Welcome @mshan95032! Fantastic way to make an entrance. I don’t know if I’ll get through all the points raised, but let’s have a go!
I intend to keep weaving those options in. When you’re in Grand Shayard in Game 2, several of the factions you can spend time with have underworld strategies, and others can be countered with them.
Much as I love Breaking Bad, though, I don’t think I’ll go full Heisenberg and have you invent blue mullow. That’s a cool idea and theoretically possible in world, but I think it would open up more plot implications than I’ve got the capacity to grapple with.
Yes, though probably not until Game 3 or 4, when supply disruptions and resource scarcity (for blood, food, textiles, and precious metals, among others) will reach the level where your market manipulations have the power to render major factions desperate…
A Change of that complexity requires an active mind behind it – you couldn’t graft it onto a tool. So no “Mule Nyr,” delightfully groansome as that would be. And Xaos-storms produce random-seeming, destructive, large-scale Change, not usable energy; getting one going would consume a lot of aetherial blood, not create an alternative to it. Sorry, no Xaos-batteries!
As you’ve guessed, if you’ve got high cred with the yeomanry, Jac might take that either positively or negatively. It’s not guaranteed that he’ll react to you as a competitor.
Died.
I am afraid that even if the Game 1 MC were so fascinating a specimen as to attract the Archlich’s interest, if s/he were to die while inside the Ward, Ghaesh couldn’t do a thing about it, being stuck outside himself. I’m also not going to add massively to my writing burden just to create a plot hatch to escape permadeath. Dead is (with very few Game 5 exceptions) dead.
I do like the idea of a world where Death can bring you back if you die early and thereafter you have to grapple with your debt to Him – that was a core plot driver of my college D&D campaign. But that’s not one of the areas I’m going to bring from that campaign into XoR, alas. Maybe next project.
This will totally be possible. I don’t think I’ll use it to mirror the history of the Templars, fun as it would be – there are already a couple of international banking systems in the gameworld, and seeing how you relate to them will be a key part of later games. But I do hope there will be fun ways for the different factions to riff off each other.
I have no plans to bring Xthulhu into the gameworld.
And finally, yes, I would like “merchant prince” (head of a strengthened merchants’ guild) to be one of the non-empire ruling roles. Let’s see about the nomadic mercentary faction… that’s appealing, but I’m not sure whether it will fit.
I’m still not sure about what your opinion is (towards my suggested Orzhov-inspired “supernatural credit-lending agency that has religious trappings and can collect debts from ghosts”), but otherwise, my curiosity is mostly satisfied at this point!
Thank you for the timely, clear, and concise answers!
And even though we don’t agree on everything, your reasons for rejecting some of my ideas (e.g. “not within the scope of the game”, “not within my writing capacity”) are totally acceptable/relatable, and I’m grateful for the warm acceptance you’ve shown towards the ideas that you do resonate with!
Sharing our respective imaginations/tastes with each other has been a privilege I’ve enjoyed very much (and would like to continue enjoying for the foreseeable future); I look forward to the day that you fully realize your vision of a completed XoR saga!
On the top of my head, here is my following tentative recollection (and guesses) about which Game 2 factions fall under the “have underworld strategies” (versus those who are countered by them).
“Most likely to use underworld strategies on regular basis”: #1: Marginalized/outcast factions who are often underestimated, mistreated, discriminated against, and/or ignored by everybody else, thus having to rely on dirty tricks by default just to survive and keep up (e.g. Abhumans, Grand Shayard drudges/day laborers, Jac Cabel’s group, and any “leftover helots” who weren’t recruited by Game 1 MC) #2: The nation-states whose spymasters/agents are introduced during Game 2
a. Halassurq (mainly through Erjan and Carles the Jongler)
b. Nyr (mainly through Jevahir)
c. Karagond Hegemony loyalists (because I’m still feeling wary (and excited!) about your plan to continue exploring the Kryptast-related intrigue surrounding Breden)
“Most likely to fall prey to underworld strategies on regular basis”: #1: Snobby, upper/middle-class nobles who often don’t pay enough attention to the “filthy/barbaric peasantry” and “weirdo outsiders/foreigners” (aka the underestimated/mistreated groups I mentioned earlier) #2: Merchant guilds (e.g. Syntechia) and Karagond bureaucracy (e.g. Telones) - Perhaps some sort of widespread, white collar crime-themed scheme might be applicable here? (especially if MC can continue recruiting more corrupt employees/bureaucrats to serve as inside men) The Ponzi/pyramid scheme in particular might be exciting to pull off.
