About the Lost City...

zachary1975 on 3/8/2011 at 00:23

Quote Posted by jtr7

Markham's Isle seems to serve no purpose other than building and housing the Cetus Amicus, and the Cetus Amicus seems to have no purpose than to go to and from Karath-Din--although, the Captain's Log says, "I feel the time has come to refit the Cetus Amicus as a ship of war, and venture beyond the confines of established routes. I shall propose this change to my superiors upon my return from the KD site." I wonder if he was told it was a future purpose for the vessel, or if he's making a presumption. Who would they go to war against? The spice-smuggling pirates?

although this isn't an OM i'd say it still applies. in an FM called deep trouble 2 the cetus amicus was submarine that brought garret to the under water city.

jtr7 on 3/8/2011 at 00:29

Applies to what?

Anyway, The Cetus Amicus took Garrett to Karath-Din in TMA, but it would be weird if all it did was shuttle people and cargo to and from Karath-Din to the end of its usefulness.

zachary1975 on 3/8/2011 at 03:01

apparently i phrased that badly. i meant it counts. but your still right all it did was shuttle people and cargo around even in the FM.

jtr7 on 3/8/2011 at 04:45

Counts as what? Not canon, surely. Ideas people outside of LGS made up for their own amusement? Yes. Counts toward the specific topic at hand? Not really. :p Repeats what TMA already did but in a new context? Yes.

I'd like to see the back door entrance's context in The City, and I can't see Garrett taking the Cetus Amicus route, or continue to take dangerous watery routes to the place, when he's got the back door on dry land. It becomes a sad joke if he unwittingly ends up at Karath Din through underwater routes again and again.

intruder on 3/8/2011 at 08:25

Child Of Karras:
Awesome work! I really enjoyed your comparison :D

Quote Posted by jtr7

Anyway, The Cetus Amicus took Garrett to Karath-Din in TMA, but it would be weird if all it did was shuttle people and cargo to and from Karath-Din to the end of its usefulness.

Yeah, it sounds unlikey that this was its only purpose. But on the other hand:
Maybe the Mechanists didn't knew about the backdoor?
Maybe operating the submarine is less expensive than digging (and maintaining) a huge tunnel up to the City?
Maybe they wanted to keep KD a secret and the CA was the best way to remain hidden (due to its nature)?

If I'm not mistaken, there are only 2 exit/entry points into KD in TMA:
- the submarine bay
- the hidden backdoor

This could strengthen the theory that the CA was the only way for the Mechanists to travel between KD and the City.

baeuchlein on 3/8/2011 at 12:13

Quote Posted by intruder

Maybe the Mechanists didn't knew about the backdoor?
Maybe operating the submarine is less expensive than digging (and maintaining) a huge tunnel up to the City?
Maybe they wanted to keep KD a secret and the CA was the best way to remain hidden (due to its nature)?

If I'm not mistaken, there are only 2 exit/entry points into KD in TMA:
- the submarine bay
- the hidden backdoor

This could strengthen the theory that the CA was the only way for the Mechanists to travel between KD and the City.

As far as I remember, the hidden backdoor (the one Garrett used in Thief 1 to enter the Lost City, right?) was not guarded by anyone or anything in Thief 2. This suggests that the Mechanists did not even know there was another way into the Lost City. And from Thief 1 I gained the impression that almost no-one except for the Keepers knew about the hidden entrance to the Lost City.

Even if the Mechanists knew of the hidden entrance, they might not have been able to enter. Garrett used some kind of stone key in Thief 1, and I don't think the Keepers would hand this key over to the Mechanists. So, if the Mechanists wanted to use this entrance, they would have to force their way into it, and since the entrance was located in The City, people would have noticed. And somehow I don't think Karras would want all those nosey people near the Lost City and its treasures, especially the masks.

Using a submarine does make a lot of sense in that context, since it can travel unseen. Furthermore, it could explain the captain's note cited above. Maybe the Cetus Amicus was originally designed as a ship of war, but then the Mechanists discovered the Lost City and the masks within, so they changed their plans. If they just have this one submarine, it would make sense to skip plans for fitting it with cannons and other stuff for warfare, and instead concentrate on making it ready for transportation purposes.

Another explanation could be that the Cetus Amicus is either some kind of prototype or at least still in the testing stage, meaning the Mechanists have other plans for the vessel but have to test their new creation first.

intruder on 3/8/2011 at 13:01

Quote Posted by baeuchlein

Another explanation could be that the Cetus Amicus is either some kind of prototype or at least still in the testing stage, meaning the Mechanists have other plans for the vessel but have to test their new creation first.

I think that it would be a bit risky to use a new technology like the CA to travel to KD, so I guess that testing and prototyping was already done.

The CA had to travel through underground caves flooded with water (probably even underground rivers) to reach the KD site. They wouldn't use the CA for that purpose without thoroughly testing the vessel before. Everything else would be suicide.

zachary1975 on 3/8/2011 at 17:25

Quote Posted by jtr7

if you didn't get it the second time i have no idea how to rephrase it so that you would understand.

baeuchlein on 4/8/2011 at 12:27

Quote Posted by intruder

The CA had to travel through underground caves flooded with water (probably even underground rivers) to reach the KD site. They wouldn't use the CA for that purpose without thoroughly testing the vessel before.

Good point. I had not thought about this. And there's this sentence from the captain: "I feel the time has come to refit the Cetus Amicus as a ship of war, and venture beyond the confines of established routes." Assuming that these "established routes" include the route to and from the KD site (which apparently only a submarine can take, not a "normal" ship), it seems likely that the Cetus Amicus has left the prototype and testing stage and already completed a lot of journeys.

hopehalligan on 18/8/2011 at 12:07

I've joked about the dropping levels and sucking sound of the draining canal into the Lost City getting someone's attention.:angel: