Millennium 5: speculations, hopes, anything

[Cassiopeia]

A very interesting and illuminating newsletter indeed. Makes me understand some things.

[MiladyDW777]

LOVING the new screenshots!!! I can't decide if they're training or getting ready to fight, and I can't WAIT to find out!!!

[sunfluer]

I am loving the new screenshots too! I noticed in one of them the Bear is over in the corner by himself. I guess he lost his temper and Marine told him to "stand in the corner" or maybe he got tired of everyone and needed some time by himself.

[MiladyDW777]

I will tell you what I am NOT loving, and that is the now incredibly aggressive Gigantine in MM2. STOP CHASING ME, YOU STUPID SPIDER!!!

[Indinera]

Thanks for the vibrant feedback everyone.
MM5 has plenty of new stuff, so I hope you will enjoy the game!

[Gaan]

I can't understand why everybody's wondering if Bokden is a traitor. I don't know how he is like in other games, but he's seriously helped Marine in MM4 although it would be pretty easy to let her fail without drawing too much attention to himself.

First of all he told her about the Bear, who is the only one who can already fight on more than even terms with the Mystrock team, and his training is the reason why the rest of the group will probably put up a good fight as well. Also, if he wasn't on Marine's side he could just stay silent about the shortcut and lead them through the swamp (as was proposed), which would make it impossible for Marine to make her way to the Bear and still meet the deadline.

The way Borgon talked about the 13 during the last cutscene makes it seem like there aren't any traitors yet, and if someone will betray Marine it will be because of events that will unfold during MM5.

I'll have made some educated guesses about who is the traitor, and what will happen at the showdown, but I'll put both within spoilers, as they're a pretty long read.

List of Marine's 13 warriors, and their chances of being a spy/ betraying Marine:

Spoiler: show

1) Marine - Unless she has a split personality, I think it's safe to exclude her.

2) Benoit - He has significantly helped Marine time and again (in more than one occasion Marine would have failed in her quest if not for him) and deeply cares for her. Unless it turns out that he doesn't view Marine in a platonical way then he should be at her side come hell or high water. If he does have romantic feelings, then there is a high danger for him turning to the other side (since Marine DOES see him platonically), especially since there appears to be a chemistry between Marine and Bokden whom he mistrusts.

3) Karine - She spent her days in her home town protecting it from Rogue till Marine comes, so she can't have been a spy or have ties to Mystrock. She believes in Marine as is evident by her fight with Jezabel, so it's highly unlikely that she will betray her.

4) Hirado - As Karine he has spent years in one place protecting it from an evil (Djinn), so he can't have ties to Mystrock. He also seems indifferent to money so I can't see him betraying Marine.

5) Abu - I think it's easy to say that if someone is impossible to turn it's Abu. His nobility as the swamp guardian is established, and he is close friends with Marine's mother to whom she has made a promise to protect Marine. I'd sooner believe Marine having a split personality than him betraying her.

6) Jezabel - It has been shown that she doesn't believe in Marine's cause, but I think it's too heavily foreshadowed to be true. She also doesn't try to play nice as much as a spy probably would. She also isn't thought by Borgon to be worth spending any time or money on as she's described as totally useless. Would be interesting to watch her being tempted by Mystrock if she manages to have a good enough performance at the showdown.

7) Jack - It is theoretically possible to be seduced by May or some other Mystrock cutie, but I think that's how he risks losing a match, not betrays Marine, especially since he is indebted to her for saving him from the werewolf curse.

8 ) James - Same as above. Its worth noting that they did have a motive for spying on Marine (to get enough money to buy the curse stopping potion from the witch), but neither of them seems like the type to offer to kill a teenage girl, as done in the last cutscene of MM1 (or get things right for that instance ). Even in the offchance it happened they still wouldn't have any reasons to prefer Mystrock over Marine now.

9) Salome - Another character which I would deem next to impossible to turn as she is deeply grateful to Marine.

10) Wolfgang - Next to nothing is known about him, as he didn't have enough lines in MM4. While not much suggest him being a spy (I am a bit troubled by Borgon pausing before describing him as another kind of mercenary), he does have the weakest bonds with the rest of the group. If one of the 13 proves to be a traitor and Benoit isn't in love with Marine, then my money is on Wolfgang. Hell, my money is on Wolfgang either way.

11) Bokden - As I already explained I highly doubt him being a spy. I also see little chance of him becoming one, since his agreeing to help Marine means he at least likes her (have I mentioned chemistry yet? Maybe I should do so again).

12) The Bear - Although he hates Marine, he absolutely loathes Mystrock, so I'd say we're safe there.

13) Suzuki - She's his granddaughter. The only way I can see him betraying her is if he goes through a bout of dementia.

A bit of speculation about what will happen during the showdown

Spoiler: show

I don't believe we have enough info to make very accurate guesses. I think the only thing that Indy has given away is that probably something will happen that will prevent the showdown from finishing, but nonetheless the different endings will be decided depending on your performance during the showdown.