(curling up my fingers in a Mr. Burns-like fashion) Excellent!
On another note, ‘desperate’ is very open to interpretation. While I would like to see the ‘desperate’ that motivates the pressured party into agreeing with whatever demands my MC (and his allies) make, I wonder if ‘desperate’ could also translate into “I’m willing to kidnap MC’s loved ones (and/or key allies) to extort the resources I need from him.”
(which the MC can retaliate against by organizing a “Die Hard”-inspired rescue mission, with Elery and Zvad leading the rescue team while my high-INT MC (accompanied by Suzanne and Cerlota, who serve as bodyguards) stalls for time during the ransom negotiations.)
Ah shucks, I guess I’ll then settle for giving the “Mule Nyr” name to one of my fictional children (and then probably deal with the “Daddy, why did you give me that weird name?” comedic fallout during Game 5’s epilogue)
When I contemplate how the phenomenon is titled Xaos/“chaos”-storms (and not “neatly profitable to harvest”-storms), I suppose I should have anticipated your reply ahead of time.
Oh crap, so Zeus died during XoR’s distant history? That’s quite the curveball! I wonder if Zeus’ infamous womanizing/infidelity finally caught up to him (and then Hera killed him in a temper tantrum of disproportionate retribution), or if different circumstances/factors were involved.
Also, I’ve now contemplated the possibility that Sarcifer is a “Came Back Wrong” resurrected (or reincarnated) version of Zeus, whose seemingly noble “I want to reform the Hegemony to limit the power/dominance of Theurges” motivation is a convenient excuse to cover up a more personal, petty goal (to get revenge on Hera by destroying (and then remaking) the Hegemony in his own image).
This theory would split the “reform the Hegemony to limit the power/dominance of Theurges” camp into the “true believers” (Cerlota and Diadoche Phaedra) versus the “secretly selfish revenge seeker” (Sarcifer/Zeus), thus creating nuance/complexity while also possibly adding a “Broken Pedestal” trope moment to Cerlota’s character development (whose ideology was largely shaped from reading Sarcifer’s notes).
The Syntechia/merchant guild(s) are the very first examples that come to mind; how many other XoR international banking groups should we expect?
a. An occasional recurring forum topic that keeps intriguing me is the possibility of the MC brokering a team-up/reconciliation between the Laconnier and Leaguer factions.
Would suggesting a constitutional monarchy (1- with the Laconnier royal family serving as the executive branch, 2- a cosmopolitan Senate serving as the legislative branch) be a viable compromise?
Alternatively, if the Leaguers balk at the suggestion of any single lineage forever holding power over the executive branch, there is another possible (and more reasonably scaled) bargaining chip to win over Laconnier support: promising them a hereditary peerage in the “House of Lords” chamber of MC’s new parliament.
b. I did appreciate that how one of Game 1’s “customized/optional sacrament declarations” involved the Aristo MC telling his congregation that “nobles have the divine right to responsibly lead the masses”; hopefully, that clause will come in handy for convincing MC’s devout helot/yeoman followers to accept his post-Hegemony, Aristo-led new world order.
(though I will admit that my Aristo MC will probably have a difficult time trying to justify pardons for his cousins, Hector and Calea, infamous XoR examples of the “irresponsible/vicious noble archetype”, especially if Kalt/Kala and Radmar call out MC for giving undeserved special treatment/mercy to his family).
Glad to see we’re once again on the same page!
Personally, I’m looking forward to instituting “Got the best deals anywhere!” (inspired by Warcraft’s goblins) as the strengthened merchant guild’s main slogan! (though I will admit that the antics and competing desires of the remaining factions will probably test that slogan’s upper limit to the max).
