That Ending A though (Spoilers for Ending A)

[MikeSugs]

Ever get that feeling that you understand a plot completely and then it ends, leaving you wondering if you ever knew what was going on at all? Yeah, that was me.

[Null_User]

Welcome to Yoko Taro's life of the mind.

[Tregarde]

Just wait till you get to the ending of route B...

And THEN when you finish the game entirely.

Yeah... you got a few more surprises ahead.

[Tahl]

The term "ending" is missused or repurposed in NieR.
Its more like a chapter ending. Until you hit at least E there is actually more main story(a lot) to be seen and told. Like actual chapters of the game that lead to the conclusion of the main story. "ending" is... at very least, reletive.
You literally dont even touch the 3rd playable character until... C's ending I think.

One of the very few things that annoy me about this game.
Whatever you call them though, they are very well done. Second time through was a eye opener.

[Lavian]

You actually might be able to call them all endings even considering other routes.

It's been established that all routes actually exist in the Drakengard/NieR universe (or multiverse I guess), so there's no absolute gaurantee that any one line continues off of the one you think it actually splits from.

For example, Drakengard 2 seems to be based on Drakengard's A route (it's not though), while NieR is tied to the E route of Drakengard.

And it's not just that one ending is canon for one and another is canon for another. Drakengard 3 explicitly states that multiple timelines have begun to form and each ending exists due to an anomoly that has appeared in the universe.

[Tahl]

Originally posted by Lavian:

You actually might be able to call them all endings even considering other routes.

It's been established that all routes actually exist in the Drakengard/NieR universe (or multiverse I guess), so there's no absolute gaurantee that any one line continues off of the one you think it actually splits from.

For example, Drakengard 2 seems to be based on Drakengard's A route (it's not though), while NieR is tied to the E route of Drakengard.

And it's not just that one ending is canon for one and another is canon for another. Drakengard 3 explicitly states that multiple timelines have begun to form and each ending exists due to an anomoly that has appeared in the universe.

Nope.
If you play through them you will find that the first two are sides of the same coin with a different perspective, the following endings include events directly following the events of A-B and lead to two possible plot endings. With one leading to a 3rd extended ending showing the aftermath of the main story.

Idc whats canon, that is the full story of the game, NieR Automata.

I just think calling every chapter switch an 'ending' feels gimmicky. The underlying game material is amazing no issue there.
I could even understand it if they pulled this once when 2B dies. Like the death of a main character prompts credits to roll and stuff. Same thing with the fail state endings. Although those being called "joke" endings does litterally suggest they are intended to be gimmicky. I mean eat a fish and die... lol.

Still amzing game I just dont feel we should need a credits scene and main menu visit every 150 lines of dialog.

[Derus]

You are not alone ^^
Ending A: erm, that's it?
At the very end of Route B: WTF is even happening?
Beginning of Route C: It was all just an intro, the game starts now

[Mashpit]

Yeah, route A/B are more akin to prologues to the main events of route C.

[Lavian]

You're assuming that branch A and B must lead to either branch C or D. I'm saying that does not have to be the case based on the rules layed down in the multiverse that the game is set in. Not all branches of a particular timeline are always explored, as is demonstrated by the existence of Drag-on Dragoon 1.3 as a Drakengard branch stemming from the A branch of Drakengard 3 leading to an alternate branch of the original Drakengard.

Furthermore, you're assuming that branches A and B are two sides of the same coin. I would argue that they are separate branches with minimal divergence, as there are mutually exclusive side quests and endings (or, more branches) contained within each branch. This could be considered similar to the alternate circumstances portrayed in NieR:Gestalt and NieR:Replicant. Depending on the version, Yonah is either Nier's daughter or sister, and the years that the games take place in are slightly offset despite having identical events otherwise. They are the "same" game, and the same events happen within them, but they must be different branches due to the time of the events, and the ages/relations of the characters.

[icyjiub]

I haven't been this blown off course by a lunatic japanese man since the first time I watched End of Evangelion. Needless to say A was a welcome surprise. Can't wait to blow through the rest.

[Sticky White Stuff]

Originally posted by Lavian:

You're assuming that branch A and B must lead to either branch C or D. I'm saying that does not have to be the case based on the rules layed down in the multiverse that the game is set in. Not all branches of a particular timeline are always explored, as is demonstrated by the existence of Drag-on Dragoon 1.3 as a Drakengard branch stemming from the A branch of Drakengard 3 leading to an alternate branch of the original Drakengard.

