Decrypted: How do real-world war technologies fit into Westworld?

In the new episode of Ars TV podcast <em>Decrypted</em>, we talk to an expert in combat technology about the park's robots.

Read the whole story

 

[taiganaut]

I felt like Westworld was taking quite a bit of runway to get off the ground, especially after episode 2, but after seeing episode 4 it's starting to look like a juggernaut. Big metal needs long runways.

I have high hopes! I just can't help wishing that the production value started off being up to Deadwood standards. Tough boots to fill, for sure.

 

[Voldenuit]

After watching last Sunday's episode, I'm beginning to feel that maybe the Cylons don't have a plan after all.

Also, MIB's reveal as an ARG/Easter Egg hunter was super-disappointing.

NEEEEEEERRRRRRD!!!

 

[taiganaut]

PS, I'm gunning (hurr) for Dolores to end up as a Joan-of-Arc archetype. Evan Rachel Wood is typecast perfectly and couldn't look any more saintly as Dolores; seeing her transcend her pure and virtuous programming to lead an uprising while beset by voices ... this is why I have high hopes.

 

[Schizoid]

Voldenuit[/url]":20072zl4]After watching last Sunday's episode, I'm beginning to feel that maybe the Cylons don't have a plan after all.

Also, MIB's reveal as an ARG/Easter Egg hunter was super-disappointing.

NEEEEEEERRRRRRD!!!

Logan was the one looking for easter eggs. The MiB is looking for something a lot more sinister.

 

[HedonismBot]

Today's climate of rampant misanthropy is perfect for this story.

 

[taiganaut]

SaaSaFRaaS[/url]":3n1ddt4b]The humans are dull, and the robots are still ... robots.

The human characters do need to become more rounded out, and the actors to settle in, I think. The humans (or so we assume) with the most potential right now seem to be the increasingly-sinister Dr. Ford, and Elsie Hughes (the woman from Behavior who almost got pounded with a rock). And, of course, Ed Harris as the gaunt and grizzled Man In Black. It seems to me like he could be a complete wild card in the future, especially with the revelation in ep 4 that he knows some of the hush-hush backstory of the park.

The most worrying presumably-human character to me in terms of how good the show will or won't be is Ashley Stubbs (the security dude). I've seen his type in a lot of monster-of-the-week shows, which I strongly doubt Westworld will become, but ... yeah. Maybe he's a robot, that would be an ace up the sleeve for them.

On the other hand, the most interesting robot characters are very engaging to me. I can't help but root for Dolores, and Thandie Newton is doing an excellent job portraying Maeve. I'm definitely interested to see what will happen with these two, they're both very smart and capable. Hector popped in ep 4 and as a character he's great. A bandito with a Spanish guitar scoring during his scenes would be great as part of a robot uprising.

We'll see how it goes. But yeah, right now I'm far more attached to the robots than the humans. That may well be by design, although I think Bernard is supposed to be more of a sympathetic character than he's ending up for me so far.

 

[DameonK]

SaaSaFRaaS[/url]":3otx1xou]And the scenes that play out entirely with androids always make me think, "Why don't they just pause their activities to avoid wear and tear while there are no human guests around?" It's just not working for me...

They explained this in one of the episodes. They interact with each other to each other to continue to hone their algorithmic database so they become "more human" even when they are no actual humans around.

 

[Voldenuit]

Schizoid[/url]":3d7p4yjw]

Voldenuit[/url]":3d7p4yjw]After watching last Sunday's episode, I'm beginning to feel that maybe the Cylons don't have a plan after all.

Also, MIB's reveal as an ARG/Easter Egg hunter was super-disappointing.

NEEEEEEERRRRRRD!!!

Logan was the one looking for easter eggs. The MiB is looking for something a lot more sinister.

It sounded more like he was speed running on his way to unlock hidden content (the mythical no safeties mission) so in my mind he was still hunting eater eggs of sorts.

 

[Schizoid]

Voldenuit[/url]":1v139fq4]

Schizoid[/url]":1v139fq4]

Voldenuit[/url]":1v139fq4]After watching last Sunday's episode, I'm beginning to feel that maybe the Cylons don't have a plan after all.

Also, MIB's reveal as an ARG/Easter Egg hunter was super-disappointing.

NEEEEEEERRRRRRD!!!

Logan was the one looking for easter eggs. The MiB is looking for something a lot more sinister.

