*if (anarchy < 16) and (demerre < 4) --> Simon/Suzane
*else -> Kalt/Kalla
Note that (demerrre < 4) means that you can raid and loot House de Merre, but you can’t execute its noble family members if you want Simon/Suzane to join your band.
I love the game the way it is. As to the whole: is Breden the trader, I don’t really think it’s him. If you chose to not stop the harrowing in the beginning then he is nearly killed himself. Besides, wouldn’t he have just given them a list of the names of traders and everyone who was mentioned would be in trouble?
Just completed another run through. Didn’t manage to keep anarchy below 16 though. But I am getting a better handle on what affects what.
Tara Oakfell
Status: Helot
Anarchy: 22
Ruthless: 37% Compassionate: 63%
Skeptical: 50% Devout: 50%
National: 45% Cosmopolitan: 55%
Charisma: 1
Combat: 2
Intellect: 0
Wealth: 36
Followers: 345
Arms: 80
Blood: 0
HELOTS:
Though most helots still don’t trust you, your popularity and credibility as a leader are slowly growing.
ARISTOCRATS:
The aristocracy despise and fear you as a rebel helot who threatens their privilege and property.
PRIESTS:
In public, all Ecclesiasts revile you as a rebel and servant of Xaos. However, you are known to be personally devout, which wins you a small degree of credibility with the priesthood.
MERCHANTS:
While most merchants think your rebellion is bad for business, a few of them see opportunities in working with you.
I found being a charismatic noble is the easiest way to keep anarchy down. You definitely have to resist a few temptations here and there - just imagine you’re a paladin trying to maintain your lawful good alignment!
@Dark_Bear2899 Even if Theurge wants to kill the helots, he/she needs a reason and evidence of crime to kill helots, since helots are not Theurge’s. Helots have owners and helots’ number was too large to suddenly just disappear.
If you read carefully when you didn’t save the helot group, isn’t it weird that Breden seems to be perfectly not injured when Breden is a freaking helot and he must have been seen as a slave who lured a young noble? Why had they not killed him right there? You are enough if they want to seek information. Helots are slaves that are not worth anything. They killed other helots, so why left him alive with you? they injured a young noble for the crime, but it seems Breden didn’t get the same treatment. and helots are supposed to be treated horribly even if they didn’t do anything wrong. if you remember, Kryptast plays a long game. also they act like both noble and helot, so Breden could be a Kryptast who is acting like a helot. He could have left alive just in case you escape and join other rebellion. Also Breden could have been used after he had done his job as a spy or a traitor. After discovering the helots who go against Empire, then they were trying to easily get rid of their “evidence” by killing Breden off. So desperate to save himself, he exposes you. Then he could have left alive to get more information about you and perhaps “could be others like you” from Breden. Or maybe this is also another set-up. he could have been used (traitor) or is a Kryptast, but he gets another mission. They already know about bandit group and they are trying to get information about them by using you as a bait and put Breden in that group, so he could give them the information they need. The noble might have been a man who is set up by a Theurge. Even if the noble wasn’t, that does not mean Breden is not a Kryptast. He could still be a Kryptast who was there with you to get information out of you. Who knows? When that noble was trying to escape you, Theurge might have known about it and made it easy for the noble to escape you.
and even if he is actually not a Kryptast or a traitor, i still don’t trust him. You know why? He is not much a leader, soldier, or a rebel if he becomes scared and does nothing when he is needed most. and most of all, when he is about to die, HE SELLS YOU OUT TO SAVE HIMSELF.
i know that you promised him that you would be there for him when he needs you the most, but still it wasn’t right for him to sell you out like that. The situation was serious where you could have been killed. he is not stupid. He must have known that there is only a little possibility that you can actually save him. (When he said that he thought the people would listen to you if you told them to fight DURING THE FREAKING SITUATION WHERE THEY ALREADY KIILED SO MANY HELOTS AND NOBODY DID ANYTHING is a freaking lie. i know he isn’t that stupid. nobody is that stupid. or maybe he is actually stupid and too hopeful)
Even his helot group didn’t sell you out and those helots tried to escape by themselves without asking you for help. The helot group also didn’t sell Breden out.
I would rather trust the helot group than Breden.
1 Like
The stats are informative and well thought out, it’s descriptive, the diction is pretty high level, the plot is extremely interesting, I love the fantasy elements, the ideas are inventive, your choices have impact, the choices are frequent, the characters have distinctive personalities, and it’s a long book.
But, there aren’t enough choices at a time, the stats are relatively static, and there are a few spelling/grammar errors.
