Question about the radio messages

[TheRoadWarrior]

My question is do you think the radio messages in AN are real or written by Alan?
Leaving aside when the host turns into Rod Serling, don't you think Alice's behaviour is a little bit too nice to Alan.
I mean he vanished two years ago, and when he last saw her he was a bit of a **** storming out of the cabin and all.

It would be suitably dark if it turned out that Alice still loving and missing him (creating short films like Sunrise, and talking about how generally great he is on the radios) is all Alan's ideal fantasy of what the real world is like?

What if Alice has moved on and is with another man?

[thebestbit]

Well i doubt she would hold a grudge over a small argument in the cabin.

I belive they are real.

[TheRoadWarrior]

The cabin argument thing is not really a factor you're right, buts its been two years? she might have moved on since as I recall they were on the rocks a bit in the flashbacks.
just think that'd be a dark twist that the reunion between them Wake has been using as his motivation throughout both games will not happen?
You might have guessed I like sad endings haha :)
I read somewhere that happy endings mean that the film is quickly forgotten by the viewer, but an ambiguous or sad ending lingers in the mind, as you think of all the possibilities..........

[Hunter6]

The messages are real. This is all from some radio host who holds a prominant show out in the Arizona desert. We also can assume that all of the radio messages are from the same show, just progressing over the period of a single night. Why? Because Alan's world and the Real world, even when he was in the Dark Place, matches chronologically.

In reply to Alice's nicety-she may not be able to remember much of Alan, but she remembers the Dark Place in some ways, and remembers that Alan sacrificed himself to save her. If she didn't remember, then Barry told her.

[Fixit]

My question is do you think the radio messages in AN are real or written by Alan?
Leaving aside when the host turns into Rod Serling, don't you think Alice's behaviour is a little bit too nice to Alan.
I mean he vanished two years ago, and when he last saw her he was a bit of a **** storming out of the cabin and all.

It would be suitably dark if it turned out that Alice still loving and missing him (creating short films like Sunrise, and talking about how generally great he is on the radios) is all Alan's ideal fantasy of what the real world is like?

What if Alice has moved on and is with another man?

My wife and I have had some pretty big fights from time to time, but if she disappeared mysteriously right after one of them I'm pretty sure I'd miss her even more, feel guilty as Hell, and probably spend the rest of my life trying to make up for it.

[TheRoadWarrior]

I agree the show and host are real, at least initially; the interviews with Barry and the Old Gods are definitely real, as the real-world opening cinematic shows Barry as their manager, and there is no way Alan could know about Barry's new direction whilst in the Dark Place.

But later, whilst I loved when the host turned into the Night Springs narrator (one of my favourite bits in the game) it sort of means the radio messages aren't real? or maybe it was just that particular show.

Does time in the Dark Place and real world match up? I vaguely remember something in Alan Wake saying something along the lines of `time works differently in the Dark Place' or I could be thinking of something else entirely.

[Jill]

But later, whilst I loved when the host turned into the Night Springs narrator (one of my favourite bits in the game) it sort of means the radio messages aren't real? or maybe it was just that particular show.


They do say a lot about all the radio messages with these statements. Are they really real because we want to believe they are real? Or maybe they aren’t real at all because of this one particular radio broadcast that turned into the Night Springs Narrator? If this one particular broadcast is not real and the rest are real, is this really true or do we just want to believe it this way because of for the sake that we just want to believe it this way? It’s a very interesting concept really of how we view things when it comes to what is really real and what we believe is real in the Alan Wake Franchise. I guess the bottom line is, in the end, it’s all a matter of belief and not what’s really real!


Cheers!

“What is Real?..........How do you define Real?” – Morpheus, The Matrix

[TheRoadWarrior]

Well, I only came for the gasoline anyway.

[Jill]

Gas is good!