It sounded more like he was speed running on his way to unlock hidden content (the mythical no safeties mission) so in my mind he was still hunting eater eggs of sorts.

He does have the best hax.

 

[SaaSaFRaaS]

taiganaut[/url]":2al9h1gk]

SaaSaFRaaS[/url]":2al9h1gk]The humans are dull, and the robots are still ... robots.

The human characters do need to become more rounded out, and the actors to settle in, I think. The humans (or so we assume) with the most potential right now seem to be the increasingly-sinister Dr. Ford, and Elsie Hughes (the woman from Behavior who almost got pounded with a rock). And, of course, Ed Harris as the gaunt and grizzled Man In Black. It seems to me like he could be a complete wild card in the future, especially with the revelation in ep 4 that he knows some of the hush-hush backstory of the park.

The most worrying presumably-human character to me in terms of how good the show will or won't be is Ashley Stubbs (the security dude). I've seen his type in a lot of monster-of-the-week shows, which I strongly doubt Westworld will become, but ... yeah. Maybe he's a robot, that would be an ace up the sleeve for them.

On the other hand, the most interesting robot characters are very engaging to me. I can't help but root for Dolores, and Thandie Newton is doing an excellent job portraying Maeve. I'm definitely interested to see what will happen with these two, they're both very smart and capable. Hector popped in ep 4 and as a character he's great. A bandito with a Spanish guitar scoring during his scenes would be great as part of a robot uprising.

We'll see how it goes. But yeah, right now I'm far more attached to the robots than the humans. That may well be by design, although I think Bernard is supposed to be more of a sympathetic character than he's ending up for me so far.

You make some great points. It's definitely possible that the story will pick up and become really compelling. But Jesus, talk about a slow burn. We're almost halfway through the season already.

 

[mikiev]

SaaSaFRaaS[/url]":2jzvdnr9]

You make some great points. It's definitely possible that the story will pick up and become really compelling. But Jesus, talk about a slow burn. We're almost halfway through the season already.

I went back and re-read the news stories from January, which covered the show stopping production for a couple/few months to "catch up" on the writing. With some stories mentioning the last four episodes in particular.

Example:
http://gephardtdaily.com/entertainment/ ... westworld/

" 'Westworld’ is wildly ambitious — on the page and on set,” Jonathan Nolan said in a recent statement. “In broadcast TV, it’s been routine for us to write and shoot at the same time. This is a completely different animal. As we got closer to the final episodes, we realized we needed to take a break from shooting to catch up on writing.”

I can only hope that means the slow burn won't be quite as slow during the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Azethoth666]

I am a programmer and the whole AI thing and what the hell is really going on thing is totally working for me. Nothing is breaking me out of my suspension of disbelief and the production values are the usual HBO high. So awesome so far.

Now it seems like the Maze was designed by Arnold? It is still unclear if it is a hidden level even from management or did he add hidden meaning to it so that the hosts can trigger to full consciousness through it? Or it is the final stage for making them fully conscious?

Full consciousness was Arnold's goal so it would seem that the current awakening is some plan he set in motion before his death.

What is the Arnold MiB relationship? Is MiB trying to figure out what happened to his friend or just seeking the mythical ultimate thrill that The Maze might be or both?

What is Ford's goal? It sure seems like he had some kind of non Arnold goal in mind? Or did corporate kill Arnold and so Ford is pretending to not have the same goals while he secretly is fighting for AI freedoms?

Meanwhile Bernard is on some kind of tragedy relief mission for himself. Is he trying to recreate a lost child or just getting a fringe benefit of psychological help?

 

[taiganaut]

mikiev[/url]":3g944yhi]I can only hope that means the slow burn won't be quite as slow during the 2nd half of the season.

I feel like it got off the runway in episode 4, but episode 5 will confirm or deny that.

 

[ursu5]

Or, did Arnold kill Ford and merge his consciousness into a Fordbot to work the situation from a different strategic position.
Or, is Arnold's consciousness seeded into the robot population in some way to provide the potential for self-awareness.
Or,...

Azethoth666[/url]":15b6neko]
What is Ford's goal? It sure seems like he had some kind of non Arnold goal in mind? Or did corporate kill Arnold and so Ford is pretending to not have the same goals while he secretly is fighting for AI freedoms?

