When do you think Moon/Nuketown occurs? (Poll)

[DeathBringerZen]

The ENTIRE world was nuked at the SAME time. Green Run's '60's-looking buildings? Blown up. Great Leap Forward's skyscrapers? Blown up. Nuketown's nuked town? Blown up. Same time. Saaaaaaaame. Time. Great Leap Forward proves it had futuristic technology. Therefore, the time in which the world was nuked was the future. Green Run was just a ghost town.

Yes, I now agree, but... there was a time, before Revolution, when I would have sworn you were wrong.

Alas, The Great Leap Forward (name says it all) does indeed confirm it HAS to be set in a futuristic or modern setting. It would be a foolish mistake on the Dev's part if it was not.

Still though, why the '60's' setting, music and decorum then in Green Run? Why did that one place not evolve through the years?

[Monopoly Mac]

Green Run looks like it was cover for a secret government operation that took place underneath the entirety of the area. Not sure why there are actual people zombies there after it gets nuked though.

[MysteryMachineX]

The ENTIRE world was nuked at the SAME time. Green Run's '60's-looking buildings? Blown up. Great Leap Forward's skyscrapers? Blown up. Nuketown's nuked town? Blown up. Same time. Saaaaaaaame. Time. Great Leap Forward proves it had futuristic technology. Therefore, the time in which the world was nuked was the future. Green Run was just a ghost town.

Yes, I now agree, but... there was a time, before Revolution, when I would have sworn you were wrong.

Alas, The Great Leap Forward (name says it all) does indeed confirm it HAS to be set in a futuristic or modern setting. It would be a foolish mistake on the Dev's part if it was not.

Still though, why the '60's' setting, music and decorum then in Green Run? Why did that one place not evolve through the years?

Well, Green Run was a ghost town. I think it may have something to do with the Green Run after which the place is named. It had something to do with a government nuclear project. I'm not too well read on that, though. PINNAZ or Rissole or someone could tell you about that. Also, I do think it made the perfect cover for the Power Facility where they housed "Him".

[DeathBringerZen]

Well, Green Run was a ghost town. I think it may have something to do with the Green Run after which the place is named. It had something to do with a government nuclear project. I'm not too well read on that, though. PINNAZ or Rissole or someone could tell you about that. Also, I do think it made the perfect cover for the Power Facility where they housed "Him".

Ah yes, a Town designed to cover up what is really going on within the vicinity. I remember discussing this with someone else a while back, and they suggested the same, with the Bus technology being explained as a possible mode of transport that took the employees of neighboring 'Area 51' around the compound.

Yeah, TEDD was the one thing that always stood out. Technology way ahead of it's time, if set in the 60's... yet he looked extremely basic in his design. Almost dated for a futuristic device.

And then there is the actual bus (shell) itself! That is another 60's throw back. Surely a more modern bus would be like a shuttle bus, or coach!?

Still going for a future setting myself. The Great Leap Forward HAS confirmed this.

[MysteryMachineX]

Yes, but Town and Area 51 are far away from each other. We have reason to believe the Bus Driver was stationed near Area 51. But all the various quotes he has indicates he may have been used all across the western United States.

From the developer's perspective, the Bus Driver was probably put in a '60's vehicle to match the surrounding setting. From CCC's perspective, perhaps they wanted to have some type of classic throwback design. In any case, it is odd, but the existence of a sentient robot surely raises some eyebrows.

Agreed.

[DeathBringerZen]

Yes, but Town and Area 51 are far away from each other. We have reason to believe the Bus Driver was stationed near Area 51. But all the various quotes he has indicates he may have been used all across the western United States.

From the developer's perspective, the Bus Driver was probably put in a '60's vehicle to match the surrounding setting. From CCC's perspective, perhaps they wanted to have some type of classic throwback design. In any case, it is odd, but the existence of a sentient robot surely raises some eyebrows.

Agreed.

Yes, agreed.

The Bus could even have been used as you said, to traverse between the various government locations, possibly even through the underground system.

Either way, The Bus, The Great Leap forward, and various quotes do confirm it's rough time frame, and it not the 60's.

Do you think Shangri La is set in modern times? If so, what do you make of the Richtofen quote from CotD... "We have gone too far into the future" in going to Siberia? Why pick the Rod up in the past but then go to the future for the focusing stone?

[Stop Mocking Me0]

Well what if shangri la's time travel sent someone back to not a specific point in time, but simply back a specific amount of time? And one would first need to reach XXX date before one could go back to YYY date....

[MysteryMachineX]

It's hard to say WHY Richtofen does things. I can try, but it isn't much beyond speculation. Although I can say that Shangri-La takes place definitely sometime after 1990. This is because of the radios.

