#theres also that twitter stuff and the letters but i dont think thsoe disprove this overall idea

[aveterhours]

In my previous qsmp post I talked about how all the challenges of the qsmp are made so that the players will fail, but I wanted to elaborate a bit on the overall purpose of Why and the motive of this entity that controls this island, assumedly the qsmp federation. I also wanted to speculate on the overall theme of this story, and why I think this will actually have a (relatively) positive conclusion.

The theory that this is some sort of data-gathering operation is the one I think is the most plausible. This whole thing is an experiment. Maybe even a reoccurring one; this island is old, with broken down buildings and a wall covered in vines that can presumably move up and down. There was audio formatted like a report on test subjects until it devolved into errors. At least a few of the messages the players receive from the duck are recorded on videotape, possibly so they can be reused. The entire island feels used and artificial and is falling apart. Perhaps there were previous participants who faced similar tests and had similar conflicts and are now gone, in some way or another. Some of the entities present on the server might even be remnants of these past participants---mainly the ones who don't seem to be here intentionally, like the glitched green text creature, and the coded message telling them to find a way out.

As for the other entities, primarily the deities, to me they don't seem actually all that powerful. Maybe it's the fact they actually appear in game and not as some cutscene, or because they resemble players, but they seem to be working within the bounds of this experiment and this island, and are on a lower level compared to the federation. They are moreso variables than all-powerful beings. Which speaks to the level of control exerted over this island, amongst other things; something else that comes to mind is how death doesn't actually seem permanent, at least not yet. Players don't have an established limited amount of lives, and while the eggs do, they have come back on multiple occasions and only seem to stay dead because that's what some sort of controlling force wants. I don't believe people can permadie unless the federation wants it.

But why is this experiment being conducted? To prove a point, i think. To prove that these two groups cannot come together and use teamwork and get along and complete 'simple' tasks. To prove that unity is impossible. These challenges are made unable to be won, to cause more conflict, because they want to prove that this collaboration is foolish and harmful and should not be attempted.

The entire overarching theme of the qsmp, on multiple levels, is two different communities, two groups that speak different languages, coming together to make something. It's about working together despite differences and difficulties and learning from it. These challenges are the antagonistic force because they are driving people apart. The federation is the antagonistic force because it put them all on this island in a skewed experiment in order to prove collaboration between these two groups impossible. I think the story will be about defeating this because, despite how things are going now, the entire idea of the qsmp is to show that teamwork is possible and to prove those negative ideas wrong. To overcome those obstacles no matter what and subvert expectations of failure. It is a theme that permeates the entire operation, from the concept to the construction to the story, and I think it will prevail.