Feedback wanted: Some questions on Ending (spoilerish)

[Black Rabbit]

I helped Agrippa because I felt he had been used just like Daniel while he was vulnerable so I threw the head...I thought that even if daniel was wrong for what he did he could at least save one soul before he died...seems I got rewarded since wilhelm was asked by agrippa to help me I saw the other endings but still if I had to choose I would still help agrippa this was his dream for life after all

[Zhobery]

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what were* your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

Daniel deserved to die because of killing the inocent girl in order to save himself, of course after getting redemption.
Alexander sux xD.
Agrippa was like Daniel, both of them were corrupted by Alex.

2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?

I killed Alexander and escaped the castle. Wasn't a choice, just nothing happened, the portal didn't open so I thought I had to do something to prevent Alexander from opening it, then I destroyed the pillars.

But when the game ended and I still had Agrippa's head in my inventory, I figured out that wasn't the only ending, so I finished the three ones (the Alexander-Wins and the Agrippa's-Head ones.

3) How did you like the ending?

A mixture between the Daniel-Escapes ending and the Agrippa's-Head one, would be fine.

[hollowleviathan]

I hope Frictional is still interested in feedback and thoughts on this! It took me a long slow brooding time to finish; I only played in the dead of night and played slowly, paranoid, instead of quickly and hysterical - both of which have their merits for immersion.

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what where your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

Alexander has had some hints that he is seeking his lost love, but those hints are so seldom and undeveloped that either he or the game has forgotten that mission long long ago. It rings false for a motivation of centuries of cruel unspeakable research and work to be spoken of so seldom, and not at all in the final confrontation.

Daniel has done terrible things, and has to doubt himself in every way. How can he trust his former self to be speaking the truth? How can he trust his current self to be worth saving? Daniel at this point could be thinking several things. The only indications we have of Daniel's thinking are either the diary notes, or ourselves as players. Daniel's mind prior to amnesia was clouded by rage, and paralyzed by fear, and it's not clear if he has conquered one or both, it's left for me to decide, immersed as I am with his identity. His horrible acts tainted me, and I as Daniel desperately wanted salvation, exoneration.

Agrippa appears to have done no wrong, unless we assume that he and not Weyer instructed Alexander in using torture to generate vitae for collection. His predicament is confusing and he comes from a position of weakness. Either he is very conniving and playing us for a fool, or he is above the cruelty of Brenneburg. His voice is eerily silent after I beheaded him. Was he now dead? Had my diseased mind imagined some dialogue to justify yet another murder? His head gave me no answers.

2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?

I got the Agrippa ending on purpose, the final scene did not confuse me. I first attempted to reach Alexander, to probe his defenses. His stony silence after the initial talk unnerved me. Had he so little to say, after yearning for this moment for so long? Agrippa also said nothing, quietly waited for me to act. Was he hiding from Alexander's notice?

Alexander's nakedness was twofold; he was powerless against me. Had I become the unstoppable horrors against which I was naked and useless? Waiting for the portal to open was agonizing, second-guessing my choice, worrying about Alexander's power, doubting the clarity of my sanity to make such a powerful decision for the world.

3) How did you like the ending?

As I threw in the head, and was swept away into the beyond, it seemed that I had been purified as Alexander thought impossible. By refusing to surrender to rage I had destroyed him, and by refusing to listen to my fear and insanity, I had become absolved and safe. I had found true teachers who would guide me to finality and closure. This ending meant the most to me, felt most true to a complicated man, scared but bold, not running away, but through, to a solution.

4) Did you get any other endings? If so, which one was your favorite? And what where your motivation for seeing more endings?

I assumed immediately that there were three endings, which I called Agrippa, Alexander, and Shadow. All of them could easily be canon and make sense for both Daniel and the player, which compounded my appreciation for the writing for inherently difficult game/interactive storytelling.