But the reason why I think 2011 was too far in the future to get the Vril Generator is because the place was abandoned. He probably would've preferred to get it while the place was still functional. As for why he goes to Shangri-La at that time, it's hard to say. At one point in doing the side mission, a Focusing Stone rains from the sky. (Apparently the Focusing Stones are also meteors.) It seemed oddly convenient. However, that happens in the past of Shangri-La, not the "present". However, Richtofen had been there before. (In fact, he was treated a god there.) Perhaps he knew the time delay?

Anyway, that's just speculation. The honest real answer I believe to be that Richtofen isn't very accurate with the time traveling. He ended up in many timeframes by accident.

@Stop mocking me: That is probably the case, given from how it works in the level.

[Electric Jesus]

I definitely think that the town featured in Green Run was used to cover up the research facility. The fact that the entrance is an old outhouse could be their attempts at making the entrance concealed yet inconspicuous. The exact same method is used to hide the entrance to Aperture in Portal.

[DeathBringerZen]

It's hard to say WHY Richtofen does things. I can try, but it isn't much beyond speculation. Although I can say that Shangri-La takes place definitely sometime after 1990. This is because of the radios.

But the reason why I think 2011 was too far in the future to get the Vril Generator is because the place was abandoned. He probably would've preferred to get it while the place was still functional. As for why he goes to Shangri-La at that time, it's hard to say. At one point in doing the side mission, a Focusing Stone rains from the sky. (Apparently the Focusing Stones are also meteors.) It seemed oddly convenient. However, that happens in the past of Shangri-La, not the "present". However, Richtofen had been there before. (In fact, he was treated a god there.) Perhaps he knew the time delay?

Anyway, that's just speculation. The honest real answer I believe to be that Richtofen isn't very accurate with the time traveling. He ended up in many timeframes by accident.

@Stop mocking me: That is probably the case, given from how it works in the level.

Yes, that does seem plausible enough. The radios on Shangri La were the reason I was assuming Shangri La was set post 1990. I was assuming CotD's setting was the same time, which caused confusion.

Still, it is as plausible as any answer I have gotten yet.

Thanks MMX.

[MysteryMachineX]

Btw, I meant to say Focusing Crystal, not the Focusing Stone. My bad. And lol Electric.

No problem, Zen.

[TheBSZombie]

Since Green run is a cover up, wouldnt they need a bus thhat is not out of the blue. If they had a more modern looking bus and somebody walked in they would think something was up. So they got a bus that would fit their needs but would blend in.

[MysteryMachineX]

Since Green run is a cover up, wouldnt they need a bus thhat is not out of the blue. If they had a more modern looking bus and somebody walked in they would think something was up. So they got a bus that would fit their needs but would blend in.

That's the best explanation I've heard so far, but it has a flaw. Why would ANYONE be driving a '60's bus?

[TheBSZombie]

Since Green run is a cover up, wouldnt they need a bus thhat is not out of the blue. If they had a more modern looking bus and somebody walked in they would think something was up. So they got a bus that would fit their needs but would blend in.

That's the best explanation I've heard so far, but it has a flaw. Why would ANYONE be driving a '60's bus?

I think its just there for looks and when they do need it, they would make sure its all clear

[MysteryMachineX]

Since Green run is a cover up, wouldnt they need a bus thhat is not out of the blue. If they had a more modern looking bus and somebody walked in they would think something was up. So they got a bus that would fit their needs but would blend in.

That's the best explanation I've heard so far, but it has a flaw. Why would ANYONE be driving a '60's bus?

I think its just there for looks and when they do need it, they would make sure its all clear

Ohhhhh. That makes more sense. Interesting thought.

[TheBSZombie]

It also could have been budget cuts. But seriously i thinkits just a way to hide something. Hey they could have easily made a big entrance to the underground area but they kept it secretive by building it in the outhouse.

[bagel_]

I believe the bus driver actually was of the human appearance before the rockets hit Earth. Not the entire legs and such, but the upper body, just so that if someone looked inside the bus it was inconspicuous. The reason I say this is because of his appearance, and the TranZit loading screen. Let me specify with these images.

First, on our actual driver, we have what appears to be charred skin pealing off of the metallic face. This may have been the cover skin so it wasn't clearly a robot. His arms may've had sleeves, but they have bee burnt off as well, and the forearms may have fallen off their hinges. There may've been fake, immobile feet as well, but those may've fallen off as well. What I have to back this theory is the poster of a human's face as a bus driver in the loading screen. I think that was our driver's appearance before all of this occurred. Otherwise, why not it just be a robot's face?

