Talk:Beneath a Steel Sky

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Contents

[edit] Domed Cities

I challenge that the "majority of mankind (that we know of) is forced to live in domed cities." Dont they live in open environments with walkways, the sky is dark and red not because it is made of steel but because it is covered in pollution? The title "Beneath a Steel Sky" I thought described how the buildings made of steel tower over the people, not as a direct interpretation of a Steel Domed sky. I'm not confident enough to change it though, can anyone confirm/deny? UnlimitedAccess 11:13, 4 May 2005 (UTC)

Unless I've missed something vital after playing the game several times, I can certainly confirm that there's nothing there to support the theory. I'll remove it, unless someone presents me with a source. EldKatt (Talk) 18:32, 30 July 2005 (UTC)
I found out why, in the Manual it says they live in a domed city....
"The quality of the air being re-cycled within the protection dome that encases the city continues to improve. The predictions made last century about deteriorating public health due to ecological poisoning has been proved to be untrue. Even the toxic air outside the dome in 'the Gap' has not deteriorated beyond the point of supporting human life." [1], but after you win the game, the city is shown to have a clear blue sky... I guess they changed it down the track and didnt update the manual or am I missing something? - UnlimitedAccess 15:21, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Critical acclaim

The review quotations here seem like taken off the back of the game box. While I do think this is a remarkably good game, this hardly looks NPOV to me. EldKatt (Talk) 18:38, 30 July 2005 (UTC)

I removed it all. Feel free to disagree, but explain why. EldKatt (Talk) 15:55, 11 August 2005 (UTC)
Im cool with it, and I stuck them their, a lot of this could probably go, this was the first article I worked on. :) - UnlimitedAccess 15:21, 23 August 2005 (UTC)
Actually I just took a look. I assumed you had only removed the quotations, I think leaving in how the magazines rated the game at the time is relevant and Encyclopedic. I dont think it's POV to include how the title was recieved upon its release, if anything its historic. It would be POV to include only the possitive scores but these are the main magazines of the era. However you are right that only including possitive quotes from their reviews is indeed POV, but their scores are not. Particarly the removal of the Gallup poll is an odd one. In the UK the poll was one of the main methods of tracking how a game was recieved (back in the day) because exact numbers sold could not be specifically tracked until a few months down the track so they were important to the media and the for publishers. I will put some of it back in and give it another shop, and we can discuss. - UnlimitedAccess 15:38, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Easter egg

Is there a source for the "comical easter egg" in Broken Sword II? I've searched Yahoo for it and it only gave me this article. Is it real?

Yeah it's real... [2] :) - UnlimitedAccess 15:21, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Freeware discrepancies?

I've played what I suppose is the freeware version of this game obtained from some SUSE 9.2 CDs, and there are a few discrepancies between my gameplay experiences and what I've read. The article and a few game FAQs assert that the opening sequence gives a bit of backstory, however, my copy contains no backstory — it simply begins with the helicopter crashing. Also, the afforementioned game FAQ describes the TravelCo salesman as a biker, but my copy has an effeminate man willing to do anything for the designer magazine.

Surely there are some others who have played the freeware version and could confirm or deny similar experiences. 63.172.45.176 18:02, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

That was me not logged in. Sevenspade 18:04, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
Well the introduction starts when the Helicopter arrives and picks Foster up from the gap...
Its basically exactly the same as this comic; Dave Gibbons comic.
I cant speak for the version from the SUSE distro you got, but the version availible at ScummVM definitely has the introduction sequence intact. As for the "TravelCo salesman as a biker", I wouldnt think that as a very good description either. - UnlimitedAccess 18:33, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
I do recall playing some version of this game where the opening sequence (before the helicopter crash) was not included. If I'm not mistaken, it was the floppy (and non-talkie) version. Quoting the article, "The introduction sequence was also included as a separate promotional comic book in some releases of the game." It's a fair assumption to make that it was not in the game itself in such cases, and in particular in floppy releases. If you want everything, I recommend getting ScummVM.
As for the effeminate TravelCo salesman, I have no idea what's going on. I can't remember whether he looked like the stereotypical biker, but he did want a bike magazine. EldKatt (Talk) 18:40, 28 August 2005 (UTC)
Sorry, I know this is an innapproriate forum, but how exactly did you get the ScummVM version to work? The DSK file won't open in any disk-mounting program i've tried...
Try asking here: http://forums.scummvm.org/ --JiFish(Talk/Contrib) 21:32, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Working title

As said in the article, the original title was "Underworld". It may be doubted though that the working title was "Beyond the Abyss". In an interview with Retro Gamer (issue 6) Tony Warriner states: I've never heard the title Beyond the Abyss!?" Game Nostalgia

