when in actuality, it isnt
#lore-discussion
cerulean ice
worthy rose
i really like the dynamics of Symmetra
cerulean ice
im really excited for her arc
cerulean ice
if atleast we get one, she has to make an appearance in the main story atleast
worthy rose
wait i don’t know much abt OW2 someone educate me on what it is
peak escarp
it's the sequel to Overwatch that will introduce a PvE campaign
cerulean ice
talon is still doing shady shit
peak escarp
release date is unknown so far, but probably next year
we'll know more at Blizzconline in February
proud pike
Symmetra began to doubt Vishcar after rescuing a child with a burned face from a building that Vishcar blew up.
As i remember
Is it true?
proud pike
then they are more or less similar in goals with Lucio?
cerulean ice
kinda? the problem is shes literally just a slave to vishkar
worthy rose
true
cerulean ice
she has genuienely good intentions but does not like how vishkar do it
worthy rose
in conclusion, symetra is amazing and she deserves appreciation
limpid agate
Meh
She doesn't really doubt Vishkar. She has her faith being tested, but it has yet to bend in a meaningful way.
As of her most recent appearance, she is still wholly loyal and defendant of Vishkar.
cerulean ice
doubt wouldnt be the rigt term here err
blazing mason
Hi there
raven sluice
I still think it’s kinda weird that they can’t rebuild mondatta
If an 11 year old can fix a robot after getting punched by budget thanos, they can repair a sniper bullet
And the or-15 seem more complicated than the omnics
I would say it might be answered in the third tracer comic, but I don’t think so
I hope so
worthy rose
They can repair mondatta but it wouldn't be the same personality
molten cedar
mondatta "died" so he'd literally have to be revived
orisa was made from just scrap metal, she's entirely new
peak escarp
she was made from a defeated OR15
who may or may not have "died", it isn't clear
all the OR15s were deactivated after the fight
molten cedar
i guess that counts as dead?
peak escarp
Orisa was made from the one that got smashed into the wall
molten cedar
but orisa has an entirely different personality, memories, programming, etc
peak escarp
yes
they could put a new personality, memories, programming, etc. into Mondatta's body
but it wouldn't be Mondatta anymore
iron plume
I don't think they'd be able to put the personality
Possibly memories and maybe the base programming
regal stump
candid juniper
A lot of the animated shorts are enjoyable. I’d recommend watching them
terse robin
If doomfist can kill 0R15's with his bare hands,why can't he move a bastion with his gauntlet.
worthy rose
My personal favorite ones are Dragons and Honor and glory
If doomfist can kill 0R15's with his bare hands,why can't he move a bastion with his gauntlet.
@terse robin The lore is much different from in game
worthy rose
In game even a weakling like Mccree can kill Reaper
terse robin
but not doomfist
worthy rose
The game is like that, and you can't change it. There are plenty of things that are different from lore, in game
spice eagle
mercy didnt have rez for mondatta
spice eagle
??
worthy rose
Rez is not a lore hability, it is only in game
spice eagle
the fuck is a hability
worthy rose
ability, excuse my grammar english isn't my native language
worthy rose
Anyways, mercy didn't resurrected mondatta bc of that
valid terrace
Also she wasn't even there
terse oar
Gameplay ≠ Lore
pulsar thunder
Mondatatta is zen secretly
lapis wagon
Show me that Baptiste lore.
pulsar thunder
Baguette
limpid agate
@pulsar thunder Zenyatta is not Mondatta
pulsar thunder
Sadge
limpid agate
!!shitposting
twilit nacelleBOT
Shitposting will result in a loss of access.
pulsar thunder
Ok
limpid agate
This is his short story
lapis wagon
!!shitposting
@limpid agate who
lapis wagon
Ohhh
lapis wagon
Also I kind meant Baptiste animated short
Ive read the Baptiste story short I love it tbh
I hope when new characters are released for Ow2
Their lores are as interesting as Baptistes
limpid agate
Mauga is always a character. He will probably pop up sometime after launch tho.
lapis wagon
Yea
limpid agate
@alpine fern #old-gameplay-advice
sharp canyon
who is Mauga?
sharp canyon
thanks
hushed jetty
I'm pretty excited to see Mauga's opinion of Bap when we see him again
Because it's definitely not gonna be a good one.
cerulean ice
he'll probably be friendly towards him for a good 10 seconds then beat him up
terse oar
It’ll probably be a threatening kinda welcoming
proud pike
supple badge
Didn't Baptiste explode Mauga or push him into a explosion? I haven't read the story in a long time so I don't remember all the fine details
odd storm
He exploded Mauga but Mauga's still alive
He exploded a thing between him and Mauga
Also, is all the lore up until this point just prequel to Overwatch 2, the actual campaign?
cerulean ice
ye
iron plume
It's exploration of characters and the world
Not all of it is specifically leading up to 2
odd storm
Well, since the very first thing was Recall
iron plume
The very first thing was the museum short
Recall was the ignition point for the conflicts roughly played out in the game
OW2 was far from development at that point
odd storm
But chronologically speaking, Recall is the latest piece of story, right?
