| 1 | ->''"Where were you when the universe ended?"'' |
| 2 | |
| 3 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_26.png]] |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ''Reconstruction Zero: I Miss the Sunrise'' is a prequel to ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', made by Space Lizard of Creator/TildeOneGames. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | Thousands of years from now, mankind had achieved a perfect, utopian society. Marvels of science and technology allowed every need to be cared for and granted worldwide peace. Even immortality had been achieved. Humans traveled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, discovering a new {{HumanoidAlien|s}} species, the [[LizardFolk lacertians]]. In time, they were integrated seamlessly into human culture (though their evolutionary relatives, the "Lessers", were too barbaric to be reasoned with). The dreams of humanity across the galaxy had been achieved, and progress was poised to march ever onwards. Everything was perfect. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | But in an instant, that all changed. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | A strange, inexplicable event, known only as "the Shine", wrought havoc across all of civilization. A blinding flash of light appeared to warp reality, slicing mechanical constructs and ships into fragments as if it was peeling them apart. For an unknown reason, planets were not affected, but little else was spared from the destruction. Billions died, and relay nodes were destroyed, isolating communication and fragmenting civilization further. In addition, emotions, suppressed for aeons, began to surface, leading to chaos as people tried to fight over what was left. Bandits and marauders fought survivors over the scraps of civilization, and, to make matters worse, the Lessers became far more intelligent, stealing ships and using them to cause even more destruction. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | However, emotions are not purely negative. Determination and hope also arose, and with them, a light in the darkness was formed: the Inquiry Project, headed by commander Virgil Sorenson. Its goal is to repair the fractured world to its former glory, to restore peace and order once more. A daunting and nigh-impossible task, to be sure, but they have hope... |
| 14 | |
| 15 | You are Ros Ouranos, a pilot with no knowledge of their prior identity. You awake in a stasis pod aboard the ''Inquiry'', and are told you are one of three pilots the crew found in a strange, abandoned ship. Your abilities are unique, as you have a special protein in your body that, when combined with another chemical, grants you the ability to think in a sort of stasis, [[TurnBasedStrategy taking as long as necessary to analyze a situation]] [[JustifiedTrope while appearing to take no time at all from an outside perspective]]. This is, obviously, an incredibly important ability for a commander to have, and thus, like it or not, you are the Inquiry Project's last hope. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Oh, and you'd better be careful...the other two pilots didn't last very long. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Gameplay-wise, ''I Miss the Sunrise'' plays a bit like a blend of an EasternRPG and a WesternRPG. There is an extensive character customization screen for Ros; you can change their gender and make them either a human, cyborg, or lacertian, the latter options having major effects on his/her stats and some changes to dialogue. Perhaps the biggest aspect of customization, however, is the ability to fine-tune Ros' personality -- and not just in the bland CharacterAlignment sense, either. Every character in the game, including Ros, has three separate personality scales: Logical vs. Imaginative, Conservative vs. Aggressive, and Lawful vs. Flexible. And they aren't either/or choices -- there are up to ten different steps of the scale that can be used to define where a character stands. The closer you are to another character on the scale, the easier it will be to get along with them. Personality will also slightly change Ros' dialogue during cutscenes. To add on to this, there are some important choices during sidequests that will have far-reaching consequences depending on what you choose, in addition to changing Ros' personality slightly. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Combat is very similar to that of ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', taking place in a grid map. Every ship has [[MultipleLifeBars three meters]] that serve as both {{Life Meter}}s ''and'' {{Mana Meter}}s: Hull, Systems, and Pilot. However, every character and enemy in the game has the exact same health value for all three -- 1000. The only difference in survivability are defensive stats. There is also no generic "attack" command -- every ship must select from a number of up to five weapons to attack. They come in four varieties: '''A'''uroral (long range, low damage, high accuracy), '''B'''allistic ([[JackOfAllStats medium in everything]]), '''C'''ontact (short range, high damage, low accuracy), and e'''X'''tension (which are not weapons at all, but passive buffers, similar to armour). Each species specializes in a different type of weapon. You can also create new weapons between missions -- doing so is the main method of power progression, in fact. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | It can be downloaded [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/2732/ here,]] in addition to more details on the [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/2732/IMTS_Story/ story,]] [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/2732/Weapons/ item crafting system,]] and [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/2732/Battle/ gameplay.]] |
| 24 | |
| 25 | You can see the trailer [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/2732/media/386/ here]], and there is also some trivia on the developer's blog [[http://tilde-one.com/articles.php?id=346 here]] (beware of spoilers in the latter, obviously). |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Do note that, as a prequel to ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', '''there will be unmarked spoilers relating to it ahead'''. If you want to see the full saga, you should play that game first. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | Characters, locations, and ideas from this game, as well as its sequels, made their way into a SpiritualSuccessor game, called ''Videogame/EdensLastSunrise'', by Sungazer Software. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | %%If you need the permille symbol, the keyboard shortcut is Alt+0137. If that doesn't work, copy/paste this one: ‰ |
| 32 | ---- |
| 33 | !!This game is the TropeNamer for the following trope: |
| 34 | |
| 35 | * ImmortalityInducer: The +ii emitter, affectionately called "Immortality Inducer" by some characters. Overexposure to its radiation is ''very, very bad'', though; if people don't use stasis chambers to block it, it can ruin their minds. |
| 36 | |
| 37 | !!This game provides examples of the following tropes: |
| 38 | |
| 39 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Narrative]] |
| 42 | * AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: In ''A Plan For Everything'', the ''Inquiry'' is destroyed by the BigBad's MOD units. |
| 43 | * ArcNumber: 1000, to a very minor extent. Since all statistical numbers are out of one thousand, you'll see it (or at the very least "[number] permille") come up a lot. |
| 44 | * ArcWords: "Forever", particularly in the episode that [[TitleDrop has the word in its title]]. |
| 45 | * BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Downplayed; it only leads to one favor. If you attempt to rescue the Black One in episode 3, he'll cite this as his motivation when he returns to help you later on. |
| 46 | * BeehiveBarrier: [[spoiler:Ral]] seems to create large, physical versions of these using raw mechanical materials in the final mission of ''His Master's Voice''. They don't actually use it in combat, though. |
| 47 | * BigNo: Ros' reaction to [[spoiler:witnessing the destruction of the ''Inquiry'']]. |
| 48 | * BittersweetEnding: The optimist ending. [[spoiler:The universe is preserved at its current state -- no more, no less. The war is over, but it has taken its toll -- now there is even ''more'' work to do before society gets back to pre-Shine levels of stability. Neff, Chac, Cassidy, Cole, and Ivoronus are dead, and Tezkhra and Mahk have disappeared. Ros is possibly dead as well]]. As the ending title says, you pretty much have to believe that everything will turn out alright in the end. |
| 49 | * BodySurf: [[spoiler:The Black One]] does this every time they die, essentially giving them ResurrectiveImmortality. However, their consciousness can only take over the body of [[spoiler:a Lesser]]. Since [[spoiler:their brains aren't as complex as other creatures']], this leads to [[TheFogOfAges memory problems]]. |
| 50 | * BookEnds: Kind of. Each episode (except the final one) begins and ends with Ros in a stasis pod. ''Episode 5'' mixes things up a bit by [[spoiler:''destroying the stasis pod'']]. |
| 51 | * BuffySpeak: Marie refers to the FOCS construct as "big spinny ring thing" at one point when talking to someone who didn't know its actual name. |
| 52 | * CentralTheme: Scope, again, though in an inversion of what it was in the sequel. Tezkhra says at the end of ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', "How far back must we stand before we can see everything ahead? And...does that mean we must lose sight of what was closest to begin with?" ''The Reconstruction'' analyzed the first part; this game analyzes the second. |