And on another (minor) note, I wonder if it might be possible for our merchant prince MC to (eventually) boast of their immense power at the end of Game 5 (after everything’s settled), in a manner similar to that of Gargoyles’ David Xanatos.
(please refer to below quoted conversation for details)
David Xanatos: The truth is that my men repelled an invasion by a rival corporation trying to steal some of our new technology.
Elisa Maza: “Repelled an invasion”? You’re a private citizen, Xanatos. Not a country.
David Xanatos: Detective, I am the owner of a multinational corporation, which is bigger than many countries you could name.
Take all the time you need to make a decision, but if you’re looking for even more inspiration on the nomadic mercenary archetype, below mentioned is a quote about Star Wars’ iconic Mandalorians:
“Here’s why you can’t exterminate us, aruetii. We’re not huddled in one place—we span the galaxy. We need no lords or leaders—so you can’t destroy our command. We can live without technology—so we can fight with our bare hands. We have no species or bloodline—so we can rebuild our ranks with others who want to join us. We’re more than just a people or an army, aruetii. We’re a culture. We’re an idea. And you can’t kill ideas—but we certainly can kill you.”
If I were to transplant that quote into XoR’s context, I think it feels very profound and relevant to XoR’s main themes (of how people in general respond to oppressive governments and brutal caste systems). Make of it what you will, and let me know your thoughts as usual.
Cool idea – but I don’t think it’ll work with gameworld necromancy. There are no equivalents to the thrulls, and becoming a lich is not something a debtor could expect.
A kidnapping plot may be part of the G3 Aekos chapter-- we’ll see.
The Halassurq continent has its own network based in the riverine jungle statelets on its southwest coast. They also keep trade going with the Hegemony during wartime. You’ll have the chance to meet some of their citizens in Grand Shayard.
I won’t comment on the next few speculations, but I will say that some line like
will certainly be an appropriate coda to a successful merchant prince outcome.
The big independent mercenary band wouldn’t be a viable model in the bipolar superpower war of the present gameworld, nor in a total anarchy meltdown where no one has the money for big armies… but it would probably work out and be a satisfying option for some players in a post-Hegemony world of many little states. I’ll keep it in mind for my G5 planning. Thanks!
No, but then you can be the next best thing and become an Afghanistan-style warlord, being “hired” to “protect” every population center within range of your armies.
a. It just now occurred to me that an MC can easily buy back yeomanry loyalty with donations (even if the MC had previously robbed the yeomanry during Game 1 winter).
If Jac was paying close attention to the MC’s Game 1 behavior (especially having noticed MC’s above-described change of heart), could he then possibly view the MC as a fair-weather friend/hypocrite? (who robs or supports other people on an unpredictable whim)
Alternatively, might Jac be feeling more ambivalent towards the MC instead? (e.g. “forgiven, but not forgotten”)
b. “Ester Cabel was betrayed by the nobility. Maybe some stripling Rimmer [lord/lady] doesn’t have reason to remember it, four and a half decades on. But those of us whose kin fought and died alongside her do not forget.”
In the context of this very understandable and tragic grudge, how much of a disadvantage/uphill battle would this burden an Aristo MC with (in later games)?
From what I understand, dealing with this schism is arguably going to be the most significant challenge to rebuilding/restoring Shayard to its original borders (or possibly beyond).
c. And does Jac have any close friends/family who are currently members (or hidden spies) of MC’s rebellion? I wonder if somebody like Elery might be able (and willing) to put in a good word for us and vouch for our character.
Quick question, in XoR, how does any person eventually rise to become the merchant prince/princess of the Syntechia?
Are they… #1: Elected by all voting-eligible guild members and “stockholders”, #2: Elected by an elite body/board of directors (e.g. Game 2’s “Shayardene Guildmasters”), #3: Directly handpicked by the previous merchant prince/princess? #4: Or are picked through an entirely different method that I have yet to foresee?
And how high does Alaine Leybridge rank in the Syntechia’s hierarchy?
As soon as you said “riverine jungle,” I immediately visualized what a visit to Halassurq’s southwest coastal bank might look like.