iron plume
No
the Museum short is after
lament prawn
no, that would be zero hour
iron plume
the latest is ZH
lament prawn
zero hour takes place a year after recall
iron plume
Many of the shorts are around/shortly after recall
odd storm
Ok let me clarify
iron plume
Reunion has McCree reacting to it
In Rise and Shine the recall signal is what wakes Mei up
odd storm
THE Overwatch Recall and all the stuff surrounding it is chronologically the last thing before OW 2, besides the Sinclair thing
iron plume
No
odd storm
Though ig that also directly ties into Recall since it's how Bap finds out
iron plume
There's a year between Recall and Zero Hour
And Zero Hour is what starts OW2
A lot of things, including the Sinclair thing, happen in that year
Recall is Winston saying "hey we should get the gang back together"
Zero Hour is when that actually happens
odd storm
Well yeah obviously, but most of those events are the recall
iron plume
If you consider that all recall, then yes, it lasts through Zero Hour
But non-overwatch events happen in that timeframe as well
odd storm
When I say the Recall I mean the actual event, not just Winston fighting Reaper and sending out the signal
iron plume
The Recall is Winston sending out the signal
Because that's what the short is named and also what a recall is
odd storm
Semantically, a recall is an event, which isn't necessarily instantaneous
The issuance of a recall is instantaneous, but the execution of one is not
iron plume
When people talk about recall in the context of overwatch lore, they're talking about the sent out call
valid terrace
Most of the other shorts are referred to as reactions to the recall
iron plume
Because of what I said and because if you're talking about everything that happened since then it covers like a dozen separate events around the world
valid terrace
Rather than them being part of it
odd storm
Okay but for the purposes of my completely innocuous question about the timeline, nothing of major importance has happened between the Recall and Zero Hour besides the explanations of heroes learning about the Recall
valid terrace
McCree freed Echo
iron plume
Talon's Masquerade happened
valid terrace
Doomfist escaped
cerulean ice
sombra befriends russian women 😳
iron plume
Orisa was built
valid terrace
Conflicts build in Russia and Korea
odd storm
All of those fall under the recall thing, or at least under the character introductions in the present timeline that substitute for learning about the recall if they either weren't Overwatch agents or just didn't have the recall mentioned in their introductions
iron plume
how does Doomfist escaping and taking power fall under reactions to Recall
iron plume
If you definitively state that everything happening after is part of it, then yes everything is part of it
But it's not
Overwatch being a Thing again in OW2 is a result of recall
valid terrace
The old soldier story is ignoring the recall, even if it lines up chronologically
iron plume
Talon's threat building up is not
valid terrace
Yes
iron plume
If anything, Winston initiates the Recall in response to higher threats building up
odd storm
Will the Talon heroes be antagonists in OW2 then?
iron plume
though he might not have known Talon was behind all a lot of it
valid terrace
Null Sector would have attacked regardless of Overwatch's rekindling
cerulean ice
made by doctor six >>>>>>,,,,,
odd storm
I haven't been following OW2 that closely, I just don't remember seeing any Talon heroes in the demos they did for the PvE specific abilities
iron plume
OW2's main in-game enemies are Null Sector
valid terrace
Of course, Overwatch's response to Null Sector attacks is directly stemmed from the recall, but the events themselves are not
iron plume
which are affiliated with Talon but not Talon themselves
odd storm
Why even title the game Overwatch if a solid portion of the playable characters are only affiliated with Overwatch tangentially
cerulean ice
what
iron plume
Because the game was named way before the lore was fully settled
and Overwatch is still the primary "good guys" organization
valid terrace
And because it's a hero game
odd storm
But most of the heroes aren't even heroes
Several of them are the main antagonists in the story
Literal villains
valid terrace
But leaving people no playable villains would be a bad idea and it builds the world better
iron plume
A superhero comic focusing on the villain is still a superhero comic
valid terrace
It's like saying that every character in Star Wars should use the force because it's a key element of those stories
It would get boring
odd storm
I agree that having playable villains is cool, it's just that naming the game Overwatch and referring to every character as a hero while the story is about as easy to follow as TF2's makes understanding the relationships between the characters a lot more confusing
cerulean ice
A superhero comic focusing on the villain is still a superhero comic
odd storm
Genre wise yeah, it doesn't make the villain a superhero
cosmic crest
"the story is about as easy to follow as TF2's" I'd say that is not true given the amount of questions we get around here.
odd storm
I'm saying it's not easy to follow
cosmic crest
I wouldn't say TF2 has an easy to follow story either.
iron plume
The comic is a superhero comic.
Overwatch is a hero game.
odd storm
That's the point
terse robin
The villains are called heroes becauyse they have redeemable qualities
iron plume
That's not why
terse robin
like sad backstories,interesting philosophies or funny emotes
odd storm
Both of them have all of the lore spread out through random trailers and comics and animated shorts that aren't all pieced together or released in an obvious chronological order
cerulean ice
no, and thats not the same case for every characters
valid terrace
They are called that in game because 'character' was too generic
Even if hero is a bit inaccurate
iron plume
'Hero' is simply OW's version of 'class', 'character', 'operative' or 'champion'
valid terrace
^
terse robin
Even if hero is a bit inaccurate
@valid terrace in Tf2 all the characters are mercenaries even if they have barely killed anyone
cerulean ice
generally
valid terrace
Well, they are hired guns, so.... they are mercenaries
odd storm
Tf is a hero game btw, like the only other games I can really think of that follow that description are Heroes of the Storm and maybe Quake Champions
I wasn't aware there were any games besides OW, Paladins, and MOBAs that really had anything like the heroes thing
iron plume
There's been some since overwatch that aped it
The pure gameplay description is 'class-based multiplayer shooter' or something like that
It's a 'hero game' in the sense that the overarching story and point is about heroes
In the same way a superhero movie/comic/whatever is that because the genre is about superheroes
Even if one specific series/issue is focused on the villain
odd storm
Also I understand what hero refers to, I'm just saying that calling terrorists heroes in a game that doesn't actually include that context makes things even more confusing than they already are by virtue of not having that context within the game itself
iron plume
And that's how we get Reaper and Moira apologists
but I'd argue it does include context in the game
odd storm
Especially if OW2 really does end up pitting OW against Talon, unless they decide to redeem Doomfist and the other literal terrorist characters
valid terrace
if only the hero bios were made accessible from in-game somehow
iron plume
A lot more lore things should be accessible
which is what OW2 will do, so I'm not sure what's your point there
valid terrace
I remember it being a common grievance for Doc in particular that I was playing at
odd storm
The hero gallery doesn't really give much more context than "Reaper is supersoldier terrorist" and "random bits of information that don't make sense if you don't know what happened in all the events that are referred to in the relevant skin bios"
iron plume
If your argument is that there should be more lore in game, I doubt anyone in this channel will disagree with you
odd storm
Even the actual campaigns where you play through the events don't really provide much context as to what's happening or why
valid terrace
You don't need to know to enjoy the game, if anyone becomes interested, the information is available to them
iron plume
Archives cutscenes provide a good overview for the event itself IMO
The only thing you need to know before Storm Rising to understand what's happening in Storm Rising is that Doomfist is a bad guy
odd storm
I didn't understand that at first
I understood he broke all Orisa's predecessors but I didn't know he was the leader of Talon until a few months ago when I got back into the game
raven sluice
So I was looking at that time line above
Does anyone know when the original cinematic takes place
It’s has to be before alive
swift mason
When you say original, do you mean the first one with the museum?
