Player and Developer Choices: Handling Carver
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Pretty soon we're going to get to see the inside of Carver's community, and if Kenny's statement in the teaser from Episode 2 is any indication, there's going to be fallout. Kenny, Luke, Bonnie, and Carver are all likely doubtful if not outright disapproving of Carver and/or his methods.
Kenny's made it pretty clear he won't let Carver gets what he wants without an attempt at revenge, especially considering what we know about Kenny. Judging from Bonnie's expression, she didn't expect Carver to kill anyone. Luke is missing, no doubt he'll be tailing the group as they're herded by Carver and his men. It sounds like there's cause for worry when it concerns Carlos. He might have actually done something horrible that Sarah or Luke knows about, possibly riding the line or crossing it when it comes to keeping the unpleasant truths of the new world hidden from her.
It could happen in Episode 3 or in Episode 4. How do you think the team at Telltale is going to handle the plot against Carver? They could simply have it inevitably happen around Clementine, with her decisions having little effect on it one way or the other. Alternatively, she could play an active role. Then the question is whether we get to choose the manner of her involvement. The Crawford plan A and its result was arbitrated. Will we get to choose how we try to get out, or get revenge?
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Lastly, pretty much the nugget I've been leading up to, will it be possible for Clementine to deal with Carver directly, maybe even kill him? There are a number of past choices that might affect that, but most importantly, will the dev team even go that far?
It's one thing--as controversial as it is--to build up a situation in a game, or even make it possible, where the player, as an adult, can or has to kill a child, whether to progress in the story or just allow it. But what about a child killing an adult? The usual circumstances in any media are that: the adult really deserves it and is killed, whether by necessity or not, to prevent him from doing the same, or something horrible, or something DOOM-ey; or, that it's the child who's in the wrong, who's sanity is irrevocably compromised, or something. However, this situation, if it happens, will be different. In this situation, we are the child, and we're with the good guys.
How do you think that will play out? Will we be given the choice, or will we have to kill Carver as Clem to progress in the story? Will Clem even face the decision at all, will someone else be the one who does it?
I'm not saying it shouldn't happen, I'm not saying it should either, and personally I won't damn them like the dusty old train wreck that is Joseph Lieberman. I'm just opening up the floor because this is interesting. Discuss.
Comments
Good questions! You deserve the thumbs up for effort alone.
A couple thoughts
1.) I think that Episode 3 will have a lot of interesting revelations. The backstories of the cabin group (and possibly Carver) will come to light. My guess is that Carver can see Clementine's potential as an agent/child soldier for his cause, so it stands to reason that Carver will use said revelations to drive a wedge between Clem and the Cabin group. Throughout the episode, Clementine will undoubtedly have to decide where her loyalty lies.
2.) I think that Carver is safe for now. He's a very interesting villain and it would be absurd to discard him by the end of the episode. My guess is that he will go down at the end of episode 4 at the earliest. I could see Clementine coming to the aid of someone else who's fighting Carver and biting him or gouging an eye. She could help determine Carver's fate by encouraging Kenny/Luke to kill him or show mercy.
In regards to number two-
I truly hope he dies by the end of episode 3. In season one we had some really interesting antagonists, I'd be disappointed if they stuck with a single one for the huge majority of the season instead of showing us a bunch of different situations like, again, season one. There's just too much that can and should happen to stick with one buddy the entire time.
The thing is I don't think Clem would be afraid of killing a person for survival. It almost happened in season 2 episode 1 with Clementine and Christa attacked by those scavengers. Clem nudged that man towards a walker in the heat of the moment and almost succeeded in killing him directly. When it comes to confrontations like those in the game we will forget that it's child or adult, but killed or be killed.
There are many possibilities that could happen with who gets to kill Carver, it seems everyone has a reason or is justified to take him down. I have no doubt that Clementine will have a huge impact on wheather he will live or not.
I honestly don't think Clem will be the one to kill Carver, at least not directly. She may get him caught by walkers, or maybe if we find out Luke and Carver's past then Luke might have more reason to end it, though we might influence his decision, telling him to kill Carver or leave him behind.
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I think you're mad that I am so much more awesome than you.
You're correct in that assumption.
Ohyoupokedme is #1!
You, my friend, get a like for effort. I would like them to give you the option between killing and not killing Carver, because I try to keep my characters as Dale-like and humane as possible.
I think you hit the nail on the head.
The answer is clear, we will get to kill him when we get the option to [Glass Him].
I'm pretty sure that Carver won't die until EP4 or EP5 at least. TTG wouldn't build up a character so much, introduce them, and then kill them off just as quickly. That would be a waste of good character potential. I doubt they will take the traditional 'power-hungry psychopath' route with Carver's character either. Black-and-white storytelling is boring, I can imagine there will be a few times in future episodes where we'll have doubts about to trust, and who is really the bad guy in the situation between Carver and the cabin group members.
I don't know if Clem would kill Carver, I honestly can't see her doing anything like that unless it was out of self-defense.