Ending theories (Win related, spoilers of course)

[Holden93 12]

What do you think about the "super secret weapon" Miller wants so much? Also, why did the CSAT launch a full-scale attack on Altis?

IMO CSAT wanted to cooperate with AAF just to get this thing, when Kerry killed the SpecOps sent by the CSAT they attacked the island so they could get it back, this doesn't happen in the NATO ending though, AAF fails, CSAT's SpecOps are not dead and they get their weapon.

What could CSAT do with the weapon? Also, if we go to Miller, from where does the CSAT attack? Did every unit on Altis get killed or MIA? Why didn't the NATO notice CSAT before the attack? If Kerry escapes, what do you think happens next? So many questions, DLC maybe?

[2nd ranger 282]

This seems a good place to try and make some sense of the story as a whole. Some of this is based on theories people have posted in other threads.

Judging by the seismic hazard map in the lab where you find the device (to which I will refer henceforth as The Tremornator 3000), it seems as if CSAT chose Altis to test The Tremornator 3000 because it is a place of potentially high seismic activity, which either makes it easier for The Tremornator 3000 to produce results, or it is simply a place where earthquakes can be covered up more easily because the place is on a fault line or whatever (although during one of Corporal Kerry's regular conversations with the General :rolleyes:, he is told that the quakes are unnatural).

So CSAT makes a deal with the Altis government to establish research bases on the island, presumably in exchange for money or weapons that the AAF needs to continue its counter-insurgency operations against the FIA, which have been going on for about five years since the civil war ended. Some conversations in Adapt suggest that British special forces, or at least Miller's team, has been helping the FIA for some years prior to the events of the campaign. Since Miller is CTRG, presumably this assistance began when NATO found out about The Tremornator 3000.

So the AAF attacks NATO, even though NATO will be leaving the islands soon anyway. I can't think of any reason for this that fits into the rest of the story, except that it was necessary to create the Flashpoint-esque vibe for Survive, or possibly because BIS was sort of making it up as they went along at that point. I also can't really think of anything CSAT could have offered the Altis government that would have made them receptive to CSAT saying "hey, tiny, derelict island nation, could you start a war on your own soil with that other global superpower for us? Thanks xoxo".

Then during Survive Miller's team destroys the communications at Mike-26 to delay the NATO response, because they need time to get to Altis and find The Tremornator 3000. Although I don't get the big deal made out of 'long-range communications' and the difficulties in contacting NATO. It's 2035, does nobody have a smartphone?

Later, in Adapt, Miller sabotages the NATO invasion. I'm not really sure how, but someone else suggested that Miller didn't tell NATO that the FIA was assisting their offensive, resulting in the friendly fire incident at the AAC airfield which somehow stalled the invasion and allowed CSAT to remain in control of key areas. Miller says this gave him more time to finish his work.

Toward the end of Win, CSAT pulls back from the fighting and kind of leaves the AAF to it, suggesting that they have finished their testing and development of the Tremornator 3000 and are preparing to move it before NATO discovers it, hence the truck and the murdered scientists. Miller is forced to act and sends in the team led by James, which is wiped out. But then James uses an app on his iPhone 23C to find out Kerry's radio frequency and Kerry delivers the Tremornator 3000 to Miller, while CSAT launches a full invasion to try to recover it.

As for what CSAT wanted it for; the original story synopsis mentioned that Turkey had been "decimated by a series of devastating and unprecedented natural disasters", which CSAT used as an excuse to step in and basically take over. But that was before BIS had to scrap alot of their work, and we don't even have any official back-story available to us right now, so who knows if that is still canon.

Edited March 17, 2014 by 2nd Ranger

[cozza 24]

The ending kinda opens up two possible armaverse story lines. (Maybe future DLC)

One were WW3 has began and NATO and CSAT are going at it with earthquakes instead of nukes (:confused:) Conflict in the pacific. Huge possibilitys.

Another for a single campaign ala PMC style. PMC's on Altis.

I dont know.

