Canon

* See also MMORPG_Lore
* See also Timeline
* See also Expanded_Lore_Canon
* See also Fact_or_opinion
* See also Death_Of_The_Author
* See also Beware of Vague Audio Diaries OR What Characters Say. They are not necessarily Expressions of Fact.
--- --- --- --- ---
In Fiction, CanonIn fiction, Canon is the material/things accepted as officially part of the story in the fictional universe of that story. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction. is the material accepted as officially part of the story in the specify universe/world of THAT story.
Unfortunately, in the Real World, later works in the same fictional 'universe' can be created which directly contradict earlier 'Canon' -- Particularly when the details are part of the Primary Narrations, instead of just mentions in dialog/thoughts of characters which might potentially be Interpretation/Opinion (and NOT Fact). This can lead to questioning veracity of that new material in the new work.Example - Elizabeth allegedly wiping out all Comstocks at the end of Infinite BS was then immediately followed by a DLC 'Burial At Sea' directly contradicting that story element, which was met by much What The F$%# from the Players of the game genre's.
WHO "authoritatively" is allowed modification of Canon, its definition, and acceptance ? That is also a matter of opinion ( As in the case of sloppy later works by the same author, versus the readers of the earlier works ).
Contradictions are caused when there are changes to fundamental 'Facts', which simply cannot be currently explained or somehow might be resolved by further/additional explanation/elaboration (( Preferably WITHOUT ridiculous convolutions of the story )).
-
"Death Of The Author" - Concept - Interpretations of the Canon by the Audience are not limited by the Author of a work]]
--- --- ---
SO Where Do We Go From There With The Rapture Reborn MMORPG ? :
'The Plot' from BS1/BS2/Minervas_Den is now Lore/Canon. The City is a Wreck and the Players are now tasked with bringing Rapture back to life.  Further lame and illogical excuses can be avoided for the continuing story. New explanations might disclose further events that explain better what happened and why. Explanations directly from Ryan ( New Audio Diaries ) explaining WHY he had to make certain decisions with factors not previously disclosed -- Plans that went wrong, unforeseen circumstances, betrayals by critical people at critical/chaotic times ...
--- --- ---
Examples CLARIFICATIONS :
Ryan had to fight fire with fire, as his conventionally 1950s equipped Security Men could not handle the Splicer's inhuman abilities ( It took heavy hardware he equipped them to fight a 'face on' battle, but terrorist 'hit and run' attacks upon civilians are hard to counter ).  Ryan might equip some of his organized forces with Plasmids (?) and ordinary citizens with guns to counter the enemy, before half the city was killed and the other half starved to death - the disruptions were that severe.
Again and again, likely being told there was NO TIME to develop certain things he would rather have used.
The Pheromone Control scheme to try to nullify Atlas's Splicers would be rushed into use ( and needed because his own 'spliced' forces (?) would eventually go down the same uncontrollable path ).  The Pheromones Control effect would NOT be like 'Would You Kindly', with exact orders, but would be a general mood changer -- to make Splicers passive when needed, so that disruptions would stop and Rapture's critical-infrastructure/essentials could be resumed ( Notice that when Jack was there, many things were still running, and noone but Splicers were in sight - so who do you think was doing all the work ?? Someone was, ELSEWHERE. Atlas would try to get Jack through 'the least controlled' parts of Rapture. )
Ryan might have long-term plans to develop ADAM technology to 'wipe' memories so that problematic people could be sent out of Rapture safely.  Vita-Chambers were being developed to handle the addiction without the chronic debilitating side-effects of ADAM 'disease'.
A 'Cure' would have to be looked for to fix the people already addicted and poisoned by ADAM.
ADAM still held alot of potential, but would have to have the insanity/genetic-mutilation side effects  eliminated ( and Plasmids would be banned/controlled until then ).
