My theory on Rachel Amber

[Zeekay980]

I think that Rachel also had the ability to rewind time. After talking to all the students about her, they all said that she was their friend. She partied with the cool kids. She skated with the skaters. She modeled for the artists. Etc. I realized that I was doing exactly that with Max. I'd talk to someone, make an ass of myself while finding out the proper way to impress them, rewind time, and do things right. I know it's not that much evidence, but it's what I feel in my gut.

[Combo]

Publicado originalmente por MDuh:

Publicado originalmente por Combocookie BEL:

I don't know what happened with Rachel but the lighthouse must play a big role. Maybe the lighthouse is the place where Max and Rachel can meet if they can both time travel. I'd not be surprised to see the lighthouse at the end of the game.

now that youve said that, that might be really plausible.

If you went back again at the lighthouse with chloe and look at the map overlooking the sea, Max says that Chloe had marked a "treehouse" in case of emergency where they can meet again.

If Chloe and Rachel were indeed best friends, Chloe may have brought rachel there once.

That doesn't sound bad at all.

[fenke]

Max's first vision, was it perhaps a memory and did she travel back several days from the tornado event? How can she go forward for the second vision? Or is it a cycle and everytime the Tornado event happens Max timetravels back?

Would a time-travel event create an alternate universe? How would that work out? Every time she time-travels she exchanges universes? That way she could indeed bring items and there would be a unverse with a Max who wakes up from a vision to find herself in the bathroom, with no way to trigger the fire alarm. Is 'our' Max in one such alternate universe.

Publicado originalmente por Ezzra Lem:

Considering on "About this game", it says:

Meanwhile, Max begins to have premonitions as she struggles to understand the implications of her power. She must quickly learn that changing the past can sometimes lead to a devastating future.

If the visions are premonitions, are these premonitions perhaps memories and experiences that travel back in time, rather then a glimpse of the future? And within the 'alternate universe' hypothesis, could experiences travel back in time as premonitions without creating an alternate universe? Perhaps the path to prevent the butterfly-tornado is one were Max never brings back physical items, and never

And the photographs she can take back in time, are they like memories? Afterall, the physical object, the photo-sensitive paper, is already present 'in the past' and only it's state is altered, just as with premonitions.

But how do these ramblings relate to Amber's disappearance?

Publicado originalmente por Combocookie BEL:

I don't know what happened with Rachel but the lighthouse must play a big role. Maybe the lighthouse is the place where Max and Rachel can meet if they can both time travel. I'd not be surprised to see the lighthouse at the end of the game.

I wouldn't be surprised if the end of ep.5 is the start of ep.1

[Draikin]

Publicado originalmente por deadBeat:

Who was the person she met who 'changed her life'?

I'm betting it's the teacher, Mark Jefferson. Stella mentions that Rachel had an affair with Jefferson (on a side note, this also explains why Victoria seems to hate Rachel). He's arguably one of the least suspicous persons we've met so far, but in a game where all characters seems to have secrets, this actually makes him stand out.

The very last thing we see just before the credits roll is a bunch of red binders that each have a name on them. The last one has Rachel's name on it. So I'm wondering if those binders actually belong to Jefferson, and if he's the one responsible for Rachel's dissapearance.

The way Jefferson talks about Max having "a gift" may also have a dual meaning. Jefferson's Everyday Heroes" contest seems to refer to Max's newfound time rewind abilities. Max even flat out says "time to be an everyday hero" before saving Chloe.

Regarding the storm, it's an obvious reference to the butterfly effect. A butterfly flapping his wings in a slightly different manner causing a hurricane to shift course several weeks later is the metaphor that Edward Lorenz used to describe how very small variations in input parameters can have major impact in a weather model. What that means in terms of this story remains to be seen. But it could be a hint that saving Chloe's life may be what triggered the hurricane. I'm hoping the game doesn't end with a reset that involves letting Chloe die to save Arcadia Bay.

