Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=1892https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6485For my final session I will attempt to see as many story details/terminals as possible. - "The honest philosopher seeks only the Truth" - There's a log bringing up the question of robots and citizenship. What constitutes personhood? - There is a sequence that is a chat where one person in the chatroom cannot tell who is the bot. - There's a log that talks about people not being scared of AI taking over the world, but learning that consciousness can arise from matter. What scares people is not AI, but the "natural" intelligence they see in the mirror. How can we see ourselves as anything but machines? - Technology poses no danger to humanity, it is just a tool. - Curiosity seems to be a major element of intelligence (says Alexandra) - Don't give up eternal life for curiosity (Elohim says after going up to the first level of the great tower) - Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven The Talos Principal is a game that is rooted heavily in philosophy. It draws from Greek and Roman times, religions and more. I find it super interesting and wish I had more time to explore. I may have to look up the ending as well. The biggest moral questions the game raises are what does it mean to be a person and are AIs persons. The game does a good job at presenting the questions, but I'm not sure how it answers them. From Alexandra's logs we learn about curiosity and intelligence, and that Elohim does not like curiosity in regards to the tower. It will be hard to come up with good topics for the paper I'm to write, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. Thu, 09 Nov 2017 04:19:44 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6485&iddiary=11400https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6485-Alexandra didn't bury a time capsule when she was young, but she did it now and buried it under the archive - There's a new log in the terminal in stage 3. It talks about how would it feel about to be a robot, something created by someone else - There's a log about the Greek philosopher Straton - There are QR codes pasted about. They have text left by others when scanned. One says: "it isn't for me to seek His help - it is for me to help myself" - Part 2 of the certification program has been generated - "Since all human beings are persons, and some human beings have psychological capacities similar to animals, some animals are therefore persons." Broadly agree or broadly disagree are the choices. I choose disagree. - "A person is under no authority other than that to which they consent" I chose disagree. - "The quality of life of persons ought to be maximised." I chose agree. - "Value is discovered." I chose agree. - "Persons deserve the talents they were born into." I chose disagree. - "The liberty of persons ought to be maximised." I chose agree. - "Value is created" I chose agree. I think what the game is getting at is quite effective, but how it is achieving it is less effective. It's an interesting choice for this to be a puzzle game, considering it's potential betterment by being a mystery/story based adventure game. Not seeing the state of the outside world is also an interesting omission. There could be possible dialogue about whats really going on here. I'm part of the child program/ I am a robot running the child program, but I do not seem to have the free will that Elohim seems to say I have. That fact, along with the writing about helping myself, make things interesting. I am helping myself through the puzzles, do Elohim's words have much value?Mon, 06 Nov 2017 19:57:30 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6485&iddiary=11369https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=64851 hr play session -Child program -Child process -I am your maker ELOHIM - When you die it says correcting errors, chold program reloaded - "I Created you for the purpose of finding sigils and attaining eternal life" - "Each sigil brings you closer to eternity" - I'm a robot - Milton Library? - Email on computer from "Dad" about the importance of searching for truth even though we may not know what truth is - Able to "talk"to the MLA AI - Progressive data corruption is inevitable over time, according to MLA speaking of the corrupted archives - I asked MLA who Elohim is, it responded that it is the noun for god or gods in ancient Hebrew - I asked: what am I? MLA responded that I am logged in with a guest account - I asked: where am I? MLA responded that I am in a support session with MLA - I'm now in Elohim's temple, where there are gates to worlds that he made for me - I am allowed to go anywhere, but the great tower, "for the day that I go there, I shall surely die" - Accessing another terminal, I attempt to create an admin account. It asks questions to verify that I am "human". First, it asks what 2+2 equals. Then It asks what is a person. Then it asks what