Is this a Plot Hole or did I miss something?

[THE VERY REVEREND MISTER BONK]

I have been playing this since it's release and there is a particular Plot Device that has always stood out to me. A number of times in the notes Daniel makes mention of "Deformed Skulking Servants" which he later starts to work with in his activities with Alexander. With that in mind Alexander does not discover that Daniel has switched sides untill near the end of the story, neither was Alexander aware that Daniel took the Amnesia Potion so presumably the mutated servants didn't know this either. My question is then, why do the Deformed Servants start attacking Daniel on sight when from their point of view they were working for him just moments before? Sure some of them are Visions but others are very real and physical and for most of the game they would have no reason to attack Daniel. Any opinions? Thanks.

[Justice]

Never thought about that. However I rememeber Alexader warned Daniel to not go outside of his sight and light when they were going through mines like corridor (level before flooded archives) that could indicate that gatherers and brutes attack anyone who isn't beside Alexander on sight (Or maybe his servants didn't had restricted orders about not attacking Daniel just yet?).

But then again how did Daniel (and also Wilhelm and his men that served Alexander) more or less walked freely in Alexander's castle with out getting sliced by his monsters?

I don't know, I think you overanalyzing the game. That's is my only answear

[THE VERY REVEREND MISTER BONK]

Thank you for input guys, I think this is most likely an oversight by the writers but it's an interesting one nonetheless. The hypothasis by Justice dosen't work as within the story Alexander gives the instruction to stay out of the shadows before he has duped Daniel into working for him and as stated previously Alexander himself only becomes aware that Danel has switched sides right at the end of the game. Even then he does not instruct the servants to kill Daniel but just to throw him in Jail to stop him from sabotaging his plans. The deformed servants are sadistic but not stupid as they are responsible for building and maintaining the machinery in the castle, also they wander around outside in the forrest but stay away from people who come along their path.

The character of Alexander is also very inconsistent as he is essentially an Alien from another Planet / Universe / Dimention who is marooned on Earth and does not understand Human emotions - an evil version of "Star Man" if you will. However, in his own notes that he stashes with the Orb Pieces Alexander shows very strong emotions towards his Wife and even expreses deep regret for his actions. Again most likely an oversight by the writers.

I just notice details like this, I asked similar questions regarding Everybody's Gone To The Rapture - in that game the Alien takes people by somehow absorbing Organic Matter yes? In that case why are there not piles of empty clothes all over the place and empty boots with smoke coming out of them?! As I said, I just notice these things.

[Memeguppy (ミーム)]

Interesting

[❤𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒆]

Originally posted by odoscoldbeak:

The character of Alexander is also very inconsistent as he is essentially an Alien from another Planet / Universe / Dimention who is marooned on Earth and does not understand Human emotions - an evil version of "Star Man" if you will. However, in his own notes that he stashes with the Orb Pieces Alexander shows very strong emotions towards his Wife and even expreses deep regret for his actions. Again most likely an oversight by the writers.

You may be oversimplifying his expressions of emotion. He's no ordinary being so his expressions of love and regret should not be treated as ordinary.

Affection happens in all forms. Alexander's expressions of love are not entirely impossible for a being who lacks or simply fails to express any kind of emotion. Another possibility is it's not love at all but a very extreme form of fascination. Let me give you an example: "A psychotic car fanatic leaves a mint condition 1970's Camaro with only 500km mileage in a ditch without a second thought. He leaves it there for 20 years, it becomes rusty, glass possibly broken, weeds growing into the undercarriage and he regrets it when he finds it again." This could be a basic outline of what Alexander's situation is. As a writer myself, if I were to be writing a character such as Alexander, these details would be quite clear to me. And what I just described is how I'd go about laying the framework for his notes that Daniel finds. It can be love but a very specific category of love, however heartless Alexander may be.

As for the regret, perhaps it's not the warm kind of regret you would normally associate with a long lost love. It could be the kind of cold regret like longing for that $6000 you lost on a failed bet. The same kind I referenced in my story about a psychotic car fanatic.

These emotions may be more mechanical and even more sadistic in nature than we realise. Worlds apart from what we know as human forms of "love" and "regret." These are alien forms of love and regret for an alien form of person.

Then again, I could be overanalyzing his psycographic profile.

[THE VERY REVEREND MISTER BONK]

True, I had considered that. Following that hypothasis Alexander (including Justine if you take that as cannon) seems to view Earth People more as Livestock rather than equals and even Agrippa, what's left of him anyway, shows a cold indifference to Humans as he keeps calling Daniel "A Good Boy" even thought he witnesed him murder and torture people with Alexander, who himself seems to view Daniel more as a pet rather than a sentient being. I also get the distinct impression that the main reason Alexander wants to go back to his own planet is simply because he is bored!

Clearly the writers based the Character of Alexander on the Legend of Saint Germaine mixed with Star Man (or possibly Mork form Ork) and came up with some of the most interesting characters in gaming. In fact it could be argued that Alexander is very much like William Hartnel when he was Doctor Who as Harnel played the character with a deliberate Indifernce to Humans in the earliest episodes - you will probably remember that in "Time Medler" Chesterton had to stop The Doctor from bashing a guys head in with a rock because he found out who he was - great show for kids eh? I could also be really - REALLY awkward and go so far as to ask as to why Alexander would be speaking with his Alien Wife on an Alien Planet using Ninteenth Century German - but that really would be overanalising the situation and you coud drive yourself insane doing it!

Of course none of this solves the origional question as to why the Deformed Servants started attacking Daniel when from their point of view they were still working for, and taking instructions from him.

[Darthzz]

I feel maybe they were to attack anyone else remaining in Brennenburg.

[❤𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒆]

Originally posted by odoscoldbeak:

Agreed with your assessment, he's quite the anomaly as far as characteristics goes. Perhaps that's an intended feature of Alexander.

But yes... The original question, I thought about this myself and I don't know for sure. This is also speaking after 5 playthroughs. It very well may be a plot hole. My own theory is the servants were ordered to guard Alexander while he prepares the Inner Sanctum. You noted yourself that the servants are intelligent enough to run the machinery. Before Daniel could go down into the depths of the castle. The machinery for the elevator was taken apart and shutdown, this is a key clue.

Daniel may have been ordered to stand guard along with the servants. And the servants were secretly given orders to watch Daniel. Alexander makes note that Daniel is becoming too confident in his work, he seems to fear what Daniel was becoming. He may have left himself some insurance by ordering his servants to kill or capture Daniel should he abandon them in their guard duties.

The key turning point is Daniel abandoning the servants and stealing an amnesia potion. We have to assume the servants knew about the theft.

[THE VERY REVEREND MISTER BONK]

Yes, I'v done several playthroughs scouring the place looking for notes or Set Pieces that would say something along those lines. Asuming this is correct though it is doubtful that the Servants would have gone Awol without first consulting Alexander and even then his instruction was to throw Daniel in Jail, not kill him.