Many people who Ryan had trusted were spies (or worse) for the Enemy, and they needed to be contained ( all the ones he had simply 'locked up' are not emphasized all that much -- remember Persephone ).  Instead, the game's Ryan 'Trophy' Wall was shown where a handful of corpse were crucified - THAT was created as an 'easy scene' for 'the plot'. But seriously, how many people were ever allowed to that place to see if it was supposed to 'Serve as a Warning' ???  Even the 'hung' people in Apollo Square should have had signs on them "10 trips to the surface and 10 possible times to give Rapture away to the KGB or CIA" -- THAT would have given a much clearer message. That's assuming "Gene Traitor" wasn't actually retributions made by Fontaine/Atlas after Ryan was dead at that point in BS1.
The game needed to give a simple explanation to those who might not understand that WAR changes things so much.   Real War isn't a computer game that you can turn off and go get something to eat and then go watch TV.  Most people who play these game hardly know what real War is.  Strong Measures, not usually considered under normal circumstances, become necessary to avoid losing EVERYTHING -- Unless you think it is better to Surrender, and then be at the mercy of those who don't care anything about fairness or even any law.  Would not THAT reality have been a significant point to make in the game ??? (( But Oops, gets in the way of the "Nasty Ole Ryan - We need To Kill HIM !!!" forced path. ))
Perhaps in the MMORPG Player Created Content, there would be some/many Players willing to tell the missing parts of the story.
--- --- ---
Canon (None Should be Loose) :
The Novel (BioShock: Rapture) is to be taken as Canon as much as BS2 and Minervas Den and Multiplayer compatible details as far as name/places/events/characters/plots which are useful MMORPG material. All would be cohesively fit together to work logically ( more than a few extra details added to explain/resolve discrepancies where possible, leaning on the vagueness of what's been previously supplied in-game, handling the hearsay/biased opinion and possible errors in the "proofs" to allow integrating them into the whole ).
Even a number of bits from BaSx can add some nice Assets -- But much there can (WHEN NEEDED) be EASILY ditched/discarded/ignored/mutated as only being details from 'a separate universe', or some crazy persons delusions, WHEN it contradicts previous Rapture, or is simply too NON-science ( ie- the 'Air Grabber' stuff is utter crap ) to be outside the Sci-Fi theme of the MMORPG's Rapture.
In the MMORPG there would be plenty of opportunity to fix broken Canon.
--- --- ---
Classic Rapture :
Now defined as BioShock Rapture before the contamination of the Infinite BS stuff was 'glombed' onto it in that 'quick-n-dirty' 'before-they-folded-the-company' DLC :
* NO Quantum Mechanics/Physics/Multiverse fantasy-type pseudo-science 
* NO Tear BS ( Where did that "Makes you into an Interdimensional god" crap come from ??) 
* NO Suchong creating the Vita-Chambers/working with 'Tears' etc...
* NO Atlas and thugs in a ludicrous Department store Prison, running free or otherwise. 
* NO Booker/Elizabeth/Sally ( except as ridicule made in creative player's side productions )
* NO dim magic FreightHooks/PneumoLine and Vacuum-cleaner Skyhook stupidity just to facilitate a DLC-recycled feeble game mechanic.
* NO "Ace in the Hole" with Atlas being a severe moron and leaving the WYK control phrase out of his possession.
* NO Daisy_Fitzroy being revised to 'just misunderstood' instead of a bloodthirsty murderous revolutionary.
* NO deluded hype about pathetically distorted and poorly presented "American" Social Ills.
--- --- ---
Canon for the MMORPG :
What is to be taken as "Canon" for the MMORPG ?
* Content which is SEEN IN the actual PLAYED Rapture (BS1/BS2) games is a Primary Canon. Audio Diaries heard in those games is to be taken with 'a grain of salt' as they often are vague and biased from the point of view of the recorder ( which the writers used to push a deceptive story to facilitate their 'plot twist' in BS1 and continued with in BS2 ).
* Minervas Den DLC because of its rushed nature is Secondary ( some contradictions might be resolved ). Burial at Sea has much Infinite BS distortions and fantasy-pollution that can be discarded ( plausible details can be "garbage recycled" if useful ) .
* Web-based promotional content is Tertiary - Used where it adds something worthy to the story without stretching plausibility. Nothing from the Columbia side of any stories is relevant.