At first, my MC would be taken in by the exotic spices (and other amenities/luxuries) of the bank’s environment (along with reliving the memories of Carles the Jongler’s ballad), but would then be immediately reminded of Halassurq’s infamous reputation for brutality (by witnessing the bank manager paralyze an uncooperative customer (e.g. refused to repay his/her loans) with poison dart frog venom, and then toss said customer into a tank of hungry piranhas).
And then in the background, we can hear a bunch of Halassurq employees whispering, “man, the boss is still upset about not getting sharks (with laser beams attached to their heads).”
(while said boss sits on a comfortable swivel chair, with his neck/shoulders adorned by a pet anaconda while he’s stroking a pet jaguar on his lap)
Unless I’m interpreting the “during wartime” description incorrectly, I’m having a hard time reconciling the imagined “DIE/SUFFER, HEGEMONY SCUM!” war cry with “hey, Hegemony official/citizen, do you wanna buy my wares?”
Is Halassurq (as an overall nation) really that pragmatic? (to have settled into this weird “frenemy” dynamic with the Hegemony, despite the two being at war)
I could really use clarification here, please.
For those of us who adopt (or will later adopt) this sort of approach, I’m hoping that Havenstone will let us rename our faction “the Horde” (or the Golden Horde), with our MC calling themself “Warchief” (or Khan).
Jac can’t pay closer attention than the code does, and I’m afraid I didn’t code for the game to remember whether you were a persecutor of the yeomanry or helots before you paid for their affection. It’s possible I might go back and add that. If so, yes, it would have an effect on Jac as well as other G2 factions.
An aristo MC will definitely have major barriers of yeoman (to say nothing of helot) suspicion to overcome if they want to unite Shayard as part of their win strategy, rather than relying on connections that span multiple provinces.
Is that really the kind of question you expect the author to answer?
The Syntechnia has its own internal promotion structure which (in a nutshell) relies on proving your reliability to the people in the level above you and contributing a certain amount of wealth to the common purse. As a non-merchant who is starting off on the very wrong side of the law, you don’t have much hope of rising through the ranks yourself in this normal way; however much wealth you threw at them, you’d never be able to make yourself respectable enough to be recognized formally as a guildmaster. Especially because the top echelon in Shayard is chosen by Karagond masters…
But the system will be massively destabilized by the rebellion, and there will be various ways for outsiders to work their way into the guild – especially if you decide to help the Shayardene guild essentially establish itself as a countervailing force to the Karagond one, and then strike the Karagond Syntechnia a good hard blow during your G3 time in Aekos.
Alaine is well respected for a local trader, but she’s nowhere close to being a guildmaster. She’d need to move to the cities if she wanted to pursue that, and spend more of her time buttering up the top nobility. A Nyr in Shayard starts at a massive disadvantage for the latter.
Hey, Plektosis braintrust! Get me some laser sharks!
It’s really, really hard to stop all trade from happening even when you’re at war. High-volume commodity trade, sure. But both sides have a nobility with an extenstive appetite for luxury goods – spices, textiles, fine art, musical instruments, etc. – that are mainly produced on the other continent. The Mahru and Sindhul, the primary traders of the jungle coast, are happy to sell to both sides. So are the Qalsa or Corsairs, though they have a greater tendency to combine theft and trade when it comes to the goods passing through their territorial waters.
It’s less of a frenemy relationship and more of a mutual willingness by elites to not let the war get in the way of their luxury consumption. The result is a low-volume but high-value trade that continues through intermediaries even while the rival empires fight to destroy each other.
For wild speculation, I would suspect Alira as a secret Cabel if it wasn’t for her being a Bowyer, which you’d really have to go out of your way to find out in Uprising. She’s the Whendward bandit with heavy plot armor and a personal connection to Cabel’s Rising.
Nowadays, my gut sense is that her fate is the bonetree in Grand Shayard, a tragic ending. But let’s set wild speculation aside here.
A Homelander rebel can have Bethune and her Westriding yeomen as allies, who may not be spies but probably fulfill the “put in a good word for us” role you’re asking about, and even rebels without a direct personal connection can likely count on notoriety and word-of-mouth.
All right, well, I wanted to be the one to write the XoR version of the “National Hero” Infiniverse build, basically a build that finishes the first game gloriously, with a maximal number of perks and options open for the future.
