Ending 1 Suggestion *CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ENDINGS*

[だいがくせえ]

As the title suggests this post contains spoilers for some of the endings and I highly advise not reading unless you have already completed Endings 1 and 2. So with two spoiler warnings I feel safe continuing.

Ending 1:

In order to achieve Ending 1 you simply kill Magistrate Sentius and since he cannot perform the time loop ritual it ends the game with you in a cave with Al and you both do not know the way out indicating you both die in the cave.

Now for my suggestion, I feel like it could be a bit more immersive to split "Ending 1" into "Ending 1A" and "Ending 1B" (or however it would be preferred to be classified) depending on your interactions in game, primarily if you happened to discover Sentilla's location and, most importantly, the way out. 1A could then be the default ending if you didn't discover said exit. BUT if you did find Sentilla and are aware of the exit then it should trigger ending 1B, in which your character actually uses that knowledge as it doesn't really make sense to them not using it even if they have it.

Now this comes with the knowledge of how to trigger the majority of the other endings. I don't think the change is even necessary as most people would just use the dialogue possibilities to trigger one of the other endings and not trigger the default 1st ending, but it could be a fun thing.

[joridiculous]

what you want to call 1A and 1B is ending 2 and 3.

[だいがくせえ]

I mean no? I have yet to figure out ending 3 is so that may have some correlation but ending two is not what I described. With ending 2 you and Sentilla escape through the hidden exit in the upper cistern Ending 1A is normal ending 1 and 1B would be if you left her locked up, and then went and killed Sentius yourself so in theory you meet the requirements for ending 1 but with knowledge of the exit, which ending 1 assumes you don't have. It is essentially you being incredibly selfish and saying screw you to Sentilla and escaping with the knowledge so once you create the paradox you can leave the cave.

I am working on figuring out ending 3 as we speak but if it follows the pattern with the bar that I have seen, then Ending 3 results with more people saved then Ending 2 which I'm implying the opposite of.

[mbossa]

IIRC, knowledge of the exit alone wasn't enough. Sentilla also needed a key from Sentius. So if you bypass Sentilla and kill Sentius, you'd also need to somehow get the key yourself.

I don't think you'd be able to pick it up from his dead body before the time paradox kicks in, because the time paradox meant that you never really went back in time in the first place, so you shouldn't retain possessions. So you'd have to find the key in the present. But since you never went back in time, Sentius wasn't killed by your hand, so he must be turned into gold, with the key fused to his body.

[だいがくせえ]

Oh that's a good point. Although I don't remember seeing the gate at all, after the time paradox kicks in with ending 2, although to be fair i wasn't really looking as I ran through.

[Bob the Tough]

I really like this suggestion. Personally, your 1B is exactly what I wanted. He was threatening "if you kill me you will be returned to your time" and I thought - that's exactly what I want! I know the way out, and I can escape this madness.

I don't agree with mbossa's point - its a time paradox, so there is no sensible interpretation. Saying that I didn't kill him, means that he would have opened the portal again and then I would be go in again. Which ever way you spin it, it can not make sense.

Personally, I loved putting an arrow in that guys head. At least I'm back in my time now, and Al is alive again. Together we can get out. That's an ending I'm satisfied with. Ruthless, but gets the job done. And to be honest, in that situation, probably the best thing you could actually do - otherwise Sentius is just going to kill the player.