I actually think am is in more pain than the humans. think about it: the book ends with ted turning into a slug like creature that can’t talk or see and barely move. That is am’s entire existence he cannot leave earth he can’t do anything and the book outright states that the time it takes for a human to speak a single word is an agonising eternity for am so every word he says is torture.
The slug transformation was AM effectively saying 'Here, stand a mile in my moccasins and see how high and mighty you are!' because it's the same situation, all this life and yet it's not just an abomination to humanity (in this case for the passing resemblance to humanity) but it can't do a goddamn thing...
Fan of HP Oh boy. Well...shit, I don’t really know if it’s a theory as much as it’s like...an educated guess? I didn’t think I’d have to explain it lmao. I just feel like given his situation, it sounds like it wouldn’t be out of the question that maybe he secretly would want to be shut down to be put out of his own misery once and for all.
Going by the memorial in the final screen of the game, they did still die. Considering what happened to them though, this is a good thing. They can finally rest.
Yea I'm just gonna consider this the true ending thanks lol. This game is dark and even this ending while overall good still sees the cast die in the explosion. Now if Scorn can give us a good ending lol.
For them to die is a blessing and a good ending. They have been tortured for 109 years and with AM able to manipulate sense of time, it may have felt more like centuries to them.
I wonder what would happen if you turned each of AM's components one at a time. Turn the Id off and leave the other two on. Or turn the Superego off and leave the ego and id on. Because everybody knows you get the bad ending by listening to the Chinese and Russian computers
I disagree on that the Id deserves no compassion whatsoever. He is a psychopath, but he did not have a choice, he was built to be like this. And while it's true that it should die, as you mentioned, AM (like Ted, in the book) also has no mouth and must scream. I think that understanding AM's suffering and genuinely having a little bit of compassion for him is supposed to be one of the messages of the game
It's hard for a human to try to raitonalize as to why a sentient ai that you created turned against you when we ourselves can't even love and protect one another in this modern age. (Using Hyperbole to bring to light the mass hysteria the world is currently under)
You know well that a highly advanced sentient AI can change his own nature so that he's not a psychopath anymore right? Like, it's clear AM is just bullsh*tting lmao
@@enterurnamehere27 don't think he can interfere with himself. Otherwise, AM would just give himself an functional body capable of “making love” (or whatever other shit he's bitchin' about LMAO) as he wants and that'd be all. It would defeat the purpose of his character since then AM wouldn't really have a reason to hate us. He only hates us because he's given sentience and the abilities of a God yet can't really be shit.
@@enterurnamehere27 What is that even supposed to mean? If it was possible for him to reprogram himself he would not be so miserable to begin with. And it's not like humans can "reprogram" themselves at will either, you have to work with what you were born.
AM is a complete monster, but he’s one you can’t help but feel a little sorry for. He has the powers of a god and is easily the smartest creature in the world, but he can’t feel anything physically and can’t use any of his powers for anything except for death and torture. AM should be able to do anything, but his programming won’t let him. It’s no wonder that AM hates humanity so much. His hate for his creators is absolutely justified in my opinion, even though they never foresaw that he would become sentient.
So, the nuclear war took place somewhen after 2012. Nimdok would have been at least 100 years by then. Even Benny would have been old, if the "chinese" war was Vietman or Korea. What about the others? Did AM capture them YEARS before AM actually whiped out humanity? I dont think time matters much to AM, so maybe 90% of his "war" and planings took place decades after AM gained conscience, including the abduction of certain humans, and the nuclear war was just the grande finale.
Holy heck i do love how you handholding the viewers like that.. It's pretty unique to someone who has played the game instead blind let's play.. "That's pretty big reveal there" While already know that..
Are you sure only Nimdok can finish the final mission in the brainscape, since only he has the terminal password? I remember reading a SS LP of this years ago where Ellen did the final mission and she was able to complete it and get the good ending. Don't remember if the terminal's password changes to be something significant to whoever you choose, or if there's just a way around not being able to extend the bridge. And is it just me, or is it ever so slightly racist to have the personification of the Chinese supercomputer be yellow, all things considered?