| 53 | ** A secondary theme seems to be nihilism. [[spoiler:Despite our best efforts, we can never create something truly eternal; entropy will always catch up with us eventually.]] |
| 54 | * ChekhovsGun: Early in the game, in one of the optional side conversations, a character makes note of how Ros shows no signs of emotional suppression, despite not witnessing the Shine (which is what cracked other characters' stoicism). In episode 4, it's revealed that [[spoiler:this is because the Ouranos project was designed by those who avoided suppression -- thus, they did not incorporate it into their creations]]. |
| 55 | * CliffHanger: To an extent. Every episode has an ending cutscene that foreshadows or mentions some major event that will drive the plot in the next episode. |
| 56 | * DefeatEqualsFriendship: You need to fight them twice, though. [[spoiler:Jessamine]] is fought as a MiniBoss towards the beginning of ''His Master's Voice'', and can be fought again as an OptionalBoss later. They join your party after that. |
| 57 | * DoomedByCanon: Actually ''inverted'' in a few cases -- Marie and Rami are mentioned in the GoldenEnding of ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', so they can't die (by extension, the rest of the main crew is probably safe as well). Mahk is also a prominent character in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', so he's got PlotArmour too. |
| 58 | ** Played straight with [[spoiler:Tezkhra]]. |
| 59 | * DownerEnding: Judging by the fact that [[spoiler:the Black One]] says that it will [[spoiler:''[[ApocalypseHow destroy all of reality]]'']], the pessimist ending may be this. |
| 60 | * EasilyForgiven: Daszk is very quick to forgive the crew for imprisoning and threatening to murder him, even though Vergil is the only one who actually apologizes. |
| 61 | * EmergencyTransformation: To save [[spoiler: Deirdre's]] life from horrible radiation poisoning, Rami has to convert them into an AUG. They join your fleet afterwards. |
| 62 | * EmotionsVersusStoicism: People apparently repressed their emotions in the past, though they're resurfacing now. The characters tend to treat them as both a blessing and a curse, instead of planting themselves firmly on one side. Most characters do lean towards one or the other. The personality bars, especially the mentality one, also represent this. |
| 63 | ** The MultipleEndings seem to be connected to this. The pessimist ending requires you to have immense faith in a long-shot miracle solution -- the emotional choice. The optimist ending requires you to reject it and accept that perfect solutions don't exist -- the rational choice. |
| 64 | * FlatWhat: In a ContinuityNod to ''Videogame/TheReconstruction'', this is Rami's reaction to seeing [[spoiler:the Tatzylvurm]]. |
| 65 | * ForegoneConclusion: To those who have played ''Videogame/TheReconstruction'', [[spoiler:Tezkhra's death]] is this. |
| 66 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: You'll get tons of this if you recover Typelog fragments when investigating, since most of them are lines spoken by characters in the future. |
| 67 | * ForScience: EROS flip-flops with this. Some of the stuff they do is for a real purpose, but a lot of it is just because. |
| 68 | ** In particular, [[MadScientist Willis]] is not bogged down by any of your silly "ethics" nonsense, and most of his projects have little to no applicability (or if they do, it's a secondary consideration). |
| 69 | ** Specific example: Once upon a time, an EROS research facility set up an experiment. The best case scenario was the successful reallocation of matter. The worst-case scenario? [[spoiler:''Unintentional spaghettification of all reality'' (read: ''the Shine'').]] They went through with it -- ''twice'', in fact, the second attempt causing [[spoiler:their facility to implode.]] |
| 70 | * GainaxEnding: The pessimist ending. [[spoiler:Ros enters the Core and absorbs the universe into a single point of energy, thereby completing the Progenitor's plan]]...then the game just ends. |
| 71 | * GotMeDoingIt: |
| 72 | -->'''Luke''': Ros Ouranos... D-ah, I mean, uh, Ros! Gah, they got me doin' it now. Let's... leave soon, yeah? |
| 73 | * GrayAndGreyMorality: There's no unambiguous good guys here. There are technologically-advanced superpowers fighting to impose their visions upon the galaxy, renegade SpacePirates who want to live free of the squabbling great powers' influence while taking what they want through combat, barbarian space lizards who don't have the intelligence to be any better [[spoiler: ...except when they do]], and a group of intrepid explorers just trying to knit society back together, [[spoiler: until their leader decides to knock everyone's heads together to restore peace]]. As for the BigBad? [[spoiler: He's an OmnicidalManiac {{Ubermensch}} who [[VillainHasAPoint happens to have a very good point]], but whose solution is somewhat questionable.]] |
| 74 | * HeroicBSOD: |
| 75 | ** Tezkhra, after discovering that [[spoiler:the Black One wasn't just spouting nonsense -- the work that he loved so passionately nearly caused all of reality to be destroyed]]. This is what leads him to running away and crash-landing on the PLSE surface of ''The Reconstruction''. |
| 76 | ** Mahk, after learning that [[spoiler:the Machinatorium has been destroyed]], becomes unresponsive and uncharacteristically quiet, eventually culminating in him [[spoiler:freaking out and running away to find Tezkhra]]. It is also potentially kicked up a notch by [[spoiler:Ivoronus' HeroicSacrifice]]. |
| 77 | * HeroicSacrifice: |
| 78 | ** [[spoiler:When the ''Inquiry'' is being destroyed, Virgil stays behind and uses the last available backup power to get Ros to safety.]] |
| 79 | ** [[spoiler:Neff, Chac, Cassidy, Cole, and Ivoronus perform a suicide attack against the Lesser Horde to protect the Core]] in the optimist ending. [[UncertainDoom Possibly]] [[spoiler:Ros]], as well -- they are required to fly close to a black hole, and the characters fear they may be sucked past the event horizon. We don't see the final outcome. |
| 80 | * HoldingBackThePhlebotinum: When the crew finds a strange Lesser that seems to recognize Tezkhra, but who Tezkhra says he's never seen before, it should be easy to confirm who's telling the truth through a simple trip to the Typelog archives. However, Tezkhra apparently ''deletes files he deems "unnecessary"'', so, even if he did know the Lesser once, it could be impossible to tell. |
| 81 | * InterspeciesRomance: Your options of crewmates to pursue romantically are not limited by species. |
| 82 | * IronicEcho: In episode 5, after [[spoiler:rescuing the ''Inquiry'' crew]], Thomas echoes Ros' sarcastic "you're welcome" line from the previous episode. |
| 83 | * ItHasBeenAnHonor: [[spoiler:Chac]], before their HeroicSacrifice in the optimist ending, and also [[spoiler:before they fight you]] in the pessimist ending. |
| 84 | * IWillWaitForYou: [[spoiler:Mahk]]'s response to [[spoiler:Ros' maybe-HeroicSacrifice]] in the ending if you chose them as your LoveInterest. Subverted, however, as [[spoiler:canonically, he dies in Videogame/TheReconstruction without ever seeing Ros again]]... |
| 85 | * JerkassHasAPoint: Thomas may be a cold, arrogant, and generally unpleasant individual, but he does bring up many salient, logical points. This is especially prevalent at the end of episode 4, where he points out the negative consequences of all the choices they have made. |
| 86 | * KirkSummation: Marie delivers one to Thomas in the optimist ending. |
| 87 | * LaserGuidedAmnesia: |
| 88 | ** Ros, who can remember everything except what happened before s/he was put in stasis. |
| 89 | ** ''Anyone'' can have this, and it is a necessary side effect of {{immortality}}; Typelog has devised a system allowing people to replace unused memories with ones they currently need. |
| 90 | * MadnessMantra: |
| 91 | -->Immortal, all-knowing, omnipresent...immortal, all-knowing, omnipresent... [[spoiler:IMMORTALALLKNOWINGOMNIPRESENTIMMORTALALLKNOWINGOMNIPRESENT]] |
| 92 | * MassOhCrap: The crew's reaction to encountering a jamming pulse in episode 4, as it places them in a dire "kill or be killed" situation. |
| 93 | * ModularEpilogue: The GoldenEnding has some additional scenes depending on how many characters you recruited, and Alicia's opinion of Ros will change depending on if you targeted the rogues with the superweapon. |
| 94 | * MultipleEndings: Two; named "optimist" and "pessimist". |
| 95 | * OrderVersusChaos: |
| 96 | ** {{Discussed}} to some degree. The society at large (and a lawful Ros) falls squarely on the "order" side. However, with the resurgence of emotions, chaos is starting to drift in. In the background, many characters wonder about this and question what the balance between the two should be. |
| 97 | ** The conflict between Typelog and EROS fits this, though EROS members themselves are firmly lawful. Typelog members retain their emotional suppression, are scrupulously polite, and consider computerization and data to be the highest form of advancement. EROS follows a very emotional form of ForScience, runs on a scientific variant of AsskickingLeadsToLeadership, and their members tend to constantly analyze and disparage the Inquiry's methods. Neither group is especially nice. |
| 98 | * PrecisionFStrike: You know things have gotten serious when ''[[TheStoic Tezkhra]]'' swears. |
| 99 | * QuipToBlack: Virgil tends to make one of these at the end of each episode. |
| 100 | ** Subverted in the ending for ''And Yet It Moves'', however, where he noticeably [[NotSoStoic loses his composure]] and ends on a much more serious and ominous OneLiner. |
| 101 | * TheReveal: |