If so, then that one takes place after alive
pulsar thunder
Who made the Omnics in the first place
peak escarp
the Omnica Corporation
worthy rose
I like how sigma sounds like ligma
Ligma?
Yeah ligma
What does ligma mean?
You don't know?
Yeah I don't know. I know what sigma is
So you want me to tell you?
Yeah!
Ligma balls!!!!
XD
proud pike
limpid agate
!!shitposting @worthy rose
twilit nacelleBOT
@worthy rose Shitposting will result in a loss of access.
worthy rose
ok
thick jetty
Anyone know who created athena?
lyric pollen
Why does heroes, and some other "heroes" fight one another. How do they not die on sight of each other since its a clone, they should be fuse in with one another and be obliterated. But its just "Greetings, Hello!"
cerulean ice
what?
proud pike
Gameplay not = Actual lore, my friend
proud pike
Happens to the best of us
sand barn
Guys i have a question, in one of the cinematics when Raper and Widow fight Tracer and Winston, Reaper uses some sort of explosives while escaping the museum, anyone know if that explosive is an ability mentioned somewhere?
cerulean ice
i believe it was his old ability which was scrapped or something
but its still there on his shotguns
lament prawn
he used to have a grenade launcher earlier in development
cloud timber
where can i find all of the lore in depth?
proud pike
Just look at Pinned messages
peak escarp
!!loreguide
twilit nacelleBOT
This is a guide for people who don't know where to begin with the lore of Overwatch. The first thing is probably to go watch the shorts. They're popular, easy to consume, and pack a lot of story and character.
Shorts Playlist: https://bit.ly/2UQyTeL
There are many comics, short stories, and blog posts as well. The most important ones are:
Binary: https://bit.ly/2IzNvJy
Masquerade: https://bit.ly/2IzNTI0
What You Left Behind: https://bit.ly/2Fh7MRz
There is also an important chain of events following Ana and Soldier 76 (and Mercy at the end):
Legacy: https://bit.ly/2DgM1jQ
Old Soldiers: https://bit.ly/2KLILTV
Bastet: https://bit.ly/2QuXHmM
Valkyrie: https://bit.ly/2CF5JVE
The rest of the stories are mostly optional. Special mention goes out to the Junkers, who have an entertaining string of stories:
Wasted Land: https://bit.ly/2DeKB9G
A Moment in Crime: http://bit.ly/2fMsVYB
Going Legit: https://bit.ly/2InZUkm
The Plan: http://bit.ly/2uZiitC
orchid tartan
Lore = brig is fucking stupid
peak escarp
!!shitposting
twilit nacelleBOT
Shitposting will result in a loss of access.
orchid tartan
Hey fuck this
valid terrace
Dunno what you expected in a serious discussion channel
spice eagle
Vishkar went to Rio so they could use the people there and corrupt them
and lucio's dad "worked" for them, while infact they were just using him
pulsar thunder
So slavery?
spice eagle
basically
pulsar thunder
F
swift mason
It wasn’t really a brainwash, it was more manipulation
peak escarp
indoctrination
swift mason
Yeah that’s a better word
iron plume
It wasn't slavery
at least not in the literal modern sense
They aren't exactly the most ethical corporation (because those don't exist) so it's pretty safe to assume they fucked him over at some point
But there's nothing to suggest his employment wasn't voluntary
spice eagle
didnt one just come out?
proud pike
Already?
spice eagle
2nd came out the other day
proud pike
I'm talking about 3/5
iron plume
#2 came out last month
peak escarp
#3 should be out on Wednesday
iron plume
3 should be within the week
peak escarp
since it's been a month
spice eagle
i dont pay attention to the releases of things sorry
mystic salmon
I know it's been out for a while now but I'm just now reading the second issue of London calling. Iggy is kind of dense for someone who saw the fight between Widow and tracer getting mad tracer didn't let herself get shot.
limpid agate
Yeah its not the best written conflict.
I think the idea is supposed to be that an omnic would sacrifice themself, whereas a human "only thinks of themself"
mystic salmon
How would that of helped? Then there would just be 2 dead people instead of one.
limpid agate
There area a couple hints towards that in the comic
But its not a good setup for a conflict
How would that of helped? Then there would just be 2 dead people instead of one.
Nah, the idea again is, if it killed Tracer, Mondatta would have made it to the car.
mystic salmon
I'm not a gun expert so I don't know but couldn't the power of a bullet and gun like Widow's go through Tracer and Mondatta?
Can't a strong enough bullet pass through 2 people?
limpid agate
A bullet can pass through 2 people
But probably not 2 people hundreds of meters apart
limpid agate
Its not about the loss of velocity as much as just
Hitting a person can make it less of a perfect shot
And yeah there is the loss of velocity too
But if wind can effect the trajectory of a bullet, how much you need to compensate for that changes depending on how much metal and bone your bullet pierces through
So even if a bullet that pierced Tracer would have killed a second person
It wouldn't have been Mondatta
mystic salmon
Interesting.
valid terrace
Also if a sniper scope is enough to round out it's lethality, then a chronal accelerator with host should be fine
mystic salmon
I've heard of people surviving bullets to the chest and near the heart by the skin of their teeth. It didn't show in the comic but I recall from the animation that's where the bullet was aiming.
If by a miracle tracer not only survived the shot and fall, she wouldn't be able to help get the parts she promised while in intense recovery plus Talcon could attack again while she's recovering.