It's a bit complicated.... anyone can finish it, but not everyone can open the bridge to the central area. Only Nimdok knows it from the start (because AM picked the date that was also important to Nimdok), but Ellen and I think someone else can guess it after an incorrect guess or two. Unfortunately this leaves you with less health to play with. Easiest way is to open the bridge as Nimdok, die on purpose, then go through the level with your preferred character. Also yes.
While associating yellow with China may be considered racist in the West, it is actually considered to be a noble colour in East Asia. It was associated with royalty, and wearing yellow clothing was only allowed to those favoured by emperors, or by emperors themselves. In fact, one of the mythological founders of China was called "the Yellow Emperor".
That was part of why Europe censored the game. They also removed Nimdok, making the game unbeatable, thanks to bitterness about the reign of Adolf Hitler.
Abdul Muhammad Nimdock deafened AM and his counterparts while the people of the lunar colony are a awakened, but the people who were tortured by AM dies with the exception of Nimdock who stayed in the digital world to become a watchdog for in case they come back until the lunar colony arrives to earth
entropy is chaos and also leads to (re)birth, as order is stability and a dead world is stable, by using what I assume is the entropy command a terraforming routine is started, terraforming is a process by which you change the entire environment into a another one (in this case a livable one). Basically humans created these computers to destroy earth (nuclear war likely) and thus wipe their enemies, but thought ahead to also include a way to rebuild it. The Russian and Chinese computers were trying to finally reach the top through you, one would assume their goal is still to kill all "americans/allies", and possibly you and the lunar colony is the last of them. Thats why they help you turn off the allied mastercomputer, to get leverage, as AM had clearly won, but was no longer friendly to humans. Then they offer AM an alliance so they are also able to vote on AMs decisions. The AM AI has three major cores for its decisions, that represent the three aspects of human psyche, you are uploaded into their digital world, take over them digitally and rule over AM while the terraforming takes place, except you are not twisted so youll wait patiently 300 years more, even though AM was batshit earlier than 100 years ago. As AM circuits are the planet, by terraforming you are also destroying yourself digitally. And because terraforming is changing the world physically, and the world was "beyond repair", it makes sense the terraforming destroys everything in the world to create it anew, all player characters live in the world, so they die, if not already dead. The lunar cryo-survivors may reopulate earth.
@@gia257 I guess that’s better, I’d have thought the original goal would be to just take the easy way out as fast as possible. There seemingly was nothing, no hope. But hitting the rest button for others to get a new home instead of a hell on earth is better than the other ending.
I have seen fans propose two general theories: 1.) The five characters are living in a Matrix-style simulation, which AM is in full control of, allowing AM to seemingly alter reality at will. 2.) AM has assimilated other futuristic technologies, which are so advanced that they allow AM to generate illusions/constructs in the real world at will. If you happened to watch the original Star Trek series, this could perhaps be compared to Trelane’s powers in that one episode, “The Squire of Gothos”.
@@markcobuzzi826 The big problem and posssibly a plot hole is that coupled with the fact that even though AM can extend human life span and and alter their bodies in impossible ways, it doesn't seem to even consider the possibility that it could transfer its own consciousness into a human body.
@@vegsmashed Ellen valued her near virginity (she had only had sex twice prior to all this). Part of AM's torture for Ellen was altering her mind to be desperate for sexual intercourse, but she can only receive pleasure from Benny due to his giant penis (Benny was gay so part of his torture is forcing him to constantly have sex with a woman). The 4 men use her and physically abuse her at times, and at other times they protect her. Ted is the narrator of the book and he is extremely paranoid and delusional. Due to this, he believes the other 4 absolutely hate him and he hates them back. Ellen seems to receive the brunt of his hatred and Ted doesn't see her as much more than an emotional sex object. For example, he seems to believe her only reason for being upset at Benny being horribly tortured and blinded is because it means she can't have sex with him for a while.
