What's up with the Lamplighter?

[SumYungGuy]

Silver, Calamus, Alula, the Prophet, Dr. Kip Silverlock, George, the Entity, Rue. These are the major characters of the game. And they all had extensive contact with the Author.

But not the Lamplighter. Why? Why does he get so much focus when he's just a guy doing a regular job? Why is he the avatar for the game's developer on the steam forums? How does he get his job done in his unsleeping state?

The room in the Refuge where you find the camera lenses appears to be his home. There's a note to the Lamplighter there, a lamp plant, a number of lamps, a bunch of empty coffee mugs.

And a book with a clover on the cover.

That shouldn't be so strange on it's own considering how prolific the Author's works are, but the book stands out none the less.

Additionally, the Lamplighter's home is in the alleys. Just a short bit away from where Rue dwells.

The only thing we know about the Lamplighter personally is that he gets a large amount of work done in an abnormally short time frame.

The only other person whom we see that quality attributed to is the Author, producing copious writing in no time at all.

I'm not saying the Lamplighter IS the Author, but... what's the connection?

[windblade]

Try using a camera lens on the lamplighter and he'll confirm it's his home.

[Zaykel]

We don't know his name, i would like to know tough.

[Jorbun]

Based on the evidence, I think the lamplighter is supposed to be a red herring. He has some books in his home with a lot of stuff highlighted, but I think he mentions at one point that he can't read. So the books are probably his attempt to learn how to read, rather than research material for writing.

If the author's notes to the player are to be believed, the author has left the world somehow, before Niko even arrives. I don't think we'll be seeing him in person anytime soon.

[SumYungGuy]

I agree with you on all points, it's just that the Lamplighter stands out to me somehow and wanted to see if anyone had any particular eplieptic trees growing for me to see.

[TTV/ardentBlossoming]

There had been a comment about how Nightmargin thinks his name would be something like Thomas or Charles- just an unrelated sidenote.

[Cloydes]

I'm not sure what his significance is, if any, but I know for sure he's not The Author. I watched one of NightMargin's streams a long time ago when she was working on assets for the game and I saw a face pic for him and he looked nothing like The Lamplighter, so I know for sure they're not the same person.

[Paste]

Something I've noticed is that after sleeping for the final time before ascending the tower, the Lamplighter doesn't seem to be anywhere? I'm not really convinced that he himself is the Author, but he has to have some higher significance, especially if he really does just drop off the face of the planet after the last interactions with him. I think it should be noted that preproduction art shouldn't be concrete evidence AGAINST him being the Author, as it's content before release, and may have been subject to change. That being said, I didn't watch those streams, and the context may be what cements it.

[poopaloony]

I just wanted to comment that the Lamplighter is a character from a book called The Little Prince, which this game is lightly based upon. I think it is a reference, because the lamplighter in OneShot fufills the same purpose and attitude as the one in The Little Prince. He is constantly rushing around, attempting to complete his job, and can't keep up with his work because of the lack of light. Likewise, the lamplighter from The Little Prince has to light his lamp every time his asteroid makes one rotation, which is once every minute.

On the RPG Maker post for it from 2014, it states "This game was made in a month with a few character designs and music tracks made beforehand. Inspirations include Yume Nikki, Link's Awakening, Hyper Light Drifter, and The Little Prince. "
- https://rpgmaker.net/games/6560/

I'd recommend reading The Little Prince, if only to gain context on some aspects of the plot. Other examples of references from The Little Prince would be the wheat fields, the fox, "tamed" as a form of creating connections, and some of the authors notes resemble those of an aviator, which is the narrator and "author" of the book, The Little Prince.

Hope this helps. He may be a part of a larger role, but currently, this is all I can tell from my experience.

[Vahnkiljoy]

Was kind of disappointed he didn't go back to his little room after he filled the lamp and instead just vanishes from the world.