History Headscratchers / Iconoclasts

** When an energy source makes your planet implode, it doesn't benefit them to ban research into everything else.

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* One Concern mentions being too afraid of the Isi to risk falling behind them technologically, yet the moment they [[spoiler:locate their settlement, they blast through the defenseless place and chase them all into safe-rooms where they can only wait to be rescued, and flee their bunker to a new location again.]] The Isi even mention having ''zero'' remaining defense robots, and far weaker ivory extraction tech. One Concern doesn't know [[spoiler:seeds can kill agents]] yet, so why are these dozen pirates in a sealab any threat to the world's unified army?

* Why does Royal get no response from [[spoiler:betraying his own side and actively fighting against One Concern?]]

* Why was this [[spoiler:artificial planet]] being run (built?) in the first place? Player explanations describe it as a gas station or tanker, but if it's merely a storage tool, [[spoiler:why make trees and oceans? The moons both hold ivory too, so are they also tankers? Just without trees for some reason?]]
* How is everyone immediately alerted the [[spoiler:world is ending? Do they see the Starworm coming? Then how is there still the at-least-hours necessary to activate a rocket and travel to the moon to visit it before it even leaves the moon?]]

* What even ''is'' this story? [[spoiler:How does GENERAL Chrome not know about the giant tower his military is running, but Black does? Why does the tower even exist? Why does Royal get no response from betraying his own side and actively fighting against One Concern? What do people know about the Starworm? There are pictures of it hanging around. Was it just chilling out for centuries next to the moon before deciding to check the planet out and/or refuel? Why does the religion require ivory and disallow research into other energy sources, but the Starworm (who is worshiped and presumably started their religion) ''not'' want them to use ivory? What are the blue eyes? Are they supposed to be on the Starworm? Then why do they look like parasitic tumors? Why was this artificial planet built in the first place? If it's just a tanker, why make trees and oceans? The moons both hold ivory too, so are they also tankers? Just without trees? How is everyone immediately alerted the world is ending? Do they see the Starworm coming? Then how is there still the hours necessary to activate a rocket and travel to the moon to visit it? What does the average person even know about their own world or religion? Apparently continents move around regularly so there's no way to make a complete world map, but One Concern is trying to hide this fact? Why?]] It's hard to not notice there was one writer and no editor.

** Some things were deliberately left ambiguous and open to interpretation. That being said:\\
'''"How does GENERAL Chrome not know about the giant tower his military is running, but Black does?"'''\\
The One Concern was shown to have a major issue with communication, largely due to the state of the planet getting to everyone and paranoia running rampant, it's not unfeasible that some members of the organization know about the tower and others don't. Also, it's not a military operation, so Chrome had no reason to be made aware of it.\\
'''"Why does the tower even exist?"'''\\
To indoctrinate children into becoming the next generation of candidates to "transcend".\\
'''"Why does Royal get no response from betraying his own side and actively fighting against One Concern?"'''\\
Royal didn't really do anything to warrant direct response until he destroyed the Omega Controller, which he was immediately locked up for. He was a harmless brat up to that point.\\
'''"Why does the religion require ivory and disallow research into other energy sources, but the Starworm (who is worshiped and presumably started their religion) ''not'' want them to use ivory?"'''\\
Everything about the religion about the Starworm was made up by the One Concern, the Starworm itself had nothing to do with it. The Starworm pilot doesn't want people using ivory because it uses it as a fuel supply. One Concern doesn't want other sources of power because then people will no longer be dependent on them for ivory.\\
'''"What are the blue eyes? Are they supposed to be on the Starworm? Then why do they look like parasitic tumors?"'''\\
One of the things deliberately left ambiguous. There's a theory that they are actually how the bird-alien controls the Starworm.\\
'''"Why was this artificial planet built in the first place? If it's just a tanker, why make trees and oceans? The moons both hold ivory too, so are they also tankers? Just without trees?"'''\\
Again, deliberately left ambiguous. Make your own conclusions.\\
'''"How is everyone immediately alerted the world is ending? Do they see the Starworm coming?"'''\\
Yes, they ''do'' see it coming, they've been observing it for some time. When Royal destroys the Omega Controller, it alerts the Starworm which then accelerates its approach to the planet.\\
'''"Then how is there still the hours necessary to activate a rocket and travel to the moon to visit it?"'''\\
The Starworm wasn't supposed to reach the planet for several more years, they thought they had more time to prepare the rocket. Once the Starworm starts approaching, they shift all their attention on getting the rocket ready to launch.\\
'''"What does the average person even know about their own world or religion?"'''\\
Basically nothing. Everyone is kept in line with threats of "Penance", which is enough to prevent most people from asking questions.\\
'''"Apparently continents move around regularly so there's no way to make a complete world map, but One Concern is trying to hide this fact? Why?"'''\\
Because if people learn of that fact, they might try to study it and discover all the ancient technology underground... which is ''exactly'' what happened.\\
'''"It's hard to not notice there was one writer and no editor."'''\\
More like the story just doesn't spoonfeed everything to players and wants you actually think about things.

