Fatehaven

@HornHeadFan
You must’ve been an amazing schoolteacher!

In my game development classes, I learned how easy it is to criticize, and how rare it is to give compliments. Being a content creator, whether it means being a writer, a YouTube entertainer, a game developer, a musician—it’s a labor of love. Love is what keeps us working late into the night after coming home from our day jobs. Love is also what makes us vulnerable.

These forums have great potential to be a nurturing community for writers as long as we are mindful of this vulnerability. Community College Hero, Fatehaven, Life of a Mobster, Trial of the Demonhunter—every game on this site is someone’s passion.

Speaking of passion, I’m glad you liked Patch :). Creating believable and vivid characters is something I really enjoy. There are characters from RPGs that have stuck with me for decades. My dream, one day, is to have that impact on someone else. That epic sort of feeling, that deep emotional connection so many felt with what happened to Patch—this is what I’m most proud of being able to create.

I understand and appreciate your wish. The lack of large story branches is the reason Fatehaven could delve into a 4 hour tale. I don’t know what the future holds, but I will remember your wish in my future projects!

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Hello, I just want to say congratulation to you for writing a wonderful story. My list of “leave-everything-aside-and-finish-this-story” just got another addition.
Most of what I want to say about this story has been said by HornHeadFan. I really love the narrative and writing style of Fatehaven. it pulled me in and urged me to press the next button to see what going to happen next. The ending and all these “repeated-life-cycle” things are actually great in my opinion and what I love the most about Fatehaven is the characters.
Ah, the characters, I have read a lot of stories, played a lot of choice games (I remember when I first knew about COG, the newest game/story at that time was Choice of the Vampire) and Fatehaven is one of the stories which make me actually care about the characters. In some stories, I read about the characters, read about their quests, their lives but to be honest, I felt nothing for them, even when they suffered or even died, I just like “Ah, so this guy/gal die” and that’s it, no sadness, no emotions at all. But when I read Fatehaven, the characters were … alive, they were adorable and believable. I loved them, from Silvanus to Bregan to Patch and then the members of Redwater and even Aphid. I think you wrote emotions really well, I could felt the pain, the anger, the happiness of the MC, the suffering of some characters (I felt like there was a hand that gripped my heart while I read the scene between Aphid and Kerlton and my heart broke during the Patch scene near the end, I had to keep telling myself that ‘Everything will be allright in the end’ to continue reading :P).
I also think that the way you wrote romance in Fatehaven was really great, from the love the MC had for her/his childhood friend while growing up to the feelings s/he had for her/his teacher and finally the love for one absolutely adorable one-eyed rogue. It was really a hard choice for me during my first readthrough to choose which part to settle down (I finally chose Patch and in my opinion, it was the best path, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling when the MC dropped the L-word :x)
Now, about the problems I had with Fatehaven, I consider Fatehaven a story, not a game, even though there were some small differences along the story based on the choices you made, the story remains the same no matter how many times you re-read it and try to make different choices (well, the endings can be changed but still …). For me, a choice game is a story which I can manipulate with the choices I made, for that, Fatehaven hasn’t been able to live up to my expectation of a “choice game”; the addition of choices with bigger impact on the story will be better in my opinion.
The second problem I have with Fatehaven is the main character, don’t get me wrong, I love the MC, I certainly felt a special bond with her/him and I love to read about the growth of the MC. But, unlike other choice games, the MC in Fatehaven, for me, was just another character from the story. S/he wasn’t someone I … “put” into the story, and while the bond between me (the reader) and the MC was special, it was certainly different from the bond I had with the “you” from other choice games.

Well, that’s all for my rant, all in all, I think while there are still places for improvement, Fatehaven is a wonderful story. I will be eagerly waiting for your next work, hopefully, the it will be more of a “choice game” than a “story” next time.

#12 on the App Store RPG charts! Nice job, @MultipleChoice.

I loved it. Especially the style of humour. And Patch. Definately Patch. I’m not usually moved by fiction, but that right there…
The ending was a bit weird but I liked how original it was, even if it felt like it needed a bit more exposition. From the app description I went in without any special expectations, but was extremely pleasantly suprised. Congrats on an interesting and fun game/read, more of the same please! (Especially Patch. Have I mentioned I loved her?) :slight_smile:

As to the folks yelling bloody murder in the comments, let’s not turn CoG into Tumblr, shall we?

I loved Patch :x :">

Finished it! Like other readers, I’d have enjoyed more choice in shaping the MC. I’m reasonably happy to be denied choice when a story feels character-driven; but the more it feels like an “everyman” MC in a plot-driven story, the more I’d like to be able to define the character. To me, the MC didn’t feel like a distinctive personality – the ironic distance provided by the narratorial voice contributed to this.

But. But but but.

The moment in the story when the “voice” becomes your enemy? When that snarky narrator, the bantering “I” we first met back in Choice of the Dragon and got to know through other works in the CoG house style, gets dragged right through the fourth wall and held there until you’re done with it, not vice versa? The moment where You become the new I?

That was BRILLIANT.

