Conduit 2

[Gulshog]

What the heck I don't even...I didn't understand a word of that at all. :p How do you know so much Conduit lore? Do they actually tell us about all of this in the two games that've been released so far? 'Cause I've never heard any of those words used before in either game.

Annunaki are Progenitors. HVS simply decided to call them that. Ducaz were mentioned in some messages in the original Conduit. Attas are a subdivision of Annunaki (which Prometheus belongs to, I think. Adams is Reptilian). The Grey are another alien race (which if I read correctly are allied with the Reptilian Progenitors). They're the stereotypical alien (think Elvis from Perfect Dark). The ship in Oxford belongs to them. As to how I know what they are they're all "real" alien races, according to conspiracy nuts. Seriously, am I the only one who looks up the backstory to all this?

That was the cool thing about Conduit, to me...the obvious nods to UFO cases, stories, etc., in the real world. I love that stuff.

[DrDeath3191]

What the heck I don't even...I didn't understand a word of that at all. :p How do you know so much Conduit lore? Do they actually tell us about all of this in the two games that've been released so far? 'Cause I've never heard any of those words used before in either game.

Annunaki are Progenitors. HVS simply decided to call them that. Ducaz were mentioned in some messages in the original Conduit. Attas are a subdivision of Annunaki (which Prometheus belongs to, I think. Adams is Reptilian). The Grey are another alien race (which if I read correctly are allied with the Reptilian Progenitors). They're the stereotypical alien (think Elvis from Perfect Dark). The ship in Oxford belongs to them. As to how I know what they are they're all "real" alien races, according to conspiracy nuts. Seriously, am I the only one who looks up the backstory to all this?

That was the cool thing about Conduit, to me...the obvious nods to UFO cases, stories, etc., in the real world. I love that stuff.

It would be nice for game critics to take notice to this kind of stuff, too. Then we may get less of that 'generic' complaint
in regards to the story. However, I really hope they bring the conspiracy to the forefront if HVS gets another chance.

[Darth Vader]

We're talking about a video game here, not a book. It doesn't matter how in-depth some of the references might be if they're not presented well, and they really weren't

it's cool when games have hidden depth that requires research and dedication (or prior knowledge) to unearth, but when that's just about all a game has in regards to plot and/or backstory, that's not a good thing

[DrDeath3191]

We're talking about a video game here, not a book. It doesn't matter how in-depth some of the references might be if they're not presented well, and they really weren't

it's cool when games have hidden depth that requires research and dedication (or prior knowledge) to unearth, but when that's just about all a game has in regards to plot and/or backstory, that's not a good thing

If we're talking about a videogame, why does the story have to come into it at all? Story directly gets in the way of gameplay, so one would think putting the story to the side would be a good thing. It does this in a similar way to how the Metroid Prime series does it. The story of Metroid Prime is very basic. What makes it interesting is the backstory to explore with your scanner. Conduit 2 has this as well.

[BlankCanvas]

We're talking about a video game here, not a book. It doesn't matter how in-depth some of the references might be if they're not presented well, and they really weren't

it's cool when games have hidden depth that requires research and dedication (or prior knowledge) to unearth, but when that's just about all a game has in regards to plot and/or backstory, that's not a good thing

Sir, you took the words right outta my mouth.

[Devil_Rising]

We're talking about a video game here, not a book. It doesn't matter how in-depth some of the references might be if they're not presented well, and they really weren't

it's cool when games have hidden depth that requires research and dedication (or prior knowledge) to unearth, but when that's just about all a game has in regards to plot and/or backstory, that's not a good thing

You know, the Metroid Prime games, especially 1 and 2, the story wasn't right there in your face, spoon fed to you like a movie. 95% of the story to those games were in almost entirely optional files you got for scanning cerain things. You got log or lore stories, that in large part you never had to read to play the game. You could just rush through the game for the experience of it, or if you chose, you could scan and read all those files, and get all this great backstory to everything.

So would you call that poor story or poor presentation also? Just asking.