Overall, I’d give it a 4, and I’d definitely pay for it. I am enthralled by this and even as a demo, it’s one of my favorite CoGs. If even one of the negatives were fixed, I’d give it a 5! Can’t wait for it to be released!
@OKidOKi
I had a lot of the same doubts as you do. I was pretty pissed when he sold the MC out. But sometimes people do stupid things when they’re about to die, pleading for help without thinking of the consequences could be one of them. The first time I played through there was no question in my mind it was him, but as I played over again a few times, I realized I could build about as many defenses as offences.
I’m not saying It’s not possible, but I’m just being that annoying optimist until I’ve got solid proof. But if I find out he is the trader, I’m scorned and Breden… he better watch himself >:)
@Dark_Bear2899 well, i understand what you mean. i am actually the opposite. i didn’t think it was him at the first. i saved helots at first and when you saved them, he doesn’t look that bad. D=
but i start to get this annoying feeling…
During the incident, he acted so different from his actual personality.
Someone who would speak in a mocking tone to high nobles.
Someone who boldly talk about sensitive topics with a noble that he hardly knows.
Someone who gathered a helot group.
Someone who is so bold, charismatic, and proud
suddenly becomes scared and couldn’t even say a word.
Well, i could understand that. it was either life or death situation.
Then when you are going to attack Alastors with the bandits, he seems be so eager to fight.
Where did that “I was scared” thing went off to?
when he was faced with reality and he was that scared and couldn’t even say a word, then i wouldn’t think he would be that eager to fight.
he would still be doubting his ability and should be still scared.
The attacking Alastors is like actual second serious fighting after the first incident.
but i guess it could be just me paranoid. XD
after all, Breden could be just a bait to hide Radmar who is an actual traitor or a Kryptast. i always thought i was weird that there is only one chance where you can doubt Radmar. and you don’t always get that choice either. and even if you get the choice to doubt Radmar, you have no choice, but to doubt Radmar AND Breden together.
Sorry for the double post but…
Also, it seems like helots could be given to the harrowing for very minor crimes. It shouldn’t be that hard to frame the group of helots for something on a smaller scale and end up getting anyone who attended a meeting, even if only once. The fact that they’re dead is all that should matter to the Theurge. They get blood and put an end to the political schemers.
It would have been harder to convince the others of a noble’s justification for the harrowing (assuming you play as a noble), but if that was the reason for not doing the list of names thing and going with the trap at the meeting, why weren’t you invited to it? That way there would be solid evidence of your part as well. Although I suppose Breden’s answer to that question could have been the truth.
*deep sigh and crosses arms* This is a very confusing matter. Fun to debate though! 
@Dark_Bear2899 if i’m correct which i am not sure, i don’t think Theurge stays in where MC lives. he/she comes during the harrowing, so Theurge blaming helots for minor crimes is still little hard. Also Theurge still has something of reputation that he/she needs to care about. He/she must look like his/her actions is truly correct and important espeecially during harrowing.
but i guess you are right about not inviting MC. it would have been easier to invite MC in the meeting. then again, would noble come to that meeting during such a time? Breden might have figured that MC wouldn’t come anyway.
Yeah, this is so confusing matter, but i truly love to debate about it. i can’t wait to see more of the game and Breden. =D
By the way, i wish MC can romance Zvad. i like him the most. after him, i like the honorable noble idealist. XD
i don’t care Breden i just say him going other fucking way, when kill him would be available "come here Breden, hmm taste this cookie.oh poor liar chicken, are you dead. No more ugly helot for me and i could focus in my objective: have babies with a noble.
@Havenstone if you try to romance a noble i mean my character is always chaste, she don’t kiss helots in forest and try to capture a noble; couldn’t dad tell something like you at least learn to maintain family pure, a pity family will die anyway in those stupid martyr campaign yours.
I got a feeling daddy was in a failed rebellion when he was youngster. He run or sell
Can we have the option to romance the most interacted with and mentioned characters such as Zvad, Radmar, and others whose names escape me for the moment.
1 Like
Radmar’s already in a committed relationship. I would hate to see that change. I think even if Poric died, he’d be more likely to grieve and then go looking for revenge than look to the main character for romance.
Breden does get jealous of Zvad which I find amusing. I think we’re much too young for Zvad though.
I also think that romancing one of your underlings starts getting into the worrying territory of are you abusing your own position of authority, like the Aristocrats do towards the helots.
And yet, power is also highly attractive. All too often it’s the less powerful individual who seeks out the more powerful mate. Just because power can be abused doesn’t mean it must be abused.