The Alexander ending indicates he has been beaten by the fear he had hoped to escape. He'd been one half step ahead of the shadow, but the fear had never left his frozen heart. Alexander ascends, his are crushed by his inadequacy, death being only what he deserves.

The shadow ending is the Daniel defeated and inhabited by anger. He has lost his mission, like Alexander, and lives by short-sighted anger. He thinks he has removed his guilt, and banished the shadow. Perhaps the blood sacrifice of a being such as Alexander has protected him for a time, or perhaps at some point, perhaps before he even got to Brenneburg, he became the agent of the shadow, its puppet for destroying Alexander.

[Black Rabbit]

I hope Frictional is still interested in feedback and thoughts on this! It took me a long slow brooding time to finish; I only played in the dead of night and played slowly, paranoid, instead of quickly and hysterical - both of which have their merits for immersion.

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what where your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

Alexander has had some hints that he is seeking his lost love, but those hints are so seldom and undeveloped that either he or the game has forgotten that mission long long ago. It rings false for a motivation of centuries of cruel unspeakable research and work to be spoken of so seldom, and not at all in the final confrontation.

Daniel has done terrible things, and has to doubt himself in every way. How can he trust his former self to be speaking the truth? How can he trust his current self to be worth saving? Daniel at this point could be thinking several things. The only indications we have of Daniel's thinking are either the diary notes, or ourselves as players. Daniel's mind prior to amnesia was clouded by rage, and paralyzed by fear, and it's not clear if he has conquered one or both, it's left for me to decide, immersed as I am with his identity. His horrible acts tainted me, and I as Daniel desperately wanted salvation, exoneration.

Agrippa appears to have done no wrong, unless we assume that he and not Weyer instructed Alexander in using torture to generate vitae for collection. His predicament is confusing and he comes from a position of weakness. Either he is very conniving and playing us for a fool, or he is above the cruelty of Brenneburg. His voice is eerily silent after I beheaded him. Was he now dead? Had my diseased mind imagined some dialogue to justify yet another murder? His head gave me no answers.

2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?

I got the Agrippa ending on purpose, the final scene did not confuse me. I first attempted to reach Alexander, to probe his defenses. His stony silence after the initial talk unnerved me. Had he so little to say, after yearning for this moment for so long? Agrippa also said nothing, quietly waited for me to act. Was he hiding from Alexander's notice?

Alexander's nakedness was twofold; he was powerless against me. Had I become the unstoppable horrors against which I was naked and useless? Waiting for the portal to open was agonizing, second-guessing my choice, worrying about Alexander's power, doubting the clarity of my sanity to make such a powerful decision for the world.

3) How did you like the ending?

As I threw in the head, and was swept away into the beyond, it seemed that I had been purified as Alexander thought impossible. By refusing to surrender to rage I had destroyed him, and by refusing to listen to my fear and insanity, I had become absolved and safe. I had found true teachers who would guide me to finality and closure. This ending meant the most to me, felt most true to a complicated man, scared but bold, not running away, but through, to a solution.

4) Did you get any other endings? If so, which one was your favorite? And what where your motivation for seeing more endings?

I assumed immediately that there were three endings, which I called Agrippa, Alexander, and Shadow. All of them could easily be canon and make sense for both Daniel and the player, which compounded my appreciation for the writing for inherently difficult game/interactive storytelling.

The Alexander ending indicates he has been beaten by the fear he had hoped to escape. He'd been one half step ahead of the shadow, but the fear had never left his frozen heart. Alexander ascends, his are crushed by his inadequacy, death being only what he deserves.

The shadow ending is the Daniel defeated and inhabited by anger. He has lost his mission, like Alexander, and lives by short-sighted anger. He thinks he has removed his guilt, and banished the shadow. Perhaps the blood sacrifice of a being such as Alexander has protected him for a time, or perhaps at some point, perhaps before he even got to Brenneburg, he became the agent of the shadow, its puppet for destroying Alexander.

maybe he escaped the shadow once and for all with his revenge ending where he destroyed the pillars. remember that the orb yields to the powerful ones? maybe the shadow recognized him after he defeated alexander. but still you are right I too prefer agrippa ending because the revenge is incomplete if it's just revenge...saving the last soul that could be saved would probably be the best option before one's demise

[thiz]

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what where your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

I didnt care about Daniel. He choosed to murder people just so he could be protected. Hes an asshole and i hate him for what he did. But i still was lucky in finaly beeing able to having revenge on Alexander.