[Wonks]

From the Conduit (1):

1. "Colares was more successful than Roswell"

Explanation:
Colares is an island of Brazil where an outbreak of UFO sightings occured in
the late '70s, causing the Brazilian government to launch investigations. Some
who claimed to have seen UFOs also had burn marks and puncture wounds on their
bodies. Roswell, New Mexico is the site of recovered materials reportedly from
a UFO.

2. "The lesser forms will bow before the Annunaki!"

Explanation:
Anunnaki are Sumerian, Akkadian, and/or Babylonian gods or deities. It is
typically used as a collective term.

3. "There ought to be limits to freedom..."

Explanation:
George W. Bush, before his two terms as President of the United States, was
quoted as saying how "there ought to be limits to freedom" in response to a
website satirizing him.

4. "Where is Virginia Dare?"

Explanation:
Virgina Dare was the first white child born in the Americas into the Roanoke
Colony; the Roanoke colonists famously disappeared without a trace.
e

5. "The union of Ellinor and Ananias Dare was the catalyst!!"

Explanation:
Ellinor and Ananias Dare were the parents of Virginia Dare, the first white
born in the Americas into the Roanoke Colony, whose colonists famously
disappeared without a trace.

6. "Virginia Dare was the first Puppet of our Master!"

Explanation:
As explained above, Virginia Dare was the first white child born in the
Americas into the Roanoke Colony. Being called a 'puppet' is an implication
that she was used by some other force as opposed to simply disappearing.

7. "Puppet error caused Roswell and Shag Harbor!"
Explanation:
The phrase 'puppet error' implies that Roswell, where materials from supposed
UFOs were found, and Shag Harbor, site of an impact from a UFO, were actually
mistakes in their being noticed by normal citizens.

8. "Operation Saucer lulled the sheep back to sleep!"

Explanation:
'Operation Saucer' was the title of the Brazilian government-launched
investigation of the Colares UFO flap. The idea that it 'lulled the sheep back
to sleep' was that the investigation was made just to make people feel secure
in that their government was looking into what had happened.

9. "Is not an alien force already among us?"

Explanation:
Ronald Reagan had an 'obsession' of sorts with extra-terrestrials. This was a
quote from one of his speeches, "I occasionally think how quickly our
differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from
outside this world. And yet, I ask, is not an alien force ALREADY among us?"

10. "MDCCLXXVI"

Explanation:
MDCCLXXVI is the Roman numeralization of the number 1776, the year that the
Declaration of Independence for the United States was signed.


11. "Under the terms of the treaty the Shugurra was returned!"

Explanation:
In Sumerian myth, the 'Shugurra' was a crown; the term means 'that which makes
go far into the universe'. The character in the myths who wore the crown was
Mari, who is comparable to Christianity's Mary, mother of Jesus; however, Mari
predates the Virgin Mary by about 3000 years. The treaty, potentially, refers
to every 2000-3000 years there is a different 'age' of mankind, and how Mari
ascended to the heavens upon the conclusion of that age.

12. "The Condon Committee was ours!"

Explanation:
The Condon Committee was an informal title given to the UFO project at the
University of Colorado, established to study claims made about UFOs as well as
potential sightings.

13. "Fight and die for the NWO!"

Explanation:
NWO stands for 'New World Order'. There exists a conspiracy theory that uses
the term 'New World Order' for the advent of a one-world government slowly
being created.


14. "Humans should fear the world they call Eris"

Explanation:
Eris is the largest (known) dwarf planet in the Solar System, approximately
27% larger than Pluto. The idea that humans should fear it implies that Eris
harbors hostile alien life. It is interesting to note that Eris was almost
named 'Xena,' after the famous TV series warrior princess; Xena: The Warrior
Princess is a spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which starred Kevin
Sorbo as the titular character- Sorbo voiced 'Prometheus' for the game.

15. "The Ducaz came before the Drudge"

Explanation:
The Reptilians or Ducaz were sent by their "masters", the Nephilim or Elohim
to fight in wars with other alien races and to serve as their spies,
bodyguards, and police force.

16. "Weep for long lost Nibiru!"