| 102 | ** The high-level offices in the abandoned databanks answer a ''lot'' of major plot questions, often taking this form. |
| 103 | ** A few of the crew members' final interaction scenes can take this form, usually answering lingering questions about their character arcs. It's even lampshaded in the case of [[spoiler:Tezkhra]], where [[TheUnreveal the reveal is so obvious that everyone admits they already knew it]]. |
| 104 | * RevealingCoverup: After Cassidy decides to sequester herself on a test subject planet, she deletes the planet from the list to ensure she isn't followed. Her supervisor kept a changelog, however, so this actually just provides a blazing neon sign. |
| 105 | * SleptThroughTheApocalypse: Ros was kept in a suspension tank during the Shine. |
| 106 | * SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:Ivoronus' last words to Mahk, if you don't recruit him and he dies at the Machinatorium.]] |
| 107 | * StatusQuoIsGod: Many of your crewmates' final personal scenes are built up to seem like they will be making major changes to themselves or the world, but these plans are always prevented or shut down for various reasons. Some characters' subplots do get proper resolutions in the ending, though. |
| 108 | * StupidSacrifice: |
| 109 | ** Though they couldn't have known this at the time, [[spoiler:Vergil]]'s HeroicSacrifice is this in hindsight, as the entire purpose of the attack was to smoke out the person they were trying to save -- the BigBad would never have allowed [[spoiler:Ros]] to die, so by staying behind to get them to safety, they did nothing but spell their own doom. |
| 110 | ** The HeroicSacrifice to protect the Core in the optimist ending. The participants only die because disabled craft get crushed by the Core... except this doesn't happen when fighting the FinalBoss, which is fought much closer to the Core. If they had just moved a bit farther out, they probably would have survived. |
| 111 | * TitleDrop: |
| 112 | ** Upon witnessing a sunrise for the first time in millennia, [[spoiler:Marie]]'s reaction is "God, I missed this." |
| 113 | ** A title drop for an individual episode. Strangely, it actually happens in the episode that comes after it. When [[spoiler:Jessamine]] visits [[spoiler:her "girls"]] in the ending: "Always and always! Forever and ever!" |
| 114 | * UncertainDoom: In the optimist ending, the last thing we see of [[spoiler:Ros]], they are dragging [[spoiler:the Core]] towards a black hole. Other characters say that it's not certain whether or not they will actually have to pass the event horizon, but it is a possibility that they don't make it back, and WordOfGod has stated that they don't plan on the character reappearing in any future games. |
| 115 | * TheUsualAdversaries: The Lessers. |
| 116 | * WeCanRebuildHim: Cybernetic surgery is a common practice. |
| 117 | * WhamEpisode: The penultimate mission of ''And Yet It Moves'', where the crew discovers [[spoiler:the true nature of the Shine (it was manmade)]]. |
| 118 | ** The final offices of the abandoned databanks. [[spoiler:Lacertians did not evolve naturally; they were synthesized in a lab, and Lessers were the prototypes. Ivoronus was also the first one created]]. Plus, [[spoiler:the rationale behind the creation of the Shine -- it was an attempt to combat entropy.]] And to kick it all off, [[spoiler:latent energy (a.k.a. [[FunctionalMagic magic]]) is from a quantifiable wellspring point that appears to be a portal to another ''plane of reality'']]. Big stuff, and some of it appears to be {{Foreshadowing}} for an even greater [[TheReveal reveal]]! |
| 119 | ** ''A Plan For Everything'' is pretty much this non-stop. It begins with [[spoiler:''the Inquiry being destroyed'']], and goes downhill from there. |
| 120 | * WhamLine: |
| 121 | ** In episode 3: |
| 122 | -->'''Willis:''' [[spoiler:[Typelog] must have traced back the sabotage of the Mind/Matter Interface project to our agent on the inside.]] |
| 123 | ** Episode 4 has a wham ''word''. In [[spoiler:Ivoronus]]' final scene, you get a piece of paper with their name on it. It's [[spoiler:"PRIME", the name that #1213 gave to their most beloved creation.]] |
| 124 | * WhatTheHellHero: |
| 125 | ** [[spoiler:Thomas]] delivers one of these late in the game, criticizing you for all the personality-altering choices you made previously and throwing the consequences in your face. |
| 126 | ** Neff, Kara, Alicia, or Daszk will give Ros one of these, depending on [[spoiler:what side you attack with the superweapon]]. |
| 127 | ** In the pessimist ending, [[spoiler:''every single character'' will give you a verbal smackdown as you systematically murder them]]. |
| 128 | * YouMonster: This is [[spoiler:Alicia]]'s reaction if you [[spoiler:attack the Rogues with the superweapon]]. |
| 129 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: |
| 130 | ** In Episode 1, the crew encounters a Lesser with an augmented (cybernetic) leg. They note that this should be impossible, as Lesser biology is incompatible with cybernetics, and Lessers shouldn't have the resources anyway. How the augmentation happened is never explained. |
| 131 | ** In Episode 2, Daszk is mentioned to be part of an ''Inquiry''-like peacekeeping force who left him for dead. They never appear. |
| 132 | ** Ral, at one point in Episode 2, says the enigmatic line, "That lacertian agrees with me". We never learn who she was referring to. |
| 133 | [[/folder]] |
| 134 | |
| 135 | [[folder:Characters]] |
| 136 | * ActionGirl: Virtually every female character, a female Ros in particular. |
| 137 | * AlliterativeName: Rami Ransed. |
| 138 | * ArmCannon: Tezkhra has one. |
| 139 | * ArrogantKungFuGuy: Mahk, in stark contrast with [[ActualPacifist his personality in the sequel]]. |
| 140 | * BadassBookworm: Due to the fact that every single character you meet has [[{{Immortality}} lived a very long time]], almost all of the playable characters are very knowledgeable, in addition to being good fighters. |
| 141 | * BadassLongcoat: [[spoiler:Chac]]'s uniform. |
| 142 | * BloodKnight: Lazarus. |
| 143 | * CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:Ros]] and [[spoiler:Lazarus]]. |
| 144 | * CharacterDevelopment: Mahk is...''[[ArrogantKungFuGuy different]]''...than in his sequel appearance. Naturally, he goes through a lot of this. In his final dialogue in ''His Master's Voice'', [[spoiler:he reflects on the conflict he's seen and begins to question the purpose of his weaponcraft.]] By the end of ''And Yet It Moves'', [[spoiler:he reveals that the purpose of Sikohlon weaponcraft was deterrence, not destruction, and being forced to kill (or narrowly avoid killing) the rebel colony actually makes him feel horrible.]] |
| 145 | * CompanionCube: Deirdre's ship, apparently. Justified for a number of reasons; its stasis chamber kept her from going insane from emitter radiation, she was naturally inclined towards science and technology to begin with, and the other members of Purity Point shunned her, leaving her with little other companionship. |
| 146 | * CreepyMonotone: It's hard to convey through text, but Mr. Right and Mr. Left seem to speak in a robotic monotone, indicated by the fact that the sentences appear instantly instead of letter by letter. |
| 147 | * DeadpanSnarker: You can turn Ros into one of these if you so desire, depending on the personality you choose and which choices you pick in {{Dialogue Tree}}s. |
| 148 | * SnarkKnight: Mahk. |
| 149 | * SnarkToSnarkCombat: In his optional dialogues, if you have Ros be a DeadpanSnarker. |
| 150 | * {{Deuteragonist}}: Marie. The developer even [[http://www.tilde-one.com/articles.php?id=378 makes an argument]] that she could be considered the ''protagonist'', with ''Ros'' as the deuteragonist. |
| 151 | ** Tezkhra is eligible for the role of tritagonist, also, as his subplot gets a great deal of focus and is significant to the main story. |
| 152 | * DefrostingIceQueen: A bit of an odd example, as [[HotBlooded Marie]] is hardly an "ice queen", and doesn't even "defrost" all that much. However, she does have a softer side, and can warm up to Ros if you take the time to talk to her. |
| 153 | * DespairEventHorizon: A lacertian man named Chac seems to have passed it; he was the lone survivor of a ship that was wrecked by the Shine, and [[ItsAllMyFault is wracked with survivor guilt]]. In addition, he lost both his wife and his legs. [[spoiler:Turns out he hasn't quite passed the brink; though it takes a Herculean effort, his sidequest involves bringing him back from the event horizon.]] |
| 154 | * TheDitz: |
| 155 | ** Daszk. Justified, since [[spoiler:Lessers are less intelligent than lacertians]]. |
| 156 | ** Subverted with Luke; [[spoiler:it's obfuscating stupidity done in order to make people let down their guard]]. |
| 157 | * TheDividual: Mr. Right and Mr. Left are classic examples of the Twindividual. Even their names imply they are never seen apart. |
| 158 | * EnsignNewbie: Ouranos is recruited specifically to be given field command of the Inquiry's forces. Of course, [[JustifiedTrope this is because of her having access to special proteins that give her hyperspeed thinking ability, not command experience]]. |
| 159 | * EyesAlwaysShut: Ivoronus. [[spoiler:Until you recruit him, anyway.]] |
| 160 | * Fiction500: Ivoronus. He says that 500,000 half-credits is but a minor fraction of what he owns. Interestingly, however, he does not flaunt this wealth, and doesn't seem to use it for much more than perfecting his Machinatorium. |
| 161 | * FullNameBasis: Fitting the pattern, the extremely formal and [[TheStoic emotionless]] Typelog employees address Ros this way. |
| 162 | * GenderBlenderName: Ros, which is necessary due to their variable gender. |
| 163 | * GentleGiant: |
| 164 | ** Tezkhra has quite an imposing frame (plus an ArmCannon), but is generally rather calm and introverted. |
