Aron Keener Mission

[ESPADAS03]

Does anyone Know when we will get a freaking mission where we finally get to hunt down Aron Keener.Because the general gyst im getting from these updates is each time a new DLC drops it essentiallys says hey shit is getting worse... now the next one is survival and how i have been looking at thiss it looks like the second ave i going to experience essentially a first wave fail of holding the darkzone again.

 

[Oh. daesu]

The trail of Aron Keener had ended with him possessing Gordon Amherst's notes and a 3D biological printer. Obviously, his plans was to produce more of the virus. 

Though, I think Jessica Kandel was well on the way towards a vaccine. I'm not sure if it is even remotely feasible for an amateur to produce a new strain unless we are following Hollywood rules of evil geniuses. In which case.. well, certainly!

So, what would be the new release of a virus? 

The finale seasonal DLC is called the Last Stand. Let's start by asking who's last stand it shall be. If it is the opposition, then it would sound like Keener. He has betrayed the other antagonists, Amherst and Bliss. The cleaners and Rikers are only mobs at this point in the story. A new leader could emerge, however I don't think the title of Last Stand would suit them. So, I say Keener. 

The other angle is that the Last Stand refers to the second division. That the choas and descent into the anarchy of betrayal has led us to fight for our own"Survival", not just New York, as we are hunted down by hardcore first wave bounty hunters and then a new nemesis , forcing us into a last stand. One we presumably will over come.

Obviously we will face Keener again. Will we confront him in his last stand, or will be simply fighting our own battle? Which would lead us into facing off Keener in Division 2.0.

The 3D printer is a strong plot device for expanding the story to new areas with the outbreak of a new virus. And in practical terms , we get to expand beyond our well jogged confines of Manhattan. After all, just using the virus without expanding would be a waste of story-line in Keener 's evil plans.

In the last two expansions, Conflict and Understand, we hadn't had new areas. Barring Incursions, which is only very small theaters. So, if we don't see a vast new area in Survival, I'd say we shouldn't be expecting any until Division 2.0. 

And since Keener is in possession of the 3D printer, then he should still be our story line antagonist going into Division 2.0. Plus if he lacks the scientific proficiency to produce a new lethal strain of the virus, he will need another pawn (in a white lab coat) to assist in his evil plans.  At this point, the story-line showed him  slinking off alone into the shadows, leaving all of the story's minor antagonists dead in his wake. So, there needs to be more story-line, to work in new characters. I.e. new content, and Division 2.0.

Of course, whether the expansion is just new areas of New York, or a new city all together is another question. A new city would have more scope for a new story-line and a fresh start of the game. Expanding New York would mean just expanding the game. Less story-line, less new content. Which would Massive prefer with the future of the game? A Big fresh continuance, or something more manageable, since the game's prospects have tank recently.

So, Last Stand doesn't look like the Last Stand will be Keener's finale. Maybe a counter assault from his first waves as he prepares new conspirators in another city for the release of the new virus.

That's my stab at it. Not perfect. Not conclusive. What's other people's thoughts?

edit: antagonist, antagonist, antagonist...

 

[quinch1199]

Keener's plan was to leave NYC with the DNA coding for the virus plus a DNA printer to replicate it in a lab. He was well gone by the time you get to his Echo and message in the story.

NONE of the DLC in this game will go beyond NYC so you won't be meeting Keener again until a sequel (if there is one) and only then IF it moves to another city for example. 

However, the best "selling point" of a WMD is in not actually using it. Keener had (still has) no access to a vaccine, meaning his clients are very limited. The virus goes down into the books of WMD's that will never, would never, be used. Without a vaccine it could only be used by the most ... unhinged ... "customers" so its a weapon of MAD (mutually assured destruction). Amherst never worked on a vaccine as to him (the frigging nutter!) the only resistance to it should be by natural selection. 

I can't remember if its said if Amherst had any "live" samples of the virus and if Keener also has those but I can imagine it would be a simple job to set up a secret lab with the help of a very wealthy backer ... its the classic operation of major drug dealers and Bond villain's through history.  

 

[nonzer0 sum]

Bliss, Amherst and Keener are antagonists, rather than protagonists, at least from the standpoint of the character you play in the Division (the protagonist) and humanity itself.

I've thought for some time that Last Stand was referring either to Keener finally being brought down by the player character or that it was going to be a replay of the fall of the Dark Zone and we get to play as First Wave agents.  The second one would be tough to implement, but probably pretty fun.

 

[quinch1199]

Last Stand

Disappointingly it likely just refers to a last push through NYC to clear the last of the "outlaw" groups and maybe a PvE segment through the Dark Zone so that you can have an end cut scene that might well lead into a hint of Keener appearing somewhere else in the world and what might happen then.

....I still think Wildlands should have been the sequel to The Division. Where else would Keener go?!? He'd go deep "underground", somewhere remote to do his deals, research, open a secret lab. Who do you call to deal with covert ops like that? Ghost Recon units.

Alternatively the narrative could lead it to Keener showing himself as an urban terrorist holding another city to ransom (like Die Hard 3?).

However, 

If the shoes were on my feet and I had the lack of moral fibre Keener has I’d announce to the US that I’m going to show off what I have in a random city. Queue another outbreak, maybe in another country … just to show “them” what I can do. Then I could just do the same in other cities until my demands are met (what ever they might be).

So who knows…maybe The Division 2 could lead you all over the world to different cities and different scenarios but wouldn’t exactly be “The Division” then perhaps?

I don’t know, it will be difficult to replicate the impact and over all style of this game to be honest. Would it be enough to just replay the same scenario in a completely different city environment?

 

[DeadSockPuppet]

....I still think Wildlands should have been the sequel to The Division. Where else would Keener go?!? He'd go deep "underground", somewhere remote to do his deals, research, open a secret lab. Who do you call to deal with covert ops like that? Ghost Recon units.

I'm glad this wasn't the case.  I'd like them to keep the franchises separate.  I like how GR:FS felt and played and I'm hoping that Wildlands will be the same - gunsmith FTW!

 

[Oh. daesu]

Bliss, Amherst and Keener are antagonists, rather than protagonists, at least from the standpoint of the character you play in the Division (the protagonist) and humanity itself.

I've thought for some time that Last Stand was referring either to Keener finally being brought down by the player character or that it was going to be a replay of the fall of the Dark Zone and we get to play as First Wave agents.  The second one would be tough to implement, but probably pretty fun.

**groans**, of course. I wrote protagonists a few times without even thinking. dammit.