Yes, they ''do'' see it coming, they've been observing it for some time. When Royal destroys the Omega Controller, it alerts the Starworm and it accelerates its approach to the planet.\\

Space is big, dude...\\

Royal didn't really do anything to warrant direct response until he destroyed the Omega Controller, for which he was immediately locked up for. He was a harmless brat up to that point.\\

** Some things were deliberately left ambiguous and open to interpretation, that being said:\\

* What even ''is'' this story? [[spoiler:How does GENERAL Chrome not know about the giant tower his military is running, but Black does? Why does the tower even exist? Why does Royal get no response from betraying his own side and actively fighting against One Concern? What do people know about the Starworm? There are pictures of it hanging around. Was it just chilling out for centuries next to the moon before deciding to check the planet out and/or refuel? Why does the religion require ivory and disallow research into other energy sources, but the Starworm (who is worshiped and presumably started their religion) ''not'' want them to use ivory? What are the blue eyes? Are they supposed to be on the Starworm? Then why do they look like parasitic tumors? Why was this artificial planet built in the first place? If it's just a tanker, why make trees and oceans? The moons both hold ivory too, so are they also tankers? Just without trees? How is everyone immediately alerted the world is ending? Do they see the Starworm coming? Then how is there still the hours necessary to activate a rocket and travel to the moon to visit it? What does the average person even know about their own world or religion? Apparently continents move around regularly so there's no way to make a complete world map, but One Concern is trying to hide this fact? Why?]] It's hard to not notice there was one writer and no editor.

* What even ''is'' this story? [[spoiler:How does GENERAL Chrome not know about the giant tower his military is running, but Black does? Why does the tower even exist? Why does Royal get no response from betraying his own side and actively fighting against One Concern? What do people know about the Starworm? There are pictures of it hanging around. Was it just chilling out for centuries next to the moon before deciding to check the planet out and/or refuel? Why does the religion require ivory and disallow research into other energy sources, but the Starworm (who is worshiped and presumably started their religion) ''not'' want them to use ivory? What are the blue eyes? Are they supposed to be on the Starworm? Then why do they look like parasitic tumors? How is everyone immediately alerted the world is ending? Do they see the Starworm coming? Then how is there still the hours necessary to activate a rocket and travel to the moon to visit it?]]

* Just what was the "big secret" that Agent Black hinted at before the [[spoiler:Agent White]] fight? Was it that [[spoiler:there was another ark ship at City One?]] Because that doesn't make sense, if only due to the fact everyone in the game is at least somewhat aware that [[spoiler:they're colonists from another world]].

** Judging from Elro's discussion with his wife, [[spoiler:he's been on the lam this entire time, and that he's been lying to everyone about his situation. He pops into his home to give the appearance that everything's okay. Given that the Concern wants to give the appearance that their Agents are invincible, putting him on a Wanted List for "murdering an Agent" would likely be demoralizing to those in City One and the believers of the Concern. So they swept it under the rug and gave the Agents the order to kill him, but with due discretion. After all, he has the means to kill them, and it would be terrible if the Isi caught wind of his methods. That said...given the writing, it's equally possible that Konjak didn't think of Elro's assassination of until late in development, by which point it was too late to redo late scenes to reflect that.]]

** To be ''slightly'' fair, [[spoiler: Elro is almost certainly lying to his family about going to work, but it's still odd that he puts his family into that much danger. As shown with Mr. Andress, the husbands, wives, and children of sinners ''are not'' punished for a family member's sin. Elro was friends with an agent and knows a lot about the Concern; he should know better than to go back home and ''recruit his sister to do private practice in his house'' '''while wanted by the people currently occupying Settlement 17.''']]

* After Elro [[spoiler:killed Grey, by all rights he should be a wanted criminal. He should have gone off the grid entirely trying to get away from One Concern and Agent Black. Instead, he continues to live in Settlement 17 with his wife and daughter, and still goes to work at the same job where he murdered a high-ranking agent.]]