Plus I'd think as a friend in general you wouldn't want to see them to suffering that kind of pain.
valid terrace
She could always catch it in a non accelerator place and recall
But that's not a split second decision a human would make
cerulean ice
death was infront of her so she panicked
sand barn
but its still there on his shotguns
@cerulean ice doesnt he have a grenade belt somewhere on his character (sry for the ping)
Or are they the shotgun shells
supple badge
Reaper has shotgun and grenade shells on his suit
He has a belt of grenades on his hip and three shotgun shells on his chest
worthy rose
Overwatch:
Mexican hackers
Russian hitmen
Korean warfare
Japanese assasins
Pyromaniacs
5 year old kids love to play it.
valid terrace
Would you prefer if everyone was just Mike from HR?
peak escarp
the game is rated Teen, so 5 year olds shouldn't be playing it
they can stick to Fortnite
trim haven
worthy rose
Zarya
hollow urchin
Shes not hitman
peak escarp
she was hired by Volskaya for that one job
she's normally a soldier in the Russian army
bold axle
Zarya technically is a hitman
Hitwoman
She is tasked to kill Sombra
As soon as the infiltration video ends
limpid agate
Zarya is not a hitman
Even in Searching, she was there to apprehend Sombra
If she was going to kill her, she had many chances. Actually that might have been the intent, the comic has such poor pacing that I missed that
noble hill
Overwatch:
Mexican hackers
Russian hitmen
Korean warfare
Japanese assasins
Pyromaniacs5 year old kids love to play it.
@worthy rose 5 year olds?
iron plume
Overwatch being T aside, there's a bunch of kids' media that has soldiers and assassins as themes
They just don't kill people/whatever on screen
terse oar
Ironically with this conversation, Soldiers VA has done voice work for many children’s movies and TV shows
limpid agate
Its not really ironic
Reaper's VA does too, and Sigma's has animated some kids shows
proud pike
Tracer VA.... She has the strangest roles ||Crazyhead and Ibiza undead||
frail oxide
anyone else love matthew mercer
peak escarp
yes
peak escarp
I can't think of any
peak escarp
a lack of information isn't a plot hole
frail oxide
good point
peak escarp
even in-universe it's unknown why the omnic crisis started
frail oxide
i wonder why that is
peak escarp
because by all accounts, it shouldn't have happened
Omnica was shut down and the omniums were deactivated
peak escarp
how would that tell them why it happened
peak escarp
my theory is that Junkrat's secret is related to how and why the omniums woke back up
frail oxide
the one that hanzo asks
because there was one in austalia but it went nuclear
maybe the radition made him forget
peak escarp
He came to notoriety when he discovered an extremely valuable secret in the bones of the omnium. Though few knew the nature of what he found, he was nonetheless pursued by bounty hunters, gangs, and opportunists wherever he went, until he made a deal with the Junker enforcer Roadhog, who grudgingly agreed to be his personal bodyguard in exchange for a fifty-fifty share of the spoils.
frail oxide
what is this from
peak escarp
from Junkrat's bio
frail oxide
interesting
peak escarp
everyone think's it's treasure
frail oxide
i find it strange that sombra hacked her own bio.that was made outside of the universe
peak escarp
but it could be information
peak escarp
Reaper has been active for decades
despite Reyes only being Reaper for ~5 years
The Reaper is an extremely volatile mercenary, a ruthless and remorseless killer responsible for terrorist attacks across the world. He has fought in many armed conflicts in the last decades, showing no loyalty to any cause or organization.
frail oxide
maybe they are refering to the days in blackwatch maybe he earned the jick name reaper from the black watch gang
peak escarp
possibly
frail oxide
i dont think so though
peak escarp
my theory is that an urban legend about "the Reaper" spread because of Reyes' work with Blackwatch
and when he needed a new identity, he just took the one already based on him
frail oxide
i want blizzard to make a showdown between jack and gabe where they finally get down to the origan thing that started the rift
peak escarp
I think they will, eventually
frail oxide
jack being picked for strike commander and anan choosing jack over reyes
peak escarp
that's too big of a story moment to go unseen for long
frail oxide
i think that the love interst of ana and jack might add to the fight
maybe it they kill him off they could either reedeem him for a short period of time
peak escarp
Ana was married and Jack is gay
peak escarp
because they were friends and Gabe usually wanted to do the dangerous/illegal thing
of course Ana would side with Jack
frail oxide
she has always been more level headed than reyes
i wan tmore short for overwtach 2
i can't type tonight excuse my poor spelling
any character you would want to see in a cinematic
peak escarp
Ana was the glue that held their friendship together when Gabe and Jack started distrusting each other after Retribution
once she went MIA, it was all over
frail oxide
after the widowmaker incident it was all downhill from there
i wonder if mcree got any punishment for rialto incident
or genji
or heck even moira for that matter
peak escarp
Moira basically got fired
Blackwatch was disbanded
Genji got put onto the regular Overwatch strike team, while McCree kept doing missions for Reyes behind Jack's back
peak escarp
that happened before Genji joined Blackwatch
frail oxide
oh ok
the he went full suit and started being mentored by Zen
and starting relationship with mercy
that changed him for the better
I hope we get a hanzo redemption arc.As much as i hate him in game.I think he has great backstory."Dragons" is one of my favorite shorts
peak escarp
I'd like to see where he goes
frail oxide
maybe he comes around to zen
peak escarp
as unlikely as it is, I'd like to see him cross paths with Jack and Ana
frail oxide
like captian amari and strike commander morison or ana and soldier 76
older or younger
gtg srry
had fun
worthy rose
Good Morning Lore Discussion
acoustic spindle
good afternoon lore discussion
worthy rose
😂
dense cipher
good afternoon
noble hill
Good night
sand barn
He has a belt of grenades on his hip and three shotgun shells on his chest
Oh
compact spoke
I'm also interested what will become of Doomfist in the end
terse oar
It’s unlikely he’ll be killed off or defeated, since this story seeks to focus primarily on Null Sector
supple badge
My guess is he'll be a Boss fight and you'll beat him up and when you "kill" him it'll play Cutscene of him being smacked around a little before he jumps away in a Talon ship
peak escarp
that would suck
I hate it when bosses escape in cutscenes
I'd rather not have to fight him if that's what they're going to pull
frail oxide
he alreday a charecter so dont think he will be a boss fight
maybe you van play both sides.talon and ovewatch
peak escarp
if we play as Talon, we need to have enemies to fight
it wouldn't make sense to play as Talon and fight Talon or Null Sector
frail oxide
maybe omnic overwatch members
worthy rose
maybe you play as talon agains overwatch
worthy rose
ah
frail oxide
maybe it is a 6v6 mission to decide the fate of the story
peak escarp
right now, Overwatch is 8 people
frail oxide
did u include sojourn
peak escarp
10 if you include Sojourn and Lucio
frail oxide
maybe dva and hanzo join
peak escarp
not likely
peak escarp
D.Va won't leave Korea
she has a duty to defend against the gwishin
if the gwishin was defeated once and for all maybe she'd leave
worthy rose
maybe overwatch goes to korea
peak escarp
but I doubt Overwatch could do that
peak escarp
maybe, but that won't be in the first set of missions
peak escarp
if they added a third enemy faction - like Helix - then we could have playable Talon missions
worthy rose
what is helix?
