Voice of the deep shouldn't speak english

kommo1kommo1 Join Date: 2017-06-23 Member: 231304Members
edited June 2017 in Ideas and Suggestions
I hope I making this topic in the right place. Also english isnt my first language, so sorry in advance for mistakes.

Here is a little quote from Rock,Paper,Shotgun about Subnautica.
Tapping into our fear of the unknown is, undoubtedly, the game’s most malevolent and effective trick.

Up until now the game never missed an opportunity to scare the shit out of me. Always at the edge of my seat, every new area I had my sight on needed a huge amount of bravery to actually explore.
With no weapons stranded on an unknown planet, surronded by deadly creatures made me feel extremly insignificant, helpless and most importantly alone and isolated. The data logs of the preceding ships also added to this, by noting that these people didnt understand this world as well.

All of that ended as soon as the empress opened her mouth. When I first triggered her, it was the middle off the night (in RL) and I was chased by a warper. My heart skipped several beats, when she showed up on my screen. But that vanished when she startet talking in perfect english using a kind and motherly voice with a hinge of her own insecureness.
From that point on the aspect of solitude and slight horror was gone. The voice itself isnt threatening or deceitful, so I know that she wouldt harm me, when I reached her.
What was supposed to be a mysterious being hidden behind dreadful creatures and hostile enviroment, became instantly relatable and harmless.

The empress shouldnt speak a human language. She should sound alien to us and when we meet her body language, the enviroment and maybe dataconsoles should tell the story. Up to that meeting the game is very good at that. Why turning the ominous presence off the empress into a simple quest-NPC by giving her human voice. There was no need for that.

That is something I would like to discuss in this Thread.

PS: And before someone comes in and uses telepathy as an argument. The precursers were telepathic as well, and they couldnt understand her. So why should we?

Comments

  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    edited June 2017
    1. It is a video game, don't question video game logic
    2. The Emperor is from a different planet. Im pretty sure when it detects the player it is able to understand the player's language and speak it.
    3. It is a smart alien.
  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    edited June 2017
    kommo1 wrote: »
    All of that ended as soon as the empress opened her mouth. y giving her human voice. There was no need for that.
    Empress. EMPRESS?!?
    TRIGGERED
    The Sea Emperor isn't a girl nor boy....*bashes head into wall*
  • kommo1kommo1 Join Date: 2017-06-23 Member: 231304Members
    I'm not questioning the games logic, but the way it presents its atmosphere.
  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    It is a smart creature it probably learned English as soon as it noticed the player. Or what ever language you are playing with. It is used so you can under stand it. It is small it shouldn't be something that should bug someone
  • DrownedOutDrownedOut Habitat Join Date: 2016-05-26 Member: 217559Members
    edited June 2017
    Fathom wrote: »
    The Emperor is communicating concepts and your brain puts those concepts back into language. Don't question telepathy. It just works.

    Yeah. Consider the mesmer's hypnotism as foreshadowing the emperor's telepathy. And the precursors were self-centered jerks so I'd sooner throw it on them being closed off to the emperor's call than being inherently incompatible.

    As for it affecting the horror of the game, imo, the gentle creatures like the emperor, reefbacks, and ghostray do not negate their not-so-gentle peers. I'd argue it's the contrast that raises the horror.
  • Kyman201Kyman201 Washington State Join Date: 2016-01-23 Member: 211880Members
    edited June 2017
    DrownedOut wrote: »
    Yeah. Consider the mesmer's hypnotism as foreshadowing the emperor's telepathy. And the precursors were self-centered jerks so I'd sooner throw it on them being closed off to the emperor's call than being inherently incompatible.

    I think that the Emperor says as much. I'll have to rewatch the Containment Cell scenes, but I think that she(?) says something to the effect of "The ones that came before, they were closed to me".
    kommo1 wrote: »
    What was supposed to be a mysterious being hidden behind dreadful creatures and hostile enviroment, became instantly relatable and harmless.
    ... Is... That BAD? Why should EVERYTHING be terrible and horrifying and aggressive. This is the Sea Emperor. The LAST of her kind. Her eggs are the last hope to save this world. Plus, it's a subverted expectation. Most large creatures have been animals. Beasts. Beings of instinct, with some being aggressive.