[edit] Reference to Revolution Forum

Is it really neccessary, its pretty clear the game is set in Australia? Thats never really been in question, especailly with mention of Fosters, ASIO, Hobart, Australian aboriginies, Kangaroo's etc etc - User:UnlimitedAccess

  • actually there was quite a lot of discussion on the board about it, with the underground station, british voices and the possibilty of a nuclear war which turns England into that kind of desert + mutated animals looking like kangaroos... (clem 19:23, 10 April 2006 (UTC))
Lots of places have underground train systems.. :P But come on, it's got Kangaroo and fosters! :P - UnlimitedAccess 03:07, 14 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Tony Williams

The article links to Tony Williams which was a jazz musician - but is he the same guy? Afterall he seems to have lived in California, not in the UK (clem 19:23, 10 April 2006 (UTC))

Nope, 'tis a disambig problem. I have fixed the link. FYI, here's some info on the other Tony: [3]. --JiFish(Talk/Contrib) 20:36, 10 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] References to the game

It seems possible that the Austrian black metal band Abigor, referrs to the game in an instrumental from their album named "Invoke The Dark Age" —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Blashyrk (talk • contribs) 22:14, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] Story section expansion

Although what's written in the story section is good, the storyline in this game is much much more and should be expanded upon. I plan to add to it myself, but I'd like to flag at to encourage other to expand on it too. Amr 02:20, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Platform

Was BASS really released on the Dreamcast, not counting the ScummVM emulator available? Predatormc 20:25, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

It seems unlikely considering the 5 year gap between the releases, and that Broken Sword, a later game, was released on the first Playstation but BASS weren't. I have gone ahead and removed it. If anyone can give a source where it says it was released on the platform, please feel free to revert my edit. BeShaMo (talk) 15:03, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Recent Edit

There is a recent edit stating that the subway/underground under Union city proves that Union City is London. Besides being worded as original research, I also thought it was quite well established that BASS took place in Australia. I haven't reverted the edit (yet), but I would like some feedback on this. BeShaMo (talk) 13:15, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi, i'm the person who made tge recent edit. I'm sorry i didn't post a message on the talk page when i did it. I beleive that the Union city has been built on the old city of London, and the thing that makes me sure about it is that a London tube map can be seen in the game (in the park), and the map doesn't represent the sydney rail network map at all. Also, the underground logo can be seen as well. And about the stations, St James and Museum did and are still existing on the London and Sydney network. Last thing, an easter egg found in Broken Sword 2 shows that the museum subway station is in London (when playing Nico). That's why i think the game takes place in the former city of London. You probably noticed that i didn't change the other sections mentionning Australia or else, simply because i'm not sure whether the gap is Aussie or not. The kangaroos seen in the intro sequence, and the sandy plains let me think it can be Australia as well as Hobart mentionned several times. But none of those proves that Union city or even the gap are in Australia, surely the characters mention Hobart sometimes, but it doesn't mean that Hobart is around union city. As well as the beer "Fosters" which is Australian, doesn't mean anything. The trademark is represented everywhere in the world and about the sandy plains as well as the kangaroos, they could be around London. In that game, the world is polluted and is probably not the same we know today, so perhaps that pollution and nuclear stuff destroyed the nature and foliage around, only leaving sandy desertic place, with new local animals like kangaroos. I'd like to have an opinion about this before making any other edits. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.101.63.39 (talk) 17:48, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Might I just point out Wikipedia:NOR! I shall continue to mind my own business now... :) Ajp06u (talk) 21:34, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
Hi, and welcome. I would advice you to create an account since that instantly gives you more credibilty. As for the location thing. I would very much like some sources to back it up with (anyone), but I suppose that the Gap could be Australia and that they then transport him all the way to England. I know there are interviews stating that the game takes place in Australia, but do they state that Union city is in Australia as well. I would search myself, but I'm on from work and have limit access. BeShaMo (talk) 11:59, 23 February 2008 (UTC)
I got a limited access too. Could you gimme the link of those interviews? With who were the interviews done, the developers? i'll search some references myself too, the gap may be in Australia, but i'm not really sure as it seems that it is around union city, and i'm certain that union city is on the former city of London, according to an easter egg, and just compare the subway map (in the garden shed nearby mrs Piermont's place) and compare it to the today's London one, or even the one on the wall of the museum station in Broken Sword 2 then you'll automatically see it. The Sidney map doesn't really look like the one in BASS as it is designed vertically. I'll try to get more infos about all this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.101.63.39 (talk) 15:48, 26 February 2008 (UTC)