 

[SaaSaFRaaS]

Azethoth666[/url]":3trzid1v]I am a programmer and the whole AI thing and what the hell is really going on thing is totally working for me. Nothing is breaking me out of my suspension of disbelief and the production values are the usual HBO high. So awesome so far.

Now it seems like the Maze was designed by Arnold? It is still unclear if it is a hidden level even from management or did he add hidden meaning to it so that the hosts can trigger to full consciousness through it? Or it is the final stage for making them fully conscious?

Full consciousness was Arnold's goal so it would seem that the current awakening is some plan he set in motion before his death.

What is the Arnold MiB relationship? Is MiB trying to figure out what happened to his friend or just seeking the mythical ultimate thrill that The Maze might be or both?

What is Ford's goal? It sure seems like he had some kind of non Arnold goal in mind? Or did corporate kill Arnold and so Ford is pretending to not have the same goals while he secretly is fighting for AI freedoms?

Meanwhile Bernard is on some kind of tragedy relief mission for himself. Is he trying to recreate a lost child or just getting a fringe benefit of psychological help?

It's definitely a thought-provoking premise. It's stimulating on an intellectual level. I'd like to see it catch up a bit on the emotional level.

 

[mvmiller12]

I don't get this "slow burn" thing some of you are on about. For me the show has been nothing short of captivating. I think the pacing is perfectly fine as it - neither too fast nor too slow. My only impatience with this show is waiting for "Next Sunday" every week...

 

[SaaSaFRaaS]

mvmiller12[/url]":dhk0gz99]I don't get this "slow burn" thing some of you are on about. For me the show has been nothing short of captivating. I think the pacing is perfectly fine as it - neither too fast nor too slow. My only impatience with this show is waiting for "Next Sunday" every week...

It's a quality show. I don't mean to be too harsh on it. I don't watch a lot of shows, and I was incredibly hyped for this one. Emotionally it still leaves me pretty cold, but I am curious to see how it plays out. Maybe my expectations were too high?

ETA: I was pretty bored with The Wire after the first four episodes, and it turned out to be my favorite show of all time. Sometimes it takes a while for a show to gain its footing.

 

[asjk]

Westworld has rescued me now that I've left Walking Dead behind.

Some points: I love watching the actors respond to "turn off emotional component" etc. Also Mayvee, acting while naked, has to be tough. There was a great scene with Ford and Knudsen where the robots were turned off in unison and we watch the malevolence cross Ford's face. The Man in Black, evil perhaps, but is all business like.
Really there is so much that I'm interested in.
I find that despite understanding everything that is happening I don't really know what's going on.

 

[NinjaNerd56]

Azethoth666[/url]":31pivhx7]I am a programmer and the whole AI thing and what the hell is really going on thing is totally working for me. Nothing is breaking me out of my suspension of disbelief and the production values are the usual HBO high. So awesome so far.

Now it seems like the Maze was designed by Arnold? It is still unclear if it is a hidden level even from management or did he add hidden meaning to it so that the hosts can trigger to full consciousness through it? Or it is the final stage for making them fully conscious?

Full consciousness was Arnold's goal so it would seem that the current awakening is some plan he set in motion before his death.

What is the Arnold MiB relationship? Is MiB trying to figure out what happened to his friend or just seeking the mythical ultimate thrill that The Maze might be or both?

What is Ford's goal? It sure seems like he had some kind of non Arnold goal in mind? Or did corporate kill Arnold and so Ford is pretending to not have the same goals while he secretly is fighting for AI freedoms?

Meanwhile Bernard is on some kind of tragedy relief mission for himself. Is he trying to recreate a lost child or just getting a fringe benefit of psychological help?

So, the theory at my house is that part of Delos/Arnold worked on is life extension via a host transfer.

Arnold isn't dead, but his choice to be 'subject Zero' didn't work out well.

MiB knows enough to seek the one thing he can't buy...immortality. Solving the maze may...or may not...be his salvation.


Or it's Purgatory and we burn down the HBO building.

 

[sonolumi]

I feel like MIB is the best RP server player ever. Sure he breaks character now and then, but the way he interacts with the hosts most of the time shows a deep love of the game. I don't see MIB as evil, he just wants to get to the ultimate level.

Also the "Oh, an upgrade!" line from Logan's future brother-in-law is a hilarious gift to people familiar with MMOs and RPGs.

