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Memory is a Fairytale
🕑 Added 2019-05-31 02:30:00 +0000 UTCDear Insane Children,
Do you know how memory works? Many people believe they remember things like a video recording - each moment captured frame by frame, filled with sound, sight, and emotion. And that events can be recalled, even years later, full of detail and meaning.
But the reality is that you don't so much "recall" the memory of events as you "retell" them like a narrator. And with each retelling your brain makes small edits - changing events, filling in blanks, and making the overall narrative more interesting. It's like a game of Chinese Whispers that you play with yourself. (There's research to suggest that you're constantly storytelling after every "decision" you make - when in reality those decisions are happening automatically on a subconscious level and your concision mind is forced to write narrative to explain "why" you did something when you have no real answer to that question. Look up "split brain surgery" and the effects on our understanding of why we think we do the things we do).
We've all heard stories of False Memories implanted by well-meaning psychologists... resulting in mass hysteria around satanic cults or child molestation events that never existed. And we know that emotion can be a powerful agent when mixed with the recording or recollection of life events.
When it comes to our Alice story, there are plenty of inconsistencies, gaps, and false memories. We (the player) see events through Alice's eyes. We explore the narrative through Alice as a "vehicle" in the world of the first two games.
We must be true to the events and characters that precede AMA and AMR but we also need to ask ourselves how much of what we think we know can be trusted. How much is real? How much is mis-remembered? How much is implanted - false memories?
Let's not forget that Bumby unleashed The Infernal Train inside Alice's mind to literally destroy her recollection of the past and cover up his crimes.
It would be easy to get stuck on questions like, "Why don't we see Lizzie in the family photo at the start of AMA?" (Check out the opening sequence video HERE). A simple explanation might be that young Alice's memory simply stripped away the inconsequential information. All that filtered through her memory were the key elements - the (emotionally powerful) sound of her parents screaming resulting in a vivid recollection of their faces. Lizzie was silent (for reasons young Alice would not have been aware). So Lizzie was absent from that memory.
Is it necessary to go back and align each and every inconsistency with an explanation of this sort? Sure, we're creative enough to do it, but what does it add?
This is one reason why, when people ask, "Why was X like Y in AMA?" I'll answer with "That's up to you to decide." Yes, maybe I have an explanation. Maybe I don't. Maybe I could make one up on the spot... But why put such a fine point on things? Not every question deserves an answer.
And if the (potential) answers to these questions would not result in dramatic changes to our understanding of the nature and end result of the story being told... then how important are those answers?
I'm thinking hard about all of this while exploring the moments of Alice's life leading up to The Fire. Our art team are storyboarding these events and laying out a series of scenes which will lead us from the first frame of Alice: Asylum through to our descent into Denial (the first Stage we'll explore in Wonderland).
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. What elements of AMA and AMR are "sacred" to you? Is there any signals you've seen thus far that we might trample some aspect of Alice or her story in the work we're doing on Asylum?
Let me know in the comments below!
Crowd Design Session #11
Speaking of your feedback...
We just uploaded the latest Crowd Design Session over on my YouTube Channel.
Hit THIS LINK to check out our latest discussion. This week we're diving into the UI/UX designs presented by Alex.
Upcoming Schedule
A reminder that my mom is coming to visit Shanghai (landing in about 24 hours). That means that myself and Yan (and Lulu) will be busy showing them the sights for the next ~2 weeks. During that time I will continue to update with art, design, and story stuff. And we have an updated Cheshire Kitten design to share soon. But if the updates seem a little slower than usual - well, that's why.
It's my mom's first visit to China. When I was a kid she used to take me to a place called "Hunan's" in Dallas where I would giggle half to death while eating a "Poo Poo Platter." That was about the closest we ever got (or ever thought we'd get) to China - so I expect her head is going to explode when exposed to the real deal!
