how aren't New-U stations canon?

[d0gv0m1t]

I avoided finishing this game for so long because so many side characters made me cringe to death

because of the first game I always asumed New-U stations were an explination for bosses respawning

but acording to the deaths of Roland and Jack they aren't canon? wtf

[krosis]

yeah I mean it does not make logical sense that when you die you just spawm again but at the same time there is a psychotic guy thats the head of a multimillionary company that looks for some alien basement where they hide some weapons and a very large dog also there is a guy that wants to be shoot in the face

[Nakos]

Originally posted by ThatzPrettyGay™:

I avoided finishing this game for so long because so many side characters made me cringe to death

because of the first game I always asumed New-U stations were an explination for bosses respawning

but acording to the deaths of Roland and Jack they aren't canon? wtf

It's a game.

The needs of the medium and the objective of the designers trumps the desire for logical consistency and "real-world" corralation (or even internally consistent "game-logic").

Further, it's an ARPG (an FPS-ARPG hybrid to be specific). ARPGs are designed to offer incremental rewards, which in turn are usually highly randomized. High randomization of resources that players require to progress in turn requires that players be offered multiple chances to acquire any given reward of interest.

[I Kinda Fail]

I think they were originally canon then they decided against it so they could kill off main characters and still have it make sense.

[Starbug]

How come when you get wasted in GTA you exit the hospital six hours later? Without a scratch? I've literally been eaten by sharks and still exited that same hospital. No cutscene or explanation as to who pulled me out of the water. Same goes for getting busted. You spend less than a day in prison no matter how many little old ladies you stabbed. How is that even canon?

[JelliedKnife]

The reason I believe that New-U stations make sense is that since Jack failed to kill the Vault Hunter(s) on the train, he'd want to kill you personally, early in game for the fun of it, and later in game for you killing his daughter and directly interfering with his operations.

[LadstonFelisGaming]

Many people have theorized that it has something to do with Angel. New-Us are Hyperion tech, so she can access the data stored in them without resistance. Prominent theories are that she removed the original VHs’ DNA profiles on Jack’s orders and secretly did the same to his DNA profile. Granted, these are just fan theories so there are numerous holes in them.

[Shedding my mortal skin]

They are. Borderlands 1's first mission featured Claptrap registerring you for the New-U service, and Borderlands 2 featured a mission where Jack pays you to kill yourself, and actually pays you to do so. Why do Jack and Roland die and not respawn? Jack had a child, going against "forefitting your right to reproduce", and Roland's DNA could have been taken out of the system when W4R-D3N captured him.

[blank3t_m0nst3r]

Short answer?

No, they are not canon. Many things in this game are not canon.

Long answer?

Borderlands is a gameplay-focused RPS, where the story's main purpose is to lead you to new areas to kill new things with just enough writing to keep you interested. New-U stations are not a plot device but a gameplay mechanic. Trying to fit such mechanics into the story will surely lead to disappointment, frustration, and crazy fan theories.

My advice, don't take the game more seriously than it takes itself. I'm sure if you asked the developers about why Mission X has plot point Y and plot hole Z, 90% of the time it will be because they thought it would be either cool or funny.

[trukr]

Originally posted by ThatzPrettyGay™:

I avoided finishing this game for so long because so many side characters made me cringe to death

because of the first game I always asumed New-U stations were an explination for bosses respawning

but acording to the deaths of Roland and Jack they aren't canon? wtf

This post is cringe worthy.

You assumed wrong.

The New-U network is a game mechanic, it was never canon.

[peppers]

New-U aren't canon. The lead writer(Anthony Burch) admitted he regrets adding voices to them and implied they're simply not canon.

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/13gsxi/iama_mister_torgue_and_will_answer/c73w94h/

[Nakos]

Originally posted by shackleford:

The lead writer(Anthony Burch)

Point of order: Former lead writer.

[trukr]

Originally posted by Nakos:

Originally posted by shackleford:

The lead writer(Anthony Burch)

Point of order: Former lead writer.

The statement still rings true, he was the lead writer on Borderlands 2.
Context matters. Yes, I'm a stinker.

[Nakos]

Originally posted by trukr:

The statement still rings true, he was the lead writer on Borderlands 2.
Context matters. Yes, I'm a stinker.