Explanation:
Nibiru is both a Babylonian god and celestial object. As a god, Nibiru is one
of the most important; as a celestial object, Nibiru has been identified as a
planet.


17. "And from the Cat's Eye Nebula they came forth"

Explanation:
The Cat's Eye Nebula is one of the most complex nebulae observed. It is also
quite mysterious, namely due to its intricate structure.

18. "Ad astra per aspera"

Explanation:
Translated from Latin, 'ad astra per aspera' means 'to the stars through
hardships,' or 'to the stars through difficulties. It is written on a plaque
at the launch site of the Apollo 1, whose astronauts all perished due to a
fire.

19. "XXIII"

Explanation:
'XXIII' is the Roman numeralization of the number 23. The '23 enigma' is the
idea that most events and other numbers are related to the number 23 in some
way, shape or form.

20. "Darkness seems scarcely different from light..."[/b]

Explanation:

John Ralston Saul is quoted as saying, "We are born with the schizophrenia of
good and evil within us, so that each generation must persevere in self-
recognition and in self-control. In ceding to the automatic reassurance of our
logic, we have abandoned once more those powers of recognition and of control.
Darkness seems scarcely different from light, with the web of structure and
logic woven thick across both. We must therefore cut away these layers of false
protection if we wish to regain control of our common sense and morality.


21. "You are not paranoid - you are right!"

Explanation:
The game concerns itself with several conspiracy theories, and those who hold
them are often believed to just be paranoid. This phrase asserts that one is
not paranoid, but correct in their beliefs, no matter how bombastic they may
initially appear to be.

22. "People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders!"

Explanation:
Quote from the leaked Banker's Manifesto by Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr, "When
through the process of the law, the common people have lost their homes, they
will be more tractable and easily governed through the influence of the strong
arm of the government applied to a central power of imperial wealth under the
control of the leading financiers. People without homes will not quarrel with
their leaders."

23. "Norvus ordo seclorum"

Explanation:
In Latin, 'norvus ordo seclorum' means 'new order of the ages'; it is also
found on the reverse side of the great seal of the United States of America.

24. "The sacrilege of Bayan-Kara-Ula will not be forgotten"

Explanation:
Bayan-Kara-Ula is a remote section of the Himalayan mountains. It is the
supposed crash-landing site o a spaceship of the Dropa; due to its remote
location, they could not rebuild the spaceship and it was there where they
perished.

25. "The Dropa came down from the clouds..."

Explanation:
The Dropa are the supposed alien race that landed in China several years ago.
Such a claim is able to be made due to the discovery of discs that, upon being
deciphered, told of their existence.


26. "XLII"

Explanation:
XLII is 42 in Roman numerals. The number 42 was thrust into popularity with the
science-fiction book series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," as in the
book it is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and
everything.

27. "We must join with the others to bring forth a new world order"

Explanation:
An almost identical quote is taken from the Declaration of Interdependence that
was announced by the World Affairs Council:
"Two centuries ago our forefathers brought fort a new nation; now we must join
with others to bring forth a new world order."

28. "The Attas shall pay for our exile and imprisonment"

Explanation:
The Attas exiled and imprisoned the Anunnaki, believed by some to be the
destroyers of Atlantis.

29. "Final destiny of the gods (with a chasm and lightning bolt)"

Explanation:
Also known as Ragnarok from Norse Mythology, it was a series of major events
that ultimately lead to the deaths of major figures of the mythology, including
gods-- notably Thor, who would be one to yield a lightning bolt.
The chasm referenced is "Ginnungagap," which was the 'cosmic void' that was
prior to the creation of the world itself.

30. "Sapere Aude"

Explanation:
"Sapare aude," in Latin, means "dare to know." It was popularized and then
associated with the Enlightenment due to Immanual Kant, a German Philosopher,
using the phrase in the aptly-titled essay, "What Is Enlightenment?"

31. "Every valuable commodity fades before Vril!"

Explanation:
"Vril," the idea of which came to fruition in the novel "The Coming Race" by
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, is a substance that is incredibly potent-- it can both
take or replenish life, used as a power source, and can move through solid
matter. It is interesting to note that the function of "vril" from the novel is
similar to the ASE in "The Conduit".