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Fatehaven is definitely one of the best gamebooks i have ever played,ending was a bit disappointing tho. It felt rushed.
Looking forward to your next work :wink:

I’m still wondering what happened with the dragon. xD

I liked the game. I really do! :slight_smile: its not perfect but its something worth holding dear! – to me!, i love patch and bregan very much! They are such adorable character! :slight_smile:

As much as i agree with constructive criticism, I wish that people didnt fussed TOO much over tiny details, it can really spoil such a nice game, im reading comments like “you must be new to the internet” here and there and stuff like that usually starts arguements and it reminds me of those forums where people start acting REALLY smart~ and try to outwit eachother, i hope COG forums DONT end up like that, because the games here deserve better than such comments :slight_smile:

—Love fateheaven alot! And im not disappointed! , yes there are places for improvement but what doesnt? Life of a wizard was great, but lacked life in supporting and secondary characters like your romance or team interraction, but its still a good game :3

I really liked it. The only thing i didn’t like was the ending.

----!!! [SPOILER] !!!-----

The “new” Patch is not the same as the one we had a relationship with. He hasn’t lived with the player what the old Patch has. They are completely different regarding the relationship with the player. The “new” one only has the information the player told him. It’s like if a friend tells you about the fun you two had at the amusment park last weekend, but you can’t remember any of it. It’s not the same. That really let me down.

It’s still an amazing game, I hope you make more like this.


Sorry if my english is not the best, it’s not my native language.

Actually the game made the point that everyone, except for the PC are the same no matter what iteration, so Patch has no choice in how to interact with the PC, if falling in love with the PC is in Patch’s script then Patch has no choice, so all that the PC has to do is not screw it up with improv.

Yes, it would eventually happen, but that doesen’t mean it’s the same person. They are the “basic” vesion of themselves, lacking all the details.

Fun game! I really enjoyed the twist ending. It was very Twilight Zone, and I liked how it took advantage of the Choice of format.

I totally loved this game,and I sure hope that the author does more games like this.Good job author and keep it up :wink:

I’m abstaining on buying this one and I’ll explain why;

It is very… ‘bunched’ up. It’s reading my thoughts and the world is reacting to it. I’m not saying anything, or I am, but I’m not sure. And this bugs me far too much than I care to admit, so going off the demo I won’t invest.

Well I got the time and bought this, did 2 playthroughs so far.

I have to agree with some of the comments here, yes the game was very choiceless, and none of your choices make any difference in the game but 2, romantic option and when you are strangling your friend. Also yes sometimes you can’t tell if you are thinking or talking.

That said, the story is nice and entertaining, it gets 5 out of 10 on my scale.

I would advise people to give it a shot and if you don’t like it at least you supported the author.

Hope to see more from this author.

I promised a review when this first came out, but have yet to deliver. For that I am deeply sorry @MultipleChoice. I hope you can forgive me. Anyways, before I continue, I just want to say what an amazing read this was. I bought Fatehaven when it was first released and just now, weeks later, have I fount the time to playthrough it fully. And how stupid do I feel for not finding the time sooner! (I’ve only played though once, so my review will be based on that playthrough.)
I know many, just from reading the comments, have said that the game feels choiceless, but I really don’t mind. I’d rather have a solid foundation of a story then one that was shaky and didn’t make sense when you made a choice, which many, unfortunately, do at times. Some have also hated on the carnivorous aspects of the game, which I won’t go into for fear of once again starting a spark. My only thought on that part is that it’s a game, get over it.
With that out of the way, I’d like to give my rating before jumping into the actual review.

Was Fatehaven what I was expecting from the beta?: No
Is that a good thing?: Absolutely, yes!

Story aspect: 10/10
Choice aspect: 5/10
Enjoyment value: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Omg-moments: 7/10
The Ending(s): 10/10 (I did not see that coming! Curse you for making me cry over a CoG, something I have NEVER done!)
Overall rating: 9/10
Would I playthrough it again just to try and get the other endings?: Yes
Would I playthrough it again for simple enjoyment?: Maybe
Would I playthrough it again and read all the dialogue once more?: Sorry, but no. I hope you can understand why I wouldn’t and won’t hate me for it.

Before I continue I just wanted to add that I played as a female. My renown was 18, and my end corruption was 40%. I would add my other stats, but I forgot them. Sorry.

I think it was something close to this:

Loner: 60% Leader: 40%
Sly: 75% Powerful: 25%
Suave: 85% Direct: 15%
Vigilant: 45% Carefree: 55%
Logical: 50% Emotional: 50%
Resourceful: 55% Faithful: 45%

So, time to pick apart the story. I just want to say that I didn’t make any notes and am simply using my memory to do this review.
I’m going to try and keep each part on the short side, maybe 250 words or less. It all depends on how much I remember. I will try my best to do this without any spoilers, but if I cannot help myself, I’ll warn you ahead of time.

