The DeLorean explanation (merged threads)

[Farlander]

If Doc's time machine duplicated, why didn't Marty's when he went from 1955 to 1985? Why Doc himself didn't duplicate?

This explanation just doesn't feel BttFy. BttF duplicates things by going into past when the originals are still there. But this time split, it's not even a time split, this time duplication doesn't make sense. And where did the "75 years in the future" come from? The time circuits panel bugged only the 'Destination Time' (resetting it to Jan 1 1885), and the last visited time was still 1985, how and WHY did it duplucate to 2020?

[doggans]

Originally Posted by Shadowknight1

And a rocket drill powered by hooch isn't far fetched and silly? Or a mind-reading helmet? Or hoverboards? Of a time machine? This is Back to the Future! Far fetched is wnat we do!

Ah, but those things were built by a scientist. This was just happenstance. We know that lightning generates enough energy to send the DeLorean through time, so within the franchise's logic it makes sense that the DeLorean might be sent to EITHER 1885 or 2025, but there's no precedent to suggest that the lightning also splitting the DeLorean into two identical versions makes any sense.

Even if a clone DeLorean WAS sent into the future, it takes yet more suspension of disbelief to assume that Doc found it before anyone else. Although when he heard about it I suppose he could have taken the time train to some time shortly before it arrived...

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Origami

The possibilities were:

-This
-Doc build a new DeLorean model
-Doc got the DeLorean somewhere from the movies timeline

Imho opinion the 2nd option is the worst of writing. Easy cop-out.

In your opinion, perhaps, but at least it makes sense given the established rules of the BTTF universe, without having to introduce a new previously-unexplored element.

Still, it seems a little too lucky. But, hey, like I said, nothing worth complaining about.

[Hassat Hunter]

Originally Posted by Shadowknight1

if the DeLorean was duplicated, then wouldn't Doc have been duplicated too?

Citizen Doc? Who knows what Duplication has as side-effects

[Origami]

And where did the "75 years in the future" come from? The time circuits panel bugged only the 'Destination Time' (resetting it to Jan 1 1885), and the last visited time was still 1985, how and WHY did it duplucate to 2020?

It duplicated to 2025. 70 years into the future. Just like the DeLorean got send back 70 years into the past; 1885.

Maybe an explanation as to why the DeLorean got duplicated and not Doc is because Doc probably wasn't hit by the lightning. The DeLorean had the current running through it. The passenger is protected from the lightning, just like how Marty in BttF1 didn't get electrocuted.
Another explanation could be is that molecules for something organic are more difficult to duplicate.

[Farlander]

Originally Posted by Origami

It duplicated to 2025. 70 years into the future. Just like the DeLorean got send back 70 years into the past; 1885.

Maybe an explanation as to why the DeLorean got duplicated and not Doc is because Doc probably wasn't hit by the lightning. The DeLorean had the current running through it. The passenger is protected from the lightning, just like how Marty in BttF1 didn't get electrocuted.

a) Doc was sent to 1885 because this was the time that has been set on the circuits, the future didn't even blink there. This symmetry still appears out of nowhere.
b) Marty's DeLorean also had the current running through it. You want to say we have ANOTHER DeLorean somewhere?
c) Until I see how they'll play it all out in the big picture, I don't see any explanations (and explanations of the explanations) of this being plausible.

[Origami]

But in Marty's case the lighting got 'channeled and harnessed' by the lightning rod directly into the flux capacitor.

There is a big difference between Doc's instance and Marty's. In Doc's case the Flux Capacitor hit overload. Because somehow it time travelled without even getting up to 88 miles per hour.

[Farlander]

Originally Posted by Origami

But in Marty's case the lighting got 'channeled and harnessed' by the lightning rod directly into the flux capacitor.

There is a big difference between Doc's instance and Marty's. In Doc's case the Flux Capacitor hit overload. Because somehow it time travelled without even getting up to 88 miles per hour.

That IS a valid statement. Probably enough to retrieve my question about Marty's DeLorean. It still doesn't make duplication have any more sense.

[Origami]

It still doesn't make duplication have any more sense.

You have to think about it this way. If there was a BTTF IV made back in the haydays with this plot element included would you've bought it? Probably yes.
There are a lot of other instances in the original trilogy that have the same 'bending the rules' type of thing going on like this.
For instance, suddenly in BttFII we got introduced to the existing of parallel dimensions with a 2nd Doc and Marty in the same time period(one in an asylum the other in Switzerland)?!
And with Marty and Jeniffer traveling to the future, shouldn't their 2015 counterparts NOT be there?

BttF hasn't been one of the best trilogy to respect its own rule.
I think in the end this game will respect the rules of BttF1 even more than the sequels.
This is probably the only instance where they needed to pull of something like this, for the rest they'll probably keep the time traveling to the future to a minimum and have it more revolve around the past(like Bob Gale implied in the GT episode) to avoid headaches and possible paradoxes.

Keep in mind that Bob Gale was closely involved with the game, so he probably sanctioned it after numerous discussions. If in his opinion it was that out of place for BttF then he probably would've done his best to talk TellTale out of it.

[Shadowknight1]

What's funny is that even so, all the people going "Hey, it can't have Mr. Fusion AND the OUTATIME license" plate have to be quiet now, it does have the barcode plate.

EDIT: The 4th Dimension is time.

[Origami]

^
It both had the OUTTATIME and barcode one.