you would do if in a desert and come across a dehydrated man, and you're not sure how far the nest Oasis is. Some possible choices are: Give half your water, Give all your water, kill him and take his blood to drink, Ask him why he's in the desert. I chose give half water. - There is a Talos Principle.txt file in the terminal. I reads about how Talos was created of bronze and is a machine, but if the machine is like man, then is man not as much a machine and Talos not as much a man? - The guardians challenge me only so my faith may be strengthened - "You are learning, as is your purpose, but your choices must be your own, so I will not guide you, unless it is necessary The Talos Principle has obvious religious and moral themes. The game presents themes of existentialism and machine morality. It remains to be seen through further terminal investigation and gameplay what is really going on in the game as far as where I am, who I am and who Elohim really is. There is some interesting interpretations to be drawn so far from the games material, such as the importance (or perhaps unimportance) of children growing up with religion and religious figures, or the fact that computers perhaps can't tell/show us our purpose or our place in the world.Sat, 04 Nov 2017 14:47:50 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6485&iddiary=11362https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=645535 Min play session: I chose to have Nona come with Alex to find a key to Maggie Adler's boat. Alex has a flashback to a year ago when Micheal was alive. I find the game super interesting so far, even though I feel like choices have to be made too quickly and the consequences are not always known from the time of choosing. I'll have to put in even more time or research, because seeing the end may help my analysis.Thu, 28 Sep 2017 10:48:23 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6455&iddiary=11325https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6455-Jonas and Alex get stuck in an area and "Radio people" talk to them. -Jonas believes they're dealing with ghosts. -We found Nona and I tried to get her to come with us, but it seems that there's no option but for her to go back to the tower to wait for us, even though I told her where Clarissa is. (UGH!) - Jonas said he hopes she goes to the tower instead of to look for Clarissa, so maybe my choices are making some differences. - Now Jonas is asking me why I let him flip the power switch back at the bridge, validating my choice. - Just saved Ren from "possesion" - The radio people mention Maggie Aldner, the old lady. - Now off to save Clarissa - Nona carved a message where Clarissa was supposed to be that shes on the beach - Found Clarissa at Ft Millner. She jumped out a window, but her body was gone and now were looking for her. Reflection: I'm not sure about the choices in this game, if they even do anything at all or if things happen that are supposed to happen. The Nona writing on the wall was caused by my actions sure, but it still remains to be seen how things play out based on my actions. I might have to do extra research if I don't find out in my play sessions. Also dialog choices seem hard to make, especially when its not clear when Alex is going to be a jerk based on your choice.Tue, 26 Sep 2017 19:41:24 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6455&iddiary=11295https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6455100 min play session. recap: - Player character is Alex, who has a new step brother Jonas - Alex, Jonas and friend Ren are on a boat going somewhere. - Edwards island bash - Jonas smokes and offers one to Alex. I didn't respond fast enough so Ren answered "She doesn't smoke either." - Game is all about dialog choices so far. - Jonas is moving where the others live. - The kids are on the Island to hang out and party - I'm assuming when a bubble pops up above a certain character with the face of another character, it means that character is liking the other character more. - Nona and Clarissa join and are not very nice. - So the kids start playing "truth or slap". You have to tell the truth when somebody asks, if someone else comes forward to prove that the person just lied, they get to slap that person. - I chose to tell that Ren likes Nona, even though he was trying to deny it, and slapped him in the face (the game gave me an achievement). - The game gives you "good" or "bad" choices at almost every step. The player can be a jerk or kind or neutral most of the time. - Ren has brownies with drugs in them but won't give any to Alex :( - Weird lights come from a cave when tuning the radio. Jonas thinks they should go investigate. I choose to agree and follow him in, but hes missing. Alex finds an ashtray and pen by a pool of water deeper into the cave. - "See a man about a dog" in graffiti on the cave wall. - Found Jonas, can choose to tell him" lets go back" or to go deeper. I choose go deeper. - Just found some