peak escarp
Helix Security International
it's the private security force that Pharah works for
and was basically Overwatch's replacement after they fell
worthy rose
ah
that would be interesting
could also tie in as to how pharah might join overwatch
i gtg ill be back in a bit
frail oxide
maybe after a little convincing from zeigler
not talking anything inappropriate
just a conversation
sand barn
Yeah
sand barn
Yeah, lets not talk about that...
sand barn
Nah its ok just stop before we get warned.
frail oxide
or maybe zen will talk to him
sand barn
I mean its highly doubtful but if zen does talk to Hanzo then he could join forces with Genji anf Overwatch
But very doubtful
frail oxide
i know he does not like omnics but maybe if zen can get him in a tight spot and the have to work together to escape
like emporers new groove
on the bridge
frail oxide
i want to see more of zen in the lore
thorn crystal
on lunar colony, sigma says its weird being back there. when and why was he first there?
frail oxide
maybe a shambali skin for next archives
chilly perch
Reload it's not clear if he's talking about the colony or space in general
thorn crystal
ohhhhhh
lament prawn
sand barn
Oooh
sand barn
Yeah
chilly perch
oo
frail oxide
so she wen to zen after she found out the truth about vishkar
chilly perch
oi no spoilers
molten cedar
that's a cool skin :o
frail oxide
i like it
molten cedar
how does sym get her name?
frail oxide
vishkar gave it to her
like a nickname
her real name is satya vatswani
i might have butcher the spelling
iron plume
Vaswani
terse oar
Finally a canon explanation why they couldn’t just rebuild Mondatta!
peak escarp
this story covers a lot of answers we've been seeking
iron plume
wouldn't really call it an explanation
But at least it states that it's actually impossible
rather than just something the Shambali are against on principle
peak escarp
they basically confirmed that you can rebuild the body but not the omnic
terse oar
An interesting note is that the Shambali religion/beliefs are similar to a mix of Buddhism and Middle Eastern
vernal flare
peak escarp
good, now people can stop memeing about it
iron plume
that suggests people who meme about it actually read the stories
chilly perch
Is there any way to tell if this was before or after his interactions with genji?
terse oar
This is after
iron plume
This story is in present day, after Alive
chilly perch
oh cause of the assassination?
terse oar
Yes
chilly perch
A bit disappointed that there's no mini easter egg about a "former student of his" but other than that
terse oar
I’m still reading a bit, but maybe this could lead up to the India mission
peak escarp
now we know why Zenyatta was in India
chilly perch
oh, when was it stated that he was in India previously?
frail oxide
i would like the voice actors to read this and maybe get few more people to voice the others in vishkar
opaque tundra
it made me happy thats for sure
frail oxide
a reading of this would be great
terse oar
I wonder if this is why they didn’t show India at BlizzCon 
frail oxide
i am reading it in zens voice in my head
terse oar
As I do
frail oxide
ur a zen main arent you
opaque tundra
y e s
frail oxide
good
terse oar
It’s nice to see more of his personality, as it’s somewhat one sided in game if you don’t analyze the lines
frail oxide
we are all part of the iris
i like just hearing his calming voice in the middle of a stressful game
i just read the "everyone begins in ignorance line"god i love that line.especially when he says it after a kill
frail oxide
ur not
ur a zen main so you have expiece tranqulity and therefroe cannot be taken from the iris
god that sounds like a cult
i had no idea that transcendence was a ability that brought omnics to "life"
i just read the whole thing
i loved it
i cannot complain what so ever
it was just so good
opaque tundra
probably one of the best short stories yet
im definitely gonna read it 5 more times
frail oxide
i love the message of healing and letting your differences shine
why arent more people i here talking about this
i ask for zen and sym lore and i get both in one comic
candid juniper
Does anyone know when the short story ‘Stone by Stone’ takes place?
lament prawn
has to be after mondatta's death, which happens around the time of recall
so basically after recall
candid juniper
During the gap between Recall and Zero Hour would seem right
Correct me if I’m wrong
vocal nymph
Zen lore? Finally
frail oxide
i think taht it takes place maybe a day before thr recall
so uh anymore lore that you want from blizzard
last inlet
Lucio maybe. We know a couple of things about his father, I suppose
frail oxide
i think that a conflict between sym and lucio would be fun to watch or read
i want some sigma lore
maybe something between him and hammond and winston
last inlet
About all I think we learn from this story about Zenyatta is that he had trouble understanding some of the things humans do and say when he gained sentience, something which was true of all omnics. Also that Mondatta was his teacher. I kinda thought they were learning together, which could still be true I suppose.
Oh and also that he met Symmetra lol
serene vault
ham
peak escarp
i think taht it takes place maybe a day before thr recall
why do you think that?
worthy rose
E
limpid agate
Just started reading the short story. Shout outs to all the people who reverently argued with me that Zenyatta was not in India.
silk flint
limpid agate
Alright I finished.
I liked it. It gave a lot of world building about the Shambali and Omnics.
astral coral
Does symmetra have autism
limpid agate
Yes.
opaque tundra
now with the new short story, do you guys think symmetra is a possible candidate to be apart of OW2's story?
iron plume
She should be to some extent yea
neon aurora
Why does D.Va have a "comic" style banner on the overwatch twitter page?
