Deus Ex: what did you do with the world and why?
Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:20 pm
Allright I know some of you have played the masterpiece that is 'Deus Ex'. If not then go play it after beating yourself with a stick running through the centre of town as punishment. It is every bit the 'required viewing' that GitS is.
Once you reach the endgame after slaughtering hordes of opponents and former allies(or knocking them unconcious and creeping past if you're a wuss ) and uncovering conspiracies all round, you don't simply shoot the big badass in the head and run away down a corridor being chased by an explosion. Instead you are offered a threeway choice.But it was a deep moral choice that required much consideration, personally I had to go away and make a cup of tea while contemplating it. SO I was wondering which of the three options did the enlightened gamers of the in the shell forums choose and why? it seems to come down to how much freedom you are willing to give up for a better quality of life..
SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW
Option 1) THE MERGE - The protagonist JC Denton merges with the AI Helios, puppetmaster style. With access to every piece of electronic information in the world, JC's insight into what humans want/need and access to a universal constructor able to manipulate all physical matter; you essentially create God, the ultimate benevolent dictator.
"God was a dream of good government."
"You will soon have your God, and you will make it with your own hands."
PRO
Every individual is treated equally by an unambitious, logical and systematic government.
CON
Freedom, Free will and privacy are all redundant. Helios keeps on saying 'yes' at the end of all his sentences which as signs of evil go is right up there with moustache twirling.. ..yes...
also If you have played other games by the same people like 'system shock2' you will know that strange AIs with speech impediments who want to play god are not to be trusted ..yes ..ultrawhite. yes...
option 2) Illuminati - spare the facility and the AI so you can keep government-classic with democracy putting a superficially appealing puppet in charge who is controlled by the same corperate stakeholders regardless of their own ideological background. Pretty much what we have now.
PRO
seems to work alright with a few problems at the moment and noone has to die.
CON
Limited freedom and privacy for the individual. Leadership has human ambitions and is thus open to corruption.
option 3) NEW DARK AGE - by destroying the global communications hub you can bring about an age of anarchy in city-states, an age of craftsmen, government on a local scale comprehensible to its citizens.
PRO
privacy freedom and power to the people, no more corruption - open governemnt.
CON
healthcare would suck, probably small wars, no more 'in the shell' discussion forum.
Once you reach the endgame after slaughtering hordes of opponents and former allies(or knocking them unconcious and creeping past if you're a wuss ) and uncovering conspiracies all round, you don't simply shoot the big badass in the head and run away down a corridor being chased by an explosion. Instead you are offered a threeway choice.But it was a deep moral choice that required much consideration, personally I had to go away and make a cup of tea while contemplating it. SO I was wondering which of the three options did the enlightened gamers of the in the shell forums choose and why? it seems to come down to how much freedom you are willing to give up for a better quality of life..
SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW
Option 1) THE MERGE - The protagonist JC Denton merges with the AI Helios, puppetmaster style. With access to every piece of electronic information in the world, JC's insight into what humans want/need and access to a universal constructor able to manipulate all physical matter; you essentially create God, the ultimate benevolent dictator.
"God was a dream of good government."
"You will soon have your God, and you will make it with your own hands."
PRO
Every individual is treated equally by an unambitious, logical and systematic government.
CON
Freedom, Free will and privacy are all redundant. Helios keeps on saying 'yes' at the end of all his sentences which as signs of evil go is right up there with moustache twirling.. ..yes...
also If you have played other games by the same people like 'system shock2' you will know that strange AIs with speech impediments who want to play god are not to be trusted ..yes ..ultrawhite. yes...
option 2) Illuminati - spare the facility and the AI so you can keep government-classic with democracy putting a superficially appealing puppet in charge who is controlled by the same corperate stakeholders regardless of their own ideological background. Pretty much what we have now.
PRO
seems to work alright with a few problems at the moment and noone has to die.
CON
Limited freedom and privacy for the individual. Leadership has human ambitions and is thus open to corruption.
option 3) NEW DARK AGE - by destroying the global communications hub you can bring about an age of anarchy in city-states, an age of craftsmen, government on a local scale comprehensible to its citizens.
PRO
privacy freedom and power to the people, no more corruption - open governemnt.
CON
healthcare would suck, probably small wars, no more 'in the shell' discussion forum.