Furthermore, you're assuming that branches A and B are two sides of the same coin. I would argue that they are separate branches with minimal divergence, as there are mutually exclusive side quests and endings (or, more branches) contained within each branch. This could be considered similar to the alternate circumstances portrayed in NieR:Gestalt and NieR:Replicant. Depending on the version, Yonah is either Nier's daughter or sister, and the years that the games take place in are slightly offset despite having identical events otherwise. They are the "same" game, and the same events happen within them, but they must be different branches due to the time of the events, and the ages/relations of the characters.

They are the same branches. This isn't Drakengard, it was clearly simplified for the sake of the finale. What will follow up, we don't know. C, D or E can all be canon, but A and B are exactly the same from a different perspective to give more character development, side-quests, etc. Despite 2B repeating things over and over again, the same exact events cannot follow and ther emust be some continuation.

Both C & D actually reach to the same conclusion if you count E. However C branches to E, where D does not.

You can say that A and B are separate, and that could be true, but one of them DO leads to C and D to E. As for the original NieR comparison, that was just done for marketing purposes and localization. Nothing more, really. The characters are similar, even tho one is a younger brother and the other being an older father.

I don't know if Automata follows Replicant or Gestalt, because i haven't gone through the in-game lore that much, especially dates on the reports.

But branches A and B foreshadow a lot of what is to come, and they kinda "spoil" things in advance if you do the side quests. However you won't know anything about them until you actually play C and D.

[Matt]

D leads to E actually, C leading to E makes absolutely no sense because at the start of E, Pod 153 mentions that all YoRHa black boxes are offline, but 9S survives at the end of C (unless he goes and kills himself after being saved by A2/042, in which case, E can be branched off either ending). I understand that picking "The End of YoRHa" at Chapter Select shows Ending C before the credits, but I feel that's an oversight.

Furthermore, Automata exists as a result of Ending D in the original NieR.

That being said, in Yoko Taro games, all endings (that are explicitly endings, and not like A/B in Automata) are all considered canon and branch off to different timelines. This means in Automata: C, D and E can all be considered canon endings (A/B are also canon obviously but both lead to the same stuff) which lead to different futures.

E is canon ingame though I believe, because the story of the weapon "Emil's Heads" notes that the 15th Machine War starts, and that 2B continues to exist.

[Lavian]

See. The thing is. This IS Drakengard. White Chloronation Syndrome is a direct result of ending E of the original Drakengard. In that, you smash through a dimentional portal and fight the Queen Beast in Tokyo, killing it before being shot down by fighter jets. That ending injects magic into the world where it should probably not exist. People afflicted with WCS are given a choice: die, or become servants to a new god. Those who choose to die turn to salt, while the ones who chose to live become deranged an violent. This afflction spreads accross the world, necessitating project Gestalt. Project Gestalt fails in the branch leading to NieR:Automata, and humanity is destroyed. Devola and Popola fail to stop Nier's replicant from killing his own gestalt (who was the original successful subject of the project, and leader of the gestalts), dismantling the project.

Also:
http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/001/068/1068126/

"""
――多元世界での物語ということは、『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3』に登場したアコールがいてもおかしくはないってことですよね？

ヨコオ：そうですね。アコールもどこかで名前だけは出てくると思います。その他、主要人物ではありませんが、●●●●●●●も登場しますよ。
"""

http://drakengard.wikia.com/wiki/Accord

It's a distinct possibility for this dimention and time travelling series of androids that observe the multiverse from Drakengard to show up, or at least be referenced, within the world or NieR, as stated above.

[Tahl]

Im only assuming demonstrable facts and until you provide us with the material that shows otherwise thats that.

Conclusions are made with the best evidence available. Not speculative guessing and possibly maybes.

As I said before "Idc whats canon, that is the full story of the game, NieR Automata."

[Lavian]

You're welcome to look around for the material yourself. It's pretty much all straight up major spoilers for the rest of the games in the series. I've given you the information, if you want to go ahead and look up the related documents and videos, you're welcome to do so. It's not exactly hard.

[Tahl]

Originally posted by Lavian:

You're welcome to look around for the material yourself. It's pretty much all straight up major spoilers for the rest of the games in the series. I've given you the information, if you want to go ahead and look up the related documents and videos, you're welcome to do so. It's not exactly hard.

You have given nothing but speculation fuel. If you refuse to do anything but bluff we have nothing more to discuss.
If you seem dead set on missing the point your welcome to your personal reality bubble.