    The Emperor? Is not. She is a sapient being. Aware of you and herself, aware her time is short, and aware that you could perhaps help save her children. Right away, her voice, her body language, the obviously curious way she examines you... This marks her as different from the other creatures you've encountered.

    Also, 'harmless'. She's STILL big enough to squish you should you try anything.
  • Darwin-EvolutionDarwin-Evolution France Join Date: 2015-06-07 Member: 205310Members
    kommo1 wrote: »
    All of that ended as soon as the empress opened her mouth. y giving her human voice. There was no need for that.
    Empress. EMPRESS?!?
    TRIGGERED
    The Sea Emperor isn't a girl nor boy....*bashes head into wall*
    giphy.gif
  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    @Kyman201 what did I just say about calling the Sea Emeperor a girl!
  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    Fauna on Planet 4546B only have one gender that is capable of both laying eggs and fertilising them. Two parents are still needed in the majority of cases.
  • kommo1kommo1 Join Date: 2017-06-23 Member: 231304Members
    edited June 2017
    Kyman201 wrote: »
    kommo1 wrote: »
    What was supposed to be a mysterious being hidden behind dreadful creatures and hostile enviroment, became instantly relatable and harmless.
    ... Is... That BAD? Why should EVERYTHING be terrible and horrifying and aggressive. This is the Sea Emperor. The LAST of her kind. Her eggs are the last hope to save this world. Plus, it's a subverted expectation. Most large creatures have been animals. Beasts. Beings of instinct, with some being aggressive.
    I never said, that she should be aggressive. I said that we the players shouldnt be able to tell until we jump into her cell and get close to her eggs.

    I also never said, that she shouldnt be intelligent. The protagonist isnt stupid, but he still doesnt understand the alien language. She can communicate with us.... or at least try. We shouldnt be able to understand her, in order to not break the mystery sorrounding her. Especially not that early in the game.
  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    @kommo1 read this
    Fathom wrote: »
    The Emperor is communicating concepts and your brain puts those concepts back into language. Don't question telepathy. It just works.

  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    Also it doesn't break the mystery. At least for me and a lot of other people. You don't find it mysterious that a creature is talking to you and you can understand what it is saying? Because it would sound like if already knows your language which would be scary!
  • tommy21toestommy21toes Subnautica Join Date: 2017-05-21 Member: 230666Members
    edited June 2017
    Also it doesn't break the mystery. At least for me and a lot of other people. You don't find it mysterious that a creature is talking to you and you can understand what it is saying? Because it would sound like if already knows your language which would be scary!

    Very scary. A word is just a thought. He's putting thoughts directly into your brain. That's not his voice, that's what he makes you think his voice sounds like O.o

    Edit: Brains are the only organ that named itself
    Edit2: It's probably not English at all, but it has to be relayed to the player somehow and controllers only go so far :smiley:
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    So what you're saying is, brains are narcissistic
  • sayerulzsayerulz oregon Join Date: 2015-04-15 Member: 203493Members
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    So what you're saying is, brains are narcissistic

    I mean, they think that every other organ is there just to support them, so yes.
  • FathomFathom Earth Join Date: 2016-07-01 Member: 219405Members
    sayerulz wrote: »
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    So what you're saying is, brains are narcissistic
    I mean, they think that every other organ is there just to support them, so yes.
    The brain is not wrong.

    You can replace every other organ and still have the same person. You replace the brain and you have someone else.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    And if we do the fusion dance, we have a new split personality crazy person for a short time :trollface:
  • kommo1kommo1 Join Date: 2017-06-23 Member: 231304Members
    edited June 2017
    Guys I do get how telepathy works. I just think that the way its presented (with the english language and the benevolent tone) doesnt fit the atmosphere off the game.
    That is the critique Im trying to convey.

    Also I thought that the empress was going to be bigger. Maybe its just a shift in perspective since she is in that small cell, but to me she appears barely bigger than the sea dragon. But that is a smaller issue.
  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
  • kommo1kommo1 Join Date: 2017-06-23 Member: 231304Members
    You have no clue, how little I care.
  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    But it isn't a female! Calling it an Empress is wrong and stupid!
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    I made a booboo, posting this shizzle in the wrong bloody thread
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    These guys are on their way up... They'll "fix" this "English" issue...
    giphy.gif


    o/
  • sayerulzsayerulz oregon Join Date: 2015-04-15 Member: 203493Members
    Fathom wrote: »
    sayerulz wrote: »
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    So what you're saying is, brains are narcissistic
    I mean, they think that every other organ is there just to support them, so yes.
    The brain is not wrong.

