I got such a wonderful response to the darkroom episode that I thought that maybe someone could explain the very end to me.
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Mephisto says that he loves Gisele and then wants out of being the demon. Is it because of Gisele? And why exactly was Faust voted to be the proprietor, they mentioned that he had lost his wings because of the trouble he caused in the park. Nancy

Excellent topic Nancy.


I thought about this myself for quite a while. I do believe that Mephisto was in his role as a sort of penance/ purgatory. A curse in a way. To leave he needs a replacement. The replacement in turn has the chance to redeem themselves for some past life choice. Mephisto struck me through out this game as a weary spirit. One who had this "role" assigned to him as the arbitor of who has led a life worthy of redemption and who had not. The temptations offered up my him were trials of that comitment to lead a worthy life.

I definitely believe that Giselle had such a pure spirit that after all the tortured and greedy spirits he had encountered - he was enraptured. This "love" also pained him and made him so weary of his assigned path in the scheme of good and evil.

I did wonder at Fausts choices that led him here (there were some vague hints as I recall) However - I decided that the what and where was probably unimportant. It was about who he really was instead.

Any other insight on the Faustian choice at the end and Mephisto/ Giselle ? I really enjoyed this ending.

Laura

I ordered Pilgrim, Legend of the Prophet, and Secrets of Alamut (Legend 2) from the Arxel online shop way back on March 15. They charged my credit card immediately and my games are still nowhere in sight. Arxel refuses to answer emails. The last one I received was on April 4, saying the games were on back order and someone would get back to me about why I hadn't been contacted earlier. No one got back with me. As far as I know they STILL haven't got the games in.

Although I enjoy Arxel's games, I wouldn't recommend their online shop to anyone. My experience is not unique either, judging by what I've read over at the JA forum.

It doesn't seem to me to be such a difficult thing to make sure you have the merchandise in stock before you go charging your customers' credit cards. No other reputable online vendor that I know of does that. You charge when the item is shipped, not months in advance.

[This message has been edited by Jenny100 (edited 04-22-2001).]

Laura, I really like your take on the ending. It was such a surprise that Mephisto admitted caring about Giselle because I saw his character as being the devil at first.
This ending shows the ability of evil to become good, maybe that nothing is black and white.

And Jenny100, sorry to hear about the purchasing issue with Arxel. I'm sure you'll get the games eventually but it would be nice to not be charged until they're shipped. Not getting an e-mail/phone call back from someone is the world's number 1 pet pevee I believe. Hope you hear soon

I'm shocked to hear that, Jenny. I was just about ready to order Pilgrim from them.

Thank you for letting us know.

I feel certain that Stephen is unaware of this and will get to the bottom of it. I know that he'll make it right.

Please let us know what happens.

Yvonne

Jenny - I ordered Legend 1 and 2 on the 15th also. They also charged it on my CC. I got the same mail about the delay due to unexpected heavy demand.

I did receive a more recent mail on April 4th that said my games had shipped on 3/26. I am really starting to doubt this as no games have arrived. I ordered Comer from Hong Kong and it was here in 2 or 3 weeks tops.

I really love their products - but am chalking this one up to total inexperience with shipping and orders of product. I had been thinking about this all week. I am sending another e-mail tomorrow re: the no delivery (4 weeks now) since the supposed ship date and to get a status report for all here as to what the @#!% is going on. Whew - feel better.

I'll post as soon as I hear anything.

Laura

Thanks Jenny and Laura. I think I will wait to order until I hear how your orders come out. I sure wish someone in the states was selling the DVD version.

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It's nice to be important but it is much more important to be nice.

I was told that the two "sequels" to Pilgrim are going to be released here in the States later on this year by Dreamcatcher, so for those of you who are willing to wait (waiting is not in our vocabulary, I know! ), I believe there will be another way to obtain them in a few months.

Hello to everyone,

Oups, I missed a few days.

To Laura and others discussing the meaning of the ending in Faust and the motivations of Mephisto, I'll come back to you later with a detailed answer (but I don't have much more to say than what Laura already said ;-)...

GENERALLY ABOUT OUR ONLINE SHOP AND THE PROBLEMS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING :

Let me apologize again in the name of the company. I can't give you more than: an explanation/a promise/an apology.