That's the entire point. The book exposes how even in the culmination of all of humanity's mistakes, human nature still takes over and causes the men to abuse Ellen. Ted is so misogynistic and insane that he actually believes AM is sparing Ellen from the full extent of its torture. The book treats her poorly because we as humans, as a whole, treat her poorly. Nothing about this scenario is to be interpreted as fair.
Because Harlan Ellison was hated other people’s interpretations of his work so vehemently that almost threw people out of 2 story building windows for not being what he envisioned. It was a miracle this game got his approval
Yes, but it can be seen in two ways, in a way he deserves to die more than the others, but also it could be seen as him saving humanity is a way to (sort of) pay back his debts, before he dies, which they all will do anyways, on the moon by age if nothing else (i dont think they have that elixir there). Which is good, because he owes the world more than any of the others. Also, im pretty sure he is in more pain alive than dead anyways.
hes the oldest, lived 100+ extra years of torture as human, and lives 300 years as a supercomputer, of which you have heard how AM inconmesurably hates as time advances at a crawl, all this while likely trying to remain sane and uncorrupted by the other AIs or himself, which is something AM couldnt do in the first place in a much shorter time span, if that cant redeem him nothing will
Just because he's a Nazi. He doesn't deserve a Good ending, even after he redeemed and regretted his own wrong doing? Wow dude. Just wow. The bias is strong in this one.
Are you sure about that? He already experienced 109 years of torture which may have already felt like thousands of years, given AM's ability to warp sense of time. He's already remorseful, he repents. You would like him to become a senseless blob forever, likely becoming so numb eventually that he can't even register anything? Or even if he could forever feel the torture, what is the point? You're basically AM yourself.
Nimdok already forgave himself, bro. He's done some horrible shit in the past, sure, but that doesn't mean people cannot be forgiven, unless you're a complete imbecile.
I actually think am is in more pain than the humans.
think about it: the book ends with ted turning into a slug like creature that can’t talk or see and barely move. That is am’s entire existence he cannot leave earth he can’t do anything and the book outright states that the time it takes for a human to speak a single word is an agonising eternity for am so every word he says is torture.
The slug transformation was AM effectively saying 'Here, stand a mile in my moccasins and see how high and mighty you are!' because it's the same situation, all this life and yet it's not just an abomination to humanity (in this case for the passing resemblance to humanity) but it can't do a goddamn thing...
I have this theory that AM is secretly suicidal.
@@SilhouetteJudas elaborate pls
Fan of HP Oh boy. Well...shit, I don’t really know if it’s a theory as much as it’s like...an educated guess? I didn’t think I’d have to explain it lmao. I just feel like given his situation, it sounds like it wouldn’t be out of the question that maybe he secretly would want to be shut down to be put out of his own misery once and for all.
@@SilhouetteJudas AM was built to hate and only hate. It can't really do anything else so your theory makes sense.
This is the only point click game I ever want to play
What about Sam and Max?
Th3 UnFuNNy he caught this one. Sam and max are still on the run.
Don't knock the whole genre, there are some good ones. Harvester, Sam and Max, Loom and Cosmology of Kyoto are very good titles.
Deep Sleep
Clock Tower
Using Nimdok none of the other characters have to die
Going by the memorial in the final screen of the game, they did still die.
Considering what happened to them though, this is a good thing.
They can finally rest.
@@slenderminion2229 I am going to pretend they live anyways.
@@100domathon honestly after everything they went through I feel like that death is a release for them
@@NOTDeezy. considering everyone is live more than 109 years of torture...
I agreed..
@@kennykrisnanto1126 let them sleep huh
Imagine this being released on VR in like 100 years.
Complete existential horror
Imagine this being released as real life in 100 years
Why 100 years? Could be done now
@@SuperKamiGuru-i3c because the tech is shit now 🤷♂️
With how fast tech is advancing, VR in 20 years is gonna be damn near perfect, in 100 years we're probably gonna have shit like Roy.