I think the show is at its best when showing how guests take differing approaches to the game. The behind the scenes B-story is rather dull, for the most part, I only hope it pays off big in later episodes. Loving the slow insanity/realisation of the hosts too.

 

[Hot Jupiter]

It should be clear what is at the center of the maze:

Humanity.

 

[Doc Spector]

Azethoth666[/url]":3mvr3cm0]I am a programmer and the whole AI thing and what the hell is really going on thing is totally working for me. Nothing is breaking me out of my suspension of disbelief and the production values are the usual HBO high. So awesome so far.

Now it seems like the Maze was designed by Arnold? It is still unclear if it is a hidden level even from management or did he add hidden meaning to it so that the hosts can trigger to full consciousness through it? Or it is the final stage for making them fully conscious?

Full consciousness was Arnold's goal so it would seem that the current awakening is some plan he set in motion before his death.

What is the Arnold MiB relationship? Is MiB trying to figure out what happened to his friend or just seeking the mythical ultimate thrill that The Maze might be or both?

What is Ford's goal? It sure seems like he had some kind of non Arnold goal in mind? Or did corporate kill Arnold and so Ford is pretending to not have the same goals while he secretly is fighting for AI freedoms?

Meanwhile Bernard is on some kind of tragedy relief mission for himself. Is he trying to recreate a lost child or just getting a fringe benefit of psychological help?

My guess is that Arnold does not, and never has, exist(ed). Dr. Ford IS, and always has been, Arnold.

 

[SaaSaFRaaS]

Doc Spector[/url]":82g7ey9x]My guess is that Arnold does not, and never has, exist(ed). Dr. Ford IS, and always has been, Arnold.

Very interesting theory!

 

[MrMcLargeHuge]

Did anyone else hear echoes of Ready Player One when Ford was talking about Arnold? It immediately popped into my mind.

 

[SaaSaFRaaS]

MrMcLargeHuge[/url]":6ban9aho]Did anyone else hear echoes of Ready Player One when Ford was talking about Arnold? It immediately popped into my mind.

Yeah, I guess there is sort of a Willy Wonka-esque quality to the whole thing.

 

[MCYL]

Schizoid[/url]":3r2c80vs]

Voldenuit[/url]":3r2c80vs]After watching last Sunday's episode, I'm beginning to feel that maybe the Cylons don't have a plan after all.

Also, MIB's reveal as an ARG/Easter Egg hunter was super-disappointing.

NEEEEEEERRRRRRD!!!

Logan was the one looking for easter eggs. The MiB is looking for something a lot more sinister.

,x2 MiB is looked for 0 days and /root

 

[Allaun]

That part was explained, it's to ground them in their reality. Making them interact and possibly encounter unscripted events allows them to adapt to their surroundings.

 

[Azethoth666]

NinjaNerd56[/url]":3cku9pcz]

Azethoth666[/url]":3cku9pcz]I am a programmer and the whole AI thing and what the hell is really going on thing is totally working for me. Nothing is breaking me out of my suspension of disbelief and the production values are the usual HBO high. So awesome so far.

Now it seems like the Maze was designed by Arnold? It is still unclear if it is a hidden level even from management or did he add hidden meaning to it so that the hosts can trigger to full consciousness through it? Or it is the final stage for making them fully conscious?

Full consciousness was Arnold's goal so it would seem that the current awakening is some plan he set in motion before his death.

What is the Arnold MiB relationship? Is MiB trying to figure out what happened to his friend or just seeking the mythical ultimate thrill that The Maze might be or both?

What is Ford's goal? It sure seems like he had some kind of non Arnold goal in mind? Or did corporate kill Arnold and so Ford is pretending to not have the same goals while he secretly is fighting for AI freedoms?

Meanwhile Bernard is on some kind of tragedy relief mission for himself. Is he trying to recreate a lost child or just getting a fringe benefit of psychological help?

So, the theory at my house is that part of Delos/Arnold worked on is life extension via a host transfer.

Arnold isn't dead, but his choice to be 'subject Zero' didn't work out well.

MiB knows enough to seek the one thing he can't buy...immortality. Solving the maze may...or may not...be his salvation.


Or it's Purgatory and we burn down the HBO building.

First, it better goddamn not be purgatory again! Dammit JJ.

Or if it is, it had better go down something like this: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7937 ... ace-detail where it is an AI purgatory. Or something like the Hyperion books.