The rest of my guesswork came into mind due to a single word that I read during the intro of MM1 and has bothered me ever since. When the lady told her daughter that a young girl her age opened the world of a new era with passion, dedication and sacrifice.

While Marine has undoubtedly been through a lot, she hasn't really sacrificed anything.So I think it would probably go something like this. There would be a bad ending where you fail to do anything at the showdown, and nobody bothers you but you fail to change anything.

However, if you get some good results, I can easily see Borgon disrespecting the wishes of the martial artists and taking decisive action. I can see Marine wounded or poisoned and heading in battle with Lord Dragon for the sake of her dream. I can picture him figuring out what has happened and urging Marine not to go on as she would have no chance of winning. And when Marine pushes herself on, I can picture him steeling his mind and deciding to face her with full force in order to honor her spirit and the tradition that the showdown is. I can see him using his skills that he has spent years polishing to bring her down again and again, as she defiantly rises each time she is knocked down. I can see Benoit begging her to stay down after he witnesses her blood-soaked figure while she ignores him and charges on. Until she can't hear him anymore...

With no other information given I can only guess that the thing that will end the showdown would be Marine's death. What would happen after that is anybody's guess. People could revolt. Or perhaps Lord Dragon's eyes are opened by that incident and he decides to clean up his government (Borgon, Kusinov, I'm looking at you) and dedicate less time to practising his art, in order to learn what happens outside the city of Mystrock as a tribute to Marine's memory.

And that is the only real way it can happen. You can't force people to change their ways by winning a showdown. Even if Marine won, nobody at the town would really respect her, and they would despise every villager that took advantage of her policies to enter the city. On the other hand, on the aftermath of a tragedy and while led on by a beloved leader, change is much easier to come. And Marine would have changed Mystrock not with her strength (how could she? she's just a 15 year old girl going up against the most talented martial artists of the city with less than a month's training), but with her spirit.

[MiladyDW777]

I'd point you to exact posts, but for the life of me I can't remember where they were or how old they are, but Indy has "hinted" (in a VERY cruel fashion ) that all may not be as it seems with our Bokden, that he could possibly be a traitor. Agreed, if you're just looking at what Bokden has done and not done, on the surface there's no reason to think he'd pull a fast one. But, as Indy's pointed out, we really DON'T know anything about him at all. Other than his appearances in the previous three MMs, we don't have any backstory, so who knows what the heck he's been up to?

All that said, I will be the first to weep copious tears if Bokden breaks Marine's heart. Girlfriend's been through QUITE enough, thankyouverymuch.

[Gaan]

Well if you don't know anything about somebody's backstory how are you to judge him if not from his actions? And his actions weren't just something like I'll help you beat some monsters, which he knew you probably could defeat without his help either way. If he didn't show up at the lighthouse to guide your members then you WOULD have failed to meet the deadline, and Mystrock's intention was just that.

To look at it from another standpoint you cant be sure of what half your party has been doing the last years (Jezabel, Jack, James, Salome, Wolfgang, Bokden, the Bear). Those people you have to judge from their actions and circumstances. Jack and James as well as Salome you helped with a serious curse (which probably can't have been faked in order to get close to you) and are grateful to you. Even though you don't know their background I think you can think of them as allies due to that fact. The Bear you cant generally trust, but you know he won't help Mystrock since he hates them even more. Jezabel you have helped, and but not really in the way she wanted originally and you have heard her having second thoughts so she is a maybe. And if I had to choose between Bokden who has provided non trivial help, and Wolfgang who joined nearly on a whim and you haven't made any real bonds with, I'd definitely go with Wolfgang being the traitor.

And call me an overly suspicious and distrustful person but I doubt that Indy, being the person that wants to surprise us with his plot twist, would not only give us a general idea to keep us at the edge of our seats (ie, there may be traitor), but would point us right at it.

EDIT: Ofc Wolfgang is my top choice only if one of the 13 is the traitor. Otherwise the answer should be obvious, it's

Spoiler: show

Piu- Piu! Or Norman... who am I kidding it's Piu- Piu.

[MiladyDW777]

Anyone who DOESN'T suspect Piu-Piu just isn't paying attention.

[Indinera]

I have to say, VERY interesting read, and great analyzis of the characters. Now to say that great means exact is another story.

[Gaan]

Well I certainly hope it does because otherwise I'm left with an not so exact analysis that's great only in size.

[Indinera]

It's great in depth, too.

[Jagger]

It's June now here. So did your beta-testing finished already. I don't have that much patience xD

[Gaan]

It's great in depth, too.

So I guess there is hope for Bokden yet. I hope this has managed to somewhat put your mind at rest Milady.
And only 70% of my reasons for posting this is because the above sentence makes me sound like a knight.

[MiladyDW777]

Heh, I've heard that before.