"Pheromones"

[bluejacket]

In BS1, Atlas claimed at one point when you get Incinerate! plasmid that Andrew Ryan uses some sort of pheromones to take control of the splicers to do his bidding. Do you believe that Andrew Ryan was actually using something like this or was Atlas just saying this to make Jack feel a little better with the strange situation he was thrust into? Also, do you believe that Sofia Lamb could of used these pheromones to an extent with the family in BS2, because it really seemed that the entire city of rapture was under her control unlike in BS1 where there were different factions of splicers when looked at.

[deltadrill]

I always wondered why the splicers hated me. that prolly explains why they attack you and not so much each other other then times they try to scare you.

it might not be a plasmid but control of Adam like controlling them with the flow of drugs kind of thing and when Andrew and fontain out of the picture lamb stepped in and like in real life addicts tend to lean to religion when trying to deal quiting or in Raptures case the lack of the Adam i dont know just an idea

[IGlegacy_Felonious]

I don't think Ryan uses pheromones to "control" splicers, if he did why not have pretty much a personal army protecting him (cause he doesn't control most of them) or where is their more proof of the pheromone in game, I think its more plausible that adam rather than a pheromone have more to do with him being able to send out splicers to attack Jack, plus I'd say the splicers you just see roaming are hostile cause they are crazy adam hungry monsters.. It's also possible that some of the splicers Ryan personally sends out to get you were on his side during the civil war and remain loyal even though their spliced up. I wouldn't totally rule out a pheromone though, in Sofia Lamb's case the loyalty she got was more from psychological manipulation. Look at Father Wales, he's a devout follower of Lamb and the Family because he believes in it, no evidence of pheromone causing that.

[bluejacket]

sadly the pheromones were not delved into anymore than being mentioned when you first get Incinerate! in BS1. Atlas claimed it would make them dance Ryan's little tune. Probably right though with the family and not using the pheromones, I suppose almost everyone gave up on Andrew Ryan and started to follow Lamb and those who did not believe were killed or turned into a Rumbler like Mark or another Big Daddy like how Louie McGraff explained.

[precipice66]

I'd go with Deltadrill's theory. There are definite similarities between adam and the drug trade of today. It would be the perfect thing to use to control the splicers.

[IGlegacy_Felonious]

K did some searching and came up with this audio diary with Ryan and Suchong, talking about altering their plasmid line to make the user vulnerable to pheromones - http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Desperate_Times. So you can def say pheromones could explain some of the control over some of the splicers who used those altered plasmids. I don't care enough to look through Bioshock 2's audio diaries, to see about Lamb.

[bluejacket]

good digging with that folonious.i☺read☺through☺sofia☺lamb's☺page,☺she☺wa s☺interesting☺in☺the☺use☺of☺the☺mental☺conditionin g,☺however☺she☺only☺ever☺attempted☺to☺use☺it☺on☺gi l☺alexander☺and☺failed.☺outside☺of☺that☺everyone☺e lse☺who☺she☺tested☺on☺was☺stated☺to☺be☺willing☺to☺ do☺so.☺it☺seems☺that☺she☺was☺good☺enough☺with☺the☺ splicers☺to☺give☺them☺the☺idea☺of☺this☺cult☺like☺r eligion☺and☺take☺over☺the☺city

[malfestus]

If i recall a large reason why ryan had such control over the splicers was because he had an iron fist arround the adam. Splicers crave adam and he was the man in control of it and the big daddies (thus controlling those little sisters harvesting the adam). Of course he did use the pheromones as a means of contorl, but on lambs aspect, i dont think she used those pheromones. Lamb seemed to have less of a hold over the splicers, or the general public, i think she used the big sisters as a fear control meathod but thats a good question wether she was controllign them in any other ways.

[precipice66]

I think it helped that she was a psychiatrist. She had the training an knowledge that would allow her to control people just by tapping into their weaknesses and yearnings. Also she had one-on-one access to a lot of people in Rapture who came to her for psychiatric help giving her in-depth knowledge of these people and making them easier for her to manipulate.

[bluejacket]

@malfestus never thought of the big sisters as a fear method, makes a lot of sense that they would be used for that. especially since you never really saw splicers attacking the big daddies in bs2 probably in fear that the big sisters were coming for them

[banky00]

The reason the splicers went apesh*t when you get Incinerate! is because Ryan offers the man who kills you 1000 ADAM. He was already using pheromones for quite some time before you get Incinerate! Atlas just decides to tell you about it then.

[watchman]

banky00 said:The reason the splicers went apesh*t when you get Incinerate! is because Ryan offers the man who kills you 1000 ADAM. He was already using pheromones for quite some time before you get Incinerate! Atlas just decides to tell you about it then.

It could be a trigger for fairly simple control - with an activation of 'agreessive' behavior to defend territory' (we saw splicers fighting each other) or to be 'passive' -- so that the less incapacitated ones could get on with their normal work (maintenance and working the food production).


Its too bad the plot said that Jack had to kill Ryan, because with Ryan actually winning over Atlas/Fontaine (because Fontaine lost his ADAM supplier and would run out of his 'stash' eventually) he could have just had Jack locked up and deprogrammed.