* Assets included in the original game data (on the CD/Files) but not used in the game is NOT properly 'Canon' ( though may still be tapped into for useful details ). Things possibly intended but NOT/NEVER delivered IN-GAME ARE NOT CANON.
* Interviews ( including those long after the game came out ) of developers talking about what the games were MEANT to be (but wasn't shown) might be tapped for ideas, but is NOT Canon. 
* Levine's comment that Burial at Sea's Rapture was 'Prime' is retroactive Fantasy-linked Columbia Bullshit ( The whole intrusion into Rapture isn't even consistent with 'How things work' in Infinite BS - which wasn't consistent within itself. Rapture is a Sci-Fi setting, so needs to use consistent universe rules. )
Because this BioShock MMORPG works on logic and non-fantasy, lower priority contradictory content will be arbitrarily discarded ( or adjusted to better fit ). Some interesting legacy material might be employed and explained as the product of ADAM caused insanity.
--- --- ---
Various Canon REPAIR 
So HAD BS2 Showed Delta and Little Eleanor Walking About TOO Early ??
Was that on New Years 1958->1959 ? *OR* was it actually sometime later ? There is good reason to assume this :
* The BS2 game's scenes being Vague can help when it is desirable not to trash the BS1 Canon.
* Any-old later party Would DO, instead of it being during the 1958-1959 New Years Eve party. This seeming discrepancy/problem could be explained away : as it makes so much MORE COMPLETE sense for it to have taken place AFTER the City's Terrorist Disruption ( so-called %27civil war%27 ) started, and when corpses started piling up for an "Gatherers" to have a reason to exist (and then even somewhat after that when the "Protectors" were being created/developed to protect THEM ).
* Rich people still "Eat Drink and Be Merry for Tomorrow We Shall Die" partying in the midst of Rapture coming apart - THAT is not so unlikely at any point. The MMORPG can have lots of Flashbacks clarifying such things.
* The vision/viewpoint you see as 'evidence' is that from inside Delta's faceplate. But Little Details kinda get mixed up when you have a head full of ADAM-dementia. For all we know an Alpha BD would just see "Nineteen Fifty COW" --- for all it matters in its mind.
--- --- ---
Adjusting Canon ( Will HAVE to be Done ) :
Many things in the Lore/Canon shown in the games are contradictory or are illogical, and the MMORPG requires a cohesive/consistent storyline to correct/elaborate.
So in Patching the master storyline for the MMORPG, care would be made to minimize other connected events while 'Patching' the details.
Example :
If BS2 having Delta a 'Protector' to Eleanor - apparently in 1958 ( as the introductory cutscene seems to shows ), is in conflict with having Protectors or Gatherers that early, BEFORE Kashmir even happened ( with no real reason to have them yet exist ), then things could be adjusted :
That Party you see IS NOT for New Years 1958->1959, but many months afterwards (like 6+ months) when the Killings/Violence in the city ( and the resulting many corpses ) might warrant having deployed Gatherers, and then when those were constantly attacked, having Protectors start to be deployed ( where Delta could be one of the first ).      Minor Details can be explained/adjusted, while Major Illogic (being a Deal-breaker) is ELIMINATED.
* Also See Protectors_Too_Soon
Time(line) Positioning is the issue, NOT the events - A problem they really screwed up with in the BaS  storyline/details, such that much of that ( having lesser rank Canon priority )  needs to be subject to 'fixing',  to clear up the Flotilla of Story Conflicts. We do have an easy-out there in Fantasy driven/multiverse Infinite-land DLC : That it simply WASN'T the same dimension (and DID NOT NEED TO BE), despite that 'It is Prime' tweet from ole Ken -- who might have been on-something for all we know at the time ( or needed to make believe he was relevant cuz he was looking for a new job ).  "It was ALL A DREAM" can be invoked if we need to 'Go Nuclear' ( I've suggested this for the coming BS3 ).
So having that event 6+ months AFTER the Kashmir Massacre -- when the City's violence/death escalated drastically, and THEN there was a need for more ADAM] for Citizen's self-protection/addiction, and sufficient time for the Protector to NEED to be developed. That would change things gamewise only in a minor way. ( Otherwise, Why so drippy already ?? And Andrew Ryan was probably constantly on the TV by that point organizing the citizens defense, etc ... ).
