Marathon's Story What's New (Nov-Dec 1996)

Dec 31, 1996
Well a new year is almost upon us. Let's hope it's a good one. :-)

Felix Racine <fracine@accent.net> provides some interesting information about the origin of the names Durandal and Durendal. See the Durandal section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Ben Yackley <byackley@lausd.k12.ca.us> writes concerning the height of other characters in Marathon. See The Player's Height section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Dec 29, 1996
If you sent me mail over Christmas hang in there I'll get round to answering it over the next few days.

Congratulations to Ben Yackley <byackley@lausd.k12.ca.us> for getting the Christmas puzzle right. How high is the player in Marathon? Check out The Player's Height section of Facts and puzzling things about... for the shocking details. Thanks to all those who sent in answers over the Christmas.

Dec 24, 1996

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the ship, not a creature was stirring -- not even a S'pht!

Merry Christmas to all Marathon Story readers everywhere!

Watch out for something big on the page in the New Year!

Dan Rudolph <rudolph.family@mcleod.net> writes:

"Hats Off to 819, the MInf secret level, has something interesting in the title. If you look in the physics using Anvil, you will find that most of the characters are 819 units tall."

For the season that is in it here's a Christmas puzzle "To the nearest inch how high is the character we play in Marathon?" Your answer should contain your reasoning.

But is this the origin of the level name "Hat's off to Eight Nineteen"? I guess we'll have to wait until next year for the answer :-)

This arrived today in the Christmas post. Yes, snail mail. It's a Christmas card from the infamous M7 crew. Not Bungie, not Double Aught, not... another Marathon mystery!

Dec 23, 1996
For a wacky Christmas greeting check out Double Aught's site. There are two versions: one for 14.4'ers and another for T3'ers. The chimp loves alien reference can be found in Marathon Infinity, but where? What has Roswell to do with all this? And will Double Aught's next game be a cross between Donkey Kong and Aliens? Yes 1997 is going to be a wacky year! I wonder what the next 50 years are going to be like?

Dec 21, 1996

Dec 20, 1996
It must be the Christmas spirit or something but the number sevens are flying in. ;-)

Just a quick mention (of thanks?) to all those who have noted that Christmas falls on the 25th (2 + 5 = 7). Somehow I don't think this is a Bungie conspiracy... though I have heard it rumoured in foreign places that Greg K is some sort of God. ;-)

Jay Silvio <Jay_Silvio@fc.mcps.k12.md.us> writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Garey Wernham <garscow@ihug.co.nz&> writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Mike Phillips <venom@silcon.com> writes concerning the Grendel references in Marathon Infinity. See the Grendel section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Dec 18, 1996
Tobias Merriman <gironimo@siu.edu> writes concerning Shakespeare and Marathon. See the Shakespeare in Marathon section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Candace Sherriff <sherriff@direct.ca> writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Morgan Catha <mcatha@slc.shorelin.wednet.edu> writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Dec 17, 1996
Simon Rowland <simon@eagle.ca> writes concerning the French Revolution and Marathon. See the Historical & Mythological References in Marathon section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Peter Hessler <geekboy@mistic.net> writes concerning the numbers seven and three. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

The most expensive game ever?

Dec 15, 1996
Luke Bassett <kbassett@junction.ne> writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Dec 13, 1996
David Cornwell <goldragonne@earthlink.net> points out that Bungie now have an online customer survey and he was the seventh person to fill it in. No kidding, he sent in a screenshot to prove it. Warning: the information collected by Bungie is being feed to Pfhor High Command in order to make better Simulacrums.

Jonas Eneroth <Bones@bungie.com> has qualified his statement on alt.games.marathon by saying:

In addition, we MAY put some of the best entries in a folder on a future title release.

Dec 12, 1996
OK folks hang onto your hats. Hastur's Workshop at Double Aught Software has been updated again. There is whole new section on Making a Good Netmap. And wait for it... a new concept in net games - Carnage Soccer. A cool map and concept from Greg Kirkpatrick. You can download it from the DA site. Have a blast and try not to die... too much. ;-)

Dec 11, 1996
Mark McWilliams conducts an exclusive interview with the creators of Marathon Infinity, Double Aught Software. You can read it here.