Could D.Va be getting a comic soon, as-well?
It's just so random.
frail oxide
why do you think that?
I think that zen would have some kinda input on overwatch maybe not good but still imputr
i do think that sym could change in OW2
limpid agate
I think it is after Recall
Or specifically, some months after Christmas.
Ironically, its the combination of all the Zen Lore we have that tells us this, since the Sym lore we have tells us nothing about time.
- Reflections - Is after Recall - Zen is in Nepal
- Stone by Stone - Zen is in India - He arrived relatively recently
- Overwatch 2 - Zen is in India
@frail oxide
peak escarp
the Christmas comic
last inlet
When did people argue if he was in India?
limpid agate
I've been saying he was in India since the OW2 trailer
last inlet
Ohhi
limpid agate
People have been fighting with me that "there are Nepal decorations so its Nepal" since
peak escarp
limpid agate
These Short Stories have been consistently good at officially answering things that I've been saying for ages
last inlet
In geography
peak escarp
the architecture doesn't match anything we see in Nepal
limpid agate
Mercy's tech is not nanomachines.
You cannot just rebuild Mondatta, he's dead.
Zen is in India.
limpid agate
Its vague, and that's probably how it will stay
Its just nanobiotic tech
And that's all Blizzard probably cares to explain
worthy rose
Can someone DM me the short story link?
worthy rose
Oh thanks
frail oxide
so uh mondatta is ded but why do we hear his voice in the ow2 demo
limpid agate
I speculate that they are adding custom announcers as a new cosmetic
And having the dead Mondatta is a good way to introduce that
Means that we can potentially get them for other dead NPCs too like Antonio, Liao, or Alderich
frail oxide
or keep athena
limpid agate
As well as other living non-combatants like Katya, Maximilien, or Dae-Hyun
frail oxide
who is dae hyun
frail oxide
and who is alderich
limpid agate
Reinhardt's mentor from Rein's short.
frail oxide
oh yeah
limpid agate
You should really watch the shorts
cosmic crest
It does doesn't it?
last inlet
I think so?
iron plume
it does
cosmic crest
Yeah, it is.
last inlet
Oops
cosmic crest
Ah well
iron plume
you might be getting a little of Lord of Aldersbrunn in there
cerulean ice
pogu
cerulean ice
hardlight gal is getting story
limpid agate
I mixed up his first and alst names
cerulean ice
ye im late
limpid agate
Balderich von Adler
frail oxide
ok
tardy ibex
theory: talon play the melody through sigmas earpiece and the music triggers his choatic personality (as he has a split one) and thats how he can go from jekyll to hyde
proud pike
He hears this music separately from other sounds. It's like if you turn on the music in your headphones, but you're humming a different song
they can't control his thoughts through music, because he hears it in his head.
and he heard it even before he joined Talon
tardy ibex
aye lad, but i just said that talon would've got the melody and then played it through his earpiece when they want him to go kooky
because talon definetly trigger the music to do that
lore wise, at least
proud pike
uh.... Sigma will just hear a doubled melody
last inlet
I don't know how much I'd buy that they somehow know what the melody is. I guess he does hum it sometimes, but I don't think it'd be the whole thing.
Plus the fact that he hums it might mean it doesn't really trigger anything just on its own
tardy ibex
i dont think schitzophrenia works all the time like a switch, alas i dont think my theory is to be completely overlooked
limpid agate
@tardy ibex There is no music
How can Talon play music that exists only in Sigma's mind
Likewise, the music isn't linked to his chaotic episodes, as far as we can tell. Or even if he has chaotic episodes
Your theory is making a lot of assumptions on things we don't even know
tardy ibex
we know the music triggers his choatic split personality as it plays when he ults
we can tell talon weaponise him because how else could they keep a paranoic scientist in check
it just all adds up to me
terse oar
He’s being manipulated most likely through lies and deception
limpid agate
we know the music triggers his choatic split personality as it plays when he ult...
Source
Because he hears the music very often
Not just "when he ults"
Likewise, gameplay != lore
As we learned in today's short story, Zenyatta's "transcendance" ultimate is just the objective of the Shambali faith. It's not something he can just do at will
And we have seen this with other ultimates earlier as well, like D.Va's Self Destruct/Call Mech are not the same. In fact, she can't Call Mech. There is no mech to call, she has 1 mech.
terse oar
I didn’t pick up on the Transcendence thing in the story. Nice catch 
proud pike
cerulean ice
its just a syringe composed of whatever a nano is
cosmic crest
I don't see why it couldn't be cannon, it's just some kind of stimulant/steroid.
limpid agate
It doesn't make you glow blue
cosmic crest
Probably not
But then again, Winston glows red when he gets angry and that is hardly realistic.
limpid agate
That was the other way around
It happened in the short first, then they put it in game
lament prawn
it would probably have some form of visual, but maybe not as extreme as the game
swift mason
Maybe the visual would be seeing the person who got nanoboosted have their veins glow blue or something
lament prawn
im imagining something that mimics the look it has in-game but the glow and lightning isnt as exaggerated
there's enough heroes that can glow for something like that to be ok
they always manage to surprise me whenever they include an effect in a cinematic and make it work without looking stupid
winston's primal rage and mei's ice wall i would've always imagined wouldnt be there or would at least look different in cinematic, but they're pretty close
just less exaggerated and with a touch of realism to the texture/effect
peak escarp
Deadeye looked almost the same . . . except he didn't glow
it had the tumbleweed, the bell toll, the hawk cry, the whip crack, the ascending guitar riff
lament prawn
even down to the muzzle flashes on the weapons, in-game they're very 2D and cartoony looking but in cinematics they look like realistic particle fx
deadeye isnt the same
its mccree aiming good
if nano boost exists, its the actual syringe
proud pike
Well, let's be honest, it's logical that cinematics have a much better graphic component than in the game.
chilly radish
Okay i dont wanna get to nsfw
But didn’t Jeff Kaplan confirm that Genji’s plumbing still works?