[five_seven5-7 56]

Split of the Arma Timeline like Ocarina of Time:

- Weapon is recovered (CSAT and their allies start to search for it)

- Weapon be misplaced (WW#; tsunamis)

[scottmillerukctrg 12]

Miller sabotaged the invasion, but he helped the FIA, he is not friendly to NATO but helps Kerry, if CSAT keeps the bomb, CSAT won't declare war on the US, but it CSAT loses the bomb, CSAT declares war. There are a lot of pieces yet to be found and connected... Like Crossroads said, this is way beyond our pay grade.

[kilroy the nerd 14]

Evidently, MEDCOM wasn't made aware of CTRG's mission because it would attract too much attention. Britain was still clearly part of the taskforce, as visible in the ending dialogue and on the sign seen at Stratis's airbase, so it's not like they had split from NATO and tried to sabotage it for some unknown reason. That would explain why the invasion was sabotaged at least.

That said, I think the remaining CSAT on Altis probably took over the HMS Proteus before Miller could depart and finish trying to get the Tremornator 3000 (assuming Ranger doesn't mind me taking the name for the quake generator), and from there they airlifted what they could from the area. Perhaps CSAT assassinated Akhanteros or any other commanders with intel on the research base to stop them from speaking on the subject, as they would probably be questioned by NATO on CSAT's presence, nevermind the trials on the AAF's war crimes. There's not much to say of the other ending, it's pretty much NATO is gone it would seem. Your only objective left is to attempt survival there. Though, for the first time in the campaign we actually encounter the police offroad. From this, maybe we can gather a clue as to what Miller did before he was doing secret stuff on Altis? Or maybe, it was a disguise, allowing him to get past AAF checkpoints, saying he was cop? Or maybe... I'm putting way too much thought into finally encountering a police offroad.

Also, when did AAS/FIA contract ION? And why aren't they units available in the editor, being limited to caps saying ION?

[2nd ranger 282]

Also, when did AAS/FIA contract ION? And why aren't they units available in the editor, being limited to caps saying ION?

They're just guys in FIA uniforms and an ION cap, no real need to create unit configs for them. Advantages of the gear system.

[mistyronin 1181]

The point is, seems that The Tremornator 3000 ( if Ranger allows me to copy the name ), is the main point of all what happened. A superweapon that can change the course of wars.

IMO Miller seems to be willing to whatever is needed to capture it. Creating even a war NATO vs AAF to provoke enough chaos to safely search and seize it?

If he can finally take it, an angry CSAT scramble all possible forces to recover it.

On the other hand, if not, it seems that the CSAT uses it to threaten countries with natural disasters.

The funny thing is that we don't know who is Miller working for. And if he is really the good guy. Maybe he will appear in the next expansion being a dictator in an island using the power of the Thermomix 3000, or threatening the US or British gov with it... whatever...

[kilroy the nerd 14]

We know exactly who Miller works for, the United Kingdom government. This is made apparent multiple times when Kerry tells NATO about the UKSF, and again when Crossroads mentions the investigation and how it's way above his pay-grade. Also, you just need to see the British flags. For that matter, there's no way they could get the resources they have if they went rogue, so that's not really an excuse.

That aside, that is true. Though, the only really benefit the tremornator 3000 has over nuclear weapons is being less blatantly obvious as a weapon created by man. And as soon as the info of the quake generators becomes public knowledge, with the help is gauges of seismic activity, it'll be easy to determine that it's unusual activity (unless perhaps timed with an actual quake, which would be redundant). Though, the taking of it would definitely cause as much of a panic as nuclear weaponry, only much worse since the public and even apparently major commanders within NATO were previously unaware.

And as for ION, I just thought it'd be nice to have an actual faction for them, since they have the caps and everything. Though, then there'd have to be one for Raven PMC... Though, a campaign about two competing PMCs representing western and eastern interests would certainly be interesting.

[kev2go 9]

Is Miller really working for the UK government? I find it hard to believe that the British would not inform anyone in the American Intel agenicies or within the military command of such an operation. I mean would the UK a close ally of the US, and member of nato really sanction such a complex operation to retrieve a Tremor weapon, that would instigate a war between not only AAF, but possibly a large scale conflict between US/nato and the Csat forces? I mean miller and his crew practically orchestrated the AAF attack against Americans on Stratis, and riled up the insurgents so AAF would call in csat for assistance, allowing Csat to bring In that device to test on the island, and later use against the new Nato invasion force. If this was A UK operation they cleary didn't seem intent on sharing the tech with other nato allies. why?