Inside Mac Games has the low down on the Marathon 4 hoax. You can read it here. A source at Bungie is reported to have said:

To set the record straight, wishful thinking aside, there will be no Marathon 4.

However, Bungie have not commented upon Jonas Eneroth's post to alt.games.marathon in which he wrote:

...the best submissions MAY make it onto a future Bungie product.

One wonders what type of "future Bungie product" these Marathon maps MAY end up in.

The Marathon 4 Hoax page has been updated and now contains some amusing comments by Marathoners.

David Cornwell <goldragonne@earthlink.net> writes concerning the Bob phrase "I'm comin' outta the booth!"

"Okay, here's what the letter that unknown wacko sent in said:

-------
You're gonna die, [EXPLETIVE DELETED]! I'm comin' outta the booth!
-------

It is exactly what the Adam Sandler CD says. This is not suprising, because if you were to censor that track, it would end up a lot like this guy's letter.

It appears no one at Bungie listens to Adam Sandler, but a certain once-fan of Bungie does, and has picked up a little language skill from Adam's CDs."

Steve Wood <smwood@ccs.neu.edu> also writes concerning the Bob phrase "I'm comin' outta the booth!"

"Just to set the record straight, the Tollbooth Willie skit from Adam Sandler's album is set in Worcester, MA. (About an hour from Boston, and where SuperSpy on irc lives!) Someone else said that the character had an English accent, but in truth Tollbooth Willie speaks with the indecipherable northern New England tongue...."

Dec 10, 1996
Matt Soell <matt@mail.bungie.com> sets the record straight:

"Comin' Outta The Booth": None of us have actually heard the Adam Sandler album in question. We picked up the phrase from a letter our Webmaster received from a customer who was angry that we'd "sold out" and ported M2 to Windows 95. You can probably still find it on the Old Letters page."

"Anyway, part of this barely-comprehensible and profanity-laden message was the immortal phrase "I'm comin' outta the booth," which soon became standard Bungie terminology. When we sat down to come up with new Bob quotes, it didn't take long for someone to suggest that one."

You can find the letter Matt refers to here. It's the one full of [EXPLETIVE DELETES].

"A FUTURE BUNGIE PRODUCT" ?!?!?!

The following was found on alt.games.marathon:

Subject:      Bungie say's: WIN STUFF!
From:         Bones@bungie.com (Jonas Eneroth)
Date:         1996/12/09
Message-Id:   <Bones-ya023480000912961624240001@news>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Organization: Bungie
Mime-Version: 1.0
Newsgroups:   alt.games.marathon


Bungie Map Making Competition:

Bungie's map making contest is swinging hard and heavy and the quality of
submissions is very high.

For contest rules and reg's see Bungie's home page (www.bungie.com) and for
e-mail submssions send them to competition@bungie.com, ftp, or send them in
by snail mail.

The winner(s) will receive ONE heck of a cool prize - keep tuned to this
station for additional information as it becomes available  ;)

Secondly, the best submissions MAY make it onto a future Bungie product.

Best of luck,

-J

-- 
Jonas Eneroth
Int'l Sales and Marketing
(http://www.bungie.com)

Is this another fake or are Bungie secretly working on a Marathon project. Note the MAY... but a wink is as good as a nod to a blind man. Hold out the carrot and the donkey will bark... I am an ass indeed.

Maybe Marathon 4 wasn't such a "blake" afterall. ;-)

Dec 9, 1996
Adam Sandler and Marathon? David Cornwell <goldragonne@earthlink.net> writes:

"On one of Adam's albums, "They're all Gonna Laugh at You", there's a bit called "Tollbooth Willie", about an englishman working in a tollbooth, and people who cross the border continualy insult and verbally abuse him. He shouts back, and makes several threats to come out of the tollbooth to beat, maim, injure, or incapacitate his assailants, until finally he is pushed over the edge and shouts "Okay, that's it, I'm commin' out of the booth!" and is hit by a car.

Anyways, that same line, "I'm commin' out of the booth!", is something the VacBobs in Infinity shout, with the same English accent.

Perhaps Doug likes Adam Sandler? I wouldn't be surprised."