As to minor details, like claims that Delta walked in on the festivities at the New Years Kashmir, which now some people think HAS to be next to the Adonis Resort ( because of an advertisement sign being seen ?? )   Consider we saw big  Fleet Hall signs everywhere we went, so it is not to hard to make what appeared there (to some) just an  advertisement, instead of Delta/Little Eleanor "Being Right There" in Kashmir just before the bombs went off.   Now, adjusted to be NO LONGER THAT same occasion, it also does NOT have to be the same Kashmir Restaurant Location - that party, seen briefly, could be then IN the Ballroom Facilities AT the Adonis Resort at a later date.  ( Fancy Masks ?  Why not ?  The lowliest Splicers wear them, as we've seen later, so perverse Rich people could be now wearing Masks at THEIR party ... )
The Significant Things (historic events, story-wise) in that scene are the Delta/Eleanor/Sofia involvement in Delta's Death, which really makes no difference IF it all happened somewhat later.   Rich people likely still continued to throw big parties, even when Rapture is in chaos (( Masque of the Red Death  -- Poe )).   
----
----
----
== How Dare I Even Think to Change the Canon ??   ==
The MMORPG would be a FURTHER Game, and they have already changed (broke) and twisted the Canon in their game sequence, so why CAN THIS BE A PROBLEM ???   ( Especially if it creatively expands it and Corrects those conflicting issues already existing in those previous games ... )
The problematic bits of Infinite BS and BaSx content can simply be flushed away as 'It was only a Dream' some Rapture Splicer had.
--- --- ---
Wishy Washy Plotz (BaSx) - Infinite BS, and Beyond ... :
Having crutches like : Time Travel, Cross-Dimensional Meddling, Do-Overs, Infinite Alternate Universes, makes it rather bothersome for the Player to distinguish anything that should matter in the story. It is all soupy-quicksand that can be changed and changed-completely again at the writer(s) whim. It is a distraction because of its weirdness to the Player, who has trouble relating to it. It detracts from appreciation of any other story element.
'Same' by definition doesn't exist between multiverses - each one is different (many hugely so). When infinite universes 'branch off' every sub-femto-second, each one then is on a different trajectory. They are NOT 'the same' ( and the 'Butterfly Effect' will see to accelerating massive change accumulating with the tiniest difference ).
All this crap with of a Rapture setting with recycled Vigor names, and whole warped Canon changed sections about Atlas/Suchong, and all the other newly introduced Columbia-type stuff, it simply shows this is NOT the same Rapture. By the Infinite BS world's Faux-Science system ( the system the writers say it works under ), there is no real reason that it should be the same ( that's actually fundamental to the Infinite BS story ).
Ken Levine (Mr 'It is prime') can say anything he wants, the money is in the bank, and it matters not that these weird addon stories don't make any more sense. His declaring 'Prime' actually doesn't make any sense in the fantasy quantum multiverse system employed in BS Infinite and which has now tainting Rapture.
Booker and Elizabeth switched between at least 3 ( 4 ? ) different 'dimensions' ( alternate universes in BS Infinite ) -- so which one of THEM is this 'Prime' Ken ??? It is some Rapture, but not OUR Rapture.
--
What exactly is 'Canon' when there are infinite universes with every possible possibility existing ?? We don't even know what happened to Jack beyond that limited scene in the 'Evil Ending' ( Did he die within a few days of a childhood disease, or marines on the sub machine-gunned him and all the Splicers, or they simply left and he went back to Rapture -- SLBM Missile Subs don't investigate plane crashes in most logical universes - so no nukes for Jack anyway ). An awful lot of Little Sisters 'bit the dust' one way or another, so we really can't say what would have happened to 'Sally' ( Jack killed her and ate her Slug -- that's a pretty good likelihood ). Nothing in Quantum Physics gives anyone an ability 'seeing the future', so Elizabeth is just delusional.