Enh.. sure. As far as I know, the rest of the people in charge at Gearbox even agree.

But ... my point is since Burch is now gone, many things that he felt strongly about may (or may not) be changed.

For all his flaws as a writer, I personally still like BL2 (and BL:TPS for that matter) better than BL1. I find BL1 to be drab, toneless and with a distinct absence of story. I know some people prefer it, but I actually liked having Jack calling me up and either taunting, threatening, or condecending to me. It sucks me into the story in a way that Steele's vague (occasional) threats do not.

My hope is that whoever is charged with writing BL3 takes the good from Burch's era and moves forward with it.

My fear is that BL3 will end up with the same tepid lack-of-story that BL1 had.

Time will tell.

[trukr]

Originally posted by Nakos:

Originally posted by trukr:

The statement still rings true, he was the lead writer on Borderlands 2.
Context matters. Yes, I'm a stinker.

Enh.. sure. As far as I know, the rest of the people in charge at Gearbox even agree.

But ... my point is since Burch is now gone, many things that he felt strongly about may (or may not) be changed.

For all his flaws as a writer, I personally still like BL2 (and BL:TPS for that matter) better than BL1. I find BL1 to be drab, toneless and with a distinct absence of story. I know some people prefer it, but I actually liked having Jack calling me up and either taunting, threatening, or condecending to me. It sucks me into the story in a way that Steele's vague (occasional) threats do not.

My hope is that whoever is charged with writing BL3 takes the good from Burch's era and moves forward with it.

My fear is that BL3 will end up with the same tepid lack-of-story that BL1 had.

Time will tell.

Yes, things may well change, but I thought this was about what was and is up to the end of the three examples we now have.

I have always found it odd how some go on about Anthony Burch "ruining the game" when in my personal opinion Borderlands 2 is the best overall Borderlands game out there.

I agree that the first one was very dry. I enjoyed it once I got in to it, but it took a bit of sticking with it when it was not that fun. I know that sounds dumb, but after a bit I got so I could tolerate the FOV and got far enough that it was interesting enough to have fun. With Borderlands 2, it was almost instant like. I think for all of Mr Burch's flaws, like the unwillingness to learn the damn lore before affecting it, the game was a lot more fun for me. I like my violence to be over the top and silly.

I too hope that they take the good parts of what Mr Burch did and enhance that. The next Borderlands game could be huge. I like the looks of that tech demo thing, now if the story is also a step forward...

[blank3t_m0nst3r]

Originally posted by trukr:

Originally posted by Nakos:

Enh.. sure. As far as I know, the rest of the people in charge at Gearbox even agree.

But ... my point is since Burch is now gone, many things that he felt strongly about may (or may not) be changed.

For all his flaws as a writer, I personally still like BL2 (and BL:TPS for that matter) better than BL1. I find BL1 to be drab, toneless and with a distinct absence of story. I know some people prefer it, but I actually liked having Jack calling me up and either taunting, threatening, or condecending to me. It sucks me into the story in a way that Steele's vague (occasional) threats do not.

My hope is that whoever is charged with writing BL3 takes the good from Burch's era and moves forward with it.

My fear is that BL3 will end up with the same tepid lack-of-story that BL1 had.

Time will tell.

Yes, things may well change, but I thought this was about what was and is up to the end of the three examples we now have.

I have always found it odd how some go on about Anthony Burch "ruining the game" when in my personal opinion Borderlands 2 is the best overall Borderlands game out there.

I agree that the first one was very dry. I enjoyed it once I got in to it, but it took a bit of sticking with it when it was not that fun. I know that sounds dumb, but after a bit I got so I could tolerate the FOV and got far enough that it was interesting enough to have fun. With Borderlands 2, it was almost instant like. I think for all of Mr Burch's flaws, like the unwillingness to learn the damn lore before affecting it, the game was a lot more fun for me. I like my violence to be over the top and silly.

I too hope that they take the good parts of what Mr Burch did and enhance that. The next Borderlands game could be huge. I like the looks of that tech demo thing, now if the story is also a step forward...

Agreed. Burch's writing in Borderlands 2 is what, in my opinion, gave the Borderlands series something it otherwise would have lacked: an identity.