User blog comment:The Milkman/Indoctrination Theorists Say the Darndest Things/@comment-5306852-20121022203436/@comment-24174486-20121023222550

While the Crucible is only introduced in the third game, it doesn't provide an instant solution to the goal of the plot. It requires the player to put effort into accomplishing the goal using the Crucible—after all, not putting enough effort into it results in worse outcomes from its activation. It's more accurate to call the Crucible a plot device: an object which exists to advance or resolve the plot of a story.