[TheRoadWarrior]

My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos. Ruined dreams. This wasted land. But most of all, I remember The Road Warrior. The man we called "Max". To understand who he was, you have to go back to another time. When the world was powered by the black fuel. And the desert sprouted great cities of pipe and steel. Gone now, swept away. For reasons long forgotten, two mighty warrior tribes went to war and touched off a blaze which engulfed them all. Without fuel, they were nothing. They built a house of straw. The thundering machines sputtered and stopped. Their leaders talked and talked and talked. But nothing could stem the avalanche. Their world crumbled. The cities exploded. A whirlwind of looting, a firestorm of fear. Men began to feed on men. On the roads it was a white line nightmare. Only those mobile enough to scavenge, brutal enough to pillage would survive. The gangs took over the highways, ready to wage war for a tank of juice. And in this maelstrom of decay, ordinary men were battered and smashed. Men like Max. The warrior Max. In the roar of an engine, he lost everything. And became a shell of a man, a burnt out, desolate man, a man haunted by the demons of his past, a man who wandered out into the wasteland. And it was here, in this blighted place, that he learned to live again...

Right...back to Alan Wake! Can someone confirm whether time moves normally in the Dark Place or not?

[Pickman]

Right...back to Alan Wake! Can someone confirm whether time moves normally in the Dark Place or not?

Well, Barbara got old in the Dark Place...that's about all the clues I've got.

I've wondered that my self. Is the Dark Place outside of the time space? Is there a possibility to look back in time?
Maybe not travelling through time, that would be silly:p
but if the Dark Place was outside the time space, maybe there's a chance to see the past through some wormhole thingy.

Where is this Dark Place?!?!?

[Jill]

My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos. Ruined dreams. This wasted land. But most of all, I remember The Road Warrior. The man we called "Max".


Ah yes, Max! I remember him. Max is the “Mad” Dude that “smacks” other Dudes around. Classic! I like Max!


Right...back to Alan Wake! Can someone confirm whether time moves normally in the Dark Place or not?


Nobody knows, but Alan Wake seems to be aware of time and of space while he is in the Dark Place. There is a manuscript page in AWAN where Alan describes something like it has been 2 years or so. The title of the manuscript page is:

Lost in the Dark Place

If you have collected all the manuscript pages, you will find this in the “Observatory” list of manuscript pages in the AWAN Menu screen.

Why? What’s up Max? Why do you want to know if time moves normally in the Dark Place? What’s on your mind Warrior?!

[TheRoadWarrior]

I just vaguely remembered something about time moving differently in the Dark Place, like two days for Alan is two weeks in the real world, but its probably something else. Would mess up the chronology so far but it is a cool idea ha-ha!

what was you guys favourite radio message in AWAN?

[Jill]

what was you guys favourite radio message in AWAN?


I like the one where his voice changed to the Night Springs Narrator as well. – “Food for thought, Max. Food for thought.” – That was messed up, huh Dude?

You know I’ve been wondering, if this “Return” Episode of Night Springs is really happening in reality, could Alan Wake hear the Narrator’s voice every time Alan transitions between Acts. You know, from the Motel to the Observatory, or from the Observatory to the Drive-Inn Theater. You could clearly hear the Night Springs Narrator talking while Alan is walking around between transitions. I wonder if Alan could hear him, after all, this is the story of the “Return” Episode on T.V. that Alan is following and that we are playing, as well. If it did happen in reality, wouldn’t it be “weird” for Alan to hear this voice just talking away while he walks around in reality? If it really happened in reality! What do you think, Warrior?

[TheRoadWarrior]

That would be cool, I've never thought of it that way! I wish the Night Springs narrator would narrate my life, not Morgan Freeman as some of my friends have said they would like.

Whilst Alan would doubtless find it wierd, he says a lot in the game that he has learned to just go with the flow, and not react be too outwardly bothered by all the strange phenomena such as the time loop and the new varieties of Taken.

My favourite message has to be a tie between the one we have both mentioned already, and the one that plays the debut of 'Balance Slays the Demon'- so many obscure references to the first game like the Thomas Zane quotes and suchlike!

I wonder what the original title of the episode was, before it was changed to 'Return'? I'll try to think of something suitably 'Night Springs', along the lines of the episode titles of the first game.

[Jill]

That would be cool, I've never thought of it that way! I wish the Night Springs narrator would narrate my life, not Morgan Freeman as some of my friends have said they would like.