From Shanghai with Poo Poo,
-American
Comments
Some of the memories in AMR were clearly 'false'. Like the one where Alice's mom asks Alice "Don't leave us, Alice!", or something along those lines. But, there is another memory where Alice's mom and dad yelling at her, begging her to 'get out of the house!', which lines up with AMA's canon, and would be considered a 'truthful' memory. It would be cool if, in game, there was a way to distinguish false memories from truthful ones, while still collecting them anyway. That is something i would have liked to see in AMR when spotting Bumby's memories in late game. Like, seeing the glasses model for Bumby's memories turning black or ooze the ruin around them, or cause an animation to damage Alice when picking them up (not actually damaging in game), or triggering some insidious ruin after picking them up.. This would have lead up to the climax of Bumby being the actual enemy more cathartic.
First thing I really must say...I really love Mrs. Liddell's hairstyle. But I never really thought of memory in this way. I can remember things in certain detail and that has surprised some people I talk to. Do you think her realization of false memories might take place during the Depression stage?
Memories are definitely an interesting thing, I've known a handful of people who do as my mother in law would call it, do mental gymnastics to rearrange things into entirely different realities and fully believe them. Thy can do this despite a half dozen other people being present remembering them no where near as such. I am always happy with the direction of the stories as you've steered them for each game, I wouldn't trust anyone more than those originally in charge of the story to do it all justice. I hope your mom enjoys her visit as she takes in all the new sights!
Oh I love this already. People often don't realise that those who experience traumatic events can have issues such as fully recalling the memory, so the brain fills in gaps to try to understand and process the information. That's why sometimes details can change in their retelling of the event, as they begin to recall things differently. Fascinating stuff. The brain is an amazing yet incredibly fragile organ. In regards to what I consider sacred in Alice's story, well... the whole thing. Every aspect of the two games are so special and unique, the original especially for me, considering how many times me and my brother have played it over the years. But I always have faith in Boss McGee to bring us yet another wonderfully dark story from this poor girl's life. I'd also love to see some of the events detailed in the casebook/manual that came with the original game on PC. <3
I was reading a Casebook, and therefore I would really like to see the events described by the nurse. How she threw a spoon on the orderlies, how the cat protected her, how to tear her rabbit's eyes off and so on. Although I’m not sure a bit about the timeline, because it all happened parallel to the AMA plot, but there must be events before, where she spent a year in a coma, and then simply did not react to the world around. And I noticed a tendency that all the games of the 2000s are darker, while the games of the 2010s are brighter and brighter. And AMA and AMR are no exception. Personally, I just liked this more darker and frightening atmosphere in AMA (but I also love AMR), so I would like to see how from a bright wonderland, Alice will come to her very dark side. And I also want to return the bosses, as it was in the AMA. At AMR, they were very lacking. (the more transformed mobs are not considered as bosses because they met several times, and in the AMA each boss met once and was unique)
Definitely not Adam Driver
The false memories would make sence for the lack of Lizzie in AMA. I like that idea of retelling them with differences. I hope you have a great time with your mom ^^
sumblinker
(I'm only confused after omri's family portet anyway. I liked that you guys showed Lizzie in the second game.)
sumblinker
Thank you for the answer American! Unfortunately I'm picky in small details but I like your reason and well life's not perfect at all. :)
I hope she enjoys China! Many safe travels and happy random stops. These random happenings can bring the best unexplained gifts. 🦊🤩🦊
At least to me, there is no part of the story and world of “Alice” that is so sacred as to be untouchable, as it has always been more the mood and atmosphere that drove these games…and after all its Wonderland, things are free to morph and shift as needed. I’d be open to hearing what any new changes might bring to the story, how they might build upon what we already know, and change our understanding of past events (and events yet to come). “AMR” made changes to our understanding of “AMA”, so why not have “Asylum” continue the tradition?
Wendy Jaa
Honestly, it's Wonderland. Anything can happen. I'm more concerned with the events in the real world making sense. But I hope everything goes well! I hope it's not too awkward for you all!
I always assumed that Lizzie wasn't involved in AMA because that was Alice's conceived perception of that night in general, and her subconscious was already burying what she knew to be true deep down all along: that Lizzie held the key to the truth about the fire.
Tequila JoJo
The father reminds me of Keanu Reeves lol.
Trippy dude, glad Mama Mcgee will experience China
Theres an amazing Chinese/Thai restaurant where I live where you can get a Poo Poo for two, and it also always made me giggle
I hope your mommy enjoys her first time there!! ^3^/
