Question about the end of Part 5 (SPOILERS!)

[Smellyfries]

Question for those who have completed part 5. Spoilers ahead.

Spoiler

I just completed part 5 of Tales, and appear to have concluded the story. However, with the Forman's last log, you get a Polaroid showing them and the Security Chief in the mines, next to a minecart without a prompt to investigate. 

I'm curious if that's just a memento, or if it's actually leading to another secret, much like all the other Polaroids through part 5's story. 

Has anyone gone to try and find the location of that photo to see if there's anything there? I really don't want to make a 6th trip to the Far Territory and get lost in the mines of the Zone of Contamination, since I don't have very many Respirator Filters left.

 

[mintietcatm]

52 minutes ago, Smellyfries said:

Question for those who have completed part 5. Spoilers ahead.

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I just completed part 5 of Tales, and appear to have concluded the story. However, with the Forman's last log, you get a Polaroid showing them and the Security Chief in the mines, next to a minecart without a prompt to investigate. 

I'm curious if that's just a memento, or if it's actually leading to another secret, much like all the other Polaroids through part 5's story. 

Has anyone gone to try and find the location of that photo to see if there's anything there? I really don't want to make a 6th trip to the Far Territory and get lost in the mines of the Zone of Contamination, since I don't have very many Respirator Filters left.

 

Really??? Damn I dont remember this. Ill have to replay. (Ill come back tomorrow to answer)

[Veskaida]

 

10 hours ago, Smellyfries said:

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the Forman's last log, you get a Polaroid showing them and the Security Chief in the mines, next to a minecart without a prompt to investigate. 

I'm curious if that's just a memento, or if it's actually leading to another secret, much like all the other Polaroids through part 5's story.

 

An interesting theory! That would certainly be very sneaky if Hinterlands added something to find post-TALES but without an overt mission. Personally I do not think this is the case though, since (meta-breaking) the polaroid is drawn in TLD's art style rather than being rendered with in-game graphics; some polaroids (which are actual in-game locations) appear to be filtered-applied in-game screenshots (I assume to aid in the player actually finding the location), but this location being completely drawn by an artist makes me believe it is not represented 1:1 in-game and likely does not does not exist in-game.

Paintings and "photographs" hanging inside of houses and other structures around GBI follow this trend in that they confirm to TLD's aesthetic style, but do not reflect in-game graphics 1:1, for example the "photograph" inside Vacant Depot in Transfer Pass (screenshots below).

10 hours ago, Smellyfries said:

Has anyone gone to try and find the location of that photo to see if there's anything there? I really don't want to make a 6th trip to the Far Territory and get lost in the mines of the Zone of Contamination, since I don't have very many Respirator Filters left.

I'll try investigating ZOC for an area/location which looks like this, but from memory I cannot think of any place in ZOC minecraft/machinery and the distinctive sloped walls of the tunnel portrayed in-game. The only other mines: Cinder Hills in CH/PV, the two Abandoned Mines in DP, the Gold Mine in AC, and the mine in BR all look even less similar I believe, and we also have no evidence of Rüdiger's team operating there so I think ZOC is the obvious logical connection if there is going to ever be one.

Here are screenshots of the Polaroid I think OP means.

Spoiler

For comparison, here is another TALES polaroid "Foreman's Polaroid 3" which clearly shows filter-applied in-game graphics.

Spoiler

Here are some other examples of "photographs" and paintings from Vacant Depot, Transfer Pass. There are many other similar examples to these, namely in Mystery Lake and Coastal Highway inside the houses/cabins.

Spoiler

 

Edited November 4 by Veskaida

[Smellyfries]

13 hours ago, Veskaida said:

the polaroid is drawn in TLD's art style rather than being rendered with in-game graphics; some polaroids (which are actual in-game locations) appear to be filtered-applied in-game screenshots (I assume to aid in the player actually finding the location), but this location being completely drawn by an artist makes me believe it is not represented 1:1 in-game and likely does not does not exist in-game.

That is a good observation and a great point! I didn't really think about this since I was just chasing polaroid locations for the past 6 hours, and figured that this polaroid followed the same trend. This is likely just a Memento left behind by the Foreman before they likely wandered off and died someone on Great Bear.

Also, looking at the picture more, it looks more like they are in front of one of the connectors (or chutes?) between buildings at the factory in ZOC, the same ones you can use to travel between the buildings. Same time, there's a distinct lack of important detail and landmarks to point too its exact location, and I don't think any location, even within the mines, is exactly a single Tone of Greenish Grey, like the photo, making me think it's likely not a real place at all.

Thank you all for looking into this though, I really appreciate the help. Even if the Polaroid leads to nowhere, I'm satisfied with where the DLC storyline ends.

 

[TFA303]

Also - the photo in that polaroid is also in a larger version on a wall somewhere - maybe in the big building in ZOC, IIRC.