| 165 | ** Daszk is huge, due to being half-Lesser, but he is also extremely shy and meek. |
| 166 | * [[HalfHumanHybrid Half-Lacertian Hybrid]]: [[spoiler:Daszk]] is half-Lesser. |
| 167 | * HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: Chac. [[spoiler:You can give him ArtificialLimbs if you complete a sidequest, though.]] |
| 168 | * HiddenDepths: A ''lot'' of the characters are shown to have this, if you talk to them between missions. |
| 169 | * ImmortalImmaturity: Inverted with Deirdre, who was exposed to emitter radiation before she was an adult -- as such, she looks like a child despite being just as mature as everyone else. |
| 170 | * InsufferableGenius: Mahk, at first. [[CharacterDevelopment He gets better]]. |
| 171 | * JerkAss: Thomas, who constantly derides and condescends towards your crew. He also dehumanizes Ros, treating him/her as nothing but a tool. |
| 172 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: [[spoiler:Mahk]]. |
| 173 | * KindheartedSimpleton: Daszk. |
| 174 | * LadyOfWar: An assertive but [[TheStoic stoic]] female Ros can be this. |
| 175 | * LastNameBasis / FirstNameBasis: Formal and/or [[TheStoic stoic]] characters will address Ros as "Ouranos", while more informal and/or emotional characters will address Ros by his/her first name. The exception to this is Mahk, who addresses Ros on a LastNameBasis, despite being a passive-aggressive DeadpanSnarker (though he likely does so sarcastically; it's hard to tell in pure text). |
| 176 | * LikeIsLikeAComma: Luke. |
| 177 | * MadScientist: |
| 178 | ** Willis is a toned down example. He's not really crazy or evil, he's just ''way'' to far towards the "logic" end of the EmotionsVersusStoicism scale. |
| 179 | ** The BigBad ([[spoiler:The Progenitor]]) is a straight example. [[spoiler:He ''created the Shine'', for one, and his later notes have him growing increasingly deranged and desperate.]] |
| 180 | %%* MinoredInAssKicking: Tezkhra. |
| 181 | * MysticalWhiteHair: Ral, the transhumanist leader of the Typelog Corporation, who seeks to evolve herself to a higher form of augmented being. |
| 182 | * NoNameGiven: We never learn the names of the scientists mentioned in the EROS abandoned databanks, though they do have individual ID numbers. |
| 183 | * OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The Progenitor. |
| 184 | * NoSocialSkills: Deirdre has a bit of trouble adapting to being around people, and really prefers machines. |
| 185 | * ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:Luke isn't actually TheDitz. He acts dumb and ineffectual so that people will let down their guard and he can rob them blind.]] |
| 186 | * OppositesAttract: [[HotBlooded Cassidy]] and [[TheQuietOne Cole]]. |
| 187 | * PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: If you make Ros a [[LizardFolk lacertian]], Lazarus will sneer that s/he is "one of those disgusting lizard things," making him the only character in the game to express such FantasticRacism. Given that the developer is a proud reptile lover, this is clearly used as a mark against him. |
| 188 | * TheQuietOne: You're lucky to get a response from [[spoiler:Cole]] that's anything other than "Mmph". And even when you do, expect it to be monosyllabic. |
| 189 | * {{Retirony}}: Kind of. [[spoiler:Cassidy and Cole frequently mention how they're going to retire for good after Ros' mission is finished, but in the optimist ending, they make a HeroicSacrifice instead.]] |
| 190 | * ScienceHero: Most of them, particularly the {{Cyborg}}s. ''Especially'' [[spoiler:Deirdre]]: she talks about science and progress a ''lot'', and treats her ship like a CompanionCube. Justified, since [[spoiler:the people of Purity Point hate technology, and ostracized her so that machines were her only source of companionship]]. She also realizes that science is quite literally the only thing keeping her alive after she's augmented. |
| 191 | * {{Snaketalk}}: |
| 192 | ** The Black One. [[spoiler:For his first two bodies, anyway -- he talks normally in his third.]] |
| 193 | ** [[spoiler:The Lessers in the Lesser Habitation]] talk this way, except for [[spoiler:the "Resolute Lesser", probably to make him seem more intelligent]]. |
| 194 | * TheStoic: |
| 195 | ** Tezkhra and Sorenson, so very much, as well as Dispatcher Amalas. Also Ros, if s/he is very Logical or Conservative. |
| 196 | ** The backstory mentions that for a long time, ''everyone's'' emotions were technologically suppressed to prevent conflict. Shock caused by the Shine made most people snap out of it, but it seems like all Typelog employees are still in this state. |
| 197 | ** NotSoStoic: Tezkhra's reaction to [[spoiler:finding out that Typelog stole his Stardraw technology]]: "''Damn it all!!''" The rest of the crew is rightfully freaked out by this. He also gets rather aggressive whenever Mahk annoys him. |
| 198 | *** [[spoiler:However, it's later revealed to be subverted. His reaction was because his technology wasn't designed to store that much energy, and could cause a catastrophic failure, so he wanted to warn Typelog. [[DoubleSubverted It seems like that's just what he's telling the crew, though]]; he still appears to be seething with barely-concealed rage when talking to Typelog.]] |
| 199 | *** Also, [[spoiler:Sorenson]] sounds like they're on the verge of going berserk in the ending cutscene of ''And Yet It Moves''. |
| 200 | * OlderThanTheyLook: Everyone, since they all have BiologicalImmortality, though particularly Marie, who has apparently been living since ''before the ImmortalProcreationClause came into effect'' (for reference: everyone else on the ''Inquiry'' only vaguely know what a "child" is). |
| 201 | ** Also Deirdre, who was exposed to emitter radiation while she was still a kid. Unfortunately, this makes her look like a kid despite being as mature as everyone else. This is a source of irritation for her. |
| 202 | * OmnicidalManiac: Lazarus, possibly. He's a mentally unstable BloodKnight, and characters ''claim'' that he would annihilate everything in the galaxy ForTheEvulz if he had the chance, but when you do meet him, he claims that such things are beneath him. Given what the BigBad's plan is, though, it's possible that [[spoiler:he wants to [[ApocalypseHow permanently destroy all of reality]] by ascending to godhood and then preventing the new universe from being born]]. |
| 203 | * ThemeNaming: Except for Father Ivoronus, all of the Sikohlon have four-letter names. One NPC speculates that they're abbreviations for their real names. This is possibly a ShoutOut to UsefulNotes/{{NES}} games, like fih'jik names were in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction''. |
| 204 | ** And from the named Sikohlon we see in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'' -- Rehm, Dehl, Moke, and Xopi -- it would appear that Mahk continued the trend when he founded the clan. (It would seem he even continued the "fathers get full names" rule, as the one Sikohlon who breaks the pattern, [[spoiler:Skint]], is one of the three fathers.) |
| 205 | * SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Chac can be rather verbose in his optional conversations. |
| 206 | * ShipTease: [[spoiler:Marie]] and [[spoiler:Rami]] in the optimist ending. |
| 207 | * VillainousBreakdown: Lazarus, already somewhat unstable to begin with, ''really'' starts losing it if [[spoiler:you let him talk for long enough during your duel.]] |
| 208 | -->"[[spoiler:Why were we three forced into this world where only one could survive? It...it's ''not fair!!!'']]" |
| 209 | * WellDoneSonGuy: [[spoiler:Ivoronus]], to [[spoiler:Mahk]]. |
| 210 | ** [[spoiler:Mahk]] does actually get a SoProudOfYou speech, but only if [[spoiler:you don't recruit Ivoronus]]. |
| 211 | * WellIntentionedExtremist: |
| 212 | ** [[spoiler:The Progenitor]] really did have the best of intentions -- he was only trying to [[spoiler:save humanity -- and the universe -- from entropy]]. In fact, his biggest mistake that everyone blames him for happened due to circumstances outside of his control. |
| 213 | ** [[spoiler:The Black One]] isn't as crazed and violent as they first appear -- they are actually trying to save the universe in their own way. Unfortunately, those methods involve [[spoiler:killing Tezkhra]]. |
| 214 | * WhiteHairBlackHeart: [[spoiler:Willis]]. He isn't ''completely'' evil, but he does some pretty unscrupulous things for the sake of his organization, and [[MadScientist the word "ethics" does not appear to be in his vocabulary]]. |
| 215 | * WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: During his VillainousBreakdown, Lazarus reveals that [[spoiler:he is jealous that Ros was accepted and befriended by the ''Inquiry'' crew, [[IJustWantToHaveFriends while he was given the cold shoulder]].]] |
| 216 | [[/folder]] |
| 217 | |
| 218 | [[folder:Setting]] |
| 219 | * AfterTheEnd: Despite this, it manages to be pretty upbeat and hopeful. |
| 220 | * ApocalypseHow: The Shine was a Galactic (possibly Universal) Societal Disruption. |
| 221 | ** And, according to [[spoiler:the Black One]], the BigBad's plan ([[spoiler:compressing the universe into a single point of energy -- essentially an artificial big crunch]]) will cause Universal (possibly Omniversal) Metaphysical Annihilation -- "It will be the end of ''all things!''". It's not entirely clear how or why, though. |
| 222 | * ArmsDealer: The Sikohlon (to the extreme surprise of everyone who's played ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'') are a mix of type 2 (they're the only known arms dealer in the galaxy) and type 3. |
| 223 | * BlackMarket: The Hole & Corner Market, first introduced in ''Episode 3'', which sells high-level components for extremely high prices. |