But then I realized that I don’t quite know how that would look like. So I have decided instead to let the audience answer that question, since they’re the ones who would be playing such a build.
It has to be an Aristocrat, as that is the only way (for now) to win over the Aristocracy, and besides I already have a very nice Helot guide.
It would preferably be compassionate, as the “National Hero” build is Idealistic/Merciful (and Compassionate is slightly stronger than Ruthless).
So then, with those stipulations, what is the Compassionate Aristocrat build that people want?
Oh no, I have a lot of Homelander Aristocrat builds…given this, what will be their advantage relative to Cosmopolitan ones?
I’m thinking it’s either “Ay-Cose” or “Ay-Eh-Goes”, but as usual, I could use some clarification here.
If it is “Ay-Cose,” then I’d like to market the pun, “Leggo My Aekos,” as the primary slogan for my future Syntechnia waffles (with each box logo commemorating the descent/destruction of the Thaumatarch’s floating palace).
a. Awesome; as usual, thanks for the consideration!
Hypocrisy/inconsistency should always carry its own risks and hidden costs, though I’m hoping that both Breden and I can spin our “from persecutor to philanthropist” transition into a palatable redemption narrative.
(to the extent that Jac’s group and I can reach the “forgiven but not forgotten” relationship status I spoke of earlier)
b. Anyways, on a separate note, I’m super grateful to have kept my (totally platonic) BFF/rebellion co-founder, Breden by my side!
Personally, I think she qualifies as an “ex-Kryptast who’s become a genuine believer in our rebellion (after having been previously disillusioned with the other failed rebellions she’s worked with in the past),” with G1’s poisoning incident having been caused by the actual Kryptasts (who are aware of Breden’s past, thus seeing Breden as the obvious scapegoat to frame).
I sincerely hope that one of G5’s possible epilogues involves Breden finally finding peace of mind and vindication after everything’s said and done (or if she’s revealed to be truly guilty/complicit to some extent, then perhaps she’s instead feeling a wash of relief from MC’s (yet again) granted mercy/pardon).
c. It also now just occurred to me that Cabel is one letter away from being spelled “Cabal.” I’d now like to change my chosen nickname for Jac’s group (from the “Farmer Joe Brigade” to the “Farmer Joe Illuminati.”)
As I’ve said earlier, hopefully, my G1 Eclect-related influence will give my MC a head start in assuaging the fears of devout Shayardene yeoman and helots.
As for how to win over the skeptical/less devout portion, my MC’s reputation for compassion (assuming the “from persecutor to Robin Hood” inconsistency can be eventually forgiven, but not forgotten) should come in handy for bridging a reconciliation (or at least peaceful, if slightly uneasy, coexistence).
As for more concrete, tangible actions to win over and keep yeoman/helot loyalty (since words and reputation alone do not allay suspicion)…
Perhaps MC’s post-Hegemony constitutional monarchy (or oligarchy) could be held accountable by a new Codex that permanently enshrines protections/basic civil rights for every citizen (yeoman and helots included, to keep the nobility and head(s) of state in check).
Meanwhile, “Xthonos” (per the language and new rules of MC’s reformist Xthonic denomination) could be declared the source of the Codex’s legitimacy.
I am very much dreading the (huge) possibility of Radmar (and his fighters) deserting me in favor of Kalt/Kala’s (hypothetical G3) militia, especially since my Aristo MC has been going out of his way to win over the support of the nobility (per his “Backcountry Plot” G1 walkthrough).
By itself, will the Angel’s Eclect status enough to command Radmar’s continued (albeit reluctant) loyalty, or will a 2 (or 3) CHA score (in addition to the religious title) be required?
a. Was super surprised (and thrilled) to learn that my cosmopolitan MC was deemed worthy of being declared a Whendish clan chieftain (by Korszata, Bjel, and their entourage).
Though given Zvad’s mixed feelings reaction (between amusement and anxiety), I’m starting to wonder how much of a double-edged sword I’ve landed myself into.