    You can replace every other organ and still have the same person. You replace the brain and you have someone else.

    Oh, and I suppose you heard that from your liver?
  • Kyman201Kyman201 Washington State Join Date: 2016-01-23 Member: 211880Members
    edited June 2017
    But it isn't a female! Calling it an Empress is wrong and stupid!

    Technically it's apparently a hermaphrodite, if memory serves. But 'it' doesn't feel right for a sapient being.

    I guess I could use 'they' and 'their'.

    That said, calling it an Empress WOULD be incorrect... Much the same way that a female Emperor Penguin is not an Empress Penguin. It's a species name.

    "Sea Emperor". It's what you call all of them. It's not Sea Emperor and Sea Empress.

    I admit I defaulted to 'she' and 'her' because of the voice.

    Also:
    kommo1 wrote: »
    Guys I do get how telepathy works. I just think that the way its presented (with the english language and the benevolent tone) doesnt fit the atmosphere off the game.

    To paraphrase a quote you made upthread... You have no clue how much I disagree with you there.

    The voice is a mystery. Subnautica isn't a HORROR game. It's an EXPLORATION and SURVIVAL game, that can be scary because of aggressive elements.

    The voice coaxes you down, deeper into the ocean. Past the Lost River, past the lava zones, down into the containment facility...

    And once there, you find the mysterious being that's been calling to you. It's a mystery you searched for, and found the answer to. That's PERFECTLY in-line with the tone of the game.
  • jamintheinfinite_1jamintheinfinite_1 Jupiter Join Date: 2016-12-03 Member: 224524Members
    Yeah I know that it it a hermaphrodite.
  • elfcrisiselfcrisis Join Date: 2017-05-13 Member: 230466Members
    I agree that the issue isn't how or why they can communicate with you, but whether or not, from a story perspective, they should.

    To encounter the one sentient being on the planet and have it be able to speak with you could be a deliberate action to put the player at ease after all the tension from the rest of the game. I kind of like this idea, but I haven't gotten to that part of the game yet so I can't judge for myself.

    However, I also like the idea that direct communication isn't possible, at least not right away. I think it would be cool to have to establish trust with the last Sea Emperor (and yeah, Emperor is appropriate because this is a species name, not a cultural title). You can't talk, so you have to communicate with body language and build a relationship. Why should she/they trust you? Why wouldn't you think you would be attacked, just like everything else on the planet has done?

    Could be an opportunity to extend the story a bit, and using a new type of interaction, too. Could be cool.
  • DrownedOutDrownedOut Habitat Join Date: 2016-05-26 Member: 217559Members
    elfcrisis wrote: »
    However, I also like the idea that direct communication isn't possible, at least not right away. I think it would be cool to have to establish trust with the last Sea Emperor (and yeah, Emperor is appropriate because this is a species name, not a cultural title). You can't talk, so you have to communicate with body language and build a relationship. Why should she/they trust you? Why wouldn't you think you would be attacked, just like everything else on the planet has done?

    The sea emperor really is in no position to question anyone's trustworthiness, nor is the player to question theirs. Either character's existence is luck's mercy providing one final chance.
  • DragoWhoovesDragoWhooves UK Join Date: 2017-05-30 Member: 230836Members
    DrownedOut wrote: »
    elfcrisis wrote: »
    However, I also like the idea that direct communication isn't possible, at least not right away. I think it would be cool to have to establish trust with the last Sea Emperor (and yeah, Emperor is appropriate because this is a species name, not a cultural title). You can't talk, so you have to communicate with body language and build a relationship. Why should she/they trust you? Why wouldn't you think you would be attacked, just like everything else on the planet has done?

    The sea emperor really is in no position to question anyone's trustworthiness, nor is the player to question theirs. Either character's existence is luck's mercy providing one final chance.

    agreed

    also to those say we shouldn't be able to understand it, the Sea Emperor is telepathic so it'll speak whatever makes sense to you
  • WolfGamerWolfGamer Join Date: 2017-07-03 Member: 231565Members
    it can read your mind and understand what the words mean
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