Loren Petrich <petrich@netcom.com> has put together a page to describe his theories on the Marathon 2 and Marathon Infinity Timelines. Makes for interesting reading.

Nick Lewis <nilness@trucom.com> has put together an excellent spoiler page for the Infinity level "Thing What Kicks". You can find it here.

Dec 8, 1996

To be, or not to be- that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep-
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die- to sleep.
To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub!

The last of the Marathon Infinity terminals have been added. I am indebited to my partner in so many crimes - Matthew Smith <matthew@quest.net> - without who this labor would have been a onerous chore. Special thanks also to Bo Lindbergh <d88-bli@nada.kth.se> whose programs - Durandal Terminal Browser and Hex! - rock!

Many thanks to Bryan Pearson <bpearson@scf-fs.usc.edu> for pointing out that some of the links in the Infinity terminals weren't working. At least somebody reads these things. ;-)

Unlike Marathon and Marathon 2 I have not numbered the Infinity levels as the order in which you can play them varies. Some of the links to levels are not obvious and some take you to levels that... well... I'll leave that for you to find out. There may be some surprises. :-)

In thirteen days it will be exactly two years since Marathon was released. Over this time I, along with many others, have wrestled with the Marathon Story in the hope that we may understand it. In many ways I feel akin to Hemingway's old fisherman as he battles with the great Marlin. Marathon has consumed two years of my life and like the old man I grow weary. One hopes that the fish grows tired too.

There are some things which cannot
be learned quickly, and time, which
is all we have, must be paid heavily
for their acquiring. They are the very
simplest things, and because it takes
a man's life to know them the little
new that each man gets from life is
very costly and the only heritage he
has to leave.
                      Ernest Hemingway

Dec 6, 1996
Bungie have released some information on their up and coming new (in-house?) game. Myth - a 3D, multimetric tactical combat game. You can get the details here. Looks like a whole generation of little Napoleons are going to be created.

Rumour has it that a Marathon 4 alpha is circulating on the net. Some people have seen it and a number of M4 web pages have sprung up. I could only find one though - here. A true 3D Marathon engine and a plot that would elaborate the Marathon story, laying bare many of the mysteries raised in the first three games about Durandal, Tycho, Leela, and the player, would be a welcome. As always the Marathon's Story page requires hard evidence before believing that Marathon 4 is in development. Thus if you have the alpha please contact me and in return I will send you a Tuncer T-shirt, which BTW is really cool. ;-)

Hastur's Workshop at Double Aught Software has been updated though you wouldn't know it from the News section.

Dec 5, 1996
The latest version of Hex! (1.0.1), a program for editing terminals in Marathon 2 (and Infinity) map files by Bo Lindbergh is now available at Bo's site here. The package includes a Hex! terminal editing manual by Ben Matasar. Now there is no excuse for not writing Marathon 4.

Dec 4, 1996
Watch out for the 173 Union St. Gang on a.g.m. apparently some of them are starting to post with strange titles. Uncle Wiggly the Vodoo Priest indeed. ;-)

This interesting post popped up on a.g.m.:

From: Brad Chatellier <skydiver@apple.com>
Newsgroups: alt.games.marathon
Subject: TRIVIA: You Think You're Big Time?
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 15:45:12 +0000
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
Lines: 13
Message-ID: <32A2F988.4DEB@apple.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: chatbr.apple.com
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Macintosh; I; PPC)

I've been spending the past month practicing the Vidmaster Challenge
levels (almost got YTYBTYGDBT down).  I was pretty stoked last night
when I took a break and rented a movie called Carlito's Way.  Carlito is
holed up in a bathroom, trying to bluff his way out of a pool hall full
of gun toting ganstas.  He's out of pistol ammo and yells into the pool
hall, "Alright!  I'm reloaded.  You think you're big time?  You're gonna
fucking die big time.  Here comes the pain!"

Someone really ought to start a list of Bungie references.  Chalk up one
more.

\/ Free Fly,
Brad Chatellier

Dec 2, 1996
Many thanks to Filips Baumanis <maaris@tiac.net> for sending in a long post about the Necronomicon and certain Marathon references. See The Number Seven section for details.