(though the bright cosmopolitan vision of Wendrj having its own New Shayard district (while Shayard in return gains a new Wendrjtown district) might make the double-edged sword worth fighting for in the grand scheme of things)
b. Having vaguely remembered how G3 and G4 will allow MC to visit Erezza and Nyral, I’d like to ask if there will be any similar opportunities to likewise visit Wendrj (to cement our recently appointed roles as Whendish clan chieftains, and then expand our power base from there).
c. And an aspect of Wendrj which caught my eye is its water-based power/utilities (per what I remember from previous forum posts).
Would it be viable for a “merchant prince route” MC to push for considerable Syntechnia investment (and R&D) towards the creation of a hydroelectric/steampunk-based nation-state? (thus reducing dependency on aetherial blood)
Apologies for overreaching; I was (and still am) having lots of fun with drafting my questions, and hope that I don’t step on too many toes along the way.
For the players who feel less optimistic (than I do) about their chances of becoming merchant princes/princesses (or regaining any sort of formal respectability), could their MC’s instead double down on their G1 roles as the Syntechnia’s “off the books” hired smugglers (akin to Han Solo and Lando Calrissian)?
Since almost every civilization has its own list of prohibited (or strictly regulated/heavily taxed) goods and substances, it’s reasonable to assume that there will always be a demand for smugglers, even during a post-Hegemony world, right?
If a Karagond remnant (aka Sarcifer and Phaedra’s splinter faction) were to join the fold of MC’s post-Hegemony new world order, it’d certainly be an interesting role reversal to see the new Karagond Syntechnia’s top echelon be chosen by Shayardene masters for a change, right? (or in the cosmopolitan MC’s case, be elected by a senate/parliament of representatives from multiple, ex-Hegemony provinces).
Or would any prospect (of having to (genuinely) share power with anybody else) be too much of a dealbreaker for the greedy Sarcifer?
On average, how nationalistic (or cosmopolitan) would you say the Shayardene guildmasters are?
Do they sort of mirror the same split between the Laconniers and Leaguers, or is there generally a strong preference for keeping to their corner of the world? (e.g. they balk at my MC’s advice to also join forces (and share the spoils) with the other Syntechnia branch guilds in Wendrj, Erezza, and Nyral)
At the moment, I’m interpreting some very homelander vibes here.
Buttering up the top nobility, you say?
And does Alaine happen to be hanging out/visiting Grand Shayard during G2 Chapter 3?
Since my Backcountry Plot MC has good cred with G1’s nobility, maybe I could present that relationship as a convincing reason for Alaine to accompany me as my (disguised) plus one (during a hypothetical ball/party/banquet with my prospective Laconnier-Leaguer coalition).
Is G2’s code flexible enough to enable inviting Alaine in my suggested context, or is it currently limited to MC’s Xaos-land companion(s) and whichever new friends/love interests MC encountered during G2?
This sounds like the exact sort of person who would probably benefit greatly from living in a society shaped by my MC’s cosmopolitan vision.
The more details that I keep hearing about Alaine, the more I like her! (in a completely platonic manner)
How soon can we (reasonably) uplift Alaine from covert ally to a lieutenant (or co-leader) of the MC’s rebellion?
Or, does Alaine value discretion/deniability too much to ever consider working with MC in any direct, open capacity?
Will there happen to be any XoR “spice melange” counterparts (natural (but was previously never found until the present day) or synthetic (by MC’s creation) that grants the user Dune-like powers? (e.g. longevity, heightened awareness, prescience)
Or does this fall under the exact same boat as the previously hypothesized “blue mullow”? (“cool idea that’s theoretically possible in-world, but opens up more plot implications than you’ve got the capacity to grapple with”)
Has anyone ever come close to inventing the XoR counterpart for the mithril shirt? (made out of some lightweight but exceptionally strong material)
I imagine that the more paranoid nobles (who want to reduce their chances of being assassinated) might be in the market for such a product (a product which the MC might buy or steal for himself).
Would it be possible for a criminally-minded (and of sufficient INT) MC to forge “long-lost pieces of artwork”? (to auction off to G2’s nobility)
And alternatively, is it an equally valid option for a more honest MC to come into possession of legit, sellable artwork by random, incidental means?
