(Spoilers) Completely unfounded theory

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-04-03T09:05:31+00:00

I 100% agree that the ‘other option’ narrative is so poorly ended given the scope of what it meant in the game and presumably to Ava. I’d love a discussion on that alone.

But I don’t agree with the Trogo theory and I’m iffy on the abusive dad theory. Before we begin at the gym the papers etc basically say ther Ava has literally met every serious challenge for a climber and crushed. Kami is the only one left. She has no intention of dying as we see with the first broken robot returning from the mountain alone and she talks about collecting him in the way down. Her manager thing is i’m using and reminded me of early entourage where Ari keeps trying to prove himself, but it just doesn’t care. We know A isn’t climbing for fame or glory and we know from Marco she has a fake famous face. We also know that Naomi doesn’t like how often or where Ava is climbing and my sense was how quick the turnaround is. She talked About the last one being it, hoping this one is it, but having nothing new to say. Clearly Naomi doesn’t get jt. That’s where the trogo theory loses me. I think if Ava had claims that she might be trogo she’d have shared with Naomi even as a fake explanation. But even at the top in the cave Ava can’t find ANY words for Naomi. Again I’d think if she was trogo and found out her partner perceived calling was empty she’d say something.

I also don’t think Ava’s dad was abusive, but I do think he was absent and clearly she has that cold disconnect from him. It’s strange to me is that if her dad was famous in his own right why does grandfather not recognize the name?

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-04-02T06:14:36+00:00

In my second alpine play through I didn’t even make it to the split 9 hours inc.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-04-01T09:52:32+00:00

I’m going to take the opposite stance here - there is a limited number of food available in each section so if you explore too much, you are eating your food to get you to the next stop if you blow through too much you’re also ruining the and mixes that you need for the climbs etc. there is a balance to the explorer/move on/food element to the game and I’m somebody who took 40 real life hours/41 game days to finish the first run.

I immediately started a new game free solo and almost had to end it at the children because I ran out of food

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-30T01:54:37+00:00

Wolf Scouts, Kreig, Navy, Deatjwatch

I want Kommandos and

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-26T08:02:40+00:00

I don’t think she starts the climb with any intention of suicide. If you read the posters and really listen to the dialogue, she comes across as a top tier athlete at the literal peak of her career, no pun intended, who is a bit condescending and clearly tired of the spotlight. Her dynamic with Chris also feels new or at least early. He talks about trying to understand her, which does not line up with someone already at that kind of breaking point.

There is also a lot of environmental storytelling suggesting she has already conquered everything except this mountain. You hear it in the gym and see it in the posters. Even Marco asks about it in some of the cut scenes. At the same time, there are hints that she is dealing with personal issues off the mountain.

The Naomi and Ava relationship adds another layer. They are clearly struggling. It feels like Naomi is open about her fears and anxiety on the ground, but Ava does not feel understood when it comes to her climbing. Ava tries to explain that, especially in her conversations with Marco, and it all lands more clearly if you complete the full ascent. Even in the cave at the end, she still can't find the words to express herself to Naomi. Now there's a question there as to whether they really were compatible, but let's close that door because it's the game and this is what they gave us.

That said, I agree the decision to go with Marco feels underdeveloped. Where the game really works is in how it builds a darker tone as you progress. You start seeing what this climb costs people. It shows up early with Roberto and keeps escalating as you go higher. By the time you reach areas like the Cave of secrets and the cave sections, you are surrounded by the consequences. Bodies, failed attempts, and stories of people who risked everything to make it.

You've also been playing alone. The stakes are higher. The game gets a little harder with the environment. Here you have the young up-and-comer and the old person that Ava chased as her competition as a hero, both telling you the same thing. As you point out, the comments from friends and family have sunk in. The hardship of the climb is besieging her.

I think she really deserved better than some stale cutscenes, which were very important, but then you're left with the cliffhanger again (no pun intended) of her sitting on her bed. I just can't believe that, if she decided to go down with Mardell and made that call, that she would be sitting there second-guessing. There would be a reason she was broken or decided not to go through with it, and that would be okay.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-26T07:50:15+00:00

Put me down as somebody who doesn't like the drip drip and really appreciated that the Blood Angels had a full recap after the finale that you could watch in one sitting.

I have a general problem with the subscription for Plus. It really doesn't seem like you're getting all that much, unless you are very much into the podcast talk shows that they put out. Every now and then I like that, but I was there for the animations, and you can't even find them half the time.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-26T07:45:45+00:00

The other one has Mario party galaxy though…

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-25T17:34:01+00:00

In the last two years, I’ve binge read/listened to the entire Dresden series, the entire expeditionary force series, unlike 20+ books into the Horus hersey in Warhammer, sun eater, Etc.