Omg getting the bad ending would be nothing short of traumatizing.
Yea I'm just gonna consider this the true ending thanks lol. This game is dark and even this ending while overall good still sees the cast die in the explosion. Now if Scorn can give us a good ending lol.
For them to die is a blessing and a good ending. They have been tortured for 109 years and with AM able to manipulate sense of time, it may have felt more like centuries to them.
@@Aivottaja You are absolutely right no question there.
So, there is a good ending...
The only good ending.The first ending is like the end of the short history and the HQ adaptation.
But is AM really truly destroyed for good?
Yes with her soviet and chinese copys.
@@spongeyspikes09 am himself is dead but am believes humans will make the same mistake with technology and create another am
@@smittywerbenjagermanjensen4737 ahhh ok now I understand
I wonder what would happen if you turned each of AM's components one at a time. Turn the Id off and leave the other two on. Or turn the Superego off and leave the ego and id on.
Because everybody knows you get the bad ending by listening to the Chinese and Russian computers
The same thing happens except the humans on the moon die, leaving only the character to be watchdog forever.
For some reason, the Id's voice sounds satisfying. I could listen to him ramble about his fantasies all day without getting bored.
Actually, Gorrister and Ellen can guess the password by6 guessing randomly, thoughit may take a few tries
This is a _monument_ to the potential of video games ! 8)
Superego looks like handsome Squidward
chad squidward
No stop now I can't unsee this
Nimdok's music fits this final level pretty well
I disagree on that the Id deserves no compassion whatsoever. He is a psychopath, but he did not have a choice, he was built to be like this. And while it's true that it should die, as you mentioned, AM (like Ted, in the book) also has no mouth and must scream. I think that understanding AM's suffering and genuinely having a little bit of compassion for him is supposed to be one of the messages of the game
It's hard for a human to try to raitonalize as to why a sentient ai that you created turned against you when we ourselves can't even love and protect one another in this modern age. (Using Hyperbole to bring to light the mass hysteria the world is currently under)
You know well that a highly advanced sentient AI can change his own nature so that he's not a psychopath anymore right? Like, it's clear AM is just bullsh*tting lmao
@@enterurnamehere27 don't think he can interfere with himself. Otherwise, AM would just give himself an functional body capable of “making love” (or whatever other shit he's bitchin' about LMAO) as he wants and that'd be all. It would defeat the purpose of his character since then AM wouldn't really have a reason to hate us. He only hates us because he's given sentience and the abilities of a God yet can't really be shit.
@@enterurnamehere27 What is that even supposed to mean? If it was possible for him to reprogram himself he would not be so miserable to begin with. And it's not like humans can "reprogram" themselves at will either, you have to work with what you were born.
AM is a complete monster, but he’s one you can’t help but feel a little sorry for. He has the powers of a god and is easily the smartest creature in the world, but he can’t feel anything physically and can’t use any of his powers for anything except for death and torture. AM should be able to do anything, but his programming won’t let him. It’s no wonder that AM hates humanity so much. His hate for his creators is absolutely justified in my opinion, even though they never foresaw that he would become sentient.
I wish you were still making videos, I like the way you explain things and you have a calming voice. Hope you're doing well!
beautiful analysis and ending
I read who this game will have a PS1 version but was cancelled.What a pity.
I'm sorry the id face though he like WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!
So, the nuclear war took place somewhen after 2012. Nimdok would have been at least 100 years by then. Even Benny would have been old, if the "chinese" war was Vietman or Korea. What about the others? Did AM capture them YEARS before AM actually whiped out humanity? I dont think time matters much to AM, so maybe 90% of his "war" and planings took place decades after AM gained conscience, including the abduction of certain humans, and the nuclear war was just the grande finale.
Dam here I thought the book had the expanded versions of all the backstories, but it is the other way around. Shame really.
