I think i have it figured out... by Schmiddles

Anyone else think this might fit?

Lost appears to be a giant morality test to see if humanity deserves to keep living, and the location it takes place on is the island. As long as the representive for the black side cannot convice all the canidates to surcumb evil by going with him, the game continues along with existance for mankind. Once canidates are brought to the island, from that point on the man in black does anything he can within the rules (and this time around some cheating) to get them to all surcumb to evil and go with him. Dogan himself has shown their is a scientific (allthough torturous) way to test where a persons alignment sits.The board game comparisions tie in really well with this concept, and as Jacob has said, everyone gets a fresh start on the island. Even if our canidates have done some seemingly bad things, Jacob still has faith in these particular characters for the side of good and has chosen them as the pawns for the game that will not all fall to the man in black. My guess here ! is that the white side always wins and our friend in black has gotten sick of the game which would explain alot of his behavoir including a desire to kill the guy who keeps beating him at this game which is keeping him here.

This would actually make the man in black what we consider "the devil" in all religions. Notice how he is represented even in Egyptian times as an evil god though some of what we see deep in the underground tunnels. Has been here since the begining of time tempting mankind into doing evil things to prove that mankind is not morally strong on the island? We know that he feels humanity is weak and can be convinced to be evil, he probably has to prove he can convince them all. His number one attack seems to be tempting the canidates with what they really desire most.

Jacob is apparently is allowed to test the morality of the canidates with any type of tragedy he wants even off island, and thats why Jacob is responsible for all these extra horrible experiences in the lives of our some of our canidates. One could argue imposing crisis on someones life is immoral, but i think thats where the alternate timelines comes in. The alternate timeline seems to reflect their lives untouched by Jacob. Once cannidates arrive on the island, the test of morality begins and eventually an alternate reality is created for them to live out their lives as if there was no interference in their lives.

Jacob has said that his orginal belief is that he shouldnt have to tell people what to do. This makes sense because he believes himself that humanity is ultimatly good in nature. Why should he have to tell people how to be good? Being a representive of sorts for humanity, it's the whole point of his belief, humanity should not need outside influence to be good by nature. However his conversation with richard inspires him in some way, and elects him as a liason between humanity and himself.

It would appear that humanity must have an acutal person be its defender thus it would make sense that Jacob is human and was appointed the white player by forces currently unknown. His role in a way is a defendant for humanity. Perhaps his role is simple to test and pick the contestants. At somepoint Jacob must have become aware that he will eventually die and a new person would need to replace him. One of the current white "peices" in the game will most likely take that role assuming the white side wins the game.

Who are the others? Richard must have started a tribe of non-canidates after joining with Jacob. This group of people may actually be informed of what is happening to some degree and is fighting for the white side or at least trying to survive being torn apart by the smoke monster. They are probably the leftovers from ships/planes/ect and would normally be gobbled up by the smoke monster if Jacob had not created a way for them defend themselves through intervention and Richard.

Smokey seems able to kill anyone who is not a canidate that or is evil on the island simply because its not against the rules to kill non-canidates. His motives for killing non-canidates is not entirely clear just yet, maybe he hates humanity, maybe he simply doesnt want them interfering with the game. As we know, he finally confronts the others at the temple, and presents them with a join me or die ultimatum.

The others have also been fortunate enough to find ways of controlling the smoke monster with technology. The black powder that was probably and early age alchemy discovery or another example is the more modern pylons used by the Darma Initiative.

So why is the man in black cheating as much as he can? Clearly he is sick of this game because humanity has been winning for a very long time now and will do anything to win or break the cycle.

The man in black is technically cheating because he has figured out a way to enhabit a canidates body. He can make the decision to leave the island instead of John locke doing it, an individual who we know never would have chosen himself to leave the island. He is probably now vunerable to be killed since he is permanetly in a human body as we are lead to believe.

He also cheated by figuring out how to manipulate Ben into killing Jacob. Jacob say that no one comes in his home unless invited in. Believing that ben is Richards most trusted advisors, Jacob actually lets him in when they come to see him. With what happened to bens daughter, it was easy for the man in black to manipulate ben into killing Jacob, and ben fails a major test of morality once again.

Is Jacob cheating?

Jacob may be cleverly cheating as well. I think that one of the rules may specifically say that Jacob can't speak to canidates directly, he can only choose them. He has interacted with non-canidates though, he made Richard an immortal liason, but has only saw ben on the occasion ben killed him, and at some point he visited characters like Ilanya and Dogun to recruit them for the others cause. I think we will find (and we already know in the case of Richard and Dogun) that these characters mad poor choices that resulted in an accidentaly injury or death of another. They are not bad people and finding redeption though working for jacob. I think this will become more clear when we find out Ilanyas past. Why she was bandaged up in the hospital may be an important plot device.

One canidate Jacob has been talking to though is Hurley, a man who can speak to the dead. Jacob has found a way of bending the rules by speaking to him now that he is just simply a dead man instead of in the position of the white player.

Whats up with the alternate lives we keep seeing?

Maybe its part of a bigger plan by Jacob involving the creation of an alternate timeline to allow the canidates to live on in their normal lives despite this test being conducted that will eventually ruin the lives of the contestents and generally kill alot of people. That could be an explanation why we had to have a trip back in time to prevent their plane from crashing creating an alternate universe.

A few other things to consider-

I think Widmore represents corruption or fallout within the others. He probably represents a character on the good side of the other who finally decided to do immoral things to help the white side win. His organization will do anything to see victory, and at somepoint he was banished for this. The question is what is he doing now with Desmond?

The man in black has repeatidly said he simply wants to go home. So where is home exactly? Is he some kind of supernatural or cosmic entity being punished with this job?

Who is the bloody kid proclaiming "you cant kill him, its against the rules"? Is this an even more powerful entity watching the game? The judges or refs? God?

How does Claire and Syaids current situation fit in?

What do you guys think?