Are you kidding me?! Your friends should hear James Earl Jones. That’s right, “Vader” himself! No offense to Morgan Freeman, I like him, too. But imagine “Darth Vader” narrating your life while you walk around smacking evil Dudes! That would be epic, Max!:vaderno:


Whilst Alan would doubtless find it wierd, he says a lot in the game that he has learned to just go with the flow,


There go those words again! – “The Flow!” – Oh yeah, I love these words!

Yes! I agree with you, most definitely, Dude! Alan Wake has learned a lot from the time he stepped into Bright Falls up to now. For all we know, Alan could be smiling that devilish smile inside of him while Alan hears the Narrator talks away. After all, it is Alan Wake who wrote this episode in the first place. (Sneaky little devil you!)


My favourite message has to be a tie between the one we have both mentioned already, and the one that plays the debut of 'Balance Slays the Demon'- so many obscure references to the first game like the Thomas Zane quotes and suchlike!


Oh yeah! Old gods ROCKS!!!

But my all time favorite is “The Poet and the Muse.” I sing it almost everyday. With acoustics or sometimes just acapella. Fabulous melody, it soothes my soul, and just such a great, great song! Awesome!!!


I wonder what the original title of the episode was, before it was changed to 'Return'? I'll try to think of something suitably 'Night Springs', along the lines of the episode titles of the first game.


I’m sure it has nothing to do with Star Wars! You know, “Jedi”………”Return” and “Jedi” F@ck, to much Old Republic in my system!

How about:

1. The Dark Side (F@ck! Still Star Wars!)
2. Clone Wars (F@ck! F@ck! F@ck!)
3. Evil Dolly (You know the cloned sheep, but Evil!)
4. Black Dolly (like “Black Sheep!”)
5. Double Jeopardy (Too wholesome for Night Springs!)
6. Twins (Still too wholesome!)
7. Twin Peaks (F@ck, that’s “taken”)
8. Twin Mirror Peaks (Too old!)
9. Twin Mounds (Sounds like a porno movie!)
10. Bastard Brother……….Hmmm! That’s catchy!
11. My Bastard Self………Oh yeah, that’s better! Now it fits!

[mwkcope]

"The Champion of Light."

[Heruss]

I would say time flows regularly in The Dark Place. Barbara Jagger aged in line with her actual age (appearing as a 68 year old in Season 1 after drowning 40 years earlier) we don't know Tom's age as we never see him outside of his suit, but his voice does change from the one which reads the page in Episode 6 about the clicker and that which speaks to us in the game throughout is older sounding (in fact McCaffery uses the same voice for Max Payne in that specific page while using a slightly distorted, older voice the rest of the time).

Alan also loses a week while writing Departure, it was 14 days to deer fest when he arrived and spends a week writing the manuscript before Zane arrives to free him. When Alan crashes it's just a week to Deer Fest, having lost all that time.

The same seems to happen in American Nightmare, the game is pretty short in comparison to Alan Wake, taking me about 10 hours to complete with plenty of dawdling/exploration time. It's about the length of a night during the spring-time. Even repeating itself 3 times the dawn still comes in about real-time.

Interestingly Remedy appears to be making the story move in real-time for everyone else also. It's two years since the events of Season 1 (for 360 folks at least...) and Alan notes this throughout the game.

[MikkiRMD]

don't you think Alice's behaviour is a little bit too nice to Alan.

Well, I think it's worth pointing out that she's definitely speaking in a certain context. After all, she's on the radio! Is she completely sincere? Is she saying everything that's in her head? There's no way for the listener to know, but it's not like it's a candid conversation in private. That's not to say that she's lying, necessarily, but Alice isn't stupid -- even if she's got a grudge, what would she gain by bad-mouthing her missing husband in public, other than make herself look like a kind of a horrible person? There's no upside to that.

I mean, that wasn't Jerry Springer she was on. =)

[RadiNightingale]

Dosen't it seem a bit unlikely that Barry the Old Gods and Alice would all be on on the same night?

[MikkiRMD]

Dosen't it seem a bit unlikely that Barry the Old Gods and Alice would all be on on the same night?

Well, luckily that's the only unlikely thing in the game. =)

[Heruss]

Not really, both happen to have coincided there. Alice has an art exhibition and does talk about Alan, the Old Gods must be playing in Pheonix and Barry doesn't want to. Not that surprising that they'd want to speak about Mr Wake as they're both there.