@FairyGodfeather
Oh yeah, I forgot about Poric.
As for Zvad, please correct me if I’m wrong, but the age of the MC is not determined precisely. The MC could be like 17 and Zvad is twice the MC’s age. I know a few couples today that have greater age differences than that, so I thought in a medieval-ish world I would view that as normal.
Just been playtesting and keeping a close eye on wealth.
After starting the revolt: 70
After raiding the caravan (Chose to take all goods): 70
After raiding the noble estate (Chose option 4): 70
After town raid (Chose option 2): 70
Did not raid markets or church.
Did shake down helots
Wealth at end of winter: 77
Not sure what is going on, but something does not seem right with these numbers.
Also in Chapter 3 when Kalla/Kalt identifies the travellers as nobles you are presented with two options, Greet with Bows Drawn or Greet with Bows not drawn. Missing is the third option, namely Kill from Ambush and find out the details later.
Let the big edits begin…
In response to your abundant feedback, I’ve considered how best to change the Prologue so that
(a) it doesn’t push you into being a helot-lover,
(b) it gives evidence to underpin the other dimensions of “what I hate about the Empire” for your stat-setting choices in Ch 1,
© it shows the oppressiveness of the Ecclesiasts and Alastors, and
(d) it demonstrates your bravery and precocity as a kid – when not about to be eaten by Plektoi.
FairyGodfeather had a good suggestion about including a faith figure after the trauma of the Plektoi… but upon consideration, I think that trying to fit background on faith and nationalism into the current prologue will just stretch it out into shapelessness.
Instead, I think I’ll allow you to pick your prologue. One of them (the current one) is the “isn’t-the-Empire-horrible-to-helots” path. Another, in which Ecclesiast Zebed arrives in Rim Square, violently replacing an earlier, gentler town cleric, centers on the Imperial religion and supports your Ch 1 choice to either be devout or skeptical. The third, in which a traveling bard holds you rapt with stories from other lands and Shayard, and is eventually killed by suspicious Alastors, will give background for your choice to be nationalistic or cosmopolitan.
In other words, each prologue will explain the background for one of your three opposed stats, without requiring you yet to pick which way you’re going to swing. The opening would thus look something like this:
[b]PROLOGUE[/b]
No one ever asks when your rebellion began. They assume the answer is obvious.
They would be surprised to learn that it began eight years before any price was put on your head; before any priest damned you as a servant of Xaos; before your name was known to anyone outside the Shayard Rim. It began the first time you found yourself eye to eye with a man who intended your death.
He could have killed you with relatively little consequence. All the power of the Karagond Empire stood behind him; you were just a provincial child.
And even as a child, something in you understood. Under his serenely murderous stare, you knew that in the end it would come down to yourself or the Empire.
Not incidentally, it was also the first time you had been confronted with:
*choice
#The depths of the Empire's cruelty to its lower castes.
*set introhlt true
*goto helotrunaway
#The Empire's intense persecution of even the mildest of religious heresies.
*set introrel true
*goto heretic
#The Empire's suppression of the folkways of all other nations, including my own.
*set intronat true
*goto travelingbard
Thoughts?
1 Like
@Headhunter180, @Bloodwyche, I guess my idea for Ch 2 is poorly expressed, and in any case could use some changes to make it run better.
My idea was this: The cash wealth you bring away from your hometown is not remotely adequate to feed your band. So you start committing people to raids. All the income from your raids is going straight to feed your bandits, which is why it doesn’t add to your “wealth”. You’re not holding it for long enough.
Meanwhile, whatever quantity of silver you raided from Rim Square sits in your “wealth” box unless you run out of all other options, in which case you desperately blow it all on food, are able to feed a few more people for the winter (it’s expensive to feed people for months), and see whether you’ve done enough to keep Poor Poric and Ailing Alless from starving.
Once you’ve stopped raiding, and thus left the “raids” menu for the “non-violent” menu, the game tots up all your raid income, subtracts the amount needed to feed your followers, and adds whatever’s left to your wealth. Then you can choose to spend your wealth on stuff. Note that no matter what, you really don’t have a lot of wealth, and the stuff you spend it on is pretty small beer…
I think that’s an interesting way of increasing replayability, as well as allowing for different beliefs and motivations for the revolution. I like it. Of course I liked things are they were too. We can still be motivated by a mix of things? It’s just the initial event that changes?
I think all three motivations provide interesting paths. Nationalistic, Religious, Helot-lover.
@Havenstone here have a hug >:D< .Thank you.