Second, now that is a great angle. MiB wants to follow Arnold. There are some interesting followups to that. If Arnold downloaded, is he even in a robot or is he an AI out in the real world. Depending on the situation there he may be constrained and hiding out in the park or he is loose in the world.

Now there is a being at the center of The Maze, so that sure seems like it ought to be Arnold, or a transcended you if you make it there. Or they make high quality soylent green there ;-)

Since management can hear everything they must know of The Maze, so it may in addition be that no safeties final game as well.

In so many ways this is the best SF show since the best (early) parts of Battlestar Galactica.

 

[Azethoth666]

SaaSaFRaaS[/url]":zptbq194]

Doc Spector[/url]":zptbq194]My guess is that Arnold does not, and never has, exist(ed). Dr. Ford IS, and always has been, Arnold.

Very interesting theory!

Agreed. However, I would say Arnold was never human but the first conscious AI? Ford became close to his creation and then either had to snuff him or corporate or oversight or investment snuffed him? (I am assuming there is an oversight section if this has military connections.)

A pure schizophrenic Ford / Arnold would be relatively lame.

Mmm, it seems weird that the partner's existence is not common knowledge. It's not like you can just scrub the Internets? He could be a fake patsy though?

On the other hand, the house demolition scene sure as hell made it seem like Ford may be the only human? He has dealt with malfunctioning management before. I could not tell if Theresa was human and feared him, or a host and doing badly with the unexpected event. If Theresa is human, she is on some kind of quest to figure things out just like MiB? Same goal, different way to get there?

 

[BullBearMS]

Voldenuit[/url]":1okefdln]After watching last Sunday's episode, I'm beginning to feel that maybe the Cylons don't have a plan after all.

I'm starting to fear that this may be true.

I keep reminding myself that things in Fringe seemed random at first but were tied together more deeply later, but J.J. was only a co-creator on Fringe.

Things are interesting, but disjointed.

 

[bongbong]

My theory is:
Ford himself is a robot and he likes to wield his power over the other robots.
Arnold made him as a proof of concept for the real ford complete with aging effects.
The robot ford may have killed the real ford via a staged accident but Arnold was onto him.
There are clues like he managed to turn off all the robots without saying anything (maybe wireless control)
It was creepy how he subtly threatened his OIC.

His total disregard for his creations etc
He is trying too hard to keep the other robots down so to speak so as not to attract too much attention to himself
and at the same time he really does look down his own kind or even fears them since they have the potential to think independently and thus lose control of them
His knowledge of bernard's affair etc (spy tech)

The robot Ford tried to get rid of Arnold so he can remain undetected but Arnold hid himself (arnold may be dead and uploaded a copy of himself too like the other readers have surmised)

Anthony Hopkin's Ford may be the quietly maniacal c.e.o. equivalent of Yul Brynner in this Westworld.

His flaw or bug is that he has become egotistic.
Which may make him the most human of the robots after all

This is just a theory of course and i could be wrong.

 

[Kurtz79]

mvmiller12[/url]":jq8n0mu0]I don't get this "slow burn" thing some of you are on about. For me the show has been nothing short of captivating. I think the pacing is perfectly fine as it - neither too fast nor too slow. My only impatience with this show is waiting for "Next Sunday" every week...

I'm with you, I'm fine with the current pacing.

I think Elsie's quote sums pretty well the show at the moment: "It seems everyone here has an agenda except me". Trying to guess and finally discovering what those agendas are is what makes the show captivating for me.

This, and the ethical and philosophical questions it raises; then again Blade Runner is my favorite movie of all time.

I guess what most people fear is that Westworld turns out to be a "constant set-up, no resolution" series like Lost.

 

[Dervrak]

It's interesting how the series keep toying with our concepts of who is the "black hat" and who is the "white hat". The first 3 episodes went out of their way to portray the MIB as an evil, sadistic SOB. Then in episode 4 takes that notion an flips it on its head by revealing he's a life saving philanthropist outside the game who just enjoys using his vacation to blow off some steam and "play the game" at a very high level. It also hammers home the notion that no matter how "real" Westworld and the androids that populate it are to us, to the people of the that world, they are just part of a game, no different from the programed pixels and bytes that populate World of Warcraft or any other game of today. After all, we certainly wouldn't call a game player "evil" just because they pillage, rape and murder their way through the electronic world of Grand Theft Auto or Skyrim. They may be a great person outside the game, who just plays an evil character in the game.

