Future Update Discussions

[Sylpheed]

My guess is, considering Zamorak is just a Mahjarrat ascended to God status, that you'll get a Zamorak memory.

[strilmus]

plus whatever echoes of the past existed on freneskae before they all left

[Urza285]

Obviously using the charged engrammeter around the crystal memorendiums will give us that lore.

[Tansuo]

It sounds like the Monkey Madness tunnels

[strilmus]

i prefer the searing flames to the poison

[Urza285]

Its probably going to be a more interactive MM course with lore tidbits interspursed. The damage will probably comes from stuff like lava bubbles, lightening, and steam vents.

[Sylpheed]

I hope the quest isn't literally just an assault course that ends with us meeting Zaros.

[strilmus]

nah, they promised us a few boss fights also

 

the mahjarrat weren't the only horrifying and dangerous inhabitants on freneskae

[Leik]

So, can someone freshen my memory.

 

Is Sliske working on bringing Zaros back in his own weird way, or is he doing his own thing, whatever that is?

 

Because Sliske is easily the best character in my opinion, but if this is some choice based quests I'd really want to side with Zaros too as well.

 

Someone explain pls, I haven't been to involved with the lore and such lately.

[Grand Lord Dan]

So, can someone freshen my memory.

 

Is Sliske working on bringing Zaros back in his own weird way, or is he doing his own thing, whatever that is?

 

Because Sliske is easily the best character in my opinion, but if this is some choice based quests I'd really want to side with Zaros too as well.

 

Someone explain pls, I haven't been to involved with the lore and such lately.

 

Nobody knows.  That's the whole theme behind Sliske.  Not even his "allies" really know what he's doing :p

[Sy_Accursed]

What we do know thus far is:

 

The quest will let you help or hinder Zaros return.

The quest features a choice between siding with Sliske or siding with Azzanadra

Sliske does at least bring the World Gate out of the Shadow Realm to help.

 

Judging by those few facts I'd guess siding with Sliske = hinder Zaros return and siding with Azzanadra = help Zaros return

[Tim]

If anything, I'd say Sliske wants to help Zaros, to help himself.

[Rena]

What we do know thus far is:

 

The quest will let you help or hinder Zaros return.

The quest features a choice between siding with Sliske or siding with Azzanadra

Sliske does at least bring the World Gate out of the Shadow Realm to help.

 

Judging by those few facts I'd guess siding with Sliske = hinder Zaros return and siding with Azzanadra = help Zaros return

Azzanadra wants to keep Zaros how he was in the 2nd Age. To me that would only hinder Zaros. ;)

 

Considering I want to help, not hinder, Zaros. I'll be awaiting for a few people to finish the quest and what side they took and what the result was. Since it isn't 100% obvious.

[Sy_Accursed]

^ Some how I think the choice will be obvious when you have to make it and not at all ambiguous. 

[Blutters]

Despite my clear Zamorakian leanings, I still find it incredibly unfair that Bandos died so easily, and yet Zaros appears to be protected by a wall of quest centrality and... purple.

What gives? Is JaGEx, the developers and writers behind each of these deities simply showing a clear favoritism towards one god despite seemingly trying to promote each of them as equal choices in the past?

 

That it seems like Zaros will never be "on the chopping block" so to speak just screams partiality. At least allow us to decide his fate as a community for the greater game by aggregating player choices made during the quest after a certain amount of time has passed.

I don't see it as a particularly novel notion to make such large decisions through content that isn't obviously and purely repetitious and that requires quite a bit of prior knowledge and investment.

[kamil1210]

Despite my clear Zamorakian leanings, I still find it incredibly unfair that Bandos died so easily, and yet Zaros appears to be protected by a wall of quest centrality and... purple.

 

Zaros is stronger and older 

[Alg]

What gives? Is JaGEx, the developers and writers behind each of these deities simply showing a clear favoritism towards one god despite seemingly trying to promote each of them as equal choices in the past?

Yes.

 

They have been doing this for pretty much the entire run of the 6th Age, and pretty openly favor Zaros/Sliske/Godless. They can't stop singing them praises out of the game and are pretty big on downplaying or nullifying their less-than-ideal qualities ingame.