32. "Ducaz are but one of the many servants"

Explanation:
The Ducaz are servants that were created by the Anunnaki race; they are used as
a 'brute force' by the Anunnaki.

33. "Who now watches over the Atu-Waa"[b]

Explanation:
The "Atu-Waa" is an Annunaki 'time-restarting device'; in essence, time must be
continually restarted to prevent the destruction of all that exists, and the
Atu-Waa is the device used to achieve that end. It was sent to Earth due to the
planet's special properties, such as an electromagnetic field, and to keep it
hidden from other races.

[b]34. "I have seen the Fnords!"

Explanation:
A 'fnord' is a term that one has been taught to be unable to consciously see;
therefore, 'to see the fnords' is to be unaffected by the word or any of its
powers. Furthermore, the phrase 'I have seen the fnords' was graffitied on a
bridge between Earlsdon and Coventry in the United Kingdom.

35. "Our masters feed of the Gnosis of the lesser beings!!"

Explanation:
This statement alludes to a higher power providing an 'intuitive knowledge of
spiritual truths' to beings beneath it.

36. "Annuit Coeptis"

Explanation:
In Latin, "annuit coeptis" means "he has approved our undertaking"; it is also
found on the reverse side of the great seal of the United States of America.

37. "MMXII"

Explanation:
'MMXII' is the Roman numeralization of the number 2012. The year 2012 is when
the Mayans predicted the world would end; such an idea is made all the more
eerie due to the extreme accuracy of the Mayan's seemingly simplistic
instruments for calculating other celestial events.

38. "Death to the Attas"

Explanation:
The Attas, or 'rescuers of the light', keep an eye on the Annunaki; they are
either gods or aliens, here to protect humans.

39. "Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes"

Explanation:
'Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes' is translated from Latin to mean 'the war of all
against all'. It was popularized by philosopher Thomas Hobbes to allude to the
idea of mankind being in a constant struggle with itself.


40. "Enlil was victorious at the place humans call Kecksburg"

Explanation:
Kecksburg, Pennsylvania is the location of a reported UFO crash; the United
States' Army quickly came in and asserted that nothing was found. This would go
in hand with Adams being revealed to be Enlil at the end of the game.

41. "CVIII"

Explanation:
'CVIII' is the Roman numeralization of the number 108. There are several
reasons why the number may be included in the game. First and foremost, the
number is prevalent in several Eastern faiths and religions. Secondly, 108 is
the measure of an interior angle of a regular pentagon, thus relating to the
Pentagon as used by the United States Government. Its factorization is also
unique, given that it is (1^1)*(2^2)*(3^3).


42. "The world is in a constant conspiracy against the Brave"

Explanation:
American General Douglas MacArthur is quoted as saying "Last, but by no means
least, courage--moral courage, the courage of one's convictions, the courage to
see things through. The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave.
It's the age-old struggle--the roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of
your conscience on the other."

...I'm...I'm a fan of the messages.

[BlankCanvas]

You know, the Metroid Prime games, especially 1 and 2, the story wasn't right there in your face, spoon fed to you like a movie. 95% of the story to those games were in almost entirely optional files you got for scanning cerain things. You got log or lore stories, that in large part you never had to read to play the game. You could just rush through the game for the experience of it, or if you chose, you could scan and read all those files, and get all this great backstory to everything.

So would you call that poor story or poor presentation also? Just asking.

I actually would, yes. While I do appreciate that they didn't shove down every piece of story down our throats, I feel like they made a poor effort to make players care about the story. I've played completely through MP1&3, and the majority of 2, and in all of the games the only motivation I've ever had to scan stuff (not including the mandatory scans) was to have a high final game completion percentage, but even then I found it hard to bring myself to scan things, since it's such a tedious process. The game didn't really give me any reason to care about the story or want to scan things, which ultimately came off as somewhat lazy to me. I honestly wish Retro had made the game's story more dynamic, 'cause from what I hear, Metroid's actually got an interesting tale. Too bad it's just so boring to find out what that tale actually is.

[Darth Vader]

We're talking about a video game here, not a book. It doesn't matter how in-depth some of the references might be if they're not presented well, and they really weren't

it's cool when games have hidden depth that requires research and dedication (or prior knowledge) to unearth, but when that's just about all a game has in regards to plot and/or backstory, that's not a good thing

You know, the Metroid Prime games, especially 1 and 2, the story wasn't right there in your face, spoon fed to you like a movie. 95% of the story to those games were in almost entirely optional files you got for scanning cerain things. You got log or lore stories, that in large part you never had to read to play the game. You could just rush through the game for the experience of it, or if you chose, you could scan and read all those files, and get all this great backstory to everything.

So would you call that poor story or poor presentation also? Just asking.

It's not the greatest presentation, but it was done in a pretty tasteful way given what fans look for first and foremost when it comes to the Metroid series. The lore wasn't as obscure, too, and everything was explained in-game for those who were interested. They weren't simply loosely-connected nods to conspiracy theories that hardly work to motivate the player through the campaign.

Main difference between the two though is that when I go onto forums and ask people why they love Metroid Prime, they don't tell me it's because the story is uber awesome (partly because Metroid Prime actually had lots of things going for it besides the story). Can't say the same for The Conduit. Especially around launch, Gamefaqs fanboys acted like the story was the bee's knees because OMG it made some references to some things and that means the story and the game are great

[Devil_Rising]

Metroid Prime did have a more interesting (and original) story than the Conduit series, I'll grant you that. Although I did like the little touch in the first game of the conspiracy radio guy that hacked through any time you'd get near radio or speaker equipment in the game. There was actually a lot of dialogue that they gave that guy, a nice touch for something that a lot of people, I'm sure, didn't even bother to notice.

But to me, the Prime series was more about exploring anyway, which is why it was nice to have the story on the side like that. Super Metroid is still one of the greatest games ever made, I think, and it hardly had any story at all. You kind of had to fill in the blanks yourself.

[DrDeath3191]

There were more on those radios than Gordon Welles. There were a lot of events going on in the original Conduit that a lot of people didn't really recognize.

I think the best thing about story-telling in this kind of way (other than not getting in the way of the GAME I'm trying to play) is that it leaves a lot to the observer's imagination. It allows the observer to come to unique conclusions and not necessarily be wrong.

EDIT: Also, to anyone who read my long-winded explanation as to how the ending actually makes sense, I actually came up with a much better answer.

Spoiler:

Both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington are Freemasons. Well, Abe was going to be a member, but he was shot. Actually, the involvement of the Freemasons is hinted at throughout the entirety of both games. Checkered floorboards, NWO... hell, you're carrying a device called the All Seeing Eye! I'm really surprised it took me this long to get to that connection.

[Wonks]

Nice take, Dr.Death. I've got a few opinions on the ending, as well:

Spoiler:

I had certain predictions how this game would end. None of them came to pass, which I was happy about. Michael Ford was duped in the first game by John Adams, and I expected a similar double-cross in Conduit 2 (he is playing the role of a "conduit," being guided by John Adams, Prometheus, Andi, "Bug-Guy,"...

I didn't entirely trust Prometheus when he first told me to steal Li's spirit, and I had my doubts about assisting the Free Drudge. I thought Prometheus might betray Ford, with the final cut scene Ford saying to Andromeda that she might be the only person he could trust...with her looking duplicitious.

As for Washington and Lincoln--never could have expected that. It's funny, I fully bought in that John Adams--the nation's second President--was an alien who had his hand in the country's events for hundreds of years. I never thought that our other founding fathers might have played some role either.

I still want to know more about the ASE. It's extremely more powerful that HVS has let on. We know it can see hidden objects, unlock secrets, steal souls, send a beam of energy hurdling through space, and make for a rousing game of ASE-Ball.

I wonder if the device is the Atu-Waa (which I posted about before) being a time re-starting device. The object would hold great power, since either:
1. If it can do that, it must hold other immense properties
2. A cult-like alien race might want to re-start time using the ASE
3. A crazed being could use it to enslave other planets/creatures, with little regard if they have to use the device or not.