By the end of the game miller seems more like an antagonist, a rogue operative working for a 3rd party, who took advantage of you, screwed you over, rather that of a dedicated SF guy willing to do whatever takes.

There should have been a 3rd ending to have let you steal the truck, but instead of delivering it to that 2 faced miller, inform nato, and drive it back to them just prior to retreat of the Csat forces who launch a large scale invasion after the device is taken. Kerry would be a hero, America would be able to transport this device back to the states, replicate it, and be more technologically even with CSAT, and hopefully share it, with other nato nation.

Also a 4th ending with an option to destroy the weapon so no one gets it would also have been a good option. But im guessing Csat would probably have blue print and be able to recreate it?

ON a side note I noticed that in this latest installment the Americans end up looking like confused bumbling fools in this game, like the modern keystone cops or something.

1) They were somehow unaware that csat deployed forces in altis( which is why they didn't take the airfield in the original assault expecting only aaf). I mean come on, doesn't the US have satellite imaging, that would detect naval movents/ large transports heading towards altis, or csat movment positions on the ground, or perhaps stealth high altitude air recon assets? Its like there is a even bigger iron curtain over csat territory, than there was during the cold war. I mean its like the military intel department and CIA decided to get lazy because they didn't get a raise. They also Cleary had no idea of such a weapon while the brits or at least miller group were aware of.

2) Once the Americans learn from Kerry of Miller and his UKSF CtRG team ( which supposedly the brits had already pulled out long ago), they failed to come up on any significant info on a background check.

Also they treat Kerry with suspicion rather then the survors welcome he should have deserved. He was a unwitting accomplice of miller( and so were us gamers) who thought he was part of the good guys till near the end of adapt episdode, despite suspicsions..

3) Once they declared miller hostile and told Kerry to stay away, im surprised that US forces had no Special ops personnel of their own on the island, and if they did or didnt, why not assign them to track down Millers group to find out what the hell they were doing, and maybe even to capture or kill them. I mean if the brits don't acknowledge them or their mission even unofcially, and he's labelled hostile, why not? Altis isn't that big of an island.

All in all the ending leaves sort of a cliff-hanger regardless of the ending( I think smell some sort of conspiracy), which possibly opens up room for a future DLC/ Expnasion?

Im rooting for Kerry. Due to him surviving all that, his experience in leading/ fighting with guerillas. Im surprised a recruiter from the green berets, or Delta hasn't come around looking to offer him an opportunity to try out. ID assume Kerry would take it, since it would be an opportunity to somehow get closer to the truth, end up tracking down miller/weapon? Possibly a personal revenge? Who knows. Well that and why wouldnt he want to try out to join America's best warriors.

Either way still a decent campaign I guess.

Edited April 8, 2014 by kev2go

[Alwarren 2767]

All in all the ending leaves sort of a cliff-hanger regardless of the ending( I think smell some sort of conspiracy), which possibly opens up room for a future DLC/ Expnasion?

SORT of a cliffhanger? That's like saying the ocean is sort of salty. Everything in the campaign is up to guessing. Who was Miller working for? Why? Who has the tempest device? Why is it that makes CSAT attack the island and take over just-like-that in one ending and leaves the AAF to die in the other? Regardless how you look at it, there isn't enough information to even make educated guesses.

[Variable 322]

SORT of a cliffhanger? That's like saying the ocean is sort of salty. Everything in the campaign is up to guessing. Who was Miller working for? Why? Who has the tempest device? Why is it that makes CSAT attack the island and take over just-like-that in one ending and leaves the AAF to die in the other? Regardless how you look at it, there isn't enough information to even make educated guesses.

My feeling is that even BIS has no idea. The whole campaign story feels like the stories that my daughter tells me when she gets back from Kindergarten that make no sense at all.

[kilroy the nerd 14]

NATO would've shot him for deserting or arrested him for insubordinance. And of course Miller is working for UK. They British probably did alert the CIA and so on, but not the military command for the same reasons most of Allied command in WWII probably had no awareness of the atom bomb. And why would UK provoke an attack on their allies? Similarly, it's apparent that the FIA were already riled up. You know, genocide and corruption do that to a person/insurgency. Also, why wouldn't NATO sanction such a complex operation? An earthquake generator is a pretty big deal. Also, there's no way CSAT would bring their superweapon with them against a lousy insurgency. It's highly likely CSAT was already researching the weapon there, given the large number of research bases across the island already established. Finally, the reason there's no SOCOM or anything on the island is likely due to it being a "former sovereign territory" of the UK, so UK would be more connected with it. Just like they're highly connected with US, Malta, or anyone in the Commonwealth of Nations.

