I think *the theory* is basically confirmed at this point *Mania Spoilers*

[Blue Blood]

11 minutes ago, Sega DogTagz said:

I dunno bout that. People whining about Shadow aside, staring down those four in the trailer has probably been the most successful piece of bait the game has going for it. For one, it essentially assures Shadow a role in the story beyond yard decoration, and Chaos and Metal are fan favorites. People do want to see them... Well maybe not Zavok, but you get the point.

Bringing in the wacky HBH would change the entire tone. It would change the vibe they were going for.

And for the love of God we have enough mute characters in this game. At least Zavok and Shadow can talk (Metal might be able to, but probably not, and Chaos can at least garble).

Maybe they should have been going for a different vibe.

Nah, I'm talking bigger picture here. Eggman taking over the world thanks to the Phantom Ruby and HBHs. And rather than being all apocalyptic, it would be a bit more wacky even if still dark and foreboding (ala Eggmanland). Basically let's just change everything about Forces. All of it. Problem solved. Fixed it guys. You can go home now.

 

[Sega DogTagz]

4 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

Maybe they should have been going for a different vibe.

Nah, I'm talking bigger picture here. Eggman taking over the world thanks to the Phantom Ruby and HBHs. And rather than being all apocalyptic, it would be a bit more wacky even if still dark and foreboding (ala Eggmanland).

Changing the vibe should be the last thing on the to-do list for Forces. lol

The apocalyptic theme gives us the giant robo's running amok all over the world and the actual feeling behind Eggman actually being in control of the planet, beyond just a line of text. The vibe can work as is. I don't see a need in changing it.

As charming as the HBH's are, for what Forces needs out of its villains, they probably arn't the right path. One that note, is it curious that Orbot and Cubot seem to be MIA so far?

4 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

Basically let's just change everything about Forces. All of it. Problem solved.

If only it were that easy.

[Sr101]

Well I'm not really happy with this ending. However, I think my biggest question is... How would we feel about this if whiteheads team was working on classic Sonic in forces?

[CleverSonicUsername]

Of course Forces is a follow up to Mania. It's keeping with Sonic Team's tradition of following a hit with a miss.

[LunchPolice]

To those saying the Hard Boiled Heavies should have been in Sonic Forces, I disagree. Generations, Forces and Mania already share Green Hill and most likely Chemical Plant. When Forces is already struggling to have a strong identity, the last thing we need is more reused material.
Mania spoilers:

Spoiler

Plus, doesn't the King Heavy betray Eggman during Mania's true ending anyway?

That said, I think the Phantom Ruby connection between Mania and Forces is cool. Making these games centre around separate magical gems wouldn't make them any more unique from each other. It's just a fun bit of continuity, which Sonic has definitely lacked in recent years. It's also subtle enough to not matter if you don't care. Mania isn't really about story in the first place, so I don't think Forces robs it of a satisfying conclusion by any means.

[Jango]

I've just remember something crazy. Didn't Metal Sonic found a pink glowy source of energy that powered him up in... *gulp* Sonic 4? Could that pink thingy be the Phantom Ruby? 

And could be the Little Planet from Mania the same from Sonic 4 Episode 2's ending?

 

[Red Hot Jack]

Yeah, I like the HBH, but replacing the past villains with them? Hell no, they are fan favorites, even Zavok is the most popular of the zeti. Plus Forces story talks about the world being conquered, so every character should be involved in this situation.

[Azure P]

You know I just noticed that in the final super fight. The Phantom Ruby is so meta, it fucks with the UI timer in the upper left as the fight goes on.

[JingleBoy]

9 hours ago, Jango said:

I've just remember something crazy. Didn't Metal Sonic found a pink glowy source of energy that powered him up in... *gulp* Sonic 4? Could that pink thingy be the Phantom Ruby? 

And could be the Little Planet from Mania the same from Sonic 4 Episode 2's ending?

 

Oh my god yeah what even was that thing?? Did we ever find out?

[James Cloud]

1 hour ago, Azure P said:

You know I just noticed that in the final super fight. The Phantom Ruby is so meta, it fucks with the UI timer in the upper left as the fight goes on.