For Agrippa, of course he was also a bad guy and i wished to learn more about him and how he got in contact with Weyer and Alexander. But then again, hes the one helping me to finaly get rid of Alexander. I would have liked it better if he still would have talked to Daniel while in his pocket.

2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?

The first ending i got was the normal one with breaking the portal. And it was no choice, i just didnt understand that i had to wait so that the portal could be openend. If i would have known how it works, i would have chosen to throw Agrippa through the portal, because he was more worthy to continue living then both, Alexander and Daniel.

3) How did you like the ending?

It was okay, but i would have liked it to know what became of Daniel after leaving the Castle. (Not sure if i understood that right, but he left it didnt he?)

4) Did you get any other endings? If so, which one was your favorite? And what where your motivation for seeing more endings?

Got all three, plus the hidden one in the Prison Cell. Got that extra one by just trying to find a way out of the prison and due to boredom i triggered the prison cell ending. It was a cool thing.

My favourite ending was where Agrippa got saved and Alexander + Daniel died, but i would have liked to know what Agrippa was really talking about at the ending... did Weyer save Daniel? I dont get it. That was my favourite one because i didnt like to let the other two survive. Daniel and Alexander are crazy idiots, but Agrippa was kind of a cool guy, so i let him live.

My motivations for getting multiple endings was just that i always explore the games i play, once i finished them, i'm not done playing them. I try to find out many things that you dont come across in a normal playthrough. So for example i also find the Extra Room in the Chancel, where the Bridge wasnt broken.

[superluser]

Alexander has had some hints that he is seeking his lost love, but those hints are so seldom and undeveloped that either he or the game has forgotten that mission long long ago. It rings false for a motivation of centuries of cruel unspeakable research and work to be spoken of so seldom, and not at all in the final confrontation.

What he said. Also see the Star Trek Voyager episode Year of Hell (particularly part II).

[hollowleviathan]

Got all three, plus the hidden one in the Prison Cell. Got that extra one by just trying to find a way out of the prison and due to boredom i triggered the prison cell ending. It was a cool thing.

Oh, no! The Prison was the most terrifying/confusing area for me, I squirm at the idea of going back for this secret. I vaguely recall a second more reclused iron gate that could also have been doused with acid, but it could be a fever dream.

[Jdog]

I started to dislike Daniel more and more towards the end. So maybe he was manipulated but he was still a coward and behaved selfishly. I didn't think that killing Alexander would redeem much.

I stood around for a while and got the ending where Alexander escapes... which was satisfying, I think. I did try the others as well and my favorite was actually the revenge one, loved the bit about Daniel walking out and he sounded far more confident and almost virtuous than before.

[Voker57]

Am I the only one who thinks that Daniel's escape in "revenge" ending is only metaphorical one?

Seriously, climbing back to surface through all these collapsed passages and broken machinery -- next to impossible. And by the time Alexander is dead, half of castle have probably imploded.

That's a one way trip for Daniel's mortal vessel, regardless of choice; He can save his soul from shadow or try to reach to another world with Weyer's help though.

[thiz]

Got all three, plus the hidden one in the Prison Cell. Got that extra one by just trying to find a way out of the prison and due to boredom i triggered the prison cell ending. It was a cool thing.

Oh, no! The Prison was the most terrifying/confusing area for me, I squirm at the idea of going back for this secret. I vaguely recall a second more reclused iron gate that could also have been doused with acid, but it could be a fever dream.

I was talking about the prison cell you get locked in, not the prison after the elevator.