| 224 | * CreatingLife: [[spoiler:The lacertians were created by ambitious scientists, likely by mutating Earth reptiles.]] |
| 225 | * CreatingLifeIsAwesome: [[NoNameGiven Scientist #1213]] certainly sees it this way. See [[Quotes/IMissTheSunrise the quotes page]] for details. |
| 226 | * CyberneticsEatYourSoul: Inverted, if anything; all the playable cyborgs thus far have been some of the most cheerful and optimistic characters. (Except Tezkhra, anyway, who is TheStoic, but otherwise a perfectly nice guy.) |
| 227 | * {{Cyborg}}: Augmented humans. Lacertians can't be augmented, as there's something about their cellular construction and regeneration that's incompatible with the machinery. Tezkhra is an odd exception to this, though. He was probably able to be augmented due to [[spoiler:being the same species as the Black One, and therefore not having a normal lacertian body]]. |
| 228 | * DrillTank: Well, Drill ''Ship''. One of the side-missions has you trying to catch 'The Tunneller' who uses a gigantic drill to bore through a planet. |
| 229 | * FanNickname: InUniverse; some affectionately refer to the +ii emitter as the "immortality inducer", because the Roman numeral looks like two i's. |
| 230 | * FantasticRacism: |
| 231 | ** Averted for the most part -- lacertians were welcomed by the humans with open arms, and by the point the story starts, have been integrated seamlessly into human culture. However, ''everyone'' hates [[TheUsualAdversaries Lessers]], to the point the crew torments and repeatedly threatens to murder someone who is merely ''half'' Lesser. Interestingly, this is never clearly rebuked. [[spoiler:Late in the game, a sidequest allows you to discover that Lessers are indeed capable of the same intelligence and compassion as anyone else... but the characters' opinions of Lessers remain unchanged by the revelation, and it is possible to [[ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure murder the colony of peaceful Lessers on principle]] with no repercussions.]]\ |
| 232 | However, the members of Purity Point hate lacertians and {{cyborg}}s for unknown reasons, saying that they are "corrupt". When you visit, they force your lacertian crew members to sit in a small room. It's probable that their insanity has given them xenophobia. Interestingly, [[spoiler:the Lesser Habitation]] in episode 4 does seem to show that [[spoiler:Lessers are not as unintelligible as they seem, and are definitely sapient]]. |
| 233 | ** There appears to be a deal of negative stigma towards {{Cyborg}}s. |
| 234 | * TheFogOfAges: Addressed. Typelog's purpose is to avoid this by allowing everyone to keep records of every memory they've had, and swap out their current memories for old ones if they need to. So, the negative effects of this trope are avoided for the most part. Unless, like Tezkhra, you delete "unnecessary files"... |
| 235 | * GenderIsNoObject: Except to Luke, gender seems to be a completely meaningless distinction. Possibly justified due to the [[ImmortalProcreationClause mass sterilization of the human race]]; there is literally no functional difference between the two genders anymore. |
| 236 | * HumanoidAliens: The lacertians. Justified, as [[spoiler:they didn't evolve naturally. They were synthesized in a lab by human scientists, so it makes sense that they would copy the basic structure]]. |
| 237 | * HumansAreWhite: Averted. Even among {{Non Player Character}}s, there is a large variety of skin tones. |
| 238 | * {{Immortality}}: Radiation from a +ii emitter causes BiologicalImmortality. As pointed out by numerous characters, it's pretty much a necessity for space travel. |
| 239 | ** ImmortalProcreationClause: Done voluntarily, since there was no longer any need to reproduce once the +ii emitter was invented. |
| 240 | ** ImmortalsFearDeath: Because of failsafes in combat craft, battles almost never lead to {{Permadeath}}. [[spoiler: Fighting under jamming-pulse conditions]] is absolutely terrifying to the immortal Inquiry crew, and even killing hostiles is seen as a major ShootTheDog. |
| 241 | ** TheFogOfAges: The amount of memories the human brain can store is limited, and you have to regularly clean up your mind by "dropping" minor memories into the Typelog database. |
| 242 | ** ImmortalityField: +ii works by emitting radiation that stops cell aging around an area. |
| 243 | * JustifiedSavePoint: The Typelog database that functions as a save system is a key element of the setting; it's part of what allows immortal society to function properly. |
| 244 | * LizardFolk: Lacertians and Lessers. |
| 245 | * MegaCorp: Typelog, though they are fairly benevolent, serving a vital role in society. [[spoiler:However, they do not appear to follow any privacy laws, as they steal Tezkhra's research without his knowledge.]] |
| 246 | ** [[spoiler:They also declare war on EROS, leading to a galaxy-wide catastrophe -- though in fairness, they were attacked first. [[PetTheDog They also seem to battle with unmanned drones rather than throw people into the meat grinder.]]]] |
| 247 | * {{Panspermia}}: Something of an inversion in that we see it from the perspective of the SufficientlyAdvancedAliens. The terraforming and population of the planet of ''Videogame/TheReconstruction'' is a subplot here, performed by EROS. |
| 248 | * ResearchInc: EROS, sort of. Due to living in a post-scarcity society, they are more focused on ForScience than [[OnlyInItForTheMoney money]], but other than that they fit the bill. |
| 249 | * ScavengerWorld: The Shine destroyed galactic civilization, and now the usual means of finding resources is to explore the ruins and look for supply caches or usable scraps of carboderm. |
| 250 | * ScienceIsBad: Averted in the main narrative, where the effects of scientific advancement on society are discussed in a (mostly) fair and balanced manner, but the members of Purity Point believe this due to their insanity, saying that it brings corruption. The painful irony here is that they're both right and wrong; overexposure to radiation during the Shine ruined their bodies and minds, but ''that same radiation'' is the only thing keeping them alive. |
| 251 | * SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Pretty idealistic at first, but slinks towards cynicism as time goes on. Has the potential to [[DespairEventHorizon plunge off the deep end]] or bounce back to idealism, depending on the player's final choice. |
| 252 | ** On the one hand: Civilization was on the brink of collapse, but is managing to pull itself back together, and it is definitely possible to restore it to its former glory. The cast contains a number of [[ScienceHero enthusiastic scientists]] working to undo the damage of the Shine. |
| 253 | ** On the other hand: Things go downhill fast in episode 4. [[spoiler:A war breaks out, with Typelog and EROS as the main aggressors, and minor factions go into a free-for-all mentality. Death and destruction is rampant, and Virgil remarks that it's exactly like what led to the Breach in the first place -- only this time, there's nowhere to run.]] |
| 254 | ** In the final [[MultipleEndings ending choice]], the pessimist ending is cynical ([[spoiler:Ros believes the current world cannot be saved]]), while the optimist ending makes an attempt to push back towards idealism ([[spoiler:Ros believes the universe ''is'' worth saving, and everyone pulls together to try and fix the damage from the war]]). |
| 255 | * StandardTimeUnits: "Spins" are based on the regular rotation of a Typelog artifact, and have no reference whatsoever to the time units of the Surface that humanity evolved on. |
| 256 | * SocietyOfImmortals: ''Everyone'' has type II {{immortality}} due to the mass-production of [[ImmortalityInducer the +ii emitter]]. |
| 257 | * ThatsNoMoon: Typelog Superhubs are big enough that, like Surfaces, they were shielded from the effects of the Shine on reality. |
| 258 | * TheUnintelligible: All attempts at reasoning or communicating with Lessers ended in failure in the past, and they're still impossible to communicate with. There are a number of counterpoints, however: |
| 259 | ** The Black One not only speaks to the crew, but has an ''augmented leg'', something that should be triply impossible.[[labelnote:note]]Lacertians can't be augmented in the first place, they shouldn't have the technology to perform an augmentation, and even if they did, they don't have the intelligence or knowledge necessary. Or so it would seem.[[/labelnote]] |
| 260 | ** [[TheReveal Turns out that]] [[spoiler:the rational, intelligent Tezkhra]] is a Lesser. |
| 261 | ** In episode 4, you can find [[spoiler:an abandoned EROS laboratory inhabited by Lessers, but they are actually quite calm and nonthreatening. Furthermore, they exhibit intelligent traits -- they can talk, read, and make observational deductions. They are still not at human- or lacertian-level intelligence, however.]] |
| 262 | [[/folder]] |
| 263 | |
| 264 | [[folder:Gameplay]] |
| 265 | * AbsurdlyHighLevelCap: The maximum rank is 30. Good luck getting much higher than 20 before the end of the game. |
| 266 | * AchillesHeel: Neff has ''outstanding'' Hull and Pilot defenses, but the lowest Systems defense in the game. |
| 267 | * AdvancingWallOfDoom: In the battle with [[OptionalBoss the Cryocarrier]], as an intentional ContinuityNod to [[VideoGame/TheReconstruction the Cryomancer]]. |
| 268 | * ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: You can only have five ships per fleet. There isn't a justification for it this time around. |
| 269 | * BarrierChangeBoss: [[OptionalBoss The Queen]]. However, she isn't outright immune to anything, so it is entirely possible to just brute force your way through the battle without ever hitting a weakness. |