And alternatively (yet again), could a high-enough INT score (paired together with an Aristo background/tutoring) translate into artistic dexterity? (that MC requires to outright create a masterpiece from scratch)
Might there happen to be any “Pied Piper” flute (if used to played a certain tune, or if paired/created with the right powers/ingredients) that could allow the MC to hijack Plektoi?
Or, if our MC has less sinister intentions, maybe he could use the flute to instead free or domesticate the Plektoi into reverting back to their original animal selves?
(hypothetically purchasing such a flute from his Abhuman allies, who despise Plektosis, thus having a strong cultural motive to free as many enslaved Plektoi as possible)
Alternatively (yet again), maybe my war-weary, disguised MC might settle for letting off steam at a tavern, playing a purchased lute (or ukelele) to sing “Throw a Coin to Your Rebel”!
By the time of G2 Ch 3, do Hector, Calea, and Isme happen to be participating as buyers and purchasers on the Karagond side of this luxury good marketplace?
Or is their attention instead mainly focused on socializing with the Laconniers, Leaguers, and/or Loyalists?
I wonder if there might be any Anne Bonnies or Mary Reads amongst their ranks who might be open to romance (during G2 or beyond)?
To phrase an altered quote from Extra History, “Because why let a crusade get in the way of a good business transaction?”
Interesting. In the context of XoR, what exactly is a Bowyer? And during which chapter(s)/circumstances could you find out about this tidbit? (if you could post a screenshot in your reply, that would be very helpful and appreciated)
And on another note, the name’s pronunciation reminds me of the historical Boyars (nobles from Wallachia and Moldavia who played a part in the story of Vlad the Impaler, per a recent YouTube series from Extra History, which you can watch on this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5ASi2g2CKrtZoElTybgd8Jg).
Would certainly like to hear your more detailed thoughts on how/why this sort of fate might be inevitable for Alira; concocting an elaborate plan on how to save Alira should make for an interesting challenge.
Oh, that’s neat! Thanks for the advice; looking forward to discovering this scene in a later Homelander rebel replay!
My mc will certainly be dismayed to learn that what is being traded essentially amounts to useless junk bought with wealth stolen from the vast majority.
Instead of useful things like food or knowledge (although the library and education network to widely disseminate it would need to be built first).
Even with compromises with the merchants and some lower ranking officials…like Bleys I hope those traders can adapt to a new order by becoming much more middlebrow and therefore useful to the edification of the people.
Or of course becoming useful outright in later games by trading food and things like cheaper textiles and maybe even weapons in bulk.
Pity my plan to use confiscated, melted down gold to destablise Halassur’s own economy is a no go for the time period.
Yes that makes sense. Charisma is also the easiest stat to play.
I think 2CHA/1INT Compassionate / Devout / Homelander Female Aristocrat sounds good, I’m debating < 20 vs > 20 Anarchy.
I think Homelander is better for a build designed for mass appeal than Cosmopolitan. It’s much easier to grasp why a Noble with a Homelander orientation would be upset at the current state of affairs.
@Havenstone I am in mood for speculations so i have some question. What would have happened if the nobles did not betrayed Ester Cebel during her Yeoman Rising? Could it actually achieve something or would it end like the actual Rising we know so destruction of Westriding but this time on a greater scale?
As you’re already aware, it could be noted that from a design perspective there are some big differences between the Dragoon Saga and XoR to take into consideration when planning a National Hero equivalent.
The Dragoon Saga’s stats are typically incentivised to be as high as possible, whereas in XoR the stats are usually rewarded in the narrative, regardless of their numerical value. Therefore a National Hero guide equivalent is just much harder to produce, since “success” is so broadly defined.
As such, I’d recommend to focus on extremes. You’ve done the Ruthless Helot MC, so I agree that a Compassionate Aristo may be the best option now (may the gods forgive me for uttering such words). <20 Anarchy for sure - roleplays better with the high Compassionate stat, and provides a balance with the previous Helot guide.
Either that, or, using your vast experience and knowledge of the book, craft a path that you find most pleasing personally, which touches upon most of the major scenes and themes of the book. Start gently, recruit de Firiac, then lead your merry band down a bloodsoaked path towards a fiercely violent rebellion, for example.