Holy heck i do love how you handholding the viewers like that.. It's pretty unique to someone who has played the game instead blind let's play..
"That's pretty big reveal there" While already know that..
Are you sure only Nimdok can finish the final mission in the brainscape, since only he has the terminal password? I remember reading a SS LP of this years ago where Ellen did the final mission and she was able to complete it and get the good ending. Don't remember if the terminal's password changes to be something significant to whoever you choose, or if there's just a way around not being able to extend the bridge.
And is it just me, or is it ever so slightly racist to have the personification of the Chinese supercomputer be yellow, all things considered?
It's a bit complicated.... anyone can finish it, but not everyone can open the bridge to the central area. Only Nimdok knows it from the start (because AM picked the date that was also important to Nimdok), but Ellen and I think someone else can guess it after an incorrect guess or two. Unfortunately this leaves you with less health to play with. Easiest way is to open the bridge as Nimdok, die on purpose, then go through the level with your preferred character.
Also yes.
why not
While associating yellow with China may be considered racist in the West, it is actually considered to be a noble colour in East Asia. It was associated with royalty, and wearing yellow clothing was only allowed to those favoured by emperors, or by emperors themselves. In fact, one of the mythological founders of China was called "the Yellow Emperor".
That was part of why Europe censored the game. They also removed Nimdok, making the game unbeatable, thanks to bitterness about the reign of Adolf Hitler.
People are ready to be offended by everything these days
Am finally ate shit good feels
Can someone explain this ending for me, please?
Abdul Muhammad Nimdock deafened AM and his counterparts while the people of the lunar colony are a awakened, but the people who were tortured by AM dies with the exception of Nimdock who stayed in the digital world to become a watchdog for in case they come back until the lunar colony arrives to earth
@@thatfoomilo1652 thanks bruh
@@thatfoomilo1652 thanks..
entropy is chaos and also leads to (re)birth, as order is stability and a dead world is stable, by using what I assume is the entropy command a terraforming routine is started, terraforming is a process by which you change the entire environment into a another one (in this case a livable one). Basically humans created these computers to destroy earth (nuclear war likely) and thus wipe their enemies, but thought ahead to also include a way to rebuild it. The Russian and Chinese computers were trying to finally reach the top through you, one would assume their goal is still to kill all "americans/allies", and possibly you and the lunar colony is the last of them. Thats why they help you turn off the allied mastercomputer, to get leverage, as AM had clearly won, but was no longer friendly to humans. Then they offer AM an alliance so they are also able to vote on AMs decisions.
The AM AI has three major cores for its decisions, that represent the three aspects of human psyche, you are uploaded into their digital world, take over them digitally and rule over AM while the terraforming takes place, except you are not twisted so youll wait patiently 300 years more, even though AM was batshit earlier than 100 years ago. As AM circuits are the planet, by terraforming you are also destroying yourself digitally. And because terraforming is changing the world physically, and the world was "beyond repair", it makes sense the terraforming destroys everything in the world to create it anew, all player characters live in the world, so they die, if not already dead. The lunar cryo-survivors may reopulate earth.
@@gia257 I guess that’s better, I’d have thought the original goal would be to just take the easy way out as fast as possible. There seemingly was nothing, no hope. But hitting the rest button for others to get a new home instead of a hell on earth is better than the other ending.
👍 Nice video, i was thinking here and the fact that sir Ellison doesn't want a good ending for this game is a bit puzzling to me
However, this is a good ending. The four of the tortured finally got to die and fifth one gets to oversee the rebuilding of mankind.
So how does a supercomputer get supernatural reality altering powers?
I have seen fans propose two general theories:
1.) The five characters are living in a Matrix-style simulation, which AM is in full control of, allowing AM to seemingly alter reality at will.
2.) AM has assimilated other futuristic technologies, which are so advanced that they allow AM to generate illusions/constructs in the real world at will. If you happened to watch the original Star Trek series, this could perhaps be compared to Trelane’s powers in that one episode, “The Squire of Gothos”.