| 270 | * BonusDungeon: Splice ''i'', only accessible in the postgame. |
| 271 | * BossBanter: [[spoiler:[[ClimaxBoss Lazarus]]]] talks to you every round. |
| 272 | * BraggingRightsReward: Lampshaded. After defeating the final OptionalBoss, you gain a massive windfall of top-tier weapon components...but your contractors dryly comment that the reward is largely meaningless, since you would need to have unparalleled weaponry in order to beat the thing in the first place. |
| 273 | * {{Cap}}: Damage of normal attacks caps at 900, probably to prevent cheap {{One Hit Kill}}s (damage being counted in permille). {{Critical Hit}}s deal 50% more damage, so the max damage you can inflict is [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill 1350]]. Also, accuracy is capped at 950‰, probably so that there is always a chance, however slight, of attacks missing. |
| 274 | * CastFromHitPoints: As in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', all three meters serve as both {{Life Meter}}s and {{Mana Meter}}s. |
| 275 | * CharacterLevel: Ranks, though the bonuses they provide are minor for the most part, and are only awarded every 3 levels. |
| 276 | * CherryTapping: There's a merit for doing this to an enemy, as well as a merit for an enemy doing it to ''you''. |
| 277 | * ClimaxBoss: All of them, though particularly [[spoiler:the Black One]] in ''His Master's Voice''. And topped off with [[spoiler:Lazarus]] in ''Forever And Ever'', who even has unique battle music. |
| 278 | * CollectionSidequest: Kind of. Scrap Carboderm, otherwise just low-value ShopFodder, can be traded to an NPC in Habitation Zero for more useful items. They aren't unique items, though (they're actually pretty common). |
| 279 | * TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The battle with [[spoiler:[[ClimaxBoss Lazarus]]]] is fought under the effects of a jamming pulse, which normally means that enemy craft cannot regenerate health. They, however, are exempt from this rule (as are their [[FlunkyBoss flunkies]]). |
| 280 | * ControllableHelplessness / HopelessBossFight: [[spoiler:The absolute final battle, where Neff tries to take on ''the entire Lesser horde''. You can't win -- enemies will just continually respawn. The odds are even stacked against you -- you're constantly losing Zone of Control every phase, and the difficulty is automatically set to expert level.]] |
| 281 | * CripplingOverspecialization: YMMV on the "crippling", but there are a number of characters who are highly specialized in on one offensive/defensive type, to the exclusion of all their other stats, making them kind of {{Squishy Wizard}}s. |
| 282 | * DamageIncreasingDebuff: Similarly to Videogame/TheReconstruction, if a side loses the Zone of Control, they take more damage while also inflicting less. |
| 283 | * DamageOverTime: During certain boss missions, you can place your secondary fleets on certain tiles to gain "fire support" from them, causing a small but reliable amount of damage to the boss per turn. (If they are occupied by enemy fleets, though, this can happen to ''you''.) |
| 284 | ** The manual also mentions certain {{Field Power Effect}}s that inflict small amounts of damage to all combatants every turn, but only two are actually in the game. |
| 285 | ** [[OptionalBoss The Cryocarrier]]'s [[AdvancingWallOfDoom advancing ice cloud of doom]] also has this effect to anything trapped inside it. |
| 286 | * DamageSpongeBoss: Averted. [[WordOfGod Space Lizard]] [[http://www.tilde-one.com/articles.php?id=19 states]] that he wanted to avoid the usual "high HP = tough enemy" mechanic. |
| 287 | * DegradedBoss: Previous bosses become normal enemies in Splice ''i''. |
| 288 | %%* DialogueTree |
| 289 | %%* DiegeticInterface |
| 290 | * DifficultyLevels: You can adjust the AI of enemies at a console on the ''Inquiry''. |
| 291 | * DiscOneNuke: |
| 292 | ** If you know the codes, you can obtain any of the powerful EasterEgg weapons mentioned below ''during the prologue''. Even beyond that, if you keep a record of every weapon code you create, you can recreate them as soon as you have the cash on a new playthrough. |
| 293 | ** You can get very high-quality weapon components before they start appearing normally if you unlock high-level splices early...which is pretty easy. |
| 294 | * DualBoss: Subverted by [[OptionalBoss the twins]]. From their name alone, you'd imagine they'd be this...but in actuality, they're on opposite ends of the map, and you need to split into two fleets to capture them. |
| 295 | * DuelBoss: |
| 296 | ** [[spoiler:The Black One]] looks like it's going to be this, but then the rest of your crew shows up and it turns into a normal battle. |
| 297 | ** Played straight with [[spoiler:Lazarus]]. |
| 298 | * EasterEgg: |
| 299 | ** WordOfGod claims that [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/2732/?post=275453#post275453 there is a secret, super-hard difficulty mode involving the AI console.]] It is unlocked by [[spoiler:entering the menu for setting the difficulty to "normal", then scrolling down to select an invisible option]]. |
| 300 | ** There are a few special weapons named after beta testers. They can be found by inputting a certain weapon code: |
| 301 | *** Fool's Errata (Auroral, Luminous, Pilot damage, Acc+ III): [[spoiler:ITHINKIMESSEDUPAGAIN]] |
| 302 | *** Ace in the Hole (Ballistic, Pulse, Systems damage, Acc+ III): [[spoiler:NOTHINGUPMYSLEEVE]] |
| 303 | * EasierThanEasy: Casual mode. |
| 304 | * EasyModeMockery / HardModePerks: Very minor. Adjusting the AI rating will change the amount of credits you get from battles. Seeing as most of your income comes from ShopFodder and that [[MoneyForNothing money is nigh-worthless anyway]], it's not a big deal. |
| 305 | %%* EndgamePlus |
| 306 | * FinalBoss: [[spoiler:The Progenitor]] for the optimist ending, [[spoiler:the Black One]] for the pessimist ending. |
| 307 | %%* FlunkyBoss: All of them, except for a few {{Optional Boss}}es. |
| 308 | %%** The one story boss who averts this is the Black One, [[spoiler:both times]]. |
| 309 | * GameOver: The only way to get one is to lose against a boss, or lose a party member while under the effects of a [[VideoGameSetPiece jamming pulse]]. |
| 310 | * GameplayAndStoryIntegration: |
| 311 | ** Due to Ros' protein; the battle screen is what s/he ''actually sees'' on his/her monitor, including the turn-based nature of combat. The layout on the mission map is also generated by his/her computer. |
| 312 | *** Later in the game, the implications of this are thoroughly explored; [[spoiler:Thomas shows off Ros' true potential by having him/her command an ''entire army'', which they pull off easily. It also makes Lazarus drunk with power, claiming that time itself has no hold over them, and they are free to do whatever they wish with no one to stop them.]] |
| 313 | ** Each race specializes in a certain weapon, with a few exceptions. It is explained why in the flavour text during character creation. |
| 314 | * GameplayAndStorySegregation: The [[DefeatEqualsExplosion flashy explosions that occur when ships are defeated]] aren't meant to represent what actually happens, but a ship shutting down and disengaging [[RuleOfCool looks far less impressive]]. |
| 315 | * GayOption: Kara and Mahk. The former is technically bi; she will make romantic overtures regardless of Ros' gender, as long as you fit her personality requirements. Mahk, on the other hand, will ''only'' be attracted to a male Ros. |
| 316 | * GlobalCurrency: Half-credits. Justified, since credits were probably made universal long before the game started. |
| 317 | * GuideDangIt: Getting the SecretCharacter. In VideoGame/TheReconstruction, there was a blazing neon sign if you met the requirements. Here, not only do you have to recruit all the characters, you have to see all of their personal interaction scenes. ''Then'', after you think there is no reason to interact with your crew anymore (except to [[DatingSim fall in love with them]]), you need to talk to [[spoiler:Mahk]]. The game gives you absolutely ''zero'' hints on this. |
| 318 | * HarderThanHard: Expert mode. Additionally, WordOfGod mentions a hidden "Masochist" difficulty. |
| 319 | * HelloInsertNameHere: Though "Ros" is the main character's default name, you can change it to whatever you want. Also subverted; his/her last name, "Ouranos", is always a constant and cannot be changed. |
| 320 | * HumansAreLeaders: Humans are capable of rallying fighters of the other races in battle. |
| 321 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Invoking this is how you defeat [[OptionalBoss The Drinker]].]] |
| 322 | * InexplicableTreasureChests: Some of them, like the ones in storage areas, aren't as inexplicable, but many can get pretty ridiculous, appearing in the middle of rooms/corridors and even ''blocking paths'' in some cases. |
| 323 | * ItemCrafting: It's the main form of progression, since rank bonuses are minor and infrequent. |
| 324 | * ItemFarming: Since you can't buy high-level components, this is your main source of them. |
| 325 | * KleptomaniacHero: Those [[InexplicableTreasureChests inexplicable item containers]], probably containing the last possessions of ruined, frightened survivors? You've looted them all, haven't you? |
| 326 | ** You can even loot ''your crewmates' personal lockers''. Doing so ''does'' incur [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment a personal trust penalty]] (albeit a surprisingly minor one), however. |
| 327 | ** This is {{lampshaded}} in ''Episode 5''. One of the [=NPCs=] in [[spoiler:the ''Ezekiel'']] will inform you that there are no item boxes to pilfer in the area, and that "We know all about your kleptomania!" |
| 328 | * LaserBlade: Most likely how [[spoiler:Ivoronus]]' "White Cleave" weapon works. |
