftian horror, which counts as sci fi.

You have some serious nationality related biases, goog. It's a bit unnerving. Aliens are ''bad'' because they're an "american creation" but you can't stop worshiping a german games developer.

What are you even on about? It's like you've deluded yourself and somehow experienced FGs games in this bizarre manner.

I don't even know what else to say but ramble on and on in sheer disbelief. There's so much conceit in your posts and personal beliefs it's incredible. Your post is also contradictory. Aliens is a term used for extraterrestrials (ie things not from earth). Look up the definition of both. Dearie me.

**Alardem** · 10-31-2013, 06:50 PM

(10-31-2013, 05:10 PM)Googolplex Wrote: -Nonsense-

Is this why you're considered the forum clown?

And yeah, Lovecraft's monsters often blurred the lines between being incomprehensibly powerful animals and outright gods. In my opinion, the Tuurngait could originate from a world similar to the one Alexander sprung from.

Speaking of which, it was heavily implied that Alexander's civilization is much more advanced than ours - he requires gigantic steam machinery to have as much power as a 'traveler's locket'. What if the bizarre machines in SOMA originate from another dimension as well?

~~Googolplex~~ · 10-31-2013, 06:55 PM

(10-31-2013, 06:25 PM)Cuyir Wrote: The Penumbra series was sci fi and supernatural events. The Tuurngait was an elder god from SOMEWHERE. The Amnesia series is based on supernatural events AND MORE ALIENS FROM ANOTHER dimension.

Penumbra was not about science-fiction. Overture was completely serious, just the last part of Black Plague was going into an other direction. And this was also the reason that ruins Black Plague. The Tuurngait part was a very good ending, but all the mental fictions and surreal things were extremely "strange" and not very Penumbra-like.
Amnesia was also completely serious. Just because the last 10 minutes with the orb and Alexander were supernatural, doesn't mean the game is supernatural. 90% are decent. And in no game are aliens.

What do you mean by aliens? I mean this here:

[Image: alien-10.jpg]

Aliens are a very stupid thing. The do not exist and I don't want to have them in any media. Especially not in decent games from Frictional. I laugh about aliens, they are not serious and would ruin the credibility of a game.

**Alardem** · 10-31-2013, 07:00 PM

Googolplex, please continue. You're hilarious.

From what I understand, zombie dogs, giant spiders, magic split-personalities, overgrown worms, mutated abominations in the form of humanity and paranormal guardians from the Otherworld are all realistic in Googolplex's mind. Until the point you say they're aliens, whereupon his fingers swell up and he is forced to mash them on the keyboard for relief. This is not at all insane or contradictory.

Please enlighten us further.

**Cuyir** · 10-31-2013, 07:08 PM

The Tuurngait was an elder god from another universe. An Extraterrestrial. An Alien. An alien is the same thing as an extraterrestrial. Being an alien means not being from earth. They call Mexicans ''illegal aliens'' in the United States because they are not from The US (stupid, I know).

Aliens/extraterrestrials come in all manners of ways and FG has shown that. Don't let stereotypes cloud your mind.

Penumbra was pretty much a Lovecraftian tale being told in a modern setting, which again, counts as sci fi.

Definitions:

''Alien may refer to:
Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
Alien (law), a non-citizen resident of a country
Introduced species, a species not native to its environment"

''Extraterrestrial may refer to any object or being beyond (extra-) the planet Earth (terrestrial). It is derived from the Latin Root extra ("outside", "outwards") and terrestris ("earthly", "of or relating to the Earth").
It may also refer to:
Extraterrestrial life, in scientific context, hypothetical life that exists outside Earth
Extraterrestrials in fiction''

''Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginative content such as futuristic settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. Exploring the consequences of scientific innovations is one purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas".[1] Science fiction has been used by authors as a device to discuss philosophical ideas such as identity, desire, morality, and social structure.
Science fiction is largely based on writing rationally about alternative possible worlds or futures.[2] It is similar to, but differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation).''

Source: Wikipedia.

**Mechavomit** · 10-31-2013, 07:08 PM

(10-31-2013, 06:55 PM)Googolplex Wrote: Amnesia was also completely serious. Just because the last 10 minutes with the orb and Alexander were supernatural, doesn't mean the game is supernatural. 90% are decent. And in no game are aliens.

A story that focuses on a magical artifact of doom, an angry spirit and traveling to different dimensions is not supernatural? How is all that "natural"?

I would argue that Penumbra is sci-fi, though. But that's just me, I guess. It doesn't "feel" sci-fi to me, but it could be. Just like Star Wars may feel sci-fi, but isn't.

**Alardem** · 10-31-2013, 07:13 PM

(10-31-2013, 07:08 PM)Mechavomit Wrote:
(10-31-2013, 06:55 PM)Googolplex Wrote: Amnesia was also completely serious. Just because the last 10 minutes with the orb and Alexander were supernatural, doesn't mean the game is supernatural. 90% are decent. And in no game are aliens.
A story that focuses on a magical artifact of doom, an angry spirit and traveling to different dimensions is not supernatural? How is all that "natural"?

I would argue that Penumbra is sci-fi, though. But that's just me, I guess. It doesn't "feel" sci-fi to me, but it could be. Just like Star Wars may feel sci-fi, but isn't.

Star Wars was a medieval fantasy story with spaceships and robots. Wink

Genre labels can be extremely limiting. My favorite games are those that straddle the borders. The very premise of SOMA isn't at all original - a horrible laboratory accident? That could very well refer to Half-Life, Doom, Portal, Aliens, etc. :p

**Cuyir** · 10-31-2013, 07:25 PM

Star Wars (the movies) were space operas but still sci fi. The expanded universe was more sci fi in tone though.

Penumbra to me is sci fi because of the Lovecraftian influences, just told in a modern setting.

Sci fi usually refers to three things: the aesthetics, the tone and the content. Penumbra has the tone and content (elder god from another universe/plane of existence/dimension, aka an alien) while SW (as a whole) have all three. The SW movies have the content and aesthetics but with an 80s space opera tone to it.