Latest Posts by bytewire - Page 4
Let's speculate about Architect Society!
I think there are some misinterpretations about how Precursor society works. It makes sense considering how vague a lot of the canon information is, but let me provide some of my perspective and interpretations on what we get in canon.
Architect society definitely deserves more speculation beyond just characterizing them as a race only focused on progress. The current information we have about how Architects operate is underrated in terms of how interesting it is. They definitely aren't a stereotypical hive mind. How Precursors perceive themselves is different from how they actually appear to function. AL-AN's answers don't lack bias. He is an unreliable narrator and often withholds information, so it's crucial to look deeper into the information given and to read between the lines. Especially as not everything is explicitly stated.
Architects exist as a collective—data points in a network—but people often forget that they do not only strive for efficiency. What they do is try to optimize themselves to perform tasks in the most efficient way possible. They strive to achieve and progress their society. This doesn’t mean that they lack culture. They are certainly more streamlined and orderly than humans, but they do have cultural aspects that impact the way they view things.
Some examples of Architect culture:
Architects produce art as seen by the statue in the Koppa mining site and the statue in the Deep Lilypad Caves Body Cache. Even the alien carving from the first game is an example of Precursors producing art with subjectivity.
Architects cultivate plants in greenhouses even though they do not need to eat. Also, of course, they have the Ancient Ornamental Plants that they cultivate for aesthetic purposes.
They hold pride in maintaining and improving a vessel for a long time. If a storage medium gets damaged, they wouldn’t opt to immediately make another vessel—even if it would be the most efficient.
They don’t all use the most popular format for their bodies; there are certain Architects that opt for different styles of storage medium.
Architects consider it rude to duplicate themselves.
All of their technology has similar aesthetic characteristics and design.
Precursors are cybernetic and composed of biotechnological components, yet they start out life as organic beings. They choose to incorporate biological tissues in their vessels suggesting they hold some sort of social ties to being organics. They actively make the choice to incorporate organic components.
Precursors potentially carry some nostalgia for their pre-civilized bodies, considering they model their vessels after them.
Architects have a concept of prestige. AL-AN is noted as the lead scientist for the Kharaa research project.
They have special training for certain young Architects and a Temple of Research that they are inducted into if they are distinct enough from other broodlings.
So, Precursors do not necessarily always do what is the most practical. They can and do practice certain things for subjective reasons. They have emotions that influence their actions. These emotions may not equate to human emotional behavior, but they certainly have them. AL-AN himself expresses shame many times.
While Precursors are a hive mind, they aren’t entirely unfamiliar with the concept of an individual. AL-AN merely says that they don’t see themselves as distinct. However, it is acknowledged at many points that a mind within the collective can have its own traits. Perspectives that either come with a body or ideas and needs that a mind has. They are able to act autonomously. The biggest example is AL-AN himself ignoring the network.
Though a mind having its own ideas doesn’t negate Architects being a collective. Especially when those minds work in conjunction with thousands of other minds to support the needs of the whole. AL-AN is just a very rare case where an Architect gets the opportunity to act as an individual. Even then, AL-AN expresses that being disconnected from the network is lonely and uncomfortable. Aiming to regain connection despite what he did in the past. AL-AN only uses the singular because he's present with Robin.
Precursors being so advanced makes things a little more complicated when trying to discern aspects of their species. We can't push human ideals onto a race so separate from us. Architects—being connected by the mind—do not have the same social structures as humans, so it's unfair to anthropomorphize them with our standards. We can only speculate on how they might work. Just because one mind can have differing traits doesn’t seem to make them distinct enough to classify as singular (within their species’ definition anyway). I'd love for there to eventually be more information given to us about their society.
Besides, all of this isn’t even considering the many unused voice lines that remain in the files that I’d love to go over…
Subnautica: Below Zero is a story about loss, trust, and hope.
After finishing my most recent playthrough of Below Zero, while I was constructing AL-AN's vessel, I realized that there are some pretty major parallels between AL-AN and Sam that I think might tie in more to the story than previously thought. I had always felt Sam and AL-AN's stories were unusually disconnected. Still, after giving a little more thought, I think the parallels play a vital role in Robin's decision to go along with constructing AL-AN's vessel.
Both Sam and AL-AN caused terrible accidents by attempting to solve an issue in a way they thought would be best. They work under a very similar archetype in which a typically composed and rule-following character is stressed due to external pressures. Pushed into taking action. Sam caused Parvan's death and her own by disobeying orders from Alterra and trying to exterminate the last of the Kharaa. AL-AN caused the Kharaa to escape in the first place by doing a similar insubordinate action. Ignoring the directive from his network.
