The Mechanists' technology. - by TTK12G3
belboz on 20/6/2009 at 04:13
garrett actually uses the plans of his eye to clean up his eye in a t2 cutscene.
MaxDZ8 on 20/6/2009 at 10:11
All you say is true, but I still keep my position.
Your approach seems very realistic and thus limited to our world's notion.
But even in our world, this evidence while weakening my notions do not completely invalidate them.
I have repaired computer HW multiple times with little to no understanding at all, yet I don't know how to design it; even with the design plans I don't know how to build the hardware.
Until I don't find mechanical eyes mass-produced, I will rest of my opinion that Garret's may be the result of more than just successful design.
Mecha arms and legs?
Sure, Soulforge is full of people with mech implants, none of them seemed even nearly as functional as the eye in question.
Beleg Cúthalion on 20/6/2009 at 12:06
I believe the "amount of magic" to make the eye work as an eye is about the same to make the robots recognize friend and foe or find their way home. The rest is just mechanic, the eye is a little spy glass and the robots quite complex moving...things. Yes, I guess they're consistent. However, Karras will be convinced as well that the mechanical eye is the Builder's gift to Garrett. :p
jtr7 on 20/6/2009 at 20:17
Beleg is correct. Karras would've believed 'twas The Builder who inspired it, but there is no corroborating evidence the Builder himself gave it to Garrett.
Did The Builder leave the Scouting Orbs around just for Garrett? Did The Builder give Garrett the schematics and fluid for the eye?
Inline Image:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/jtr7/MechEyeSchematics.jpgInline Image:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/jtr7/FluidForGarrettsMechEye.jpgBut to answer your skepticism more directly, have you heard of the "Clockwork Spy Cameras?" We don't see them, but the objects were made, and mentioned here, from
Eavesdropping:
Quote Posted by M06B03.str
"Week 23:
Lord Bassel, six crates wool tweed -- send spiral lamplighter.
Lord Wilkerson, 300 gold -- send clockwork picture-tray.
Lord Toby, one crate paper -- ignore.
Brian Masterson, 1500 gold -- will send masked servant.
Gorman Truart, goodwill -- sending clockwork spy camerasLord Winhill, one crate fine wire -- send spiral lamplighter."
Quote Posted by M06B04.str
"Week 26:
Lord Bassel, two crates lambswool -- send clockwork picture-tray.
Lady Waterdike, sixteen crates flour -- will send masked servant.
Lord Toby, four crates paper -- send spiral lamplighter.
Lady Thomson, 200 gold -- send rotary polisher.
Arthur Whitcomb, two flowering bushes -- ignore.
Lord Thorburn, two crates tin ore -- send clockwork spy cameras."
The clockwork spy cameras move about the room without wheels, and are not connected to wires, implying self-contained power of an unusual kind and that it's a transceiver of some kind of radio wave-like energy--aetheric vibrations, perhaps?
Inline Image:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/jtr7/ClockworkEyeSpycamera.jpgKarras had technology to view things from afar, and control minds from afar, so it's no implausible that he had technology to interface minds with viewing devices. I've brought it up before that it would be creepy if someone could send a signal into Garrett's mind through the mech eye technology, or see what he sees without him knowing.
The Mechanists are a splinter group of the Hammerites. Karras was progressive, aggressive, and enraged at the Pagan attack on the Hammers and their temple. He had been gaining a following through his inventions and inspired thoughts on the Precursor technology they'd excavated, and shared rage against the Pagans.
Having seen what Garrett was capable of, and hoping Garrett would be on his side once his Mechanist movement broke away from the Hammers and changed the face of The City, he gave Garrett the special gift of the eye, though how it was delivered or handed to him is entirely unknown, as are many things in the stories. Also, the Mechanists weren't going to rip eyes out of each other to get them installed when the benefits weren't worth the trouble. There are other devices that share the principles but Garrett's eye is unique, but I doubt there is only one, just not a lot of people who've had eyes ripped out in The City.
Eventually Karras had gained enough of a following, and had his technology and plans laid out before him, so they broke free, and the Metal Age began. He knew Garrett was a potential threat that could successfully ruin his plans, so he hoped Garrett would be an ally. When he saw that Garrett's loyalty could not be bought, he hired the corrupt Sheriff Truart to kill him. Through all of Truart's connections to the underground, having even hired Downwinders and their guardsmen as City Watchmen, and others as informants, Garrett's fence Sammy smelled gold and snitched Garrett out.
Quote:
I know thou art not a believer, Garrett. Yet thou art well aware that half of all thou seest is through Mechanist machinery: Thy metal eye. I gave the eye to thee in the hopes that thou wouldst be an ally, but 'twas not to be. You have eluded me in the past, Garrett, but no one--not even thee--will escape this night.
Like Beleg said, any credit to The Builder comes from Karras.
Stath MIA on 20/6/2009 at 20:52
@jtr- I knew you'd have it! I always assumed that "Clockwork Spy Cameras" was just a fancy name for the Watchers, so were they designed by LGS and just never implemented or was there some text describing them in game? I seem to remember seeing something like that in a FM, Kill Factory 2 I think.
jtr7 on 20/6/2009 at 20:56
No description, but the Watchers were not spy cameras, just intruder detectors. All we know is that these things roam about the room sideways, turning 90-degrees at times. I haven't watched them long enough to see what else they do without customizing.
Stath MIA on 20/6/2009 at 21:05
Fascinating. Every time I start to think I know all there is to know about Thief something like this pops up. Just another reason why Thief is the greatest game ever!
jtr7 on 20/6/2009 at 21:08
After all I've witnessed I know I have not seen it all. If people only knew how rich the games are, underneath the mechanics...
MaxDZ8 on 21/6/2009 at 09:02
Well, this was a weak theory since the start I don't really care if it is accepted or not regardless of some quirks here and there... but let's go back to the point.
To me, the tech evolution in Thief sounds very coherent for a simple reason it surfaced by itself:
Quote:
I believe the "amount of
magic" to make the eye work as an eye is about the same to make the robots recognize friend and foe or find their way home. The rest is just mechanic, ...
Namdrol on 21/6/2009 at 09:23
Everyone must know this-
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C Clarke