Filips also sent in the following picture of the seventh gate of NINIB from the Necronomicon. NINIB is the Knower of the Pathways of The Dead, Knower of the Ways of the Ancient Ones...

You'll find two very interesting representations on this graphic. Part of a trademarked logo and a flower that is oddly familar to you, as if it were from an old dream, but you can't exactly remember...

A concensus has been reached on the origin of the mysterious Infinity map text. It would appear that the word "Tuncer" stands for Tuncer Deniz (Production Manager at Bungie) and not a derogatory remark about your playing ability. Many thanks to all those who responded. Tuncer teeshirts will be distributed shortly. ;-)

Jim Mitchell <BobJam@aol.com> has solved his apparent lack of punching power. Jim notes that in Marathon 2 the purple fighters have vitality rating of 80 but at the beginning of Infinity this is set at 115. On "Son of Grendel" the rating drops back to 80. The reason for this change is as yet unclear.

Dec 1, 1996
Jim Mitchell <BobJam@aol.com> makes an interesting observation. Apparently in Marathon and Marathon 2 it is possible to kill a purple Pfhor fighter with three run punches on the Total Carnage difficulty level. Yet at the beginning of Infinity it takes four run punches. Our full punching power only seems to return at around "Son of Grendel". Jim wonders whether we are still the strongest of the colony's troubleshooters.

Debate rages concerning the word "Tuncer" on the Infinity maps. Is Tuncer a real person? Opinion is divided.

Dustin Westphal <bachus@rdc-cybersign.com> points out that there are 25 Infinity net levels and 25 HoTBob's (2 + 5 = 7).

Dustin Westphal <bachus@rdc-cybersign.com> also points out that there are 37 levels in Marathon (3 + 7 =10) and in the Marathon Trilogy there are a total of 136 levels. (1 + 3 + 6 = 10)

Nov 30, 1996
Craig Stanton <Craig@maris.com> writes concerning the Infinity map text. See the Map Text section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Kris Norberg <knorberg@pipeline.com> points out that there are seven Forge tutorials!!!

Nov 29, 1996
Craig Stanton <Craig@maris.com> provides the map writing from the Infinity levels. See the Map Text section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 28, 1996
Happy Thanksgiving. Have a good one. :-)

David Cornwell <goldragonne@earthlink.net> writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 27, 1996
Ty Klein <mrenigma@earthlink.net> provides an interesting piece of text from the book "The Legacy of Heorot" by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Steven Barnes. As has already been mentioned this may have been an influence on the Marathon Story. Indeed Greg Kirkpatick has stated that Niven was an influence.

They hung in rows, lost in endless dreams. (Cadmann was startled at the thought. Were there dreams in cryosleep? The neurologists said no, but his memory said yes. Perhaps it was only before the drugs took hold and the blood chilled there was one final thought that remained locked in a frozen brain, a thought that unthawed along with the body. Just a wisp of dream beginning of sleep and one at the end, linked by decades of silence and darkness.)

Filips Baumanis <maaris@tiac.net> writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 26, 1996
Thanks to all those who wrote in saying how much they enjoyed the TRUE story behind the Marathon delay. Here's a small sample of humorous posts from that insane time. But remember - you had to be there to really appreciate these.

Nov 25, 1996
David Cornwell <goldragonne@earthlink.net> writes concerning Thoth and Yrro. See the Thoth section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 24, 1996

I am a puppet indeed: you may prove it by my long strings. [8.19]

"Hey! Hamish ever seen the film Zardoz?"

err... yes... long time ago...<scratch><scratch>... something about floating heads... something about...

Ajay Ayyagari <nirvana@halcyon.com> writes concerning our fate. See the You section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Cindy Hoffa <Cindy.Hoffa@wbsaunders.com> writes abouts immortality and the closure of the universe. See the Durandal section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Todd Dillen <tdillen@aol.com> writes concerning the similarities between the comic book series Strikeforce Morituri, published by Marvel 1986-1988, and Marathon. Todd writes:

The setting is about a hundred years in the future. Mankind is under assault by a pillaging group of nomads called the Horde. Much like the Pfhor, they got their start in the slave making business by stealing technology from other races, just as the Pfhor did with Jjaro technology. Outclassed, the humans resort with super heroes. By inducing a high power metabolism in certain people, marvelous effects such as increased density, strength, stamina, and "powers" are realized. Each Morituri is easily the match of hundreds of the enemy. The catch: death is certain within a year. This contrasts quite interestingly with the notion of the Marathon protagonist as a cyborg, whose existence, as Durandal put it, is limited only by the lifespan of neurons within a brain.

The real clincher involved one Morituri who happened to be my favorite as well as the most effective member of the second series of Morituri. His codename was Marathon.

Dan Rudolph <rudolph.family@mcleod.net> writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Paul Thompson <tthompsn@tir.com> also writes concerning the number seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 23, 1996
My God! Bungie are giving away a free copy of Marathon with every purchase of Abuse!!! aaarrgggh... the ignominy of it. It should be the OTHER way around guys... nay it should be seven copies of Abuse for every purchase of Abuse... Marathon Rules

Matt Soell has his say... about time too... way to go Matt. But here's the TRUE story behind the Marathon delay. <Yeah I know it's old.>

Bungie even updated their link to the Marathon's Story page... nice one Webmeister. Who is that masked man? (woman?).

Ward Long <Spnkr 19@aol.com> writes concerning the references to Grendel in Infinity. See the Grendel section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

To those of you who have enquired. Cindy Crawford? Chan, Cruise, and now Crawford?. Notice the connection. ;-)

Greg K confesses. Jjaro should be spelt with only one 'r'. And should be pronounced "Yaro".

Note also how Jonas Eneroth <Jonas@bungie.com> used to sign himself:

Jjarro Liasion Officer and "That Swedish Guy"

Jjaro Liasion Officer and "That Swedish Guy"

Nov 22, 1996
Ben Semmler <LtSemm@aol.com> writes concerning our posssible origins. See the You section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Greg Kirkpatrick goes wild... and replies to the long Moo's Twisted Plot... thread on agm:

Man this is a good thread.. Thanks for the feedback (someone's previous
post about the story being overdone.)  Actually to answer him - Mƒ was
planned as an expansion for M2.  We basically locked down the story after
assuming that people were familiar with the previous games.

A bunch of you guys are on the right track, but I think that you're still
not seeing the big picture.  What's been going on since M1?  What do we
all dream about (non-Freudian)?  What in a general sense are all stories
about?  What is life about?  What does the Jjarro have to do with all
this?  What is the connection between dreams and reality?  What is the
connection between a story and reality?  What is the connection between
our perception and reality?

Answer these questions and you shall know the truth.

ciao
Greg k

Tell me of your homeworld, Usul


PS I cackle all the time, but this thread makes me cackle like crazy...

----------------
Head Tool
Double Aught,inc
----------------

The big picture... mmmhh. Questions...? Truth...??

Who tried to warn us of the inevitable destruction of the Tau Ceti colony and how could they have known?

Why did Durandal not take us with him when he left Tau Ceti in the Pfhor scoutship?

And why does Greg K spell "Jjaro" with two r's (Jjarro)?

And now for something completely different... tidbit trivia... so beloved of the Marathon's Story page... but Cindy never sent it. :-(

Subject:      Re: Infinity Ending (SPOILER)
From:         c1ndyh@aol.com
Date:         1996/11/20
Message-Id:   <19961120181100.NAA19563@ladder01.news.aol.com>
References:   <19961120152400.KAA16872@ladder01.news.aol.com>
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Newsgroups:   alt.games.marathon
X-Admin:      news@aol.com


Here's an important story tidbit.

Has anyone noticed the nonsense text strings appearing in many of the
terminals? In Aye Mak Sicur there's this one, with my translation of two
lines next to it:

^9320wrefkddud
 9034thssksbvs -------<This sucks, Beavis
 9066hhhthsrls----------<Huhhuhhuh, this rules
 0394yh...e.e.
overthought unravel

Are Beavis and Butthead our evil puppet masters? Huh huh.

Cindy

And it goes on...