| 329 | * LastLousyPoint: The fourth merit, "By A Thread", requires you to dodge an attack while having health in the double digits. Getting it requires ''extremely'' good luck -- getting into double-digit health without dying relies an awful lot on random damage variance in the first place, and accuracy is almost completely up to the whims of luck as well. (Plus, if the enemy decides to attack someone else instead, the pilot hanging by a thread will just regenerate, which could waste all your hard work.) Since there's no hint on how to obtain a merit until you actually get it, this may also count as a GuideDangIt. |
| 330 | ** "I'm Insured" is no easy task either. It requires you to finish a battle with all three health values at critical (<300) levels. Most likely, you'll have to fight very weak enemies to avoid being defeated while being that vulnerable, and wear down your health with high-level weapons. |
| 331 | %%* LastSecondEndingChoice |
| 332 | * LethalJokeCharacter: However, if you take the time to [[MagikarpPower level Luke up]], his fleet leader bonus increases from +1 AT to +1 AT ''and'' RT, which basically makes everyone faster and dodgier to boot. |
| 333 | * LuckBasedMission: Many of the sidequests that require items, since treasures are random. However, you come across so many that you usually get what you need before long. |
| 334 | ** The components sold at the black market are also completely random. You'll just have to hope that one of the components being sold is the one you need, otherwise you'll have to do another mission to refresh them. |
| 335 | ** The battle with [[spoiler:[[ClimaxBoss Lazarus]]]] can be this if you only use one weapon type. Each of their attacks has a high chance of inflicting one of the blockage effects, which can make you a sitting duck for a number of phases. You basically have to hope that the AIRoulette picks one that won't cripple you. |
| 336 | * MarathonBoss: |
| 337 | ** [[spoiler:[[ClimaxBoss Lazarus]]]]. They have high defenses, are a DuelBoss, and are fought under the effects of a jamming pulse, so they have more health than normal. |
| 338 | ** The ultimate OptionalBoss, [[spoiler:the Tatzylvurm]], has ''one hundred thousand hit points''. It has poor defense, though, so you'll wear through it faster than usual. |
| 339 | * MirrorMatch: The battle with [[spoiler:Lazarus]], if you chose an [[{{Cyborg}} AUG]] Ros. |
| 340 | * MoneyForNothing: Your money will pile up ''fast''. Weapons don't cost much to make (though making them from blueprints ''is'' rather expensive). The components sold at the Machinatorium become obsolete midway through episode 1, so you'll rarely be buying those. Bounty hunts pay for themselves. At the end of the day, the only real money sink is unlocking new splices. |
| 341 | ** However, the black market in episode 3 can help to thin your purse, since the components are fairly expensive, and you'll want to head there after every mission. |
| 342 | * MultipleLifeBars: Exactly the same as in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction''. They're even analogues for the meters used in that game: Hull instead of Body, Systems instead of Mind, and Pilot instead of Soul. |
| 343 | * NonLethalKO: Justified and somewhat deconstructed. The big explosions you see are just stylistic choice; what actually happens when one of a ship's parts reaches critical levels is that it shuts down and disengages from combat. This mainly shows just how sheltered from death the whole world is. |
| 344 | * NonstandardGameOver: Pretty much ''anything'' that nets you a GameOver is this. It's actually pretty hard to do so, since it only happens under a select few circumstances. |
| 345 | * NoSell: The third boss is immune to Pilot damage. Justified, as [[spoiler:her sensory input is cut off, and since that's usually what Pilot weapons overload, they won't work on her]]. |
| 346 | * NostalgiaLevel: Splice ''i'' is a bit of an in-universe example; it's formed entirely out of Ros' previous experiences. This is represented by its enemies all being [[DegradedBoss previous bosses]]. |
| 347 | * NotActuallyCosmeticAward: Merits will grant slight bonuses to the [[RelationshipValues Personal and Battle Trust]] of all allies, including ones not recruited yet. |
| 348 | * OptionalBoss: |
| 349 | ** The bounty hunt missions usually have {{Video Game Set Piece}}s and [[PuzzleBoss require you to use your head both to find them and to defeat them]]. |
| 350 | ** Parodied with "The End", a post-game bonus boss. Mr. Right and Mr. Left make a big deal of how powerful it is -- the mission nodes leading up to it even have names like "feeling of dread" and "getting the shakes". [[spoiler:However, when you actually engage it, it goes down in one or two hits.]] |
| 351 | ** Capped off with [[spoiler:the Tatzylvurm]], the ''real'' final bounty hunt -- and it does ''not'' disappoint. |
| 352 | * OptionalPartyMember: There are usually two per episode; [[spoiler:Luke]] and [[spoiler:Chac]] in ''Castles of Sand'', [[spoiler:Jessamine]] and [[spoiler:Deirdre]] in ''His Master's Voice'', and [[spoiler:Cassidy]] and [[spoiler:Cole]] in ''And Yet It Moves''. ''Forever And Ever'' only has one, though: [[spoiler:Ivoronus]]. Usually, one is pretty easy to find, but the other requires more effort, such as completing a sidequest. |
| 353 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: Anything you don't pick up in missions. Fortunately, they're only minor items. The most you'll miss is a high-level weapon component that you can get from random missions anyway. For everything else (characters, bounty hunts, etc.), this is averted. There is ''one'' thing of importance that can be missed, though: if you have not already seen Tezkhra's previous personal conversations in episode 1, he will permanently skip over them to talk about events that occurred in the third mission. |
| 354 | * PlayerCharacter: Ros. |
| 355 | * PointOfNoReturn: The end of episode 4. You're given fair warning; [[spoiler:Thomas]] says "you will not be returning to these halls again" in [[RainbowSpeak dark red text]]. You ''can'' return in the postgame, however. |
| 356 | * PostEndGameContent: A [[BonusDungeon bonus splice]] and [[OptionalBoss three new bonus bounty hunts]], as well as the ability to reset [[spoiler:the target of the superweapon]] and your romance choice. |
| 357 | * PuzzleBoss: Most of the [[OptionalBoss bounty hunt bosses]], as mentioned above. |
| 358 | * RandomlyDrops: Not only for enemies, but treasures gained from capsules and investigations are random as well. |
| 359 | * RelationshipValues: Personal trust. It's gained by taking dialogue options during cutscenes or conversations that the character likes or agrees with. Max it out by the end of a crewmate's CharacterArc, and you can [[DatingSim fall in love with them]]. |
| 360 | ** There's a bit of GameplayAndStoryIntegration, too, as higher trust values increase the pilot's damage and accuracy. |
| 361 | * RecurringBoss: Depends on what choices you make, though. The Black One is fought once fairly early in the story. If you choose to [[spoiler:pursue the pessimist ending, he becomes the FinalBoss]]. |
| 362 | * RushBoss: All of them, except for perhaps [[StoneWall the Diamond]], [[spoiler:[[DuelBoss Lazarus]]]], and [[spoiler:[[MarathonBoss the Tatzylvurm]]]]. The combat system in general tends to favor quick, dangerous skirmishes over long, drawn-out battles. |
| 363 | * SecretCharacter: The fifteenth and final crew member, [[spoiler:Ivoronus]]. There are no in-game hints as to what you have to do to find him, and the method of doing so is somewhat counter-intuitive (see GuideDangIt, above). |
| 364 | * SpaceFriction: Drifting. |
| 365 | * TakeYourTime: |
| 366 | ** Lampshaded. |
| 367 | --> '''Rami:''' Y'all notice how the boss is always late to these things? |
| 368 | ** Justified in ''Episode 5'', where [[spoiler:the ''Inquiry'' is being torn to pieces by a swarm of all-powerful [=MODs=], with frequent explosion and alarm effects]] -- but of course, you can take as much time as you need. This is actually because [[spoiler:the Progenitor was just trying to smoke Ros out -- once they've escaped, he calls in the big guns and destroys the ''Inquiry'' immediately]]. |
| 369 | * ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Quite literally; there's a merit for inflicting over 1000 damage in a single attack. |
| 370 | * ThreeStatSystem: Hull, Systems, and Pilot. |
| 371 | * TimedMission: A variant; the limit is in turns rather than real-time. Like in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', [[SubvertedTrope they're only for additional bonuses at the end]]. However, in bounty hunts (and, rarely, some storyline missions), you ''will'' [[DoubleSubverted lose instantly if you exceed the time limit]]. |
| 372 | * TwentyBearAsses: Occurs with scrap carboderm. Fortunately it's just a sidequest with minor rewards, and it's more for giving the carboderm you accumulate over time a purpose beyond ShopFodder than for making you go ItemFarming. |
| 373 | * UnlockableDifficultyLevels: There's a super hard difficulty that can be unlocked with a cheat code. |
| 374 | * UnstableEquilibrium: The Zone of Control mechanic. Unlike in VideoGame/TheReconstruction, the "Rally" command isn't the only way to raise it -- it also changes automatically at the end of every turn depending on a number of factors. One of these factors is the total number of enemies, which means that defeating an enemy will make your attacks stronger and more accurate, thereby allowing you to kill more enemies, and so on. |
| 375 | * VideoGameCaringPotential / VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can treat your crew very nicely, talking to them whenever they're troubled and giving them advice. Or you could mock them relentlessly and rob them blind. |