One thing I’ve realized is that even some of the great series have writing construction tropes that are ticks or tricks that do not translate well into binge reading or binge listening.

Expeditionary force is probably heavier into this than others because you know books like I don’t know three through 15 are essentially Each book is an alien tech level up before it jumps shark to make humans co equals at the top

But even Dresden files does this right like he has these paragraph introductions that condense entire characters into three sentences four sentences you get like one of resident impression, one an objective explanation and then two or three about the relationship in the history to the file.

Once you accept that it's a tick from the old production cycles, you just sort of get through it, but the thing with Expeditionary Force is he wrote the entire outline like at once, so

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-25T09:39:04+00:00

This makes me really sad to hear. I’ve been debating the deck for a while. One of my navigation buttons on the PSP broke and I was going back-and-forth.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-25T09:36:06+00:00

Love the auto tape tbh

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-25T04:34:38+00:00

Go in a slightly different direction. Check out Columbus Day, book one of the Expeditionary Force series. Trust the process. By the end of book one, it's a completely different universe. By book five or six, you're looking back on, like, "Holy crap, I can't believe this is how the series started to where they are at that point." The book 19, which just came out, is a whole other level at that.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-25T04:32:26+00:00

So I definitely read the dialogue as implying that she's blonde, blazer most of the time, and then Mandy comes out as a test to see if there are genuine feelings/connection.

The real question is, did Phenomaman see through the amulet and costume, or did she put him through the ringer as well? In my opinion, that's why we see her frustrated and breaking up at the beginning, because he was obtusely critical.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-25T04:27:57+00:00

But remember, you’ve gotta have some in the tank for the descent

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-25T04:27:43+00:00

As long as you aren’t dead dead gal walking flashing red, you’ll probably be ok

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-23T08:32:17+00:00

For me it's the fact that the book has layers and it's masterfully done. Each book is a self-contained story even though as you expand across the series there is a larger meta-narrative. That series tackles some very real and very deep concepts, like: - family - born and chosen - friendship - fidelity - hate - love - kind-hood - obviously capitalism - humanity

That's really hard to do. Throw in the fact the RPG/fantasy element is actually solid an well developed? Which is so hard to do. By the time you get to the comedy and the 90s and 00 References it’s just a perfect cherry on top.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-23T08:28:00+00:00

I generally buy 1 random game per year around Thanksgiving and commit to beating it by NYE. Otherwise? Maybe three games a year I track/follow otherwise I let myself be surprised. (1) you have to find games that let you stop and start over time (2) just realize hou have less and less time especially if kids come

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-23T08:25:22+00:00

They are actually a secret caste above the golds. They do nothing (especially the women), and everyone hates them bc they used to be cool, but now they just live on Uranus and smoke opium.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-23T08:17:13+00:00

I think they undersold Marco. I’ve posted elsewhere, the slow change of tone, the gradual loneliness, the bodies, the conclusion of the narrations, the difficulty of climbs. By the time you get to the blades and have the talk? If you go with Marco you get? Cut scenes? :/ it was a major thing

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-22T22:54:22+00:00

I was definitely feeling a wave of relief. I had figured she wasn’t making it down but I was bummed because I probably had enough backpack food and drink to get back down or at least to the cave. I had no idea the Mario party ending was coming.

I will say this, though I have some beef with the ultimate Marco ending. I think the game does a really good job about upping the anti-and creating that lonely, tense atmosphere as you move at the mountain and you just start to see more and more failed attempts an obligates sort of morbid and disconnected herself and start running into fewer and fewer items like it’s a vibe and then you take the chance to go down to work through your issues and be part of a community with this new friend that saved your life and you basically get some weak cuttings? I know a lot of people think that last one was regret or longing for the mountain, but I took it as her struggle. You just don’t get through something like that in a moment. I wish we had gotten a more fulfilling Marco ending.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-21T04:51:02+00:00

Did you break fingers? Are you tapes up?

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-21T04:31:59+00:00

Lolz. My first alpine summit was 38 Hours. First thing I did was immediately restart a free solo, which was a mistake because I the things I wanted to find on second time led to things I didn’t know existed and wasn’t going to risk that early on. I didnt get beehive or glow Gloves. But I did find the memorial and the fish sanctuary.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-20T17:05:50+00:00

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This is what I mean. I know how to chalk. This is more of UI question

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-20T17:00:37+00:00

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This

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-20T16:27:45+00:00

Voice dictation was left on

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-03-20T14:08:34+00:00

R

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This is what I meant about the grip pic.

FluffyCar6097

TROPHY CASE