From: Alan Lively <alively@anet-dfw.com>
Newsgroups: alt.games.marathon
Subject: Re: Infinity Ending (SPOILER)
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 22:27:28 +0000
Organization: Anet News Services
Lines: 17
Message-ID: <329385D0.4D66@anet-dfw.com>
References: <19961120152400.KAA16872@ladder01.news.aol.com>
<19961120181100.NAA19563@ladder01.news.aol.com>
<32932526.43EE@worldnet.att.net>
<329390BD.580@shore.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: ppp116b.anet-dfw.com
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Quartz wrote:
> 
> Jeff Ragucci wrote:
> >
> > c1ndyh@aol.com wrote:
> > >
> > > Here's an important story tidbit.
> > >
> > > Has anyone noticed the nonsense text strings appearing in many of the
> > > terminals? In Aye Mak Sicur there's this one, with my translation of two
> > > lines next to it:
> > >
> > > ^9320wrefkddud
> 
> how about : we're f***ed

or: we're f***ed dude?

Nov 21, 1996
Duality ?

"how many polygons in a meow meow?"

Wilson Miner <wminer@feist.com> writes concerning the Basques, Charlemagne, and Count Roland. See the Historical & Mythological References in Marathon section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 20, 1996
Many thanks to Matthew Smith <matthew@quest.net> for sending me the complete Marathon Infinity terminal text in HTML format no less. Great stuff now I can read the terminals.

Durability. A word that keeps cropping up in Marathon Infinity. Is there a reason for this? Nick Nethery <MagicElbow@aol.com> pointed out sometime ago that the French name Durendal meant enduring. A possible connection?

And while we are on the subject.

Nov 19, 1996
Ty Klein <mrenigma@earthlink.net> writes concerning time loops and that old feeling of...Déjà Vu

Greg Kirkpatrick speaks... again:

From: grendel@doubleaught.com (Grendel)
Newsgroups: alt.games.marathon
Subject: Re: Moo's Twisted Plot...
Date: 18 Nov 1996 20:42:07 GMT
Organization: Double Aught
Lines: 30
Message-ID: <grendel-1811961545040001@192.163.1.100>
References: <look-1711962326060001@cyber138.cyberspc.mb.ca>
<19961118195000.OAA05071@ladder01.news.aol.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: gregk.dialup.access.net

In article <19961118195000.OAA05071@ladder01.news.aol.com>, c1ndyh@aol.com
wrote:

< << self willed the peril of a thousand fates>>
< 
< This could refer to the Champion Eternal of the Elric Saga series by
< Michael Moorcock. There are more similarities of this series to the MI
< story, including a the use of Roland's horn, entities who maintain the
< balance of the universe, and chaos ceatures. There's a good web page on
< Elric ...um...somewhere. Comment, Greg K.?
< 

Well, actually, never read any of the micheal moorcock stuff.  Although I
heard about all 17(?) books second hand when I was 13 from my friend Josh
who read them all...

Here's a question:

Where do an android's dreams come from?
(Inquiring minds want to know...)

I vaguely remember something about a movie, my brother was there..
Unicorns running through the terrible city filled with magic.  Was it all
just a dream?

later
greg k

Most readers of the Story page will know the movie to which Greg refers to and the original story on which the film is based.

Was it all just a dream?

Nov 18, 1996
Duality. What is it? The rumours spread.

Sorry but I'm not giving out any more pictures of Randy Reddig. ;-)

A nice find from Chris Borowiec <borzz@earthlink.net>

Q: "What is the law"?
A: "No spill blood".

Q: "Who makes the law"?
A: "Someone else".

Q: "What happens when we break the law"?
A: "A trip to the House Of Pain".

David Cornwell <goldragonne@earthlink.net> writes concerning the Am I Dreaming? section of Facts and puzzling things about... .

Michael Westphal <cyberjox@premier.net> points out that if you look at the picture of the tank on Bungie's Desert Storm page you'll notice something very interesting. A certain number. No clues now.

Nov 17, 1996
Not more sevens?!?! Yep... David Cornwell <goldragonne@earthlink.net> finds another less obvious one from the original Marathon. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 16, 1996
Well Randy's at it AGAIN. Maybe this is where the roots of rampancy lie and not in those faulty Intel chips distributed around the time Marathon was released.