Back on topic, I honestly think that the missiles must have hit post 1996. Forgive me if it's been mentioned, I've only skimmed the replies, but obviously Earth is facing an apocalypse after the missiles hit, because it is all falling apart. But in Die Rise, we have that poster saying "sense 1996." Assuming 3arc specifically put this in as a clue, we know that the world was still functioning in 1996, so the missiles mustn't have hit yet. The reason we have that cloud is because of that device we see in the loading screen. Check The Ultimate Nuketown Zombies Loading Screen Analysis if you wqant to see a little more about the possible UFO in Nuketown, and the reason we still have this mushroom cloud 40 years after the missile hit. The scientists sent to investigate weren't investigating the effects of the 60's missile, but the effects of the UFO on the area. The crater made by the nuke was the perfect site to set up the UFO anyway.

I believe shortly after 1996 is when our missiles hit, maybe about 5 or ten years later. Then, we have Die Rise decades later, as MMX pointed out.

As per what happened between Nuketown and Green Run, I think that the bus functioned as a mode of transportation between Area 51 and Hanford. Obviously Marlton worked at Area 51, and this may or may not have been his very early years. He went in with the rest of the scientists from nearby Jackass Flats to investigate the effects of the UFO. (There were a ton of them, plus the dead Soviets and Americans.) The UFO was spewing a gaseous form of 115, and this caused the zombies to arise. The 115 began to create perk machines, and they were being shot from the mushroom cloud when they took form. Marlton locked himself in the fallout shelter as soon as his team began to get infected and attacked. Eventually, the CDC/CIA was sent in to report what was going on there, and they were killed by zombies. They tried to talk to Marlton through the bunker, but he wouldn't leave. When Marlton knew he would eventually starve to death in there, he opened it up, and ran down the road from the area. He caught the Bus as it was leaving Area 51 to Hanford, not going back to Jackass Flats, knowing it was going to be overrun. He met Stu, Russ, and Misty at the Bus Station along with other scientists and locals, and convinced them to go down into the shelter due to a possible outbreak. When they went down there, the missiles hit, and 115 spread across the world. Everything seemed so lonely now. The bus continued its route it was programmed to go. Back near Nuketown, survivors in the shelter at Jackass Flats were trying to contact the survivors in Hanford via radio signal, but it was only heard from a TV in the Farm, so it was not heard. Somehow, those scientists survived the direct missile on Nuketown. Years past of our survivors sitting in the giant shelter under Hanford. The over world was being overrun with zombies, but in other areas of the world, people were in bomb shelters just like Marlton, Misty, Stu, and Russ. Misty and Marlton began to bond during these years, and Stu and Russ reminisced back to their years at "broken arrow." But things wouldn't stay like this forever. One day, the Hanford shelter was breached, and all but 4 survivors were turned. Those four survivors armed themselves and came out near the Bus Depot where they originally met. As they did, the Bus came back to the station, and the survivors boarded it with hopes that they could make it somewhere safe. Maybe to the countryside. Or maybe to Area 51, to the base at Jackass Flats, in hopes that somehow it wasn't overrun. However, as the Bus headed for the highway, the driver sensed debris in the way. It drove over to a Diner and Garage where Misty used to work, looking for a detour. Next, it went to the Farm. Here, our survivors heard a radio signal back from Jackass Flats. Apparently, Richtofen contacted a few members of a cult called the Flesh at Jackass Flats, and was instructing them to light the nearby "Spire". However, only members of the Flesh could hear them, so others didn't listen. Infighting arose, and eventually, the shelter was breached. At the Farm, we hear the Distress signals of the survivors there, hoping for backup. Due to the things heard in the recordings, it's assumed everyone there died, and the Spire wasn't lit. They reboarded the bus, and headed for the power station, thinking turning it on would give them a better chance. Marlton didn't know of the project going on there with "Him". When they turned it on, "He" was released, and they were contacted by Maxis/Richtofen. Maxis and Richtofen realized their advantages here, and that there was another Spire right near their location. After the Spire is lit, we move forward in time to who-knows-when in Die Rise. It could be 2025, it could be 2100. Who knows. All we know is that Shanghai is in pieces, but not completely gone yet, and that some people there are searching for survivors from the missiles and outbreak.

Anddd I got a little carried away. Sorry :D

[Stop Mocking Me0]

Nonsense it was a good read and very believable, exellent work!

[TheDunbarian]

Damn, bagel, that was NICE. I'm a bit behind on the theorizing about TranZit and Nuketown, so that seemed especially impressive and believable to me haha.

I always liked to think that Moon/Nuketown/TranZit were in the 1960s, but now I'm quite undecided. After MotD though, especially with the new "ghosts" theory (read it if you haven't) I might turn to the "time-space rift" theory, in which several events in time are happening at once.