peak escarp
Michael Chu was asked in an interview if Genji could still use the toilet, and he said yes, his lower body is intact
last inlet
Well the recent short story actually gave us something, I guess. Not much in the way of backgroudn though
worthy rose
criiiiii
last inlet
just what he's been up to recently
peak escarp
he's only 20
last inlet
true
worthy rose
Oh jeez didn’t know they were so young
peak escarp
what do you want, his entire life story?
worthy rose
I Thought they were older lol
peak escarp
the only hero we have the entire life story for is Orisa
last inlet
I wonder if that's as old as the standard omnics comes
worthy rose
And I’m asking for any actual lore
Tracer has lore
Winston has lore
Widow has lore
And zen just exists
peak escarp
Zen just got featured in a short story
last inlet
I guess we can assume that Zenyatta gaining sentience like many other omnics led to his seeking enlightenment
worthy rose
Fair
worthy rose
Yay zen lore
last inlet
Yeah the recent story confirmed that one omnic gained sentience first and then, somehow, sacrificed herself to give the gift of sentience to omnickind
Also Sym lore
two for one
chilly radish
Michael Chu was asked in an interview if Genji could still use the toilet, and h...
Okay thank you, I couldn’t find a source
limpid agate
A lot of sources deleted themselves, so we only have sources of dead links
slender hound
Big oof
peak escarp
of course, the internet being the internet, turned that into "Chu said Genji has a dick"
peak escarp
and the usual accusations of favoritism and self-insertion followed
cerulean ice
would stone by stone take place days or months before zero hour?
peak escarp
somewhere between Alive and Zero Hour
probably after Reflections, since Zen was still in Nepal then
swift mason
Y’know in that OW2 gameplay trailer we see zen in a place that didn’t look like Nepal now that I think of it, could it possibly be the temple in Stone by stone?
swift mason
So if we’re going timeline-wise, stone by stone must be closer to zero hour than reflections, possibly during zero hour
peak escarp
yeah
tacit lantern
swift mason
Yeah, now Zen and Sym are best buddies
proud pike
Yes, definitely worth reading. For me, personally, I found answers to many questions about omnics
But it's still a pity that the theory that ''JR's treasure is what awakened omnics'' has been disproved.
swift mason
That was a pretty good theory, but alas, the truth has been revealed
last inlet
Yeah they debunked a theory by introducing another dead character. Which is easier to work with because they're not gonna be doing a whole lot now
sick siren
“Someone is going to have a problem with something, they always do” - I love how they hint again at Symmetra's autism, it's so nice that they include it so subtly
last inlet
I thought they were pretty obvious about it throughout the whole thing
last inlet
at first I thought they'd just make the obv references to it in the beginning which felt kinda like "get it? because she's autistic lol" but then the author actually worked it into the story and used it as a way to connect Sym, Zen, and the Shambali
so that was cool
last inlet
Oh yeah they were nicely done. About the only thing I don't like is, I think they're out of order? Or they're placed in the story where they don't make sense
sick siren
I was just gagging the entire time - I really hope Sym gets yellow light in this skin
last inlet
also Sym's dancing could've used actual gold hard lights
last inlet
She'll definitely get new sprays, hopefully some that illustrate the story more
sick siren
Ugh can they patch in new interactions with Sym and Zen?
last inlet
They can, they put in new interactions all the time. I think the main holdup is scheduling with the VAs
sick siren
I love that Sym and Zen can get new interactions outside of her being totally cold
last inlet
There's interactions in already that haven't officially been used because there's one party that hasn't recorded their lines yet
She has one or two with him already, I think. I can't remember, lemme see
sick siren
I think this is the beginning of her redemption arc!
Also
"Symmetra, you speak of law and of order. But surely you can understand that life is chaotic by its very nature"
"Hmmm. To be lectured about chaos and disorder from a machine."
last inlet
She has two, both of which have her disregard Zen as just a machine
cerulean ice
symmetra arc pogu
last inlet
yeah, and the one where she starts with "What can you know of life?"
sick siren
I love the new music too
last inlet
So those kinda go against what we see in the story, or at least they're outdated
sick siren
It almost sounds like it should be used for a new map
last inlet
new music? From the teaser for the challenge?
sick siren
Yes! I love it
last inlet
I wouldn't be surprised if they did add a new map, maybe for one of the non-main modes. I don't know if the shot they gave in the teaser was from a current map, but the new music is, well, new.
cerulean ice
does the other challenge teasers have unique music like this?
it could be for the new india map on ow2
last inlet
I can't remember
I also can't remember if the other challenges have had those short teasers
last inlet
I'll be honest, I also wouldn't be surprised if it's just for the challenge title screen
same for the location shown
possibly a tease for a map they'll have in OW2 though
cerulean ice
no doubt
limpid agate
I didn't consider that about the music
That is a good call.
But yeah, I think the unannounced India map is supposed to be this.
proud pike
Zenyatta, upon overhearing these mutters, stepped beside Satya. He said nothing, simply taking another spoon and serving alongside her. Some of the looks softened. Satya was not offended by the reactions but appreciated Zenyatta’ssilent support.
I also really liked Zenyatta's behavior in this story. Especially at this moment.
We knew, of course, that he was for world peace. But what a cool moment it is
brittle arrow
As someone who's on the spectrum himself, I also appreciate how Symmetra's autism was handled in this story.
There are small nods to it, and it doesn't cross into beating you over the head with the fact. I related with her on some level.
Also, pretty good story overall.
sick siren
@brittle arrow thank you for summing up why I love Symmetra so much
swift mason
The handiling of her autism in the story was perfect, way better than how 76’s gay reveal felt forced, I have nothing against LGBT representation, but the handiling in Bastet was just poor
proud pike
Kinda
I just love how the story does not say this in direct text, but is shown through the features of behavior. This increases the effect of presence.
sick siren
@swift mason Very that. I say that as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community - Soldier's reveal just came completely out of left field
swift mason
Yeah I’m the same. It did come out of left field
sick siren
But as someone who is on the spectrum? The handling of Symmetra's autism was just so beautifully done
swift mason
Very much so
sick siren
It may have been 2 years but we got something amazing - Symmetra lore, a beautiful story, a redemption arc and a new skin?