David Cornwell <goldragonne@earthlink.net> writes concerning the Jjaro. See The Jjaro section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 15, 1996
Greg Kirkpatrick speaks... read his lips:

From: grendel@doubleaught.com (Grendel)
Newsgroups: alt.games.marathon
Subject: Re: Decreasing emphasis on plots at Bungie?
Date: 15 Nov 1996 02:55:08 GMT
Organization: Double Aught
Lines: 57
Message-ID: <grendel-1411962157550001@192.163.1.100>
References:<scr-ya023060041311960004380001@nntp2.mindspring.com>
<mrenigma-1211962215130001@news.earthlink.net>
<IJBall-1311961044500001@mac_rbk_3.chem.ucla.edu>
<look-1411961641290001@cyber061.cyberspc.mb.ca>
NNTP-Posting-Host: gregk.dialup.access.net

In article <look-1411961641290001@cyber061.cyberspc.mb.ca>, look@it.up
(A.S.) wrote:

> In article <IJBall-1311961044500001@mac_rbk_3.chem.ucla.edu>,
> IJBall@aol.com (Ian J. Ball) wrote:
> 
> > I'd rate it this way: the first half or 2/3 of MI had a good plot, much
> > better than M2, as you tried to figure out what was going on. 
> > 
> > But somewhere in the second half of the game, the plot became, I don't
> > know, less interesting. And I'm in the camp that thinks the ending was
> > quite disappointing. We never get an explaination as to what was going on
> > earlier in the game. And no Leela, which was also disappointing.
> > 
> > Frankly, I'd only rate the first half or so of MI's plot as better than
> > M2's. But I liked the ending of M2 a lot more, and I think MI runs out of
> > gas in the last half of the game.
> > 
> > Overall, I guess I'd agree with Steve.
> 
> Um, if they told you exactly what happened in the end, it would suck. The
> great thing about Marathon's plot is that you can spend month trying to
> figure it out. People who expect a plot that reveals all without any
> thought on the part of the player would probably enjoy DOOM type games
> more than those who like to think about it.
> 

Personally, I like the ending in Marathon Infinity the best of them all.

<grin>

I thought I'd throw in my opinion here, as one of the primary creators of
the Marathon story.  I can see why people would think that the Infinity
story gets weaker towards the end.  Knowing this, I know that as a
storyteller I have failed somewhat.  But I can also assure you that the
end of the story does the difficult trick of actually ending the
story(something that we forgot to do in Marathon 1 and 2.), although what
happens exactly is subtle.  

As for Double Aught and our opinions of story (the universally accepted
Double Aught view):

Read my lips:

Computer games tell stories.

That's what they're for.

Later,
Greg K

---------------------
head tool
00
double aught software
www.doubleaught.com
---------------------

Aaron Snyder <wittnietz@datatek.com> writes concerning the level "Eat the Path" and Gheritt White. See the Gheritt White section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Avi Selk <avi@terra.cyberspc.mb.ca> writes concerning the picture of the flower on the first terminal of "Eat the Path". See the Gheritt White section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Rick VanderLeest <bme185@icaen.uiowa.edu> writes:

"On the level "Eat the Path" at the beginning, instead of following the obvious pathway across the lava, there is a stairway under some lava opposite the start of the path. If you follow this route, you can eventually get to a room with a lava pool and a switch on the opposite wall. If you step back and look at the pool, the flickering lights in the room spell the word "HOME" on the lava."

Avi Selk <avi@terra.cyberspc.mb.ca> points out that there appears to be only one date in Marathon Infinity. On "Post Naval Trauma" terminal 3 the signoff is dec, 210ace. Avi writes:

"ACE is another word for AD, often used by religions who do not accept Christ as the messiah, such as Judaism. It stands for After Common Era."

Nov 14, 1996

"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream..."

(William Shakespeare - "A Midsummer Night's Dream", circa 1595)

Nov 13, 1996

"The time has come,
To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax -
Of cabbages - and kings -
And why the sea is boiling hot -
And whether pigs have wings."