The reason for the delay is simply that we opened the shop and received orders exceeding by far our most optimistic expectations which led us to order re-prints in GB language for some products. I was assured that the remaining missing copies would be shipped at the latest next week. As you can imagine, this whole story came at the same time as a very good surprise and a terrible one since we ended up generating frustration and (justified) resentment.

A promise : I don't have the detail of all operations but they told me all left orders would be shipped next week. This is just for reassurance, the promise being "it will never happen again". I am well aware that most of the resentment comes from the "billed but not sent" factor. We are working on that too. Be sure that your order is secured and that no one will be wronged at the end.

An apology : let me restate it, we are utterly sorry for this inconvenience.

I am not going to disappear from this site so you can depend on me personally to transmit your "discontentment" and answer your questions.

Regards to all,

Stephen

Stephen your attention to all of us Boomers is wonderful and appreciated.

I really thank you for the update on the Arxel shop and late orders. I have to admit I was getting a wee bit nervous myself. I also understand this is not your responsibility or area at Arxel - so it was great of you to take the time to track this info down. I guess this is the kind of problem (swamped with orders) that sounds great but can actually be a big headache til production is sped up to meet the unexpected demand.

Looking forward to more of your delightful posts

Laura

[This message has been edited by gatorlaw (edited 04-24-2001).]

What Laura said!

About the Giselle/Mephisto relationship. I was absoluty stunned that he'd taken such a shine to her, but somehow it also felt like he used her somewhat, to be able to step aside from his "profession".

I'm thinking about that he lured Faust to stray away from the mission, making him look the other way when Mephisto let Giselle die and re-unite with her parents in heaven. (And THAT story, about the painting, her legacy so to speak... was only talked about, but really gave me the creeps, brrrr!)



[This message has been edited by emma (edited 04-24-2001).]

Emma,

You brought up some very interesting points that I hadn't thought about. There was some elements of self-serving actions on Mephisto's part. Hmmmmm

Really neat slant on the end motives.

Laura

I felt that Mephisto did most everything to suit himself and only allowed himself to care about Giselle because it suit his end and motives. I do wonder though if pure goodness can have a taming effect on the evil spirit of Mephisto. She was the only true good person in the game. I know it's a game but I really felt for her and her loneliness. Nancy

Dear Boomers,

The problem I have here is that we are talking about Mephisto, a very powerful archetype. Mephisto is a demon, not the devil. In Goethe's play, he is obeying the orders of God, his only master. Let's go back to the roots, so to speak

Extract from "Faust" prologue :

Mephistopheles

Since thou, O Lord, approachest us once more, And how it fares with us, to ask art fain, Since thou hast kindly welcom'd me of yore, Thou see'st me also now among thy train. Excuse me, fine harangues I cannot make, Though all the circle look on me with scorn; My pathos soon thy laughter would awake, Hadst thou the laughing mood not long forsworn. Of suns and worlds I nothing have to say, I see alone mankind's self - torturing pains. The little world - god still the self - same stamp retains, And is as wondrous now as on the primal day. Better he might have fared, poor wight, Hadst thou not given him a gleam of heavenly light; Reason, he names it, and doth so Use it, than brutes more brutish still to grow. With deference to your grace, he seems to me Like any long - legged grasshopper to be, Which ever flies, and flying springs, And in the grass its
ancient ditty sings. Would he but always in the grass repose! In every heap of dung he thrusts his nose.

The Lord

Hast thou naught else to say/ Is blame In coming here, as ever, thy sole aim? Does nothing on the earth to thee seem right?

Mephistopheles

No, Lord! I find things there, as ever, in sad plight. Men, in their evil days, move
my compassion; Such sorry things to plague is nothing worth.

Hi,
I come a bit late in the discussion,but I just have to say that I loved Faust.It was dark,and very thoughtful,a welcome change from most games,which might be enjoyable,but offer very little food for thought.Keep up the good work!

I wonder if I'm the only person who didn't think Faust was dark. It had tragic elements but it didn't seem to me to be any darker than real life.

No you're not, JENNY100. I detected some wry humor in him and even a bit of sentimentality. As I am sure ARXEL_STEPHEN knows, whatever a poet produces, once it is published, its interpretation is no longer in his hands. I am sure many a poet has wondered, "How did they get that idea out of my poem!"