Pre-beta content: Difference between revisions

added other piece of supporting evidence for BGI HQ being Syndicate HQ
(added elaboration and new info on the cut story levels)
(added other piece of supporting evidence for BGI HQ being Syndicate HQ)
 
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This level, which would have been level7_Final, represents the gap between the end of the airport levels and the first TCTF HQ level. Although Bungie West removed its name, [[#Cut levels|we know from Hardy]] that this level is the one which was moved and is still present in the game. The identity of the level can be deduced from the fact that various animations occurring in Syndicate Mountain Compound, which is now level19, have "lev7" in their names. Confirmation comes from a leaked listing of game design documents where level 7 was titled "MOUNTAIN COMPOUND".
This level, which would have been level7_Final, represents the gap between the end of the airport levels and the first TCTF HQ level. Although Bungie West removed its name, [[#Cut levels|we know from Hardy]] that this level is the one which was moved and is still present in the game. The identity of the level can be deduced from the fact that various animations occurring in Syndicate Mountain Compound, which is now level19, have "lev7" in their names. Confirmation comes from a leaked listing of game design documents where level 7 was titled "MOUNTAIN COMPOUND".


What this implies about the original flow of the story is interesting, because the second Airport level ends with Konoko placing a tracker on Muro's plane, but the "mission complete" splashscreen abruptly informs us that it was unsuccessful. Apparently it must have worked in an earlier version of the story, considering that Konoko goes there next! It seems that Mountain Compound was not conceived as the location for a final showdown; by contrast, BGI HQ was also termed "Syndicate HQ" during development and was intended to occur near the end of the game. Mountain Compound was merely an intermediate stop for a strike against (probably) Muro before a counterattack was made on TCTF HQ in the following chapter.
What this implies about the original flow of the story is interesting, because the second Airport level ends with Konoko placing a tracker on Muro's plane, but the "mission complete" splashscreen abruptly informs us that it was unsuccessful. Apparently it must have worked in an earlier version of the story, considering that Konoko goes there next! It seems that Mountain Compound was not conceived as the location for a final showdown; by contrast, BGI HQ was also termed "Syndicate HQ" during development and was intended to occur near the end of the game (see {{SectionLink||BGI HQ}}). Mountain Compound was merely an intermediate stop for a strike against (probably) Muro before a counterattack was made on TCTF HQ in the following chapter.


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Significantly, internal design documents also labeled this level as "SYNDICATE HQ", showing that Bungie West was equating the two organizations ("joined at the hip", as [[Chung]] wrote; BGI "a front company", per [https://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=19673 this forum post] from Hardy). With no concrete level ever being placed in slots 15 or 17, and the original ending level being 18 before Mountain Compound was renumbered from level 7 to 19 to place it at the end of the game, this means that level 16, BGI/Syndicate HQ, was the [[wikt:penultimate|penultimate]] level of the game, and Oni was going to conclude with level 18, TCTF HQ Redux.
Significantly, internal design documents also labeled this level as "SYNDICATE HQ", and Alex Okita labeled these images as "Syndicate headquarters" in [http://jongod.oni2.net/UnarchivedFiles/ONI%20ARCHIVE%201/aic/oni400.html an art gallery prepared for AIC]. This shows that Bungie West was equating the two organizations ("joined at the hip", as [[Chung]] wrote; BGI "a front company", per [https://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=19673 this forum post] from Hardy). With no concrete level ever being placed in slots 15 or 17, and the original ending level being 18 before Mountain Compound was renumbered from level 7 to 19 to place it at the end of the game, this means that level 16, BGI/Syndicate HQ, was the [[wikt:penultimate|penultimate]] level of the game, and Oni was going to conclude with level 18, TCTF HQ Redux.


However, as Hardy explained above, BGI was cannibalized for parts which were used in other levels. Additionally, the salvaged script for this level reveals only two disconnected cutscenes, implying that the level was not substantially complete.
However, as Hardy explained above, BGI was cannibalized for parts which were used in other levels. Additionally, the salvaged script for this level reveals only two disconnected cutscenes, implying that the level was not substantially complete.