The beam of light powered-up that huge object, which looks like an ASE itself. I'm predicting that object is a self-aware being, but my predictions have been wrong in the past...

[DrDeath3191]

Nice take, Dr.Death. I've got a few opinions on the ending, as well:

Spoiler:

I had certain predictions how this game would end. None of them came to pass, which I was happy about. Michael Ford was duped in the first game by John Adams, and I expected a similar double-cross in Conduit 2 (he is playing the role of a "conduit," being guided by John Adams, Prometheus, Andi, "Bug-Guy,"...

I didn't entirely trust Prometheus when he first told me to steal Li's spirit, and I had my doubts about assisting the Free Drudge. I thought Prometheus might betray Ford, with the final cut scene Ford saying to Andromeda that she might be the only person he could trust...with her looking duplicitious.

As for Washington and Lincoln--never could have expected that. It's funny, I fully bought in that John Adams--the nation's second President--was an alien who had his hand in the country's events for hundreds of years. I never thought that our other founding fathers might have played some role either.

I still want to know more about the ASE. It's extremely more powerful that HVS has let on. We know it can see hidden objects, unlock secrets, steal souls, send a beam of energy hurdling through space, and make for a rousing game of ASE-Ball.

I wonder if the device is the Atu-Waa (which I posted about before) being a time re-starting device. The object would hold great power, since either:
1. If it can do that, it must hold other immense properties
2. A cult-like alien race might want to re-start time using the ASE
3. A crazed being could use it to enslave other planets/creatures, with little regard if they have to use the device or not.

The beam of light powered-up that huge object, which looks like an ASE itself. I'm predicting that object is a self-aware being, but my predictions have been wrong in the past...

Spoiler:

The ASE is definitely the Atu-Waa. If there's a Conduit 3, I wholly expect it to end with a plot restart. That thing the ASE alerted was Tiamat, I suspect. You know, the Sumerian goddess of chaos and destruction.

[cortjezter]

[

Spoiler:

The ASE is definitely the Atu-Waa. If there's a Conduit 3, I wholly expect it to end with a plot restart. That thing the ASE alerted was Tiamat, I suspect. You know, the Sumerian goddess of chaos and destruction.

Spoiler:

Tiamat! That's right!
I couldn't think of her name, but I do remember reading a dossier or two in the Siberian level about her. That must be why I came to the conclusion about that celestial object being a self-aware being. She's quite the omnipotent dictator from what I recall. I will have to go back and look at the conspiracy log.

(Andromeda did refer to the ASE as the "Eye of Tiamat" at one point, but never explained to Mr. Ford what that was, exactly. Alright, it's all starting to make sense...

...Still don't know if I trust Prometheus any longer though especially with the unresolved past issues between he and Andi. Perhaps he will betray Mr. Ford for what he perceives to be the good of the universe, only to again ally himself with the human hero at the conclusion. I can't imagine he's gone.)

---

Sorry for the double-post, but something always struck me as funny with the Conduit.
I always wondered why Michael was referred to by High Voltage and Adams as "Mr. Ford."

The name Ford is a strong one--it's short, bold, and well, one of America's most influential people of the late 19th/early 20th century is Henry Ford.

He was a brilliant engineer, businessman, he tried his hand (unsuccessfully) in politics, and was reported to be a Freemason.

In addition to this, America's 38th President--Gerald Ford--was a Masonic member.

I wonder if Michael Ford's name was chosen because of the strong connotation the name Ford invokes, or if they might try to hint that he's a relative of Henry or Gerald Ford, who could be involved with what Dr.Death and I were talking about (but that might bring up a lawsuit as slander).



(Sorry if I'm late to the party with this information. )

[Mad D]

I'll be on right now if anyone wants to join. I'll check back a few times to see if anyone responds.

edit: Never mind just ended up doing invasion mode by myself to kill my time.

[cortjezter]

Good catch with the name, Ret.

