Am I the only one who doesn't like Lauri? (ITR2)
I know, big corporation bad, but lemme cook for a second.
We start the game by being introduced to both the UNPSC and Lauri, and immediately, with the way Lauri speaks, it's very clear the game wants you to feel either conflicted or against working with the UNPSC. I can't be the only person here that just... Didn't feel that way, right?
The UNPSC are associated with the UN, it's right there in the name. They aren't a for-profit org looking to exploit the anomalies, they're a governing body trying to figure out what the hell's going on. They don't have all the answers, and have already made headway into making countermeasures against these anomalies and ways to gather data about them to then develop better, more effectives ones.
Lauri wants us to escape because... Why? We might die a lot and go insane? I just don't feel this level of threat to my character, as there's no noticeable sign that makes that apparent. I die and just go get my stuff, and the deaths are so few and far between that the risk is basically not there, and only getting smaller with better equipment, which is provided by, you guessed it, the UNPSC.
I don't think they're some "big bad evil corporation grrrr" level threat. I think they're a researching body trying to figure out a way out of this mess, and one that's been given access to a uniquely-equipped tool to be able to do that with the Altered. They don't die permanently, but when they do it enough times, they go insane. Obviously, this isn't ideal for anyone, so they actively do their best to keep you from going insane.
Under scrutiny, Lauri's whole message of "don't do their bidding, they're just using you" isn't really all that sound to me. They're using me because they don't have a choice, and either I leave the radius and die anyway, or I actually contribute something to the good of the world and help their research out, as I'm uniquely equipped to do anyway. It just doesn't sit right with me that Lauri wants us to leave so bad.
Sure, the UNPSC isn't perfect, and they've done some questionable things, but they're doing them for reasonable purposes. Sending folks into distortion zones without equipment? How are they supposed to make that equipment without data? Plus, they'll just come right back anyway. Initiating by blowing me up? Well, they needed proof, and if they'd told me, I wouldn't have agreed. They know that, so the best way to make sure is to just... Set it up and go.
I just can't understand his reason. It feels short-sighted and selfish. If anyone has any differing opinions, feel free to leave them here, I'd love to hear the other side of the argument.