The Beginning:
Enjoyment value: 8/10

I really enjoyed the beginning of the story, there seemed to be more choices, unlike later parts of the story. I really felt like I was able to pick and choose how I wanted my character to act and behave. I loved it. Something I did not like was Bregan, though I came to dislike him less as the story went on.
The beginning was lighthearted and fun, but as it continued, it grew darker. Much, much, darker. Fatehaven is definitely not for those who like riding on unicorns while going down rainbows and searching for pots of gold at the end of them. If that’s what you’re looking for, well, look elsewhere. You’ve been warned.
As a last word, the beginning stats you choice for yourself will affect you throughout the story. After a certain point, I’m pretty sure you cannot change them at all, unless you restart the game.

The Middld:
Enjoyment value: 6.5/10

The middle was when the story really lost focus on your choices. But as stated, do I mind? Naw. I still loved the game. The only upside for me during this part of the story was Patch! Oh Patch, how I loved him so! Other then that, I sadly don’t have much to say about it. It most definitely wasn’t the best part of the story. At least for me, anyways.

The Ending & Prologue:
Enjoyment value: 9.5/10

I enjoyed the ending the most out of the beginning and most definitely more than the middle of the story. The ending was what really sold Fatehaven and made it worth the money for me. Other then that, I cannot say much more without spoiling the ending.
The only thing I will say is that I picked Patch to romance. Would I have liked to explore mine and his relationship more? Yes! That was the main downside for me. Please, skip the next part, there be spoilers ahead! You’ve been warned! So, be gone, fools that haven’t played yet! Be gone I say! Or else!

*spoiler*
When he was stabbed and died, I cried like a baby and I have NEVER done that! I was about to quit, but think goodness I didn’t. When it went into his PoV, I cried even more. I felt like he really did love me (my character). More so than others.
*end of spoilers*

Time for one last rating thingy, this time based on how much I liked the three guys.:

Bregan:
Beginning: 4/10
Middle: 2/10(?)
Ending: 6/10

Note: I’m sorry, he just didn’t click well with me. I found him very annoying to the point I almost wanted to skip his parts! He redeemed himself a little later. But not by much. He felt disposable to me. Would I reply just to try to be his love interest?: I guess.
My Care rating for him:
I/dont even
(5/10)

Silvanus:
Beginning: 7/10
Middle: 1/10(?)
Ending: 1/10

Note: *Warning, I hold very strong hate for this PoS excuse of a love interest.*
So, I liked him some. Not much, but some. Definitely more than Brogan, at lease in the beginning. I don’t have much to say, I think my rating drop speaks volumes about him, for me anyways. So, ya. Would I replay just to try to be his love interest?: Maybe. If I didn’t kill myself first that is.
My Care rating for him:
Go kill yourself Silvanus/Before I do it for you
(1/10)

Patch:
Beginning: N/A, though I’d liked if he had been in the beginning!
Middle: 8.5/10
Ending & Prologue: 10/10

Note: Oh Patch, how you had me eating from the palm, or should I say paws, of your hands! My Knight in shining armor, even if you didn’t show it! Did you have enough game time?: Hell no! Should you have?: Hell yes! Out of every romance, you, my sweet kitty-cat, will always hold a place in my heart! Be it in Tin Star, or even SLAMMED!.
My Care rating for him:
If you ever make me cry again @MultipleChoice/I will find you and cut you
(10/10)

So, my verdict? It’s no Tin Star, SLAMMED!, Way Walkers or even Zombie Exodus, but Fatehaven should definitely NOT be overlooked. At least with it, I was able to finish and have a sense of fulfilment. (I have NEVER beaten Tin Star!)
Is it the best out there?: In all honesty, no. Every game has downsides and upsides and unfortunately Fatehaven’s faults can be hard to overlook. But should that stop you from playing this game? FK no! Play and enjoy this game for how unlike other CoG’s it is!

So, that’s it. My review is over and I can now sleep, but first, a few last words:
Fatehaven is a story and not choice driven game and will hold a place in my heart from now on. Will I impatiently be waiting for the book? Um, yes! Please, pick a female protagonist when you do write it! We need more strong female characters.
I also want to shamelessly add that if you ever need help on your next project, I’d be happy to give feedback!

With all that said, I hope you enjoyed my short review. @MultipleChoice, love those haters! It only means they care. Continue writing how you please and, if you can, give us a hint for your next project?
Oh, and I forgot to ask, what IS the highest amount of renown you can get? Sorry, just had to ask. It was eating at me. :slight_smile:

With love,
xNaomi.

As a vegan pansexual i dont find this game offensive in any way. While i have to admit that the fabulous world of internet did kill a lot of sensitivity i had, i find pretty much everything in the game acceptable. First, sexism is not very bad considering that both genders have an equal amount of *smexy* moments and that gay and straight are both there (i understand than bisexuality is not present to help with the characters genders). And about the animal cruelty part, i am vegan, turned because of the inhuman way of the meat industry, but yet its normal that meat is such a central part of the world diet. Specialy with it being in a medieval setting. So my verdict is a good 7/10 for the game and even though i respect and like pretty much everyone here, you have to admit that this game is in no way offensive to anyone except hardcore anti-anime activists (gotta admit it had a huge anime feeling)

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Who was the damsel in distress in the beginning?

@Samuel_H_Young

I actually wondered the same thing. Initially I thought it was Silvanus, but I’m really not sure.