To be honest if I could play as a young Lady I would probably be able to get into-, and love this. Just a strange problem in my psyche that completly refuses to roleplay as a male o_o"
As a male, I don’t role play as a male either. I tend to avoid games where I can’t choose female as my character’s gender. There’s an increasing number of hosted games I’ve not bought as a result.
Speaking here as a 17 year old kid (who’s a guy, as read by my profile. If you get past all the quotes I adore), I can certainly get why you don’t want to be locked into a gender. Howeevveerrrr, I must advise that you do in fact try out ones that gender lock you. (One of my favorite game series is the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games, yet one of my favorites of the games, the very first one, gender locks you as a guy no matter what, despite the fact I often play the girl versions of the games/pick a girl character, I still quite love the game)
Sabres of Infinity (and Guns whenever that one is done. I haven’t read it’s thread in an eternity since I spend most of my reading time on the Guenevere thread) gender locks you, but is an absolutely fantastic game with a very interesting story and is often considered one of the better games from these here forums.
Lords of Aswick itself gender locks you, for understandable reasons much like Sabres. They have a universe and within that universe are specific rules and practices regarding different genders, much like in real life in many past eras. From a purely creative standpoint, some people do not want to twist their own imagery of their universe by rewriting and entire new mindset in order to allow you to pick a gender, or even worse do an extremely lazy job of simply swapping the gender of the characters yet having them act the exact same. From a coding standpoint, i’m pretty certain it would be much more difficult as you’d have to rewrite a substantial number of scenes unless you pull an extremely lazy simple gender-swap, while ignoring human biology and the fact that people will naturally act different as a different gender due to the way the brain works different between genders.
If you REALLY can’t get past some weird supposedly psychological problem to not let YOU roleplay as another character. Why roleplay at all? Read it more akin to an interactive story. It’s someone else after all, there’s no exact reason to insert yourself. Taking from the Guen thread, there’s a LOT of variations there by the same people, take for example Lazarus, he even has characters that he himself doesn’t agree with.
In summary, @Amalia_Schroter and @LordOfLA, you should still give the games a chance, just look at things from another perspective.
3 Likes
I do occasionally, however I’m very strongly in favour of interactive entertainment being flexible in situations where reality wouldn’t be for whatever reason. I don’t want to get in to it too much here, it isn’t the thread for it. My opinions are available elsewhere on the boards.
Everyone has the prerogative to find some kind of literature/stories/choices a deal-breaker and thus not purchase what they deem not to their taste. If that was based on a preconceived notion instead of experience, I would be with you on the point that people should try it before they dislike it. In this case, however, I have full confidence that this is simply a matter of subjective taste. Which I completely understand and respect.
Interactive fiction, especially the more choice-heavy gamebooks out there, are built entirely on the notion of choice and freedom. When you set limits to that, such as in gender or romance options, some people will be disappointed and find it such a deal-breaker that they don’t wish to or simply can not immerse themselves in the progressing story. When you have to make choices and aren’t immersed enough in the story, you don’t care about the choices you make, which defeats the purpose of the choices altogether.
The lack of gender options was one of the major things people brought up when this was still a WiP, probably right behind everyone wanting to become King at some point. I refused to even consider changing it into an open selection, because for me the entire point of Lords of Aswick was to bring out historical facts, even if unpleasant, to a medium that too often sees all of the medieval period as a romantic romp in full plate mail.
But that is not to say that I have not written in the lore necessary to differentiate the world of LoA from our own to such a degree that I will be able to add the gender choice in future stories. The immediate sequel will have a gender choice, for example, and it will take place completely within the organizations of the church.
I believe that the only reason for gender-locking in the first place would be if it was necessary to lend support to the story or internal lore. If the story would be completely implausible for a woman to accomplish in the strict mores of a culture, then the option should not be there.
But on the flipside this site, and interactive fiction in general, lacks a lot of female-locked stories. There is this strange block ingrained in our culture where all the adventure and action-heavy stories have male leads in them. In my opinion, this should be explored much more. In fact, I might have a few ideas on stories that would fit a female lead fairly well.
