@P_Tiagras I see what you mean, bit I’m not saying Jury would have a sudden realization that he needed to change his ways if he managed to get the MC to sleep with him. That would just further support his whole belief that he can get whatever he wants, just because he’s the almighty Jury. But I dunno, something could change before then, I don’t know how or what or why, but he just seems like the type of character who’s gonna end up maturing a lot and then having a moment where he surprises us all.
@bobsmyuncle “Fire alarm booty call”, LOL. And I agree that Jury’s power is kinda useless, and it would be so funny to have to swoop in and rescue his pathetic butt. His dad continuing to be the go-between would be so pathetic on Jury’s part, but also hilarious. And come to think of it, if we were to send the Mayor to keep asking the MC on his behalf, he could be watching through his dads POV, could he not? I wonder if he was watching when his dad gave that card to the MC, lol.
@bobsmyuncle First, it wasn’t an escalation of force, it was an invasion of privacy. Second, like a security clearance, your hero license is a privilege, not a right. And being a hero, comes with a certain lessening of your right to privacy. Government agencies and many corporations do monitor the work-related email, and/or phone conversations of their employees. And this is a work-related memory. Theoretically she probably should have warned you that she needed to do the memory swap, and if you refused, told you that if you continued to refuse she’d have your hero license suspended for impeding an investigation (much the way refusing a breathalyser test can result in your driver’s license being suspended). As a member of the MF, she does have legal jurisdiction over you and your investigation. But BM, is, well…BM, and BM appears to be of the belief that the best of ends justify highly shady means. That’s what makes her such a morally gray character. And as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I agree that Jury’s powers seem pathetic given what our character knows about him in the first episode. Our character isn’t omniscient however.
The fake alarm booty call actually bothers me more than the memory swap. The memory swap wasn’t personal, at least the memory she took from our character wasn’t, it was work-related. On the other hand the fake alarm/seduction scene was very personal, so it bothered me quite a bit more.
@P_Tigras I perceived it as an attack, not just an invasion of privacy, because it was painful. Additionally, reading someone’s mind is a kind of invasion on a level beyond reading an email, because it is an invasion of part of your body/self.
I don’t think the example of government/corporate privacy policies really tracks, because they tell you up front what they do and you have to agree to it. At my company, the IT department has reserved the right to wipe your cell phone remotely if you leave the company. However, this doesn’t bother me because 1) the policy is stated up front and 2) you have the right to decline (by not connecting your phone to the corporate email network). Black Magic doesn’t disclose what he plans to do and doesn’t get the PC’s assent. Also, it’s not limited to a work related memory because he accidentally shares a personal past memory and a private fantasy (that is apparently mutual).
It’s possible that possessing a hero license might require monitoring the thoughts of the hero, but I don’t believe it’s disclosed as such in game so it’s speculation at this point. Same with questions of legal jurisdiction.
I do agree that Black Magic is very much an “ends justify the means” type of person. I don’t think he’s bad as a character - I like a lot of characters that are absolutely terrible people*. But I guess I don’t see the romantic appeal and it bugged me that my character was head over heels despite my own opinion (recently the option was added to be indifferent to Black Magic, which is nice).
I’m curious what your opinion is of Black Magic’s human battery set-up. I personally abhor it but I like hearing other perspectives. I would want to encourage him to find an alternative even if it means not being as powerful.
*I realize this sounds like I’m including Black Magic here. I’m actually thinking of some ASOIAF/Game of Thrones characters. I don’t think Black Magic is irredeemable, I just dislike him at this point. Particularly as a romantic prospect for my character (at least when I’m playing my main goody two shoes).
@alleykae @P_Tigras Re: Jury, he could also realize that money can be a superpower (see Batman or Iron Man) and go that route. Or he could have some hidden power he doesn’t know how to use yet. Depends if the author wants to develop him into a powerhouse or keep him a kind of bumbling rich brat. We’ll see 
I thought that the memory you got from Black Magic’s mind was far worse, far more personal than any memory that they got from you. I do agree that to have your mind read like that was such a violation, but nothing personal of yours was taken compared to that secret of Black Magic’s that you got. If people had found out that Black Magic had been working in that sort of capacity for Madame Vice you could have ruined Black Magic.