Well worth the wait
sick siren
Yup! I started to main her ever since I found out she too was on the spectrum and got hooked to her gameplay
swift mason
Nice, she’s got some good lore rep now
sick siren
You know what would have been perfect? An Archives-esque PVE mode where Symmetra helps Zenyatta fend off talon
And then the two get to bond over that experience
swift mason
They seem to have bonded quite well already
sick siren
I'm so glad Symmetra got to bond with Zenyatta - the way she just coldly ignored his opinions didn't sit right with me
proud pike
Yes, but it's a bit contrary to their in-game cues.
swift mason
I have a theory that suggests sym gave zen some of her hard light tech, and that’s what he uses in transcendence
sick siren
I LOVE THAT
swift mason
Since now we know hardlight doesn’t always have to be blue
sick siren
I HOPE Symmetra gets yellow light in this skin
proud pike
But after all, transcendence was mentioned even before the acquaintance of Symmetra and Zenyatta. Isn't that right?
swift mason
Yes, but he wasn’t referring to the ability
sick siren
Some people are thinking that this yellow light hints at a support rework for Symmetra - i'd utterly love that
But I know it won't happen.
proud pike
ehh. I think current Symmetra is perfect
swift mason
It could be a possible talent for sym in Ow2
proud pike
crying in teleport ult
sick siren
getting that duo ult back would do symmetra the world of good
swift mason
I’m curious if she will speak new voice lines with the skin equipped like tracer has
Maybe even new interactions with zen when that skin is equipped
chilly perch
I hate symm as a hero in the game but her character is not too bad in the lore
sick siren
I really hope she does
worthy rose
Her character is ok.I don't really like her that much but not bad
restive flower
What We Left Behind >>> Stone By Stone >>>>>>> Valkyrie > Bastet
worthy rose
did we just get zen lore?
restive flower
yes
Stone by Stone isn't quality like What We Left Behind, but at least it isn't painful to read like the Michael Chu storts.
cosmic crest
To each their own, but I think the quality is pretty consistent across all of them.
peak escarp
I wouldn't call them painful, but you can see the difference experience makes
both Alyssa Wong and Christie Golden are experience short story/novel writers
Christie Golden has written over 50 novels for World of Warcraft, Star Wars and Star Trek
unborn owl
Chu's experience isn't as long as Wong's and Golden's, but Overwatch wasn't his first rodeo. He wrote a key short story for D3.
At least one, maybe more.
last inlet
About Soldier
I think it seems like it came out of left field because his being gay doesn't really have anything to do with what he does now. He could've been straight and it would've been the same thing. Same with Tracer. So they didn't spend a whole lot of time building their characters with that in mind, only giving a tease with Soldier before the big reveal.
I think with Sym, being autistic means she thinks in certain ways and has certain habits that go with what we see of her, and how she views the world. Possibly how others interact with her. So they spent a lot of time on it in this story after just putting her autism out there in that comic.
peak escarp
it was a big part of how she interacts with people, having her routine disrupted, etc.
cosmic crest
Autism is a neurological disorder. It can shape one's personality and have serious impact on who they are. I don't think it's that comparable to being gay.
peak escarp
even little details, like how the texture of the robe was pleasant - many ASD people have issues with clothing textures
young knoll
for me, it is more the constriction of clothing. that and socks
cosmic crest
Soldier and Tracer being gay is not a big part of either of their characters (nor should it be). Symmetra being autistic is a big part of her character and that's alright.
unborn owl
With S:76 and Tracer, the gay details being just window dressing is part of normalizing being gay. With Symm, demonstrating her differences from a sympathetic perspective helps to humanize the unusual aspects of being autistic.
Which is also normalizing them, but not erasing them.
brittle canyon
Thoughts on new zen lore
limpid agate
He's still an unimportant character, but hopefully this meme will die now.
worthy rose
It will end when we figure out how he gets his powers
worthy rose
Yeh but how did he get them from a lore perspective? We know trancendace exists because of this comic
Showing how transcendance is what gave the Omnics sentience
peak escarp
not everything in the game will have a lore explanation
it's probably just a representation of his meditation techniques - the orb of harmony brings healing, the orb of discord brings harm
peak escarp
why does that matter?
worthy rose
Because on this recent comic trancendance is what literally gave omnics sentience
How did he gain the ability to do so?
worthy rose
Then they still have no lore
peak escarp
so?
worthy rose
Did you see what I was responding to?
cosmic crest
I don't understand, you didn't get a specific question answered so that means Zen has no lore?
peak escarp
I don't understand what point you're trying to make
worthy rose
Zen has little to no actual lore
cosmic crest
Define "actual lore"
peak escarp
neither does Wrecking Ball or Sigma
cosmic crest
Zen has more lore now than several other heroes.
The afore mentioned Wrecking Ball and Sigma have appeared in no media besides their origin videos.
peak escarp
and they're all unimportant to the story
cosmic crest
I want every hero to have some presence in the lore, but they aren't all going to get the same amount and it make sense that Zen would have less.
He's a relatively unimportant character.
peak escarp
not every ability in the game is going to have a lore explanation, or even work the same as it does in the lore
some of them are just abstractions of things made into fun shooter abilities
magic stratus
Can someone point me to "tldr" of the last short story? I can't stand Christie Golden's writing, but I'm curious about the new lore.
worthy rose
Sym accidentally destroys thing while making thing, lives in zenyatta monastery for a week, and wholesome happens
peak escarp
Vishkar accidentally destroys an important statue, they send Symmetra to find the best way to make reparations, she lives in the temple with Zenyatta for a week learning their way of life and what is important to the omnics, she ends up repairing the statue beautifully and being accepted by the village
magic stratus
Thank you.
gusty sluice
Is aurora an omnic or a person?
iron plume
She's an omnic
zenith prawn
Is aurora from the new story?
swift mason
Yea, she was the first omnic to gain sentience, then sacrificed it to give sentience to all omnics