Really, if HVS wants to please the journalists out there (not saying that they should, because frankly journalists aren't worth the time or money in the long run and I think that the demands of journalists and their readers are holding gaming back) they need to make this stuff more evident to players out there.

---

"John Quincy Adams ran for Congress as a representative of the Antimasonic Party. He hoped Freemasonry would disappear from America. He wrote that his father, John Adams, also a U.S. President, decided not to join because "there was nothing in the Masonic Institution worthy of his seeking to be associated with it."

http://www.bessel.org/presmas.htm

There was mention of Adams' son in Conduit 2. This bit of info is rather interesting given our past discussion.

[Wonks]

That is awesome, Dr.Death!
I knew John Adams had a son who was elected President, but again--it's one of those things I didn't think of while playing Conduit 2. Very interesting to read about his Anti-Masonic stance.

I didn't catch when Adams' son was mentioned in the end of the game, but it will create an excellent premise to the (hopefully) third installment.

Spoiler:

I wasn't expecting that Adams would meet his end in Conduit 2, even though I hoped to face off against him. Yet, when it was done, it felt all too abrupt. Instead of having this tremendous feeling of accomplishment and victory, I felt a sense of emptiness. This enigmatic villain who I had been betrayed by and chased down all through Conduit 1, and finally got to see in-person in Conduit 2, was gone. I guess it isn't over with the Adams line...

Mad D-- you can do invasion mode solo? I had no idea..! Going to have to try that out...

[DrDeath3191]

That is awesome, Dr.Death!
I knew John Adams had a son who was elected President, but again--it's one of those things I didn't think of while playing Conduit 2. Very interesting to read about his Anti-Masonic stance.

I didn't catch when Adams' son was mentioned in the end of the game, but it will create an excellent premise to the (hopefully) third installment.

Spoiler:

I wasn't expecting that Adams would meet his end in Conduit 2, even though I hoped to face off against him. Yet, when it was done, it felt all too abrupt. Instead of having this tremendous feeling of accomplishment and victory, I felt a sense of emptiness. This enigmatic villain who I had been betrayed by and chased down all through Conduit 1, and finally got to see in-person in Conduit 2, was gone. I guess it isn't over with the Adams line...

His son was mentioned in the China level.

Spoiler:

Adams may not be entirely dead. Nor may the other Progenitors. Remember in Conduit 1, Prometheus' energy was transfered to the ASE. He was 'alive', technically speaking. The only difference here is that now the energy is in a snazzy suit. The Progenitors may still be 'alive' within the suit. I smell a dramatic conflict!

---------------------
Had another thought. The planet that Annunaki/Progenitors come from is Nibiru. The planet is also called Eris. In Greek Mythology, Eris is a goddess of discord. In Sumerian Mythology, so is Tiamat. So could Tiamat be, in fact, a sentient planet? There's enough to suggest it; Nibiru was thought to be on a collision course with Earth for the year 2012, in which the game is set.

Holy crap, I love this stuff!

[Wonks]

I'm confused about that part. Is Eris actually Nibiru?
Eris is a "plutoid" in the far reaches of our solar system. Though not a whole lot is known about it, it doesn't seem like a celestial object that's habitable for life. (Unless it's not actually a plutoid in the game...rather, something else.)

I expect Tiamat to be a sentient planet, as well. The rocket propulsion on it leads me to believe it's mostly mechanical though. While large like a planet, it may be more metals and artificial intelligence than organics. (Likely with organisms/beings on-board.)

(Thank you for reminding me about the suit.)


--------

Question for anyone:
Do some of the multiplayer characters that you choose in online already contain armor and other built-in protection? I only ask because some of the ones that you have to unlock seem more powerful; additionally, most of the upgrades go just towards your basic Trust and Drudge soldier.

[DrDeath3191]

It used to be able to support life. Then a catastrophe struck, and Eris/Nibiru (they are the same) now wanders the universe as a dead planet.