Not that that justifies anything. It was still wrong.
I do not agree with Black Magic’s human battery set up. It’s just wrong on so many different levels. He does justify it to himself. I think that it would be possible to introduce that sort of set up as a genuine, difficult moral dilemma. I don’t think Heroes Rise actually manages to do that though. It boils down to have problems with what Black Magic is doing and no romance, or pretend you’re okay with it and romance.
When really it should just take the romance out of the picture. Throw that away and then you’ve got, is the life-force of four catatonic people that no one cares for, and who Black Magic does see gets helped, worth that of everyone who Black Magic can help? But Black Magic should never, ever use his powers for frivolous things in that case.
I think the whole scene could have been set up better. It was far too fast, discovering that secret. If for instance Black Magic could have joined you at the end, but would have needed to use his powers, draining the life force, in order to save all those people that died… Four catatonic people who will just be weakened against the lives of hundreds of people… But we’re never given that scenario. We’re never shown things.
@bobsmyuncle: There is a former US 4 star general and CIA Director whose career was destroyed because government personnel read messages from his private email account (not a work or government account) during an investigation and decided to leak their contents, especially the fact that he was cheating on his wife, forcing him to resign in disgrace. So I’d argue that emails can be just as personal as memories. The emails in that example were a hell of a lot more personal than the memory taken from our character by BM in this case. And as FairyGodfeather has pointed out, you got a far more personal memory of BM’s in return.
In addition, a headache does not equal an attack in my book. People give me headaches all the time, and I deal with those headaches the best I can as they come.
There is no way that our character’s parents would have been convicted in the real world. The jury would have looked at how many lives were saved by their action, recognized that it was justifiable self-defense, and acquitted them. So the whole legal system is a bit screwed up, and clearly seems to afford powered heroes less rights while holding them to a higher standard than regular people. Mayor Victon’s successful political platform also shows that there is a lot of anti-powered sentiment, people who look at powereds the way a lot of humans do dangerous predatory animals, and that doesn’t help matters any. So I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if a trusted powered law-enforcement official like BM had full authority to ream a powered suspect’s mind if she believed it warranted as part of an investigation into a powered crime to which that character may have been a party. And even if she didn’t have the authority, it’s the MC’s word against hers, and she still wins, and she knows it. Most importantly the memory swap testifies to the fact that the MC is a good guy, and enables her to trust him/her far beyond simply taking a questionable unknown like the MC at his or her word would entail.
Oh, I personally abhor the human battery setup as well. What makes it morally grey instead of downright evil is that her draining of their life force is presented as not doing them any real harm. Maybe she’s lying, but there is no evidence of real harm. These comatose/vegetable-like people were left for dead by their family members who didn’t want to pay for their care, and she is seeing to their care. Had she not stepped-in and taken custody, their lives would be worse off. Yes, she’s taking advantage of them to a degree, but is she harming them? That’s the question. And if she doesn’t appear to be, it’s possible for a young hero who worships the ground she walks on to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Now me myself, I wouldn’t touch her with a ten foot pole romantically speaking, but I’m not role-playing myself, I’m role-playing a young and impressionable young hero who has been dreaming about her for a long time and as a result has put her up on a pedestal. If it’s at all possible for him to give her the benefit of the doubt he will. It’s kind of like how a lot people who love and are kind-hearted towards all animals can still eat meat. As long as you aren’t forced to watch the poor animal who will become your steak or prime rib butchered in front of you, that ugly little facet of the meat production process is out of sight and thus out of mind. Not that my character knows she’s harming any one; If she is, he isn’t aware of it. He does however see the great good she does with her power firsthand.
@FairyGodfeather I agree that the discovery scene could have been set up a lot better. There are a lot of things in the first episode of the game that could have been done better. I’ve bashed the game badly in the past, but I also see great potential in it as well.
Or is she? Que dramatic music. Won’t spoil the answer if you haven’t beat two yet.
You know that was posted before the game was released?