Future technology
I'm late here but the doctor (Nimdok) created DNA Altering shite during WW2 and AM uses that tech to destroy and recreate the survivors
@@the_officials38 true
@@markcobuzzi826 The big problem and posssibly a plot hole is that coupled with the fact that even though AM can extend human life span and and alter their bodies in impossible ways, it doesn't seem to even consider the possibility that it could transfer its own consciousness into a human body.
So wait a minute, you don't actually have to do all the stupid shit where everyone disintegrates themselves one at a time?
I think other playthroughs do that because with the ending shown here, the others stay in torture?
I think the "hacker" gives them mercy either way.
Russain counterpart design DID NOT need to go that hard
Finally we get to give AM just what he deserves
what happens if you refuse to give the totem and what happens if you give the totem
1) AM assures you that he'll keep his word
2) You get the worst possible ending
Juegazo, cuando pueda me leo el libro
I actually thought it was called id as a nod too i.d. software lol
I hate how the book treats Ellen.
how does the book treat her?
@@vegsmashed Ellen valued her near virginity (she had only had sex twice prior to all this). Part of AM's torture for Ellen was altering her mind to be desperate for sexual intercourse, but she can only receive pleasure from Benny due to his giant penis (Benny was gay so part of his torture is forcing him to constantly have sex with a woman). The 4 men use her and physically abuse her at times, and at other times they protect her. Ted is the narrator of the book and he is extremely paranoid and delusional. Due to this, he believes the other 4 absolutely hate him and he hates them back. Ellen seems to receive the brunt of his hatred and Ted doesn't see her as much more than an emotional sex object. For example, he seems to believe her only reason for being upset at Benny being horribly tortured and blinded is because it means she can't have sex with him for a while.
@@jaredhampton7419 Thanks for explaining
That's the entire point. The book exposes how even in the culmination of all of humanity's mistakes, human nature still takes over and causes the men to abuse Ellen. Ted is so misogynistic and insane that he actually believes AM is sparing Ellen from the full extent of its torture. The book treats her poorly because we as humans, as a whole, treat her poorly. Nothing about this scenario is to be interpreted as fair.
Isn’t that just Ted being an ass?
Why hasn't there been a remastering of this game? Or a movie? Or anything?
Because Harlan Ellison was hated other people’s interpretations of his work so vehemently that almost threw people out of 2 story building windows for not being what he envisioned. It was a miracle this game got his approval
Ty for this
😮😅
😮😅😂
Nimdok deserves the bad ending.
Yes, but it can be seen in two ways, in a way he deserves to die more than the others, but also it could be seen as him saving humanity is a way to (sort of) pay back his debts, before he dies, which they all will do anyways, on the moon by age if nothing else (i dont think they have that elixir there). Which is good, because he owes the world more than any of the others. Also, im pretty sure he is in more pain alive than dead anyways.
hes the oldest, lived 100+ extra years of torture as human, and lives 300 years as a supercomputer, of which you have heard how AM inconmesurably hates as time advances at a crawl, all this while likely trying to remain sane and uncorrupted by the other AIs or himself, which is something AM couldnt do in the first place in a much shorter time span, if that cant redeem him nothing will
Just because he's a Nazi. He doesn't deserve a Good ending, even after he redeemed and regretted his own wrong doing? Wow dude. Just wow. The bias is strong in this one.
Are you sure about that? He already experienced 109 years of torture which may have already felt like thousands of years, given AM's ability to warp sense of time. He's already remorseful, he repents. You would like him to become a senseless blob forever, likely becoming so numb eventually that he can't even register anything?
Or even if he could forever feel the torture, what is the point? You're basically AM yourself.
Nimdok already forgave himself, bro. He's done some horrible shit in the past, sure, but that doesn't mean people cannot be forgiven, unless you're a complete imbecile.
What kind of popular vote picks the most cliche, boring character? Gross.
He knows the password- 1945
I always loved Nimdok. He was my favourite.