u/Acorrani

This has probably been, and will keep being discussed at some point in time, but I love this kind of technicalities about a setting, and this community is pretty inventive (as well as sweet and passionate :P).

So, in your mind, in a future five years from now what type of reality is at play in the original game and how does it interact with Max's powers?

1. Single timeline that gets erased and overwritten in its entirety by any past changes. Only the current moment exists (though it's rather debatable what the 'current' moment is for Max). Max possesses precognition for certain events, like the storm that hasn't yet manifested. Her visions aren't actually a real place. The sounds from the photos Max hears are just a part of her memories of that moment. The minimal, budget option.

2. Single timeline, but every moment exists simultaneously. This lets Max witness the storm personally in a future moment before it exists in the current time, as well as hear the past sounds from a photo before going through. Past changes cause every relative future moment to replay according to what has been changed.

3. Branching timelines, similar to a tree's structure. Only the current moment exists, like a horizontal plane going up the tree. Certain choices create a separate branch, like Max rewinding or going through a photo. Perhaps including every single random event down to the quantum level. If a change occurs in the past, a new branch is created. A timeline is never overwritten and Max never ends up in the same branch again. Max has precognition to be able to see the storm, and a good audio memory to boot. The branches continue developing even after the Player Max's consciousness switches to a different one (while a split is created where she doesn't switch). This can happen after the "time plane" catches up to the changes or the current moment in the timelines might be able to desync (it doesn't matter because they can't interact with each other anymore).

4. Branching timelines where every moment exists simultaneously (in the case of a split, up to the split), however it is still impossible to return to the same past. Max witnesses the storm directly in several of the future branches (multiple times, creating a split each time). She hears sounds from photo timelines that have already branched from the moment of the original photo being taken to account for the fact she is hearing the sounds. The branches continue on even after the Player Max's consciousness switches to a different one, similar to the static version.

5. Have to mention a deterministic type of reality where no alterations are possible and past changes are a part of events leading to the end result but this is clearly not the case in the game. Time loops are also rather out.

6. Something else?

 

My opinion:

Current moment vs simultaneous

>!For me personally, the idea of only one moment existing is dubious at best. I support the variants where all the moments are being acted out at the same "time", allowing past and future events to be seamlessly experienced, as well as the changes to be "lived through". These continuous variants would also be much easier to reconcile with multiple time travelers. Multi-Max!!<

Single vs branching

>!I vote for branching. Saves us from a couple of your usual time paradoxes. Though if we ponder it even a bit, the branching type of reality must also be the worst horror show for Max if she ever begins to suspect this is what's going on. Because instead of changing things she creates whole additional infinite universes with all the suffering that carries, while always abandoning a copy of herself, and those she is trying to help, in a bad situation in the current branch. Makes you wonder if simply leaving the storm be (we're saving Chloe, of course) as early as possible is actually a good ending for the multiverse. Maximum hands off!!<

>!P.S. I know branching might seem to diminish or completely turn on its head the agency and impact of Max's decisions, as well as their morality, all the way to the meaning of life etc. But it looks like the more realistic option, and besides, when did the universe ever have meaning or intrinsic morality? And we still get to live in it. (Deadpan Max face)!<

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Bonus question:

>!If we lived underground, would we call a tree structure a root structure?!<

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If you have ideas, please also do tell what facts or events make you inclined to think so.

EDIT: Thanks to everyone for such in-depth and thoughtful replies.