(Lewis Carroll - "Through the Looking Glass", 1872)

Nov 12, 1996
Hats off to Randy Reddig. Double Aught Software's page wins an IPPA's Award for Design Excellence. You can check the details here. Will Randy give up the gaming market and take up professional web page design... that is the question?

Peter de Blanc <giule@aol.com> points out that on Bungie's page for Desert Storm the download size is given as 743K but if you try and download it the size is infact 537k. So? Big deal. Simple mistake. But wait go back and look at that number on the page again. And while you looking see if you can find the missing 206K. Could it be that secret message left by the Ancient Ones. ;-)

Nov 10, 1996
Josh Noel <carinoel@mail.gte.net> points out that Bungie's first game was not "Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete" but "Operation: Desert Storm" released in June of 1991. Minotaur was released in February 1992. Ugh!... an error on the Marathon's Story page... could this be the end as we know it. Josh wonders if there is any seven stuff in Desert Storm? You can get it from Bungie's site here

Loren Petrich <petrich@netcom.com> provides the pict text for the second terminal on "Ne Cede Malis". See the Pict Text section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 9, 1996
Avi Selk <avi@terra.cyberspc.mb.ca> writes concerning Grendel. See the Grendel section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Avi Selk <avi@terra.cyberspc.mb.ca> also writes concerning the Cthulhu Mythos in Marathon. See The Cthulhu Mythos in Marathon section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Scot Jaeger <pepino@indy.net> writes:

"On Poor Yorick, Tycho says, "The Enforcers, as you may remember, are not vacuum enabled..." well, on Post Naval Trauma, as i was dashing to find an oxygen bottle, i go up an elevator and blast an... Enforcer. Right next to the terminal talking about Juggernaut weaponry."

Don't believe everything you read.

Peter de Blanc <giule@aol.com> points out that Bungie's first game was "Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete" In the original story a certain number of men and a certain number of women were sent as a yearly tribute to satisfy the Minotaur. Guess what that certain number was? No clues now.

Nov 7, 1996
Don't forget to visit Hastur's Workshop at Double Aught Software. Very informative. There is an excellent piece on how parts of "Acme Station" were created. We await with great anticipation the Master's film of this level. Ahem... maybe Grendel would be so good as to nudge (gently!) the Master concerning this. [he who never forgets]

Is Hastur a Jjaro? Unlikely as they just arrived two days ago. Then again Ryu'Toth might have lied to us. The Jjaro have a saying: "Whatever you say, say nothing clearly." Come to think of it that does sound like... ;-)

Just in case you missed these Noah Johnson <streak@well.com> points out that there are three terminals on "Eat the Path" which involve you jumping through a window and walking on air to reach. Surreal stuff... but then again this is a dream. Trouble is it's difficult to know when you wake up.

Dennis Murphy <tian@is2.dal.ca> writes about Simulacrums and the Pfhor intention to enslave mankind. See the Simulacrums section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 6, 1996
Kris Norberg <knorberg@pipeline.com> writes concerning our relationship with Durandal. See the You section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 5, 1996
The Jjaro are here!

Today tens of millions of Americans will vote to make William Jefferson Clinton the first Democratic president to win a second term since Franklin D. Rossevelt in 1936.

Exactly two and half years ago Ryu'Toth, a Jjaro representative, appeared via hologram before President Clinton and five of his senior military staff. The events that transpired following that fateful visitation have never been adequately documented until now.

Are you prepared for the... truth?

Nov 4, 1996
They're coming! T-minus 1 day.

Jonathan Boeddiker <Almace@aol.com> writes concerning the Final Screen in Marathon Infinity and our origins. See the You section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 3, 1996
They're coming! T-minus 2 days.

For those of you who have enquired about what was written on the walls of the first version of Marathon I'll come clean and reveal all. Check the Grendel section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 2, 1996
They're coming! T-minus 3 days.

Added a new section Grendel to Facts and puzzling things about... .

Aaron Snyder <wittnietz@datatek.com> writes concerning a possible connection between Matt Wagner's "Grendel" series and Marathon Infinity. See the Grendel section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Dan Rudolph <rudolph.family@mcleod.net> writes concerning the Number Seven. See The Number Seven section of Facts and puzzling things about... for details.

Nov 1, 1996
They're coming! T-minus 4 days.