The Oracle Paradox

Well the place is overrun with bandits too. Those vermin didn't even have the decency to clean up the bodies of all the people they murdered...

Maybe the Oracle is protecting the bandits... actually maybe she SENT them...

You know.. the old Problem-Reaction-Solution trick... very effective form of mind control.

 

I just so loved what you were speaking to here Aartemis. I feel that way about the whole game, but especially the speaking to NPC's. It is such an integral part of this game and yet there is an empty, lifeless feel to it. It is not the words spoken per se', they are fantastic, it is the feeling. Now what will be the connect between how that experience feels for everyone is unknown exactly by me, but your comments made me attempt to look inside for any ideas of a game that had a system that immersed me in that way. Thank you for speaking from your heart and doing it so heartfelt because you care so much. I totally agree with your sentiments. . I do look forward to more development of the quest system as we go forward with this in mind of course.

 

My question is why should we care what she thinks?

 

The oracle is likely programmed with specific markers to assign a numerical value to quantify your deeds to determine if you are a virtuous person, based upon the beliefs or ajenda of the programmer.

This is by no means capable of determining intent of the heart.

This does not reward honesty. How could it especially if we were to discover the Oracle has political or supernatural powers, so perhaps caution is in order. If she has supernatural powers or even power over the government, then there is no benifit to telling the oracle the truth if the truth is going to make you an enemy of society, or even just an outsider. Or worse, we alter our behavior to act the way we are taught to believe a virtuous person should act (altering and limiting our freedom of thought).

If she's a big brother then we ought to just believe what we believe and play the system and not rock the boat. As long as the ruling authority has nothing to grind with you they won't care what you believe as long as we aren't trying to convert others or leading a rebellion. Why does anybody need to know what we really believe, unless we believe our beliefs are superior to other people's beliefs, and people need to be like us so they aren't like one of them? Now if you are a prince or some kind of political leader I can see other motivation for manufacturing beliefs, but for us commoners wgo have no agenda, what could possibly be the motivation to convert people to our beliefs except for wjat I previously stated?

Although if we can just accept things in any circumstance it seems there would be more peace. What good is there when families fight and harbor animosity. Wrecks the holidays and birthday parties etc. So even being a purist and standing for a "nobel" cause, we ought to count the cost and ask ourselves is this cause worth breaking up our family or ruining our relationships? Sometimes it is worh it, but most of the time the stuff we are taught to value is NOT worth the battle.

 

I think The Oracle we know is not The Oracle we will know a year from now.

'She' is in data-gathering mode and right now is probably most likely a big reminder that the three virtues exist. Every time you see a building with those big red eyes you'll throw some thought, serious or fleeting, toward your virtue. And as long as you approach and respond to 'her' she has a data point that she can toss into what she 'sees' through the watchers and any other minions. I think as the story is revealed, her functionality and reach will increase, and perhaps even sort us into some sort of factions. My guess is that we find out that Lord British is behind the whole thing, with Darkstarr as the opposing force.

Outside of the game, it's the same thing. How you respond to The Oracle is a datapoint the devs can use along with the rest of your character choices and stats. Perhaps this information is used to create interesting challenges that put our beliefs in opposition with each other, not just player to player, but within a single player as well. Imagine in a group situation having all the party members contribute to a decision and either having to argue their point, accept the majority's decision, or break away and fight for what they (or the characters) believe in.

So in a year from now (or in a future episode) The Oracle could push us to further adventures and challenges based on our virtue and virtue responses.

 

Only once has she sent me on my way with no coin. I answered Yes to courage and she said no. But the next time i was asked about courage i said yes and she agreed. So who knows what she will do. LOL I think in the end all three Virtues will be linked together in some weird way....so it matters not how we answer as long as she keeps handing out coin.

 

Ask her how she thinks you are doing next time before answering.

 

Well we know that Lord British wants us to visit the Oracle regularly. But what we don't know is why.

 

Yes... except I would add that the Titans are the programmers in the context of the story. I do not believe that the dev team is attempting to pass moral judgment on our in-game behaviors, or attempting to "force" their view of Virtuosity upon the players.

Which is why I will restate that the Oracle is meant to be controversial.

There is one thing I can think of that might lead Jaan to attempt to organize a rebellion against the Oracle. But I won't mention what that might be, as I don't want to give the devs any "bad" ideas.

 

He has Darkstarr bound up and the oracle is actually linked to his brain. It is purely done so LB can taunt DS showing how many have been won over to the virtues... I mean... *cough cough*

 

Has anybody mentioned yet that we don't know who built the oracle, and even if we do know who built it there is still not enough info to know if the obsidians got their hands on it after the fact and added their own subroutine so that the oracle does her job as expected, but her database of all the people could serve a dual purpose one that aids the obsidian order as well. Oh well nobody reads a forum 10 pages deep that hasn't already been reading this far. This will get lost in the plethora of comments to follow.

 

We went over this already, wasn't your name Isaiah in another life ?

 

hahaha, funny vision, but I think that rather the Oracle might be herself a titan, or maybe even greater... another avatar ?

Lets all open your minds here, nothing is set in stone

 

Because he wants to fix the situation, simply ? I understand the critical thinking that says do not blind trust the oracle, as I've signified quite strongly in this thread, but when we talk about virtue this is a whole another layer of seriousness.

Wouldn't you all say that our king has nearly spotless virtue ?

On the flip side of blind trust there is reactionism ! Let us not put doubt where it doesn't belong... reaching balance is paramount in these troubled times... a whole multiverse is at stake !

I really don't want to become the wake up call... I'd rather be the sage people think about in their old age and think... oh man what magnitude...

 

Too late...

 

Maybe she dosen't think...

 

aaand that is why humans invented hierarchy

 

But we do know, and also I mentioned it earlier when I was attempting to refocus the thread.

That... is true... and if you ask me, she appears to be behaving rather strangely. Her responses appear to be somewhat erratic, and many people are reporting that her perception of their Virtuosity does not match their own.

Maybe somebody is messing with her subroutines.

In any case, it all looks mighty suspicious to Jaan.

 

No.

 

So being humble in many ways simultaneously isn't virtuous ?