Choice of Rebels Part 1 WIP thread

@Sneaks as I said, I’ve played countless times and it did neverhappend. I also don’t remember anyone here posting of an attack on the band after the theurge sighted them. I therefore think the chance is either 0 or, if there’s a random generator here, still neglectably small.

It wouldn’t be a problem if this scene served to define some (invisible) stats expressing the style of leadership (for example cautious vs. risk-loving, rules-follower vs. situational or dictatorical vs. collegial), but apparently it doesn’t and therefore the whole scene has no real consequences. That’s what I consider a case of LIM

The text suggests that waiting until dawn and end of the rain is the reaction everyone prefers, and my knowledge from multille playthroughs also tells me there’s no reason to strike camp but doing the opposite is the default first choice, I always have to change this, and that’s annoying.

@WinterHawk I think the feeling can be as well transmitted with a plain text without this confusing choice, or if the choice is kept, either an attack could happen or not (randomly) if the band doesn’t steike camp or some hidden stats should be affected, or both. And I’d prefer the latter. :slight_smile:

@WulfyK

The choice has an effect on morale, which is a hidden stat.

@Sneaks but @Havenstone wrote that the negative effect only occurs if I decide to strike camp and then change the decision again, that means that not striking camp at the all (that’s what Zvad and all the other want and what I always do) or not changing the decision later and insisting on striking camp would therefore have no effect. And I’d prefer if they havd some effects.

@WulfyK

I don’t think a plain text would be as affective as the choice (so long as it’s not confusing). With out the choice you could lose the sense of being the guy in charge. You need to be the one making the decision, for the “decision” to matter to the player, let alone it’s consequences. Even when the consequences are very minor (a slight morale penalty for indecision).

It seems like our primary disagreement about the scene is a matter of our overall viewpoint on stats. Sometimes it more important to me that a scene be an interesting story, or just change my perception of the same outcome, than have it affect my stats.

I think of this scene, the helot/noble versions of the group meetings and religion/national/pelkoti intro very similarly. It isn’t there to change my stats or the large scale story but more my perception of them. You can see the same events happening in different ways based on your choices in the scene, but the same thing happens. Breden still gets the overseers to agree to the funeral, the Keriatou are still turned away from the road, and Alles still escapes to hide out with Breden’s group.

Couldn’t help but notice you mention the re-appearance of cousin/master Hector.

Another thought that’s occured to me (concerning the Keriatous )was that it would be interesting if Calea and/or Hector could have been taking advantage of the helot MC. You did mention Calea was known for such behavior and if the MC’s a helot, she does almsot notice him.

Then my train of thoughts led me to the question whether or not, in the game’s universe, it is acceptable for cousins to marry. If it is, would it have been possible for the aristo MC to have had hopes of, say, being married off to Hector? Perhaps she pined after him but he kept ignoring her, or they had a rather forbidden tryst none of them ever mentioned? :stuck_out_tongue:

Sorry-I’m really a sucker for angsty romance. :stuck_out_tongue: Amongst other things xD.

Agree with @WinterHawk. A choice doesn’t always need to have any major consequences. A lot of CoGs have fake choices which don’t really do anything and are only there for the sake of role-playing.

On an unrelated note, Havenstone has done a pretty accurate representation in this game of what I imagine it’s like to be in a position of leadership. And by that I mean it’s really, really stressful. The blame for every last defeat and setback is put solely on you and you can’t even have real friends because you will invariably need to make a decision that pisses them off.

To quote a certain poncy vampire from one of my favorite games of all time…

“Every problem a grain of sand and every night I inherit the desert. The folly of leadership is knowing that, no matter what you do, behind your back there are hundreds, certain that their own solution is the sounder one, and that your decision was the by-product of a whimsical dart toss.”

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Wulfy, like WinterHawk and Sneaks I think some choices justify themselves in story rhythm rather than stats, and thus I don’t mind fake_choices or near-fake ones like the choice to strike camp. But there are plenty of forum members who share your tastes and would agree that I should either add a visible consequence to the choice or cut it on LIM grounds. @Samuel_H_Young for one has strongly argued that every choice should have consequences (on stats or a significant narrative strand).

Sneaks, I’m glad you find the feel of the leadership bits compelling. My work in Afghanistan involved leading a team of 100-odd people and making choices about acceptable risk in life-and-death situations – including some wrong choices. Blessedly, the friendship dynamics aren’t quite as bleak as your summary… there’s a skill to keeping friendships alive with teammates that you’ve pissed off or let down. I’ll try to represent that in the game to some extent.

RebelMaiden, while writing in a past liaison with Calea/Hector for a helot MC would be problematic on a few different levels, I like your suggestion of the romance element for a noble MC. Cousin marriage is reasonably common in the gameworld. I’ll give a choice in Ch 3 to define how you felt/feel about Hector.

Mara, you just taught me what “lapidate” meant - it is a (rare) English word, but we commonly just say “stone,” like stoning someone to death. I’ll see if the choice to kill Breden meets your standards, or whether it’ll be a quick death like your options to kill Kala and Suzane. And yes, I should write in that line for your dad.

