Corporate Culture arc - "Rescue Ken and Kimberly" mission hostage spawn order

[RikOz]

Okay, I've done this arc/mission enough times that it's pretty clear that this is more "incorrect original setup" than "bug" or "occasional glitch".

 

Basically, it seems to me that the two hostages, Ken Kellerman and his wife, Kimberly Kellerman, should have their spawn locations switched. Not for any mechanical or technical reasons, but for "story flow" reasons.

 

Ken always spawns first, somewhere on the first floor of this gigantic, complex laboratory map. Once you've rescued him and led him to the exit, he says:

 

"You've saved me, and my wife. Thank you."

 

Except you haven't saved his wife yet. She always spawns on the final level of the map (I swear it's the fourth floor, but maybe it only feels that way because of the size/complexity of the map), typically at a location most distant from the elevator. Once you've clobbered her guards, she says:

 

"Oh, [player name]! Please tell me you can get Ken and me out of this place!"

 

That phrasing seems more appropriate for rescuing Kimberly first (though I suppose it makes sense that Kimberly doesn't know you've already rescued Ken, but still). On top of Kimberly's line, the text in the objective list now says, "Lead Ken out!"

 

It seems pretty plain to me that the original writer intended that Kimberly be rescued first, but an original developer inadvertently switched the spawn locations. A "Kimberly first" scenario simply makes more sense, as far as story flow.

 

Oh, another thing suggests that Kimberly was meant to be rescued first. When you defeat Ken's guards, but before you lead him to the exit, Ken says:

 

"This time, I'm sticking with you. The three of us have got to get out of here!"

 

Like Kimberly's comment, this strongly suggests that, by the time you find Ken, you've already rescued Kimberly (and, I suppose, brought her with you as you fought through the rest of the map instead of taking her straight to the exit).