By the way, wasn't Miller only considered hostile while the investigation into UKSF on Altis was going on? Also, maybe they're keeping Kerry on a low paygrade so he doesn't get into something he's not supposed to know. Gotta protect from whistleblowers, y'know?

As for the side note, that's probably because they were grunts and everything going on around them was above their pay grade keeping them in the dark, so they WERE confused bumbling fools.

Mhm, the campaign feels all over the place. We have a totally unexplained ambush from AAF in the beginning, an odd disappearance of Miller's team throughout most of Adapt, and either a completely unclear problem at the airport (which is a civilian airport now which has a beautiful lack of all civilian air traffic and is filled with civilians) in one ending or near total annihilation of MEDCOM of NATO in the other ending (which makes little sense as to why CSAT was reserving all that power when they could've quickly removed the NATO presence and shown them their might).

[TSAndrey 1]

(which makes little sense as to why CSAT was reserving all that power when they could've quickly removed the NATO presence and shown them their might).

Because a full attack would escalate into a major war. CSAT didn't want a war, but when their weapon was stolen, they probably decided to attack the island to recover it!

[TheGazember 10]

Doesn't Miller say something about "our invasion" the mission before Game Over?

I swore he said something along those lines, which would point to him working with CSAT, since they're the ones invading the island in the end mission. He's definitely not working the Americans, the commander wants Kerry court marshaled for just working with him and the FIA (Really, that U.S. commander was acting strange when Kerry linked up with him. Why was he mad at Kerry for trying to stay alive and fight against the enemy?)

I don't think that Miller actually fought against CSAT at all during the campaign, just AAF, which was just a pawn of CSAT from what I've observed. The only evidence I can think of that contradicts Miller being with CSAT is finding James(?) dying right before you get the earthquake truck, but there's no evidence that it was actually CSAT that he was fighting. Miller being with CSAT also explains why he sabotaged so many NATO advances into the islands.

Has anyone tried delivering the truck to NATO?

EDIT

Also, the CSAT invasion happens if you decide to deliver the truck to Miller, but not if you stay with NATO, which doesn't make sense unless Miller was CSAT and needed/wanted the truck to begin the invasion.

Edited May 1, 2014 by TheGazember

[2nd ranger 282]

CSAT invades because Miller stole the device. If you don't go after the truck, CSAT still have the device and probably just pull out from the island.

[Variable 322]

Somehow the hole riddled storyline and other disappointing aspects of this campaign remind me of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Someone needs to make a Red Letter Media styled review of it, it would be hilarious!

http://redlettermedia.com/plinkett/star-wars/star-wars-episode-1-the-phantom-menace/

[mjolnir66 48]

You know why there are so many holes? Because we're viewing this from one, very, very narrow point of view. There is a lot of stuff that we can't see because there is no way Kerry would be able to see it. Imgaine how much more confusing it would be if you weren't Kerry and instead just some soldier involved in the evacuation from Stratis and then the invasion of Altis. One month, you are pulling off Stratis, then suddenly you're getting some garblled transmissions from Stratis which rapidly go dead, then a month down the line you're invading Altis. I like that there is mystery, it leaves an opening and it feels natural. And it's quite in keeping with the game itself, you never really can work out whats actually going on in game anyway. :D

[Variable 322]

My problem is not the facts we don't know, it's the facts we do know that make little sense or no sense at all. Hole riddled is an expression for a badly written story, don't take it literally.

[molotovnasa 11]

why dosent kerry (when miller abandons him to go shove his dick in his new treminator 3000) just regroup with the FIA then go back to stratis for a evac or just gurilla warfare CSAT's ass?