Once XoR2 is released, we might see that some paths through Uprising lead to more rewards than others, but even then, given the inclusion of a Non-Violent Resistance path, I expect there will never be a “best” route, as there is so much freedom given to the reader to push the story forward in a manner that they find most pleasing.
@Havenstone I had always assumed this, but just to ask, could / would you confirm please if the Non-Violent Resistance path will be present for the entire saga? It’s my second-favourite route and it’s just occurred to be that it might be forcibly ended at some point - it will presumably diverge quite a lot from the main rebellion narrative as the books progress further forward.
Being fair, the reason why you’re supposed to get as high a rep as possible is so that you can watch it drop forty points by the penultimate chapter.
So it is literally the inverse in XoR. You are supposed to build up your reputations and stats so that by the end-game you’re at the top of the world.
Also, Lords of Infinity is the start of the Core of the Series, I can’t speak for if Book One is the same in XoR but it’s always fun to know that Book One and Two of a Series is only meant to set up the conditions for the main plot-points.
I think I was fair! There wasn’t a suggestion of “bad” or “less good” design, but simply a different perspective or attitude towards it.
This is true, though my intent was to illustrate that the stats are typically rewarded at any point on the scale - low, medium or high - rather than only at their heights.
[quote=“muffy, post:4427, topic:32089, full:true”]As such, I’d recommend to focus on extremes. You’ve done the Ruthless Helot MC, so I agree that a Compassionate Aristo may be the best option now (may the gods forgive me for uttering such words). <20 Anarchy for sure - roleplays better with the high Compassionate stat, and provides a balance with the previous Helot guide.
[/quote]
Right, I think we’ll do Low Anarchy. I have done the dry run of the build that will become the guide, looks quite successful. Helots, Yeomen, Merchants, and Nobles are all on board. Every single lieutenant (including Zvad and Bleys) is on board.
Unfortunately couldn’t really befriend the Priests, but honestly if you’re doing an Inner Voice build…your character probably isn’t a fan of the Priesthood anyways.
Screenshot of the kind of results you can expect, complete with a 1 round combat victory.
I agree that success is definable in a number of ways. I think my “Savage Goete” build is the most technically exacting build that you can do in XoR (it took me literal years to arrive at, and I had assistance, see the guide Acknowledgements), and it does obtain the maximal number of armaments at the end.
But the reason I’m saying this Inner Voice build is the “National Hero” equivalent is that it succeeds across a range of domains: it gets you the massive rebellion, it gets you Simon (who I understand is preferred to Kalt), it befriends the elites, giving you the option to launch a more elite-based rebellion in later books, etc…
The Savage Goete build mainly succeeds in slaughtering Karagond soldiers efficiently, and getting elites to hate you.
There is one editorial decision I had to make, and that was to make this a Homelander build, even though Cosmopolitan is slightly stronger. I did that because I think it’s hard to grasp why a Cosmopolitan Aristocrat would be upset at the system, as the Karagond order is fairly Cosmopolitan as it is. But a Homelander Aristocrat would naturally be upset at the way things are.
This is brilliant - nice work. How much tweaking do you expect to be needed? ETA til posted on Steam?
Agreed very much - that’s a good perspective to take.
This sounds very reasonable, and I’m glad you could make the guide fit smoothly into the narrative, too - it’s not always easy to make a min-maxed guide that has a cohesive story.
Minor questions: Do you push for the little extras in the story, like getting the scene where the rebels name a child after you (Namesake achievement)? Which method is used to get intel on the Architelone Raid? Do you do anything interesting with Calea, such as the “survive being poisoned” achievement (What Doesn’t Kill You)? Is Inner Voices integral to the run or could it be switched out, potentially, if the player so wished?
Thank you for your hard work - I’m sure these will be used by many grateful, nameless people for years to come.
I don’t know if I’ll get through all the points raised, but let’s have a go!
In the context of XoR, what exactly is a Bowyer? And during which chapter(s)/circumstances could you find out about this tidbit? (if you could post a screenshot in your reply, that would be very helpful and appreciated)