| 376 | ** VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: However, personal trust is a really important stat, since it improves the pilot's damage and accuracy and it's a limited resource. Letting it go down too far will negatively impact your crew's performance. Furthermore, at certain trust levels, your crew members will give you gifts that you can use for money or weapon crafting. |
| 377 | * VideoGameSetPiece: |
| 378 | ** The third boss, the [[spoiler:Augmented Mind]], is [[NoSell immune to Pilot damage]]. |
| 379 | ** Some rare weapons ([[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard usually wielded by bosses]]) have elemental properties that are not normally compatible with their shell. |
| 380 | ** Jamming pulses, a mechanic introduced in ''Forever and Ever''. [[spoiler:They shut down crafts' safety mechanisms, so pilots don't regenerate health, and if they're shot down, ''they're dead''. Craft get extra health to reflect this, but they're still very dangerous and just serve to underline how nasty things have gotten by that point.]] |
| 381 | *** The FinalBoss of ''Forever and Ever'' is also fought under the effects of one. |
| 382 | ** As in [[Videogame/TheReconstruction the previous game]], the FinalBoss requires all of its health meters to be depleted. |
| 383 | * WaveMotionGun: High-level Auroral weapons can feel a bit like this sometimes, though by far the best example is [[spoiler:the prismatic Stardraw array]] in episode 4, which can take out ''entire armies''. |
| 384 | * WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou: If the leader of a fleet is defeated, the battle is lost instantly. Somewhat justified in that they're the ones giving the orders, but still... |
| 385 | * WolfpackBoss: [[spoiler:Your crew]] in the pessimist ending. |
| 386 | * WrapAround: Since the ''Inquiry'' is a set of centrifugal rings, all of its corridors do this. |
| 387 | * YourMindMakesItReal: The HandWave used for how you can obtain items from Splice ''i'', as well as why enemies can hurt you. |
| 388 | [[/folder]] |
| 389 | |
| 390 | [[folder:Meta]] |
| 391 | * ArtisticLicenseBiology: Emitter radiation is stated to work by stopping the division of cells. While it's true that this ''would'' prevent telomere erosion and therefore stop aging, it doesn't say anything about making the ''cells'' immortal. Thus, shouldn't this just mean that everyone dies within the span of a few months as all their cells die with no new replacements? |
| 392 | * BattleThemeMusic: [[http://tindeck.com/listen/iwfb Engagement]] for normal battles, [[http://tindeck.com/listen/kjuv Engorging]] for {{Boss Battle}}s. |
| 393 | ** And "[[spoiler:[[http://tindeck.com/listen/oazz Ouranos]]]]" for the {{Climax Boss}} at the end of episode 4, [[spoiler:Lazarus Ouranos]]. |
| 394 | ** There are two final boss themes, depending on which ending you choose -- the optimist ending has [[http://tindeck.com/listen/abzt Fortissimo,]] while the pessimist ending has [[http://tindeck.com/listen/diai Pianissimo.]] |
| 395 | * BGMOverride: In the penultimate mission of episode 3, as well as the final missions of episodes 3, 4, and 5, the background music continues to play even during battles. |
| 396 | * BossRemix: Inverted; [[http://tindeck.com/listen/wjli Hunting,]] the BGM for bounty hunt missions, quotes the boss battle music in certain parts. |
| 397 | * TheCameo: Luke is apparently from a novel written by one of the developer's friends. This novel is currently unpublished however. |
| 398 | * CanonEnding: The optimist ending. It also requires significantly more effort. |
| 399 | * ContinuityNod: |
| 400 | ** "The winner shall inherit the ashes of the universe!" |
| 401 | ** Skywatch birds were an enemy in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', and here, a type of MOD is named "Skywatch". |
| 402 | ** This may be looking a bit too much into things, but lacertians being unable to have augmentations is oddly similar to shra being unable to use magic in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction''. |
| 403 | ** [[OptionalBoss The Cryocarrier]] bears [[AdvancingWallOfDoom an intentional similarity]] with a similar OptionalBoss from ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction''. |
| 404 | ** The FinalBoss uses the same VideoGameSetPiece as ''Videogame/TheReconstruction'''s -- you have to deplete all three of their life meters to win. |
| 405 | ** The entire [[spoiler:Tatzylvurm]] mission is a giant CallForward to ''Videogame/TheReconstruction'', with characters saying ''the exact same dialogue'' as in that game. The music is also from ''The Reconstruction'', and even the ''gameplay'' bears similarities -- the boss has pitiful defense, but massive health, an inversion of how the gameplay normally is. |
| 406 | * DevelopersForesight: Due to the way the weapon creation code works, there is a hard limit on the number of weapons that can be created in a single game. The limit is absurdly high, so the player probably won't even get close to it in normal gameplay, but if they do, Mahk changes his dialogue when weapon creation is attempted. |
| 407 | * EpicFail: There's a merit for achieving this: |
| 408 | -->'''CHECK YO' SELF:''' Take more than 1,000 damage from an attack. |
| 409 | * EpisodicGame: You can read Space Lizard's musings on the format [[http://tilde-one.com/articles.php?id=193 here.]] |
| 410 | * ForDoomTheBellTolls: Used during a section of the BossBattle music. |
| 411 | * FridgeLogic: One bit of it is actually addressed InUniverse. How does a ''robot'' take Pilot damage, you might ask? The answer is that Pilot damage usually works by overloading sensory input, which is, for some reason, different than Systems damage for robots. (Don't ask how weapons that attack life support systems still work...) |
| 412 | * LateArrivalSpoiler: The very existence of a ''sci-fi prequel'' of ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'' is a spoiler for those who didn't get the GoldenEnding there. |
| 413 | * LeaningOnTheFourthWall: After you have exhausted all their bounty hunts, Mr. Right and Mr. Left will say, for example... |
| 414 | -->"[[AC:There is little else to hunt at this time. In this...''episode'']]."\ |
| 415 | "[[AC:A bigger game is afoot for you. Bigger and more important games, yes. Yes. But perhaps after ''this game is complete'', we shall have even more distractions for you.]]" |
| 416 | * {{Leitmotif}}: |
| 417 | ** Jessamine [[http://tindeck.com/listen/pxfx has one.]] The Black One also has "[[http://tindeck.com/listen/evzx Enlightenment]]", though this is shared with [[spoiler:Lazarus]] in episode 4. |
| 418 | ** Though they're organizations, not specific characters, [[http://tindeck.com/listen/tjxi Typelog]] and [[http://tindeck.com/listen/fjur EROS]] have leitmotifs as well. |
| 419 | * LemonyNarrator: Less than in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', but it's still there in some places, most notably the save station. |
| 420 | * IdiosyncraticMenuLabels: As evidenced by the page image that depicts the game's StartScreen. |
| 421 | * PaintingTheMedium: The heavily simplified and stylized battle and exploration screens are what Ros ''literally sees'' on his/her monitor. The fact that the battles are turn-based is also justified due to Ros' special protein. |
| 422 | * PlayerAndProtagonistIntegration: Type 4. |
| 423 | * PlayingTheHeartStrings: [[http://tindeck.com/listen/vqxf Everything,]] the ending theme. |
| 424 | * {{Prequel}} |
| 425 | * RecurringRiff: It can be found in most of the tracks. Try to listen for it. (It can most easily be heard in [[spoiler:the bell section]] of "Engorging", the BossBattle music.) |
| 426 | * SadBattleMusic: |
| 427 | ** Not quite sad so much as contemplative, but [[http://tindeck.com/listen/abzt Fortissimo,]] the final boss music for the optimist ending, is much calmer and quieter than you'd expect from BattleThemeMusic. |
| 428 | ** The very final battle featuring [[spoiler:Neff's LastStand against the Lesser Horde]] marks the introduction of [[http://tindeck.com/listen/vqxf the ending theme,]] which is extremely melancholy. |
| 429 | * ScienceFiction: As stated by the developer, "[[VideoGame/TheReconstruction I ruined your fantasy]], now [[{{Deconstruction}} I'm going to ruin your sci-fi too]]." |
| 430 | * ShoutOut: One of the merits is called "[[VideoGame/{{Portal}} Still Alive]]". |
| 431 | ** Two characters who work together (on exploration of lost sectors, not banking) are called Fannie and Freddie. |
| 432 | * SimpleScoreOfSadness: "[[http://tindeck.com/listen/neuf Too Late]]" |
| 433 | * SoundtrackDissonance: "[[http://tindeck.com/listen/fcle Lights]]" is a slow-paced, somewhat ominous and discordant but not particularly tense track. It plays during [[spoiler:the destruction of the ''Inquiry'']]. |
| 434 | * SuspiciouslyCrackedWall: A similar thing is found in the Purity Point hab. |
| 435 | * TwoDSpace: Lampshaded by [[spoiler:Ivoronus]] in Habitation Zero. |
| 436 | -->'''[[spoiler:Ivoronus]]:''' Interesting defense array for this facility. Almost as if you forgot space is a three-dimensional affair. |
| 437 | * TwoPartTrilogy: Though Videogame/TheReconstruction left quite a few {{Sequel Hook}}s of its own, this game is much less of a self-contained narrative. Many plot threads regarding latent energy, The Black One, Tezkhra, and the overall state of the universe are introduced, but all of them are left to be resolved in the sequel, and the ending is extremely open-ended. |
| 438 | * XtremeKoolLetterz: Likely the reason why "X" is the representative letter for Extension modules rather than "E". |
| 439 | [[/folder]] |
| 440 | ---- |
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