[BlankCanvas]

I know this is kinda old now, but HVS released a somewhat-major patch last Tuesday, which was supposed to fix various in-game problems. These are those aforementioned fixes:

- Often in Agartha (other maps as well) players would spawn in and fall to their deaths repeatedly – while this happened less and less frequency with each attempt to fix it, we still see it on occasion. Please let us know if you still see it after this patch

- The "under stairs" exploit in Serenity that allowed players to get outside the level will now kill players trying to use the exploit.

- Washington DC – the progression stopper related to the bomb sequence has been fixed. Again, players currently stuck here should see the problem go away, and new playthroughs should not encounter it. (If it doesn't work right away, wait about 20 seconds and the bomb should start ticking.)

- If the loading screen for the level took longer than usual, sometimes you could get booted.
Lessened frequency getting booted during host migration.

- Fixes incorrect "Tie Game" announcements in team games.

- Lowered bandwidth usage during certain ASE match types

- Attempt to fix the Invasion crashes – since we still have not reproduced these, we can only hope this will fix the problem. Please let us know!

[Wonks]

I think it's fantastic how High Voltage is taking into consideration what the fans are saying about the game and tweaking it (not to mention circumventing hackers). Hopefully, we'll see these updates well into the future.

GoNintendo posted Conduit 2 review by GamingNexus and I was glad to see it:

Conduit 2 is a good example of a sequel done right: it's an evolution of the previous game with a multitude of major improvements. With a bolder, brasher single player game, for better or worse, and a far more robust multiplayer mode, Conduit 2 isn't just a good first person shooter by Wii standards. It's a damn good shooter, period.
http://www.gamingnexus.com/Article/Conduit-2/Item3054.aspx

That's some pretty strong praise. I can echo a lot of what the reviewer has to say. The Conduit series isn't without a hiccup here or there, but honestly I am completely enthralled with the secrets, the unique weapons and balance, and especially the online multiplayer.

[DrDeath3191]

Alright, a VERY unconfirmed report here, but some guy on the IGN Wii board suggested an upcoming patch would be arriving in a month. In addition to some small fixes, it will reduce the firing rate of the Eclipse and add a new weapon and a new map. Again, unsubstantiated rumor, but there you go.

Given the game's lackluster sales, it's nice to see HVS act so diligently to improve the experience for everyone.

[Mad D]

Well I haven't played in about 2 weeks so I guess I'll be taking it out of the Wii for the first time since launch. I'm one of those 'one game at a time until I get burned out' people, keeps me from playing through and buying so many games. At least I think it would MH Tri kept me distracted for a long time.

I'm still interested in online and I'm glad they are dedicated to their updates. I'll come back and check in a month when that patch comes out. Until then to my backlog, still at the halfway mark at Okami and Little Kings Story. Also near the end of Fallout New Vegas, Uncharted 2 and Infamous.

[BlankCanvas]

Conduit 2 is a good example of a sequel done right: it's an evolution of the previous game with a multitude of major improvements. With a bolder, brasher single player game, for better or worse, and a far more robust multiplayer mode, Conduit 2 isn't just a good first person shooter by Wii standards. It's a damn good shooter, period.
http://www.gamingnexus.com/Article/Conduit-2/Item3054.aspx

That's some pretty strong praise. I can echo a lot of what the reviewer has to say. The Conduit series isn't without a hiccup here or there, but honestly I am completely enthralled with the secrets, the unique weapons and balance, and especially the online multiplayer.

While I do agree that C2 made a lot of significant improvements upon the original, I still don't think it can stand up there with the top dogs of console FPSs. I mean, I just find it hard to consider C2 comparable to other FPSs like Crysis 2 and Killzone 3.

Alright, a VERY unconfirmed report here, but some guy on the IGN Wii board suggested an upcoming patch would be arriving in a month. In addition to some small fixes, it will reduce the firing rate of the Eclipse and add a new weapon and a new map. Again, unsubstantiated rumor, but there you go.

Oh, wow, funny you mention that post; I'm actually the poster that wrote that. I go by the username HipYoungster42 over there, and I just heard that rumor from a Friend of mine on C2. Like you said, the rumor pretty much has no credibility whatsoever at the moment, although I still found it worth mention.