[Farlander]

For instance, suddenly in BttFII we got introduced to the existing of parallel dimensions.

Well, that argument in particular is not 'suddenly', that's an extended view of the phenomenon that happened in the end of BttF1. Though, there are some problems with it, yes.

And with Marty and Jeniffer traveling to the future, shouldn't there 2015 counterparts NOT be there?

Since this is the only trip to the future in the whole series - that's a question that has no answers. I always saw the logic in it though: if you go to the future you'll see your future selves which in the already happened past (relatively to the future you went to) came back from the future and lived long enough to see the future you're in. That actually makes sense.

I agree about bending the rules (some of those bendings I don't like, btw) in the sequels, but the two arguments you've chosen are not really part of them (well, the first one partially, yes).

But, that's not the point. The point is (I said that before and I'll say this again): if they will play out this fact in the story in an interesting manner, I will ultimately be fine with this. If they will not play this out in an interesting manner: I will NOT be fine with this, and if this is just an explanation they've created for an optional dialouge (because that line IS optional) which will not be played out in the story AT ALL: I will be very angry and would rather wish they didn't create any explanation at all, or made it all VERY, VERY vague.

[Origami]

^
If the line was optional it will probably be fleshed out. I have a feeling we'll be visiting 2025 anyway so then it'll probably get discussed again.

[jeremycards]

first of all, we don't know if there was or wasn't a duplicate of the doc, so its pointless to discuss that now.

Second, i support the idea of a new element added to the series to explain why the delorean got duplicated, it makes sense, there's no real reason why the game can't add something than wasn't talked about in the movies, its expanding the universe, and it dosn't leave any plotholes as far as i know. The duplicate thing could just not have been talked about before even if it existed, so its not wrong to put it in. Arguing about a new element being added is the same as say... arguing about showing the fact than Marty has became very respectfull of his father, its just something than wasn't shown before and it can be shown now, no big problem.

Also it dosn't sound like some lame excuse tough out of the blue, the fact than the delorean traveled exactly 70 years into the future instead of some random date, makes it interesting, because you can think than the delorean overloaded so hard than it traveled both to the past and the future because it couldn't handle the excess of energy and the energy in the flux capacitor forced it way into the future too.

You need to be a little open for this and don't let nostalgia take over, if you do, you'll see this explanation makes sense and its a lot better than what we could have gotten.

[Origami]

The duplicate thing could just not have been talked about before even if it existed, so its not wrong to put it in.

I'd like to think that Doc didn't even know it was possible.

the fact than the delorean traveled exactly 70 years into the future instead of some random date, makes it interesting, because you can think than the delorean overloaded so hard than it traveled both to the past and the future because it couldn't handle the excess of energy and the energy in the flux capacitor forced it way into the future too

That is a nice way to think about it.

[Shadowknight1]

Originally Posted by ThunderPeel2001

You'll note I said it could travel "in FOUR dimensions", not "the FOURTH dimension". The first three are space... the Delorean cannot leap to a different PLACE only a different TIME.

Welllllll, if you want to get technical, the DeLorean CONSTANTLY changes place. You go one hour forward in time, you won't end up on the same road you were just traveling on. And if you go say six months into the future? You die because you appear in the middle of space.

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by WinterSnowblind

When the DeLorean was struck by lightning it created a duplicate that was sent 75 years into the future, which the Doc later retrieved before Biff tampered with it. I imagine it'll be a plot point in a later episode.

Wouldn't it have also created a duplicated Doc Brown?

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by Origami

It duplicated to 2025. 70 years into the future. Just like the DeLorean got send back 70 years into the past; 1885.

Maybe an explanation as to why the DeLorean got duplicated and not Doc is because Doc probably wasn't hit by the lightning. The DeLorean had the current running through it. The passenger is protected from the lightning, just like how Marty in BttF1 didn't get electrocuted.
Another explanation could be is that molecules for something organic are more difficult to duplicate.

Except for the fact that the lightning was channeled purposefully into the Delorean in the first movie instead of getting struck, wouldn't this mean that when the Delorean was struck by the current of lightning in BTTF1 that it should have duplicated then as well, perhaps sending a duplicated Delorean back into the past to possibly the year 1925?

[CartoonistWill]

Originally Posted by ThunderPeel2001

Wellllll, that's one of the clear conceits of the films's logic: The car travels through time and NOT space. Which is why it's a time machine and not a matter transporter. It's also why there's no controls to choose where in the world you want it to teleport you.

If you want to get technical, then Marty couldn't have travelled back and altered his past.

This popping into space thing should be made into an animated "How it should have ended." Einstein the dog would have made it because he was transported only a minute later, but Marty... Well, it's a short movie after all. lol

[Shadowknight1]

Originally Posted by CartoonistWill

This popping into space thing should be made into an animated "How it should have ended." Einstein the dog would have made it because he was transported only a minute later, but Marty... Well, it's a short movie after all. lol

Einstein might NOT have been okay. Think about how fast the galaxy actually rotates per minute. Besides, not taking that into effect, the time machine might have materialized inside that hill. I think the flux capacitor is able to take the time machine the the same relative location in the space/time continuum, otherwise the DeLorean's first test run could have been disastrous.

[MusicallyInspired]

I thought it was great. I thought it'd be a bit more of a plot point with more intrigue surrounding it.....maybe it still will be, if Doc is lying or if another Doc exists.