[deadBeat]

Publicado originalmente por Draikin:

I'm betting it's the teacher, Mark Jefferson. Stella mentions that Rachel had an affair with Jefferson (on a side note, this also explains why Victoria seems to hate Rachel). He's arguably one of the least suspicous persons we've met so far, but in a game where all characters seems to have secrets, this actually makes him stand out.

The very last thing we see just before the credits roll is a bunch of red binders that each have a name on them. The last one has Rachel's name on it. So I'm wondering if those binders actually belong to Jefferson, and if he's the one responsible for Rachel's dissapearance.

I like this argument. The binders are very important and I do wonder what they mean.

Regarding the storm, it's an obvious reference to the butterfly effect. A butterfly flapping his wings causing a hurricane to shift course several weeks later is the metaphor that Edward Lorenz used to describe how very small variations in input parameters can have major impact in a weather model. What that means in terms of this story remains to be seen.

On a complete aside, I think its funny that no one has complained about the strong 'climate change' agenda this game so clearly presents :p

[Stolen Bagel]

The only thing i can present to this conversation is that Chloe had seen the picture of the butterfly before before, it's why she wanted it. You just took the picture earlier, there is no way she could have seen it before. My guess is the picture has something to do with Rachel, or will play more into the game. A symbol if you will.

[Lezrock]

I thought the same while I was playing it. I don't know if that would make things more interesting or just needlessly complicate the story though, but I guess we'll see.

[deadBeat]

Publicado originalmente por Viking Jesus:

The only thing i can present to this conversation is that Chloe had seen the picture of the butterfly before before, it's why she wanted it. You just took the picture earlier, there is no way she could have seen it before. My guess is the picture has something to do with Rachel, or will play more into the game. A symbol if you will.

That's a good point. I assumed she ment she remembered seeing the butterfly. I guess she couldn't have.

[fenke]

Mhh, I too thought she talked about the butterfly. But she linked the photo to the bathroom so she might have been talking about the bucket when she says that she's seen this before. The butterfly wouldn't have allowed her to pinpoint where the photo had been taken, the bucket and cart behind could.

C: Are these your new photo's?
M: Yeah... I just took them today.
C: Let me see...
C: Wait ... I've seen this before. No way! When did you take this?
C: YOU took this photo, you brat!
C: In the bathroom today ... You set off the alarm! That's why Nathan raged after you...
C: It totally makes sense.

Max tells Chloe she took the photo's this same day, that puts her in the bathroom today. Jumping to the conclusion that Max triggered the alarm is not a far stretch.

[deadBeat]

When she went into the bathroom Chloe didn't look around the corner where Max was hiding with the bucket and the butterfly. She never saw the butterfly so either it was a memorable bucket she had seen previously or she had seen the photo before.

When she says "YOU took this photo?" the emphasis suggests to me Chloe is surprised it was Max who took it.

[fenke]

Well, no, most likely that stuff is always there (except when it's used).
The emphasis in the subtitle is strong, but when you just listen it fits. She's linking the little facts together and realizes it was max who took the (a) photo in the bathroom this morning, placing max at the 'crimescene' at the right time

Keep it Simple

[Combo]

But how did a butterfly ever got into the bathroom?

[lastbreath]

There is very clear reference to "butterfly effect" - the game starts with butterfly and should be ended with tornado...

[fenke]

Which explains why people focus on the butterfly in the photo.

Publicado originalmente por Combocookie BEL:

But how did a butterfly ever got into the bathroom?

Flew in through the window.

[Red husky]

i dont think the butterfly flew in
when you select look on the butterfly, she says "The blue wings are practically glowing..I can almost feel the air moving around me...The butterfly feels almost like a spirit..." by the sound of her voice she is surprised what she feels

[fenke]

It's what Max tells us, it appears to be flying in from the window. Yes, she also says it feels like a spirit.

Btw, that second vision of the storm appears to take place just after the first - in the first vision the logs are safely in there place. Also, the boat that is thrown aganst the lighthouse when Max is near the side , about where in the second vision the guiding spirit deer is standing.