They not only both caused accidents resulting in deaths, but both revolved around ignoring a higher order involving the Kharaa bacterium. Doing something they thought would make a difference under extreme pressure. Irrational thinking ultimately causing disaster.
If you complete Sam's storyline first, it will lead you, the player, into be more open with feeling sympathetic towards AL-AN despite him manipulating Robin. Mostly because it is obvious he is extremely ashamed and is dealing with the sorrow of (potentially) losing his entire species. Though also because it is reminiscent of Sam.
But it is not just you who sympathizes with AL-AN; it is Robin herself as well.
Robin is dealing with a similar sorrow of losing her sister—who was everything to her—because Sam did what she thought would be right. She shares things with AL-AN, assuring him even when she is unsure of him. She knows he is going through his own hardships. Deciding to promote hope even in a time where it seems unlikely. After AL-AN admits to Kharaa getting out on his watch, Robin understands to a degree and offers to help AL-AN because she couldn’t help Sam.
AL-AN himself most likely understands this.
AL-AN begins to open up and trust Robin after she shares the Emily Dickinson poem. After she has this interaction with him, he often attempts to be more understanding with her. He is choosing to imitate Robin's hope. He does not fully understand human social customs, but he can recognize when Robin is conflicted about Sam's death. Even trying in his own way to comfort her. He is dealing with loss as well. Even if he doesn't outwardly show vulnerability until they talk in the Fabrication Facility.
AL-AN knows Robin is going through loss as well. The person she lost did something similar to him, and yet she does not blame Sam. Grief does not go away, but the wound gets smaller over time. She is relieved to get closure to Sam's story even if it still hurts.
If they hadn’t had the conversation about closure after Robin finished Sam's work via curing the Frozen Leviathan, then AL-AN probably wouldn't have revealed what he did at all. He didn’t have to, but he did because they had developed trust. He is, of course, reluctant when doing so, as he is afraid he won’t get his autonomy, yet he does despite it being illogical. Acknowledging his actions even when he predicted she’d be angry. Despite his shame, he chooses to place trust in Robin even when it could result in her pulling away. He trusts that she won't.
Below Zero is such a good story about loss and learning how to cope with that loss despite it still hurting. Learning to trust even when the odds of the circumstances are against you. It is a story about hope.
I adore this game so much
AL-AN activating the teleporter in the Phase Gate Facility
Closer look at AL-AN preparing to activate the teleporter in the Phase Gate Facility
Let’s talk about Architect math!
Considering that Precursors don’t have hands like we do, how do they format their math? Our current 10-decimal system is based on our ten fingers, so I wonder what the math of the Architects looks like, considering they don't have hands like we do. (Though AL-AN does note the usefulness of the opposable thumb.)
Architects have mechanical arms—two of which have hands with three fingers—but we know that they were originally a fully biological species before inventing their synthetic vessels. As stated in the databank entry AL-AN provides on the Architect storage media, their vessels resemble their pre-civilized forms. They had to have had a math system before inventing their synthetic vessels.
So… what would their math look like?
Precursors may use a base four system in which they only use 0, 1, 2, and 3 based on the digits of their claws on their organic arms. (Assuming they had similar claws on their pre-civilized bodies.)
I mean, humans have used base 4 selectively. It’s not entirely unheard of or out of the realm of possibility. Quaternary numeral systems are found in select languages throughout history and even have some modern code applications.
I’m leaning towards pre-civilization Precursors having a base four system, whereas current Precursors opt to use a binary system instead.
Obviously, as their species exists in its current form a binary system would be much more efficient. Existing as data means that a binary system would compute a lot smoother; especially as a network.
They could even use something else entirely different to what we commonly think of as math. We know Architect senses do not work in the same way humans do.
…or maybe I’m just a nerd overthinking alien math systems
Closeup of AL-AN’s color changes.
Yes! I assume for shock absorption considering how dense Architect vessels are. Perhaps utilized when they do their blink ability?
Here is the same animation from a different angle
Here’s a very adorable animation that AL-AN has in the early-access original story!
I do prefer the final story, but this is so cute. I think they should’ve kept this animation in the final release. It gives him more personality.
Here’s a very adorable animation that AL-AN has in the early-access original story!
I do prefer the final story, but this is so cute. I think they should’ve kept this animation in the final release. It gives him more personality.
More of AL-AN’s idle typing
I think it’s a little silly how they included keyboard noises considering the console he is using appears to be a touchscreen.
Its for the vibes I guess
I love AL-AN’s idle animation here.
There aren’t nearly enough clips of him without the HUD, so I went and recorded some myself.