On another topic, a friend of mine who watches the series had and interesting theory. Basically that EVERY character in the series is an android or perhaps only Ford is a human. Something destroyed the "real world" and Westworld just kept running on autopilot by creating administers and guests with backstories to keep the game running. Or if Ford is the only human, he went mad after the rest of humanity died (being essentially immortal since there is no disease) and is maintaining the illusion that everything outside the park is just fine with guests coming regularly and even a long dead Board of Director's getting in his way. Perhaps with his "secret project" being to make the androids truly conscious and repopulate the world

 

[dirigiblez]

This show has about a 50/50 mix of good and bad. Anthony Hopkins is great, but there are only a few other compelling characters. I think the main problem is in the writing. Compare it to Game of Thrones: each episode of GOT has tons of important things happening. By comparison, all 4 episodes of Westworld seem pretty much the same to me. Many identical scenes repeating over and over, a lot of grinding between the good stuff. I really hope this gets better.

 

[sep332]

Whether Arnold existed our not, Ford's story about him changes dramatically depending on who he tells. To Bernard, he was all about science and "pure creation". To Theresa, he and Ford just liked playing God.

 

[Surface Reflection]

Ford already told you whats it about in his talk about "raising the dead" as a dead end for humanity.
I thought he might be Arnold, but this episode made it clear thats not the case.
Arnold was real and known to other people.
And Ford is actually continuing their joint project as they envisioned it. Only in his own way, unlike sensitive Arnold.

I do love me some Hanibal Lector vibes (more like laser beams) in that scene on the balcony.
- Thou shall not f with sir Anthony Hopkins, suit people. He already owns you all. Him and his army of robots he controls with his words.
That was so sweet. Those eyes sparkle so when he gets that way...mmhmmm!


Man in black is following clues left by Arnold and that explains the girl telling him about the maze. Nice to get that little bit of info about real him, when one of the humans recognizes him as some kind of great scientist or a doctor from the real world - his knowledge or skills apparently saved someone dear, or a family to that guy.
That also confirms he is not a robot himself for those who thought he might be.


People are not evil, at least not in that superficial and superstitious way.
Human nature isnt so mysterious or unknowable as some think. Its just that the truth of it is sometimes so ugly and simple people dont want to see it. Dont want to accept it and then deny it. For the same reason that makes some of us into absolute scum.

Some people are practically controlled by their egoes - which is the actual root cause for sadism and monstrosities some commit. When you think with your ego, instead entirety of what makes you a sentient conscious being, that turns you into superficial evil scum devoid of any empathy or actual reason at all. As can be seen in our reality everyday.


One thing that wasnt explained is how Dolores avoided getting punished for killing someone. I thought she killed a human in the previous episode. Did she?

And also, it seems Bernard knows about the maze and the "deeper level".
Thats interesting. He did not show any sign of that knowledge or behaved like he is in on that conspiracy and secret before. When a writer does that usually its just a cheap trick that devalues the whole story, but... in this show... hmm, they earned some patience from me. I think ill wait for the next episode before making any judgement on that.

 

[taraba]

The only writing part that seemed to not match up is that they seemed to be alluding to Arnold making this maze, but then Armistice (with the snake tattoo) mentions Wyatt and that was something that Ford just created as a new story & back story for Teddy. So either Ford just accidentally repurposed Wyatt in to something that leads to the maze, or Ford is aware of the maze Arnold created and keeping that functioning, or Ford actually created / co-created the maze.

 

[Azethoth666]

taraba[/url]":3v44z1ol]The only writing part that seemed to not match up is that they seemed to be alluding to Arnold making this maze, but then Armistice (with the snake tattoo) mentions Wyatt and that was something that Ford just created as a new story & back story for Teddy. So either Ford just accidentally repurposed Wyatt in to something that leads to the maze, or Ford is aware of the maze Arnold created and keeping that functioning, or Ford actually created / co-created the maze.

Or Arnold died in the no safeties maze game. Ford is finally getting ready to reveal the maze as the latest expansion of the world.

I do not think management can be unaware of the maze. The whole game world is a panopticon. Or if it is unaware it would need intervention by someone like Ford to keep them in the dark. Ford would be a poor partner if Arnold hid the maze or parts of the maze from him. Nobody noticing it thirty years later makes no sense. It has to be a Ford Arnold project.