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Lapidate comes in my English dictionary too ,and is the word we use comes from Latin Lapid means big stones. For instance, in Spain we called the stones in graves where is carved the dead name (tombstones maybe?) Lápidas.
Also awesome could explain daddy, he has to love a daughter like me more than the typical pro commoner character. Now i only need more rusty maces and more nobles on my side

@Havenstone

I favor a high-intellect aristo who deliberately distances himself from Breden despite having feelings for her because he doesn’t want his emotions to compromise his judgement. He’s really, really lonely. And this is only the first game. Maybe that’s why my summary of friendship dynamics is so bleak. xP

Afghanistan? What is it you do, exactly? /:slight_smile:

Sneaks: Love the character dynamic. :slight_smile:

I work in international development and disaster relief. My time in Afghanistan included several deployments with USAID for-profit aid contractors and two years leading a team from the British Christian non-profit where I still work today. Teaching Afghan masons to make water filters like the ones pictured in this story and hearing filter owners describe the impact on their health made up for a lot of the leadership stress. :slight_smile:

Mara: the extra rusty maces should be coming in a revision of Ch 2. And the extra nobles in Game 2.

Rusty Maces!!! Im excited :)) I just dont have real life lol :((

@Havenstone

Is cousin marriage “reasonably common” only with the nobility or with everyone?

It’s most common with nobles (who want to keep wealth in the family) and rural helots (who generally have little choice but to marry within their estate - though purchases of outside helots do refresh the bloodlines there). There’s no stigma around cousin marriage for anyone.

@Havenstone Yaaay! :smiley: My MC lady has been made very happy. :slight_smile:

@Havenstone, I thought you were either military, CIA or maybe even MI6 (or is that SIS now?). Of course if you did work for either of the last two you wouldn’t tell us anyway and a foreign aid job would be a quite reasonable cover.

I do think @Sneaks is right about the loneliness of leadership especially since I figure my high int Helot is a somewhat reluctant leader in the first place although I think what he might miss the most is actually teaching the band like in the prologue where you can teach some of them to read.
On that note how good a leader is Simon, I mean we know he’s a good combatant but is he general material?

I thikn for my Helot MC not marrying (and reproducing) besides the whole sexual orientation thing is also an act of principled rebellion whitin the context of the setting.

Hi WulfyK: seriously, if you try I’ll bet you could make a terrific game, and I think you’d enjoy it. Don’t handicap yourself by declaring limits on your abilities.

1.a. I’m not saying I can’t do it. I’m saying that given the context, your stumblingly referring to your lover-who-you’ve-just-chosen-to-publicly-suspect as a “friend, er, close friend” is the most appropriate dialogue option.
b. Heard your point, but I’m keeping it; my tastes on this align with Sneaks and WinterHawk.
c. It does, in that beating the Alastors on the way back from Owlscap should give you double the anarchy of being decimated by them.

3.b-c-e. It is Sybla’s professional opinion that you’re all going to be killed as soon as the Hegemony gets round to it. Ain’t nothing you can do to convince her to put her head on the block next to yours.
f. Assuming Breden is eager to dance with you, you’re the last person who could effectively “ship” her and Ciels at that moment. Ditto if she doesn’t want to dance with you. :frowning: Sorry…
h. “They don’t need to know that the MC sold K.” Stone cold way to get rid of Kalt. :slight_smile: Hmmm. Definitely not appropriate right off the bat, before s/he has done anything to confirm your suspicions of trouble; but a NTH of the kind I’m genuinely tempted to work in later, once she’s caused trouble. We’ll see.

Is it possible to get Ismene to help you with the Architelone mission, at all? Every time I tried, she turned me away.

Rebelmaiden, have an INT of at least 1, and try not to do things that will piss off nobles, and Ismene should help you. The latter is needed for her goodwill, the former to convince her that you’ve got a shot at the raid.

idnlun, I’d be a terrible spy. :slight_smile: Simon’s a good fighter, not yet general material. And I totally buy the principled rebellion of non-reproduction.

What about a nobles baby boom @Havenstone ? I would have 6pure blood babies to fight for usurp my throne would be so funny :slight_smile:

@Havenstone :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:
^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^

(And to all others, do you also think that this photo wouldn’t look out of place in the CoR game :)?)

No wonder you have the ideas for such an awesome game. I don’t have any ideas for an own game, :frowning: I’m not very familiar with ChoiceScript :-?? and I hoorribly suck at writing :((.

But I’m glad that you accepted some of my suggestions. :)>-

1.a. Some of my MCs would definitely still call Breden their lover in this situation. Perhaps you should add a third choice “tell Breden s/he’s still a suspect despite your feelings”, available only to those who are in a relationship? After all, an aristo who had conflicted with Breden previously has the chance to chase her away here, I think a lover should have the option to express his/her torn feelings as well.

3.f. Are Breden’s feelings towards the MC depwnding on their previous interaction or is s/he always loving the MC?
h. Good, I had this idea after seing K’s actions in ch.3, It’s reasonable to have the MC getting this idea at this point or even later.

And I’ve had the same thoughts as @Rebelmaiden, I would have asked you on cousin marriage later too. I had the impression that being 19 years old an MC, especially a noble one who is the only heir(ess) of a small estate should be at least engaged to someone. I’d like to know how the Keriatou see the aristo MC: do they consider her a good party for Hector (or Calea if the MC is male), or do they think her family is too poor and want someone better for their child, disapproving such a relaitionship?

For the Helot MC, I think it might be possible that s/he caught Hector’s eye when they met at the road and he became interested in the MC. This would be a good continuation of the theme mentioned in ch.1

And thinking about this makes me wonder, if Hector really becomes a RO, would he be atteacted to the MC no matter what gender they have or is he straight or gay? And will the game later feature other ROs with fixed gender and sexual preferences, who would behave differently depending on the MC’s gender?