[armilio 14]

Guys, probably we will know more in the next expansion/DLC of Arma3. Is the classic cliffhanger. The only thing we truly don't know is how all started, why AAF attacked. I don't think Miller want that, surely had not made easier his work, but maybe he did something that pissed off AAF. Or maybe is because with the support of CSAT, AAF had took courage. The rest is understandable, broadly. Miller disappeared many times with all british because they were searching the device. And, during this searching, NATO cannot invade Altis, because if happen CSAT escape with the secret-weapon still hidden somewhere, like happen in the "NATO-win" ending. Indeed - like a breafing text said - after NATO invade Altis, CSAT withdraw from the all fights in the island. Or is possible Miller want CSAT finish the weapon and after steal that.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Armilio

[suiside 95]

just a thought...

miller works for black ops and has his mission, not the same as kerry who works for nato as a regular, both missions can conflict with each other like the dutch missions in afghanistan did in the first years of the war there, our ops teams fought active war against afghans while our regular troops fought for the hearts and minds, road building and setting up schools and what not that our spec ops destroyed if needed. (this is rather black and white but this is reality in a lot of cases)(no afghan was part of 911 nor any taliban so why fight them or even full scale invade the country ?) *sorry for the politics it is purely to illustrate*

CSAT (can i say BRICS ?) goes to altis (greece as now the chinese bought some realestate for navy assets) and do some research, real life is like the game and vise versa.

back to miller.

miller has the objective to obtain the "Tremornator 3000" while regular nato troops are even unaware of its existence (who imagined stealth prior to the early '80's ?)

to get it he attacks AAF on stratis who in return attack nato, because who else would be there ? firing at AAF ?

war ensues and miller has a fog to operate in, but CSAT realizes the fishy smell and gets in the fight, partially to retrieve their asset and partially because there might be an agreement like article 5 in nato ?

we don't know the real deal because we lack the politics, but my guess is that miller is the bad guy here simply because his mission which is not to destroy the Tremornator 3000 but to obtain it, meaning they want to use it them self (the ones who gave miller his mission).

for all we know the CSAT forces stole it when going in to turkey, trying to figure it out on altis and not in their native countries because that would mess up their own gardens ?

i know it is messy and dirty politics etc. but it makes sense to me

[frostwyrm333 1]

I think that Miller is actually working for ION or something similar. He is piling bodies just to maintain secrecy while NATO don't even know about the device which is alarming.

Why would he want NATO to remain ignorant if he was a part of military?

possibly off topic:

Since I recently finished TKOH and there is a connection because TKOH mentions ION. At the end, ION CEO escapes with a mysterious very heavy container. While this is 20 years before Arma 3, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a connection.

[kireta21 13]

I have another theory. Why would CSAT risk WW3 to recover machine they created? They sure have blueprints, and even if NATO would copy it, in strategic sense it's just yet another WMD.

What if Miller and his team ultimately didn't work for UK, but were bought by a third party (ION?) to use UK undercover mission to obtain device for them? Someone powerfull enough to use contacts within AAF to make them retreat from winning battle (Camp Maxwell). By events of Win, already confirmed rouge, and thus considered hostile. Superpowers don't really need such weapon, but it would be a godsend for private armies, terrorists or some small countries, that don't have to worry about igniting M.A.D. with their WMD attack.

Whole flashpoint on Stratis could have been ignited by Miller, or other rouge agents to providing oportunity to steal device. Mike-26 was destroyed, because establishing communication with NATO would result in ceasefire and end conflict. Attack on Agia Marina was meant to kill off members of Aegis, trapped in town, waiting for reinforcements to never show up, but sudden involvement of CSAT made Miller scavenge what left, and use it to reinforce FIA on Altis. Despite clearly having communication with NATO on Altis, Miller didn't inform them there are survivors from Task Force Aegis. Artillery position in "Beyond Recognition" which Kerry was tasked to silence was guarded by Special Forces, coincidence?

Miller was helping FIA, and later sabotaging NATO operations to prolong war between NATO and AAF, giving him more time to locate and aquire device. They had to rush attack, and nearly got wiped out because war was basically over, and CSAT was about to pull out their research operation. Reason for CSAT to invade at full force was because they suddenly ran out of options, when they realised device was missing.

Edited October 12, 2014 by boota

[ante185 2]

I'm pretty sure miller was working for the UK, as Kerry, nor any other AMERICAN there would be high enough rank to know about it.