--- --- --- 
Canon and Lore - The Rapture Universe : 
With the Player Created Assets integral to the MMORPG, someone will have to be the 'authority' to make decisions about shaping additions to the 'Rapture Universe' and whether submissions for plot elaborations 'fit'. Original developers like Ken Levine and the other designers probably won't want the job ( except for some (paid) consultation about 'big decisions' ) and would delegate the job to others. In the hierarchy, non-paid advisers (the Player Collaboration) would have to exist to do much of the 'grunt work' ( to match the business model's needs ). Publishing and sticking with extensive definitive guidelines can short-circuit alot of repetitive 'dumb questions'. Having early 'open community' commentary (collaborative vetting) tasked to find glitches/invalid submissions, would greatly lessen having to refer decisions to company-paid 'authority' ( as well as stop the player authors from wasting their time on something that would be rejected ).
--- --- ---
We DO Strawman Killing In This MMORPG :
WE DONT NOW HAVE SOME STUPID TWIST TO PERVERT OUR GAME TO FACILITATE
Ryan (as a logical Character) was abused in the game to MAKE the Player follow the Villain ...
As I've said elsewhere, the BioShock games ( the real ones with Rapture ) are full of Strawmen used to manipulate the Player ( Whether they reflect the biased beliefs of the designers or inability to handle the limitations on budgeted time and money, or not ).  The MMORPG would give more complete stories to explain why things happened, and what people there actually did ( and probably attempt to explain some of the ridiculous things we half-heard muttered and saw as mere foggy glimpses in the original games ).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
--- --- ---
SitS - "Something In The Sea" Webgame ( Counted as Part of the Canon/Legacy Lore ) :
Seems overly contrived and complicated to me, but I guess when most of it is text, and you have to use a Flash game component, things go a bit off course ( It is largely just a progressing 'document trail'.
http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/There%27s_Something_in_the_Sea  ( partial content of Something In The Sea Assets )
The whole "There is Something in the Sea"  scenario, with Big Sisters stealing dozens of children ( possibly alot more than Meltzer found references to in his investigations ).     How exactly would that work ?  Some Big Sisters came under the direction of Sofia Lamb  ( perhaps other Factions were doing the same thing ??  And it might not always even have to involve Big Sisters to do the 'dirty work'. )   The Big Sisters are mentioned to not be too easy to control, and to take precise directions ( the submarine(s) used may have been run by Lamb's non-insane minions, and the Big Sisters used to snatch the future LS from the coastlines. )
One would assume the children were largely targets of opportunity - who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Did the Big Sisters know to steal children of the precise age ?   Were those stolen who were not-quite the right age later 'disposed of' (euphemism for 'killed') ?  Kidnapping is a dirty business with lots of things to go wrong, which often do.   How many frightened parents were killed trying to protect their children ?? Children killed/drowned in the attempt ?   That bit wasn't quite expressed later in BS2 while we had to listen to all of Sofia Lamb's psycho-babble and whining.
The flexibility of the MMORPG system would allow Flashback recreations (and extrapolations) of some of these events, no doubt someone would be interested in expanding upon that.  There is alot there in the fiddley details of the SitS which were created ( largely an incremental FLASH website presentation ) between BS1 and BS2.    Mark Meltzer's reaching, descending and traversing Rapture in search of his daughter would be a worthy 'campaign' subset of the MMORPG.
I suppose someone could also create Elizabeth and Booker's 'alternate' visit to Rapture ( just before they were chased and torn apart by a gang of Spider Splicers ).   Just another fever dream by a deranged Splicer ( same bad toothache medicine Booker had drunk too much of to give him that whole weird 'Columbia' dream. )
The possibilities are endless.
^^^ add an illogic section for SitS ???
--- --- ---
Game 'Help Notes' ? Source of Canon Conflict ? :
BS2 Help Notes on Stanley Poole -- "Stanley found himself imprisoned within his lie and had no choice but to work for Lamb and the Rapture Family."