weird triangles in the cave that react to the radio. they formed a bigger triangle that asked if it was safe to leave or something, then teleported Alex and Jonas somewhere. - Found a radio tower, Richard Harden's radio tower. - Phone rings up the radio tower. Its Ren. He was teleported as well, to the woods (found a service phone on the side of the road). - Clarissa calls as well and has been teleported to the mines? - Chose to go get Ren first. -reflection: Oxenfree seems to be a game all about choices. It remains to be seen how those choices will affect the game, but many of the choices seem to be quite major. The player constantly has the choice to be rude or nice or even act out in potentially dangerous situations. The game has to lead you down a certain path though. I can't see how certain actions would change what happens in a major way without drastically changing the game or ending early. This remains to be seen as I continue to play. Hopefully I'll be able to complete the game and even experiment with alternate choicesMon, 25 Sep 2017 17:02:44 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6455&iddiary=11286https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=64271 hour play session: - part of Emily hopes that her enemies find her, so she can hurt/kill them (she seems to struggle with violent revenge) - The player can choke out a civilian and throw them in a garbage can with no penalty - Game is tough, so I had to turn it down to easy from medium difficulty. - Finally made it to the end of level 2 - The game introduces a woman who turns out to be the "Crown Killer" She's been turned into a monster by a serum. As Emily, you can chose to create a counter-serum and save her, or kill her. I tried to save her with the serum, but bloodflies from the doorway killed her while she was unconscious due to where I gave her the serum. Wed, 30 Aug 2017 13:06:09 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6427&iddiary=11242https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=642745 min play session -Made it to The Dreadful Wale (the ship) whose captain has agreed to help Emily -The level then ends giving an analysis of lethality and stealth with special boxes for Merciful (Didn’t kill anyone) and Ghostly (Never Detected) both of which are marked with a red x meaning I failed both. I killed 0 Civilians and 22 hostiles. -Emily wakes up in a “dream-like-state” aboard the ship. She is met by a strange man covered in dark mist that says he knows Corvo from the bad old days and that Emily must make a choice on what she’s willing to become. He/the game asks whether to receive the Outsider’s Mark or Reject the offer and play in “No Powers” Mode. The consequences of this choice are not known at this time. I choose the Mark. -Now Emily has the ability to use a tentacle-like ability to pull herself a distance, up on to ledges and the like. -She comes to a heart that allows her to find bone charms. -The mysterious man says that Delilah has her sights on an even greater prize, before pulling Emily out of the dreamscape. -Megan Foster (captain of the ship) wants the crown killer dead. -Emily must find Addermire Institute to find the Crown Killer Sun, 27 Aug 2017 15:48:34 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6427&iddiary=11218https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=64271 hour play session (8/25/17): -While playing the tutorial, Corvo says to his daughter (Emily) "Each person taken out non-lethally is one that gets to go home to their family." - It's the 15th anniversary of Emily's mothers's death. Emily is now the ruler and sits on the throne. Corvo is the protector of the throne. Rulers/cities from across the empire are coming to celebrate. The "Crown Killer" has been killing enemies of Emily and Corvo and dressing the scene up as if they are the killers. Emily doesn't know whether to "run away or kill them all". - Jesemine's sister, Delilah, claims she is the true heir to the throne of Dunwall/Empire of the Isles, - I chose to play as Emily Caldwin, corvo is turned to stone by Delilah and Emily is locked in her chambers to await trial. - The game has presented a choice: Kill Mortimer Ramsay(who helped betray Emily) or knock him out, to get back Emily's ring that leads to the hidden royal chamber. - Emily (I) killed Mortimer and took the ring back and escaped through the chamber to the streets of Dunwall. She plans to escape the city by meeting a boat captain by the docks. Ethical interests of the game so far: -Emily (Corvo's daughter and ruler of the empire) is betrayed by her aunt, who claims the throne for herself. - Corvo dismisses killing others for the most part (unless it must be done). - Emily (and I) has killed Mortimer, who betrayed her. - Emily wonders what her assistant may have told her, to just go along with it and marry one of the lower rulers, perhaps.Fri, 25 Aug 2017 18:48:25 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6427&iddiary=11214