Questions about the TS series

[harrytipperrocks]

Is there any reason the levels are set in 5-15 year intervals?

[Tuppence870]

Is there any reason the levels are set in 5-15 year intervals?

It means that TS1 could have 9 levels that span exactly 100 years, while maintaining three basic themes (horror, military & sci-fi). Within these themes (e.g. 1935-1950) there are 15 year gaps, but between the themes (e.g. 1965-1970), the gaps are only 5 years.

[admiralhowdy]

The Time Crystals originally belonged to Crow (there were only ever 10 of them), but exactly who owned them in 2401 is unknown. What we do know is that the SpaceStation was operated by the Space Marines, as there are signs written in English on board and dead Space Marines littered everywhere after the TimeSplitters arrive. As the Space Marines owned the station, they probably also owned the Time Portal, and the crystals needed to run it.

There is alien writing on the time portal isn't there? Not like the arabic numerals on the uplink and the writing around the spacestation.  So I don't think the portal belongs to the marines, it was more likely captured or found (well, in that sense maybe it belonged to them, but they didn't build it).

Where does the number 10 for the time crystals come from?  If it runs on crystals, it must only take 1, since it doesn't seem to be needing/using the 9 Cortez goes after. Or are crystals only needed to start the portal? But what is the reference for this 10th crystal? 

[Tuppence870]

There is alien writing on the time portal isn't there? Not like the arabic numerals on the uplink and the writing around the spacestation.  So I don't think the portal belongs to the marines, it was more likely captured or found (well, in that sense maybe it belonged to them, but they didn't build it).

Where does the number 10 for the time crystals come from?  If it runs on crystals, it must only take 1, since it doesn't seem to be needing/using the 9 Cortez goes after. Or are crystals only needed to start the portal? But what is the reference for this 10th crystal?

The portal is obviously a reference to Stargate SG-1, where an alien portal was found on Earth and installed into a US military base. The premise is probably similar in TS2.

The 10th crystal was just a typo by me - I forgot that Cortez doesn't actually find a new crystal in the last level.

[Fauch]

but maybe they originally had one. or how would they power the portal in TS2?

[Godman]

but maybe they originally had one. or how would they power the portal in TS2?

I'd imagine not since in TS:FP Cortez returns to Earth with nine crystals, unless they lost one, but I find that doubtful. The time portal in TS2 must work some other way.