In my case, if I choose to gender-lock a story, I can much more comfortably rely on (and break) certain characteristics and mannerisms than I otherwise would be able to. On the other hand, if I offer the choice (such as in Best of Us) I will endeavour to obfuscate the details and bring the imagination to the forefront in order to allow the reader to imprint their character to what is happening in the text. If you read through the open chapters of LoA and Best of Us, the difference should become clear. Lords of Aswick is meant to be a book that you can have an effect on, with a rigid structure and set character pieces that need to be locked down; in Best of Us I’ve strived to be more of a Game Master, giving you scenes and allowing your freely imagined character do their thing.
Actually, now that I think about it, had I gender-locked Lords of Aswick with a female lead, I would’ve followed Lady Lucia’s story. It’s a pretty interesting story, and not at all your traditional medieval damsel-in-distress. Maybe more of a Margaery Tyrell or Sansa Stark story.
I’m not sure how much of that is just repeating itself and how much of it is actually a glance into my way of thinking about the methods involved in IF. Consider a 2AM rant. The most important thing I had to say was in the very first paragraph.
1 Like
@Fallaner h, no, no. Eh that sounds stupid. ( I mean me in this line)
It is just something really strange and weird with my personality.
My mind simply refuses to enjoy it. Been a problem for a very long time now with video games as well, maybe it simply is because I truly leave this world for a the duration of the read and simply imagine myself in the story completly and my immersion gets screwed over everytime I read he then.
@Goshman
Eh, the reason I wrote is because I did read the first couple of pages on the free web version and it looks to be pretty great. Naturally I am going to look forward to your mentioned future story. And as mentioned, LoA looks great and I would certainly love it if not for that strange thing in my mind that refuses to roleplay a male.
Absolutely. And why I emphasized the first paragraph.
Most people have some kind of a block, or a line they can’t cross when it comes to any kind of media, and I understand and respect that. It’s your prerogative as a consumer to refuse to give me money based on that and I can’t tell you that you’re wrong, because you aren’t.
Perhaps Best of Us will be a better experience, and perhaps the sequel to Lords of Aswick will be the jumping off point into that world. I hope so, because I am trying to genuinely open their story to more choices and RP options. If they don’t, I expect to hear that so I can continue to refine my craft. Feedback of all kind is important to me. The last thing I want is for the discussion around my work to become some holier-than-thou circlejerk over how great everything in it is.
1 Like
So its seem the best land the PC can get is Darrow, then Oxbridge, then Dumas then Steminster. While I think Augustine is the best monarch, Darrow+Oxbridge > her.
How powerful the PC can become if he is rich, got all the lands he can obtain and got a sit on the Privy Council?
And if you dont mind answering a few questiona of mine:
Which noble is the best political marriage for the PC’s daughter?
Is there a way to save Lucia’s brother after the civil war? If there is a way, how I do it?
Depends a bit on how you look at it, I guess. Darrow would be a mid-tier royal honour that can be gifted to a nobleman, Steminster is one of the lowest in the same bunch. The honours don’t get passed down unlike other titles, unless decreed otherwise by the crown.
So for the MC, the best combination would be Steminster+Darrow+Oxbridge+Dumas, if you wanted to maximize your land gain for one lifetime.
If you’re thinking ahead a couple of generations, then you’ll want to try and keep Oxbridge and Dumas. Of course, if you married south into the crusader states, and your brother-in-law happened to have a teensy weensy accident during the Norwallian civil war, well that’s a whole kingdom with limitless expansion opportunities waiting for one of your kids.
The MC can become extremely rich by the standards of Norwallian nobility, probably becoming one of the richest nobles in the land if you get everything you can get. Not enough to rival the crown, or some very well established noble houses, but very well off. A seat on the Privy Council brings about a royal stipend, which is also a nice bonus on top of everything. I can’t remember the exact numbers we would be talking about, though.
I would argue that even with all that land and all the titles, the MC would still remain poorer than if you happen to detour to the crusades and become a Grandmaster. That wealth doesn’t pass down, but the Holy Orders are pretty darn wealthy even in their worst years. The money wouldn’t be absolutely in the hands of the MC to do with as he wills, but pretty close.
As for the daughter… That remains to be seen. I’m still contemplating on the trickle-down effects of that and I won’t say anything for certain yet.