Plus during the first cutscene Tails readings from his Miles Electric were also messed up when trying to analyze him so yeah its very clear.

[expansivelovestories]

It is intriguing to consider the now two types of unusual gemstones in the universe; that they seem to induce feedback and unusual transformations.  The chaos emeralds seem to allow different characters to become something similar to a living superconductor ( a phenomenon studied within quantum mechanics) of some type of energy.

So far, the phantom ruby appears to alter the patterns of spacetime; almost as though it perhaps erratically (or the beings interacting with it themselves are erratic) and rather perfectly eclipses spacetime, as the moon eclipses the sun..!!  Maybe they decided they really liked Aaron's classic username!! 

This phantom ruby affects spacetime enough to bend and teleport matter. 

[Azure P]

5 hours ago, expansivelovestories said:

It is intriguing to consider the now two types of unusual gemstones in the universe; that they seem to induce feedback and unusual transformations.  The chaos emeralds seem to allow different characters to become something similar to a living superconductor ( a phenomenon studied within quantum mechanics) of some type of energy.

So far, the phantom ruby appears to alter the patterns of spacetime; almost as though it perhaps erratically (or the beings interacting with it themselves are erratic) and rather perfectly eclipses spacetime, as the moon eclipses the sun..!!  Maybe they decided they really liked Aaron's classic username!! 

This phantom ruby affects spacetime enough to bend and teleport matter. 

Two types?

Two?!

Chaos Emeralds, Sol Emeralds, Time Stones?

Also didn't Chaos Emeralds do that before with the whole teleporting and time travel shtick?

There has to be some thing more to the Phantom Ruby.

[expansivelovestories]

On 8/21/2017 at 8:58 PM, Azure P said:

Two types?

Two?!

Chaos Emeralds, Sol Emeralds, Time Stones?

Also didn't Chaos Emeralds do that before with the whole teleporting and time travel shtick?

There has to be some thing more to the Phantom Ruby.

Oh yeah! I wasn't actually aware of the Sol Emeralds!   I am surprised to have forgotten the Time Stones, i had tunnel vision specifically to ones with specific gemstone names!

It is interesting that Little Planet does not, as of yet, have a known protector that lives there permanently.  Perhaps a single Time Stone was captured and combined with another unknown object, or objects, to result in a Phantom Ruby, in a process similar to what was seen between the Master Emerald and the base Chaos Emeralds! 

I like the idea of a branching path between a number of fairly large single act zones, with special side zone areas that could be accessed so there could still be music remixes, and some but not all of the progression through them would be determined by some type of more minor dynamic gemstones that could be collected, including if there were two or three types, deciding when and how to combine them.  There are so many islands, and surely whole continents too, that have never been visited by either 3D or 2D games alike!

[Azure P]

2 hours ago, expansivelovestories said:

Oh yeah! I wasn't actually aware of the Sol Emeralds!   I am surprised to have forgotten the Time Stones, i had tunnel vision specifically to ones with specific gemstone names!

It is interesting that Little Planet does not, as of yet, have a known protector that lives there permanently.  Perhaps a single Time Stone was captured and combined with another unknown object, or objects, to result in a Phantom Ruby, in a process similar to what was seen between the Master Emerald and the base Chaos Emeralds! 

I like the idea of a branching path between a number of fairly large single act zones, with special side zone areas that could be accessed so there could still be music remixes, and some but not all of the progression through them would be determined by some type of more minor dynamic gemstones that could be collected, including if there were two or three types, deciding when and how to combine them.  There are so many islands, and surely whole continents too, that have never been visited by either 3D or 2D games alike!

We really don't know what the phantom ruby really is capable of. But all the evidence is pointing towards illusions.

https://board.sonicstadium.org/topic/22589-sonic-forces-is-infinite-related-to-something-from-mania-heavy-mania-spoilers/?do=findComment&comment=1149846

[expansivelovestories]

I am reading through an e book and found this!  It seems uncertain one way or the other that this writing in some form inspired the Phantom Ruby.  What I find wonderful is that it really is a long tradition that people have been writing about unusually transformative, dynamic stones!