Compare what is show in the game about Stanley Poole to that little statement above ...  I suppose one statement a hack tech writer composed for in-game ancillary game material might still TECHNICALLY be 'Canon' --   Contrary Logic : considering that Eleanor had been back with Sofia Lamb ( as of Kashmir night/whenever ) and might whisper at any moment all of Stanley's misdeeds, and Poole's overall (shown) behavior of fear and avoidance and not having him fade away to some spider-hole for the duration, not withstanding.
Is there any sign that Stanley_Poole continued working for 'Sofia Lamb and Rapture Family' ?   How late could that be? 
Didn't Poole drown Dionysus Park before Ryan was dead ? ( perhaps with a good laugh from Ryan ).   Eleanor he sold into slavery BEFORE Kashmir, according to BS2, and that was well before Ryan's death ...   And how soon after disposing of Eleanor did Poole get rid of other witnesses/evidence of his mismanagement by flooding that place ( murdering many people in the process ) ?   He had been running it for Sofia, who was still in prison.  Didn't the game story say he heard Sofia had escaped ( the incident with killing Delta ... )   and he panicked - resulting in Dionysus's watery demise ?
After that, would Poole stick around ( to work for the family ) during the %27civil war%27, and then stay around near Sofia, whom he continued to fear would find out about his misdeeds ?   Any mention of that anywhere, as happening ?   ( Discount his freaking out at having to be around unstable Splicers, and maybe ending up 'a Utopian sacrifice' or 'Unbeliever' - If he didn't show enough 'enthusiasm' for Sofia's crackpot Philosophy ... )
We only see Stanley Poole reappear years later in BS2, when Delta unfloods Dionysus Park ( and he is STILL afraid, and trying 'to cover his ass' ... )   There is little story detail of intervening events about him.
The MMORPG would need to reconcile such 'Letter of the Law vs Spirit of the Law' Canon issues ( Poole being an interesting character which much MORE could/should be elaborated upon in the extended MMORPG Rapture backstory  -- involvement with Sofia/Eleanor/"Johnny Topside"/Sinclair/Rapture Family/etc ... ).
--- --- ---
Weasel-ReCanon :
Levine implies the 'Good' Rapture ending is the ONLY one true Canon... ( about BaSx version of Rapture )
THAT in a DLC following the Infinite BS game which WAS ALL ABOUT INFINITE UNIVERSES and Parallel Dimensions.
BUT I got a different ending than that in BS1 ( I played the game and that's what it showed ) and THAT IS BEING a Canon ending. 
Levine's revisionism is long-after-the-fact retro-canon. With the Infinite BS logic of those "multiple universes", ALL the possible endings are "Canon" -- even INFINITE others we never saw. ) Other authors have done this RetCon trick in the past, and there IS a point where their attempts to change Canon is no longer acceptable. Good writers simply don't have to do this.
The change by Levine is to merely make what Elizabeth does in BaS 'good' ( I Save Sally, Yay !! Dies ... ) . But it still doesn't mean Sally WILL be 'saved' sometime later with the events set in motion - With her being one of many LS killed/eaten by Splicers or even Jack ( yum !! ). Many Little Sisters were killed in Rapture's Chaos ( Why else were Protectors created ? ) Sally could very well be one of those, as the terrible situation in Rapture played out. So Elizabeth's delusion is clear, and Levine just talks 'Weasel-ReCanon' - When he really did not have to. But 'Saved Sally'... ( was it ever explained WHY Elizabeth was so obsessed with that child ) ? 
The really stupid thing is : By helping Atlas ( instead of letting him rot in incarceration, or get killed by the Splicers he's locked up with, or winds up 'volunteered' for a Big Daddy Suit ), Elizabeth directly ENABLES thousands of people to be killed/murdered in Rapture in the terrorist uprising. DID she not care about all THOSE people - IF she allegedly still 'Could see the Future' ? But she 'Saved Sally'... Kinda selfish, no ? 
WORSE - by enabling Fontaine to unleash Chaos and Destruction on Rapture, SHE BRINGS ABOUT THE SITUATION WHERE ALL THOSE LITTLE SISTERS GET KILLED.
Consider the Evil of That. Levine & Co didn't.
--- --- --- --- ---
.
.