However, if you’re seeking to marry your daughter into prestige, then there’s only Sir Egbert of Mistow. His line goes way back and they’re seen as loyal nobles of Norwall above all else. But playing it conservative probably won’t bring you the best rewards.
You cannot save Lucia’s brother, no. You can try to help in the endeavour, but ultimately he is considered a traitor and needs to become an example. Essentially, his head becomes another brick in a solid foundation for an otherwise weak monarch in their first few years at the job.
The only way for him to survive is if you lose the war and John becomes King, or if you stand with him and King John and win the war.
So my PC’s son will not become Baron of Darrow and Steminster? What a shame.
But Oxbridge and Dumas stayed with his family?
I married her to that guy from Molè, but I dont know of it was the right decision.
And how I can go to the Crusade? Both Augustine and Stephen doesnt allow me to reject a sit at the Council.
And what happens to the second son who is not send to the church? Its said he got a honorific out of respect, but doesnt mention what this honorific is.
You have to lose the war to go on the crusades. Instead of execution you’re simply banished to a holy order to fight for the faith until death.
Yes. Essentially your son would be the heir to the Viscountcy of Dumas if you managed to wrangle it back. Oxbridge is a reward for all the aid in the civil war and is actually granted to the MC. Darrow and Steminster are royal honours (an actual term) and they are lifetime titles awarded for acts of merit, and which default back to the crown after your death. Depending on the monarch, they might ask for a payment to maintain the title, or they might give it to someone else, or keep it all to themselves to fill the coffers.
Who knows. That Molé guy seems pretty enthusiastic. He might strike it big.
You get to the crusade by losing the civil war. Easy as that.
The honorific depends a bit on the position of your family. He might become a Baron in their own right (via subinfeudation) if you have the lands for splitting some of it off, or he gets a manor somewhere and is just titled a Lord of your house.
Damm, losing is bad, I always died as a Crusader, I thought there was another way.
Since Oxbridge was given to the PC, it can be passed down?
And how old was Marguerite when she met the PC? I always wondered why she wasnt promised to some Valmagne noble.
Oxbridge is part of the family lands, yes. It is passed down the same way as the Earldom.
Marguerite was probably somewhere around 20, if I remember right.
There happened to be a war on. Whoever she was betrothed to happened to be on the wrong side in the big battle, and it is unlikely that he was of much importance in Valmagne in any case. Probably just a chevalier. The viscountcy is not very prestigious in Valmagne, despite their great hunting woods. Too far away from the royal court.
Marguerite definitely traded up if the MC married her, even if she refused to see it that way.
Yay for Oxbridge staying with the PC family! Hopefully Sir Roderick Allard, Earl of Aswicdale, Viscount of Dumas and Baron of Oxbridge will honour the family name and the hard work of his father in acquiring all those lands.
I think after my PC got her family lands back, become rich and powerful, she saw she traded up. And I think she actually loved the PC, she was always lustful for him and when you are arranging the future of the bastard son, she was described as “ever passionais wife” (or she was a very good actress).
Thank you for your patient to answer all my question.
Now I shall wait patiently for the sequel, where hopefully I can play as a hedonist priest who can become the Holy Father and want to kill his father for sending him to the church.
Who leaked my notes?
5 Likes
We’ll I ain’t that religious but does becoming a priest really that bad specially at that time that it can actually make you want to kill your father. I think its mandatory and you can’t refuse but historically is it bad? unfortunate?.
I’ve played Lord of Aswick months ago and today it still remained one of my favourites.
I wanted to replay it and I wanted to ask who among the women is the best choice or at least adds greatly to the plot?
The best wife is Marguerite of Dumas, if you have a bastard with her, you can get a special scene where you duel the Viscount of Dumas to the ownership of the Viscounty. If you win, you will get the title “Protector of Dumas” and the lands for your son.
I dont know if it was bad, but I think I would hate to be taken from my family, be sent far way from home, forbidden to have a wife and children just because I was born a few minutes after my brother. So I want my character to resent his father, and have a bad obssession on his father death and suffering.
Now I imagine you as Cesare Borgia but hey just make sure you do not kill your brother the family must remain strong
But, if you play your cards right, it gives you the chance to become the single most powerful man in the entire western world.