[Sy_Accursed]

Despite my clear Zamorakian leanings, I still find it incredibly unfair that Bandos died so easily, and yet Zaros appears to be protected by a wall of quest centrality and... purple.

What gives? Is JaGEx, the developers and writers behind each of these deities simply showing a clear favoritism towards one god despite seemingly trying to promote each of them as equal choices in the past?

 

That it seems like Zaros will never be "on the chopping block" so to speak just screams partiality. At least allow us to decide his fate as a community for the greater game by aggregating player choices made during the quest after a certain amount of time has passed.

I don't see it as a particularly novel notion to make such large decisions through content that isn't obviously and purely repetitious and that requires quite a bit of prior knowledge and investment.

 

Tier 2 gods can leave their body at will this makes them near impossible to kill unless they want to die (like Guthix)

Zaros and Seren were born gods and have an external power source they can regen from - this makes them doubly impossible to kill.

Zaros and Seren are a much higher tier than Bandos and the others.

 

Bandos and Armadyl were equals in terms of power and it simply came down to who had the most divine energy to blast first.

 

Its not about favouritism or bias it is pure a simple Zaros and Seren are a different league to the Gods in the main foray of battling and thus are treated differently.

If any of the current gods went up against Saradomin at this point they'd likely lose as he has made it to Tier 3 and so is stronger than their Tier 4 Status.

Equally if they went after Zamorak he'd likely lose as he is only Tier 5 now.

 

Similarly any of the gods could easily smush Icthalrin and co as they are mere Tier 7 and Tier 6 entities.

 

Alongside this the idea of the 6th age is that some of the progress is decided by the community in events and other elements are directed in unique ways via quest content. Trying to override peoples unique choice with Zaros by aggregate afterwards is just stupid. It frankly makes sense for Zaros, Seren and the Elder Gods to be the quest content because they are so powerful they can't really be killed by any other deity or mortal unless they come to a reasoned choice to allow themselves to die for the good of Gielinor and the best way to reason them to such a point is through personal connection and interaction that can only come in quests.

 

I don't think there is any intentional bias in the writing of the Gods within the same 'blocks' aside from the fact some are simply more powerful or more important and the story reflects this (eg Zaros) but they are treated as separate 'blocks' anyway.

[Yoko Kurama]

 

What we do know thus far is:

 

The quest will let you help or hinder Zaros return.

The quest features a choice between siding with Sliske or siding with Azzanadra

Sliske does at least bring the World Gate out of the Shadow Realm to help.

 

Judging by those few facts I'd guess siding with Sliske = hinder Zaros return and siding with Azzanadra = help Zaros return

Azzanadra wants to keep Zaros how he was in the 2nd Age. To me that would only hinder Zaros. ;)

 

Considering I want to help, not hinder, Zaros. I'll be awaiting for a few people to finish the quest and what side they took and what the result was. Since it isn't 100% obvious.

 

 

That would ruin the whole fun. In theory, this quest is suppose to give you more than enough information enabling you to make a choice. I'd hate to wait for all the spoilers.

 

Also, I think it's pretty much fairly obvious that Azzanadra will work to bring back Zaros (this much is 100% certain), whereas Sliske is probably going to hinder Zaros.

[Rena]

Given Sliskes' lore I actually seem him as Zaros most loyal follower. He's an untrustworthy sort but it's all been a means to an end. If the gods are too busy fighting each other for the Stone of Jas, he can work on resurrecting Zaros without them interfering. This includes opening the World Gate for the player.

 

Sure, he might leave out the fact we might die in Freneskae - but we've been his little pawn so far. Always helping him while he hides in the shadows. That's just what he does.

 

Those with good intentions don't always help. Azzanadra might mean well but inadvertingly harm Zaros' return.

[Sy_Accursed]

Given Sliskes' lore I actually seem him as Zaros most loyal follower. He's an untrustworthy sort but it's all been a means to an end. If the gods are too busy fighting each other for the Stone of Jas, he can work on resurrecting Zaros without them interfering. This includes opening the World Gate for the player.

