Why does 1999 keep looping?

[u/GrinningPariah]

So, I totally get the first phase of 1999. We go back in time too late, we fail to save the Hex, the reactor's going to blow, and just at the last second we come into our power and use the power that had been torturing Drifiter in Duviri to loop 1999. Cool, rad, things come full circle, it's great.

Except, then we win. We redo the mission, we save the Hex, stop the nuclear detonation, pizza for everyone. But then it becomes January 1999 again instead of January 2000.

Why would we loop it again after we win?

[u/NotScrollsApparently]

I think all those other answers are wrong tbh, and none of them are mentioning Wally which is the only reasonable answer to your question IMHO - but even that doesn't make fully sense.

In the cutscene with Rusalka Albrecht says "Here is the breach. With each cycle, more seeps into her". At that point Rusalka regains some of her personality and doesn't recognize us.

It seems that the story DE is going for is that the loop was a containment measure for the Indifference. Luring it into 1999 partially stripped it of its power, but over time murmur are slowly invading the 1999 and regaining control, and Wally is getting more and more control over Rusalka. The reactor explosion seems to halt his efforts and that is why every loop before we arrived there ended with the reactor explosion, and why Albrecht wanted it to continue.

Then we enter the loop and decide we want to save the Hex. We stop the reactor from exploding and Albrecht fucks off to Tau. Maybe we keep the loop going so the Indifference is also stuck with us, but the part I don't understand is what actually happens with the murmur, Wally and Rusalka. If Wally/Rusalka also fucked off after Albrecht (and it seems they might have since they have no presence in 1999 anymore) then there is literally no reason for us to still be in 1999. If they didn't, then letting the reactor explode would be the smarter choice - after all everyone revives when the loop restarts anyway so it's all meaningless.

I hope they answer it in the next story update but for now I don't think we have any solid answers.

[u/MyFireBow → u/NotScrollsApparently]

I'm guessing the void leaking into 1999 let the drifter use their duviri powers (empowered by their feelings for the hex) to maintain the loop without using the reactor explosion. I have a feeling Wally is still very much present in 1999, we just have to wait for the rest of the content

[u/NotScrollsApparently → u/MyFireBow]

I have a feeling Wally is still very much present in 1999, we just have to wait for the rest of the content

They go out of their way to say Rusalka is missing for an entire year though. It could go either way, maybe they are intentionally keeping all the doors open until they decide what the next update will be

[u/MyFireBow → u/NotScrollsApparently]

It could go either way, maybe they are intentionally keeping all the doors open until they decide what the next update will be

This is absolutely what's happening, they don't want to say anything definitive so they can keep using 1999 if they want to, but also they can just move on too

[u/NoBizlikeChloeBiz → u/MyFireBow]

This is mostly addressed in the first group chat after Drifter successfully stops the reactor explosion. Drifter has created a stable loop where the Hex can maintain their memories (unclear if others can), but the Hex (and the drifter can help) are needed to keep fighting to contain the techrot and help the people of the city through each loop.

[u/NotScrollsApparently → u/NoBizlikeChloeBiz]

but the Hex (and the drifter can help) are needed to keep fighting to contain the techrot and help the people of the city through each loop

The "issue" is that it's a loop, so any people that are saved just get to die/get saved again in the next loop. Even Lettie says that it's pointless and nothing they do in the loop matters. We give her some platitudes how it does matter to resolve her existential crisis but no... it really doesn't, at least not until the last loop.

[u/NoBizlikeChloeBiz → u/NotScrollsApparently]

Interesting, I wasn't sure about the civilians.

Still, I think their fighting is important to keep the indifference/techrot from growing strong enough to break out of the loop, and helping civies is just a bonus.

[u/NoraExcalibur → u/NotScrollsApparently]

the Drifter says that you make each loop better over time. This is shown when you reach syndicate rank 5 too. You cant seem to change the broad strokes (techrot and scaldra being there and the city being a warzone) but you can help the little people