 

Sure, he might leave out the fact we might die in Freneskae - but we've been his little pawn so far. Always helping him while he hides in the shadows. That's just what he does.

 

Those with good intentions don't always help. Azzanadra might mean well but inadvertingly harm Zaros' return.

 

It's possible you're right but it just seems like a bit of a curveball given the current info we have.

 

Azzanadra's entire plot arc in game so far is about reconnecting with Zaros and then working on his wishes once more and the most recent memories lore even points out he was the highest ranking priest in Zaros empire and one of the few in Zaros direct confidence at the end. Heck he is even in contact with Zaros right now since we re-established the portal so can be receiving instructions of how to help Zaros return best.

 

Sliske meanwhile is known for being a trickster and having ulterior motives. In TWW he actively went against the other Zarosians by killing Guthix and between that and owning the Staff of Armadyl + Stone of Jas he appears well on the way to obtaining his own godhood all whilst having gods kill each other off - and Zaros was one of the invited to play this game. All in all his loyalty to Zaros is highly questionable at best. I mean lets not forget Sliske was the one who led the Mahjaratt to betray the desert pantheon and defect to Zaros - he literally has history of betraying the god he was supposed to be serving.

[Yoko Kurama]

Given Sliskes' lore I actually seem him as Zaros most loyal follower. He's an untrustworthy sort but it's all been a means to an end. If the gods are too busy fighting each other for the Stone of Jas, he can work on resurrecting Zaros without them interfering. This includes opening the World Gate for the player.

 

Sure, he might leave out the fact we might die in Freneskae - but we've been his little pawn so far. Always helping him while he hides in the shadows. That's just what he does.

 

Those with good intentions don't always help. Azzanadra might mean well but inadvertingly harm Zaros' return.

 

In the book of Sliske's memory, he says something like "rarely have I ever been proud of my Lord [Zaros]", and he was also the first to betray the Menophites (after which all the other Mhajarrat followed). 

 

It's true that good intentions alone don't always help, but I fail to see why that applies to Azzanadra. Azzanadra is amongst the powerful of his race, has plenty of experience (he's been his clan's leader even before they left Freneskae), he has plenty of experience as second-in-command, and he seems to be rather intelligent, plotting away and bidding his time while singlehandedly preparing for Zaros' return and helping to actualize it. In contrast, Sliske has been extremely reckless if anything. Also, while Sliske's intentions have been ambiguous (he claimed to be trying to obtain godhood himself, something no loyal Zarosian would do), we have hints from the lore, and J Mods that he is likely a traitor. This is the same Sliske who killed Guthix, thus allowing all sorts of Gods to return who were hostile to Zaros, whereas Azzanadra's plan was to bargain with Guthix only for Zaros' return. Azzanadra, on the other hand, has always been fanatically loyal to Zaros. I don't think the case for Sliske being a loyal Zarosian is strong, given what we know.

[strilmus]

Seeing as Sliske probably had the consideration to shove the world gate into the shadow realm in the first place, I would take it that whatever choices you make, he has probably accounted for all of them in his planning, and is mostly there as a distraction to keep you from actually thinking about what he's really planning, and instead concerning yourself with details that aren't actually related to what he wants. He thinks of Zaros as a means to an end (that end being his own gain) like everything else, and represents that aspect of Zaros' belief system the most, as his actions have never been dictated by concepts such as loyalty, prestige, or actual desire for power.

[Yoko Kurama]

Seeing as Sliske probably had the consideration to shove the world gate into the shadow realm in the first place, I would take it that whatever choices you make, he has probably accounted for all of them in his planning, and is mostly there as a distraction to keep you from actually thinking about what he's really planning, and instead concerning yourself with details that aren't actually related to what he wants. He thinks of Zaros as a means to an end like everything else, and represents that aspect of Zaros' religion the most.

 

I thought it was Zaros that sealed the World Gate in the 2nd Age?

[strilmus]

Oh, right.

 

It still raises the question of why Sliske hasn't actually bothered to attempt using it in all of the years since.